What it means to be a Terp

There was a lot of stuff that happened this week that I could talk about, not the least of which was a great Homecoming, well maybe all of it besides the actual football game. But I wanted to talk about a great event I was at that really made me proud to be a Terp.

The Friday before every Homecoming, the Alumni Association hosts a an event called the Golden Terp Brunch. "Golden Terps" are alumni who graduated 50 years ago and each year on their 50th anniversary they are invited back to be recognized and receive a medal of commemoration from the University President. They are joined by loved ones, University staff and administrators, and by those who are already Emereti (50+ years since graduation). I was humbled to speak before this group, joking about how foreign 50 years is to my 21 year-old mind. Bert Sugar, arguably the greatest boxing writer in the sport's history was chosen as the class speaker. It really was a great event!

But what impressed me more about this event wasn't the years since they had graduated or the degree by which the campus has changed; I was astonished to hear the pride they had, the fond memories they shared, and the pranks they still remember getting away with. As I said in my speech to them, we often focus on recruitment success in determining the success of an organization. However, it is the retention that is the true determinant of well we are doing. You can fool someone into accepting, joining, or coming through. That only takes a good sales person. There is no fooling someone once they are here.

If that brunch is any indication, there is something we've got here that really works. It's more than rankings and statistics and the strength of our incoming freshman classes. It's about relationships and connections and knowledge that extends beyond books. I am proud of that fact and I am looking forward to building upon it.

So if not before then, I'll see you at brunch in 50 years!

Best,
Andrew

Shouting Pride at UMD

It's a bit scary to realize, but we are actually half way through the semester at this point. Hopefully you are surviving mid-terms and papers and maybe even your parents visiting this past weekend.

I went to a ton of events and all seemed to be vibrant, but I wanted to point out one event that was particularly powerful. On Friday night, I went to TerPoets/Pride Alliance's event featuring Andrea Gibson. I am always impressed by spoken-word poets. I envy their ability to communicate their thoughts and feelings in words the way that they do. But this particular poet's ability to convey powerful political and personal messages was particularly moving. But Gibson proved on Friday to be more than just a poet; she was an ultimate performer. She carried the crowd through ups and downs, joking about the seeming negativity of her various poems. She was funny, charming, and powerful. If you haven't had the opportunity to watch a poet perform, I strongly encourage you to do so. I have been so impressed with TerPoets ability to bring talented acts to campus and in the talent that we have right here in our student body. TerPoets holds open mics every Tuesday at 6 pm in Dorchester Hall basement and this week's performer is supposed to be a great talent.

Beyond the performance, Andrea Gibson's performance came on the heels of the Pride Alliance's successful rally the day before. Unfortunately, I was out of town that afternoon and unable to make it, but I am proud to have signed the SGA's resolution and have offered my full support in fighting for full benefits for University faculty and staff. I hope that their activism will lead to this University adopting an equitable policy and for other state institutions to follow.

These student groups are two examples of some of the amazing work students are doing through our 550 student organizations on campus. If you aren't already, join some of them. If there isn't the one that you want, create it. If you have any questions about involvement in student organizations, contact Ruth Igielnik at ruth.igielnik@gmail.com. Have a great Homecoming Week!

Best,
Andrew

Strengthening our voice

First of all, I wanted to thank everyone who came out to the SGA Crab Fest on Thursday. The event was a huge success, bringing almost 1,300 students together to share in a Maryland treasure in a historical venue. The outpouring of positive feedback was encouraging and I am confident that this event is now secure as an annual campus tradition.

I also wanted to thank all those students who registered to vote and helped us reach our target goal for new registrations. If those already registered can join the 1,064 new voters we registered, we can make a lasting impact on the City Council and on politics for years to come.

Speaking of shaping politics, we face a serious challenge to keep tuition down with the state's projected $1.7 billion structural budget deficit. I have been fighting for funding to various members of the state Legislature and two weeks ago I attended a town hall meeting where the Governor described his proposal to overcome the budget shortfall. Governor O'Malley's proposal, among other things, increases the state corporate tax by 1% and half of the projected revenue will go to higher education funding. It is important to realize that this is only around $50 million which makes up only a small fraction of the total state funding necessary for higher education. Yet, this down payment makes an important (and seemingly obvious) link between the corporate world and the higher education institutions that provide those businesses with trained and qualified talent. I intend to work to ensure that this proposal comes to fruition and I hope to have your help as I do. We have become and will continue to be a regular presence in Annapolis because we cannot afford to let our needs be ignored.

As always, don't hesitate to contact me with any questions, comments or concerns. I cannot advocate on your behalf if I don't know what you want me to fight for! Have a great week...

Best,
Andrew