RAPP Leaders Go On To Be... Famous Vloggers!

A couple of years back, we made a couple videos called "RAPPers Go On To Be..." to highlight how involvement in RAPP makes sense for all Bearcats regardless what career you might be headed toward.

In reflecting on encouraging people to apply for formal leadership positions in RAPP, we thought it could be similarly useful to highlight how people have contributed to RAPP and gone on to apply the knowledge they learned in a variety of impactful professions.

Krystal at the 2013-14 RAPPORT Year-End Celebration.

Krystal Smith (RAPP XXIV) was a Peer Leader with RAPP XXV. Along with being an alumna of UC in romance languages, Krystal has had multiple videos from her Krissychula Youtube channel highlighted around the web and one already went viral (over 2.5 million direct views).  She mixes music, celebrities, vulnerability, and social justice issues throughout her videos.

RAPP Leaders Go On To Be... Public Allies!

A couple of years back, we made a couple videos called "RAPPers Go On To Be..." to highlight how involvement in RAPP makes sense for all Bearcats regardless what career you might be headed toward.

In reflecting on encouraging people to apply for formal leadership positions in RAPP, we thought it could be similarly useful to highlight how people have contributed to RAPP and gone on to apply the knowledge they learned in a variety of impactful professions.

RAPP & Public Allies have long had a strong overlap in people given our shared work toward a just society and honoring that everyone leads!

Ashley shows off her artwork at the RAPPORT 2009 Retreat.

Ashley Bennet Gray (RAPP XXII) was a graduate assistant and student worker with RAPP XXIII and RAPPORT.  Ashley served in Public Allies in 2009-2010.

Kinsey (2nd from right) leads a group of volunteers in a joint role for Public Allies & RAPP.

Kinsey Brown (RAPP XXIII) was a Peer Leader with RAPP XXIV Sunday.  Kinsey served in Public Allies in 2010-2011 with RAPP.

Marjorie (far left) reps RAPP with several other RAPP alumni who served in Public Allies.

Marjorie Bledsoe (RAPP XXV) was a Peer Leader with RAPP XXVI Wednesday.  Marjorie served in Public Allies in 2011-2012 with RAPP.

Jojo smiles for the camera at Accelerating Racial Justice 2013.

Jojo Azevedo (RAPP XXIV) was a Peer Leader with RAPP XXVI Wednesday, facilitator for RAPP XXVII and Accelerating Racial Justice (ARJ) 2012, and process observer for ARJ 2013.  He is currently serving in Public Allies 2013-2014 with the Academy of World Languages.

RAPP Leaders Go On To Be... Lawyers!

A couple of years back, we made a couple videos called "RAPPers Go On To Be..." to highlight how involvement in RAPP makes sense for all Bearcats regardless what career you might be headed toward.

In reflecting on encouraging people to apply for formal leadership positions in RAPP, we thought it could be similarly useful to highlight how people have contributed to RAPP and gone on to apply the knowledge they learned in a variety of impactful professions.

Several people who held leadership roles in RAPP have gone on toward a career in law!

Steve's self-submitted picture for the RAPP XXIV roster.

Steve Succop was a facilitator with RAPPs XXII, XXIII, and XXIV.  He co-authored the current curriculum for the 9-month intensive.

Steve is currently a law student at CUNY Law School, the country's premier public interest law school. He is a legal intern at Main Street Legal Services in New York, which provides direct services related to citizenship, domestic violence, immigration, and legal services.

Sarvani waved hello to the camera at the RAPP XXV Tuesday fall retreat.

Sarvani Prasad wrote the grant proposal the reshaped RAPP's structure in 2008 as a graduate assistant. She also was a facilitator with RAPPs XXIV and XXV as well as co-authored the current curriculum for the 9-month intensive.

Sarvani is an alumna of UC College of Law where she earned both a JD and an MA in Women's Studies. She is currently a Legal Research Assistant with the Kettering Foundation and previously worked at Legal Aid of Western Ohio and Advocates for Basic Legal Equity.

Rachel showed her favorite pose at the RAPP XXVII Wednesday Winter Retreat

Rachel Berman (RAPP XXV) was a Peer Leader for RAPP XXVI and Facilitator for RAPP XXVII. She also served on the Working Group that created Accelerating Racial Justice.

Rachel is currently a student at Emory University School of Law.  She currently doing an externship with the Fulton County Public Defender and previously was an intern at Georgia Capital Defender.

All Over Spotlight!

At Student Spotlight during Bearcats Bound Orientation, a photo hunt found RAPPers displayed all around the atrium.  It's unlikely we found every RAPPer who was in the pictures, but check out who was found among all these tables:

Student Wellness Center

RAPP XXVII alumna Tiffany Stainfield

African American Cultural & Resource Center and Ethnic Programs & Services

RAPP VI alumna Dr. Bleuzette Marshall and RAPP I alum William Harris

RAPP XXVII alumna Kayla Ihuekwu

The Wesley House - Methodist Campus Ministries

RAPP XXVII alumna Keshar Smith

 Serve Beyond Cincinnati

RAPP XXIII alumna Mei Hseih

 Programs & Activities Council

RAPP XXIV alumna Latoya Watson

GenderBloc

RAPP XXV alumni Rachel Berman & Tyler Thompson, RAPP XXVII alum Adrian Vance, and RAPP XXVIII alumna Emma Smith 

 The Women's Center

RAPP XXIV alumna Katie Meyer

ARJ 2012 alumna Kara Mate

RAPP XXVII alumni Jalisa Holidfield & Ana Montalvan

ARJ 2013 Peer Leader Corinne Patterson

Orientation Staff

RAPP XXVII alum Gregor McCord and RAPP XXV alumna Kristin Myers-Young

 Student Activities Board

RAPP XXVII alumna Samar Sheriff

ARJ 2012 alumna Jazmyn Battie

UC International

RAPP XXVI alum Dan Pham

RAPP XXIV alum Blake Jelley

RAPP XXV alum Anthony de la Rosa

 

Announcing the Leadership Team for RAPP 2013-14!

The selection process for the limited leadership roles available in RAPP is a challenging one - each year, we have more more-than-qualified applicants than spots available.

Many thanks to the great campus leaders who helped make this imperfect process a manageable and even enjoyable one:  AJ E (RAPP XXVI), Ana M (RAPP XXVI), Becca H (RED), Farooq A (RAPP XXVII), Maggy F (RED), Shyamal R (XXVI), & Susie M (SALD)!

Many thanks also to the all of the great Bearcats who applied for the positions.  It was truly a talented group, making the selection process a difficult one.  All of the applicants are leaders in RAPP and around campus who work to make our campus a more just and caring community.

Please join me in welcoming those who were placed into formal positions:

Accelerating Racial Justice 2013
Peer Leaders:
Corinne Pattersion - Activists Coming Together (ACT), Women in Leadership & Learning (WILL)
Gregory Gamble - ARJ 2012, Social Justice League 2012-13
Jazmyn Battie - ARJ 2012
Maya Whyte - RAPP XXVIII

Process Observers:
Jojo Azevedo - RAPP XXIV, RAPP XXVI Peer Leader, ARJ 2013 & RAPP XXVII Student Facilitator, Social Justice League 2010-2013
Kevin Weber - RAPP XXVI, Social Justice League 2011-13

Student Facilitators:
Jamieson Williams - RAPP XXVII, ARJ 2013 Student Worker
Megan Kreaps - RAPP XXVII, Social Justice League 2012-13

RAPP XXIX
Peer Leaders:
Jalisa Holifield - RAPP XXVII, ARJ 2012 Peer Leader, Social Justice League 2012-13, ACT, WILL
Nathaniel Bell - RAPP XXVIII
Siva Nagi Reddy Inturi - RAPP XXVI

Student Facilitator/Worker:
Brice Mickey

RAPPORT
Student Workers:
Jamieson Williams - RAPP XXVII, ARJ 2013 Student Worker/Facilitator
Matthew Woodruff - RAPP XXVI, RAPP XXVII Peer Leader, Social Justice League 2011-13

ARJ 2014
Student Worker:
Meg Groat - RAPP XXVIII

Spread the Word Tip #2: Become a Mythbuster!

With Accelerating Racial Justice 2013 applications due this Friday, we're reposting this short series from August 2010:

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.

Spread the Word Tip #1: Wear That Shirt!

With Accelerating Racial Justice 2013 applications due this Friday, we're reposting this short series from August 2010:

Jojo at MainStreet Stride 2010

To help promote RAPP, you don't have to be like Jojo (XXIV) here and carry a sign everywhere. If you think about it, he has TWO signs in that picture - the one he's carrying and the one he's wearing.

I can't count how many times my RAPP t-shirt has started a conversation. This is true both with people I already know and with complete strangers.

More than once, someone on the bus or out at a park has read the quote on the back and sparked up a conversation with me.

Friends and strangers alike often ask me about the logo... or the Roman numerals... or what the second P is for.

Wear your RAPP t-shirt to classes. Wear it to student group meetings. Wear it to community events, religious services, work (if you can), and just out-and-about. Even if you don't talk with someone about it, it creates visibility.

Also, a few times a year we'll have "RAPP T-Shirt Days" where we ask folks to wear their t-shirt.  I hope to see you in your shirt then and on other days - I'll be wearing mine!

Snapshots from the RAPPORT Year-End Celebration

Last week we celebrated the 2012-13 academic year of RAPPORT - a year of learning, growing, leadership, and fun!  Here are some snapshots of the evening.

The more-than-two-dozen participants enjoyed a dinner from Deep India.

While filling our stomachs, we shared fun memories from the many RAPPORT activities throughout the year.  Then we wrote how we'll each apply something we learned from our interactions in RAPP/ORT this year.

Alexis plans to join RAPP XXIX!

Allison has several takeaways: paying attention to context & semantics, looking for opportunities to better the world, and appreciating good friends!

Vicky will always meet people with an open heart and an open mind!

We ended with recognizing each Bearcat who had earned a RAPP Social Justice Peer Educator Certificate - they shared what the process had meant to them and then participants all shared reflections on the positive impact the person had had on them and/or the group process.

Laura receives her RAPP Social Justice Peer Educator Certificate!

Sharing memories generated lots of laughs, some tears, and a celebration of continual learning!

The evening was facilitated and emceed by Jojo!

Why Did You Join RAPP Ep. 5

Why Did You Join RAPP?

We asked a few RAPPORT members why did they initially join RAPP.
Now, we have RAPP XXIV alum and RAPP superstar Jojo Azevedo.

Why Did You Join RAPP Ep. 4

In an extra special Why Did You Join RAPP, we have The Rebecca Lehman!

We asked a few RAPPORT members why did they initially join RAPP.
Now we learn why Rebecca Lehman, RAPP XXII member and the current RAPP Program Coordinator initially got involved in the program!

Why Did You Join RAPP Ep. 3

Why Did You Join RAPP?

We asked a few RAPPORT members why did they initially join RAPP.
We have RAPP XXIV member, Peer Leader for RAPP XXV, and Social Justice League 2010-11 member Krystal Smith telling us her interesting reason for joining!

RAPPers at the University Recognition Cermony

 Many RAPPers current and former graced the stage to be recognized as top student leaders at the 2013 University Recognition Ceremony.  Congratulations to these Bearcats on their accomplishments!

Lane Hart (XXV), 2013 Mr. Bearcat, was recognized with the Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence and the Spirit of Community Award for College of Business.

Lauren Fink (XXV) was endorsed by UC for the distinguished Marshall Scholarship.

Alyssa Roberts (XXV) was recognized nationally by Who's Who Among Students at American Colleges & Universities.

 

Nloh Masango-Dibo (XXIV) was recognized with the Marjorie B. Parham  Award.

 

Nick Herrmann (XXVI) was recognized as RA of the Year for his residence hall.

 

Long-time RAPP supporters Dr. Mitchel Livingston and Cody Clark received the Just Community Award, presented by Dr. Bleuzette Marshall (VI)

Save the Date: RAPP Pin Day! April 18th!

For the RAPP 25 Year Reunion in 2011, we ordered RAPP lapel pins to give to all participants. Since then, we've made a tradition of giving these pins to RAPPers as they graduate at their banquet and as small tokens of gratitude to key RAPP supporters.

On Thursday, April 18th we invite you to join us in welcoming the newest class of RAPP alumni into the community on RAPP Pin Day!  RAPP XXVIII will have received theirs the evening before.

Lost your lapel pin?  Stop by the RAPP Office and get a new one!

On RAPP Pin Day, stop by sporting your lapel pin in the RAPP Office (669 Steger) for a gift & photo.

Marjorie & Jojo sport their RAPP lapel pins at the RAPP XXVII Tuesday Banquet!

RAPPORT's V-Week - Feb 11th & 14th!

Come join RAPPORT for a joint meeting with the V-Day College Campaign out of the Women's Center!

The event will be held on Thursday, February 14th, starting at 6pm in front of Zimmer Auditorium.

RAPPORT members will be helping with set up for the Vagina Village, a resource fair related to the Vagina Monologues. We'll also be participating in the Village, an activism project and the teach-in for 1 Billion Rising.

On Monday, February 11th, we'll be having an informal screening related to the V-Day movement at 6pm in 455 Steger Conference Room. There will be popcorn! Check out Facebook for more details about the events

RAPPers and friends of RAPP who performed in & attended the 2010 Vagina Monologues
Front Row (l-r): Kelly (XXV), Kenzie (ARJ 2013), Nancy (XXIV)
Back Row (l-r): Patty, Kimmins (XXIII), Rachel (XXV), Mimi, Sarah (XXV), Anthony (XXV) 

Snapshots of RAPP in the City-Wide MLK Events

Despite the cold & snow, Greater Cincinnati came together yet again for the civil rights march on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  Although many Bearcats were spread throughout the city doing service through the Crosstown Help Out, the Red & Black were still out in force at the march - including nearly all UC NPHC chapters (the only one not there was also out doing community service!).

Here are a few pictures from the day:

Waiting for the bus to ride down to the march!

We met up with friends in front of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center for the start of the march.

Marching to Fountain Square

Many of us joined up with NPHC - and the several RAPPers in their leadership! - for a group photo in  front of Cincinnati Music Hall.

Snapshots from RAPPORT 2013 Retreat

Last weekend, 19 RAPP alumni came together in Daniels Hall for the 5th Annual RAPPORT Retreat!

Here are some snapshots of our time together:

Group shot midway through!

Daycia  (XXVII) overcome with excitement!

Jojo thinking quietly during the evening reflection time.

Fun poses with Kevin (XXVI), Megan (XXVII), and Jamieson (XXVII).

DeVorah (XXIV), AJ (XXVI), and Alyssa (XXV) in deep discussion .

Maggie (XXV) and Farooq (XXVII) explain their group's definition of what empathy is not.

Maggie (XXV), Keshar (XXVII), Megan (XXVII), and Jojo (XXIV) working on how to confront ableism!

RAPPORT 2012 baby GemariYah stoppped by for a visit with her mom (DeVorah, XXIV) and the group