Humanities Retrievers will be hosting a workshop tomorrow for students entering the workforce, "You're Hired! Humanities Job Search Strategies." Lunch will be provided at the event, which will be held in PAHB 216. 

You are invited to the CBIC final Event!  

It's time for our Annual CBIC Event this Thursday, April 16th from 6:30-8:30 pm!  Students submitted their business plans and the judges have decided on the finalists!  Come hear them present their ideas, hear the judges' decisions, and see who wins some seed funding to launch their ventures!

Come show these students your support as they take this step towards starting a business or social impact venture! 

But, this event doesn't begin with the presentations…

Are you interested in networking with other students and entrepreneurs?  Then, join us at 5:30 pm before the competition begins at 6:30 pm for appetizers and networking!  Attendees will have the opportunity to meet alumni entrepreneurs, fellow students and community members interested in entrepreneurship.

What?  The CBIC Final Event, with networking beforehand

Where?  University Center Ballroom

When?  Thursday, April 16th, 6:30-8:30 pm, The CBIC Competition Final Event                                                               5:30-6:30 pm, Appetizers and Networking

Visualizing Enforcement: ICE Activity and Community Response in Maryland

Presenter: Andrea Quispe, Sondheim Scholar
Mentor: Tamara Bhalla, American Studies

Oral presentation: RAC 230 | 11:40 – 11:55 a.m.

My capstone research and public humanities project in American Studies examines the chronological escalation of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in Maryland through the creation of a digital timeline. The digital timeline visualizes how enforcement has heightened over the past two years using two forms of public recording: social media and mainstream news media. This presentation examines how social media functions as an information network for the Maryland Latinx community compared to mainstream media news coverage to understand how different platforms decide what counts as urgent and shareable. While mainstream media prioritize large-scale enforcement stories, social media circulates localized warnings and “know your rights” resources. Using content analysis of ten Maryland-based Facebook group posts and three mainstream news coverage sites, this project will uncover the differing criteria and purposes that go into publishing community encounters with ICE. This digital visualization not only brings attention to the ongoing realities of enforcement, but also demonstrates how Maryland communities have responded by creating rapid communication networks to protect one another.

URCAD is Wednesday, April 22 in the RAC:

URCAD.umbc.edu

Private room available in a townhouse for a male at Westland Gardens for a 3-month move-in, available from May to August. 

Fully furnished 2BHK townhouse: 

• Spacious Living Room with a sofa + TV. 

• Oven, Microwave, Fridge, Dishwasher.
• In-house Laundry(Washer + Dryer).
• Centralised Heater and Cooler.
• 1 min walk to the UMBC Bus stop.
• 10-minute walk to UMBC campus.
• Rent is 600$ + utilities.

DM for more information: +12029375716 or email me at IO95979@umbc.edu

Please note the room has changed to Fine Arts 118

 Please join us for the Newbery Award Honor Author Andrea Wang's talk at UMBC on April 15, sponsored by the Department of Education and the Global Asias Initiative. 

Did your questions get left out of our Q&A last week? Or, did the Q&A stir up even more questions for you about Christianity?

Come to Overflow tonight, Tuesday 4/14, at 7:30PM in ILSB118, and let's talk about it! Snacks provided :D

Hope to see you tonight!

At UMBC, restorative practices have grown from a promising idea into a campus-wide movement—one shaped by dedicated staff and reaching far beyond the university itself.

For Jeff Cullen, UMBC’s director of Student Conduct and Community Standards, this work has been years in the making. Now in his 18th year at the university, Cullen has helped guide the evolution of student conduct from a traditional, punitive model toward something more meaningful: a restorative approach that centers accountability, healing, and community.

“Each student I encounter is unique,” Cullen explains. “I enjoy working with them in a restorative way—offering high levels of support while also demanding high levels of accountability.”

Building a proactive framework

UMBC formally began integrating restorative practices in 2015, after adopting training models inspired by the International Institute for Restorative Practices. What started as an alternative way to resolve disputes has since expanded into a proactive framework for building relationships and fostering authentic communication across campus.

Instead of focusing solely on punishment, restorative practices ask deeper questions. Cullen describes a hypothetical situation: a student returns to their residence hall inebriated, damages a bulletin board, and creates a mess in a shared space. In a traditional system, the outcome might center on sanctions. But a restorative approach broadens the lens.

“It’s not just about the student,” Cullen says. “There are custodial staff, residential life staff, and other students who are impacted.”

Through restorative circles, those affected come together—the student, staff members, peers—and engage in guided dialogue. They reflect on what happened, who was harmed, and how to make things right. The result is not only accountability, but also understanding and, often, reintegration into the community.

While the process can feel challenging at first, Cullen notes that participants often leave with a sense of resolution and stronger conflict-resolution skills. Early data and broader research suggest that restorative approaches can reduce repeat offenses, increase satisfaction, and create healthier communities overall.

That impact is not limited to UMBC.

Restorative practices beyond the classroom

Toshiyasu Tsuruhara, an associate professor at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan, traveled across the globe to attend a 2-day restorative practices workshop at UMBC (combining his trip with another training in San Diego). With a background in conflict mediation—including accreditation as a community mediator in the U.K. and experience working with neighbor disputes and in family court—Tsuruhara was already familiar with restorative justice concepts.

But the workshop offered something new.

“I learned how these tools can be applied in real-life situations,” he explains. “I am interested in restorative practices because they offer tools to repair relationships and bring communities toward peace,” Tsuruhara says. “They are not just for education—they can be applied in work, family, and friendships.”

During his time at UMBC, Tsuruhara engaged closely with students and staff, participating in discussions, collaborative exercises, and even creative activities like short dramatic presentations to explore key concepts. What stood out most was not just the theory, but how actively it was practiced.

For Tsuruhara, the experience also highlighted the value of introducing restorative practices early in students’ lives. He observed how these approaches could help students navigate both academic and social challenges, while also preparing them for professional environments.

“They help maintain peaceful relationships with workmates,” he says. “And if conflict happens, they provide tools to resolve it.”

Inspired by what he learned, Tsuruhara plans to continue to integrate restorative practices into his own teaching. In his “Multicultural Cooperation Workshop,” students from diverse national and cultural backgrounds collaborate on long-term group projects—an environment where conflict can naturally arise. Rather than relying solely on mediation training, he sees restorative practices as a more holistic and educational approach.

One small effort turns into campus-wide movement

Back at UMBC, Cullen reflects on how far the initiative has come. What began over a decade ago as a small effort has grown into a campus-wide movement, with hundreds of students, faculty, and staff trained in restorative methods.

“At UMBC, if you have a good idea, you’re encouraged to implement it,” Cullen says. “We had no idea it would grow like this—but here we are.”

Supported by colleagues in Residential Life and Student Affairs leadership, and shaped through years of collaboration, restorative practices at UMBC continue to evolve—impacting not only the campus community, but also educators and practitioners around the world.

Click here for more resources on restorative practices at UMBC

Some undergraduate students noticed-- and brought to the attention of Election Board, thank you!-- that they were unable to access the myUMBC SGA Elections 2026 group at the start of Election Week on Sunday, April 12th.

We immediately submitted an inquiry into this issue and received a resolution today.

The original roster shared with Election Board included students that met three qualifications:

• UMBC undergraduate students;
• actively enrolled in at least one credit hour;
• who had paid the Student Activities fee (which funds SGA).

We have learned that 877 students were missing from this list due to their status in regards to payment of the Student Activities fee. We have received a new list that focuses only on two qualifications:

• UMBC undergraduate students;
• actively enrolled in at least one credit hour.

Since a students' status in regards to paying the Student Activities fee is fluid and can be updated at any time, we have elected to use this second list. We have updated access to the myUMBC SGA Elections 2026 group accordingly.

If you are experiencing issues accessing the SGA Elections 2026 group and believe you are eligible to cast your vote, please do not hesitate to contact Election Board. You can reach the Election Board chair, Elle, at g181@umbc.edu. You can reach the Election Board advisor, Lesa, at lgoodhue@umbc.edu 

Hi everyone!

The Hearts for the Homeless Executive Board Application for 2026-2027 is now open and will remain open until Tuesday, April 21, at 11:59 pm. If you want to make a greater impact and lead, we encourage you to apply by submitting your completed application before the deadline. To be eligible, you must have attended at least ONE GBM and TWO VOLUNTEER EVENTS this year (fall 2025-spring 2026); you have until May 14 to meet these requirements. If you have not previously served on the board, you are not eligible for President, VP, or Treasurer. To apply or if you have questions, please email us or contact a current board member. We look forward to growing our board!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVa0lrRbGx5gxxHv0kbsWFVLWc_30ynOP9UBtwrZInkSS60w/viewform

Thank you,

H4H

GroupMe: https://groupme.com/join_group/87932763/heDmmPl0

Please join the UMD Center for Global Migration Studies in a discussion of Willow Lung-Amam’s The Right to Suburbia: Combating Gentrification on the Urban Edge (UC Press 2024). Tanya Golash-Boza (University of California, Washington DC program) will provide comments.

Hybrid Book Talk! The Right to Suburbia: Combating Gentrification on the Urban Edge (UC Press 2024).

In this talk, Dr. Lung Amam will discuss her new book, The Right to Suburbia: Combating Gentrification on the Urban Edge. The book investigates how marginalized communities, including African American, Asian American, and Latinx immigrants in the suburbs of Washington, DC—one of the most intensely gentrifying metropolitan regions in the United States—have battled the uneven costs and benefits of redevelopment. Revealing the far-reaching impacts of state-led redevelopment, The Right to Suburbia shows how patterns of unequal, racialized development and displacement are being produced and reproduced in suburbs—and how communities are fighting back.

WHEN: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
4:00 - 5:30pm

WHERE: Taliaferro Hall, 2110 (The Berlin Room) or over Zoom.

REGISTER: go.umd.edu/cgmssuburbia