University Club Office Closed for Holidays

The University Club Office will be closed for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the following Monday (12/24 - 12/26). We will also be closed for New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, and the following Monday (12/31 - 1/2).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Veterans Day

Happy Veterans Day. Thank you to everyone who has or is currently serving in our military!

Basketball Season Kicks Off

The University of Maryland will kick off their men's basketball season tonight in an exhibition against Northwood University!

University Club at College Park Halloween Party!

University Club at College Park will be having a Halloween party in clubroom from 3 pm to 6 pm on October 31st.  A Costume Contest will be held.  Three prizes will be given for best dressed, scariest and most original. Refreshments and Pizza will be served.

Reminders on Parties and Trash

The building was a bit of a mess this past weekend, so we wanted to give residents these friendly reminders. Please be courteous to your neighbors!

PartiesAll parties must be registered at office during normal business hours and a minimum of 24 hours in advance.  Failure to register a party will result in a $250 fine for first offense and $500 for the second offense. Landlord has the right to prohibit party registration and/or parties at anytime without notice.

Care of unit and Common Area’s
Residents are responsible for cleaning their own apartment/room, from removing waste material regularly, and maintaining sanitary and safety conditions acceptable by landlord.  Tenant shall not nor allow its guests to sweep or throw dirty or other materials out of the unit or leave trash, cans, papers etc in common areas.  Odors that are offensive to other tenants are prohibited.

University of Maryland and the Muppets

Did you know Jim Henson first created his TV show that would evolve into the Muppets as a sophomore at University of Marlyand? Tomorrow would have been Henson's 75th birthday, and the university has posted this great article honoring their famous alum!

Maryland's Basketball Floor to be Named after Gary Williams

The floor of the basketball court at Comcast Center will be named in honor of Gary Williams, former head men's basketball coach. The dedication will take place in a formal ceremony on December 9, 2011.

Have a Safe and Happy Labor Day Weekend

Everyone here at the University Club would like to wish you have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!

University Club Wishes Everyone Safety During Hurricane Irene

The University Club hopes everyone stays safe on the East Coast as Hurricane Irene hits today. We are keeping everyone in our thoughts. President Loh issued a statement about Hurricane Irene and the University of Maryland, you can read it here.

University of Maryland: Leader in Sustainability

The University of Maryland jumped to No. 20 in Sierra magazine's fifth annual ranking of the nation's top 100 "Coolest Schools." Maryland climbed 47 places from its 2009 spot on this list of universities and colleges with the greatest commitment to sustainability and learning about it outside the classroom.

The ranking is the latest in a fast-growing list of green recognitions for the University of Maryland. In June, Maryland received a Second Nature Climate Leadership Award from the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment and a Leadership Award from the Maryland Green Registry. The university is also among 18 colleges and universities to make the Princeton Review's Green College Honor Roll for 2011.

Maryland's Gymkana Troupe on America's Got Talent

University of Maryland's own Gymkana troupe. displayed their fierce acrobatic skills on live television Tuesday night on America's Got Talent (NBC at 9 PM EST). Vaulting through rings of fire, balancing from ladders several stories high, and other circus-like feats are second nature for the gymnastics troupe, but it was the first time in Gymkana's 65-year history that they compete in a television talent competition.


University of Maryland students, alumni, and friends should recognize Gymkana for their impressive half-time shows at basketball games and campus events like Maryland Day in which student-athletes perform crowd-pleasing gymnastic routines infused with extreme acrobatics. But Gymkana is perhaps best known and loved by the thousands of children who they have inspired with their performances and messages about healthy living brought to area schools.


Read this article for more information on the Gymkana Troupe!

New University Research Center

The University of Maryland is launching a cutting edge research center to identify and develop policy solutions for today's most pressing environmental challenges. Principally funded by a newly announced $27.5 million, five-year grant from the National Science Foundation, the multidisciplinary UMD center will draw on the expertise of environmental, social, and computational scientists, engineers, economists, public policy experts and others from around the world.

University of Maryland Popular for Presidential Speeches

College Park is becoming a hot spot for presidential visits. Obama made his fourth visit to the campus last week, where he took part in a town hall meeting on all things from healthcare to the debt limit. From Eisenhower and to Ford to Clinton, College Park has seen its share of Presidents, and with its close proximity to Washington D.C., it's likely those visits will continue. Click here to see more about the town hall meeting with President Obama.

A Note for Our Departing Residents

University Club at College Park wants to thank you for your time spent with us! We have enjoyed our time with you as residents. We wish you the best of luck in the future.

With the move out date approaching, July 31st, we just wanted to remind you departing residents must have their keys turned into the office by noon. Please visit the University Club at College Park website for information on move-out. Thank you for your time with us and your cooperation with move-out!

University of Maryland Summer Sports Camps

It may be the summer but the University of Maryland campus is busy with summer sports camps! Residents, if you moved home for the summer, bring a younger sibling or family member to a sports camp. Its the perfect excuse to reconnect with your University Club family! From field hockey to acrobatics to golf, there is a camp for everyone! Check out the schedule of camps this summer here.

College Park to Undergo Changes

 

Have people heard about some off the new urban projects planned for College Park?  Check this out:

 

The University of Maryland, College Park could look considerably different by 2020 if plans for a light rail line and a town center development on the east side of campus roll forward this year.

Preliminary engineering for the $1.93 billion Purple Line, expected to run through the heart of campus, could begin this fall if federal transit officials grant permission. The initial phase of the East Campus development, which would include a hotel, restaurants and retail shops, could also come up for approval by the Board of Regents if campus leaders can reach an agreement with the Baltimore-based Cordish Cos.

School officials say that, in tandem, the projects could make the campus more accessible to commuting professors and students from across the Washington suburbs and give it a more polished look commensurate with the flagship university's enhanced national standing.

 

Read more about what might be changing in town here.

Don’t Forget Dad!

 

Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 19th.   What was the best advice you ever received from your Father?  Share it with us!  We’d love to hear it.

 

Or just enjoy some of these pithy quotes about our favorite dads:

 

"A new father quickly learns that his child invariably comes to the bathroom at precisely the times when he's in there, as if he needed company. The only way for this father to be certain of bathroom privacy is to shave at the gas station." -- Bill Cosby

"A father is always making his baby into a little woman. And when she is a woman he turns her back again." -- Enid Bagnold

"A father is a guy who has snapshots in his wallet where his money used to be." – Unknown

"My father always told me, 'Find a job you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life.' " -- Jim Fox

"A father is a banker provided by nature." -- French Proverb

"My father said, 'Politics asks the question: Is it expedient? Vanity asks: Is it popular? But conscience asks: Is it right?'" -- Dexter Scott King

"When I was a kid, I said to my father one afternoon, 'Daddy, will you take me to the zoo?' He answered, 'If the zoo wants you, let them come and get you.'" -- Jerry Lewis

"Small boy's definition of Father's Day: It's just like Mother's Day only you don't spend so much." – Unknown

"By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong." -- Charles Wadsworth

 

Check out more quotations here.  And here’s an anecdote from America’s favorite dad:

Have a Safe Memorial Day!

How are you planning to celebrate/ honor Memorial Day weekend?  Is the occasion a chance to barbeque and hang with friends, or is it a more solemn occasion as you remember a loved one?  Share with us!

But no matter how you choose to spend your weekend, the Prince George’s County Fire Department want you to stay safe.  Here are some tips via the College Park Patch:

So here are few ways you, your family and friends can stay safe.  When it comes to grilling in Prince George's County grills must be at least 30 feet away from any multi-family apartment buildings. Grills are also illegal to use on balconies of apartments or condominium apartments. Other tips include:

• Don't use a grill indoors including garages, overhangs and canopies.
• When using a grill at your single family home, homeowners should use a 10-foot perimeter from anything combustible, including your house.
• Do not allow children and pets to play near a grill.
• Only use approved ignition fluids – don't use gasoline to ignite a grill.
• Keep a fire extinguisher, garden hose or bucket of sand nearby to douse a grill fire.
• Inspect your grill before you ignite to ensure everything is in working order.

A New Terp in Charge

Here is an article about new coach Mark Turgeon by Tracee Hamilton.  What’s your opinion of the changing of the guard?  Share it with us!

 

Randy Edsall’s introductory news conference at Maryland was more of a wake than a surprise party. All that was missing that January day were dirges and the funeral meats. Edsall had come from Connecticut to replace a football coach who was also a Maryland alum, and there were fans — even some in the room that day — who felt Ralph Friedgen shouldn’t be leaving, or that at least his replacement should be more impressive.

Mark Turgeon’s news conference Wednesday could have gone the same way. He came from Texas A&M to replace a basketball coach who was also a Maryland alum, and some fans felt it wasn’t time for Gary Williams to leave, either (although Williams left on his own terms). And there are fans who feel, that despite Turgeon’s rather impressive credentials, he isn’t good enough for Maryland.

Those fans are wrong.

To read the whole article, click here.

Don’t Forget Mother’s Day

 

 

 

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 8th!  Haven’t gotten her a present yet?  Here are a couple of last minute ideas to help you out:

 

1) Take her on a picnic.

2) Make a basket filled with her favorite things.

3) Write a journal to give to her that includes “My Favorite Times with Mom.”

4) Make a scrapbook for Mom that includes “My Favorite Pictures of Mom.”

5) Cook her favorite dinner instead of just taking her out.

6) Give Mom a coupon book with special chores or favors you will do for her. Mom can redeem her coupons whenever she needs your help.

7) Plant her a garden. 

8) Spend the day with her and take lots of pictures so she can have those memories forever.

9) Wash her car.

10) When in doubt, CHOCOLATE!

 

Here are some interesting facts on Mother’s Day and moms!

Saturday is Maryland Day

Come to the 13th annual Maryland Day on Saturday, April 30.  Maryland Day is the University of Maryland's popular--and FREE--open house.  This family-friendly event will have 400 interactive exhibits, workshops and live performances. The event lasts from 10am to 4m.   For a full event schedule, check out the Maryland Day event page.  Whether you’re a student or not, discover all that Maryland has to offer!

Happy Easter!

Hoping everyone has a peaceful and candy-filled Easter/Passover weekend.  Here are some fun facts about the season: 

• When taking a bite into a chocolate bunny, 76% of Americans prefer to bite off the ears first. 5% eat the feet first and 4% eat the tail first.
• During the Easter season, Americans buy more than 700 million Peeps - making Peeps the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy.
• Ham came to be the traditional favorite for Easter dinner because in pre-refrigeration days, hogs were slaughtered in the fall and cured for six to seven months. Just in time for Easter dinner.
• Each day throughout the year, 5 million marshmallow chicks and bunnies are produced in preparation for Easter.
• 16 billion jelly beans are made specifically for Easter which is enough to fill a plastic egg the size of a 9-story building.
• Eggs, like rabbits and hares, are fertility symbols of antiquity. Since birds lay eggs and rabbits and hares give birth to large litters in the early spring, these became symbols of the rising fertility of the earth at the Spring equinox.
• The most famous decorated Easter eggs were those made by the well-known goldsmith, Peter Carl Faberge. In 1883 the Russian Czar, Alexander, commissioned Faberge to make a special Easter gift for his wife, the Empress Marie.
• 57% of kids get up super early on Easter to see what the Easter bunny has brought them.
• 80% of parents carry on the tradition of the Easter bunny by preparing a surprise Easter basket filled with goodies for their children and 90% of adults hope for their own Easter treat.
• The first chocolate eggs were made in Germany in the 19th century and remain one of the most popular Easter candies today.
• In the old days pretzels were associated with Easter because the twists of the pretzel were thought to resemble arms crossing in prayer.
• The name Easter comes from Eostre, an ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess, originally of the dawn. In pagan times an annual spring festival was held in her honor. Some Easter customs have come from this and other pre-Christian spring festivals. Others come from the Passover feast of the Jews, observed in memory of their deliverance from Egypt.
• The Easter egg roll on the White House lawn has been a tradition since 1878.
• After Halloween, Easter is the biggest candy consuming holiday.

 

You can read more Easter Fun Facts here and here.

TerpStock 2011

Get ready for TerpStock, an annual outdoor festival of music taking place at Nyumburu Amphitheater.  Headlining the event is The Cataracs, with supporting acts such as The Pietasters, HR from Bad Brains, and Hoodie Allen. Come out this Saturday, April 16th between 3:00pm and 10:00pm and experience a day full of peace, love, and great music, for FREE!

Comedy at UMD

Have you laughed this week?  If not, you need to see Off the Wall's Return to Siberia Comedy Showcase.  Off the Wall is UMD's only student organization dedicated to stand-up comedy.  So spend your Sunday (April 10th) laughing with College Park's funniest amateur stand-up comics.  The show starts at 6pm at the Hoff Theater and admission is FREE.  Check out the Stamp Events page for more details. 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

 

Check out these fun facts and may the luck of the Irish smile upon ya!

Fun Facts about St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17 because that is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is believed that he died on March 17 in the year 461 AD. It is also a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history. St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland, and a provincial holiday in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The actual color of St. Patrick is blue. Green became associated with St. Patrick's Day during the 19th century. Green, in Irish legends, was worn by fairies and immortals, and also by people to encourage their crops to grow.

St. Patrick did not actually drive snakes out of Ireland; the snakes represent the pagans that he converted to Christianity.

The very first St. Patrick's Day parade was not in Ireland. It was in Boston in 1737.

In Chicago, on St. Patrick's Day, the rivers are dyed green.

In Seattle, there is a ceremony where a green stripe is painted down the roads.

Most Catholics attend mass in the morning and then attend the St. Patrick's Day parade.

Shamrocks are worn on the lapel on this day.

In Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair

Many young people dye their hair green for the special day.

Many people wear green on this holiday to avoid being pinched.

The phrase, "Drowning The Shamrock" is from the custom of floating the shamrock on the top of whiskey before drinking it. The Irish believe that if you keep the custom, then you will have a prosperous year.

Many bars in the United States, and abroad, serve green beer to celebrate St. Patty's Day.

Fun Facts about the Irish

34 million Americans have Irish ancestry, according to the 2003 US Census. That’s almost nine times the population of Ireland, which has 4.1 million people.

Nine of the people who signed our Declaration Of Independence were of Irish origin, and nineteen Presidents of the United States proudly claim Irish heritage -- including our first President, George Washington.

Some American towns have “Irish” names. You could visit: Mount Gay-Shamrock, West Virginia; Shamrock Lakes, Indiana; Shamrock, Oklahoma; Shamrock, Texas; Dublin, California and Dublin, Ohio.

The harp is the symbol of Ireland. The color green is also commonly associated with Ireland, also known as “the Emerald Isle.”

The Irish flag is green, white and orange. The green symbolizes the people of the south, and orange, the people of the north. White represents the peace that brings them together as a nation.

The name “leprechaun” has several origins. It could be from the Irish Gaelic word “leipreachan,” which means “a kind of aqueous sprite.” Or, it could be from “leath bhrogan,” which means “shoemaker.”

Fun Facts about Clovers

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the highest number of leaves found on a clover is 14.

One estimate suggests that there are about 10,000 regular three-leaf clovers for every lucky four-leaf clover.

Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for luck.

Read more: http://www.whsv.com/seasonal/misc/40129602.html

Top 5 Things to Consider BEFORE Renting an Apartment

 

Here are some pointers to help you find the best apartment for you.  We think you will find the best combination of all 5 right here at University Club at College Park!

Finding an apartment can be overwhelming. Not only must you choose a new place from the seemingly endless options available, you often have to sign a long-term lease that holds you to your decision for an entire year.
To make the process more manageable, you should gain an understanding of exactly what it is that you are looking for prior to beginning the search. Here are the 5 most important things to consider when looking for a new place:

Top 5 Things to Consider BEFORE Renting an Apartment

Daylight Savings Time Begins on March 13

 

Daylight savings time is coming up this weekend.  Don’t forget to set your clocks forward!

Every year, daylight savings time seems to take people by surprise. In the United States, daylight savings time begins on March 13 at 2 a.m. local time except in parts of Arizona and Hawaii. As the popular saying goes, clocks need to "spring forward" to observe the change. In other words, clocks need to be set ahead by one hour when the clock strikes 2 a.m.

Daylight Savings Time Begins on March 13 in the U.S. - Yahoo! News

Happy President's Day!

We want to wish everyone a Happy President’s Day.  Enjoy the day off for those of you lucky enough to get it.  Also, be sure to check out some interesting facts you may not already know about President’s Day at the link below:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/7751968/presidents_day_fun_facts.html?cat=37

Classes Resume!

Classes resume on January 24th.  Make sure you are ready!