BRONCHO brought its indiscernible lyrics and heavy bassline to the Metro Gallery stage in Baltimore on April 2, 2019, performing its latest album “Bad Behavior.” BRONCHO, hailing from Norman, Oklahoma, is a combination of earth-shaking bass, heavy and alluring vocals filled with euphemisms and metaphors, and rhythmic drum beats.

Ryan Lindsey, lead singer and guitarist, is far from an image-obsessed indie star. He is dressed in gray sweatpants that look to be several sizes too large, a huge white t-shirt and a black beanie, all of which combine to make his silhouette much bulkier than his actual thin figure. When he takes the stage with drummer Nathan Price and bassist Penny Pitchlynn, the lights on stage project the recognizable red from their newest record. As the band begins to play through “Bad Behavior,” Lindsey stares blankly and hauntingly out into the crowd, a far cry from the rocker chic persona both Price and Pitchlynn seem to exude.

Lindsey’s voice is ugly, slurring out sexual innuendos in a high-pitched voice, even grunting at some points. The album’s cover art, featuring a tongue licking at what appear to be cherries, matches perfectly with the record’s thematic nature: guttural magnetism. The album is so cohesive and the songs fit perfectly together that they are almost indistinguishable from one another. However, BRONCHO is clearly not known for its lyrics which are rarely understandable. Pitchlynn’s bass, Lindsey’s grotesque yet unavoidable voice and the songs’ clever catchy hooks, like in “Sandman,” are what loop listeners in.

At first, Lindsey seems stiff, almost awkward or maybe nervous, standing mostly still and tapping his feet. He ignores the enthusiastic and inebriated audience members directly in front of him until they offer him a beer, which he gladly takes. Slowly but surely, he gradually loosens up, shaking his hips and occasionally throwing a hand into the air. Between each song he stutters out unintelligible sounds, “eh eh ey!” All the while, Pitchlynn on the other side of the stage steadily strums out the signature BRONCHO bassline, in her own world, shaking her head back and forth. Lindsey leans into the microphone and utters a few words, “Baltimore, you look good. And you look good.” 

BRONCHO’s music has been described by their record label, Dine Alone Records, as “gritty 70’s punk and glammy surf rock vibes,” and Lindsey himself has called it a “slow head bang.” The crowd seems to agree, swaying along or even performing an interpretive dance which one man in the audience chose to do.

The trio plays through all of “Bad Behavior,” barely deviating to play a song or two from their three other albums. Those other albums have produced BRONCHO songs that were featured in commercials for Fabletics and shows like “Santa Clarita Diet” and “Girls.” But in 2018, with their latest album, BRONCHO strayed from its commercial success.

“Bad Behavior” is the first album BRONCHO released that really forms around a single sound. Their other three albums, especially “Double Vanity,” tone down Lindsey’s voice behind the sounds of a gritty electric guitar, making the songs a bit more palatable for the commercial public—but that’s what makes “Bad Behavior” so much better. The album’s intentional choice to lean towards what differentiates the band makes it stand out as something more than just another grunge-punk band piece. Like The Drums, BRONCHO uses its “ugly voice” sound instead of attempting to hide it. And it works.

At the end of the performance, as most bands do, Lindsey thanks the two other bands for their performances. In Baltimore, local band Reagan Cats along with Montreal punk/garage rock band, Lemongrab opened for BRONCHO. “Thank you Reagan Cats. We would like to thank Reagan Cats. And we would like to thank Reagan Cats,” Lindsey mumbled, moaning in between each phrase. “And all the way from Montreal California, is Lemongrab. And thank you Lemongrab. Not to forget, all the way from Montreal California, thank you Lemongrab.”

And as strangely as it begins, Lindsey finishes his extensive and repetitive thank you’s, ending the show with one last song, a fitting but bizarre ending to the concert of a bizarrely incredible band. Lindsey steps off the stage, drunk, sweaty and by the looks of it, satisfied.

Climate change is going to be a crucial issue in the next election. Polls from Yale and the Center for American Progress show that climate change is a top issue, and it has been covering major headlines in the last few months.

Everyone has heard about this issue by now. Humans have taken advantage of the earth and its resources; sea levels, carbon emissions and the surface temperature have drastically risen in the last 150 years. Now, we are in danger of damaging the entire ecosystem and pushing humanity to extinction.

According to a UN study, we only have 12 years to make immense changes in limiting global warming before more violent storms, famine, diseases and droughts plague the earth on biblical proportions.

But these days, it is starting to get easier to sink deeper into apocalypse fatigue. When you hear about all of the horrible things happening in the future, it gets easy to dismiss it as an unsolvable problem and pass the situation onto the next generation.

Personally, I am finding it increasingly difficult to remain engaged. I am starting to feel demoralized because it feels like all the “reduce, reuse and recycle” I have been practicing is not working. I am starting to grow cynical, and that is not the proper attitude to solve a problem of this magnitude.

Unequivocally, man-made climate change is a demanding issue and how we decide to handle this colossal issue will be the decision of the millennium. Our actions will determine the future of humanity, along with countless other animals in the ecosystem.

And the rest of the country agrees. According to a study conducted in March 2018, most Americans believe global warming is happening, outnumbering deniers by 5 to 1, while the rest of the public is either “extremely” or “very sure” that global warming is happening right now.

So then why hasn’t America done anything? The Green New Deal was not perfect by any means, but it was a good start to reverse negative man-made effects on earth. The science is there. The support is there. So why has the U.S. not made any significant strides to reduce our carbon footprint?

The reason climate change is so hard to tackle is that corporations do not take the threats seriously. They continue to rip resources out from the earth. They dump their garbage anywhere they want to. They pour toxic waste into our rivers, streams and oceans.

Consumers are expected to do all the work while corporations continue to destroy the planet and make money. The fact of the matter is, for greedy corporations, it is more profitable to kill the planet than to save it. According to a 2017 study, only 100 companies are responsible for 71 percent of greenhouse gas emissions on the planet.

Even worse, not much progress has been made. President Trump has wrongfully appointed climate change skeptics as part of the EPA and has even rolled back requirements and regulations to keep corporate pollution down. Our representatives have failed us when standing up to big business on behalf of their constituents.

We have gotten ourselves into an incredibly unique predicament. We are facing an issue that humanity has not seen in thousands of years. And amidst all that separates us, the destruction that awaits us shows no favorites.

The planet will undergo horrible consequences if we do not create resolutions in a timely manner and require everyone to do their part. This is no easy undertaking, as it will require massive changes in how we live our lives and do business, but the safety of the planet relies on our decisions. We need to stay active and engaged and continue to live a “green” life.

In this next election season, make sure your candidate supports initiatives to place environmental regulations on businesses.

It is natural to dismiss all of this; I was guilty of this too. But even though it may not directly be our problem or even our fault, it is our responsibility to continue fighting for the future of the planet, along with the people living on it.

UMBC has become the first institution of higher education in Maryland to offer a middle grades STEM degree, offering education students the opportunity to get a leg-up in job searches and improve public education in the state. The degree was proposed to the Board of Regents on Jan. 15 and is currently poised to move forward.

The proposed degree is a result of collaboration from UMBC’s biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics departments and the College of Engineering and Information Technology. The education coursework is modeled after existing UMBC teacher certification programs but customized to focus on knowledge specific to middle grades and STEM subjects. UMBC already offers undergraduates certifications for early childhood, elementary and secondary teaching. Interestingly, it also already offers bachelors degrees in biology education, chemistry education and physics education. The proposal to the Board of Regents claims that this new degree will differ from the current programs in that graduates of this program will hopefully have more knowledge about all topics covered under STEM, not just one specific area like biology or chemistry.

Michael Kalb is one UMBC student hoping to become a middle grades math teacher. As a junior, he chose to major in mathematics because UMBC offers no official education degree. He noted, “the math degree requires math that goes way beyond what I would need to teach middle school math, but getting this degree allows me more options later in life than just teaching.” However, he also comments that if the degree was available to him when he started his undergraduate degree, “I would have considered it because I only need the basic fundamentals of these subjects to teach middle school.”

The proposal for the B.S. comes after the declaration of a critical shortage of middle grades (4-9) teachers in mathematics and science declared by the Maryland State Department of Education. The University System of Maryland also called for the tripling of the number of STEM teachers graduating from USM institutions by the year 2020 in their 10-year strategic plan entitled “Powering Maryland Forward.” Additionally, new education standards in Maryland now require middle grades math and science teachers to have an “in-depth understanding of all four STEM content areas,” although it is not clear how this understanding will be measured. These three factors heavily influenced the development of the new program.

One of the goals of the USM plan is to “expand baccalaureate degree production by an additional 10,000 degrees, with particular focus on the high-need areas of [STEM].” The proposal to the Board of Regents states that this new degree will add to the number of baccalaureate degrees in STEM education subjects offered at UMBC, contributing to the goal of the USM system. Another goal of the 10-year plan is to “triple the number of STEM teachers graduating from USM institutions.”

Mikaila Donaldson, a sophomore history major with a secondary education certificate in social studies, has mixed reactions to the motivations behind the creation of the program. Her concern revolves around the USM’s goal to increase the number of STEM teachers graduating from USM institutions. “It feels like they are focusing on quantity of teachers over quality,” she commented. Since the university already offers degrees in biology education, chemistry education and physics education, this new degree seems like it glosses over these complex topics without delving into the subjects too deeply.

Donaldson also questioned whether the certification for STEM education will be valid in all 50 states since it seems to be tailored to a specific Maryland goal. Her own degree in social studies education is valid in most, but not all, 50 states. This question of validity and demand is important for those considering teaching middle grades outside of Maryland.

Nevertheless, as the first university to create such a program, UMBC graduates with this degree will hopefully be in high demand by middle schools in the state. The University of Maryland, College Park currently offers a Middle School Math and Science degree, and Towson University offers a Middle School degree that includes instruction in mathematics and science, but neither provide the specificity in addressing USM goals that the proposed degree does. The proposal for the degree claims that, upon completion, students will be more prepared for specific certification in middle grades science and math, “making them uniquely marketable in the state and region.”

While it will take time to see how graduates of the program benefit from it, the fact that UMBC is offering more options for education students reinforces its commitment to serving others and emphasizes the importance of educating young students. President Hrabowski summed up the importance of this new degree in his letter to the Chancellor of USM with the statement, “increasing the number of highly qualified STEM educators is an imperative if we are to prepare future generations of our young people … to compete in the economies of Maryland and our region.”

2019 Awards: 

2019 Honorable Mention: 

Description

This workshop will cover multiple cyber security topics including policy review/NIST, trends, best practices, and recommendations to help mitigate cyber-related risk.

In 2018, K-12 Schools were the 3rd largest targeted market in cybersecurity attacks. These breaches cost anywhere from $300,000 to upwards of $1 Million, affecting districts all across the United States.  
Core BTS can help prevent this from happening to your school.

Join us for our MEEC Member Exclusive Cyber Security Workshop. 

Agenda

9:00am – 9:30: Registration/Breakfast

9:30am – 10:00: Core BTS Introduction (Security/Staffing)

10:00am – 11:00am: Cyber Security Workshop

11:00am – 11:30am: Roundtable Discussion

Targeted Audience

IT Managers/Decision Makers

Presenters

Bob Sensenig, Senior VP of Business Development and Security

Corinne Brown, Senior Resource Manager

It starts with the journey: just barely catching the last bus of the night after a 12 hour shift only to curl up in a ball to keep away from a broken air vent spewing an unrelenting stream of winter winds. The bus stops on an empty street five miles from the theatre. With pepper spray grasped tightly in-hand, it is a miserable walk to Seventh Ave., complete with aching feet, hoping for a dry spot to set up camp.

Shoulders are weighed down by a monstrous, overstuffed book bag. A heart soars as a spot reveals itself underneath the shadows of the Schuyler Sisters, complete with a protective alcove in case of rain. There are only two other people in line. The night is spent lying in a sleeping bag, the cold of the midnight sidewalk seeping through the bottom, rendering the warmth of the many HotHands useless.

Valuable belongings are stuffed haphazardly at the bottom of the sleeping bag to prevent thievery in the dark of the night. A restless sleep on the cold ground is so very different from the warm bed that lays empty states away. Was this all worth it? It is cold and uncomfortable. Why not simply sacrifice savings for comfort?

It gets better, upon waking in the earliest of the early morning to the rare sounds of city silence: an occasional car passing by with its near-silent tires rolling on the worn gravel, a homeless man setting up his roost and a mother walking her children to daycare. Sleeping bags rustle as others start to wake. A magnificent summer sunrise warms and stirs young skin. Limbs stretch and yawns break the peacefulness.

New friends take turns getting coffee, holding one another’s places in line. Soon the comforting smells of bagels, bread and bacon fill the air, not just with the scent of breakfast but also with the delighted excitement that the start of an exhilarating adventure might bring. The day is a blur of newly formed friendships, comparisons of Broadway experiences, exchanging of contact and social media information and singing playful renditions of “My Shot.”

The sun rises higher, possibly to get away from the insane grouping of theatre kids with limitless energy, and, in turn, the line grows longer. Everyone hopes for the miracle of cancelled tickets just so they might have the chance to purchase them for far less than they are worth. The day drags on, and excitement turns into nervousness. The line grows shorter as those in the back surrender to the unfortunate fact that they will not get to see the performance that night.

Those in the front anxiously await the arrival of the theatre-hired guard who sits in front of the line to make sure the order stays the same and announces the availability of premium, standing room and house tickets. Finally, house tickets are announced, and, through a frenzy of activity, the parties present are each charged a mere fraction of the advertised ticket price.

The group splits apart to fill the available seats just as the performance starts. An angry woman yells about how it is not fair to those who had paid a fortune for their tickets, but nothing could possibly ruin this experience. The angry woman is forgotten, along with all of the events of the day — both incredible and exhausting. “Hamilton” had begun, and suddenly 26 hours in the same clothes was well worth it.

The true fans wait at the stage door, hoping for a glimpse or autograph. Then there is a blur of commotion as last minute goodbyes are said, and suddenly the city is flashing by as the bus speeds out of the city. It is funny how warm it feels despite the wintry air. Despite the smell and discomfort, it is hard to feel anything but absolute bliss.

The Broadway cancellation line is not easy by any means. It is a commitment that involves traveling by the cheapest means possible, feeling an endless, bitter cold all the way to the bones and wearing the same clothes for at least 24 hours. The line’s successful members spend the night sleeping fitfully on the filthy city street, and there will be few chances to explore.

There is worry and nervousness as the performance draws closer, and those in line suddenly become unsure of their chances, despite earlier boasting of likely odds. Not to mention, of course, the very likely chance that tickets will not make themselves available for the line. On the slight chance that all of this time and effort comes to fruition in the form of house tickets, its recipients will spend the show with their belongings shoved by their feet.

None of this, however, compares to the utter joy felt in the presence of so many people with the same interests getting to sing songs unknown to many, sharing vast performance histories and revealing hopeful dreams of performing on the biggest stages with the biggest names. Though the cancellation line holds plenty of unpleasantness, the experiences and memories its patrons go home with are more magnificent and memorable than anything short of the performance itself.