Psalm 112:4, 6-7 - “Even in darkness light dawnsfor the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous…Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”

How is it that some people come through incredible challenges the better for them, yet others are crushed by lesser things? How can we remain unshaken and unafraid of bad news like the person spoken about in Psalm 112?

James 1:2-4 in the Message says, Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

Growing through challenges has to do with your convictions - what you truly believe. How do you see God? Do you see him as forgiving and loving? If so, you will be able to trust him to sustain you through difficulties. But if you see God as a distant, harsh judge who waits for you to slip up so he can punish you, then you will run from him in hard times because you’ll see him as the problem instead of the answer.

Worry and fear will rob you of faith and prevent you from moving forward. But when you trust God you will have a firm belief in his reliability and a confident expectation that he will carry you through anything that confronts you.

Maximizing your life means taking every opportunity to learn and grow. No one escapes challenges and trials; the difference is in how you face them. Take James and consider these ‘a gift’, then you’ll approach any hardship from a position of strength and come through with increased confidence in God. If you live this way you are like the righteous man in Psalm 112 - you will increase in wisdom and discretion and continue to progress.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain… (Heb 6:19 NIV)

Prayer: Thank you Lord that my hope is anchored in You. No matter what comes my way, I choose to believe that you love me, you will provide for me and that my future is secure in your hands.
(From Brian Houston’s daily devotional, Growing Through Challenges.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5Gtr0RCoSQ

-AP

With the 2016 election just days away, UMBC faculty have been in the news discussing voter dissatisfaction with government and the divided political landscape that faces both presidential candidates heading into Election Day.

School of Public Policy Professor John Rennie Short argued in The Conversation that the upcoming election is more about the legitimacy of the political system than deciding who is to govern. In 1964, Short explained that more than two-thirds of Americans trusted the federal government, and just last year that number had fallen to just less than 1 in 5 citizens.

In his article, Professor Short explored the decline of the blue-collar middle class, generational differences, and the financial sector’s influence on politics and society as root causes for the lack of trust in the federal government.

“There are a number of potential crises in democratic capitalist societies. As outlined by German sociologist Jurgen Habermas, they are: fiscal crisis when government expenditure is more than revenue; economic crisis when the economy fails to meet popular expectations; or rationality crisis when there is a failure to make the correct decisions,” Short wrote. “The U.S. may be in the difficult position of undergoing all of these at the same time.”

On Fox News, Political Science Professor and Chair Thomas Schaller talked about why the electorate is so divided and explained that rising polarization goes as far back as the late 1980s and is especially visible in the Bush and Obama administrations.

“Bush ran as a uniter, not a divider,” Schaller said. “He had a national catastrophe, and the country was no more united after eight years than they were before. Obama rides election on the waves of the biggest economic crisis since The Great Depression, and the country is no more united after eight years.”

Schaller also described how the next president will inherit an extremely divided political landscape with both major political parties likely making it difficult to govern.

“Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, it doesn’t matter who we are talking about, is going to come in with a very difficult ability to lead because I think the two camps, red and blue America, are done with each other, and it’s a war of each against the other,” he said.   

In other news, Schaller also explained how the “roll-off” issue, when people cast a ballot for some races but don’t bother with others, will likely impact the results of the election.

Turning attention to state politics, School of Public Policy Professor and Director Donald Norris was quoted in a Baltimore Sun article about the impact of independent voters in Maryland on the upcoming election.

Find a complete roundup of media coverage below:

The ‘legitimation’ crisis in the US: Why have Americans lost trust in government? (The Conversation) 
How division in America is impacting the 2016 election (Fox News) 
Speaking politics phrase of the week: ‘roll-off’ (Christian Science Monitor) 
Amid partisan acrimony, independent voters on the rise in Maryland (The Baltimore Sun)

Image: John Rennie Short in his office. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. 

The world will know who the next U.S. president will be after November 8, but leading up to the election it is unclear what the future of President Obama’s legacy will be under the next administration. Scholars and professionals from around the country are gathering at UMBC October 27-29 for the “Obama Effect 2.0″ conference to examine the current president’s impact on a range of core issues before the next president is elected and that legacy takes on new form and meaning.

The event builds on the first “Obama Effect” conference, held in 2008 at the University of Minnesota, which looked at how the election would impact the process of American presidential politics, issues of civil rights, and global/international relations. The result was the book The Obama Effect: Multidisciplinary Renderings of the 2008 Campaign (SUNY 2010). This collection of essays examined how issues discussed during the 2008 presidential campaign would influence the Obama administration in the years ahead.

Kimberly Moffitt, associate professor of American studies, is the lead organizer of the Obama Effect 2.0 conference, along with colleagues Heather Harris, professor of business communication at Stevenson University, and Catherine Squires, professor of communication studies and director of the Race, Indigeneity, Gender and Sexuality Studies Initiative (RIGS) at the University of Minnesota.

“This conference is not only significant to our understanding of the potential legacy of the first self-identified African-American president of the United States, but it is also timely as we approach one of the most contentious and polarizing presidential elections of our country’s history, largely because of issues related to identity, a sense of belonging, and even race—all such matters of intersectionality grappled with by President Barack Obama during his two terms in office,” shares Moffitt.

Professor, author, and radio host Michael Eric Dyson will present the keynote address on Thursday, October 27 at 5 p.m. at the Albin O. Kuhn Library 7th floor. He will speak about his book The Black Presidency, which explores the role of race in shaping President Obama’s identity and groundbreaking presidency. Dyson will talk about his analysis of the president’s remarks, major speeches, and responses to recent incidents to examine issues of identity, race, and culture through President Obama’s own voice.

Following the keynote address, a series of paper presentations, panel discussions, and roundtables will take place on October 28 and 29. They will examine different aspects of the Obama presidency, including media representations, race and the American police state, party politics, and American and global public opinion, among a range of other issues.

Several UMBC faculty will participate in the conference, including Thomas Schaller, professor and chair of political science; Cedric Herring, professor and director of language, literacy, and culture; Nicole King, associate professor and chair of American studies; and David Hoffman ’13, Ph.D., language, literacy, and culture, and assistant director, student life for civic agency.

For more information, visit the Obama Effect 2.0 website and to view media coverage, see below.

The Obama Effect (WEAA’s The Marc Steiner Show) 

Image: Michael Eric Dyson. Photo courtesy APB Speakers. 

Have you had trouble deciding a major? Don't know if you belong in STEM or the Humanities? Well, your student government is here to help you! Come out to the Commons Main Street on October 28th during free hour to get a taste of the different on campus departments. It'll help you get a feel for the career options offered by undergraduate majors here at UMBC. Departmental representatives of all kinds will be tabling and offering you resources as you move forward in trying to decide your specific course of study.

Ayotunde Okusolubo

Assistant Director

SGA Department of Academic Affairs​