Why Greed?

Hello, avid readers.

Isn't spring in Baltimore just the loveliest? It smells great, it looks great... There are twenty shades of green in the yards across the street today, and I am a little dazzled by it.

Meanwhile, I am wandering through my daily mishmash of existential wonderings, and the ideas of Caring and Kindness keep popping up. More than usual, I mean. On my Twitter feed today, I received this quote: "It's never too late or too early to practice loving-kindness," -PEMA CHÖDRÖN. Last night, also on Twitter, a friend in Wisconsin was talking about the current trend of "wasicu." The term is a Native American one, from (I think) the Lakota Sioux, and it has layers upon layers of meaning. My friend meant it in its less benevolent aspect, as the person who is greedy, or the person who steals the fat.

The world is a little that way right now, and I am constantly surprised that most people seem so nonchalant about it.

So I challenge you, avid readers, to go forth and do something useful. Step outside your anxiety over finals, or the NHL playoffs, or whatever, and practice loving-kindess. Thwart wasicu. Be like Pema Chodron, or like Will Allen in Milwaukee (check him out at www.growingpower.org to see the potential we each hold within). And then make the world a fragment better. You get enough fragments, you get a mosaic, and the fragments are no longer debris.

How I Landed in the MPA Program

With an undergraduate degree from Maryland in mathematics, someone today asked me how I ended up studying public policy. It's kind of an interesting story.

I had worked for a Federal agency for a few years and done some volunteer work with nonprofits in Howard County and at UMD. I became interested in governmental and nonprofit management and even gained some knowledge in government finance. So I began looking for a graduate program that may meet those interests. In Maryland, two programs stood out. The first is the UMBC program in economic policy analysis. The second was the University of Baltimore program in public administration.

The UB program offered a few niceties the UMBC program didn't. It was designed for working professionals, allowing me to schedule courses around work. The MPA program's flexibility even allowed me to schedule around my volunteer activites. This was nice. The MPA program also offers an articulation option with the UMBC doctoral program in public policy, allowing me to extend my education past graduation from UB. I took that option.

I spent four semesters taking classes at both UB and UMBC, which offered many different perspectives on some material. Additionally, UMBC offers some economics courses UB does not. But UB offers financial management courses UMBC does not. I was able to get the best of both worlds this way. I am now finishing my first full year at UMBC, grateful for the preperation in social sciences the UB program gave a math geek. And what I learned in the UB program I continue to extend in my professional and volunteer lives, and even at home.

Term Options

Coming from a university with more term options to take courses, I wonder how much better would UB be if they did the same?... right now, there are only courses offered in the fall, spring and summer terms. Other schools offer minimester (which is during the winter break after Christmas) and some offer multiple summer terms, ranging from two week course, to seven or nine week course throughout the majority of the summer. I think having more term options would be appealing to a perspective student and to current ones. They would have more options to be able to finish their degree requirements and wouldnt be bound to just the three terms offered. But I guessit's because UB is not as large a scale school as some other universities and colleges are, they are not able to do so... but golly gee! If they could?... I probably would have been the first to sign up for those classes and finish school sooner than later.

Summertime is finally here!

In the words of Kenny Chesney, Summertime is finally here, Sweet summertime.

O how these last few weeks have been long, each day longer than the other as we gain closer and closer to the best time of the year.

I hear it from everywhere too! everyone is done with school, done with homework, doing as little as they can to pass. Its worse than Senioritis here at UB.

Personally, ive been done since spring break =) I cant take it anymore. ALL I THINK ABOUT IS SUMMER!!! I mean during class, I'm writing down my summer fun to do list and daydreaming about it all. here is what i have so far

Dave Matthews Concert
Little Italy Open Air Film Festival
Go to an Orioles game
Go to the Baltimore Comedy Factory
Busch Gardens Glory at the gardens on June 14th or June 28th
Six Flags
Day at the National Harbor
Adventure Park U.S.A.
Goddard Space Flight Center

and thats because im on a limited budget so trying to find cheap fun stuff to do is a must!!!

But like i was saying...Teachers if you are reading this....its over, give up, we are done with your tests, your homework, these stupid little "busy work" assignments. WE are done with these long classes, the lectures and everything else that reminds us of school....

Sorry folks, Sorry teachers and Sorry to anyone else who gives a crap

Because its time to kick back

Chillax with some light music, friends, food and fun....

ITS SUMMERTIME!!!!

The Phone...

So its about 11:20 pm on Tuesday evening (I'm getting a head start this week) and I just watched the new show on MTV called "The Phone". Now, based on the commercials and previews for this show, I thought it would be a little bit more dangerous than it was. After watching the pilot episode, which consisted of two people following a mad bomber through Seattle, I've come to the following conclusion: People will do just about anything for money, no matter how risky. Or maybe its just the people on this show. After their first challenge, the team received $5,000. After the second, they received $10,000...for a total of $15,000 halfway through the show. (In the end they won a total of $35,000). Now, the first two challenges were not that hard, but personally, I couldn't see myself participating in a game in which I didn't know my next move. Having to rely on another person for my safety is out of the question. And there's no way in the world that I would ever partake in death-defying activities for any amount of money.

So I guess my question is this: How far will people go for money? What will they risk for it? I think that our constant quest for money is the root of most evil taking place in this country. Now, I'm not saying this to start any type of economic/political debate, but just to illustrate that money is indeed the root of most, if not all, things evil. Now as far as this show goes, I found it to be entertaining, but what is it saying to those impressionable minds out there who are raised by television? I understand that television is for entertainment purposes, but we have to understand that the people watching these shows pay attention to whats going on...especially children.

If you saw the show, what did you think about it? And what do you think about the message the show sends, as far as participating in dangerous acts for money? Is it purely for entertainment or is there a bigger picture here?

Until next time UB...

"Learning" From a Distance

College courses have gone digital in every possible way. Now you can turn in papers by email, hold online discussions with other students in your classes, and even submit group work…all without leaving the comfort of your home computer. Convenient, yes, but is this really a good thing? When I was asked recently to write an essay on the pros and cons of Distance Learning, it made me wonder: What are we gaining and what are we losing by taking classes online?

Among UB students recently there has been uprising regarding a Writing 300 class which is a “combo” class, meaning half-online, half-in class. From what I’ve gathered, the amount of material and coursework the student is asked to complete is double that which you would find in a typical class. So why split the class? I can guess that the administration felt it would be a good way to cover the most required coursework in the shortest amount of time. But the students are frustrated, feeling as though they can’t keep up with what they are being asked to produce.

This need for more quantity leads to less quality in the classroom. I think that what we lose by taking classes online is the inter-personal communication which happens between students and teachers in the classroom. These communication skills are a necessity for students while in school but even more so in the workplace after graduating. Every company looks to hire a graduate with good social skills. There has to be a happy medium.

So what options do we have? Provide “webcam only” courses where discussions and lectures are held by students with webcams with live-feed? Refine these “combo” courses by asking students what works and what doesn’t? Technology will not slow down and online course offerings will not become less necessary. We have to evolve and blend our online and in-class curriculum to give the students and teachers what they need to succeed.

Day of Silence...sortof

Last Friday was the Day of Silence. I was home all that day, so you didn't know I wasn't talking.

But what, you ask, is the Day of Silence? I'm so glad you asked!

This year was the 13th annual Day of Silence. It began at the University of Virginia in 1996 in the hopes of creating a safe school space for all students, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. The goal is to draw attention to efforts made by students, faculty, staff, administration, or whoever to prevent violence and bullying directed toward GLBTQ students.

The way it works is simple: Participants take a vow not to speak for that day. Often they carry cards explaining the purpose of their silence. The goal is to be educational without being confrontational. Last year, when I was a high school English teacher in Brooklyn, NY, I managed a full day of freshman and sophomore classes without talking. Many of my students participated enthusiastically, and it was largely successful. My students took their place among the hundreds of thousands of kids who participated, in more than 8,000 schools.

Although each year's Day of Silence is always in honor of all students who face bullying, last year's was dedicated specifically to the memory of Lawrence King, a California middle school student who was gunned down at school by a classmate because of his sexual orientation and gender expression. This year we honored Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, an 11-year-0ld boy in Massachusetts. Carl hanged himself earlier this month to escape the constant bullying of his classmates and the tacit approval of his teachers. He did not identify as gay or trans, but the hatred was too much for him.

I did not hear anything about a Day of Silence at UB, although I was not on campus last Friday, and may have missed it. I suspect this is because there is not much in the way of a cohesive and connected queer student community. The UB Law School has a group called OUT Law, which is presumably GLBTQ-oriented, but that is, to my knowledge, the sum of queer student organization here. I would love to be wrong -- if you know something I don't, please share.

This is not UB's fault, certainly. Not only is our school part of the Maryland system, which bars discrimination based on sexual orientation, but also UB has struck me so far as a tolerant and open institution, welcoming and inclusive to everyone.

This means it's up to us. I propose that those of us who are GLBTQ University of Baltimore students find ourselves a faculty advisor and organize. I whole-heartedly invite straight students to join us as allies.

For more information, check out the GLSEN site, or email me via the link on my blogger profile page.