Get ready to pencil these events into your calendars, because UMBC’s spring semester is going to be full of fun, theatrical events – many of which are student directed or written.

Everything starts with Dog-Collar Comedy’s free improvisational comedy show, “Joe’s Dog’s Birthday,” on Friday, March 3, at 8:00 p.m. in ITE 104. This is a free event for all students and will be a great way to de-stress and laugh as the semester gets into full swing.

Next, campus MovieFest will take UMBC by storm starting on March 2 at 12 p.m. challenging students to make a film in one week with only a MacBook and Adobe Creative Cloud, a Panasonic camera and a tripod. There will be an informational meeting for MovieFest on March 1 from 5-6 p.m. in Commons 318 and a viewing event for the students’ final products on March 11 at 7:30 p.m. in ITE 104.

Directly following spring break, Studio 3 will be performing a one-act play titled “Suddenly Last Summer,” a Gothic thriller exploring the depths one mother will go in order to save her son’s reputation. Studio 3 (or Student Laboratory Theatre) gives theatre students a chance to direct or design a one-act play after competing in an extensive application process.

“Suddenly Last Summer” will be directed by Hannah Kennedy and performed in the Black Box Theatre. You can catch it from March 30 to April 2 at 8:00 p.m. The April 1 and 2 dates also offer matinee shows at 2:00 p.m. for which student comp tickets will be available at the box office or online through MissionTix.

The next weekend, April 7 to April 9, Musical Theatre Club will be performing the musical “Legally Blonde,” an adaptation of the 2001 Reese Witherspoon movie of the same name. “Legally Blonde” will be performed in Fine Arts 317, and tickets will go on sale later this semester at the Campus Information Center. Tickets will be free for UMBC students and $5 for any non-UMBC student.

An extension of the fall semester’s 24-Hour Playfest, TheatreCOM will present three one-act plays written and directed by UMBC students as a part of the New Playwright’s Festival. The festival will be held in the Sportszone on April 15 and 16.

The following week, on Thursday, April 20, TheatreCOM will present Friday Night Live, a sketch comedy show that is just like Saturday Night Live, but without all of the copyright infringement. The deadline for sketch submissions is still open, so if you would like to write a short comedic piece for the show, email it to theatrecom.umbc@gmail.com.

UMBC’s last official theatre department show of the season, “The Mail Order Bride,” will be performed by B.F.A. students on April 27-29 and May 5-7. This show tells the story of a wealthy widower who orders a young Asian woman to be his bride, expecting her to be docile and subservient, not the headstrong, opinionated woman he finds her to be.

The only matinee performance will be on May 7, for which comp tickets will be available to UMBC students at the box office or on MissionTix. Following the matinee, a talk-back event will be held with director Eve Muson, an assistant professor of theatre and head of the B.F.A. acting program at UMBC.

Rounding out the semester will be Acid Flashbacks Theatre Company’s presentation of an original zombie pop musical written by UMBC student Nell Quinn-Gibney. Though an official schedule has not yet been worked out, the musical will premiere the weekend of Saturday, May 13, the last weekend before finals week officially starts.

More information will be coming about these events as the semester continues, as well as inside looks into the vision behind the productions.

The post What’s up next in theatre at UMBC appeared first on The Retriever.

Let’s imagine for a second that it is Dec. 31. UMBC’s women’s basketball team just secured a victory against Coppin State University before strolling into conference play. The victory places them at a disappointing 5-8, their prospective chances of playoff contentions are limited. But at least those games do not matter in the grand scheme of things, when it comes to actual postseason qualification.

Plus, some of the teams faced during this stretch belong to power house conferences such as the Big Ten and the Atlantic Coast Conference. If anything, facing these big wigs will serve as a learning experience. Actual conference play would surely be different. Hopefully.

So now let’s imagine that it is Jan. 11 as the Lady Retrievers lose to the University of Hartford Hawks, their third consecutive loss after opening play within the America East Conference (AEC). This type of start is unheard of. In 2013, UMBC finished their season with only four victories in nearly 30 games and they still started conference play with a victory.

Prospective playoff hopes are now even more limited, if existent at all. Of course, they still can qualify for the quarterfinals even though they previously made the postseason with an unusually mediocre 3-13 record. However, the ability to contend in the postseason is an entirely different story. Thankfully, there is always next year as these games are surely an indicator of an early playoff exit.

And finally let’s imagine that it is now Feb. 18 as the Retrievers defeat the University of Massachusetts Lowell. It is their sixth consecutive victory, half of which were determined by a double-digit margin. The team is led, in part, by senior Taylor McCarley as her assists average elevates to six during the winning streak.

Meanwhile, junior Laura Castaldo increases her rebounds to 6.3 per game as both guards average over 15 points per game during this stretch. Castaldo will go on to win America East co-player of the week while freshman Allison McGrath will garner Rookie of the week honors.

But now let us return to the present where, despite a loss to the University of New Hampshire Wildcats, the Retrievers sit at an impressive 10-6 in conference despite their rocky start. An early loss against Hartford and Sunday’s loss to New Hampshire are the only home losses suffered in conference play. UMBC is locked in at the third seed. The Retrievers have also won eight of their last ten games while averaging 62 points per game, just better than the conference leading Wildcats that tally 61 per game.

Regardless of the results of Sunday’s contest, the fact remains that the Lady Retrievers have defied the odds. They have emerged as the tourney’s dark horse, prepped and fully capable of running the table. No one wants to face the Retrievers, especially in the RAC. All of those early season struggles, woes and difficulties have given way to a very real possibility of bringing a championship back to Hilltop Circle and claiming a NCAA tournament berth. Who would have imagined?

There is still much to be determined about the AEC quarterfinals. On Saturday March 4, the Lady Retrievers will play the Hartford Hawks. Now think back to the beginning of this piece, remember the last of the three consecutive losses the Retrievers suffered when conference play began? It was against the Hawks. The loss is now a strange beacon of hope as the Lady Retrievers are not who they were back on Jan. 11 when they last faced off.

Head coach Phil Stern and the Retrievers have become a force to be reckoned with and whoever awaits them when they travel to Portland, Maine will surely have their hands full. If the Lady Retrievers win their quarterfinal matchup, they will then face off in the semi-finals in less than 24 hours. Finally, if they earn a spot in the finals, they will compete on Friday March 10 with hopes of ultimately hoisting the America East trophy.

This victory will ensure an NCAA tournament bid, a spot that the University at Albany earned a year ago. Albany was a twelve seed and managed to defeat the University of Florida in the first round before falling to Syracuse University. The Lady Retrievers hope to take the conference even further in the tourney this year.

The previous and only time UMBC entered the NCAA tournament was in 2007 as they entered as a 16 seed. The outing was quite a disappointment as the Retrievers faced off against Geno Auriemma and the University of Connecticut, ultimately losing by a score of 82-33. But a decade has passed since that appearance and the Lady Retrievers are poised to make a lot of noise in the America East. Poised to compete against the big names underneath the national limelight, could you imagine?

The post Women’s basketball creates remarkable comeback to secure three seed appeared first on The Retriever.

Congratulations to Flora Kirk '18, Ancient Studies, for being named researcher of the week in December! Her research is on Roman coins from the second and third centuries CE. Her research mentor is Dr. Melissa Bailey of Ancient Studies. She was inspired to pursue this research project after a placement at the Roman Baths in the United Kingdom last summer where she worked cataloging the Beau Street Hoard.

Flora is an Undergraduate Research Award winner, a member of the Honors College and a Humanities Scholar.

Please follow the link below to read more about Flora's research:

Please be advised that necessary sterilization of the purified water lines (lines labeled “RO water,” ”Distilled Water,” “Line Distilled,” etc) leading to lab benches, water polishing stations, and various other pieces of equipment will take place on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, beginning at 7:00AM. For approximately 24 hours, the affected water lines will have a cleansing solution circulating through them in a closed loop.  

The sterilization solution will be circulating in the pure water loop only, the Baltimore County water feed (bathrooms, drinking fountains, most bench sinks) will not be affected.

The steam autoclave, water polishing stations and departmental dishwashers will be out of service during this period, so please plan accordingly.

All research users are a specifically cautioned against using water from the purified water loop during this period.  Laboratories with dedicated polishing or ‘final finishing’ stations fed by the pure water loop, and/or labs with equipment which employs water from the loop automatically (e.g. some dishwashers, the autoclave), are encouraged to isolate these systems from the loop prior to close of business March 21. 

It is anticipated that the building’s purified water system will return to normal by 9:00 AM  on Thursday, March 23, 2017.

We apologize for any inconvenience this will cause ongoing research.

The Walters Art Museum is among America’s top 50 art museums. Situated in the historic Mt. Vernon district of Baltimore, the Walters has an internationally renowned collection of over 33,000 objects. It presents major exhibitions and collections-related programs annually, has a world-class conservation studio and research program, and is a leader in education.

Hello Everyone!

The Google University Programs team has some exciting YouTube Live events coming up in March and we would love for you to join us.

How do I tune in again?

1. FILL OUT THIS RSVP FORM and select the events you’d like to attend

2. Find the link to join in the email sent a few days before each event. Make sure to check your spam folder!

**Note: Please do not share these links outside your school’s community. These events are invitation-only in order to maintain a personalized and intimate forum for discussion.**

So what’s going on in March?

• Technical Development for 1st and 2nd Year Students

• Wednesday March 8th @12PM PST/ 1PM MST/ 2PM CST/ 3PM EST

• Learn about Code Jam - Google's Largest Coding Competition

• Tuesday March 14th @ 1:30PM PST/ 2:30PM MST/ 3:30PM CST/ 4:30PM EST

Can’t wait to chat with you!

Thanks,

Google University Programs

Last Monday, John Fox, Director of Residential Life, proposed new residential payment rates for fiscal year 2018 to a small group of other faculty members and student leaders. The proposal consists of small, incremental increases to students’ room and board fees.

According to Fox, Res Life rates typically increase between two and four percent annually. “We work to keep housing rates as steady as possible, but they can increase when the costs of services from vendors, contractors, and utilities increase. Those expenses include things like utilities, furniture, and supply & labor costs for maintenance,” he said.

Fox opened the meeting by explaining where the money for students’ room and board goes. In particular, he highlighted the 2018 “Expense Impacts,” which consisted of debt services – “Money required annually to cover repayment of both principal and interest for capital projects” – and facility projects in Erickson and Harbor Hall on showers, flooring and roofing. Efforts to work towards all-inclusive utility rates for all halls were also subject to discussion.

The Res Life rates proposal for 2018 called for a 2.5% increase in pay for double suites, standard suites, triple dorm rooms, quad dorm rooms and apartments. However, the proposal also calls for the elimination of the single room fee (which currently stands at $604) as courtesy to those who would need a single room. The proposal did not call for any changes to the student meal plan deals. However, if the proposal is accepted, each meal plan will see a 2.2% payment increase. Fox made note that these fees are typically less negotiable because they are made in tandem with our third-party vendor, Chartwells.

Thankfully, the proposal also includes plans for many much-needed summer renovations. The East staircase in Patapsco will be repaired, and Hillside/Terrace will be getting a crawl space upgrade as well as replacement handrails. Most of the suggested renovations will be for Erickson and Harbor Hall. The Erickson Common Area and the Harbor Hall Interior Room will both be getting fresh carpets and paint. Both buildings will also be replacing many shower stalls and making roof repairs.

Fox, along with other Res Life members who attended the meeting, all stressed their desire for student feedback. For example, one student at the meeting asked why none of the Walker apartments have elevators, recalling an occasion on which her grandmother came to visit her and was not able to see her room due to a physical disability. Fox urged students to share their thoughts and ideas with Res Life.

Some students are already expressing their desire to changes and additions to residential halls. Nicole Christ, a junior Biology major, who lived in Chesapeake and Erickson as a freshman and sophomore, respectively, commented, “I’d like to see there be compost bins somewhere in the Res Life halls and better care of the washing and drying machines.”

If any readers have any ideas for residential dorms that they want to see funded, we encourage them to reach out to John Fox, or anyone else on the Res Life team. There is certainly a possibility that your ideas and suggestions could end up in Res Life’s proposal for fiscal year 2019.

The post Round up for 2018 residential rates proposal appeared first on The Retriever.

Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts

Cultural Affairs - Project Coordinator

Position Description

Are you passionate about the environment? Interested in learning about various environmental career paths? UMBC’s Career Center is hosting a panel on Monday, March 13^th from Noon- 1pm in Commons 331. Don’t miss this opportunity to network with professionals in this field and gain insight on their career paths and what you can do now to prepare!

Panelists include:

·         Bartlett Tree Experts

·         Civic Works

·         Maryland Department of the Environment

·         U.S. Geological Survey

No RSVP required.