University of Maryland Celebrates 20 Years of Learning and Discovery at Maryland Day

Future Terps visit Testudo the Terrapin at UMD College Park
The University of Maryland hosted thousands of visitors for Maryland Day on April 28th. It was the twentieth anniversary celebration of the event, which had exciting demonstrations, exhibitions and performances from students at a variety of colleges at the University.

Highlights:
  • Activities cultivated innovation and imagination
  • University students educated the public through exhibitions, presentations and performances
  • Police, Medical Staff, Transportation professionals discussed safety, health, and welfare

A favorite of many youngsters at Maryland Day were interactive experiences at Art & Design Place, such as the Imagination Playground. Jesse Kirkland from Prince George's County Parks and Recreation supervised the young architects. He explains that the Imagination Playground offers children a chance to play on something they have built. Kirkland noted that the project gave kids a chance to not just use what is already available, but to do their own thing by creatively building it.




Another favorite activity of young participants of Maryland Day was the Secrets of Bucket Drumming lesson. Kegan, a sophomore in Music Education and Jazz at UMD, led kids in the jam session, teaching them how to "effectively bang on buckets..."



Several other groups were available to educate visitors to campus, to include local law enforcement, medical professionals, and representatives from the Department of Transportation. Accordingly, visitors could get help with child safety seats, free oral cancer screenings, and handouts on safe driving.

John Manning, a student at the University of Maryland Dental School in Baltimore, encouraged visitors to get free head and neck cancer screenings. He noted that HPV and cancer are both on the rise, so catching it early is key. Manning added that it's a lot easier to remove a small tumor than a larger one. The screenings were available for everyone, but were directed mostly at people who have used or been exposed to tobacco products.



A special treat by creative contributors to Maryland Day was Art Fest in Stamp Student Union. Visitors could check out "trash art" of the former presidential candidates, and also register to vote. UMD art student Thomas Mattson used his capstone project as a means of expressing his political views about the candidates from the 2016 presidential election. Mattson found trash a very challenging and exciting medium to use to convey his thoughts. In his opinion, the medium - trash - worked against him by implicitly suggesting that he had negative views against both politicians, although he does not.

John Mattson's artistic rendering of then 2016
presidential candidate Donald Trump
Outside, University staff from Strategic Communications were on hand to disseminate literature about the University, and to hand out prizes to future Terps for spinning the wheel of fortune. As always, kids were sure to visit Testudo the terrapin and Jim Henson's bench with Kermit the Frog.

In the end, the University's twentieth celebration of Maryland Day had a great turnout of visitors. The event proved to be a success for kids, parents, students, turtles and Hollywood frogs alike!

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