‘Do Good’ Vibrations

Some voices pose questions: What would you do if you had 24 hours to change the world?

Others tout achievements: We’ve cleaned millions of gallons of rainwater per year before it flows into the Anacostia and Potomac rivers.

The recorded messages from University of Maryland students, faculty, staff and alums now greet those who stroll through five new 12-foot-tall red rings erected in front of Thurgood Marshall Hall.

Billed as an interactive audio art exhibit, the “Do Good Rings” feature built-in speakers and motion sensors triggered by pedestrians. Each message encourages passersby to, well, do good.

“Terps are ready to be the next generation of leaders for social impact and change,” UMD President Darryll J. Pines said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in October, calling the rings an “entryway” to UMD as the nation’s first “Do Good” campus.

The ringed walkway ushers pedestrians into a plaza also boasting an 8-foot aluminum sculpture of the words “Do Good,” illuminated with more than 300 LED modules.

For more than a decade, the School of Public Policy’s Do Good Institute has helped spearhead a campuswide call to action, including courses, internships, mentoring and its marquee Do Good Challenge.

In addition to the voices, the Do Good Rings project soothing music. Eventually, the blinking lights that line the rings’ interior will be customized for special occasions, like Pride Month, Independence Day and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“These rings embody our shared commitment to the values of compassion, leadership and social responsibility,” said Robert Orr, dean of the School of Public Policy.