UMBC Hillel, together with the Interdisciplinary Studies Council of Majors (list of co-sponsors in formation) is sponsoring a field trip to DC for Inauguration Day to be present for the swearing-in of President Elect Barack Obama on January 20, 2009.  The plan will be to meet either on campus or at the MARC train at BWI very early on that morning.

As details are worked out for that day, we will update the community with details of which train we will take together early to DC that morning.

Meanwhile, please log on to Facebook, join the event, and invite all your friends to come as well:
“Inaugurate!”
UMBC Hillel would be happy to have other student organizations co-sponsor the field trip; we’ll list your organization’s name on the event and you can publicize to your group.  Just email hillel@umbc.edu

$5 subsidies toward train tickets will be given to each of the first 50 students to RSVP on Facebook.

Matisyahu is known as the Hassidic Reaggae Superstar – he holds the
record for the highest debuting reggae album on the Billboard Charts.
His success has demonstrated that music is truly the international
language, able to express the full range of human emotions from the
most banal to the most lofty and spiritual. He is a Hassidic Jew who
raps about the splendor of Judaism through the medium of traditional
Jamaican music!

This past Saturday night a bunch of UMBC Hillel students went to see
Matisyahu perform live at Rams Head. Rides and tickets were arranged
and everyone came in a good mood. We all expected to have a good time
but the evening managed to exceed our expectations none the less. The
opening act, the Flobots really warmed the crowd up – they got
everyone to raise their hands in the air with their young, loud and
awesome music.

Then the king of the evening began his set with “King Without A Crown”
and didn’t let up for another 3 full hours! The audience was singing
and dancing and in the throes of ecstasy for the entire time. After
the exhausting show, Matisyahu still managed to find the energy to
come down off the stage and hang out with his fans, sign some posters,
write “Blessing” on t-shirts, get feedback about the show and talk to
his groupies.

The gang from UMBC Hillel got lucky – able to witness a great show and
interact with a really nice down to earth artist. It’s unlikely that
any of us will get “Jeruuuuuusalem” out of our heads anytime soon.
Thanks, Mati, for your great show! Come back to Baltimore any time!

More pictures are HERE