SEB encourages student to show off their vocal skills

UMBC students will happily take part in karaoke once they have had the proper encouragement and a good vocal warm up.

UMBC students are diverse. UMBC students get involved. The university advertises this regularly, but avoids a more common truth: UMBC students are shy and uncertain.

However, in a recent discovery, students gave up their introverted natures to participate in some well-organized fun.

On the evening of February 4, the Sports Zone was not exactly a center for entertainment. Very few students occupied the space. Some were having low-energy conversations while others took on the familiar bent-neck posture over their books or cell phones. Even though the silence was pierced by an upbeat jazz tune that sounded as if it was ripped from an elevator soundtrack, the students were not moved.

What these students needed was the SEB cavalry, who charged into the Sports Zone promptly at 8 p.m. to kickstart the lackluster crowd. Immediately hopping up on the platform and grabbing the mics, two female members of SEB worked through “Breaking Free” from High School Musical while sustaining several fits of giggles. Afterwards, they encouraged students to pick a song and a slice of free pizza. Three students slinked over to the song book. Five students opted for the pizza.

It wasn’t until SEB offered their enthusiastic rendition of “We’re All in This Together” from High School Musical that students finally found their spirit. Those who were engrossed by conversation before were suddenly dancing towards the songbook.

Bich-thy Nguyen, a freshman biochemistry major, hadn’t planned to come to karaoke night. Yet, she ended up in the Sports Zone that night with a few friends in tow. She pulled one of them on stage for a cover of Britney Spears’s “Oops I Did It Again.” At first, the pair looked like they regretted their decision, but after a few verses and a look of reassurance from each other, they were gripping the mics and belting it out.

Situated in a booth to the left of the stage was Alexander Soundry, a sophomore biology major and the most-spirited spectator of the evening. He bounced along and clapped to each singer’s performance. Yet, he never moved from his seat. “I searched myUMBC out of boredom and found this [event],” said Soundry. “I think it’s fun. But, I don’t know words to any of the songs so I probably won’t sing.”

Shortly after the freshman duet, the karaoke virgin took the stage. Amalia Rivera-Oven, a junior biology major, grabbed the microphone as Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie” fired up. Accompanied by Alejandro, her Columbian co-star, Rivera-Oven showed no signs of apprehension.

“This is my first time singing karaoke,” she said. “I hope it will be like the movies.”

Photo Credit: Ashley Parks

Alpha Phi Omega offers students an opportunity to give back.

Community conscious students join Alpha Phi Omega’s Rush week. The co-ed, national fraternity is all about service in the community.

In the lower level of UMBC’s Mardi Gras themed bar, Flat Tuesdays, the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) fraternity hosts one of their rush week events. Students who wander in are not there for beer and member bids; instead, they come for fun, games and mocktails. Not a typical fraternity, APO is a national, co-ed, service-oriented organization.

Anyone interested is welcome to join APO, and the Rush Week festivities are laid back. There was an “Acts of Kindness” scavenger hunt, where students were encouraged to compliment a stranger or give someone a high five. Rush activities also included cupcake decorating, a PB&J making competition, and the “Mocktails and Games night.”

About twenty students gather for sugary, non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiris and piña coladas. A stack of Jell-o “shooters” sits next to the mocktails — an array of lime, blueberry and cherry gelatin in one ounce, plastic cups. The group is playing the infamous card game “Cards Against Humanity,” where players try to match cards to make hilarious phrases and sentences. The game has a reputation for being offensive, but sometimes can be innocuous. One winning hand reads “Tim Allen must overcome his fear of the Care Bear Stare in order to save Christmas.”

Felicia Baney, a senior majoring in financial economics, is the president of APO. Baney discovered the fraternity during Involvement Fest in fall 2013 and liked the idea of giving back to the community. She pledged that fall and was president by spring. There were eight members at the time Baney pledged, but through promotion and outreach APO now has 25 active members and is growing.

The eager pledges are offered a number of ways to help their community. APO has worked with a long list of charities including Art with a Heart, which offers visual art classes to vulnerable children, youth and adults in Baltimore. They have also helped Project Linus, which makes blankets for critically ill children. Additionally, the fraternity hosts activities such as environmental cleanups and marathons.

A good third of the students at the game night are sporting black APO t-shirts. Greek letters representing their fraternity’s name are printed across the front. Ardy Sowe, a junior double majoring in biology and anthropology is new to the group. He has a unique personal style, with a gold septum ring, and a classic, brown, leather satchel. Not yet a member, Sowe came to check out what APO is all about.

“I’m interested in helping out the area where I’m from and associated with,” the soft-spoken Sowe explains. Sowe previously worked on UMBC’s environmental task force, and is now looking for a broader way to help the Baltimore area. He is glad he checked out APO.

“Everyone’s open and friendly,” Sowe says. “I feel like I’m made to fit in.”

Photo Credit: Shannon Carney