Title: Talk tax-y to me

Subtitle: UMBC VITA offers tax help to students and staff.

As tax day quickly approaches, UMBC is offering a new service to the community through the VITA program. Launched for the first time this year, VITA stands for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and brings together students and staff alike who want to help community members in filing their taxes.

The program started on Feb. 27 and will go until April 9. Anyone who is interested can go to the Apartment Community Center on any Saturday between now and April 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and receive guidance. Families looking for help must have an annual income of $54,000 or less.

The process starts with something called intake, which is more or less an interview and a start to answering questions using the documents the clients provide. After that they are sent to the prep room with a preparer where the actual filing is done. The last step is a quality review from the clients.

Since the aim is to provide help, walk-ins are not currently accepted and clients are urged to call and make an appointment.

“This is more so that clients bring all of the documents they would need because without all the necessary documents, we are unable to help them with the actual filing process,” said Trisha Wells, director of student affairs and business and administrative affairs.

Wells was one of the main proponents of this program. As students were already volunteering at various other centers throughout Baltimore and alsowith the shutdown of the Towson tax site, there were enough people to help start the site here.

The volunteers are mostly comprised of students that are certified tax preparers. One in particular is sophomore interdisciplinary studies major Ethan Griffin who discussed the certification process.

“There are multiple parts to becoming a certified tax preparer but the basic certification starts with a three hours online portion, followed by a three hour in person seminar and finishes with an eight hour review including a test,” said Griffin.

For those who are looking for advanced certification or want to be site managers, they must undergo basic recertification and then task specific certification. All of the students that are a part of this program received their certification in January at Towson University.

“One perk to this position is being able to say that you are IRS certified, which definitely looks good on a resume,” said Griffin about the incentive to become certified.

Meghan Shutt, assistant director of the Shriver peaceworker program, discussed some of the other advantages to working at VITA.

“Some economics professors that we worked with are providing internship credit for volunteering here [at VITA],” said Shutt.

In addition to providing tax help, other goals are providing students with more savings opportunities and general financial education.

The post Talk tax-y to me appeared first on The Retriever.

Tell me about how you became Dee-1.

I became Dee-1 at a time in my life when I was really looking for an identity, post high school. So when I went to college — I went to [Louisiana State University] — I got cut from the basketball team, and I was a star basketball player in high school and, for me, basketball was my passion. Once that got taken away from me, I wanted to find another creative outlet or some kind of way I could channel that energy I had been putting into basketball. Hip-hop, it was just a hobby at first. It was just something where you would freestyle with your homeboys in a college dorm room, you clown around – it’s really a joke, kind of – but you just have fun with it. It really kicked to me when I entered a talent show on campus. It was the first time I had ever performed live and I was nervous at first but when I did this talent show – I didn’t win – but just me performing on that stage, it really kicked to me. It was like “yo, I really want to do this” and the first thing I had to do was get a rap name. I didn’t have a rap name back then. I was just David Augustine, which is my birth name. I was like “yo, I need a real rap name,” and that’s when I came up with Dee-1.

What is your philosophy when it comes to your career as a rapper?

I think that I can relate to being an underdog in more ways than one. Even where I come from in New Orleans, a lot of us are counted out. Me being a young black man, I don’t come from a super-privileged background where its never been expected that he’s going to do great things because of where he’s from or because of the family that he comes from. I just come from a family of blue-collar hard-workers. We’ve always been the underdogs, all the way down to our football team, the New Orleans Saints. I think that I can relate to being a voice for anyone that feels like the underdog, so my philosophy is that I want to get more people to adhere to what I call living with mission vision. When I say mission vision, I’m talking about my philosophy, which is be real, be righteous and be relevant in every thing you you do. That’s what you should strive to do: be real with yourself and with others so you can be who you are and not have to be someone else who you really aren’t. Be righteous, which means keeping God first and keeping your morals and integrity about yourself, and be relevant means you gotta grind. You gotta bust your butt and work hard because to be relevant means that you have to be in the know of what’s going on and you want to excel at what you’re doing.

What were your initial reactions to “Sallie Mae Back” going viral?  Did you know you made a hit before it was released?

Yes, I did know that I made a hit before it was released. I was extremely confident in this song before it came out so, once it started to perform well, it was exciting. It was an adrenaline rush. I let a lot of people hear the song and a lot of people didn’t believe me when I played the song for them. A lot of people really didn’t believe that it would really catch on. I let people see the video before the video came out and the were like “okay it’s good. It’s nice. It’s cool,” but no one had the level of excitement that I had. It had been revealed to me, and I’m a real spiritual dude, so I knew that God was going to elevate this song to have a huge platform and that’s why I had to prepare myself, because I had to make sure I was ready mentally to handle all of the attention and the hype that comes with a song really taking off. So I’ve been very calm through this whole process and the only reason I can be so calm is that I was prepared for this.

You said you went to LSU. What did you study and how much were your student loans?

I studied business marketing. I haven’t revealed how much my student loans were to anyone because I would just rather keep my financial stuff personal. There’s something that I saw in some people’s reaction to the song. They almost felt like because I got a record deal, I had it easier than other people and that I had an easy way out of paying off my loans. It’s like, me just seeing some people’s comments about that, it really kind of turned me sour. I didn’t do this song to throw it in peoples’ face that I got a record deal or that I finished paying Sallie Mae back. I made this song to tell my story and motivate people and give people something to look forward to. Because I saw that type of stuff, I’m letting my song speak for itself and I’m not even gonna divulge into how much I — because that talks about how much I signed for the record deal and how much I got — because I used a chunk of the money to finish paying the bank so I just don’t want to open that door.

What kinds of things did you have to do as a college student to be able to make ends meet?

Oh man! Let me think. There are several things. In college I used to buy, I got hooked up with a clothing supplier overseas so I used to communicate with people in China and literally send them money from student loans and buy tennis shoes that were in demand at the time. You know like Air Force Ones, Jordans and a lot of these were knock-offs. They weren’t the authentic Jordan shoes and all that. I used to take some of my loan money and all that and buy them for cheap prices and then I would get these huge shipments coming to me in my apartment right off campus and I would sell these shoes to individuals that went to my school. [Laughs] That’s just one thing though. I had so many hustles in college, like I had so many things. That’s just the first thing to pop into my mind.

You don’t curse in your songs. Why not? Do you think this holds you back from becoming a mainstream rapper?

Correct. That’s a choice that I made. I don’t want to have any profanity in my music, yep. I do think that it puts a wall up between me and what’s going on in the mainstream, but understand one thing: I don’t want to conform or change or alter who I am in order to fit into the mainstream. I want the mainstream rap to conform to Dee-1 and that’s the most gratifying feeling in the world, when you can remain yourself and have the mainstream fit into you. And that’s what I are about more than fitting into the mainstream. If I can’t be me when I walk into the party, I’d just rather go to another club.  

Your song “Jay, 50 and Weezy,” has you praising and critiquing some of the biggest names in hip-hop, which was a big move to make. Where did the courage to do this come from?

My birth name is David and I compare myself to David in the Bible, and David had the courage to go and fight Goliath when everyone else in the army was afraid to fight Goliath. I look at the music industry as a Goliath that I’m not afraid to take on.

New Orleans is a colorful city. How does it influence you as an artist?

You used the perfect word: color. Color and emotion. My upbringing was very colorful. There was a lot of music, a lot of culture — just a lot of energy — and there’s a lot of passion in New Orleans and that really translates into my artistry, hands down. I’m not a very monotone just stoic, stiff rigid type of rapper.

If our readers listened to one of your tapes, what would you want them to hear?

I would want them to hear the “3’s Up EP” (it’s on Spotify and iTunes) just because I think I’m constantly growing and evolving as a man and that’s the most recent offering that gives you a realistic snapshot into who Dee-1 is.

The post How “Sallie Mae Back” rapper Dee-1 came to be appeared first on The Retriever.

The part-time Visitor Services Assistant performs basic functions of the visitor services department in order to provide a high level of customer service to the Maryland Historical Society’s members, visitors, volunteers and staff. This position also has responsibility for security functions including monitoring the safety and security of MdHS facilities. Evening and weekend hours are required.

Duties include assisting full-time staff in the operation of the Visitor Services Desk and Museum Shop:

Chesapeake Shakespeare Company has the position of Box Office Associate available. This position will assist with upcoming subscription renewals, daytime box office sales, group sales, evening box office management, and marketing support, in its friendly and exciting new Downtown Baltimore home AND at our summer home in Ellicott City. Seeking friendly, patient, outgoing person good with computers and details. Box office experience preferred. PatronManager experience a serious plus. Approximately 15 flexible hours per week varying between days, nights, and weekends.

Last week, there was a hashtag on Twitter topping the trends: #FreeKesha. Pop singer Kesha recently asked a New York Supreme Court judge to grant her request for a preliminary conjunction that would allow her to be released from her contract with record producer, Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald under his label Kemosabe Records. On Feb. 19, her request was denied.

Since Oct. 2014, Kesha has been fighting with the well-known pop producer, who has worked with mega-famous singers such as Katy Perry and Britney Spears, to be released from her contract under the claim that he has sexually assaulted and harassed her, as well as physically and emotionally abused her for almost a decade of collaboration. She claimed that he drugged and raped her, and was the cause of her eating disorder.

“This lawsuit is a wholehearted effort by Kesha to regain control of her music career and her personal freedom after suffering for 10 years as a victim of mental manipulation, emotional abuse and sexual assault at the hands of Dr. Luke,” the pop star’s attorney, Mark Geragos, tells Rolling Stone. Dr. Luke denied these accusations and, in response to Kesha’s lawsuit, filed a countersuit in November against Kesha for defamation, accusing her, her mother and her management of fabricating the abuse and breach of contract.

Since this ongoing legal battle, Kesha has been restricted from creating and performing her music, which is ultimately affecting her career as a singer. Dr. Luke has control over any music she works on, releases and writes. Even if Kesha refuses to release any new music, Dr. Luke can release any song she has worked on in the past and profit from it. “With no new music to perform, Kesha cannot tour. Off the radio and stage, and out of the spotlight, Kesha cannot sell merchandise, receive sponsorships or get media attention. Her brand value has fallen, and unless the court issues this injunction, Kesha will suffer irreparable harm, plummeting her career past the point of no return,” states The Hollywood Reporter, in a memorandum that supports the injunction that would bar Dr. Luke from interfering with her signing to another label.

This current lawsuit between Kesha and Dr. Luke is an unfortunate example of the problems that can occur in the entertainment industry. The media has only picked up on this controversial legal battle because of Kesha’s shocking claims against a producer that has worked with many award-winning singers. People are failing to acknowledge the repercussions that Kesha is facing because of this fallout, instead, focusing on her allegations of rape which are serious, but are just one of the problems in this lawsuit. Kesha has no control over her music, which has placed her in a sort of limbo that she cannot escape from. Instead of Dr. Luke complying with her request to be removed from her contract, there has to be a court battle that could take years to be resolved.

The entertainment industry has so many webs that can trap an artist into their hold and it often always involves the labels they are signed to. Singer JoJo just recently won her legal battle last year with her former label Blackground Records after a 7-year legal battle that included two lawsuits and forced her to place her music on hold. No artist should have to suffer for years just to be able to have creative control over their own music. The solution to this problem is simple and it seems one huge producer with numerous Top 10 hits in his resume is ignoring it. Release Kesha from her contract Dr. Luke, so she can move forward with her career like she desperately wants too.

The post Kesha’s lawsuit against Dr. Luke appeared first on The Retriever.

It’s nighttime in Times Square. The Bomb Squad inches closer to a large, mysterious duffel bag. Then suddenly, the bag opens and a young woman climbs out. This woman is confused, naked and terrified. As if that weren’t shocking enough, almost every inch of her body is covered in fresh tattoos with the name of an FBI agent printed on her back.

This is how NBC’s series “Blindspot” began when it first aired on Sept. 21, 2015. This series tells the story of Jane Doe, a woman who can’t remember the details of her life prior to waking up in Times Square. She has no idea who she is or who would have taken her memories and covered her body in tattoos. All she has to go on is the name written on her back. Kurt Weller, FBI. With the help of Weller and his team, Jane discovers that her tattoos are intricate clues to crimes that haven’t been committed yet.

Season one has been packed with many exciting twists. Jane discovers skills that she didn’t know she had, from advanced combat and marksmanship to speaking multiple languages. Throughout everything, Jane has cryptic flashbacks of her previous life and becomes desperate to figure out who she is. Agent Weller has a theory that she could be Taylor Shaw, his childhood friend who was kidnapped over 20 years ago.

However, Tom Carter, the deputy director of the CIA, develops a severe distrust of Jane. The first half of season one ends with Carter kidnapping Jane and torturing her for information about who she is. Before he can kill her, she is saved by a mysterious man named Oscar, who she recognizes from her flashbacks. The man then shows her a disturbing video of herself before the memory wipe, saying that everything that has happened was her plan all along.

After returning from its winter break, the second half of this first season promised to be very exciting, and it definitely delivered. This episode picks up right where the last one left off. This mysterious man promises Jane that he will tell her everything at a later time, and the he is only acting on her orders. More confused than ever, Jane returns to the FBI where the team has unlocked another clue that leads them to an abandoned island. This island turns out to be the sight of a once hijacked passenger plane. There, an aggressive group of terrorists is attempting to use the plane to launch an attack on the U.S. Together with the kidnapped passengers of the ill-fated flight, Jane and the team must find a way to prevent this attack from happening.

The events of this episode leave audiences guessing, which is what this show does so well. The tension and urgency to foil this attack are prominent throughout the episode, and it makes fans root for the characters even more. Plus, the uncertain nature of the relationship between Jane and Weller leaves fans hanging on their every line. Most importantly, the introduction of Oscar provides even more questions.

Even though there are many details left for Jane to discover, fans of the series want to find them out just as much as she does. After this intriguing episode, the next one can’t come soon enough.

The post Blindspot keeps fans guessing appeared first on The Retriever.

It’s that time of year again, the final break we have until the end of the semester and academic school year. Most envision spring break as a long, relaxing step away from university, a time in which one can sit back and slow down on life (and school) for a bit.

This, however, could not be further from the truth, according to some members of the student body. Sure, any break time is nice, but a week out of University hardly constitutes a true time off, especially when one has weeks’ worth of homework and projects to work on, as well as exams. Compared to winter break, which gave us five weeks off – almost six when factoring in the snow delays – spring break pales in comparison. Some students believe that the mere week long time off does offer a brief moment of fresh air, but simply serves as a distraction from academic responsibilities only to rear its ugly head back in full force once spring break is over.

Adam Afilaka, a freshman chemical engineering major, remains particularly disappointed with the short length of spring break. “With the amount of work, assignments and exams, a long break is something that everyone needs,” Afilaka said. “It seems kind of crazy to give us students so much work over the course of the semester, throw in a little break in the middle, thus getting us out of our good study habits, only to get right back into the grind all over again.”

The short break is not the only complaint students have. Spring break also marks the middle mark of the semester, meaning an abundance of work and exams, especially because of the snow days which set the semester back almost a week.

Sam Reiser, a freshman mechanical engineering major, notes that because of spring break, more and more assignments have been piling up. “I have had a bunch of exams and tests over the past few weeks and I’ll have a bunch more once I get back from break as well,” said Reiser. “Even though a longer break would probably mean more work in the long run, at least I would be able to enjoy myself for a bit longer before I have to come back and face all the work that’ll be waiting for me,” Reiser continued.

A longer spring break would help alleviate stress and reduce the pressure on students. The way it is right now, next week feels like a tease rather than a full on break. Maybe we would benefit from having one week fewer during winter break and an extra week in spring break. However, due to winter session, this will most likely never happen.

The post Would students spring for a longer break? appeared first on The Retriever.

Course Description:This course examines poverty and inequality in modern society. The focus is on describing the extent of poverty and inequality, examining theories that attempt to explain these phenomena and discussing the policies that have been employed to mitigate them. In addition to class inequality, the course also considers racial and gender inequality.