On Saturday while people were flooding out of the football game in College Park,  the sky had taken on a very interesting shade of yellow.  It could be the result of the weird weather patterns we’ve had lately.  Or it could be because of the massive stadium lights, but either way it made for a neat effect.

MDP is in!   It always makes me excited for any event when I receive the tickets for it in the mail.  It’s one of those feelings that the internet is trying hard to destroy.  This past Saturday I enjoyed it like never before as I’ve never had season tickets to anything before.  So when MDP’s package of tickets came in the mail there was a very “Kid at Christmas” response.     Let’s hope that this score is not repeated.

These tickets aren’t the only MDP highlight of the weekend.  There’s a lot of history coming your way this week.

The story behind this picture is that it sparked a discussion among the people I was (both MDP contributing photographers: Trish and Royela) about the merits of taking a picture of a flag when there is no wind.  I will leave the answer up to the reader as we explore another aspect of Maryland flags both billowing and steady: the Bottony Cross.

As you can read here, the law states that the only adequate ornamentation for the top of  a flag pole flying the Maryland flag is the Bottony Cross.  So what is a Bottony Cross or the Cross Bottony, as it can also be called?  Well…. it’s a cross with buttons on its ends.  It’s the same shape as the crosses present within the flag. (we’ve discussed this way back when, but as a refresher, those quadrants of the flag with the crosses in them contain the  colors of the Crossland family, to which the first Lord Baltimore’s mother belonged)

The Terps play their first game in the NCAA tournament today so this picture of the center of the court from Cole Field House, which is currently on display at the Comcast Center, seemed appropriate.

We’ll take a break from the museum to share this photo from last Saturday’s UMD-Va. Tech game courtesy of corresponding photographer, Shelly.   The 3-27 score (which got worse by the end) was too much for this fan, who had to shield herself from the camera while walking out, lest she be seen at the game. 

I had a complete lapse in judgement when I left the house on Saturday to go to the Maryland game, bringing an umbrella in case it rains.  Of course, the umbrella helped on the way there, but once inside, you can’t use it or you would block the view of everyone around you.  Now I knew this, sort of.   I figured that my seats were on the top of the stadium and I could move to the back row with my umbrella and not bother anyone.   As luck would have it, a friend offered me the much better seats from which I took this picture.  So this meant I was subject to discomfort from the elements again. 

Like many of the people in this picture I paid the price for my lack of proper rain protection.  It turns out the price is $5, which gets you a plastic poncho at the concession stand.  

Though the Terrapins suffered a defeat on the road this week, this coming Saturday will be the first home game and will be a good chance for the team to get back on its feet.   

Byrd stadium, though 59 years old, has been growing for the last two decades.   The majority of the upper deck that you see in front of you was built in the 90′s and this year it is going to show off the completion of construction on new suites and press areas.

As a tribute to the Terps’ vicory in round one of the NCAA tournament yesterday, I’ve chosen the most popular Terps Basketball Souveneir that I could find.   The reusable plastic cup from the concessions at the Comcast Ceneter. 

This was not very hard to find given that there are only two things that I regularly use for beverages in my house: Terps plastic cups, and Orioles plastic cups.  

Here’s a photo from a long time ago that I forgot about.  This is from the floor of the entrance to the new (at least at the time of the picture) Biosciences Research Building at the University of Maryland.  It opened in September 2007. 

Since the Olympics have been focusing on swimming and gymnastics for the last few days, I thought I’d look for a good picture to go with them.  

This is the sister shot to this one

I really like this photo and I’ve been holding on to it for just the right occasion.  I can’t think of anyting better than today, so here it is.  Lets all wish the Terps good luck in today’s tournament.  

There have been a few requests, though not on the wishlist, for some more shots of the UMCP.  So of course, I am happy to ablige.  

This is the newest sculpture of the beloved testudo, located right next to the new Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center.  For more information about the Alumni Center, check your inbox, or ask me to forward a recent e-mail to you.  

Special thanks to corresponding photographer Royela for the observing the state of Testudo’s nose as in the title of the post.  

Thanks to the UMD class of 2004, the University of Maryland is quickly becoming the nation’s top public university for creative depictions of its mascot.   I don’t just appreciate the medium of this sculpture, I also appreciate his pose for this particular piece.  Its all too often that we see shots of the paranoid Testudo, who is always looking over his shoulder and sort of growling and sticking his tongue out at whichever members of the opposition have gathered to his left.   Don’t get me wrong, I am going to stand behind Testudo no matter what he’s doing or looking at, but if I had to choose, I’d say that I’m a fan of quadruped Testudo and I’m very much a fan of his home here in front of Cole.  

In this state, Testudo appears confident and relaxed.  You do still have to fear him because of his intimidating stare, but now you must also fear him for the confidence of his walk and the resigned intelligence indicated by his posture.   His inquisitive stare is indicative of where this Testudo wants to go: to the library? Maybe you should fear him for his mind.  

Now, like in all art, there are alternative interpretations available to the viewer.  At first, I thought that he was staring, with a sad and longing eye, towards the site of his beloved and now empty WaWa.   It was after further thought on the subject, I decided that he was likely just headed towards the library.