The Buzz
“Cincinnati’s neighborhoods have to find out who their next generation is. For many of them, I don’t think it’s going to look anything like it did 30 years ago.” —Liz Bloom, director of the Community Building Institute, in the Cincinnati Enquirer on an analysis of local neighborhoods
“I want to empower people to not settle. We don’t live in a social context where people are respected for waiting to have sex.” —Jennifer Beste, associate professor of theology, in the Marquette Tribune during a talk on her research about today’s “hook-up culture”
“You’re going out today to let them know how important they are and that they matter. You want to let them know that by your presence and by what you do.” —Campus minister Al Bischoff, S.J., in the Cincinnati Enquirer, to 1,400 youth—including 200 Xavier students—before they left to perform service work around the city as part of Xavier’s Community Action Day
“Politicians invoke it, immigrants pursue it, and despite unremittingly negative economic news, citizens embrace it. But what is the American dream? We began regular study of how people define and perceive the dream three years ago, and have discovered many misunderstandings worth a second look. —Michael F. Ford, founding director of the Center for the Study of the American Dream, in the Washington Post
"After four years at Xavier, I learned that volunteering is something that brings me joy, and I missed it not being a part of who I was."
—Alumnus Adam Frazier in the Jefferson City (Mo.) News-Tribune, on working in a service program for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in England
“Instead of going and partying, we use our week to go out and help a group that needs help.” —Sophomore Steve Riser in the Decatur (Ga.) Daily News on Xavier’s Alternative Break program, which was in Georgia helping clean up tornado damage
“It’s a way of giving back. In every religion it’s important to give back and help.” —Tyler Humpert, a junior, in the website AL.com, about spending his Spring Break working on a house in Mobile, Ala.
“It gives us spiritual renewal.” —Nick Lisena, in the website AL.com, about spending his Spring Break working on a house in Mobile, Ala.
“There is so much going on in the world, nothing feels certain. Getting the ashes every year just makes sense.” —Nicole Schutzman, a sophomore, in an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer on Ash Wednesday’s impact on young people
“There is a certain sense of belonging. That you belong and that you matter. People graduating today have a hard road in front of them. The ashes can represent the past. There is a lack of certitude in the present and the future, and the past feels secure.” —Al Bischoff, S.J., in an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer on Ash Wednesday’s impact on young people
“It’s so simple and so humbling. It reminds us that we are connected, and of our humility. We will all be dust.” —John Barber, a senior, in an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer on Ash Wednesday’s impact on young people
“It was kind of embarrassing having the ashes. But now I like them. There is a sense of community. I wear them all day.” —Christine Naderer, a graduate student, in an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer on Ash Wednesday’s impact on young people
"It's pretty basic stuff [Obama] talks about and I think as it turns out that's pretty much where the dream is right now. We can say the dream might have been lowered a little bit in terms of its aspiration but the aspiration is still there, and it's always there." —Mike Ford, founding director of the Center for the American Dream at Xavier, in the Washington Post, New York Times and dozens of other papers on the status of the American Dream
“The most dedicated fans hate to miss a game and go out of their way to travel to away games. Part of it is about demonstrating their loyalty, but they're also more superstitious. Compared to passing fans, they're more likely to believe that watching (or not watching) a game could have an impact on the outcome." —Christian End, associate professor of psychology, in Parade magazine
“It reaffirmed my desire to become a doctor. I have a desire to heal this way.” —J.D. Burleson, a senior, said in the Dayton Daily News about his participation in the third annual Xavier mission trip with Heart to Heart International to Guatemala.
“The learning curve, the experiential growth and the community-building strengthening of our students’ commitment to the healing professions and service are the hallmarks of this trip. Our spiritual dimension and the Jesuit values we bring enhance our offering.” —Rabbi Abie Ingber, founding director of the Office for Interfaith Community Engagement, in the Dayton Daily News about his participation in the third annual Xavier mission trip with Heart to Heart International to Guatemala
“I went to a liberal arts school, and we were forced to take a bunch of classes that I had no interest in at all and resented having to take, and it turned out that with hindsight, some of those did more for me than ones I would have chosen to take. I had to take a philosophy class that was painful, but that was where I learned to write, an economics class that I didn’t want to take and it turns out that I ended up minoring in it, so just being pushed to try different things.” —Alumnae Sarah Mulhall in The (Mass.) Gatepost
“In desperate times we are less welcoming. That has been true since the founding of the republic.” —Michael F. Ford, founding director of the Center for the Study of the American Dream, in the Toronto Star
"I think that our research has shown that the state of the American dream is not the state of the economy.” —Kat Ryder coordinates the Center for the Study of the American Dream, in StLToday.com.
“It seems pretty obvious that we’re moving in the right direction, but we’re not out of the woods until we return to historic levels.” —Steve Cobb, professor of economics, in the Cincinnati Enquirer
