Monday March 23^rd from 12(noon) – 2pm

Tuesday March 24th from 4 pm to 6pm.

Please stop by if you are in need of food and personal care items. 

Contact retrieveressentials@umbc.edu  if you are having trouble accessing the building. 

Please consider making donations to the food pantry. Our donation box is located right outside of Sherman 205. 

The food pantry, Sherman 205, will be open:

Monday March 23rd from 12(noon) – 2pm

Tuesday March 17th from 4 pm to 6pm.

Please stop by if you are in need of food and personal care items. 

Contact retrieveressentials@umbc.edu  if you are having trouble accessing the building. 

Please consider making donations to the food pantry. Our donation box is located right outside of Sherman 205. 

In case you need food over the weekend, in an emergency or after hours, please contact our UMBC Campus Police Department by calling (410) 455-5555. The UMBC Police Station is a designated Food Zone that hosts readily accessible bags of food. Address: UMBC Police Department 1000 Hilltop Circle Baltimore, MD 21250.

First day of classes online, we got this UMBC!  Show us your best distance learning outfit or your set-up for the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL photo.  We will pick some of our favorites and send you a care package.  #UMBCTogether, because we are going to get through this together while we are apart.  

The food pantry, Sherman 205, will be open:

Monday March 23^rd from 12(noon) – 2pm

Tuesday March 24th from 4 pm to 6pm.

Please stop by if you are in need of food and personal care items. 

Contact retrieveressentials@umbc.edu  if you are having trouble accessing the building. 

Please consider making donations to the food pantry. Our donation box is located right outside of Sherman 205. 

In case you need food over the weekend, in an emergency or after hours, please contact our UMBC Campus Police Department by calling (410) 455-5555. The UMBC Police Station is a designated Food Zone that hosts readily accessible bags of food. Address: UMBC Police Department 1000 Hilltop Circle Baltimore, MD 21250.

First day of classes online, we got this UMBC! 

The coronavirus outbreak devastated businesses and entertainment organizations all around the world. Because the CDC warns against all large gatherings, many concerts have been canceled in consideration to the artists’ and the audience members’ health. Although these cancellations protect public health, they also hurt smaller bands and independent artists whose main income is sourced in selling concert tickets and merchandise. 

Artists such as Best Coast, Rex Orange County, HUNNY and many, many more had to stop performing mid-tour. The Happy Fits, having planned to tour with The Frights March through April, played one show of the tour  in Arizona before finding out they had to travel home all the way to New Jersey due to the virus. 

Ross Monteith, guitarist of The Happy Fits, reflects on the band’s experience after losing the opportunity to tour in the spring, “We, personally, are in a fortunate position to receive a good amount of income each month from online streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. There are a lot of bands out there however that aren’t in that position (although they should be) and rely mostly on merch sales and touring. Obviously, this situation is out of everyone’s control and it’s better for the health of everyone that bands don’t tour during this time but it does come at a loss for everyone trying to make a living off of this industry.”

Easily forgotten is the fact that performing as a musician, although a creative and exciting lifestyle, is a career, one that many depend on for income. It can be a difficult career to depend on, especially in the case of all-affecting unexpected situations such as the pandemic we are experiencing. Being that this virus has affected many musicians’ main source of income, they are in need of help to keep producing the art we appreciate and enjoy.

Music-listeners can take many steps in order to help affected bands. Monteith suggests, “I think the best thing you can do at this time, to support your favorite bands, is to stream their music as much as possible and buy their merch if you can. I know that every band, no matter how big or small, will truly appreciate this during this time.”

Even organizations that work with musician promotion and merchandise have provided special deals in the best interest of the artists. For example, this past Friday, Bandcamp, a website that helps connect listeners to new music and houses online shops for musicians to sell merch on, waived their revenue share on all sales—meaning all the profit from purchases go directly to respective artists.

This was a generous step on Bandcamp’s behalf, allowing music-listeners to directly contribute to musicians’ incomes. Other organizations such as The Musicians Union Of Los Angeles provides eligible members with up to $150 from their emergency fund. Although a generous gesture, $150 is not enough to live off of from now until whenever musicians will be able to tour and independently earn income once again. 

Many musicians, disappointed by the cancellations of their tours, announced a new wave of entertainment: Livestream concerts. Artists such as The Sonder Bombs and Rex Orange County have organized at-home concerts through Instagram Live, giving everyone an opportunity to enjoy performances and connect to the artists while practicing social distancing. It is an innovative solution from the musicians, offering a safe alternative to touring.

As music-listeners, we can all do our part in supporting and helping musicians. Their creations make the world a bit more enjoyable, even in the midst of a pandemic. Spending a bit of money on merch and streaming music through reliable services will keep our favorite musicians and the connections they create alive. 

On campus, students at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County have access to the Leisure Reading Collection on the first floor of the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery. The collection began over 10 years ago in order to provide university students and staff with more titles for entertainment than an academic library typically collects, according to Katy Sullivan, Head of Reference for the library. Sullivan selects ten books each month to add to the collection, referencing recommendations submitted through an online form, bestseller lists and other libraries’ collections in order to keep the Leisure Reading Collection filled with relevant titles.

Sullivan works closely with Lynda Aldana, Associate Director of Technical Services, who orders the books and other library staff from several departments to maintain the collection and the room in it’s in. Once a year, library staff remove one hundred books from the shelves, moving them to the main AOK stacks or donating them, to make room for newer and more popular titles in the limited space. Age and circulation together determine whether a title remains; Sullivan describes the collection as “highly circulating,” meaning students check out the books at a high rate, with only approximately seventy percent of titles on the shelves at a given time. Students use the first-floor space, naturally, to read and also to study and take naps on the comfortable chairs, creating a quiet atmosphere of relaxation amid the hectic pace of college life.

For the rest of the Spring 2020 semester, per President Hrabowski’s March 19 announcement via email, classes will take place online and campus will be open in a limited capacity, making it likely that the AOK library will remain closed. This means that UMBC students stuck at home will not have access to the physical books in the Leisure Reading Collection. Given their typical high circulation, it seems that UMBC students want to keep reading. They can do so while making use of UMBC resources by using ebooks that are available on the AOK website.

According to a March 16 WBALTV  article, many public libraries in Maryland are also closed during the month of March, and it is unclear whether they will reopen. In the meantime, many Maryland residents can access free ebooks through their county libraries’ websites; these include the Baltimore County Public Library, the Enoch Pratt Free Library of Baltimore City, the Howard County Library System, and the Anne Arundel County Public Library. Residents of other counties and states can check online to see whether their local library systems offer similar services.

Some other online databases, although less likely to include new popular titles, provide thousands of e-books featuring fiction and non-fiction, especially classics. Project Gutenberg and the Library of Congress both offer free online collections without requiring user information. Other sites, including Manybooks, Smashwords and Open Library, provide more free options for e-books, but require users to create accounts and sign up. 

If they are willing to spend money, students can also read a wide variety of books online through paid services. Kindle through Amazon and Nook through Barnes & Noble both offer a great variety of new releases from major publishers as soon as they come out. Audible, another Amazon company, provides audiobooks to download and listen to; offers for free trials exist on the main site and through affiliate links on other sites such as YouTube. 

The leisure reading collection is a resource that many UMBC students utilize. Though it is currently unavailable as the AOK library is closed, students can access books online to read for fun while maintaining social distancing during the coming weeks. Making the most of these reading opportunities can help students pass the time and feel connected to other readers while away from campus.

When I made the decision to move across the country to attend the University of Maryland, Baltimore County two and a half years ago, I never thought I would be filled with as much frustration as I am now. As a student from Oregon, I was excited to branch out and create an experience that was going to be all mine, with no ties to familiarity. I thought it was so fun to learn new things about Maryland, like the importance of Old Bay and the state flag. I was having the best time making friends and memories. Throughout my time, I’ve continued to vocally express my thankfulness for UMBC and the programs I’m involved in that have made my college dreams a reality. I proclaimed my love for UMBC every chance I got. However, since the outbreak of COVID-19 and following administrative decisions, I’ve found myself replacing that love with my anger.

I’m angry because I was told on Wednesday, March 11 that I had to leave campus by Saturday, March 14. I don’t think this anger is worth sugarcoating because the idea of an unexpected three-day move out is my reality, and the reality of so many other out-of-state students that are here but never heard. After receiving an email of ResLife’s plans, I was relatively calm. I talked with my parents and was planning on just staying here. Over spring break, I’d wait for everything to blow over so that things would be better once everyone got back. At least, that was the plan until I was told it wasn’t really a choice and I had to leave campus immediately. 

Within two hours, I had a flight booked back to Oregon. I was frantic, not knowing if I should pack some things or everything. Was I going to be back in three weeks or three months? Did I really need to pack all my textbooks? What other important documents would I even have the slightest chance of needing? I asked friends, classmates, professors and staff what they thought would happen. I gathered nothing substantial, especially from residential staff, which is where most of the uncertainties lied. 

I know I’m not in the worst situation. In fact, I’m really lucky. My family has the means to get me home, and I feel safe going home to them. My home city of Portland hasn’t been heavily hit, and I’m not a senior, so my last year of college isn’t being robbed from me. I know UMBC’s staff is working hard to make quick decisions and that professors and other staff are just as impacted. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t also feel failed by the school and their last-minute, unclear decisions. 

I know once my anger passes a sadder emotion will take over. I’m worried about that moment when my feelings will flip. It’ll be more tolling on me emotionally as my feelings of loneliness will surely increase. Before this semester, I’d been away from UMBC for nine months, as I studied abroad in the fall. The whole time I was gone, I was itching to get back to Maryland. Everyone in my abroad program, my family and my friends all knew how badly I wanted, needed, to be back. I’ve truly had the most incredible experiences here and my life has been forever changed by the UMBC community. To be leaving so quickly is the worst heartbreak I’ve ever had. 

I think it’s difficult for in-state students and the UMBC decision makers to understand the emotions of leaving Maryland. But I uproot my life so often it feels unsustainable at this point. I’m always leaving or always going and always saying goodbye. Leaving either my friends in Maryland or my family in Oregon is something that never gets easier. I feel like at some point, I can’t get too emotionally grounded in either place, as I know I’m going to have to say goodbye one day. Who wants to live their life like that? The constant feelings of goodbye are always difficult and this one is even harder, not knowing when I’ll be back.

I don’t want it to seem like I’m complaining, ungrateful or that I’m in the worst situation there is. That’s not my intention. But when will UMBC realize that they have students that can’t just leave? Yes, UMBC is known as a commuter school, but there are international and out-of-state students here too. I love UMBC and think it’s where I belong. At this point, I’m not sure UMBC feels the same way about me, as I’ve felt a total lack of support from decision makers. Nobody has been able to answer my questions about what I need to do. Professors have been incredible in all of this, reaching out and making sure students like me are going to be okay and have the resources for success, but they can’t support the students on their own. UMBC really needs to step up and lead in this uncertain time. Students depend on them, and without strong leadership and care, I worry the community I love is one that I won’t be able to reliably go back to for some time. 

I wish I had a better grasp of the “right words” when writing this. I wish I was more eloquent in my feelings and reflection on these frantic goodbyes, sudden “last times,” and a whirlwind of emotions. For now, I know these feelings are more important to express than to beautify. Times are hard and scary and sad. But while my opinions are long and complex, my goodbye to the UMBC community isn’t, as I know I’ll be back soon. For now, I’ll say a difficult goodbye with love, and most importantly, with grit.

Written by Mikaila Donaldson, a junior history major with a secondary education certificate.

I never imagined that the last four issues I would be editing would be digital, or that our newsroom would be reporting on national news while stuck at home, away from the buzz of our office and away from those we would be ultimately reporting on. 

As so many things in the world fall apart, journalists are only just beginning to lean in, and we intend to do the same. 

We will continue to put out a biweekly newspaper and publish breaking news to our Twitter account and to our website as it happens. 

PDFs of our newspaper can be found under the “Digital Archives” tab on our website, and we will be ordering a limited number of print copies for mail distribution by request.

Now, more than ever, it is important that we continue to elevate your questions and field your concerns. We are here to hear your stories and center your voices. 

The former Washington Post President and Publisher Philip L. Graham stated that “The real function of newspapers is to provide the kind of first draft of history.” We know we aren’t The Post of your news consumption, but we want to be the first publication you go to when you want your voice to be heard.

But without your help, we know we can’t cover it all. In order to give you the best coverage possible, we hope you will actively engage with our reporters, columnists and editors on social media or over email when we can’t be there for you in person.

We’ve seen some of this engagement over the past week, and it has resulted in what I believe has been extremely thoughtful and conscientious reporting. 

We hope you’ll continue to engage with us over the coming weeks, so that we can continue to put out a newspaper that serves you.

My email is always open.

Julia Arbutus, Editor-in-Chief