The following is a guest post from UMBC alumna Juliette Seymour, MCS and GWST ’14, who was both inspired and incensed by the recent “Me Too” campaign. Although this widespread social media initiative has shed light on the pervasiveness of sexual violence and assault in our communities, Juliette writes about follow-through and next steps. 

Content note: Sexual abuse, rape, trauma

Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too. Me too.

Me too.

It’s endless. I cannot count the number of the “Me too” Facebook status I have seen since Sunday night. If you are not on Facebook, to provide some backstory, actress Alyssa Milano tweeted (a co-opted message from activist, Tarana Burke):

Screen shot from Alyssa Milano’s twitter: “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” Inset text reads: “Me too. Suggested by a friend: ‘If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me too.’ as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.”

Since then, my Facebook feed (and everyone else’s) has been nothing but “Me too’s.”

I posted one, deleted it. Then sat with a rock in my stomach. I’m used to this rock. It’s been with me since I was a child. This rock varies in size and weight, sometimes it’s small and manageable. Other times it’s large, growing past my stomach into my chest and throat making it nearly impossible for me to take deep breaths or speak. It’s grown as I have; the seemingly constant sexual abuse and rape that has happened throughout my life adding weight to this rock. You know this rock if you’ve experienced any sort of abuse/trauma. It sucks.

Quilt square from The Monument Quilt.

I sat with this rock in my stomach for a while. My overactive mind weighing the pros and cons of this campaign (I don’t know if that is the proper term, but honestly, I’m not here to overanalyze that aspect). Should I repost? Why did I delete it? Why did I hesitate to post in the first place? Why did it feel wrong?

Then it clicked.

We’ve already stood up. We’ve already put a mark on our backs. We’ve already gone to the police to be dismissed. We’ve already sat through questioning from everyone, and I mean, everyone – how long was your skirt, did you drink, have you had sex before, why were you out at night, why did you let them, why didn’t you say no, have you had sex with them before, aren’t you married, why didn’t you fight back, didn’t you want it at first, why didn’t you say something sooner – to be told it was our fault. Even though it is never EVER our fault.

We’ve been through this motion before.

Think of all the people who have stood up and said “Hey, Bill Cosby/Woody Allen/Donald Trump/Harvey Weinstein/Sean Penn/Dr. Luke/My friend/My family/Your friend/Your family/etc., has raped/sexually abused me.”

What happened to the survivor? Now, what happened to the abuser in these situations? If you don’t already know the answer, take a moment, think about it. What happened to Trump? Cosby?

The answer is nothing. Nothing happened to them. Hell, one of them is sitting in the oval office.

Where are the Facebook statuses of abusers/rapist saying “I did it” so we can understand the severity of this? Where are my supposed ‘allied’ cis men standing up to their friends when they make rape jokes, or catcall? Or rape. When are we going to start holding abusers accountable? When are we going to refer to our brothers and fathers as rapists, instead of our sisters and mothers as victims? When are we going to ask why did you rape instead of why were you raped? When are we going to teach how not to rape instead of how not to get raped?

Quilt square from The Monument Quilt.

When are we going to actually listen to survivors? And then when are we going to do more than just…listen?

I don’t have all the answers. I wish I did.

But what I do have is this:

First, and most importantly –  If you posted a Me Too status, if you didn’t, if you don’t believe that your story is “real” enough, if you are not safe or comfortable enough to post; I see you. I hear you. I believe you. You are not alone. And I love you.

Second, and almost as important – Now what?

I’m not going to post a Facebook status, sit back, and pretend it did something. I’m not going to do that, and I’m asking you to do the same. And I know it hurts, it’s painful, uncomfortable, and seems impossible. Trust me. I know what it feels like to not be able to speak the things that happened to you (and very slowly getting to a point where you can kind of talk about it in therapy). I know what it feels like to be retraumatized with panic attacks and sleepless nights following. I know what it feels like to have to live with your abuser. I know what it feels like to question, “Was it rape? Was it my fault?” (and accepting that yes, it was rape, and no, it’s not my fault).

I know.

But, we have to be uncomfortable, we have to work through the pain, we have to support each other in our respective journeys to healing.

Quilt square from The Monument Quilt.

So here is my action plan. To hold myself accountable, and to provide a possible road map for you. I do not know what your story is, how your healing will come, or what will happen. Hell, I don’t even know if my plan will work. But for right now, it’s all that I got:

1. Go to therapy
2. Delete Facebook off my phone (at least for a few days)
3. Check-in with myself (you have to put the oxygen mask on yourself first) and then friends
4. Start volunteering with the Monument Quilt again (the studio is close to my house, and I made myself email them before finishing this post to ensure I followed through)
5. Look into support groups for survivors

IMPORTANT NOTES:

I cannot stress this enough to my fellow survivors: This is in no way to shame or put down those who have found comfort/strength/healing through this hashtag Facebook thing (I still don’t know what to call it). I hope with all of my heart that this creates a sense of community, love, healing, and will do the thing it’s supposed to do. This is not directed towards those who find healing through these means, I’m happy you have that. I am SO happy you have that.

This is me wanting more from society. Not you.

And, it goes without saying, but I’m going to say it: ABUSE/RAPE HAPPENS ACROSS ALL GENDER LINES. WOMAN, MAN, TRANS, GENDERQUEER, NO GENDER, ALL GENDER. IT HAPPENS TO EVERYONE.

And, an important note on race: I am white. This is my white perspective. Race obviously plays a role in this. I do not feel adept to write about that. I do not want to assume/overpower or write for POC because their voices should be raised.

Quilt square from The Monument Quilt.

• For more information and resources related to sexual assault and gender-based violence, visit our website or contact the Women’s Center at 410.455.2714.
• For more information about reporting at UMBC, the sexual misconduct policy, or Title IX, visit UMBC’s Human Relations website. 
• The photos above are from the Monument Quilt. For more information, visit their website.

The Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) named UMBC as one of the top universities in the world according to their 2017 report released last week. UMBC lands in the top 1.9% of higher education institutions worldwide and joins only four other institutions in Maryland on the list. More than 27,000 organizations were evaluated, making the CWUR the largest ranking of global universities.

CWUR takes eight indicators into account when compiling their rankings, including quality of education (alumni who have won major international awards); alumni employment (as CEOs in companies worldwide); quality of faculty (faculty who have won major international awards); research publications, influence and citations; broad impact; and international patent filings.

UMBC is one of only five institutions in the state of Maryland to make an appearance on the list, along with University of Maryland, College Park; University of Maryland, Baltimore; Johns Hopkins University; and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. In addition to the global recognition UMBC has attained, the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education list of nationally ranked institutions recently named UMBC as one of the top universities in the United States.

Photo: UMBC student works outside in 2017.
Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Acts 10:9-10 (NIV) – About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
“Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.
While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”

“In verses 17 and 19 Peter was grappling intensely regarding the meaning of the vision when the Holy Spirit spoke to him. At first Peter vehemently refused to be open to change, as is expressed by his cry, “Surely not, Lord!” He had strong convictions. But when he sensed that God was indeed teaching him something new, he seriously considered the implications of the vision. Thus, both divine guidance and Peter’s willingness to grasp what God was showing him combined to produce a change in his thinking, even though it was something he was uncomfortable with. A passion for obedience makes God’s servants open to changes with which they may at first be uncomfortable. God found in Peter a person who was open to living with the uncomfortable. That helped him to be open to God’s surprises…and this made him open to more of God’s revelations.” [Ajith Fernando, NIV Application Commentary: Acts, p.324]

To dream or have a vision is one thing, but obedience to the Spirit’s truth and leading is the deeper/fuller measure of receiving; not only are we transformed but we are lead to love another. The lyrics to the song, Build My Life, expresses it this way, “Open up my eyes in wonder, show me who You are and fill me, with your heart and lead me, in your love to those around me.” Let’s pray for a passion for obedience to the Spirit’s leading.

“Build My Life” – Link:

– AK

The campus community, including leaders of UMBC’s Student Government Association (SGA), has recently been drawing attention to the issue of space on campus.

A particularly important space-related issue that the UMBC community faces is the lack of representation from actual students on UMBC’s Space Management Committee. While there is a representative for student affairs, this individual is not a student. To this end, SGA plans on eventually having a representative on the committee.

Meghan Lynch, a senior political science major and the vice president for student organizations for SGA, offered her input on this issue, expressing frustration over the lack of a direct student voice on the committee and mentioning, “I am incredibly passionate about working on this issue and consider it one of my main priorities.” She also noted SGA’s “critical” need for someone who can report back to the student government following committee discussions about space on campus.

One of the objectives mentioned in UMBC’s official Strategic Plan is to “expand the amount, type and utilization of informal space on and off campus that is available to students” for the purposes of collaboration, interaction, and recreation. However, no concrete plan or vision has been introduced thus far with regards as to how this will be done.

At UMBC, student organizations and clubs have faced setbacks with securing suitable and appropriate spaces for meetings or events. Due to this shortage of space, many student organizations, such as dance or cultural clubs, have been competing with each other for space in shared areas. These include the Commons’ “Main Street,” the hallways of the University Center and even areas outside of the buildings.

Lynch expressed concern about the use of the Commons, stating, “As someone who advocates for all student organizations, I feel that the Commons is both over-utilized and under-utilized.” She notes, “places such as the game room and Flat Tuesdays are used repeatedly by a small number of students,” adding, “given how large these areas are, they could be used in a way that addresses critical needs on campus… We don’t want any group to feel kicked out, but when needs are not being met in classrooms, or you can’t walk through the first floor of the UC because groups dance there, then I think it is high-time to start analyzing what is needed.”

As a way for the community to give their input, SGA is holding a session from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 26 on the stairs of the University Center to listen to concerns about campus space. Organizations and individual students are encouraged to stop by and give their stories on the matter.

The campus community, including leaders of UMBC’s Student Government Association (SGA), has recently been drawing attention to the issue of space on campus.

A particularly important space-related issue that the UMBC community faces is the lack of representation from actual students on UMBC’s Space Management Committee. While there is a representative for student affairs, this individual is not a student. To this end, SGA plans on eventually having a representative on the committee.

Meghan Lynch, a senior political science major and the vice president for student organizations for SGA, offered her input on this issue, expressing frustration over the lack of a direct student voice on the committee and mentioning, “I am incredibly passionate about working on this issue and consider it one of my main priorities.” She also noted SGA’s “critical” need for someone who can report back to the student government following committee discussions about space on campus.

One of the objectives mentioned in UMBC’s official Strategic Plan is to “expand the amount, type and utilization of informal space on and off campus that is available to students” for the purposes of collaboration, interaction, and recreation. However, no concrete plan or vision has been introduced thus far with regards as to how this will be done.

At UMBC, student organizations and clubs have faced setbacks with securing suitable and appropriate spaces for meetings or events. Due to this shortage of space, many student organizations, such as dance or cultural clubs, have been competing with each other for space in shared areas. These include the Commons’ “Main Street,” the hallways of the University Center and even areas outside of the buildings.

Lynch expressed concern about the use of the Commons, stating, “As someone who advocates for all student organizations, I feel that the Commons is both over-utilized and under-utilized.” She notes, “places such as the game room and Flat Tuesdays are used repeatedly by a small number of students,” adding, “given how large these areas are, they could be used in a way that addresses critical needs on campus… We don’t want any group to feel kicked out, but when needs are not being met in classrooms, or you can’t walk through the first floor of the UC because groups dance there, then I think it is high-time to start analyzing what is needed.”

As a way for the community to give their input, SGA is holding a session from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 26 on the stairs of the University Center to listen to concerns about campus space. Organizations and individual students are encouraged to stop by and give their stories on the matter.

UMBC Information Systems Department

Creating a Smart and Connected Health System

Dr. Wendy J. Nilsen
Program Director, Smart and Connected Health Division
Information and Intelligent Systems Directorate
Computer & Information Science & Engineering
National Science Foundation

10am, Tuesday, 31 October 2017, ITE 459, UMBC

Science is changing rapidly and new transdisciplinary approaches are resulting in advances across scientific domains. Due to developments in computing and engineering, nested with a changing policy environment, medicine and public health are also at the cusp of a transformation that will accelerate discovery, improve health outcomes, decrease costs, and address the complexity of challenging health problems. To realize these advances requires partnerships between the scientific and health domains. Research communities are developing breakthrough ideas in a variety of diverse areas relevant to health, such as sensor networks, informatics, machine learning and datamining, decision support systems, modeling of behavioral and cognitive processes, as well as system and process harmonization. Solutions that effectively influence health must satisfy a multitude of constraints creating challenges and opportunities that individual disciplines cannot address alone. Computer science and engineering are poised to contribute to these changes by bring sophisticated techniques to partnerships in the biomedical realm. This talk will cover some advances being made and a vision for future. This talk explores the challenges in developing a smart health research ecosystem and highlights opportunities and promising new areas of research.

Wendy Nilsen, Ph.D. is a Program Director for the Smart and Connected Health Program in the Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering at the National Science Foundation. Her work focuses on the intersection of technology and health. This includes a wide range of methods for data collection, advanced analytics and the creation of effective cyber-human systems. Her interests span the areas of sensing, analytics, cyber-physical systems, information systems, big data and robotics. More specifically, her efforts include: serving as co-chair of the Health Information Technology Research and Development working group of the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program; the lead for the NSF/NIH Smart and Connected Health announcement; convening workshops to address methodology in technology in health research; serving on numerous federal technology initiatives; and, leading training institutes. Previously, Wendy was at the National Institutes of Health.

The post talk: Creating a Smart and Connected Health System, 10am Tue 10/31 appeared first on Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

IEEE Fall 2017 Arduino Workshop and Halloween Social, 5-7 Fri 10/27

The UMBC Student Branch of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) will host a Halloween Social at 5-7:00pm Friday, 27 October 2017 in ITE 233. This is a fun event where attendees can build and take home electronic Halloween decorations. The Halloween Workshop will take place from 5pm to 7pm, and they will be giving out candies, Arduinos and various electronic equipment on a first come, first serve basis. If you would like to participate, please register here.

IEEE is the world’s largest professional association for the advancement of technology. The UMBC graduate and undergraduate student members share technical interests rooted in electrical and computer sciences, engineering and related disciplines. ​At their meetings and events, they present and promote current research trends at UMBC and elsewhere, host skills workshops, and provide our members the opportunity to expand their network of contacts.

The post IEEE Fall 2017 Arduino Workshop and Halloween Social, 5-7 Fri 10/27 appeared first on Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.