Jeremiah 31:3-4a - “God told them, ‘I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love! And so now I’ll start over with you and build you up again.’”

One of the difficult things children must deal with are the lies that can come into their minds masquerading as truth: “I’m not loved,” “I’m not accepted,” “I’m not appreciated,” “I’m not attractive,” “I’m not good enough,” “I’m too fat,” “too thin,” “too tall,” “too short,” “too dumb,” “too smart,” “too everything.” These lies escalate as children move into their teenage years and often are carried into adulthood. That’s why I’m convinced it’s never too soon to start praying for a child to feel loved and accepted-first by God, then by others.

The opposite of being loved and accepted is being rejected-something we’ve all experienced at one time or another in our lives. Who among us has never felt embarrassment, humiliation, failure, fault, or someone’s disapproval over something we’ve done? Whether it be by a family member, a friend, or a complete stranger, rejection happens to all of us. Some people can let such incidents roll off their backs, because they know, deep within, that they are accepted. Others, however, may bear deep emotional wounds from incident after incident of rejection. A person who already feels rejected interprets everything as rejection-a mere look, a harmless word, an insignificant action-while someone who feels loved and accepted thinks nothing of the same look, word, or action. A person may not actually be rejected, but if he (she) believes he (she) is, the effect is just as damaging as if it were true.

The love of God, however, can change all this. Knowing that God loves and accepts us changes our lives. He says, “I have chosen you and not cast you away” (Isaiah 41:9). “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). And He proves His love because “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). On top of that, the Bible assures us that “neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

Let us pray that we as God’s children would receive God’s power to take hold of his tender, relentless love for us. Pray for God’s parental love to more deeply penetrate your own heart and other’s hearts (small groups, fellowships, children, etc.) so that we all may be made whole and transformed more and more like him.
(Adapted from Stormie Omartian’s devotional.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II1JKBuz-AY

-AP

Prospective students tour UMBC on a daily basis, rain or shine, but last week saw a particularly special visit from around 80 fifth graders from Armistead Gardens Elementary School in Baltimore, who came to get a taste of the opportunities available at UMBC and a sense what the college experience could have in store for them.

The Shriver Center at UMBC coordinated the visit, including Michele Wolff, director of The Shriver Center, Lori Hardesty, assistant director of service-learning, K-16 partnerships, Sandra Abbott, curator of collections & outreach for the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture, Mavis Sanders, professor of education, and Shane McCormick, coordinator of administration, evaluation & operations for the office of academic opportunity programs. Faculty, staff, and students from across the university, gave the students a truly broad sense of what UMBC offers.

“At UMBC, we want youth to feel, think, dream, and know that they can achieve their goals,” Hardesty said. “We encourage them because we believe in them, too.”

True Grit and members of UMBC’s Admissions Team welcomed the students and led enthusiastic cheers to kick off the day. “UMBC is a place that embraces diversity,” said Ana María Schwartz Caballero, associate professor of Spanish, second language education, and modern languages, linguistics and intercultural communication (MLLI), during her welcoming remarks. Schwartz Caballero highlighted UMBC’s shared community values, including a strong commitment to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment.

A panel of UMBC students, including Joy Kish ‘17, biological sciences; Ramses Long ‘17, biology, Yamani Narayan ‘18; health administration and public policy; and Jaelyn Bos ‘17, biological sciences and environmental science, discussed career goals, involvement on campus, and how and when they decided to attend UMBC.

“I was fourteen when I discovered UMBC on a class tour in middle school,” shared Long, who plans to become a physician.“I was excited to expose a younger generation to UMBC so it can motivate them and show them a pathway to a better life. That was what my tour did for me.”

UMBC encourages students to pursue their interests outside of the classroom. The clubs and organizations at UMBC are “opportunities to express yourself,” Kish said.  

Faculty and staff across all three UMBC colleges led sessions for the elementary school students. One group learned about chemistry through an interactive demonstration by Bill LaCourse, dean of the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, and Josh Wilhide, M.S. ’10, chemistry, manager of the Molecular Characterization and Analysis Complex (MCAC) at UMBC. Another group of students visited the Joseph Beuys Sculpture Park, completing a scavenger hunt and creating nature drawings with Abbott. 

Doug Hamby, associate professor of dance, and director of the Linehan Artist Scholars Program, led the third group through the steps of creating a new, improvisational dance. The fourth group explored engineering with Jamie Gurganus, associate director of engineering education initiatives and instructor of mechanical engineering, building structures out of small wooden planks. The students tested their structures with heavy textbooks to see how well they tolerated stress.

Parents were invited to attend a session about resources for planning and preparing for college, led by Sanders, Karen Watkins-Lewis, lecturer in psychology, and Claudia Galindo, associate professor of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership at the University of Maryland, College Park. The Baltimore City Public Schools Office of Family and Community Engagement provided books for the students, and gave turkey dinners to two parents who attended the session.

Bos enjoyed connecting with the students individually, on light topics like favorite animals and more serious issues like how to pay for college. “Bringing fifth graders to campus gives them the opportunity to see themselves at college, and inspires them to see their own education as interesting and meaningful,” she said.  

Moving forward, Hardesty plans to welcome greater numbers of K-12 students to campus regularly, to help them envision themselves pursuing a college degree. She also hopes to keep engaging Armistead Gardens Elementary School students as they move through their middle school and high school years, on the path to college.

“Many youth must manage barriers, including others telling them that they ‘can’t,’ a perception that there are not enough resources available, or that they are not aware of others who reached their goals despite their own obstacles,” said Hardesty. “It’s more critical than ever that all youth have an equal opportunity to dream about what they love, shape how they see themselves in the world, and create their own futures.” 

Image: A group of UMBC students answering questions from fifth graders at Armistead Gardens Elementary School. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

 A blog reflection by Women’s Center student staff member Shira Devorah

So I really love to talk about sex. It’s probably my favorite topic ever. I used to work for peer health education and with the sexual health committee at UHS here on campus. I’m considering becoming a therapist focusing on sex and relationships within the LGBTQ community.

I’ve always considered myself to be sex positive. But now I’m worried that identifying as such can be problematic.

Sex positivity, in a really bare-bones sense, is a movement that unpacks our taboo notions of sexuality and embraces and promotes human sexuality and personal exploration. There is a huge emphasis on safer sex and informed consent, encouraging respect for people’s personal preferences and boundaries.

I’m definitely here for all of this.

But what are the limitations of this movement?

At surface level, sex positivity is a really cool thing. I feel confident discussing birth control options and my needs with friends and partners. Sex positivity has really allowed me to open myself up as a person and not deny my interest and care about this subject. The fact that this movement exists means that I can one day work in a field devoted to improving sex lives for LGBTQ people.

But sometimes I wonder if I really want to call myself sex positive anymore. Is being sex positive actually accessible to other people? 

Although in theory sex positivity creates space for all people to explore their sexuality, in reality these conversations are not always accessible for everyone. There are many reasons sex positivity isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, even though it may be mine.

It’s difficult for women to be open about sexuality without some sort of pushback, and it can be especially challenging for women of color.

There are a lot of negative stereotypes surrounding women who choose to reclaim their own sexuality through sex positivity. First off, women who identify as sex positive often get sex shamed for their openness discussing these taboo topics. People tend to make a lot of assumptions about women who are open with their sexuality – that we’re ‘slutty’, interested in casual sex, unfeminine, or the object of male desire. These looming misconceptions may turn women off to the idea of being sex positive.

Although I may encounter some of these problematic assumptions, because I’m a white woman(ish) I’m not ever racially stereotyped based on my openness with sexual topics, which can be a reality for many people of color.

Many women of color are fetishized based on their race, and so they may feel more conflicted about associating with this term. For example, black women are often stereotyped as hypersexual, while Asian women are stereotyped as submissive sex objects. Since women of color are often already sexualized in troubling ways, sex positivity might make women of color feel more ostracized. Franchesca Ramsey has a really great video on sexual and dating racism you should check out here.

Feminista Jones from her website, feministajones.com

Some activists, like Feminista Jones, a Black feminist sex positive blogger, have helped counteract this narrative within sex positive circles. Jones has  written about subverting the idea that Black women are hypersexual. In her piece “From Slavery to Sexual Freedom,” Jones discusses embracing Black female sexuality is an act of defiance against the fetishization of women of color. This is one example of how sex positivity can be reclaimed as an intersectional term – but this still doesn’t solve the systemic issue of racial sexualization.

On a different note, I’m also mindful about potentially alienating asexual people and survivors of sexual violence. Sure, I absolutely love being an open book when it comes to sex and sexuality. This means that I talk a lot about sexuality in a variety of different ways; I feel comfortable discussing the educational aspects of sexuality, like teaching people about consent or how to use contraceptives.

Still, I sometimes find myself  discussing less ‘academic’ aspects of human sexuality. I am comfortable with pretty personal conversations, but a lot of people may not be. Some people may even be triggered by these conversations.

Of course, there is a vast difference between discussing safe sex and talking explicitly about sex with friends. Still, the line between informative sexual discussions and casual and potentially invasive discussions may be difficult to draw – especially if you’re like me and never stop the conversation. For close friends, I have a better understanding of what their boundaries are, and know what is and is not appropriate to say. These kinds of discussions are very different than those concerning contraception, which can be appropriate based on who is having this conversation, which spaces they are taking place in. In spaces that are more public, it is possible that people may overhear and be triggered by my discussions. Sometimes conversations that aren’t sexually explicit may still be troubling to some individuals. I need to stay tuned to the needs of all people who may be present.

I don’t know everyone’s stories, and it’s not my business to know their trauma or identity. It is, however, my business to be courteous and kind – and my loud, boisterous chats about contraception might not be as enjoyable to someone else as it is to me.

So how can I problematize sex positivity while continuing to associate with the movement?

I think I need to re-define what sex positivity is to me. It is all that I have grown accustomed to, but so much more. My kind of sex positivity is an inclusive one, accessible to all bodies. My sex positivity is open and honest, but should not be loud nor in-your-face. My sex positivity reclaims sexuality, but understands how sexuality can be misused and feed into rape culture and patriarchy. Most importantly, my sex positivity is my own, and I do not have have to expect other people to see things the way that I do. It does not make them any less of a feminist to feel uncomfortable with sex positivity, it just makes their lens different.

art by Ronnie Ritchie, for everyday feminism

I would really love to reconcile with the term “sex positive” while being mindful that this identifier is not always accessible, realistic, or even as positive as the title claims.

I must be critical of the limitations of being sex positive. I want to expand my awareness for who is included and who gets left out of this narrative. My sex positivity needs to include all bodies, all genders, and all sexualities. In order to reconcile with my own sex positivity, I must remember that it is not the one right way to be a feminist.

This competition will take place in Commons Sports Zone at 7PM.