UC Launches Women in Leadership and Learning Program - Applications due May 4th!

From UC News:

UC Launches Women in Leadership and Learning Program

Applications are due May 4 for WILL, a new University of Cincinnati program that uses experiential learning to develop women leaders.

Date: 4/27/2012 12:00:00 AM
By: Greg Hand
Phone: (513) 556-1822

   A new program, known as WILL, for Women in Leadership and Learning, aims to build leadership among University of Cincinnati's women students in a community setting over the course of their college years. The program applies classroom and experiential learning components built on themes of social justice and activism.  The new program will begin in the fall of 2012.

Collaborating in WILL’s development are the UC Women’s Center and the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies in UC’s McMicken College of Arts & Sciences. The program incorporates a core curriculum based in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies as well as co-curricular leadership development programming coordinated through the Women’s Center. Amy Howton, Assistant Director of the Women's Center, coordinates the program with assistance from WILL student workers Dylan Colvin and Tasha Vaught.

“WILL is a multi-year learning community comprised of both academic and co-curricular experiences designed to develop a student’s leadership over the course of her collegiate experience,” Howton said.

The UC program is modeled on the original WILL program established at the University of Richmond in 1980.

“WILL was created in response to scholarship demonstrating that the self-confidence of women students plummets in their college years,” Vaught said. “Since its inception over 30 years ago, WILL has gained considerable national recognition. The UC program focuses on applied learning so that students grow as individuals, build community, and work toward creating social change.”

WILL was created to encompass the key, three touch points of a students’ collegiate experience: first year experience, mid-collegiate, and senior year experience. 

“These touch points are effectively structured through both required, sequential academic courses and developmental, multi-year co-curricular experiences,” Howton said.

Applications to participate in WILL are due by Friday, May 4. For more information on WILL, or to download an application, visit:

http://www.uc.edu/ucwc/WILL.html

For Third Year Straight, Princeton Review Names UC a Top Green School

From UC News:
For Third Year Straight, Princeton Review Names UC a Top Green School

In time for Earth Day, UC was named among the nation’s top green schools by The Princeton Review due to strong commitment to sustainability in academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation. This is the third year straight that UC earned a spot on the prestigious list.

Date: 4/18/2012 12:00:00 AM
By: M.B. Reilly
Phone: (513) 556-1824

Photos By: Dottie Stover

   Because of its strong commitment to sustainability, the University of Cincinnati has been named among the best “green” schools by The Princeton Review. 

UC is among a handful of Ohio schools named to “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges.” Partnering with The Princeton Review on the guide was the U.S. Green Building Council.

UC's Bearcat Bike Share program allows the campus community to check out bikes for free.

UC’S GREEN HIGHLIGHTS
In the national “green” guide, UC was recognized for

• Incorporating sustainability throughout university operations and classrooms.

• Studying and conducting research on sustainability issues in an urban context.

• Buildings that meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards.

• UC is working to reduce its environmental footprint, with the ultimate goal of becoming carbon neutral.

Specific innovations and achievements on the part of the university include'

• A UC urban garden provides hands-on education in sustainable agriculture.

• Food served in campus dining halls is purchased from a purveyor that works with local farmers whenever possible.

• The Bearcat Bike Share program allows anyone with a university ID to check out a bike and use it for up to three days to travel around campus and community. This serves as a means for decreasing carbon emissions produced by automobile use.

• Student volunteers work on recycling projects around campus, including the student-led recycling of 11 tons (22,000 pounds) of plastic, metal, glass and cardboard at UC’s 2011 sporting and other special events, completed with the help of vendors, athletes and fans. That’s about a ton more than was recycled in 2010.  In addition, recycling is available in all UC buildings.

  Student Vishnu Suresh places recyclables from two floors in Calhoun Hall into a bin.

  
  

The 322 green-leading schools listed in the guide are not in hierarchical order. It is, instead, organized state-by-state and alphabetically.

Other Ohio schools named in the green guide are Case Western Reserve University, Denison University, Kenyon College, Oberlin College, Ohio University, Ohio State University, University of Dayton and University of Mount Union.

Other national schools named among the green elite include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Stanford University, the University of Virginia, Vanderbilt University and Yale University.

“College-bound students are increasingly interested in sustainability issues,” said Robert Franek, senior vice president, publishing, The Princeton Review. “Among 7,445 college applicants who participated in our spring 2012 ‘College Hopes & Worries Survey,’ nearly seven out of 10 (68 percent) told us that having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the school.”

Download The Princeton Review’s free Guide to 322 Green Colleges.

See other UC news related to Earth Day, including

• Find out about more UC Earth Week events, including presentations, workshops and the planting of about 100 trees starting at 10 a.m., Sunday, April 22, on UC’s Victory Parkway campus, 2220 Victory Parkway, Walnut Hills. Those trees will be planted at the rear of the campus buildings. 

• Green Promise: UC Team Seeking to Turn Fryer Fat to Fuel Competes in National EPA Event

• Economic and Environmental Savings Found in Recent UC Energy Efforts

• UC Converts Coal Boiler to Run on Waste Wood Chips

Free "Audre Lorde - The Berlin Year 1984-1992" Showing - May 10th!

The University of Cincinnati's German Studies Department will be hosting a free screening of the documentary film Audre Lorde-The Berlin Years 1984-1992 directed by the white German, anti-racist feminist, as well as life-long friend of Lorde, Dagmar Schultz.

Dr. Anne Runyan from the Women's, Gender, and SexualityStudies Department will provide a brief introduction to Audre Lorde prior to the screening.

The event will be held in Mainstreet Cinema in TUC on Thursday, May 10, 2012 starting at 7:30pm. We hope to see you all there!

About the film:
The film premiered at the 62nd Annual International Berlin Film Festival and has not yet been released. Detailing Lorde's years in Berlin as a guest lecturer at the Free University and her impact on the development of the Afro-German movement, the documentary highlights a period of Lorde's life that is unknown to many. 

"Hong Kong: From a Colony to a Gateway to China" by Dr. Donald Tong - May 3rd!

From UC International:

Thursday, May 3, 2012

1:45pm – 3:00pm

Room 608, Carl Lindner Hall

Mr. Donald Tong

Hong Kong Commissioner for

Economic and Trade Affairs, USA

“Hong Kong: From a Colony to a Gateway to China”

Mr. Tong assumed the post of the Hong Kong Commissioner for Economics and Trade Affairs, USA, the most senior representative of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government in the U.S., in October 2008.  As commissioner he directs the HKSAR Government’s efforts in promoting U.S.-Hong Kong economic and trade ties, and constituency-building activities in the U.S.  He also oversees the work of the three Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in Washington D.C., New York and San Francisco.  

Check out UC MainStreet Online!

From UC MainStreet:

UC MainStreet now has a Facebook page!  The goal is to use our Facebook page to engage and interact with the University Community. To do this, we want to open the Facebook conversation to the students and university departments and give you the ability to use our page as a means of communicating the details of your events on MainStreet. We encourage them to post videos, pictures, or any information on our page to enhance attendance and awareness of their event and organization.

It is as simple as three easy steps:

1)      Like our UC MainStreet Facebook page.

2)      Post details about your upcoming event on the page.

3)      After your event, share your experience with pictures, videos, or posts.

All events need to be approved by Conference & Event Services (CES) as well as scheduled on MainStreet, before they are permitted to post information on the Facebook page. If it is not approved, the post will be removed.  The event confirmation email from CES will serve as the approval. Please be sure to keep it clean!

Don’t forget to follow our UC MainStreet Twitter page too. Use @UCMainStreet and #UCMainStreet in your tweets!

Let’s help our UC community grow by sharing our experiences and events with others and by creating a place for everyone to come together and learn about all of the exciting programs offered right here on MainStreet.

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/UCMainStreet

Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/#!/UCMainStreet

MUSE 29th Annual Spring Concert - May 12th!

MUSE 29th Annual

Spring Concert

One Earth, One People, Many Songs

Saturday, May 12, 2012 - 7:30pm

The new, exciting repertoire and the pulsing exuberance of our rhythmic selections -- it moves us all! We cannot contain our enthusiasm for our upcoming programming. It all begins next month with our Spring Concert, May 12th!

@The School for Creative and Performing Arts

108 W. Central Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Things to know!

General Admission, Concert Begins at 7:30 pm, Doors open at 7 pm

Great Musical Selections for Every Age

World Choir Games / GALA Preview!  

Alumni & Children's Songs

Multimedia 

Free childcare

New! printable online tickets!

Sliding Scale Available 

Plenty of parking

Fair Trade Coffee Pickup this Night!  

Click the link below for tickets. You may also purchase tickets from our members or at the following loyal, local ticket vendors.

Buy your tickets, now!

Order online, print at home and come to the concert with your ticket in hand!  

Local Ticket Vendors

Clifton - St. John's UU Church, 320 Resor Ave.

College Hill - College Hill Coffee & Casual Gourmet, 6128 Hamilton Ave.

Loveland - Symmes Chiropractic & Nutrition Ctr, 10568 Loveland-Madeira Rd

Northside - Shake It Records, 4156 Hamilton Ave.

Yellow Springs - Sam and Eddie's Open Books, 232 Xenia Ave. 

We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming performance! Check our website for all the latest information on MUSE! www.musechoir.org

MUSE, Cincinnati's Women's Choir

PO Box 23292 Cincinnati, OH 45223 (513)-221-1118 

(Un)heard: Transmasculine People of Color Speak! - May 3rd!

From Colors of Pride:
(Un)heard: Transmasculine People of Color Speak!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
6:00pm until 8:00pm
AACRC


As part of our Queercat Pride Week celebrations, the University of Cincinnati LGBTQ Center, Colors of Pride, and the United Black Student Association are bringing the audio/visual installation (Un)heard: Transmasculine People of Color to the University. In addition to a gallery display at the beginning of the event, the group will present Building Solidarity: An LGBTQ-Focused Anti-Racism Workshop. The event will take place at the African-American Cultural Resource Center located by Daniels and Dabney on the University of Cincinnati's campus.

ABOUT (UN)HEARD:
(Un)heard is an audio/visual installation about the lives and experiences of transmasculine people of color. By sharing first-person accounts and positive images, this exhibit seeks to challenge damaging myths and stereotypes about transgender people and people of color, and to educate people about a marginalized, and often invisible, group. The project celebrates a range of views, opinions, and experiences that are unique and empowering to trans
gender people everywhere.

The past two decades have seen an increase in conversation about transmasculine experiences and identities. However, the experiences of transmasculine people of color are often misunderstood, ignored, unaddressed, and unheard. To date there is no other mixed media project that focues specifically on the expereinces of transmasculine people of color. By utilizing in-depth audio interviews and intimate portraits, (Un)heard seeks to move transmasculine (transgender, ftm, bois, masculine of center) people of color identities and community from margin to center and addresses issues of personal triumph, loss, desire, community, relationships and discrimination. At the most basic level, (Un)heard combats transphobia and racism by breaking silence and making the invisible visible. By encouraging people of all ages to affirm and appreciate diversity, this traveling exhibit contributes to the process of dismantling the destructive power of prejudice and intolerance, thereby making the world a safer place for all individuals.

http://transunheard.com/
http://transunheard.tumblr.com/

UC Monologues - May 2nd!

From the UC Women's Center:

Did you like the Vagina Monologues?
Then be part of the 2nd annual UC Monologues

UC students can write and perform an array of original comic and dramatic monologues that deal with issues of gender, sexuality, and other identities.

This show will be made up of monologues written by UC students and performed by UC students.

Want to participate?

Write your own to perform yourself, write your own and have someone else perform it, or perform one that has been written.

Wednesday, May 2nd

7PM @ Baba Budan's

For more info, contact Kim at kimberly.fulbright@uc.edu

Apply to be an Advocates for Youth Activist - Due May 10th!

From Advocates for Youth:

Are you a young person (14-24 years old) who is…

• Passionate about fighting for young people's rights to sexual health information and services?
• Interested in connecting with youth leaders from across the country?
• Dedicated to developing skills to make a difference in your community?

Consider applying for one of Advocates for Youth's programs! See all of the available opportunities below.

If selected, you will have opportunities to: develop new organizing and leadership skills; become informed on sexual and reproductive health issues; connect with passionate young people from across the country; and have a lasting impact on your communities. You will also join more than 100 youth activists in Washington, DC for an intense four-day activist training institute free of charge!

Advocates' youth activists have done amazing work this year. You can join them in:

• Increasing HIV testing on your campus
• Providing confidential support and resources to young people who are worried about coming out
• Working with college administrators to make condom distribution more widely available on your campus
• Mobilizing your peers around international family planning issues
• Working to destigmatize abortion and ensure youth access to affordable birth control

If this sounds like something you want to be a part of, check out the program descriptions below and apply today! Application deadlines are coming up fast.

Wait — I'm not a young person…

If you are a parent, teacher, or advocate who knows young people who are passionate about sexual and reproductive health and rights, please encourage them to apply today.

Thanks!

Julia Reticker-Flynn
Youth Activist Network Manager
Advocates for Youth


---
Campus Organizing Team

Advocates for Youth works with campus organizations to provide them with skills, information, and materials to conduct advocacy campaigns on their campuses. Each year, selected campus organizations are chosen to receive intensive assistance, including funding, advocacy and media training, materials for dissemination and on-going assistance to help educate, activate, and empower students on issues such as condom availability, LGBT rights, comprehensive sex education, abortion access, and HIV prevention/treatment among others!

Click here to complete the Campus Organizing Team application. Apps are due May 10, 2012.


Young Women of Color Leadership Council (YWOCLC)

The Young Women of Color Leadership Council is composed of young leaders and activists who come together to promote a message of prevention and empowerment through a reproductive justice lens. All of the Council's work is a collaboration of diversity and power, in the hopes of affecting a million more young women of color. The goals of the Council are to educate, include, and empower.

Click here to complete the Young Women of Color Leadership Council application. Apps are due May 10, 2012.


YouthResource Peer Educators

YouthResource, a website by and for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning (GLBTQ) young people, explores issues of concern to GLBTQ youth. The Online Peer Educators provide affirmation and support to their peers, answer questions posed by visitors, and assist users to find the local resources they need. Peer Educators also write blogs, articles, and issue briefs for the YouthResource website, advocate for GLBTQ rights, and present at conferences on GLBTQ issues.

Click here to complete the YouthResource Peer Educator application. Apps are due May 10, 2012.


Cultural Advocacy and Mobilization Initiative (CAMI): State Activists

Advocates for Youth works with state youth activists in 8 target states (AL, CA, CO, FL, OH, NC, SC, TX) on youth leadership councils, which advocate for comprehensive sex education and other sexual health and rights issues in their communities. Their goal is to mobilize people in their states to fight for honest, responsible sex education and ensure that young people are listened to and have a voice within the debate. Click here to find out more about our state partners. Applications will be available shortly.

Upcoming Sustainability Events - Apr 30th to May 6th!

From UC Sustainability:

Monday, April 30 – Student Sustainability Coalition Meeting, 6pm, Steger 6^th Floor

Monday, April 30 – Film Series: DOUBLE FEATURE! Taken for a Ride & Cincinnati’s Abandoned Subway, 7pm, Rec Center 3250

            These two short films take a look at lost alternative transportation systems nationally and locally.  These are a great introduction for Wednesday’s streetcar lecture!  More info here.

Wednesday, May 2 – Lecture Series: Cincinnati Streetcar, 2pm, MainStreet Cinema

            Join us for an update on the progress of the streetcar project!  Chris Eilerman, John Schneider, and Valerie Robbins will discuss the planning process, challenges faced along the way, the current project state, and future plans. 

Saturday, May 5 – PAC Spring Concert, 7pm, Sigma Sigma Commons

            We will be recycling and staffing a table with information and giveaways.  Stop by and say hi!  More info here.

Sunday, May 6 – Bike Ride: Newport on the Levee, 12pm, Meet at the Bike Kitchen

            May is Bike Month!  Celebrate with us on this ride to Newport on the Levee and back.  This will be a moderately difficult ride, but the pace will be slow and steady to accommodate all riders.  

QueerCat Pride Week - Apr 30th to May 5th!

From the UC LGBTQ Center:

QueerCat Pride Week
It's that time of year again … for UC's LGBTQ community and its allied friends to celebrate diversity! Join us for all of the great events that the LGBTQ Center has planned for Queercat Pride Week 2012!

MONDAY, 04/30
• Rainbow Flash Mob ..... 11:50 a.m. – 12:10 p.m., Main Street
• Queer Movie Monday ..... 7:00 p.m., Swift 500 (Food will be provided.)

TUESDAY, 05/01
• Ally Day
• Purple People Eater Picnic ..... 12:30 – 2:00 p.m., McMicken Commons (Show your support. Wear purple. Pick up your ally button.)
• Sara Montiel as a Gay Icon in Theatre, Cinema and Literature within the Hispanic World Today ..... 4:30 – 6:30 p.m., Baur Room, CCM
• Speaker: Genny Beemyn, Ph.D., Director, the Stonewall Center, Univ. of Massachusetts Amherst ..... 6:00 p.m., Braunstein 301
• Queer Game Night ..... 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., Daniels Hall (Bring your favorite game. Snacks will be provided.)

WEDNESDAY, 05/02
• Ally Day (Wear your ally button.)
• Free HIV Testing ..... 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., TUC 415
• UC Monologues / Open Minded Mic Night ..... 7:00 p.m., Baba Budan’s
• Alternative to the Alternative Dance Party ..... 9:30 p.m., Baba Budan’s

THURSDAY, 05/03
• Queer Zumba w/ Carlos Gooden ..... 12:30 – 1:30 p.m., McMicken Commons
• (Un)heard: Transmasculine People of Color Speak! / Building Solidarity: An LGBTQ-Focused Anti-Racism Workshop ..... 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., AACRC (Gallery display at start of program.)

FRIDAY, 05/04
• Same-Sex Hand Holding Day
• Genderf*ck Drag Show .... 9 p.m., Catskeller
• Guerilla Queer Bar ..... After the drag show, location TBA

For more info contact:
LGBTQ Center (565 Steger), 513-556-4329

www.uc.edu/lgbtq
http://uc-lgbtq.blogspot.com/
www.twitter.com/UC_LGBTQcenter

Co‐sponsored by:
LGBTQ Center, UC Alliance, GenderBloc, Colors of Pride, UC Women’s Center, Student Wellness Center, Student Government, SALD, UBSA.

Creating Trans* Inclusive Campus Policies & the Legal Rights of Trans* People - May 1st!

From the UC LGBTQ Center:

Genny Beemyn, co-author of The Lives of Transgender People, presents

Creating Trans* Inclusive Campus Policies & the Legal Rights of Trans* People


Tuesday, May 1st
Braunstein 301
6PM

From hate crime law to college health services, make UC a better place for students of all gender expressions & identities.

LGBTQ Center & GenderBloc

Holi Festival 2012 - Apr 28th!

From UC Ethnic Programs & Services:

Holi Festival 2012
Saturday, April 28
4PM-7PM
Sigma Sigma Commons

Free food and color throwing!  You are allowed to bring some kind of water dispense or water balloons but NOT ALLOWED TO BRING ANYTHING RESEMBLING A GUN!

Designing A Mural To Tell Cincinnati's Story

From: Public Allies Cincinnati, Cincy Story Mural



What do you get when you take three visual artists, a screen printing guru, a visionary, and over 1400 photos and stories from across the city?


THE CINCY STORY MURAL!


...I’ve never been very good at jokes. Sorry. :/


All (failed) jokes aside, working as part of the design team has been a once in a lifetime experience. After hearing so many incredible stories at the Photo Harvests and perusing the amazing photos submitted with Krista, three artists working on the mural design met on one of Clifton’s rooftops.

The rooftops of Clifton


Each equipped with our own artistic process, aesthetic, and background, we spent a lot of time talking about what the project meant to us and wondering how we were going to merge our very different perspectives into a cohesive piece of art. It could have been a mess, and to be honest, I listened my fair share of doubts from people who heard about what we were attempting to accomplish. But, as it turns out, our diversity has made us--and this project--stronger. Instead of clashing, we found that our individual talents and approaches complemented one another. I had never worked in a digital medium before, but Marjorie’s digital design background, Photoshop expertise, and talent as a teacher brought the rest of us up to speed in no time. I love connections and tend to see everything in terms of systems of possibilities, so when I looked at the rich body of raw material we had been given, I saw a beautiful sum, not 1400 parts. It provided us a framework and starting point. Laura, with her incredible eye for detail, was able to hone in on the individual photographs and collage them in compelling compositions that honored each photograph while creating fluidity between them. All these pieces together gave us a vision and direction for the mural that we could have never achieved individually.




The idea for a template that we began with...


We brought our design ideas and first few finished neighborhoods to Krista, who loved it and urged us onward. Then we met with Aaron Kent of DIY, who took our digital designs and spearheaded the process of turning them into physical screenprints. Again, without their individual perspectives and talents, the mural couldn’t have gone forward. And without everyone’s written and photographic contributions, we’d have nothing to create with. CSM is truly a collaborative effort that represents the power of what can be accomplished when we don’t try to put aside our differences, but instead embrace and utilize them in a unified effort.




A sneak peek of what's to come!



Guest post written by Cincy Story Mural design team member, Missy Miller

Worldfest Food Tour: Come for the Culture, Stay for the Cuisine

From: UC News

Few events on campus offer an opportunity to indulge your palate quite like Worldfest. Here's your quick guide to the more eclectic eats and appetizing aromas that will be wafting across campus April 23-29.

Date: 4/18/2012 12:00:00 AM
By: John Bach
Phone: (513) 556-5224

Photos By: Lisa Ventre, Photo Services

   
UC's Worldfest is best known for the International Festival that will take place on McMicken Commons at lunchtime Thursday, April 26. But multicultural events actually span the entire Worldfest week. And like the International Festival, many events include plenty of tasty (often free or low-cost) ethnic dishes. 

Here's your guide to some of the international flavors you can sample throughout the week:

The Dish: Sweet treats and appetizers from around the world
Menu: Vietnamese spring rolls and fresh rolls; Indian gulab jamun, samosas, pakoras; Jamaican plantains, chicken and vegetable patties; Ethiopian beef and vegetable sambussa; Mexican tres leches cake and flan; plus Greek kataifi and baklava
When and where: 4 p.m., Monday, April 23, @ TUC's Great Hall
Served up by: Worldfest committee
Event: Worldfest Kickoff  Celebration

The Dish: Latin dishes and desserts
Menu: Tacos and fajitas with sopapillas
When and where:  Noon, Tuesday, April 24, @ 555 Steger Student Life Center
Served up by: Latinos en Accion and Ethnic Programs and Services (EPS)
Event: Tacos on Tuesday

The Dish: International Festival (of food)
A foodie's tour of some of the McMicken Commons booths at lunchtime, April 26

• Arabic Club: Baklava
• French Club: Crêpes and madeleines
• German Club: Pretzels
• Hillel Jewish Student Center: Birthday cake (to mark Israel's birthday)
• Identity: Smoothies
• Indian Student Association: Samosa chat
• International Friendships: Oranges, apples and nuts
• Japanese American Student Society: Yakisoba
• Latinos en Accion: Churros, niño envuelto, conchas, jarritos
• Muslim Student Association: Falafel, hummus, pita bread and samosa
• Taiwanese Student Association: Fried rice, Chinese sausage, fried dumplings and bubble tea
• Turkish Student and Scholars Association: Pogaca, feta borek, lentil ball, pumpkin dessert, grape leaves, tabouleh, Turkish coffee

When and where: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday, April 26, @ McMicken Commons
Served up by: UC International, Mainstreet and SALD
Event: International Festival

The Dish: Shabbat dinner
Menu: Traditional Israeli food including hummus, falafel, barekas and pita
When and where:  7 p.m., Friday, April 27, @ Stratford Heights Pavilion
Served up by: Cincinnati Hillel
Event: Challah, It’s Shabbat Dinner!

The Dish: Northern Indian cuisine
Menu: Samosas, pakoras, gulab jamun, vegetable biryani, saag paneer
When and where:  4 p.m., Saturday, April 28, @ Sigma Sigma Commons
Served up by: Ethnic Programs and Services, Asian American Association and Hindu Yuva
Event: Holi Festival

The Dish: Taste of India
Menu: Nan, paneer butter masala, aloo gobi, pakora with chutney, kheer, rice and vegetable biryani
When and where:  2 - 5 p.m., Sunday, April 29, @ TUC's Great Hall
Served up by: UC's Association for India's Development
Event: Taste of India

Beyond the food
Get complete details on all UC's Worldfest events April 19 through April 29.

RAPP XXVII T-Shirt Revealed!

When RAPP started putting quotes on the back of t-shirts, it remained "Give a little of yourself before you expect others to give" - a wise and telling quote about the RAPP process.

Since a few years before I became involved with RAPP (I joined in 2006), RAPP groups selected a quote for the back of the shirt.  We've done this, at least since 2005, through voting.

The RAPP XXVII t-shirt was dropped at the joint spring retreat - where both halves of RAPP XXVII spent 24 hours exploring sexuality, gender, and race.  Here, finally, is their selected quote!

Quote: We declare our right on this earth to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being, in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary. Malcolm X

UC Bookstores Hosts the Thirst Project on Thursday, April 26

From: UC News

Nearly one billion people across the world do not have access to clean, safe drinking water.

Date: 4/23/2012 12:00:00 AM
By: Amy Browns Taylor
Phone: (513) 556-1713

   One billion is one in every eight people. The Thirst Project’s
“Find the Water – Save the Planet” campaign, seeks to bring 
awareness to and solutions for the clean water crisis.

Come to the 5480 Aronoff at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 26, for an
important discussion on the clean water crisis and the creation of 
sustainable global change with Thirst Project CEO and founder 
Seth Maxwell. 


The event is sponsored by the UC Bookstores.

For more information, contact the UC Bookstores at 556-1700.

Diversity Conference Workshop Puts Focus on Women in STEM Disciplines

From: UC News

At this year’s Diversity Conference event, titled “I Am a Diversity Leader,” taking place Wednesday, April 18, women scientists will be represented to discuss the importance of fostering a productive and beneficial work environment for females in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Date: 4/12/2012 12:00:00 PM
By: Katie Pence
Phone: (513) 558-4561

Photos By: Academic Health Center Communications Services

   For the past four years, the University of Cincinnati has supported a well-rounded work and learning environment by holding its annual Diversity Conference, celebrating the variety of talents present at the institution and encouraging growth. 
 

At this year’s event, titled “I Am a Diversity Leader,” taking place Wednesday, April 18, women scientists will be represented to discuss the importance of fostering a productive and beneficial work environment for females in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

This is the first time the STEM workshop will be held and is only one of many initiatives under way at the university to celebrate, inspire and support women in STEM disciplines, says Stacie Furst-Holloway, assistant professor and undergraduate director for organizational leadership.

“Several faculty members and a graduate student in the department of psychology will be conducting the workshop,” she says. “It will be an interactive session, allowing attendees to consider, from their own perspective, the culture of women in STEM.

“What is really exciting about this effort is the bridge across campuses. We have a common goal of improving opportunities for women at UC to develop their careers and a sense of community and are sharing our expertise accordingly.”

The workshop will involve an exercise similar to Photo Voice, an activity in which participants are asked to reflect on their work environment using photos to see how receptive and supportive it is to women in STEM careers. The reflection, in this case, will come from the creation of storyboards made from clips in magazines to represent how they perceive the culture for women within their discipline and then be used to strike a dialogue among those in attendance.

“For example, a woman may cut out a picture of a glass or a window and say that it represents the ‘glass ceiling,’” Furst-Holloway explains. “After discussing these challenges with one another, then the group will discuss what we can do to improve opportunities and ways to promote positive change individually or collectively to make work environments more supportive.”

Melanie Cushion, MD, associate chair of research and professor in the division of infectious diseases, and Rachel Kallen, PhD, assistant professor in psychology, have been integral to this initiative. Cushion is also a supporter for other activities around UC related to this subject and says that despite increasing participation of women and minorities in STEM disciplines, men continue to significantly outnumber women.

“At UC, we have 1,739 full-time faculty members, 44 percent of whom are women. However, women faculty are substantially underrepresented in STEM,” Cushion says, adding that about 10 percent are in engineering and applied sciences, about 29 percent are in arts and sciences and about 28 percent are in medicine.

“Further, as academic rank increases, the representation of women in STEM declines and women are often absent at the professor rank in the STEM disciplines. These data demonstrate the compelling need for institutional transformation in how we promote equity and professional success for women scientists.”

In addition to this workshop, Cushion has implemented “Ready, Set, Go” workshops, held monthly, as another way to support STEM faculty members. At these workshops, speakers discuss topics to help junior faculty jump-start their careers.

Topics range from developing a mentoring relationship to building a lab and developing a research funding revenue.

Cushion says that events like these are ways to enhance support of women and other minorities in STEM disciplines.

“As climate improves and social and professional networks are expanded, women and minority interest and success in STEM is significantly enhanced,” she says. “By creating such opportunities for learning and networking, we hope to improve the situation for women and minorities in these fields.”

For a full program schedule, visit the Diversity Conference website.

For more information about getting involved with activities supporting women in STEM disciplines, contact Cushion or Furst-Holloway.

Get a Free Copy of "Persepolis" for Worldfest Week Read-In!

From UC News:

Grab Your Copy of 'Persepolis' for the April 27 Worldfest Read-In

Join the UC community by reading this 2007 coming-of-age work about growing up in Iran during the war with Iraq. Then, take part in the Worldfest read-in Friday, April 27.

Date: 4/4/2012 12:00:00 AM
By: John Bach

   

"Persepolis" will be the subject of an April 27 Worldfest read-in.

As part of the celebration of UC's diverse culture and in preparation of an April 27 Worldfest read-in, members of the university community are reading a 2007 book entitled "Persepolis," about author Marjane Satrapi's childhood in Iran during the Islamic revolution. 

The Worldfest Read-In will be in the TUC Atrium at 2 p.m., Friday, April 27

Book synopsis
"Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood" — by Satrapi Majane 
"Persepolis," is the story of Satrapi's unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic revolution. The book explores the contradictions between private life and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval as well as the author's school years in Vienna facing the trials of adolescence along with her exile from her beloved homeland. 

Where to get the book
Books can be purchased for $12.95 from the UC bookstore. A limited supply is also available if you email Nicole Ausmer (nicole.ausmer@uc.edu).

Get all the details about UC's Worldfest 2012 event