I’m asking some of the people you might encounter on the UMBC campus, including students, faculty, staff and alumni, to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences. These are their responses.
Name: Sheriff Gaye (Amran to my friends). Hometown: Banjul, The Gambia, West Africa.
Q: How long have you been at UMBC?
A: Two years and a bit.
Q: What is your current title (job or student organization position)?
A: Junior Sys Admin at CSEE.
Q: In 12 words or less, what role(s) do you play on campus?
A: Junior Sys Admin at CSEE.
Q: In 12 words or less, what role(s) do you play on campus?
A: I fix broken computers (and add to campus diversity ;)).
Q: What aspect of your UMBC role(s) do you enjoy most?
A: Getting to meet lots of new and different people outside of my usual experience (sometimes even out of my usual comfort zone - which is a great way to learn maturity). Also - and this may not make much sense - being part of a... system which strives to be as self-contained as possible - I find it fascinating to watch how the school is run, and how everything integrates together to create the community we know and love: from the campus police to the inspirational posters talking about recognition we have received to boost school spirit, and all of it run by people who seem to genuinely love their jobs and what they do. It's a bit like living in a model city, a micro city without all the complexities of a full one, but a tightly coupled system nevertheless - and so every little change propagates through the system and has consequences (such as the current parking troubles we are facing). Kind of like a real life version of Civ 4 (with a lot less variables, of course :)).
Q: What is the most important or memorable thing you learned in college/have learned at UMBC?
A: Generally speaking, everyone on campus (and I guess this is true about life as well) is friendly and willing to talk and open up if approached, just like you are. So hesitating to speak to someone, or reach out and make connections because you are afraid (of saying the wrong thing, of being rebuffed), is not only based on the wrong assumption ("everyone looks so sure about themselves, and I'm not"), but is also a sad missed opportunity - the sooner you learn this, and learn to just relax, the better.
Q: Complete this sentence: "I am a big fan of __________"
Q: Complete this sentence: "I am a big fan of __________"
A: Mad Men. :) My fanboism waxes and wanes, and is attached to different objects (Avatar the Last Airbender, the novels of Manuel Puig) at different times - right now the writing and acting in Mad Men is what gets me most excited about TV. Oh and the iPad. ;)
Q: Do you have any UMBC stories, little-known facts about UMBC, favorite spots on campus, or anything else you’d like to share?
A: The UMBC theatre gives some great performances a few times a year - try and catch one of them when you can. They've got some very talented players, and are not afraid to try out new things - it's a great way to relax after a semester of long nights jacked directly into an endless-seeming feed of homework.
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