All Time Low, a pop punk band from Towson, finally broke their musical silence this past week by premiering a new music video for their song “Missing You.” The song was featured on their most recent album, “Future Hearts,” which was released in April of 2015.

Alex Gaskarth (lead vocals and guitar), Jack Barakat (guitar), Zack Merrick (bass) and Rian Dawson (drums), formed the band in 2003 and have consistently toured and released new material for the better part of 12 years. Six studio albums, televised performances such as the 2015 MTV Fandom Awards, and countless tours and headlining shows later, their silence is more so an assurance than unsettling for their fans.

The “Missing You” video itself shows the band skyping fans all over the world in February, thanking them for supporting their music. What makes this video unlike most these days is that the fans have the chance to tell the band how much their music means to them in return. This video and the lyrics themselves holds a greater message that All Time Low is always there for their fans, even through the occasional hiatus.

In a statement accompanying their video on their Facebook page, the band told fans that they “made the ‘Missing You’ video as a way to connect” with them; “to emphasize just how powerful music can be in bringing people together. It exists to let everyone know that they are never alone.” Music isn’t just about the music, and that in itself is something All Time Low understands best.

They’re great communicating with their fans, which is seen through their interactions on Twitter and their creation of an exclusive merchandise membership called the “Hustler Club.” They mentioned to them directly that this video and song “at its core, is about connection, and the community we’ve built around this band. It’s a call to everyone feeling a little messed up or singled out. This video shows that we’re all in it for the same reasons, because with music, and this amazing community, we don’t ever have to feel alone.”

All Time Low is always more than ready to share their hometown pride with fans and has frequently made a point to end their tours in the city that helped make them into the band they are; they even wrote a song titled “For Baltimore” on their 2012 album, “Don’t Panic.” They began performing some of their very first shows in a former Towson venue called “The Recher,” and were the closing act of the very last show held at the venue in March 2013.

The band’s next scheduled concert date is May 21 at the Baltimore Preakness InfieldFest with The Chainsmokers, Fetty Wap and a few other artists. Other than a hometown show, their upcoming tour dates are scarce to none with only one other U.S and two European shows.

They spent the majority of 2015 touring for the Future Hearts Tour and the Back to the Future Hearts Tour, so it is only fair that they take time for themselves. A similar hiatus was seen in 2014, which led to their new album “Future Hearts,” which does anything but disappoint.

For fans, this silence may seem uncharacteristic, but it is definitely not a bad thing. It can only mean that their next album and tour will be well worth the wait.

The post “All Time Low” building up to an all time high? appeared first on The Retriever.

It’s been twelve years since she has released an album and six years since she has gone on tour. Recently, Janet Jackson announced to fans that she was canceling her tour to start a family with her now-husband Wissam al-Mana. Janet Jackson had scheduled over 50 shows all across America and managed to sell out at every show, only to cancel all of them to say she wants to have a baby.

To fans it was quite surprising that Janet Jackson decided to cancel her tour. Creatively, “Unbreakable” is probably one of her best albums. Jackson was honest and truthful, and the evolution of her art was beautiful and unique, which made it one of her most successful albums to date. Many were looking forward to seeing Janet Jackson back on stage with new dance routines, and costumes, singing her new singles along with classics like “That’s the way love goes” and “Together Again.” Fans paid up to $1000 to have front row seats and have the opportunity to meet the songstress, only for it to be canceled. Probably the worst part of this entire situation is that Jackson is not planning on giving any refunds.

For many years the Jackson family has been crumbling, since the death of the family’s most prominent member, Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson’s physician Dr. Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson, Paris Jackson attempted to commit suicide, and Jermaine Jackson has had martial problems that were very much in the public light. In the past seven years, the Jackson family has been through a traumatizing time, for all members of their family. During that time, Janet Jackson fell out of the public eye to handle her family’s issues, which is completely understandable. Yet the Jackson family has continued to stay strong and fight against public degradation.

But in the past two years, it could have been assumed that the family was finally getting on the right path, Janet Jackson included. When Janet Jackson recently got married and released her album, she had full-fledged support from her family including her new husband. Her upcoming tour was supposed to launch her into a new chapter of her career. Whether Janet Jackson once again has immediate family or marriage issues,  I hope Jackson will resolve these issues so she can get back on the road, so she can still have fans, and listeners.

The post Janet Jackson starts a family, but hurts her fans appeared first on The Retriever.

From the outside, the Old Theatre located next to The Commons appears to be entirely normal, but within an evening of ghoulish entertainment is in store. Presented by UMBC’s Musical Theatre Club, “The Addams Family” musical brings a peculiar life to the theater, despite the decorative gravestones that litter the stage and spout standard phrases such as “RIP” and “Here Lies Good Old Fred.” A gnarled tree devoid of leaves and color looms over the entire performance, with an ornate door at the center. Other decorations – walls, chairs, tables and more doors – are rolled on and off the stage throughout the entire production.

It’s a sold-out performance, with a diverse audience filled with students and the general public – all of whom erupt with giddy applause as the lights dim and a pale, shaking hand emerges from behind the door in the twisted tree and begins the trademark “Addams Family” Ba-Da-Da-Dum (Snap Snap).

It is this nostalgic mentality that carries most of the musical, which is mostly lacking in plot. Almost every joke relies heavily on the audience being familiar with the original “Addams Family” and while this could have easily worked in the play’s favor – it is a rare American that is not familiar with the morbid little clan – it begins to come across as  too cartoonish and distracts from the glaring imperfections in writing.

The story seemed to want to pay tribute to the source material, yet for all of the reference and elbow-nudges towards to audience, there were plenty of changes made that made no real contribution to the narrative. The Addams family homestead is located in the middle of Central Park – perhaps as a commentary of the strangeness of the New York lifestyle to outsiders? – and for all of the family’s criticism of lovey-dovey rhyming and romantic tropes, there is a great deal of rhyming and flower-giving and ukulele-playing done by the unwholesome family themselves. Every convention that would have been loathed by the titular family makes an appearance during this performance, from twittering birds to pastel dresses.

Wednesday Addams (Grace Chandler) has fallen in love with a boy from Ohio – “The sweet state?!” exclaims Gomez Addams in horror, cartoonishly slamming his hand to his forehead. It’s a classic case of proper-boy-meets-girl-from-crazy-family and when his all-American, wholesome family meets to decidedly eccentric Addams family, nothing else but hi-jinks could ensue. But could this generic middle-American boy be right for Wednesday Addams in all of her ambivalent glory? In the words of Gomez, “Were the 80s right for the drum machine?”

It’s a blandly over-done story that could have happened to any family, but for some reason needed to happen to the Addams Family. The cast gave it their all, belting out incredible numbers and darting across the stage with the greatest of ease, and the audience seemed to appreciate every nod-of-the-head to the classic television show. Mason Catharini seems born to portray Gomez Addams in all his macabre charm, but perhaps the most shining performance came from Alyssa Wellman-Houde as the poem-spouting, pastel-wearing, middle-class American housewife with a suppressed darkness that comes boiling to the surface.

However, for all of the play’s short-comings, it was a genuine and fun to watch. The audience snapped along to the theme song, giggled at all of the winks to the classic TV show, applauded throughout the surprisingly understated tango scene between Gomez and Morticia, and gave a standing ovation as the curtains closed. There was an energy running amongst the people in the packed theater throughout the entire show, and a liveliness to every performance that made the ghoulish family even more charming than ever before.

The post The Addams Family delights, but suffers from monstrous plot appeared first on The Retriever.

A reflection by Shira Devorah, Women’s Center Student Staff 

Going to the doctor is never fun; most people dread pesky checkups getting in the way of their day. While medical appointments can feel like a nuisance to some, for many people in the LGBTQ community, just seeing a doctor can be dangerous.

Saying that structural health inequity in the U.S. is a problem is an understatement, as many people face huge barriers when it comes to receiving adequate care. Women, people of color, people with lower socioeconomic statuses, fat people, elderly people — the list goes on and people continue to suffer. While I’m specifically highlighting a few of the issues surrounding queer care, it’s important for people to know that this is just one flawed aspect of a flawed system. To fight for justice, we must demand competent care for all people.

So before we all go kicking down the doors of the nearest hospital, let’s discuss what the issues actually are. Why is it so difficult for queer people to get the medical help that all people deserve?

Here are just a few reasons:

1) There’s a large element of risk that queer people must face when it comes to taking care of our health.

Stigma, discrimination, violence, and even denial of care are all real issues that can dissuade people from seeking help in the first place. According to Lambda Legal’s 2010 survey, over half of LGBTQ respondents felt discriminated against when receiving care. Getting to receive care at all, let alone good care, can be very difficult for queer individuals who have poor access to health care. There are huge health discrepancies in LGBTQ populations, especially for older people and transgender individuals. 

Credit: Maureen McNabb, wordpress

As a queer person who usually isn’t read as queer, I’m very lucky that I haven’t had to fear going to the doctor (besides a healthy fear of getting shots). Here’s why:

• I’m a lazy femme, so I don’t get the strange looks from doctors assessing every inch of me that gender nonconforming individuals might get.
• If the doctor asks about my sexual history, I may blush, but being a bisexual cis woman in a monogamous relationship with a cis man means that the kind of sex I would be discussing wouldn’t be considered outside the bounds of heterosexuality.
• I haven’t had reason to fear outing myself through discussing my experiences.
• If I have a problem with my genitals, I only have to worry about the coldness of the speculum, not that my gender identity is being questioned or invalidated.

These are just some reasons why going to the doctors is so difficult for many people who do not have this privilege.

Credit: Philadelphia Lesbian Virtual Magazine

2) There’s a huge gap in medical knowledge, especially for queer people and women.

No matter how nice or accepting a medical professional is, they may not always  know how to treat a queer person. Medical schools in the U.S. spend so little time on LGBTQ-related content. Often times, medical students are taught that sexual behaviors of LGBTQ people are risky, which perpetrates the narrative that gay people are ‘diseased’. Doctors aren’t free of biases and such misunderstanding can get in the way of someone getting adequate care.

Many doctors have very limited experiences with transgender issues. Insurance companies will refuse to sign off on HRT or surgeries that some trans people really need. On the flip side, the medicalization of transgender identities suggests that all trans people have to have surgery to be considered more “legitimate,” which is not possible nor desired for many trans people.

Credit: “When Healthcare Isn’t Caring” Lambda Legal 2010 Report

3) Gender and sexuality are areas in which medicine can be negligent.

A lack of medical knowledge surrounding certain populations is a problem, and not just for queer people. Did you know that there is a huge gender gap in medical research and clinical trials? Medical research is lacking valuable data on women’s issues.  We don’t even know for sure what a heart attack looks like for a woman because of countless misconceptions. This gap in knowledge, coupled with gender biases, seriously affects medication, care, and diagnoses that women receive.

credit: Transgender Law Center

When gender and sexuality collide (as they often do in most humans), things get complicated. Aspects of personal identity intersect, creating an even bigger gap in medical knowledge. Medicine has historically failed queer people, and a lot of effort is required to improve care for the future.

Okay. Deep breaths all around. This is some heavy stuff.

Luckily, there are also a lot of options where LGBTQ healthcare is pretty amazing. There is a substantial list of resources at the end of this post, so check them out! Good options do exist, even though access to these options may be limited for many.

Students here at UMBC have pretty accommodating facilities. University Health Services has a very dedicated and helpful staff of professionals who are trained to work with all kinds of student populations. Almost the entire medical staff is made up of women, and personally I’ve found the practitioners to be gentle and attentive. UHS is consistently making an effort to improve, and while it is by no means a perfectly accessible center, attempts are being made.

Our medical space on campus may be generally positive, but we also have to be aware doesn’t change the negative experiences that many people can face elsewhere. Some may be too scared of going to UHS because of past trauma or maltreatment. Even though UHS is a great resource, the training and education for all medical practitioners is still lacking, and it’s possible to come into a campus medical center without being fully prepared to treat all kinds of people.

In Peer Health Education, the  inclusiveness of LGBTQ issues is lacking, especially when it comes to discussions of sexual health. A big initiative that the sexual health committee is undertaking now is to revamp the current programs to be more inclusive to people of all sexualities and gender identities. Recently, I created a survey in order to assess how LGBTQ people feel about sexual health education on campus. I’m hoping that this will foster a productive discussion with other queer UMBC community members so that we can work together to make important changes to the  health education curriculum. While this is in no way a quick fix the huge problem of LGBTQ health disparities, it’s always good to think globally and act locally.

HAART poster, discussing how stigma against people with HIV can be incredibly damaging.

Everyone has the right to be treated respectfully and competently when accessing health care. Even though my experiences with doctors have been generally positive, I can’t say the same for many other queer people. What I can do is speak up about the problems that I know exist, and do my best to contribute to change. As a peer, as a queer, and as a person devoted to justice, I want to use my privilege and opportunities to work towards a better system. I just hope that one day the only thing people have to fear when walking into a doctor’s office is as simple as a shot.

**************

Check out these great resources!

• Chase Brexton Health Care has locations all around Maryland, with a main branch in Baltimore. This clinic has a health center that specializes in the specific medical needs of LGBTQ people.
•  GLMA has a provider directory that can  help guide people to LGBTQ competent doctors and services, including psychologists and counselors who specialize in LGBTQ mental health.
• The National LGBT Health Education Center at Fenway Institute has a continuing education program designed to educate medical professionals on how to address the needs of LGBTQ individuals. The American medical association has this comprehensive
• LGBTQ resource list  full of helpful information- from patient resources to statistics and studies done on disparities in LGBTQ care.
• Do you identify as LGBTQIA? Come to a roundtable discussion about LGBTQIA+ issues in health education on April 20th from 4:30-5:30pm at the Women’s Center, and help Peer Health Educators make more inclusive changes to health education on campus.

Viviana MacManus, an assistant professor of gender and women’s studies, has been awarded a Career Enhancement Fellowship for Junior Faculty from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. The competitive award is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and is designed to provide support to junior faculty to pursue scholarly research and writing essential to attaining tenure.

The prestigious Career Enhancement Fellowship aims to increase the presence of minority junior faculty and faculty who are committed to eradicating racial disparities, breaking down stereotypes, and promoting cross-cultural understanding in the arts and sciences.

MacManus will use the sixth-month fellowship to work on her book manuscript We Are Protagonists of This History: Gender, Political Violence, and Testimonies of Resistance in Latin America’s Dirty Wars. The book is largely based on research she conducted in Argentina through a Summer Faculty Fellowship (SFF), and it centers on Latin America’s history of gender and state violence during the “Dirty Wars” of Argentina and Mexico from the 1960s-80s. MacManus conducted extensive interviews and is compiling them into oral histories to examine the gender politics involved in guerrilla movements and unarmed political organizations in Mexico and Argentina.

“I am thrilled to be a recipient of this fellowship, and I plan to make significant progress on my manuscript during this time,” shares MacManus. “I am pleased that there is investment in supporting academic work on social justice scholarship and feminist theory, as my research focuses on critical human rights and gender violence in Latin America.”

Prof. MacManus also says that the UMBC community has been incredibly supportive throughout her research process: “Furthermore, this experience also demonstrated to me the support network and sense of camaraderie that is truly representative of the UMBC community; Dr. Rachel Brubaker, Dr. Carole McCann and Dr. Michelle Scott (a former recipient of this fellowship), all assisted me during the application process. I look forward to also assisting other junior faculty in the future, especially those of underrepresented backgrounds, as these support systems are crucial in helping junior faculty thrive and succeed in their careers at UMBC.”

Dr. MacManus was a member of the inaugural cohort of UMBC’s Postdoctoral Fellows for Faculty Diversity program and has since served as mentor to other program participants. Her research interests include Latin American cultural and literary studies, transnational feminism, critical human rights, oral history, and visual culture. She is deeply committed to dismantling structures of inequality, including working with the National Immigration Law Center, D.C.’s Black Lives Matter chapter, and the School of the Americas Watch, among other organizations, to foster connections between academic scholarship and civic engagement.

Read more about MacManus’s work and research on the gender and women’s studies department website.

Image: Viviana MacManus. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

The Dresher Center for the Humanities invites you to join the conversation on April 23rd.

What if time travel was possible? This is the question that is asked in the Starz original series, “Outlander.” Based on Diana Gabaldon’s book series of the same title, this show follows World War II nurse Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe) as she visits Scotland on a second honeymoon with her husband Frank in 1945. While there, however, she discovers a mysterious circle of magical stones. Intrigued, she touches the largest one and suddenly blacks out.

When she comes to, she realizes that she is in the middle of a battle between British troops and Scottish Highlanders …in the year 1743. Taken in by the Highlanders and unable to return to her own time, she must contend with threats from devious British Captain Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies), the beginnings of a doomed Scottish uprising and her unexpected feelings for handsome Scotsman Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan).

The long awaited premiere of season two was this past weekend and it definitely delivered on all fronts. Season one left off with Claire and her now husband Jamie fleeing to France to both stop the ill-fated Scottish uprising and to escape the clutches of Jack Randall. Claire had rescued Jamie from Randall, but not before he was physically and emotionally tortured. While on their voyage, Claire surprised Jamie with the news that she is pregnant.

In a shocking twist, the first episode of season two begins with Claire inexplicably returning to 1945. Although Frank is overjoyed that she has come back, she is devastated at the prospect of never seeing Jamie again. She struggles to adjust to her old life, constantly reading through history books for any mention of Jamie’s fate in the uprising. For fans who want Claire and Jamie to be together, this twist is downright heartbreaking.

Halfway through the episode, though, the timeframe switches back to 1743. It shows Claire and Jamie just arriving in France before Claire’s jump forward in time. Together, they come up with a plan to stop the Scottish uprising from happening by using some of Jamie’s family connections. However, after Claire diagnoses an ill sailor with smallpox, the ship that he was on and its cargo must be burned. Angry at this huge financial lost, the ship’s owner, the Count of St. Germain, vows to make Claire pay for the trouble she’s caused.

Like with the first season, this one delivers on both the caliber of acting and use of setting. The chemistry between Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan is as evident as ever. Specifically in the scene where they are discussing the lingering effects of Jamie’s torture. Heughan’s portrayal of Jamie’s pain is matched by Balfe’s portrayal of Claire’s compassion and sadness. You believe that these two truly love and care about each other, which is the mark of a great pairing.

Shooting the first season in the beautiful Scottish Highlands made every episode very immersive. The same could be said for this second season. Although some of the shots were done in Prague, they took special care to make every detail like it would be on the historic streets of France.

All in all, this episode delivered on all the best parts of season one while adding some new twists to the mix. While many are still reeling from the shock and what it means for the future, fans are excited to see what the series has in store for next week.

The post Promising future for “Outlander” appeared first on The Retriever.

Here in the Office of Institutional Advancement, we are always working hard to support the university and connect our donors with causes they care most about. We would like to introduce our donors — to whom we are so grateful — to the people who help make those things happen. Today, we’ll be hearing from Leanna Powell ’08, English, who has just returned to UMBC as our Assistant Director of Annual Giving. 

Name: Leanna Powell

Job Title: Assistant Director of Annual Giving

Focus Area: Student philanthropy, crowdfunding, direct mail

Years at UMBC: .5 as staff, 4 as a student

Grad Year: 2008

Where are you from originally? I grew up in southern Maryland near D.C., but I consider myself a Baltimore gal now after 10+ years in the city.

What do you love most about UMBC? In a city so packed with higher ed institutions, UMBC feels like a well-kept secret. The campus is serene, the people are sweet and low-key, and yet you see student and alumni achievements popping up all over the state in the arts, research sciences, and public policy. Light City is a great example — I’m excited to get to rep for my college at the Inner Harbor.

What’s your favorite thing about your job? I majored in writing, but immediately got swept up by nonprofit work, so I’m glad to have the chance to put all of my professors’ hard work to good use (shoutouts to Chris Corbett, Jody Shipka and Orianne Smith!). I have also spent a lot of time working with student philanthropy on the nonprofit beneficiary side, so I’m glad to get the chance to apply that experience in helping Retrievers fundraise for their own amazing projects through our campus crowdfunding site.

Who do you admire and why? Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are two of my biggest idols. To me, they represent a generation of women who are comfortable being smart, funny, and supportive of one another — and aren’t afraid to speak up or to take criticism.

Have you ever done anything crazy or out of the ordinary? Now that we’re in short-sleeves weather, some of the first things people notice about me are my tattoos. Most of them have a lot of personal significance, but I did get one on impulse one afternoon with a friend — matching dinosaurs, to remind us not to take ourselves too seriously.

Tell us what you loved most about UMBC on Retriever Stories!