OACS Update
Global Service Seminar on Power and Privilege
On April 7th, OACS was proud to invite Greg Fontus and Emily Hickey from Inclusion Initiatives and Cultural Competence to present on power and privilege in relation to international service for the students of our global service programs to South Africa, London, Ecuador, and Morocco.
Redefine and Trinity United Methodist Church
Redefine, a collaborative program between OACS and ISSS, saw students dedicate their evenings in service of those in attendance at Trinity United Methodist Church in east Nashville on April 12th for a communal meal. Students got to know members of the community, many of whom are experiencing homelessness, as they assisted with serving and cleaning up after the dinner supplied by the Nashville Food Project. Redefine asks students to immerse themselves in the conceptualization of community service as it relates to U.S. communities and how, or if, the same ideas translate across cultures. It simultaneously aims to make international students feel at home and develop enduring friendships. Redefine has concluded for the year and OACS thanks its partners both on campus and in the community for another successful program.
Teach-In on Justice in Palestine
On April 6th, Dr. Clive Mentzel participated in a teach-in on justice in Palestine with Zach Blume, President of Jewish Voice for Peace Nashville and Dr. Jessica Winegar, author of Anthropology’s Politics: Disciplining the Middle East.
Global Perspective on Modern Conflict: A Luncheon Event with Professor Clive Mentzel
Join the Undergraduate Political Science Association for their last luncheon of the year. Our discussion will be led by Professor Clive Mentzel, and will focus on global conflict as well as their far-reaching impact, both domestically and internationally. Students will be encouraged to discuss the issues and share their perspectives. All are welcome, and lunch will be served.
VSG Senate
Dr. Clive Mentzel Addressed the VSG Senate on April 13th, speaking about the value of service on campus, student engagement and immersion through service, and the relationship between VSG and OACS.
World on Wednesday
OACS is pleased to support the ISSS WoW series! On April 6th, Dr. Clive Mentzel presented on domestic sources of global conflict. What is the nature of conflict being experienced around the globe? What are the prospects for resolution of conflicts? What can we do to avert conflict? This topic helps us understand the sources of global conflicts and what we can do to ameliorate and reduce these and live together in more harmonious and peaceful ways.
Inequality and the Digital Divide: You Can Make a Difference
OACS and the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center invite the Vanderbilt community to join a project addressing the lack of access to digital technology and the internet in low income communities around Nashville. This project, Inequality and the Digital Divide: You Can Make a Difference, was born out of a community partnership with the ConnectHome Initiative led by the Metro Government of Nashville and Davidson County and the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency. Other community partners include the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Comcast, Electronic Responsible Recyclers, Google Fiber, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, the Martha O’Bryan Center, Nashville Public Library, Nashville Public Television, and Nashville Technology Council. The ConnectHome Initiative will supply computer training and one year of free internet access to the residents of Cayce Place in east Nashville. Vanderbilt donated desktop computers to the Community Foundation of Middle TN. The Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency applied for a grant through the community foundation for 100 laptops for the ConnectHome Cayce Place Pilot. The laptops will be coming through a grant from the Digital Inclusion Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle TN. Vanderbilt students are invited to volunteer as facilitators in the computer training courses.
On April 6th, OACS and the BCC held an awareness raising event with guest speakers Daynise Joseph of Google, Adam Strizich of the Martha O’Bryan Center, and Susan Reaves of the Nashville Public Library. To learn more about Inequality and the Digital Divide: You Can Make a Difference, please visit the website. OACS thanks its partners at Vanderbilt: the BCC, and the Center for Community, Neighborhood, and Government Relations, as well as wider project partners, including Google Fiber, the Nashville Public Library, the Martha O’Bryan Center, and Metro Government of Nashville and Davidson County.
