We want to know what you love about your alma mater. Help us count the ways. Maybe it’s a specific part of campus like McKeldin Mall in the springtime, the “M” Traffic circle illuminated in the evening or the Memorial Chapel at any time. Perhaps it’s Testudo—in all shapes and forms. Did a certain professor inspire you, a particular university program enrich you? What makes you hum the “Victory Song”: Gary Williams’ 2002 “dream team,” or the “Fridge” and his players, capping a win with “M-A-R-Y-L-A-N-D”? Whether it’s eating ice cream at The Dairy or partying along Fraternity Row, tell us what makes you wax nostalgic. We will share many of your reflections in an upcoming issue of TERP magazine.—BAM

Send your responses to terp_alum@umail.umd.edu or to TERP, Alumni Association, Rossborough Inn, College Park, MD 20742. Be sure to include your full name, class year and how we can reach you.

Dive into Terp Pride The McClair family of Huntingtown, Md., has a good way to annoy their friends who graduated from Duke. They invite them to a pool party where the centerpiece is the Terp logo, built right into the bottom of their pool. “We’re huge Terp fans,” says Doug McClair, whose wife, Colleen (Raley), holds degrees from nearby University of Maryland University College, and son, Clifton, is an aspiring Terp. The McClairs consulted with the university’s marketing office before moving forward with their adaptation of Testudo: a two-by-two-ft. logo handmade from more than 300 individually cut pieces of tile. We say it works swimmingly.

How do you show your school spirit? Send us your samples of Terp pride so that we can share them with fellow Maryland fans. Simply mail a photo and description to TERP magazine, Alumni Association, Rossborough Inn, College Park, MD 20742. Include your full name, class year and how we can reach you.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND Alumni Association is reviewing applications for its dream-wedding contest. The association will host a wedding for a University of Maryland couple on June 25, 2005, as part of the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center Dedication activities. The winning couple will be selected based on a variety of criteria, including an essay and interview. Watch the alumni Web site, www.alumni.umd.edu, where we will announce the winning couple. Then, come back to the site to vote on the bride’s gown, flowers and more. Update: Read about the winning couple in Fall 2004 issue of TERP. or visit the Dream Wedding Web site

Money Management, Big Mama Style

Singletary’s money management savvy came from her grandmother, Big Mamma.

LITTLE KEVIN MAY NOT KNOW IT, or care, but his personalized birthday cake spent a month in the family’s freezer—after doing duty as part of dad’s birthday cake.

Hey, figures mom, all the younger Kevin wanted was a cake with his name on it. She saved $14 or so; everyone’s happy.

Cost-cutting, humorous measures such as these are what make mom, Michelle Singletary ’84, a financial columnist that many identify with and look to for sound advice. She writes a twice-weekly syndicated column for The Washington Post, “The Color of Money,” hosts a weekly Post Webcast and is a contributor for National Public Radio’s “Day to Day.” She also can be heard on the first Monday of each month on WHUR 96.3 FM’s “Insight.” She recently published 7 Money Mantras for a Richer Life (Random House).

“It’s like the lecture you would get from Big Mama if she were alive,” she says of the book.

Singletary maintains that her money management savvy came from her grandmother, Big Mama, who raised Singletary and four siblings single-handedly. Apparently the lessons were well received. Calling her passionate about fiscal responsibility would be an understatement. Singletary buys generic products; involves her husband, Kevin McIntire ’84, in the strict monitoring of their three children’s exposure to commercialism; and looks visibly uncomfortable with the idea of spending versus saving.

“Don’t get me wrong; we go on vacations every year. We go to movies, but one of my mantras is priorities lead to prosperity. Allocate money for those important things first.”

Above all, Singletary advises readers, friends and family to educate themselves. “I joke that handling money really is rocket science. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t know, but you have to get the information.”—MAB

Exercising Your Membership Benefits

If she wanted to, Jean Pirovic ’81 could walk from her home to the Campus Recreation Center, but that’s not the only reason why she feels her center membership is “wonderful.”

“My kids take swim classes there; they’re very convenient,” she says. “My husband and I work out; running, swimming, everything.”

Alumni association members receive access to three Campus Recreation Services facilities (the center, Ritchie Coliseum and the Outdoor Aquatic Center) and the programs provided in each. Specifically, it means members can learn to roll a kayak, take a cardio boxing course, master yoga techniques, cheaply rent camping equipment or even get a free, detailed wellness assessment.

“It’s an excellent resource,” says Pirovic.—MAB

The Details

• To join: a Maryland Alumni Association membership; lifetime association members can use the facilities for free.
• Costs: $32.50 per month for a CRS membership; $45 a year for alumni association membership.
• Some of the perks: sports clubs, weight and fitness orientations and reservations for racquetball and squash courts. For an additional fee, members also can participate in a weekend of rock climbing and camping—all equipment and transportation included; hire a personal trainer; or receive discounted rates for non-credit instruction courses such as swimming and tai chi.
• What you need to do: To join the alumni association and for information on other benefits and services, go to www.alumni.umd.edu, or call 301.405.4678. Then, stop by the member services desk at the Campus Recreation Center for a recreation services membership. For more information on the CRC, go to www.crs.umd.edu, or contact member services coordinator Treeva Creek at 301. 226.4402 or tc102@umail.umd.edu.

Want to learn more?

Join the University of Maryland Alumni Association now to automatically receive TERP Magazine and to stay connected to the University of Maryland community.