We’re excited to share our very first alumni post! The reflection below was written by Cassandra Morales (UMBC Class of 2013) who worked in the Women’s Center from 2012-2013.

Binge-watching Netflix is a favorite college past-time that I carried into my post-undergraduate life. There is nothing like the satisfaction of finishing all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or the excitement of the addition of a new season of Call the Midwife. When the third season of Scandal was added, I happily started it. However, out of all the twists and turns, there was one that stood out to me, and one that I continue to think on; when Mellie is raped by her father-in-law, it may not be the most shocking twist, but it is one I feel is worth critique.

For most, the actual experience of rape is not like a bad day at work, but it’s treated in the same light: many of the characters are impacted for a few days and then get over it quickly. The event happens in a vacuum, dealt with and dispensed in only a few episodes. To me, this seems like a highly unrealistic representation and indicative of the fact that it’s not about the victim, but for the story or other characters. The viewer does grasp how far Mellie is willing to go to further her husband’s political career (and therefore her own). What is not explained is how Mellie copes with the trauma, and, much like real-life cases, the focus is not the impact on the victim, but the impact on everyone else.

While writing this, I realized what might be the most frustrating part is that I can say this is not the most shocking twist in Scandal. Inadequate representations of rape are highly prevalent in TV shows nowadays (American Horror Story, Game of Thrones, and The Walking Dead to name a few). While I do think TV shows are a good platform to discuss rape and sexual assault, it does not seem right that it is only portrayed in one way. Sexual assault happens in so many different ways, impacts the victim in different ways*, and that should be reflected in what we watch. I begin to wonder if people who are most able to write about that experience, women specifically, are not well represented among the writers of these shows.

I will not stop watching Scandal, nor for that matter will I stop binge-watching TV on Netflix. However, what I will take away from this experience is the importance of being a conscious consumer. Critiquing a show that you love (or a store, or a sport) does not inherently mean that you must write it off. In fact, it means the opposite. I love watching TV and I am deeply invested in what I watch. As a woman, as well as a feminist, I must ask that my experiences, and the experiences of my peers, be valued in my TV shows because I value them. By critiquing them, I am more aware of what is lacking in my favorite shows. As a result, I am able to create what I want to see in the world. I encounter problematic issues in the places I shop, the music I listen to, and even the books that I read. It is impossible to be without a problematic aspect in your life. Ignoring these issues solves nothing. With my power as a consumer, I am obligated to reflect and critique and ask for more.

*If you know someone who has been sexually assaulted, here’s some important ways you can respond and support. UMBC community members can also receive support and resources through UMBC’s Voices Against Violence Program and offices like the Women’s Center. For more information on resources, visit the Women’s Center website. 

Critical Social Justice week is fast approaching (this February from the 16th to the 20th) and the theme this year is “Creating Brave Spaces”. To unpack and explore this idea, we had the Critical Social Justice Student Alliance tell us what the theme meant to them and how we can use it in our social justice work. Emily Eaglin, incoming president of this new student organization, created this helpful video that documents our conversation and expands upon what brave spaces can be. Check it out below!

We were inspired by Brian Arao and Kristi Clemens’ article, “From Safe Spaces to Brave Spaces,” and for some highly recommended further reading, you can access it here.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Critical Social Justice campaign, check out our WordPress, like our Facebook page, and/or follow us on Twitter!

The Women's Center is excited to announce that the Returning Women Students Scholarships Application for 2015-2016 is now available. The deadline for submission is Friday, April 3, 2015.

This common application enables eligible students to apply for more than one of the Returning Women Students Scholarships using the same application. The three available scholarships are:

• Charlotte W. Newcombe Scholarship & The UMBC Scholarship for Mature Students
• AEGON Scholarship
• The Richard & Roselyn Bryson Neville Memorial Fund for Returning Women Scholarship

All undergraduate students over the age of 25 and with at least 60 credits may be eligible. You must be completing your first undergraduate degree. 

Each scholarship has additional eligibility requirements which can be found on the common application instructions. 

The application is attached to this announcement. Please be sure to read over the eligibility requirements before applying. 

If you have any questions concerning the application process or the scholars program requirements, please contact Jess at womens.center@umbc.edu. 

We will also be hosting 2 informational sessions related to the application process and scholars program requirements. The information sessions will be held in the Women's Center on Wednesday, February 25th from 12-1pm or Wednesday, March 26th from 4-4:45pm.

Applications are due Friday, April 3rd at 4pm

We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for Summer 2015 admissions to our BIOLOGY Research Experiences for Undergraduates at the American Museum of Natural History.  Details about the program can be found on our website: http://www.amnh.org/our-research/richard-gilder-graduate-school/academics-and-research/fellowship-and-grant-opportunities/undergraduate-fellowships

To apply, please go to our application website: https://myrggs.amnh.org/Applicant/ApplyOnline_Login.aspx.  Please note that the application deadline for BIOLOGY REU admission is January 30, 2015.

 Please contact Maria Rios at mrios@amnh.org if you need any further information.

Name: Mike Alksnis

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Maryland Disability Law Center | Title of Your Position: Nursing Facilities Project Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s): Social Work

Expected Graduation Year: December 2014

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

At MDLC, I have enjoyed working with clients and their families to reduce cases of unnecessary institutionalization in nursing facilities, and to ensure the safety, health, independence, and full community integration of clients seeking to make transitions into their own homes. It has been a pleasure to work with the Sunshine Folk, a group of advocates and former nursing facility residents, in pursuit of the same goal. I have also closely followed the development and implementation of Maryland’s Community First Choice (CFC) program, which strives to make these transitions possible for all eligible Maryland residents. I have had the privilege of helping to draft correspondence to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene explaining MDLC’s viewpoint on numerous CFC matters, and have participated in a similar project in cooperation with a State Senator. I have also worked closely with self-advocating CFC participants to help maximize the impact of their voice on the development of the program’s regulations. The staff at MDLC have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome and to create a quality educational experience for me throughout my internship. I could not have asked for a better place to learn as an aspiring social worker!

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

I was connected to my internship at MDLC by UMBC's undergraduate social work program for my field placement, which began in September 2013. Due to MDLC's satisfaction with my performance on the job throughout the 2013-2014 academic year, I was offered a paid 10-week internship over the following summer. I gladly accepted the offer and continued my work in the nursing facilities project through mid-July.

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

Faculty Connections, UMBC BSW Program

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

The most enjoyable part of my experience at MDLC was the privilege of being allowed to work on projects which interested me. I expressed an interest in advocacy, community organizing, policy, and social justice during my interview in the summer of 2013. MDLC responded by graciously constructing an internship experience that was catered to fostering professional growth in these areas. As a result, I have become more aware of my potential to succeed in specific roles as a future social worker.

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

If it were not for MDLC, I would not have become so attuned to the ways in which people with disabilities continue to be oppressed by social and political forces which diminish their dignity, independence, community integration, right to self-determination, and even their health and safety. Due to this internship experience, I recognize there is a far-reaching need for the advancement of the civil rights and human rights of people with disabilities in Maryland and across the US and beyond.

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

I would offer to another student the same advice that was given to me by faculty in UMBC's undergraduate social work program -- if there is a particular type of person that you are disinclined to want to work with, work with them. In other words, get an internship working with a population that you are not interested in working with. There is a very high probability that your perceptions about the group will be challenged and forever changed. There is even a good chance you will discover that you actually enjoy working with that population. Until we have exposed ourselves to the experience, we are relying on preconceptions and biases, which tend to be false. We cannot know how we will function in a particular type of career setting until we give it a try, and there is no better time to conduct such an experiment with yourself than during an internship as a college student, before you have decided on a career path.

Congratulations on graduating! #UMBCgrad