By: Bekkah West, Social Work Major & WGEC Intern, Psychology Minor

Growing up, I did not understand the gravity of how symbols of hate could tangibly impact a person; how they justify violence, hostility, stigma, and prejudice. You can attribute that to my ignorance, privilege, the developing brain, social conditioning, the predominantly white, rural, and conservative area I grew up in. Whatever the root may be, what is important is that I do now (and have for some time) grasp how crucial it is to not just spout promises of inclusivity and diversity, but to do your best to prove it in action through various means, like through curating a culturally responsive physical environment or following through on committing to advocating for those who are marginalized—or at the very least, not putting them in harm’s way. I fear we as an institution are failing the LGBTQIA2S+ population we serve and our value of inclusive excellence by allowing private corporations such as Chick-fil-A to establish ground here and profit off our student body who may have to compromise their morals and/or sense of safety for an edible meal. It is not “just about chicken” and it is quite literally that deep; or perhaps only as deep as people feel comfortable exploring themselves, their values, and living them fully. 

To give a little background for those who may not know, along with over a dozen employment discrimination filings between 1988 and 2007, Chick-fil-A has a long and extensive history opposing gay marriage, publicly denying the validity of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, and donating millions to various organizations set on endangering this population by denying them their human rights and legal protections. Such organizations include the American Family Association (AFA), the Family Research Council (FRC), Exodus International, the Salvation Army, and the Marriage & Family Foundation. The company attempts to conceal their heterosexist views and intentions through the veil of conservative, Christian principles. CEO, Dan Cathy incited protests in 2012 nationwide for encouraging the “biblical definition of the family unit.” It was not until around seven to eight years later that the bad press and pressure would fold Cathy, at least in part, with him officially announcing his discontinuation of donations to organizations with “political agendas.” 

In all reality, Dan Cathy just stopped publicly donating to hateful organizations and instead created a private arm of Chick-fil-A, “WinShape”, where he donates to others such as the National Christian Charitable Foundation, who actively opposes the Equality Act, which could amend the current laws to protect LGBTQIA2S+ individuals from discrimination based on how they identify or what their sexual orientation may be. This was only discovered after financial reports were released, and Chick-fil-A and its affiliates appear to continue to dodge any real answers to questioning on these deceitful means of abating public disapproval. Without this as public of an issue as it once was, people may not know that they are still giving their money to a company that has every intention of investing in the devaluing and oppression of the LGBTQIA2S+ community. This is where you, like I once did in my teens, may be thinking to yourself that your individual contribution could not possibly make a difference in the grand scheme of things. This is also where I was, and you very well could be, perpetrating harm unintentionally, in complacency. Just as we see, at times, in our country’s voting process, or in action and lack of consistent progress toward any other pertinent social issue that does not typically impact the majority and/or one directly. 

This shortfall in collective action by our campus community can mean Chick-fil-A’s presence on campus leaves some LGBTQIA2S+ students feeling rejected, unsafe, and/or at the very least, uncomfortable. This company is a national symbol of violent discrimination, conversion therapy, trauma, abandonment, and anti-LGBTQIA2S+ rhetoric. Their existence says to LGBTQIA2S+ community members that you are never fully protected or accepted here, in this world, even with offices set up specifically for your population on the exact same campus. It says, a chicken sandwich holds more weight to this institution than the rights and sentiments of the LGBTQIA2S+ students, staff, faculty, and allies on this campus. How can one feel comfortable expressing their true selves fully, with safety and dignity, on a campus that would proudly set such an establishment up—one that vehemently denies their right to exist and love as they please? To overlook this would go against much of what UMBC’s mission and vision is. 

This discussion cannot be had without the acknowledgement that 1) there is no entirely ethical consumption under capitalism and 2) there are people of low-SES who may not have a choice between eating what is available and choosing something more ethical. It is a privilege to be able to consume ethically nowadays. That said, there are ways of minimizing harm that we should all try our best to accomplish. There are many different on- and off- campus options outside of Chick-fil-A, and many potential opportunities to partner with new companies, local and otherwise, of equal or lesser cost to the institution. Redirecting funds to finding other non-discriminatory options and the university upholding its statements on inclusion and social justice is possible, shown through many other college campus experiences across the country, and even here in Maryland, such as at St. Mary’s College. We should hold our partners to the same standards we hold ourselves and our community. 

There are many ways we can come together as a community to resolve this issue, and I encourage fellow students at UMBC to think about and engage in these ways, if possible. Organizing a campus forum, where students, staff, faculty, dining services, and other administrators can make their voices heard would be valuable. Petitions could be started to collect signatures for the partnership to be discontinued. The Student Government Association could potentially get involved, structuring this in a way that is sound and getting people together in a concentrated effort. Educating each other on the dishonest and harmful background of Chick-fil-A is crucial, as well, even if it can be uncomfortable—your cisgender and heterosexual peers will never know what it is like to have to worry about being and/or feeling victimized in this way. 

I am making a call for action not just as an advocate to the LGBTQIA2S+ community or because it is the right thing to do, but as an identifying member myself. We should follow in former Washington D.C. mayor Vincent C. Gray’s footsteps, letting Chick-fil-A know it is not welcome in our city, dubbing it “hate chicken.” Do not get me wrong, I do not think poorly of the students and staff who work hard every day to serve students food at Chick-fil-A here on campus, as they may just need the income, location, and a schedule that works for them. There are larger powers at play here who are more responsible for creating an inclusive and socially just environment for said people to work within. What I believe was part of my responsibility was to bring attention to this issue, firstly, and now to observe how my community will move with me from here. Similar attitudes have been shared with me on campus in the last year and a half I have been here, and I am grateful to have a platform to bring light to such concerns.

It should come to no surprise that numerary luminary Connie Pierson, AVP in IRADS—UMBC’s primary source for official campus statistics to comply with government reporting requirements and support decision-making—is good at keeping track of things. This Friday, December 19, Pierson ’90, M.A. ’92, celebrated her 300th black and gold Friday. 

Originally conceived as a way to stay connected with fellow Retrievers when the world went virtual in March 2020, Pierson is not one to give up on a good streak. “This is part of my personality. I mean—you got to be a little anal retentive to be a data analyst and to have that mindset,” Pierson says. 

For this lifelong Retriever (and it should be noted that her full first name is Constance), this means donning one of her numerous pieces of black and gold clothing—often with a hair accessory—and posting to social media, along with a hashtag that keeps a record of her record-long series. Sometimes she’ll bank some pictures to use later, like when she attends a UMBC athletics game.

If you scroll through the 4.5+ years of photos on social media, Pierson’s hair grows (it also grays, as she points out), she wears a hat, a headband, different glasses, she gets licked by her pups, she’s outside or in—there are many different variables, but one stays the same. She’s got a mega-watt grin that makes you smile back. “It’s part of my weekly routine. You got to get dressed—you got to put black and gold on,” she says.

Pierson has a reason to boast her black and gold bonefides—she’s spent 31 non-consecutive years at UMBC as both a student and staff member. After leaving the university to earn her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a short stint at the U.S. Census Bureau, Pierson returned to UMBC in 1999 for a job in the Office of Institutional Research, Analysis, and Decision Support where she has been ever since.

Pierson says, personally, her commitment to the streak is a way to keep in touch with the larger UMBC community, especially with her retired colleagues. “I’ve had people tell me, ‘Don’t stop! It’s how I know it’s Friday,’” Pierson laughs. She guesses that she’s only missed six or seven Fridays.

Even when her father passed away, Pierson used a picture of her and him at a Retriever’s game for her regular post in his honor. The digital data decision maker plans to retire in summer 2026, and wants to continue her trend into her next stage of life—as an alumna and retiree—so she will always know when the weekend is about to start.

On December 5, the campus celebrated this year’s Arts+ initiative with five concurrent events featuring UMBC students, faculty, and guest artists. In a sold out concert in Linehan Concert Hall, the UMBC Symphony Orchestra and String Chamber Orchestra, directed by assistant professor Philip Mann, performed Alexander Glazunov’s Violin Concerto, featuring professor Airi Yoshioka, and works by professor Linda Dusman and Rich Sigwald ’03, music.

Down the hall in the Black Box Theatre, UMBC Theatre presented Street Scenes, with text by Langston Hughes and his contemporaries, with music by Kurt Weill, adapted and directed by associate professor Eve Muson, with musical direction by adjunct professor Andrew Hann—also to a sold out house.

The Department of Dance presented the Fall Dance Showcase on the stage of the Proscenium Theatre, featuring striking capstone works by senior students and independent student research.

The PAHB lecture hall was home to a Film and Animation Showcase, featuring works by 18 students and recent graduates of UMBC’s Intermedia and Digital Arts (IMDA) program.

The Center for Art, Design, and Visual Culture presented a collaboration between 2023 MacArthur Fellow María Magdalena Campos-Pons and musician Kamaal Malak, known collectively as KaMag. Their work, entitled Vignettes in 3 Sessions: An Immersive Ancestral Experience, delighted a capacity audience and was followed by the launch of a new public projection by KaMag, I Am Soil — My Tears Are Water, in the Fine Arts Building amphitheatre.

The Arts+ initiative will continue in spring 2026 with performances by Baltimore Dance Project and Orange Grove Dance, a faculty art exhibition, a lecture by visual artist Lynda Barry, a production of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and more than a dozen music concerts by faculty and guest artists. A full schedule will be available in January 2026.

Name: Baani Natraj

Pronouns: She/ Her

Semester of Internship: Fall 2025

Major: Ms. Cybersecurity

Current Class Level: Master's Student

This semester I completed a(n)...: Internship

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site (Company/Organization Name): SAP America

Location of the Organization (City, State): Alabama 

Title of position: Operational Security intern

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities:

I am currently interning as an Operations Security Specialist with SAP America, supporting the Sales Performance Management (SPM) platform during its migration to a cloud-native Kubernetes environment. My day-to-day responsibilities focus on container and cloud security, including hardening Docker images, validating base images against security standards, and analyzing vulnerabilities using tools such as Orca Security, Mend, and Black Duck. I assist with automating security reporting workflows using Python to collect, map, and generate weekly vulnerability reports integrated with Jira and SharePoint. I also collaborate closely with DevOps and platform teams to review Kubernetes security policies, enforce compliance controls, and support secure CI/CD pipeline practices. This role has allowed me to apply academic cybersecurity concepts directly to real-world enterprise environments.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I learned about the internship opportunity through SAP career platform and professional networking platforms. After reviewing the role responsibilities and matching them with my background in cybersecurity and cloud security, I submitted my application with a tailored resume highlighting my technical projects and hands-on experience. The selection process included an initial resume screening, followed by multiple interview rounds focused on technical knowledge, problem-solving, and teamwork. During the interviews, I discussed my academic training, interest in container security, and experience with automation and security tools. After successfully completing the interview process, I received the offer and formally accepted the position.

What resources did you use to find your current experience?

Networking events (UMBC Connects, Info Sessions, Arts With a Purpose, etc.), LinkedIn or other social media, Company careers platform 

What have you enjoyed the most about your position and organization?

What I have enjoyed most about my position is the opportunity to work on real-world security challenges in a fast-paced, cloud-native environment. Being part of SAP America has allowed me to apply classroom knowledge directly to enterprise-scale systems, especially in container security, vulnerability management, and automation. I value the strong culture of collaboration and mentorship, where senior engineers actively support learning and encourage questions. I have also enjoyed contributing to meaningful security improvements that impact live production systems. The organization's emphasis on innovation, continuous improvement, and professional growth has made this experience both technically rewarding and personally motivating.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I believe I have made an impact through my work by improving the visibility, consistency, and efficiency of security operations within the team at SAP America. By automating the collection and reporting of vulnerability data, I helped reduce manual effort and ensured that critical security findings are tracked more accurately through Jira and weekly compliance reports. My contributions to container hardening and base image validation have supported stronger security controls across multiple services. I have also added value by proactively analyzing security gaps, supporting Kubernetes policy reviews, and collaborating with DevOps teams to strengthen secure deployment practices. Overall, my work has helped streamline security workflows while reinforcing a stronger security posture across the platform.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

My advice to students seeking an internship is to focus on building practical skills alongside academic learning. Hands-on projects, labs, certifications, and personal automation work can strongly differentiate your resume. Networking is equally important—engage with professors, career services, alumni, and professionals on LinkedIn, and do not hesitate to ask for guidance or referrals. Tailor your resume for each role and be prepared to clearly explain your technical experience in simple terms during interviews. Most importantly, apply consistently and do not be discouraged by rejections. Persistence, adaptability, and a willingness to keep learning are often what lead to the right opportunity.

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / working with the Career Center.

"I loved gaining hands-on experience solving real-world security challenges while working in a collaborative, professional environment. The Career Center played a key role by helping me refine my resume, prepare for interviews, and stay confident throughout the application process."

For Medical and Dental School Applicants, the UMBC Health Professions Evaluation Committee's (HPEC) Cohort process - which begins with exercises to help applicants prepare the materials they need to complete their professional school application, and results in a Committee Letter from the HPEC to accompany an applicant's other Letters of Recommendation - is set in motion nearly a year and half before an applicant plans to enter Medical or Dental School. 

The next HPEC Cohort, supporting applicants planning to enter Medical or Dental School in Fall 2027, is about to begin!

11:59 pm on February 15, 2026