Campus Clash brought students together through 2000s and 2010s pop culture trivia. The event fostered connection, belonging, and supported students’ developing professional identities.
Campus Clash: Best of Both Worlds Trivia Hour, hosted by the Office of Student Success, Leadership, and Engagement as a collaboration between the Student Engagement team and the FIRST Peer Mentoring program, offered more than just a fun break in the day. It created a meaningful space for connection, belonging, and growth. The event was open to all students, inviting a broad cross-section of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) community to participate.
Designed to support first-year students at UMB, FIRST focuses on helping students navigate the transition into graduate and professional school. Events like this play an important role in that process. While academic and career development often take center stage, opportunities for informal social engagement are just as essential in shaping a student’s overall experience.
The trivia experience drew from the 2000s and 2010s, with an emphasis on pop culture. Questions were intentionally designed to explore both United States culture and international pop culture from that period. This approach invited students to bring their own knowledge and perspectives into the space, creating moments of recognition, curiosity, and shared discovery.
Throughout the event, students participated individually while still sharing the experience with others in the room. They laughed, reflected, and engaged with peers outside of their usual academic environments. These moments of connection may seem small, but they contribute to a larger developmental process. Building relationships, practicing communication, and finding a sense of community all support students as they begin to form their professional identities.
Professional identity is not developed in isolation. It is shaped through interactions, experiences, and a sense of belonging within a community. By creating spaces where students can show up authentically, engage alongside peers, and feel connected, programs like Campus Clash help lay the foundation for confident, engaged professionals.
As UMB continues to invest in student success, partnerships like this highlight the value of blending social connection with leadership and professional development. Sometimes, growth starts with something as simple as answering trivia questions in a room full of new peers and realizing you belong there.