I find myself

Facing the same faults.

They’ve trailed my life like wasted minutes,

And lined my vulnerabilities like unintended fray,

They’ve bloomed onset my decay.

I never, not once, underestimated their abilities

For, there is a deep difference between skill and strength

But I did not predict they’d profess the latter

They harvest resilience from floods of weakness

They are passionate,

Courageous,

Just.

They are the victors in the battles I have yet to fight

And the flames in the memories I have yet to light

They are durable

And so, make life unendurable

This is an installment in The Retriever’s new creative writing section.  If you would like to submit your creative writing or art for possible publication in The Retriever, please contact ceyda1@umbc.edu.

Five-time GRAMMY nominee Brothers Osborne never fails to impress with their charismatic country music. The duo of brothers, TJ and John Osborne, has found great success with the combination of their personal talents.

TJ, the lead vocalist, enchants listeners with the smooth, deep voice classic to country music, all the while adding his own flair, separating him from the rest of his genre. John’s guitar skills, phenomenal and mesmerizing, complement TJ’s voice beautifully. The brothers’ talents combine to create a distinct style for which Brothers Osborne is remembered and admired.

Brothers Osborne’s most recent album, “Port Saint Joe,” was nominated for best country album of the year for the 61st annual GRAMMY awards, and it is clear as to why their album was considered for such an outstanding award. With this album, the Osborne brothers perfectly balance slow and fast-paced songs with focuses on love, pain and drunken joy.

Songs on the album such as “A Couple Wrongs Makin’ It Alright” and “Slow Your Roll” liven the listeners with their upbeat tones and lighthearted lyrics, prompting all listeners to sing along with lines like “We’re all gonna get there someday / Don’t have to be tonight / It’s harder than you think to do nothing / If you wanna do nothing right.”

Their song, “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)” explores a theme atypical to the anticipated upbeat collection. It captures the sense of loss and inner turmoil that comes with the absence of a loved one. Through lyrics such as, “Was I just another ghost in this town? / Who was I when no one was around? / Did I even know what I was livin’ with? / Who are my favorite songs about?” Brothers Osborne embodies the self-doubt one may experience while without someone they love.

With their music, Brothers Osborne tours a wide range of styles, providing an enjoyable song for every listener. Their music essentially focuses on entertaining the listener, whether that be through relatable lyrics or just pure enjoyment. It also caters to the emotions of the audience members and creates a warm environment fit for everyone to leave “only guilty of a damn good time.”

Maryland natives, Brothers Osborne came close to home on Feb. 23 at The Anthem in Washington D.C. The show was outstanding, the live music outshining their already extraordinary pre-recorded album. Although there are only two of them onstage, Brothers Osborne had a huge presence and engaged the entire audience with their lively, feel-good performance.

Every audience member could see the Osborne brothers’ passion performed on stage, and that is a very special, rare ability for modern musicians to possess. Their genuine love for music and admiration for their fans was shared with every note they played.  

Brothers Osborne is dedicated to creating music that reflects their love for their craft. They explore a variety of styles within the country music genre and have created their own distinct presence in the music industry for it. Everyone is encouraged to follow Brothers Osborne on Spotify and become a part of “The Family.”

Many people feel that art and science are separate entities of thought, but artist John Ruppert challenges this idea in his exhibition, “LAB: Empirical Evidence.” The purpose of the exhibition is to explore how humans are connected to nature, and Ruppert experiments with a variety of media to answer this complex question.

Ruppert works with an array of natural phenomena, his exhibit including everything from suspended oriental bittersweet vines and looping footage of a volcanic eruption in Hawaii to volcanic sand sculpted by magnetism and speakers that emit sound in time with real-life seismic events.

The exhibit is set up in such a way as to immerse the viewer into the man-made natural world, forcing the viewer to acknowledge aspects of nature taken for granted or forgotten in everyday life. Sculptures cover the space and videos of natural phenomena project on the wall while speakers play nature recordings, allowing the viewer to experience the piece through multiple senses.

Ruppert’s installation, “Bittersweet Vines,” exemplifies how humans and nature are connected. In the main part of the gallery, vines tangle and knot, climbing up from the floor to the ceiling and then spanning across the space. Behind the vines, a video of ice collapsing is projected onto the wall. The vines in front of the projection create shadows that simulate real-life vines in the foreground of the video.

According to the description of the piece, the oriental bittersweet vine is not native to the United States but is a parasitic plant that grows in areas where nature meets the man-made environment. In the exhibit, the vines span across the room, giving the appearance that they are consuming the space. The oriental bittersweet vine is an example of how humans have affected nature and are thus in turn being affected by nature.

Humans introduced the vine into the North American ecosystem, thus altering the local habitat. The oriental bittersweet vine is consuming native species and slowly taking over the landscape. By having the vines wrap around the room, the viewer is made aware of the impact of nature on the man-made world.

Humans tend to view the artificial world as being entirely separate from the natural world when, in reality, the two landscapes affect and are affected by one another. Ruppert’s installation, “Bittersweet Vines,” shows how these two worlds collide. The natural world and the man-made world need to stop being viewed as separate but rather as one connected landscape.

Just as important in Ruppert’s exhibition is the link between art and science. “LAB: Empirical Evidence” is a perfect example of how art can be used to communicate important messages to the community. Ruppert’s work causes the viewer to reflect on how humans interact within their environment and how the existence of nature and humans is interconnected.

Nature is not merely a place where people build houses and shopping malls but is also a rich source of natural resources to be respected. Ruppert’s exhibition showcases how humans are only one part of a larger network of life on Earth, all the while having a great impact on their surroundings.

Welcome, PSS Work Life Balance Consultants!

This semester, the PSS Work Life Balance Committee is launching the Work Life Balance Consultants program. It offers employees the opportunity to talk to a knowledgeable colleague—either within or outside their division—about their work-life balance concerns and options at UMBC.

If you'd like to speak with a consultant feel free to reach out them directly. If you have questions about the program generally, contact any member of the PSS Work Life Balance Committee.

Consultants:

Amanda Knapp, aknapp@umbc.edu
Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Allison Jones, ajones9@umbc.edu
Division of Professional Studies

Carrie Sauter, csauter@umbc.edu
Interdisciplinary Studies

Cindy Greenwood, cindyg@umbc.edu
Center for Women in Technology

Dennis Cuddy, cuddy@umbc.edu
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Elle Trusz, elle@umbc.edu
Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis

Elle Everhart, eaever@umbc.edu
Department of Gender and Women's Studies

Sara Lerma Jones, slj@umbc.edu
Alumni Relations

Jenny O'Grady, jogrady@umbc.edu
UMBC Magazine

Mark Cather, markc@umbc.edu
Information Security

Ray Soellner, rays1@umbc.edu
Telecommunications

Sue Plitt, plitt@umbc.edu
Career Center

Chuck Boddy, cboddy@umbc.edu
Parking Services

One of the special qualities of Baltimore City is how rich in creative expression it is. On almost every block, there is a work of art. Whether it be street performers or walls of graffiti, artistic expression is an important part of Baltimore’s culture. With so many creative minds in the city, it takes the initiative of local figures to provide them with organized and safe platforms to express themselves.

Local clothing store Pipe Dreamz does just that with “Talenti,” an open mic competition for local artists that gives them the chance to win a set at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas.  It is a great way to give one of the city’s up-and-coming artists a chance to gain exposure beyond their hometown.

During business hours, Pipe Dreamz operates as a precisely curated clothing boutique and art gallery. Paintings of local artists line the walls, and a limited — yet carefully thought out — inventory of clothes hang from wires. In the front, a sleek bar boasts an expansive selection of cereals available for order, along with mimosas and waffles. With the unique feature it carries, Pipe Dreamz has all the qualities to be an iconic underground Baltimore venue.

Every Thursday, as nighttime rolls around, dozens pack into the small store crammed between the storefronts of North Charles Street. The energy there is contagious. Mosh pits and dancing break out on a regular basis, leaving packs of sweaty teenagers catching their breath after the best performances. This energy reflects how supportive the city’s youth is of unknown artists. Every week the sign-up sheet gets longer and the crowds get larger, making the competition a weekly tradition for local artists and a must for aspiring performers.

Of course, none of it would be possible without Pipe Dreamz’ owner Ansar “A.C.” Abdullah, who has made a point to promote Baltimore’s artistic and musical talents for years now. “The open mic has been a tradition since our days on North Howard Street, there’s a need for starving artists in the city to be given a platform,” says Abdullah, who has gone the extra mile to put events such as “Talenti” on, simply out of his love for the underground culture.

As he says “I like to see the growth in artists, that’s my biggest reward in doing all of this. When we do these open mics it constantly stands as a reminder as to why I opened this shop up in the first place, to give young kids a voice no matter what their racial or social background is, to give them an opportunity at least for one night to be able to feel like they are on top of the world and this is the biggest stage ever.“ Abdullah proves that a little care and effort can go a long way for developing artists.