"Hide and Seek"/ "Chuppan Chupai" is an award-winning documentary directed by Saad Khan that explores the lives of four transgender, or "hijra," people and their daily trials and triumphs while living in the relatively conservative gender constructs of Pakistan, the second most populous Islamic country in the world. The film depicts the secret yet open lives of a group of Pakistani sexual minorities, raising questions about transgender activism, religion, underground gay life, social acceptance and collective familial customs of transgenders in urban Pakistan.
Click here to RSVP: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/gwst/events/24098
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and there are many controversial topics that come from the discussion of sexual assault. This includes sexual assault being gender blind, hypermasculinity and victim blaming. The article below discusses cultural differences as an explanation for why, what Americans consider to be obviously unacceptable, some may consider to be dismissible.
Article link: http://www.stopvaw.org/sexual_assault_and_cultural_norms
]]>I am in the pre-medical society, Global Medical Brigades, and the club tennis team. This past year I was a campus tour guide, but next year I will be a Learning Assistant for Dr. Gierasch in CHEM 351!
Read his abstract here...
]]>On April 23, 2014 UMBC will host Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD). More than 200 current UMBC undergraduates will present the results of their research, scholarship, and creative work. Hundreds of UMBC students, faculty, family members, and others will attend the conference, and learn from these student researchers.
As a research university, UMBC encourages all undergraduates to engage in research, independent study, professional-level creative work, and other hands-on experiences in their field of study. This can begin as early as the student’s freshman year. Through such experiences students gain valuable knowledge about their chosen field and establish mentoring relationships with faculty members. Students can approach a favorite faculty member for research advice before the end of the semester, or findmore background information online.
As we near the end of another semester, here are some insider tips for parents:
Final examinations will be held from May 15 to May 21. Encourage your student to make a study plan now. Research shows that people retain information better when they learn it and then sleep on it. Learning a little information each day produces much better results than an all-night session right before an examination.
For a change of pace, suggest that your student take a break from trying to get more information into his or her brain and practice getting the informationout again. Examinations test the ability to locate and express on paper the information the student has learned. Far too few students practice this crucial skill. To practice output, students first design questions that seem likely to be on the final. Then they practice writing the answers in the form that would be expected on the test: short answer, essay, etc. Some faculty members also make prior examinations available in the library or online to serve as study guides.
Continuing students should registration for fall classes between April 1st - 21st. It is important that students complete advising appointments before their registration time in order to have the best chance for a seat in important classes.
There is still time to sign up forclasses over the summer. Classes begin in May 27. ]]>Undergraduate Commencement Information
Thursday, May 22, 2014
1 p.m., Baltimore Arena
201 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
(Procession begins at 12:30 p.m.)
Graduating from UMBC is an exciting accomplishment. Walking in the commencement ceremony is a proud moment for both students and families. If your student plans to graduate this May, now is the time to prepare.
The UMBC Bookstore Graduation Center will occur:
Wednesday, April 30, 11 am to 6 pm
Thursday, May 1, 11 am to 6 pm
Friday, May 2, 11 am to 3 pm
Pick up regalia, diploma frames, and other essential graduation materials.
Free no obligation portrait sitting courtesy of Graduation Images.
The deadline to order regalia has passed. If your student hasn't ordered their regalia please encourage them to contact the Bookstore immediately.
Questions about regalia ordering: Call 410-455-3807
Additional graduation center information along with diploma frame descriptions and photographs may be found on the Bookstore website http://bookstore.umbc.edu. For diploma frames click on the merchandise catalog.
Off-Campus Student Services’ new and improved website (www.umbc.edu/ocss) is up-and-running and has tons of information and resources about finding off-campus housing and roommates as well as navigating the technicalities of living off campus such as building successful tenant-landlord relationships, understanding leases, and much more. The answers to students’ FAQs can be found there and at OCSS’s housing-related events such as the upcoming “Off-Campus Transitions” workshop scheduled for April 23rd in The Commons 331 during Free Hour.
If students are interested in finding roommates, OCSS is hosting a Roommate Social on May 2nd from 12-1PM in Lower Flat Tuesdays in The Commons—there will be food, fun, and, of course, opportunities to meet potential roomies. If students can’t make this event, UMBC’s official off-campus housing directory is another free resource for students to post and browse roommate ads—visit www.umbc.och101.com.
Students looking for off-campus housing for the summer and spring semesters can also browse housing listings at www.umbc.och101.com or attend one of our in-person housing fairs in July, August, and October. Join the OCSS myUMBC group page for continued updates about housing-related events, news, and discussions. For help navigating our new websites, students can visit our office located next to the UMBC bookstore and pick up housing brochures and listings or call 410.455.2770.
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