Alumni Blogger Intro

Not a fun and enticing title for my first post, but hey, it is my first blog post...and I am introducing myself, and I am an alumni...so, "Alumni Blogger Intro" seemed fitting. Hopefully, my wonderful and witty intro will keep the masses coming back on Fridays. If not, then hopefully my co-Friday partner in blog-writing will keep it fun and amusing, and you will accidentally read my posts thinking they are hers...

Ok, back to the regularly scheduled intro blog post...

I am a 1993 graduate of UB, getting my MPA in the evenings, and working as a Schaefer Center for Public Policy Fellow during the day (I actually was a "Gap Boy" as well, but that was a long time ago, when I could fit into those clothes).

I have many fond memories of my two years at UB, and who would have thought I would be where I am today, and Dr. Larry Thomas (my then-boss at the Schaefer Center) would now be the Dean of the Yale Gordon College of Liberal Arts. He looks exactly the same, and I, well, sorta do in a grayer, heavier, balder kinda way.

When I graduated from UB, I was accepted into the US Office of Personnel Management's Presidential Management Intern (now Fellow) program. Actually, three of us were accepted into this prestigious program from my graduating year - which was a great accomplishment for the UB MPA program. Two of us are still with the Federal government...using everyday what we learned in the MPA program...well, maybe not EVERY day...shhh, don't tell.

I have been back to UB on several occasions to try and recruit UB students to come work for us and have been very successful several times. I actually now mentor two UB grads, who have come to work for my agency. I like to give back to my alma mater, and one of the best ways is to help the graduating students find meaningful positions and hopefully a career in public service.

I hope to be able to bring an "older", well, make that "wiser" perspective to the UB blog. I plan on talking about lots of interesting things, and hopefully, current and former students will find what I post usable for them, or at least give them a chuckle or two to start the day.

I look forward to "meeting" everyone every week through your comments (and I encourage readers to post their comments), and I hope I can end everyone's week with a smile.

Til next week...and to quote Garrison Keillor...Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.

I Think I Like This Adobe Thing

One of the reasons I decided to return to college was to beef up my writing skills. I also realized that I needed to know a little more to survive in the workforce. Hell, I needed to know a little more to survive in my own home. My oldest son can run circles around me on the computer. Choosing UB was a no brainer for so many reasons: location, atmosphere, quality of education. The best reason was the Corporate Communications program or Corp Comm for short. The program is broad because it touches upon everything a person moving into any communications field should know. The program also has the strong writing classes I was looking for.

When I learned about the designing/programming requirements, I must say that parts of the Corp Comm program intimidated me but I'm always up for a challenge. My background is more customer service/public inquiries. I am not a designer or programmer and what I learned about those things many years ago is certainly outdated. I quashed my fears though and tried to jump in with both feet.

It all began last semester with the Photoshop/Dreamweaver course. I found those programs very interesting and was impressed with what I could do with them but for some reason, I wasn't really into it. I know all of you designers and programmers are saying, "What do you mean not into it?!" Yes, not into it. Give me a paper to do and I'll get an A. Designing and programming just weren't my things. However, I knew I needed to get with the program like yesterday. I made it through with pretty good grades.

Fast forward to this semester. I'm singing a new tune. I'm in the In Design/Illustrator class. I'm into it and I'm loving it. I don't really know what changed my attitude. It's not that I didn't see the value in knowing Photoshop/Dreamweaver. I definitely see $$ when I think of those programs. I think I just realized how important the knowledge of all these programs will be. I had to remind myself why I was at UB: to acquire the skills I lacked so that I can advance in the workforce. I can say that I really love those programs now and I can't wait to use them in the real world.

Random Thoughts

SNOW! So I’m sitting here in my bedroom staring out 3 windows very carefully so that I can maybe, just maybe see a flake of snow and get super excited! Yea, I know everyone is like so tired of the snow, but personally anything that gets me out of school is awesome! Even though Maryland just went through the biggest storm in like its life, I still want more. This is probably because I definitely do not feel like going to any of my classes tomorrow. I have the most stupid system that deals with my classes and work. Usually students start off strong in the semester and then they start slacking towards finals season. Me, an entirely different story. I start off terrible in the beginning of the semester, I like to just chill, not study, and yata yata. BUT come the week after midterms or spring break; man I am ready to go. I start back up strong and start studying, being a good student and the whole deal. This system is actually good. It works (well for me at least) I like to be a bad student at the start, and then slowly and surely get my act together.

I just took my first two exams of Spring, and might I add I think I did pretty well. I’m just scared because midterms are just a few days away. Yikes! BUT, I do like midterms because they mark the point of the semester where I just have a few more weeks to go. Man I cannot wait until May. The beaches, the cold breezes at night, and of course walking to the Maryland Avenue Garage and not jumping over snow piles or puddles. Yes, I can just imagine it all in my head right now. I think I m going to list what I will be doing in the summer and give me some good ideas so I can try that as well! They are in order from most important to something I might do.

Plans for the summer:
1. Go to jersey shore and see what all this fuss is about, and hopefully find a “gorilla.”
2. Go to Ocean City and look at the view from the Clarion Hotel once again
3. Play with my little sister; I’m a big fan of boardgames!
4. Eat funnel cake
5. Drive my broken civic with its window’s down.

The Godfather of Maryland's Mixed Martial Arts Scene

First thought, intimidation. Second thought, run. Standing at 6’ 2”, 280 pounds, full sleeves covering each arm the intimidation factor comes natural for Rallo. It’s the look that lead to his success as a body guard for the likes of Tommy Lee, Dave Navarro, and rock band Motley Crue. But, the look doesn’t define Rallo, a soft spoken & humble guy, the godfather of Maryland’s Mixed Martial Arts scene. In between promoting his next event Shogun Fights II, teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at his Ground Control Academies, making radio appearances on 98 Rock, and just making sure everything comes together, Rallo took the time to sit down with one of his former student to talk MMA, Baltimore, and Shogun Fights.

Tired of seeing his fighters having to travel out of state to fight and seeing the opportunity of hosting fights in Baltimore, Rallo set out to get MMA legalized in Maryland.

“Without boasting or anything I pretty much spearheaded the entire effort of getting Mixed Martial Arts legalized in Maryland.”

And an effort it was as Rallo met with various professionals including Patrick Pannella (NJAC Executive Director), Nick Lembo (author of Unified MMA rules), Ron DeJulius (MD Labor & Industry Commissioner), and the law office of Gordon & Feinblatt in order to develop a plan of action. Rallo gained support from Senator Jane Carter Conway and the determination paid off when the bill was passed. The only detractor, Senator James Brochin, had his request for a continuance denied due to a lack of evidence to support his claims.

With MMA finally legal Rallo has moved onto promoting events under the newly formed Shogun Fights Banner.He’s banking on the fact that we are all proud to be from Baltimore and as Baltimorean’s we support our own. This trend is clear when you look at some of the polarizing figures in Baltimore sports history such as Ray Lewis, Cal Ripken Jr., and Johnny Unitas who stayed loyal to Charm City throughout their entire careers. At the last event Raven’s pro bowl running back Ray Rice left a ceremony in New York and drove all the way to Baltimore in order to make it to the fights. It didn’t take Rice long to figure out how tight knit this community is (Oh and he will be back again at Shogun Fights II).

The fight card showcases some of the best local Maryland fighters such as submission ace James “Binky” Jones (highlight video), State Wrestling Champion Ryan Mackin, and Loyola Alumni Dave Daniecki, who will all be sure to enjoy the home crowd advantage. The fight card is stacked with up and coming fighters that will risk it all to prove themselves in the cage. Being able to fight in front of your family, friends, and supporters is one of the biggest things Rallo missed out on during his career as a fighter during the "dark ages" of MMA.

Shogun Fights II, will be held at 6PM on March 27th at the First Mariner Arena in Baltimore with tickets starting at only $27. There are also VIP tickets available that include an open bar, live band, ringside seats, and a catered gourmet dinner by Valentino’s. On a side note, if there are any college students who can afford such luxuries please take me. Otherwise, Rallo has offered to give the University of Baltimore students a discounted rate so send me an email(bhebertmobile@gmail.com) if you’re interested.

Support Baltimore, cheer on the local fighters, and have a fun night out doing something different for a change. Grab your girlfriends, guy friends, and everyone else within reach and come out. The night doesn't end with a knockout as Club Mist is hosting the after-party that will be a blast. Just when you see the fighters around be sure not to tell them how bad their eye really looks.

Here's a look at the last event from the Baltimore Sun

Does an MMA event in Baltimore interest you? If not why? I'm excited to hear what you have to say. Until next Thursday,

Ben @ twitter.

Beelieve

So, as some of you may know, the UB administration is bringing back the UB Mascot. Where did it go? Well, it really did not go anywhere. The bee has always been our mascot, since 1937 actually, but they want to revamp the mascot. The school is evolving and changing, so why not make our bee evolve as well? The admin is planning on releasing teasers to students every now and then, and then showing the new, final design at the UBSC Spring Block Party on April 22nd, 2010 - hosted by ME!...Okay, it's not just me, it's all of UBSC. But, I am one of two co-chairs who will plan the entire event :) What are your thoughts on the mascot? Do you like the old one? Do you feel that it is, in fact, time for a change? Are you excited?

As far as the bee goes, there is a very colorful history that comes along with it. The bee has always been the school's official mascot, drawn in yearbooks and appearing at games in costume form. In the 40's, the bee was featured in the campus update, "The Beehive". In the 70's, the director of athletics Frank Szymanski made drastic changes to the bee design. He hired a former alumnus's father to draw it up, and after over 100 designs he came to the "Super Bee" who had muscles and a mean face.

Even though the bee has been at UB for years and years, it was clearly a character made for athletics. UB does have several intramural sports teams, and even sports clubs, but we do not compete on the intercollegiate level. Maybe by revamping the mascot we have a hope for the future. Do you think that bringing sports back to UB is possible? Wanted? Needed?

Personally, I am happy that they're updating the bee. I think that we do need a more modern version of the bee, since the last one was created in the 70's, almost 40 years ago!! Also, with the new generation of students at UB, it may be in their best interests to change the mascot. We have a younger crowd of students being accepted, and most of them think of colleges with mascots and sports and more traditional things. UB isn't truly traditional, but we can always afford to create new traditions for the school. :)

Information architecture? Dinosaurs explain.

I've just started in UB's graduate program in Interaction Design and Information Architecture (IDIA) - one of the few in the country in this growing field. I've told several friends and relatives over the last week, only to be met with frowns and confused looks when I tried to explain what "information architecture" is. So I went to the Information Architecture Institute (IAI) website for help.

Turns out I'm not the only one who has this problem. IAI tries defining the field (part science, part art) and offering descriptions and even elevator pitches, which come in handy at cocktail parties and, of course, short elevator rides. So for my fellow classmates, potential students and the curious, with credit to the IAI, here goes:

• Information architecture is about finding things that matter. It allows people to spend more time acting on information than searching for it. It eliminates frustration and allows for greater productivity.
• It's about structuring information to make it easy to find. If it's easy to find products on a website, people will buy more. When it's easy to find information on an intranet, employees will be more efficient and productive.
  
• It's about a person finding the right information at the right time. You can't use it if you can't find it.
  

Attesting to this continuing challenge, the IAI even co-sponsored "Explain IA: A Contest" last month with cash prizes going to the best descriptions of information architecture and those who practice it. Check out the Grand Prize winner: A Dinosaur Family Explains Information Architecture and Best Video award winner: IAs Are Like Robin Hood. I'm sharing these links with my friends and relatives so they'll FINALLY get it. Or if not, at least be mildly entertained.

Moot Court

This week I would like to share an awesome UB Law experience.

Moot Court is an inter-school law competition. It involves submitting an appellate brief and making an oral argument on a point of law. There is a hypothetical (but based very much in the real world) legal problem, which both teams research and review. They then write an appellate brief, which is similar to a position paper you might have written in undergrad. Basically, there is a question of law, and you attempt to convince the court why they should adopt your position. The oral argument is based off the same problem, but is performed before a panel of judges. It is most certainly not a speech, however, but more on that later.

The University of Baltimore is very actively involved in Moot Court. We have a ton of teams, and unofficially the most students out of any law school. Also, our teams do very well.

Moot court, however, is an extra activity outside of school. While it looks good on resume, it also is a lot of work. This is my experience.

First of all, the problem is released. About two weeks later, the brief is due. The problem set out a fact pattern, and an issue of law. For the try out, it was a closed problem, meaning the only authority (sources) you can use are the seven cases pre-selected for you. While this makes the problem much more manageable (NO RESEARCH!!!!) it also makes it more difficult. With a closed problem, the cases that support your position are from other jurisdictions or lower courts, and the ones from the highest courts in your jurisdiction generally don't support your cause.

After reading the 7 cases about 15 times, I was ready to write. The brief has a page limit of 6 pages, but in total I wrote approximately 20. Seriously. I can't tell you how many times I wrote a paragraph or two, then completely deleted it and re-wrote it, only to repeat the process an hour later. That is the thing about legal writing. Professor Warnken, whom the Moot Court competition is named for, says over and over, "There is no good legal writing, only good legal re-writing." I can tell you that I spent a solid 8 straight hours in front of a computer in the law library working on my final draft.

Then the draft gets submitted, and it is oral argument time. For oral argument, you basically make the same points as in your brief, but vocally to a panel of three judges. There is a strict 10 minute time limit, which sounds like forever, but in reality you spend more time trying to cut your argument DOWN.

Additionally, the judges (for the moot competition, you get UIB alums who are either practicing lawyers or real judges) interrupt you at any time with questions. Seriously, you will be mid sentence, and a judge will blurt out some random question. As soon as you see his or her mouth move, you have to shut up. Then, you are left trying to figure out a way to not only answer the question, but support your case, and use the relevant authority to do so. And the clock is ticking.

There are horror stories too. Some judges consider this a chance to haze you, by harassing you with impossible questions. One of my Law Scholars (basically a TA for law school) told us she cursed under her breath, but into the microphone, burst into tears, and ran from the room. Two years ago, a girl passed out. Guys' voices routinely crack like they are 12 years old.

So all this stress, and for what? Well, for one, I wrote a 6 page brief that I am proud of. The arguments are tight. The cases are relevant. The citations are accurate. It LOOKS nice. I would show it to a prospective employer. And as for the oral argument, let me tell you, when someone who a legal career towering over yours says, "It was exciting that you worked that case into your answer," well, I don't really know many other things that top that. I was so hoped up on adrenaline that one of my classmates I bumped into after admonished me to relax.

It is a time to really buckle down, work hard, but take serious pride in your work. In school, you always work hard, but most of it is so ephemeral. You hand it in, get feedback and a grade, but by the time it comes back to you, you have already moved on. Not this. I feel like I have done something worth while, that I have done work to be proud of, to take with me.

The unfortunate reality of moot court, is that there are slightly over 100 of us competing for about 50 spots. So more than half of us are going to have nothing to show for our efforts.

Not me though. Wether I get placed on a team or not, I will always know that I did something I am proud of.

Celluliod!

This past week was intense, with finally going back to school after Snowmaggadeon. Most of our professor were trying to help us catch up in our work load since we missed a week of classes. Anyways yesterday we turned in our final version of one of our projects for our Multiplayer Game class. Our first project was group project and we were supposed to make an Unplugged game. An unplugged game is a game that requires absolutely no electricity, pretty much meaning its a board game. We decided to make an RTS (real time strategy) game, that the players can compose their own board from preset pieces that we provided them with. We called the game Celluliod. 

I'll post pictures later on of the game. I'm hoping to start posting pictures of my projects as part of my blogs; honestly we do a lot really fun things with our classes, being the gaming major. 

Also one of my primary objectives this semester is to also have some fun this semester besides making awesome board games ;-)  I'm actually planning to go snowboarding come Wednesday night with a couple of friends. I've never been snowboarding at night and I hear its difficult but I'm hoping its not too bad. Especially since I'm not the best snowboarder, to put it simply the last time I went snowboarding I ended up at the bottom of the hill on my stomach. It wasn't a pretty sight to see. But I'm hoping that maybe it'll give me an advantage, instead of a disadvantage that I'm going at night. I'll definitely keep you guys updated on my snowboarding escapades.

WALK RIGHT OR GET LEFT

Walk right or get left....well this was actually the topic of yesterday's sermon at church. Basically, the thought was there are three roads to Heaven. The Damascus road, the Jericho road and the Road to Calvary.

Walk right or get left. Now how exactly can we take this saying from church and put in our personal life or our school life. For me, of course class started the same time for me as it did everyone else (maybe not for Spencer since he's in law school !!!) But class started and very quickly. By the second class, I felt lost. Felt like I was drowning. I already didn't have a clue what was going on. Was it me? Was I not opening my mind to receive the information? Or was it the teacher? Was she teaching too fast? Was she using words I had never heard of? Did she not take a chance to gage everyone's knowledge of the software at hand? One could say it was a little bit of all of that.

But what now? I had a choice to make. Did I sit there and suffer? Did I waste my money and drop the class? Not exactly. After some thinking, I came to the realization I had a problem. I needed help. So I sought the guidance of my advisor. From that, I faced the fear of confronting my teacher and emailed her. I realized I needed to know who it was that was teaching me and she needed to know me. I couldn't worry about the others in my class and their insecurities. I paid for me and only I held the receipt to my education.

Wow week three of class....what a more refreshing day. My teacher knew my name and acknowledged me by name. I was no longer hiding behind a world of questions (or a computer screen). Answers were more clear. Questions from me and others came out easier. Assistance was more readily available. To me, even her attitude about the class had changed. Was it me? Was it something I said? Or was it simply me trying to develop a relationship with her? I think it was all of the above.

What does all this mean? Well I'll let you look up the biblical sense to the 3 roads to heaven. As for me and school, waking up and acknowledging there was a problem was step one for my road to a degree. I had to put my pride aside. I'm used to being on top things, handling my business as they say. This time though I was bound by fear. Ultimately, my education and desire to excel outweighed the thoughts of what would the advisor or teacher think of me if I approached them about how a class was being taught. I can only help me. I can only fight for me. Getting over that fear, acknowledging I wasn't cutting it and seeking guidance was what I needed to walk right or get left.

thoughts from the train

i love riding the lightrail. i can use the time to do some reading for class or lose myself in the passing scenery. downer: i have consistently forgotten my ipod so i can't tune out the chatter of other riders. luckily, it isnt always the worst thing. i enjoy listening to other people's conversations. not in that creepy whats going on in a strangers life way, but rather listening to how people converse. tone of voice, rate of speech, word choice. they all fascinate me. in undergrad, i found a new interest in communication and linguistics, but opted not to pursue it very far. i realized, after a few mistaken choices, that my interest in communication relates back to my interest in psychology. how we convey our thoughts and emotions reflects on how we understand those thoughts and emotions. the careful choosing of words versus the incoherent ramble that begs the question "do you actually listen to yourself when you wordvomit?". are you lady gaga or kanye west? our communication styles reflect how we view and interact with the outside world (beyond pure conversation). these are the topics that fascinate me and keep me interested in psychology

riding the lightrail, for me, is more than a convenient mode of transportation. it's also a constant reminder of why i love my chosen field and why i chose to attend grad school. it's easy to lose sight of the goal when you're buried under 3 weeks worth of reading, an exam and a paper that you may or may not have forgotten about. you have to find an anchor in everything that you do. the lightrail has become my anchor

what's yours?

A New Semester of Insanity...and Snow!

From my bio, you know that I'm a working wife, mother, and student. You may not know that I've returned to college after a long hiatus (yes, I'm on the 15 year plan). My previous college experience--at a local college I will not name--was unpleasant. I believe that my feelings about the college contributed in part to my lack of motivation and subsequent withdrawal. Okay, well maybe I was partying a little too much and couldn't make it to class. Oh, and I also had a kid when I was 20, so I had to start working. Okay, maybe it wasn't ALL of my previous college's fault. It just sounds so much better when I blame dropping out on something other than myself.

Well, I'm back. I'm at UB. And I love it! It is a little difficult with the insanity that I call my life but I'm managing pretty well. I'm taking three classes, in addition to everything else I have going on. If you don't have all the extras in your life, my advice is to finish your degree now! Get it out of the way before the insanities of life hit you. You will be much happier you did.

Now, I must talk about this insane snow. Not the fact that it snowed so much, that's just nature and we have no control. I want to talk more about Baltimore City's insane snow removal process. I know that the City has to remove the snow and I'm extremely appreciative about it but what is up with them doing it during rush hour? Is there a particular reason for that? My 15-20 minute commute from Woodlawn to Woodberry has turned into 45 minutes to an hour! Is anyone else pulling double duty on their drive home?

Ravens Make Headlines by Signing Troubled Wide Receiver

Even if you’re a modest Ravens fan you know that we need a wide receiver. One only has to think back to the first Patriots game when Mark Clayton dropped a pass in the redzone that hit him right in the hands or Derrick Mason’s drop in the end zone against archival Pittsburgh. We have a young quarterback in Joe Flacco who in order to mature needs talented receivers around him. You can't blame Joe for not getting the ball out when his receivers can't get open. A relationship with wide outs takes a while to establish timing, rhythm, and trust. I am one fan who fully believes that with the addition of a deep threat wide out will force opposing defenses to respect the pass and it will further “The Ray Rice” show.

We need a wide receiver, but is signing Donte Stallworth the way we want to accomplish our goals? Stallworth, a former first round draft pick, like many other NFL players has made some serious mistakes in his personal life. Maybe these issues can be attributed to the stardom of playing professional football and coming from up from nothing, but the fact remains that because of his actions someone is dead.

Stallworth’s made the decision to drive drunk one morning (a decision people make everyday) in Miami where he committed DUI manslaughter. He only served 24 days of a 30 day sentence and was cut from the Cleveland Browns the day he was reinstated into the league. In a statement released by Stallworth he said, “I will never get that morning back. It weighs on me every day and will for the rest of my life. What I can do is move forward, try to be a better person, try to convince others not to do what I did and warn others about the dangers of drinking and driving. I have to show otherwise that what happened doesn’t reflect who I am.” Source Yahoo.

From a fan’s perspective the deal looks good. We signed him to a one year deal for $900,000 with bonus incentives available depending upon his performance. We can’t really lose anything if it turns out he can’t play and because this year is uncapped it won’t have any effect on signing additional free agents (Cough… Brandon Marshall). Stallworth hasn’t played football since 2008, but at age 28 he still has a few years of productivity ahead of him. Has he sincerely changed for the better and evolved as a human being? That’s left to be decided by the fans during his time spent here in Baltimore.

The bigger issue here however are the moral implications of signing a player who has committed DUI Manslaughter a charge in Maryland that carries a maximum sentence of 3 years. As members of this community how do you feel about a player like this representing Charm City? Is football simply a business or do the players, team, and organization represent something more? On a personal level I believe in the American justice system and although Stallworth got off easily (24 days of 30 day sentence & paying the family three million), he like anyone else deserves a second chance at redemption and life. How do you feel about Donte Stallworth stepping into the purple and black?

Will This Snow Ever Melt?!

I want to extend a warm welcome & hello to all of those who are reading this, and to my fellow bloggers! This is my very first time blogging for UB, and I'm definitely waayy too excited about it! I started thinking about what I wanted to write...days ago. Haha.

Well, let me start off with a little bit about lil' ol' me. I am a junior at UB, majoring in Criminal Justice. I was a part of the very first freshmen class that came to UB in 2007, so we were the 'test subjects' so to speak. They did not know exactly how to handle freshmen that first year, as this had been an upper division school for 30+ years. In my very first semester here I joined student government (UBSC..who at the time was USS) as a member at large. Now I am serving as the undergraduate treasurer, and have been for almost two years. You can find me on campus doing any of these 4 things: 1) sitting in class, 2) running around to meet with clubs/working on funding, 3) planning block party, or 4) attending other events.

Speaking of attending other events, did anyone attend SEB's aquarium night on Valentines Day? Last year they had over 1200 people show up, but this year because of the snow (which will be out there until JUNE) not that many were able to attend. But, regardless of the turn out, Aquarium Night is always a hit! How can you, as a UB student, pass up a free trip to the aquarium, while your friends and family get in for only 5 dollars! They also added a 4D movie for $1, which was pretty cool. I loved the Jelly Invasion exhibit the most, mainly because I am a native to Baltimore, and have seen everything the Aquarium has to offer - except the Jellys!

On another note, they finally came and plowed my street at 3 in the morning last night, and I was able to drive my car for the first time in over a week! My little saturn could not handle the foot of ice and snow that was still in the middle of the street. I also live on the top of a hill, and have to drive down hill every which way. Talk about danger! But, that's in the past now, and I'm sick of the snow. I want to be able to drive again!

More Refreshing Than Spring

This week in New York, the fashion elite is gathered to watch the Fall 2010 collection runway shows. Six hundred miles away in Charlotte, NC, a local designer is taking her show to the streets with a project she calls the Public Photo Shoot Project. For twenty dollars, Charlotte-based designer Cigi Guzman is giving anyone the chance to model her clothing line The Flock, and walk away with a professionally shot 8x10 glossy and the chance at having their look chosen for Guzman's next ad campaign. Last year she used real people (i.e., the average-sized American) with interesting backgrounds as her runway models - not Victoria Beckham-sized sticks. How refreshing.

Could we do this in Baltimore?

Fashion doesn't have to be elite, and we in Baltimore have our own unique style. Any designers out there interested in making Charles Street their Project Runway - not to mention garner free PR - by offering their fashion to real people?

Spring Semester Begins

Hello and Welcome!



As some of the more dedicated readers out there may have already noticed, this will be my second semester blogging for UB. Last semester was a great experience and I am excited to be back.

I suppose I should start with a little bit about myself. I am a first year full-time day law student. We call ourselves 1Ls. I take the full course load, plus whatever other activities come my way. I have lived in Baltimore for about 6 years now. I am a huge fan of this city. I attended my undergrad at Loyola College in Maryland, which is up Charles Street from UB (you have to go past Hopkins first). In between Undergrad and Law School, I worked for two years as a Rehabilitation Coordinator at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

Otherwise, I follow the Phillies and Ravens. I watch soccer when I can (mostly English). I do own a T.V., but all it has hooked up to it is the Nintendo that I am in the process of repairing. I enjoy the internet and understand too many nerdy things to ever admit too publicly.

This semester, I am going to try to make some improvements to my own blogging. As representative of the law school, I again hope to provide some insight into the life of a UB Law student. A lot of the time, the law school operates on its own orbit from the rest of the school, so I like to give some insight into what actually goes on in our building.

A second area that I am going to try to hit this semester are interesting things about UB. I have already thought a bit about a few topics, including some of the cooler study spots on campus (hey, I am in Law School, I get excited about these kinds of things), campus events, and some other news-worthy campus bits.

Finally, I hope to be able to bring in some more of the UB citizenry. Students, professors, other people on our campus. Part of this also means the readers. I want to do some better self-promotion of this blog this semester, and hopefully generate some positive or interesting comments.

Also, those of you who read this last semester will know that I enjoy sharing the funny or interesting cases we read in class. (You know, like the one where the cow fell through the second story ceiling? Or the one where the judge wrote about the "very nature of a reputable dog?") I am going to start calling it:

What I Learned in Law School.

This week, we have two:
First of all, in Property class we learned that there is no such word as "flammable." Instead, you should use "inflammable," especially since "inflammable" means "capable of catching fire." It does not mean "unable to catch fire."

Secondly, again in Property class, we read that in exchange for the use of 110 acres of land, a man named Roland had to, each Christmas, perform for the King (of England) "altogether, and at once, a leap, a puff, and a fart."

Nowadays, we just pay taxes. I am not sure which system I prefer. Go ahead and let me know what you think would be a fair deal on your property in the comments. Taxes based on the mill rate? Or maybe you are more the profane performer type?

Back to Business

This is my first time blogging and I'm really excited to get started. Well let me tell you a little about myself. I attend classes at the Shady Grove campus and I'm majoring in Simulation and Digital Entertainment. With this blog I'm hoping to give everyone a different perspective and bridging the gap between the two campuses.

Well lets jump right into it!

Yesterday was my first day of classes since the snow storm. As refreshing as it was taking a small break from schoolwork for a bit, I was kind of excited to get back. Snow covered the campus, making everything look like it was blanketed in plush soft piles of pillows. It was nice seeing snow everywhere on campus completely different from what I'm used to seeing it look like.
It was actually surprising to see the excitement on most of the students faces. I can't even begin to count how many times I heard students saying how ecstatic they were to be able to leave their homes and return to campus. Seemed as though being confined to the four walls of our homes made us appreciate coming to class even more. I'm hoping the rest of the week will go as smoothly as yesterday did.

hi, everyone! i'm michelle, new UB blogger :) i have had plenty of time to think out my first post... but i didn't. i've become addicted tofallen in love with blogging, and i'm super excited to be blogging for UB. i actually have two personal blogs already out in the ether. however, i suck at introductions. plus i am a terrible procrastinator. that week of snow? yea, i "worked from home" the whole week and caught up on my naps. returning to the office today was less than exciting, but it had to happen eventually. i also need to tackle an immense pile of homework. that'll be fun :p

moving on... here are a few interesting details about me:

- i'm slowly getting through my quarterlife crisis one day at a time. i'll be 26 in april, and i'm celebrating with a brand new tattoo
- this is my first semester at UB, transferred from Loyola. finding a grad school that fits has been a more difficult experience than i ever imagined
- i enjoy my fulltime job most days. it's completely unrelated to psychology, but my boss is awesome and the projects are diverse
- i love the olympics almost as much as i love ravens football (and i LOVE ravens football)
- i grew up outside of annapolis, and i want to live at the aquarium or AVAM. someone could make that happen, right?
- i have a fear of ladders, escalators and elevators. i do not have a fear of heights, flying or driving over the bay bridge
- i enjoy breakfast any time of the day; it's one of the reasons i love diners. if you've not been to papermoon, get offline and go now
- i love to bake, especially cupcakes and cookies. i think the smell of baked goods makes any house feel cozy
- at this point, i couldn't live without google. all its little facets keep my information organized and (somewhat) controlled... with the exception of buzz. i had to turn that nonsense off
- i'm a chapstick junkie; i don't go anywhere without one. it's partially to help curb one of my bad habits

there will be more interesting things in future posts. promise. for now, im gonna trot off, and try to get some work done. see y'all next monday :)

Welcome Back ....A semester of firsts !!

Hello UB, family and friends....I'm back !!! I missed you all. Hopefully everyone that followed me last semester will follow me this semester and tell your friends about me and the other bloggers.

Well I'm sure nobody wants to read about all the snow that this region and the nation has had over the last week or two. I'm sure you all have pictures to show. I know I plenty of them. I even created an entire album and posted the on my Facebook page ! Some of you may still have aches and pains. Luckily mine didn't last but two days. Mostly cause I didn't do too much shoveling.

Like the title reads A Semester of Firsts.

For starters it's the first semester utilizing our new parking garage. For those people that fuss about the parking situation around campus....why? There's a new garage with ample parking and at a reasonable price. It's certainly a lot cheaper than many downtown parking facilities...so utilize it people. Make it your first time !! Don't worry the shuttle comes right there to pick you up.

Today, I checked out some books from the campus library for the first time. This might not be exciting or even interesting but the circumstances by which I had to get these books is. I signed a contract to participate as a blogger so I won't go into that situation !!!! I think it might violate some rules in that contract.

Today, I also went to the Design Lab (Rm 204) for the first time. For a $50 lab fee I'm going to at least go look at the place !! I must say it wasn't too bad. Felt a little strange because I am still getting used to the MAC system. Never worked on one. Didn't know how to open the CD drive....sad, right. But I must say both lab assistants I asked for help were great. The young lady left shortly after I got there but the gentleman stopped what he was each time I asked a question. He didn't just tell me what to do. He showed me. So I was very appreciative of that.

Another big first for me is the purchase of this expensive MAC computer. I'm told I will love it. It will be my best friend. I'll never want to use a PC again. I'm going to love doing this and that. For now, I just want to learn how to use the thing and pass my class this semester with at least a 'B'. I wont' ask for an 'A' because the semester is starting off a little rocky. But I have faith a 'B' is doable.

So as most of you that followed me last semester know, my first entry is always nice and sweet and simple. Oh yeah, I lied. I couldn't leave this post without at least one picture of the snow !

So I'll see you all next MONDAY

Enjoy the week and your weekend.

Snow Day!

I thought I would take this time to reflect on the snow. I always love it when it snows like this! I am sure some of you hate it and cant stand being stuck inside but what I love the most about the snow is how peaceful the city gets. No cars on the streets, horns beeping, and the snow falls so gracefully. After going outside and trying to clean up my sidewalk and then coming inside from the snow brings back many memories from when I was a kid. I remember the days when my three sisters and I would attempt to make the biggest snowman ever. My favorite is when my mother would be in the kitchen preparing the hot chocolate for us after our many adventures in the snow. Its also so pretty and clean looking outside. No dirt, dog doodoo, dead plants, or cars speeding down the road trying to get to work. Those are the ugly things about winter time. Well enjoy everybody and have a wonderful white winter...

R.I.P. Nick Dewar, UB Midtown Illustrator

This week the world has lost an incredible talent in the form of Nick Dewar, a 36-year-old Scottish-born illustrator who was one of four contributors to our inaugural UB Midtown campaign. Nick illustrated the banner/poster that features a strongman, covered in UB-related tattoos, on a red background.

About his illustration, Nick said, "I wanted to show how attending the University can alter people's lives. This is the strength that knowledge has." He was astute in addition to talented, and he has certainly altered our lives.

Nick's Web site features a touching illustration in memory of the artist and features his iconic work. You can also read a statement about the artist's life and work.

May you rest in peace, Nick Dewar. The world will miss you and your talent.

Grrr.... finding pieces that don't exist :/

Question: As a publication design major we are expected to take Portfolio in our final semester at UB... the idea is to take projects we have create during our time here and 'perfect' them to use in our portfolio to present to clients... that being said, how does anyone really expect to find suitable pieces for a portfolio if most of the assignments we have been given during our UB career have been just projects? Most not suitable for presentation to a client? I'd like to hear other views and opinions on this, because I am quite irritated that teachers look at our work and say that most of it cannot be used because it was not work suitable (for example: fruit crate labels?). Why not give students assignments that they'll be able to use for portfolio pieces to present to clients? I think some of the syllabuses need to be revised drastically so that students have more options to work with for their last class... thoughts and opinions???