The Key, October 2022 Edition

‘It’s about student voices within the community’

Three-day Media and Community Festival focuses on student-community engagement

Sometimes, the best ideas come from a bit of inspiration and a bit of tweaking.

That was the case when Dr. Dana Little, a UMES pro fessor in the Department of English and Modern Languages Digital Media Studies program, attended the annual South by Southwest convention and festival in Austin, TX earlier this year.

It was during that experience that she came up with the idea of an event that would incorporate the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s missions of interdisciplinary studies in addition to community engagement.

“I was trying to figure out exactly what would be the best way to introduce what I could do from South-by-Southwest here,” Little said. “I wanted to do something that would be a symposium or series and I just said ‘media’ and that pretty much was it.”

What came from it was the creation of UMES’s inaugu ral Media and Community Festival, a three-day event from Oct.13-15 that featured demonstrations and exhibitions from various academic departments and student organiza tions, special guest speaker forums including one headlined by reality star Amber Eggers of the WeTV show, “Life After Lockup,” and a town-and-gown component that took place in Downtown Princess Anne.

“When I knew we were going to pursue (the idea of the fes tival), I thought that would be an excel lent way to combine what we’re doing academically with what Dana wanted to do with media (and other initiatives the Center for Teaching Excellence does such as the social justice committee) to do with more communi ty engagement,” said Dr. Cynthia Cravens, the director of the Center for Teach ing Excellence and a fellow professor in the English depart ment. “So, it became this sort of holistic project trying to bring together all these disparate threads under one sort of umbrella.”

The first day of the event, was held in Downtown Prin cess Anne as a remix of the town’s monthly “First Thurs day” celebration, with UMES faculty and students partici pating in the festivities.

The second day of the festival was in the Student Ser vices Center with simultaneous events including the exhi bitions and demonstrations in the ballroom and the forums in the theater.

On the final day of the festival, held at Hawk’s Corner on Main Street in Prin cess Anne, Eggers, who is Little’s niece, participated in an “Ask Me Anything” forum while members of UMES’s Digital Media Studies program were involved in a ‘pop-up’ podcast on the discussion of “Afrofuturism” and how it can be applied to the HBCU experience.

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Amber Eggers of “Life After Lock Up”

Dr. Cynthia Cravens (right) poses for a picture with attendees during the Media and Community Festival on Oct. 14

Dr. Pamela Allison of UMES’ Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation addresses the audience during a forum at the Media and Community Festival on Oct. 14.

All of Saturday’s events were streamed on Hawk Media’s Twitch channel.

“It’s about student voices within the community and bringing different expe riences to the community and knowing what the experience can bring to them,” Cravens said. “So, we’re not only looking for a reciprocal relationship, but an ongoing conversation of what community engagement means.”

Little hopes that events such as the Media and Community Festival will not only be annual event but one that becomes a staple on campus as the school year goes on.

“That was the idea … building up to homecoming and then to the next thing as well as the events we want to do with (the students) in Hawk Media,” Little said.

‘It’s going to be our comeback year’

Thunderin’ Hawks Pep Band gets re-energized under new leader

Stephen Pender has been a lover of music all his life as he was play ing melodies and a variety of instru ments since the age of two years old.

It was something that was passed down to him through his family with his pastor grandfather, who played guitar in his younger days, as well as his father, who also was admittedly a “huge influence,” in the younger Pender’s own words.

There was a similar passion for music Pender recognized when he first watched the Thunderin’ Hawks Pep Band in ac tion.

The mighty but small group of musicians that were initially established in 2010, were in a state of flux as it held itself to gether without a band leader. The group continued soldiering on with performances at home basketball games in addition to other events.

“What really intrigued me (about the band) was the fact they ran the program as if there was a director present,” Pender said. “The discipline of the students and the determination of wanting things to be quality and just good. To not handicap the rest of our campus of having the HBCU band experience.”

It was also that same dedica tion that led to Pender ultimately deciding to become the band’s new director.

“That was a pivotal thing that kind of made me fall in love with these students because you don’t see that in today’s times. If there’s a lack of leadership, you see the program dwindle to nothing or just no one’s interested or engaged in the program. So, to see them determined to keep this phe nomenal program running is mind-blowing.”

What was the reason that the remaining band members de cided to keep going instead of easily calling it quits? It was simple.

“We just loved music,” said senior Abdul-Hakeem Kargbo,

a jack-of-all-trades on a number of instruments such as the euphonium, clarinet, bass clarinet, baritone, trumpet, and tenor saxophone. “Honestly, we were always not that big of a band, but we still had a great sound.”

“Even with our troubles during the pandemic and (while) we were having that period where we were leaderless, it took all of the student leaders to work together to try and hold the band together as long as we could until we got that new lead er. I think we did a bang-up job.”

Sophomore trumpeter Lahela Hall said the arrival of Pender was “a relief.”

“We were in need of that (leadership) while trying to do it our selves, but having someone there just to give us that extra step does give us motivation and pushes our dedication,” she said.

In taking over leadership of the band, Pender has set sev eral goals including growing the size of musicians to at least 50 members, and ultimately to triple-digits, while also having the band record with established artists. But one thing not on his agenda is the need to establish a culture.

“When I arrived, I expected to have pushback, but these students are so different in that they ac tually welcomed me to the hawk family, which makes them so spe cial cause you don’t typically see that,” he said. “So, to be welcomed and to be able to learn about the culture of this band is phenome nal and I’m appreciative that they have kept the culture here intact.”

As for expectations by the band members, Kargbo said he and his bandmates are hoping to make a splash in what will be their first performances of the year, which will be centered around homecoming festivities.

“The biggest thing I’m looking forward to is seeing the all the new people and showing up and showing out, because this year I really have a great feeling it’s going to be one of our best years,” he said. “It’s going to be our comeback year and we’re going to show these people.”

Dr. Dana Little tries out a program with members of the Computer Science program.

Kargbo (left) and Hall practicing for a pep band performance.

Fall 2022 Career Fair at UMES

The University of Maryland Easter Shore’s Office of Career Services held the first

Career and Graduate/ Professional School Fair earlier this month since the

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An array of organizations and departments were in the Student Services Center on Sept. 8 for the First Look Fair.

(L-R) Freshmen Koda Myers and Jianna Rogers posed for a photo before engaging with employers and recruiters about internship opportunities.

The ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. were on site at the First Look Fair.

Staff from the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs (ATOD) Prevention Center shared information about their programs including K.I.S.S. (Keep It Sexually Safe).

Mister Maroon & Gray Nathaniel Pollard welcomed students and shared about the members and role of UMES’ Royal Court.

Daisuke Mayama (left) and Samrana Sheikh were available for students interested in joining the Muslim Student Association.

Dajon Williams (left) and Dante Turner represented Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.

Mister Miss UMES

&

Meet Miss UMES Sydney Carr

Q: What inspired you to pursue this student leadership role?

A: Seeing the work put in and the impact Miss UMES had during my freshman year, it made me want to see how far I could go and what I could accomplish in that same role. From my own experiences at UMES as well as others, I saw an abundance of opportunities that allowed for change and with that I pursued this role to help others.

Q: What are you looking forward to in your role as Miss UMES?

A: Redefining what it means and looks like to be in a Royal Court position at an HBCU. I look forward to bringing in a breath of fresh air to both the students and faculty by really working with both to leave a lasting impact in the end.

Q: How would you describe your experience at UMES?

A: The stepping stone for many of my leaps. By attending UMES and pursuing so many different ventures, I was able to leap into so many other endeavors outside of school because of the growth and confidence UMES gave me.

Q: What impact do you hope to make in this position?

A: I hope to make an impact on the students that feel they aren’t heard or seen enough or even at all and really connect and shine the light on them that they deserve. I want to leave this position knowing I made someone feel different in a positive way no matter how small or big my actions, events, or projects were.

Q: What advice do you have for anyone considering UMES for their educational endeavors?

A: Use your resources and talk to everyone, even if it’s out of your comfort zone. Start small and simply introduce yourself and what you’re studying, you never know who knows who and what. The departments and people here want to see you succeed whether it’s during the semester, over summer break, or after graduation. There so many people on your team, you just have to be open to allowing them to be on your team.

Carr and Valcourt, who were previously chosen as Mister and Miss Freshmen, were crowned during coronation Oct. 15.

Photo: Moera Abate

Meet Mister UMES

Kamahri Valcourt

Q: What inspired you to pursue this student leadership role?

A: I was inspired by the reigns of previous kings to pursue this leadership role. When I first visited this university as a high school senior, one of the first students to embrace me was the Mister Senior at the time, Desmond. During my freshman year, I was inspired by the Mister UMES at the time Hector’s charisma. I would watch him walk into rooms full of strangers who had never spoken to each other before and by the time he left, everyone would be conversing with each other excitedly and enjoying themselves and I knew I wanted to bring my peers together in that way.

Q: What are you looking forward to in your role as Mister UMES?

A: I am most looking forward to being able to be a resource for the incoming freshmen and the rising sophomores. I remember how confusing and scary it can be when learning how to navigate a new and expansive environment as college. I hope to be able to alleviate some of those negative feelings, as the student leaders did for me when I was a freshman from New York just trying to adjust.

Q: How would you describe your experience at UMES?

A: I would describe my experience at UMES as empowering. I would describe it as empowering because UMES has taught me how to make the most of my situation and made me a much more resilient person through the various experiences this campus can provide. From all of the different people who find their way to this campus to the numerous organizations you can join, there is no end to the different types of challenges you can take on at UMES if you so choose. And I have grown a great deal through them.

Q: What impact do you hope to make in this position?

A: I hope to leave a legacy through this position, inspiring others to commit themselves to this position and this campus. I believe that much of the beauty in legacy stems from how selfless it is. The first step towards leaving a legacy is to realize that it’s bigger than you. I hope to strengthen the Royal Court for years to come after I leave as well as bring back some of the UMES campus culture that has been lost.

Q: What advice do you have for anyone considering UMES for their educational endeavors?

A: I would advise them to consider what kind of campus they feel they are looking for. The close-knit, intimate feeling this campus provides is refreshing to me as a young man from New York. I came here due to the comforting feeling I got when I first visited this campus and now three years later I can say that I still feel the same way. I enjoy the fact that I’ve become acquainted with the majority of the campus and now have a large family of individuals I feel I can speak to and rely on.

As the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Homecoming approaches, we introduce two newly crowned members of the Royal Court: Mister UMES Kamahri Valcourt and Miss UMES Sydney Carr. Mister UMES is majoring in Kinesiology and Miss UMES is majoring in construction technology management.

CELEBRATING

NATIONAL ARTS & HUMANITIES

The month of October is recognized as National Arts & Humanities Month. soaring in their careers

Meet PAUL JERRY

Q: What was your professional goal?

A: My professional goal coming out of high school was to be an actor and an architect. My goal was to be in movies and draw buildings for companies. Since I loved to draw and I loved acting, I thought to myself, why not do both. I applied to Harvard University, The University of Virginia and Hampton University. I almost got into Harvard, didn’t have the GPA for The University of Virginia, and Hampton University accepted me, but was unable to give me financial assistance, which led me to attending UMES in the Fall of 2009. They gave me scholarships and grants towards my education.

Q: What or who influenced you to pursue a career in the arts?

A: My mom was one of my biggest influences in the arts. She would let me draw anything I saw and act out what I saw on T.V. Growing up in D.C. I loved the arts and I felt like it made me whole. From drawing Dragon Ball Z to imitating Chris Tucker and Michael Jackson. The arts helped me to understand who I truly was and my mom encouraged that. My “Aunty Star” aka Starletta DuPois (’68), a UMES Alum, and my acting coach Percy Thomas (’65), my fraternity brother, gave me motivation to pursue a career in the arts. A famous actress, Stella Adler, once said, “Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one.”

Q: Describe UMES’ role in your career.

A: UMES played a big role in my career. They taught me a lot of leadership qualities that I needed being on SGA and the Royal Court. I took acting classes under “Mama D.” This helped me develop my chops as an actor, and understand how to study scripts. While at UMES, I joined the Drama Society and performed in plays such as “Fences” by August Wilson and “Dinner Theatre’’. Performing on these massive platforms in the Ella Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center boosted my confidence. Erika Forsythe helped me to start my own T.V. Show at UMES, “How You Rep?” She taught me how to interview, use a camera and edit footage during post production. All of those skills I learned at UMES I use today.

Paul Jerry (’14), also known as “Pablo,” is an artist and actor who earned his bachelor of arts degree in fine arts with a concentration in graphical illustration from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. While at UMES, the Washington D.C. native was involved in various student groups including the Student Government Association (Freshman Class President), Royal Court (Mister Sophomore, Mister Junior), UMES cross country team, and Drama Society (D-Psi). He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

CELEBRATING

HUMANITIES MONTH

Month. This Q&A series will shed light on some of our Hawks who are careers in the Arts.

Q: Name three things you gained from your student experience at UMES.

A: Nothing good comes easy, and you need to have a strong work ethic if you want anything in life. When I joined the cross country team, I was balancing AM practices, my course load, boxing training, SGA meetings, acting rehearsal, community outreach, work and then homework. I’m doing the same thing now, but I’m making money from it. Never be afraid to be different, only dead fish go with the flow. While attending UMES I didn’t smoke or drink alcohol. People made fun of me for not indulging, but I knew my body was a temple and because of the decisions I made in college, I still look and feel young today. Always network! You never know who you’re in the room with.

Q: What advice do you have for someone looking to pursue a career in the arts?

A: If you want to pursue a career in the arts don’t do it for money, do it because you genuinely love the arts. I meet so many people that want to be actors but don’t like reading. Being an actor is “80% reading,” whether you’re in rehearsals, doing a table read, or reading for the first time. Your first step is getting into an acting class. This will teach you the foundations of acting. Also, you need really good headshots. That’s the first thing people see when you submit for an audition. In this business there is a lot of “NO’s”; don’t let the rejection kill your dream, one “YES” will make you forget about everything.

Jerry was cast in a recent Verizon commercial featuring first responders.

Photos: Paul Jerry

Jerry with musician/actor Rotimi.

Paul (center) in a scene from “Thanksgiving Roast” on Amazon Prime.

Meet Andre “DJ Dre” Bradley Jr.

Q: What was your professional goal?

A: My professional goal was to become one of the greatest DJs my school or home town has ever seen. I have always wanted to be on the big stage and perform in front of thousands of people having a great time. Making memories as a DJ is a big thing and you can gain a great fan base out of it.

Q: What or who influenced you to pursue a career in the arts?

A: I have many people who influenced me in this craft. My father for one who is one of the greatest DJs in my city. He has taught me all that I know and then some. I have also looked up to the big djs worldwide such as DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Drama, DJ Khaled, DJ Envy, DJ Scratch, and also DJ Quicksilva. I could go on and on with a big list of djs that actually inspire me. I would hope one day to be put on someone’s top 5 list of djs that they like.

Q: Describe UMES’ role in your career.

A: UMES has played a big role in my career as a DJ. I didn’t really take doing it seriously until I arrived at UMES. Through UMES, I became the top DJ of the university. I did my first school party my freshman year. Throughout the years as a student my name as a DJ was well known from people on campus to the people that lived in the area. During my senior year, I finally got a call to DJ our homecoming concert. After that I got a chance to travel to other HBCUs and universities to DJ their parties and homecoming concerts.

Q: Name three things you gained from your student experience at UMES.

A: Three things I have gained from my student experience were being punctual, being sociable and becoming a businessman. DJ’ing is a big business, and you can get paid handsomely if you set yourself on the right path. Also, being on time leads to having a great business and shows people how serious you are about that business.

Q: What advice do you have for someone looking to pursue a career in the arts?

A: The advice I would give someone pursuing this craft is to always focus on what the people like first. Next practice your craft as a DJ. It doesn’t take much to play music but as a DJ you must have a certain skill to keep the party at an all-time high for 4 to 5 hours. Become a people person because at the end of the day you are the one they look for to have an enjoyable experience when partying.

Andre Bradley Jr. (’13), professionally known as “DJ Dre”, earned his bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The Baltimore native has performed as a DJ on big stages, at festivals and university events over the years. Read about his UMES experience and his path to being a DJ.

DJ Dre executes his craft at Rolling Loud Festival, a hip-hop music festival, in Miami.

Photos: Andre Bradley Jr.

UMES’ Entrepreneurship Lab is now open

Jai Ellis, owner of “The 5-Star Beauty Collection,” visited the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CIE) Sept. 27 as the first “Start Up to Success” speaker. Ellis provides hair care for both men and women through the sale of her 37 products and her mobile salon operation. She is a graduate of West Virginia State University with a back ground in civil engineering and chemistry. Her message to students focused on the impor tance of discernment, transparency, timing, and research in business based on her experience as an entrepreneur.

The UMES Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CIE) is committed to assisting students, faculty, staff, alumni and communi ty to “Build a Business to Soar Above and Beyond”. The CIE provides workshops, seminars, speaker series and other events to help foster this development.

To get plugged into our entrepreneurship ecosystem, please sign up at umes.startuptree.co. Our Startup Tree platform contains all up coming events and workshops, and will supply users access to build strong and meaningful connections through community, faculty, staff and alumni mentors. This platform will also give users the ability to participate in other valuable events, pitch contests and workshops that are put on by other organizations and institutions.

In addition to the resources on our platform, CIE will provide ac cess to a state-of-the-art makerspace to bring creations to life. Our makerspace is equipped with a MakerBot 3D printer, a VersaUV printer, a Universal Laser Systems cutter, product label machines and several more to come. Reservations to use the equipment can be made by emailing cei@umes.edu.

To connect with us and see what’s happening at our Center, follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @umes_cei.

“TRIO Works” at UMES

The UMES Upward Bound/TRIO Program secured $2.6 million dollars in funding from the U.S. Department of Edu cation in this year’s recent grant competition. The five-year grant will continue assisting 114 high school students who are considered first generation and/or economically disadvan taged youth in preparing for access to post-secondary edu cation.

This precollege program provides academic instruction, tutoring, counseling, advising, cultural enrichment and finan cial literacy. “The TRIO Upward Bound Program will con tinue to transform our students and community by providing educational opportunities for access to college,” said Dr. Ni cole’ Gale, Upward Bound director, about the impact

of the funding. This past summer Upward Bound students travelled to Nashville, Tenn. where they visited Fisk University and the State Capitol building.

The UMES Upward Bound program has been in the community for 56 years assisting young people with preparing for college. High school students in grades 9-12 who attend Somerset or Wicomico County schools are encouraged to apply. For questions and more information, call 410-651-6458.

In 1964, the Economic Opportunity Act established Upward Bound as a pilot program in response to the War on Poverty. It was the first of seven federal TRIO programs to later be authorized by the Higher Education Act of 1965 to help firstgeneration and low-income students succeed in higher education.

(L-R) Dr. Pamela Allison, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Jai Ellis Owner/CEO of “The 5-Star Beauty Collection”; Kevin Odell, Program Specialist; and David Balcom, Vice President of University Relations.

Faculty Art Exhibition 2022

(L-R) Dr. Elvin Hernandez Sequential Arts Instructor, Fine Arts Department Chair Chris Harrington, Gallery Director Susan Holt, Former Fine Arts Department Chair Ernest Satchell and Dean Marshall Stevenson Jr. The Department of Fine Arts’ Faculty Art Exhibition opened on Sept. 9 and was on display through Oct. 13 in UMES’ Mosely Gallery. The artwork on display included the restored 1969 drawing “Black Sophistication” by Jimmie Mosely and a mock-up of installation titled “The Spirit of Harriet Tubman” currently on view at the Underground Railroad Museum in Cambridge, Md.

For more information about the Mosely Gallery, call 410-651-7770 or visit MoselyGallery.com

Harriet Tubman Installation By: Susan Holt

Black Sophistication By: Jimmy Mosely

Kris Kringle’s Sweet Ride By: Elvin Hernandez

America the Broken By: Ernest Satchell

New look Hawks ready for strong season

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Bowling squad entered its season-opening event — the Colonial Lanes Classic in Harahan, Louisiana, Oct. 14-16 — with an eye on surprising a lot of other teams this season. The Hawks were picked to finish second on the Mid-Eastern Athletic Confer ence and were voted No. 14 in the National Tenpin Coaches Association preseason poll.

But the results from the opening weekend were far better than anyone could have hoped as the squad went 11-0 and captured the event championship by beating the No. 7 and No. 8 team in the country in bracket play on the final day.

“Honestly, I wasn’t expecting what happened this week end to occur so quickly,” Coach Roger Petrin said. “Hopeful ly, that is a good sign of what things are to come throughout the year. Winning the event was never in my mind. I just wanted to see us take the things we were doing in practice and do it in competition. We did those things, the pins hap pened to fall our way and I don’t think we ever felt like we were focused on winning. But we also know it’s the first event of a very long season, so we’re going to have to look back at the stats and see where the areas are that we can still grow.”

After returning five bowlers from last season’s squad that fell in the semifinals of the MEAC Tournament, the Hawks added a decorated graduate transfer in Alyssa Zombirt and two talented freshmen in Mariana Santos and Alexis Inger soll.

The returning core features senior Brooke Roberts, and Elizabeth Ross, a pair of former All-MEAC performers along with classmate Alejandra Amezcua who could be poised for a breakout campaign. Add in juniors Brooke Driver and Gabriella Ochoa Hubbard and the Hawks have a talented 8-person squad — two more than they had last season during a difficult transition year.

“A lot of things just went our way as the weekend went on,” Petrin said. “It’s great that we won and we’re coming away with the win, the trophy, and we’re stoked to be where we’re at. They didn’t really look nervous at any given point about it. They just bowled. We are continuing to just bowl and keep to our selves and even against stiff com petition we are just bowling and we seem to enjoy bowling together as a group.”

During the weekend the Hawks put up seven victories against teams in the NTCA Top 25: No. 4 Ste phen F. Austin, No. 5 Sam Hous ton State, No. 7 North Carolina A&T State, No. 8 Louisiana Tech (twice), No. 17 Tulane and No. 24 Lincoln Memorial.

While Roberts was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC team and finished fifth individually at the Colonial with a five-game average of 207, she wasn’t the team’s top perform er in the opening weekend. It was actually Ross, who carried the momentum from Friday’s strong start into Traditional play on Saturday taking top individual honors with a 5-game average of 226.2 and a high game of 257. For her effort, she earned MEAC Bowler of the Week honors.

CONTENT COURTESY

Head coach Roger Petrin talks to his freshmen Mariana Santos (left) and Alexis Ingersoll

ELIZABETH ROSS

UMES Extension’s Small Farm Conference will feature hands-on training clinics, tours of farming operations, networking opportunities and guest speakers. The keynote luncheon speaker is Tom McDougall, owner and CEO of 4P Foods, an e-commerce and food delivery business headquartered near Warrenton, Virginia. Nov. 4 is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 5 is from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The cost is $70 general admission, which includes both days, or $35 for one day.

To register, visit www.umes.edu/extension. For more information, contact blrogers@umes.edu or call 410-621-5450, Ext. 101.

The Key / October 2022

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