If you haven't eaten the homemade ice cream at the Dairy, do it. Did you know there are also secret ice cream flavors at the Dairy? We don't know if they'll let you try them, but you can always ask and find out. #secret #dairy #icecream
There exists an awesome place in the basement of Hornbake. The Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (MITH), while not usually open to the public, provides an awesome, startup-style space for its members to work, eat, and hang out. I mean seriously. It's beautiful. We always thought MITH was a myth, but Michael Gubbels sent us these pictures the other day. According to MITH's website, "MITH specializes in text and image analytics for cultural heritage collections, data curation, digital preservation, linked data applications, and data publishing" and is "a leading digital humanities center that pursues disciplinary innovation and institutional transformation."
We've all seen it, walked and drove past it. But how many people have actually gone inside? Despite what you may think, the campus farm is still a working farm and is open to the public. As long as you stop by during regular business hours, you have free rein to roam around. So for those of you who have yet to explore--don't worry, we did a little bit of it for you. The farm has 3 main barns, a poultry house, outdoor teaching arenas, a storage shed, and an office building according to The Department of Animal and Avian Sciences website. We want to give a shout out to Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies in Psychology, Lori J. Kader, who tipped us off about the beauty of the farm. Lori emailed us this morning and said, "Hi - As I was driving in to work this morning I noticed that the farm looked beautiful! Not sure that many students realize that this is still a working farm. Also, not that long ago... it was the edge of campus!" Thanks, Lori!
Everyone knows about McKeldin and Hornbake. But did you know about the number of hidden libraries in various dorms and buildings on campus? Some of them are filled with history books; others with books on art and dance. The library in Dorchester Hall, also known as the Writer's House, has hundreds of books on poetry and other literature. An armchair, a fake pipe, and a basket of free books completes the feel of the library room.
There's an underground computer lab, also known as The Bat Cave, beneath Regents Garage. On the north side of the garage, there's a door that leads down a level to The Bat Cave. You need your swipe to get in, and voila! You're Batman.
FERRY UPDATE: 4:47 pm: The McKeldin Ferry has been removed from the fountain. The ferry inventor contacted us and shared his/her story about how the ferry came to be and how it was removed. One day, the inventor woke up and decided to build a ferry to cross the Great McKeldin Sea, and so got to work. After a few weeks, the ferry was completed. The inventor got some friends together, and they placed the ferry in the McKeldin Fountain around 2 am on October 3, 2013. HiddenUMD photographed and played with the ferry at dawn. A few hours later, the inventor sent us the following: "It was removed at about 9:15 this morning. Two nice men drove up with a truck and took it away. They seemed amused by it, at least somewhat. One took several pictures with his cell phone. Innocently asking what they would do with it, one responded, 'We'll put it in storage until we know what's going on.' So that's somewhat of a relief that it's probably not just being thrown away. Perhaps we can rally to get it back." The inventor has assured us that he/she is working on more cool stuff. While we wait, let's #returntheferry to the ODK. ORIGINAL POST: 7:30 am: Someone decided the walk around McKeldin Fountain was just too much. Early this morning, a ferry was placed in the middle of the fountain for everyone's use. We decided to check it out at dawn. It is SO COOL! It takes a little bit to get one's balance, but it is completely possible to cross the fountain while staying dry. It's a one-person ferry, controlled by a big crank and connected to either side of the fountain by a strong wire. We can't wait to see if students use it, or how long it stays out there before it gets removed. Send us your pictures of you using the McKeldin Ferry before it goes away for good! There is a journal underneath a bench on the south side of the Chapel. I had heard about it from one of my roommates. I went between two of my classes one afternoon and as I was sitting there, I was drawn into the bits of life profiled in the journal. It is filled with notes and poetry by students--some notes are heartbreaking, some are encouraging, some are full of the stress of college. I also realized that no one was watching me as I sat there. For once on campus, I felt almost completely alone outside. It was a rare mix of peace and solitude on a busy afternoon. |