RAPP Connections with LeaderShape

The University Honors Program annually hosts the prestigious LeaderShape leadership training institute.  LeaderShape's mission is "to transform the world by increasing the number of people who lead with integrity^TM and a healthy disregard for the impossible."

This year's institute is being held December 11th through 16th at Higher Ground (also home to annual Honors Retreats, Camp Bearcats, and at least one RAPP retreat in the past).

Many RAPPers throughout the years have participated in LeaderShape at UC. 

While I was a UC student in the late 1990s I participated in LeaderShape.  There I met RAPP XIV member Moksha Southall while she was a student leader at the institute and a RAPPmate of hers participated in
LeaderShape as well that year.  I'm sure many others went through during those years as well!

Last year, RAPP XXV member Tyler T participated. 

This year, RAPP XXVI members Allison F, Matt M, Sara K are participating.  I have the honor of working with group as a cluster facilitator.

LeaderShape is a very intensive institute - please send positive thoughts the group's way!

Un's Farewell

Today we said farewell to Un and thanks for her all her amazing work!

Erica & Regan from the Wellness Center.

Un & Dean Bowen.

Un, Vicki, and Stacy.

Lisa of RAPP XXIV, Un, and Brandy

Stacy, Terri, and Derrick.

Debby & Dan write in Un's memory book.

Jackie, Derrick, Un, and Nicole.

Un cuts the first piece of cake.

Miss Patty and Un.

The spread for Un's cake.

More "RAPP Food"

This year's retreat made me reflect on one of our previous facilitators and debate whether to start another "RAPP Food" myth.

Steve Succop was a facilitator with RAPP XXII, XXIII, and XXIV. He was a last-minute replacement facilitater his first year and our office really won out with that decision. Steve became known for his great listening skills, his keen ability to connect students and their ideas, and his powerful words. Along with being an excellent facilitator, Steve played an integral role in the creation of the current RAPP curriculum.

Steve also likes gold fish crackers, so we bought a packet (or big pourable container) for each retreat.

(my favorite picture of Steve - taken during RAPP XXII with that year's "RAPP baby")

We're missing Steve this year (he's gone on to bigger and bolder things), but we brought him "in spirit" to the fall retreats. I say we start another "RAPP food" tradition in honor of Steve!

(RAPP XXV facilitators and Peer Leaders with "the new RAPP food")

-Rebecca

Heading Home

We're in final prep for Fall Retreat! Our first bus to Grailville leaves tomorrow by 5:00PM.

One of the great excitements for me in my photo explorations last year was seeing RAPP's history at Grailville. I think that it makes sense for us as a retreat center given our shared commitment to social justice. It keeps making sense to go back, also, as a tradition.

The first RAPP retreat - RAPP I.

RAPP IV in (I think) the barn building.

RAPP V in the basement of Hodie.

RAPP XIV getting settled into Hodie.

RAPP XVI doing an activity in the basement of Hodie.

There have definitely been many a RAPP retreat at other locations - Camp Joy, the Newman Center, the AACRC - but to me Grailville will always feel like RAPP's home away from home.

-Rebecca

An Amazing Find!

It seems that Jen, the Diversity Education Graduate Assistant this year, made an amazing discovery yesterday!

The RAPP Office has secret treasures buried throughout its many cracks, crevases, and shelves. Buried among that were some heretofore lost RAPP Scrapbooks. I'd heard about them from Kim McGinnis but hadn't seen one in person. What an amazing thing to go from having zero of to having three!

While I'm sad that the three folks whose scrapbooks we found no longer have theirs, I'm excited that we were able to get these pieces of RAPP history. I've just begun poring over them and already have learned some valuable things - to start with, the names of the people who went through RAPP that year!

If you see YOUR RAPP scrapbook among these three, please contact me and we'll get it home to you (hope you don't mind if we make copies first, though!).

(pic-the RAPP IX, XII, and XIV scrapbooks unearthed yesterday)
-Rebecca

Throwing Numbers

I had dinner yesterday with a friend from RAPP XVI. Along with the fun of generally catching up, I had two great RAPP moments:

1. At one point while I was going on about RAPP, she said "[sigh] I miss those conversations!" In her day to day work, there aren't the opportunities for the kind of conversations we have in RAPP. It reminded me that this is true for most of us, even for me at points and - hey! - my work is RAPP.

2. We were reminiscing about people in our groups and she simultaneously said "yeah, RAPP XVI!" and made the number with her arms. I got excited because that's what I do from RAPP XXII! I know not everyone in every group throws up the group numbers, but we both did. For her, even eight years after her RAPP year she still threw the numbers when she talked about her group! I showed her RAPP XXIV's awesome integration of numbers and dropping knowledge. Very impressive, I know. ;)

Great times with a great friend!

Pic - RAPP XVI

-Rebecca