At the start of each semester, UMBC student organizations join for a massive event called Involvement Fest. This event showcases most student organizations on campus. While it is held on Erickson Field in the fall semester. At the start of the spring semester, IFest is held indoors at the Retriever Activities Center due to the cold weather. This year, spring Involvement Fest was held on Feb. 5, 2018.
Because the event is held in the RAC, space is a serious issue. As people enter Involvement Fest, the RAC quickly becomes crowded with tables, club representatives and students who came to learn about the various organizations present.
Freshman history and political science double major Zane Poffenberger was among the many people who commented on RAC space issues.
“There is an issue with not having a lot of space. If we were able to have this somewhere bigger, that would be good,” said Poffenberger. “It’s what we have to deal with but going forward that’s something we want to change.”
Also commenting on the space, senior global science major Matt Taylor said, “if it’s possible to space people out, it would probably be better.” Taylor also suggested that using the new Event Center could improve the space issue.
Although some students take issue with the lack of space in the RAC, many students expressed positive opinions about the event. Spring Involvement Fest allows people to see organizations that they did not get to see in the fall. It also provides new transfer students a chance to see student organizations on campus.
Freshman biochemistry major Liliane Ventrone said, “it’s always good to have a second [Involvement Fest] to remind people that these clubs exist.”
Also commenting on the efficiency of the spring Involvement Fest, freshman information systems major Brent Bemiller said, “I like the idea of the second Involvement Fest to see the other organizations that you didn’t get to see the first time.” He also said, “I can help out in the clubs I’m involved in now.”
Many students believe that spring Involvement Fest is a way to learn about organizations that they did not get a chance to see in the fall.
Junior bioinformatics major Veneeth Antony said, “I think it is good to have two [Involvement Fests] in a year. You might have missed one in the fall and this is another opportunity to find a club that you missed.” He also said that the event impacts people who missed out on the fall Involvement Fest: “it’s good for students who weren’t able to come to the first one.”
Junior biochemistry and chemical engineering double major Katelyn Gregory also commented on spring Involvement Fest.
“I think it’s efficient to have the second one,” said Gregory. “After the first semester you get the opportunity to branch out and if they don’t have Involvement Fest in the spring, you don’t know what’s really available.”
Involvement Fest is not just for returning students interested in seeing organizations they missed in the fall, it is also an opportunity for transfer students to get involved with the student life on campus. Junior modern language and linguistics major Ellie Coxe said, “there are transfers who start in the spring. I think it’s good for those students who are looking for something.”
Involvement Fest is an opportunity for students, both new and returning, to see the clubs and organizations at UMBC.
]]>This past Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles took home their first ever Super Bowl Championship and fans have yet to stop celebrating. Thousands of highly-anticipated Philadelphians filled street corners to mark their glorious victory over the New England Patriots. Viewers tuned in to experience a season-ending game with celebrities, wrestlers, and rappers alike. Not a single body in sight could remain in their seats.
Except during halftime.
The NSYNC pop star, Justin Timberlake, also made history with his first headlining Super bowl performance. But much to our surprise, that may be the only accomplishment of his from the night. We kick off halftime with Jimmy Fallon dangling from a Hollywood-inspired Pepsi sign. Strobe lights flicker on a hidden silhouette. A few sudden bursts of light later, and out emerges Timberlake. Viewers witnessed a jam-packed montage of his older work unfold. From “Sexy Back” to “Suit & Tie”- even a breakaway dance number fell into the mix.
Yet the highlight of the night encompassed a 70 ft projection of the late Prince. On a sleek white piano, Timberlake sang along to “I Would Die 4 U” as exclusive footage of the legend himself played in the backdrop. Purple lights covered the entire stadium to pay homage to the Minneapolis musician.
To wrap things up, Timberlake storms up flights of stairs to greet his fans even stopping to take a selfie with a young Timberlake look alike. Seconds later, the same teen is completely unconcerned as he breaks away to fiddle with his phone. It is possible that his blank expression resonated with all of us from start to finish.
In a VEVO Behind the Scenes look at the making of Timberlake’s new album, he labels his creation as one that stems from his southern heritage. Timberlake states that his music is “modern Americana with accolades.” However, this version of JT didn’t seem in attendance Sunday night. Maybe the landscape flannel and retro Jordan’s represented the artists’ crossover from R&B to a country theme, but it’s safe to say, our mild entertainment was based on a complete rip-off.
If Justin Timberlake’s style choice has taught us anything, it’s that he has and always will be the “Man of the Woods.” Janet Jackson, Prince, and many other notable performers were grossly exploited in Timberlake’s climb to fame. After advertently glossing over the verse that led to Jackson’s infinite sexualization, one can only assume Timberlake had one intention – to boost sales.
Timberlake joined Jackson on this same stage over a decade ago, but most remember the “Nipplegate” case like it was yesterday. In 2004, the two performed side by side and later bra-in-hand. At the end of “Rock your Body”, Timberlake ripped off a piece of Jackson’s bustier leaving her exposed to the public eye. Although it was choreographed to leave her bra intact, this plan ultimately failed and only Jackson received the repercussions.
Along the same line, Timberlake has a background of insulting the now deceased Prince. At the 2007 Golden Globes, Justin mocked the singer’s height and later dedicated a verse to further the injury in his song “Give It To Me” that same year. Now, he has blatantly ignored the icon’s wish to not be remembered through a hologram. Many find comfort in the hologram type substitute while others speculate if a loophole is excusable.
Past headliners, such as Coldplay, merged their soft rock with a fresh showdown between Beyoncé and Bruno Mars. This level of collaboration was not only appropriate but also a grand gesture. Timberlake’s use of dancers could not distract us from the washed out audio.
The convenience of black culture and artistry have largely influenced Timberlake’s overall career. Without the scapegoat of reviving his former hits, there would be no halftime show. By capitalizing on the free publicity of resurrected rumors and legends, Timberlake embarks on his next project in which Billboard has already claimed to be a soon-to-be No. 1 Debut.
]]>The Women’s Center Advisory Board is a collective of faculty, staff, and students with an interest in supporting and cultivating the work of the Women’s Center at UMBC and advancing gender equity and social justice on UMBC’s campus.
Board members participate in monthly board meetings, scheduled for the first Friday of each month during the academic year. This forum allows Women’s Center staff to share information about the Center and similarly allows the board members to share their knowledge, wisdom and unique perspectives to advance the mission of the Women’s Center.
In addition to advising the Director and Coordinator of the Women’s Center, board members provide support in the planning, programming, and advocacy of the Women’s Center. Board members are encouraged to attend Women’s Center events when possible and volunteer at larger events such as Critical Social Justice, Take Back the Night, or the Returning Women Students networking event. These responsibilities may entail additional hours of commitment outside of the monthly board meetings.
Board members are
appointed for two-year terms, with the possibility of renewal.
The Women’s Center seeks
to serve a diverse community of people interested in women’s, gender, and
social justice issues. We seek a diverse
board to assure that varying needs and interests are represented.
For more on the Women’s Center mission, guiding principles, and priorities,
visit womenscenter.umbc.edu
DEADLINE: Friday, April 20, 2018
Submit via email or campus mail.
For additional information, please call the Women’s Center at x52714 or email womens.center@umbc.edu.
All Are Welcome So Long As They Respect Women’s Experiences, Stories & Potential
]]>
Prof. Rubin published a new book, The Perfect Scout: A Soldier's Memoir of the Great March to the Sea and the Campaign of the Carolinas, a rare and dramatic first-person account by a Union scout who served General William Tecumseh Sherman on his “march to the sea.”
]]>The United States has racked up a startling 12 school shootings only one month into 2018. The settings have ranged from elementary schools to college campuses. Maryland specifically is known for some of the strictest gun laws in the nation, with sellers in neighboring states even refusing to sell to Maryland residents.
However, since 2002, there have been four school shootings across the state, the latest recorded in 2015. While none of these attacks proved fatal, and in one instance could not have been prevented by any action of the school, the threat still looms. Maryland students and parents are wondering what can be done to ease this anxiety.
It seems the American public is growing dishearteningly accustomed to a new and terrifying norm. According to the CDC, 90 percent of schools have developed a plan of action for school shootings and occasionally drill their student body. Faced with such a grim set of circumstances, schools and universities across the country must appeal to their state and federal governments for simple changes to the policies regarding gun safety that could ultimately save a number of lives.
According to federal law, almost any 21-year-old, tax-paying, law-abiding American can purchase a handgun after passing an exam. Maryland is not an open carry state and requires a somewhat extensive process to obtain a legal permit to carry a concealed handgun. As in 23 other states, the decision to ban or allow concealed carry is left to the individual universities in Maryland. UMBC prohibits the possession of any weapons.
A gun permit requires at least 16 hours of training in gun safety and must be renewed after two years and then every three years following. Fingerprinting is used to conduct background checks. However, permit renewal does not require subsequent fingerprinting, meaning there is less information as more time accumulates with the permit. This leaves all information on criminal activity to documentation by the police and the justice system, which is not always the most reliable.
In many cases, school shooters are members of the student body or faculty. In most cases involving a student as the shooter, they typically use whatever weapon they can get their hands on. A case study tracked 123 instances of gun violence on school property between 1992 and 1999. Out of the 128 weapons used in the 123 cases, 37.5 percent came from the shooter’s own home with 23.4 percent coming from a friend or a relative.
Maryland law does dictate that it is unlawful for any loaded weapon to be of physical access to a child, and gun safety training recommends the use of trigger locks in the home. Further steps could easily ensure an even lower access in which gun safes, cabinets or some versions of a locked unit are utilized by legislation, not including any weapon specifically registered for use of home protection.
In Maryland, there is no registry for rifles or shotguns and no need for a license to purchase. This is discouraging because in the same case study, almost 50 percent of the attacks involved a rifle or shotgun. So while a rifle or shotgun is nowhere near “concealable,” it seems pragmatic to believe that a simple change to licensing and registration would restrict at least some access to obtaining a weapon, a solution which could reduce that number by half.
If some of these systematic changes could drop the annual number of school shootings by just one instance, their effectiveness would be validated and surely appreciated.
]]>Are you a current UMBC Junior, Senior, or UMBC Alumnus?
Are you ready to begin your professional medical or dental education at a professional school in the Fall of 2019?
CURRENTLY ENROLLED UMBC STUDENTS WHO WILL BE FIRST-TIME HPEC APPLICANTS TO MEDICAL OR DENTAL SCHOOLS: The deadline for first-time applicants who are currently-enrolled UMBC students, to join the Fall 2019 Cohort is Friday, February 16, 2018 by 1:00pm. At the Kickoff Workshops, instructions will be shared about what information needs to be submitted by the deadline. February 16 is NOT the deadline for recommendation letters. Currently enrolled UMBC students must attend a Kickoff Workshop in order to be eligible for HPEC’s eight-week guarantee.
UMBC ALUMNI WHO WILL BE FIRST-TIME HPEC APPLICANTS WHO ARE NOT CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN ANY UMBC COURSES: The deadline for first-time HPEC applicants who are UMBC alumni to join a cohort is February 1 of each year. UMBC alumni who will be applying to medical or dental school for the first-time with HPEC, are required to email Ms. Roelke their interest in joining a cohort by February 1 of each year. UMBC Alumni who are not currently attending UMBC do not need to attend a Kickoff Workshop.
Re-Applicants, those UMBC students and alumni who already applied to medical or dental school previously with the assistance of HPEC and a HPEC letter packet was previously sent to the centralized services, are required to email Ms. Roelke their interest in joining another cohort byMay 1 of each year. This May 1 deadline is strictly for HPEC Re-Applicants (UMBC students or alumni who previously applied to professional school with the assistance of HPEC).
For those interested in future cohorts, such as Fall 2020 and beyond, please review this Kick-off Workshop page and the Minimum Cohort Requirements page, which both include information for potential future applicants, such as UMBC alumni, along with the purpose of the pre-health, or HPEC, process page.
The application process for current UMBC students who are considering starting medical or dental school in the Fall of 2019 begins with a Kickoff Workshop. Kickoff Workshops are designed for applicants who are applying to medical or dental school for the first-time with the assistance of UMBC’s Health Professions Evaluation Committee (HPEC). Attending one of the Kickoff Workshops does not obligate you to apply for admission in Fall 2019, but it does explain the lengthy application process and steps that each student needs to take towards that goal. Attendance at a Kickoff Workshop is mandatory for currently enrolled students at UMBC interested in matriculating to medical or dental school in the Fall of 2019.
Prior to attending a Kickoff Workshop, future applicants should review the minimum cohort requirements and the purpose of the pre-health application, or HPEC, process.
CURRENT UMBC STUDENTS:
If a student is enrolled in courses at UMBC during the Spring 2018 semester and if the currently enrolled, UMBC degree-seeking student is interested in applying to medical or dental school for admission in Fall 2019, then attendance at one of the Kickoff Workshops is mandatory for currently enrolled, UMBC degree-seeking undergraduate students. UMBC alumni who are still taking classes at UMBC in Spring 2018 are considered current students and therefore are required to attend a Kickoff Workshop. Currently enrolled UMBC students must attend a Kickoff Workshop in order to be eligible for HPEC’s eight-week guarantee.
If you are a Previous Non-Completer (PNC) and you are currently taking classes at UMBC in Spring 2018, then as a current student and first-time HPEC applicant, you are required to attend one of the Kickoff Workshops for the Fall 2019 Cohort. PNC’s are not automatically moved to another cohort. PNC’s who are taking classes at UMBC in Spring 2018 are required to attend one of the mandatory Fall 2019 Kickoff Workshops, regardless of any previous attendance at any previous kick-off workshops.
UMBC ALUMNI:
UMBC Alumni who are no longer attending UMBC, are welcome to attend a Kickoff Workshop, but are not required to do so because they are no longer on-campus. UMBC alumni who are no longer attending UMBC are required to email their interest in joining the Fall 2019 cohort to Ms. Roelke at Christy.Roelke@umbc.edu on or before February 1, 2018.
For UMBC Alumni who are planning to apply to professional school for admission in Fall 2020 or beyond, each application cycle functions similarly. Therefore, as the Kickoff Workshops are always held in January or February and a new cohort is launched then, alumni are required to email Ms. Roelke their interest in joining a new cohort on or before February 1 of each year. For example, alumni who are interested in joining the Fall 2020 cohort, are required to email Ms. Roelke about your interest in the Fall 2020 cohort (starting classes at professional school in Fall 2020) on or before February 1, 2019. The application cycle follows a similar pattern every year. For example, alumni who are interested in joining the Fall 2021 cohort (starting classes at professional school in Fall 2021), are required to email Ms. Roelke about your interest in the Fall 2021 cohort on or before February 1, 2020.
For those interested in future cohorts, such as Fall 2020 and beyond, please review this page which includes minimum requirements and information for UMBC alumni.
HPEC RE-APPLICANTS:
If you are a HPEC re-applicant (if you previously applied to professional school via HPEC), please email Ms. Roelke on or before May 1 of each year about the Re-Applicant process. The Kickoff Workshops are tailored for first-time HPEC applicants only.
Fall 2019 KICKOFF WORKSHOPS:
The same content is repeated at both workshops. No need to RSVP; just attend one workshop if interested and if you meet the minimum requirements to join a cohort.
Make sure you are able to fulfill the minimum requirements of the Fall 2019 Cohort before you attend a Kickoff Workshop!
The deadline for first-time applicants who are currently-enrolled UMBC students, to join the Fall 2019 Cohort is Friday, February 16, 2018 by 1:00pm.
February 1 of each year is the deadline for first-time applicants who are UMBC alumni, who are not enrolled in any UMBC courses, to join a cohort.
Dates of the Fall 2019 Kickoff Workshops:
Monday, February 12, 2018
University Center 312/UC 312
Noon-12:50pm
No need to RSVP. Make sure you can properly fulfill the cohort minimum requirements before attending.
or
Friday, February 16, 2018
University Center 312/UC 312
Noon-12:50pm
No need to RSVP. Make sure you can properly fulfill the cohort minimum requirements before attending.
]]>Valentine’s Day is unequivocally the worst holiday among major holidays celebrated in America. Harsh as it may sound, declaring Valentine’s Day to be an inferior holiday is being incredibly charitable, as it is hardly a holiday to begin with.
Roughly speaking there are two types of holidays celebrated in the U.S.: “principled” holidays and commodified holidays. Principled holidays would include those celebrated mostly by minority, ethnic and religious communities with traditions dating back centuries. These holidays are not typically part of the national discourse.
Commodified holidays are holidays that lose their specific character and become generalized celebrations. A commodified holiday like Christmas is so diluted by commercialization that it is quite easy to project one’s own personal beliefs onto it. Atheists, Christians, Muslims, Jews, and other groups in America celebrate Christmas proudly, despite their disparate beliefs, because there is no real common thread to the holiday.
Halloween is similar in this manner. Although there is certainly a strong aesthetic attached to Halloween, there are no values or major events that are being celebrated during the holiday. For the most part, Halloween is just about having fun. Staying home and watching scary movies is as valid a celebration as going trick or treating or partying.
Valentine’s Day takes the worst elements of these two types and takes none of the positives. It is hyper-focused on one particular theme, romantic love, but fails to uphold this value. In some cases, it even obstructs the development of healthy romantic relationships. Valentine’s Day is oriented towards large gestures – about 6 million women expect marriage proposals on the holiday.
Additionally, gift giving is a major ritual associated with Valentine’s Day. Although there is nothing intrinsically harmful about the act of gift giving, it often provides those in relationships with excuses to shirk the responsibility of caring and providing for their partner on a consistent, long-term basis. This occurs despite prevailing research that successful relationships are predicated on constant daily affirmation, not flashy gestures.
Some concede that such expectations and rituals are unhealthy, but maintain that they are not required features of Valentine’s Day. This perspective ignores how holidays are constructed through implicit rules. There is no law in the Tanakh stating that all Jews must light a menorah during Hanukkah, but it is still considered to be the ritualistic centerpiece of Hanukah.
A holiday should either have established mechanisms to celebrate the value or event that it is designed to celebrate or be an open forum where all are free to enjoy and partake in festivities.
A popular view held about Valentine’s Day is that it should be honored, regardless of its validity as a holiday, because it preserves the sanctity of romance. The act of carving out a day whereby couples are encouraged to affirm their love for each other supposedly ensures that romantic love remains sacrosanct.
Although this brings up an interesting point: what is the value of discussing love in the abstract divorced from the reality of the situation? Speaking generally, divorce rates have been on the rise as Valentine’s Day has grown in popularity (now currently celebrated across the globe).
A significantly more rigorous analysis conducted that tracked relationships before and after Valentine’s Day confirmed this generalization, as it concluded that Valentine’s Day hurts relationship health. Relationships that are solidly grounded on mutual respect and affection, not on Hallmark receipts, will succeed with or without Valentine’s Day.
]]>