We’re just ONE day away from #GivingTuesday, a national day of giving tomorrow, December 3rd. The UMBC community is working to change the world, and on #GivingTuesday, you can help them do it.

Throughout the past month, we’ve shared stories of how our students, faculty, staff, and alumni are making a difference. We took a peek at how the Engineers Without Borders group will bring clean water to Isongo, Kenya. We tapped our feet to songs that will be on the Down and Dirty Dawg Band’s new CD. And we learned about UMBC’s mission to create a more inclusive campus through LGBTQ programs and initiatives.

Here are just a few things the people involved with those projects had to say:

“Engineers Without Borders-UMBC relies on gifts to fulfill our mission of implementing environmentally and economically sustainable engineering projects, while developing globally aware and internationally responsible students and engineers. We especially appreciate gifts from alumni because we believe that EWB-UMBC not only promotes projects in the developing world, but also transformative experiences for UMBC students.”

~Lee Blaney, assistant professor and advisor for EWB

“[Your support] means the world to the band. If you’re an alumni of the band and had a great experience, your donation will help ensure that the next generation of students have the same positive experience.”

~Matt Basch ’08,  ’10, Director, Down and Dirty Dawg Band

“To support UMBC as an alum is a no-brainer. As a student, I felt the positive impact [of donor support], and I want to live up to Dr. Hrabowski’s motto that of those to whom much is given, much is expected.”

~Chris Magaha ’03, donor to LGBTQ programs & initiatives

They’ve had their say. Now it’s your turn.
Will you join us in making a difference on #GivingTuesday?

Finding Yourself at UMBC
It’s no secret that college is a time of self-exploration and growth. During their time at UMBC, students discover what they’re passionate about and what they want to do with their lives. They make friends, they fall in love, they begin.

That experience is no different for the many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) students at UMBC, whether they’ve been out for years or are in the midst of figuring it all out. And that’s why it is so important that we, as a campus community, show our support and offer programs and resources for all of our students.

“I came out on campus,” says Chris Magaha ‘03, information systems management. “It was my first experience being out to friends, it was when I had my first boyfriend. And as much as you’re around people in college, it can be lonely and isolating if you don’t know if what you’re feeling is normal.”

Chris Magaha ’03, information systems management

Providing the Support Students Need
Chris turned to the Freedom Alliance, a student-run organization founded in 1995 that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students, faculty, staff and their allies. In that group, he found the support he needed, and made friends and memories he still carries with him today.

“Every student should feel like they are wanted, accepted and belong. I always felt that way [at UMBC],” says Chris. That environment of acceptance and diversity, he maintains, has been fostered at every level of the campus community.

“The tone is set from the top,” says Chris. “Dr. Hrabowski stands behind this [focus on inclusion] and sets the standard. We really do want everybody to belong here.”

Fostering a Diverse and Welcoming Community
The focus on creating a welcoming community is not new at UMBC, says Susan McDonough, assistant professor of history, one of the many LGBTQ advocates on campus.

Susan McDonough, assistant professor of history

“There’s a long history of LGBTQ activism at UMBC,” she explains. Over the years, that activism has taken a variety of forms, most recently through the creation of the LGBT-Faculty and Staff Association.

Another key project driven by faculty and staff is the OutList, an online list of faculty and staff members who self-identify as LGBTQ and have chosen to be included in this virtual space.

The OutList has been an incredible and highly visible demonstration of UMBC’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity, says Susan, but she’s already focused on how we can continue to expand on that work.

Increasing Our Impact
And so UMBC continues to grow and expand its offering of LGBTQ-focused initiatives. Zach Kosinski, the graduate coordinator for LGBTQ Programs in The Mosaic: Center for Culture & Diversity, helps organize many of these essential–and life changing–programs.

“Every student who is dedicated and works hard to get an education and do something meaningful with their lives should have the support they need to do that,” he says. “That’s why we [Student Life] provide all these different services.”

Today, students have access to things like gender neutral housing, the Queer Student Lounge, an LGBTQ library and a range of LGBTQ-focused speakers. They can also get support from groups like Spectrum, Between Women and QUMBC.

“It’s incredible to hear the stories of the obstacles they [LGBTQ students] face while still being really high achievers,” says Zach. Many of those same students, he says, are greatly in need of and appreciative for the wide range of services UMBC offers. But there’s still more work to be done.

How You Can Help Us Change Lives
Our faculty, staff, students and alumni dream big: Zach and his team would like to build the Queer Student Lounge into a true resource center, beginning with  card-swipe access, computers, and a more robust LGBTQ library. Chris speaks to the need for even more LGBTQ-focused career preparation to help students navigate the working world. And Susan would like to see a named LGBTQ lectures series on campus.

Right now, these are just ideas. But your support can turn them into a reality. Your gift to LGBTQ projects and initiatives like these can–and will–change lives.

“To support UMBC as an alum is a no-brainer,” says Chris, who has given in support of the LGBTQ projects. “As a student, I felt the positive impact [of donor support], and I want to live up to Dr. Hrabowski’s motto that of those to whom much is given, much is expected.”

Change Lives Today!

Learn more about some of the LGBTQ Groups and Projects at UMBC:

• Freedom Alliance
• QUMBC
• Queer Student Lounge
• OutList
• You Can Play
• LGBT-Faculty/Staff Alliance
• SafeZone
• Spectrum
• Between Women
• Career Services

Make Baltimore the Most Generous City in America: #GivingTuesday’s mission is to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. It celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations like UMBC. This year, we’re partnering with a number of local organizations in our own #GivingTuesday effort, the “Bmore Gives More” movement. Our goal? To raise $5 million collectively in support of all of Baltimore’s amazing charitable and non-profit organizations.

The Down and Dirty Dawg Band – UMBC’s pep band – is not only known around campus, but nationally, as well. Making appearances on Good Morning America and The Today Show, their mission is to spread school spirit and celebrate the power of music. On December 3, a national day of giving, you can help them reach their dream.

We talked with three members of the band (Matt Basch ’08, information systems and ’10 M.S., information systems, Director of the UMBC Down and Dirty Dawg Band; Paul Swenson ’06, computer science, Producer; and Drew Ballantine, a UMBC senior, member) to see why they love being a part of it and how you can help.

Q: What is the purpose of the pep band and why is it important?

Paul: The pep band is a musical and marching ensemble sponsored by Athletics that provides its members with a chance to perform fun tunes, become engaged with school spirit at UMBC sporting events and even earn some money through part-time employment opportunities.

Matt: The mission is to support the Athletic Department and the university through music and spirit. Whether it’s 20 degrees and snowing during one of the winter basketball games, or 100 degrees with the sun blazing during the Catonsville and Arbutus 4th of July parades, you’ll experience unbridled enthusiasm and exceptional playing from this band.

Q: Why is music important?

Matt: I can’t imagine life without music. The emotional and inspirational impact is incredible and something I witness in the band every day. Throughout a sporting event, the music we play gets the sports teams and fans pumped up. When the game is over, the band plays our Alma Mater and everyone stands with pride and respect for the university.

Q: Why did you become involved?

Drew: The drumline is actually one of the reasons I chose to come to UMBC. As Senior Captain of UMBC’s drumline, it’s been amazing to see how it has grown and improved.

Q: What does the support of the alumni, community, and donors mean to you?

Matt: It means the world to the band. If you’re an alumni of the band and had a great experience, your donation will help ensure that the next generation of students have the same positive experience. If you’re a parent of a student in the band and have seen the positive impact its had on your child, your donation will help pass those positive experiences on to the next students. If you’re a community member and have heard the band perform, your donation will help continue making that experience available to the [rest of the] community.

Drew: The pep band is a huge part of UMBC’s culture. Without the help and support of the community, we wouldn’t be able to receive stipends, buy new equipment, pay for instrument repairs, or put out CDs. These donations allow us to continuously grow by doing more things each year, like adding more performances or playing new music. I think it’s awesome that people want to donate and help our cause. It feels really good to give something back to the audience. And now they don’t have to wait for basketball season to listen to us play!

Yes, I want to support UMBC’s Down and Dirty Dawg Band and help make music!

Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is changing lives. On December 3, a national day of giving, you can be a part of the change.

We talked with Lee Blaney, an assistant professor and the group’s advisor, and Michael Brown, a student engineer, about  an important trip they’ll be taking in January and how you can help.

Q: What is EWB planning on doing in January on your trip to Isongo?

Lee: The January implementation trip has one primary objective: to install a clean water system in Isongo, Kenya. Residents are currently collecting water from an unprotected spring. Our previous trip demonstrated that this shallow water is contaminated and represents a public health concern.

On the implementation trip, the team is planning to construct a borehole [a well to draw deeper water] and hand-pump system to provide clean water from deeper aquifers. Once the clean water supply is constructed, EWB-UMBC will help to form and train a village water committee on maintenance and operation issues. The goal is that after this trip, the community will be able to maintain this well.

In addition, EWB-UMBC wants to continue to engage the community in best water, sanitation and hygiene practices.  Ultimately, all three of these elements are required for a successful project.

Q: What do you need to accomplish your goal? How do the donations to your fundraising campaign help?

Lee: To successfully complete this project, EWB-UMBC requires funding to drill the borehole, purchase the raw materials for the hand-pump, and acquire tools necessary for maintenance and operation. In addition, donations will help pay for UMBC students to travel to Isongo to complete the project. Once the water supply is installed, the EWB-UMBC team will conduct water quality testing to ensure that this new water supply is safe for consumption. Your small gift can help benefit the lives of hundreds of people in Isongo for a lifetime.

Michael: The more money we can raise, the more students we can send [to Isongo], increasing the total impact that we can have on the community. One great thing about our fundraising page is that potential donors can see exactly where their money will go.

Q: What does the support from alumni and donors mean to you?

Lee: EWB-UMBC relies on gifts to fulfill our mission of implementing environmentally and economically sustainable engineering projects, while developing globally aware and internationally responsible students and engineers. We especially appreciate gifts from alumni because we believe that EWB-UMBC not only promotes projects in the developing world, but also transformative experiences for UMBC students. In EWB-UMBC, undergraduate students are empowered to tackle complex, real problems on the other side of the world.

Q: What does it feel like to know you’re helping people around the world?

Lee: One of the fundamental canons of engineering is “to hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public.” In EWB-UMBC, students are empowered to use the knowledge that they gain in classes to benefit real people. Meeting these people and knowing that our work is helping to improve their lives is very powerful.

[UMBC student] Chris Mullen, who traveled to Isongo on last year’s assessment trip, expressed the impact of these experiences nicely: “I learned just as much in those ten days as I learned in the previous semester. It’s not just about the engineering application or the problem solving, it’s about the experience: getting to know people living in a foreign land that you won’t hear about on the news, good people who will make a bigger impact on my life than I could ever make on theirs.”

Michael: Helping communities in need is exactly why the students in this group give so much of their time and energy. Engineers Without Borders projects are great because the ultimate goal is to give the project over to the community. This creates a sense of empowerment within the community because they are ultimately the ones who are making it all happen.

Yes, I want to support EWB-UMBC and change lives!

To see more of what EWB-UMBC does, check out their Tumblr.

UMBC’s students are working to change the world. On December 3, a national day of giving, you can be a part of the change. Make your gift to one of these amazing projects today and you’ll give us a head start on our #GivingTuesday campaign:

You Can Make Clean Water a Right, Not a Luxury
Here in the United States, we don’t worry about having access to a hot shower or clean drinking water. Those are necessities, right? But for the people of Isongo, Kenya, they’re little more than a dream. UMBC’s Engineers Without Borders team is working to change that.

Help us change the world!

You Can Fill the World with Music
It’s well-known that listening to music can increase health, decrease stress and spread Retriever Fever. The Down and Dirty Dawg Band, a premier music ensemble from UMBC, wants to do all that . . . and more.

Help us make music!

You Can Stand Up for Equality
As states across the country, including Maryland, legalized marriage equality, we celebrated an important milestone for the LGBTQ community. But we’re a long way from true equality. So we’re working to bring more outreach and support programs to our campus LGBTQ community.

Help us change minds!

Make Baltimore the Most Generous City in America
#GivingTuesday’s mission is to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. It celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations like UMBC. This year, we’re partnering with a number of local organizations in our own #GivingTuesday effort, the “Bmore Gives More” movement.Our goal? To raise $5 million collectively in support of all of Baltimore’s amazing charitable and non-profit organizations.