Does anyone know what the score is?

Ok... so last semester I took my first (and last!) Sunday class... OMG... I missed a full semester of going to church and everyone else in class was a little pissed about missing so many Ravens games. A six hour class is bad enough as is it, but for it to be on Sunday, in the afternoon (12pm to 5:50pm) AND during football season (and my usual after service nap time LOL) that was just not cool at all! :(

I must admit, the teachers were pretty darn cool though... we had two completely opposite generations teaching us (one taught the other, how cool is that to see those perspectives?) their teaching style was on point and very helpful for the coursework... if you're wondering what class, it's Words & Images... but still, even after the good lessons... IT IS MY SUNDAY GONE... le sigh... at least I passed and won't have to take it again :o)

But something must be done about this... or not... any suggestions?

A Rumination on Rooting

As I write this, March Madness is dribbling, shooting, and rebounding its way into the Elite 8. At the same time, one of my fellow bloggers here has expressed that he has reached his Oriole-based disappointment threshold, and is seeking new loyalties. One of the comments to his post suggested that he follow the Lady Terps, who will face Louisville in the Elite 8 this Monday night. While this is a solid suggestion indeed – the Lady Terps’ brand of basketball is fast, intense, and engaging – wouldn’t it be better if UB students (and staff, and faculty, and administrators…) had our own team to follow?

The UBgamer campus organization apparently has a mascot, the Emu. The law school has the Poe statue. But the UB community overall? Not so much. Someone told me that we are the Bees, or possibly the Super Bees, but I have found no further evidence of such an appellation. Plus, who wants to be the Bees? We want to be something fierce (although maybe being “fierce” is reserved for MICA students…I hope not). May I suggest wolves, or maybe lions? Those would go pretty well with the other animals in our fair city – tigers, bears, eagles, etc.

True, we have a club lacrosse team that travels to Navy and Salisbury, among others. And our intramural basketball squad plays the other local universities once a year in the “Intramural Battle of Baltimore.” Of course, those schools send their teams to regulation tournaments also, representing Baltimore in the MEAC, ACFC, and CAA conferences, to provide just a sample.

I know we are a small school…but in the University’s new Strategic Plan 2008-2012, we are frequently compared (in terms of enrollment, role within the larger Maryland System, etc) with schools like Frostburg State, Salisbury University, and University of Maryland-Eastern Shore. Those are all NCAA schools – Frostburg and Salisbury in Division III, UMES in Division I. True, they all have campuses that are not smack in the middle of a city, but perhaps we should look at our urban location as an asset and opportunity, not as a limitation.

The Strategic Plan suggests that the school will gradually develop more green space and be more like a “regular” campus. Perhaps some effort could be made to use some of that green space (not to mention the already fantastic facilities in our shiny – and locally renowned – recreation center). Not only would it offer a new way to recruit students for a full four-year undergrad stint at UB (another goal of the strategic plan) but it would give students a way to feel like part of the larger educational community. It would give us something to root for, a smidge of collective and neighborhood identity, that we presently lack.

Research at the Library

The University of Baltimore, as a smaller school, does not have the research resources of many others. However, this does not prevent the school from making a mark. Earlier this week, the Langsdale Library Blog announced a new project studying how millennial students used research databases.

As a premillenial, it is interesting to see how students used research databases and how they used other tools available to them. The students were interviewed regarding reliability of information on the Internet. Wikipedia, in particular, was derided for its accuracy by several subjects. This is where things get fascinating.

I use Wikipedia all the time, even for research work. While Wikipedia may not be the sum of all human knowledge, it is at least the mean of all human knowledge. And it can comfortably provide a sound starting point for real work through its extensive referencing. I like to call it an annotated bibliography.

It's time for the Langsdale research to expand the project by looking at how current high school students use the Internet.

Jumping Ships

For the past 10 years I have been a devoted fan of the orioles and didnt switch teams with the nationals came to be but I cant take it anymore! I moved here from Indiana, where we do not have a Pro Baseball team, so I quickly fell in love with the orioles. The way our fans yelled out "OOOOsss" during the national anthem, the greatness of Cal Ripken Jr, our mascot being so friendly and fun and of course the spectacle that is Camden Yards.

But after 10 straight losing seasons and always being a good and devoted fan, espically when the Nationals came to town, I have finally reached the tipping point. Enough is Enough, I am tired of dealing with the crap that they have given us.

And I am not alone in this debate Other fans have started protesting, calling to "Free the birds" from two years ago and jumping ships to the nationals to end the pain. Atleast the Nats, as the new fans would say, Have the most awesome stadium in Baseball. What do we have?
10 straight losing seasons
Losing by 27 runs to the crap rangers
Steroid-filled playersand many more....

I am done with the orioles and as of today I am looking to be adopted by another team. Married, brown hair, brown eyed white male looking for a good franchise. Will you adopt me?

safe? not safe? or just home?

Many people may think that the area that the university is located in is dangerous and unsafe at times... well, what city isn't? I've grown up my entire life in Baltimore and the car break ins and any other misdemeanor is honestly nothing new to me. Some people may feel unsafe to walk to their cars alone at night (I'll admit, my boyfriend does come and pick me up from class and take me to my car, because he's worried about my safety, he's such a sweetheart!)... but for the most part I feel fine by myself. Yes... where I normally park, I have seen, on numerous occasions, broken glass from a car window... but hey, it happens and that is what insurance is for. Maybe if their were more student parking garages that could have video surveillance, then it would make people feel safer? Oh well... I guess all anyone can really do is what common sense tells them to... be alert and mindful of your surroundings.

Welcome UB to the Blogging World!

It's been a long time coming, but UB now has a blog! Whoo hoo!

Get ready for talk about course and teacher suggestions/evaluations, campus life, parking, juggling home, work, school and a life outside of all that, and so much more! Be sure to read and comment on your fellow student's insight and opinions about UB and voice your own.

We encourage you to comment and offer any suggestions to improve on this new venture! If you would like to be one of the designated bloggers for a semester, please contact us at ubblog@ubalt.edu with your contact information and a writing sample.

Rafe's UB blog -- Episode I

Apparently it has fallen to me to welcome you, the UB community, to our blog.

So: Welcome! We're glad to have you on board.

Meanwhile, I suppose I should start out by telling you a bit about myself. At the moment, I'm working toward my MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts. While my main focus is fiction (both novels and short stories), I am presently exploring the enticements of poetry. Being part of this particular MFA program is a pleasure -- not only were we recently named one of nine distinctive programs in the country by Poets & Writers magazine, but also we have the great fortune to have a creative, engaged, and deeply committed faculty.

At any rate, in the future (the near future, not in the 23rd century or something) I will be writing about issues at UB that I believe have a considerable impact on the overall experience of being a student here. Things like academic opportunities, diversity, recreation, the campus, UB's place in the community, and, of course, parking. I suspect I will not be the only UB blogger to determine, after considerable rumination, that the parking situation is a mess (that is the technical term).

So. More soon, reader folk. Watch this space.