We are excited to announce that Retriever Essentials will be participating in Giving Day 2019!

UMBC Giving Day Black and Gold Rush is an inspiring example of what the UMBC community can accomplish together.

It only takes a moment to help transform lives—and you can make your mark no matter where you are. Join the #BlackandGoldRush by visiting givingday.umbc.edu and choose to support Retriever Essentials, or your favorite UMBC cause!

February 28- one day to make a difference. Save the date and join #UMBC for #blackandgoldrush Giving Day. www.givingday.umbc.edu

The GRE® General Test measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical writing skills that have been acquired over a long period of time and that are not related to any specific field of study.

Verbal Reasoning — The skills measured include the test taker’s ability to:

• Analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it
• Analyze relationships among component parts of sentences
• Recognize relationships between words and concepts

Quantitative Reasoning — The skills measured include the test taker’s ability to:

• Understand basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis
• Reason quantitatively
• Solve problems in a quantitative setting

Analytical Writing — The skills measured include the test taker’s ability to:

• Articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively
• Examine claims and accompanying evidence
• Support ideas with relevant reasons and examples
• Sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion
• Control the elements of standard written English

Throughout the competition, UMBC swimmers shattered record after record, both individually and as a team. The men’s team racked up an awe-inspiring 1113.5 points, their highest total ever in conference play, and the women finished strong with 894.5.

Danish national champion Alexander Gliese ‘19, Mechanical Engineering, is no stranger to breaking records. 

Just last month, Gliese broke Michael Phelps’ 16-year-old NBAC record during the back split of the 400 medley relay. During preliminaries of the 200 back for America East, Gliese set a new UMBC and conference record with a time of 1:42.56 and broke the UMBC and America East record in the 100 back with a time of 47.16.

In addition to event wins, Gliese also received the Dave Alexander Coaches’ Award as the senior who accrued the most points over the course of the meet.

Picture: Alexander Gliese medals during day two of America East competition. Photo courtesy of Colleen Humel.

Read the article here:https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/coeit/posts/82239

Mirror mirror on the wall,

     when you look at me, what do you see?

Do you see my shiny, off-white teeth when I smile?

     Or maybe the crinkles under my eyes?

But —

Can you see my ambitions,

     my hopes,

         my dreams

            that all act as my guiding North Star?

Can you see how I follow the path of my heart,

     how I trip and stumble along uneven pavement,

         how I spend my time getting lost in the stranger lanes,

            exploring every avenue in this wooden labyrinth of life? 

     how I face the oceans washed out before me,

         and always find a way to sail to the other side?

Can you see the nights I’ve spent staring up at the stars,

     peering through the dark,

          imagining where my road will lead?

Can you see the bruises and scrapes,

     where I’ve been shoved down into the dirt,

         and the long days I’ve spent doubting my compass’ sense of direction?

Can you see the times I’ve stood up,

     against  the doubts of others,

         doubts of the world,

            of my own?

Can you see how for every dead end I’ve hit,

     I’ve retraced my steps and found a new path to follow?

Mirror mirror on the wall,

     can you see me and the journeys I have taken at all?

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.

Historically, the winter season is home to a dull dry spell for high-impact movies. It is up to the spring season to liven up the year with films that excite audiences. Spring 2019 is no different with many premiere blockbusters hitting theaters leading up to the arguably most anticipated blockbuster films of 2019. Of the many releases, few stand out as experiences worth watching.

“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” is set to premiere in theaters Friday, Feb. 22. The third installment of the critically acclaimed “How to Train Your Dragon” series is yet another family-friendly animated film under the writer and director Dean DeBlois (“How to Train Your Dragon,” “Lilo and Stitch,”). The first two films in this series earned Oscar-nominations for Best-Animated picture in 2010 and 2014 respectively. “The Hidden World” will be no exception to its predecessors’ high success and has already earned a pre-release score of 97 percent on film aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.

Next up is the twenty-first addition to the continual Marvel Cinematic Universe: “Captain Marvel.” It will be in theaters starting Friday, March 8. Before revealing the epic conclusion to 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War,” viewers are treated to a story of one of the Earth’s first heroes set in the 1990s. Brie Larson plays Carol Danvers, former US Air Force pilot who returns to Earth as a member of an elite alien military team. This world-building space-action film reveals the deeper facets of the galactic side of Marvel comics.

Following the massive success of 2017’s horror-thriller, “Get Out,” Jordan Peele’s latest cinematic venture is expected to draw crowds. “Us,” directed, written, and produced by Peele, will first be released at the prestigious film festival “South by Southwest” two weeks ahead of its theatrical release on Friday, March 22. The film also falls under a psychological horror genre, which, due to the complex nature of the genre, demonstrates Peele’s talents. Along with the backing of Jason Blum and Blumhouse Productions (“The Purge”, “Split”, “Paranormal Activity”), the film definitely should not disappoint.

Then, along with a collection of four other Disney films slated in the spring season, “Dumbo” premieres Friday, March 29. Loosely inspired by the 1941 animated film of the same name, the film takes advantage of both modern animation technology and practical set design to create the fantastical world under the direction of Tim Burton. Both worth watching for childhood nostalgia and for the new take on the story, this film is here to please.

Finally, the resolution to last year’s “Avengers: Infinity War” will be unveiled at the end of the spring movie season on Friday, April 26. Dubbed “Avengers: Endgame,” the culmination of over 10 years of cinematic tales brings us back around to the original cast of heroes seen in 2012’s “The Avengers.” This highly anticipated film is expected to conclude Thanos’ plot from last year’s film and bear real consequences for our heroes.

The spring season is approaching fast and audiences all around the globe are on the edge of their seats. These upcoming blockbusters are, hopefully, going to give us good stories, diverse casting and relatable characters. All there is left to do is wait.

Personable and fun from head to toe, Alex Hooper has become such a popular comedian in the last ten years, and it is easy to see why. Hooper is an LA-based comedian originally from Towson, Maryland. Many of us will remember him from the “America’s Got Talent” episode where he insulted the judge, igniting thousands of people to angrily yell at him from their seats.

His first album, “Hugs. Drugs. Pugs.” was one of his favorite accomplishments. This project followed his personal growth, connecting with a lot of the main parts of his life. However, this is not all Hooper wants to do with comedy; he wants to expand his creative career across different platforms and countries. Hooper wants to work on more TV shows, and he even started a podcast called “Achilles’ Heel” that tells stories of struggle and mental illness. 

Hooper has already performed in Argentina, Mexico and Thailand and plans to do a show in Canada soon. Hooper says that he has to work so much harder in these shows; he must constantly be on his feet and able to pivot in the moment. One of his favorite shows by far was in Thailand because he says, “it was the most present I’ve ever been.”

Comedy, contrary to popular belief, is a difficult profession. There is a lot of rejection involved, and it does not always pay very well. Hooper still has to work hard every day despite already having established himself. Getting up on stage will always be scary for Hooper, but that is just part of his job. He believes that being uncomfortable is good for performers. Too often he says he is just “the crazy man standing in the corner of an art gallery,” but he grows from it. Performers have to know how to be comfortable in their own skin; otherwise they will never find who they are as a comedian.

Hooper will be returning to Baltimore for a show at Fells Point Corner Theatre on Feb. 27. In fact, it is only a few weeks before his 10 year anniversary with comedy on March 9. It is an amazing feat to have been able to pursue comedy for so long, especially with how many up-and-coming comedians there already are.

A Marylander himself, Hooper looks forward to his upcoming show in Baltimore. Although, it is definitely weird for him when he performs in Charm City. He usually tries to come back to Baltimore once a year. During these shows, the added pressure of knowing people in the audience weighs on him.

Despite all the hardships, Hooper is extremely passionate about comedy. The way he talks about his job is heartwarming, and he hopes everyone finds their own passions. In fact, he thinks that there is “nothing more important in life than finding your purpose.” The reason he loves comedy so much is because it is his way of spreading joy and truly expressing himself, something that people often struggle to do. Everyone should hope to find their own calling because what’s the point of doing anything if it is not with passion?

So save the date for Feb. 27, and come see Alex Hooper live. He has enough personality to entertain you for the entire night, and, on top of that, he promises that it will be a “celebration of fun and silliness.”