Memorial Chapel to Go Red and Blue to Celebrate University of Maryland and Prince George’s County Grads

The University of Maryland’s (UMD) Office of Community Engagement (OCE) will sponsor the lighting up of the Memorial Chapel with red illuminating lights on the evenings of May 22-24 to celebrate UMD students' graduation.

The office will also help turn the chapel blue from May 29-31 in honor of high school seniors in Prince George's County, whose graduation will be held virtually on May 30 and 31.

With graduation being virtual, this is a unique gesture to celebrate UMD and PGCPS grads with an iconic UMD monument.

Anna Lee, owner of Stripe 3 Adidas and active member of the College Park community, reached out to OCE with the idea of lighting up the chapel so that seniors and their families had a physical representation of their accomplishment.

“We are in this together. By illuminating the chapel, we want to support students and provide hope as they begin a new journey,” said Gloria Aparicio Blackwell, director of the Office of Community Engagement. “Although they finished the semester under challenging circumstances, they remain in solidarity.”

Graduates are encouraged to capture a photo under the lights while following social distancing guidelines.