UMBC is so firmly established in the Baltimore region and as the home of over 80,000 Retrievers, it’s hard to believe that only four decades ago, our university was in danger of being permanently shut down. 

Picture this: On March 2, 1981, a thousand UMBC students and faculty gathered in the Quad chanting into megaphones, shouting cheers, and proudly waving poster exclaiming, “SAVE OUR SCHOOL!” Local TV news crews flocked around the protest gathering footage of UMBC’s largest mass meeting to date. “Up your nose, we won’t close!” students cheered as they marched to the dining hall to await a speech from then-Chancellor John Dorsey and UMBC President John Toll to discover the fate of their beloved university. Was UMBC going to be shut down indefinitely?

One of the largest rallies in UMBC’s history was sparked by controversial reports released by the Baltimore Sun Papers, News American, and the Washington Star stating that the State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) may submit a proposal to turn the Catonsville campus into an industrial park. The proposal was put forth by the commissioner of higher education, Sheldon Knorr.

Toll denied that there was any legitimate threat, but students were unsatisfied with such a simple response and clamored for more answers. 

A rally to remember

As reported in the March 4 edition of The Retriever, multiple student groups such as the Student Government Association, Black Student Union, the Chinese Student Association, and others helped organize the rally. SGA President, Scott Rifkin ’81, biological science, shouted his frustrations and roused the crowd of students.

“Somebody is serious about this proposal, and if we aren’t, we could be at the University of Baltimore by next year,” he said followed by deafening roars of approval, according to the student paper.

Students stood on tables, chairs, and each other’s shoulders to get a glimpse of Toll as he delivered his speech to the agitated crowd. 

“The newspaper reports were demoralizing and damaging,” Toll said. “If the threat is real, we are prepared to fight it.” 

Current UMBC archivist Lindsey Loeper ’04, American studies, created an online archive summarizing the raucous event for the university’s 50th anniversary. While gathering the information for the archive, she noted a certain joy in immersing herself in this historical event. 

“There are so many myths and stories about UMBC’s history, and one that I remember hearing was about Chancellor Dorsey standing on the table in the dining hall and addressing the crowd of students—I wish I had a picture of it,” she says. “It was interesting to see the event unfold through the newspaper clippings and administrative records and correspondence. The SBHE proposal really seemed to blindside a lot of people.”

Reason for concern

While the administration denied reports of the university closing at the time, there were many reasons why UMBC may have been on the chopping block. The relatively young 14-year-old university had few alumni and still laid in the shadows of the older Maryland institutional branches. University of Maryland, College Park and University of Maryland at Baltimore had a combined 300 years on UMBC, leaving the school politically and economically disadvantaged. UMBC also lacked a public image, something that then-Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Walter Jones asserted, was the early administration’s fault.

“The administration was very, very late recognizing the need to build a public image for UMBC rather than just have one shaped,” Jones said in The Retriever article. 

The fundamental problem was that the SBHE failed to understand the purpose of a “research-based” university, noted Jones, who asserted that UMBC required a closer student-teacher ratio and that a specialized laboratory open year-round was necessary to the growth of the university. He stressed the importance of a higher education public research institution in the Baltimore area.

The research-based vision continues to guide the development of UMBC, and also defines the current reputation of the institution. UMBC is regularly recognized for its teaching and innovation as well as faculty research. 

“This event was one of a number in the 1980s that shows how UMBC was trying to figure out where it fit in the academic community in Baltimore, in Maryland, and in the larger national scope,” Loeper asserts. “I think it shows that universities continually go through periods of stability and periods of change.”

 Where would we be without UMBC?

The SBHE would eventually adopt a proposal in April 1981 that left UMBC untouched and allowed the campus to remain open. Nearly 40 years later, UMBC and its alumni have changed the trajectory of countless lives through the years—students have gone on to serve as the U.S. Surgeon General and be voted in as the first African American and first female Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates; they also work behind the scenes to create the sounds and ambiance that so many of us enjoy in the Star War franchise. Yet none of this would’ve been possible had campus been turned into a bleak industrial park. 

Stef Smith, Dylan Weschler, Pat Stanton, Jake Stolz and Paul Stolz collaborate to create Varsity, an indie rock and pop band from Chicago, Illinois. Varsity strides with its blend of instruments and vocals, reminiscent of artists such as Alvvays and Best Coast. The band pairs lively instrumentals with calming pacing and simplistic, relatable lyrics. Smith’s magnificently high vocals add a brightness to Weschler’s, Stolz’s, Stanton’s and Stolz’s classic rock instrumentals. Through the members’ artistic choices, Varsity beautifully balances pop and rock, catering to a variety of music lovers.

Varsity recently excited Washington D.C.’s Songbyrd Record Cafe and Music House with its soothing yet energetic beats. Beginning with some of the band’s most popular songs such as “A Friend Named Paul” and “So Sad, So Sad,” Varsity appeased the crowd right off the bat.  

“So Sad, So Sad” is from Varsity’s most recent album, The Basement Takes (2015-2016), just released in November of 2019. The song focuses on the utter vulnerability and weakness someone may display when feeling unhealthily attached to someone. It can even be interpreted as a musical representation of codependency.  The lyrics are heart-wrenching, but the song’s chorus is inevitably catchy and its repetitiveness mimics the redundancy of the undeserved self-critical thoughts following the end of a relationship. The performance of this song was enhanced with added harmonies from the musicians, complementing Smith’s traditionally solo vocals. 

The Basement Takes (2015 – 2016) marks a great step in stylistic change for Varsity, presenting a more pop-oriented collection with softer vocals and playful beats. Specifically, when compared to “Thanks for Nothing,” a harder-rock EP released in 2014, listeners can hear clear differences in the band’s newest addition. Stanton explains, “There was never really a discussion about changing styles. As we grew as a band our sound seemed to evolve naturally. So any stylistic change was just the consequence of playing a lot together and growing as musicians.” Resurfacing songs from 2015 and 2016, the band pays an ode to its own growth over the years.

Varsity’s natural penchant for stylistic change may be due to the band members’ many avenues of inspiration. Smith explains, “We all have different sources of inspiration whether it’s music, art, books, comedy and we come together and try to take five points of view and make a new thing.” The band’s progression and growth combine the individual music and media interests of each of the band members. This helps explain Varsity’s likability among a wide range of listeners. 

At Songbyrd, Varsity played plenty of new music, again stepping in a slightly different direction from the rest of the band’s music thus far. Varsity’s new music sustained a particular sharpness that was reminiscent of the band’s earliest music. The songs were high-spirited and upbeat with emotional lyrics, keeping a tie to Varisty’s more recent albums. In this way, the new songs performed proved that, despite the changes Varsity’s music has undergone throughout the years, its music still maintains great flow and recognizability. 

Varsity, a band of members who share a genuine kindness and lovable goofiness with every crowd they meet, clearly has a grand love for media of all kinds, and they produce music that reflects that. Varsity’s growth shows the musical strengths and adaptability of the band, displaying the extent of the members’ abilities and talents. The band is optimistic for the upcoming year, “We’re currently working on our third full-length album that should be out next year and we’ll make music videos and go on tour and then we’ll hunker down and probably write another album that sounds a little bit different than this one. Until then, endless content on Instagram and Twitter. 2020 is gonna be fun,” Weschler says.

The Howard County Arts Council is currently seeking proposals from artists with public art experience for ARTsites 2020, a one-year outdoor sculpture exhibit on display in Howard County, Maryland from August 2020 to July 2021. Selected artists will be awarded a $3,000 grant to participate in the exhibit. Deadline to apply is February 28, 2020.

Complete guidelines and submission information is available at https://hocoarts.submittable.com/submit/151916/artsites-2020-artist-appl...

The University System of Maryland’s Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (USM LSAMP) announces the opportunity for undergraduate scholars currently enrolled at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Frostburg State University, or Towson University to participate in programming to enhance their summer research experience. If selected, you will join a community of undergraduate researchers, attend professional development seminars, and be eligible for a financial award totaling up to $1,500 over the course of the program. Undergraduate scholars who work with distinguished STEM faculty within the University System of Maryland qualify for the award. Student scholars conduct research over a minimum of ten weeks per semester under the direction of a faculty research mentor.  

Applicants may apply for research opportunities in any of the following NSF-classified STEM disciplines: Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Environmental Science, Geosciences, Mathematics, Physics/Astronomy, or technology areas associated with the preceding fields (e.g., biotechnology, chemical technology, engineering technology, information technology).

To be eligible for the research program, applicants must be:

• A US citizen or permanent resident at one of the aforementioned institutions

• In good academic standing

• Members of racial and ethnic groups that have been historically underrepresented in STEM disciplines. All students are welcome to apply

• Students who have no previous research experience

Program Requirements:

• Engage in research with distinguished STEM faculty within the University System of Maryland for a minimum of ten weeks beginning on Thursday, February 6th 2020.
  
  
• Attend an orientation session on Wednesday, February 5th from 11:00am - 1:00pm.
  
  
• Attend three professional development workshops.
  
  
• Submit a three one-page journal entries based on your experience (entry, mid-semester, and concluding).
   
  
• A 2-page culminating reflection will be submitted at the conclusion of the research experience.    
  
  
• Submit a time log of research every two weeks.
  
  
• Awardees will be required to present a research poster and/or a give an oral presentation of the project expected results at the UMBC Undergraduate Research Achievement Conference on April 22, 2020 or your home institution's spring research symposium. Students must attend and engage with the entire conference. Research presentations at other conferences can be substituted with prior approval on a case-by-case basis. 
  
  
• Students are also encouraged to present at the Annual Research Symposium at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore. 

Please note: The NSF USM LSAMP logo and funding disclaimer must be included on the poster or presentation.

Application:

We ask that undergraduate scholars completely fill out and submit the following USM LSAMP Research Program application form. The submitted application is due no later than Tuesday, January 21st, 2020.

Global Game Jam 2020 registration

Registration for the 2020 Global Game Jam is open!

For the 12th(!) year in a row, UMBC is the Baltimore host site for the Global Game Jam! It will run from 5:00 pm Friday, January 31st to 5:00 pm Sunday, February 2nd, just after classes start. Space is limited, so sign up now!

For anyone who hasn’t participated, the global game jam is a 48-hour game development event, similar in spirit to a hackathon, with hundreds of host sites around the world. At 5:00 pm local time, introduce the jam and announce this year’s theme. Previous year’s themes have ranged from a phrase (“as long as we’re together there will always be problems”) to a word (“extinction”) to an image (ouroboros: a snake eating its tail), to a sound (the recording of a heartbeat). Participants brainstorm game ideas around the theme, form into teams, and spend the weekend building games that are designed to be both fun and express the theme.

The UMBC site is not restricted to just students. In previous years, we have had a mix of UMBC students, alumni, students from other schools, game development professionals, and just people with an interest in game development. You can get more information on game jams, the GGJ, and the UMBC site on the UMBC Games, Animation and Interactive Media web page.   

The UMBC site is limited to just 40 participants, so sign up early if you want to come. If you are not near UMBC, check the main Global Game Jam site for a participating location near you.

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