“The American Dream is a term that is often used but also often misunderstood. It isn’t really about becoming rich or famous. It is about things much simpler and more fundamental than that.”

– Marco Rubio, U.S. Senator from Florida

What does it mean to live like an American? And how does the rest of the world view typical day-to-day American life?

Keurig. Fitbit. Netflix. Pinterest. Consumable objects and activities like these carry images of an American “good life” recognized around the world, shaping and reflecting the complex technological, political, and economic dynamics associated with globalization. How do these ideas and images shape individual consumer identities around the world? How do other societies adapt to and alter American consumer goods? And what are the ecological and economic impacts for the countries that produce and dispose of iPhones, Nikes, and other iconic objects of desire?

In AMST 352 – American Culture in Global Perspective, we’ll explore these issues as we analyze the carefully designed campaigns that communicate branded ‘lifestyles,’ trace the production processes behind coveted labels, and investigate emerging forms of commodity activism.

AMST 352 is a hybrid course taught at the Shady Grove Campus in Rockville, Maryland. AMST 352 counts towards the Arts and Humanities GEP and Culture GEP requirements. Recommended preparation includes one lower-level social sciences or humanities course focused on American society or culture.

Lil Peep, a 21-year-old American rapper and singer, passed away on Nov. 15, 2017. His death has been attributed to a Xanax overdose which has sparked a conversation about the opioid addiction epidemic in the United States.

Lil Peep’s music normalized the use of opioids and other drugs as a way to escape from life. Most of Lil Peep’s fans loved him because his songs broadcasted unadulterated takes on death, desperation and depression and were relatable in ways no other music could be.

In the days before his death, Lil Peep posted several photos to his Instagram with captions that should have caused a wave of concern. However, the wave came crashing in far too late. On Nov. 14 at 11:16 p.m. he posted the last photo to his account. The caption read, “When I die you’ll love me.” By the next morning, he was found dead on his tour bus. It is so saddening to see someone who is so clearly in need of help be ignored.

For the duration of his career, Lil Peep was not secretive about his depression, drug use and numerous suicide attempts. He used that energy as the fuel for every song he created. There had never been music that sounded quite like Lil Peep’s: a blend of the heartbreakingly straightforward lyricism of rap mixed with the earnest emotion of emo.

Depression and drug use need to be treated and not glorified. Putting Lil Peep on a pedestal for using drugs as a coping mechanism is dangerous. Artists like him may be suffering from serious mental illnesses. When fans color their idol’s drug use with positive connotations, they are supporting the descent into even deeper depression.

The death of a 21-year-old star is nothing new, especially not in the music industry. But it is very shocking to hear Lil Peep’s manager announce the news by saying he had “been expecting this call for a year.” Lil Peep’s own manager was prepared for him to die at any given moment but he did nothing to prevent it out of a desire to keep up Lil Peep’s trademark image.

The most remarkable thing about Lil Peep is not that he is dead now. It is that he connected with so many people, so quickly and yet none of those connections could keep him alive.

By the end of Lil Peep’s life, intense and reckless drug use had become the biggest, most iconic part of his image. In the future, fans need to reach out and make sure that the artists they supposedly love will make it out of their twenties. If anyone is in need of help or someone to talk to, call the 24-hour suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

Naomi Mburu made history when she became the first UMBC student to receive the Rhodes Scholarship last week.

The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award in which the top global students are selected to study at the University of Oxford. Established in 1902, it is the oldest international award ever and widely considered to be one of the world’s most prestigious scholarships. Several prominent figures have received the award in the past, including Bill Clinton, Dean Rusk, William Warren Bradley, Rachel Maddow, and Naomi Wolf.

This year, more than 2500 American students competed for the chance at being nominated for the prestigious award. Out of the 2500, only 866 students from nearly 300 U.S. colleges and universities were nominated, and just 32 of the nominees went on to become Rhodes Scholars. In all, there were approximately 100 students chosen across 65 different countries (including the U.S.) as Rhodes Scholars this year.

After the names of the winners were released on Nov. 18, Mburu admitted that she was shocked and even in disbelief when her name was called.

“Honestly I didn’t feel anything, it didn’t register to me … they said the first guy’s name, Nathan Bermel, and then they said my name and I couldn’t believe it. I just kind of sat there like ‘What? No, there’s no way’ ” Mburu said. “There was [even] one person who actually ended up being on Forbe’s ’30 Under 30′ list, and I was just like, ‘I’m just this person from UMBC.'”

Despite her initial shock, Mburu said that she eventually came to terms with it and was met with the congratulations of her friends and family.

“I called my mom [and dad] initially … then I texted President Hrabowski. And then I got a call from him and he was crying … and it hadn’t really sunken in yet for me. So he starts crying and then I started to cry. It was crazy.”

Mburu, senior chemical engineering major, has spent her years at UMBC involved with several research programs and student organizations. As part of the Meyerhoff and MARC U*STAR Scholars programs, she is a peer mentor to underrepresented minorities pursuing careers in STEM. She is also a member of the National Society for Black Engineers, and has helped increase the membership and attendance of the organization since her sophomore year.

As of now, she currently stands as the Region II Vice Chairperson for the organization and is working in a computer engineering lab under Dr. Gymama Slaughter, where they are working to develop a bio-fuel cell that can be used to generate power in the body without other external power sources to help patients with diabetes or pacemakers.

Despite her achievements, Mburu said that there were definitely challenges that accompanied being a female leader in STEM. Born to Kenyan immigrants, Mburu said that she always had her family’s support in her passion for the sciences, but that being a young African American female came with internal battles that she had to overcome.

“When I was working at CERN, there were no African-American scientists,” she said. “There were thousands of scientists there, [but] none of them were African American females. And they were all physicists. So there were a lot of self-inflicted barriers like, ‘I don’t look like anyone else.'”

Though she said that there were times where she faced mistreatment at other institutions due to the way that she looked, she said that those experiences taught her to be “more confident in herself” rather than dissuaded her from pursuing her major.

“You had to realize that ‘Yeah I look different than you, and I’m a different major. But I want to be here as much as you want to be here. I care about this as much as you care about this. And I don’t care if you respect me or not, but I’m going to get my work done. If I need your help I’m going to ask you, and I expect that if you need my assistance you’re going to ask in a respectful way too.'”

She added, “And once you set that precedence, they start to respect you more.”

Mburu’s future plans include pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Oxford in 2018, where she hopes to work on nuclear fusion reactor technology.

The Department of Music presents the UMBC Wind Ensemble, directed by Brian Kaufman, a large chamber group of approximately 40 musicians that performs great wind repertoire from octets to larger masterworks.

This concert will feature Emmy-nominated composer and violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain (aka DBR)who is noted by major orchestras and arts institutions across the globe for blending funk, rock, hip-hop, and classical music into an energetic and experiential sonic form. “About as omnivorous as a contemporary artist gets” (The New York Times), DBR is perhaps the only composer whose collaborations traverse the worlds of Philip Glass, Bill T. Jones, Savion Glover, and Lady Gaga. UMBC’s Wind Ensemble and DBR will give the world premiere of the wind ensemble version of his Voodoo Violin Concerto. Additional music by DBR will be performed alongside works by Bach and Whitacre. Approximately 25 Baltimore City Public School students who participate in the Baltimore Symphony’s OrchKids program will also be featured in the concert alongside DBR and the UMBC Wind Ensemble. UMBC music education students are working each week at Booker T Washington Middle School to help the young musicians prepare for the performance.

Admission is free.

The Department of Dance presents the annual Fall Dance Showcase. Students perform works by faculty, students and visiting artists, and the senior dance majors present their capstone choreographic projects. A different program each night features elaborate and exciting movement that explores the past, present, and future of human experience.

Tickets: $12 general admission, $7 students and seniors. Available online and at the box office.