Post (?) Pandemic 1: Basketball

Friday, December 2, I went with Stan and two others to watch Maryland play Illinois. It was my first athletic event in almost three years because of the Pandemic. Although the game didn't begin until nine P.M., I stayed alert because it was exciting. The capacity crowd was wild and very happy that the Terps won. The new coach Kevin Willard has won his first eight games.

 

University of Maryland reflects Middle East conflict

The Jewish students at the University set up displays in the center of the mall a few weeks ago:

As I walked towards class I came across another group of students, apparently from Arab countries, who were demonstrating against Israel at the end of the mall in front of McKeldin Library. I don't believe it was coincidental that they picked this day. I also noticed that some campus policemen were keeping their eyes on both groups.

Some students wearing yamakas were engaging the Arab students in discussions, but everything appeared civil.

University of Maryland Garden

Throughout the campus, you can see some excent landscaping. It's been a few years since I visited this garden, so I took some pictures yesterday after class.

Maryland now 17-4

After they beat Iowa on Thursday night. I really like the pageantry of Terp basketball games. The students were back from semester break and turned out enthusiastically. The unfurling of the state flag is a colorful part of the rituals:

Maryland beats Purdue

Got a big lead in the first half, and then the Boilermakers came back in the second. Not enough though, and we got the win.

Visit to the University of Maryland Chapel

Despite the snow, yesterday a small group from our Golden ID program had a tour of the chapel. Pam and I were married in the small chapel which is now called the garden chapel, and I've been to the building a number of other times over the years. Even so, I saw parts of the building and grounds I hadn't seen before.

Before we left I took this picture of the main part of the interior:

Terps beat Indiana

Great game to attend because the team played well in front of a full house of enthusiastic fans.

Here, freshman Donta Scott, number 24, battles defenders:

Our big man, Jalen Smith, is called "Sticks" by his teammates because his legs are skinny. This is Jalen shooting a free throw:

From the Parren Mitchell Building on campus

 

Faculty Recital at Clarice Smith Center for the Performing Arts.

Only made it for the last 15 minutes, but what I heard I enjoyed. The photo shows a string quartet with a piano accompaniment. The piece was by Brahms.

Maryland Basketball

I went to an early game against Oakland College of Michigan which we won.

 
We've won every game since, and as of today we're 7-0

Afternoon Bach Cantata at the University

Last Thursday's was the second performance for the semester. The first took place in one of the theaters, and although the seats were more comfortable I like the informality of this one's lobby setting which is what I'm used to.

Student Jazz

Wednesday night I attended the chamber jazz performance at the University of Maryland.

 The students performed compositions by Wes Montgomery, Thelonius Monk, Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, and others.

 

For me the highlight was an original by one of the students written to honor the head of the jazz program, Chris Vidala, who died earlier this year.

Fellow students in performance

I have sometimes written here of my involvement in a program at the University of Maryland for retired people called Golden ID. Today I attended a Cabaret performance by another Golden ID student at the Clarice Smith Center for the performing arts.

Here she is on the right singing a duet with another student:

The songs were standards and many from musicals. Below are two students singing "Bess, You is my Woman" by George Gershwin.

Women's basketball

Pictured above is the opening tip-off with Maryland playing Minnesota.

The visitors got off to an early lead and were ahead by as many as 16 points. They held on to the lead until the last second. The Terps went on a 9-0 run in the final minute of play.

Above is Kaila Charles shooting a free throw earlier in the second half. Kaila made the winning basket with one second remaining after making a steal.

Maryland basketball last night

They beat Radford.

Anthony Cowen shooting free throws:

Golden ID tour of Clarice Smith Center for the Performing Arts

For the past eight years I've been a student at the University of Maryland as part of the Golden ID program. We attend classes with the regular students although we are each over 60 years and retired.

The last four years I've headed the Golden ID Student Association, and today with the assistance of another from our group we set up a backstage tour of the Clarice Smith Center for the Performing Arts.

Below is a photo I took of the group listening to the representative from the center describe some of the resources that go into the many productions they have there.

Bach Cantata at the University

For a semester or two, I've missed these afternoon performances in the lobby of the Clarice Smith Center for the Performing Arts, but today I hustled down there after my Art History class and caught about half of one.

Since I was late I didn't hear the particulars of what I was hearing, but the piece featured a duet:

There are few things in life that I find as uplifting to the spirit as these mid-day performances.

Something new in the Art/Sociology Building

Also called the Parren Mitchell Building at the University of Maryland, it's interior always seemed striking to me. Now they've added this multicolor work under the skylights in the atrium either temporarily as an exhibit or possibly as a permanent fixture.

This is the effect from straight below:

Viewed from the second floor, it looks like this:

Student jazz at the University of Maryland

Last Wednesday evening I heard two student groups at the Clarice Smith Center of the Performing Arts. They played pieces by Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Horace Silver, Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck, and others, plus a few original compositions by the students.

These are photos of the second group:

For the last two numbers they brought out a vocalist. One of the tunes was composed by her.

 

 

Women's Basketball

The University of Maryland has had one of the nation's best programs for the past few years. Last night I attended my second game of the season, and it was a lot of fun.

The Terps easily beat their chief Big Ten rival, Ohio State, before an enthusiastic crowd.