UC Hosts Event as Part of Community-Wide Reading Program - Mar 5th!

From UC News:
UC Hosts Event as Part of Community-Wide Reading Program

‘On the Same Page’ author Amy Waldman will lead discussion at the University of Cincinnati on March 5.

Date: 1/23/2012 12:00:00 AM
By: Dawn Fuller
Phone: (513) 556-1823

Other Contact: Phyllis Hegner
Other Contact Phone: (513) 369-4571

Photos By: Author's photo by Peter M. van Hatten

   Amy Waldman, the featured author of Cincinnati’s 2012  On the Same Page community-wide reading program, will speak at the University of Cincinnati at 7 p.m., Monday, March 5, in the MainStreet Cinema of Tangeman University Center (TUC). The event is free and open to the public. 

Amy Waldman

Waldman is author of “The Submission,” which explores how 9/11 has challenged personal convictions and changed the public debate on what it means to be an American. Copies of the book will be available at the event for sale and signing.

The book tells the story of the selection of the winning design for the memorial to honor those who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. A jury chose an anonymous winning design, only to discover that the creator of the design was an American Muslim.

Waldman was a city desk reporter for The New York Times and covered the response to the 9/11 attacks in New York City.

Waldman’s appearance at UC is sponsored by UC’s Just Community Program and Student Affairs.

First launched in 2002, the On the Same Page community-wide reading program is meant to enhance a sense of community, as well as foster dialogue and an appreciation of reading.

On the Same Page is a project of the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County and is made possible in part by Friends of the Public Library, UC and Joseph-Beth Booksellers. Other partners include Xavier University, The College of Mount St. Joseph, the Edward B. Brueggeman Center for Dialogue, BRIDGES for a Just Community, the Mercantile Library, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Metro, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati. Media partners are 91.7 WVXU, the Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati.com.

Reading and book discussions related to On the Same Page will take place in Cincinnati from February through March.

For information about other On the Same Page events, visit the On the Same Page website.

UC Map Featuring Tangeman University Center and Visitor Parking Information

Visitor Parking Information

Individuals in Same-Sex Relationships Needed for Study on Attitudes toward Same-Sex Marriage

Individuals in same-sex relationships needed for study on attitudes toward same-sex marriage

Looking for individuals who are:

·      At least 18 years old

·      Currently in a same-sex relationship which is at least six months in length.

I am a graduate student in clinical psychology at the California School ofProfessional Psychology at Alliant International University. The results of this study will be used in a research project for my graduate degree in psychology.  

I am studying how individuals in same-sex relationships feel about the institution of marriage and how levels of stress related to sexual orientation, perceived levels of social support and relationship satisfaction may be related to one’s feelings about marriage. The survey should take between 20 and 60 minutes to complete. Since the study is on-line you may, of course, take breaks while completing it.

If you choose to participate in this study you will be contributing to the understanding of same-sex relationships and the complex feelings toward marriage, as well as psychological factors that may be related. You may also enter in a raffle with a chance to win one of four $25 gift certificates to Amazon.com. A summary of the aggregate results of the study can be sent to you if you would like to know the results after it is completed.  

Please click on the provided link to the Qualtrics Survey webpage (below) to access the survey (you may need to paste this url into your browser).  Please read the page that follows to give your consent to participate in this study.  Website: https://alliant.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_6LivACFjPuJO28I

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions at marriageattitudes@gmail.com.

Thank you

Anna Bailey, M.A.

Ropes Lectures by Charles Bernstein & Kenny Goldsmith - Feb 2nd!

From McMicken College of Arts & Sciences:

Ropes Lectures: Charles Bernstein and Kenny Goldsmith

Thursday, February 2 7:00 p.m.

427 Engineering Research Center

“The Present of the Word”

Charles Bernstein explores the significance of verbal language reproduction from the invention of the alphabet to the phonograph to the age of the internet, with special reference to poetry, poetics, and the politics of forms, genres, and media and the recorded reproduction of human voice.

“Uncreative Writing”

Kenneth Goldsmith explores how techniques traditionally thought to be outside the scope of composing literature, such as cutting and pasting, data basting, identity ciphering, and programming, can inspire the reinvention of writing. He suggests that the Internet and digital environments present writers with new opportunities to rethink creativity, authorship, and their relationship to language.

~~~~~

Charles Bernstein is author of Attack of the Difficult Poems: Essays & Inventions(University of Chicago Press, 2011), All the Whiskey in Heaven: Selected Poems(Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2010), Blind Witness: Three American Operas(Factory School, 2008), Girly Man (Chicago Press, 2006), and My Way: Speeches and Poems (Chicago, 1999). From 1978-1981 he co-edited, with Bruce Andrews,L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E magazine. In the 1990s, he co-founded and directed the Poetics Program at the State University of New York—Buffalo, where he cofounded the Electronic Poetry Center. He is Donald T. Regan Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is co-director of PennSound <writing.upenn.edu/pennsound>.

Kenneth Goldsmith’s writing has been called “some of the most exhaustive and beautiful collage work yet produced in poetry” by Publishers Weekly. Goldsmith is the author of ten books of poetry, founding editor of the online archive UbuWeb (ubu.com), and the editor of I’ll Be Your Mirror: The Selected Andy Warhol Interviews, which was the basis for an opera, “Trans-Warhol,” that premiered in Geneva in March of 2007. An hour-long documentary on Goldsmith’s work, “Sucking on Words” premiered at the British Library in 2007. He teaches writing at The University of Pennsylvania, where he is a senior editor of PennSound, an online poetry archive. He held the The Anschutz Distinguished Fellow Professorship in American Studies at Princeton University for 2009-10 and received the Qwartz Electronic Music Award in Paris in 2009. In 2011, he co-edited, Against Expression: An Anthology of Conceptual Writing and published a book of essays, Uncreative Writing.

Jan 31st Last Day to Nominate an Outstanding UC Alum

From UC News:

Jan. 31 Last Day to Nominate an Outstanding UC Alum

Annual UC Distinguished Alumni Celebration recognizes alumni exemplifying professional and civic leadership within UC’s community and beyond.

Date: 1/20/2012 12:00:00 PM
By: Lauren Boettcher

  

The University of Cincinnati Alumni Association is accepting 2012 nominations for UC’s most prestigious alumni awards banquet through Jan. 31. Awards will be presented to accomplished and notable alumni worldwide at the 2012 UC Distinguished Alumni Celebration (formerly UC Day) at the Myers Alumni Center on June 14, 2012.

“The Distinguished Alumni Celebration gives UC the opportunity to formally recognize our most outstanding alumni for their professional accomplishments and exceptional commitment to the university and in many cases, to the world,” said UC Alumni Association Executive Director, Myron Hughes. “Since 1956, the UCAA has extended awards to more than 130 alumni.”

To nominate an alum for one or more of the following awards, visit http://uc.edu/alumni/dac:

The William Howard Taft Medal Award
This award is given to an alumnus of the University of Cincinnati solely on the basis of notable achievement in his or her field. The Taft Medal differs from the Alumni Distinguished Service Award in that it is not restricted to service to the university. The award is in honor and memory of Dr. William Howard Taft, LLB 1925, twenty-seventh president of the United States.

The Jeffrey Hurwitz Young Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award
This award is given to a UC graduate, 35 years of age or younger, on the basis of significant professional achievement in his or her field of endeavor, and continued service and involvement with the university and community. This award is in honor and memory of Jeffrey Hurwitz, BBA '72, MBA '73, former president of the UC Alumni Association.

Alumni Distinguished Service Award
Dedicated alumni who, through their service, make an outstanding contribution to their university are usually over-modest, always unpaid, and unthinking of reward. Nonetheless, recognition is important, for an action that begins by aiding the advancement of a university ends in the improvements of the social structure in which we live. The UC Alumni Association issues the Alumni Distinguished Service Awards to provide that recognition for those who have faithfully rendered outstanding service to the University of Cincinnati.

The UC Alumni Association Mosaic Award
The UC Alumni Association’s Mosaic Award is presented to an alumnus who has demonstrated leadership while enhancing our shared community through cultivating collaboration, fostering inclusiveness, championing the cause of the underrepresented, and promoting greater equity and opportunity for others.

CECH Dean Johnson Named 2011 Citizen of the Year by Cincinnatus

From UC News:

CECH Dean Johnson Named 2011 Citizen of the Year

Dean of the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Larry Johnson receives Citizen Cincinnatus Award of Excellence from the Cincinnatus Association.

Date: 1/19/2012
By: Alison Sampson
Phone: (513) 556-2884

Larry Johnson, Dean of UC’s College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) was awarded the Citizen Cincinnatus Award of Excellence at the Cincinnatus Association’s meeting on December 18, 2011.  Johnson was presented the award by Cincinnatus President Al DeJarnett and Kent Friel, a Cincinnatus member and Chairman of the CECH Dean’s Advisory Council.

A member of Cincinnatus since 2006, Johnson is an active member of the Education Panel.  “Larry brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise that helps the panel keep abreast of emerging and best practices in education,” says Jane Keller, Chair of the Cincinnatus Education Panel. “As a nationwide leader in education Larry represents Cincinnatus in a very positive way,” noted the nomination submitted by Keller and Friel.

 

The nomination cited Johnson’s numerous contributions to Cincinnatus, including being the driving force behind a partnership forged between Cincinnatus, University of Cincinnati, Xavier University and Northern Kentucky University to expand Cincinnatus education awards to teachers in schools across the region.  In the past, he hosted the awards dinner at UC, personally cooking the dinner and providing facilities for the awards. 

Johnson also guided resources for Cincinnatus to conduct, analyze and report results from a survey of Cincinnatus members, to improve membership retention and recruitment. 

Larry Johnson has served as Dean of College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) since 1999.

Since 1920, the Cincinnatus Association has been at the forefront of studying and making recommendations on the issues and needs of the City of Cincinnati and the Greater Cincinnati region. The Association’s members are politically engaged and diverse by race, gender, age, profession and community experience.

Annie Fitzgerald Award for Leadership & Service - Deadline Feb 22nd!

From the Center for Community Engagement:

Scholarship - Annie Fitzgerald Award for Leadership and Service: February 22 (Deadline)

Are you a full-time undergraduate student? Are you active in community service? Earn scholarship money for your leadership in the community! The Center for Community Engagement (CCE) has opened up it's annual scholarship competition from January 9 - February 22, 2012. The CCE will award three scholarships to students who show a passion for service to the community and strength through leadership. If you think you qualify visit: http://www.uc.edu/cce/student/AFA.html

Contact: anniefitzgeraldaward@gmail.com

Be a Better Tutor: Tips for Literacy Tutoring - Jan 26th!

From the Center for Community Engagement:

Be a Better Tutor - Tips for Literacy Tutoring: January 26

What: Learn tips and strategies to use for literacy tutoring, and hear more about ways to get involved with education as a volunteer.

When: January 26, 5:00 - 6:00p

Where: Campus Recreation Center, 3220

Register: http://www.doodle.com/2isyye5dadmasghz

Contact: community.engagement@uc.edu

Nominations Sought for Diversity Ambassador Award - Deadline Feb. 24th!

In the past two years, RAPP students have won the student awards.  Congratulations again to Tad Miller (RAPP XXIV, award winner in 2010) and Rachel Berman (RAPP XXV, award winner in 2011).  Rebecca Lehman also received the staff award for this in 2011 for her work with RAPP.

From UC News:

Feb. 24 Deadline for UC Diversity Ambassador Award Nominations

Recipients will be honored at UC's Diversity Conference in April.

Date: 1/18/2012 12:00:00 AM
By: Helen Kegler
Phone: (513) 745-5691

   Nominations are now being sought for the annual UC Marian Spencer Diversity Ambassador Award. This award is sponsored by the UC Diversity Council to recognize those individuals and groups whose work and efforts in the many areas of diversity have positively impacted our university. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to submit nominations by the Feb. 24 deadline. The recipients of the award will be honored at the UC Diversity Conference on April 18. Nomination forms can be printed from the link below.

Supported Documents
Nomination Form

UC Campus Recreation Events - Now through March!

From UC Campus Recreation:

Considering Ways to Teach for Freedom: An Evening for Current & Future Educators - Feb 1st!

A message from Mark Kohan (Cincinnati FreedomWriters Project and Teaching for Hope and Justice Network):

Hello CECH faculty, staff, and partners,

I'm writing to let you know that we have a special evening planned at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center for UC students, faculty, and staff on Wednesday, February 1st.

The focus of the evening at the Freedom Center will be to explore educator resources for addressing issues related to equality, diversity, and justice in American society and schools. The evening will provide an opportunity for UC education students, faculty, ans staff to get to know one another better (as well as one of Cincinnati's most celebrated cultural centers) as they engage in issues that affect the profession of teaching and the process of schooling in the United States.

If applicable to courses you are teaching or listservs you are overseeing, please forward the following link and attachment so that our UC community can RSVP if they plan on attending the event:

https://uceducation.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_5nCax8U4odLPbxi

Free transportation for the event is provided. A bus will pick-up at 5:20 p.m. and drop-off at roughly 8:20 p.m. at McMicken Circle (between Teachers College and McMicken Hall) on that Wednesday evening. Snacks and refreshments will also be provided during the event.

Please note that applicable School of Education courses can count this event towards field experience hours.

Hope to see you and our students there.

Thanks,

Mark
                       
Mark Kohan
Cincinnati Freedom Writers Project
Teaching for Hope & Justice Network
School of Education / CECH

Teach for America Information Session - Jan 26th!

From Teach for America:

Want to work for a company that was recently named one of Fortune’s Best 100 Companies to work for?
Want to work for an organization that Business Week named one of the top 10 places to launch a career?

If so, then attend this week’s information session with
Teach For America
Thursday, Jan. 26th
TUC 427
5:00 – 6:00 pm

All majors & backgrounds. Full salary & benefits.
Top graduate and employer partnerships including Google, GE, Ernst & Young, Deloitte, and many more!

Website: www.teachforamerica.org
YouTube: www.youtube.com/teachforamerica
Questions? Contact sonya.forg@teachforamerica.org

2nd Annual "Just Wish For It Gala" - Feb 24th!

From Chi Omega Alumnae - Greater Cincinnati Chapter:


2nd Annual "Just Wish For It Gala"
Friday, February 24, 2012
8:00pm until 11:30pm


SAVE THE DATE!

Tickets are ON SALE NOW!!!
All tickets will be sold online:
http://justwishforitgala.eventbrite.com/

Net proceeds will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Our goal for this year's Gala is to fully adopt the wish of one child with a life threatening medical condition.

SUGGESTED ATTIRE:
Long gown or cocktail dress; suit or tuxedo

HOTEL ROOMS FOR EVENT:
Mention the "Just Wish For It Gala" and get a reduced rate of $99/Friday night at the Holiday Inn Riverfront in Covington, KY. There is a shuttle to and from the event from this hotel, and there is a bar at the hotel that will remain open following the gala.

Added donations to go toward our fundraising goal of $6,000 are being accepted now. Donations can be sent to:

Chi Omega Alumnae of Greater Cincinnati
9378 S Mason Montgomery Rd, Ste 111
Mason, Ohio 45040

Contact Us!
Please let us know how we can help you learn more.
cincychio@gmail.com

PAC Presents "The First Grader" Movie - Jan 26th!

From UC Programs & Activities Council:


"The First Grader" Movie Showing

Thursday, January 26, 2012

7:00pm until 10:00pm

Join PAC and the UC African Student Association to watch the true story of an 84 year-old Kenyan villager and ex Mau Mau freedom fighter who fights for his right to go to school for the first time to get the education he could never afford.

Winner of the:
Durban International Film Festival (Audience Award – Feature Film)
Emden International Film Festival (The DGB Trade Union Audience Choice Award and The Bernhard Wicki Best Film Award)
Doha Tribeca Film Festival (Audience Prize for Best Film)
Toronto Film Festival (Audience Prize runner-up)
Sedona Film Festival (Best Director’s Choice, Audience Choice Award)
The Pan African Film Festival (Audience Choice Award)
Palm Beach Film Festival (Best Feature Film Award)
Nashville International Film Festival (Audience Choice Award)
360/365 Film Festival - Rochester (Audience Prize for Best Film)

www.thefirstgrader-themovie.com

No Name Calling Week - Jan 23rd-27th!

From the UC LGBTQ Center:

Join the UC LGBTQ Center in supporting No Name Calling Week.  Sign the pledge and become a Bearcat Against Bullying!

"Mirror, Mirror on the Wall" Program - Jan 24th!

This program is finally getting near!


From the UC Women's Center:

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall... 
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 
6:00pm - 9:00pm 
571 Steger Student Life Center


You're Beautiful?
You're Amazing?
You're UNIQUE?
What does your mirror tell you???

Come out and tell us what YOU think is beautiful on 1/24/12 in YOUR Women's Center (571 Steger) at 6pm! We can't wait to talk to you!

*Free Food*
*Guest Speaker*
*Good times*

Nominations Sought for the Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence

From Student Affairs & Services:

Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence

About the Award

Established in 2002, the Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence is a prestigious honor awarded by the University President to exceptional graduating students who best exemplify scholarship, leadership, character, service and the ideals of the University of Cincinnati. 


Selection Criteria

To be considered for this year's honor, students must meet the following criteria:

1. Graduation.   Eligibility for graduation from a baccalaureate degree program in August of the previous academic year, or December, March or June of the current academic year.
2. Academic Learning & Discovery.  The nominee has a cumulative University grade point average of 3.2 or better.  S/he also exhibits evidence of high academic excellence (e.g., participation in research and/or the creative arts) and achievement. 
   Examples of high academic achievement may include acceptance to prestigious graduate programs, presentations at professional association annual meetings, featured publications in publications that have a regional and/or inter/national circulation, or applications to inter/nationally competitive fellowships and scholarships such as the Goldwater.
3. Significant Leadership Contribution.  The nominee illustrates innovation, initiative, independence, a positive peer impact, and contributions to a group for sustainability and growth within their organizational involvement.
   Examples include significant leadership in UC co-curricular activities (e.g., advocacy, governance, honorary, service, social or athletic organizations) and is recognized for their organizational contributions at the regional, state, and/or inter/national organizational level.
4. Community Participation.   The nominee currently participates and gives back to the University and the community.
   Examples include significant participation in community activities, contribution to the community through the creation and/or enhancement of an organization/agency, or application to Teach For America, Americorps, the Truman Scholarship program, etc.
5. Diversity and Global Engagement.  The nominee demonstrates support for diversity and global engagement. 
   Examples could include an application to the Peace Corps, the Foreign Service, the Kiva Fellows Program, a Gilman International Scholarship, or the Fulbright Fellowship Program.
6. Potential for future success and achievement.   The nominee’s current success is externally validated through local, state, regional, and/or inter/national recognition. 
   This also includes application to the Rhodes, Marshall, Gates-Cambridge, and/or Mitchell Scholarships.

The Application Packet

Click here to download a copy of the 2012 application. A complete nominee application packet includes the following:

1. Applicant’s basic information page (available in the application packet)
2. A current resume
3. An essay of no more than four typed, double-spaced pages, explaining, in terms of the criteria, why you think you should be named a recipient of this award and reflecting on your involvement illustrating innovation, initiative, independence, a positive peer impact, and contributions to a group for sustainability and growth
4. A completed nomination form and corresponding letter of recommendation from a faculty, staff or administrative member of the University of Cincinnati
5. An additional nomination form and corresponding letter of recommendation from a faculty, staff or administrative member of the University of Cincinnati.  (If the first nomination is by a faculty member, the second letter should be from a member of the UC staff or administration and vice-versa.)

Additional letters of support are permitted but do not guarantee an applicant’s advancement for consideration.  Special binding is not necessary.  Applications will not be returned.

Applicants must submit a completed application by
12:00 PM on Friday, February 10, 2012
to
Student Affairs and Services
600 University Pavilion
or by e-mail to Mitchel.Livingston@uc.edu

All applicants must also be available for an interview with the selection committee in late March or early April 2012.  However, interviews will only be granted to award finalists.

Clarifying questions or concerns about the application process may be directed to Jessica King at Jessica.King@uc.edu or 513-556-6274.

WGSS Candidate Lecture: Zombie Porn - Jan 24th!

From Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies:

Please join the Dept. of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies for the second of three lectures by job candidates for an Assistant Professor position in sexuality studies in our department:

SHAKA MCGLOTTEN

Title: "Zombie Porn," Tuesday, Jan. 24, 4:30-6:00pm, 4616 French Hall

Dr. McGlotten's work focuses on the intersections of critical queer, media, and black studies, with a related interest in affect studies. Currently he is at work on a book-length manuscript, Virtual Intimacies: Media Cultures and Queer Sociality (SUNY Press, under review), and on a co-authored book, Black Genders and Sexualities: A Reader (Palgrave MacMillan, under contract, with Dana Ain-Davis). 

He has published journal articles and book chapters, including "Ordinary Intersections: Speculations on Difference, Justice, and Utopia in Black Queer Life (Transforming Anthropology: The Journal of the Association of Black Anthropologists (forthcoming 2012); "A Brief and Improper History of Queerspaces and Sexpublics in Austin, Texas" (Gender, Place and Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography (forthcoming 2012); and "Dead and Live Life: Zombies, Queers, and Online Sociality" (Generation Zombie: Essays on the Living Dead in Modern Culture, S. Boluk and W. Lenz, eds. McFarland Press, 2011). 

A graduate of the Dept. of Anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin (PhD, 2005), Dr. McGlotten is currently an assistant professor at SUNY Purchase.

Please join us and spread the word!

Amy Lind, Ph.D.

Mary Ellen Heintz Associate Professor

Charles Phelps Taft Center Fellow, 2011-2012

AKA King of Pearls Scholarship - Applications Due Feb 2nd!

From Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. - Omicron Chapter:
Are you looking for the chance to win a scholarship? Are you a male ready to be recognized for your intellectual, creative, and charming personality? Well, then the King of Pearls Pageant is the opportunity for you!

Read more information below to find out how you can be the next KING OF PEARLS!

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, was founded January 15th, 1908 on the campus of Howard University. We are the first black sorority whose mission is to cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards among college women. The Omicron chapter chartered on the University of Cincinnati on April 9, 1921, just a few months shy of her 91st birthday, has a long legacy here at the university with empowering and uplifting women. In addition to this, the Omicron Chapter is dedicated to offering the same enrichment to the gentlemen of UC’s campus.

That being said Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, The Omicron chapter is holding an all male Pageant on April 6th, 2012. The King of Pearls is a pageant that will focus on uplifting the males on our campus. The men will be vying not only for the title of King of Pearls but they are also in competition for a scholarship and the chance to be able to program around their selected platform with the chapter.

If you are interested or know someone who would be a great contestant you can find applications in the AACRC, EPS, and SALD offices.  You can also find one on our website or email us at Omicron1908@gmail.com and we can send you a digital copy of the application.


All Applications are due February 2nd,2012 at midnight in the AKA Mailbox in Steger (4th floor). If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask. Please direct all questions to the email listed above. Thank you and have a great day!

Best,
Morgan Lee
Vice President of External Affairs, ADVANCE
Editor-In-Chief, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated: Omicron Chapter

The Other MLKs

              Another Martin Luther King Day has passed and with it came the usual short-sided, empty rhetoric that has unfortunately plagued this holiday. My problem with this holiday is that people focus too much on MLK the person and not what he dedicated his life to: social justice. People elevate MLK and turn him into an almost god-like character. While I think he was an admirable person, whose fortitude and intelligence we can all envy, by putting all of the emphasis on him it diminishes the fact the civil rights movement didn’t begin or end with MLK. Another important thing to remember is that there were many other prominent leaders during his time who were just as vital to the success of the movement as he was, yet those people have faded as time goes on. One example is Bayard Rustin, the man who, among many other things, organized the 1963 “March on Washington” which gave MLK a national/worldwide audience to deliver his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Even after Kings death Bayard Rustin continued to make strides in towards civil rights. Unfortunately, it seems a bit ironic, but I don’t think the Civil Rights Movement was immune from discrimination. It’s likely that one of the reasons Rustin isn’t remembered as well as King is the fact that he was openly gay. And even though he was arguably just as eloquent as MLK, those who held the power in the movement during this time probably didn’t want a gay man being the face of their struggle, so they went for people like King instead; the more traditional pastor/reverend types with wives and children. There is also a “too long to name” list of female civil rights leaders who never got the attention they deserve (maybe this will be for another post).

            Despite my criticisms of MLK Day, I’m certainly not advocating that we stop having the holiday. I understand that it means a lot to have a national holiday in remembrance of a black person. That sends a huge message and I think that reason alone is reason enough to continue the holiday. I just think we need to reconsider how we treat this day. Maybe it would be better if we used it more as a vehicle/opportunity to reflect on what needs to be done rather than as a pat on the back for work that is unfinished. As I heard one person say the other day “it should be a day ON rather than a day OFF.”

What direction do you think we should take MLK Day in?

What other civil rights leaders inspire you? 

RAPPORT Workshop: Debate, Discussion, & Dialogue and Triggers! - Jan 23rd!

Debate, Discussion, & Dialogue and Triggers! - RAPPORT Meeting

Monday, January 23rd

6PM-8PM

6th Floor Open Space, Steger Student Life Center

All are invited to this RAPPORT workshop! We'll be exploring two main concepts: The differences between debates, discussion, and dialogue - how to utilize each effectively to communicate. Triggers and the trigger response cycle - what's going on for us when we're triggered and how does this relate to our social justice journeys. Despite the theoretical nature of the content, we'll be engaging these topics from our personal experiences. This should be a valuable evening of learning and sharing around communication!

Upcoming Sustainability Events - Jan 20th through Feb 29th!

From UC Sustainability:

Friday, January 20: Environmental Studies/Political Science Candidate Talks – Gwendolyn Arnold, 2pm, Swift 619

                Candidates for the Assistant Professor position in Environmental Studies and Political Science will be presenting their research to interested faculty, staff and students.  Gwendolyn Arnold will discuss “Policy Learning and Innovation Implementation by Street-Level Wetland Bureaucrats.”

Monday, January 23: Student Sustainability Coalition, 6pm, Steger 6^th Floor

                                The Student Sustainability Coalition meets every other Monday evening.  Meet other students who are interested in sustainability and find out how you can get involved!  This week’s meeting will feature a discussion about opportunities to get involved in UC’s RecycleMania participation and updates from student groups on their current projects. 

Monday, January 23: Film Series – Arctic Tale, 7pm, TUC MainStreet Cinema

                Set in the vast snow kingdom at the top of the world, Arctic Tale is a real-life adventure from the people who brought you March of the Penguins.  Join narrator Queen Latifah as she follows two very different Arctic creatures: Nanu, a polar bear cub, and Seela, a walrus pup.  Armed only with their natural instincts and mothers’ guidance, these inspiring animals face countless challenges in a beautiful icebound world that is rapidly melting beneath them.  More information here.

Tuesday, January 24: The Nature of Hope: Saving Endangered Species in the 21^st Century, 4pm, TUC Great Hall

                The Fellows of the Graduate School, Dept. of Biology and Environmental Studies Program are bringing Thane Maynard, Executive Director of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens (the greenest zoo in America) to campus for this exciting event.  Maynard is among the most prominent zoo directors in the country.  His 90-Second Naturalist spots have been broadcast on more than 100 National Public Radio stations for the last 25 years.  He has also appeared on national television programs such as the Today Show and Good Morning America.  He is also the author of thirteen books on wildlife, included his latest, Hope for Animals & Their World, co-authored with Jane Goodall.  Don’t miss what promises to be a great lecture and a great follow up to our presentation of Arctic Tale! 

Wednesday, January 25: Phytoremediation Presentation, 4:30pm, Swift 720

                The UC Garden Club will be hosting a presentation by Dr. Ishi Buffam of the Departments of Biology and Geology.  Dr. Buffam will be discussing phytoremediation techniques including green roofs and rain gardens. 

Thursday, January 26: Sustainability Potluck, 6pm, Bike Kitchen

                Join the Office of Sustainability staff and students for a fun winter feast!  Please bring a dish to share, and consider using fresh, local, seasonal, organic, or whatever your vision of sustainable ingredients.  While we enjoy the food, we will discuss what it means to eat sustainably and how to meet that challenge, especially during winter.  RSVP to green@uc.edu is encouraged.  Come on out and share a meal and conversation with your fellow sustainability-minded UC folks!

Wednesday, February 29: Lecture Series –  Energy: The Triple Bottom Line, 4pm, Zimmer 400

                This panel discussion will be the first of three examining Energy, Power, and Ohio.  John Stowell, Vice President, Environmental Health & Safety Policy, Duke Energy; Stephen Melink, Founder & President, Melink Corporation; and Daniel Sawmiller,  Senior Campaign Representative, Beyond Coal, Sierra Club will be discussing energy use, power sources, and the future of energy in Ohio.  Time for questions from the audience will be provided.

Thanks, and we hope to see you at one or more of these events!  Check out http://www.uc.edu/af/pdc/sustainability/get_involved.html for more upcoming opportunities.  You can also join us on Facebook (UC Sustainability) and Twitter (UCsustainable

RAPP Participates in Cincinnati Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Activities

As is now our annual tradition, RAPP encouraged the UC community to participate in the city-wide events recognizing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Here are some snapshots from Monday's rally, march, and commemorative celebration:

RAPPers representing RAPPs XXII-XXVII (and other organizations) paused for a snapshot before the march!

The growing crowd at the Freedom Center before the march kick-off.

Marching from Fountain Square to Music Hall, singing songs and talking about the day.

Many RAPPers and friends stayed for the 37th Annual Commemorative Celebration at Music Hall organized by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Coalition.

Many thanks to all the UC community members who joined us on Monday!

Participants Sought for Research on Asian American Students & College Choice

My name is Oiyan Poon, and I am a research fellow at the Institute for Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. I am currently conducting a research study to better understand how 1.5 and second generation Asian Americans are informed about applying to and enrolling in post-secondary education. The project seeks to inform practice, policies, and future research on Asian Americans, inequalities, and college access.

In order to participate in the study, you must:

1. Be between the ages of 18 and 23;

2. Not be enrolled in high school;

3. Self-identify as a 1.5 OR 2nd generation Asian American.

       a. 1.5 generation = Identify as an Asian American who immigrated to the U.S. before the age of 12.

       b. 2nd generation = Identify as an Asian American who was born in the U.S. to at least one Asian immigrant parent.

Participants who complete the survey will have the option to enter a raffle to win one of 5 cash gift cards worth $25 each.

Please cut and paste or click on this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/asamcollegechoice to begin the survey.

If you have any questions, please contact me at asianamericancollegeaccess@gmail.com or by phone at 617.682.0831.

Sincerely,

Oiyan Poon, Ph.D.

Research Fellow, Institute for Asian American Studies

University of Massachusetts Boston