University of
the diamondback
parent and family guide
3 schedule of events
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Ellie Watson readies for a spike during Maryland volleyball’s 3-0 win over Alabama A&M on Sept. 6, 2024. (Lincoln Polan/The Diamondback)
events to attend during umd’s family weekend
By Adam Hudacek I Tabloids editor
Family Weekend will feature more than 60 events over three days for your loved ones. The Diamondback compiled a list of select can’t-miss events and weekend highlights to make planning your family’s trip a little easier. All attendees should stop by the Family Weekend Welcome Center, located in Stamp Student Union’s atrium, to pick up their wristbands, parking passes, event pickets and campus maps from 12:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Football tickets cannot be picked up at the Welcome Center. For a full weekend schedule, visit familyweekend.umd.edu/schedule-events.
friday, Sept. 20
President’s Open House
From 4 to 6 p.m., university president Darryll Pines’ home will be open to visitors. The president and his wife will be present for photos and conversation. Light refreshments will be served alongside a special collection of artwork by former university professor David Driskell. A Family Weekend wristband is required for entry and organizers request advance registration.
Field Hockey
Maryland field hockey will go head-to-head against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at 5 p.m. at the Field Hockey and Women’s Lacrosse Complex. Admission is free and seating is first come, first serve.
saturday,
Not Your Grandma’s Bingo!
Friday night, sashay your way over to Stamp’s Grand Ballroom for an evening of Bingo hosted by three fabulous drag queens — Patti O’Furniture, Destiny B. Childs and Sasha Adams Sanchez. The event will run from 8 to 10:30 p.m., and a $25 ticket will get you a dabber and six bingo sheets. All attendees must be age 18 or older, in accordance with Maryland law.
The proceeds from this event will go to Fostering Terp Success, a program to support students who were or are in foster care, students who are at risk of being homeless or who are homeless, and students who don’t have a supportive family system.
sept. 21
Family Weekend Brunch
Stamp’s Colony Ballroom will host a dine-and-go brunch from 9 to 11 a.m., featuring live music by the Villanueva Jazz Trio. Registration is required to attend and seating is open. Meals will cost $39.95 for adults and students and $13.95 for children younger than 9. The full menu is available on the Family Weekend schedule website.
Football
The Terps will face off against Villanova on Saturday at SECU Stadium, and Family Weekend registrants have access to special ticket pricing. Individual
tickets are cost $48 for premium seating, $36 for lower level and $24 for upper level, plus processing fees.
Inside Out 2 Movie Screening
Pixar’s smash-hit sequel, the highest-grossing movie of this summer, is making its way to Stamp’s Hoff Theater. You can catch the animated flick at 9 p.m. for free, but seating is first come, first serve.
sunday, sept. 22
Testudo’s Family Brunch
The Golf Course Clubhouse will host a Maryland-themed brunch, complete with hot and cold buffets, a carving station and an omelet station. There are also three seating times — one at 9:30 a.m., one at 10:45 a.m., and the last slot at 12:30 p.m. Meals cost $45.95 for adults and students and $14.95 for children under 9, which includes tax and gratuity. The full menu is available on the Family Weekend schedule website.
19th Annual Gospel Brunch
Southern cooking and gospel choir come together Sunday afternoon at the 19th Annual Gospel Brunch in Stamp’s Colony Ballroom. Comfort food will be served
at 12:30 p.m. and the Washington Performing Arts Men and Women of the Gospel Choir is set to perform at 1 p.m. Meals are $45.95 for adults and students and $14.95 for children younger than 9. The full menu is available on the Family Weekend schedule website.
Women’s Soccer
Watch Maryland women’s soccer take on Oregon at Ludwig Field at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The first 150 attendees will receive red pom poms and players will stick around after the game for autographs. Tickets are required and can be purchased from the Maryland Athletics ticket office. Individual tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and children.
How to make everyone happy during Family Weekend
By Adam Hudacek I Tabloids editor
Family Weekend is a special time for many University of Maryland students. Not only do mom, dad, grandma, grandpa and your siblings get to see your — hopefully clean — dorm room and favorite dining hall, but they’ll also be able to experience the restaurants, coffee shops and bars that have seen you at your best, and possibly worst.
Wondering which spots are worth your time or better left for the weekend after? Look no further than The Diamondback’s handy Family Weekend visitation guide, sure to satisfy every member of your crew.
Parents
If your parents are anything like mine, they need a nice break or beverage to get through the day. For breakfast, Vigilante Coffee offers up beans sourced from across Latin America and Africa roasted inhouse at the shop’s local Hyattsville facility. Top that off with some delectable bagels and pastries, and you’ll be starting your morning off right.
Just down Baltimore Avenue, Looney’s Pub, which boasts a hearty IPA selection, great bar food and a healthy serving of Terp memorabilia, is the perfect spot to split a pint or a pretzel with your parents later in the day. Conveniently located a short walk from the weekend’s field hockey field, Looney’s features specials all weekend long, including extended happy hour on Friday and game day food and drink deals Saturday and Sunday.
Grandparents
If you have older relatives visiting campus, they might be looking for a reprieve from the hustle, bustle and heat of sports fields and stadiums. If that is the case, look no further than Memorial Chapel’s Garden of Reflection and Remembrance. Shaded by the high canopy of this university’s arboretum, the garden offers some of the best views of campus alongside a thoughtfully designed stone labyrinth to explore.
Older Siblings
Once the day’s festivities have concluded — and your parents have retreated to their hotel room – it’s time to show your older brother or sister everything College Park has to offer once the sun sets. My pick for the perfect night out is Cornerstone Grill & Loft, where you can grab a drink and catch up in its low-key ground floor before migrating upstairs for dancing and singing — and maybe one more drink.
Younger Siblings
It’s been 17 years since this university’s own Jeff Kinney published his best-selling children’s novel “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” The series is as popular as ever with the younger generation — the 19th installment is set to be released this October. With this in mind, no visit with the little ones would be complete without a pilgrimage to the Greg Heffley statue, which stands guard on the ground floor of Stamp Student Union.
CAMPUS map
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2024
Conversation Starters
Check in with your Terp. Asking open-ended questions and practicing active listening skills will help lead to more meaningful conversations
“How have you been managing your stress this semester?”
“Do you feel connected to other Terps on campus?”
“Are you setting aside time for exercise? Self-care? Sleep?”
“How have you been feeling lately?“
“Our family has a history of mental health/substance use issues, I think we should talk about what that could mean for you ”
Signs of a Possible Mental Health Concern
Feeling very sad or unmotivated for more than 2 weeks
Expressing suicidal thoughts or behavior
Extreme risk-taking behavior
Overwhelming or unexplained fear
Significant sudden changes in eating, appetite, or weight
Severe mood swings or difficulty managing emotions
Substance use concerns
Dramatic changes in behavior or personality
Difficulty forming or maintaining social relationships
Tips for Continuing the Conversation
Offer support in a non-judgemental way
Listening, asking question, and validating experiences often go further in conversation than offering opinions
Problem-solve issues together, rather than offering advice
Normalize the experience of challenges and discomfort
Take your Terp's struggles seriously and encourage them to seek out professional help, as needed
For more information about mental health resources available to your student, please scan the QR code or visit mentalhealth.umd.edu. If you believe your Terp is experiencing a mental health emergency, dial 911.
Construction updates
By Sam Gauntt I Staff writer
The University of Maryland made progress on several of its on-campus construction and renovation projects while most students were gone for summer break.
Here is a look at the status of this university’s construction efforts.
Purple Line
Two-way traffic has resumed on Campus Drive between Alumni Drive and Regents Drive after six years of restriction to a single, one-way lane.
The road was initially converted to a oneway track as construction on the 16-mile light rail track ramped up on this university’s campus.
Purple Line construction efforts on campus are a year ahead of schedule and should be less disruptive this fall, Carlo Colella, this university’s vice president and chief administrative officer, announced in a campuswide email in August.
Campus Drive will revert to a one-way street once light rail testing begins in fall 2026.
The Purple Line will stretch from New Carrollton to Bethesda — with five stops on the University of Maryland campus — allowing students and community members access to Washington, D.C., and other Maryland suburbs.
Maddie Caiazzo, a freshman environmental science and technology major, said construction hasn’t had a big impact on her daily life this semester.
But she said she’s still looking forward to the projects finishing up on campus.
“I’m excited for the Purple Line,” Caiazzo said. “I feel like it will be very convenient.”
Freshman computer science major Timothy Cai said he’s not as sure.
“Sounds like it could be useful in the future, but also, I’ve heard that it’s been delayed for years by now,” Cai said. “I’ll have to see once it actually opens; if it opens while I’m still here.”
New baseball and softball practice facilities
Construction efforts continue for the new indoor, climate-controlled practice facility for Maryland baseball players.
The early demolition phase is complete for the baseball practice facility, and installation of foundations is underway, according to a
statement from this university.
Both the Stanley Bobb Baseball Development Center and the Softball Player Development Center are expected to be completed by the end of this year, according to a news release from this university’s athletic department.
Cole Head House and Cultural Center
In an email to The Diamondback, this university said “construction continues” on the five student cultural centers in the Cole Head House. The interior demolition for the project is now complete, the email said.
The centers will include spaces for Latin, multiracial and biracial, Native American and Indigenous and Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi-American students. It will also host a center for students with disabilities, according to the project’s website.
They are expected to open by spring 2025, The Diamondback previously reported.
Barry P. Gossett Basketball Performance Center
The performance center will provide dedicated practice and conditioning spaces, new locker rooms and lounge and office spaces for this university’s men’s and women’s basketball teams.
Installation of the center’s underground utilities continues, and the installation of the concrete foundations is almost complete, according to a university statement to The Diamondback.
Installation of the center’s interior and exterior walls and glass is underway, the statement said. The next phase of work is slated to include laying the steel structure for the building.
The center is planned to be largely completed by summer 2025, according to a July news release from the athletic department.
Stanley R. Zupnik Hall
This 162,000-square-foot academic building will be the new home of this university’s civil and environmental engineering department.
The building, which boasts a price tag of about $215 million, is expected to open in 2026, according to its website.
Installation of the building’s underground utilities and concrete structure is ongoing, according to a university statement.
Leonardtown graduate housing
This university is replacing the former Old Leonardtown Community, which previously housed about 625 undergraduate students, with a graduate student housing complex.
The university began demolition for the project last semester to make way for the apartment building, which will house about 800 graduate students, The Diamondback previously reported. The project is scheduled to open in time for the fall 2026 semester, according to a university statement.
“Given the project’s location on the edge of campus, minimal impacts to campus operations are expected,” this university wrote in a statement to The Diamondback.
Paint Branch Drive Cycle Pathway
This university completed work on a $150,000 project that started over the summer to convert one lane of Paint Branch Drive into a bike pathway, according to a university statement.
Fifth-year chemistry and biology major Toni Aderinwale said she’s happy about the increase in designated bike lanes on campus.
“It’s so much easier to get around campus now,” she said. “Interview me a year ago, I would have been like, ‘I hate this campus. Man, I hate everything.’ But right now I’m starting to see it’s improving, so I’m glad about that.”
