The afternoon Local Cultures class at Oxford Learning Center has started the walking tours of the city. The Theodora Hamblett House was the first stop on the tour after leaving campus.
The next stop was First Presbyterian Church, originally established in 1836, the present building was constructed in 1881. It was in the present church yard that Chickasaw Princess Hoka reportedly sold 640 acres to land speculators for the construction of Oxford and the University for $800.00.
Currently, Old Venice Pizza Co., the Gathright-Reed Drug Co. was built in 1923.
Built in 1866, Square Book's iconic building was one of the first buildings on the Square rebuilt after the burning in 1864 by federal troops.
Neilson's Department Store established in 1839 (built in 1897) is the oldest continuously operating department store in the South.
City Hall was the first permanent federal building built in 1887. The building became Oxford City Hall in 1974.
The newly renovated courtroom in the Lafayette County Courthouse, constructed in 1871. Federal troops led by General Andrew Jackson Smith destroyed the courthouse and the Square on August 22, 1864.
Take a moment to check out the map of my trip to the Expo. Charlie gave us a lunchtime assignment, and I set a GPS app to track my walk.
After e-mailing myself the data, I simply dragged and dropped the .gpx file into a new map in ArcGIS.com
Here's the result:
View Larger Map
The following week - on April 13, 2012 - the secondary social studies student teachers and volunteers from the Department of Religion and Philosophy helped organize a World Religions Day for 100 seventh graders from Oxford Middle School.
In the last issue of the Daily Mississippian - above the fold on the front page - this is what ran today... What is World Religion
Here is my letter to the editor:
Dear Ms. Nassar and Mr. Madden:
I am writing in reference to this morning’s final edition of The Daily Mississippian and your choice to run an inflammatory piece on the first Oxford Middle School – OleMiss World Religions Day.
Instead of a piece that highlighted all of the good things done by Dr. Thurlkill, Dr. Simmons, and Mrs. Douglas; you ran an article that focused on one tiny portion of the day.
I was with Dr. Thurlkill and Mrs. Douglas when they approached Ms. Johnston about the reservations that would arise if she were to speak. I heard both of their sincere apologies. I could see the hurt in Ms. Johnston’s face, but she accepted our apologies and said she understood the situation. Mrs. Johnston said she had family that still did not understand or appreciate her religious preference.
What your article left out was that local seventh graders were introduced to sacred music, sacred architecture, sacred food, sandpainting, and yoga. Seniors from the UM-School of Education and volunteers from the Department of Religion and Philosophy created presentations that helped to break down barriers which is crucial to understanding those with different beliefs.
The day also provided the UM-SOE student teachers with valuable experience in understanding the importance of hands-on, relevant teaching/learning activities in the secondary classroom. They also came to appreciate the importance of a balanced presentation of belief systems in the social studies curriculum.
While Ms. Johnston was not able to join the conversation this year, both Dr. Thurlkill and Mrs. Douglas expressed their desire to include more religions in the future. I sincerely hope that the work that Thurlkill and Douglas have done over the past five years to help middle schoolers and college students learn more about the “other” and build a more inclusive community is stronger than the damage your hostile piece will do in a day.
I was honored that Thurlkill and Douglas asked the UM-SOE social studies student teachers to participate in the first World Religions Day. If we are allowed to organize the event again, perhaps the DM will show more balanced coverage regarding the teaching of diverse religious perspectives and how the university is building relationships with the broader community and investing in the lives of a truly multicultural and tolerant Mississippi.
Sincerely,
ellen j foster, ph.d.
Here is the response I received:
Dr. Foster,
I apologize for not being available this morning when you called the Student Media Center. I understand that you were hoping to speak to Cain Madden; however, I am the new editor-in-chief and am responsible.
I understand your concerns with the World Religion Day article in today's DM. There were several news meetings surrounding this story, and a lot of reporting, editing and rewriting went into it before it ran. My staff and I believe the story was fair and balanced.
While we will not print the DM again until the end of May, if you would like to submit your email as a Letter to the Editor, I will publish it on theDMonilne.com. Also, if you would like to speak to me further about your concerns, I would be happy to set up a time to talk to you.
Sincerely,
Emily Roland
And my reply to Ms. Roland:
Ms. Roland:
I would be more than willing for you to include the letter in the next issue of the paper and/or the DMOnline
As for balanced, I’m not sure how you define balanced. Your reporter did not attempt to get the full story – Ms. Johnston was given an apology – three of them! Your reporter did not even get to the true story of why Dr. Thurlkill and Mrs. Douglas developed the concept of a World Religions Day – why such an event was necessary in the first place.
By placing the story on the front page of the last issue of the semester, you and your staff showed tremendous disrespect for all of the work that our faculty, staff, and students have done to help break stereotypes and present a balanced view of world belief systems and their role in the social studies. You didn’t have any one reporting on the highlights of the day – 100 seventh graders doing yoga in the Grove, sampling a seder plate in Bryant Hall, creating sandpaintings in the Union, or learning more about religious symbols in Paris-Yates Chapel.
No, your choice to run the article on the front page, above the fold, in the last issue of the year was nothing more than yellow journalism. I am sincerely disappointed in the DM.
Respectfully,
ejf
I sincerely hope that all of the good things that "my" social studies student teachers worked so hard to achieve this semester have not been undone by the narrow focus of one reporter's interpretation of their work.
January flew by it seemed as lots of personal challenges marked the beginning of the spring semester. My family's personal journey is chronicled in two places, both on CaringBridge.org - my husband's page (robertdalton) and the other of a dear friend, fabulous geographic educator, and mentor (kristinalvarez).
I sent a several text messages and e-mails in the first hours after our arrival at the emergency room -- five important ones professionally -- my husband's school secretary and assistant principal; and my program coordinator, department chair, and dean. Yes, it was early on a Saturday, but it was quite clear he wouldn't be able to return to work on Monday and would need a long-term substitute for his classes. The administrative staff would need time to find an acceptable replacement. I didn't have obligations on campus until the following week, but depending on his condition I might not be able to make all of the pre-semester meetings as required. And then, there's that pesky tenure package due at the beginning of the summer. (Would I have enough already published and documented if I were unable to start any new projects this semester?)
What helped me make it through the two weeks that my husband was in the hospital (7 days in ICU) -- very good friends, an awesome support network at both of our jobs, and faith of lots of folks.
I also learned that something as subtle as the "white noise" of our lives made a difference in my ability to function. Normally, I'm an NPR girl. I listen to Morning Edition or All Things Considered during my commute. I love that Mississippi Public Broadcasting is available state wide. However, during the past month, my playlist has been tuned a little differently. In the CVICU waiting room -- it was Pandora's Ambient Radio that helped me nap between visiting hours. In my car, Pandora's Trance Radio gave me energy and kept me focused on the tasks at hand.
What's on your playlist to helps get you through teaching? Keep in mind that the soundtrack of our lives often sets the tone for our mood and productivity. (New research in the neurosciences is confirming this, too! It's not just for yoga instructors, massage therapists, and coaches anymore.)
