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Join us on Sunday, October 17, from 12-5 pm to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Town of Arbutus (all celebrations will be held in Downtown Arbutus).
This year, we, the UMBC community, proudly celebrate the 125th anniversary of the admirable community of Arbutus.
While small in acreage, the town remains rich in its history. For starters, it may intrigue you that its name originated from the fact that the area had been covered by what seemed to be a myriad of Arbutus flowers! Furthermore, Arbutus was once located on a railcar line, which was seemingly foremost in the first significant telegraph system of the country (which was an economic advantage to the town). Despite the stark contrast to the boisterous city of Baltimore, Arbutus has over time developed into its own community-driven suburban area with a number of things to do (both in and near the area). Some notable examples include the Avalon area of Patapsco Valley State Park and the Arbutus Oak; you will also find delectable places to eat, from Taste Tea and Our Recipes Cafe to Punjab Kabab and Sweets! We also can’t forget UMBC’s very own Ocha Mocha. The Marc Train Penn Line also hosts a station in Arbutus, which you can access via our campus shuttle buses.
If you are looking for ways to celebrate all of Arbutus and its rich history, you may find it worthwhile to visit the Greater Arbutus Business Association’s website!
As the SGA and UMBC celebrate Arbutus, we would like to invite you to attend Arbutus 125 this Sunday from 12-5 pm in Downtown Arbutus. Enjoy live performances, a petting zoo, historical exhibits, and so much more. Not to mention, SGA will be tabling at the event throughout the day, giving out plenty of merchandise and goodies.
We hope you can attend and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Wisam Fadlelmola, Director of Student Affairs and Traditions, at wisamf1@umbc.edu.
That being said, we solemnly wish Arbutus the happiest of birthdays, and are enthralled to see the community keep growing!
Yours in service,
Mehrshad Fahim Devin, SGA President
Joshua Gray, SGA Executive Vice President
Wisam Fadlelmola, Director of Student Affairs and Traditions
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UMBC was established upon the land of the Piscataway and Susquehannock peoples. Over time, citizens of many more Indigenous nations have come to reside in this region. We humbly offer our respect to all past, present, and future Indigenous people connected to this place.
We cannot celebrate, with earnesty, America or any form of patriotism without an overt acknowledgement of our predecessors. Formerly recognized as Columbus day, we now celebrate all Indigenous peoples in lieu, not only as an act of honor but also as recognition of their struggles of grave injustice. Upon decades of protesting and rises of civil movements against overt mistreatment and racial inequity (like the historically deemed Red Power movement) to Berkeley’s acknowledgement of such with its first institution of what we know today to be “Indigenous Peoples” day in reverence, some righteous steps have been taken towards reshaping American history. However, we, as a nation, still have a long way to go for proper restitution. Indigenous reservations continue to face overcrowding, poverty, loss of languages, and lack of education (to name a few). Thus, on this day, we must become wary of these issues, and push forth both legislative and social changes.
No longer will we celebrate colonialism or histories of mass genocide. Rather, we will commemorate the Indigenous community wholly, along with their greatly diverse cultures. The UMBC SGA aims to give voice to those who have faced historical, unfortunate hostilities. This day is especially of grand importance to us, and we will strive to uplift and venerate the Indigenous community in any way possible.
For ways to properly honor the day, along with ways to help, you may want to visit the Partnership with Native Americans website. In relation, it may be worthwhile to visit UMBC’s land acknowledgment in order to get a better grasp on our own local history!
Yours in service,
The UMBC Student Government Association
Mehrshad Fahim Devin, SGA President
Joshua Gray, SGA Executive Vice President
Nailah-Bena Chambers, Vice President for Student Organizations
Ayah Aligabi, Treasurer
