Housing Opportunities Made Equal 42nd Annual Meeting

Through our involvement in Public Allies, RAPP is establishing a growing relationship with an amazing, long-standing organization in Cincinnati: Housing Opportunities Made Equal.


HOME's mission is that it "exists to eliminate illegal discrimination in housing, especially racial discrimination, and to promote balanced living patterns."

HOME accomplishes this by providing a wide variety of needed services to our community.  They include educational outreach so that consumers and landlords understand the law, helping people access housing, providing mediation, and preventing homelessness.  Through its many decades of work, HOME also has a great knowledge of the history of housing and housing discrimination in Greater Cincinnati and great understanding of how that contributes to current issues in housing discrimination.

Thursday, September 23rd, HOME will host its 42nd Annual Meeting in the Cincinnati Museum Center.  Keynote speaker will be UC's own President Gregory Williams.  The ticket to the event includes discounted ticket price to the exhibit "America I AM, The African-American Imprint."  Tickets are $50/person; a table for 10 can be sponsored for $500.  RSVPs are needed by September 17th.

Final Days for Peer Leader Applications!

As mentioned earlier this month, we're taking applications for Peer Leaders with RAPP XXVI.

Peer Leaders are an amazing group of students who complete a second year with RAPP serving as a mentor for the current group. The only qualifications are to have successfully completed a RAPP year and to still be a UC student.

Peer Leaders set their own agenda in terms of what they want to get out of the role. Some areas folks have worked on in the past include developing facilitation skills, understanding group dynamics, working on listening skills, continuing work on crosscultural communication skills, session/program planning, and relationship building. Also, Peer Leaders tend to have a lot of fun!

Peer Leaders commit to attending training in mid-September and attend/help at most of the meetings and retreats for the RAPP group with which they work (at least 3/4 of meetings and 2/3 of retreats). Peer Leaders also meet at least on time per quarter with the program coordinator to check in on how they think things are going and what can be done to make their experience more valuable for them.

If you are interested in becoming a Peer Leader, time's running out to apply! Contact Rebecca at 513.556.6119 or lehmanrl@uc.edu by the end of the day this Wednesday, September 1st!
(pic - RAPP XXV Wednesday Peer Leaders at the year-end banquet, Kimmins is presenting DeVorah to the group)

Blast from the Past: RAPP on the News

In 1990 - back when RAPP's full name did involve two p-words ("Pilot Project") - CBS Evening News explored issues of racism in higher education. Below is the segment, which used the University of Cincinnati as its source for exploring the subject. Of course, RAPP was highlighted in the segment!



It's great to see so many people important to RAPP's past - of course, Mrs. Linda Bates "Ma" Parker. Also, Dr. Eric Abercrumbie who is still a professor and the director of both Ethnic Programs & Services and the African American Cultural & Resource Center.

Hopefully, we'll see some of these faces at the 25 Year Reunion on Saturday, May 14th, 2011!

UC News Roundup

Here are three recent news stories about life at UC:

• Our incoming students gave back to the UC community in a big way through the Orientation school supply drive. In a demonstration of the Just Community values, literally thousands of supplies were gathered for students at Taft Elementary and Hughes Center. Read about it and watch a video HERE.
• The latest results in the Student Satisfaction Inventory demonstrates UC has made some gains in student services and student life. Basically, students are saying they're satisfied - and in many areas, more satisfied than the average - with many aspects of UC. Read the UC News coverage HERE.
  
• Vicki Calonge - the Assistant Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development who supervises the RAPP Program Coordinator - was recently on WVXU's Impact Cincinnati program discussing the role of student organizations - particularly Greek organizations - on campus. You can listen to the show HERE.
  

And Now, One for RAPPORT

It's been a minute since I made one of these, so I made some time today to make a little video for RAPPORT:

Spread the Word Tip #5: Come to the Table

It's been a minute since the last Spread the Word Tip, so let's do a quick review:
#1 - Wear you RAPP t-shirt, it's a great conversation piece.
#2 - Help folks avoid common misconceptions about RAPP - let them know it's open to EVERY UC student and that we talk about race AND other topics.
#3 - Remember that "word of mouth" really also includes "word of fingers-and-keyboard" - our on-line presence is important.
#4 - You can win stuff for helping spread the word! Woot!

Now, on to #5 - Come to the Table.
RAPP does information tables at events three out of the four quarters of the year. In spring, we're out at WorldFest and the Student Activities Fair. All summer long we're out three days a week at Student Spotlight in incoming new student orientation.

We're approaching fall, which will involve many opportunities to stop by, bring friends to, or help out at RAPP informational tables. We'll be out a LOT this fall, keep your eyes on this blog and - if you're on the RAPP & RAPPORT listservs - on your email.

Brice, one of our recruitment leaders, will be working with me to organize volunteers to staff the tables. Help spread the word about RAPP by volunteering at one or more event. This isn't a complete list, and most don't have dates yet, but we'll hopefully be at the following events (links are to last year's event coverage):

• International Students Welcome - 9/15/2010, 4PM
  
• RAPP Info Tables on MainStreet - 9/22-23/2010, 12PM-2PM
• Asian Student Welcome
• Akwaaba (Black Student Welcome)
• Hispanic Student Welcome
• LGBTQ Student Welcome
• Student Activities and Wellness Fair
• Mick & Mack's Welcome Day Festival
• Turners Scholars Welcome

Hope to see you at these tables - either behind it staffing it or in front stopping by to say hi!

Mark Your Calendars Now: Transgender Day of Remembrance

The Human Rights Campaign and Crossport are collaborating to host a Cincinnati event for the Transgender Day of Remembrance in November.

The event will be held at Hebrew Union College the evening of Thursday, November 18th. It will feature readings, music, information, and keynote speaker Cincinnati Vice-Mayor Roxanne Qualls.

Watch here for more details as they emerge.