First published Nov. 24, 2021 in Stories Beneath the Shell.
by Valeria González Montero
As finals season creeps up University of Maryland students, the offerings to the Testudo in front of McKeldin Library are piling up. Students seeking good fortune on an exam offer Testudo a gift.
But someone has to clear the gifts off Testudo’s pedestal.
One of the people that job falls to is Joe Cook, the manager of arboretum and landscape services.
“We have come to accept this part of our job,” he said. “It’s not harder, it’s funny. It’s a tradition.”
During exam season, the landscaping crew cleans out Testudo every morning — or even twice a day if it gets bad enough. The tradition has been going on so long that the landscape manager, who’s worked at UMD for over 45 years, said he doesn’t remember when it started.
It’s a custom that each generation of new Terps tells the next.
“I’ve heard several different stories; it is an offering. You might not graduate if you don’t offer,” Cook said.
Caroline Dinkel, a freshman with a double major in history and political science, offered Testudo a ring on Oct. 14.
“This is actually the first time I’ve left like an actual thing. I’ve rubbed his nose before, but I have a medieval history midterm today and I was like, I need all the luck I can get.”
Just like Dinkle, Jonathan Rodman, a sophomore in international relations, asked Testudo for luck.
“Last year I left him a football. It’s what I had, figured he might like it,” he said. “If it brought me good luck, can’t complain — and it did.”
This year Rodman hasn’t offered anything to Testudo, but knows he might give the turtle an offering during finals.
Michael Baugher, a sophomore Japanese major, said he doesn’t believe in offerings.
“It’s probably a bit excessive,” he said. “I think rubbing is just fine enough.”
Rubbing Testudo’s nose is the most common part of the ‘good luck’ tradition — it’s even mentioned during UMD’s freshman orientation. The results are clear — Testudo’s nose is worn out because of all the hands that rub him.
William Monan, the associate director of landscape services said he’s seen everything from beer bottles to pool tables to hijacked club cars next to Testudo.
For some items like desks, chairs and sofas, Facilities Management tries to find the owner before throwing them away. They post announcements in the Adele H. Stamp Student Union and hold on to them for up to a month.
“I’ve seen couches, mattresses, chairs, bottles, desks,” Cook said. “I think as time progresses, they get crazier.”
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