Join Us for the MainStreet Stride on Friday, May 13, at Noon

Don't forget - you're invited to join RAPP & RAPPORT as we walk with Student Life in this year's MainStreet Stride!

From UC News:

Join us for the 6th Annual MainStreet Stride with Grand Marshal, Provost Santa Jeremy Ono.

Date: 4/29/2011 12:00:00 PM
By: Victoria Rogers

  

 The MainStreet Stride is a campus tradition – a springtime foot parade of red and black. Student organizations as well as students, faculty and staff representing offices across the university dress up in their best (and often most creative) red-and-black getups to parade their pride through campus. The parade begins at the President's Plaza at University Pavilion, and proceeds down MainStreet to Campus Green.

There will be a free picnic in front of the Myers Alumni Center immediately after the parade, featuring a performance by the UC Bearcats Band, awards, and Student Government Inauguration. Join us – and don't forget to wear red and black!

– To view this year's animated invitation, view photos from past Strides, and RSVP for your department or group, go to www.uc.edu/mainstreet.

UC Shantytown to be Built as Part of Conference to Examine Hunger and Homelessness

From UC News:

UC students, faculty and the Cincinnati community will come together for a weekend of service, action and hope.

Date: 5/9/2011 12:00:00 AM
By: Dawn Fuller
Phone: (513) 556-1823

Photos By: Lisa Ventre

   The sixth-annual Peace or Hunger Conference at the University of Cincinnati begins at 9 a.m., Saturday, May 21, on McMicken Commons, and runs through 11 a.m., Sunday, May 22. Student organizers representing the UC Peace Village are expecting as many as 150 people to attend the event.

The conference will examine the most recent research – including presentations from UC graduate students – on issues related to peace and hunger in the Cincinnati community, and will include opportunities for volunteer service at local agencies.

The event will also include the building of an overnight shantytown of cardboard boxes on UC’s McMicken Commons, where attendees will spend the night. That construction will get underway at around 3:30 p.m. on May 21 and is expected to be completed by around 5 p.m.

 “The UC Peace or Hunger Conference is a way to involve the community, especially the UC community, in engaging and meaningful dialogue, service and experiential activities to better understand local issues related to hunger and homelessness,” says conference organizer Sharon Doering, a UC doctoral student in the UC educational studies program. Doering is also pursuing a certificate in peace education through the Urban Center for Social Justice, Peace Education and Research (UCSJPER) in the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH).

“It is hoped that attendees will gain a greater understanding of hunger, homelessness and other injustices that affect the peace around us,” Doering says.

The Peace or Hunger Conference is sponsored by the Peace Village, a UC student service organization that is dedicated to promoting peace, fairness and understanding through education, demonstration and art.

"Tabling Season" 2011 in Swing!

One of the major ways we work to build visibility for RAPP and promote applications is what I fondly call annual tabling season.

With last week's WorldFest International Festival and today's Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, it's safe to say we're fully into tabling season now!

Keep an eye out here for future tabling fun!  In the meantime, here are some snapshots from the events:

Kinsey (RAPP Public Ally) & Mel (RAPP Communication Intern) welcome visitors to our table at WorldFest International Fest

Infinity photo with Dan (XXVI) at the International Fest

Jojo (XXIV) and Wil (XXV) stop by the RAPP booth at International Festival

Shy (XXVI) and Kinsey (PA & XXIII) enjoyed a variety of food at the International Festival

DeVorah & Jojo (both XXIV) enjoyed the beautiful weather at  the Cinco de Mayo Fiesta!

Siva (XXVI) & Kinsey (PA & XXIII) tried to stay warm at the RAPP booth at Cinco de Mayo

Jojo (XXIV), Mel (XXVI), and Bobby (XXV) all helped out at our booth for Cinco de Mayo!

Snapshots from RAPP XXVI Spring Retreat

This past weekend was the final retreat for RAPP XXVI.  It was an exciting one as we brought together both halves for one joint retreat that explored issues around sexuality and sexual orientation.  We spent the retreat on the 13th floor of Calhoun Hall and enjoyed meals from Venice on Vine, Bagel Brothers, and Melt Eclectic Deli.

Some snapshots of our group from the weekend:

Elsa, Rachel, Andrew, Kyle, Rod, Adolphe, Allison, and Chris discuss advice they gave themselves at winter retreat.

Shy & Kaila share their group's wisdom with the rest of RAPP XXVI

Ali & Brice are old friend reunited through RAPP!

Kyle, Andrew, Jay, Jasmine, and Alexis try their hand at "Guess My Sexual Orientation"

Jennifer & Jas:  Separate groups, same love of purple!  RAPP Retreat Buddies!

Siva & Ali:  Another happy pair of RAPP Retreat Buddies!

Dan & Matt:  RAPP Retreat Buddies at work!

The group kept their spirits up despite the long hours and challenging topics!

Jojo & the unofficial retreat mascot - Justin Beaver

Thanks to the many RAPPers who made the retreat amazing!  Thanks also to Proforma Albrecht for our great RAPP XXVI shirts!

Registration Still Open for RAPP 25 Year Reunion

Our initial push for registration was to be able to order accurate food and gifts. We anticipated there being lots of registrations after that, so even if you haven't registered yet, you're still welcome and invited to the reunion.

In the hopes of stirring up some competition, I've put together a chart of registrations thus far by group year:

As you can see, the two most recent years are our biggest group of registrants (probably due to the near-constant nature of the reminders to register they've been getting for a month).

Earlier years - let's get our registrations up!  This party is a great opportunity for recent RAPP graduates to celebrate, but it's an even bigger one for all of us who've been out of RAPP for a while to reconnect and to share with "the noobs" what RAPP was like "in our day."

Registration is still up:  Simply go to www.regonline.com/RAPP!

P.A. Cincinnati Information Sessions

Public Allies Cincinnati Information Sessions

For more information regarding the application process for 2011-2012 service year, join us at one of the following:

Wednesday, May 4, 2011 6:00pm - 7:30pm at Baba Budan Coffee House
239 West McMillan Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219

Tuesday, May 10, 2011 6:00pm - 7:30pm at Cincinnati Main Library
800 Vine Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

For more information or to RSVP for an Info Session, please contact:

Patrice Pennington
Director of Ally Recruitment & Enrollment
Patrice.Pennington@bridgescincinnati.org
513.381.4660 ext 785

Register Today for the RAPP 25 Year Reunion!

One final gentle reminder:

Please register for the RAPP 25 Year Reunion today!  Having registrations in now makes it possible for us to plan well.  It's easy and free for most.

Whether you can attend or not, please take a few moments to share your RAPP memories!