Sharing vibrant stories for a vibrant campus
Table Tennis: The Exciting UToledo Activity You Didn’t Know You Needed
Ping pong — or table tennis, as the pros call it — may seem like just a casual sport. But this seemingly humble sport is not only globally popular, but also loaded with health benefits for all ages.
The Top 10 Study Places on UT's Campus
Where are the best places to study on campus? Whether you prefer studying at the library or in your dorm, alone or with friends, with music or in silence, this top ten list has something for everyone. So the next time you sit down to review class notes or work on an assignment, you might want to try one of these new spaces that could increase your productivity and focus.
Can Ohio Turn the Tables on “Brain Drain”?
Although Rust Belt states have traditionally struggled to retain their college graduates, new data suggests that Ohio might be set to reverse the “brain drain” that has plagued the region for decades.
How Toledo, Ohio Revolutionized the Coffee Industry
The best coffee on the islands for many Hawaiian residents comes from a one-pound package with an iconic image: a lion’s head. But here’s the catch – the iconic lion and the coffee it brands trace their heritage not to the tropics, but about 4,400 miles to the northeast in Toledo.
The Revolving Doors of Fort Industry Square
They say a good building can take on many lives. But in many post-industrial spaces across the country, it’s often easier to forgo creativity for efficiency. The historic structures of Toledo are no exception. Over the last century, many beautiful buildings of this port city have been demolished and allowed to fall into disrepair when maintenance costs far outweighed capital potential. Yet on the waterfront block of Fort Industry Square, along its quaint facades of varying heights and styles, something quietly transformative is happening.
Siloed: Reflecting on Ohio’s Native American History
On October 15, 2022, a clear, sunny day on the banks of the Maumee River, Toledo, Ohio celebrated the completion of the largest mural in America. A creative partnership between a nonprofit, local artists and backers, a paint manufacturer and an international grain processing corporation, the project involved the painting of 28 grain silos overlooking the Maumee River on the city’s East Side — requiring 2,864 gallons of paint and over a year to complete.
Dorr Street: A Witness of Toledo, Ohio’s Black History
The 1950s and 1960s were Dorr Street’s golden era. Once considered Toledo’s “Black downtown,” it housed a majority of the city’s Black community and was an important commercial and community hub. The February 3,1992 Black History edition of The Toledo Journal recalled the street as a place where people young and old got together on the weekend and where families would go shopping, go to the movies, go bowling and attend church. All types of stores and shops decorated the streets, a colorful and lively setting for its residents.
From Pets to Pests to Planters, Squirrels’ Storied History in Ohio
Squirrels, as it turns out, are more than just cute backyard visitors or mischievous garden invaders; they’re indispensable to our local ecosystems, and have survived a precarious relationship with humans over the past centuries.
Toledo’s Jazz Scene Is Roaring Once Again
In the 20th century, Toledo was a first-class jazz destination. Music legends, including pianist Art Tatum and vocalist Jon Hendricks, emerged from the city’s vibrant scene and jazz legends traveled from afar to perform. While the city’s jazz scene has since wilted, it’s currently experiencing a renaissance — with a newly opened jazz lounge at its helm.
Apple Maps Expands Biking Directions Across Midwestern Cities
Cycling directions on Apple Maps were first introduced through the iOS 14 update in September 2021. The addition covered the Northeast, West Coast and small portions of the Southwest and Midwest. In April 2022, these urban-centric directions expanded to include portions of the Northwest and Midwest.
Exploring Urban Heat in Toledo, Ohio
It’s July 19th, 2021, a beautiful summer day in a tree-lined neighborhood in Toledo, Ohio. The sun is shining and the temperature hovers around 86 degrees Fahrenheit, but there’s plenty of shade to make a picnic or a barbecue pleasant despite the heat. But if you live a few miles away — particularly in the inner-city — it’s more than 10 degrees hotter, substantially raising both health risks and electric bills.
Tomato Juice: An Ode to Ohio’s (Controversial) State Beverage
It may come as a surprise that a little over half of U.S. states have designated a state beverage. The state hospitality beverage of South Carolina is SC-grown tea. Florida honors its iconic oranges. Twenty states have selected milk. Arizona picked lemonade, refreshing in its hot climate. And Indiana’s choice of water is, at the very least, neutral. But designating a “state beverage” in the first place all began in Ohio. And what did Ohio choose? Tomato juice.
Building an Empire for the Birds in Northwest Ohio
Unless you’re looking for a roller coaster ride at Cedar Point, Northwest Ohio does not often top lists of U.S. tourist attractions. In recent years, however, it has become a premier destination for a niche set of tourists: birders. The transformation from hidden gem to international birding hotspot was the result of the dedicated effort of volunteers, local businesses and a local bird conservation non-profit.
A Tale of Two Toledos
Although Toledo, Spain and Toledo, OH are vastly different places, their stories have been intertwined for centuries. The two cities share a rich history of architectural influences and art exchanges. With the oldest sister city relationship in the world, the two Toledos have been cultivating international relations and promoting cultural connections for nearly a hundred years.
Booktown: Ann Arbor’s Enduring Literary Legacy
Picture the perfect bookstore. Are you standing in New York City, facing the miles of shelves that make up the Strand? Are you imagining Shakespeare & Co. in Paris, with the voices of famous expatriate writers echoing off the tattered walls? Or maybe you’re a bit closer to home…
Midwest Meets the World: The Complexities of International Food Aisles
A few decades ago, ask an Ohioan if they’d like boba in their tea, and you’d probably be met with a blank stare. But things are changing.
Restoration and Renewed Connection for Toledo’s Riverfront
Following an industrial past, the banks of the Maumee River are a burgeoning hot spot for revitalization and development. Metroparks Toledo and other groups are working to rejuvenate the riverfront through projects that renovate infrastructure, protect nature and connect communities.
How Ohio Is Paving the Road for its Electric Vehicle Industry
Today, electric vehicles are no longer a futuristic abstraction present only on the West Coast, but an inevitable trend that has extended its reach across the nation to Ohio where they present an opportunity — or perhaps an imperative — for the state to reinvent its economic foundation. While we may mostly think of compact, futuristic-looking cars when talking about electric vehicles, Ohio is paving the way for commercial uses of these vehicles and capitalizing on the infrastructural changes they will bring to communities.
When Ohio Was the Future of Public Transit: The Interurban Era
Midwestern rail transit tends to evoke imagery of rusted steel and graffitied cargo cars—not exactly the picture of the speedy, sparkling passenger rail of the future. And yet railroad advocacy has hit a stride in recent years, especially with the Green New Deal’s emphasis on implementing widespread high-speed rail in the U.S. and Amtrak’s recent proposal to open five new passenger rail routes in Ohio. While it might be hard to believe today, Ohio was once the center of innovative public transit—more specifically, electric interurban rail, which had a brief but vibrant life as a transition between main-line railroads and automobiles for short-distance travel.
Bollywood, Hollywood and the Globalization of Socially-conscious Film: A Review of 3 Idiots
Starring world-renowned Indian actor-activist Aamir Khan, 3 Idiots follows Rancho (Khan), Farhan (R. Madhavan) and Raju (Sharman Joshi), students at a draconian engineering school who challenge the conventional systems of Indian education. To Americans, the setup is comparable to a “slobs vs. snobs” college comedy along the lines of Animal House, but 3 Idiots sets itself apart by being a firm condemnation of the contemporary Indian education system—one criticized for its constrictive and stressful nature often blamed for increasing student suicides (an average of 28 per day as of 2018). When engineering student Joy Lobo (Ali Fazal) takes his own life due to academic pressure, the titular “idiots,” led by Rancho, embark upon a series of socially conscious hijinks and pranks to expose the absurdity of an education system more concerned with economic success than passion, creativity and life itself.
Flavors of Home: The Recipe Behind Cocina de Carlos
Each customer at Perrysburg’s Cocina de Carlos is ushered in by the clang of dishes in the kitchen, the hum of customers over their hot plates of fresh tacos and a warm welcome from those who work at this Mexican restaurant. Owner Carlos Mendez speaks of food and his restaurants with great love, seeing them as a way to connect to others.
Rustbelt Coffee: Brewing Post-industrial Authenticity
Here, the old oil cans, reclaimed furniture, and aged walls tell a story. Countless coffee shops in San Francisco or Manhattan have recreated the same aesthetic, but many appropriate the grittiness of post-industrial America for coolness rather than necessity. There, someone has purposely stained the brick and scratched the floors to recreate years of labor and wear. In Toledo, progress has taken place slowly over the last thirty years, appearing subtly as new glass windows slowly replace the crooked black and brown teeth of an aged building’s facade.
