“You’re listening to WMBC, UMBC’s freeform student radio station. And you’re in the 2000s right now, thanks to the radio time machine.” 

Four years ago, hearing those words would have been impossible. UMBC’s radio station, WMBC—now a bustling hive of musical joy, live concerts, and record painting parties—had been silent after a lack of student staffing and resource issues, leading the student group to hang up their headphones. 

But recently, music is on the airwaves again as students and staff work around the clock to breathe new life into the station. After combining operations with The Retriever, UMBC’s long-running student newspaper, and Bartleby, UMBC’s Creative Arts Journal since 1972, WMBC found a new home in the University Center, and a fresh start as part of the newly chartered Student Media Center.

Legacy media outlets

Retrievers have been media-conscious from the university’s inception. Within the first month of classes at UMBC, a newsroom was established, and the first issue of the student newspaper was published on September 19, 1966. Ever since then, the tradition of reporting student and campus life continued to expand and evolve. 

By 1979, the student-run radio station, WMBC, was founded. Originally called the WUMD Radio Club, the station began broadcasting over carrier current circuits, enabling students to tune in from their dorms and at a couple of dining areas on campus.

In recent years, these media outlets, which depend on the ever-changing student body, took a hit. But students weren’t willing to give up their media platforms so easily. 

In 2022, WMBC had been inactive for roughly four years. Before COVID even, the student group was having trouble staffing the station, but the org really lost its footing—and its physical space—during the pandemic. Sean Stultz ’24, computer science, WMBC’s station manager his senior year and their chief engineer prior to that, was storing the station’s equipment in his Hillside apartment in Breton, until the station found a permanent place for it.

Around the same time, The Retriever, the student-run newspaper, ran into similar complications. They were working without a dedicated advisor, and the weight of managing everything from organizing meetings to pitching and writing stories, publishing and distributing both in print and online, marketing/running social media accounts, and much more became too much for students to handle alone. 

That changed at the end of 2023, when Ann Tropea, the assistant director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, was hired as the newspaper’s media advisor. The Retriever members say she has helped immensely with finding advertisers, organizing documents, and advocating for them as a student organization. 

“I began working with students from The Retriever and WMBC to create a shared structure that went beyond the two groups simply sharing space in our suite of offices in the UC,” says Tropea, who has a background in law and communications. 

The student-run creative arts journal Bartleby joined the other media groups in 2024, and after a year of planning, SGA recently approved a new charter organization—the Student Media Center. The group’s stated mission is to “create a more engaged, informed, and civically empowered student body, and assert First Amendment freedoms at UMBC through the active production of student-run media.” 

The Student Events Board (seb) is the only other charter organization at UMBC, so this is historic, says Tropea. And the new structure ensures the longevity and continuous operations of not just WMBC, but The Retriever and Bartleby as well, Tropea adds, who during this planning period was directing her efforts into assisting with WMBC’s revitalization. 

Creating a shared mission

Michelle Ibino, a biological sciences junior, who is the events manager for WMBC, says, “Sharing a space and a mission has been positive as it allows for students to cross over into each club. Members of the station have found and gone on to write/work for The Retriever and vice-versa.”

The Retriever has been able to seamlessly work with WMBC to produce stories that provide coverage about the station’s events, and it’s also common to see members of The Retriever enjoying WMBC’s events, which turns the newsroom into a Tiny Desk Concert vibe. “The WMBC/Retriever space is small, but turns out to be a really cool music venue if you just rearrange a few chairs and tables!” says Tim Rogers, The Retriever’s music columnist. 

“We might be known as a commuter school, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a rich student culture just like any other university. The efforts of The Retriever and WMBC bring life to campus,” says Rogers, a sophomore.

When it comes to on-campus events, WMBC hosts concerts, album listening parties, zine creations, record painting, and other activities. WMBC puts together bills that showcase student artists, as well as local bands from the surrounding Baltimore area.

While the newsroom can accommodate only a few dozen people, WMBC is able to organize large-scale events in different places around campus. “WMBC has put together a bunch of really cool music events, some in collaboration with Retriever Music Society (RMS) and others run entirely by the club,” says Rogers. The station’s previous spring music festival was a collaboration with RMS, taking place in the UC Ballroom.

When planning events, Ibino knows how crucial it is that the students have both on-campus and off-campus options. “The off-campus concerts we run are especially important because they allow UMBC students to connect with the large local Baltimore/DMV music scene. As a school in the Baltimore area, I think it is especially important for us to encourage students to explore, interact, and support the Baltimore community, and these concerts are a great way for students to start building connections to do that. Further, our events help like-minded students find each other,” she says.

In addition to events, the integration of the groups has positively impacted campus-wide projects. This has helped both groups to become better advocates for the student community. “Advocating for different groups is an important job that both organizations share as part of the Student Media Center,” says Ibino. “Collaboration is what helps us better represent the diverse voices and interests of the UMBC community.”

Musical connections

Although he’s graduated—and no longer housing the station’s equipment—Stultz has stayed connected with WMBC and appreciates watching it thrive. “The overall campus is thankful for a lot of the stuff that we do,” says Stultz. “We’re equally thankful back to the people on campus who support us and everything because we wouldn’t be able to do any of this without them.”

In addition to being the events manager for WMBC, Ibino is one of the many DJs who broadcast a show through the station. Currently, there are about 40 different shows, and the station is on air weekly from Monday through Friday. With her show “Reverie,” Ibino connects with other students and educates anyone interested in the goth subculture.

Left: NYC-based band Lyoko at The Ottobar in Baltimore at a WMBC-off campus event. Right: Audience members watch Omanti perform at WMBC’s Great Pumpkin concert in the Student Media Center. Photos by Erin Bennett ’25.

This platform has been valuable to her and has made her feel more grounded within the community. “One of the core principles of the goth community is to be involved and contribute to the subculture,” says Ibino. “Getting to do that through my show has made me feel more connected within the scene. Creating a space where people feel welcome to explore and embrace goth culture has helped me grow more confident in my identity and strengthened my connection to the broader alternative community.”

Another DJ, Daniela Salguero, a junior psychology major, has also used her show as a way to explore her cultural identity. Her show, “Luna Roja Radio,” focuses on alternative Latin American music, and she provides commentary as to what certain songs represent in a wider political context. She explains, “Every week, I pick a theme to hone in on, and I think it’s a really great way for me to just get my feelings out there and to connect more with myself.”

The media organizations have enriched campus life by helping students to get more involved with the Baltimore community. They have also served as an inclusive space for everyone.

The door to the Student Media Center is almost always open. With the station broadcast aired on the office speakers, students are there, working and socializing under the band posters and stories that dot the walls—they’re making and sharing media but they’re also continuing a legacy for the next generation of Retriever writers, editors, and DJs. 

It may be coincidental that UMBC was founded in the midst of rock n’ roll’s most revolutionary years, but early Retrievers certainly made sure to create spaces to bring live music to the campus, in intimate settings and on much bigger stages.

Since then, iconic bands and artists such as Frank Zappa, the Goo Goo Dolls, Alanis Morissette, All-American Rejects, the Strokes, Brand New, Foo Fighters, Yellowcard, All Time Low, My Chemical Romance, and more, have all played shows for UMBC’s students. But while UMBC has a rich history of hosting renowned artists, they have always had a soft spot for local music and student artists too.

On September 21, 1968, the Collage, an on-campus weekend coffee house, was first opened. The Collage was one of the first notable instances of live music on campus, often drawing in a large crowd, especially on Saturday nights, and was the go-to place to check out the best student performers, as well as local performers from the surrounding Baltimore area. With music, poetry readings, and films, it was a perfect social and artistic atmosphere for its students.

Although the Collage is no more, today, UMBC still supports its local and student musicians with the many events held on and off campus, and through the creative spaces it provides. The Students Events Board (seb) frequently hosts open mic nights where students can sing, play an instrument, and present poetry or spoken word. In recent years, (seb) seems to have drawn on a similar ethos to the Collage, with its Coffee House: Open Mic Night Edition.

Audience members at the Collage in 1969. Two performers, Lewis and Dolgoff, on stage at
the Collage in 1969.

Yearly events like Quadmania and campus radio station WMBC’s and the Retriever Music Society’s (RMS) music festival often provide a chance for student artists to play for an audience, and the support and turnout for these events shows how tuned in Retrievers still are to good music.

WMBC’s recent revitalization has played a big role in organizing live music events and booking student and local bands for on-campus shows. ​​WMBC’s station manager Sean Jilek ’25, computer science, says, “We have so much great music being made on campus and we really want to highlight that when we can. This year we made it a goal to have a UMBC band headline the festival, which is why we had Fly By the Seat. The station has been blown away with the turnout for the concerts we have hosted on campus.” 

Additionally, off-campus, OCA Mocha, the UMBC student-founded coffee shop, provides a venue for UMBC’s student musicians, including jam sessions hosted by RMS, classical music from UMBC’s Cello Group, and performances by UMBC’s jazz groups. 

While the Collage may now be gone, after all these years it is apparent that UMBC has expanded its creative spaces, and is still passionate about fostering these venues for its students. Jilek says, “I think this last semester has shown that small shows are something that people are interested in seeing on campus.”

As flowers start popping up on campus and we get some warmer (if rainy) days, it’s the perfect time to go out and catch some of the arts events happening at UMBC. Whether you need a break from studying, work, or are just looking for some fun, you can be sure to find many entertaining and thought provoking arts and culture events happening on campus!

1. Enjoy an Artful Conversation All About Dance

No dance skills are required to enjoy an evening all about dance with Artful Conversations: An Evening with Misty Copeland. On the night of March 6, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Misty Copeland, the first African American female principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, and a New York Times best selling author, will be discussing topics all about dance and her historical performances. The night will begin with dance works performed by UMBC students and faculty. Later, in conversation with College of Art, Humanities, and Social Sciences Dean Kimberly Moffitt, Copeland will talk about her ground-breaking career.

In case the event is sold out or if you just want to watch on a later date, a livestream and recording will be available via the UMBC Youtube Channel. (Photo by Drew Gurian/MasterClass)

2. Bask in the Glow at a Poetry Reading

If you’re unable to make the Misty Copeland event, the English Department’s spring reading series event on March 6 features Taylor Johnson, poet laureate of Takoma Park, Maryland. Johnson is the author of Inheritance, and winner of the 2021 Norma Farber First Book Award from the Poetry Society of America. Inheritance was influenced by living in Washington, D.C., and it explores the complexities of language. The event, which includes a reading, Q&A, and book signing, is free, and runs from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Albin O. Kuhn Library. (Photo by Sean D. Henry-Smith)

3. Listen to an Enchanting Evening of Music from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

On March 8, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will perform at UMBC. The ensemble will be led by conductor Ken-David Masur. The program includes Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony, Toshio Hosokawa’s Meditation to the victims of Tsunami 3.11, and the orchestra will be joined by cellist, Zlatomir Fung, for a performance of Camille Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto. The performance is being held at the Linehan Concert Hall from 8 to 10 p.m., and tickets are only $5 for students. (Ken-David Masur conducting. Photo taken by Stu Rosner.)

 4. Join WMBC for its Entertaining Spring Music Festival

WMBC Radio, UMBC’s independent, student-run radio station, will be hosting their second annual music festival on March 29 in the UC Ballroom, from 6 to 11 p.m. The festival will be featuring some student artists, bands, and other creatives! The bill includes Fly by The Seat, Regan Lewis, Eat the Cake, and more. Don’t forget to check out the art vendors who will be there as well!

5. Chuckle with Dog Collar at “Saturday Bite Live”

Either before or after WMBC’s music festival, stop by Saturday Bite Live, a free improv show put on by UMBC’s comedy troupe, Dog Collar. Contrary to its name, the show will be on a Friday, March 29, and will take place in the ITE building in room 104. Doors open at 7:30, and the show begins at 8 p.m. Come out and support these students while having a laugh! (Members of the Dog Collar troupe performing at the UMBC Gritty Kitties charity show. Photo by Anthony Rivera.)

6. Check out Plays for Our Planet

Get an early start on Earth Day this year at one of the UMBC Department of Theatre’s multiple plays centered around the theme of climate science and activism. The play Slime, by Bryony Lavery, directed by Nigel Semaj, will run from April 4 to the 14 in the Performing Arts and Humanities Building’s Proscenium Theatre. Slime is a dystopian comedy about seven grad students who are translators of different animal species, who must work to save all life on earth from a toxic slime. On April 14, there will be a free matinee for UMBC students and post-show actor talk-back. 

For more theatre events, you can check out the entire production season here!

7. Explore the FloodZone

The eerie and alluring photographs of Anastasia Samoylova’s FloodZone, depict the painstaking reality of what it’s like to live in the southern U.S. at a time when the climate crisis has greatly affected the environment. The exhibition was first featured at the George Eastman Museum in 2022, and has been on display in a few other locations throughout the U.S. as well as internationally, but the alligators and flamingos and other coastal life forms have now arrived at UMBC for a limited time. The exhibition will be on display at the AOK Library Gallery until May 29.

On Monday, April 22, in the Library Gallery, the artist will participate in an Earth Day panel on Climate Change, Science Communication, and the Arts. How do climate scientists share their research and data with the wider public in a way that non-specialists can understand? How might art contribute to this urgent work? Samoylova will discuss her photography while in conversation with scientists and media historians specializing in science communication.