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 July-August 2007      
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Upcoming Events

July 21: William Kapell Competition–Final Concerto Round with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
8:00 p.m., Dekelboum Concert Hall
Don't miss this closing Kapell performance featuring three finalists performing with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of conductor David Lockington. Competition winners will be announced.

Aug. 3: 4th Annual Wrenn Scholarship Scramble
7 a.m., University of Maryland Golf Course Center
The College of Health and Human Performance Alumni Chapter hosts this annual golf tournament to benefit the Jerry P. Wrenn Undergraduate Scholarship, which supports students with financial need.

Sept. 1: Maryland Football vs. Villanova
6 p.m., Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium
Come cheer the Terps in their football home opener against Villanova.

Sept. 13: Maryland Football vs. West Virginia
7:45 p.m., Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium
Maryland takes on archrival West Virginia in this early season matchup.

Sept. 16: Terpnation Day with the Washington Nationals
11:30 a.m., RFK Stadium, Gate F
Enjoy a festive afternoon of food and fun with fellow Maryland alumni and friends, then watch the Nationals take on the Atlanta Braves. Game time is 1:30 p.m.

Sept. 18: Biosciences Research Building Opening Celebration
10 a.m., Biosciences Research Building
Come join university and state officials in celebrating the grand opening of this new research facility that is a key to building greater strength in bioscience disciplines. For more information call 301.405.4638.

Building a First-Class Campus Environment
Maryland Partners with Foundation to Create a Sacred Garden

magine a place where one can experience quiet reflection in a beautiful garden of blossoming flowers and lovely foliage. Now visualize a meandering path that connects this gorgeous garden with beautiful memorials that celebrate the lives of those who died in war or the many thousands who died as a result of natural disasters.

What is a labyrinth?

A labyrinth is a circular, intricate pattern on which one walks as way of contemplation and meditation. It features an unbroken path with only one way in and one way out, unlike a maze which is designed to confuse and trick. More and more people are walking labyrinths today in search of inner peace and healing. For more information, click here.
In the spirit of remembrance and contemplation, the University of Maryland is partnering with the TKF Foundation, to develop a Garden of Remembrance and Labyrinth. With the foundation's award of $200,000, half of which is a challenge grant, Maryland will develop the two-phase project that includes the development of the Path of Prosperity, which will connect the Memorial Chapel and the West Garden Chapel with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the 2002 Senior Class gift memorial—a tribute to those who lost their lives during the tragic events of 9/11. The second phase of the project includes the installation of a labyrinth, which may appear to be a large maze, but on closer inspection, is actually "a guided peaceful journey," describes Linda Clement, vice president of student affairs.

Open Spaces, Sacred Places


Rose Park Labyrinth
Example of a Labyrinth: The Rose Park Labyrinth is located at the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon, Georgia

Recently, the president and staff of the TKF Foundation visited the grounds of the university's Memorial Chapel. "The physical location is so conducive for creating a space that will be open, yet secluded enough and defined well enough so that people can feel secure and in a mood where they can be contemplative. They can be in a space that is sacred," says Thomas Stoner, president and co-founder of the TKF Foundation. Created by Stoner and his wife, Kitty, the foundation supports the development of public green spaces, some in the middle of urban areas, to promote a place of solitude. The foundation's theme, "Open Spaces, Sacred Places," captures this concept. "I think the need exists for every spirit, every soul to have a place of reflection—a place for digging into their own experience to develop themselves in a spiritual and intellectual way," says Stoner.

Education and Contemplation


Rose Park Labyrinth
Over recent years, as the university community has grappled with one tragic event after another—9/11, the Iraq War, the Virginia Tech massacre—the need for people of different faiths to find a sacred space is more important today than ever. "This place," says Clement, "is both an opportunity to develop the space, but it's also a statement by the university that we value contemplation and reflection."

Marsha Guenzler-Stevens, director of activities at the Stamp Student Union and head of Maryland's 14 chaplaincies, "made a personal connection with the TKF Foundation," Clement says, to develop the Garden of Remembrance and Labyrinth. Stoner says, "We are hoping that because it's at a great university, that it will engender a building of that spirit and exploration of contemplation and healing."

Creating a peaceful space in the gardens of the Memorial Chapel with its beautiful chimes is not only consistent with university initiatives to create more open green spaces on the campus, but it will also beckon the community to draw from a wellspring of spiritual sustenance. Clement is excited about the project, especially because of its unique nature at Maryland.

The Garden of Remembrance and Labyrinth project also presents an opportunity for donors who are inspired to meet the challenge of the matching grant. "I think it's such an important step for the university, and for people who want to join us in this endeavor. It's a great opportunity for giving, and I hope people will want to be a part of it," says Clement. For more information on how to support the Garden of Remembrance and Labyrinth project, contact Jim Rychner at 301.314.7918 or jjr@umd.edu.






Black Dots

Published by the University of Maryland 2007