Put Your Manners to the Test

Posted on February 28, 2017 by USG

It’s Fat Tuesday! When you hear those words you might start to imagine people eating king cake or really any food for that matter. Fat Tuesday has me picturing someone licking their fingers after eating ribs or cheetos, or letting out a sigh of satisfaction as a result of drinking something refreshing.

This might be a cool way to celebrate on this day of indulgence, but I am 100% sure you’d likely not do this in front of colleagues at a business related dinner.

USG is co-hosting a Spring Etiquette Dinner on Wednesday, March 8th from 5pm-8pm. This dinner will feature a guest speaker who will teach students how to speak professionally and behave during a dinner meeting. Is this a fake dinner? No! It’s the real deal. You’ll be eating food prepared by UMES students in the hospitality and tourism management program.

Free dinner? Important life lessons? Local event? I’m in…but wait…there’s a waiting list?!

Despite this news – you should RSVP https://goo.gl/forms/2J2eJ9cBFKjmTib92 and even email Jessica Johnson at jjohns18@umd.edu about your interest. Your voice should be heard, and perhaps this could lead to more similar events in the future.

If anything, today is a good reminder to 1) treat yourself and 2) get those manners straight at the dinner table!

 

 

 

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What Drives you?

Posted on February 27, 2017 by ernieg

I have started reading more as I get older. My dream mentor Warren Buffett has taught me that I must read about anything and everything. Most people want to accomplish their goals and I feel the same way. I want it to do it in an area I love. I wake up thinking about cars and I day dream about them because to me I don’t just see a car as an object. I see them for their true beauty and what they can do for us. Yes, I know that cars don’t have feeling’s but I still care for them because cars make me think about how I will accomplish my goals. Warren Buffett said, “you can’t be good at everything but you can find one thing and be the best at that”. I find that my hobby of working on cars has made me very passionate person about automobiles. Now I work on helping people find a car they love and my job is fun because I enjoy what I do. I read about car companies when they were at the highest selling point and also the lowest selling point. I try to learn as much as possible about every car company because I want to be the best at what I do. I want to work in global sales and I don’t want just to be good I want to be great! What Drives me to get up every day is that I want to be the best.  When I walk around the USG campus I see that every person I passed they are driven which drives me to work harder. Also, I love my major (Marketing Robert H. Smith School of Business) because I feel that the more I learn the closer I become to making my goals become a reality.

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Pharmacy Students Take Annapolis

Posted on February 25, 2017 by USG

There aren’t too many school related things I’m willing to get up for at 4 AM, but Legislative Day is an example of an event I never miss. For the past two years, I’ve rolled out of bed before the crack of down, made myself presentable, put on my white coat, and driven to the USG campus where a shuttle bus would take me and several other pharmacy students to our state’s capital.

On February 16, student pharmacists from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy joined the Maryland Pharmacy Coalition (MPC) as well as students from University of Maryland Eastern Shore School of Pharmacy and Notre Dame of Maryland School of Pharmacy to speak with members of the Maryland General Assembly about important issues central to the role of pharmacists as health care providers. Most of these issues surround what pharmacists can do to provide optimal patient care and help reduce health care costs.

As a resident of district 19, I had the opportunity to speak with my district’s representatives, Delegates Bonnie Cullison and Marice Morales as well as Senator Roger Manno. Cognizant of their busy schedules, my group’s primary focus this year was on just two bills that MPC is in support of:

  • SB363/HB613, which authorizes a pharmacist to prescribe and dispense specified contraceptives, and
  • SB815/HB1031, which allows students in their first year of pharmacy school to be eligible for registration as a pharmacy intern.

The points we made and the stories we shared to drive them home were well received by each person we spoke with. Our fingers are crossed that their support will help these bills become signed into law. The positive energy and enthusiasm from students and pharmacists alike, along with the knowledge that we really can help shape the future of pharmacy, are what motivate me to come back to Annapolis every year and advocate for my profession.

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University of Maryand School of Pharmacy Students from USG outside the Maryland State House

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“International Night”Through my Eyes.

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Samuel

I am pretty sure you guys read about Joel past post about International Night and now are familiar with the term, goals, and conceptions this celebration brings withing the school and the community. So, here is a little memoir of it through the eye of one of the collaborators. I must say this account would be filled with personal opinion and ways to look at the event.

So, I was at International Night 2017 as part of the organizing crew with the SEB and representing the International Club and the African Club. I was part of the fashion show, and was performing with my clubs.

I got there early, around five o’clock, to set up my table and make sure the people that signed up for the fashion show and the table that I requested were in and all set to go. My friends brought in some food that was displayed on our table. He brought “jollof rice” and meat. As a true African there is no party or event without real “Jollof rice”. For those who does not know, “Jollof rice” is one of the most common dishes in Western Africa, consumed throughout the region. It is in the top five foods well known in the country and appreciated by everyone. Matter of fact, it was all gone in twenty minutes, I barely had time to turn back and see what happened. On my table, there was also Jewelries from Togo handcrafted with beautiful motif and symbols.

Around 6 o’clock, students and friends started poring in and were visiting the tables each country represented. There El Salvadore, Rwada, Brazil, China, Liberia, Ethiopia, Peru, and more. Shortly after, people started taking their seats and I was rallying members of my group to see if everyone was there and if we were ready to start. I looked around and Tiffany, the president of the SEB, was doing the same as she was talking to Dewan, marketing major and our DJ for the night.

Around 6:45PM Tiffany got my attention and we were heading to the stage to announce that we were starting the event. We started with the “Lion Dance” which was a tremendous success and kept the audience’s attention. Then came the fashion show with people representing different countries. I, for myself, represent Togo, Rwada.

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After the fashion, there was trivia question then a little break were students and parents were able to fully enjoy the countries represented and also try their food or garnishments they filled their table with. The music was rolling, DJ Walter did an amazing job. Everyone was discovering new cultures and enjoying their time. I even caught Dr. Stewart Edelstine learning some African dance.

Professor and faculties were united under music, were having fun, discovering, and relaxing. After the break, we started the performances, there was dance routines, poem reading, and a drum show throughout the night.  The African dance performed by the African Club rallied a lot of heart and claps together, people were off their seats and dancing along. Kids, young parents, grandparents were dancing and learning to dance. Faith, President of Student Council, read an amazing poem full of emotions and passion. She also performed an African dance which was surprisingly well done. I will frame her determination and passion in my experience and will remember these moments for ever.

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Friends were made and friendship renewed. I met a girl called Rachel, she stole the show yesterday as she represented Togo. She sung, danced, and read a poem. She was a new student yet really comfortable representing where she was from. Also, alumni that left already came back one more time exited to see us and renew promises and contacts.

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The night was great and was crown by a little dance at the end were every one had the floor.Everyone was dancing and having fun all together. Friends, parents, and faculties were showing off their moves and dancing skills.

The whole night went smoothly there was not one complaint and everybody enjoyed their time. People that I have seen on campus that were shy came out to be social butterflies and were making new friends and asking to meet specific friends from certain countries.

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International Night

Posted on February 23, 2017 by USG

Good morning!

Tonight, the Universities at Shady Grove is hosting a very special event, from 6pm to 9pm – International Night! This event only occurs once during the spring semester – you don’t want to miss out!25901495570_9a90b4cf96_k.jpg

What exactly is International Night about? As the name implies, it is a multi-cultural event. Cultures from many different countries will be represented in one room.

The event exposes attendees to different cultures, by watching cultural dances, listening to different music,  and eating food from around the world.

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When people first enter the event, they are greeted by many tables. Each table represents a country, with food and information on it. People standing by the table are dressed in the traditional clothing of that country.

In addition to the tables, there will be multiple cultural dances performed by students at USG.

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Following the dances is a fashion show, displaying different fashion styles across the globe.There is even a talent show, starting at 8:15 pm. Students will sing, dance and show off other talents to the attendees.

International Night is a great event to attend, to learn about other countries or just to have fun!

As student blogger Gabedaniel states, International Night is a great way to break down barriers, and learn about other cultures, all while having fun doing so!

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Accounting, Robots, and Drones

Posted on February 21, 2017 by M

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“Uber Tests Self-Driving Cars”
“Amazon Testing Drone Delivery System”

We are constantly hearing buzz about technology and how companies like Amazon, Uber, Tesla, and many others are looking to innovate. I must say that it is even more exciting to hear when these innovations relate to my particular major. Over winter break, when I was participating in the accounting study abroad trip, a common theme that came up during many of our visits to public accounting firms abroad was how technology is completely transforming the accounting industry.

One accounting firm we visited in London spoke about how they would like to explore the use of drones. I remember thinking to myself, how could the use of drones possibly be beneficial when it comes to doing accounting work? However, the presenter went on to explain how during certain audit engagements, if they can have drones fly over certain areas, such as open cast mines, for example, the auditors can monitor the progress instead of having to actually visit these acres and acres of land. 

Hearing about examples like these where accounting firms are looking to invest more and more in new technologies inspired our team to present about this matter at the 2nd Annual Global Showcase, put together by the Office of Global Initiatives (OGI) and the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) at the Smith School of Business.

The event’s purpose was to celebrate global learning by giving all business students who studied abroad during the 2017 winter break (which happened to be more than 100 students who went abroad this winter break) the opportunity to present about their global learning experience. There were 40 student poster board presentations on display, and the Office awarded $2,500 in global scholarships.

For the showcase, my team and I put together a presentation that combined the topics of accounting, drones, and our predictions of how machine learning could result in robots doing accounting work in the future. And the results? My team and I were able to somehow “wow” the judges and we won the Enterprise and Innovation category, along with the $500 prize money that came with the category win! If you weren’t already convinced to sign up for a study abroad based on all the posts about studying abroad on our Around the Grove blog, I hope this post at least sparked an interest! 

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Let’s all be Losers

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Christine

…in terms of weight, I mean.

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one-third (36.5%) of U.S. adults have obesity. Obesity can lead to conditions such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of preventable death.

We can measure our Body Mass Index (BMI) to determine our bodies’ fatness. A BMI is a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters.

  • If your BMI is less than 18.5, it falls within the underweight range.
  • If your BMI is 18.5 to <25, it falls within the normal.
  • If your BMI is 25.0 to <30, it falls within the overweight range.
  • If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the obese range.

This is why I think it is very important for us know our BMIs. Once we realize we maybe well in the “overweight” range, we need to work hard to make sure it doesn’t progress to the “obese” range.

As a Public Health professional, I obviously know this kind of information. However, I am a hypocrite. I am obese. I was recently diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension. I was always overweight, even as a child. I could have worked harder to maintain my body weight, but it was too hard. My cultural (Asian/Burmese) foods are too tempting. I didn’t have time to prepare nutritious meals. Healthy fast food costs too much …and my reasons go on.

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I am the heaviest I have ever been right now, due to full time grad school, full time work, sedentary lifestyle, and unhealthy food choices. My recent diagnoses were definitely a wakeup call. At this point, I can’t complain “my friends eat like me too but they’re not fat” and just let my weight issues be. If I don’t make a change now, I will be at risk of so many adverse health conditions, and soon too.

This is why I’ve decided to participate in USG’s Biggest Loser Challenge starting this Monday, Feb 20th by joining the process of weighing in between 12:30-1:30pm. It’s a 10-weeks weight loss contest hosted by the Campus Rec Center.

I want to invite everyone to join in this challenge too, if you can!

Let’s lose weight together!
Let’s lose (or decrease) our risks of disease!
Let’s lose our negative attitudes and live healthier lifestyles!
Let’s all be losers together. 🙂

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Google-Fu

Posted on February 18, 2017 by andrewstinton

Google-Fu

noun (ˈɡuːɡ(ə)l ˈfu)
A modern skill involving a mastery of numerous search engine features which enable a web searcher to find anything on the internet faster than a kick by Jackie Chan

By now we’re all well accustomed to the act of pulling out a smartphone at a bar or in a meeting at work to look up some fact relevant to the conversation. While some may think this is rude, that’s not what this article is about. For the past two decades, there have been modern search engines to help us navigate the nearly 5 billion web pages that make up the internet. These search engines are incredibly powerful, but by some estimates, Google has only 0.004% of the internet!

But they are also the best tools we have to make sense of all that information. So, learning how to use them well, will inevitably make your life easier. Fortunately, there are quite a few web pages to help you learn how to do that. Here are some tools to know that should work at Google, Bing, Yahoo! or any other.

“exact phrase”
Will return only pages that contain exactly that exact phrase. (Don’t make any typos!)

+and -minus
Preceding a word with a plus or minus sign will return pages that +have or do -not have that exact term.

*
The * is a bit of a wild card. Think of it as the part you can’t remember. If you weren’t sure about song lyrics, for example, you could search for something similar to: “there’s a * on the the rise”

site:domainname.com
This tool is a powerful one that I use frequently. This tool will return only pages with a particular web address. If I want to know what the EPA’s official stance is on GMO salmon, I will search for: +gmo +salmon site:epa.gov

filetype:
Returns only files of a particular type as in: cat meow filetype:mp3

loc:
Will mostly return pages related to the specific location that follows as in: wine bars loc:NYC

Another great tool that is especially useful to students and others in academia is Google’s Scholar Search. The next time you are researching any topic, give scholar.google.com a try. Google Scholar only returns scholarly literature. This will help to reduce your time spent researching a topic by eliminating web pages from sources that aren’t as trustworthy or reliable as peer-reviewed research.

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Stress: It’s Just Not Worth It!

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Rebecca Gale

I don’t know about you all, but the whirlwind of work has already set in for me this semester. I have a lot on my plate in the coming months, which is both invigorating and overwhelming. It can be tough to find just the right workload that pushes you to achieve without leaving you burnt out. If you’re starting to feel burnt out and overwhelmed by the coming semester, maybe it’s time for you to take a step back and evaluate what’s on your plate.

In life, it can be easy to let your choices be dictated by what other people expect of you. It’s great to get advice from others and be mindful of other people’s expectations, but I think it’s also important to learn to put your foot down and stand up for  your own needs at times.

It’s awful to feel like you’re drowning in never-ending commitments. Sometimes we become so convinced that we have to do everything or we can’t let people down that we stay in extremely stressful, even toxic, circumstances. But we end up hurting ourselves and even letting others down even more because we can’t give all the tasks we’re juggling our full attention.

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De-stress picture #1! (Taken in Prince Edward Island, Canada, one of the least stressful places I know of!)

Of course, sometimes we really have to shoulder a ton of different things in our lives; it’s beyond our control. If that’s the case, it’s still important to draw a line and not let work and other commitments take over your life. Make time to relax and remember to take care of yourself by doing things as simple as eating regularly, getting sleep, and staying hydrated.

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the semester already, consider doing some of these things:

  1. Cut something out of your life. Drop a class, ask to reduce your hours at work, cut back on the number of organizations you’re in…You don’t have to do everything! It’s more important for you to be healthy and for you to do things well, giving them your full attention.
  2. Build a support network. Find one or two supportive friends or family members who you know you can go to when you’re overwhelmed. Maybe even delegate one of them to be your “No” person who will remind you not to take on more than you can handle!
  3. Find a professor or other staff member to mentor you and help you navigate all that’s on your plate. We have wonderful, caring staff here at USG, and they are here to support students and are often more than happy to give advice, offer encouragement, and answer questions.
  4. Consider talking with a counselor at USG’s Center for Counseling and Consultation or attending one of their free workshops teaching skills to handle stress and live a healthy life.

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    De-stress Activity: Imagine yourself on a beach! (Photo by Rebecca Gale)

  5. Take time to de-stress. Plan little breaks in your day. Take a walk outside and look around at the scenery, noticing things you haven’t before. Sing along to the radio in your car. Find a hobby as simple as coloring or learning how to make smoothies to give you breaks so you don’t feel like you’re drowning in work.
  6. Enjoy good conversations with friends, even on a busy day. One of the first things that tends to go when I get busy is socializing, but taking time for a laugh or honest chat with a friend can really go a long way.
  7. Get rid of things in your life that bring you down instead of lifting you up. Avoid unnecessary extra stress…Does the news send you into a rage whenever you see it? Does social media overwhelm you or make you feel like you’re not good enough? Avoid things on your phone, TV, and computer that add to your daily frustration.

I know it can be tough sometimes to say no to things and it’s easy to feel like a “wimp” for trying to take care of yourself, but I honestly believe it’s for everyone’s benefit if we all manage our lives to be a healthy balance so we can be our best selves and be able to step up to the plate in the tasks we are faced with. Stress can really take its toll on relationships and mental and physical health, so be wise about controlling the amount of stressors in your life and learning how to cope well with stress when it does arise.

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Breaking Walls

Posted on February 16, 2017 by USG

Many have asked how I do it, how I live away from my entire family and seem not to be phased by it at all. This question is asked very often especially around the Valentine season where love is in the air.  In fact, just recently I met a new international student here on our diverse campus at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG), who was fresh off the boat as we say in my circles and was having some difficulty adjusting as she had built up many personal walls.

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Personal Walls

 

Her questions regarding this made me think long and hard as to how I survived the transition stage to now be relatively successful. My immediate conclusion was that I do not have a heart as I was told on more than one occasion “you have an icebox where your heart is supposed to be.” When it was announced in August 2011 that I, Gabriel Daniel, Corporate Accounts Executive of Digicel Guyana, the Bigger Better Network, would soon be pursuing studies abroad instead, many wondered why. The answer was a surprisingly simple one; it was time for me to leave the nest. About a year before I realized I was in a place and in a position in life that I had always dreamed about. I realized that everyone in my life was in a place to carry on without me and with that, I left the job that I worked about five years to achieve. I made the decision pretty quickly and expected nothing more than to just pack my bags, get on a plane (yes I came on a plane and not a boat as many of you think) and then attend classes in pursuit of my degree. 

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My travel

 

The transition to the new environment was not easy at first, but here I am five years later, still going strong. After writing this piece of reflection, I can now confidently say to Jane and any other international student, that the secret to my success and perhaps to your’s, will be the friendships that you forge. Something I think we should not lose sight of. And you could not ask for a better environment than the USG campus to do just that. At USG there are so many services available and opportunities presented to help you transition and break those personal barriers. For example, the upcoming International Night Event happening next Thursday, February 23rd presents a wonderful opportunity to join in on the free celebrations, featuring multi-national foods, music, poetry slam, fashion, and talent show. Although the timing for the event 6 pm to 9 pm will be during one of my class sessions, I will surely find a way to attend, so I encourage you to do so also!

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International Night Info

 

Seems pretty simple, right? But believe me, I understand if you are reading this and thinking, easier said than done! I was raised in a culture where we were sternly told to avoid social distractions (friendships) and focus on the academic prize. However, it is important to realize that friends can have educational as well as social benefits. So in conclusion, I encourage you to go forth building friendships and not walls, and all shall be well. You don’t have to take my word for it but I think Bob Marley was pretty spot on when he said “none but ourselves can free our minds.”

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