By Kiersten Hacker

University President Darryll J. Pines was officially inaugurated as the 34th president of the University of Maryland on Thursday. His inauguration week, which lasted from Monday to Saturday, consisted of different events each day to celebrate UMD pride. The culmination of inaugural activities occurred on Maryland Day this Saturday, April 24.

Masses of students gathered outside on Wednesday hoping to meet Pines, receive their presidential turtle pin and try Maryland Dairy’s new ice cream flavor “TerraPines and Pralines,” Pines’ signature flavor. Pines was joined on his parade by his wife Sylvia Pines and their dog, as well as Testudo the mascot and members from the Mighty Sound of Maryland marching band.

“The ice cream is the main priority for me, but I’m excited to meet him [Pines] because there haven’t been any opportunities through COVID, so I think it would be cool to just shake his hand,” said Alivia Saunders, a sophomore public health science student.

Saunders said she is looking forward to more events and engagement opportunities with the new president, especially since this event had a high turnout of students.

Students and other members of the campus community got a small taste of normal circumstances as each parade stop bustled with students, marching band music and school pride. As more in-person events begin to take place, Nicholas Gresh, a sophomore mechanical engineering student, said the interaction will create a good social environment that is beneficial to students’ mental health.

  “It’s really good he’s getting out to see all the students and also during a time like this I think it’s difficult, but it’s also why it’s more important to reach out,” Gresh said. 

Vivian Flanagan, a sophomore public health science student, was attracted to the event for the ice cream as well, but she also hoped to receive a presidential turtle pin since she never got one from former President Wallace Loh. Flanagan said she thinks that debuting the new flavor of ice cream was a good idea to draw students out adding, “It’s nice to see the campus alive like this again after it being dormant for so long.”

For Patrick Cousins, the presidential pin was motivation to attend the event after his mother, an alumna, informed him of the opportunity. The sophomore government and politics major said he was looking forward to meeting Pines and taking a picture with him since he never met Loh. 

After many snapshots, elbow handshakes and ice cream taste tests, the successful parade came to a close and Pines was headed to his official investiture ceremony on Thursday at 11 a.m. 

Following the ceremony on Thursday, Pines sent a campus-wide email detailing five actions that reflect his priorities to “ensure excellence in all that we do; and create a more inclusive, multicultural community for all,” announced in his first day as president.

The five actions include creating a carbon neutral campus by 2025, expanding faculty diversity, honoring trailblazers in Maryland athletics, advancing art programs across campus and investing in discovery, innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development.

“In this moment in time, these five bold actions will help validate who we are, what we stand for, and where we are headed,” Pines wrote in his email on Thursday. 

He encouraged everyone to work together, to be the best and to achieve greatness, all while reminding everyone to remain “TerrapinSTRONG.” 

Pines has inherited a leadership role during a tumultuous time after he assumed his position on July 1, facing both the pandemic and social movements in America, as well as other issues specific to the campus community that have been difficult to navigate. Students are also managing through unprecedented times while welcoming a new leader. 

“We were freshmen last year and got sent home so we don’t really have that much experience, so I don’t really have any expectations in my mind, but I think this [parade] is really cool,” said Jenna Marella, a sophomore in the business school.

Other students had more specific expectations for Pines’ future direction for UMD, sharing hopes of a smooth and ethically run campus with increased unity and the absence of poor decisions. 

Saunders said that she thinks he would have shown greater solidarity with students if he had helped make more progress on the 25 demands Black student leaders defined for UMD to support students of color.

Flanagan agreed and said she is hoping Pines can bring more unity to the campus despite the circumstances.

“I hope just in general [he focuses on] bringing more ease to people of color who go here, either students or even professors,” Flanagan said. “I think he inherited, unfortunately, a really tumultuous political climate as well as COVID, which is unprecedented to begin with, but I just think in general I just hope he brings unity to the campus.”

Featured photo: Pines poses with two members of the College Park community for a photo at the Nyumburu Amphitheater. (Kiersten Hacker/Stories Beneath the Shell).