COMMUNICATION
IS
A newsletter for UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends
THE November 4, 2011
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A University of Maryland Eastern Shore community service project, which brought 300 Thanksgiving meals to needy families a year ago, has doubled its goal for 2011. Two staff members of the Residence Life Department at UMES, Clifton Harcum and Phillip Thomas, are working this year with the Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement (PACE) at Salisbury University and the Maryland Food Bank to provide 600 holiday meals to residents in need in Wicomico and Somerset counties. “Times are tough out there,” Harcum said. “With the economic downturn, more people than ever need any assistance the community can offer. We’re here to help.” Harcum said that bringing Salisbury University on board this year makes it possible to “extend the reach of generosity to Wicomico County residents.” Students from both universities and community volunteers will pack baskets filled with a complete Thanksgiving dinner for four donated by area businesses and individuals. Meals will not be served. The baskets will be distributed Nov. 19 to families identified as in need of assistance through local social services offices, churches and charitable organizations. Meals will be distributed to those holding a voucher from one of these groups. “Seeing the happy faces of family members when they are handed a
Photo by Jim Glovier
Community service project provides holiday meals to needy
Residence Life area directors, from left, Phillip Thomas and Clifton Harcum, are organizers of "A Day of Thanksgiving," a community service event providing meals to 600 needy families. The 2010 UMES “Day of Thanksgiving” food drive provided 300 needy families from Somerset County with a holiday meal. Organizers have doubled their goal this year and have added Wicomico County residents to the distribution.
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McDonald’s charity to sponsor UMES’ teen science camp
Tiffany and Tina Baxter (far left) present a Ronald McDonald House Charities of Baltimore check to sponsor a science summer camp at UMES coordinated by Brenda Dingwall (third from left) of NASA’s Wallops Flight Center. Also participating were McDonald’s of Princess Anne store manager Elizabeth Fleming; Denise Meade of UMES’ Honors Program; Dr. Ron Forsythe, UMES vice president of technology and commercialization; and Dr. Veronique Diriker, UMES’ director of development.
INSIDE
Page 2 Concert Choir performs Wind Ensemble fall concert
The sixth annual “Reach for the Stars!” summer camp for teens will be held in 2012 at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, thanks to a generous grant from the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Baltimore. Tina Baxter, an RMHC of Baltimore board member, and representatives of Salisbury-based Baxter Enterprises presented a $23,000 check to the university’s Institutional Advancement Office to sponsor next summer’s program. Baxter Enterprises is the franchisee for most McDonald’s restaurants on Delmarva. “Reach for the Stars!” offers 40 teens from Worcester and Wicomico counties an opportunity to learn about robotics from engineers who work at NASA and UMES. Six college students enrolled in UMES’ Rehabilitation Services Program also participate to apply their skills with children with special needs. Baxter visited the camp at UMES this past summer to investigate how it focuses on science education targeted specifically to middle schoolers. “The Reach for the Stars program is so representative of
Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Alumn director of honors program Coronation Pharmacy week Armwood lynching SGA president Q&A Alumni convocation Mosely exhibit Alumni recognized
McDONALDS / continued on page 2 Page 6 Athletics
Page 7 For a worthy cause
Page 8 Calendar of Events University Ads
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UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
Music in the air... UMES Concert Choir performs under new director When the University of Maryland Concert Choir takes to the stage Nov. 13 for its annual fall concert, the group will be under a new director for the first time in 21 years. Dr. Roy Belfield, a native of Petersburg, Va., will fulfill his goal of directing a college choir when he leads the 20-member choir for the first time at 4 p.m. in the Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts. Belfield came to UMES this past August as associate professor of music and director of choral activities at the university. He was the assistant director of choral activities at Winston-Salem State University for four years prior to coming to UMES. Belfield is a published composer and arranger. “My choral compositions have literally pulled me into conducting,” Belfield said. Under his direction, the choir will perform works by Rosephanye Powell, Adolphus Hailstork, Rene Clausen and R. Nathaniel Dett among others. “I look forward to the students realizing their hard work in rehearsals has paid off,” Belfield said. Dr. Troy Banks of Salisbury University will be the guest accompanist. The concert is free and open to the public. Call 410-651-6571 for more information. Dr. Roy Belfield McDONALDS continued from cover
Wind Ensemble performs at UMES
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Wind Ensemble performs its fall concert on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts. The 30-member instrumental group will be led by Mercury Morris, a UMES alumnus, teacher at Purnell Music Studio of Salisbury and former Somerset County music educator. The group is comprised of community musicians, alumni and faculty members Brian Perez and Patrick McHenry, along with university music education majors. Wind Ensemble arrangements and holiday favorites fill the program. “We are performing pieces from ‘Fanfare’ and ‘Allegro’ by Clifton Williams, ‘But Joy comes…’ by Williams Owens and traditional Christmas music done in an overture style,” Morris said. The concert is free and open to the public. Call 410-651-6571 for more information.
the type of children's organizations that our grants program supports, by directly serving the needs of children within a community,” Baxter said. “It is a program that addresses a much underserved area in the exploration of math and science while learning how to partner with students of different abilities.” The summer program, which began in 2007, is a collaborative project of UMES, NASA (Wallops), Worcester County Economic Development and the MidAtlantic Institute for Space and Technology. “This gift will make it possible for us to provide more students, particularly those students who are often overlooked, with an opportunity to get excited about science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” said Brenda Dingwall, equal opportunity specialist for NASA’s Wallops Flight Center. The two-week camp encourages participants to pursue careers in those academic disciplines that educators commonly refer to collectively as STEM. The camp serves children with disabilities, at-risk students as well as those who are gifted and talented. A Georgetown University economist recently produced a study that shows students who earn STEM degrees typically earn salaries that are 50 percent greater than those who major in the humanities.
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basket—that’s the payoff for our efforts,” Thomas said. “This is a great opportunity for us to help local families who are struggling this holiday season,” said Robby Sheehan, interim managing director of PACE. “We really thought that given the state of our economy, we needed to do something; partnering with UMES in this drive was a perfect opportunity,” Sheehan said. “After hearing how incredible this program was, PACE was eager to jump on board.” Businesses and organizations interest in donating food items or volunteers for assembling and distributing the baskets can call Harcum at 410-621-0497 or Thomas at 410-651-8306.
UMES PEOPLE
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UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
Alum returns to UMES as director of the Honors Program
Denise Meade
Photo by Jim Glovier
Denise Meade, a 2008 alumna from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, has come full circle, returning to the university as the director of the Richard A. Henson Honors Program. While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation services and a master’s in rehabilitation counseling at UMES, Meade interned with the “Reach for the Stars” summer science camp sponsored by UMES, NASA and the Worcester County Department of Economic Development. The internship led to a position with NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in the Equal Opportunity Office and later with the Mid-Atlantic Institute for Space and Technology (MIST). In both positions, her work focused on implementing diversity and education programs in STEM fields such as the “Reach for the Stars” summer camp and the year-round college internship program STEP-UP, the Science, Technology, Engineering Program for Under-Represented Populations. Meade implemented the NASA Early Career Hiring Initiative to aid in the recruitment, hiring and retention of minorities and individuals with targeted disabilities. She has also worked with Camp Agape, a residential camp and year-round mentoring program for children who have an incarcerated parent. As director, Meade will lead a program that aims to prepare honors students to be “ready for the next step after graduation; whether it’s to continue their graduate studies or to go into the workforce.” Honors students are undergraduates who have demonstrated “a record of scholarly accomplishments, high motivation and a desire to succeed at their maximum levels.” There are currently 152 students from a variety of the undergraduate degree programs. The mission of the program, Meade said, is to implement and maintain academic services and extra-curricular activities in cooperation with other university departments and organizations that will encourage and promote academic, personal, cultural and professional growth. “We want to produce graduates who will serve as leaders in their professional careers and as members of the community.”
Q & A with SGA President Valarie Matthews Valarie Matthews, a 21-year-old senior from Baltimore, Md., is the Student Government Association president for 2011-12. She sat down with the Office of Public Relations to share some observations about being a student leader. Tell us a little about yourself? I am a biology (non-teaching) major with a focus in nursing. My mother, who is a nurse, greatly influenced my pursuit of this career. In high school, I received my nursing certification in geriatrics and since then, I have been inspired to help others. What was your first SGA experience at UMES? On my first day of new student orientation, two SGA members helped me move my belongings into my residential hall. They encouraged me to become active with my freshman class. I was drawn into the “Hawk Pride” that the SGA and Student Activities Board promoted during my first week. I became the freshman class president soon after my first introduction to the group. Describe your most successful effort in promoting Hawk Pride. Every other Thursday, we have pep rallies where we have give-aways,
teach school chants, do the Hawk shuffle and support athletic games on campus. We want to spread the love of the university to others. Who roles/positions did you hold before your presidency in SGA? I was freshman class president, sophomore vice president and SGA vice president my junior year. Describe the typical day of Valarie Matthews. I do my homework in the morning after my early class. In the afternoon, I go to the SSC, where I am usually in a meeting or a university event. I leave my office late in the evening. On average, I spend (at least) 20 hours a week on SGA-related activities. What music are you currently listening to? Contemporary R&B artists [such as] Drake and J. Cole. Who do you look to as your role models? First Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey are who I look to as female role models. They both exemplify humbleness and dedication to serving others. In my eyes, they are the epitome of a strong black woman.
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SCHOOL NEWS
The Key / November 4, 2011
UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
HBCU tradition continues Mr. and Miss UMES and Imperial Court coronated
Photos by Valentine Anamelechi
The reigning Mr. and Summer Enrichment Miss UMES and their Academy. Imperial Court took part in a Harris has been active coronation ceremony and on campus as a member of royal ball as part of the the Student Activities Board, university’s Parent’s Human Ecology Club, Weekend activities. Ambiance Dance Company A long-standing and a modeling troupe. tradition at historically black Professional organizations institutions, the ceremony she belongs to are the marked the 49th year UMES Student Rehabilitation has crowned a queen. Association and the Prep for Until 1996, Miss UMES Health Professionals. In the reigned alone, primarily as a community, she is a mentor homecoming queen. Her with Big Brothers, Big Sisters. The Imperial Court, from left, are: Mr. Sophomore Jeremey Whichard, Mr. Junior Paul Jerry, Mr. duties since have evolved After graduation, she Senior Andre Eaton, Mr. UMES Lamar Clark, Miss UMES Brittany Harris, Miss Senior Mia Hynes, Miss into that of a university wants to continue her Junior Alisha Wells and Miss Sophomore Jessica Parker. spokesperson, student role education, be licensed in model and recruiter for new students, said James Lunnermon II, director of marriage and family therapy and earn a doctorate in psychology. campus life. Mr. UMES and the Imperial Court were added to assist Miss Lamar Clark is the university’s Mr. UMES for 2011-12. Clark is a senior UMES in her duties. Today’s court serves as ambassadors for the university majoring in rehabilitation services with a concentration in behavior at academic and social functions throughout the year. They are selected by rehabilitation. He plans to attend graduate school and become a child and a panel of student life leaders based on their character and sense of school family counselor. spirit. Clark has been active in the UMES Gospel Choir, was named Mr. Brittany Harris, a senior majoring in rehabilitation services with a Gospel Choir for 2009-10 and now serves as its president. He has been concentration in behavioral rehabilitation, was crowned Miss UMES. Harris involved in the Human Ecology Club, Drama Society and the Student came to UMES as a participant of the first group of participants in the Rehabilitation Association. UMES’ alumni affairs office commemorated the university’s 125th anniversary in mid-October with a convocation organized specifically for graduates. Marjorie Miles, newly appointed superintendent of Somerset County schools, was the keynote speaker for the Oct. 21 event that attracted about 100 people, including two of UMES’ oldest living alumnae. Miles grew up in Somerset County, attended its public schools and earned two degrees from the university – a bachelors of arts and a doctorate. She began her career as an educator in Somerset County, but most recently worked in administration in Baltimore-area public schools. Miles immediately took note of the 125th Dr. Marjorie Miles was anniversary theme – “Celebrating the Journey.” the keynote speaker for “Here on a schoolhouse earth,” she said, the event. “we’re all on a journey …” Kimberly Dumpson, UMES’ alumni affairs director, said inviting Miles to speak was an easy decision – she’s an alumna who has returned to her roots and Dumpson said she thought other alumni might enjoy hearing her story. Blanche Furniss Purnell, class of 1946, and Loretta Bibbins Jolley,
Alumni convocation helps mark 125th anniversary
class of 1947 were in the audience. Both attracted a lot of attention from younger alumni who wanted them to share stories about life on campus during the 1940s. Miles talked of growing up during the 1960s, when Robert McGlotten, class of 1975, was among civil rights demonstrations alumni leaders who greeted Loretta Jolley and civil disobedience were (class of 1947) and Blanche Purnell (class of commonplace in her 1946) at an October convocation organized for hometown just as they were in UMES graduates. urban areas. “It all played out right here in little ole Princess Anne,” Miles said. She said she learned much from watching and listening to elders engaged in the movement to right social injustices. She also spoke admiringly of her undergraduate years at UMES under the late William P. Hytche, whom she said took a personal interest in pushing her to enroll in college. Hytche and the faculty, Miles said, “built character in me – they built my self-esteem. None of them would let me fail.” The lessons she learned at UMES have served her well over a 30-year career as a classroom educator and administrator. “No one at this institution ever said it would be easy,” Miles said. “I’m honored to be a Hawk … and to be back home.”
SCHOOL NEWS
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UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
School of Pharmacy celebrates National Pharmacy Week
Photo by Jim Glovier
Armwood lynching: In search of reconciliation For nearly three hours on Oct. 22, historians, civic leaders, attorneys, members of the clergy, a journalist and “just plain folks” struggled to make sense of a senseless Great Depression-era lynching in Princess Anne that still leaves heartache and scars. UMES’ Student Services Center was the site of “George Armwood: A Remembrance, “ a free wheeling panel discussion organized by the Somerset County chapter of the NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland. A mob murdered Armwood, a young black man, in October 1933 after he was accused of assaulting an elderly white woman in Somerset County. The circumstances of the allegations and the street justice doled out against Armwood triggered deep-seated resentment and mistrust that some say still lingers in the community today. “This meeting, hopefully, is the beginning of a dialogue that will continue,” said Carl O. Snowden, director of the Maryland Attorney General’s civil rights office. Snowden moderated the event that featured attorney Sherrilyn Ifill, political scientist Meredith Ramsay, author and former Baltimore Sun reporter Fraser Smith, civil rights activist Michael Mitchell, UMES professor emeritus John R. Wennersten, historian Eric Jodlbauer of UMES’ Frederick Douglass Library and Somerset County native Eldon Hayman, who counts five generations of UMES alumni in his extended family. Kirkland J. Hall, a UMES alumnus and exercise science lecturer, organized the event on the local NAACP’s behalf. No one was ever held accountable for Armwood’s death, a situation that reflected the tense racial divide of that era, panelists noted. Even a congressional inquiry could not resolve the issue. Wennersten said public forums like the one at UMES can be a small step toward reconciliation, a word used frequently during the event. “We must own our own history,” Ramsay said. Ifill, a law professor who wrote “On the Courthouse Lawn: Confronting the Legacy of Lynching in the Twenty-first Century,” questioned the accuracy of the news accounts from that era. Public records, such as Armwood’s death certificate, were woefully incomplete, she said her research showed. “How do we look at these people we don’t know much about,” Ifill said, adding “are we engaged in the seeds of the same behavior?”
Photographer exhibits at Mosely Gallery Works from Ramona Bultman-Lewis’ “Thick as Thieves” and “Words of Wisdom” photography series are on display in the Mosely Gallery through Nov. 18. Pictured at the opening reception, from left, are: Dr. and Mrs. Herman Franklin, Bultman-Lewis and Dr. William Talley. Photo by Jim Glovier
Alumn finalist for Teacher of the Year Aaron Geiman, who in 2009 earned a master’s of education in Career and Technology Education from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, was a finalist for Maryland’s 2012 Teacher of the Year honors. An agriscience teacher at North Carroll High School, Geiman worked under the supervision of the late Gerry Day at the Baltimore Museum of Industry. Karen Verbeke, chair of UMES’ education department, said “Mr. Geiman certainly made us proud. We were able to have some of our interns attend the gala … and they were most impressed that we had this Aaron Geiman distinction.” Geiman said “having an advanced degree has enabled me to gain more credibility in educational circles and discussions.”
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ATHLETICS
The Key / November 4, 2011
UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
UMES bowling coach Brummell honored By Shawn Nisson, staff writer, The Daily Times, Salisbury, Md
Photo by Jim Glovier
University of Maryland Eastern Shore women's bowling head coach from home but she was always very welcoming and brought me in. Anything Sharon Brummell had to wipe away a tear from her eye as she walked into we ever need, Coach is there for us. She really deserves this honor because her celebration. Greeted by friends, family and former players, Brummell she does so much for this program, brought it up from nothing. We stood in happy disbelief as she laid her eyes on the newly dedicated wouldn't be here right now without her, so it's just a big honor." “Sharon D. Brummell Bowling Lanes” for the first time. UMES interim president Dr. Mortimer H. Neufville said that Brummell "This is amazing," said Brummell from inside the formerly UMES is a pillar of the university and very deserving of the honor. Student Service Center Lanes. "It's just amazing to think that even when I'm "She represents longevity, dedication, support and leadership; she's an gone, I will still be here. I will be here forever and all of our excellent role model for the young women on the team," said Neufville. accomplishments will be here forever. This is "This is a first for UMES. This is our first just amazing." “I will be here forever and all of our championship since the 1980s, so to have a Brummell, who helped start the bowling accomplishments will be here foever. coach leading a National Championship team program at UMES 15 years ago, has a long list was just a great success for UMES." This is just amazing.” of accomplishments. She became both the first Brummell said she is not quite sure how Sharon Brummell, UMES women’s bowling head coach African-American and the first female coach to to feel about the lanes being named in her capture an NCAA Division I National Championship in bowling, winning honor, but believes the walls adorned with banners of past champions and titles in 2008 and 2011, along with the United States Bowling College pictures of past All-Americans will help spur on a new batch of Hawk Championship in 2011. Brummell is also a two-time National Ten-Pin bowlers. Coaches Association Coach of the Year, in 2008 and 2010, and five-time "I think (the facility) is going to give all the young ladies that come in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. She has coached 11 All- here some pride, more pride in what they are doing," said Brummell. Americans and a National Player of the Year. And while those "Hopefully it will make them want to work harder so they can see their accomplishments are great, they don't touch on Brummell's best qualities, picture hanging on this wall one day, and to know that, "Yeah, maybe I can according to her players. be an All-American and have my picture hanging up. I think this is going to "She's like a second mom to me," said T'nia Falbo, a junior on the do a lot for us." Reprint courtesy of The Daily Times, Salisbury, Md. bowling team. "Coming here was hard for me, it was my first time away Bowling volunteers at Life Crisis Center UMES women’s bowling team members spent a recent Saturday cleaning and organizing storage space at the Life Crisis Center in Salisbury in recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness month.
Pictured from left, are: Ruth Jones (Coach’s mom), Head Coach Sharon Brummell, Tatiana Munoz, Megan Buja, Mariana Alvarado, Victoria Jones, T’nia Falbo and Valentina Collazos.
SCHOOL NEWS
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UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
For a worthy cause...
UMES men “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes”
Some three dozen UMES men strapped on women’s shoes to support “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes.” Students and staff met at the Student Services Center courtyard Saturday and teetered to the Oval and back in women’s heels to take a stand against sexual violence against women. Celebrating October as National Domestic Violence Month, a women’s group (W.O.R.T.H.) at UMES and the Office of Campus Life partnered to bring the event to campus to raise awareness. Campus Life director James Lunnermon explained its importance: “We educate men on the true struggles that woman go through in their lives and
especially the portions where woman have gone through domestic violence or sexual assault." Anthony Jenkins, UMES’ vice president for student affairs and enrollment management, graciously thanked the participants who were brave enough to walk around the campus in the opposite sex’s shoes. Proceeds from the walk benefited the Life Crisis Center in Salisbury. A check of $415 was presented to the organization. Frank Baird created “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” in 2001. It has become a national movement which annually raises funds for rape crisis and domestic violence centers and for education and prevention programs. To learn more visit http://www.walkamileinhershoes.org.
Zumba Challenge raises awareness for breast cancer In recognition of October as national Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Health and Wellness Center hosted a “UMES Men’s Zumba Challenge.” Around 30 men (and some ladies, too) raised $100 for Women Supporting Women. A few of the men wore the signature “pink” for breast cancer awareness; some even dyed their hair.
UMES cyclers go the distance at Seagull Century Students and faculty of the Department of Exercise Science and the School of Pharmacy entered a team for the Seagull Century Oct. 15. Participants, from left, are: Dr. James Heimdal, chair, Department of Exercise Science; Kevin Ottley; Malcolm Johnson; and Dr. David Webster, director, experiential education, School of Pharmacy. Webster rode 100 miles in the Century course, while the other members of the team rode the 64-mile Metric Century.
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The Key / November 4, 2011
& Entertainment
Arts F
ALL
NOVEMBER
2011 CALENDAR *Unless stipulated, all events listed are FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. For more information, call 410-651-6669.
3-5* UMES FALL THEATER PRODUCTION* 7-9:30 p.m. Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts “Black Nativity” by Langston Hughes • 410-651-6575
Celebrating the Journey THE UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND
EASTERN SHORE A RICH HISTORY OF PROVIDING
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UMES CONCERT CHOIR CONCERT 4 p.m. Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts • 410-651-6571
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WIND ENSEMBLE CONCERT 7 p.m. Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts 410-651-6571
EDUCATION ACCESSIBLE TO ALL… SPANNING THREE CENTURIES.
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Learn more about us this fall by visiting www.UMES.edu/125
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ETHNIC FESTIVAL 11 a.m. Student Services Center Ballroom 410-651-8385
28 thru UMES GOSPEL CHOIR FALL REVIVAL NIGHTS Dec. 2 6 p.m. Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts Musical performances and guest speakers 410-651-6575
The KEY is published by the Office of Public Relations in the Division of Institutional Advancement. Editors Gains B. Hawkins, Vice President for Institutional Advancement William Robinson, Director of Public Relations Gail Stephens, Assistant Director of Public Relations Design by Debi Rus, Rus Design, Inc. Printed by The Hawk Copy Center Office of Public Relations Division of Institutional Advancement University of Maryland Eastern Shore 410-651-7580 / 410-651-7914 fax / www.umes.edu Submissions to The KEY are preferred via email. All copy is subject to editing. The KEY is delivered through campus mail. Call 410-651-7580 to request additional copies. The Key is written according to the Associated Press stylebook.