Beyond the Loop: Adventures Off Campus
Fun, food, and culture are just a walk — or a short ride — away in the towns surrounding the UMBC campus. Continue Reading Beyond the Loop: Adventures Off Campus
Campus Life
Suits and Celebs and Selfies, Oh My! Getting ESPYS Ready
Topping off a history-making year, the celebrations continue tonight for UMBC men’s basketball with a nomination for “Best Moment” at this year’s ESPY Awards. Before they jetted off for a star-studded night in Los Angeles, we caught up with some of the players hitting the red carpet to answer the hard-hitting questions #RetrieverNation needs to know.ESPYs voting is open until the start of the show at 8 p.m. EST. Click here to vote for the Retrievers!Q: It’s a night that sports enthusiasts dream of. Is there one celebrity you’re looking most forward to seeing? Q: The single most important question… Continue Reading Suits and Celebs and Selfies, Oh My! Getting ESPYS Ready
The Shot Heard ‘Round the World
When UMBC dethroned the University of Vermont, 65 – 62, to win the America East men’s basketball champion ship on March 10, few anticipated the journey ahead. A stunning three-point shot by Jairus Lyles, with less than a second left on the clock, didn’t just catapult UMBC to the NCAA tournament, it set the tone for the nail-biting, heart-pounding, history-making run that would follow. Continue Reading The Shot Heard ‘Round the World
Life is Tweet – UMBC Men’s Basketball Makes History
As the team captured the nation’s heart on the court, Zach Seidel ’12, M.S. ’15, captivated Twitter with his snarky-yet-respectful play-by-play of the game. And as the team found themselves the subject of interviews and memes, so did Seidel, as he playfully shut down Sharpie-wielding haters while simultaneously inviting the world to join #RetrieverNation. Here, Seidel talks with his dad, fellow alum and sports writer Jeff Seidel ’85, about what those first days were like. Jeff: Did you realize what was going on nationally? Zach: No, not until there were about three or four minutes left in the game when… Continue Reading Life is Tweet – UMBC Men’s Basketball Makes History
Hop to It: Devin Meek, Professional Jump Roper
Monday through Thursday, he’s your average student. But once Friday rolls around, UMBC sophomore Devin Meeks packs his bags and does a forward 180, traveling the world for his part-time job: professional jump roper. Continue Reading Hop to It: Devin Meek, Professional Jump Roper
Beat of a Different Drum: UMBC’s Unique Musical Instrument, the Gamelan
In the corner of the Music Box theater, a spacious room on the first floor of the Performing Arts and Humanities Building, lives a curious collection of gold-colored instruments. Organized in an ensemble on the floor, all of the pieces make up the gamelan, one of the most unique musical instruments on campus. “Take your shoes off and find a spot to jump right in,” says instructor Gina Beck, M.A. ’90, ethnomusicology, as she invites her students to sit on floor mats behind each individual piece of the Indonesian instrument. They file in toward the gamelan and choose their places.… Continue Reading Beat of a Different Drum: UMBC’s Unique Musical Instrument, the Gamelan
UMBC ends historic men's basketball season with pride, gratitude. #RetrieverNation
UMBC’s historic 20-point win over no. 1 seed University of Virginia last Friday gave the Retrievers a taste of NCAA victory. Two days and one Sports Illustrated cover later, UMBC battled Kansas State in a nail-biting, neck-and-neck second round contest. The Retrievers trailed the Wildcats by just one point for much of the game, eventually ceding to Kansas State, 43-50 (see ESPN recap). Just after Friday’s round one victory, NCAA’s Kyle Boone suggested, “Jairus Lyles was the best player on the floor…and he likely will be again come Sunday when they take on the Wildcats.” Lyles ‘17, sociology, M.A. ‘18, education,… Continue Reading UMBC ends historic men's basketball season with pride, gratitude. #RetrieverNation
UMBC men’s basketball makes history with victory over UVA, heads to NCAA round two
As Retriever Nation erupted with joy for UMBC’s 74-54 upset victory over the University of Virginia—a team thought unbeatable just hours before—millions of new fans learned for the first time what UMBC stands for: University of a Million Brackets Crushed. Or U Must Be Cinderella. Or, as longtime Retriever fans will tell you, U Made the Best Choice. Friday’s game wasn’t just record-setting, expectation-smashing victory for UMBC. It was also a major first for the NCAA. Never before has a no. 16 seed bested a no. 1 in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, until UMBC, as NPR noted, “beat the… Continue Reading UMBC men’s basketball makes history with victory over UVA, heads to NCAA round two
UMBC rewrites the record books with NCAA victory over #1 UVA
With tonight’s 74-54 win over the University of Virginia’s (UVA) Cavaliers, UMBC has made basketball history as the first No. 16 seed team to best a No. 1 seed in an NCAA men’s tournament. The victory sends the team into the second round of play versus Kansas State, on Sunday, March 18. In the first half, the Retrievers stayed consistently within striking distance of the Cavaliers, pushing to a tie at halftime. They came back fresh, with an impressive run of confident three-pointers that took them all the way home. “UMBC is the talk of the nation right now…what they’re doing… Continue Reading UMBC rewrites the record books with NCAA victory over #1 UVA
Slice of Life: Pi Day at UMBC
Who doesn’t love a delicious piece of pie? Well, at UMBC we also love our pi, the infinite decimal 3.14 essential for so many computations (and puns). Our love is completely rational, we swear, even if pi is not! So, what does Pi Day look like at #RetrieverNation? Here’s a quick peek at the day’s fun… INFINITE SLICES?? — UMBC Dining Services served up delicious plates of pie all day. Looks yummy, no? ON THE NUMBERS — Grad student Cameron Rhode outdid himself by reciting pi to the 250th digit! MASCOTS
Five Reasons to
It’s always a wonderful time to be a Retriever. After all, we have grit and greatness to spare. But now is also an especially amazing moment to break out the black and gold to cheer on UMBC basketball. On Saturday, in its first America East playoff home game in a decade, the second-seeded UMBC men’s basketball team hit back stronger than ever, after being down 11 points in the first half, to outscore No. 7 UMass Lowell, and come away with a decisive 89-77 victory. Thanks to this win, UMBC will host a semifinal round game versus No. 3 Hartford… Continue Reading Five Reasons to
Five Reasons to <3 UMBC Basketball Right Now
It’s always a wonderful time to be a Retriever. After all, we have grit and greatness to spare. But now is also an especially amazing moment to break out the black and gold to cheer on UMBC basketball. On Saturday, in its first America East playoff home game in a decade, the second-seeded UMBC men’s basketball team hit back stronger than ever, after being down 11 points in the first half, to outscore No. 7 UMass Lowell, and come away with a decisive 89-77 victory. Thanks to this win, UMBC will host a semifinal round game versus No. 3 Hartford… Continue Reading Five Reasons to <3 UMBC Basketball Right Now