how to

on a rehearsal stage, one actor straddles another actor holding a wooden stake in her hand

How to plan a successful stage battle

/ 6 minutes of reading

Van Helsing straddles the vampire, brandishing her cross and wooden stake. The undead—mouth and shirt stained with blood—had just confessed to a brutal kill when the vampire slayer brings down her stake. A half second delayed, a comically small amount of blood spurts from the wooden prop. Van Helsing, played by Franchesca Parker ’25, acting, and the rest of the group in the theatre rehearsal space titter at the anticlimactic moment. Tessara Morgan Farley, production stage manager, and Sierra Young ’23, the fighting and intimacy director, immediately jump in to triage a better death for the vampire, Lucy (played by… Continue Reading How to plan a successful stage battle

A young man takes a picture outside with a pinhole camera in a packing tube

How to Make a Pinhole Camera

/ 5 minutes of reading

When Chris Peregoy ’81, visual and performing arts, M.F.A. ’99, intermedia and digital arts, received a tin full of Christmas cookies from his sister around the year 2000, he immediately dumped the contents out on the table to eat later. He had a moment of inspiration staring at the empty container—“This tin would make a great camera.” If you’ve ever looked at an oatmeal container, a hollowed-out book, a mailbox, or an entire room, and thought, “This object would make a great camera,” chances are you are familiar with the concept of a pinhole camera. It’s photography distilled to its… Continue Reading How to Make a Pinhole Camera

Three students walk down academic row on a sunny day

How to Bridge Your Two Homes

/ 5 minutes of reading

With Jess Presuel ’23, biological sciences, an international student from Mexico Jess Presuel’s route to UMBC was not a direct flight from Mérida, Yucatán—her home state in Mexico—to UMBC. She originally arrived in Maryland in 2015 as an au pair to a family with five children. There, she immediately felt accepted and as she cared for the children, they helped her learn English. Over time, Presuel realized she was ready to pursue her dream of becoming a surgeon, starting in fall 2021 working toward a degree in biological science. At UMBC, Presuel knew that she wasn’t just on campus to… Continue Reading How to Bridge Your Two Homes

How To Lead a NASCAR Pit Crew

/ 5 minutes of reading

As a boy, John Klausmeier ’04, mechanical engineering, dreamed of working in the racing industry. He began working toward his current role as crew chief at Stewart-Haas when he was a student at UMBC, where he was able to take classes that would allow him to develop the skills needed to succeed in the motorsports industry. Continue Reading How To Lead a NASCAR Pit Crew

How to Make a Viral Music Video

/ 4 minutes of reading

With Lisa Soumphontphakdy ’14, Visual Arts Back in 2012, Lisa Soumphontphakdy ’14, visual arts, was a recent transfer student looking for a home at UMBC. She loved music, she loved to sing, and she especially loved the idea of making more female friends, so the Stilettos, UMBC’s only all-female a cappella group, seemed like a natural fit. After auditioning, she quickly bonded with the group and became as involved as possible, arranging music, designing T-shirts, acting as president, and shooting and editing the group’s first video – Meghan Trainor’s hit “All About That Bass,” complete with sassy choreography, which she… Continue Reading How to Make a Viral Music Video

How To – Summer 2016

/ 4 minutes of reading

Transform a Farmers Market Food Cart into a Restaurant —With Steve Chu ’12, economics, Nikhil Yesupriya’13, biology and English and Ephrem Abebe’13, information systems It all began during Spring Break 2010. Steve Chu, Nikhil Yesupriya, and Ephrem Abebe were building low-income houses for Habitat for Humanity. As they worked together, they discovered they had a shared passion for making, and eating, good food. “Cook nights” followed when the three men came back to UMBC. The trio played with ingredients and dishes from every conceivable culture. “UMBC is such an incredibly diverse community, and we had a great time with our… Continue Reading How To – Summer 2016

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