Tag: Cincinnati

Categories
News

Book clubs at the Merc

If you enjoy reading and are looking for an outlet to meet new people, engage in intelligent discourse, and do it all in the heart of Downtown, then the First Wednesday Book Discussion Group at the Mercantile Library may be for you.

Held on the first Wednesday of every month, the group meets from Noon-1pm at the Mercantile Library (GoogleMap). The monthly discussions cover a book of the leader’s choice of whom varies by month. The discussions are free for Mercantile Library members, and cost only $5 for nonmembers. Boxed lunches are also available through advanced reservations for $8.

So far in 2009 the group has covered The Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen L. Carter (January) and The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan (February). The March 4th discussion is going to cover Out of Stealing Horses by Per Petterson.

There is also a Graphic Novel Group that meets on the second Saturday of every month at 1pm. This group is free for anyone who wants to participate and is one of the few of its kind in the nation. The book for the March 14th discussion is Watchman by Alan Moore.

If you’re interested in participating in either of these discussion groups contact the Mercantile Library at (513) 621-0717 or by email at mercantileinfo[at]mercantilelibrary[dot]com.

The Mercantile Library is a non-profit membership library. First organized in 1835, the library is Cincinnati’s “senior” library and one of the oldest cultural institutions in the Midwest. If you’re interested in more Mercantile news, reviews and information check out the library’s blog – Stacked.

Additional Reading:
Cincinnati Mercantile Library – UrbanCincy

Categories
News

Cincy’s own Heartless Bastards on Letterman

They’re from Cincinnati, David, not Austin. Great performance, great band.

Additional Reading:
Heartless Bastards On Letterman + Bonus MP3 – Each Note Secure
Video of Heartless Bastards on Letterman – CityBeat

Categories
News

PechaKucha debuts in Cincinnati

Cincinnati will be joining the global PechaKucha craze on Friday, February 13th at the Contemporary Arts Center (GoogleMap) downtown. There are currently 168 cities worldwide that have their own regular PechaKucha events typically on a quarterly basis.

The Cincinnati events are being organized by a collection of designers led by Greg Lewis. Like the other chapters, Cincinnati is planning four events for 2009 including the one on Friday. The events are known as being part social, part art, and part ideas. At the first PechaKucha Night Cincinnati you will see presentations by designers, artists, architects, professors, and others.

The dozen presentations or so will begin at 8pm and last until roughly 10pm. Prior to that, guests are invited to tour the CAC galleries, grab a cocktail, and check out the latest exhibits from Tara Donovan and Donald Sultan starting at 6:30pm. After the presentations conclude there will be a DJ to keep the party going right there at the CAC.

Tickets cost $10 for CAC members and $15 for non-members. It is recommended that you bring your ID as there will not be any physical tickets for the event – they will be cross-checking the orders with your ID. Both members and non-members, to the CAC, can order their tickets through the PechaKucha Cincinnati website.

Background:
PechaKucha (pronounced Peh-Chak-Cha) is a forum for creative people to informally share their work in public. The name comes from the Japanese term for the sound of conversation (chit-chat). The idea is to give creative individuals a public forum to share their ideas. The presentations are meant to be visually telling, informative, and to the point. PechaKucha uses as 20×20 format – 20 images, 20 seconds each. The result is 6 minutes and 40 seconds of “exquisitely matched words and images that transforms presentations into a compelling beat-the-clock performance art.”

UPDATE:
Pecha Kucha – the chit-chat, low-down on Cincinnati’s hottest designers – Soapbox Media

Categories
News

Streetcar debate tomorrow at UC

The CincyStreetcar Blog informs us that there will be an Urban Transportation Debate in regards to the streetcar proposal here in Cincinnati. The event is being hosted by the Center for Sustainable Urban Environments at the University of Cincinnati.

The debate will be held Thursday, February 12th at 4pm inside Swift Hall Room 500 (GoogleMap) on UC’s Main Campus. The debate will pit streetcar proponent John Schneider against streetcar opponent Jason Haap.

John Schneider vs. Jason Haap

John Schneider is Chairman of the Alliance for Regional Transit and Managing Director for First Valley Corp. He has been taking Cincinnatians to tour Portland to see its modern streetcar and light rail systems for several years. John was also one of the driving forces behind the burying and narrowing of Fort Washington Way which has led to the mega riverfront development known as The Banks. Jason Haap is Publisher for the Cincinnati Beacon – a blog turned published opinion paper.

There is no posted ending time for the debate, but everyone is invited to continue the discussion over coffee and food at TAZA afterwards. There is also a Facebook event page for this that you can RSVP to and share with your friends.

Categories
News

A bid farewell to Dr. Nancy Zimpher

As I am completing the final year of my five-year program I feel compelled to write a little bit on my thoughts about the only University of Cincinnati President I’ve known. Dr. Nancy Zimpher came to UC shortly before I started my academic career there and a lot has changed since then.

The once “out of control” budget has been tamed and is on its way to be balanced. UC is no longer joked about as standing for Under Construction. Academics have improved across the board with higher enrollment standards, reformed programs, and increased achievement. The university is emerging as a major research institution as the amount of research funding continues to rise annually.

The University has embarked on its most ambitious fund-raising campaign ever, rivaling some of the most ambitious campaigns run anywhere. UC is no longer considered a one sport school as our baseball, volleyball, soccer, football, and basketball programs are all competing at the highest level in the Big East Conference.

More students are living on and around campus – shedding the long thought idea that UC is a commuter school. Dr. Zimpher helped lead the effort to freeze tuition at State universities, she has been a proponent for the proposed streetcar system, and she has worked tirelessly to make the Uptown neighborhoods surrounding the university better places to live, work, and play.

Dr. Zimpher pushed for a strategic academic plan that put students at the center of it all. UC|21 has done just that as more students are getting involved, letting their voices be heard, and shaping the way their university does business.

Dr. Zimpher has gone out of her way to make it known that academics come first, no matter what, when she is in charge. The Board of Trustees have some hard work ahead of them to fill the void she’ll leave behind, but thanks to her, UC is now on the map and should be a prime destination for another top-level talent like herself.

Thanks for everything you’ve done for our region’s largest employer, university and city. Thanks for making my five years at the University of Cincinnati great, and good luck with your new endeavor as Chancellor of the State University of New York.

Read Dr. Zimpher’s farewell letter to the UC Community here.

Photo Credit – UC Magazine