If I Had a Time Machine (Posted on behalf of Rachel Safferman)

Posted on May 5, 2016 by USG

If I Had a Time Machine…

These are the things I would have told myself prior to beginning nursing school four semesters ago. Though time travel has not yet been perfected, perhaps these tid-bits will find their way into the brain of a future of nursing student.

What I wish I knew…

  1. SAVE EVERYTHING: Seriously, every textbook, research paper, and notebook. It will come in handy at some point in your nursing career. I can vividly recall many instances where I thought “Ugh, I wish I still had those Diabetes notes from first semester,” but I cannot recall any times where I wish I had not.
  2. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT MORE POSSIBLE: Though perfection is rare and rather impossible, I am convinced that doing as many practice questions as possible gives you the confidence, skills, and knowledge to tackle much of the content learned in school. Invest in a good practice test question bank and scale the Internet for more! You will become a beacon of information, some relevant, and some just fun to know.
  3. TO KNOW YOUR RESOURCES, IS TO LOVE YOUR RESOCURCES: Day one, scope out the supports that are set in place. At Shady Grove, these are PLENTIFUL. Go to Guided Study Sessions to review content and ask questions, utilize the writing center when you have concerns about those dreaded research papers, and consult the student counseling center if you are feeling like you need an ear to listen or a sounding board to vent.
  4. BUILD A SOLID FOUNDATION: If you are confused on the first day of class, right then is the best time to address your questions! Everything you learn today is the jumping off point for what you will learn tomorrow.
  5. FIND YOUR PEEPS: This is my favorite one! I have met some of my very best friends in nursing school! These people wholeheartedly understand you. Over the next four semesters, you will laugh, cry, struggle, and triumph alongside this incredible group of people. You will form a little family, and families stick together. You will help each other to succeed and pick each other up when you fall. This cannot be overstated; I love my nursing school “peeps!”
  6. ENJOY THE RIDE: There will be many late nights and early mornings, but remember why you started. You are entering a profession that you will love! All these crazy hours will be worth it, and you will receive everything you put in ten-fold. I have learned so much over these last four semesters, much of it content, but even more so about humanity. My patients inspire and motivate me to continue to work hard so that I can provide the highest quality and compassionate care. My classmates reassure me that the future of healthcare is in incredible hands. Looking back on where I have been and where I am going is unbelievably gratifying! I feel so lucky to be apart of this profession, and I hope you will too!
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Posted on May 4, 2016 by dereknehls

As a student ambassador I had the pleasure to attend the 2015 commencement celebration at the Universities at Shady Grove, and I was so impressed with the event  then that I can hardly wait for Friday when it will be my turn to be with my friends and family to celebrate graduating with my undergraduate degree.

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Our campus has class.  Live music, food, and drinks are graciously provided for the students and their invitees.  Weather permitting the quad will convert itself into a venue that serves perfectly for mingling and enjoyment of a day that will be remembered and cherished. When I was helping out last year I felt that the moment could not have been better planned.  Families arrived and attended a short keynote speech in the multipurpose room followed by the recognition of all the students graduating that fall semester.

With a capacity of up to 1,000 for students, family, friends and guests there won’t be a lack of space nor refreshments. This will be the 15th generation of graduating students since the first 36 students earned their degrees in 2002, and since USG opened its doors over 7,000 students have earned their diplomas at our campus.  The theme for this year’s event is “All Things Maryland.”  Live jazz music begins at 6:30.  If you can’t make it or just have free time to spare check out our live stream of the event through our USG YouTube channel.

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Music (Posted on behalf of Shana Frankel)

Posted on May 2, 2016 by USG

Music is one of my favorite ways to cope with both general life stressors, and especially during the emotional stress that occurs during the end of a semeste. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are the artists that have specifically guided me the most in my academic quest. I think it is safe to say that it was love at first listen when I heard the song Vipasanna (which literally refers to a teaching in Buddhism). I find the lyrics of this song to be so inspiring and they resonate with a lot of the feelings I have towards life. I’m going to break this post down by my favorite quotes throughout the song.

“Expectations are resentments waiting to happen.” This quote was introduced to me at the perfect time in my life. I was in a situation where I was setting ridiculously high standards, and ultimately knew I was setting myself up for disappointment. When I would get disappointed, I would end up being more frustrated with the situation. Pure proof that expectations are resentments waiting to happen. Of course expectations, to a certain extent, are crucial for productivity, but I have found it to be equally as crucial to really evaluate the realistic expectations that should be set in a situation before outdoing oneself.

“I don’t control life, but I control how I react to it.” As someone who likes to be in control of all situations that come her way, this quote was very humbling. I have this quote written down in my phone, and when something comes up that seems to be devastating or hard to handle, I read the quote and many times it helps me change my outlook. While it is hard for me to accept the blatant truth that I cannot control so many situations, it is liberating to know that I can relax a bit but still control my reactions. This is much easier said than done, still working on getting over the fact that I can’t control everything!

“I use my veins to create the colors I paint from, delve into self until my heart becomes my paint brush.” The message I take from this quote is that it is so important to be introspective about oneself and really take an interest in the self in order to learn who one really is at the core. Macklemore is clearly stating that the words he raps are coming from inside of him, and no other outside influences. The only way I see myself living the life that will have the most meaning and purpose involves delving into self until MY heart becomes MY paint brush. Even though the process of getting to that point (and I think there is no actual destination, because one is constantly evolving) might be challenging, and mentally painful at times, Macklemore reminds me that the journey has a reason and learning about the core of oneself is pertinent to growth.

“I was put here to do something before I’m lying in that casket, and I’d be lying on the beat if I said I didn’t know what that is. The world’s a stage and we play a character, I found him.” Macklemore’s belief that he was put on this earth to fulfill a specific purpose is similar to that of the Jewish concept that everyone is born with a certain ‘task’ to work toward. Macklemore figured out how to go about making his mark on the world and leaving it a better place than when he came into it and I hope that I can follow in his footsteps.

Do yourself a favor today, listen to this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkZwZ5xBye4

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And the Graduation Festivities Officially Begin

Posted on April 29, 2016 by zk16

Granted that University of Maryland, College Park students do not graduate till May 18th, but you can feel the end coming closer and closer.  USG campus has provided its graduating class this year (the 15th graduating class aka the best class) with tons of celebrations and reminders of their accomplishments. Here are some events that have been/will be going on, on campus:

Leadership Bash: The leadership bash is an event held to commemorate leaders on campus every year.  It used to be more of a formal event, but now has turned into a casual way for on campus leaders to hang out, take some photobooth photos, do arts and crafts, and much more.  Check out Menaza’s post for details.

Senior Week: Graduation perks are definitely the best.  This year, during senior week, USG were giving free cork coasters and coffee refills if you wrote down your most memorable moment that you’ve had at The Universities at Shady Grove.

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Biological Sciences End of the Year Party: Last night the biological sciences program held its End of the Year party here in the multi Purpose room in building 2. There was food, dancing, photobooth sessions, baby picture guessing, and we ended it all with a toast. It is something that is really special about the BioSci program here at USG- we are extremely close to each other.

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USG Graduation Celebration: The USG graduation is a ceremony that everyone at USG that is graduating is invited to attend.  Everyone dresses up (check out the pictures from last year here and watches a senior slideshow, eats refreshments and drinks wine, and celebrates their last moments at USG.  It looks like a ton of fun and I hope to see all my fellow graduating students there a week from today!

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Biological Sciences program last year at the graduation celebration. Can’t wait till this is us next week!

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Something Unexpected I gained from USG

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Christine

Sometimes, we take things for granted. Sometimes, we do things we have to and move on. Sometimes, we don’t realize what we gained in the process.

For example, students come to USG for a degree because of the easy access to campus, smaller class sizes, flexible schedules, and many other personal reasons. Most USG students have very busy lives outside of school so their education at USG can be described as “in and out”.

I first attended the Public Health Science program at Shady Grove because College Park didn’t have that major at the time. I planned to be “in and out” in 2 years too. I did graduate within 2 years. My initial goal really was to just focus on school and not get involved in campus because I have a bad habit of getting distracted. That didn’t go according to plan. I joined 2 very memorable clubs that I later became officers of: Student Leadership Association (SLA) and Students Engaged in Public Health (SEIPH). I met many colleagues and friends through the clubs and through my classes or work for the Public Health Science program.

Little did I know that this “Life at USG” will follow to my “Life after USG”. I assumed I’ll move onto a different stage in my life after I graduate. I did move on. I’m in Grad School now, but still at UMD. I am fortunate enough to have my contract as a Graduate Assistant renewed so I will still be working at USG. Most of all, the friends I thought I met because of the clubs I joined or the classes I attended…they’re still in my life!

Friends are definitely an integral part of my life. I’m an only child, so friends are the closest things I have to siblings. I’ve known that, but I never realized how important and amazing it is to have friends who were part of my life at USG as an undergrad. There were so many ups and downs that only they could relate. Being in the same major definitely helps too. Even after our graduation and even though we have dissimilar interests in Public Health, we still understand each other  and support in our journey to whatever’s next after “Life at USG”. We’re such a diverse group that I don’t think we would ever be friends in High School, but by fate, we met at USG. Now, they are such a big part of my life that I don’t know what I’d do without them. I do know that they will always be there for me, and I would do the same for them.

Thank you, USG, for bringing me some of the best friends a girl could ever ask for.

I want to give a big shout out to Cynthia, Wanda, Nicole, and Sara. ❤

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The Third Annual Film Festival: Presented by the UMDCP Comm Program at USG

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Layla.Katharina
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Flyer designed by Comm371 student D. Wayne Nichols.

It’s that time of year again —

Students are scrambling to make their final cuts and faculty and staff is frantically working to pull off the finishing touches.

I’m talking about the UMDCP Communication Film Festival!

The first inaugural USG film festival was hosted in Spring 2014 and has proven successful as it has now reached its third year.

The film festival features student films from various film classes in the Communication program such as Advocacy Film, Documentary Film, Genre Film, and more.

The Communication program at USG is different because it has a focus on digital media and visual communication. That means that our program offers classes like Communication and Digital Imaging, Communication and Digital Media, Documentary Theory and Practice and more. Through these classes, students familiarize themselves with Adobe Creative Suite and through continuous practice gain experience in professional editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Dreamweaver to name a few.

The film fest is the ideal opportunity for our department to show off the unique skills and talents students have learned through these hands on digital media courses.

Currently, the film classes at USG are taught by professor Adam Nixon who is also a working professional in the media and production world and is the lead producer for a TV show at Alhurra News.

I wanted to understand the media industry from a professional’s perspective, someone who knows the business and who also knows the communication program here at USG, so Professor Nixon gave me the inside scoop:

  1. Today’s new media industry has a high demand for a versatile skill set and experience in the kinds of software that the communication program offers, his exact words — graduates will find that they can leave here with this set of tools and be immediately an expert in some aspect of media production.
  2. The key to a successful career in media production is learning how to do it all. That means learning how to write, how to use the equipment and technology, learn how to use the software, and then pulling it all together.
  3. The most important goal that professor Nixon aims to achieve in his teaching is being able to replicate his film school academia while also grounding his lessons in real world experience. This is critical since filmmaking is a very broad yet specific field which is why it’s important to understand the process from both an academic and professional standing.

Now that you know a bit about the media industry and about the UMDCP communication program its time to show your support for our hard working students! Tomorrow at the film festival you will be able to vote on your favorite  photos, screenplays, and films. Enjoy popcorn and refreshments, good company, and a good cause – supporting your local artists!

 

 

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Ambassadors Take Over Leadership Bash

Posted on April 26, 2016 by M

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While this is only my second semester at The Universities at Shady Grove, I have already been able to observe the way that this campus excels at providing a variety of student life activities, for both educational and recreational purposes.

As evident by the types of events hosted, USG also goes above and beyond to celebrate students’ achievement on campus. This time, I had the pleasure of attending the annual Leadership Bash on April 21st hosted by the Office of Student Services. This event is held annually for students currently enrolled in a program at USG who demonstrate service and leadership on campus. Continue reading →

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Summer Olympics

Posted on April 25, 2016 by John Arthur

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Winter Olympics are always fun to watch, but the summer games are most exciting to me. Feats of strength, speed, and agility make up track and field events, with my favorites including pole vault, long jump, and hurdles. Swimming is also fun to watch, and Michael Phelps will be back again this year, hoping to prove that he’s still a top competitor.

In the past, the games have often had political and social movements tied to them. The 1968 Olympic games in Mexico City come to mind with its iconic picture of Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists in support of the American Civil Rights movement.  Competitors have also had to deal with dangers of all kinds, including the 1996 Atlanta games bombing and the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, where deadly cobras were found in the athlete village.

This year the games will be held in Rio de Janeiro, and if you’ve been following the news, you know that Brazil has been dealing with the Zika virus. The New York Times has recently published a piece discussing athlete responses to the health scare. It will be interesting to see how the Olympic committee and the Brazillian government handle the situation.  For more information on Zika, you can attend the Fighting Zika event this Wednesday on campus from 5 to 6:30 pm and listen in on a panel discussion.

The USG campus has great public health events throughout the year, such as the Fighting Zika event and Tots, Shots, Connecting the Dots. If you missed the vaccination event last February, you can get information about the session and its goals at a School of Pharmacy blog put up by my fellow School of Pharmacy student, Erika Saunders.

I hope you all stay motivated in these last few weeks of the year.  Keep your eyes open for summer opportunities, and be sure to get outside and enjoy the weather.

I’ll see you around campus.

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Dining With The Chefs Pt.2: 17 Chefs 1 Goal

Posted on April 22, 2016 by Layla.Katharina

 

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Celebrity chef Jeff Eng (Mohawk) finalist on chopped.

In Dining With The Chefs Part 1 — I gave a general overview of what to expect at the fundraiser, its mission and goals, and my role in producing the DWTC advocacy video. Now it’s time to talk about the success of this event!

The dinner hosted by the UMES Hospitality & Tourism Management Program took place this past Monday April 18th, 2016 at the USG campus Multipurpose Room.

It kicked off with a cocktail hour which included drinks and snacks like Italian gazpacho,  hummus and avocado dip, french bread with cured meats, as well as Dogfish Head craft beers.

Next came the official welcome by Ruth Lee, Director of the UMES Hospitality program as well as a welcome from our Executive Director Dr. Stewart Edelstein. Dr. Edelstein stressed an important message in his speech — the importance of giving back to the community. Continue reading →

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Hard work pays off

Posted on April 20, 2016 by dereknehls
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Derek Nehls, my uncle Walter Nehls, and Director of Undergraduate Programs of Robert H. Smith School of Business, Luke Glasgow

This has been the event that has validated all my hard work and efforts over that past four years. Its the culmination of taking the right decisions, staying focused, being competitive and pushing myself beyond my capabilities and discovering that I was capable of achieving so much more by working harder and pushing myself beyond my limits.  Its a hard difficult journey that when done opens your eyes to your true potential.  Making it this far, completing my degree after having failed before and losing myself for ten years, most people thought I’d never even make it to the podium. But here I stand, among the best of our entire campus, and I can say proudly that I have redeemed myself and give proof to everyone that you are never ever too late to achieve greatness and accomplish your goals.

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The prize

Bright and early at 8 am our gran award ceremony took place in the multipurpose room in building II.  The banquet room was gloriously decorated, the big round tables were perfectly set, and the stage was ready for an event that included a buffet style breakfast, a guest speaker, a montage video featuring all of the awardees and finally, our moment to walk the stage to college our awards.

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The Smith School Clan of rising stars

I was glad to see my peers and their families celebrating with them on this occasion.  The committee that selects the candidates for these awards must have the most difficult job on campus, we produce so many top students its like splitting hairs picking out the best. This event was as amazing as every other thanks to the superlative work carried out by the Marriott Hospitality and Restaurant Management department.  They deserve a special thanks.

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