Real People Profiles: Amelia Meman
We're asking some of the people you might encounter on the UMBC campus, including students, faculty, staff and alumni, to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences. These are their responses.
Name: Amelia Meman
Hometown: Deale, MD
Major: Gender + Women's Studies
Q: How long have you been at UMBC?
A: My favorite spot on campus is--big surprise here--the Women's Center. It's not just that we have a comfy lounge, free coffee and tea (and condoms and pads and tampons), and a library bursting with a range of books from queer theory to dystopian science fiction. The Women's Center is a place to come when you want to continue your class discussion with a group of people who are eager to listen and add their input. It's a place where you can have a good cry and get a warm hug. It's a place that is constantly answering the needs of the UMBC community whether it be a student who just needs to talk about their relationship troubles or the childcare crisis of 2013. We are a community that is always trying to raise awareness about social justice issues happening in our world through events like Take Back the Night and the Clothesline Project. We are a community that is eager to hear about a person's ideas for an event, and even more excited to help them foster that idea into reality. The Women's Center is a site of compassion, growth, and strength. I really recommend giving us a visit, and I promise to spare you the schmaltz.
Hometown: Deale, MD
Major: Gender + Women's Studies
Q: How long have you been at UMBC?
A: Since Fall 2012.
Q: What is your current title (job or student organization position)?
A: I am a student staff member with the Women's Center and a co-leader of Women Involved in Learning and Leadership (W.I.L.L.).
Q: In 12 words or less, what role(s) do you play on campus?
A: I am a social justice leader, professional killjoy, and purveyor of donuts.
Q: What aspect of your UMBC role(s) do you enjoy most?
A: I enjoy being a social justice leader on campus, because I feel like I'm raising people's consciences by educating them about social justice issues and engaging with them in critical dialogues. I love learning from people's perspectives, widening my own, and creating change together.
Q: What is the most important or memorable thing you learned in college/have learned at UMBC?
A: Overall, the most important thing I have learned so far at UMBC is to be open-minded. Time and time again, open-mindedness has shown me how much I can learn from my peers and other members of the UMBC community. Whether that's in a classroom discussion, at a staff meeting, or on a leadership retreat like STRiVE, being open to other perspectives and listening to others has allowed me to learn so much and really become a much better person overall.
Q: What is one way you have worked with others to make a positive difference at UMBC or in another community?
A: With the Women's Center, I started an annual week-long campaign called Critical Social Justice that is meant to engage the UMBC community in creative projects that are made by fellow community members and initiate dialogues that are not often given voice on campus. With our inaugural Critical Social Justice in March 2014, we were able to host 17 programs, including a thought-provoking keynote lecture by culture critic Jay Smooth that over 200 UMBC students, faculty, staff, and community members attended. It's my hope that Critical Social Justice is able to not only raise awareness about social justice issues, but to also allow members of the UMBC community to have their voice heard on campus, whether they be artists, activists, scholars, or a little bit of everything.
Q: Complete this sentence: "I am a big fan of __________"
A: With the Women's Center, I started an annual week-long campaign called Critical Social Justice that is meant to engage the UMBC community in creative projects that are made by fellow community members and initiate dialogues that are not often given voice on campus. With our inaugural Critical Social Justice in March 2014, we were able to host 17 programs, including a thought-provoking keynote lecture by culture critic Jay Smooth that over 200 UMBC students, faculty, staff, and community members attended. It's my hope that Critical Social Justice is able to not only raise awareness about social justice issues, but to also allow members of the UMBC community to have their voice heard on campus, whether they be artists, activists, scholars, or a little bit of everything.
A: Cats, cartoons, introspective moments, and JUSTICE.
Q: Do you have any UMBC stories, little-known facts about UMBC, favorite spots on campus, or anything else you’d like to share?
Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from UMBC Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter.
Previous post: Real People Profiles: Kelsey Donnellan
Tags:
Posted: September 21, 2014, 8:08 PM