NOTE FROM THE STAFF
Hello and welcome to Community Matters, a newsletter from the Center for Democracy and Civic Life at UMBC. The Center’s work builds from the idea that all of us, and the ways we pull together to address challenges and create our shared future, truly matter. This newsletter offers a window into this work.
More than 14 months ago, when UMBC closed its physical campus in response to COVID-19, we decided to take all of our programs virtual rather than pausing them for the duration of the pandemic. We also chose to create programs for summer 2020, despite never having hosted summer programs before. We believed it would be more important than ever to create welcoming spaces for people to build connections, share stories, and make plans to shape our world together. At a time when people’s confidence in the future had been shaken, we wanted to be a wellspring of hope.
In retrospect, those were good choices. In the past year, we have hosted more than 60 programs for more than 2,000 people, double the numbers from the previous year. Those programs have been important connection points for members of our campus and wider communities, and have helped to sustain and deepen our sense of being present for each other in an isolating time.
We have benefited greatly from the wisdom and support of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners who have played central roles in our work, given us the benefit of their advice, and taken the work of fostering democracy as a way of life into their own spaces. Here at the close of the 2020-2021 school year, we are looking back with gratitude, and looking forward with inspiration.
Best,
David Hoffman, Romy Hübler, and Tess McRae
Center for Democracy and Civic Life Staff
FEATURED NEWS
Faith Davis Named 2021 Newman Civic Fellow
Alternative Spring Break (ASB) 2020 and 2021 leader Faith Davis has been named a 2021 Newman Civic Fellow in recognition of her dedication to public service. Through her work with ASB, as well as through her facilitation of other Center for Democracy and Civic Life programs and her research in other areas, her passion for and long-term commitment to social change have helped to shape the UMBC community. Faith will join the Center for Democracy and Civic Life staff as the Community Civic Engagement Intern for 2021-2022.
“Faith is someone who truly walks her talk. She is committed to making a difference through collaboration and engagement over the long haul. We are proud to work with her.” — David Hoffman and Romy Hübler
As a Newman Civic Fellow, Faith will join a national network of peers and mentors working towards finding solutions for challenges facing communities locally, nationally, and internationally.
Read more about Faith here.
Spring 2021 Graduates Celebrate Center for Democracy and Civic Life Connections
UMBCNews has published two stories featuring Spring 2021 graduates who worked with the Center for Democracy and Civic Life during their time as students:
Brandon Liu was an intern with the Center for Democracy and Civic Life in 2019-2020, and was a member of the coaching team for the Center’s STRiVE leadership for social impact retreat for several years.
“STRiVE transformed me from a student that kept my head down and didn’t think I was powerful enough, smart enough, connected enough to make change into someone who knew that coming as I am, I am already valuable and capable of affecting my communities.” — Brandon Liu
Tirzah Khan was an intern with the Center for Democracy and Civic Life in 2020-2021, and played a leading role in developing and launching the Retriever Tales podcast.
“[Retriever Tales has] truly reshaped my understanding of what it means to be part of a community, and what it means to be part of UMBC’s community.” — Tirzah Khan
Meghan Lynch was a member of the Political Engagement Committee that encouraged students to Cast [Their] Whole Vote in Election 2020 and continue their engagement after the election. She worked with the Center on a variety of initiatives dating to her time as an undergraduate student leader.
“Amidst all the fatigue and difficult news in the world, the Center, SGA, and GSA were able to coordinate very meaningful and well-attended events leading up to and after the election. [...] I left every one of these events feeling refreshed in a humble and grateful way.” — Meghan Lynch
Emily Paul was a PLACE Fellow with the Center for Democracy and Civic Life from 2019-2021, and served as a member of the national PLACE Collaboratory.
“I was able to access excellent research opportunities in the humanities [including the PLACE Project] that I never thought would be available at the undergraduate level.” — Emily Paul
Read more about Brandon, Tirzah, and Meghan here, and read more about Emily here.
Changing Maryland
On May 3rd, the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, the Student Government Association, and the Graduate Student Association hosted Changing Maryland, an opportunity for members of the UMBC community to learn about getting involved in the lawmaking process and contributing to the civic health of our state. More than 20 UMBC students, faculty, staff, and alumni spent the evening in conversations with state leaders whose legislative efforts address policing, prison and inmate rights, and environmental sustainability: Kim Coble (Executive Director, Maryland League of Conservation Voters), Jessica Feldmark (Maryland State Delegate, District 12), Brian Frazee (Vice President of Government Affairs, Maryland Hospital Association and President, UMBC Alumni Association), Cory McCray (Maryland State Senator, District 45), Charles Sydnor, III (Maryland State Senator, District 44), and Jake Weissmann (Chief of Staff, Office of the Senate President).
Changing Maryland is part of UMBC’s Cast Your Whole Vote campaign, which calls on all of us to commit fully to building strong, inclusive, and just communities in which everyone can thrive. Future Changing Maryland events will help members of the UMBC community participate in Maryland’s 2022 legislative session.
Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement 2021 Virtual Meeting
31 UMBC students, faculty, and staff are currently participating in the Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement 2021 Virtual Meeting, hosted by the American Democracy Project (ADP) and the National Association of Student Personnel Admin (NASPA), from June 3rd-5th and 9th-11th. Keep an eye out for reflections from members of the delegation in the July edition of Community Matters.
RETRIEVER TALES
At the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, we believe that stories are everything. We’re speaking with members of the UMBC community about their stories: what brought them to UMBC, what it means to them to be here, and what they hope for the UMBC community. Each month, we’ll be releasing new episodes of the Retriever Tales podcast in this newsletter.
What experiences come to your mind as you listen to these stories? Let us know at civiclife@umbc.edu.
Brittini Brown, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, explains the values that have been at the heart of her UMBC experience.
Dinah Winnick, Director of Communications and Content Strategy with the Office of Institutional Advancement, shares her reflections on the evolution of UMBC’s unique culture.
Merhshad Devin ‘22, President of the Student Government Association, tells the story of how being involved in planning UMBC’s response to COVID-19 deepened his appreciation for collective decision-making.
Tyler Fultz, Coordinator of Quarantine and Isolation Housing with Residential Life, explains how their supportive UMBC colleagues have helped them develop a restorative mindset to build community and address conflict.
UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES & VIRTUAL PROGRAMS
Civic Courage Journaling Project Gathering
Friday, June 25, 2021 ∙ 3:15 - 4:45 p.m.
The Civic Courage Journaling Project creates opportunities for individual reflection and group conversations about personal experiences that have important, often hidden civic dimensions. Civic Courage, identified by the Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement (CLDE) Theory of Change as one of the capacities necessary for active and engaged citizenship, encompasses the ability to take risks, work through tension, be patient in the face of challenges, stay open and engaged, take responsibility for the foreseeable consequences of one’s actions, face changes bravely, and act in accordance with one’s core values and beliefs.
UMBC student, faculty, staff, and alumni journal bearers respond to prompts from the Center for Democracy and Civic Life by creating entries in their journals. We share the prompt via email during the week before each gathering. If you’d like to be involved with the Civic Courage Journaling Project, send us an email: civiclife@umbc.edu.
To contact the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, email civiclife@umbc.edu.