Along with a chorus of artsy crafts and performances, Art Week kicked off an art gallery by our very own UMBC students. Some of the top picks could be seen throughout the entire week at the art gallery located on Mainstreet in the Commons. The entire collection of art was exhibited in the commonvision Zine released this past week.

A plethora of paintings, photographs, sketches and graphic designs were submitted and printed into this year’s Zine. The masterminds behind all of this wonderful artwork: a whole range of students. The students included come from many different backgrounds and all kinds of majors — from music to mechanical engineering.

The creations of these students demonstrate the hidden artistic talent that exists here at UMBC. This school has long been known for its dedication to STEM, but Art Week gives the arts and art lovers a chance to shine.

Every single piece of art on display in both the Zine and the gallery deserves its own recognition. The use of color, the aesthetically pleasing nature of each piece and the thought that must have gone into them make the walk through the gallery and the Zine a captivating and enjoyable experience.

The artwork on display is truly impressive and worthy of exploration. Each one should get an evaluation of the symbolism and meaning within it. Average people at this university created amazing things. It really is a wonder what the human mind can discover in the ordinary. 

One photograph that stood out was one titled “Sunflower.” It shows a girl in the foreground spreading her arms, doused in sunlight, all while flaunting a flowing floral scarf. Her smile shines bright coupled with the two men standing behind her, who appear to be grinning off into the distance.

The brightness and freedom associated with the picture have been perfectly captured in its title. Not only do the colors and the floral print match the title, but the characters in the photo are also symbolic of sunflowers. The girl is the focus of attention, like the sun, and those that view this photo are automatically drawn towards her, like sunflowers.

The warm glow of the sun at its “golden hour” also enhances the beauty of the photo. The girl almost seems to radiate in the picture because of it. The viewer can feel the pure happiness of the moment. The girl isn’t awkwardly posing or tensed up; she is enjoying her evening and existing as usual. Being able to capture moments like this on camera and creating such a unique photo shows a talent that should not be discounted.

It is with artists like all of those exhibited that the world becomes a much brighter place. Art is one of the things that brings people together. The crowd that wandered through the gallery while waiting for their free t-shirts is enough to show that. Art, with all its wonderful qualities, must continue to be created.

The lights dim and the crowd is pumped, holding slices of pizza in each hand as the first group takes the stage. The Cleftomaniacs, UMBC’s co-ed acapella group, blows the crowd away with their unique sound and high energy, paving way for the rest of the night’s performers.

This event, “Acapella + Open Mic Night” was one of the many events of UMBC Commonvision’s Art Week 2018. The week kicked off November by showcasing the arts at UMBC, from student photography and digital art to performance and music. Events like the Design and Animation Challenge, Film Showcase, Screenprinting Demo, Craft Days, Paint Night and Condom Art Competition brought all sorts of UMBC majors together to enjoy the arts around campus.

By promoting art student achievements, Commonvision was able to showcase the rich talent and skill fostered on campus. This is especially evident in the Art Week Gallery and Zine on showcase throughout Art Week, containing all sorts of graphic design, painting and photography by UMBC students.

The Acapella + Open Mic Night was rich with musical talent from singer-songwriters and rappers to acapella groups like Taal-Capella, the Stilettos and the UMBC Mama’s Boys. They had toes tapping all throughout the night and performed many songs that the audience could sing along to.

Songs like Earth, Wind and Fire’s “Let’s Groove” performed by Mama’s Boys, UMBC’s all boys acapella group, had the crowd singing and clapping along. Taal-Capella, a South Asian fusion acapella group performed a complex medley of many different American and Bollywood songs all with the same “Cups” song beat in the background.

The Stilettos, UMBC’s all-girl acapella group performed touching love songs while the Cleftomaniacs got laughs out of their rendition of George Jones’ “Honky Tonk Song.”

Overall, the night ended with everyone enjoying the talent of UMBC’s performing arts scene, a feature of UMBC that is not always showcased. Through events like Art Week, Commonvision and UMBC itself are providing a platform for showcasing talents in the arts in a way that engages and pushes students further than what they think they can do.

It is an inspiration to us all, and with each photo and note sung, the UMBC campus culture grows even as we celebrate life with the arts.

The First Heterotopic Junction Graduate Conference in Language, Literature and Culture (HJC-1), which will take place on Saturday 13 April 2019, is now calling for abstracts. This conference is open to all graduate students globally (including advanced undergraduates who are progressing to postgraduate studies) to submit research in the areas of linguistics, literature and culture.

Call for Papers | Women & Language

Editor: Leland G. Spencer, PhD | Miami University

Women & Language, an international, interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal publishes original scholarly articles and creative work covering all aspects of communication, language, and gender. Contributions to Women & Language may be empirical, rhetorical-critical, interpretive, theoretical, or artistic. All appropriate research methodologies are welcome. 

Affiliated with the Organization for the Study of Communication, Language, and Gender, the journal espouses an explicitly feminist positionality, though articles need not necessarily engage or advance feminist theory to be appropriate fits for the journal, and articles that critically examine feminisms are welcome. Other potential topics include but are not limited to studies of human communication in dyads, families, groups, organizations, and social movements; analyses of public address, media texts, literature, activism, and other cultural phenomena; the role of gender in verbal and nonverbal communication,

intercultural exchanges, listening, relationship building, and public advocacy; linguistic analysis; and many others. The journal operates from a nuanced and expansive understanding of gender, so contributions about sexuality, gender identity, and the complexity and limitations of gender as a concept are especially appropriate. Contributions that center intersectional perspectives are particularly encouraged, as are those that explore gender and language from non-Western or global perspectives. Articles published in Women & Language need not come from a communication perspective, but should reflect thoughtful engagement with language and/or communication processes or theory. 

Submissions are welcome from scholars, students, activists, and practitioners at any stage of their careers. All submissions undergo rigorous peer review in a mentorship-centered process committed to developing excellent scholarship.

To submit, email Leland G. Spencer at editorwomenandlanguage@gmail.com.   

• All submissions to Women & Language should be electronically submitted in a Word file. 
• Articles should be prepared in standard American written English.
• Preferred length for scholarly research and theory manuscripts is 6,000-10,000 words including endnotes and references; a 150-word abstract and 4-5 keywords should accompany submissions. Creative submissions may be shorter.
• Preferred font is Times New Roman; following these guidelines will help in the retention of formatting.
• Any accompanying graphic needs to be at least 500kb file size with a resolution of at least 150 pixels per inch. 
• Authors are responsible for securing permission to reprint images, lengthy quotations, and other copyrighted material.
• Prepare materials with no author identification on the manuscript itself, including in the Word metadata; otherwise, submissions should adhere to the sixth edition of the American Psychological Association (APA)  Publication Manual. Please note that APA style requires DOI numbers for all digital references.

Articles for general issues are accepted on a rolling basis, with initial decisions typically issued in about 3 months.

Best of the South

Charlotte, NC

Super Bowl Saturday, February 2, 2019

Sheraton Charlotte Airport

Southern Teachers recruitment fairs are renowned for their courteous efficiency and their productivity.  In addition, our proprietary, custom-built website enables candidates and schools to register with ease and pre-schedule interviews.

Because we know our candidates, we can help school administrators find the most suitable candidates in attendance.  And we prize this opportunity to meet our candidates in person and get to know their search parameters even better.

In sum, a Southern Teachers job fair is simply the best combination of high-tech and high-touch that you'll find.

All active candidates are invited to attend. An "active" candidate will have completed an application, been accepted by Southern Teachers, and interviewed by a Southern Teachers counselor.

For more information, visit https://southernteachers.com/Job-Fairs