(via thedailywhat)

Check out this interesting and well done animation about the history of St. Patrick’s Day! The animator Jeremiah Warren has done other work about historical figures and other topics.

Sunday, April 10, 1:00-4:00PM at Dimitri’s*

Join us as Ancient Studies students, faculty members, alumni/ae, and friends celebrate the department and its successes and eat delicious Greek food.

The cost of $20 for current students and $25 for others includes a buffet lunch of tzedziki, Greek chicken, vegetarian mousaka, Greek salad, vegetable, cold (non-alcoholic) beverages, and cake.

To reserve your place, please pay by cash in person or send (deliver) a check made out to the University of Maryland Baltimore County Foundation. Payments may be made in FA 452 to the ANCS Administrative Assistant, Sara Short, or sent to her at the ANCS Department, UMBC, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250.  All reservations must be received by April 4.

This is a gathering not to be missed!

Seats are limited, so don’t delay.

This event is an activity of the University of Maryland Baltimore County Foundation and all proceeds will be used to benefit the Ancient Studies Dept.

*2205 Frederick Road

Catonsville, MD 21228

410-747-1927

The spreading unrest in the Middle East is now gripping the country. Reports of government crackdowns leading to deaths have coincided with the arrival of Saudi Arabian military forces.

The instability in Bahrain is a big issue for the USA as Andrew Sullivan notes

this, unlike Libya,requires an American response. Because Bahrain hosts the Fifth Fleet.

The Fifth Fleet is America’s naval presence in the Persian Gulf. This is a pretty important strategic area for the US to maintain a fleet so we care quite a bit about what happens in Bahrain.

What should America do? Matt Yglesias thinks that the situation proposes a much cheaper soultion than any presented about Libya as

if the Secretary of Defense were to call the relevant royal families and say that the United States does not intend to sell weapons in the future to countries that use them to crack down on peaceful democratic protesters, that this would be an important spur to political change.

Just because there are options to put pressure on the government doesn’t mean the US will. Nick Turse, of Mother Jones, worries that maintaining our ‘friends’ and thus our Naval base in Bahrain

seems to be more powerful than the President of the United States’ commitment to support peaceful, democratic change in the oil-rich region.

So far President Obama has demanded that Bahrain’s government shows restraint. We’ll have to wait and see if there are any teeth in that request.