Dear Members of the UMBC Community,

As we near the end of the spring semester, we wanted to share with you an important reminder from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) to take precautions to minimize the risk of contracting Zika, as many of you make plans for travel during the summer break.

News Release from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

As Maryland college students study for final exams and complete their projects, travel can factor heavily into their summer plans. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is reminding them and their families to take precautions to minimize the risk of contracting Zika.

"Planned summer vacations could take Marylanders to popular destinations where the Zika virus is being spread by mosquito and through sexual contact," said Secretary Van T. Mitchell. "We are reminding our residents to exercise caution, given the link between Zika infection of pregnant women and the occurrence of birth defects in their babies."

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Zika virus is chiefly spread through mosquito bites, though less frequently, transmission via sexual contact, blood transfusion and to newborns during pregnancy has been documented. Because of the link between Zika and the microcephaly birth defect, characterized by smaller heads and underdeveloped brains in newborns, the CDC recommends that pregnant women consider postponing travel to areas where Zika virus is spreading. These areas now include several additional countries in Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

Women who are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant are advised to not travel to countries with known Zika transmission. Travelers also should be sure to guard against mosquito bites for the seven days after they return home, to prevent a mosquito from passing on any potential infection.

The CDC says most infected people are non-symptomatic. Men who have traveled to an area with Zika and whose partners are pregnant should use condoms every time they have sex – or they should abstain from sex – during the pregnancy.

Please see the full DHMH press release for more specific information on the countries where Zika virus or other viruses spread by mosquitoes are found and advised steps travelers should consider when planning to visit any at-risk areas.

A reflection written by Women’s Center staff member, MJ Jalloh Jamboria

The following is a little of my experience as a queer Muslim person. I recognize that my experience is not reflective of Islam, nor of the community of people I met at the Interfaith Center.

For the first time since last Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holy holiday, I went to Jumu’ah (congregational Friday prayer). I met a person on campus who extended a warm hand and invited me to prayer which took place at the Interfaith Center. I was both excited and terrified for a plethora of reasons. I was excited to sit amongst my sisters, to rejoin the community I had left behind me as I entered college, and to listen to the guest Sheik that was invited to give the khutbah, the congregational sermon.

In the days leading up to the Friday prayer, all I could talk about was how excited I was that I finally had a friend to go to Jumu’ah with. I quickly realized, I had no idea how to be practicing Muslim anymore. I was once a Sunday school teacher and was really quite good at incorporating Islamic teachings into my life. However, since the start of college, I hadn’t really thought about being religious. I am not hijabi, a woman who wears hijab full-time. I’m not even a woman! I sometimes eat gelatin (oops!) and I don’t think I own a single piece of ‘modest’ clothing. I am a fat, queer, shorts and T-shirt wearing, ‘you kiss your mother with that mouth?’ swearing, mess of a person! Muslim people can be all of these things, but in prayer there are certain rules we must submit to. The expectation for women is to stand in a section separate from men, covered in appropriate prayer attire and hair and neck wrapped in a veil. The thought of completing some of these actions made me nervous. 

Friday came and I finally decided upon an outfit that was appropriate, picked a hijab and walked over to the Interfaith Center. The prayer went well, I loved the khutbah (the sermon given by the person who leads prayer, usually the Sheik) and I felt like was I finally home. Even though I had only spent an afternoon with these sisters, I knew I found a community of women who understood and loved me. In fact, the khutbah before the prayer was almost serendipitous. The Sheik recited a line about friendship. He reminded the congregation that we should all find friends that we love purely for God’s sake. With the women that surrounded me, I felt I finally found the very friends the Sheik was talking about.

Despite all of the affirmation I felt in the space, I was (and am) still challenged by the fact that a large part of my identity has to be put on hold to enter into this space of prayer. Since high school, simple and arbitrary gender markers have been instrumental in the way that I’ve been able to present my identity. My name, the way I dress and talk, even the way I wear my hair have become the only way I can really be non-normative and express who I am. As I got ready for prayer that morning, I felt like I was hiding and changing who I am. I had to find clothes that weren’t form-fitting and that covered my body. I put on a hijab and while I love what hijab represents, it too plays a role in covering up important parts of my identity. I’ve been growing my locs for the past 2 years and they’ve become a prized familial tradition I don’t want to hide. But, both the hijab and the clothes were material. Whenever I was asked my name, I cringed as I introduced myself as Sister Mariam as opposed to “MJ.” I love my birthname. I love the woman I am named after and I love the religious significance of my name. But, I hate lying. I am no longer Mariam. I am not the pious Sunday school teacher anymore. I’m MJ, a queer, potty-mouth, music-loving, dances in their underwear kind of person who also happens to be Muslim.

While it would be easier to just not stress over being called by my birthname and changing my appearance, I think I owe it to myself to look for a space where all of my identities are acknowledged and valued and allowed to intersect. I’ve previously felt like I had to filter parts of myself to fit into certain spaces. In queer and feminist spaces, I’ve felt a disconnect from my religion. While in Muslim settings I’m forced back into the closet. It’s important to find communities and spaces where all of our identities and embodiments are acknowledged, valued, and perhaps even loved!

I have yet to return to the Interfaith Center. Two weeks have gone by, and instead of joining the congregation, I steal glances as I pass the Center on my way to The Commons. I haven’t decided whether or not I’ll be going to another Friday prayer just yet. I want to be among my sisters again, but not at the cost of other parts of my identity that I’ve worked so hard to be able to express.

For more on practicing and incorporating intersectionality into our lives and feminism, check out Why Our Feminism Must Be Intersectional (And 3 Ways to Practice It) from Everyday Feminism.

And, to read another person’s experience related to intersectional feminism and her Muslim identity, read Maha Saleem’s reflection on AAUW’s blog. 

2016 UMBC Summer Survey

Tell us about your summer plans and earn a chance to WIN FOUR Premier O's Tickets plus a Parking Pass for the O's vs. Angels game on July 10, 2016! 

The survey can be found HERE.

Name: Jaelyn Bos

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: National Park Service

Position Title: Hemlock Monitoring Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s): Environmental Science (BS); Biology (BA)

Expected Graduation Year: Spring 2017

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

Last summer, I worked for the National Park Service's Inventory and Monitoring program in the National Capital Region. The role of this program is to routinely assess the state of natural resources in the region's parks. Two other interns from UMBC and I spent the summer studying the ecologic role of Eastern Hemlock trees, which are dying out due to an invasive pest. For the first half of the summer, we used a GPS to map the locations of patches of hemlock trees in all the region's parks. During the second half of the summer, we randomly selected points within the hemlock patches and monitored vegetation at these points by looking for invasive plant species, assessing ground cover, and measuring trees. Nearly all my days were spent out in the field. 

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

I found my position through the Geography and Environmental Systems Department at UMBC. One of the professors in our department, Dr. Swan, sent out an email with information on the available positions and how to apply. After submitting my cover letter and résumé (which was previously reviewed by the Career Center), I interviewed with my now-supervisor over the phone. 

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

I loved the opportunity to work outdoors every day, and to learn about forestry. I also appreciated the chance to do something small improve our understanding natural resource conservation in the Washington, DC region. 

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

By researching the interactions of an imperiled tree species with the rest of the botanic community, we enabled natural resource managers of all types to make informed decisions on how to deal with infested hemlock trees. While I would love to save all the hemlocks, understanding the effects that their loss has on the ecosystem as a whole helps those in power balance the cost of saving trees with the benefits to biodiversity. 

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

UMBC has connections to a huge variety of fascinating workplaces. When searching for internships, try to tap these connections by working with your department or the Career Center. Don't be afraid to try something new!

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Want to be the next Intern of the Week? Make sure to fill out this form and stay tuned. New interns are announced every Friday!

Join the Counseling Center, UHS Peer Health Educators and AOK Library staff on Study Day for Relax & Refuel!

On Wednesday, May 11th from 2-5pm, you can stop by the library atrium and gallery for a variety of activities and healthy snacks designed to re-energize you before final exams.  See event posted here:

http://my.umbc.edu/groups/healthed/events/39942.

Here is a fun way to catch up on all our events for the month.

Check out our new Mosaic and Interfaith Center Newsletter - May Edition!