CONTACT:
Zach Wiles
(440) 371-3056
wilesza@mail.uc.edu
LOCAL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ORGANIZE “SHOOTING BEAUTY” EVENT TO RAISE DISABILITY AWARENESS
Philanthropy Focused Fraternity Men Bring in Nationally Acclaimed Program
Cincinnati, Ohio (September 10, 2012) – The Theta chapter of Pi Kappa Phi is bringing Courtney Bent and her nationally acclaimed documentary “Shooting Beauty” to the University of Cincinnati campus September 10th as part of their No Boundaries Week to raise awareness for people with disabilities. This event will be held at the university’s student union, Tangeman University Center, at 7 pm in the Great Hall. Brothers hope attendees will open their eyes to people different from themselves and leave with a better understanding of diversity and a spark of passion to be inclusive in day-to-day activities.
The Theta chapter of Pi Kappa Phi raises funds for and awareness on behalf of people with disabilities every year in the name of Push America, the nonprofit organization owned and operated by the national fraternity. Brothers of Theta chapter are actively involved with Vineyard Church’s Breathe Respites for children with special needs as well as Starfire Council. Two brothers have participated in national Push America events completing construction projects to make camps that support people with disabilities more accessible for all, including projects at Cincinnati’s own Camp Allyn.
No Boundaries Week, to be held from September 10-14, will include an Accessibility Day, People First Language Day, Pedals for Push bike-a-thon, and will kick off with Monday’s “Shooting Beauty” event. Courtney Bent has been invited by colleges and universities around the country to present her award-winning documentary as an effective platform for discussing diversity, inclusion, and disability awareness. The film is so dynamic in beginning these discussions that the Girl Scouts honored the film with its own Shooting Beauty Patch Program as an integral part of their inclusion component. Her attendance at campus “Shooting Beauty” events is inspirational in facilitating relevant discussions because it is aimed at challenging stereotypes that prevent inclusive attitudes and inclusive communities. The project centers around redefining society’s vision of beauty and how, through art, conversations can begin about important and often unspoken issues surrounding acceptance, diversity, and disability.
Courtney Bent is an award winning photographer and filmmaker whose work has taken her from Masaii Camps in East Africa to Death Row in the United States. She has been the recipient of over 30 awards and grants for her work including the Golden Light Award for best educational photography program, the Doreen Arbus Focus on Disability grant from the Woman in Film Foundation, three American With Disabilities Act Grants from VSA- the International Organization on Arts and Disability, as well as grants from the LEF Foundation and the Fledgling Fund.
There will be an opportunity for sound bites and video at the “Shooting Beauty” event as well as the opportunity to interview Courtney Bent.
For more information about “Shooting Beauty” and No Boundaries Week, contact Zach Wiles at (440) 371-3056 or by email at wilesza@mail.uc.edu .
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