UMBC Chess finished seventh overall at the 2016 Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship, held in New Orleans, Louisiana, December 27 – 30.

The UMBC Chess A team finished in 10th place, with victories over the Texas Tech D team, the University of Oklahoma A team, the Columbia University B team, and the Arizona State University team. The UMBC Chess B team earned wins over the Texas Tech E team, and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities B team, and finished 45th overall.

UMBC’s 2016 A team includes international master Levan Bregadze ‘16, financial economics; grandmaster Tanguy Ringoir ‘19, economics; woman FIDE master Ewa Harazinska ’20, chemistry; and Maor Leker Locker ’20, biological sciences. The UMBC Chess B team includes Dobrynya Konoplev ‘18, computer science and mechanical engineering; Nathan Janus ’20, mathematics; Nathaniel Wong ‘18, Asian studies and political science; Abhilash Puranik ‘17, M.S. computer engineering; and Jeffrey Mich Carr ’19, interdisciplinary studies.

UMBC has participated in the Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship for the past 26 years, and has won or tied for first place at the Pan-Am Championship ten times. UMBC Chess has also continued on to the President’s Cup—known as the Final Four of College Chess—numerous times, but did not qualify for 2017.

At the 2015 Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship, the UMBC Chess A team finished in 10th place, and the UMBC Chess B team finished 31st overall. Alan Sherman, professor of computer science and electrical engineering, serves as director for UMBC Chess and Joel DeWyer, interim director of The Commons, is business manager.

UMBC Chess made headlines earlier in 2016 when Nazi Paikidze-Barnes, information systems, an alumna of the team, won the 2016 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship held in St. Louis.

Image: Members of the UMBC Chess A team before attending the 2016 Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship. Photo by Marlayna Demond ‘11 for UMBC.

Psalm 126 - “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.”

The two halves of Psalm 126 express two related themes - remembrance of God’s acts of salvation in the past (vv. 1-3), and desire for God’s continued blessing in the future (vv. 4-6).  The psalmist first describes how the people of Israel were filled with joy when God rescued them, perhaps in reference to their return from exile in Babylon.

He continues by asking God for new blessings, acknowledging that his people still need God to intervene on their behalf day by day.  This pattern of recalling God’s great deeds and praying for new salvation reflects the eager anticipation that Israel felt toward the coming of the Messiah.

In the same way, those who believe in Christ today can both remember the past and rejoice in the future.  The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus were more than great historical deeds - they are the ultimate foundation of our faith in God for each present moment.  Even through impending hardship, we hold onto the hope of Psalm 126, that God has the will and the desire to continue His work of great joy in our lives.

Like the author of Psalm 126, let’s engage today in two steps of prayer.  First, let’s praise and thank God for the many ways that He has rescued us, most importantly by sending His Son.  Next, we can ask God with great anticipation for new blessings that reflect His glory, so that we may look forward to a greater joy in Him.

-CK

Monday through Thursday, participants will work as legislative interns in their respective offices; in addition, NCET2 will work with offices to ensure interns are engaged in tasks which provide educational benefits in entrepreneurship related policy whenever possible. On Fridays, students will engage in a variety of activities both on and off the Hill targeted at the program’s focus areas. These could include:

• Meetings with prominent individuals in DC such as senior federal administration officials, serial entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors, and corporate venture groups
• Group field trips
• Professional networking events

Luke 2:25-38 (NIV) - “Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.’

The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’

There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”

Matthew 10:34 (NIV) -“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

Jesus’ birth brought us peace, but the cost was not peaceful. Simeon joyfully declared that Jesus would bring salvation and light to all nations; however, Jesus would also be spoken against, and He would be the cause of many ‘rising’ and coming near to God, and many others rejecting Him and falling away. Why is this? Jesus and His kingdom stand directly against the kingdom of this world (Matthew 10:34) and its false notions of peace, hope, and joy.

Like a sword piercing our own hearts, the Gospel strips away pretense to reveal the thoughts and longings of our hearts. In His great love for us, and through the power of the Holy Spirit God prunes and enables us to turn away from the things hindering us from knowing God, following Jesus, and experiencing the true power and glory of His kingdom.

Today, may our hearts be pierced with the deep recognition of the urgency and need for Jesus, beginning with our own hearts and assumptions about Him. And pray that our lives would be lived like Simeon and Anna, clinging to His promises and longing for His coming above all else. Lastly, let’s pray for the salvation of those close to us - that they would become part of the ‘rising,’ being rescued from ‘falling’ (rejecting the Lord).

-CO

• As an applicant you should:
• have a PhD in Gender Studies, or a Social Science discipline such as Sociology, Anthropology or Organisation Studies;
• hold thorough knowledge of theories and a wide variety of research methods relevant to the field of Gender and Diversity;
• have the ability to think and work beyond disciplinary boundaries;
• have good social skills and be able to collaborate with colleagues from different disciplines;
• have a track record of international publications in peer-reviewed journals;
• be an enthusiastic teacher and have experience with teaching and supervising students;
• have a university teaching qualification (BKO) or the willingness to acquire such a certificate;
• have the potential to generate research funds from national and international funding agencies;
• have an excellent command of written and spoken English;
• have a very good command of Dutch or the willingness to learn Dutch in two years.

• employment: 1.0 FTE;
• a maximum gross monthly salary of € 4,691 based on a 38-hour working week (salary scale 11);
• in addition to the salary: an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus;
• duration of the contract: 5-year temporary contract;
• you will be classified as an Assistant Professor, Level 2 (Universitair docent, niveau 2) in the Dutch university job-ranking system (UFO).