University of Maryland: Tesmoodo, Lots of Testudo and a Testament to Terp Spirit

Judging from the lines that began to curl around selected tents and booths a half-hour before Maryland Day 2022 officially began, oh, had people missed it.

After two years of COVID-19 spoiling any chance for an in-person event, the annual one-day University of Maryland open house and celebration came roaring back on Saturday with more than 300 events, interactive exhibits, performances, educational booths and demonstrations, all kissed by cheery sunshine and a gentle spring breeze.

An estimated 65,000 alums, families, students and members of the community at large turned out for new events, like a Testudo bobblehead giveaway and the naming of the Campus Farm’s 2-week-old heifer: Tesmoodo. They also gravitated to traditional crowd-pleasers, like the robotics showcase and the bucket-drumming class.

Visitors could tour the campus, or nuggets of it, like The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Memorial Chapel and Gardens, or the soon-to-open Johnson-Whittle Hall with its stunning views of campus. They stopped to sample Maryland Dairy ice cream or recipes made on the TerrapinSTRONG cooking stage, and took home a perky tree seedling or potted herb grown by students.

Some watched Maryland’s baseball team take on Northwestern, while others cheered on the football team at the annual intrasquad Red-White Spring Game at Maryland Stadium. Busy food tents offering carnival fare added to the festival feel.

Organizers put a special focus on events geared to current students, since three years of Terps had never before experienced a Maryland Day.

“We wanted to make sure everyone had the full Maryland Day experience,” said Cynthia Martinez, senior director of brand marketing and lead organizer for the event. “Our campus community should be very very proud with how the event turned out—the planning committee did an amazing job—and we look forward to continuing the tradition.”