top of page

Wild Knights
The University of Bridgeport's English & Professional Writing Blog


My Journey into the Culture of an Online Campus
By Ashley Cartagena Here I am wondering what do I do next? I picked Psychology as my major, since it has always piqued my interest. But now I want to help my community. Mental health is so important. I see the need for the Human Services field. Do I switch to Human Services? All these questions whip around my brain while I schedule a call with my advisor. Already anxiety ridden, I see I will be scheduling with someone other than my normal advisor. Still, I made an appointme
Randy Laist
Dec 16, 20254 min read


Hoppy Holidays, from Carl the UB Kangaroo!
Hi folks, we’re back with Carl the Carlson Hall kangaroo to talk about the joy of the season. WK: Carl, you just finished your first semester at UB as an English major . How’d it go? Carl: It was great. I learned a lot. Did you know that there’s a book called Leaves of Grass ? WK: Isn’t it like poems or something? Carl: It’s a long book of poems by a guy named Walt Whitman, and it actually tasted really good. WK: You ate the book? Carl: My final project was a kind of fo
Randy Laist
Dec 13, 20252 min read


The Power of Applied Learning at the University of Bridgeport
By Sebastiao Dossantos O ne of the most meaningful experiences I have had since I started studying at the University of Bridgeport happened during the summer semester while I was taking a Microbiology class. At the same time, I was working as a CNA and caring for a patient who had an MRSA infection after having brain surgery. I remember feeling nervous because I did not want to make a mistake, and the patient’s wife did not understand much about the medical field because of h
Randy Laist
Dec 2, 20252 min read


My Academic Life, Now With 90% Less Panic
By Mahbubul Hassan I most certainly did not expect the most encouraging moment of my return to higher education to happen in a Zoom meeting at 9 am after a grueling 36-hour shift, but life is full of surprises. Logging into my advising meeting at the University of Bridgeport, I was mentally prepared to leave disappointed and discouraged. My previous advising experiences at other campuses were character-building, to put it nicely. Previous advisors had dodged my questions abou
Randy Laist
Dec 1, 20252 min read


Filmmakers Visit UB to Screen and Discuss a Powerful New Documentary
Us / Them. Good guys / Bad guys. Police / Gang members. These bitter divisions shatter our communities, dehumanize people perceived as “other,” and perpetuate a destructive cycle of violence and retribution. This is the powerful argument at the heart of a new documentary, Us vs Them , which examines the chronic conflict between police and the communities they patrol. The filmmakers argue that a paradigm of confrontation masks an ironic mirroring effect that links t
Randy Laist
Nov 25, 20254 min read


Lunch & Learn Goes Nuclear
It’s hard to look at an atomic explosion. In a recent Lunch & Learn presentation hosted by UB’s College of Science and Society, Associate Professor Dr. Elizabeth Haas described the elaborate precautions taken by the witnesses of the Trinity test, as represented in Christopher Nolan’s 2023 film, Oppenheimer . Assembled military personnel, scientists, and other people attending the atomic test are instructed to avert their eyes from the blast itself, and to only look at the
Randy Laist
Nov 22, 20254 min read


Profile of a Bridgeport Hero: Firefighter Jamel Small
This is what bravery looks like By Janae Small On Sunday, November 1, 2025, at 3:30 PM, I met in person with firefighter Jamel Small to interview him about his career. Jamel was born and raised in Bridgeport, CT. He is 40 years old with two daughters, ages two and twelve. We talked about his passion for helping people and his commitment and dedication to the community he grew up in. When Jamel turned 21, his mother wanted him to consider firefighting as a career. The thought
Randy Laist
Nov 9, 20253 min read


Iyaba Inspires UB Students with Message of Creativity and Empowerment
By Gaby Irias Iyaba Ibo Mandingo is a writer, painter, poet, actor, playwright, and, as he demonstrated at a recent Necessary Voices event, an inspirational speaker. Iyaba began his talk by playing along with the beautiful, rhythmic sounds of the phenomenal UB Steel, the University of Bridgeport’s steelpan ensemble. Iyaba, who is originally from Antigua, shared his culture with pride. Iyaba jams with UB Steel During his talk, which occasionally erupted into moments of sl
Randy Laist
Nov 9, 20252 min read


Music and Emotion: Final Part (Music and You)
Music is intertwined with the human experience. It’s a way that we express ourselves, an extension of our emotions. It’s how we connect,...
Randy Laist
Sep 28, 20253 min read


Lunch & Learners Question Their Reality
Are you the same person today as you were yesterday? Dr. Timothy Eves, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Bridgeport,...
Randy Laist
Sep 26, 20252 min read
bottom of page