Service Learning - Krista Palmer Essay

Krista Palmer
English 102H
Kate Holterhoff
5 June 2009

Go OTR 5k Run/Walk

Teddy Roosevelt once said, "It is not the critic who counts… The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat.” There are quite a few critics in Cincinnati. Everyone has an opinion, and many are generally negative. A large group of people complain about the drug and crime problem associated with Over the Rhine, though few of them can explain what they personally are doing to help take care of the issue. Despite the plethora of critics, there are still great numbers of people working towards improving the community of Over the Rhine. ArtWorks has painted murals on two of the buildings, the Gateway Quarter Project is working to revitalize part of the community to entice more shops and businesses to the area, and there are many places such as City Gospel Missions with shelters to help residents overcome health and drug issues. Organizations such as 3CDC and Keep Cincinnati Beautiful are working to involve the residents to clean up the neighborhood. This is a long process, and substantial efforts have been made in OTR. Their work is by no means complete, but to showcase the finished and ongoing achievements a 5k is being held. The Go OTR 5k Run/Walk is an exciting event that will help display some of these major accomplishments. The Run/Walk ends in an after party with an arts show. To draw in more volunteers and funds to continue the enhancements to Over the Rhine, the event must attract a large number of people. The Go OTR 5k Run/Walk will be a great success if the organizing committee can find a balance between three main challenges: enticing people who live outside of Over the Rhine, while ensuring that current residents still feel welcome, and at the same time keeping the event unique.

The Go OTR 5k Run/Walk is a road race throughout historic Over the Rhine. It will showcase the recent efforts to clean the streets of debris and general disorder. The event takes the runners and walkers throughout parts of Over the Rhine to show off the older distinguished architecture, as well as to celebrate the recent improvements to help rid the community of crime and drugs. The event takes plan on Saturday, June 20th. The race begins at 10 AM, and costs $12 to participate if registered before June 19th. Otherwise, registration the day of the event is $20. The event is sort of like a “Grand Opening” of Over the Rhine. People have been able to go and see the beautification efforts on their own; however, now these projects are being publicly displayed as being some of the most important and integral parts of the recent efforts to reverse the economic downfall of Over the Rhine.

   Over the Rhine has not always been associated with homelessness, crime, and drugs. It was once the social and cultural hub of Cincinnati. In the late 1820s, with the completion of the Miami and Erie Canal, mass development began in the area that is now Over the Rhine (Over). This drew in many businesses, as the canal provided quick and easy transportation for manufacturers. German immigrants were also drawn to the cheap land in the area. Over the Rhine began to flourish, while many breweries and factories were established there (History). It was known as a hub of cultural activity and hosted many of Cincinnati’s major events of the time. It was an exciting place to be and housed many beer gardens and theaters, and it was a vital location in Cincinnati.

   However, when the United States entered World War I, many took an anti-German stance, and much of the German heritage associated with the area was lost. Many businesses and street names were changed, and many German cultural events ended (Over). During Prohibition most of the breweries closed, and some were never reopened (History). The canals became obsolete with the improvements in the railroad industry, and what was once an area of economic growth began to decline in the 1920s and 1930s (Over). The low property costs attracted many people out of Appalachia. This group of people often did not establish permanent residence, and so the area lacked in home owners during this time. Then in the 1960s there was a dramatic population shift. The total amount of residents declined, but the percentage of African-American residents doubled, eventually reaching 71% in 1990. What was once home to nearly 45,000 people was now a fifth of that size at roughly 9,000 residents (History).

   Since the mid twenties Over the Rhine has been in sharp economic decline. Over the Rhine, which was once the life of the city, is now one of the worst places for crime and poverty. Recently, many efforts have been made in the OTR community to improve the quality of life for those residing there. Murals have been painted on the sides of buildings, shelters with recovery programs have been established, and many efforts have been made to clean the streets of trash and debris. Many community improvement organizations have put funds and time into improving the area. OTR is in the middle of a great reversal, to improve not only the quality of this community, but also the quality of the city as a whole.

   Most of the community improvements are specifically aimed at reversing the effects of the Broken Window Theory proposed by George R. Kelling and Catherine M. Coles. The Broken Window Theory generally states that one broken window in a community sends the message that no one cares about the neighborhood. This one broken window then leads to trash and debris build up, and ultimately public disorder and crime (Kelling). In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell argues that this chain reaction of bad events can be offset by the smallest of changes (Gladwell). One of these small changes that has been implemented in Over the Rhine has been increased foot patrols by members of the Cincinnati Police. Also, many of the vacant buildings have been cleaned. The major effort to reverse the trends brought on by the “Broken Window Theory” has been those with Keep Cincinnati Beautiful. This group’s main focus is to reverse these effects through different community programs but especially the Neighborhood Enhancement Program (Neighborhood).

   These enhancements would not be possible without the financial support provided by donors and sponsors. Their support provides the means to allow these programs to run. The Go OTR 5k Run/Walk is an ideal event to draw in some of these potential donors. The community needs to attract middle and upper class residents with the financial capabilities of reinvesting in the neighborhood. Not all of the current residents in Over the Rhine have the means to help reinvest in the community. This is not because they do not care, but with the current financial crisis why would homeowners want to repaint the front of their house when they can barely afford to put gas in their car, or buy food for their family. By attracting already well off residents, both the current residents and the community benefit. The community profits from the money these people invest in the businesses, clean up efforts, and various events and activities. Consequently, the current residents benefit from the improvements taking place in the community. Their quality of life is enhanced from these prospective residents.

   One purpose of the GOTR 5k Run/Walk is to showcase the beautification projects taking place in OTR. This is important as the outside residents can see that people do care about the community, that people want the community to improve, and that eventually it would be a good home for specific types of people. Over the Rhine has a unique location within the city. It is home to Music Hall, Findlay Market, Cincinnati Museum Center, and the Cincinnati Zoo. It is near the University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, the athletic stadiums, and close to all of the major Cincinnati hospitals. Also, OTR is just a short car or bus ride from downtown. With all of these destinations nearby it would be an ideal location for professionals to live. These people would not need to worry about commuting from other parts of the city when they could live right near where they work. With an emerging arts scene, it would also be the perfect place for artist to call home. Though, something needs to happen for these types of people to be drawn to this area so that future development can occur. People would never get past the axioms and labels associated with this part of town without that something pulling them there. The Go OTR is that something that can dispel their previously held prejudices. People can hear about the wonderful things happening in Over the Rhine, but without some reason to be there they may never check it out for themselves. Go OTR is the perfect showcase to introduce people to an area they thought they knew. It is a great way to show people from outside the community the unique area that creates Over the Rhine.

   However, while enticing the outside residents is a main purpose of the Run/Walk, the event planners need to ensure the event does not become elitist, and only cater to these groups. The sponsors for the 5k include PNC, Eagle Realty Group, and Model Group (Events). These people are investors and developers. By enticing middle and upper class residents to the area, these groups will make money as their investments in the area will pay off in the form of new residents and sources of revenue. Other sponsors of the event include some local businesses (Events). It is interesting that they have also chosen to help sponsor the event. It says that these businesses have faith in the community efforts, and that they also want the community to improve. As the community improves, their businesses will begin to thrive. These business owners want to attract residents and other businesses to further develop Over the Rhine. To appease the sponsors, it would be easy to just cater the events to the middle and upper class and ignore the current residents. This would fail to include the current residents, who are some of the most important people in Over the Rhine.

   The current residents will be an integral part of the Go OTR event. While Over the Rhine undergoes the stages of revitalization, these are the people who reside in the area. These are the people who know the community. Those who understand the community best should be part of the force to change the community. It is extremely important not to exclude these people or chase them out. Without their cooperation, most community enhancement efforts would fail. Also, forcing them out creates a negative attitude towards the neighborhood. So it is very important to include these residents in the Go OTR 5k. It is not enough to just inform the residents of the event, but it is necessary to personally invite them. In The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, he mentions that, “a number of relatively minor changes in our external environment can have a dramatic effect on how we behave and who we are” (Gladwell). Making the residents feel included and wanted will cause them to work more in the community. This minor change will hopefully make the current residents more optimistic about the community itself. This improved attitude is also very important for the event to progress with few or no complications.

As a showcase, the current residents will either make the event a success, or cause the event to fail. These people have the power to destroy the event if they wanted to. Not inviting them would be one of the worst possible things the event planners could do. As Angela Allen, staff member at City Gospel Missions, said, “that [would] alienate them and create an us versus them mentality.” This would be detrimental to the 5k. Again, Gladwell discusses the “Power of Context” and the role one’s environment plays in his or her actions (Gladwell). If the residents feel that the community is working against them; they will be far less likely to help out and work with the improvement agencies. They may even take a stance against these agencies and work to undermine the current plans and programs.

To make the residents feel included it is important to also have things that appeal specifically to them. The prizes handed out with the 5k include awards, “specifically designed by Rookwood Pottery-and T-shirts for everyone who enters” (Events). These prizes do seem to consider the current residents better than say a Wii or iPod would. A Wii would be a great prize, but the games that come with a Wii generally cost around $50, and for an iPod one needs a computer to upload music onto the device. Also, the songs cost money to download. These two prizes are common among current contests and events, so it is nice to see that the event organizers are not only providing uniquely Cincinnati prizes, but also considering the potential participants in the 5k.

However, the event is not simply a 5k. There is still the art show and the after party. Both of these events need also be inclusive to everyone wanting to attend. To make the residents feel truly welcome the event planners need to make sure that the snootiness associated with art shows is not included in the event. By keeping the event casual, this should help to alleviate some of that issue. Also, the art show is going to be held at 12th and Vine (Events). This is significant because it is the beginnings of the Gateway Quarter. This specifically brings the residents to an area that has had much development recently. This is a major connector between OTR and the community efforts to the Go OTR 5k. The event starts in a place that has had focused improvement efforts over the past few years. This should help keep the event from becoming exclusive and elitist. This area is supposed to appeal to everyone. This will provide the variety of the people drawn to the event with the starting point of their new exploration of Over the Rhine.

   Lastly, for the event to be a success, it is important that the event stay unique. Right now the event is a 5k Run/Walk followed by an after party complete with an art show. This event appeals to a large group of people. First, the event appeals to the active, athletic crowd. The event is a 5k. Before the after party is mentioned, before the art show is even a thought, the 5k is the main attraction. This part of the event provides the energy needed in the community. This is where the people really get excited about the showcase, and about what it is trying to accomplish: attract people to Over the Rhine. In general 5k’s raise awareness, funds, or enthusiasm about an issue. The Go OTR 5k Run/Walk creates enthusiasm about Over the Rhine, it attracts the go getters. These are the people who would provide the energy behind certain enhancement programs.
However, the Go OTR 5k does not just attract the active, athletic crowd. It also attracts those in the art crowd. These people may not come out for a 5k, but they would come to the after party and the art show. These people are also active, but in a slightly different way. Whereas the runners and walkers in the 5k provide the kinetic energy of the programs, those attending the art show provide the potential energy. These people provide the sustainable energy as they will be likely to move into the area before the runners and walkers would. These people would be most interested in preserving the current look of Over the Rhine, while still modernizing the area.

An example community that OTR can glean much information from is SoHo in New York. Over the Rhine is quite similar to SoHo. SoHo was once an industrial hub, then a “wasteland” of vacant lots and buildings. It is now a place for destination shopping and an arts center for the city (History of SoHo). SoHo like Over the Rhine is associated with unique architecture, and both were once industrial centers. Also, both have gone through periods of vacancy, and turmoil. Though what has turned SoHo around, and is not quite there in Cincinnati, is the appeal to the artistic crowd. These people attracted mostly by the low rent helped to preserve the historic beauty of SoHo as the area transformed into an economically sound community (History of SoHo). SoHo is now an integral part of New York, as Over the Rhine can again become a vital area to Cincinnati.

Over the Rhine, like SoHo, is home to many art galleries. In the galleries, there are many art shows in OTR. The main two shows are the Second Sunday on Main and the Final Friday shows. These help create an appeal to the artsy crowd within Over the Rhine. However, what is there to distinguish this particular show, the one following the Go OTR 5k, from those? Well first, this event is a showcase of Over the Rhine itself. It is not a showcase of one specific artist, or one general gallery; it is an event to celebrate Over the Rhine. Also, the show would host a different variety of people. It would have those drawn by the 5k, and hopefully many of the current residents as well. The event takes place in the afternoon on a Friday, so many only in the city during the day have the opportunity to stop by when they may not do so at an evening event. It would draw in people who might not otherwise attend an art show on a Friday or Sunday evening. The Go OTR Art Show would be unlike any other show in the city, and it is important it is kept that way.

If the event fails, it would not be the end of the improvement efforts within Over the Rhine. The efforts that have been made by Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, 3CDC, and the Gateway Quarter Projects will still be important improvements in the Over the Rhine neighborhood. It is important for the event to succeed in drawing in new people to the area, but if for whatever reason the event fails to do this, this simply means that Over the Rhine is not quite ready to make that leap to attracting potential residents. It is still in the development stages, and is not quite ready to be unveiled yet. Also, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful has only held its 90 neighborhood enhancement program once in Over the Rhine. It will take much more than one or two visits for crime to be significantly reduced in this area to where outside residents would be eager to move into this area.
The Go OTR 5k run walk is a strategic event taking place in Cincinnati. It will attract potential residents and businesses, through its showcase of the community improvements happening here. The event, on June 20, is important because it will attract new groups to the area as well as renewing the faith of the current residents. It unites both of these groups to continue community efforts in the OTR area. It is unique to Cincinnati, especially Over the Rhine, and keeps people excited about the possibilities associated with Over the Rhine. If the event can appeal to both of these groups, while remaining unique the event should be a great success. Ultimately, this event will succeed in getting people into the arena of Over the Rhine, to dispel the negativity brought on by the critics in Cincinnati.

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Works Cited

Allen, Angela. Phone Interview. 28 May 2009.
“Events.” Over-the-Rhine Chamber. 2009. Over the Rhine Chamber of Commerce. 1 June 2009. <http://www.otrchamber.com/events/otrchamber>
Gladwell, Malcolm. The Tipping Point. New York: Back Bay Books, 2000. Print.
“History of OTR.” Over the Rhine, Cincinnati, OH. 2007. iRhine. 1 June 2009. <http://www.irhine.com/index.jsp?page=history_intro>
“History of Soho-- New York City, NY.” Soho History. 2008. Soho-Lofts.com. 1 June 2009. <http://www.soho-lofts.com/soho-history.html>
Kelling, George L., and Catherine M. Coles. Fixing Broken Windows: Restoring Order and Reducing Crime in our Communities. New York: Martin Kessler Books, 1996. Print.
“Neighborhood Enhancement Program.” Keeping Cincinnati Beautiful. Keep Cincinnati Beautiful. 1 June 2009. <http://www.keepcincinnatibeautiful.org/index.php/main/show/384>
“Over-the-Rhine, Ohio.” Ohio History Central. 1 July 2005. Ohio Historical Society. 1 June 2009. <http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=789>

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Service Learning - Krista Palmer Essay