WSU vs. Milwaukee
Badin Spirit Olympics
Adventure Summit
Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2009 > July > 19 > Entry
Ediorial: ‘Creative class’ is living up to name
You probably could guess that a phrase like “Don’t dog Dayton” wasn’t conceived by people over 50.
For more than a year now, a growing group of “young creatives” (not all of whom precisely fit that description with respect to age) has done more than just talk about what Dayton lacks. The good thing for Dayton is that they keep rolling out new work for themselves and the others they’re infecting with their passion and energy.
“Don’t dog Dayton” is one of the latest projects. The plan is to sponsor a video contest about goofy, serious, or important things going on Dayton, with an eye on what will catch on on YouTube. The hope is that when people Google Dayton, maybe they’ll stumble on something other than Forbes.com’s computer-generated, comically oversimplified, decidedly frustrating list of dying cities.
Over a year ago, local universities (mainly, but not exclusively) took up the cause of organizing a group to do something to hang on to workers and students who are popularly known as the “creative class.”
Lots of research shows that communities that have an abundance of entrepreneurial, talented free spirits are having more luck attracting the next generation of workers that companies are hungry for.
The Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education put out a call for volunteers who would show up at a bunch of meetings and promise to act, not talk. That was the genesis of DaytonCREATE, which has rounded up and deputized still more people committed to finding out what young creatives want.
One group organized a summit last spring where two hundred or so people showed up to mull over what to do first. What could have been a boring, discouraging gripe fest was a mass brainstorming session that wrapped up with participants settling on four big things to tackle.
They voted for reaching out to Dayton’s high school and middle school kids; growing downtown (these people are trained on downtown); fixing up the Wayne Avenue corridor; and creating a one-stop online space where people can find out what’s happening at bars, with bands and around Dayton generally.
The fact that the group has a soft spot for doing something for others — the young people in the community — tells you something about its interest in giving back. That they see the need to link the Oregon District to the Cannery and the area around Fifth Third Field — by making Wayne Avenue more walkable — says they understand the need to connect the dots among Dayton’s bubbling entertainment spots.
And speaking of getting connected, give them credit for valuing efficiency and accessibility for recognizing that you can’t know what’s going on if your options are scattered at Web sites whose names you might not know.
As for growing downtown, the “Don’t dog Dayton” contest is a diplomatic nudge that Dayton’s marketing of itself and the community is pretty awful. Here are some people who acknowledge that fact and aren’t afraid to have some fun and to engage those beyond the self-proclaimed professionals.
The DaytonCREATE initiative is working on so much more — maybe you made the three-day film festival in May or have heard about the “walk on water” contest that’s coming up next year.
But the most important take-away is that there really are young people committed to the region and who are powerful sales people for it.
Dayton is lucky to have them.
Permalink | Comments (15) | Post your comment | Categories: City of Dayton, Economy, Editorials, Ellen Belcher
Comments
By Washington Township
July 19, 2009 7:25 AM | Link to this
Dayton is also lucky that the DDN is supporting things like this via editorials. It’s a nice contrast to the “discouraging gripe fest” that is ongoing in the readers comments to articles dealing with the city.By Tokz Awoshakin
July 19, 2009 11:58 AM | Link to this
SOCHE, D.D.N and the volunteers involved with Dayton-CREATE project are all about doing something for others — and doing all possible to revitalize our region. Recognized or not, Just do. That’s the mindset that makes a difference!By schoolboy
July 19, 2009 7:08 PM | Link to this
To Washington Twp. Agreed to a point. It is nice, but if the core product is bad than no amount of slogans will cover it up. The Dayton Schools are a wreck and the political class ion Dayton will not act in a manner that is bold, imaginative and effective. Instead they will allow the school to keep on crippling the community. The school drive the community, not the slogans. The young guys and gals who wrote worked on that slogan will not be staying here after graduation. Why the core product is dead. Why is it dead the schools are killing and have killed it.By split it up
July 19, 2009 7:40 PM | Link to this
Dayton schools need to be split up and parted out to all the surrounding districts. The city will never get out from under the shadow of this segregated district.By tg
July 19, 2009 9:09 PM | Link to this
split it up - that is truly the most original idea I’ve ever heard. You might be on to something!By David
July 20, 2009 2:52 AM | Link to this
TG , split it up is right. This is not about race, as a society we are no longer in 1954 or for that matter 1973. It is about the ability to perform measurable results and young people who have a standard education. The Dayton schools are so badly broken that if it were a private sector business they would be shut down and a new enterprise would take it’s place. It is time the political class and leaders of the Dayton Community realized that the school board has been unable to step up to the plate and create change. The poor quality of schools is robbing Dayton of any hope and the students of of a future. TG, you are blinded by the past, tied maybe to special interest and clouded by non productive “stinkin thinking” that goes no where. Of the College kids who created this new slogan that is being promoted by the DDN editorial, how many are graduates from the Dayton Public Schools? How many from the suburban schools? How many are students out of the area? What do you think? Bumper stickers are nice, but decent schools would be better and have an impact.By Frank
July 20, 2009 8:47 AM | Link to this
This is almost as useless and dumb as politicians on Twitter.By Rob
July 20, 2009 9:33 AM | Link to this
ooh…split up the DPS? Let me contemplate that for a minute. Kind of outside the box suggestion there. Where would the west side kids go? My knowledge of that side of the city is pretty slim. I can see Kettering, Fairborn, Riveside, and Huber Heights picking up kids but I don’t fully know what out west…Indiana maybe! lol.By David
July 20, 2009 10:10 AM | Link to this
Rob, reduce the size of each district so it is smaller, why does anyone go anywhere. Make the size of the organization so that it is manageable. The worst thing you could do for any kid from any side of town is send them to DPS schools. An excellent example on effective school is what the military does, they don’t over spend, they have heavy parent involvement, and their achievement levels exceed civilian schools. The DPS is broken and you woujld rather keep a system theat does not work. I assume you do not klive in Dayton or have children who attend public schools there. The other thing is you ask what to do with the kids from the west side? The city uses priority boards and breaks the community down to neighborhood levels in order to be more effective. Twitter that!By Rob
July 20, 2009 10:30 AM | Link to this
I had a few years of DoD Schools (3rd-5th) and two of my kids started in them. Yup, good stuff. Sadly, breaking up the DPS does not leave a viable system in place. The remnants (by neighbood)need to go somewhere to achieve the economy of scale they need to succeed for education. Like I said, I see kids falling into several different districts.By David
July 20, 2009 9:51 PM | Link to this
Ron, you wrote “The remnants (by neighborhood)need to go somewhere to achieve the economy of scale they need to succeed for education. Like I said, I see kids falling into several different districts.” Economy of scale may work for some but not for education. Twp best6 districts in the area, Oakwood and Bellbrook. Both small enough to get the job done, know the students, parental involvement. Break the schools up and you will get better results.It is all local when it is your kid. The creative class should be working on solutions for education - that would be something to cheer!By Treva
July 21, 2009 9:14 AM | Link to this
Children are not remnants. One of the reasons that the smaller districts excel is that they are smaller districts. The townships mentioned were once part of the city of Dayton proper, and according to some, still are. The conversation here however has turned on itself. I refer you back to the ‘bumper sticker’ Don’t Dog Dayton. We are our school system, our government, our neighborhoods. OK, you have pointed out that you know what the problem is. Now, what do you propose we do to solve it, to keep Dayton (not just her surrounding townships, villages, etc.) viable?By David
July 21, 2009 11:00 AM | Link to this
Treva, I like your post. The City will not flourish until the schools and the quality of education does. Solve that problem and the other issues will go away. DPS are broke and like hunpty dumpty they can’r be put back together again.By Bob540
July 22, 2009 12:58 PM | Link to this
So much of what afflicts Dayton afflicts other parts of the state and country: Rampant drugs and related crime, Fading employment opportunities, indifference and defeatism. We need to get rid of the guns and drugs first before anything can be accomplished. We need more responsible adults who marry and really raise their kids. We need family values again, including discipline and carrying one’s own weight. It’s about values first and translating those values into action.By zeis
July 24, 2009 10:01 AM | Link to this
This is not about schools. Yes, there needs something done, however positive and professional civic engagement is how to make things happen, not complaining on blogs. We all know what the problems are, now lets start creating solutions. As for the previous comment from “Schoolboy” The young gals and guys on this project are not simply college students, they are youngs creatives scatered through the community actually taking action and attempting to make a difference. 90% of the individuals involved in the Updayton project are not from this area, they moved here for work or stayed after college. The negativity resinates with the natives, who live comfortably in suburbia, complaining on blogs. Remember, Don’t Dog Dayton!