On a Friday afternoon in early August, a dedicated group of students from Northwest High School in Germantown, Maryland, are hard at work in UMBC’s chemistry building. It’s prime summer break time, but these teenagers are focused on learning essential chemistry concepts to create original songs and music videos explaining science for kids. Their new chemistry songs will feature crystal-clear descriptions of complex scientific research complete with rhyme, rap, multipart harmony, and catchy choruses.

The group, 60 strong, calls itself 4SW, or the Secret Society of Science Songwriters. In 2015, their work won the grand prize and second place at the Weather and Climate Day Contest hosted by the National Aquarium. In 2016, they claimed first place. Their success has earned them invitations to perform on Capitol Hill and at the White House. They’ve won three other contests so far in 2016, and they have a YouTube channel featuring dozens of original videos.

“The club started in a closet in the back of a biology room,” says Rahwa Ghenbot, a rising junior at Northwest. Avi Silber, science teacher at Northwest and 4SW advisor, ran a music studio out of his dorm room in college. When he volunteered with the school’s musical, students recorded backup tracks in his makeshift studio. A couple of them suggested producing songs about his classes, and 4SW was born.

Today, led by 4SW President Kaylyn Battle, they are producing new songs at a rapid pace. Some members are self-described “science nerds” or were struggling with science and seeking a new way to learn scientific concepts. Others were searching for a unique musical outlet or chance to work on video editing and storyboarding.

Ghenbot joined because she happened to be doing homework in Silber’s classroom during meetings. “It started out as a place to hang out,” she says, “but then it became a place where I learned lots of cool skills.”

The songs produced this summer feature research in the labs of Zeev Rosenzweig, professor and chair of chemistry and biochemistry; Michael Summers, Robert E. Meyerhoff Chair for Excellence in Research and Mentoring and University Distinguished Professor of chemistry and biochemistry; and Ryan White, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry. UMBC’s new SCIART program is also highlighted.

Rosenzweig’s lab works on the development of non-toxic nanomaterials, specifically luminescent quantum dots for bioimaging and drug delivery. Summers’ HIV research focuses on understanding the virus’ structure to develop novel treatments that inhibit replication. White’s lab is developing nanoscale electrochemical sensors to monitor cell-to-cell communication, which has applications in neuroscience. The SCIART program aims to train undergraduate students in the use of science and engineering to identify, authenticate, conserve and restore art work.

Rob Lazenby, a postdoc in the White lab, commented that the students asked great questions, indicating they grasped the challenging topics well. He also noted how well the teams worked together. “I’m so proud of them,” says Florika Macazo, a 2016 Ph.D. graduate from the White lab. “They came up with the song really fast.”

Denise Williams, a graduate student in the Rosenzweig Lab, was inspired by the combination of talent and passion the students brought to UMBC. “They were excited to learn about the relevance of our nanoparticles in everyday life,” she says. Richard Brown, a graduate student in the Rosenzweig Lab, was “impressed with their intelligence, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn about the science behind the environmental impact of nanotechnology.”

Rosenzweig initiated the collaboration. “It is a great way to increase high school students’ interest and passion for science,” he says. “They are learning without realizing they’re learning. The students bring so much energy. It makes me happy.” Rosenzweig and Silber hope this is the start of a long-term collaboration that will eventually include labs from other UMBC departments.

Khalid Elawad, a Johns Hopkins University undergraduate at UMBC for the inaugural SCIART program, says the high school students clearly love what they are doing and are skillfully following through on their mission to “make the world more science-y, one song at a time.”

A playlist of the UMBC videos:

Banner image: 4SW students, UMBC graduate students, Avi Silber, and Zeev Rosenzweig review a track during music production at UMBC August 4; photo by Marlayna Demond for UMBC.

For many years now, the UMBC campus has featured a vast, extensive swamp commonly referred to as “Church lot”. Believe it or not, this property isn’t actually owned by the university at all, but instead possession is split between Baltimore County officials and the Arbutus United Methodist Church. What’s even less known is that the sodden slush of the vacant property provides a wonderful breeding ground for local religious officials. Make no mistake, it is an empirical fact that every priest and pastor who has ever seen the inside of the local church has spawned from the murky depths of church lot’s unkempt marshland. Needless to say, the church is fairly protective of their leader’s birthing territory, which is why as of August 22^nd 2016, UMBC students and innocent churchgoers alike will be banned from parking along the extended bog under penalty of a state-issued parking ticket.

Now, before you get your panties in a bunch, do remember that the church owns a considerable amount of the property and it’s fully understandable that they would want to protect it. That being said, tensions between the church and the school have been escalating since the beginning of the Christian faith (Jesus really did not fuck with retrievers), so it’s no surprise that they would jump at any opportunity to get our heathen students out of their pious faces. But we have to play along, because the school really isn't in any position to start beef with the church, and besides, UMBC hosts better Breakfasts and Bingo than any church could hope to compete with. 

All bullshit aside, we can’t really blame the Arbutus Methodist Church for kindly asking that we take our cars elsewhere. Rumors and other unverified leads suggest that the church has been receiving citations from the county for the buildup of cars along the vacant lot. Why anyone from the local government actually gives a fuck what happens to the property is still a mystery (it’s not like they are going to use it for anything constructive) but hey, anything to keep higher education away from the reckless hands of American youth. It’s been clear for some time now that Arbutus REALLY does not want to become a college town, despite the fact that UMBC 50^th Anniversary banners are clinging to local street corners like a second-year dropout with big tits. But are the interests of the state really in favor of us taxpaying citizens. I, for one, have a sneaking suspicion that if you were to survey the neighborhood for popular opinion concerning the use of church lot, 95% of people would be in favor of any policy that keeps UMBC commuters away from their streets and driveways. But then again, what the fuck do I know, I’m just another goddamn student.

-Keith Mias

On August 16, 2016, UMBC’s Office of Human Relations shared a message with the UMBC community regarding a review of university compliance with Title IX requirements:

UMBC has been notified by the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education that the university is being investigated regarding compliance with Title IX requirements following a complaint filed by a student. The investigation requires a thorough review of our policies and procedures related to cases of sexual misconduct, which includes sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other non-consensual sexual conduct.
 
UMBC is committed to fostering an inclusive, welcoming, and safe learning community for all students. Sexual assault incidents are a deeply troubling challenge for colleges and universities throughout the country, including UMBC, and we are committed to both preventing sexual assault and responding effectively to allegations of misconduct. We welcome this opportunity to take an even closer look at our current processes.
 
Providing a safe, supportive learning community has always been our priority. This ethic of care for students has guided both UMBC policies and procedures that address the reporting and investigation of sexual misconduct and the education and support we provide around issues like consent. We have consistently updated our policies, procedures, and resources to reflect our campus culture, University System of Maryland guidelines, and national best practices. These updates have been in accordance with guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Education in 2011 and most recently in 2014.
 
UMBC cannot comment on the specifics of individual cases of reported sexual misconduct. Office for Civil Rights investigations also are confidential and typically take several years to complete, at which point public findings are issued.
 
To report a sexual assault, contact University Police at 410-455-5555 at any time to make a report to the police. You can also call the UMBC Title IX Coordinator Bobbie L. Hoye at 410-455-1606 to make a report with the university.
 
For more information about the Title IX investigation process, please visit this FAQ.
 
For more information about UMBC’s sexual misconduct policies and resources for individuals, please visit the UMBC Amended Policy on Prohibited Sexual Misconduct.

Image: UMBC campus. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

You are able to grant access to your student account information via a feature in myUMBC called Profile Sharing. Depending on the level of access you grant to the other person, they may be able to see your billing and financial aid To Dos, billing summary, and financial aid summary. You may also grant this person the ability to contact university offices by phone, email, or in person to access your records.

When sharing your profile, please be aware of how it affects your rights as they relate to The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of student education records by limiting the disclosure of such records. Sharing your own profile is one of the ways you may request that UMBC disclose your records to others.