Incorporating Culture

Culture is a huge part of EWB and recently it has been a little underrepresented. As a way to better incorporate culture we have started a new tradition: monthly cultural meetings! These meetings will help our chapter grow and learn more about the people who we seek to help with our projects.

The first cultural meeting since 2010 occurred this past Thursday, and EWB-UC was exposed to a new topic: African music and instruments. We learned about the characteristics of the music and how it has influenced music today, as well as different types of instruments like the kalimba, talking drum, and kora. To see the whole presentation check out this link: http://prezi.com/d5vwopen3tjh/edit/?auth_key=p4c5ix1&follow=rn5jxpkdw4lb

Thanks to Andrew Nottingham and Blake Baldwin for their time and effort coordinating these meetings, and a special thanks to Dr. John Kalubi from UC African Studies for his time and expertise.

Zooming Towards Sustainability

This past Saturday was a frigid one but EWB-UC isn't afraid of a little cold. The group arrived to the zoo bundled and ready to go. The day began at the education center, which was the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified building that the zoo had ever created. Rather than stopping at one "green" building the Cincinnati Zoo started a sustainability overhaul of their entire operation. The zoo's use of pervious pavement helps to catch rainwater as it falls by allowing the water to seep through the walkways rather than flowing over it and being sent off into the gutter. Another amazing accomplishment the zoo has achieved is their construction of the 1.56 megawatt-- 6,400 solar panel parking canopy, the largest canopy of its kind. The zoo had many other awesome green initiatives like their use of wind energy and composting programs. For more information about Cincinnati Zoo vistit their website: http://cincinnatizoo.org.
Thank you to all those who came out to the zoo this past weekend, and a special thanks to Jessica Gearhart for coordinating the tour!

New Year, New Flavor!

This new year we’re adding new elements to our weekly meetings.  We have appointed several individuals to help spice up our normal routine by incorporating cultural education as well as new faces to give our weekly updates. With these positions we’ve enabled new members to step up and take leadership roles in our growing chapter. Congratulations to our new general meeting coordinators: Susan Conroy, Andrew Pickens, and Brian Williams; along with our cultural meeting coordinators Andrew Nottingham and Blake Baldwin, and community meetings coordinator Justin Nagy!

On the social side of things, this Saturday, the 14^th, we will be taking a special sustainability tour of the Cincinnati Zoo. On this tour we’ll learn about the different improvements the zoo has undertaken in order to be one of the greenest zoos in the country. From this tour we hope to gain some knowledge that we can bring back to campus to incorporate sustainability into our daily routines. 

Awesome Conference at UI-UC

Hey fellow EWB-ers and friends,

This weekend marks the one month anniversary of our voyage to the EWB conference hosted by Urbana-Champaign. Three of us made it out to Illinois this year (in thrifty college student fashion). The structure contained large lectures and smaller workshops, so we decided to divide and conquer as much as possible.

We all heard from distinguished EWB leaders like Frank Bergh and Peter Waugh as they illustrated where the organization is heading. Frank placed a large importance on every member of every chapter being conscious about their word choice concerning projects. We are not givers-- we are partners. The communities we work with are our partners, and we need to keep that in mind. Peter, on the other hand, outlined criteria for successful project implementation (similar to a rubric).

When it was time to breakout into smaller workshops we each chose a different topic pertinent to us. This way we managed to hit 3 of the 4-5 sessions and brought a little UC with us. Examples of these workshops included bio-sand filters, grant writing, project sustainability, and using personal style to achieve success.

Along our trip we also met up with a former EWB-UC member performing graduate work at the university there. He introduced us to his colleague and they showed us the impressive science labs and engineering facilities on campus, as well as some really interesting work they were performing.

All-in-all, the weekend was a great success as we each gained new skills and valuable contacts. As a new member to EWB, I loved this opportunity to get a small jump-start in understanding what this great organization is all about.

Pictures to come soon!

Thank You Bricks for Burere Supporters

EWB-UC Friends and Supporters,

Let me take a moment to thank you for your generous support of the University of Cincinnati Chapter of Engineers Without Borders. Your contribution to our most recent fundraising event, Bricks for Burere, has allowed us to take one step closer toward our funding needs for the Burere project. The people of Burere have been patiently waiting for our return to their community to begin construction. Through fundraising events like these, you allow our group to ensure our projects come to successful implementation as soon as possible. In its first year, Bricks for Burere raised $1,000 dollars towards the Burere School Project. This money alone will cover half of the expenses for masonry materials.

In December, our group will submit our Pre-Implementation form. This form details the entirety of the school projects, including: all design calculations, engineering and architectural drawings, project budget, material costs, and all the work that will be completed during the first phase of construction. Pending the success of this project submittal after our design is reviewed by a panel of professional engineers, we will traveling to break ground this coming March. The first trip goals will be to completely lay out the school site, dig out the foundation mold, and pour the concrete foundation.

Without your help and support, this project could never be realized. Thank you again for your contribution and all of us at EWB-UC thank you for your generosity!

Regards,

Mark Schutte

Vice President – External Affair, EWB-UC

Special thanks to Corporate Sponsors:

Consumer Solutions, Inc.

EMA Construction

Star Building Materials