Spirit and Cheers for Homecoming’s 100 Years
Weeklong Celebration Spans Performances, Festival, Tailgates and a Wedding Reception
By Lauren Brown
Members of the Mighty Sound of Maryland marching band and the Dance Team pumped up the crowd, pep rally-style, at the Terp Carnival on McKeldin Mall Friday evening.
Photo by Jess Daninhirsch '26
Homecoming Week 2023 opened with laughs at back-to-back comedy shows and ended with a heartbreaking Maryland Football loss to Illinois on a last-second field goal.
In between, the 100th anniversary of Homecoming at the University of Maryland was jammed with a sold-out Juke Joint, a debut puppy parade, a well-received Beyond the Field lecture on artificial intelligence and privacy, and a stack of tailgates—including an alum wedding reception.
University of Maryland photographers fanned across campus to capture the highlights.
Eric André, creator and host of an eponymous Adult Swim series, drew crowds to Ritchie Coliseum for two shows on Sunday. He joked about his early days of jumping off a stage naked, riffed on campus construction and UMD Alerts, and borrowed a willing Terp’s phone to FaceTime the student’s mom. (Photo by Jess Daninhirsch '26)
The Student Alumni Leadership Council hosted “spirit stations” Monday through Wednesday, including this one at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center. Victoria Okodua-Oboh ’27 picks up a free Terps bucket hat. (Photo by John T. Consoli)
First-year master’s students (from left) Sunakshi Jain, Saie Wable and Nupur Wagle were among the more than 600 people who danced, tossed Frisbees, threw footballs and took selfies with Testudo at Tuesday Night Lights on the field of SECU Stadium. (Photo by Stephanie S. Cordle)
WJLA-TV reporter, Washington Wizards in-game host and proud Terp Britt Waters ’13 (left) hosts Tuesday Night Lights. She gives a high-five to Javon Lecky ’27, who was picked at random to attempt a 35-yard field goal in the $10,000 SECU Kick for Cash Challenge. The ball didn’t quite go airborne for him, but he was among the 100 Terps who snagged a gold hoodie celebrating 100 years of Homecoming. (Photo by Stephanie S. Cordle)
The University of Maryland Police Department’s comfort dog, Teddy the Terp, led a posse of other pooches past more than 100 enthusiastic students who lined up on Wednesday to pet and cuddle them and rub their noses during the event dubbed Teddy's Pup Parade. Luke Rose ’26, a mechanical engineering major, who was missing his own dog at home, enjoys Kodak, owned by Kayla Woods. (Photo by John T. Consoli)
The Diazporić Dance Team performs on Wednesday during Juke Joint, the always-popular student talent showcase hosted by the Nyumburu Cultural Center. It also featured a cappella singing, spoken word poetry and lots of other dance performances. (Photo by Riley N. Sims)
School spirit can mean serving others: Terps Against Hunger, a student-run organization that fights hunger in the DMV, organized over 120 volunteers, including neuroscience major Nicholas Santiago ’27, at the group's service event in the Stamp Grand Ballroom on Thursday. They packed nearly 20,000 meals that were donated to the Capital Area Food Bank. The service event was sponsored by the Do Good Institute, the School of Public Policy Alumni Network and the Office of Community Engagement. (Photo by Hong H. Huynh)
Public health science major Lizbeth Hernandez '26 (left) and biological sciences Deisy Perez '25 show off their new limited-edition Homecoming 2023 scarves and the Amazon Kindle that Deisy won at the Amazon tent at Terp Carnival on McKeldin Mall on Friday. (Photo by Riley N. Sims)
From left, Randi Whitehurst '25 (management and marketing), Maclaure Joseph '24 (operations management and business analytics), Martenna Joseph '26 (sociology) and Raquel Bowman '26 (animal science) play with the Lite Brite-inspired display at Terp Carnival on McKeldin Mall on Friday. (Photo by Riley N. Sims)
Alex Kin ’08 and Sarah Tostanoski ’09 met as UMD students at a tailgate club and shared their first kiss after a Maryland football game, so it was fitting that they celebrated their wedding with a tailgate reception on Saturday. Under a big white tent, they hosted guests dressed in cocktail attire with a buffet dinner, heaters and even a gaming station with the groom's Nintendo 64. The couple was presented with a gift basket including Terrapin Pride Wine and Maryland swag courtesy of the Alumni Association. President Darryll J. Pines (shown at right) even stopped by and signed their guest book. (Photo by John T. Consoli)
From left, Courtney Johnson ’12, Caryn Gordy-Scott ’10 and Wanika Fisher ’10 (a Prince George’s County Council member) celebrate with a kick in union at the Alumni Association's big tailgate at the Riggs Alumni Center. (Photo by John T. Consoli)
Tailgaters, mostly 2019 alums who lived in Montgomery Hall, brave the rain near the Engineering Fields; the group, which also includes friends who played intramural Frisbee and Quidditch together, gets together every year for Homecoming. (Photo by Riley N. Sims)
The Spirit of Maryland Award is presented annually, in lieu of a traditional Homecoming King or Queen honoree, to two members of the senior class who through their achievements have most exemplified the "spirit" of the university of Maryland. This year’s winners were Lei Danielle Escobal and Lucas Frankle (center); they are flanked by (at left) Bert D. Williams '96, president-elect of the Alumni Association Board of Governors, and UMD President Darryll J. Pines. (Photo by Maryland Athletics)
McKeldin Library was aglow with Maryland colors at Terp Carnival on Friday. (Photo by Riley Sims)
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