July 3, 2013

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Fed. loan rates set to increase Former freeze expired Monday; student rates could still be in flux

By Jim Bach Senior staff writer Pending congressional action, students hoping to rely on federal loan programs to pay for college will face higher interests rates after a measure freezing the rate expired Monday.

Students who have federally subsidized Stafford loans won’t see any changes to their interest rates, but those who were hoping to benefit from the program now have to absorb the new 6.8 percent interest rate, and many students and education advocates are calling Congress’ failure to take action a mistake.

L a s t yea r, t h e sa m e program was set to expire, potentially affecting 7.5 million students. But Congress stepped in just before the July 1 deadline, reaching a solution that would fund the program for one more year and allow

PHOENIX DRAFTS LEN fifth

Former Terps center becomes team’s first NBA draft lottery pick since 2002 with Thursday’s selection see p. 8

undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate financial need to continue borrowing at a subsidized 3.4 percent rate.

While student campaigns, constant media coverage and a nationwide tour of universities

by President Obama brought a sense of urgency to the cause in 2012, that fervor quieted this year. Finance professor Cliff Rossi said this year is different because there wasn’t a broader context, such as the debate about the debt ceiling or sequestration, to bring this issue back to the national spotlight and onto Congress’s radar.

“It’s because it’s just out there as an isolated issue,” Rossi said. “There’s not something more precipitating that would cause them or require them to have acted.”

Despite the more tepid response to Congress’s lack of action on the issue this year, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and See Loans, Page 2

photo courtesy of the nba

ACC adds three to expand to 15 Terps will face off in final ACC year

By Aaron Kasinitz Senior staff writer Almost one year before this university leaves the ACC for the Big Ten, three schools officially joined the conference that Terrapins athletics have been a part of since its inception in 1953.

Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame were introduced as members of the ACC in a press conference at the NASDAQ

stock exchange in Manhattan on Monday. The Fighting Irish will remain independent in football and hockey, while the Orange and Panthers join the league in all sports starting this fall.

The message from ACC Commissioner John Swofford was direct: The league is in a good position, he said, and it will aggressively pursue marketing opportunities to ensure it remains competitive as the

photo illustration by holly cuozzo/the diamondback

dust settles on recent widespread conference realignment.

Next year, Louisville will replace this university as the 15th member of the conference, and Swofford said the ACC does not have immediate plans to expand beyond that. “[We have] unlimited potential, whether it be basketball, football, the Olympic sports,” Swofford said. “[Opportunities are] in front of us that we’ve never had before.”

Swofford’s plans for the

conference seemed to mirror the efforts of Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany, who began a trend of conference realignment when he convinced Nebraska to leave the Big 12 for the Big Ten in 2010.

S i n ce t h e B i g Te n a n nounced in November that the Terps and Rutgers would join the conference in 2014, Delany has discussed the importance of expanding the See acc, Page 3

smoking at this university is now restricted to four designated areas on the campus, including this spot on the south side of McKeldin Library. christian jenkins/the diamondback

Campus smoking ban implemented

By Brian Compere For The Diamondback

Housekeepers protest work conditions Dozens allege verbal abuses, maltreatment

By Holly Cuozzo For The Diamondback Despite university attempts to provide more support for workers in recent years, university housekeepers said more needs to be done to improve their working conditions, ahead of an upcoming contract negotiation Saturday.

Several dozen housekeepers and supporters gathered in front of Stamp Student Union at about noon Thursday, calling for fairer wages and more respect — including a place to eat lunch.

Housekeepers have been subjected to verbal abuse, maltreatment and extreme conditions, housekeeper Antonia Escobar said when addressing rally-goers.

“The work that each of us does is very important,”

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university housekeepers gathered in front of Stamp Student Union on Thursday to rally for higher wages and changes to working conditions in an upcoming contract negotiation, following administration attempts in recent years to address such requests. sung-min kim/for the diamondback Escobar said through a translator. “We have a right to be heard and a right to speak.”

The average housekeepers earn less than $11.50 an hour and begin their days at 4 a.m. — before lights, heat or air conditioning come on. Housekeepers

are given a lunch break at 8 a.m., but without a designated area to sit, they often eat in storage closets with mop buckets and cleaning supplies.

The housekeepers were never explicitly forced to eat lunch in the closets, said Jeff

Pittman, communications director for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. However, not every campus building has a lounge or seating area where See rally, Page 3

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Smokers will have a tougher time finding a place to light up after the university implemented a campuswide smoking ban Monday.

The university joined the rest of the University System of Maryland institutions in applying a June 2012 system-wide policy prohibiting smoking on the system’s campuses. The policy prohibits lit tobacco products — including cigarettes, cigars, hookahs and pipes — smoking in university-owned vehicles, and the sale of tobacco products on the campus. But each of the system’s institutions could make narrow exceptions to the policy with the approval of the institution’s president.

At this university, four locations on the campus became designated smoking areas, university President Wallace Loh wrote in a university-wide email Monday.

These areas include: between Riggs Alumni Center and the Stadium Drive Garage, the

south side of McKeldin Library near Somerset Hall, west of the main staircase in front of Comcast Center and between Byrd Stadium and Ellicott Hall.

Though the policy could be implemented in varied, nuanced ways for each institution’s campus, system officials still designed the policy to promote a smoke-free environment and encourage good health practices, said Mike Lurie, a system spokesman.

“The board of presidents felt that this was a very good direction to go in terms of encouraging healthy lifestyles and making the environment on our campuses as healthy as possible for everybody: for students, for staff, for faculty, for visitors,” Lurie said.

After Towson University and Frostburg State University adopted smoke-free policies in August 2010 and August 2011, respectively, Lurie said, other presidents admired the success of those policies and suggested the university system develop a framework for other schools to create similar policies.

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THE DIAMONDBACK | news | wednesDAY, july 3, 2013

smoking From PAGE 1 The system’s policy also allows university presidents to approve penalties for violators. But officials from this university do not have plans to implement any fines or penalties, said Linda Clement, vice president for student affairs.

Police will not enforce the policy, Clement said, adding that officials expected members of the campus community would help ensure smokers are aware of the restrictions. To help, the university will add signs around the campus explaining the new restrictions, said Dale Anderson, director of University Human Resources.

“We’re expecting everybody to comply; we’re expecting people to manage themselves,” Clement said.

“And so if, for example, somebody

is smoking in my suite, if somebody complains to me, then it’s up to me as a supervisor of people to make sure that I intervene. So there are no smoking police; it’s going to be up to people who are individual supervisors of faculty and staff.”

Junior Ian Kahn is skeptical of how effective the policy will be, and he said most people probably will not help enforce it if they see someone smoking outside of the designated areas.

“I think you’ll see people pointing them in the right direction, and then I think some people might think about it in the future, and some people will be like, ‘OK, thanks,’ and continue on with their day, smoking,” the computer science and music major said. “And then I also think you’re going to find the people that aren’t going to point anyone in the right direction and be like, ‘Whatever.’ And truthfully, I think

that’s going to be a lot of people.”

The designated area beside McKeldin, while relatively remote, could be particularly disruptive to students and student groups, Kahn added, because of its proximity to dorms and academic buildings. By limiting smoking to only four areas on the campus, he said each location could draw larger crowds and more fumes than in the past.

But the policy is a good way to promote a cultural change away from smoking and toward healthier lifestyles, said Edie Anderson, a smoking cessation counselor at the University Health Center. The health center provides free counseling services and free nicotine replacement therapy products for anyone trying to quit smoking, she said.

“We’re here to really help everyone for their own health’s sake,” she said.

“But it’s nothing to panic about because no one is going to get a police citation.”

A smoke-free policy should have

Univ. joins global loans research network

Universitas 21 membership opens up study abroad, research opportunities

By Zoe Sagalow For The Diamondback

for studying abroad, he said, will remain the same as the usual exchange program application in most cases.

In addition to the exchange opportunities, the organization holds an undergraduate research conference at a different member university every year, Lewin said.

The conferences typically include seminars and student presentations. Three students from this university will present their undergraduate research at this year’s conference, hosted by the University of Amsterdam from Saturday through Wednesday, he added.

The organization also offers summer school programs hosted by a different member university each summer with a theme chosen by the host institution.

This month, the University of Connecticut will host a human rights-themed summer school.

“I like the idea of students coming together to get a more global perspective,” said Jeff Manzione, a sophomore computer science major. “In the United States, we might think differently. We expect certain things, and we can’t imagine that in other places people are treated differently. I think it would be great for people in different places in the world to get this knowledge that they wouldn’t otherwise get.”

Study abroad trips to Australia, Singapore and other countries are more convenient and affordable for students since this university joined a global research network.

This university, along with Ohio State and the University of Johannesburg, became one of 27 institutions in Universitas 21 after receiving a unanimous vote of approval from the presidents of the existing member universities on May 10. The university was selected based on its expressed international ambitions and its vision of preparing students to to live in a globalized world, said Lavinia Winegar Gott, deputy secretary general of Universitas 21.

“It’s a pretty exclusive group deliberately, to keep the size under control,” Gott said.

Through the organization, students from this university will be able to spend a semester abroad at affiliate institutions in 17 countries at the tuition rate of this university. University President Wallace Loh, who traveled to the University of British Columbia in May for the organization’s annual general meeting, said membership would increase collaboration among students of different universities on a global scale.

“Our students will have greatly expanded opportuni- newsumdbk@gmail.com ties for international study, research, internships and conference attendance,” Loh said in a statement. “Our students can easily participate in any of these consortium institutions, and their students can readily enroll in [this university’s] programs.”

The Universitas 21 student exchange program is the most affordable study abroad option, as well as one of the most academically challenging, said Ross Lewin, international affairs associate vice president. It could make a semester or a year abroad more realistic for students such as sophomore Julio Cerón.

“You automatically think of the expenses,” said Cerón, an economics and government and politics major. “The fact that you can go study abroad at a Maryland tuition rate is definitely helpful.”

Because students will be able to study abroad at no additional cost, Lewin hopes the program will open up more international opportunities for students and increase the university’s prestige as a global institution.

“It dramatically raises the international profile, the perception of the University of Maryland,” said Lewin, who added he spearheaded the effort to join the network. “More and more great universities are going to recognize the University of Maryland.”

Many organization members will begin accepting applications for exchange students from this university starting in the spring 2014 semester, Education Abroad Director Graham Hettlinger said.

And students can expect to see students from Universitas 21 institutions on the campus this fall, Hettlinger added. The process

From PAGE 1

university officials met with students yesterday to discuss possible solutions to remedy the current student interest rate situation.

“It is so critical that you young people be given the best education we can give you: bright minds developed to contribute to our country,” Hoyer said. “This is about investing, not just paying.”

SGA President Samantha Zwerling said there are more pressing issues than setting the interest rates and these issues seem to be lost in current debate.

“I think that what students are really looking for is a permanent deal,” Zwerling said. “Student advocates and people in Congress want to move on, and we want to work on youth unemployment and actually keeping college affordable and those kinds of issues.”

Before coming to this u n ive rs i ty, so p h o m o re government and politics major Patrick Ronk said he educated himself heavily on the costs he would incur by taking out loans, but he felt his peers weren’t taking the expenses of college to heart.

“They got to go to their dream schools, which is fantastic, but then when they got out, they graduated with six figures in loans and some of them were unemployed,” Ronk said. “I feel like we have a culture of not really educating our youth as much and just

been in place as early as the ones at other schools, such as Montgomery College, which banned tobacco on its campus in the summer of 2008, said Erfan Zarger, a graduate student at this university. Zarger, who transferred from Montgomery College two years ago, said the policy protects students who don’t smoke.

“If I see that my friends smoke every day on campus, I would definitely do that — start smoking,” he said.

Johnnie Simpson, a university alumnus who smoked outside Dorchester Hall during his undergraduate years, said rules establishing distances that smokers needed to stand away from public buildings — such as a rule passed in the University Senate in September 2011 banning smoking within 25 feet of university buildings — would be a fair compromise. A smoke-free campus, with just a few designated

telling them … you can go wherever they want and then having them settled with all this debt.”

But even the program as it existed before — with both the 6.8 and 3.4 percent rates, among other federal student loan programs — may not be the best solution. Rossi said the rates could be “artificially too low.”

“The good part of it is that they have made higher education available to a larger segment of the population than otherwise would have had access to it,” Rossi said, adding, “It has not forced students and their parents to have to make good financial choices.”

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have offered several different solutions to the issue, including Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who suggested pegging the interest rate of federal student loans to the 10-year treasury yield (plus 1.85 percentage points), the historically low rate at which the federal government borrows, plus an added 3 percent premium to factor in risk for students.

“i think there’s room for everybody, smokers and nonsmokers, to do as they please without offending each other.”

JOHNNIE SIMPSON University alumnus

smoking areas, wasn’t fair, he said.

“I’m not sure why extending the restrictions on smokers is useful. The fact that they’re not going to even enforce it with anything meaningful other than a wag of the finger seems pointless,” said Simpson, who has since quit smoking. “It’s a big school, there’s a lot of open space, there’s a lot of public space. But I think there’s room for everybody, smokers and nonsmokers, to do as they please without offending each other.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

“it is so critical that you young people be given the best education we can give you: bright minds developed to contribute to our country. This is about investing, not just paying.”

STENY HOYER

U.S. representative (D-Md.) As of yesterday, the 10-year treasury yield was at 2.48 percent, meaning that under this program, rates would be about 5.50 percent.

Similar proposals have been introduced to peg the interest rate to a benchmark, but other proposals have still stressed college affordability and accessibility.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (DMass.), a longtime critic of big banks, proposed The Bank on Students Loan Fairness Act, which allows students to borrow at the same rate as Wall Street: less than 1 percent.

Rossi said the best studentlending program wouldn’t mirror what has been done in the past or create artificially low rates that don’t accurately account for the risk of student borrowers.

“It just needs to be revamped

in a significant way,” Rossi said.

“It’s going to require a wholesale re-examination of what we’re subsidizing.”

The ideal federal lending program would set rates on an individual basis, Rossi said, examining the risks of each borrower.

But that could be a difficult task, as the failures of other government insurance programs, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, could lead to skepticism.

“The government has never ever actually run any insurance program well,” Rossi said, adding there hasn’t historically been an effort in any government insurance program to ensure its success.

The Senate could vote July 10 on another one-year freeze of student loan interest rates. newsumdbk@gmail.com

wednesday, july 3, 2013 | news | The Diamondback

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Senate immigration bill renews hope for Md. students University experts warn bill may fail in House vote but Md. students and reform advocates remain optimistic

By Megan Brockett For The Diamondback Raymond Jose watched from the U.S. Senate gallery on Thursday as senators passed the most comprehensive immigration reform bills in years and thought, “We created this moment.”

When Jose was a senior in high school, his parents sat him down and told him they had overstayed their visa, leaving the family and Jose, who had come to the U.S. from the Philippines at the age of 9, undocumented.

Jose, now a student at Montgomery College, said he quickly realized he had fallen through the cracks of what he called the country’s “broken immigration system,” leaving him unable to accept the three scholarship offers he had just received while

at a track meet — the news he had been so excited to share with his parents and that had ultimately prompted them to tell Jose about their undocumented status.

Passing a normally partisan Senate by a vote of 68 to 32, Thursday’s bill would provide a 13-year path to citizenship for the country’s 11 million estimated undocumented immigrants while significantly increasing security along the border.

“The bill is potentially the first piece of comprehensive immigration reform in about 30 years, since the … Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986,” said Robert Koulish, a government and politics professor at this university whose research centers on immigration.

“Typically when Congress has been reforming immigration law over the last three

decades, it’s done so in a very piecemeal fashion,” Koulish said. “So this is really the first time that it’s attacking a lot of different categories of immigration law and policy and changing it at one time.”

But the biggest challenges still lie ahead for immigration reform as the debate heads to a Republican-controlled House, led by Speaker John Boehner, who has said the chamber won’t consider the bill unless a majority of the GOP representatives support it and that it may instead work toward legislation that does not provide a pathway to citizenship for those in the U.S. illegally.

“I’m really worried for the House,” said Mariela Cruz, the Latino Student Union advocacy vice president and senior criminology and criminal justice major. “I know it’s not going to

be easy.”

Koulish said the bill’s Corker-Hoeven amendment, which would double the number of border control officers and increase the fence along the southern border by 350 miles, was added in hopes of increasing its chances of passing the House. But he said it remains uncertain whether the reform will be enacted this year.

“The battle in the House is where immigration reform may die,” Koulish said.

Both Cruz and Jose, now an organizer for United We Dream, the largest youth immigration group in the U.S., realize a lot of work remains to be done to push the immigration reform movement along. For Cruz, that means reaching out to representatives and making her stance known through phone calls and

ROBERT KOULISH

Government and politics professor outlets such as Twitter.

Jose said he will continue to urge politicians to work toward a comprehensive immigration reform bill free of additional roadblocks to citizenship and hold members of Congress accountable for their actions and promises.

Jose said an important part of the movement is making clear to politicians what the consequences will be if an acceptable immigration reform bill fails to pass, touching upon a central point of anxiety among Republicans heading into midterm elections and eventually 2016.

ACC

rally From PAGE 1 housekeepers can eat, and some had no choice but to eat in closets, said housekeeper Maria Ayala at the rally.

University administrators said they are responsive to the concerns of the staff.

The night before the rally, the housekeeping staff received an email from Housekeeping Services Coordinator Anthony Stewart pledging to provide better accommodations.

Management was in the process of identifying places for employees to eat, Stewart wrote, and other safety measures were being put in place, including assignments closer to employee parking areas and additional locations for employees to clock in.

The rally took place the following morning, as scheduled, to showcase their victory.

Escobar and Ayala spoke about their experiences as mistreated workers, and Sen. Victor Ramirez (D- Prince George’s) voiced his support.

Supporters and workers waved green signs that read “¡Exigimos Dignidad!” (“We demand dignity!”) behind Escobar as she spoke. She added that the verbal abuse and other maltreatment from team leaders and supervisors has to stop. Many workers were

“this is really the first time that it’s attacking a lot of different categories of immigration law and policy and changing it at one time.”

From PAGE 1

a group of university housekeepers gathered in front of Stamp Student Union to protest what they say are unfair and unsafe working conditions. Ralliers said they have to resort to eating their lunches in cleaning supply closets. sung-min kim/for the diamondback too afraid to even attend the rally, Escobar said.

Another pervasive problem in the housekeepers’ community is a lack of support after on-thejob injuries, said housekeeper Vicenta Reyes, 62, who injured her hand while using a machine to strip the floors in a building.

While she was granted time off work to recover, the days she took off had to be her vacation days — housekeepers receive 10-20 days off depending on length of employment.

After running out of vacation days, her hours were discounted when she returned.

“We work too much,” said

Reyes, who has worked at the university for almost 12 years.

“They have never given us a designated place to eat, and now they’re increasing our workload.”

Through AFSCME, the housekeepers are negotiating a contract with the university to enhance conditions and hope to have a written contract with the university Saturday, four days before the next housekeepers’ meeting. If the university does not listen to the workers’ rights, the group intends to launch an investigation, Ramirez said.

Together, the rallying group marched from Stamp to the administration building, chant-

ing, “The workers united will never be divided.”

They intended to deliver a letter to university President Wallace Loh asking him to take action, but found the doors of the building locked.

Two housekeepers delivered the letter with a police escort after about an hour.

Jonathan Lee, a junior communication and government and politics major, agreed with the group.

“If they can get a higher wage and better working conditions, it would be tremendous,” he said. newsumdbk@gmail.com

“We’re already looking forward to next year, to make sure that if things don’t go the way that we planned … that our community, the immigrant community, is nothing to be messed with,” Jose said.

“We know who we need to keep pressuring and make sure that they realize that if they don’t touch on immigration reform, if they don’t give us what we need and what we want, we can organize our communities and make sure that the GOP never sees the White House.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

which a bloc of schools formed the American Athletic Conference, and they boast nationally prominent men’s and women’s basketball programs. The league now has the two coaches with the most wins in NCAA history, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and the Orange’s Jim Boeheim.

“I don’t think there’s ever been a league with the potential basketball-wise that the ACC has right now going forward,” Boeheim said.

The Fighting Irish’s basketball coach Mike Brey grew up in Bethesda watching this university compete in the league his program just joined.

“It’s very special. Growing up a Maryland fan and an ACC basketball fan, spending eight years at Duke University as an assistant, I’ve got some great memories of the league,” Brey said. “I never thought in my wildest dreams I’d be coaching in the league at the University of Notre Dame.”

On the football side, neither Pittsburgh nor Syracuse has been a national contender of late, but the expansion provides recruitment opportunities in New York and Pennsylvania for the rest of the schools in the conference.

Notre Dame’s five games against ACC competition should benefit the league’s exposure, too, considering the Irish earned a spot in January’s Bowl Championship Series title game and remain one of the most high-profile programs in the country.

The Terps will play in the ACC for one more year before officially heading to the Big Ten. But the future of the ACC looks positive, Swofford said.

“The composition of the long-term membership of the ACC has never been stronger,” he said.

league’s footprint. He also stressed the success of the Big Ten Network, which launched in 2007 and has paid off financially for the conference while increasing its exposure.

Swo f fo rd a d d re s s e d similar issues Monday, laying out hefty goals for the ACC. Swofford cited the ACC’s expanding footprint, noting the ACC has the most television households and population of any conference and will have 55 percent of the population in its region by 2030.

Like Delany, Swofford is making efforts to expand his conference’s brand into New York City, a premier media market. Holding Monday’s press conference in Manhattan was just one step.

Conference presidents are discussing plans to hold the ACC men’s basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden, Swofford said, and the ACC and Big Ten will meet in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium in the future.

“It’s the media capital of the world, a lot of energy here,” Swofford said. “We wanted to showcase the ACC in New York City and show this is a very important part of our new footprint for our conference.”

Swofford contended that the addition of Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Notre Dame — which will each play five football games a year against ACC teams — will benefit the conference in basketball and football. Still, the greatest gains seem to come on the hardwood, Boeheim said.

All three schools come to the ACC from the Big East, from sportsdbk@gmail.com

4

Opinion

THE DIAMONDBACK | WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013

Editor in Chief

DAN APPENFELLER Managing Editor

BRIAN COMPERE

Deputy Managing Editor

maria romas Opinion Editor

tyranny or destructive government.

For instance, the Fourth Amendment states that “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause.”

Over the past centuries, men and women have died to protect these inherent rights. These martyrs have ensured our values and ways of life can be passed on to the next generation. Our society is not perfect and never will be, but these sacrifices enable us to continually improve our nation in the spirit of freedom and community.

Today, we must not forget our heritage or our responsibilities as Americans. We must celebrate the great things we and our government have done for ourselves and the world as a whole. But more importantly, we must remember our responsibilities as Americans. All of us should contribute to our community in some manner, whether feeding the needy or helping an elderly neighbor.

Americans also need to stand up for their rights as citizens; today, as the federal government grows ever more powerful, we must preserve our rights to be free from unlawful seizure and to speak our minds. For as Jefferson wrote all those years ago, “It is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles.”

The United States is defined by its citizens, not its government. There is no divine right of kings or party; the government is of the people, created by the people. America can only be as good as its people; we have to strive to be active, informed citizens.

Tomorrow is the day we remember our country’s birth in the fire of freedom and horrors of warfare. Let us never forget and always preserve the freedoms that millions have dedicated their lives to guaranteeing and protecting.

On a hot summer day, exactly 237 years ago tomorrow, after 56 signatures, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, formally starting the great American experiment, the idea that a democratically elected government could protect and nurture the individual rights of its citizens. In the words of Thomas Jefferson: “We hold these truths to be selfevident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

While the American experiment has not been without its trials, whether they be the Revolutionary War, civil rights or the state of the economy, the United States has endured and thrived.

In the 15 years after the founders made their declaration and the first martyrs shed their blood, the U.S. managed to throw the shackles of British colonialism, create a functioning, democratic government and guarantee Americans’ rights in the Bill of Rights. These years gave America its identity. Since then, we have greatly improved our society by more fully guaranteeing the rights of women and minorities as American society has evolved to understand the truth that all people Matt Dragonette is a sophomore acare created equal.

These early freedoms also guar- counting major. He can be reached at anteed Americans protection from mdragonette9@yahoo.com.

Assistant Opinion Editor

STAFF EDITORIAL

Gender-neutral’s future T his university is not immune from hatred. And on the eve of its largest step toward fully accessible gender-neutral housing — Prince Frederick Hall, a 462-student dorm set to be completed August 2014 — university officials should realize that uncomfortable truth.

Strides made on this campus to include all genders and sexual identities — such as a celebrated LGBT Equity Center and burgeoning LGBT studies department — have gone a long way in earning plaudits and recognition for the university’s progress in on-campus tolerance.

In August, Campus Pride, a college LGBT advocacy nonprofit, analyzed schools’ acceptance of LGBT students and put this university on its top 25 colleges for LGBT students.

It was the only college in the Washington area to make the list.

In 2012, the university also received a perfect five-star rating on Campus Pride’s LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index, a national study that examines eight categories for inclusion in schools; this university received perfect marks on four of those categories.

These rankings should rightly be celebrated, and many officials will surely tout such accomplishments, but it is vitally important that administrators and decision-makers don’t become complacent or rest on these laurels.

While organizational ratings represent valuable headway in the university’s progress during one

of this century’s defining civil rights movements, they are far from enough.

Jenna Johnson, of The Washington Post’s higher education blog, Campus Overload, points out how indexes and compilations often only scratch the surface.

Survey questions are often answered by those in majority groups based on their perceptions; some rankings are compiled using reports from other rankings.

Just because this university got five stars does not mean it is out of the woods.

Take, for example, Mykell HatcherMcLarin’s experience in Oakland Hall last fall: The junior sociology major, who described himself as queer on a dry-erase

OUR VIEW

Gender-neutral housing, the latest step forward for an LGBT-friendly university, must be done with respectful care. board on his door, dealt with constant vandalism and incidents from “people that don’t understand,” he said.

This past spring, in an all-too-common occurrence, a series of LGBT-related incidents of vandalism and intolerance swept through otherwise highly regarded institutions. In April, Dartmouth University temporarily canceled classes after equality advocacy group #REALTALKDartmouth protested a prospective students meeting in an effort to bring attention to grassroots discrimination on the campus.

In the wake of the protest, oppo-

trucks can serve customers is the main reason they’ve been successful in Washington and will prove to be a selling point at this university.

Want to get food outside a basketball or football game so you don’t have to stand in line at the stadium?

Food trucks could give Terps fans that option and expand the choices available at sporting events beyond greasy burgers and fries. Many of the trucks have healthy options not available at athletic venues and would be a welcome addition to game day. While food trucks operating in this capacity do not yet exist on this campus, knowing they could be a game-day go-to is exciting.

But the impact on sporting events doesn’t have to stop there, especially when considering the role trucks could play in tailgating events.

A food truck parked at the top of Regents Drive Garage — where tailgating is prevalent but grills are not allowed — would provide Terps fans the ability to enjoy the fun of a tailgating party without the inconvenience of hunger. Another prime location for one of these trucks would be in Lot 11, near Comcast Center, where a lot of tailgating takes place.

While the food truck craze on the campus is still young, it is already being accepted with open arms and whetted appetites. The expansion of the program should see growing success and lead to a more enjoyable culinary experience at the university. Because of the many benefits, students should adopt nothing more quickly (with the exception of a mobile happy hour) than food trucks on the campus.

In recent days, students taking summer classes have noticed the appearance of a food truck, Green Tidings, parked around the campus.

This food truck offers a wide variety of options, from a quick drink to a full plate of fish tacos. With the campus’s proximity to Washington, where food trucks are prevalent, it was only a matter of time before the culinary craze made its way to Campus Drive. The only issue with food trucks seems to be that they weren’t around sooner.

Food trucks will ease the congestion around already-established food service locations. Anyone who has ventured into Stamp Student Union at noon for a “quick” lunch between classes knows the pain of standing in line and constantly checking your phone to see when you need to be in your next class, only to get there late and miss important information. With new food options such as food trucks, waiting at Stamp or any of the campus’s other eateries will be a much less stressful and timeconsuming experience.

Convenience is another advantage food trucks offer. Many students are forced to venture from one building to another just to get a snack in the 15-minute gap between classes. Unless you are in Van Munching Hall or the math or engineering building, you are probably out of luck if you want anything more than a bag of chips or a granola bar. But with a food-service truck parked out front of Tawes Hall or any other high-traffic location, D a ve S t ro h i s a se n i o r E n g l i sh meals between classes can be a m a j o r. H e c a n b e re a c h e d a t reality. The speed at which these d aves tro h 1 1 @ g ma i l .c om .

nents destroyed the group’s posters and the group posted records of incendiary Facebook comments and posts from anonymous forums, including a warning for the protesters not to “bitch about little bulls---.”

Earlier, in January at Boston College Law School, vandals broke into — and wrote lewd terms on the walls of — the Lambda Law Student Association, an LGBT rights organization.

To think that events like these couldn’t happen here is naive, and administrators and student leaders, from the Department of Resident Life to the Residence Hall Administration to the Student Government Association, need to constantly consider potential incidents. Prince Frederick Hall will represent an unprecedented step in this university’s gender-neutral standards, but there are still many risks in the otherwise noble pursuit.

Pride Alliance President Kelly Lowe said that although it’s an unfortunate reality,stronger security should be offered in gender-neutral housing, as the risk for incident is inherently higher. That’s certainly true. In the course of history, the boldest advancements toward tolerance are often met with the most resistance, from major advancements in the black community made almost 50 years ago to the day to the battles witnessed at Dartmouth this spring. And increased caution and security measures should follow.

Prince Frederick Hall should open to celebration as another advancement in gender neutrality, but it is a step this university should take with considerable and conscious care.

EDITORIAL CARTOON

Welcoming food trucks to campus DAVE STROH

ADAM OFFITZER

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The beauty of the American experiment MATT DRAGONETTE

Mike King

EDITORIAL BOARD

BEN STRYKER/the diamondback

GUEST COLUMN

The real meaning of patriotism

A

s Army Pfc. Bradley Manning goes on trial for releasing military documents and the government attempts to run damage control following Edward Snowden’s National Security Agency surveillance leaks, we as Americans have a stark reality to face about the authority of our government.

Whistle-blowers responsible for our government’s most revealing leaks face criticism ranging from accusations of treason to calls for severe punishment. Public figures from both sides of the political spectrum have openly labeled Snowden a traitor.

Some have even gone so far as calling for Manning’s execution.

The reality is, both Manning and Snowden have given up everything they had (government job, double-jointed girlfriend, etc.) to expose injustice.

Manning wanted to shed light on heinous acts the government has committed in hopes it would “spark a domestic public debate about our foreign policy,” he said.

Snowden wanted to let the public “decide whether [mass NSA surveillance is] right or wrong.”

Popular sentiment says whistle-blowers such as Snowden and Manning are traitors and should be prosecuted as such.

Rather, these gentlemen should be revered as heroes — modern-day patriots. Individuals who side with the federal government (pro-interventionist foreign policy, big surveillance apologists) and its overstepping of constitutional limits

are modern-day British loyalists.

A common misconception is that a patriot is one who stands with the law and authority, taking chauvinistic views.

On the contrary, patriots are those who devote their lives to serving their communities or country and appreciate freedom. A nation’s government does not define the nation — its people do.

Furthermore, we established the Constitution to restrain government authority and establish procedure for action and protections for citizens. Both principles have been largely compromised.

When President Obama took the oath of office, as elected officials do, he swore to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Obama’s change.gov/agenda website declares,“The best source of information about … abuse in government is an existing government employee committed to public integrity and willing to speak out.” The same language continues, “We need to empower federal employees as watchdogs of wrongdoing and partners in performance [and] protect federal workers who expose waste, fraud, and abuse of authority in government.”

As president, he has portrayed the complete opposite philosophy.

Some argue NSA surveillance programs are necessary to protect our country. That idea couldn’t be more wrong. Having 100 percent safety is an impossible guarantee in this world.

For government to claim that power is misleading and manipulative.

Put simply, mass data collection on the American public at large is not necessary for our country’s safety. As Benjamin Franklin said, “Those who

would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

A real way our federal government can make us safer is by re-evaluating our military presence abroad. Manning’s releases do just that. The federal government will again claim its actions are necessary and that secrecy is safety.

Some say Manning’s and Snowden’s actions compromised the safety of the United States. Yet these exposed policies are making us less safe and taking away our rights. These “officials” are our public servants; it is our government, and we too often bypass the true control we have in our system.

Information should be free. Why vilify government employees who risked it all to do the job our elected representatives, our checks and balances, and our tarnished Constitution have failed to do?

Charges of espionage against these whistle-blowers expose a far deeper malady within our government.

Espionage is the practice of spying to obtain information for a foreign government or enemy. Since they released the information to the American public, the charges of espionage reveal that the government views “We the People” as enemies of its state.

This Fourth of July, we must recognize and celebrate our nation’s modern-day patriots. Seldom do people give up everything to preserve our freedoms — or what remains of them, that is.

To m m y C re e g a n a n d M o h s e n Farsheshani are members of the United Youth Movement. Creegan is a columnist for The Diamondback.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 | The Diamondback

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Features ACROSS 1 Whaler of fiction 5 Early Britons 10 McEntire of C&W music 14 Freighter hazard 15 Flashlight carrier 16 Assert positively 17 Depose 18 Smells bad 19 Rendezvous 20 De-light-ful insects 22 Rash, as a decision 23 Flair for music 24 Free of 25 Dunk 29 Falls upon 33 Lunch times 34 Griffin of TV 36 Wordy Webster 37 Deli salmon 38 Toss out 39 Mao -- -tung 40 Battery chemical 42 Sage or basil 43 Pick on 45 Biker’s maneuver 47 TV advertiser 49 Rand of fiction 50 Collected sayings 51 Multitude 54 Boson pursuer 60 Left Bank chums

61 VIPs’ transport 62 Burrito alternative 63 Area 64 Battery’s “+” end 65 Mild oath 66 Exercise system 67 Grand Canyon sights 68 Thank you, in Kyoto

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27 Boldness, slangily 28 Quiz-show host 29 Mighty steeds 30 Smidgens 31 Dogie stopper 32 Gauzy

35 Foul up 38 Climb a rope 41 Scroll site (2 wds.)

43 Writer -Morrison 44 Put into law

DOWN 1 Excited 2 Transport 3 Too 4 In the middle 5 Verdict givers 6 Consumer 7 The people over there 8 Cartoon shrieks 9 Almost grads 10 Dawn-to-sunset fast 11 Holiday times 12 Purple vegetable 13 Showy and pretentious 21 Hostilities 22 That guy’s 24 Party-thrower’s plea 25 Mother- -- - -26 Freeload

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46 Soap ingredient 48 Moves the puck 51 Vague, as a recollection 52 “Typee” sequel 53 Boxer’s place 54 Knotty wood

55 MD employers 56 The Force was with him 57 “Othello” heavy 58 Ripoff 59 Uproar (hyph.)

61 Go on the --

T

HOROSCOPE STELLA WILDER

he coming week is likely to require most if not all individuals to adopt a more flexible, accepting and, at times, forgiving stance when it comes to the behavior of others. Dynamics on all fronts may otherwise be fraught with tension born of even casual conflicts. Some may choose to turn their backs entirely on those things that rub them the wrong way, though this will not always be the best choice. Others will directly face disturbances of all kinds, but withhold judgment or censure. Some, however, may find that by maintaining just the right attitude, it will be possible to avoid being bothered by what others do or say in the first place. These are truly the lucky few!

Things may be a little cliquish as individuals group again and again as pairs, trios or foursomes to pursue agendas that are purely personal in nature. Those who don’t belong to such a group may wish they did, but they may benefit in unexpected ways.

CANCER (June 21-July 7) -- Scheduling may prove the most important aspect of your preparations. Getting things in the right order is essential.

(July 8-July 22) -- You may experience something of a slowdown, but this can afford you valuable time to assess your own situation honestly.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 7) -- You may have to retrace your steps with unusual care in order to determine what has slipped through the cracks, and when.

(Aug. 8-Aug. 22) -- You mustn’t neglect the needs of a family member; saying the right thing at the right time will be remembered.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 7) -- You’ll want to spruce things up a bit wherever you are this week -- home, office or a home away from home. (Sept. 8-Sept.

22) -- Things may not be presented to you in the most convenient fashion early in the week, but your reorganization will make a difference.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 7) -- Some may sense that you are doing less than your usual, but in truth you are making

yourself available to another as the need arises. (Oct. 8-Oct. 22) -- You may be able to score a come-from-behind victory if you are patient and strike while the iron is hot.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 7) -- You may think the grass is always greener, but this week you’ll realize that your unique situation is truly the best for you. (Nov. 8-Nov. 21) -- You must prepare yourself for unexpected developments. What you are most afraid of can only happen if you actually conjure it up.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 7) -You’ll learn an important thing or two by listening in on conversations others have all around you. (Dec. 8-Dec. 21) -- You may be guilty of coveting what a loved one has, but you can do him or her one better when given the chance.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 6) -- You’ll be afforded some valuable downtime, but you must use it carefully and not fritter it away. (Jan. 7-Jan. 19) -- What seems to be a contradiction in terms will actually make sense to you once you apply it to your own personal affairs.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 3) -- You can track another’s progress with some accuracy, but take care you don’t become obsessive and ignore your own needs. (Feb. 4-Feb. 18) -- You may be closer to one of your main goals than you had supposed; a friend reveals a missing piece of the puzzle.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 5) -- You’ll reach a halfway point of sorts, but that doesn’t mean that the hardest part of the journey is behind you! (March 6-March 20) -- You have a way of doing things that inspires confidence in most -- and envy in others.

ARIES (March 21-April 4) -- You and a friend, though perhaps separated by a considerable distance, are likely to be thinking many of the same unusual thoughts. (April 5-April 19) -- Now is the time for you to pursue that goal you’ve been hiding from others; it’s no longer one you must keep under wraps.

TAURUS (April 20-May 5) -- You may be hungry for something that is just out of reach, but with a friend’s help you can have it and enjoy it to your heart’s content. (May 6-May 20) -- You may not understand just what is expected from you as the week opens, but later on all is likely to become crystal clear.

GEMINI (May 21-June 6) -- Once you have tended to a certain piece of routine business during the first few days of the week, you’ll be at liberty for much of the time remaining. (June 7-June 20) -- How you quantify certain ideas and concepts will make all the difference; you must be able to communicate value.

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THE DIAMONDBACK | wednesday, july 3, 2013

Diversions

LAUGH AT HIS JOY

ON THE BLOG

Stand-up comedy documentary Let Me Explain showcases conflicted comedian Kevin Hart at his most entertainingly carefree, says staff writer Joe Antoshak. For more, visit diamondbackonline.com.

REVIEW | WHITE HOUSE DOWN

LAST ACTION HERO

Bad direction and worse writing can’t keep White House Down from fulfilling the promise of its irresistably loopy Die Hard-in-the-executive branch premise

By Warren Zhang Senior staff writer At the heart of director Roland Emmerich’s (Anonymous) latest action film is an idea so breathtakingly simple and utterly deranged that I’m at once amazed no one’s done this before and wondering what kind of pharmaceuticals the filmmakers were huffing during the brainstorm.

White House Down is a presidential buddy-cop movie. Yes, this movie’s vaguely President Obamaesque President Sawyer (Jamie Foxx, Django Unchained) shoots bad guys and exchanges witty banter with main character John Cale (Channing Tatum, This Is the End) while perhaps learning a thing or two about friendship or duty or whatever.

The premise and the madcap conspiracy yarn encapsulating it makes it feel like an ironic suggestion from a weary Reagan-era film critic — something a wannabe Shane Black (Iron Man 3) hack would’ve scribbled down to get attention.

And yet the idea is kind of awesome, isn’t it?

Cale is a down-on-his-luck member of the Capitol police with an interview for a presidential Secret Service position. He decides to bring his political-nerd daughter (Joey King, The Conjuring) with him on a tour of the White House.

The interview, with former flame and deputy head honcho Maggie Gyllenhaal (Won’t Back Down), doesn’t go so well. Luckily in the long run, terrorists show up and take his daughter hostage. It’s now up to Cale and his new buddy, the president, to save his little girl and thwart some high-concept global war scheme or something.

The plot ends up getting a little too complicated for its own good, padding out a rather exhausting flick. The screenplay by James Vanderbilt (The Amazing Spider-Man) also suffers from some patchy writing and under-

whelming direction.

The first act largely comprises characters telling other characters their big personality flaws, characters telling other characters how

various systems and MacGuffins work and characters being obviously sketchy for the camera.

Emmerich, a master at composing scenes filled with destruction and lavish set pieces, is out of his depth when working with the actors.

There is something incredibly off about the way he cuts together these talky stretches of character building, letting his talented cast hit some false notes in the process.

Perhaps the biggest failing of White House Down lays in its timing. While the entire hubbub about nuclear arms, hacking and Middle Eastern politicking is still relevant, we’ve already lived through Obama’s 2008 election and subsequent re-election.

Pop culture has long since moved on from the idea of the president as an icon of hope and regressed

into full-on cynicism, making Foxx’s turn as an young, “academic” badass president feel a little regressive.

But, to the immense credit of everyone involved, White House Down hits long, sustained stretches of cool when the film starts playing to its strengths. Tatum and Foxx develop a wicked funny rapport, and Emmerich’s fight sequences are visceral and thrilling.

Some dodgy VFX work does compromise the picture at times, but it’s never awful enough to be a deal breaker and surprisingly fits the dumb B-movie vibe quite well.

White House Down fumbles the ending a little bit by introducing a last-minute plot twist just for the hell of it, but it’s hard to stay mad at the movie for long.

At the very least, White House Down provides a good 40 to 60 minutes of Lethal Weapon/Die Hard-like fun, a welcome palette cleanser from the endless summer superhero and sci-fi franchises clogging cinemas. diversionsdbk@gmail.com

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wednesday, july 3, 2013 | sports | The Diamondback

expansion From PAGE 8 chance the Terps could add to their collection of ACC titles before leaving once and for all.

It’s easy to look ahead and

feel blinded by the idea of the Terps taking on Michigan in the Big House or Ohio State at the Horseshoe or Wisconsin at Camp Randall. It’s easy to think about conference tournaments in a variety of sports played in major cities like Chicago or Minneapolis, as

7

opposed to Greensboro, N.C. But the reality is there’s still another year left in ACC play with the usual foes like North Carolina and Duke — and more trips to North Carolina for the fan base. sportsdbk@gmail.com

former terps center alex len averaged 11.9 points and 7.8 rebounds in his sophomore season. photo courtesy of barry gossage/phoenix suns coach mark turgeon will have an even better recruiting pitch for prospective Terps following the Phoenix Suns’ selection of 7-foot-1 center Alex Len with the fifth overall pick of the NBA draft Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. file photo/the diamondback

Gallen From PAGE 8 snagged them. And they wanted to go somewhere that would propel them higher and higher in the lottery.

Kentucky coach John Calipari has done that time and time again with his players throughout his coaching career.

C a l i pa r i h a s coa c h e d three of the past six No. 1 draft picks. One of them — the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Ro s e — i s an NBA Most Valuable Player. Another, the Washington Wizards’ John Wall, is in line for a max contract and was one of five Kentucky players drafted in the first round of the 2010 draft.

And the third, New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis, just finished up a solid rookie campaign.

What did Turgeon and the

Terps have to show compared to that?

Not much.

Tu rge o n co u l d o n ly promise the future to the Harrisons based on his word.

His coaching track record at Texas A&M was stellar, with consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. But he lacked that big draw, the proof that recruits like the Harrisons might need to feel completely comfortable with their futures.

With Len, Turgeon now has that card in his deck.

He can show any recruit what he and his staff did, turning a relatively unknown commodity with vast potential into a player who was widely expected to be the first overall pick in the draft.

For a high school player who already has a proven record, the idea that Turgeon and company could take him higher is a vital selling point.

It’s almost a bonus, too, since Turgeon and his staff have e me rge d as major players in the college basketball recruiting scene. ESPN ranks the 2014 class of Dion Wiley, Melo Trimble and Jared Nickens as the fourthbest in the nation behind North Carolina, Ohio State and Louisville. Turgeon was going toe-to-toe with Roy Williams, Thad Matta and Rick Pitino for the nation’s best even before Len was a lock for the lottery.

It just gets even better for the Terps now.

So the next time Turgeon’s in the running to nab a recruit or two like the Harrisons, he’ll no longer be playing behind the curve. He’ll have a key tool in the recruiting game — one that’s 7-foot1 and about to move to the Arizona desert. sportsdbk@gmail.com

LEN From PAGE 8 about it since I was young,” Len said Friday at an introductory press conference. “I get a chance to represent my family and my country.”

Len, who averaged 11.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in his sophomore season, became the first Terp selected in the top five since the Vancouver Grizzlies selected guard Steve Francis second overall in 1999.

He’s the fourth Terp drafted in the first round since 2000 and the first player drafted in the first round after playing under coach Mark Turgeon.

While at Texas A&M, Turgeon coached center DeAndre Jordan, who was taken in the second round of the 2008 draft and now starts for the Los Angeles Clippers.

“We are very proud of Alex,” Turgeon said in a press release. “Alex has come such a long way in just two years, both on and off the court, and we are all very excited

for what the future holds for him. This is a great day and exciting time for the Maryland basketball program.”

Though Len didn’t produce stellar numbers in college, both he and Suns management are convinced his skill set is more suited for the NBA game. In fact, Suns coach Jeff Hornacek hinted that the Suns rated Len as the best player in the entire draft.

“I wouldn’t classify him as a project. No, I think Alex is already very skilled,” Phoenix general manager Ryan McDonough said. “I think he’s going to be a really good player.”

The Suns already have an established big man in Marcin Gortat, but he’s entering the final year of his contract. Gortat’s presence may indicate the Suns’ plan is for Len to come off the bench for a year while learning the NBA game from a veteran.

The Suns went 25-57 last season, finishing in last place in the Western Conference.

Phoenix has been rebuilding since guard Steve Nash left the team last offseason, and the team hired Hornacek in late May. Point guard Goran Dragic

led the Suns with 14.7 points per game last season, but the team relied on a balanced attack. Six players on the team averaged double-digit points last season. The balance and solid guard play should bode well for Len, who often struggled to get touches in the Terps’ half court offseason.

“There’s a variety of ways we could use him,” Hornacek said. “He’ll get better and better, especially in the post where he can command double teams, and it will open it up for a lot of other guys.”

The lack of any All-Stars on Phoenix’s roster, though, means the team is still searching for an identity after Nash — a two-time MVP — departed for the Los Angeles Lakers last summer.

Len seems primed to be a part of that identity.

“I’ve been very impressed with his improvement. I’ve heard great things about his character,” McDonough said.

“The sky’s the limit for this young man.” sportsdbk@gmail.com

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REALIGNMENT

MEN’S BASKETBALL

THE RISING SUN

One big year left Don’t look too far past Terps’ final year in ACC DANIEL GALLEN When the ACC formally welcomed Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Syracuse with a press conference Monday, everyone there made sure to talk about the future, like the basketball league that’s expected to place the most teams in the postseason every year, or the opportunity to continue to put more teams in football bowl games.

And though it wasn’t stated explicitly, the ACC’s future is one without this university.

“The composition of the long-term membership of the ACC has never been stronger,” commissioner John Swofford said Monday.

It’s now less than one year until Terrapins athletic teams will enter the Big Ten, ending a 19-month wait that began with a press conference in Stamp Student Union in November, and it’s easy to get caught up in that. There are some historic Terps moments in the ACC, but there’s also been plenty of perceived condescension on the part of the fan base by way of ACC leadership. So for some, the sooner July 1, 2014, comes, the better.

But no matter what, there’s still one year left in the ACC, and it’s shaping up to be one to remember. Notre Dame, Pitt and Syracuse each bring something to the conference, and it only ups the level of competition for one last gothrough in the ACC. The easy place to start is ACC basketball. Terps men’s basketball combined with Syracuse to win back-to-back titles in the early 2000s, and Orange coach Jim Boeheim has his team in contention year after year for high seeds and deep runs into March.

Notre Dame — led by local product Mike Brey, who grew up a Terps fan and gave this university its only mention in the introductory press conference — is often a top-25 squad that recruits the region well.

Pitt appeared in 11 of the past 12 NCAA tournaments. The quality is there.

And in the spring, the additions of Notre Dame and Syracuse men’s lacrosse deepen the nation’s top lacrosse league.

For one year, the nation’s six best teams could all reside in one conference, with the Terps taking on perennial championship contenders.

The same is true on the women’s side, as the Terps and Orange squared off in this year’s national semifinals, which the Terps won.

Field hockey also tangled with Syracuse in the NCAA tournament en route to the 2011 national championship.

And many Terps teams are poised to make runs in the ACC again this upcoming school year. Men’s basketball beat Duke twice this year and will return a maturing squad despite the loss of center Alex Len to the NBA. Men’s soccer is the defending conference champion, while women’s lacrosse has won five straight ACC titles. Women’s basketball, an ACC tournament semifinalist, will return a number of players from significant injuries.

Essentially, there’s a good See expansion, Page 7

former terps center alex len (center-left) stands with Phoenix Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby (left), general manager Ryan McDonough (center-right) and coach Jeff Hornacek (right) at his introductory press conference Friday in Phoenix. The Suns drafted Len with the fifth overall pick in the NBA draft on Thursday in Brooklyn, N.Y., the Terps’ highest draft pick since Steve Francis in 1999. photo courtesy of barry gossage/phoenix suns

Phoenix’s Len becomes Terps’ fourth first-round NBA draft pick since 2000

By Aaron Kasinitz Senior staff writer Moments after he learned the Phoenix Suns had selected him with the fifth overall pick in Thursday’s NBA draft at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Alex Len stood in front of a camera speaking with Shane Battier, a Miami Heat player serving as an ESPN reporter.

The former Terrapins men’s basketball center didn’t quite know what to say. But he didn’t need to say much; it wasn’t hard to tell how he felt.

“I just can’t explain my words,” Len told Battier.

“Two years ago, I had no idea I’d be at this point. I’m so happy.”

Can you blame him for struggling to describe his excitement? Len left his hometown in Ukraine at age 15 to attend the country’s best

basketball school and traveled thousands of miles to attend this university in 2011, all with an NBA future in mind.

Thursday night, NBA commissioner David Stern called Len’s name to cap his emotional journey to the league. He wasn’t drafted first overall, as some reports had indicated was likely, but the 7-foot-1 center’s NBA dreams were realized.

Len had been in a walking boot since undergoing surgery to repair a partial stress fracture in his left ankle in early May, but he took it off and slipped on a dress shoe to walk across the stage at Barclays Center and shake Stern’s hand.

I n t h e fa l l , L e n w i l l become the seventh Ukrainian to play in the NBA. “It’s a great accomplishment; I’ve been dreaming See LEN, Page 7

Dividends of Len’s time in College Park might not be visible for years DANIEL GALLEN Alex Len placing a Phoenix Suns hat on his head Thursday could end up being his most significant contribution to the Terrapins men’s basketball team.

His 7-foot-1 presence on the floor dwarfed almost anyone he shared the court with. His 23 points and 12 rebounds against then-No. 3 Kentucky at Barclays Center in November were his coming-out party against fellow lottery pick Nerlens Noel. And his 19 points, nine rebounds and three blocks helped propel the Terps to another historic upset of Duke in February.

But five years down the road, the simple fact Len was drafted fifth overall could dwarf any of his collegiate or professional accom-

plishments for the Terps.

Flash back to October, when students all over the campus huddled around TVs and computers to await the college decision of Aaron and Andrew Harrison, two of the top recruits in the class of 2013. It was Maryland, or it was Kentucky. Terps coach Mark Turgeon had emerged as an ace recruiter to secure the Terps as a finalist for the Harrison twins, something that would have been hard to imagine under former coach Gary Williams.

But there the Terps were, on the cusp of a coup that could instantly vault them into the conversation for the 2014 Final Four.

In the end, the Harrisons chose Kentucky.

And it was hard to fault their reasoning.

They wanted to go to the NBA. They were likely to be one-and-done at whatever school See gallEN, Page 7