The Diversity Educator Interns are a mix of six, talented undergraduate and graduate students who work to fulfill the Mosaic Center's mission and vision by promoting cross cultural programs, education and collaboration. Want to know more? Contact mosaic@umbc.edu.

Name: Andrea Duval

Major: Modern Languages and Linguistics major studying French and Intercultural Communication

Hometown: Native New Yorker

Q: Favorite animals? Random facts? 

A: I love dogs (especially big cuddly ones), hamsters, and my baby betta fish! Random facts...  There's no pizza quite like a Brooklyn pizza. 

Q: How did you learn about the Diversity Education Internship (DEI)? Did you know right away that you wanted to do it?

A: I heard about it in an email I received from the MLL department here.  I thought "This sounds perfect!" and decided to apply.  I knew that this was right up my alley, and I'm glad I went for it. 

Q: Have you volunteered in any other diversity positions before you started? How did you learn skills you needed to know for this internship? 

A: My freshman year I volunteered in the English Language Institute as  conversation partner, helping international students develop their conversational English. It was a great experience and put me in a position where I had to develop the necessary skills to communicate across cultures.  And those skills are invaluable as a DEI. 

Q: How many hours each week do you work in the OSL Mosaic Center? What do you do during that time? 

A: I work an hour a day in the Mosaic as a part of the Marketing Team, keeping our information updated on myUMBC to inform the student population of our upcoming events, and to put the word out about what the Mosaic is and what we do. 

Q: What is the most difficult thing you have encountered so far into the internship? What is the most interesting thing you have encountered?

A: Learning to let go of your fears and volunteering to do something I might not usually be comfortable doing, like sharing a personal story and stepping out of my comfort zone.  It's important in this internship to be able to put yourself out there, or else it would be hard to help anyone else. 

Q: What would you say to other students inquiring about becoming the next generation of DEIs?

A: Do it! Apply, inquire, ask questions, and most importantly be willing to be active in the center.  Come in and talk to an intern, find out what goes on in the Mosaic, and think of ways to help make it even better! 

Q: What are your plans/goals for after UMBC? 

A: I feel that graduate school is a definite for me.  Whether it happens right after graduation or a few years down the road depends.  But I plan to further my education, and I can't wait to find out what opportunities await me. 

If you’ve been living under a rock/sans Internet for the past week, then perhaps you’ve missed the latest Planned Parenthood controversy.

But more likely, you’ve already heard about the uproar when the very popular organization, Susan G. Komen For the Cure did a fairly unpopular thing. They announced that they were ending their grants to Planned Parenthood, which helped uninsured women access breast cancer screenings.

The original claim was for pulling the grants was because now “under investigation” by Republican members of Congress.

The organization’s leadership swore this move wasn’t political.  There was substantial reaction. The Internet went crazy. Planned Parenthood raised a lot of money from Mayor Bloomberg and from viewers like you.  And then after a few days, the organization relented and reversed their decision.

Article after article after blog post after Facebook status has covered this news story in the last few days.  Shock!  Outrage!  Disbelief!

But…is it really that unbelievable?

This article from Salon.com explains some of the criticism that existed surrounding Susan G. Komen long before the Planned Parenthood debacle.  Here are a few highlights.

• The organization raises hundreds of millions of dollars for their causes…and spends 20 percent of that on administration and fundraising – a high-overhead for a non-profit.
• Nancy Brinker, the organization’s founder, is a big GOP donor, and the Board of Directors includes notable anti-abortion activists.
• Some of those ubiquitous “pink” products are not so great for women’s health, including cosmetics with toxins and yogurt with rBGH.
• The organization has sued other “for the cure” campaigns for stealing their product…even though Susan G. Komen actually stole the concept of a breast cancer awareness ribbon from a grassroots activist.

Susan G. Komen may have backed away from their controversial decision, but will the organization be able to recoup its loss in reputation?  Or has the organization finally shown its true colors?

Image courtesy of Huffington Post

It was like something out of Middle School playground… Kids gossiping about someone only to find their target was skillfully eavesdropping on the whole conversation…

But this was no playground.

This was a conference call between investigators from the FBI and Scotland Yard discussing the hacktivist group Anonymous.

…And guess who was listening in on the conversation.

The law enforcement officials were discussing are the criminal prosecutions of suspects involved in attacks by Anonymous (This explanation can be helpful for those unfamiliar with the group and its origins.)

Anonymous listened in, then posted the 15 minute long recording online.

“A law enforcement agency using unencrypted, unsecure communications is a major fumble,” said Marcus Carey, a former communications security expert with the NSA.

We assume members of the group spent the weekend basking in their success in the traditional ways- fun, relaxation, and hacking the Swedish government’s website. Good times.

The OFAS fellow will assist in the development of a business continuity plan for the OFAS.  Responsibilities include working closely with staff and managers within the office, documenting current procedures and plans for breaks in continuity of service, and developing a Google site for the storage of documentation.  The commitment for this internship is the Spring 2012 semester.

Qualifications: Full-time UMBC undergraduate student with junior or senior standing; willingness to learn; detail-oriented; ability to articulate thoughts and ideas; strong interpersonal and organizational skills; self-motivated, and enjoys working with people. Experience with MS Office is required; experience with developing a Google site is a plus.  All majors are welcome to apply.

Job Description – detailed: Research business procedures with OFAS staff, Document current business procedures with the assistance of OFAS managers, Development of business continuity plans using a provided templates, Assembly of plans into a printed manual, Development of a Google site to house plans electronically, and Attend monthly staff meetings

Application Information  Monthly stipend of $300, Hours: 10-12 hours per week; office hours 8:30-4:30 p.m., Commitment: Spring 2012, Special skills/courses: familiarity with MS OfficeAttire: varies from business casual, Full-time student with junior or senior standing

All majors

Luke 20:45-21:6 (NIV 2011)

⁴⁵ While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, ⁴⁶ “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. ⁴⁷ They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

¹ As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. ² He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ³ “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. ⁴ All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

⁵ Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, ⁶ “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”

Reflection:

Even while Jesus is commending the widow for giving everything she has, the disciples are noticing beautiful and noticeable gifts given to the temple. This is in direct contrast to what Jesus has just said to them.

As Jesus describes the destiny of the scribes to His disciples, He also shares the destiny of these gifts to the temple. They are all destined to perish. Jesus wants His disciples to live for that which is seen by God and remains for eternity.

Response:

May we respond to Jesus’ invitation to live for that which is seen by God and remains for eternity. Just like the disciples, it may be tempting to focus on the beautiful things around us. Yet they are destined to perish. Let’s spend some time asking God to give us the wisdom to see what is temporary and what is eternal. Let’s commit our hearts to the Lord again, pledging everything to Him and setting our sights on what will last for eternity.