A weekly round-up curated by Women’s Center staff member, Michael Jalloh Jamboria

In the spirit of my friend, who gave us the glorious name ‘Slaying on the Weekly’, every week I will be bringing you some interesting, funny or thought-provoking content from the internet! Be sure to join us next week for more and continue to slay!

Article of the Week:

The Women’s Center is dedicated to our mission. In our effects of promote gender equity and serve marginalized communities, we want to provide a few resources and encourage all of the UMBC Community to reach out to the Women’s Center. We want to hear your worries, questions and concerns. In the meantime, check out our list of resources.

• Speak Up: Responding to Everyday Bigotry (Southern Poverty Law Center)
• Preparation for January by Demographic Issue
• Oh Crap! What Now? Survival Guide (pages on various demographic issues/concerns)
• Surveillance Self-Defense
• Web-Security: Harm Reductionist Guide
• Solidarity Networks
• Concrete Suggestions in Preparation for January 2017’s change in American government (by demographic issue, but for any interested readers)
• Information on long-term birth control options

UMBC Happenings:

Professors and activists within the Gender + Women’s Studies Dept have started a petition to Pres. Hrabowski and other provosts to make UMBC a sanctuary institution. Want to sign? Click on the link to add your name and affiliation to the petition!

This week was Black Lives Matter week. They had a plethora of great events that helped mobilize students and expand on their definition of Black Lives Matter. The UMBC event page for Black Lives Matter week has recounts and pictures from the week, in case you missed the festivities.

Check out the Black Lives Matter memorial display on the Quad

Song of the Week:

I’ve been listening to really great music recently, and I want to share that with all of you! This week’s song is ‘Get Up, Stand Up’ by Bob Marley + the Wailers.

Before I leave you, I’m sure you are all aware that next week is Thanksgiving. I understand how difficult it can be to navigate going home and being with family, especially over longer periods of time. Feministing’s Guide to Surviving the Holidays is a great resource for tips pertaining to how to gendered expectations, political arguments and more. Take care!

Enjoy the Holidays! See you soon!

Beginning in the Spring of 2017, Baltimore Independent Dance Artists (BIDA) will engage with four journalism students and emerging dance critics to be paired with four separate professional dance artists/companies for the duration of the spring 2017 BIDA Season (January-End of May 2017). The interns will engage with their respective artist partners through open rehearsals, performances, interviews and research.

This opportunity is open to Dance Majors/Minors, Journalism, English or Communication Majors and Minors

Dance Journalism Internship Objectives:

●       To engage writers and aspiring journalists with an interest in dance writing with professional dance artists/companies over time in order to enhance the journalistic skills of the writers, and the development of a dance artist or company.

●       To provide thoughtful and informed dance writing about professional Baltimore area dance artists and companies in order to strengthen the discourse about dance in our region.

Dance Journalism Internship Program Description:

Journalism interns will be required to produce the following written documents, which will be published through online channels including the BIDA website and blog. Each intern will be paired with an BIDA Season artist or company in order to develop the following:

●       500 word artist/company or BIDA overview

●       1,000 word overview of a current creative work that the artist partner is developing 

●       500 word Preview of a work to be presented by the artist partner during the season

●       500 word Review of a public performance presented of an artist (other than the partner artist) during the BIDA season Interns will receive a complimentary press ticket to the shows they are reviewing.

Dance Journalism Internship Program Impact:

This program directly addresses an identified need for the development of informed and articulate dance writers in the Baltimore area dance community.

The CS Education student org, with support from the CS Matters in Maryland CS education project, is planning UMBC’s first-ever Hour of Code event. Hour of Code is an initiative that organizes hands-on learning experiences for students of all ages during CS Education Week (December 5-11, 2016, coinciding with Admiral Grace Hopper’s birthday).

UMBC’s Hour of Code will offer a hands-on experience for anybody who wants to try their hand at coding, December 7 and 8 from 11am-2pm on Main Street. We will have several special guests on Thursday — some students from Lakeland Elementary School will learn to code along with President Freeman Hrabowski from 11am-noon that day.

We need many volunteers to help make this event a success! Although coding experience is useful, it is NOT necessary! We will have training events in advance of the event for everyone who volunteers, and we also have some no-coding-required jobs as well, including running a Makey Makey activity and helping out with the elementary school students.

Please sign up to volunteer. Stephanie Milani (Psychology major / CS minor) is organizing the volunteer effort — please feel free to contact her if you have any questions at *protected email*

The post UMBC Hour of Code, 11-2 Dec 7-8, Main Street appeared first on Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

  A blog written by Women’s Center student staff member Ciera Earl

November. It has been a month of triumph for some, but a great loss for most of us. While this month is coming to an end and the holiday season is beginning, it’s important to know how to handle the obstacles that may come with going home or visiting families during this time of year.

I know for myself, being around family is very difficult. Whether it’s from the constant questions about the future, my love life, or whatever “phase” I’m in this time – my anxiety goes through the roof. I’m sure many can relate.

But that actually bothers me. It’s unfortunate that in some way, shape, or form this is relatable for so many people.

Be that as it may, it’s important that while passing the gravy and dodging topics that you come first. Having a self-care plan can be a way to prepare for the challenges that come with the holiday season and families.

Here are a few tips on how to survive the holidays with family: 

(Image: Shutterstock)

Set Boundaries. Remember, you have a choice.

Sometimes it can feel like an obligation to join in on the festivities – honestly I feel obligated to do everything – but it’s important to understand that you do not have to commit yourself to being apart of these events. If you choose to visit family, set clear boundaries. For instance, having safe space to stay can be a way to create comfort and safety for yourself. This way if you feel uncomfortable or need a break you have a separate space to go.  

Be aware of your anxiety. Notice when your tension levels are rising, and let yourself feel them. Feelings in and of themselves aren’t necessarily harmful – the actions resulting from those feelings are the real kicker, and quite often those actions happen because feelings are so bottled up that the pressure forces an explosion. Often, simply noticing and naming the anxiety can calm it.

When you notice tensions levels rising give yourself an out. If you have to spend an extended amount of time with family, work some down time into the schedule. Removing yourself from the situation can be vital.

Remember, this is temporary.

The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

This maybe the hardest of them all. Most of us can survive anything for a small period of time. However, if a situation arises that you feel you may not be able to handle, by all means, remove yourself!

Take care of yourself.You know what you need to do to be healthy. Give yourself permission to be human.

While these tips are not all the ways to respond and react to you family, it’s a good place to start. Here are some more resources on how to respond and handle family during this time, particularly for those in the LGBTQ community:

• LGBT and Heading Home for the Holidays?
• A Gay in the Life: How to handle family during the holidays
• LGBT and Home for the Holidays? 7 Tips on How to Deal
• LGBT Problems: When Going Home for Thanksgiving Is Simply Too Awkward

It’s in times like these that I live by these wise words:

“You is kind, you is smart, you is important.” – Aibileen Clark

Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance. Today we mourn the loss of our trans siblings to violence and celebrate their lives, bravery, and accomplishments. Today we honor our elders and those who paved the way before us. Today we use our mouths to speak the voices that have been silenced.

Below is a collection of art created by Amelia Meman for Women’s History Month 2015. These women, some alive and some not, are some examples of the amazing abilities, resistance, and resilience found in our community. This art has been compiled in zine format, available in print at the Women’s Center and in PDF form here.

Dedicated to Viv. We miss you.

cece mcdonald was arrested on june 5, 2011 for the death of dean shmitz after shmitz’s girlfriend threw a glass in her face. shmitz and a group of friends harassed mcdonald and her friends outside a bar, shouting transphobic and racist slurs and comments at the group. when cece confronted the group, shmitz’s girlfriend threw the glass and a fight ensued. cece was charged with second degree murder and plead guilty to a charge of second degree manslaughter on june 4 of 2012. she was released on jan 13, 2014 after 19 months in men’s prison. activists raised a cry against anti-trans violence with shouts of “free cece” during her trial and prison sentence. since her release, cece has become an activist herself, working and speaking against the prison system and anti-trans violence and she has received the bayard rustin civil rights award from the harvey milk lgbt democratic club. a documentary titled free cece, directed by laverne cox and jac gares, is expected to be released in 2016

cecelia chung is an incredibly influential activist in san francisco. she has been hiv program coordinator and api american health forum and hiv test counselor at ucsf aids health project and has served as deputy director of the transgender law center. in 2001 she was the first asian woman and the first trans woman to be elected president of the san francisco lgbt pride celebration committee board. in 2013, she was appointed to the san francisco health commission and made san francisco the first city in the u.s. to pay for gender reassignment surgery for uninsured trans patients. she currently serves on the presidential advisory council for hiv/aids, is chair of the u.s. plhiv caucus and is senior strategist at the transgender law project.

christine jorgensen became one if the first widely known transgender women in the united states when she returned from denmark after her transition in the 1950s. the world war II veteran toured the country with her nightclub act and appeared on a number of television shows and magazine articles. she published her biography titled christine jorgensen: a personal biography in 1967 and a documentary titled the christine jorgensen story was released in 1970.

danielle berry was an influential and innovative video game designer. her first game, wheeler dealers, was released in 1978 and was the first pc game to be sold in a printed box instead of in a plastic sleeve. her 1984 game m.u.l.e. was one of the first electronic arts games. it was the first economic strategy game and would later influence modern games like sims and farmville. global conquest (1998) was the first pc game in history to be played on multiple computers on an online platform. she received the lifetime achievement award from the computer game development association in 1998. berry’s games were not popular and did not make great sales, but were always ahead of their time and lead innovations in the gaming industry for decades.

harmony santana is an actress and activist. she was nominated for an independent spirit award for best supporting actress for her role in gun hill road (2011), becoming the first openly transgender actress to be nominated for a major acting award. before and during her time on set, she lived in the lgbt youth home green chimneys where she became an advocate for homeless youth and began hiv/aids and anti-bullying activism. she began as a peer educator for bronx aids services and continues to be and advocate for trans youth while beginning work on her third film.

julia serano is a self-proclaimed activist, performer, musician, writer, and biologist. she published her first book, whipping girl: a transsexual woman on sexism and the scapegoating of femininity, in 2007 and her second book, excluded: making femininst and queer movements more inclusive, in 2013. she received her ph.d. in biochemistry and molecular biophysics from columbia university and served as a researcher in genetics, evolution, and developmental biology at university of california, berkeley for 17 years. she is a slam poet and a member of the noise-pop band biteseize.

marsha p. “pay it no mind” johnson was a new york stonewall rebellion veteran and a trans rights and aids activist. she co-founded star: street transvestite action revolutionaries in 1970 with close friend sylvia rivera and later became a star house mother. she served as a mentor, teacher, leader, and homemaker for the girls of star house. she was a member of act up new york during the aids epidemic and dedicated much of her life to aids activism. in july of 1992 her body was found in the hudson river shortly after a pride celebration. though her death was ruled a suicide, her friends and colleagues have always believed her death to be the result of transphobic, racist, and transmisogynistic violence.

miss major, or “mama” to her community, has been an activist for over 40 years. miss major is a formerly incarcerated woman and survivor of attica state prison, a maximum security men’s prison in new york. she is a former sex worker and stonewall rebellion veteran. this trans elder is a fierce advocate for prison abolition and for trans women of color. she is the executive director of the transgender gender variant & intersex justice project.

monica jones was arrested in may of 2013 in phoenix, arizona for “walking while trans.” she was profiled as a trans woman of color and charged with “manifesting prostitution” for accepting a ride in her neighborhood from two undercover cops. jones is an advocate for sex workers and works against the anti-sex worker organization projectrose. she is an arizona state university student and had been recently accepted to the asu school of social work at the time of her arrest.

susan stryker is an openly lesbian trans woman living in arizona. she received a bachelor’s degree in letters from university of oklahoma in 1983 and her ph.d. in us history from university of california, berkeley in 1992. she received a san francisco/ northern california emmy award for her work as director of screaming queens: the riot at compton’s cafeteria (2005) and has been nominated for two lambda literary awards. one of her most notable works is her essay “my words to viktor frankenstein above the village of chamounix,” the first article written by an openly transgender woman to be published in a peer-reviewed academic journal. she currently serves as an associate professor of gender and women’s studies and director of lgbt studies at university of arizona.

sylvia rivera is often considered one of the foremothers of trans rights movements. this stonewall rebellion veteran was an active member of the gay liberation front and gay activists alliance. she protested the exclusion of trans people from the sexual orientation non-discrimination act and was an advocate for poor trans people and trans people of color. her activism prioritized targeting systematic racism and poverty and opposed the prison industrial complex. rivera co-founded star: street transvestite action revolutionaries in 1970 with her close friend, marsha p. johnson and continued to be an influential figure in trans rights activism until her death in 2002.