Students from all over campus come to McKeldin to study, gather for group projects, and partake in other studious acts. As students walk into McKeldin, they are greeted by Testudo, the friendly Terrapin mascot. McKeldin's studious atmosphere causes students to lose track of time as they study for exams, putting in a multitude of hours hitting the books. Clearly, this seems to be a very positive aspect to many. However, this studious building on campus has not just been a place of studying for all, but has turned into a prison with the once friendly Testudo becoming a prison gate keeper.
As many students have found out, McKeldin closes after certain hours and unfortunately the way most students have found out was not easy. Students have become trapped in McKeldin with the doors locked and no where to escape to. Abbie Lemmy, University of Maryland sophomore, found out the hard way as well. She was trapped with another student she did not know. She said that they did not know how to leave and attempted to break out for what seemed to be an hour before they realized there was a number to call, which was conveniently located on the locked door they were attempting to break down. The other student's phone was dead, but thankfully Abbie had 10 percent left and managed to call and save them both. The entire process of escaping the prison seemed to take hours, almost like something out of Shawshank Redemption, but without crawling through sewers or anything of course.
McKeldin also turned into a prison for Abby Magee, University of Maryland sophomore, who got trapped alone in McKeldin. Luckily, Abby called her friend prior to attempting to put her escape plan into action by breaking down the door, who quickly told her about the number located on the door. Fortunately, Abby's stay in Mckeldin Prison did not last very long and she soon broke free with the aid of her friend and University of Maryland staff.
So let this be a warning for all, the next time you enter into study mode in McKeldin to be careful, keep track of time, and keep a full charge on your phone at all times. There's another side to this library that you may not have seen before, and don't want to.
