Students pursuing Visual Arts degrees at UMBC often face a career progression that is far less clear-cut than what lies ahead for many of their peers studying within the STEM disciplines and social sciences. While some steps in the process are common across disciplines, the field of Visual Arts demands that students take important steps in order to accomplish effective career networking.

Many of those steps must take place outside of the classroom. “What’s important is that students take the initiative,” says Kacie Lawrence, associate director of internships and employment at the UMBC Career Center. The center offers a wealth of resources through which Visual Arts students can supplement their coursework with networking skills.

Knowing how to sell their unique set of skills to employers is especially important for Visual Arts students. Many do not receive experience talking to professionals within the classroom, so the Career Center offers networking events outside the classroom. One of these is Arts with a Purpose: Create Your Career, an opportunity for students studying Fine Arts specifically to meet employers and learn about potential career paths.

These events are a fantastic resource to those pursuing degrees in the arts. Not only do they grant practice in speaking effectively with employers; many students have set up internships through the events.

Lawrence contends that chasing such opportunities is vital to future success. “Pursuing a career in art is not the same as pursuing one in financial economics,” she says. “Freelancing can be important to pursue. The biggest thing is to get experience outside of the classroom as early as you can.”

In order to land a work experience that will jumpstart a student’s career, they need to make the best impression possible on each potential employer that they meet. As such, students should have polished, professional portfolios ready to present. A portfolio must be well-organized and easy to peruse, whether physical or online. It should truly be a collection showcasing the student’s best work.

The Career Center provides assistance with this part of the career readiness process as well. Students are encouraged to schedule portfolio reviews with the center, especially before going to meet with employers at an event.

One of the other avenues through which students can collect information about career and internship possibilities is by attending events that host panels of employers and alumni associated with Visual Arts. These events allow attendees to field their questions about Visual Arts careers directly to people who have been through the process and those who might be hiring.

Students hoping for a more personalized experience can set up an appointment with a Career Counselor, who will meet with them individually and walk them through potential career and internship options.

“I really love to meet with students who tell me they’re starting projects outside of the classroom,” says Lawrence. “Those are the things employers look for, that you’ve gone above and beyond your coursework.”

Do not be surprised if you see a golden retriever in your lecture hall this semester; he is not a student, but he is still an important member of the UMBC community. Some may know Chief from a picture of him and the statue of True Grit that went viral last March after UMBC’s win over Virginia — a picture that accumulated tens of thousands of likes across various social media platforms. Others may have spotted him walking around campus with his handler, Erica Haschert, a senior mechanical engineering major.

But Chief is more than just a lovable dog with a heart-melting smile; he is also Haschert’s service dog. Though legal terminology surrounding service animals can be somewhat murky, a service animal is defined as an animal who has been trained to perform tasks that can mitigate its handler’s disability. A “task” refers to anything a service animal does to assist its handler, be it alerting them to a change in their blood sugar, helping them pick up something they have dropped or reminding them to take their medication. Most service dogs can perform anywhere from 90 to 100 commands.

Haschert, who has been diagnosed with pain disorders and two mental illnesses, has been personally training Chief since he was a puppy. Now, at age two, he has made remarkable progress; he knows nearly 50 tasks, from alerting Erica to changes in her heart rate to helping her wake up to her alarm in the morning.

Service dogs also must be trained in “public access,” or the ability to not become distracted in various public settings. “You have to expose them to literally everything under the sun,” says Haschert, explaining that Chief is unaffected by “scary things that most dogs are afraid of,” including gunshots, fireworks and garbage trucks.

During a recent trip to the Maryland Renaissance Festival, Chief’s public access skills were truly put to the test as he was exposed to a larger crowd than he had ever faced before. Haschert notes that Chief lacks experience working with other dogs, but when, at Ren Fest, they “ran into three other service dog teams, he handled it perfectly. He acknowledged they were there […] and I asked for his attention back, and he gave it immediately,” according to Haschert.

Despite the positive experience she had taking Chief to Ren Fest, she sometimes struggles with the stigmas and stereotypes that some associate with owning a service dog. She has, for instance, been told that she does not look disabled enough to have a service dog with her.

Haschert has also found people in public places are also frequently inconsiderate or uninformed when it comes to interacting with service animals. The behavior she most often struggles with is people taking pictures of her and Chief without her permission. “I know he’s very cute, but when it comes down to it, when he’s in his vest, he’s legally medical equipment,” Haschert explains.

Haschert recommends asking before petting a service dog rather than simply running up to the dog and trying to play with it. She also advises people not to ask about a handler’s disability, as handlers generally do not want to share such personal information with strangers.

In the end, despite stigmas and negative interactions with the public, Chief has ultimately made a huge positive impact on Haschert’s life since she began training him over a year ago. As she and Chief continue to learn and grow as a team, she hopes members of the UMBC community will also continue to become more educated about the service animals they see around campus.

The first thing many students do every two weeks is run for the nearest newspaper stand for the biweekly edition of The Retriever.

Annie Richer, a sophomore studying political science and psychology, cannot get enough of the newspaper. “It is absolutely amazing,” Richer said. “One of the best I’ve ever set my hands on. I mean really,” she said, taking the paper and unfolding it. “The thickness of the page is fantastic. It creates the perfect crease for my newspaper hat.”

People have a lot to say about the quality of the paper. “It has a really nice consistency,” said James Tolup. “It is smooth yet firm.” Tolup proceeded to explain in vivid detail how The Retriever is his new choice toilet paper. “No longer am I subjugating myself to the school-supplied toilet paper’s painful toll. The exfoliation of my posterior ends here. The Retriever has liberated my skin and allowed for all of the chafing to heal quite nicely.”

The paper also boasts dense fibers that are free of silica and calcium carbonate. For the layperson, that means that it is an excellent material to use to clean off car windshields, or other glass materials. Simply crumple it up, dip it in water, wipe down the surface and then throw it away when finished. This explains all of the crumpled up newspapers that have been found filling garbage cans campus-wide.

Enough with the material quality of the newspaper, though. Richer and Tolup are not the only ones using the newspaper for non-academic purposes. All over UMBC, students are showing their support of the newspaper by donning all types of articles beyond the simple hat. Pants, shirts and even dresses, all crafted with exquisite attention and care, are the latest fad here at UMBC.

Competitions have started cropping up around these newspaper outfits as well. Given the multitude of unread copies available on the newsstands, there are contests to see who can create the most paper-inefficient outfit.

“The papers go to waste anyway, why not have a little fun with it? What else would we do with them?” asked one student as they set an entire stack of The Retriever on fire. They proceeded to explain how they would use the ashes of the paper to help dye their newspaper shoes black, which would disguise the dirt that would accumulate on the shoes from daily use. “Dirt would make them look tacky,” the student explained. “I don’t want my paper shoes to look tacky.”

Beside the library, we found one student folding up a small stack of The Retriever issues. When asked what they were doing, they said they wanted to make a replica of the British Armada and let it loose on the library pond. “Where some people like to read to waste their time, I like to litter,” the student said. When prompted about whether or not they read any of the papers, he burst out in laughter. “Heavens no,” he said between laughs. “Who would do such a thing?”

Is there someone...

• in your department who is doing a superior job?
• on campus who is exceptionally talented and dedicated?
• who is truly outstanding and always there to help solve a problem or take on new or challenging tasks?
• who goes above and beyond to support student success?
• who has made a significant contribution to enhance effectiveness and efficiency in learning or administration?
• who has done stellar work to advance inclusion, multiculturalism, or social justice?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may have a nominee for the... 

• UMBC Presidential Staff Awards,
• Board of Regents USM Staff Awards,
• Jakubik Family Endowment Staff Award, or
• Karen L. Wensch Endowment Award for Outstanding Non-Exempt Staff.

Visit http://provost.umbc.edu/staffawards for more information on eligibility and the nomination process. Thank you for helping your colleagues receive the recognition they deserve!

Thanks to funding from the Sherman family, the Sherman Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Teacher Scholars Program at UMBC has been able to work with schools and teachers in the Baltimore area in order to “promote student achievement and engagement in STEM,” as stated on the program’s website. The program has been successful in recent years and was featured on both WYPR radio station in Baltimore and the Baltimore Sun paper.

One of the main focuses of the program is to give elementary and middle school students more individualized attention that they would not otherwise receive. This is especially important because Maryland as a whole had low rates of passing scores in the PARCC exam last year: 15 percent for the English section and nearly 12 percent for the math section; in Baltimore, the numbers are even lower. In one of the schools, Lakeland Elementary and Middle School, nine out of ten seventh-graders, among other grades, failed the PARCC test in 2016.

Sherman scholars, those from UMBC teaching and assisting in the schools, have a set of five “Student Learning Outcomes” that they must meet. For one, scholars must “demonstrate competence and confidence in applying for a teaching position in an urban and/or high-needs school with a focus in Baltimore.” This is particularly important for lower income communities including Baltimore, which often lack adequate resources in order to teach students and give them as much attention as they need.

Two other goals have to do with engagement and building relationships with students, their families and the school community as a whole. Scholars are not only there for their required hours and to teach their concepts from a distance. The program expects scholars to become more involved with the people to build connections and integrate themselves into the school culture.

Lakeland, the school on which the program is focusing currently, did see a positive change in students’ test scores since the partnership has begun. The seventh-graders saw an increase in passing rates from less than seven percent in 2016 to nearly 18 percent in 2017, and scores spiked from 19 percent to more than 43 percent from 2016 to 2017 in fourth-graders.

The vast majority of elementary (71 percent) and middle school students (86 percent) at Lakeland are still failing the standardized test, but teachers and staff at the school and through the co-op remain optimistic about what the future holds for their school. As UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski III says, “Some of these children one day should be able to come to UMBC and then go on to work at Northrop Grumman.”

Another program offered through the Sherman STEM Teacher Scholars Program is called STEAM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and math. The former Lakeland Recreation Center is in the process of becoming “an environment where Lakeland students have access to academic enrichment and life-skills development, and Lakeland adults can further their education, workplace skills and health and well being.” In addition to what the Baltimore City Recreation and Parks offers at this location, it will now offer even more amenities, including more extensive hours, a room dedication for parents to gather for various occasions, a studio for sound and digital video, a multipurpose room to be used for health and wellness activities and a center for job training.

People interested in joining the Sherman Scholars program and encouraging elementary and middle school students to learn can go to the Sherman STEM Teacher Scholars Program’s “Apply Now” page on their website. Eligible applicants include freshman through senior UMBC students, transfer students and more.

Neflix’s newest original romantic comedy follows the life of Sierra Burgess (Shannon Purser), a high school student who, in the midst of preparing for her college admittance into Stanford University, falls in love with Jamey (Noah Centineo), a classic jock with a distinct heart. Their initial relationship, however, is built on an unhealthy foundation.

Sierra’s greatest bully, Veronica (Kristine Froseth), had given Sierra’s number to Jamey in order to dismiss his romantic advances. Jamey texted Sierra believing that he was speaking to Veronica the entire time, and Sierra, enchanted by her admiration for Jamey, went as far as to actively catfish Jamey by convincing Veronica to send photos to him, FaceTime and even go on dates with Jamey.

This film is painfully unrealistic. Ironically, the filmmakers consciously tried to make it relatable by casting a lead who did not fit society’s traditional skinny standard. However, the insincerity of the script and lackluster attention to emotions, particularly those of guilt and forgiveness, completely override their appropriate efforts to cast a “normal” girl.

No character in this film suffered consequences as severe as they would have outside of the film. In one scene, Veronica agrees to go on a date with Jamey, which Sierra secretly supervises. Jamey leans in to kiss Veronica, who quickly insists that he closes his eyes. She calls Sierra over to kiss Jamey instead. Sierra then runs off before Jamey could ever realize that he indeed had not kissed who he had thought he was kissing.

Although the moment was clearly magical for Sierra, the kiss she shared with Jamey was completely inappropriate. They abused his trust. They essentially manipulated him into doing something purely for Sierra’s desires, but somehow she was rewarded for this.

The film had a happy ending which is to be expected. After Jamey found out he had been fooled to believe he was speaking to Veronica instead of Sierra, despite all she had done including faking FaceTime calls and kissing him without his awareness, he still came to her doorstep, flower in hand, to take her to the homecoming dance. There was clear cinematic idealism at play.

The only realistic element this film possesses is the pressure a student feels when preparing to apply to college. As Sierra decides that Stanford University is her dream school, she realizes that good grades are not enough to get accepted. The viewers then watch her try to join clubs she is completely uninterested in simply for the resume boost.

This is unfortunately completely normal, as tons of students commit to clubs and events with only the intention of adding to their resumes. Sierra did not even know what she wanted to do in college, but she wanted to go to Stanford, probably due to societal views on prestigious and name-recognizable colleges.

The second Sierra fell in love, school became a lower priority. She decided that committing to her heart was a bit more important than committing to college. However, it is not about the college someone goes to or how they get there, it is about whatever will make them happiest and Sierra was privileged enough to learn that.