Please be advised that a High Temp Hot Water outage is currently in effect and is expected to continue through approximately June 7.

During this time:

Temperatures in the RAC may be affected.

Hot water will not be available in the locker rooms.

In addition, if the pool temperature drops below a safe operating level, the pool will need to close temporarily. Any closures or important updates will be communicated as needed.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

This session demonstrates how generative AI can support course design when embedded within a backwards‑design workflow. Rather than isolated prompting, faculty will learn to use AI iteratively to align objectives, assessments, and course activities. Participants will gain repeatable, model‑agnostic workflows for using Gen AI to augment design while preserving faculty voice and pedagogical intent. 

UMBC's Faculty Development Center is co-sponsoring this workshop, facilitated by John Schumacher, Professor of Sociology, Anthropology and Public Health and a USM Generative AI Pedagogy Fellow for 2025-26. This workshop is a condensed version of The AI-Assisted Educator: A Course Design Sprint offered in January 2026.

REGISTER HERE

Few figures have done more to shape the landscape of American comedy while proudly, boisterously centering their Jewish identity than Mel Brooks. As a director, writer, actor, and producer, Brooks transformed twentieth-century humor by taking the specific cadences, anxieties, and perspective of the post-war Jewish-American experience and making them universally beloved.

From Melvin Kaminsky to the Borscht Belt

Born Melvin Kaminsky in 1926 in Brooklyn, New York, Brooks grew up in a working-class household of Jewish immigrants from Ukraine and Germany. He cut his comedic teeth in the legendary "Borscht Belt"—the summer resorts of the Catskill Mountains that served as a crucible for Jewish entertainers who were largely excluded from mainstream, mainstream gentrified American entertainment venues.

A promotional portrait of Mel Brooks, whose comedic style was forged in the rich traditions of New York Jewish storytelling.. Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

It was here that Brooks mastered the rapid-fire timing, sharp satire, and self-deprecating wit that defined Yiddish theater and secular Jewish humor. When he made the leap to television in the 1950s—writing alongside Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, and Neil Simon for Your Show of Shows—he helped inject this distinct cultural sensibility directly into the living rooms of mainstream America.

Comedy as a Weapon Against Fascism

For Brooks, Jewish identity was never just a source of punchlines; it was a shield, a weapon, and a survival mechanism.

During World War II, Brooks served in the U.S. Army as a combat engineer, clearing landmines during the Battle of the Bulge. Seeing the horrors of totalitarianism firsthand fundamentally shaped his philosophy on art: the absolute best way to strip power from monsters, tyrants, and bigots is to make them look utterly ridiculous.

"If you can reduce them to ridicule, then they can't conquer you. You can laugh at Hitler because you can't kill him with a joke, but you can defang him."

— Mel Brooks

This conviction famously culminated in his 1967 directorial debut, The Producers. By featuring a garish, upbeat musical number titled "Springtime for Hitler," Brooks committed a radical act of post-war Jewish defiance: he took the architect of the Holocaust and turned him into a pathetic, laughingstock cartoon.

Subverting the American Narrative

Throughout his career, Brooks used genre parodies to sneak outsiders into the heart of classic American mythology, subtly challenging who gets to belong in these stories.

• Blazing Saddles (1974): A fierce, groundbreaking satire of the classic American Western that targets racism and prejudice. It features a Black sheriff, a washed-up alcoholic gunslinger, and Brooks himself playing a foolish governor alongside a Yiddish-speaking Native American chief.

• Young Frankenstein (1974): Beyond its brilliant parody of classic horror, the film acts as a metaphor for the assimilation struggle—dealing with a complex, terrifying family legacy, trying desperately to appear "normal" to society, and ultimately learning to embrace your inner monster.

• History of the World, Part I (1981): Brooks tackled historical anti-Semitism head-on, turning the terrifying Spanish Inquisition into a grand, Esther Williams-style synchronized swimming musical routine to strip the historical inquisitors of their dark solemnity.

An Enduring EGOT Legacy

Mel Brooks is one of the rare creators to achieve EGOT status (winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony), a testament to how his specific style of boundary-pushing, immigrant-rooted storytelling conquered every corner of the entertainment industry. By refusing to dilute his Jewishness for broad appeal, Brooks proved that the more deeply specific and authentic a story is, the more universally resonant it becomes.

🏡Private/Shared Room accommodation available at Maidens Choice starting May 26th.

Private Room & Private Bathroom 

The apartment will be shared by you and one person currently staying there.

🛏️ *2 bedroom and 1.5 bath*

✨Fully furnished Apartment
🪑Dining Area with table & chairs, TV
🍽 Oven, Microwave, Fridge, Air Fryer, Toaster
🧺 Apartment community Washer, Dryer Included
🌟 Centralized Heater and Cooler

🚍 1 min walk to UMBC Bus stop
🚶🏻‍♀ 10 mins walk to UMBC campus

📍Location: 5002 Westland Blvd 

DM for photos & rent.

Contact- +1 8482344459 or pratiks2@umbc.edu

One private bedroom is available in a shared apartment at Westland Apartments, within walking distance from UMBC.

✨ Details:
• Move-in date: From June 20, 2026
• Rent: $520/month
• Utilities separate, usually around $50/month
• Shared bathroom
• Shared kitchen/common area
• Quiet and student-friendly environment
• Paradise UMBC Shuttle stop only ~30 seconds walk

🛒 Nearby:
Giant Food, Weis Markets, Naz’s Halal, CVS/Walgreens, restaurants, and other daily essentials nearby.

📍 Location:
Westland Apartments near UMBC, Catonsville/Arbutus area.

Interested? Please message/call 410-814-9588 for rent details, pictures, and move-in availability.

Dear Retrievers and Valued Riders,

UMBC Transit will be closedon Monday, May 25, 2026, in observance of Memorial Day. Regular shuttle service will resume on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, ~ Summer 2026 Schedule. 

Alternative Transit Options

Baltimore Link

• LocalLink 32 - UMBC - Patapsco Station
• LocalLink 76 - City Hall to South Baltimore Park & Ride
• LocalLink 37 - Old Court Metro to UMBC

- CityLink PURPLE - City Hall - Paradise/Catonsville - with access to Walmart at Baltimore National Pike

RideShare

• Zipcar
• Lyft 
• Uber Ride

If you need more help, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at transit@umbc.edu or 410.455.2454 during regular operating hours.

Safe Travels,

Your Transit Team ~ Driving Student Success.

Hey Graduate Assistants! 👋

The Graduate School has shared an important resource for all Graduate Assistants who have or are considering a summer 2026 appointment. GAAC is passing this along to make sure it reaches you directly.

The Summer 2026 Registration Guide covers:

🔹 FICA Taxes & Exemption — Domestic GAs employed this summer must be enrolled in at least 3 credits throughout their appointment to avoid FICA taxes (7.65%) being deducted from your pay. If you're not enrolled, both you and your department may be impacted.

🔹 GRAD 603 — A free 2-credit option that can help you reach the 3-credit FICA threshold. It's stackable with at least 1 credit of coursework or research, and it's optional if you're already enrolled in enough credits.

🔹 PhD Candidacy Students — If you've reached candidacy, you may register for 898 or 899 for summer FICA exemption.

🔹 Summer Financial Aid — If you're looking to qualify for summer financial aid, you'll need at least 6 total credits. Note that GRAD 603 does not count toward this requirement.

🔹 Estimated Costs — The guide includes a registration cost breakdown across different course options (Independent Study, 799, 898, 899) so you can plan accordingly.

One important note on residency: GAs who do not hold a summer GA appointment will have their residency status reverted to out-of-state for billing purposes unless your official residency is already in-state. Residency will be restored for fall once the Graduate School receives your fall appointment letter and tuition remission forms.

📄 Full guide attached — we strongly encourage all GAs with summer appointments to review it.

For registration guidance, contact your graduate program or department. For questions about appointment-specific details, reach out to The Graduate School directly.

As always, feel free to reach out to GAAC at gsagaac@umbc.edu if you have concerns or need help navigating this.

GAAC, Graduate Student Association | UMBC gsa.umbc.edu/contact-gaac

Temporary/ permanent Accommodation for 1 male near UMBC campus from June 1/July 1 (flexible)
Rent is $458 + utilities. Ideal for budget students or working professionals

Private and Fully furnished room (Bedframe, Mattress, Study-table, Dresser, Chair, Mirror, Closet, Curtains, Lights) 

Location: 
1345 Stevens Ave, Arbutus. (https://maps.app.goo.gl/Gw2Leu55W4SAHVvk6) 
- 15 mins walk to UMBC (2-3 min drive)
- 2-3 mins to UMBC Arbutus Bus stop (East drive)
- Walkable (4-5min) distance to Save-a-lot, Dollar general, Dominos, BoFA, Punjab Kabab/Halal Kabab. 

Includes:
- Shared kitchen/bathroom (fully equipped with Oven, Microwave, Fridge, Dishwasher)
- Laundry(dryer + washer)
- Parking

If you are interested you can DM me. I can send you some pictures and videos. You may contact: +14106153834 , email: hmasum1@umbc.edu for details or schedule a visit. 

Dear UMBC Colleagues,

The Benefits and Wellness team is writing to provide an update on the current system infrastructure disruption affecting P&A Group, the vendor that manages the State's Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).

P&A Group has provided an FAQ page that may answer some of the questions that our affected employees may have. Please Click Here to view that page.

The page linked above includes a "What to Expect Next" table of their services and is where P&A Group will declare which of their services are back to normal business processes.

Currently, the only service not operating properly is their phone system, all other systems are back up-and-running.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we waited for this issue to be resolved.

Sincerely,

The Benefits and Wellness Team,UMBC Human Resources and Strategic Talent Management