The 1828 Project is one of our signature programs at IndyHub and each year it’s full of incredible leaders between the ages of 18 and 28. Cy is a part of 1828’s Class VII. We sent him some questions and he responded. Keep reading to learn more about Cy!
How do you spend your days?
I’m the Digital and Design Manager at Keep Indianapolis Beautiful. I primarily do graphic design and some social media and web management work.
Where are you originally from?
I’m a Naptown native son! I grew up near Butler University.
What made you lay your roots here in Indianapolis?
The short answer is family and happenstance. Long answer? After college I moved back to Indy for a year, subverting the system by commuting up to Carmel and living in the city. I worked for a design studio there, doing a lot of product design work.
I moved to Korea in 2014 to revive a sense of adventure, explore the world, and get out of my comfort zone. Being away from Indianapolis really makes you realize what a special place it is. We’re far from perfect, but when I moved back in October 2015, I realized that I wanted to commit to Indianapolis. I want to be a part of our growth as a city and do what I can to leave it better than I found it when it’s all said and done.
If you had to choose one mode of transportation to get around our city, which would you choose and why?
I’m a bike guy. I like mashing the pedals around and am always working on using a car as little as possible.
Which local restaurant is your favorite? What’s your go-to order?
Well, there are a million answers here, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Red Key Tavern. It’s the best. You go there to find the Manhattan of your dreams. [Editor’s Note: Read Cy’s No Mean City story about The Red Key!]
Who has been your favorite speaker in 1828 thus far?
Angela Smith-Jones brings the fun. 1828 gives us an amazing opportunity to be in the room with people who have done some really amazing things—Angela is no exception. She has an incredible ability to be optimistic, inspiring, and engaging. It’s amazing to meet important figures, like herself, who listen and want to learn from the people around them. Also, we grew up on the same street, so there’s that.
What are you most excited about when thinking about the future of our city?
I’m excited about density. I love being out in nature, but I also love the energy you glean from being in a big city. Indianapolis is growing and it seems like more and more people are valuing an urban lifestyle (it’s greener, people!). The closer people live to one another, the more they start to see each other as a brother, a sister, a human being. Once we see each other that way, beauty will spread like wildfire.
If you could make one rule that everyone on earth had to follow, what would it be?
I’m stealing this from Kurt Vonnegut, “There’s only one rule I know of, babies. God dammit you gotta be kind.”
Are you reading anything interesting right now, if so what?
I just finished reading a really important book to Indianapolis—buckle up for this title— Indiana Avenue – Life and Musical Journey from 1915 to 2015: Ragtime, Blues, Jazz, Spiritual, Bebop, Doo Wop, Motown, Opera and Hip Hop. Indiana Avenue is such an undervalued piece of Indianapolis history, and Aleta Hodge, a native of the Ransom Place neighborhood, has done a wonderful job of elevating it in this book. It should be mandatory reading in schools.
Truthfully, what gets you fired up?
I get excited when I find old bars around the city. One of my favorite things in the world is a good pub. I’m not entirely sure why, but the most charming places to me are small, old haunts that ooze character.
What’s your dream adventure vacation?
Yvon Chouinard said this, “The word ‘adventure‘ has just gotten overused. For me, adventure is when everything goes wrong. That’s when the adventure starts.” Humans are problem solvers, but we don’t often get the chance to challenge our resourcefulness or creativity the way we’re wired to. Vacations should teach you about yourself, and what better way to learn than problem solving?
Give me a backpack (with a couple changes of clothes), a month or two to play with, and a limited budget. One of the best things I’ve ever done is gone on agenda-less expeditions. I’m going to steal another platitude from Vonnegut (Cy, you hipster…), “I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center.” If you have a place to sleep and a way to get there, that’s all you really need to know. The best way to see any place is to walk around without an itinerary—it gives you the freedom to open your eyes!
