Join us for our last Astronomy Club meeting before Spring Break with a fun Astronomy Game Night!

We will be playing exciting space-themed games, quizzes, and trivia where you can test your knowledge about the universe or learn something new. Whether you are an astronomy expert or just curious about space, everyone is welcome.

📍 Location: Physics 401
🗓 Date: Wednesday, March 11
🕖 Time: 7:00 PM

Come hang out, have fun, and explore the universe with fellow astronomy enthusiasts. Hope to see you there!

Hey Red Cross members!

Join us for a fun meeting (TODAY!!!!) where we will be collaborating with the Pre-Pharmacy Society. We will be playing a Jeopardy-style trivia game and making thank-you cards for students who donate blood at our upcoming blood drive this month. There will also be prizes for trivia winners, along with pizza and snacks.

Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Time: 12:00–1:00 PM
Location: Fine Arts Room 215

Hi everyone!!! This week's meeting (3/13/26 from 4-5pm), will be a Movie Day!🍿 ⋆˚꩜｡ 🎬 ⋆⭒˚.⋆ 

✧｡◝(ᵔᗜᵔ)◜✧*｡

🔗Please use this link to vote on which movie we should watch: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeiP2Dz3R7xHPh5LFbB-UUtKypJ3DK4dWJq647flXJyo2n5BA/viewform?usp=publish-editor

☆ The form will close 3/11/26 @ 10pm!!!

The Language, Literacy, and Culture Program is pleased to announce that Cari Godin of LLC Cohort 26 successfully and skillfully presented her dissertation research proposal on March 9, 2026.

Cari's project is titled A Mobile Home: Homeplace, Intramigrations, and the Spatial Lives of Great Migrationist Families.

After her presentation, Cari had a substantive discussion with her committee about the next stages of her work.  The committee agreed that the project is worthy of doctoral research and helped Cari consider some key issues as she moves forward into the research and writing.

Many thanks to Cari's committee members:

Co-Chairs:

Ramon Goings, Language, Literacy, and Culture

Elizabeth Patton, Media and Communications Studies

Members:

Michelle Scott, History

Earl Brooks, English

Mia Dawson, Geography and Environmental Systems

"Happy Birthday to Betsy Sherman, the heart behind our center. Your dedication to empowering people through education is a gift to our entire community. Wishing you a future as bright as the one you've helped build for others!"

https://forms.gle/AYC5NiG917QULX8NA

Before Xavier Mack ’16 dove into the world of professional dance, he prioritized finishing his college education, earning his degree—not in dance—but in modern language and linguistics. Mack transferred to UMBC in his sophomore year, and after a rocky start, he sought out a social group through his programs and housing community and he found his feet firmly under him. Now, Mack is pursuing his other passion, “the power of body language in conversation,” by dancing at the largest modern dance company in the U.S, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.   

Mack chats below with fellow dancer and UCM intern Kayla Logue ’27 about finding correlation between his linguistics and dance knowledge, his experience at Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, and how his time at UMBC has led to pursuing his passions.  

Q: What was it like being an MLL student who also danced?

A: I loved studying two disciplines that had no seeming relation! I found so much enjoyment in the balance of moving my body and spending hours learning language in the lecture halls. Dancing served as a release for me, even though it came with its challenges. As my understanding of linguistics and dance deepened, I was able to discover more of a correlation between the two. Both of these fields are rooted in elements of communication. This discovery helped enhance my dance artistry as well as revealing the power of body language in conversation. 

Q: Do you have a favorite performance memory while at UMBC?

A: My favorite performance memory at UMBC was dancing a duet called Floating Above by Carol Hess. This piece was acrobatic yet very slow and meditative.

Q: Is there someone from UMBC who inspired you and how?

A: I’ve always been able to find inspiration in my peers. Everyone had their own special gifting; things that came easy to them. Drawing from what I observed around me kept me reaching for my untapped potentials. However, my most influential person had to be Brandon P. Russell [assistant teaching professor of classical ballet and contemporary dance]. Brandon saw all of my capabilities and pushed me to be the professional dance artist I am today, even before I knew it was possible. 

Photo right: Mack at his UMBC graduation.

Q: What was the process of getting into Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater? 

A: My process for joining Ailey was a standard audition and callback in New York City. Since we were just coming out of COVID, they structured the preliminary audition to take place over several sessions within one day. Only 30 dancers could be in the room at one time and we had to wear masks. I had to return to NYC a few weeks later for the callback. Then, I waited about one week before I received the call offering me my job.

Q: What has been your favorite part about being in the company?

A: My favorite part of being in the company is the touring! I’ve always had a heart for travel; especially international travel. This job helps soothe my wanderlust. I’m afforded the opportunity to visit incredible parts of the world and meet the special people who inhabit these places.

Q: Did you do any traveling while at UMBC?

A: I actually constructed my own study abroad experience. With the approval of my advisor, I connected with a middle school, in a suburb of Paris, and asked their principal if I could assist with their English language classes. The principal was more than happy to have me during three weeks of my winter break.

Q: What’s a takeaway from UMBC that’s stayed with you?

A: Time management is the greatest skill I learned at UMBC and still use today. There are many things about my professional life that require timely/rapid responses. The discipline of managing my time gives me the ability to reply to alerts and submit important documents to my leadership teams, without falling behind or becoming stressed by long to-do lists. 

Q: Why was it important that you finish your college education before performing professionally? 

A: I had come way too close to graduation to turn away from obtaining my degree. In my opinion, my only option was walking across the stage. I poured an immense amount of time, hard work, and money into my education. I wanted to see that through to the end.

Learn more about extraordinary UMBC alumni, faculty, and staff who are chasing their dreams.