Punxsutawney Phil ‘indicted’ over spring forecast
It's almost April, but Cincinnati is in for another snowstorm. The famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil was indicted by Butler County officials earlier this week. Read the full story here.
Downtown
Downtown Cincinnati is the place to live, work, and play populated by restaurants, cafes, bars, arts and culture venues around every corner, plus a long-awaited and busy Kroger's that anchors recently-renovated Court Street Plaza. The downtown urban core is alive with programming, including music during the summer and ice skating in the winter, and features the largest living room 'television' in the region overlooking The Genius of Water at Fountain Square. Downtown has experienced dramatic expansion and population growth with residential developments, including condos and apartments in all price ranges, many of which boast scenic views of the hillsides and the river and offer unparalleled access to nightlife and recreation.
NKY students make blankets, support cancer victims
When two White’s Tower Elementary School teachers were diagnosed with cancer in the same week, teachers were at a loss for words when discussing the issue with their students. After a letter went home explaining the situation and notifying parents that the two teachers would be taking a leave of absence, students had a lot of questions, according to Jessica Blust, a fourth grade teacher and co-sponsor of the White's Tower student council. “I had to personally regain composure and really think through my thoughts before giving that information to the kids,” Blust says. After discussing the issue, however, Blust says the first things that came to the students’ minds were ways in which they could help. “We realized that there wasn’t a whole lot we could do for them as far as raising money,” Blust says. “But they wanted to do something for them, and not knowing what to do, they said, ‘Can’t we do something for kids? Can kids get cancer?’ And that whole discussion came up, which led to research, and that’s when they found Project Linus.” Project Linus is a nonprofit that provides homemade blankets as a source of comfort to children who have been diagnosed with cancer. So White’s Tower's student council set the goal of raising enough money to make five blankets. The group of 18 third-, fourth- and fifth-graders decided to sell cotton candy to raise enough money for supplies to start making the blankets. “The kids got order forms and then sent them in, and we as a student council took the opportunity to teach some economics concepts,” Blust says. The group created a marketing team that advertised the cotton candy by going to the morning classes and talking about the sale and why they were doing it—the kids also got on the morning announcements and talked about the sale. They have a sales team who delivers the orders, a production team who creates the blankets, and a distribution team who is going to help the student council deliver the blankets. Instead of delivering five blankets, however, the students exceeded their goal and raised enough money to create 25 blankets, which they have been crafting after school for the past few weeks at their student council meetings. One of those blankets will be given to one of White’s Tower’s own—a young girl, who no longer attends the school, but is still part of the White’s Tower family, Blust says. “We just wanted her to know that even though she’s no longer at White’s Tower—her brother still is—the love we still have for her is in that blanket,” says Blust. “And we just want to bring her some comfort as she’s going through treatments, and even though she’s suffering, maybe this brings her just a little bit of happiness.” Do Good: • Make a donation to your local chapter of Project Linus. • Become a volunteer with your local chapter of Project Linus. • Order a blanket kit through Project Linus so that you, too, can help to provide comfort to a child with cancer. By Brittany York Brittany York is a professor of English composition at the University of Cincinnati and a teacher at the Regional Institute of Torah and Secular Studies. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.
Women Hold Up Half the Sky encourages gender equality
When people hear about crimes like sex trafficking, they rarely think of it as an issue occurring in their own backyards. But according to Tamika Odum, director of Xavier University’s Women’s Center, Cincinnati is one of “the largest areas where trafficking exists.” “When students see that, they then can start understanding how talking about this issue and thinking through this issue then becomes important to them,” Odum says. Odum is currently teaching an internship class through XU’s sociology department where five of her students have the opportunity to start the conversation about women’s issues that are occurring around the world today. Through a partnership with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Odum’s students merge theory with practice by serving as docents for “Women Hold Up Half the Sky”. It's an exhibit that aims to take the stories of women who have often been silenced and gives them a voice and a way to “turn oppression into empowerment.” The exhibit is based on Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s book Half the Sky: Turning Oppresion into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, which addresses what Odum says is the “most urgent and basic human rights cause today—gender equality.” The book discusses everything from poverty and violence to infant mortality—all of which are issues with gender components that impact all people—not just women. “When you’re talking about women dying during childbirth, you’re talking about a group of people who are taking a part in creating our future—they’re bringing life into the world—but if we can’t save the child and we can’t save the women—it’s a travesty, so we have to work toward making sure that those women have that space,” Odum says. When the students first began the class, Odum says they didn’t know what to expect, but now they’ve learned about what it means to be a “change agent.” Instead of learning theory solely in the confines of the classroom, Odum’s students get to apply what they are learning to a real-world situation. “Oftentimes, students are overwhelmed with the responsibility of ‘Now I have to go out and change the world,’ but I think from the class that they understand that maybe I don’t have to change the world today—I can change the world tomorrow," Odum says. "But changing the world is possible, and it’s possible for me to do it with the help of other people. I think it was a really good takeaway that they were able to receive—that the world can change and I can do my part, and it just takes one person. And then as a collective, we can start seeing change, and things can be different.” Do Good: • Interact with the XU students through their blog about Women Hold Up Half the Sky. • View the exhibit at the Underground Railroad Freedom Center. • Learn more about the Half the Sky movement and take action. By Brittany York Brittany York is a professor of English composition at the University of Cincinnati and a teacher at the Regional Institute of Torah and Secular Studies. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.
Washington Park celebrates eco-friendly living with EcoSculpt
Part of Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation’s mission is to create spaces that are open and welcoming; and one way 3CDC achieves its mission is by offering an array of programs within its two public spaces: Fountain Square and Washington Park. Beginning April 5 at Washington Park, EcoSculpt installations will be on display in an effort to not only raise awareness about green living, but also to recognize and celebrate local artists. “Washington Park is in the center of the arts community—we’re across from Music Hall and SCPA is right next door—so we’re always astounded by the level of creativity surrounding the park,” says Brittney Carden, communications officer at 3CDC. “So we want to in turn promote some of that creativity and open people’s minds.” In years past, EcoSculpt, which is a collection of sculptures made entirely of recycled materials, has taken place at Fountain Square, but Carden says 3CDC wanted to move the event to Washington Park so that it would reach a greater variety of people and encourage them to maintain the spaces that are intentioned for their use. “People might look at Coke cans or bottle caps and see at it as garbage—nothing can be made from that—and that’s not true,” Carden says. “People have made fantastic art from a lot of these recyclable materials that we no longer value.” Tom Tsuchiya’s “Atlas Recycled,” which is a seven-foot tall sculpture made of recycled cans and bottles, was a 2010 EcoSculpt submission that gained national recognition. It traveled to New York City’s Grand Central Terminal and Washington D.C.’s National Mall. Carden says it's these types of memorable pieces that showcase local talent through the lens of reusing and recycling items often viewed as trash. “We’re showing that these items do in fact have a use, and something beautiful and wonderful can be made from them,” Carden says. “Hopefully EcoSculpt will attract more [people] to the park and promote eco-friendly living.” Do Good: • View the EcoSculpt exhibit April 5-26 at Washington Park. • Attend events at Washington Park. • Like Washington Park's Facebook page. By Brittany York Brittany York is a professor of English composition at the University of Cincinnati and a teacher at the Regional Institute of Torah and Secular Studies. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.
HOME fosters discussion for inclusive neighborhoods
More than 60 individuals gathered together last week to discuss some of the issues that arise when living in diverse communities. The goal was to share ideas for developing inclusive practices within Cincinnati's neighborhoods. Housing Opportunities Made Equal, in conjunction with a planning committee composed of various city and community partners, hosted a diversity forum to work through a few of the issues and figure out solutions for some of the inequalities and exclusion practices that occur when people of different ethnicities, races, abilities, ages and socioeconomic statuses share space with one another. “We’re so used to seeing people being negative and trying to keep folks out, that to have a room full of people who are trying to work really hard on inclusiveness and that’s it’s obviously important to them—just that positive energy is great,” says Elizabeth Brown, executive director of HOME. “And to hear from so many different neighborhoods—it’s that mutual support that you get knowing that other people feel the same way.” Participants shared ideas about the changing faces of neighborhoods as they transition from places made up of homeowners to areas composed mostly of renters. “Renters are really important for the neighborhood,” Brown says. “There’s a value to reaching out to them and making them feel welcome in the neighborhood—to make them want to stay there and to make it a long-term home.” Community members also came away with the motivation to join together and start a community garden, and to follow in Mt. Washington’s footsteps by creating what Brown refers to as “an old fashioned welcome-to-the-neighborhood book” to give to residents. Since the 1960s, HOME has worked toward moving communities forward through integration; but Brown says it’s time to move to the next stage. “You have the diverse neighborhoods, but they’re not necessarily inclusive where everyone feels that they’re part of a neighborhood,” Brown says. “We want to build these stable neighborhoods where people can take advantage of the diversity—we know it’s a good idea—we know it brings a lot to the people in the neighborhood.” “It’s better for the kids to grow up in these diverse environments, but it’s not always easy; it’s not always comfortable, but people are hungry—how do you make it work? How do you make it better? People are getting out of their comfort zones and that’s a really good thing.” Do Good: • Attend a community council meeting to see who is speaking for your neighborhood. • Talk to your neighbors. • Promote inclusive practices by speaking up if someone is putting a neighbor down because of one's differences. By Brittany York Brittany York is a professor of English composition at the University of Cincinnati and a teacher at the Regional Institute of Torah and Secular Studies. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.
Cincinnati Chapter of CreativeMornings hosts event March 22
A small group of creatives have launched a Cincinnati chapter of CreativeMornings, which will host its first monthly breakfast and lecture March 22 at 21c Museum Hotel. CreativeMornings was founded in 2009 in New York City by Tina Roth Eisenberg who owns Swissmiss, a design studio and blog. The concept brings together a wide variety of creative people—from solo entrepreneurs to large agency talent—once a month for breakfast. Each chapter is organized by volunteers and supported by the community, which includes donated meeting space, coffee and food. Each month's breakfast features a global topic (March's is Reuse) and each chapter invites a speaker to talk on that topic. The lectures are recorded and streamed on the main CreativeMornings website. CreativeMornings is growing, with nearly 50 chapters around the world. Among the newest are those in Cincinnati, Lima, Warsaw and Dublin. You can see the Cincinnati chapter's video application here. Jeremy Thobe, from web design firm US Digital Partners, is the lead organizer for the Cincinnati chapter. CreativeMornings is a way to get creative folks across industries together before the workday starts, he says. "There are a lot of events around here that are industry-specific or sales pitchy," says Thobe. "A lot of them are in the evenings. We thought this was a way to start the day on a high note, and meet people around our industries. We are very interested in what surrounds what we do, and that's harder for us to find here." A group of about eight people are helping get the Cincinnati chapter off the ground. They've chosen this month's speaker, Bill Donabedian, co-founder of the MPMF and Bunbury Music Festival. Organizers plan to bring in speakers from a wide variety of professional backgrounds from music, education, healthcare, writing and science. The breakfasts are free, but space is limited, so you have to register. The first breakfast has already sold out, so you'll have to wait for the next one or add yourself to the waitlist. "We're only limited by our space—we want to keep this as accessible as possible," Thobe says. CreativeMornings Cincinnati is seeking additional volunteers, speakers and sponsors. If you're interested, you can find the organizers online or by Facebook and Twitter. By Feoshia H. Davis Follow Feoshia on Twitter
My Soapbox: Janelle Hopper, Contemporary Arts Center
Janelle Hopper, public programs manager at the Contemporary Arts Center, takes a holistic approach to connecting the community with art. In her three years on the job, she's showcased eclectic guests, from the Smithsonian's new media strategist to Sigur Ros. She shares her goals, her insights and her passions with Soapbox.
Cincinnati-based Infintech partners with Liturgical Publications to grow client base
At the end of last year, Liturgical Publications acquired Infintech’s PledgeConnect service, which is the company’s online donation division for the religious world. Through the partnership, Infintech will continue its work with its current clients, but will also be offering credit card processing to the 100,000 businesses that advertise in LPi publications (mainly church bulletins). Over the next eight months, Infintech will be converting its customers from PledgeConnect to LPi’s WeShare, which has more bells and whistles than PledgeConnect, says Ryan Rybolt, president of Infintech. “We want to see our company grow through marketing our services and getting into the organizations that LPi supports,” says Rybolt. “It’s the perfect partnership because it allows Infintech to do what we’re best at—credit card processing—and it allows LPi to do what they do best, which is its new donation platform.” WeShare doesn’t just allow for donations to multiple bank accounts, but it also allows churches and other nonprofits to sell event tickets, to accept credit or debit cards without the cost and risk associated with managing a merchant account, and to simplify financial reporting for the church and the individual who made the donation. Milwaukee-based LPi was founded in 1972, and since then has offered churches and nonprofits across the United States custom communication solutions. It has worked with over 4,000 congregations and organizations, plus 100,000 businesses around the country. Infintech, founded in 2005, is ranked as one of Inc. Magazine’s Fastest Growing Companies. Infintech’s payment processing solutions include retail, commercial card, mobile and online processing, and supports integration with nearly all POS systems, smartphone payments and e-commerce and shopping cart integration. If you’re a current PledgeConnect customer or you’re interested in learning more about online donations, visit LPi’s website, where you can sign up to attend a webinar about WeShare. By Caitlin Koenig Follow Caitlin on Twitter
From cradle to career, creating new cycles of success
Whether she is downtown in the offices of Strive or coaching track at Clark Montessori, Nia Williams understands the power of a challenging, encouraging mentor. Without hers, she says, she wouldn't be where she is today.
Intern in Ohio program launches today, connects students with internships
Today, Detroit-based Digerati launches its Intern in Ohio program to the public, which is sponsored by the University of Toledo. Like eHarmony, the program uses an advanced matching algorithm to match students with internship opportunities. Intern in Ohio is free to both students who are looking for internships and businesses who want to post internships. To register, students and employers visit Intern in Ohio’s website to sign up and create a profile or post internship opportunities. Students fill out a short questionnaire about their preferences, and employers share information about the position. The system then identifies the top seven matches for each student, as well as for each position. When the match is made, both the student and employer are notified, and they must show interest before any contact information is shared. “We encourage diverse companies—large and small, for-profit and nonprofit, government and corporate,” says Wendy Pittman, director of Digerati’s Classroom to Career. “It’s a great chance for employers to broadcast their company and internship program across the state and reach a larger pool of applicants.” Only companies in Ohio can post opportunities to the Intern in Ohio website, but all types of internships are welcome. There are posts for marketing, engineering and social media, among others, says Pittman. The program is open to all students who live in Ohio, whether they’re in-state or out-of-state students. Research shows that not only do internships often lead employment offers after graduation, but that students are more likely to remain in an area where they held and internship. “This is the first replication of the Classroom to Career technology from Michigan to Ohio,” says Pittman. “Experiential learning is a game-changer; and we’re looking forward to working with smaller communities to make a difference.” In 2011, Digerati launched its Intern in Michigan program, which has resulted in more than 127,000 matches and introductions between students and employers. Over 1,000 Michigan businesses have posted 4,824 internship opportunities, and 1,049 colleges and universities in the state use the site. Full disclosure: Soapbox’s parent company, IMG, supplies content to Intern in Ohio on a contractual basis. By Caitlin Koenig Follow Caitlin on Twitter
