012511

BREAKTHROUGH

ALLEY RAPS

Terps rebounded from forgettable year in 2010

Talib Kweli goes through the motions on Gutter Rainbows

SPORTS | PAGE 8

DIVERSIONS | PAGE 6

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

THE DIAMONDBACK Our 101ST Year, No. 76

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Findlay will plead ‘not City monitors rent prices guilty’ to murder charges

Landlords say price cap will cause lessors to shut down properties

BY LAUREN KIRKWOOD

English lecturer not teaching classes after being released on $100,000 bail

BY LEAH VILLANUEVA Staff writer

After spending two months behind bars awaiting trial on murder charges, English lecturer Joanna Findlay was released on bond over winter break but will not resume her teaching responsibilities this semester.

Although Findlay’s trial date has not yet been scheduled, Findlay’s lawyer, John Ray, said he expects it will take place in June. He added Findlay will plead not guilty to all charges: second-degree murder, first-degree assault and use of a handgun in a violent crime.

Findlay’s family members posted

her $100,000 bail at the end of December, a month after Ray convinced a judge to grant her bail on the condition of pretrial supervision at a Nov. 24 hearing.

Findlay was charged with seconddegree murder in connection with the Oct. 30 shooting death of her husband, Gary Trogdon, in their Hollywood, Md., home.

Lea Chartock, who directs the English department’s Professional Writing Program, declined to comment on whether Findlay is still employed by the department, but Findlay’s classes — two courses in

Staff writer

As the city takes its first steps toward monitoring rent prices of more than 900 rental properties within College Park, landlords continue to raise concerns that a newly enforced rentcontrol law may cause some lessors to close up shop.

Although this law, which prevents landlords from charging more than 0.6 percent of a residential home’s

property value, was passed by the College Park City Council in 2005, city officials only recently began enforcing the ordinance after a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality was rejected by the Maryland Court of Appeals in a narrow 4-3 ruling last August.

City officials have said imposing rent controls will help to improve the quality of housing in College Park by lessening the incentive for investors to

see RENT, page 3

STRUGGLE FOR STABILIZATION

2005: City approves rent stabilization law that caps rent at 0.6 percent of a property’s value.

2008: Landlords call law discriminatory, challenge its constitutionality in court.

2010: Maryland Court of Appeals finds rent cap sound.

2011: Enforcement begins.

see FINDLAY, page 2

DOTS cracks down on scooter violations, hikes penalty fee

BY SPENCER ISRAEL Staff writer

Breaking the rules is about to become more difficult and more costly for scooter riders across the campus, thanks to stricter rules that will be enforced this semester

by DOTS. Starting yesterday, the Department of Transportation Ser vices increased the fees for students who illegally park on the campus — riders were previously charged $30, but that fee is now $70. In addition, scooter owners can now also expect heavier enforcement of traffic regulations, especially of parking and driving on sidewalks.

In past semesters, students were often given several warnings before DOTS would tow their scooters. But now, depending on the location and severity of the violation, students can be towed on their first offense. There will be even less leniency for repeat offenders, according to DOTS Assistant Director Beverly Malone.

“We hope the increased rate will be a deterrent [from breaking the rules],” Malone said.

Registration for scooters will become more stringent in the

Karen DeSha, mother of recently killed senior Justin DeSha-Overcash, stands outside Prince George’s County Police headquarters Jan. 21. DeSha pledged to recapture her son’s honor after county police said they had evidence suggesting he was dealing drugs. HARRIS BROWN/FOR THE DIAMONDBACK

A mother’s mission Police meet with slain senior’s mother after weeks of controversy Scooters, such as this one, parked illegally in front Van Munching Hall, may face greater scrutiny.

FILE PHOTO/THE DIAMONDBACK

future. Starting in the fall, ever y student will have to re-register his or her scooter and pay a newly implemented scooter fee. Although the charge hasn’t been finalized

see SCOOTERS, page 3

BY BEN PRESENT Senior staff writer

The mother of slain senior Justin DeSha-Overcash showed up at Prince George’s County Police headquarters yesterday with a blanket and the intention of spending the night if things didn’t go her way.

She left three hours later with a sense of peace.

Karen DeSha sat down with county

police spokesman Maj. Andy Ellis and Lt. William Rayle, a homicide commander, to review new evidence in her son’s case for the first time yesterday.

DeSha-Overcash was shot dead earlier this month in his 38th Avenue home in what police said was a drugrelated robbery. After the incident, police said DeSha-Overcash’s lifestyle directly led to his death — police seized a considerable amount of marijuana, a digital scale and pack-

aging materials from his residence.

As police were pursuing leads and suspects, DeSha was building her own case against county police by working with a local victims advocacy group to demand an apology and retraction of claims that her son was a drug dealer.

Yesterday, her case was settled.

Ellis said his department made a

see DESHA, page 2

Comfort Zone appeals county order to limit adult items Rezoning hearing postponed until March

BY RACHEL ROUBEIN Staff writer

Owners of Comfort Zone, located on Route 1, have been asked to remove a portion of their merchandise seen as too risqué after county officials deemed the shop in violation of a zoning ordinance. MATTHEW CREGER/THE DIAMONDBACK

When the owners of Comfort Zone first pitched their idea for a local business to Prince George’s County, it was supposed to resemble a simple dollar store.

But as adult items — from dildos and vibrators to costumes and lingerie — began overwhelming the novelty store’s space, College Park officials began to

take notice and said the convenience store was over-sexed. Store owners were asked to remove a portion of the controversial merchandise, but they immediately contested the citation.

A hearing to appeal this decision was scheduled for Jan. 19 before the county Board of Zoning Appeals, but it was postponed until March because not enough members were present to hold

see APPEAL, page 2

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2

THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2011

Police release name of non-student suspect Man charged with breaking into off-campus residence has prior record

BY ERIN EGAN Staff writer

Karen DeSha, mother of slain senior Justin DeSha-Overcash, displayed complaint forms signed by her son’s family and friends while outside Prince George’s County Police headquarters Jan 21. HARRIS BROWN/FOR THE DIAMONDBACK

DESHA from page 1 rare exception in offering privileged police evidence to DeSha and DeSha-Overcash’s father, Randy Overcash, to help them in the grieving process and put to rest any notion that police weren’t invested in finding their son’s killer.

“I told [DeSha-Overcash’s] father that I just felt that we had to give them more than we would normally give a victim’s family,” Ellis said. “After seeing the evidence, I think [DeSha] has some things to think about.”

Ellis would not disclose specifics about the new evidence because he didn’t want to jeopardize the ongoing homicide investigation. A local victims advocacy representative, Pauline Mandel, was also present for the meeting.

After the meeting, the only sentiment DeSha felt toward county police was gratitude.

“I feel they’re being very conscientious,” DeSha said.

DeSha said Mandel made her feelings clear: The lawyer had never seen such cooperation from a police force before.

“She said, ‘I can’t believe they showed you the thing they showed you,’” DeSha said. “‘That is something that is never done.’”

Mandel did not return calls for comment last night.

DeSha said police also showed her a local newscast she hadn’t seen, in which a police detective was quoted as saying her son seemed to have been a good guy.

“Basically, that’s all I ever wanted them to say,” DeSha said. “My son was a good guy. He would have never hurt nor harmed anyone. I’m not going to tell you he did not smoke marijuana. I really don’t care that he smoked marijuana.

It’s something people do in college and then your front lobe develops

FINDLAY from page 1 junior English — were reassigned to other instructors this semester, according to Testudo. Findlay’s name still appears on the Professional Writing Program’s website, the English department faculty directory and the university

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and you go, ‘Gee, what an idiot I was.’”

Despite the new evidence, DeSha was not ready to say her son had been dealing drugs. He simply didn’t have the money of someone with a large distribution, she said — that is, unless he had an off-shore banking account, she joked.

“No, I don’t believe any of that,” DeSha said. “Currently, I understand [police] are not doing a retraction because it may interfere with the case.”

And according to police, closing the case was all that ever mattered to them.

“We made it very clear our prime focus was on catching whoever killed their son,” Ellis said. “It doesn’t matter to us if he was involved in the sale or use of marijuana or not. Justin’s a victim, and he didn’t deserve to be killed.”

University Police Chief David Mitchell said University Police, who have not been involved in the investigation, are grieving the loss of a student who was clearly destined for success.

“Justin was clearly a fine young man who had such a promising, bright future,” Mitchell said. “He did nothing to deserve this. Nothing. What transpired should not have happened. ... Anytime we lose one of our students it’s a tremendous loss.”

Mitchell agreed with his colleagues in the county sector, saying DeSha-Overcash’s possible involvement in the distribution is largely unimportant at this point, with the exception of its eye-opening potential for other students.

“Even if he was [selling drugs], he did not deserve to have what happened,” Mitchell said. “His mom said he was no angel. But one thing is clear: This young man did a lot of good in his life.” present@umdbk.com

directory.

Ray said he spoke recently with Findlay and reported she was “doing well” while living in her St. Mary’s County home with her mother, who traveled to the state from Scotland to support her until after the trial.

Findlay could not be reached for comment. villanueva@umdbk.com

Prince George’s County Police have released the name of the 19-year-old man who was arrested early Saturday morning on charges of breaking into a student’s offcampus home in a suspected domestic dispute.

Coty Nix, who is a resident of Halethorpe, was arrested after police said he kicked in the door of a home on the 9300 block of St. Andrews

Place in College Park Woods.

Nix, who was allegedly dating one of a group of visitors to the house, broke into the house and made several verbal threats to the students in the off-campus home, police said.

One of the student residents of the home, Alex Mari, a junior criminal justice and criminology and sociology major, shot two rounds from his handgun into the ground to “alleviate the situation,” he said. Mari is a Marine and an officer of the Washington Spe-

cial Police Forces.

District 1 Commander Robert Liberati said he could not release the names of the students renting the home nor their guests.

After Mari fired his weapon, Nix and seven other people drove away. Police pulled over Nix’s vehicle shortly after witnesses reported the license plate number.

No one other than Nix was arrested, but Liberati said he is presenting the case to the state attorney’s office to

investigate whether other arrests should be made. Nix’s bond has yet to be set.

Nix also has an upcoming court appearance in Ellicott City on Jan. 31 for a peace order — which mandates he cannot have any contact with the male plaintiff who filed a petition for protection — against him in an unrelated case.

Nix was not available for comment. egan@umdbk.com

The owners of Comfort Zone have said selling adult sex items is part of their business model, but city officials have since said they are violating county zoning laws by selling too much adult merchandise. MATTHEW CREGER/THE DIAMONDBACK

APPEAL from page 1 a vote, said Bob Ryan, the city’s public services director.

Robert Carl, an owner of the store, declined to comment.

For some College Park City Council members, it’s clear the store leaves little to the imagination.

“I don’t think what they’re selling there is that big of a deal, but you have to follow the rules, and it seems pretty obvious that they’re not,” said District 4 Councilman Marcus Afzali. “You don’t even have to go in there to tell it’s clearly not a general store.”

But in a November 2010 inter view with The Diamondback, Carl said selling these items was a savvy business decision.

“I was trying to service the niche a little better than what

was being done,” Carl previously said. “A lot of [stores] are corporate-owned, so they can’t directly ser vice their immediate client base, and a lot of them have extremely high mark-ups on their merchandise.”

Comfort Zone — which is located at 9721 Baltimore Ave., north of the campus on Route 1 — first received a zoning violation Oct. 12.

County zoning laws mandate that for stores in commercial areas, no more than 10 percent of their merchandise and floor space consist of adult items. The county citation ordered Comfort Zone owners to correct the percentage within 30 days.

In addition, county laws stipulate an adult store must be at least 1,000 feet from a residential neighborhood.

Comfort Zone sits less than 100 feet from city homes,

said Fazlul Kabir, secretar y for the North College Park Citizens Association. The local neighborhood group first became involved in the dispute in November 2010 when members asked Comfort Zone owners to discuss their business.

“My own thoughts are based on what I’ve heard from City officials, who think they are in violation of the Use and Occupation (U&O) permit for carr ying merchandise that they are not allowed to carr y,” Kabir wrote in an e-mail.

The association discussed the store and its contents at its meeting Jan. 13.

Member Larr y Bleau said although the group did not take an official stance, there seemed to be an agreement amongst attendees: “The general sense was most didn’t like the store there,” he

said.

District 2 Councilman Jack Perr y called Comfort Zone an “adult toy store” and said the owners will need to contest this allegation at the pending hearing.

“We, the city, believe the operator of the establishment is not in compliance with the Use and Occupancy permit that it was given by Prince George’s County,” he said. “And they’re going to have to prove other wise.”

Some students, such as senior computer science major Demetra Kallinikos, said they’d never heard of Comfort Zone but noted its location wasn’t ideal.

“I feel kind of bad because I know elementar y schoolers are going to be exposed to it, and, of course, they’re going to be curious,” she said. roubein@umdbk.com

TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2011 | NEWS | THE DIAMONDBACK

3

University still contracting Daycon despite striking workers Loh wrote letter to cleaning supply company about unfair labor practices; students said it’s not enough

BY LEAH VILLANUEVA Staff writer

Following last semester’s protests against a university cleaning-supply contractor, university officials said they are closely following the labor dispute between Daycon and its striking workforce but can’t yet meet students’ demands to terminate its contract with the firm.

Last April, 55 Daycon employees went on strike over a contract dispute.

The Upper Marlboro-based supplier of janitorial equipment and chemicals has refused to negotiate with them thus far.

The company is now subject to an investigation by the National Labor Relations Board.

Members of Feminism Without Borders and College Park Students for a Democratic Society delivered letters and petitions to university officials last

SCOOTERS from page 1 yet, Malone said scooters will be charged half the registration fee of commuter drivers.

These rate hikes come on the heels of a rocky semester, which saw an increase in scooter-related injuries and accidents. According to Malone, the $30 fine coupled with several warnings was not enough to keep riders from illegally parking their scooters.

The Student Government Association also got involved in the debate last semester by passing a bill in support of DOTS’ new rules.

However, SGA President Steve Glickman said the body suggested enforcing the new restrictions all at once instead of over a two-semester period.

“They’re trying to discourage people from parking illegally,” Glickman said.

“But there is concern DOTS is just using this to

year and scrubbed the Testudo statue outside McKeldin Library to raise awareness and ask the university administration to “clean up its act.”

“I appreciate your commitment to social justice and diligence about University business practices,” university President Wallace Loh wrote to Feminism Without Borders in response to the letters, adding that he also wrote to the presidents of both Daycon and the strikers’ union to say the university was monitoring the issue closely and to urge them to settle their dispute fairly.

“The University is committed to conducting its business operations in a way that reflects social responsibility,” Loh wrote in his letter to the union, Teamsters Local 639. “I am hopeful that you will be able to reach a speedy and just resolution to this conflict.”

make more money.”

Senior Jewish studies major Scott Raileanu, who has owned a scooter since last summer, said the new rules will make him think twice before he parks illegally.

“What I care about is that fact that they’re towing so strictly,” he said. “I got a warning last year, and I really appreciated it.”

Malone said DOTS has worked continuously to add more spots.

“Students complain about there not being enough parking, but I’ve seen there’s always scooter parking available at Byrd Stadium,” said Malone.

Raileanu agrees that although there are enough parking spaces for scooters on the campus, he said there aren’t enough convenient spots around frequented locations, such as McKeldin Library.

“Added costs should mean added privileges,” he said.

“There should be parking spots in more spaces.” news@umdbk.com

Mary Yanik, president of the university’s Feminism Without Borders chapter, said that while the letters are “an important step in the right direction,” it is still the university’s responsibility to drop its contract with Daycon until the company negotiates with the strikers.

“If they continue to flagrantly violate workers’ rights, then we don’t want them on our campus,” Yanik said. “Cutting the contract until they figure out those contracts with the workers would send a positive message that we’re committed to social justice and also force the company to act immediately on this issue.”

Representatives from Daycon and Teamsters Local 639 did not return calls for comment. University Procurement and Supply Director James Stirling said based on his office’s investigation into the Daycon issue, the company had not violated its

Strikers have picketed at Daycon’s corporate headquarters in Upper Marlboro for several months due to alleged unfair labor practices. CHARLIE DEBOYACE/THE DIAMONDBACK

contract with the university and its performance hadn’t waned during the dispute.

He added that while he appreciated students’ concerns, there hasn’t yet been a ruling from the labor relations board and terminating a contract is not something the uni-

RENT from page 1 turn their properties into rental homes, thereby avoiding problems associated with absentee landlords, while also motivating landlords to up their property value, which would allow them to charge their tenants more.

But property owners and some students have countered that a price cap could limit student housing options in the city.

Because the law does not apply to high rises such as the University View and Mazza Grandmarc, which target students, critics of the rent-control law have said it stands to unfairly benefit apartment complexes. They say by forcing landlords to stop leasing properties they can no longer afford to maintain, students will be ex-

pelled from neighborhoods and into high-rise apartments, which typically charge much higher rent.

“If they can make it unprofitable for landlords to rent, students can’t be in the neighborhoods,” said David Dorsch, former chairman of the College Park Landlords’ Committee.

He added it is difficult to say when this will happen, because the measure will affect individual landlords to differing degrees.

At least 400 of the 943 rental properties affected by the law have returned registration forms, which contain information on rent charged by each landlord, to the department, according to Public Services Director Bob Ryan.

With deadlines fast approaching, District 2 Councilman Bob Catlin said it’s likely landlords who are charging the most excessive

versity could do arbitrarily.

“I understand their interests that people are treated fairly when working on campus, but we have to be fair to everyone, including the contractors,” Stirling said.

“So we can’t just end a contract without having a basis for

rent in the city won’t voluntarily submit their information. The rent stabilization law arms the city with the ability to fine landlords who violate it by charging excessive rent or refusing to register their properties.

Last April, the city council voted down a proposal to increase the rent cap from 0.6 percent to 0.8 percent after testimony from students, including Student Government Association President Steve Glickman, convinced enough members the increase would pose an unfair financial burden on student renters. Catlin said lessors seeking to charge higher rent fees should look instead to increasing the assessed value of their property.

“It’ll affect the quality of housing,” he said. “People will have to present properties in better condition.”

The law is set to expire in 2012, at which time Catlin

doing so because that wouldn’t be fair.”

Yanik said she and her fellow student activists will continue to work this semester to rally more student support for the contract’s termination. villanueva@umdbk.com

said rent prices should drop across the board due to an oversupply of properties for lease given the numerous high-rise complexes slated to open within the next five years.

But some students said there’s no need for more housing in the city.

“I think there’s plenty of high rises; we don’t need more,” said junior biology major Jeff Blazar, who rents a single-family home in Old Town. “All this development needs to stop. It’s unhealthy to grow so quickly in such a big way.”

Blazar added he believes any need for increased housing has been filled already.

“You have to stop building and see where enrollment goes from here, to see if you need more in the first place,” Blazar said. kirkwood@umdbk.com

4

THE DIAMONDBACK | TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2011

Opinion

THE DIAMONDBACK

MARISSA LANG EDITOR IN CHIEF

YOUR INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK PHONE: (301) 314-8200 | FAX: (301) 314-8358 3150 SOUTH CAMPUS DINING HALL | COLLEGE PARK, MD 20742 NEWS@UMDBK .COM | OPINION@UMDBK .COM

KATE RAFTERY

ANN SUN

MANAGING EDITOR

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

JUSTIN SNOW

KEVIN TERVALA

OPINION EDITOR

OPINION EDITOR

Staff editorial

Guest column

A lasting legacy

Making a teaching epiphany

T

he latest casualty in what has been a string of administrative resigna- sity’s chief academic officer, Farvardin’s stewardship of the university’s numertions at this university is Provost Nariman Farvardin, the institution’s ous and diverse academic programs is to be commended. Indeed, in his nearly chief academic officer. On Jan. 18, university President Wallace Loh four years as provost, Farvardin not only oversaw the creation of many new announced Farvardin will leave this university at the end of February majors and minors, but he also took charge in revamping the general education to become president of the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J. — program, establishing a new Honors College and crafting of the university’s joining former university President Dan Mote, former Vice President for Strategic Plan — a 10-year roadmap that guides the university’s future.

None of these achievements would have been possible were it not for Farvardin’s Research Mel Bernstein and former Athletics Director Debbie Yow as yet another high-ranking university administrator who has resigned from his or her unwavering force of will even in the face of extreme criticism. Like Farvardin, the new provost should be someone who is willing to withstand whatever criticism may position within the last year.

Once referred to as “Darth Vardin” by then-Diamondback columnist Malcolm come his or her way. Such fortitude would no doubt serve as a useful skill for such a Harris, Farvardin has been perhaps the most controversial of all university visible official whose decisions will most likely draw the ire of some group within the university community from time to time. administrators since he was appointed to his position But a strong vision is useless if no one else can see it. almost four years ago. Notorious for his 2009 decision to As such, the new provost should be committed to dismiss Cordell Black from his position as associate Departing Provost openness and transparency. During Farvardin’s tenure, provost for equity and diversity, Farvardin has, over the years, also come under fire for what some faculty, students Nariman Farvardin may leave members of the university community repeatedly asked to be included in decision-making processes — they and staff allege to be his distinct lack of transparency behind a controversial legacy, were largely ignored. If Farvardin had prioritized comwhen making decisions, especially those involving budget municating with his colleagues, it is likely he would not cuts the university has been forced to endure in the last but also big shoes to fill. have been as vilified as he was during his tenure. several years.

Above all, the new provost must be someone who is familiar with the peculiarYet in spite of the criticism leveled against him — some of which has been deserved — Farvardin will leave this university with an impressive legacy, one that ities of this institution. For while there is a lot to say for bringing in an outsider, could only have been achieved by a person possessing distinct leadership qualities one with new ideas and fresh, unencumbered perspective, a provost’s job — dealing with faculty concerns, overseeing the academic programs and setting that are, in many ways, essential to anyone seeking to be successful as provost.

Having come to the university 27 years ago as an engineering professor, Far- academic priorities — is one where institutional memory can be very helpful. vardin has repeatedly proved his dedication to this institution and its students, And with a new president, one whose ties to this university were nonexistent working his way up from professor to department chairman to engineering before his appointment, knowing this institution’s idiosyncrasies from day one can go a long way toward achieving the kind of greatness the Strategic Plan and school dean and, finally, to provost.

However, despite his service in many different roles, it is his tenure as provost Loh have committed to.

Farvardin, despite his flaws, was a skilled and dedicated administrator, one for which Farvardin will be most remembered. As the person tasked with dealing with the lion’s share of budget cuts, Farvardin’s leadership and decision- whose influence will be felt across the university for years to come. Whoever is making during years of state-mandated budget cuts allowed this institution to selected to fill his vacant seat should not only build on his strides but learn from emerge from perilous economic times largely unscathed. And as this univer- his stumbles.

Our View

Editorial cartoon: Morgan Noonan

Skirt Day: A preemptive attack

S

kir t Day. Since 2008, this “holiday” has plagued this newspaper and, subsequently, the student body (pun not intended). The idea of celebrating a fabricated day in spring marking the reemergence of shor t skir ts caused a bit of a stir that year, and people have brought it up ever y spring since, choosing not to let the offensive and degrading day die the death it deser ves. And while I will not address Skir t Day 2011 directly (anymore), I will strike early, fight fire with fire and discuss a dif ferent day — Too-Tight Gym Short Day. This day is anything but celebratory.

A day that strikes fear into the hearts of adults and children alike, Too-Tight Gym Shor t Day is a day in spring when young men across the campus don their gym shor ts from high school and take to McKeldin Mall, the gyms, the din-

ELLEN LINZER ing halls and even classrooms.

These shor ts are scarily tight.

Nowhere — and no one — is safe.

To quote Juno MacGuf f, “All I see is pork swords.” And I’m scared I’m going blind.

What did we do to deser ve this punishment? More impor tantly, why didn’t those gym shor ts get thrown out after that high-school growth spur t? Those shor ts can’t be comfor table — this apocalyptic day in spring is also accompanied by an excessive amount of adjusting. I don’t know if it’s pure obliviousness that leads to this phenomenon, if it’s par t of a bizarre mating

ritual where the young male needs to “flaunt what he’s got” to attract a mate or if it’s solely men’s misinformed idea that we all want to see their junk. False.

One of the worst parts about this day is that it is preceded by its cousin, a day in the fall or winter, Too-Tight Sweatpants Day. Again, young men across the campus raid their parents’ houses for their highschool sweatpants and pull that drawstring way too tight. Thankfully, this does not seem to be as big (pun intended) of a holiday as TTGSD, but it is still up there in the problematic arena. Essentially, there is no relief — all year long, the general public is subjected to eye-burningly tight menswear.

I understand shor ts and sweatpants are expensive at the University Book Center. But I also understand you can use $20 to buy five pairs of shor ts at Rugged Wear-

house and still have enough left over to get Chipotle for dinner. And the clothes at Rugged don’t dip below size XL, so there shouldn’t be a problem covering up the family jewels.

Guys, Skir t Day is already of fensive enough; there’s no reason to of fend ever yone (and their eyes) once more with your own revealing article of “clothing.”

To the public: We don’t have much power as we find ourselves hur tling toward this impending doomsday. All we can do is gently encourage our gym shor t-clad friends to visit a store that has adult-sized clothing available.

Until they do — hide your kids, hide your wife because someone is bound to lose an eye.

Ellen Linzer is a senior English major.

She can be reached at linzer@umdbk.com.

Class: The awkwardness of first encounters

O

h yes, we all know the feeling. It’s early in the semester, and now you have to sit next to strangers in new classes where you don’t know what to do or say. Sure, there are some classes with people you already know, but that sense of comfort wears off quickly when you walk in that concrete box of a classroom and stare at the faces of complete strangers. What do you say to them? Should you say anything at all? Are they nice? Are they mean?

Do they smell? Will they kill the cur ve? These are all things swirling around a person’s mind during those first few class meetings.

But have you ever realized that when these first awkward encounters occur each semester, it typically is with the same types of people?

Example 1: iPod person. This is the kid who sits in class staring at a wall before each session begins with his iPod blasting music. This is typi-

cal behavior for people who either hate ever yone and don’t care about their existence or those who simply tr y to avoid the awkward silence by pretending they’re not there.

Example 2: People who summon themselves to solitude. These people go out of their way to ensure no one sits near them. Leaving seats, finding empty rows and avoiding all eye contact are just a few typical traits. This behavior could occur because they fear people, fear someone disrupting their note-taking or fear their body odor could cause a classmate to pass out.

Example 3: These kids go out of their way to sit right next to you and never shut up. If you’ve ever met this type of person, you may actually prefer someone like examples one or two. Example three personifies the people who have no fear of sitting next to complete strangers and sharing their life stor y. Attached, annoying and flat-out weird are the adjec-

JOSH BIRCH tives that describe them best.

You may be thinking that these three examples are extremes, but these people are out there. Breaking the ice with most of them is like trying to dispute and overturn a parking ticket from the Department of Transportation Services — it will just never happen.

However, most of us don’t fit in the categories above. We are just typical people who focus on the class first and then begin to branch out to classmates as we become more comfortable. But reaching out to complete strangers can be a hard task at times. There is no method or words of wisdom anyone can offer in that situation.

That said, as I begin my sixth

semester at the university, one thing I have realized is there are classes in which you will need help from fellow classmates. In the past three semesters, I have found it extremely helpful to study for finals with a group from my class. In fact, finding a way to break the ice with classmates could be the difference between an A and a B. New classes, schedules and people now surround us as we begin a new semester. Breaking the ice with fellow classmates will become an increasingly important task to do as the semester unfolds. However, until then, just hope you don’t get stuck with an entire class consisting of iPod people, solitar y confinement people or annoying, clingy, get-thehell-away-from-me people.

Let the awkwardness begin.

Josh Birch is a junior communication and history major. He can be reached at birch@umdbk.com.

A

s we start the spring semester, I am once again reminded of the first day of my first class as an adjunct instructor at this university. Not even 40 minutes into giving my first lecture in an engineering course, I had already covered the first three weeks of session plans. Starting to sweat uncontrollably on a winter afternoon, I called a class break and walked down the hall and into the student affairs office of the graduate engineering school. Looking the student affairs director squarely and, I thought, calmly in the eyes, I told him I was going home and that he should probably try to find a replacement instructor for the remainder of the semester.

Evidently, I was not nearly as composed as I imagined. He grabbed a brown bag to help me from hyperventilating. Giving me a look of pure alarm, he insisted that I rest for a few moments before going home.

The idea for the class had started while I was earning a graduate degree as a mid-career student at this university. I had an inkling for a new class and set out to draft a detailed syllabus for a proposed course. After the program director in the engineering department accepted the idea and scheduled a semester time slot, I briefly celebrated. I began to meticulously sketch the details of the session plans after taking tutorial sessions from the Center for Teaching Excellence. While my children were taking weekly ski lessons, I spent my Saturdays in the lodge preparing PowerPoint slides, refining the syllabus and practicing the sessions.

Driving to class on the first day, I was nervous but confident of my strategy as class began. I certainly was not Tom Cruise approaching the bench in A Few Good Men, but I felt prepared. When I was sitting in the student affairs office later and breathing into a brown bag, I had an epiphany. In that moment, I clearly and powerfully understood that I am not suited for PowerPoint presentations and obviously could not handle a traditional class lecture. Instead, I would try class sessions by structured dialogues with the students.

Armed with this new knowledge and hoping that I was correct, I walked back into my class after the break. The students sensed my obvious nerves and, to my eternal gratitude, one student asked me a fairly easy question to start the class after the break.

Answering her question, I talked and asked questions of the students. The next day, I reformatted the syllabus and changed it from lectures to dialogue.

In my 10th semester of classes at this university, I look back on that first session as a day that made a difference in my academic career.

Quickly overwhelmed by anxiety, I was spiraling toward failure as a professor, even with meticulous planning and preparation. After calling for the break, I fully intended to go to my car and look for a substitute instructor. With a bit of help, I returned to the class and have been able to enjoy the intellectual rewards and deep satisfaction that comes from teaching.

That day was certainly memorable. That day made a difference.

And I have not looked back.

Steven Shapiro is an adjunct professor in the engineering school. He can be reached at sshapiro@umd.edu.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2011 | THE DIAMONDBACK

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Features HOROSCOPESTELLA WILDER

CROSSWORD 32 33 35 37 38 40

Graceful wrap Has to have United Chimes Wave away Liquid metal

41 Incorrect 43 Rifle forerunner 44 Did like the donkey 46 Plied a gondola 47 Young horses

48 Crime fighter — Ness 49 Alluvial fan 50 Directed 51 Old masters

ACROSS 57 Clock watcher 1 Difficult situation 58 Helm position 5 Not cautious 59 Thicken, 9 Door frames as cream 14 Band instrument 60 Irascible 15 Emmy relative 61 Shane portrayer 16 Race tracks 62 Nick and 17 Blackball Nora’s dog 19 Role for Arnold 20 Toshiba DOWN competitor 1 Debby or Pat 21 Bump or knot 2 Norwegian 22 Pilots’ place playwright 23 Touch up 3 Arrow part 25 Sorority member 4 Van — Waals 26 College maj. force 27 Played nanny 5 Baroque style (hyph.)

6 Tolerate 30 Follow upon 7 Dimensions 33 Poker pair 8 Laugh syllable 34 Tolstoy’s name 9 Pincay and 36 Capricorn Cordero 37 Falk or Fonda 10 Steers clear of 38 Full extent 11 Horse’s hair 39 Above, poetically 12 Lesage 40 Shakes hands hero Gil — 41 Entire 13 W-2 info 42 Green drink 18 Comics orphan 44 Bart, to Lisa 22 Like a teetotaler 45 WWW addresses 24 Lean against 46 Checked for typos 25 Raspberry stems 50 Juicy pears 27 Please, 52 Bank transaction in Vienna 53 Flamenco shout 28 Purina rival 54 17-syllable poem 29 Greenish-blue 55 Medieval quest 30 Kind of trip (2 wds.)

31 Eggnog time

© 2011 UNITED FEATURES SYNDICATE

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52 Kinks’ tune 54 Sellout 55 Film producer — Roach 56 Electronics mfr.

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orn today, you are not always upbeat but you always strive to keep your darker feelings from infecting those around you. On the one hand, this is the right thing to do — for no one wants to catch the blues from you, surely. On the other hand, however, it can be quite difficult on you alone, for while others may enjoy the calming effects of friends or loved ones, you tend to be rather reclusive when you are in the dumps, and often they simply get worse as a result. You will learn to be patient with your own moods, however, and can even learn to parlay them into creative energy.

B

Your mental faculties are keen indeed — far more so, perhaps, than your physical skills — and you live very much in your mind, thinking about life and the world around you. For obvious reasons, you are quite adept at solving life’s more stubborn ideological problems.

Also born on this date are Virginia Woolf, writer; Corazon Aquino, Philippine president; Etta James, singer; Dean Jones, actor; Edwin Newman, newscaster and journalist; W. Somerset Maugham, writer; Robert Burns, poet.

To see what is in store for you tomorrow, find your birthday and read the corresponding paragraph. Let your birthday star be your daily guide.

single him or her out individually.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) — You’ll want to be sure to give others the rundown of what will be happening; surprises may work against you, so be crystal clear.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — A little private investigation of your own can uncover a piece of information that makes a huge difference to you in the long run.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — You may find yourself in charge quite suddenly, and the only way to make a success of the situation is to be yourself at all times.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) — You’re going to need a certain amount of help, and you know just whom you want by your side when things begin to heat up.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — It will be more important than usual to thank those who have been instrumental in getting you where you are right now.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — You want very much to be at the top of the heap, but the competition is likely to be more fierce than usual. Be sure to play fair at all times.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — You may be able to call the shots, but not from the front lines. Be willing to remain in the background for now.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — You may be surprised to learn exactly who has been working for you behind the scenes lately.

It’s time to express your gratitude, surely.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — You’re sure to stand out for all the right reasons. Don’t overdo it after nightfall when things get lively.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — You can score an important new first, but there are those who will be critical of even your best, most sincere efforts.

Copyright 2011 United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

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THE DIAMONDBACK | TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2011

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE:

Diversions

CIARA — BASIC INSTINCT Forget about Talib Kweli or Sam Beam. If you’ve spent all winter break rocking out to — and watching the video for — “Ride,” go online to check out Zachary Berman’s not-so-favorable review of Basic Instinct, Ciara’s latest shot at mainstream success.

For the full reviews, just click the Diversions tab at: WWW.DIAMONDBACKONLINE.COM

arts. music. living. movies. weekend.

REVIEW | TALIB KWELI

TECHNICOLOR DREAMS With Gutter Rainbows, Talib Kweli may lose his ‘next great rapper’ branding

BY VAMAN MUPPALA Senior staff writer

For all of Talib Kweli’s revolutionary bona fides, his 2007 gaffe Eardrum was the result of a textbook political maneuver. After solidifying his base with the immortal Black Star and achieving a happy balance between club-ready beats and conscious rhymes on 2004’s The Beautiful Struggle, Kweli attempted to move his music and brand toward the middle with Eardrum. Consequently, he almost faded to irrelevance.

Fortunately, Kweli took heed of what happened to Common’s career and reclaimed respectability before he found himself staring at something on the level of Universal Mind

online exclusive IRON AND WINE — KISS EACH OTHER CLEAN “A 1970s funk bass line and tambourines introduce ‘Me and Lazarus.’ The horn section is just as baffling as Beam singing, ‘He’s an emancipated punk and he can dance/ But he’s got a hole in the pocket of his pants/ Must be a symptom of outstanding circumstances.’ There’s nothing innately distasteful about a forced rhyme scheme, but there’s nothing to be gained here from Beam’s lyrics.”

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For full review, just click the Diversions tab at:

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Control. His collaboration with Madlib, Liberation, was released for free, and his 2011 effort, Gutter Rainbows, begins encouragingly.

“After the Rain,” an album-opening skit that borrows from hip-hop satirists Little Brother, features two characters who dream of stacking bills and “getting some rims” in order to put more rims on the rims.

One track later, on “So Low,” Kweli is vintage as he transparently addresses what being a rapper entails: “I’m a name brand/ I’m a product/ I’m a real person,” he raps.

Yet he understands those who can only see him as an artist who has lost his way: “I’m still considered a walking contradiction because I’m breaking out of your artistic prison/ Listen, I got my own demons/ What am I supposed to do with yours?” The beat is too soulful to be just three minutes and allows Kweli to lift the conceptual shackles off himself and his listeners.

The following track, “Palookas,” is listed as a collaboration between Kweli and Sean Price, but it’s really two enjoyable verses of Kweli doing his best Nas impersonation and one passable verse of Price launching a Biggie-esque persona.

The appropriation continues on “Mr. International,” a glitzy, globehopping synth piece that neatly mirrors Jay-Z’s “Change Clothes” in mood and tone. A Pharrell-lite crooner named Nigel Hall is even brought in to back Kweli as he raps, “Meet Mr. International/ On the runway more than a fashion show.”

“I’m on One” regresses to more rhymes about how good Kweli is at

rhyming. Somewhere, Eric B and Rakim are screaming for royalty checks or, at the very least, a shoutout or two. Since Kweli’s track “Ain’t Waiting” had a beat that one assumes he bought during the Eardrum sessions and then forgot to use, it becomes hard to hold out any longer for the Jean Grae collaboration “Uh Oh.” Grae is not only signed to Kweli’s BlackSmith label — she is also the sole reason hip-hop heads develop aneurysms every time they hear the claim that Nicki Minaj is the best working female MC. She indulges her dark side on “Uh Oh” and out-thugs Kweli, spitting a dizzying array of triple entendres and repetition.

“Cold Rain” is technically a highlight, but it doesn’t really feel like one, which speaks to a larger issue with Gutter Rainbows: Even songs that are supposed to be good end up being just OK. It’s as if Kweli’s high musical aspirations somehow keep morphing into filler.

Kweli and the other half of Black Star, Mos Def, were destined to transform rap into the music of the future. With Black on Both Sides and The New Danger, Mos Def has more than upheld his rep even with his day job as a good-to-great actor.

Considering Kweli has been thenext-great-rapper for much of the last decade, it might be time to let go of the dream and admit that KiD CuDi, Wiz Khalifa or, God forbid, B.o.B might have outpaced Kweli — even if they “ain’t got a verse better than [his] worst one.” vmain13@umdbk.com

ALBUM: Gutter Rainbows | VERDICT:

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2011 | THE DIAMONDBACK

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THE DIAMONDBACK | TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2011

Sports

Greivis speaks his mind Visit TerrapinTrail.com to see what strong words former Terp star Greivis Vasquez had to offer on the men’s basketball team last week.

FOOTBALL | SEASON IN REVIEW

Change in the wins Turnaround offers Terps bright future, even without staple of past

BY JEREMY SCHNEIDER Staff writer

Just hours after a 51-20 win in the Military Bowl last month, Terrapin football quarterback Danny O’Brien took to Twitter in celebration of his freshman year and anticipation of the future: “Met a lot of my 2010 goals, but not all of them,” he wrote. “2011 is Orange Bowl or bust.”

A year ago, the notion of the Terps in a Bowl Championship Series bowl anytime soon would have been laughable. The team had just wrapped up a 2-10 season, the worst in program history.

Coach Ralph Friedgen’s job was in jeopardy.

But after a resurgent 2010 campaign, few will be laughing at O’Brien’s hopes of an ACC Championship in 2011.

The season proved to be one of dramatic change for the Terps and even O’Brien, who didn’t win the starting job from Jamarr Robinson until the fourth game of the season.

The early going for the Terps had its highs and lows. Safety Kenny Tate’s last-second goal-line stop of Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs secured the Terps’ season-opening victory against their in-state foe. A mistake-plagued start doomed the Terps two weeks later in a loss at rival West Virginia.

O’Brien’s success — the redshirt freshman passed for 22 touchdowns and threw only eight interceptions en route to winning ACC Rookie of the Year — came despite an offensive line decimated by injuries. Tackle Justin Gilbert tore his ACL against the Mountaineers, and tackle Pete

DeSouza broke both his legs in a motor-scooter accident later in the season.

But as the players in front of him shuffled, O’Brien continued to efficiently maneuver through the ACC schedule. Victories against Duke, Boston College, Wake Forest and Virginia put the Terps in contention for a conference title during a year in which mere bowl eligibility was widely considered a success for the program.

A loss at Miami left the Terps no margin for error heading into a showdown with Florida State at Byrd Stadium. But a late Terp rally fell short against the eventual division champion Seminoles.

They would still have an impact in deciding who advanced to the ACC Championship. Against NC State, the Terps embraced the role of spoiler, overcoming a 14-0 deficit to beat the Wolfpack, 38-31, knocking it out of the conference title hunt.

The game would turn out to be Friedgen’s last at Byrd Stadium.

Less than a month after saying Friedgen would return for the 2011 season, Athletics Director Kevin Anderson announced that the final year of Friedgen’s contract would be bought out.

The decision polarized the Terps’ fan base.

The prospect of bringing in a big name, such as controversial former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, excited many. Others, though, were dismayed over the treatment of Friedgen, an alumnus and one of the most successful coaches in program history.

With rumors about his successor raging, Friedgen coached the Terps to victory in his last

IN: Randy Edsall

game as coach, a 51-20 rout of East Carolina in the Military Bowl.

“I love him to death, and I am glad I got to play with him for my last season,” running back Da’Rel Scott said after the game. “I am glad we could send him off with a win.”

“I was hoping they would make a statement,” Friedgen added after ward. “Most of my talk last night was about being picked last in the ACC and finishing third. We needed to send a message so that this erroneousness could be put to rest.”

Former Connecticut coach Randy Edsall, who led Connecticut to its first-ever BCS bowl berth, was named Friedgen’s successor three days after the Terps’ victory. According to reports, sources close to the coaching search said the department ultimately cooled on Leach, whose quirky behavior and pending lawsuits against Texas Tech and ESPN may have hurt his candidacy.

Though Friedgen is gone, under Edsall the Terps may have the potential to reach O’Brien’s lofty aspirations. Leading wide receiver Torrey Smith has declared for the NFL Draft, but O’Brien will likely enter next season with a stable of returning starters and talented underclassmen, including Tate and emerging running back D.J. Adams.

Friedgen won’t be there to see it, but he knows what the Terps can do.

“This team is destined for great things,” Friedgen said. schneider@umdbk.com

OUT: Ralph Friedgen

IN: Danny O’Brien

OUT: Jamarr Robinson

OUT: Torrey Smith