UCM'S CAMPUS MINISTER REFLECTIONS ON NOVEMBER 9, 2016

I have spent much of today making the rounds and checking in with people on my campus I thought might be reeling from the results of the election, and from the responses to those results that compound the hurt they experienced during this long and bitter campaign season. And while I hoped I might be of some help to people who are hurting, I find that the act of reaching out and connecting has been balm for my own bruised soul. I’m glad for the respite from social media, even as I am mindful that this virtual space too is my mission field. So I've made my way back here with some thoughts and words that had until now been hard for me to find.

To all my women friends, and my LGBTQ friends, and my black and brown friends, and my immigrant and international friends, and my friends from various faith backgrounds (including Christians) or from no faith—I know many of you are hurting right now. I know that many of you experienced this result as a grievous and wounding attack on your very persons. For you, I know, this decision goes way beyond politics and policy and law and government—goes directly and painfully to whether there is a place for you at all in the new nation we all woke up to. And I hurt because you’re hurting.
Thanks to my walkabout earlier today, though, I know more than that. I know that you are amazing in your beauty, power, resilience, and dedication to the well-being of each other and of our community as a whole. I know that however much you might be reeling from what’s happened, you are absolutely and emphatically there for each other—and for me. I’m honored and awed by the privilege of being in ministry with you and to you and on your behalf. And I’m pledging to you right now that I will never stop standing with you and fighting for you and working to bring about the vision of beloved community we share. 

At United Campus Ministry, where I am called to serve, we have always held ourselves accountable to the scriptural ideal that the justness of our community is measured by how we treat the widow and the orphan and the stranger, how we treat those on our margins. We have always dedicated our heart and soul and mind and strength to loving our neighbors—all of our neighbors—as ourselves. We have always concerned ourselves with speaking truth to power and with bringing the voices of those whose voices have been disregarded to the ears and the hearts of those who hold and wield that power. These things we have always done are who we are, and there’s no way we’re going to stop now. Because you—all of you—deserve nothing less.

ANNUAL BENEFIT BASH!!! 

Saturday, November 5, 6pm

Athens Community Center

COME DINE AND DANCE WITH UCM! MAKE YOUR RESERVATION TODAY 

Email or call 740-593-7301

$40/person or more if you're feeling inspired!

$20/low-income rate

Free, on-site childcare available with advanced notice.

Menu includes:

Jamaican Jerk Chicken w/ Spiced Orange Cream Sauce 

 Tofu, Tomato, Harvest Stew 

Traditional Jamaican Rice and Peas 

Garlicky Green Beans.  

Rolls and Herb Butter

Thanks to Jackie O's Pub and Brewery for donating a keg of their award-winning, local craft beer!

Some wine and non-alcoholic beverages will also be available or you may BYOB.

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Huge thanks to Jeremy Bowman and our friends at Crumbs Bakery for donating their delicious and gorgeous chocolate UCM cake again!

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Live music and dancing with the exciting vocalist Sharell Arocho backed by Jesse Warner (keyboard) and Eric Wright (percussion)

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THANKS ALSO TO OUR GROWING LIST OF SPONSORS! WE COULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT!!!!!!

JOSH BODNAR

CARPENTER & ASSOCIATES

CETIDE

JOHN CORLETT

DAVID DESCUTNER & LYSA BURNIER

THE FARMACY

DON & MARY ANNE FLOURNOY

MARA GIGLIO

HOCKING VALLEY BANK

MAC'S THRIFTY STORE

VICKI MARSHALL

MS. ACCOUNTING & TAXES, INC.

FRANK & LORRAINE MYERS

RICH GARDENS ORGANIC FARMS

SUSAN ROTH, MODERN WOODMEN OF AMERICA

THE LAW OFFICE OF WENDA SHEARD

PENNY SHELTON & BOB STEWART

SNIDER, FULLER & STROH

SUSAN B. ANTHONY MEMORIAL UNREST HOME

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THANKS ALSO TO THESE INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES FOR DONATING TO OUR RAFFLE AND SILENT AUCTION

BALLET MET COLUMBUS

THE DAIRY BARN ARTS CENTER

BRUCE DALZELL PIANO TUNING & REPAIR

KATIE DAWES & LAVENA STATEN

FUR PEACE RANCE

HYACINTH BEAN FLORIST & GIFTS

JB'S BEST

JENNIFER JONES, FDN-P

JENNIFER KELLY

MICHELLE MILLER

NELSONVILLE EMPORIUM

SUNFLOWER GLASS

TWO BROKE ARTISTS ART STUDIO

SATURDAY LUNCH CELEBRATES 10 YEARS!!

Happy 10th Birthday, Saturday Lunch from Shannon Stewart!

Click on the link above to see a very special message from former UCM intern and Saturday Lunch champion, Shannon Stewart! And here's a special message from Saturday Lunch founder, Joe Buzzelli!

Join us on October 15 at 1pm to celebrate 10 years of Saturday Lunch, UCM's 2nd weekly free meal which, along with Thursday Supper, provides more than 5,000 meals annually, hundreds of service hours for students and others, and a unique opportunity to bridge and the build the Athens and Ohio University community!

We are raising $10K for 10 years to renovate our kitchen and dining room. Visit our YouCaring site to donate now through our secure paypal account or send a check to UCM, 18 N. College Street, Athens OH 45701.

UCM Campus Minister Evan Young's closing prayer 

at the June 13 Vigil in Solidarity with Orlando

"We are the change we’re going to see in the world. When we love and when we hate, when we act out of fear and when we embody idealism and courage, we change the world. When we respond to tragedy with sadness or outrage, vitriol or compassion, renewed commitment to a vision we share or a vision that seems too outlandish ever to become reality, all of us are becoming. We choose every second, every minute, every day what future we will move toward. Tonight we stand together, we grieve together, we weep and mourn and proclaim and dream and seek to become, together. And the root, the core of what brings us together, keeps us together, and will ultimately move us forward together is love. Not just for the ones it’s easy to love, the ones we’re told it’s OK to love . . . but also, and especially, for the ones we struggle to love. We need this, we need tonight, we need this gathering and this affirmation and this experience of hands reaching out to our own to remind us of this simple fact, to burn onto our hearts this image of our common humanity and our interdependent community. So that the next time an act of hate, a divisive and hurtful word, a gesture of power-over rather than power-with moves us to repay hurt with hurt, we can remember THIS. This right here is the change I wish to see. May my heart, my soul, my being, my life ever be given to the holy work of being this, everywhere and always. And may I always remember the cloud of witnesses, partners, and fellow travelers that walk this path with me. Amen; blessed be."

And...it's a wrap!

UCM INTERN APPRECIATION DINNER

Front and L-R: Jennifer Kelly (Office Manager), Anna-Kaye Rowe, Lacee McKinney, Kathryn Bublitz, Rev. Evan Young (Campus Minister), Melissa Wales (Executive Director), Jackie Duffy, Aleks Tyler, Kelsey Gerard, Josh Baron and Kelli Wanamaker.

It is hard to believe we’re coming up to the end of another academic year. As always, it’s been exhilarating to walk with students through this transitional time in their lives as they grow spiritually, emotionally and professionally.  We are grateful for all that they bring to UCM and for everything they will bring to the wider world when they leave us. Our graduating interns are Josh, Kathryn, Jackie, Carissa, Anna-Kaye and Kelli. We’ll miss you terribly, wish you all the best, and hope you keep in touch!

We kicked off Spring semester with a Candlelight Vigil for the Beloved Community at Galbraith Chapel in the wake of racist vandalism to the Black Lives Matter mural on the graffiti wall, cosponsored by the Multicultural Center. Our continued participation with the OU MLK Celebration Committee included organizing a visit from Rev. Mel Hoover on anti-racism work in faith communities. Evan was asked to lead the opening invocation at the Silent March, and Melissa helped organize a Teach-In, “Black on Campus: Then and Now” with students and alumni including President McDavis (class of ’70).

Winter (and the fact that OU’s spring break is now in early March) continues to thwart our attempts at executing a local spring break service-learning trip. We remain enthusiastic about the curriculum we’ve put together to connect students to local organizations to learn about the challenges and strengths of Appalachia, so we’re exploring the option of moving our Alternative Spring Break to the week between Spring graduation and first Summer Session. Stay tuned!

Our Better Together campaign has been busy with Campus Conversations, tabling and outreach, and planning Stories of Interfaith Bridge-Building with Peggy Gish.  With continued support from Diversity and Inclusion, we sent three students to Interfaith Youth Core Leadership Institute (ILI) in Atlanta and a mini ILI in Dayton. Our final event will be our signature watershed service project with Rural Action’s Monday Creek Restoration Project.

We were pleased to host representatives from one of our long-time partners and supporters the Scioto Valley Presbytery in March, Rev. Peter Galbreath from Nelsonville Presbytery and lay leader Susan Dietz, lay leader from Logan Presbyterian. We shared stories of how their involvement in UCM has impacted them and why UCM remains such an important organization on campus and in the greater Athens community.

We had our Annual Meeting on April 20 with lay leaders from our 5 local supporting congregations: Athens Friends Meeting, Christ Lutheran Church, First Presbyterian Church, Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens and elected our 2016-17 Executive Officers: Kellea Tibbs (Chair), David Descutner (Vice Chair), Kaytlin Dawes (Treasurer) and Amanda Hobson (Secretary). We are grateful for how the community supports us and are looking forward to growing together!

  

UNITED CAMPUS MINISTRY's

ANNUAL MEETING

"COMMUNITIES ON CAMPUS"

April 20, 2016, 5pm - 7pm

18 N. College St.

Join UCM Staff, Board and Interns in wrapping up another great year of campus ministry at Ohio University! 

We will present the 2016-17 Board Officers, bid farewell to outgoing Board members and welcome incoming members. 

We will also hear from lay leaders from our supporting congregations. 

Refreshments will be provided. All are welcome!

2016 Social Justice Awards

2016 SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARDS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 6PM - 8PM AT UCM

Join us in honoring the following community and student activists and organizations:

TYRONE CARR

KATIE CONLON

LIVE HEALTHY APPALACHIA

OU CLIMATE ACTION NOW

TORCH CAN DO

BOBBY WALKER 

JOLANA WATSON

AND

LOIS WHEALEY will receive the Kuhre Griesinger Lifetime Award.