The views expressed in this article are the views of the author.

Social conservatives love the term “culture war.” Simply put, the culture war is a long-standing conflict between progressives and conservatives over the values, morals and ideals of American culture. Before, people argued their vision for America on traditional debate platforms: broadcast television, political debates and congressional hearings. Now, with the invention of social media and the 24-hour news cycle, any American can spread their ideas of what the country can and cannot stand for at any time.

However, a portion of Americans feels pushed out by mainstream society. There is a gaping chasm between how the right views society and how society actually exists. Due to this separation, conservatives have turned to a strong man to wage war against the mainstream. President Donald Trump has branded himself as the champion of the outsider. But Trump is nothing more than a con man, taking advantage of the public for his own gain.

For many social conservatives, American culture has gotten far too progressive. Openness concerning mental health, sexuality and addiction are normal when before, society discouraged these discussions. Television stopped using traditional archetypes, and, instead, began to challenge the beliefs and vantage points of the world. Godliness, specifically Christianity, is fading out of social conservatives’ everyday world to emphasize acceptance of all religions. Words, descriptions and phrases that were once commonplace, society deems “politically incorrect.”

In a world where everything is changing rather quickly, this group of people is slowly becoming outdated. Social conservatives see their vision of the country melting away before their very eyes. Ironically, their exclusionary behavior has excluded them from society. Once at the center of attention, they now find themselves on the outside looking in, nostalgic on what was and what could’ve been.

Enter Donald Trump.

Trump also sees himself as an outsider. He portrays himself as an enemy trying to hold him back. In his presidential campaign, he blasted the GOP establishment for criticizing his attitude and demeanor. He constantly berates against the elites who “rigged the system” against him and his outsider supporters. Trump’s brash attitude has attacked every front of the culture war that this subsection has faced. His base sees him as a lone wolf, pushing back on advances in sexuality, race relations, religion and rhetoric.

Donald Trump isn’t a conventional Republican president. He isn’t much of a conservative socially or financially. Furthermore, he seemingly disagrees with many of his base’s policy positions. The president uses the fervor and support of his base to serve himself at their expense. He wavers on his position on gun control, seeming uncertain as to whether the present restrictions are either overzealous or inadequate. He is not concerned about the growing deficit, a stumping issue for many economic Republicans. Trump authorized a tax cut for the wealthy minority in the country, placing the weight of taxes on the middle and working class. His trade war with China has angered farmers, a major part of his base.

Trump is not the man leading them into the future. He is not innovating and creating new paths for the country. He is not fighting for their interests, but his own.

But for his base, it’s not about who Trump is, it’s about what Trump signifies. Trump is a victory against all the people who have locked them out of mainstream society in the last few decades. He’s a man leading them against the system that kept them out. He is waging a war against the coastal elites, the mainstream media, the politically correct and the swamp in Washington. He is ‘one last fight’ for a group searching for relevancy in a world that’s leaving them behind.

What they fail to realize is that as humanity progresses, our culture must adapt alongside it. What we as a society consider acceptable and appropriate must alter with our own evolution.

As the election looms, the question remains: Now that the country knows that Trump’s game is to play off the culture war, is a symbolic victory worth the economic, social and political decline of the nation? Will the GOP allow Trump to play off the emotions of the country? The nation decides in 2020.

Over the summer, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County opened multi-user all-gender restrooms in five buildings on campus in an effort to accommodate LGBTQ students who are uncomfortable using gendered restrooms.

Students may recall that all single-user restrooms at UMBC became all-gender restrooms (AGRs) in 2018. This created 41 single-user AGRs inside academic and student life buildings and 16 facilities in the residence halls. While this was a major achievement in the push for increased accessibility on campus, one stall per building was not enough to fulfill the demand for such facilities, and many buildings still lacked an AGR altogether.

This prompted the need for multi-user AGRs on campus so that more people could benefit from the facilities. “Imagine if there was only one single-user restroom for everyone… and there was only one per building,” said junior psychology major Shannon Ashley. Ashley is a member of the All-Gender Restroom Steering Committee, a group of “students, faculty and staff dedicated to making a more welcoming environment on campus for transgender and gender non-conforming people to just use the restroom.” The committee, which formed early last semester, brought together advocates from organizations like the LGBTQ Student Union and the LGBTQ Faculty/Staff Association to tackle the issue of AGRs. The committee played an invaluable role in the creation of the multi-user facilities.

The committee worked with various people on campus to get the job done. “We would get people who work in Facilities [Management] to come to speak to us,” Ashley said about the committee’s meetings. According to President Hrabowski, “it has been a very constructive process of shared governance… this is about respect and support of all people on campus.”

Multi-user AGRs are now open in the new Interdisciplinary Life Sciences building, the Performing Arts and Humanities building, the Fine Arts building, Sherman A building, and the Information Technology and Engineering building. The AGR steering committee is working with Facilities Management to install multi-use AGRs in additional buildings on campus during the 2019-2020 academic year, including the Biological Sciences building, the library, the Administration building, and the Retriever Activities Center.

Ashley noted that the process of creating a multi-user AGR was not as easy as opening the single-user facilities, which required a simple change of signage in most cases. For the multi-user facilities, “[the committee] had to find a restroom to start with,” Ashley said, citing strict anti-discrimination laws that require traditional gender-segregated restrooms to be placed in pairs on each floor of a building. This meant that on floors with just one male and one female restroom, neither could be converted into an AGR. 

Luckily, the committee found that the second floor of Sherman Hall contained two female restrooms and only one male restroom. This floor, which spans across both Sherman A and B buildings, originally had two male restrooms until one was closed due to construction. This left the floor unbalanced and in violation of the law. For this reason, the committee was granted permission to create UMBC’s first multi-user AGR using the extra female restroom. “Once we had one [multi-user AGR], things moved much faster,” Ashley said. 

The steering committee receives support from many other organizations on campus. The Women’s Center has been a long-time advocate for AGRs around campus. According to Amelia Meman, the Program Coordinator for the Women’s Center, talk of creating AGRs has floated around campus for years but “the problem was that there was no sense of urgency in the matter.” However, initiatives such as Retriever Courage and support from the LGBTQ Student Union gave momentum to the idea and turned it into a reality. 

As expected, not everyone has been supportive of the new restrooms. The Women’s Center has yielded “a couple transphobic comments” and “passive complaints” about the new multi-user restrooms, but Meman said that the unveiling of these facilities has been fairly quiet. The bottom line is that “people just need a safe place to use the restroom,” she said. 

Meman hopes that the push for increased accessibility on campus will not stop here, and promises that the Women’s Center will continue “providing continued advocacy.” Although the new multi-user AGRs on campus are a great first step, many buildings still lack such facilities, “especially on Academic Row.” Meman specifically noted that this could be difficult for transfer and commuter students who often spend most of their time in this area.

To address this concern, the steering committee is working to provide multi-user AGRs in the rest of the academic buildings on campus over the next two to three years. Although both Ashley and Meman note that there is still much work to be done, they seem hopeful that bigger changes are coming to campus.

Editor’s Note: This article has been corrected to clarify that the AGR steering committee works exclusively on multi-user AGRs, and to identify the correct locations of the current and projected multi-user AGRs. The correction also addresses the timeline for the project’s completion. Corrected Sept. 18, 2019.

Photo: The all-gender restroom sign, designed by a UMBC staff member. Photo by Eliska Merchant-Dest.

Welcome, Retrievers, to a new semester here at UMBC! There are many ways to prepare for the start of classes, including but not limited to looking at course syllabi, keeping track of due dates, maintaining a (somewhat) stress-free environment or perhaps watching how others might stumble through school. Who better to watch navigate these metaphorical halls than the talented protagonists of Broadway? There are many musicals that depict the lives of students and the countless ways the characters learn to manage their situations.

“School of Rock” is a great one to listen to in order to enter the semester with the right attitude. Dewey Finn is a rock star wannabe who impersonates a teacher in a stuck-up school and teaches his straight-laced students to ‘stick it to the man.’ Not only does Dewey learn to reevaluate his priorities and responsibilities, but also he discovers a true passion he never before explored. His students also learned to let loose a bit and pursue their own dreams, instead of the ones their parents dreamed up for them. This musical reminds its audience that it is important to remember to take the time indulging in those hobbies that keep life exciting, even when outside factors might make it seem overwhelming.

A great motivational musical that makes a great addition to any workout or study playlist is “Legally Blonde.” It follows the story of Elle, a sorority girl majoring in fashion merchandising who decides to follow her ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School to convince him that she’s more than just a pretty face. Though at first she didn’t take the course load seriously, she got a chip on her shoulder as well as her priorities in order. Elle quickly realized she is much more than anyone had given her credit for and that it was possible for her to be fashionable and intelligent.

Another musical to keep in mind this semester is “Wicked.” Though the plot is not solely focused on school, the story bears an important message about staying true to what you believe. Elphaba and her sister Nessarose start school at Shiz, where Elphaba faces many different types of challenges. Not only is she labeled as an outcast almost immediately because of her green skin, but also realizes she must reevaluate her ambitions when she learns of the corrupt government she previously wanted to be a part of. Elphaba and Glinda form a friendship despite the differences in their personalities, and learn that ‘everyone deserves the chance to fly.’

These are just a few of the musicals that depict the life of young adults feeling their ways around the scattered mess that makes up their realities. Many of these shows are meant to be humorous, such as “Mean Girls,” “Be More Chill” and “Legally Blonde.” Others might explore a more serious or dark theme, such as “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Carrie” or “Heathers.” There is an option for everyone, no matter the reason for listening and watching. So Retrievers, with these musicals of wisdom, go forth this semester with the confidence to accomplish those goals, chase those dreams and keep the necessary inspirational words close by.

Photo credit: “Dear Evan Hansen,” “School of Rock,” and “Wicked” playbills. Photo by Megan Friedman.

The views expressed in this article are the views of the author.

The LGBTQIA+ is an acronym that represents different sexual and gender minorities. Among these minority groups and beyond, there is one sexuality group that lacks acknowledgment, not only in the general population, but also within the community itself.

Asexuality is the oft-forgotten A in LGBTQIA+, as the A is often relegated to represent allies. This exclusion from the standard set of recognized queer identities in the acronym is representative of a greater issue: the exclusion and denial of asexuals from the community. 

Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction to others and runs on the broader sexuality spectrum. The portions of the sexuality spectrum under the asexuality umbrella are often contested in their inclusion to the queer community, though wrongly so. Asexuals face similar discrimination and a lot of the same obstacles the rest of the LGBTQIA+ community faces. Through the lack of proper sex education and the exclusion of asexual people from larger LGBTQIA+ events and movements, this divide is only furthered as the queer community allows room for discrimination within itself. 

Sex education within the greater United States is problematic to begin with. But when it comes to general public awareness and acceptance of asexuality, this issue is exacerbated. If sexuality is even discussed at all, the narrative is that sexual attraction is natural and expected, without including the possibility of asexuality as also natural and normal. Historically and even currently, asexuality has been pathologized, instead of recognized as a healthy and normal sexuality. 

Treating this expression of a healthy sexuality as a disease is massively detrimental to asexual individuals and the LGBTQIA+ community as a whole. Refusing to acknowledge asexual people only further alienates them and defies the need for queer communities and spaces to be safe havens for all members. 

Additionally, sex-positive movements must be more inclusive of asexuality. An understanding of sexual and relationship health must include the understanding that lack of sexual behavior in healthy relationships is not inherently pathological or wrong. As a portion of the LGBTQIA+ community, asexual people should naturally be included in the events and actions of the broader community. Denying their validity is the root cause of misinformation, and the exclusion of asexuality and asexual perspectives in the sex-positive and relationship health movements exclude them from public acceptance and exposure. 

The LGBTQIA+ community, like all others, is extraordinarily intersectional and diverse. Again, much like other communities, it is prone to inter-exclusionary practices and habits, which, if left unchecked, can further divide the community against itself. The purpose of a community at its core is to help members grow and thrive through a system of collaboration and support within itself. In the case of minority communities, like the LGBTQIA+ groups, this is critical to also combat exterior forces acting in opposition to the good health and prosperity of the group. Asexual inclusion is important not only for those who identify within the asexual spectrum, but also for the queer community as a whole.

The Retriever women’s soccer team has made it clear that they are a much different team than the one they were last year. Even though the team only has four games under its belt, the Retrievers already improved upon their record from 2018 with two more ties and one more win than they had at this point last fall. With a new credo, new energy and new members, the Retrievers are prepared and excited to take on their competitive schedule as they set their sights on their conference games beginning Sept. 22.

Before the team began summer training, head coach Vanessa Mann was working on building the women up and changing their mindsets. 

Mann told Retriever Athletics, “We started out in January and started to talk a lot about the ABC’s. For us, we actually class the ABC’s as ‘Always Be Competing’ so we compete in the classroom, we compete on the practice field, [and] we compete in the community.”

While Mann believes competition is important, she does not feel it is what will propel the Retrievers this season. So she turned to the Latin translation of the word “compete,” which she explains as meaning “‘to strive together.’” 

“So it’s not me against you, it’s me with you,” Mann said.

The team took Mann’s ideas and ran with them. The Retrievers have returned a more competitive team that can take on the challenges its 2019 competition schedule poses. They have not just been pushing themselves athletically, though. They have also carried their passion into the classroom and their communities. With Mann’s push, the Retrievers produced a higher second semester team GPA and further emphasized their call to serve the various communities in Maryland. Whether it was working with kids around Arbutus through Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC) or the Shriver Center at UMBC, the team completed over 30 hours of community service last semester.     

On top of a new attitude on the part of the returning players, the Retrievers welcomed ten new athletes to their roster. Of these athletes, two in particular have stood out: Freshman goalkeeper Alyssa Minnick, who made a key save against Towson to prevent the Tigers from leading by two, and freshman back Caroline Koutsos, who made one of the goals against Mount St. Mary’s to help the Retrievers achieve their first shutout since 2017. The next 12 games will only give these two freshmen more time to develop and contribute to the team.

With so many changes made by Mann and the team, it is no wonder the Retrievers have improved their record against the St. Francis Red Flash and the New Jersey Technical Institute Highlanders, two games they lost in 2018 and tied this season. Beyond those two games, the rest of this season looks hopeful. The Retrievers face off against the American University Eagles on Wednesday, Oct. 9, giving them an opportunity to counter their loss in 2018. New opponents George Washington University Colonials, Lehigh University Mountain Hawks and Longwood University Lancers give the Retrievers more chances to learn and grow as a team.

While the Retrievers may not be looking at a conference title, they are laying the necessary groundwork needed to propel themselves further than they have since their big win in 2013. With the energy and momentum the team is bringing to all aspects of their lives, there is little doubt that they will excel far beyond the ninth place ranking the America East preseason poll slotted them in.