  Conference and Location |
|
Conference and Location |
|
AAGT Annual Community Meeting |
Plenary Keynote Address |
Sunday - June 7, 1:00 pm End of Conference |
AAGT is very pleased to invite you to its 3rd Annual International Gestalt Therapy Conference at the Sheraton Cleveland City Centre Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio USA. Be sure to hold the dates of June 3-7 1997. On Wednesday & Thursday, June 3 & 4, AAGT will hold its annual community meeting-an expanded time to discuss issues within the Gestalt community and attend to AAGT business. All are welcome. On Thursday evening, the conference will begin with an exciting program being planned by the Program Committee. The peer review process has been re-designed to ease the submission process and insure the increased quality of the 50 offerings by presenters from around the world. Many of the elements that have made our first two conferences so successful will continue: Process Groups, luncheons, and special events. We look forward to receiving your proposals for presentations and hope that you will all join us for another warm and stimulating conference.
NO MISTAKE!!! CLEVELAND:
The Best Location In The Nation
A Brief History: Northeast Ohio
a.k.a. Connecticut's "Western Reserve"
Cleveland sits on the north central boundary of what used to be called "The Western Reserve". In 1867, the Western Reserve Historical Society was founded to preserve and present the history of all of the people of northeast Ohio. Today, it is the largest privately supported regional historical society in the nation.
The reason we're called the "Western Reserve" Historical Society instead of the "Cleveland" or "Northeast Ohio" Historical Society has to do with how the area was settled. When the original colonies of the United States were formed, most of the western borders were left blank, since the settlers didn't know how far west the land went. If you look at a map, you'll notice that northern Ohio is exactly west of Connecticut, so we were originally part of the state of Connecticut.
In 1796, the State of Connecticut gave up its claims t0 Western lands of the United States, except for a portion of northeastern Ohio known as the Connecticut Western Reserve. Later, the land was sold to the Connecticut Land Company, which surveyed and settled the region, but the name Connecticut Western Reserve - or just Western Reserve - continued to be used to describe the northeastern section of Ohio. The surveyor's name was Moses Cleaveland - hence a city named in his honor "Cleveland."
Cleveland's Ethnic Soup:
After the War of 1812, thousands of people moved to Ohio from the eastern states. At that time, the majority of the population of Cleveland was English- speaking. The descendants of the original Connecticut settlers were, of course, the sons and daughters of New England Puritans. Irish immigrants and some Germans had come to the Western Reserve via New England, New York, and Pennsylvania. Immigrants also arrived from Germany and Great Britain to work as laborers on the construction of the Ohio Canal. Many of them remained in the area when that construction was completed.
The Erie Canal opened in 1825. The Ohio and Erie Canal, joining Cleveland and Portsmouth, was completed in 1845. For 25 years these canals were busy trade routes. Gradually the railroads replaced the keelboat as a form of commercial transportation and the canal traffic was greatly reduced.
During the 1840s, however, conditions in Europe resulted in the arrival of large numbers of additional Irish and German immigrants. The potato famine in Ireland caused thousands to leave the tiny island seeking a better life, free from the grim realities of being reduced to eating grass because no other food was available. Welsh iron workers brought their knowledge of the Bessemer process to Cleveland and established a thriving community. By 1848 political conditions in the German states had reached a boiling point and the resulting violence and open revolution caused the migration of thousands of German- speaking immigrants, many of whom settled in Cleveland. Between 1850 and 1880, the majority of the immigrants who came to Cleveland were either German- speaking or Irish or Welsh. Czechs and Poles came from mid-central Europe to work in the mills alongside the Welsh, but their numbers were relatively small. By 1885, however the immigration figures for Cleveland began to steadily increase, until they reached their peak in the 1890s.
Several factors resulted in an increase in European immigration to Cleveland between 1896 and 1906. Shortages of land caused younger sons to seek their fortune in land rich America. The establishment of more liberal emigration policies in Europe allowed people to leave their native lands and come to Cleveland. Several European countries, Austria and Prussia in particular, increased the number of young men subject to military conscription. Many families sent their young men to America rather than have them drafted into European armies. Religious and cultural persecution was common in Europe, especially among Eastern European Jews, who came to Cleveland in large numbers to avoid the pogroms of Russia, Poland, and Austria. Cheap, regular ocean transportation made it easy for immigrants to come to America. It cost about $26.00 to come to America in steerage in 1900. While even this small sum was beyond many families, most could raise enough money to send one or two members, whose job it became to earn enough money to purchase steamship tickets for the rest of the family. This dramatic increase in population coincided with an increase in the industrial base of Cleveland after the Civil War. The increased number of foundry and mill jobs provided employment opportunities for immigrant men, who usually had little skill, but were willing to work hard in order to earn money to bring their families to America.
By 1920, new immigrants comprised 44 percent of New York's population, 41 percent of Cleveland's, 39 percent of Newark's, and 24 percent of the populations in Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh
Chinese in Cleveland:
By Ranjit Gangadharan -- Most books about Cleveland either contain only passing references or totally ignore the early Chinese settlers. Most information available today is based on stories passed down through the generations.
Exactly when the first Chinese immigrants arrived in Cleveland is shrouded in mystery, but general belief is that they arrived in the mid-1800's; however, without official records, no historical data exists to confirm this.
In Cleveland, the early Chinese settled in an area along Lakeside and St. Clair Avenues on Ontario Street. Most had some education and work experience. They typically opened small service businesses such as laundries, restaurants, groceries and clothing stores. Mr. Wong Kee opened the first Chinese Restaurant on 1253 Ontario Street in 1895, and later set up a second restaurant, the Golden Dragon.
The Chinese settlers in Cleveland became such a significant force that Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the Father of the Chinese Revolution, came to Cleveland in 1911, during his worldwide tour lobbying support for the overthrow of the Qing (Ching) Dynasty. Dr. Sun spoke at The Old Stone Church, one of the first Chinese churches in Cleveland.
Cleveland Today:
Greater Cleveland is home to approximately 80 ethnic groups, representing all continents and races. Greater Cleveland has the largest mix of Eastern Europeans of any area in America, including the largest concentration of Slovenians, Slovaks and Hungarians. The area also has some of the most organized Lithuanian communities in the country and a well-represented and active African-American community. The majority of today's immigrants are professionals and skilled technicians, coming mainly from the Far East: Filipinos, Koreans, Chinese, Taiwanese, Indochinese and Asian Indians.
Greater Cleveland's ethnic heritage is reflected in the symphony of 60-plus languages spoken by area residents and in the many cultural events that take place throughout the year. Thousands of youth attend heritage schools that offer an educational curricula in the students' native languages. The region's diversity is colorfully displayed in its many neighborhoods and community festivals.
Greater Cleveland has a long history of welcoming diverse groups, which gives its citizens special opportunities to understand and appreciate diversity. A wide spectrum of religious denominations and ethnic groups contribute to a varied cultural infrastructure. Worshippers are welcomed at Greater Cleveland's large number of churches, synagogues and mosques representing every religious belief including Baha'i, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Christianity and Buddhism. Greater Cleveland has one of the most organized Jewish communities in the nation.
Cleveland is one of the few major cities to enjoy a rebirth of downtown retailing. The retail boom includes two glass-topped malls -- The Galleria at Erieview and The Avenue at Tower City Center -- containing approximately 160 specialty shops and restaurants. The Arcade, built in 1890 and located in downtown Cleveland, was the first indoor shopping mall in the United States.
Downtown Cleveland's skyline has been transformed due to $3.5 billion of investments in recent years. Included are The Gateway sports and entertainment complex, one of the nation's finest; Playhouse Square Center, the nation's third largest performing arts center; the 57-story Society Tower, the tallest building between New York and Chicago; The one-of-a-kind Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame and Museum; and The Great Lakes Science Center which boasts the largest Omnimax projection system in the world. With the opening of the luxury Wyndham Playhouse Square Hotel in July, 1995, the number of downtown hotel rooms rose to 2,500. Plans are currently under way for the Whiskey Island Marina, to be the largest marina on the Great Lakes.
The University Circle area contains the greatest concentration of museums, cultural resources, and educational and religious institutions in the country. Including The Cleveland Gestalt Institute, The Cleveland Art Museum, Severence Hall (home of the Cleveland Orchestra), and The Natural History Museum of Cleveland.
The Euclid Beach Band sings "There's No Surf In Cleveland", but with 19,000 acres of easily accessible parklands and an abundance of water activities off Lake Erie, the Cleveland area offers an enormous array of recreational activities throughout the year. "The Emerald Necklace" refers to a system of parks completely encircling the Cleveland area creating a green-belt between it and its neighbors to the south: Akron, Canton, Kent, Medina, etc.
Cleveland ranks as 14th best place to live out of 343 metropolitan areas in North America, according to Places Rated Almanac and residents of Greater Cleveland spend 40 to 60 percent less for housing than do residents of comparable metropolitan areas. Area residents enjoy a wide variety of housing options, from downtown condominiums to country estates. 3 out of 4 Greater Clevelanders live within 30 minutes of work.
Cleveland ranks third in the nation in community generosity and per capita donations to charities. In a 1994 study by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Cleveland ranked sixth among the nation's 50 largest cities in per capita giving to charitable causes.
Much of Greater Cleveland's professional, artistic, technical and managerial talent is "home grown," thanks to the region's exceptional opportunities for both public and private education. The area ranks high in key statistics such as enrollment, student-teacher ratios, the percentage of high school graduates who attend college and the number of students passing state proficiency tests on the first try.
Higher Education -- There are 22 universities and colleges in Greater Cleveland. Among the area's best-known institutions are Baldwin-Wallace College, Case Western Reserve University, Oberlin College, Cleveland State University, John Carroll University, Kent State University and the University of Akron. The Cleveland Institute of Art is a private five-year college of art and design. Attracting students from across the country and around the world, The Institute was established in 1882 and is fully accredited to award the bachelor of fine arts degree in 15 majors.
Primary and Secondary Schools -- Several local public school districts rank among the best in the state of Ohio. For example, 17 percent of the senior class at Shaker Heights High School typically earns recognition in the National Merit competition, one of the highest percentages of any school district in the nation. Cuyahoga County alone has 33 public school systems and 23 private schools. The enrollment for a local system ranges from a few hundred to more than 70,000. Across the county, the average teacher-student ratio is 16:1.
Greater Cleveland is one of the leading medical centers of the world. There are 50 hospitals in the region, 23 of which are affiliated with medical schools. World renown are: The Cleveland Clinic, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital, University Hospitals of Cleveland, and Akron's Children's Hospital Medical Center. The region's medical community has been responsible for a number of "firsts" over the years, including the whole- body scanner, x-ray machine, refined laser surgery, neutron beam therapy and the first coronary bypass surgery.
Chronological listing of "Cleveland Firsts"
Cleveland Rocks!!!
Cleveland and the Greater Cleveland area boast about being home to a large number of rock and pop recording artists. Among those who can call the Cleveland area home are The Joe Walsh Band, The Michael Stanley Band, Devo, The Pretenders, The Raspberries, The Euclid Beach Band, The James Gang, Chris Butler and The Waitresses, Rachel Sweet, Tin Huey, John Bassett, The Rubber City Rebels, The Numbers Band and many more.
Rock artists who recorded and were heavily promoted in Cleveland: Ronnie Spector, Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes, The Boyzz, Ellen Foley, Meat Loaf, Mike Berry, The Rovers, and Ian Hunter
In addition to rock music - Cleveland is home to one of the best knowrecording labels for classical music -- look for TelArc the next time you purchase a classical CD
(Information compiled for AAGT 1998 International Conference participants by Susan Baranoff. All Information available on the Internet. Source sites: Teaching Cleveland a curriculum for 6-8th graders; Cleveland.net; Western Reserve Historical Society site. Search engine employed: Yahoo!)
Cleveland's Hot Spot: The Flats
The Flats -- This strip of over 45 restaurants and nightclubs, is a historic area along the banks of the Cuyahoga River in the heart of downtown Cleveland. The Flats, which also offers an amphitheater and a waterfront boardwalk, has grown to be a favorite location for evening entertainment and family oriented events and activities.
History:
The Flats is an area that is located along the Cuyahoga River. The Cuyahoga River travels 100 miles, twisting and turning through Geauga, Portage, Summit and Cuyahoga counties before it ends at Lake Erie. The river was named after the Mohawk Indian word "Cahagaga" meaning, "crooked river." "The Flats" is the flood plain of the river that separates the high plateaus of the city of Cleveland. This is the area that was first chosen by the early settlers of Cleveland on which to build their homes. The settlers soon learned that because of the swampy environment of the flats area, many of them became ill with yellow fever and other illnesses. Many settlers therefore, moved to higher and more healthy ground.
The Flats developed into an area suitable for industry and commerce. During the 1820s and 30s, as the Ohio and Erie Canal was developed, lake shipping increased and so did business along the Cuyahoga River. The Flats offered an excellent area to build docks and warehouses, and soon businesses began to locate and build in the Flats for its convenience to lake shipping. As railroad transportation grew in the 1850s, the flats also became a convenient point for storage and handling of freight. By the late 1800s, business and industry dominated the Flats area.
As industry and manufacturing grew in the Flats, so did settlement along the high plateaus on either side of the Flats area. As settlement grew, communication between the two areas became an increasing problem between the east and west sides of the river. Although there was considerable debate and often strong hostilities between the two sides, both sides were united in 1878. The Superior Viaduct bridge was built and made convenient and timely travel between the east and west sides of the river possible. As the number of bridges connecting the east and west sides of the city grew, Cleveland became known as "the city of bridges."
By the mid-twentieth century, industry and manufacturing began to move from the Flats area due to a declining dependence on water and rail transportation. Although industry and manufacturing was still located in the Flats, by the 1970s the economic focus began to turn to the entertainment industry. In 1978, the non-profit Flats Oxbow Association was formed to promote economic development of the flats area. Through the 1980s and 1990s nightclubs, restaurants, and entertainment centers sprung up on the east and west sides of the river. The Cuyahoga River that was once the exclusive waterway of ships of the Great Lakes, now shared its waters with hundreds of pleasure craft that cruised the river during the summer months to enjoy the entertainment activities on both sides of its banks.
Today, the Flats area is a combination of industry, manufacturing, restaurants, nightclubs, entertainment facilities and residences.
Flats Factoids:
(from - 1995 Guide to the Flats, The Flats Oxbow Association, 1283 Riverbed Street, Cleveland, Ohio. 44113. (216) 566-1046 )
Flats Timeline
("Interesting Dates In History", 1995 Guide To The Flats, Flats Oxbow Association, 1283 Riverbed Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44113)
Personl Note from Program co-chair, Isabel Fredericson: My hometown!
Cleveland - the Mistake on the Lake! Cleveland - the city whose river burned and whose mayor set his hair on fire! These were the reactions I heard when people in California, where I had just moved, found out that I was from Cleveland. Nothing that I said seemed to alter their attitude that Cleveland was a joke; not when I spoke about the world-class symphony orchestra, the fine museums and innovative theater, the wonderful series of expansive public parks that ringed the city called "the emerald necklace," the ease of getting around as well as the fascinating old ethnic neighborhoods where sounds of Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Bohemian, Spanish, Yiddish, and many other languages could still be heard and the aromas from wonderful ethnic restaurants could be snifted.
This was sixteen years ago and Cleveland is no longer a joke! Energetic mayors have encouraged new developments in the downtown area, a miraculous rebirth of the old neighborhood called "the flats" that borders the now revived river, the state-of-the-art baseball and basketball stadiums, Jacobs Field and Fund Arena and the fascinating famous Rock and Roll Museum. All that and much more! Cleveland has even become a gourmet's paradise, according to a recent article in HEMISPHERE, the United Airlines magazine. It is a lovely, very green city: old sycamore and elm trees line its streets and lush lawns are everywhere, rhodedendrons and lilacs abound in the spring and dahlias and chrysanthemums in the fall. I will always love Cleveland, wherever else I live, and I am overjoyed to welcome AAGT with open arms to my hometown.
Isabel Fredericson
Co-chair, Program Committee
AAGT's 3rd International Gestalt Therapy Conference