Update to “Immigration Dysfunction” (2/18):

After seven weeks of hype, the House voted 257-167 to fund the DHS sans immigration riders–exactly what Obama asked for.

And boy, were conservatives angry.

“This is the signal of capitulation,” fumed Rep. Steve King.

“I believe this is a sad day for America,” remarked Rep. Matt Salmon. “If we’re not going to fight now, when are we going to fight?”

There is no fight anymore. No threat of a government shutdown. In the words of Rep. Peter King, “Sanity is prevailing.”

Republicans’ last hopes of killing Obama’s executive actions on immigration lie with the courts. Judge Andrew S. Hanen blocked Obama’s executive order. The administration will appeal the decision, but for now it must halt implementation of the program.

But many conservatives did not want to wait for the courts to give the verdict on the constitutionality of Obama’s immigration orders. They believed it was unconstitutional, and they were on a mission to stop it–until they realized they lacked the votes to do.

Speaker John Boehner learned this the hard way.

Up against the initial February 27 deadline for avoiding a DHS shutdown, he attempted to move three-week extension of DHS funding. Yet Democrats wanted a clean, full-year spending bill. Holding the vote open for a half hour, aggressively whipping the vote for the bill, Boehner could not convince enough conservatives to back the bill. It was rejected 202-224. Only when he worked with Democrats could he move an extension.

An important lesson in divided government: the GOP must work with Democrats to pass legislation.

Unfortunately, it took seven weeks of drama for the GOP to learn. They walk away from the fight empty-handed, and Obama got exactly what he wanted.

On 6 April: celebrate theInternational Day of Sport for Development and Peace! 

Take action for peace on April6!

@peaceandsport rallying support for @April6_IntlDay! Add your #Peace and #Sport projects on the http://www.april6.org/ platform #IDSDP2015

IDSDP 2015 Poster Contest! For schools, students, youth, and all can participate! #IDSDP2015#sport4betterworld

http://www.peace-sport.org/en/evenements/april-6.html

http://www.april6.org/en/

So after the longest run of any woman in the history of the United States Congress, Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland is retiring after this 114^th Congress in 2017. And for some reason, I am feeling some sort of way about it.

I have been incensed to write this ever since Senator Mikulski’s retirement announcement, not because she is my policy-making idol or someone who defines what feminism looks like for me. To be quite honest, I have not followed her every vote, nor her every speech. But there’s something to Senator Mikulski that I have always looked up to. She is a symbol to me—a symbol of a woman who is not afraid to take up space. A symbol I have always needed.

On the right, Barbara Mikulski in 1994.

Senator Mikulski has always been known to me as a woman who has stomped forward and demanded her due. Who attested to being “one of those emotional women” on the Senate floor while arguing for pay equity; who, early in her career, was the only other percentage point of women in the U.S. Senate. Women I know, admire, and who inspire me daily—my mother being one of them—have always touted her as their own “shero.” Why? Because, Senator Mikulski did not try to maintain a new sense of subtlety or feminine gentleness when she got to the Senate—no, she made her bombastic nature her signature. Something that just was her essence. She was fiery and passionate about issues, and that’s where her political energy came from.

And it’s not only her personality, but it’s the fact that Barbara Mikulski is also no waif. And I mean no disrespect to the Senator at all—rather, I mean only respect. This woman is small and sturdy. She is not the Claire Underwood or Olivia Pope on our television, but the 4’11” juggernaut who wears pants on the Senate floor when she goddamn feels like it. Senator Mikulski’s visage, like her personality, is unapologetic.

And as a woman who can’t stop muttering “I’m sorrys” to every person who accidentally(?) pushes me on the sidewalk, I need that symbol of unabashed space taking up-ness that Senator Mikulski has always been for me. As a woman who does have wide-set shoulders, wide-set hips, and a loud, wide way of talking about what thing is making her angriest, I need to know that I can succeed with that. As a woman who has always had her fire for social justice doused by naysayers or “realists,” I need someone who is bent on raising hell till her and her loved ones get the rights they deserve. And finally, as a woman who has struggled with body, intelligence, and political insecurity in a patriarchal world, Senator Mikulski has always been somebody who I would look to when I was down, and realize, “I can take up this space, because I deserve it and I am more than worthy.”  

I hope that anybody reading this who faces similar or maybe even more complex insecurities than I do, can hopefully treat this post as a push towards finding that someone—be they a celebrity, a politician, or a peer in class—who makes you realize you are worthy of the skin you’re in and the space you inhabit. Maybe they do it through their ferocity (like my Senator Barb), their creativity, their stoicism, but either way, they help you to be you to the fullest, and they awaken the opportunity to celebrate yourself and the uniqueness that makes you you. Because sometimes, in our weakest moments, all we need is to feel inspired to know that we are worthy.

*And here is my disclaimer on “problematic faves”: I am often one of the first to recognize the problematic nature of anything that exists in the world. It’s not that I am trying to be a dark shadow, a pox upon the happiness of all the smiling people in the room. No, rather, it is simply a personal habit of mine to critically analyze something until its not fun any more (I’ll do it to the Oscars, I’ll do it to your fave, and I’ll keep doing it, I tell you). However, I wanted to add this disclaimer, because I know that Senator Barbara Mikulski has done and said what are probably problematic things to many. I’m certain I could find hurt in what she’s said if I read enough, but I also am not going to let that ruin this moment. I am going to bask in that Senator Barbara Mikulski Sun that always makes me feel like I can carpe all the diems, and I am going to feel positive about it. So, please, allow me the indulgence of stoking the fangirling fire a little longer, oh fellow killjoys, because all of our faves are problematic, and sometimes that’s just gotta be okay.

Through a University System of Maryland partnership with the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), DoIT is pleased to offer an exceptional online training opportunity to UMBC full-time and part-time faculty.

The OLC workshop format utilizes proven teaching strategies and learning activities while modeling best practices for online and hybrid learning. Collaborate with peers and experiences via synchronous (live) and asynchronous environments. Normally these workshop cost about $300 each, but our partnership provides a limited number of seats at no cost to UMBC faculty.

These workshops require a time commitment of 3-7 days on average with some lasting up to 3 weeks. All workshops are delivered online with either a synchronous or asynchronous component. A  full list of workshop titles  is  available through this year.  

Below you will find a list of recommended workshops for the months of March and April (workshop descriptions are linked in titles):

March 2015

• Fundamentals: ADA and Web Accessibility, 3/13-3/20

• Exploring Digital Storytelling, 3/13-3/20

• Creating Effective Assessments, 3/13-3/20

• Creating Multimedia Introductions, 3/18-3/20

• Managing Faculty Workload, 3/27-4/3

April 2015

• Facilitating Group Work Online, 4/3-4/10

• Introduction to Mobile Apps and Tablets, 4/3-4/10

• Facilitating Group Work Online, 4/3-4/10

• Fundamentals: Increasing Interaction and Engagement, 4/3-4/10

• Designing with Accessibility in Mind, 4/8-4/10

• New to Online: Putting Your Content Online, 4/10-4/17

• Fundamentals: Engaging Learners in Online Discussions, 4/10-4/17

To register for a workshop, please  open an RT ticket in the Instructional Technology queue. Be sure to include the  name of the workshop  you would like to attend and the date(s). Instructional technology staff will assist with your registration, answer any questions you may have about the experience, etc.

[Note: The Mastery Series workshops are not eligible for the coupon code.]

CAS Severn and IBM have joined together to provide an educational event tackling three hot
topics in IT: cloud, mobile, and security.

Join us on March 18 to learn about how your IT environment can benefit from
cloud and mobile offerings, and how a new security posture can protect your
valuable data.

Our keynote speaker will be Steve “Woj” Wojtowecz, Vice President,
Engineering and Development, Systems Data Management, Control and
Protection for IBM. His speech "Software Defined Storage: Hype? Hope? or,
Hallelujah!" will cover how to leverage the control SDS affords to reduce
storage costs and admin complexity and enable data portability.

After the keynote, we'll offer two tracks of sessions, including the following
topics:
Track 1
1. Security Intelligence - Quantify the Risk Threat Analysis in 2015
2. Software Defined Storage and Spectrum Control: Lower Storage Usage by
50%
3. Modern Mobile and Endpoint Management: Secure Access to your Corporate
Data, Near Real-Time Visibility and Control
4. Spectrum Accelerate - Software Based XIV

Track 2
1. Tivoli Storage Manager and the Hybrid Cloud: Where is Spectrum Protect
Heading
2. Integrated Intrusion Protection - A Modern Way to Build Better Walls
3. Tivoli Storage Manager EcoSystem Review
4. Identify and Access Management

Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Registration and breakfast will be
available at 8:30 am and the program will begin promptly at 9:00 am.

Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Time: 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Location: CAS Severn, 6201 Chevy Chase Drive, Laurel, Maryland 20707

Register here!

For the most up-to-date information on this event, find us on social media:
▪ LinkedIn
▪ Twitter
▪ Facebook