It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and love is in the air, especially for Yogita Tailor ’05, M13, who just got engaged. Of course, every marriage proposal is special in its own way, but Tailor got an extra special surprise when her boyfriend Dhaval Desai asked her to marry him while they were standing in the crowd outside the “Good Morning America” studio in Times Square. From the GMA video:

“The past two years have been amazing and I want you to know how much I love you. Nothing would make me happier than to spend the rest of my life with you,” Desai, also 29, said on “GMA” today. “So as we stand here in the heart of New York City, in Times Square, on ‘Good Morning America,’ with all of our friends and family watching, there’s something I want to ask you. Baby, will you marry me?” “Oh, my gosh, yes,” she squealed, smiling.

All of us at UMBC send out heartfelt congratulations to Tailor and Desai!

Good Morning America has the full video and story.

-Do you have your own great news to share? Perhaps a new job, an engagement, or a big move? Send in a class note to let us know!

- Read more about UMBC alumni news and events on Retriever Net

We have a number of online resources for students to receive information. In addition to this main website for PROMISE which launched this past summer (5,000+ hits),  we have an active Dissertation House website (18,000+ hits, 2300+ comments), an intranet site through MyUMBC (300+ members), a site that regularly lists all of the PROMISE Seminars & Workshops (32,000+ hits), PROMISE Facebook page, and a PROMISE Twitter site.  Please subscribe or join these sites to get the latest updates via email.  Don’t miss the webinars, dinner meetings, Dissertation House sessions, thesis completion workshops, academic achievement advice, professional development seminars, job announcements, and funding updates. While the MyUMBC site is limited to students on that campus, all of the other sites are open to anyone from any campus. Please join us! Stay informed. Participate, connect, and let us help you to meet your goals.

Screenshot from the PROMISE page on the MyUMBC intranet. If you are a student at UMBC, please join the group.

Reminders from PROMISE:

• Preparing for academic success: things to do before class or early in the semester.
• Getting sleep and taking breaks
• Getting your faculty members together for a defense date

Related articles

• Do you need to continue the Dissertation House experience? Join the “INSANITY/Countdown” group for the next two weekends! Feb. 10-12 & Feb. 17-19, 2012! (dissertationhouse.wordpress.com)
• Dissertation House WEEKEND at UMBC: 26 hours!! Fri. Feb. 3 – Sun. Feb. 5 (dissertationhouse.wordpress.com)
• Dissertation Writing & Support Groups starting February. Register now. (dissertationhouse.wordpress.com)
• February 2012: Barrett Whitener returns to discuss oral & poster presentations (2/15); PROMISE Spring Meeting (2/17), Thesis & Dissertation prep (2/23) (promisesuccessseminars.wordpress.com)
• Postdoc and Faculty Jobs “Down Under.” Consider Australia! (promiseagep.wordpress.com)

We have a number of online resources for students to receive information. In addition to this main website for PROMISE which launched this past summer (5,000+ hits),  we have an active Dissertation House website (18,000+ hits, 2300+ comments), an intranet site through MyUMBC (300+ members), a site that regularly lists all of the PROMISE Seminars & Workshops (32,000+ hits), PROMISE Facebook page, and a PROMISE Twitter site.  Please subscribe or join these sites to get the latest updates via email.  Don’t miss the webinars, dinner meetings, Dissertation House sessions, thesis completion workshops, academic achievement advice, professional development seminars, job announcements, and funding updates. While the MyUMBC site is limited to students on that campus, all of the other sites are open to anyone from any campus. Please join us! Stay informed. Participate, connect, and let us help you to meet your goals.

Screenshot from the PROMISE page on the MyUMBC intranet. If you are a student at UMBC, please join the group.

Reminders from PROMISE:

• Preparing for academic success: things to do before class or early in the semester.
• Getting sleep and taking breaks
• Getting your faculty members together for a defense date

Related articles

• Do you need to continue the Dissertation House experience? Join the “INSANITY/Countdown” group for the next two weekends! Feb. 10-12 & Feb. 17-19, 2012! (dissertationhouse.wordpress.com)
• Dissertation House WEEKEND at UMBC: 26 hours!! Fri. Feb. 3 – Sun. Feb. 5 (dissertationhouse.wordpress.com)
• Dissertation Writing & Support Groups starting February. Register now. (dissertationhouse.wordpress.com)
• February 2012: Barrett Whitener returns to discuss oral & poster presentations (2/15); PROMISE Spring Meeting (2/17), Thesis & Dissertation prep (2/23) (promisesuccessseminars.wordpress.com)
• Postdoc and Faculty Jobs “Down Under.” Consider Australia! (promiseagep.wordpress.com)

Romans 12:1-2 (NIV 2011)

¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Reflection:

This passage was one of the main passages for the Winter Worship Weekend. It reminds us of what we are meant to offer to God. Our true offering is the giving of all of our lives, not conforming to the pattern, standards, and measures of this world.

Response:

May we trust that God is already at work in renewing our minds. Let’s thank Him and offer our lives to Him again. God gives us the power to resist conforming to the pattern of this world. Let’s trust in God’s Spirit who lives within us, to do this renewing work in us.

It is a sadly familiar story…

In 2008, the nation’s housing bubble burst.  Ordinary folks lost their homes to foreclosure while big banks made profits on their pain.

But now, maybe, a little pay back is in store.

Federal authorities and representatives from Bank of America, Citi, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Ally/GMAC today agreed to a settlement regarding foreclosure fraud. The banks will pay $26 billion in total, money which government officials hope will help homeowners in trouble.

Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced that Maryland will receive about $1 billion in settlement funds, which will be dispersed as follows:

Specifically, the funds will be used to make payments to borrowers who were victims of illegal practices and to offer loan modifications, refinancing, counseling, and housing services to Maryland residents.

Attorney General Gansler stressed that:

The settlement does not release the banks from criminal liability. It does not prevent individuals from bringing their own claims. And it will not stop our office from pursuing the banks over misconduct in the securitization of mortgages, fair lending violations, or other fraud. People should expect to see further action.

Is this a good first step? Do you think the various state-level programs begging established might fare better than previous efforts aimed at helping victims of lending fraud? If not, what can be done to help troubled borrowers and bring those who violated the law to justice?

We at USDemocrazy have been watching with interest the flurry of activity and debate in recent days over same-sex marriage.

There’s more news breaking on the issue, so let’s get you up to date.

Today the Washington state legislature passed a bill allowing same-sex marriage. It is on the way to be signed by Governor Chris Gregiore, who has no intention of vetoing it, unlike New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who has promised to veto a pending bill to legalize gay marriage in New Jersey if passed.

Earlier in the week California’s federal appeal court ruled Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage, unconstitutional. Maryland legislatures are also considering a same-sex marriage bill, strongly supported by Governor O’Malley.

But support isn’t just stemming from the public sector. More and more businesses are speaking out in favor of gay marriage, including Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Starbucks.

Perhaps the most notably uncommon support is the video released by the Human Rights Campaign, where Lloyd C. Blankfein, the CEO of corporate giant Goldman Sachs, vocalizes his official support for “marriage equality.” The Human Rights campaign has a growing list of corporate partners in supporting LGBT rights.

Now that you’re savvy on this weeks happenings in the gay marriage issue, what do you think?

Should Chris Christie veto a passed bill in New Jersey? What do you make of the growing corporate support for marriage equality?