UMBC Problems & UMBC Solutions
This tweet from UMBC student Caitlin Bozman caught my eye last week:

I really like what she's done here: pairing what she sees as a UMBC problem with a solution to that problem. That's a public service. It feels a lot less futile, and more responsible, than just venting frustration.  Caitlin might find that she has more company in the Dunkin Donuts line, but she probably made some people's days a little brighter.

 I'll bet other UMBC people have found some great solutions to other problems (or challenges, or inconveniences) too.  So why not share them?  Let's crowdsource this; we're all problem-solvers.  What do you do that makes UMBC work a little better for you?

 --David Hoffman

 Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from the Office of Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter. 

]]> This tweet from UMBC student Caitlin Bozman caught my eye last week: I really like what she's done here: pairing what she sees as a UMBC problem with a solution to that problem. That's a... http://cocreateumbc.blogspot.com/2012/10/umbc-problems-umbc-solutions.html https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/17214/guest@my.umbc.edu/6c7fbf2152e943a0fbf36cddacc9b724/api/pixel Co-Create UMBC https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/co-create https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/original.jpg?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/large.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/medium.png?1499890363 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/small.png?1499890363 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxsmall.png?1499890363 Co-Create UMBC 43 9 true Tue, 02 Oct 2012 09:46:00 -0400 Real People Profiles: Romy Jones We're asking some of the people you might encounter on the UMBC campus, including students, faculty, staff and alumni, to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences. These are their responses.
Name: Romy Jones

Hometown: Borna, Germany

Q: How long have you been at UMBC?

A: Since January 2008.

Q: What is your current title (job or student organization position)?

A: Community Liaison in the Office of Graduate Student Life/Graduate Student Association.

Q: In 12 words or less, what role(s) do you play on campus? 

A: Ph.D. student in Language, Literacy, and Culture (LLC); Community Liaison; Orientation Advisor.

Q: What aspect of your UMBC role(s) do you enjoy most?

A: I mostly enjoy the discussions with my fellow LLC students in my role as Ph.D. student. Because of the interdisciplinarity of the program, there are always new insights to gain and new perspectives to discover. These discussions remind me to keep an open mind and to check my assumptions and beliefs. 

As Community Liaison I enjoy collaborating with fellow graduate students, the university administration, faculty and staff. There is so much work behind the scenes that contributes to the unique character of UMBC, and I am very excited to be part of that process.  

In my role as Orientation Advisor I greatly enjoy welcoming incoming undergraduate students and aiding them in their transition to UMBC. Having transferred to UMBC during my junior year, I know firsthand the importance of a friendly smile and advice during a time of transition. I am glad to now be one of the first individuals to greet new students and make an impact on their university experience.

Q: What is the most important or memorable thing you learned in college/have learned at UMBC?

A: There have been so many...One of the most important pieces of advice is probably to be prepared to be changed when doing ethnographic research and/or qualitative interviews. Because of my research interests, I tend to interview individuals who are marginalized and experience discrimination. Their stories and experiences undoubtedly make me see our society more critical and thereby change my perspectives and assumptions.

Q: Complete this sentence: "I am a big fan of __________"

A: Reading, traveling, watching documentaries.

Q: Do you have any UMBC stories, little-known facts about UMBC, favorite spots on campus, or anything else you’d like to share?

A: One of my favorite spots on campus is the Fireside Lounge. The big window is great for reading and I enjoy the loungy atmosphere.

Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from the Office of Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter. 

]]> We're asking some of the people you might encounter on the UMBC campus, including students, faculty, staff and alumni, to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences. These are... http://cocreateumbc.blogspot.com/2012/10/real-people-profiles-romy-jones.html https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/17197/guest@my.umbc.edu/b9c94d6d86f454d9820d0ca838dc0078/api/pixel real-people-profiles Co-Create UMBC https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/co-create https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/original.jpg?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/large.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/medium.png?1499890363 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/small.png?1499890363 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxsmall.png?1499890363 Co-Create UMBC 29 2 true Mon, 01 Oct 2012 13:16:00 -0400 The Introvert Experience Though I didn't know what "introversion" was until I was in high school, I realized as I was moving into adulthood that I experienced life differently from most of my friends. Getting together with friends to work on homework or study for a test wasn't fun for me, but stressful. "Going out" to a loud club simply didn't match up to a night spent "in" or at a small cafe. More often than not, I got more out of thinking about ideas, thoughts, and concepts than talking about them with other people; "small talk" was a chore--not because I disliked the people I was talking to (well, maybe a few), but because it too often lacked a deeper meaning. And while leading meetings as a president of an organization wasn't unbearable for me, it did require quite a bit of mental energy in preparing to lead a group of people in discussion. In all of these observations I noticed that my preferences or tendencies ran counter to what I perceived to be the more popular choice; what was interesting, and sometimes frustrating for me was that many of my peers didn't understand these habits. In fact, I would frequently produce excuses to leave "Extrovert World" so that I could do these less popular, introverted things.

According to the Myers-Briggs personality type indicator, introversion is a psychological preference in which one feels energized by being alone and having the opportunity to reflect on her or his own thoughts or ideas. Conversely, introverts tend to expend energy when socializing with other people. Many introverts (admittedly generalizing here) tend to have a few close friends (instead of many acquaintances), enjoy solitary activities like reading, writing, spending time on computers or with video games, or running, hunting and fishing, and tend to be more analytical in how they speak, carefully choosing their words before voicing them. Estimates of the percentage of introverts relative to the rest of the population vary (one source says 25 percent, while another says 40 percent), however most literature suggests that introverts are in the minority.

Today, even though I recognize that identifying as an introvert places me in the minority, I feel like I have grown into it. The experiences I have in terms of my career and life outside of work match well with who I am, and while there are times when I need to test my introverted nature in order to fulfill a job responsibility, I recognize that my lack of natural comfort with performing a task does not guarantee my failure to complete it. I look forward to using these opportunities to strengthen myself as an advisor, an employee, and a citizen.

 Are you an introvert? If so, what's it like to be an introvert at UMBC?

 --Craig Berger

 Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from the Office of Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter.

]]> Though I didn't know what "introversion" was until I was in high school, I realized as I was moving into adulthood that I experienced life differently from most of my friends. Getting together... http://cocreateumbc.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-introvert-experience.html https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/17179/guest@my.umbc.edu/111880c07b44d07ea0503c8fb24c6d61/api/pixel Co-Create UMBC https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/co-create https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/original.jpg?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/large.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/medium.png?1499890363 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/small.png?1499890363 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxsmall.png?1499890363 Co-Create UMBC 86 57 true Sun, 30 Sep 2012 19:32:00 -0400 BreakingGround Digest #4

BreakingGround celebrates and extends innovative social change work by UMBC's students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners.  Here are some highlights from the past week.


From the BreakingGround website:

--David Hoffman

Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from the Office of Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter.
]]> BreakingGround celebrates and extends innovative social change work by UMBC's students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners.  Here are some highlights from the past week. The Green... http://cocreateumbc.blogspot.com/2012/09/breakingground-digest-4.html https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/17115/guest@my.umbc.edu/2a89a75f691503b22f9e24a3b97640f7/api/pixel Co-Create UMBC https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/co-create https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/original.jpg?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/large.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/medium.png?1499890363 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/small.png?1499890363 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxsmall.png?1499890363 Co-Create UMBC 7 0 true Thu, 27 Sep 2012 10:58:00 -0400 First Year Council: Impact from the Start

Each October a group of new UMBC students gathers to share stories and start envisioning contributions which will enhance the UMBC experience for them and their peers. Over the ensuing weeks, with help from a more experienced peer and staff advisors, they learn about UMBC's structure, resources and decision processes. But they already are experts on the most important subject they need to master before starting to make a difference:what it is like to be new members of our campus community. 

When the Office of Student Life and Student Government Association collaborated to launch the First Year Council in 2004, we had high hopes but modest expectations. Would new students really be willing and able to think creatively about UMBC's future while they were still learning how to thrive here? We hoped the chance to connect with peers and campus leaders would build their confidence and sense of opportunity, and we were right. The founding First Year Council envisioned and planned an event that would pull the campus together: a "world record" water gun fight (more photos here), which made local headlines. One of its members, Thomas Locastro, worked all year to win campus support for his plan to launch the tradition of a Homecoming Bonfire. He succeeded, and the very first bonfire took place in October 2005. 

 Subsequent Councils have provided feedback to campus administrators on Welcome Week, developed resources to help new students navigate UMBC, and provided information to their peers about opportunities to get involved in campus life. The First Year Council has been a launching pad for student leaders, many of whom have used the skills, knowledge and relationships they developed as freshmen to make significant contributions to UMBC. SGA President Kaylesh Ramu was a member of the First Year Council her freshman year. 

Recruitment for this year's First Year Council is underway.  To become a member, students must be nominated by any student organization using this form by Friday, September 28th.  If you're a new student and want to join, all you have to do is find an organization to nominate you.  But the nomination requirement isn't intended as a barrier to joining, so if you have any difficulty, contact sophomore Sam Spehr, the First Year Council's peer advisor, at sspehr1@umbc.edu.

 --David Hoffman

 Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from the Office of Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter. 

]]> Each October a group of new UMBC students gathers to share stories and start envisioning contributions which will enhance the UMBC experience for them and their peers. Over the ensuing weeks, with... http://cocreateumbc.blogspot.com/2012/09/first-year-council-impact-from-start.html https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/17079/guest@my.umbc.edu/6bd09ec8740b4fd508be7c2240f5ba03/api/pixel first-year-council Co-Create UMBC https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/co-create https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/original.jpg?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/large.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/medium.png?1499890363 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/small.png?1499890363 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxsmall.png?1499890363 Co-Create UMBC 15 0 true Tue, 25 Sep 2012 17:30:00 -0400 Real People Profiles: Nana Yaw Asare We're asking some of the people you might encounter on the UMBC campus, including students, faculty, staff and alumni, to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences. These are their responses.
Name: Nana Yaw Asare
Hometown: Bowie, MD

Q: How long have you been at UMBC?

A: I have attended UMBC for 6 semesters.

Q: What is your current title (job or student organization position)?

A: I am the Coordinator for Leadership Development in SGA.  I am also a second year RA, a student assistant at the office of undergraduate admissions, a STRiVE’r, and also a part of Health Leads.

Q: In 12 words or less, what role(s) do you play on campus? 

A: I #EMPOWER and encourage students to find their inner greatness.

Q: What aspect of your UMBC role(s) do you enjoy most?

A: What I enjoy most about my roles on campus is being able to interact with so many people from various walks of life.  I have been able to learn about other cultures, different perspectives, and interesting (random) facts! I find it a blessing to be in a culture where diversity is fully accepted and promoted.   

I also enjoy the inspiration from other students and faculty.  Being apart of SGA and Residential Life, I am fortunate to interact with a multitude of students.  Through these interactions, I have been able to see the courageous and noble acts of so many students.  What makes UMBC different from other universities is that we have students who do not only seek to excel in their academics, but also want to better their environment.  Constantly being around this environment has inspired me to become more involved and active in shaping my environment.  

Overall, I truly enjoy working with people who are not like myself and also come from different backgrounds.  It truly has shaped the person I am...though I will still always love Beyonce!

Q: What is the most important or memorable thing you learned in college/have learned at UMBC?

A: The most important thing I have learned is broken down into 2 thoughts.  

For one, I have learned that everything happens for a reason. I MEAN EVERYTHING! In college, we seek for internal greatness through sports, social activities, and academics and when we don't achieve that, it is seen as a failure.  But I have come to the realization that it is not a failure, but just another stone laid for this everlasting journey called, life!  Everything that happens not only prepares us for the future, but sometimes open doors which may have never been opened.  I have learned to also understand that there is a greater motion occurring, rather than thinking of that singular event.    

Second, my college experience (especially at UMBC) has taught me to "keep on trucking" on this road called life.  It is important to take each day at a time, while being retrospective of all actions.  Taking time out of our busy schedules to enjoy life, and the people in it.  It is so easy to lose ourselves in the busyness of our college career, but I learned that all this will fade and the only thing that will last is our memories and experience.  So from that, I continually seek to enjoy life, the people in it, the hardships and also the triumphs.  

I always say, "we're in college, so lets enjoy this!" It's all about schoolin' life!

Q: Complete this sentence: "I am a big fan of __________"

A: Seeking God, IKEA, Kanye West's music, Love, Friendship, French Fries, Swimming, Beyonce, Inner Peace, Obama, Chipotle, My WONDERFUL Mother...and of course UMBC!

Q: Do you have any UMBC stories, little-known facts about UMBC, favorite spots on campus, or anything else you’d like to share?

A: The majority of my UMBC stories wouldn't be funny via technology.  Just know that I have endured too many awkward situations for my own liking!  The best place on campus is on top of the physics building on the patio, the Public Policy lobby, the outdoor pool (only during the summer), and the fifth floor of the Library.

BONUS VIDEO QUESTION: What else would you like to share? Ask yourself a question and answer it.



Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from the Office of Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter. 

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The first political label I applied to myself was “moderate liberal.” That was when I was a college freshman.  What I really meant was, “I don’t want to appear ignorant or offend anyone, but I’m clueless.” There were plenty of people around me who could articulate their allegiances or debate political issues with confidence, and I envied them.  Some were probably just parroting arguments they had heard at home or among their friends. But they had an identity, and I didn’t know my own.

Through student government I began to develop strong interests in academic policy issues like the course drop deadline and general education requirements. But many of the students I worked with had broader interests: in racial and economic justice, on campus and beyond. They were a diverse group, and generally patient with the questions I asked them, some of which must have been pretty insensitive. Their strong political views came from hard experiences in communities that were, until then, completely outside of my small universe. Not only did I want to stand with them, but I felt betrayed by the softness of my own circumstances: I had been so sheltered, so naïve. The part of me that already wanted to rebel against arbitrary and unjust authority thrilled to the cause.

Racial justice became my cornerstone. It was easy enough to build perspectives on that starting point, just by paying attention to what like-minded people believed about other issues. George H. W. Bush helped too, running a campaign for President against Michael Dukakis in 1988 (the year I graduated from college) that stoked racial fears and prejudices. Whatever Bush was for, I knew I had to be against.  And it felt really good to be able to say for sure what I was against.

In graduate school I met truly thoughtful and decent Republicans, which forced me once again to wrestle with what I had taken too easily for granted. And I saw in some Democrats shades of sanctimony and hypocrisy I found truly unattractive (I’m looking at you, Senator Joe Lieberman). I can’t say I’ve ever voted enthusiastically for a Republican, but I’ve voted against some Democrats.

After a stint as a lawyer, I took jobs that reflected my emerging passions: community-building, education and democracy.  I developed more ideas and priorities of my own, totally distinct from party platforms and campaign slogans. Even more important, from experience, reading and reflection I developed a sense of how things actually get done in the world: the planning and coalition-building, the changes in culture enabled by, and in turn enabling, changes in policy and practice. And I developed a sense of when and why good intentions fail to yield good outcomes. This education made me a wiser voter, but also reoriented me to a world of politics beyond voting: everyday politics, in which people work effectively together to build our world.

I’m not done learning, and I know my views will continue to evolve, hopefully growing ever more nuanced as I accumulate experiences. But I’m OK with that now: I’m finally confident enough in my own identity as a human being that I feel less urgency about having a fixed and final political viewpoint.

So that’s how I developed my political identity. How about you? What has your process been like, and where are you now?

 --David Hoffman

 Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from the Office of Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter. 

]]> The first political label I applied to myself was “moderate liberal.” That was when I was a college freshman.  What I really meant was, “I don’t want to appear ignorant or offend anyone, but I’m... http://cocreateumbc.blogspot.com/2012/09/my-political-identity.html https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/17011/guest@my.umbc.edu/e54c11654adc82d0f8b72274a5322461/api/pixel personal-stories social-justice state-and-national-elections Co-Create UMBC https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/co-create https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/original.jpg?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/large.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/medium.png?1499890363 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/small.png?1499890363 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxsmall.png?1499890363 Co-Create UMBC 24 11 true Mon, 24 Sep 2012 09:05:00 -0400 Real People Profiles: Cindy Greenwood We're asking some of the people you might encounter on the UMBC campus, including students, faculty, staff and alumni, to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences. These are their responses.
Name: Cindy Greenwood

Hometown: Ishpeming, Michigan

Q: How long have you been at UMBC?

A: Since January 2011. 

Q: What is your current title (job or student organization position)?

A: I am the Alumni Programming Coordinator and also advisor to the Student Alumni Association and the UMBC Vegetarians student groups.

Q: In 12 words or less, what role(s) do you play on campus? 

A: I am a connector among alumni, students, and the UMBC campus.

Q: What aspect of your UMBC role(s) do you enjoy most?

A: My favorite aspect of being at UMBC are all the amazing people I get to work with in various ways.  My co-workers are great, the students in SAA and the UMBC Vegetarians are impressive and fun, colleagues across campus have been so open and collaborative, and even many months after my experience as a STRiVE coach, I continue to be impressed by the bonds created among those who were there and the relationships that have continued. 

Q: What is the most important or memorable thing you learned in college/have learned at UMBC?

A: One important thing I learned while in college was that I didn't have to do things in traditional, expected, or safe ways all the time.  Taking risks and following your gut can bring you places you never expected.  For me, that started with studying abroad in Australia, then moving across the country from Michigan where I had always lived to grad school in Washington state.  From there, I've pretty much created my own path through life and am so thankful for all the experiences I've had because of that.

Q: Complete this sentence: "I am a big fan of __________"

A: Waterfalls, hammocks, fireworks, beaches, football (especially the Packers), pizza, and so many more things!

Q: Do you have any UMBC stories, little-known facts about UMBC, favorite spots on campus, or anything else you’d like to share?

A: As of now, the Student Alumni Association is still a little-known entity at UMBC, but I'm looking forward to that changing as the group grows and contributes great things to our campus.  The purpose of this student group is twofold:  1) to connect students with alumni in various ways and 2) to promote spirit and traditions on campus.  The group has only been a recognized student organization since the spring 2012 semester, but the founding members continually make me smile with their great ideas and enthusiasm.  Keep an eye out for them this semester on campus and come check out some of their events! 

Also, everyone should check out Baltimore VegFest, typically held in April on Erickson Field, which is co-sponsored by the UMBC Vegetarians and the Humane League.  There's awesome stuff there for everyone, whether you eat meat or not!

Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from the Office of Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter.

]]> We're asking some of the people you might encounter on the UMBC campus, including students, faculty, staff and alumni, to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences. These are... http://cocreateumbc.blogspot.com/2012/09/real-people-profiles-cindy-greenwood.html https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/17002/guest@my.umbc.edu/e78b0032f51404b2add8bea6d0d73336/api/pixel real-people-profiles Co-Create UMBC https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/co-create https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/original.jpg?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/large.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/medium.png?1499890363 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/small.png?1499890363 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxsmall.png?1499890363 Co-Create UMBC 36 7 true Sun, 23 Sep 2012 19:39:00 -0400 BreakingGround Digest


BreakingGround celebrates and extends innovative social change work by UMBC's students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners.  Here's what's new in the past week.
Don't forget that BreakingGround offers grants to support service projects designed to get members of the UMBC community more deeply involved in social change work.  Read about the grant program and apply by September 30th.  All UMBC departments and student organizations are eligible.

--David Hoffman

Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from the Office of Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter.

]]> BreakingGround celebrates and extends innovative social change work by UMBC's students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners.  Here's what's new in the past week. Kelly Cyr, a UMBC... http://cocreateumbc.blogspot.com/2012/09/breakingground-digest_20.html https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/16958/guest@my.umbc.edu/fa1f9105c5095cf33d7b079adc162aa8/api/pixel Co-Create UMBC https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/co-create https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/original.jpg?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/large.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/medium.png?1499890363 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/small.png?1499890363 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxsmall.png?1499890363 Co-Create UMBC 4 0 true Thu, 20 Sep 2012 13:10:00 -0400 Co-Create UMBC @ 5

644 posts and 5 years ago this week, I launched Co-Create UMBC.
At the beginning, there were no Real People Profiles, no participation from faculty and staff, and no long strings of comments from readers. The audience I imagined for my posts was limited to the 30-40 SGA members (SGA was a much smaller organization back then) not in the room with me at the moment. I wanted to share some of the stories and ideas from my one-to-one conversations with them. And I wanted to talk about my own vulnerabilities, and my own process of learning how to be an effective human being and citizen, to make it OK for students to experience their own imperfections and growth as something other than traumatic and isolating. The entire first semester, Co-Create UMBC attracted half the number of views it now gets in a week.  

Much has changed. I'm more confident in my intuitions about how to say things. But in a way, I still I'm still discovering my voice and my purposes. I know I want to make UMBC visible to itself as a community co-created by all of its members. I want the people at UMBC to see and know each other as human beings, not merely as roles like "professor" and "student." And I still want to name my own struggles, past and present, when doing so can help set someone else free. My favorite moments as a blogger have been the ones when people have shared how they have become conscious of their thought patterns by identifying with mine, or able to name a hope or fear because I did so in a post. I'm grateful to everyone who has ever shared those thoughts with me.

In case you're wondering, this is the most-viewed post of all time, which is kind of funny because I said very little (but provided a link to something provocative).  This is my favorite personal story I've shared, although if you're willing to read my two epic multi-chapter sagas (one about quitting a law firm, one about the implosion of my undergraduate student government), please help yourself. This is my favorite piece of Co-Create UMBC social/political commentary. And I have treasured the reaction to this post the most (I've re-posted each year), because years ago this list was simply my way of coping with life.

So what topics should Co-Create UMBC tackle in the years ahead? What new series could complement the Real People Profiles and help reveal the UMBC community to itself? What conversation starters would prompt you to share?  Leave a comment, and let's get this next half-decade started.

--David Hoffman

Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from the Office of Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter.

]]> 644 posts and 5 years ago this week, I launched Co-Create UMBC. At the beginning, there were no Real People Profiles, no participation from faculty and staff, and no long strings of... http://cocreateumbc.blogspot.com/2012/09/co-create-umbc-5.html https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/16932/guest@my.umbc.edu/b6adf973efeb9f7a12377365673b4cfa/api/pixel Co-Create UMBC https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/co-create https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/original.jpg?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/large.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/medium.png?1499890363 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/small.png?1499890363 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxsmall.png?1499890363 Co-Create UMBC 24 4 true Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:49:00 -0400 Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:49:00 -0400