The Walking Dead season finale packs a punch

With writing and acting worthy of an Emmy, the AMC hit series The Walking Dead, shattered all expectations in its season 5 finale.

AMC’s hit series The Walking Dead follows a diverse group of survivors in a post-apocalyptic America where zombies, called “walkers,” seem to have taken over. The main character, Rick Grimes (portrayed by Andrew Lincoln) was a sheriff before the apocalypse and has become the undisputed leader of his small group.

In the second half of season five, Rick and his gang find themselves confined to a walled community named “The Alexandria Safe Zone.” The band of survivors struggle to assimilate into the community after having lived the life of a road warrior for so long. Other conflicts arise with the Alexandrians inability to grasp the true danger of the world in which they now live.

The season five finale was a special length, running 90 minutes, as opposed to the show’s usual 60 minute time slot. The lengthened finale was overflowing with plot-twists and plenty of suspense to set up season six.

Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride play Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier, respectively. They, along with Lincoln, topped off yet another season of stellar acting with performances worthy of an Emmy.

Seth Gilliam displayed some of his acting prowess as his character Father Gabriel fought an internal battle with his past transgressions. Some viewers may recognize Gilliam from the Baltimore-based hit The Wire, where he showed off his superb acting skills.

Glenn’s character, portrayed by Steven Yeun, gained momentum as a core character as his leadership developed in season 5, which was amplified by the events surrounding Glenn in the season finale.

The Walking Dead, based on the graphic novel of the same name, often pulls dialogue from the graphic novel. Sometimes, the dialogue is word-for-word, as it was in the “we are the walking dead” speech that Rick gives in the barn in episode 10.

The speech Rick gives at the end of the season finale, at the campfire forum, is based largely on a similar speech given in the comic books. During this speech, Lincoln’s acting is as intense as the words he is saying and they exist in perfect harmony.

This speech serves as an attempt to expose the very real dangers of the Alexandrians’ world, something Rick has been trying to convey since his arrival. The culminating moment of the episode follows the fiery speech.

As a whole, the writing in The Walking Dead is very detailed, leaving very few words and interactions without particular meaning. Close to everything that is done or said has an intent or underlying purpose that serves to further the plot.

Season six is rumored to have shootouts with human foes, unprecedented herds of walkers and a return to the “Ricktatorship” of earlier seasons.

Photo credit: AMC

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Charles LaBerge, computer science and electrical engineering, has been selected to be recognized at the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) 2015 annual Symposium Awards Luncheon in Washington, D.C. on June 3. RTCA is a not-for-profit association that wroks to develop recommendations about air transportation for the Federal government.

LaBerge was chosen to be honored by RTCA for his work on the “Minimum Operational Performance Standards for Avionics Supporting Next Generation Satellite Systems.” His research focuses on aeronautical navigation and communication applications, as well as digital signal processing, coding theory, and radio frequency interference.

This March the garden organized a few events to increase involvement and awareness of the space. These pictures are from a poetry reading and potluck that took place during Garden Week.

Picture Credit: Mel Nunn

Photo Gallery Write Up: Sarah Miller

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Greater Homewood Community Corporation (GHCC) is accepting applications for its 2015-2016 AmeriCorps VISTA Cohort. For more than two decades, GHCC has been developing emerging nonprofit leaders through service. 

GHCC is looking for passionate, committed, hard working individuals who want to leverage their skills and experiences to eradicate poverty. GHCC sponsored VISTAs receive a solid foundation of skills they can use as a springboard for careers in government, nonprofits, education, and much more. 

Apply through my.americorps.gov by May 8, 2015! 

We are pleased to announce the new Marilyn E. Demorest Faculty Advancement Award. This award is supported by an endowment created by Dr. Marilyn Demorest, Professor Emerita of Psychology and former Vice Provost of Faculty Affairs, to “support the advancement of all UMBC faculty members in their academic careers; to facilitate their professional development; and to recognize their contributions to faculty advancement and success at UMBC.” This fund will be awarded annually to faculty who mentor and/or advise faculty and colleagues in their field.

• The Marilyn E. Demorest Faculty Advancement Award is conferred annually for a term of one year upon a UMBC faculty member.
• Nominations (including self-nominations) for the 2014-2015 Marilyn E. Demorest Faculty Advancement are due to the Provost Office no later than April 30.
• The nomination should include a letter of recommendation (or self-nomination), a current curriculum vitae of the nominee, and an indication of how the nominee would spend the year as the Marilyn E. Demorest Faculty Advancement Awardee. The letter should make clear the faculty member’s contribution to mentoring and advising faculty.
• The Marilyn E. Demorest Faculty Advancement Award will be appointed by the Provost, based upon the recommendations of the Honors and Awards Committee of the Faculty Senate.
• The award will allocate $1,000 to stipend and $500 to a discretionary expense account to draw upon for a variety of purposes (sponsoring workshops, conferences, travel, mentoring activity).

CUERE Seminar Series presents Dr. Chris Hennigan with UMBC’s Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering Department and his talk on “Sources and Processes Affecting Particulate Matter in Denver, CO during DISCOVER-AQ.” Friday, April 24, 2015 at 2:00 pm in the TRC Building room 206.