OAK WOOD MAGAZINE Spring 2012 OAKWOOD COLLEGE… SPECIAL ISSUE THEN Meet the th OAKWOOD 2,000 Student UNIVERSITY… 1970’s Couples NOW Share Secrets to Lasting Love 21st Century “Hebrew Boys”? CAPTURING, CAPSULIZING AND SHARING THE OAKWOOD STORY www.oakwood.edu From the publishers Wherever your platform heels, polyester leisure suits, “Mod Squad”-like afros and 55¢/gallon of gas found you in 1974, you could not have imagined that 38 years later: • The White House occupied by the first African American, President Barack Obama, now running for re-election; • The (then) California-based “Breath of Life” TV ministry (now) headquartered at Oakwood (now) University Church, (now) led by speaker-director Dr. Carlton P. Byrd – (then) a two- year old toddler in 1974; and • (now) “LNP” (Dr. Leslie Nelson Pollard) and his bride (now, Dr. Prudence LaBeach Pollard) would serve as (now) the 11th President and First Lady of their alma mater, as it reached its 2,000-student milestone in fall 2011, for the first time! This special issue of Oakwood Magazine returns primarily to that milestone 1974 school year – when we reached the 1,000th student mark – and asks the question: in what parallel ways can we view Oakwood College THEN and Oakwood University NOW? Admittedly and because of the “special-Issue” nature of this publication, Team PR, the publishers of this and other Oakwood publications, will veer somewhat from the Oakwood Magazine to which you’ve been accustomed, traditionally. To accomplish this initiative, your immediate feedback is so vital. And sought after. Please complete the surveys in selected articles, for you to feed back to us your responses. Please enjoy this Oakwood College THEN/Oakwood University NOW special issue, and Review. Reflect. Revel. Re-commit. Reply. Relish. And Return. We’re just getting started. Debbe Millet Jerry Ross Tim Allston Editor Art Director/Designer Publisher 2 OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY | SPRING 2012 WWW.OAKWOOD.EDU SPECIAL ISSUE p.27 8 p. p.10 squad? 14 UNCFs p. ‘70’s secrets Miss Now love favorite and Janelle: your share and Then Fannie Lou Hamer Who’s Another milestone year couples p. 4 Brenda returns to OU Aeolians: 70’s Survey: P. 6 A ‘70’s couple returns to LEAD Ross Jerry P. 12 Standing for Jesus by pays off big! photography P. 2 5 Cover EDITORIAL STAFF OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION Oakwood Magazine is the official journal of Publisher: Tim Allston Leslie N. Pollard Oakwood University. Editor: Debbe Millet PRESIDENT 7000 Adventist Boulevard, NW Art Director/Designer: Jerry Ross Huntsville, Alabama 35896 Timothy McDonald www.oakwood.edu Student Writers: PROVOST AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Ashley Batiste, Dawnette Chambers, OAKWOOD MAGAZINE is published Krysten Copeland, Lee Munro C. Garland Dulan annually, © Oakwood University, VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS 7000 Adventist Boulevard, NW, Student Photographers: Matthew-Lee Morgan, Jyremy Reid, Huntsville, Alabama 35896. Sabrina Cotton Donald J. Twitty Address editorial correspondence VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCIAL AFFAIRS to the Office of Public Relations, Contributors: 7000 Adventist Boulevard, NW, David A. Knight Sharon Cluff, Class of 1975 Huntsville, Alabama 35896. VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT SERVICES Charles Dudley, Class of 1974 Spring 2012. Leslie Pollard, Class of 1978 Ronald Pollard, Class of 1987 Howard Weems Questions may be addressed to Michele Solomon, LEAP Office SENIOR CHAPLAIN the Office of Public Relations at J.P. Willis, Class of 1978 [email protected]. Janice Lindsey Willis, Class of 1977 2 OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY | SPRING 2012 WWW.OAKWOOD.EDU WWW.OAKWOOD.EDU OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY | SPRING 2012 3 In 1974, pre-med student Corliss Claibon was selected as the 1,000th student during that milestone school year. Where are these celebrants now? Find out in the next issue. 4 OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY | SPRING 2012 WWW.OAKWOOD.EDU Meet Oakwood’s 2,000th Student by Michele Solomon When Larry Bush decided to “... once I became more familiar complete his undergraduate stud- ies through Oakwood’s LEAP with the technology, (Leadership Education for the Adult Professional) program, I grew to like it.” little did he know that he would make history as the 2000th stu- dent to enroll at Oakwood Uni- versity in any single semester. and was serving as an elder at Bush also has a passion for com- That happened in the fall of 2011 the Pleasant Acres Seventh-day munity service and has volun- when the university broke all pre- Adventist Church in Valhermoso teered for the past 20 years at vious enrollment records set since Springs, Alabama, where he and the North Alabama Community its opening in 1896. his wife, Catherine, are members. Services Federation. He says that He decided to transition into the his pursuit of a degree in Orga- Bush was nearing retirement field of Organizational Manage- nizational Management better from the City of Huntsville after ment. equipped him for continued ser- 33 years, but he wanted to fulfill vice in disaster relief training. his lifelong dream of earning a It wasn’t easy, but after raising Now that he has retired, he plans bachelor’s degree. He had begun all four of their children (now, all to take his level of involvement studies in Religion and Theology adults), plus helping with their in such projects to another level, at Oakwood in 1974 and attended grandchildren, Bush and his wife especially in light of the increased on-and-off for seven years, while agreed that it was time to finish tornado activity that has ravaged working full-time. Challenged his degree. After several years North Alabama over the last sev- with school, the demands of his of being out of the classroom, eral months. job and family responsibilities, he had to buckle down. “I didn’t he made the tough decision to put welcome the online format at Bush was understandably over- that dream on hold in 1981. first,” he said, “but once I became joyed as he crossed the gradua- more familiar with the technol- tion platform in 2011 to receive Several years later, with the en- ogy, I grew to like it.” Catherine his B.A. degree in Organizational couragement of LEAP director helped him over the technologi- Management. His commitment Dr. Rachel Williams-Smith, he cal hurdle, and he eventually hit to God’s work and to community decided to re-enroll at Oakwood, his stride with LEAP’s blended- service has been a driving force and complete his undergraduate online format that allows adult for this Oakwood milestone stu- studies. By this time, Bush had learners to attend classes one dent, and the university applauds been working diligently in church night a week while completing his tenacity in pursuing his educa- evangelism for about 30 years class assignments online. tional goals. 4 OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY | SPRING 2012 WWW.OAKWOOD.EDU WWW.OAKWOOD.EDU OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY | SPRING 2012 5 Fannie Lou Hamer “returns” to OU, kicks off campus Voter Registration by Lee Munro During Oakwood University’s Hamer as a strong, intelligent, Chapel on February 7, 2012, ac- God-fearing woman, who strived tress/singer Mzuri Moyo presented for enfranchisement for all. The “The Fannie Lou Hamer Story,” presentation also featured chill- depicting the life of an African ing videos of African American’s American voting rights activ- being lynched, as a way to capture ist who was integral in the Civil the social atmosphere preceding Rights movement, particularly in the Civil Rights movement. her home state of Mississippi. Mzuri has portrayed Hamer for 11 years. After seeing her on TV, she In her one-woman performance, became inspired to re-enact her Mzuri depicted the life and story. “I heard the name ‘Fannie struggles of Hamer through pic- Lou Hamer’,” recalled Mzuri. ture and song. Mzuri personified “I knew she was somehow in- Foot Soldier for Justice: The morning Fannie Lou Hamer marched into Moran Hall by Sharon Cluff flood of memories prevailed when then but in subsequent years has never Three decades after graduating from recalling the day Mrs. Hamer actually been equaled – even in the grandest Oakwood College, I was especially spoke in Moran Hall for our Lyceum Adventist sanctuary]. interested to learn that Oakwood was series. launching a voter registration drive on Suddenly, the side door swung open campus this past February following It was February of 1974. (…) some- and an unfamiliar group entered the a chapel presentation of “The Fannie one began the program with the hall. They were basically all men Lou Hamer Story.” That scheduled requisite Moran Hall song service [an except for one elderly woman – she event was such welcome news as a experience I took for granted back was walking slow and quite stooped 6 OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY | SPRING 2012 WWW.OAKWOOD.EDU importance of voting, “Students should understand that their vote counts.’’ OU President Leslie Pollard ap- plauded the presentation, “The actress Mzuri did a superb job in embodying the passion and purpose of Mrs. Hamer, and our campus community benefitted from her presentation.” volved in civil rights, but I didn’t an initial voter registration drive know anything about what she had which immediately followed done.” Mzuri’s presentation. He wanted to encourage students to register She described her experience at beforehand, and to vote during OU as, “amazing. I could tell that the upcoming Alabama primary the students were moved by the and general elections. “Mzuri did performance.” a good job of connecting with the Raymond King, an OU alum and students,” said King. “She brought current Student Activities Coordi- her (Hamer) to life. Students nator, worked with the OU student could see the struggle Mrs. Hamer NAACP chapter to co-sponsor endured. King also spoke on the over. (…) I was looking for the voter recall how Mrs.