The University of Maryland's Block and Bridle hosted a series of events at Maryland Day on April 30, including showings of swine, dairy cows and beef cows.The club hopes to facilitate learning and appreciation for animal science, and that's what happened on Maryland Day.
Divya Jain, a senior bioengineering major, expressed excitement at being able to see cows up close in person.
"I think the agricultural world is a whole world of its own," Jain said. "As a college student, I don't really know much about it."
President Wallace Loh says horses get nervous around people
President Wallace Loh also took in the festivities at Maryland Day, learning from the agricultural students firsthand.
Loh stopped to gaze at the pigs, cows and sheep rams on display. At one point, he raised his finger to the sheep rams' face to attract attention.
"I get to learn firsthand what the students in the agriculture [program] are working with everyday," Loh said.
Loh said he spoke to many university students, and some gave him a lesson about horses.
"I learned that horses don't like a lot of people," Loh said. "They get all nervous about it."
Sigma Alpha Sorority hosts Kiss-A-Pig Competition
There were several other events on the farm, including Sigma Alpha's Kiss-A-Pig Competition.
In addition, a class of agricultural university alumni presented a dairy cow showing to a horde of enthusiastic children and parents.
"It's very cool to be here on Maryland Day and take part in a whole different, unique culture," Jain said.
While many little kids enjoyed getting a look at the animals, Block and Bridle took pride in educating the university community, including Loh.
"They are very passionate about what they are doing," Loh said.
