Maryland Day 2006: FEAR THE TURTLES!

The University of Maryland, College Park, celebrated its eighth annual Maryland Day on Saturday, April 29, attracting 75,000 visitors to campus. The Smith School welcomed visitors on McKeldin Mall, with the day's most popular giveaway - a Smith School/Testudo beach ball. In Van Munching Hall, visitors were able to tour the state-of-the-art building and attend an undergraduate program information session.

Maryland Day 2006 not only provided a tremendous opportunity to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the University of Maryland, it also was the official unveiling of 50 100-pound, 4 foot high fiberglass sculptures of Testudo, the University of Maryland's beloved mascot, donned in a wide variety of permanent, weatherproof outfits to commemorate this grand occasion.

The Fear the Turtle sculptures were the culmination of an application process that began last fall when close to 90 applications were received with various artistic renditions of Testudo, ranging from Hear the Turtle, dressed in the Maryland Marching Band uniform, to Maryland Pride, with the U.S. flag on his front, and the Maryland state flag on his back, to Jestudo, dressed as an old time jester. Sports, of course, were represented with sculptures such as Lax Terp, featuring a Testudo with a lacrosse stick and uniform. There's even a Maryland Day Testudo, wearing the now famous Maryland Day t-shirt and red shorts. The Testudo now gracing Van Munching Halls landscaped area is "Bustin' Out of the Shell" by Joshua Solomon, sponsored by Bob and Margie Bedingfield.

The Smith School's own Carol Cron, program manager for custom programs in the office of professional programs and services, was one of the artists who completed a Fear the Turtle sculpture. Her Testudo statue modeled after her graduation gift item named Testudo the GradTM, features a regularly dressed Testudo sporting a graduation cap and tassel with a diploma under his arm and was sponsored by former Smith School Dean Bill Mayer and his wife Kathy. Cron hired an undergraduate art student to help with some of the painting of her Testudo, which is located on Hornbake Mall, right in front of Hornbake Library. Artists received a stipend of $1,000 to help pay for materials to paint or dress their sculptures with weatherproof materials. In addition to exterior paint, Cron chose black plexiglass for the mortarboard, nylon rope for the tassel, and PVC pipe for the diploma.

The Fear the Turtle sculptures are displayed not only on campus, but across the State of Maryland, in Baltimore, Annapolis and other places where the public can see them. For instance, Thanks for All the Fish Testudo is, appropriately, on display at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. In October, the Testudo sculptures will be auctioned off with all proceeds from the purchases benefiting student scholarships throughout Maryland. Purchasers of the sculptures can display them at the location of their choice.