As UMBC celebrates its 50th anniversary, the university has a chance to reflect on its young but textured past. A new exhibit in Special Collections, Presidents, Past & Present: A Biographical Portrait, explores the lives and leadership of UMBC’s five university presidents and chancellors. These hardworking, intelligent men came from various backgrounds and achieved extraordinary success despite some facing tremendous odds. The personality and passions of each of these leaders has seeped into the character of UMBC, creating the diverse, bright, creative and entrepreneurial community that can be seen today. The exhibit includes the Ralph Coats Roe Award gold medal, awarded to Dr. Hrabowski by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 2015.

Presidents, Past & Present is curated by Tucker Foltz, a graduate student in Historical Studies. Materials are from the University Archives and Special Collections department. Exhibit assistance was provided by archivist Lindsey Loeper, and Special Collections student assistants Krystyna Dyadyura, Rakshith Gowda, and Jenn Montooth.

On display in the Special Collections Reading Room, March 1 - April 1, 2016. Available Monday-Friday 1-4pm, Thursday 1-8pm, or by appointment.

Walk In Advising Hours February 29th - March 4th

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday
10am-11:30am and 1:30pm-3pm

Tuesday
1:30pm-3pm

Friday
10am-11:30am

Advisors are also available by appointment. Our advising offices are located in ITE 202-206. Email and telephone contact information is available here.

Advising Hours are subject to change due to inclement weather.

“Amar Bhaiyer Rôkte Rangano Ekushe Februari, Ami Ki Bhulite Pari,” sang the 10 Bangladesh Student Association members. The verse translates to, “Can I forget the 21st of February, incarnadined by the love of my brother?” Not many people are familiar with this Bengali song, or the meaning of it. But for those who are, it is a poignant reminder of the importance of cultural diversity, especially that of language.

On Feb. 26, the BSA, lead by their president Tahmid Abtahiah, a masters’ student in Computer Engineering, hosted International Mother Language Day in the Commons for the first time ever. “In brief, International Mother Language Day is being celebrated across the world with hope of preserving languages and promote cultural and linguistic diversity.  This day is also a great scope to celebrate multilingualism and cultural tolerance.”

The celebration was especially personal for the members of the BSA. “The date [International Mother Language Day] corresponds to Feb. 21, 1952,” said Abtahiah. “Students from the University of Dhaka, Jagannath University and Dhaka Medical College demonstrated for the recognition of Bengali as one of the two national languages of East Pakistan, were shot dead by police near the Dhaka High Court in the capital of present-day Bangladesh.”

Kristina Soetje for TRW

This event was preceded by the creation of the Shaheed Minar, an effigy in honor of the brave students who sacrificed their lives on Feb. 21 for their mother tongue. The BSA built a replica of the Shaheed Minar, and displayed it in the Commons. Later in the day, the official celebration was held in the Gameroom.

The evening portion of the event mostly consisted of Bengali, Panjabi, Kannada and Persian songs and poetry. Dr. Renée Lambert-Bretiere, Ph.D. in Linguistics and assistant professor at UMBC, gave a brief presentation on endangered languages, why and how they become endangered and why they matter.

What she had to say tied in very well to the historical event that is commemorated on Feb. 21, and the idea that people have sacrificed themselves in order to preserve their heritage. “Languages are disappearing at an alarming rate. As communities lose their languages, they often also lose parts of their cultural traditions such as the songs, myths and poetry that cannot be easily transferred to another language,” said Lambert-Bretiere.

“This is a phenomenon that is happening in all parts of the world. Even languages that have millions of speakers can disappear over time due to urbanization and globalization. Linguists, like myself, are active in the preservation and maintenance of that linguistic diversity,” said Lambert-Bretiere.

Here at UMBC, there are many opportunities to dive into different cultures and experience their arts, their experiences and their languages, which makes a celebration such as this that much more important. As Lambert-Bretiere remarked, “The human language is so ubiquitous that it permeates all aspects of life. Each language is a complex system of knowledge and abilities. We use language to express any thoughts and emotions, and to understand the world around us. Language is an expression of who we are as individuals, communities, and nations.”

The post Bangladesh Student Association helps a language live appeared first on The Retriever.

Sexual consent, and its various definitions, has become an increasingly complicated and controversial topic. As seen in the cases against Bill Cosby, rape coupled with the celebrity-world, adds another layer of public intrigue and questioning.

But how is the already sensitive issue of rape being approached by the media? Specifically, how is the adult film and sex worker industry handling this issue?

The porn industry nets more than $13 billion in profits every year. To put that amount into perspective, Hollywood makes only $8 billion per year. Porn websites’ traffic also outweighs those of Netflix, Amazon and Twitter combined.

However, the power dynamics of porn are decidedly male-based, as nearly the entire industry relies on the manipulation of very young girls.

According to studies released by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, only three out of 100 rapists ever receive punishment. The prevalent porn star James Deen is one of the 97% of alleged rapists who remain unpunished. Known for a “boy-next-door” persona and considered to be “feminist friendly,” Deen was accused of sexual misconduct by 10 women.

Tori Lux, Ashley Fires, Amber Rayne, Kora Peters, Nicki Blue, Lily LaBeau, Farrah Abraham, Miss Genocide and Bree Olsen have all accused Deen of various forms of sexual and physical assault. These accusations followed after Stoya, Deen’s ex-girlfriend and fellow adult film actor, revealed her rape by her coworker.

Now, the question comes up: can porn stars be raped? For many, this is an obvious “yes.” Unfortunately, societal standards and the already nefarious state of sexual assault prosecution in the U.S. allow many to turn a blind eye.

Belle Knox first came to infamy after being outed as a porn star at Duke University. She has said there is a problem with “sexual entitlement and double standards [how could a girl who plays out a rape fantasy ever be given the privilege of consent?].”

Another similar case concerns Christine Mackinday who was violently assaulted and raped by her ex-boyfriend, MMA fighter War Machine. He and his attorney are using the defense that the rape charges should be thrown out due to Mackinday’s job as an adult film star.

Stoya had similar experiences of rape deniers after her assault came to light. Lux, another of Deen’s alleged victims also stated, “people — including the police — tend to believe that sex workers have placed themselves in harm’s way, and therefore can’t be assaulted.”

It seems that this is not the case for most amateur and even experienced adult film actresses. Many report physically and sexually harsh circumstances and scenes that were not previously agreed upon during their first films.

The fault of a prevalent rape culture not only lands with the industry, but also with the social norms which rationalize any sort of sexual assault, regardless of gender, as the victim’s fault.

The post Systemic sexual assault in porn goes unpunished appeared first on The Retriever.

When most people hear Santigold’s music, they are reminded of trendy phone commercials and overly dramatic “Gossip Girl” scenes. Her music has been featured on “90210,” “Melrose Place” and even “Grey’s Anatomy.” It is as if the songs are tailored towards the show.  Santigold’s “99 cents,” however, breaks away from mainstream pop, and instead, uses eclectic sounds to dissect society from afar.

Throughout “99 Cents,” Santigold takes on the role of the common consumer to mock society for it’s inherent obsession with ourselves and fame. In “Who Be Lovin Me” with ILoveMakonnen, there is a war between both artists to see who is the most popular. Santigold expressed that “she got her name in lights right now” all around the world. While ILoveMakonnen emphasizes that he is quite popular among the ladies, it is quite funny to see the two artists go at it. Both artists parody how other artists often argue on social media to see who is the most popular. The upbeat chorus and Santigold’s echoes that back-up the verses add a hint of playfulness to this track, and the different elements of the songs flow together well.

Santigold continues with this theme of self-obsession and preservation with the most obvious hint, titled “Can’t Get Enough of Myself.” The reggae-beats, backed with the organ and bass guitars, slips casually into the pop arena. In this track, she reflects on her career — she is proud and would “put money on herself.”  When listening to this catchy song, it is hard not to tap your feet.

The unforgettable dance music Santigold has always made has been so unique from all other popular and indie artists that it has reserved her spot as the top quirky-artist in our hearts. This is a reputation that Santigold makes fans never forget. In “Banshee,” her light drumming and clapping, along with the repeated verses, sets up the perfect dance track. Santigold talks about a little banshee – the little angel on your shoulder – that urges you to slow down on all the partying. For some verses in the track, she begins to rap, which she is pretty good at. It is clear that Santigold is having an internal battle throughout the song, something that we will all face in our college careers.

It isn’t a Santigold album without a track from a popular movie. This album includes songs that were featured in the most recent Hunger Games movie, “Mockingjay, Part Two,” as well as “Paper Towns.” Just like most of Santigold’s songs, there is a magical aspect most obvious in “Shooting Arrows at the Sky.” This track, along with “Radio,” from “Paper Towns,” takes on a softer, slower beat that is unlike most of the other songs on “99 Cents.” Most of the songs on this album are rhythmically unified in some way, yet these two tracks, unlike the others, just pop up into the mix.

The album was a enjoyable listen. Santigold still retains her crown for reggae-pop. The upbeat and creative lyrics make “99 Cents” humorous and fun at the same time. She does experiment on this album with hip-hop and punk-rock with “Before the Fire” and “Outside the War.” Throughout the album, Santigold refines her style while expanding and trying new styles of music, and it meshes so well together.

The post Santigold redefines “cool” appeared first on The Retriever.

Students,

In the Career Center, we use UMBCworks, powered by Symplicity. To build student feedback into their software development process, Symplicity is seeking creative individuals who are passionate about innovation, from schools who use Symplicity products, to apply for their Student Advisory Group. The group will be comprised of 20+ students from institutions all over the world.

As advisors to the company, students will be asked to participate in six virtual meetings each year (only a laptop and an internet connection is required), and will be compensated with a $25 Amazon gift card for each meeting attended.

It is a great way to provide input on a product used by our institution, help build an awesome student user experience for all students, and interact with peers from all over the world.

To apply: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/student_advisory

The application deadline is March 20th.

We appreciate your participation!

When Telltale Games developed “The Wolf Among Us,” it forced players to consider the age old question: “Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?” By centering the story around Bigby Wolf, sheriff of a modern fairy tale town, the question took a more literal context. Every choice made in the game has consequences and impacts the characters in various ways, meaning that every character very well could be afraid of the big bad wolf by the end of the game.

The story itself is a relatively popular one: fairy tale characters are forced to enter into the modern world — a fictional borough of New York called Fabletown — and assimilate. The end result is staunchly realistic and harshly gritty, revealing the limited capabilities that each character has and the reluctance many of them feel toward abandoning their titles of royalty. Their lives are far from perfect, but things go from bad to worse when a member of the community is murdered. It is up to Bigby to find out who the murderer is before they strike again.

The entire game is based around making decisions. Choices about places to investigate, questions to ask, accusations to make and fights to engage in will all change the course of the story. Though some consequences to decisions are felt more strongly than others, the game takes the opportunity to enforce the concept that even the tiniest choices can leave an impact. Decisions made in the beginning of the game can be brought up again at any point, while other decisions have an immediate effect.

This game finds its strength in its atmosphere. The graphics are rendered in a style reminiscent of comic book drawings – a Telltale signature – and the grimy setting of a rundown New York borough adds a depth of grittiness to this enchanted story that cannot be understated. The story itself has an undeniable resemblance to hardboiled fiction, with its crime narrative and cynical detective on the case. It follows the trope to a T, with only the occasional internal monologue missing.

Much of the game is spent pawing through evidence, and there can be moments when the setting can feel claustrophobic. There are specific objects that can be interacted with, specific characters that can be spoken to and specific pathways that can be tread upon. This fact alone makes the game tedious, with one of the biggest saving graces being the variety in choices that can be made. Unlike many choice-based games, “The Wolf Among Us” offers multiple options, multiple endings and multiple character interpretations.

Being episodic in nature, the game is told in five chapters, each one upping the ante of the last. The game does its best to ensure that the player is on the right path to solving the mystery, though many of the clues must be pieced together without assistance. Certain dialogue options can mislead the player, with options appearing to be much less violent than they turn out to be. That may be the games biggest strength: the choices are not as obvious as they might be in other choice-based games. There is no right or wrong decision, and the player would be justified in whatever choice they made. In the end, all or none of the characters may be afraid of the big bad wolf, and ultimately that makes this game worth playing.

The post Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? appeared first on The Retriever.

Doors on the side of the stage open. One after another, each performer enters the stage and heads to their respective area, getting settled in their space. Tom Baldwin, the bassist, Matt Belzer, the saxophonist, Tom Lagana, guitarist, Michael Noonan, vibraphonist, Scott Tiemann, drummer and Tom Williams, trumpet. The count-off begins: “a one, a two, a one two three and…”

The first song, written by Tiemann, entitled “Aggression,” felt like something one would expect from a general modern jazz combo, very smooth and swinging. The tune started with the head being played by the trumpet and tenor saxophone. The vibes played the chords in place of the piano, as the pianist could not make the performance. There were solos from the trumpet, vibes and sax and closing with the head being played once again.

Belzer then introduced the performers, cracked a couple of jokes and stepped aside along with Noonan and Williams for the next piece entitled “Hangover.”

The song commenced with the main melody being played by the guitar. Its elegant, clear tone highlighted every note and chord played. The first solo by the bass player was nice, but rather quiet and hard to hear. After this solo, a quaint, laid back and smooth guitar solo took center stage, and closed with the main melody.

Following this song, the trumpet, sax and vibes made a reappearance on the next song, which had many portions of it written by Belzer’s son. The head was once again in the trumpet and sax, but this time around, Belzer was playing on a soprano saxophone. The drums were heavier with much more bass. Right before the solo, which once again showcased Belzer, Williams and Noonan, there was some “organized chaos” leading up to the solos.

The next tune was written by Lagana and entitled “A Man and His Cane,” featuring just the vibes and guitar. The tune was heavenly and soft, as if one were floating on a cloud. The melody and chords switched between the guitar and vibes. Not the most common combination, but these instruments accompanied each other well.

“Milestones” was the next song on the roster for the night, and to the disappointment of some, it was the John Lewis version, not the Miles Davis tune from the album containing the same name.

Afterwards, there was song written by Belzer for one of his sons when he was younger. The vibes took a seat on this tune, and the song followed a similar formula to the others, with a little guitar solo before the trumpet, and alto sax solo (in which Belzer went awesomely nuts, playing in a similar fashion to saxophonist Ernie Watts).

To close the evening, the final piece was a Joe Henderson piece. The head was once again in the trumpets, followed by a guitar solo, tenor sax solo, vibes solo and a somewhat conservative drum solo.

Although the concert was a great way to enjoy a rather quiet Friday night, it was hard to avoid feeling that the musicians held back a bit. While the songs were pleasant, they seemed predictable, and there was a lack of variety in the tunes played, as if they were playing what people expected to hear, rather than what they wanted to play.

Mark Gabriana, a freshman biology major, felt the concert was, “very typical jazz music that you hear people play on YouTube, nothing too extraordinary, enough to spark a jazz interest in the audience.”

While some students may have found the concert rather bland, there were others who really enjoyed it. Matthew Williams, a freshman psychology major, found the concert to be entertaining and a good showcase of the talent in UMBC’s music department. “I really liked the use of the vibraphone and I thought it accompanied the sax and trumpet really well. It was much more up there which you don’t see a lot in jazz.”

It would have been nice to have some fusion, bebop, blues and funk tunes in the mix to make for some greater variety in style. A Kamasi Washington, Christian Scott or Roy Hargrove Factor inspired tune would also have been a great addition. Nevertheless, the concert was enjoyable, and definitely something to check out to expose yourself to the world that is jazz music.

The post UMBC faculty jazz concert appeared first on The Retriever.