Naming Contest Winner Announced!

The results are in! We had several great naming contest submissions and over 100 people weighed in on which we should have for "daily use" for the RAPPORT certificate program starting this year.

The winning name is... [drumroll]...

Social Justice League!

This name was submitted by Adam Lambert of RAPP XXV! It garnered just over 70% of the votes, showing it was a genuine favorite.

RAPP Social Justice Mentor was second and RAPP Social Equality Educator(s) was third. Both were submitted by Jojo Azevedo of RAPP XXIV.

Now that we know the name, we're gonna have some fun with it! In a nod to the Justice League, I say we work to recognize how everyone can be a superhero(ine) for social justice!

Photo Find #2: RAPP XIX

The second photo disc discovery was made by the SALD Assistant Director who supervises my work with RAPP, Vicki Calonge. She found the group photo disc for RAPP XIX.

Here are three of my favorites that weren't selected for the official group picture:

Photo Find #1: RAPP XXII

I've been doing lots of digging through drawers and files and boxes lately. I found two gems of photo CDs. The first are these "fun" poses from the RAPP XXII photo shoot. We got a great group photo in the end that wasn't nearly as wacky as these - I just hope the photographer had as much fun as we did!
Miranda was our resident break dancer! She taught us all a little.
I have a feeling I had something to do with this "junior prom" pose...

Spread the Word Tip #4: Get Competitive

Our first three tips (#1, #2, & #3) were general things you can do throughout the year. Our fourth is more connected to a specific activity to participate in!

RAPP's a pretty non-competitive thing - after how, how do you measure a "top winner" in fighting oppression, individual awareness, or collective action. That said, a spirit of competition emerges at times. Here's a time I'm fostering it!

Announcing the RAPP XXVI Recruitment Contest!!!

From the data we collect during the application process, we know that word of mouth is our strongest recruitment tool. The information tables, flyers, classroom visits, announcements at trainings/meetings, and website are all important – but we know that most folks who join RAPP did so after hearing about it from people they know.

I want to do everything I can to encourage RAPPers to help with spreading the word about RAPP. So, I’m offering a recruitment contest to give us all a little extra motivation!

There are two ways to win an awesome RAPP gift-pack!
1. The person who is cited as "how I heard about RAPP" on the most applications of people who complete the interview wins a prize!
2. Random drawing – for each person who completes an interview and cites you as "how I heard about RAPP", your name will be entered in a drawing.

You can only win one RAPP gift-pack. With the random drawing, even if you recruit just one person you still have a chance to win!

What do I win?

These gift-packs will continue to grow as I collect random cool stuff. At the point, we know they’ll include:
· Reusable shopping bag(s)
· RAPP buttons
· Random UC giveaways (pens, write-erase boards, t-shirts, doo-dads, and whatnots)

How do I win?

There are two points during the application at which applicants write down how they heard about RAPP: when they first contact us and for their written application. If your name is listed at either of those points and the applicant completes an interview, this counts as you having recruited them.

Applicants can list more than one person – in that case, all people listed get credit.

We wrap up interviews on October 7th and announce who was accepted to each group on October 8th. I’ll also announce the RAPP recruitment contest winners shortly thereafter!

(pic - last year's random draw winner, Eddie C, with some of his prize bag)

Addition to the Certificate Name Contest

I'm allowing a last-minute addition to the name-contest because someone added a great on in the "other (please specify)" spot on the survey.

ALUMNS - Allowing Linda's Unity Mission to Never Stop

If you've already voted but like this one even more, please go vote again! If you're happy with you vote as it was, no worries then.

If you are the individual who submitted this, please let me know so I can acknowledge you when the contest is over.

To vote go HERE.

To learn more about the contest read THIS and THIS post.

RAPPORT 2010-2011 Schedule Announced

It's finally ready - the RAPPORT schedule for 2010-2011!

RAPPORT 2010-2011 Schedule

RAPPORT will have two varieties of meetings throughout the 2010-2011 school-year:

• RAPPORT Meetings – These are what we sometimes call “RAPP Lite.” These are times where we continue our work on social justice issues looking particularly at areas of identity that we didn’t focus on as heavily on in RAPP as we did on race, gender, and sexuality. These include but are not limited to religious differences, socio-economic class, ability, age, and nationality. RAPPORT Meetings may also involve “field trips” to museums or workshops throughout the city.
• RAPPORT Facilitation Workshops – These are where we work specifically on exploring issues, expanding knowledge, and developing skills around peer education and facilitation. Topics include but are not limited to learning styles, curriculum development, theoretical foundations of social justice education and experiential learning, giving instructions, group development, and supportive classroom management.

Any and all RAPP graduates are invited to participate in meetings and facilitation workshops. If you think you will have strong attendance at meetings, you are encouraged to consider participating in the RAPP Social Justice Peer Education Certificate Program.

All meetings and facilitation workshops are Mondays, 6:00PM-8:00PM.

Unless notified otherwise later, all meetings are held in 645C Steger Student Life Center.

RAPPORT Meetings	RAPPORT Facilitation Workshops
October 4 November 1 November 29 January 10 February 7 March 7 April 4 May 2	October 18 November 15 December 6 January 24 February 21 March 14 April 18 May 16

Other activities (more details given as event approaches):

RAPPORT Retreat:
Announced at least a month in advance, most likely held in winter quarter

Community Service Activities:
Announced at least three weeks in advance, at least one per quarter

University/Community Activities:
BRIDGES Walk for a Just Community, Saturday, October 23
UC Homecoming Parade, Saturday, October 30
City-Wide MLK Day Walk & Memorial, Monday, January 17
MainStreet Stride, Friday, May 13

RAPPORT Year-End Celebration:
Monday, May 30^th, 6-9PM

Vote for the RAPPORT Certificate Program "Daily" Name

The entries have all been collected (you can read a little more on them here and on the contest here) and we're in the final stage of selecting the RAPPORT certificate program's name for daily use.

We'll still encourage the use of "RAPP Certified Social Justice Peer Educator" and "RAPP Social Justice Peer Education Certificate Program" on official documents like reports and resumes, but we want a more laid-back, faster-to-say name for daily use. We'll have fun with it creating a group identity around it - which is easier to do with something less dry than the full name.

Please take one minute to vote on the name you think is best at this SurveyMonkey HERE!

Voting will go on through 5PM this Monday, July 26th! Voting is open to anyone who cares to vote - whether you've been through RAPP before or not!

Upward Bound on our Home Turf

Yesterday I enjoyed another great time with high school students. The Upward Bound Program here at UC invited us to present about RAPP to the students in their program.
It was great to see several RAPPers working with the UB students - Brenna (XXII), Jazz (XXV), and Leanece (XXV). They helped immensely in explaining the RAPP 9-month program.
After a quick intro about RAPP and Student Activities and Leadership Development, the students explored their ideas, values, and experiences of race and racsim. They did a good job challenging each other and many worked through the challenge of trying to see an idea from another point of view.
I really enjoyed the afternoon with this energetic and clever bunch!

If you're interested in workshops and/or exploratory activities for your group or program, contact me any time at lehmanrl@uc.edu!

What Happened to RAPPORT

When I was in RAPP in 2006-2007, there was no RAPPORT. I vaguely remembered that the group had existed under that name because I'd had friends who were in it in the late 1990s, but the program wasn't around and no one who was there really remembered what it was or what happened to it.

In 2007-2008 my RAPPmates and I decided to get it going again and were able to do so with the guidance of our amazing advisor (and RAPP coordinator) Un Kyong Ho.

It's been up and running since then in various forms and with varied success. This year RAPPORT will be a major focus, with the goal of elevating it much like we elevated RAPP two years ago with RAPP XXIV.

Despite the work we've been doing, still no one could figure out what happened. I took to comparing RAPPORT to the lost colony of Roanoke in that it just disappeared and we didn't know when or why.

UNTIL NOW!

Digging through some files in a lost file drawer, I found a print-off of an email thread that finally explained to me what happened. Here's the initial email:

Sent: Monday, October 28, 2002
Subject: Goodbye Rapport

After long discussons among staff, it has been decided that RAPPORT has perhaps outlived its usefulness. Due to lack of interest from the majority of rapport members and the sporadic involvement of few, rapport is no longer able to maintain its initial role and participate actively in Diversity education programs.
Those members still interested in helping RAPP are welcome to do so. Many opportunities for involvement are still available. If you are interested in facilitating or doing other forms of outreach please contact the office and speak to either Rema V. or Jody M.

Saved in the file are five responses of RAPPORT members who were upset with the news that RAPPORT was dissolving. The emails clearly demonstrate how valued the program was by those who had previously been very active within it.

I hope that they, and those who might not have replied or whose may have sent emails that weren't printed and saved, are happy to see the direction RAPPORT is taking. We're striving to make it the great outreach program it was previously but in ways that match the current climate.

Queer Canon Call for Submissions

From our friends at GenderBloc:

Hello everyone! The Queer Canon deadline for submissions is Friday, Sept. 3!

GenderBloc, the University of Cincinnati’s radical queer group that focuses on transgender activism, is placing a call for submissions for its quarterly zine. Submissions can be submitted by anyone, not just UC students. Please send to queercanon@gmail.com. Past issues ofThe Queer Canon are available here. Please pass this information along!

The Queer Canon submission guidelines:

Word Limit:

§ Maximum word limit is between 1500-2000 words.

§ There is no minimum word limit.

Examples of written work:

-Short stories
-Poetry and prose
-Academic and theoretical work
-Letters
-Songs

Artwork and Images:

Acceptable Formats:

§ JPEG file

§ GIF file

(Color work may be submitted, but will be printed in black and white.)

Maximum file size:

§ Under 10MB

Examples of images:

-Photography
-Drawings and sketches
-Paintings
-Comics and caricature’s
-Digital work
-Graphics, charts and graphs

Editing Process

There is a simple reviewing process of works submitted. No works are out-right rejected. If a work is not accepted for a particular issue it will be returned to the author for revision. The author may then, if they choose, submit the work again.

We try hard to preserve the original layout and fonts of each work submitted; butsometimes small edits are made when we are creating the final layout for the zine. If there is special instruction for you piece, please include it in the submission email.

Authoring

Pieces can be submitted under a name, assumed name/pen name, or anonymously. Non-original work (work created by someone other than the person submitting it) may be submitted only if it is accompanied by the proper citations. Non-original, un-cited works will not be printed.

Thanks,
Jamie Royce
http://stuffqueerpeopleneedtoknow.wordpress.com

Spread the Word Tip #3: On-Line Presence

When it comes down to it, the Spread the Word Tips will be about word-of-mouth promotion of RAPP. We know it's the most effective route we've had, so it's just a way of encouraging you to know that you're doing a great thing when you do things that encourage conversation about RAPP (like wear your RAPP t-shirt) and help debunk misconceptions about RAPP.

Today's tip is to remind you that these interactions needn't necessarily be face-to-face.

Hopefully, the work to create an "RAPP 2.0" on-line presence will help you in that. Based on what we've got, here are a few ways you can promote RAPP on-line. Please pass along your ideas on how we can do this better!

FACEBOOK

1. Are you a fan of our FB page? Or, I guess, in the newest iteration of FB, do you "like" our page?
   You can follow the latest goings-on on RAPP. Like things we post that interest you. Post links/photos/comments/ideas on our wall.
2. Want to let folks know how to join RAPP? Put this URL out there: http://www.uc.edu/SALD/diversity/RAPP_Apply.html.
3. Post your thoughts on RAPP in your status. Post your RAPP pictures and let folks know what you were up to. That status feed can be creepy, but it also lets people know what you were up to and how you felt about RAPP.

YOUTUBE

RAPP has a YouTube Channel. While the videos are amateurish at best, you're welcome to repost them. Feel free to post them to your Facebook, send the links through Twitter, email them to friends, or play them when you're talking to friends.

Twitter

RAPP has a Twitter account under the profile name cinciRAPP. It was initially set up as a way for RAPPers to tweets reminding them about meetings and deadlines. That didn't take off, so now it'll be used for general reminders and info about RAPP.

Follow us if you're on Twitter. Reply to us. Let others know we're out there.

Blogging

Do you have a blog? Do you follow this blog? Have you blogged about RAPP? You can do much with RAPP and your blog - and in the spirit of cross-promotion, any time you blog about RAPP please feel free to post it on the RAPP wall. Odds are I'll mention it here, too!

Public Allies Matching Fair

Yesterday afternoon I attended the Public Allies matching fair for RAPP. This event is an opportunity for all the finalists and alternates for the Public Allies 2010-2011 class to meet potential partner organizations.

The event was great - I met many amazing finalists and alternates as well as learned more about many of the great partner organizations that supervise public allies.

After getting the chance to meet representatives from all the potential partner organizations and learn about the available positions, the finalists and alternates note the organizations they desire to interview with. I'm looking forward to several great interviews with these amazing young leaders through the end of August!

I've learned through personal experience with RAPP that both people who've completed RAPP and people who haven't make excellent facilitators, so previous experience with us isn't necessary nor will it be weighted in one's favor.

I do, however, want to celebrate the many RAPPers who are finalists for this year's class of Public Allies: Kinsey (XXIII, Peer Leader XXIV), Meagan (XXIV), and Kelly (XXV)!

Resource Spotlight: Good Hair

You can tell we're in the somewhat slower days of summer when I blog about resources we have available in the RAPP Resource Library.

I've gotten a few more resources with the remaining funds we had at the end of last fiscal year. While most monies went to buying supplies for RAPP XXVI, I made sure to get a few goodies for our use.

One of the more debated purchases was a copy of Chris Rock's comedic documentary Good Hair. Several people recomended it as a piece that explores issues of racism, sexism, and classism in an approachable way. Others labasted it for not delving deep enough into the issues or for making light of a serious issue.

Given the mixed reactions and how people have described their thoughts on the film, I purchased Good Hair as a conversation starter. I've really enjoyed the conversations people have deconstructing the pros and cons of the film and while they like/hate it.

As with all of the resource library, this film is available to borrow.

RAPPORT Certificate Naming Contest Update

So far, we've received several great suggestions for what to call our RAPP Certified Social Justice Peer Educator program on a day-to-day basis. There are still 10 days to submit an idea!
You can learn more about the contest here and here.

Submission #1: "Social Justice League"
This evokes a superhero nature, like the Justice League superheroes. Our peer educators are becoing super heroes, bringing positive change to the world not through flying or laser shooting hands or whatever, but through their skills in crosscultural communication and social justice education.

Submissions #s 2-4: One person submitted these three ideas - RAPP Social Justice Mentor; RAPP Just Community Counselor; RAPP Social Equality Educator

Submission #5: "ATM = Aware Thinking Maker"
In the submitters words:
"I think RAPP people do have the knowledge to talk to others to give path and not impose any big theory. At the end, RAPP educators offer ideas and then people are free to use it or not.
"In other words, RAPP educators do not provide with the big truth but help others to think with awareness. Not saying it is bad or good, just being more aware. And finally, we decide how to act. Therefore, RAPP educators help other to make a thinking full of awareness.
"And the double sense with ATM is pretty easy. ATM gives you something very valuable in our society, money. Once you have this money, you will use it when you have an opportunity. One thing is sure, you are always free to use it in your way. RAPP educators provides with ideas, paths, disturbing thinking... and let all of these in our hands. At the end, when we leave and go back to our day to day life, we will be free to use it or not. To use this very valuable thing for human being ; social justice."

Keep your great submissions coming! I think we have a tough decision ahead!

Spread the Word Tip #2: Become a Mythbuster!

Our first Spread the Word Tip was about wearing your RAPP t-shirt.

Today I want to talk about another way to help spread the word about RAPP: Mythbust for us!

In my past four years in RAPP, I've found some common misconceptions people have about RAPP. Let's debunk them now:

Myth #1: Grad students can't do RAPP. Bzzzt! Wrong! I personally know this to be incorrect because I did RAPP while completing my masters. Every year that I've been involved with RAPP, we've had great graduate students amongst our members. We've had people who've completed their bachelors and are completing pre-requisites to enter a masters program. We've had PhD candidates. RAPP is open to all students!

Myth #2: RAPP is only for liberal arts majors. Bzzt again! The last year RAPP members have represented ten different colleges of UC and the year before they represent eight. You can see the majors and colleges of RAPP XXV here. One of the areas of diversity we strive for in recruitment is academic diversity. Last year's RAPP represented 44 majors in fall quarter. While Psychology and Communications were the two most common, they were closely followed by Criminal Justice and Finance.

Myth #3: RAPP is only about race. Bzzt at third time! While race is a large component of what we discuss, I like to say that RAPP is a "race AND" program - meaning we talk about race AND other areas of difference. RAPP has formally included gender in its work since RAPP IX (though the discussion began in RAPP VIII). Sexuality was formally included in the curriculum in 2000 and we've used the concept of intersectionality as a foundation of our work since 2003. We still follow a general race->gender->sexuality format through the three quarters, but we intentionally include other topics and encourage the group to wander through what they're interested in.

By helping break down these three myths, you can help us reach more students because they can see that they're eligible for RAPP and that their interests are welcome.

A Short but Busy Week

I wanted to tell you a little about this shortened week because I think it highlights some of the things we've got cooking for the RAPP XXVI year! Along with our usual outreach to incoming students at the Bearcat Bound Orientation, there are three interesting things on the calendar:

• Thursday morning I'll be attending an orientation session for Potential Partner Organizations with Public Allies Cincinnati. This means RAPP has been selected as a potential partner organization! We'll be continuing to work through August to try to find a match to work with us in the 2010-2011 school year. If we find a match, we'll employ a Public Ally to work with RAPP XXVI and RAPPORT 10-11. We'll also be connected with the many amazing organizations in the Public Allies Cincinnati network.
• Thursday evening I'll be back out with the Upward Bound students at the College of Mt. St. Joseph. This, to me, represents our increasing outreach to the Cincinnati community. One of the great benefits we'll get if we're able to have a Public Ally is increased staff time to do outreach. I'd love for us to continue the work we've started with other colleges and university (Cincinnati State, Thomas Moore, now Mt. St. Joe's) and community organizations (Leadership Scholars). If you would like free outreach workshops for your program or organization, contact me any time at lehmanrl@uc.edu.
• Saturday afternoon I'll be in Columbus for an Ohio chapter meeting of the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME). I joined NAME this year to get connected with the great resources and people involved in the field. Increased participation within NAME is a goal for me this year.

Upward and Onward

Tonight I'll be off doing something I've been greatly looking forward to:

Working with the students of the Upward Bound program at the College of Mt. St. Joseph.

This summer they have 31 students and 6 mentor counselors who are already known for their excellence and academic prowess.

We'll be talking about leadership styles and language. I look forward to our conversations this week and next!