Curtis Menyuk, computer science and electrical engineering, won the prestigiuos Humboldt Research Award. The award is granted by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to scholars who have made a significant contributions to their discipline and plan to continue cutting-edge research.

Menyuk’s research concentrates on optical and photonic systems, including optical fiber communications and switching, solid state device simulations, and nonlinear optics. In 2013, he received the IEEE Photonics Society Streifer AWard, another major international award. Menyuk said, “I was delighted and very honored receive this award.  It is really a tribute to UMBC and the members of my research group, past and present, since the award recognizes the 30 years of work that my group has carried out at UMBC.  The link that this award will create between UMBC and the Max-Planck Institute for Light in Erlangen, Germany — one of the world’s leading institutes in optics and photonics — will be of great benefit to UMBC’s students and other researchers.”

Education Requirement: BFA, MFA or related

Position Type: Part Time

Description: Visual Artist-In-Residence in pediatric hospital

Mission: The Healing Arts Program provides creative outlets in various media for self-expression and the chance to learn a new skill, like watercolor painting or bookmaking, which can be an empowering as well as a therapeutic experience by helping children and their families discover their own creative resources.

Name: Kelsey Donnellan

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Just Food UMBC | Title of Your Position: Founder and Director

Major(s)/Minor(s): Interdisciplinary Studies, Degree title: Community Health and Nutrition

Expected Graduation Year: May 2015

Briefly describe your internship, co-op, research, or service-learning opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

I launched Just Food UMBC, an organization to promote a just and sustainable food system at UMBC. Along with three interns, I work with various stakeholders in our on-campus food system. Each week I am tasked with establishing goals for each of the interns, reviewing the intern's work, hosting staff meetings, and arranging 1:1s with each intern.

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

The project has been a passion of mine for over a year, but I struggled to gain traction. As I transitioned out of a leadership position with The Garden, I focused on our campus food policy. I met with Vivian Armor and Christine Routzahn to discuss getting internship credit, which was a different structure as I started the organization. With their approval, I went to other departments to recruit interns. Two interns are fulfilling their Health Administration and Policy Program internship requirement and the other intern is completing an independent study in Political Science. From there we asked Jill Wrigley to serve as a faculty mentor, and she graciously agreed.

Which of the following resources did you use to find your current experience?

Faculty Connections

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

Launching Just Food UMBC has pushed me to think critically about long-term goals and my management strategies. The staff works hard week in and week out to develop our research, write policy reviews, and connect with the community. While I am the Director, I prefer to work collaboratively with the interns and actively listen to their ideas. I believe allowing them to use their strengths has only made our organization thrive.

What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another opportunity?

I learned management skills and effective communication skills, which I could not have gained from another opportunity. If I do not communication the weekly goals well, the interns may do redundant or incorrect work. Much of the responsibility falls on me, and I take it seriously. In the beginning the interns were given the opportunity to advise me on what platforms and methods of communication they preferred. Now I am able to create their goals list with their preferences in mind.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

Think creatively about opportunities and ask for support.

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / the internship placement process.

"I feel it is an obligation to help people understand the relation of food to agriculture and the relationship of food to culture." - Alice Waters

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Compiled by the Retriever Weekly Features Staff

Virgo- Your new pen will turn out to be better for doodling than taking notes, which is fine because you don’t take notes anyway.

Libra- You’ll struggle with feelings of insignificance both in and out of your statistics class.

Scorpio- This week, you’ll watch your dreams go up in smoke when your RA tells you that can’t have a portable fire-pit in your dorm.

Sagittarius- It’ll be a game-changer this week when you realize that you are supposed to read Spanish from left to right, rather than the other way around.

Capricorn- A simple game of hide and seek will take a turn for the profound when you finally stop hiding and find yourself.

Aquarius- You’ll be horrified to realize that the ants are coming from inside your laptop.

Pisces- The hell-rift will be especially fragile this week. Turn up your headphones extra loud to prevent the demons from entering your brain-zone.

Aries- You and your prospective employer will both share a hearty laugh over your resume before he finally asks you to leave.

Taurus- You’ll take the weather personally this week, which is understandable given the group of physicists dedicated to ruining your life with their confounded weather machine.

Gemini- You’ll be hopelessly confused when the carnivorous plant you are supposed to raise for your botany class turns out to be both vegan and gluten-sensitive.

Cancer- If you thought getting hit by a foul ball in the middle of your chemistry lab last week was strange, just wait to see what flies through the window this week.

Leo- You’ll experience great pride when you find out that you’re the case of bee sting-induced anaphylactic shock this spring.

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The Linux Users’ Group shares the value of Linux

The Linux Users’ Group has been on campus for a long time. The club helps new users experience their favorite operating system.

Six men cluster around their laptops in a cramped, narrow room in the ITE building. They are the Linux Users’ Group who meet Wednesdays during free hour. The club is small and meetings are informal, but members share a unique enthusiasm for the often forgotten computer operating system.

Linux is an open source operating system, which means users can view, add to or change the source code. It also means the operating system is free. The club, primarily made of programmers and students looking to work with computers for a living, finds the operating system to be an attractive alternative. They can make their user experience whatever they want it to be.

While each works on their own projects, they speak tech jargon back and forth. They seem to be speaking another language, but they eagerly explain their confusing terminology. Dylan Whichard, a senior majoring in computer science, is the club president.

“I think we’re one of the oldest clubs on campus,” Whichard said as he tapped at his keyboard. “We’ve been around since 1997.”

Two other club members gather around Ankush Rattan, a senior majoring in information systems, and his computer. The group is helping him install Linux on his computer. Rattan discovered the club during their outreach program called Installfest. Before Spring Break, club members set up hordes of laptops and computers in The Commons. They offered free Linux installation to anyone who was interested.

Rattan is glad he found the group, as using Linux is helping him gain valuable experience for the future.

“A lot of employers appreciate a wide skillset,” Rattan said, as he watched a loading bar crawl across the screen.

Dr. Jon Squire, the club’s cheery Faculty Advisor, emphasizes the importance for IT professionals to know Linux. He asserts that most networks run on the operating system.

“All the school’s computers run on Linux,” he said. “UMBC is very good with computer technology.”

If a student finds themselves confused or frustrated with the unfamiliar operating system, the club is there for them. They can join the Linux Users’ Group’s mailing list to receive updates and information, email club members for help or come to the weekly meetings. If the extra help still does not make Linux seem like a viable option, the club will help you reinstall Windows. They are hosting a Re-Install fest on May 13 for that very reason.

Changing operating systems may not be for everyone, but the club sees value in using Linux over other systems. They feel it is more reliable, customizable and safe.

“When someone finds a bug, it’s fixed a lot faster,” Whichard said. “Microsoft may not fix it. With Linux, you can fix it yourself.”

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Renowned entertainers to perform at Rams Head Live

After 3 years, OK Go are back in Baltimore on April 12 with a new set list of old favorites and new anthems.

Almost 10 years ago, OK Go caught the attention of power-pop music fans and short film enthusiasts alike. Their Grammy Award-winning music video for “Here It Goes Again” went viral on YouTube after its release in 2006, scoring the group over 25 million views for their choreographed moves on a series of moving treadmills.

Since then, OK Go has maintained their reputation as entertainers, releasing four studio albums and numerous viral videos. The group is comprised of lead vocalist and guitarist Damian Kulash, bassist and vocalist Tim Nordwind, drummer Dan Konopka and keyboardist Andy Ross.

In a recent interview, Kulash tells the music website Stereogum that the group “stumbled into this whole thing backwards” and have always had the goal of putting on a good show.

Five years after they last produced a full-length album, the band released Hungry Ghosts in October 2014 on their own record label, Paracadute. To promote the album, OK Go toured internationally, selling out shows in countries like Russia and Japan during the month of February before returning to California. There, they kicked off their spring 2015 tour on March 21 at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz.

OK Go made Hungry Ghosts with heavy emphasis on their synth-rock sound, even exploring a disco vibe at times. The upbeat music makes songs easy to dance along to. The music on Hungry Ghosts is generally more focused.

According to Songkick, a website designed to track upcoming concerts and review past shows, this North American tour will bring the band back to Baltimore after three years. They will be performing at Rams Head Live on April 12, where doors open at 7 p.m., and advanced general admission tickets are $20.

Though the quartet will likely perform old favorites like “This Too Shall Pass” and “Get Over It,” new songs like “Upside Down & Inside Out” from Hungry Ghosts will pump up the crowd and showcase the raw energy that the new tunes exude.

On the official OK Go website, okgo.net, Kulash explains that the group’s opportunity to further develop creative direction has grown significantly in the past 15 years since they started playing together. In their eyes, the increase in creative outlets made it clearer to them where they wanted to take their music.

Kulash says on the website, “We went in with fewer preconceptions of who we are or what our sound is, and came out with a record that sounds much more uniquely our own because of it.”

After performing in Baltimore, OK Go will head off to Georgia where they’ll play at the Buckhead Theater on April 14. The tour will conclude back in California on May 2.

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Undelivered musical letters to a loved one

Sufjan Stevens is back. This time, he’s got a quiet album full of memories and reflections.

The story of a bipolar, schizophrenic, drug-addict mother is delivered by Sufjan Stevens in more peaceful terms than one thinks possible. The pain Stevens experienced while being frequently abandoned by his sick mother is rehashed on the album Carrie & Lowell, which was released on March 31.

According to a NPR review of Carrie and Lowell, music critic Will Hermes, “For a guy known for his gentle sound, Sufjan Stevens explores pretty rough terrain” on his seventh studio album. The second track on the album, “Should Have Known Better,” details in a simple, haunting folk-tune the story of abandonment. In this song, Stevens says, “When I was three, three maybe four, she left us at that video store.”

Though the song starts off on a melancholic note, it becomes more upbeat towards the end. The music increases in tempo while maintaining a soft, calm tone, which acts as a transition seamlessly from heartbreak into joy. He says, “Don’t back down, concentrate on seeing,” and explains that out of darkness came his niece who illuminates his life.

Not only does this album explore Stevens’ relationship with his mother, it focuses on the strong relationship he was able to establish with Lowell Brams, who was married to his mother for five years. According to Pitchfork, a Chicago-based music critique and commentary website, Brams runs Stevens’ label, Asthmatic Kitty.

“Eugene” is one of the songs that expresses Stevens’ family dynamic while growing up. In this ballad, which is based on the music from a single finger-picked guitar, he sweetly mentions a trip to Emerald Park with Brams, who he says is “the man who taught [him] to swim” and named him Subaru because he “couldn’t quite say [his] first name.”

Unlike the previous albums in which Stevens showcased his talents as a musician with the ability to brilliantly play multiple instruments, Carrie & Lowell is mostly full of ballads that utilizes a more stripped back, acoustic sound. Because of the subject matter of the album, this musical approach executes a more intimate tone.

Similarly, there is a stark contrast between the soft, tranquil music in this album compared to the darker, morbid lyrics. In “Fourth of July,” the most repeated phrase is “we’re all gonna die,” which is even more powerful with the eerie piano playing and the distant quality of Stevens’ voice.

Towards the end of the record, “John My Beloved” is heard, which is another track with one, continuous tone that drips with sorrow. Stevens sings that he is “a man with a heart that offends, with its lonely and greedy demands,” and ends the song with a deep breath. The choice to leave in this breath signifies the belief that the creation of such an emotional album was a task Stevens found difficult. However, due to its personal significance, the breath expresses Stevens’ relief.

Carrie & Lowell seems to be the series of letters to his mother that Stevens did not write to her when she was still alive. Whether the album is a coping mechanism or a simple reflection of past events, Stevens clearly turns the most broken, hurt-filled memories into beautifully complex and moving pieces.

Photo: Press Release

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UMBC Chess Team places disappointing fourth in national tournament

Results of national Final Four were hotly anticipated but did not live up to expectations, to the team’s disappointment. However, scores were close, and as fourth in the nation the UMBC team continues to impress.

Despite promising prospects, UMBCs Chess Team has come away from the President’s Cup with a fourth-place finish.

The President’s Cup, sometimes known as the Final Four of chess, is the highest level of competition in college chess. The winner earns the title of best college chess team in the nation. This year, the tournament took place at the New York Athletic Club on the weekend of March 27, where UMBC players competed against Webster University, the University of Texas at Dallas and Texas Tech University.

The team has had an excellent record in the past. As the Retriever reported previously, UMBC has collected six first-place finishes in the past 14 years. As the team’s business manager Joel DeWyer said, “In 2013, we finished third. In 2014, we finished second. We are hopeful to build upon this trend and cap it off this year with the national title.”

“It doesn’t get any bigger than that in our sport at the college level,” said DeWyer. “I think we have good chances this year to win a national championship.”

Unfortunately, the results did not live up to DeWyer’s optimism. The UMBC team finished with four points. A win counts for one point, a draw for half a point and a loss for zero points. UMBC had three wins and two draws.

However, those familiar with the sport suggest that this fourth-place finish is not crushing. “In a tough field such as this one, you’ll always need a bit of luck on your side, along with some solid play.” He continued, “This year, we see the addition of the University of Texas, Dallas, a perennially strong team.”

Grandmaster Niclas Huschenbeth, a junior psychology major and one of five players who participated in the Cup, echoed this sentiment. “We didn’t play good enough, it’s as simple as that.”

He continued, “I want to point out that another win in one of the games in the last round which could have been possible would have put us in second place. So, the difference between fourth and second was much smaller than it might appear.”

At the end of the day, no matter how close it was, Huschenbeth was disappointed with the team’s showing. “We got last place, so of course we were not pleased,” he said.

Despite not finishing as well as they’d hoped, the team still managed to finish fourth in the nation. With luck and with training, the team could redeem itself next year.

Photo: Courtesy of Alan Sherman

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Yes, there is cricket fighting on campus

Cricket fighting began in China where it apparently is starting to lose popularity. The cricket fighting that takes place at UMBC is solely for the fun of it all.

Many people consider crickets to be hopping pests that chirp through the night, but they are actually a part of a unique pastime here at UMBC. Not to be confused with the sport cricket, these trained insects go head-to-head in matches.

“We started doing this sometime last semester. We just thought it would be cool to have bug fights,” said Samuel Bolgiano, a freshman mechanical engineering major. They originally wanted to host praying mantis or beetle fights, but realized crickets are more affordable and easier to train.

Jesse Roland, a freshman computer science major, is Bolgiano’s friend who’s also involved in cricket fighting. “To train them, we put two males in a container and separate them with a piece of paper. We irritate their antennae by poking them or rubbing them with a straw,” said Roland. Once the crickets start chirping loudly out of irritation, they remove the piece of paper and the two go at it.

Before the majority of them died, they had fifteen crickets, five of them being female. Sometimes before a fight, they put the male fighter in a container with a female. This gets them riled up and makes them more aggressive when they fight. However, they currently only have three crickets left with one of them barely hanging on.

Spartacus, their strongest contender, passed away recently. In his honor, they hosted a memorial service for him. “We built a teepee out of paper with him in it and we set fire to it outside Patapsco Hall,” said Roland. There was also Crixus, named after the popular show Spartacus. Of course, there was Jiminy the cricket as well who, unlike Spartacus, wasn’t much competition and actually died in battle.

“We try to do this once a week. It’s definitely a weekend thing that we just do for fun. We’ve had 15 to 20 people show up before,” said Bolgiano. As anyone could imagine, cricket fights with a crowd like this can get a little rowdy. Due to noise complaints, they have had to relocate to the library basement.

“Some fights are more brutal than others. We’ve seen fighters successfully remove their opponent’s leg or antenna before,”said Roland. “They don’t always die during the fight though. We determine the winner when the other one just stops fighting.”

A particular concern is that “Sometimes they hop out of their container at night and we have to capture them and put them back,” said Bolgiano. Roland and Bolgiano admit that the constant chirping through the night has definitely affected their sleep. Surely, many people may find this a bit bizarre, but this is no April Fool’s joke. Cricket fighting is in fact a form of entertainment for students here at UMBC.

Source: wikipedia.org

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This remarkable young woman identifies with multiple cultures.

What is your name, major and year?

My name is Camille Bethune-Brown, a senior who is double-majoring in Africana studies and secondary education.

Where are you from (city, county)?

I am from Lansthul, Germany, where I lived for many years because of my father being stationed there in the military. I spent a good portion of my life in Odenton [near Fort Meade] in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. I identify as African-American.

Who do you admire and why?

I admire my older sister; she and I are very close. She has a strong work ethic and a commitment to progress and strive for success. She has always been ambitious as far back as I can remember and I believe that that is a missing quality in a lot of people nowadays.

Describe something about you that uniquely stands out.

I am known for my hair, always dreadlocked and dyed. Most people who know me on campus may never get a chance to see my real hair, but that is the way I express my individuality.

What do you like most about UMBC?

I love the welcoming environment of the campus. I enjoy the professors in my department who are always willing to extend themselves when needed. Not a week goes by that I do not see them about my academic concerns.

What activities do you participate in on campus?

I am the official president and yoga instructor for UMBC, so I teach all of the classes in the RAC as well for various sports teams. I also served as secretary for the African Studies Council of Majors.

Who is the celebrity you would like to meet; what would you with him/her?

I have a slight obsession with Janet Jackson. Everyone says she is washed up, but I just love her classic music and her soulful style. Also, I have always felt that her music sent positive messages especially in the 1990s, making this classic music that never gets old.

What is/are your favorite pastime(s) to do outside of UMBC?

Anyone who knows me knows that yoga is my life. But outside of yoga, I love to read and visit museums, especially anything dealing with history.

Where do you want to spend your next vacation?

I want to go to Venice, Calif. It is a huge yoga city. I would love to relax on the beach and take a bunch of yoga classes with some of my favorite instructors.

What kind of music do you like?

I enjoy jazz and neo-soul, especially from Jill Scott. I enjoy classic rhythm and blues from artists from the 1980s and 1990s. They carried themselves with dignity in contrast to modern artists.

If you met Dr. Hrabowski, what would you say to him?

I would ask him if and when he is free to come join me in a yoga class and work up a sweat.

Photo: Courtesy of Camille Bethune-Brown

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