Sarah McBride ‘not running to be the trans representative in Congress’
First published Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023 in the Washington Blade. Sarah McBride is running for Delaware’s sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. If you ask her what the most important issues are for voters, she’ll tick off several things: The cost of education, prescription drugs, housing, fear of gun violence, fear of the…
Behind the scenes, these employees ran the quarantine and isolation housing at UMD
First published Wednesday, June 30, 2021 in the Diamondback. Donning an N95 mask, Mike Butler drove students from their dorms to their quarantine or isolation housing in his black Suburban, separated by plexiglass. Butler serves as the vice president of Special Events Medical Services, a medical transport company that provides emergency medical and ambulance services…
Carper’s retirement opens historic possibilities in Delaware
First published Tuesday, May 30, 2023 in the Washington Blade. As Delaware governor, he signed a bill that defined marriage as being between a man and a woman in 1996. Now, 27 years later, the Human Rights Campaign gives Sen. Tom Carper a perfect score on LGBTQ issues in Congress. That man, who turned from…
Rehoboth restaurant target of small Christian protest
First published Thursday, June 15, 2023 in the Washington Blade. A small group of Christian protesters performed a Catholic ritual outside of Rehoboth Beach’s The Pines on Saturday, where the restaurant was scheduled to host a drag fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.). The six demonstrators, though, weren’t protesting the drag performers, nor…
Delaware lawmakers seek to enshrine protections for gender-affirming care
First published June 23, 2023 in the Washington Blade. Delaware residents who receive gender-affirming care and the doctors that provide it can breathe a sigh of relief if a bill aimed at protecting those who seek gender-affirming care and the doctors that provide it passes. The bill, introduced by Rep. DeShanna Neal (D-District 13) last…
Sarah McBride announces run for Congress
First published Monday, June 26, 2023 in the Washington Blade. After months of speculation and anticipation, Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride has announced her run for Congress. If elected, she would be the first and only transgender person in Congress. No other trans people have announced their run for Congress, according to the LGBTQ+ Victory…
Clarice performances highlight the future of livestream shows
First published Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021 in Stories Beneath the Shell. When the University of Maryland shut down its campus on March 12, 2020, because of COVID-19, everything changed for opera professor Craig Kier. From one day to the next, he had to teach his students online. And have them perform online. Kier could teach…
One UMD orchestra only plays music from games
First published Monday, Dec. 20, 2021 in Stories Beneath the Shell. Gaming music isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks about an orchestra. But that’s exactly what the University of Maryland’s Gamer Symphony Orchestra plays. “There’s a million orchestras that play Beethoven and a lack of general awareness of the artistry…
Shell Shocked: Why the rent is so damn high at UMD
Reported for my Advanced Audio and Podcast Reporting class at UMD, JOUR364. I helped report this story, contributing data analysis and the interview with Dennis Passarella-George, the director of resident life at UMD. Nicole Blanchard and Aaron Wright reported as well. Grace Kpetemey and Mat Schumer anchored the episode. Julia Eisen was the executive producer. Molly…
