January 30, 2014

The University of Maryland’s Independent Student Newspaper

T H U R S DAY, J A N UA R Y 3 0 , 2 01 4

Bill would require USM sex assault ed In Annapolis trip, student leaders support bill, which would require survey every three years

Colleen Wright-Riva, Dining Services director, asked the RHA for a $2.4 million budget increase, expecting more diners. file photo/the diamondback

survey every three years — focusing on student experiences with sexual violence, how universities are responding to incidents and the

By Darcy Costello House of Delegates heard testimony ways students are educated — then @dctello for a bill with similar goals, high- report those findings to the Maryland Staff writer lighting a growing awareness among Higher Education Commission.

The House Ways and Means Comcampuses nationwide.

If passed, the state’s bill, spon- mittee heard testimony on the proOne week after President Obama announced the creation of a White sored by Del. Jon Cardin (D-Baltimore posed legislation yesterday, including House task force aimed at combat- County), would require all Univer- from university alumna and former ing sexual assault at the nation’s sity System of Maryland institu- Diamondback editor Lauren Redding.

The surveys, Redding said, would colleges, a committee in this state’s tions to administer a sexual assault

Univ depts request fee increases

create greater accountability at the state level, allowing officials to “zero in” on sexual violence, rather than overall crime, which colleges are already required to report under the Clery Act. Some university system officials have described the bill as an unfunded mandate that would do little to solve the problem of college sexual assaults.

The surveys themselves are not See ASSAULT, Page 2

INVESTIGATING REPORTING

Rising costs, goals discussed throughout RHA Senate meeting

By Morgan Eichensehr @MEichensehr Staff writer Several university departments requested fee increases for their budgets at the Resident Hall Association Senate meeting Tuesday to address rising personnel costs and meet individual departmental goals.

The biggest fee increases would come from the Departments of Resident Life and Residential Facilities, with Resident Life Director Deb Grandner’s proposal calling for a 4.4 percent increase in fees to fund a $2.2 million budget increase. Department of Transportation Services Director David Allen called for a series of fee increases ranging from 3.9 percent to 4.2 percent to raise an additional $300,738 in revenue.

Dining Services Director Colleen Wright-Riva’s proposal includes a 1.9 percent increase in fees for a $2.4 million budget increase.

Priced into these budgets are the

riga, latvia, hosted 17 students and one professor from this university over the winter term, a first for the university. The team learned about investigative journalism in the former Soviet state. james levin/the diamondback

Students analyze media in university’s first Latvia trip

By Joelle Lang @thedbk Staff writer During the winter term, for the first time in this university’s history, 17 students and one professor traveled to Riga, Latvia, to learn about post-Soviet freedom of the press and investigative journalism.

The 18-day trip, open to students of all

See RHA, Page 3

years and majors, was run through this university’s Education Abroad program and made possible by the partnership between journalism professor Deborah Nelson and Latvian journalist Inga Springe, founder of The Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism.

The purpose of the trip, Nelson said, was for students to document the conditions under which investigative reporting

Junior files in District 17 delegate race

Nyumburu program gives Swahili lessons

By Erin Serpico @erin_serpico Staff writer

By Grace Toohey @grace_2e Staff writer

george zamora, a 29-year-old junior studio art major, seeks to bring his previous experience with student government at Shady Grove and Montgomery College to the House of Delegates. kelsey hughes/the diamondback “Even in grade school, I was always tives because I’m a person that really president of the class or organizing likes to take action.” little clubs. But I’ve always been Before coming to this university, active in politics,” Zamora said. “I Zamora earned an associate’s degree enjoy working with the community, and I really like helping with initiaSee zamora, Page 3

ISSUE NO. 63 , OUR 104 TH YEAR OF PUBLICATION DIAMONDBACKONLINE.COM

Submit tips, comments and inquiries to the news desk at NEWSUMDBK@GMAIL.COM

See LATVIA, Page 3

Indigenous African language class sates curiosity for free

George Zamora, 29, has served local counties

George Zamora has been active in student government throughout his college career, and now he aims to continue pursuing his passion for public affairs in his run for state delegate in Montgomery County’s District 17.

Zamora, a 29-year-old junior studio art major, was born in Missouri and discovered his interest in government while growing up in Mexico City.

is conducted in a post-Soviet culture, two decades after communist rule in an area where free democracy is just emerging.

“I wanted them to be able to compare what a free press looks like and under what conditions reporters operate in another country other than our own,” Nelson said.

@thedbk

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After transferring to this university in the fall, Jessie Karangu sought to meet people who shared his goal: to learn an indigenous African language.

K a ra ng u, a ju n ior en rolled in letters and sciences, is a Kenyan-A merican interested in learning Kiswahili — Swahili is the English word for the African language — and the Nyumburu Cultural Center’s Ny umburu Indigenous African Language

Program is allowing him to do so.

The program’s course — the fi rst of a planned group of courses — allows students of all skill levels to explore the Kiswahili language and African history and culture.

Solomon Comissiong, the cultural center’s student involvement and public relations assistant director, created the program during the 2011-12 academic year with senior Italian major Sankara Kasanje. It was designed to give students a free opportunity to learn a new language and the history behind it in a communal academic setting.

“Language is the cornerstone to anyone’s culture,” Comissiong said.

Comissiong leads some class See language, Page 2

SPORTS

OPINION

THROUGH THE EYE OF THE HURRICANE

OFFITZER: Context clues

Dez Wells provides a lift as the Terps avoid an epic collapse in the waning moments of a 74-71 win over Miami last night P. 8

Websites unfairly dug up old Macklemore tweets to spread misinformation and hurtful rumors P. 4

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THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | THURSDAY, January 30, 2014

ASSAULT

Visit the

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every Friday for brandnew digital content and additional multimedia features.

desig ned as prevention methods, though, Student G overn ment A ssociation President Samantha Zwerling said. Instead, the surveys target sexual assault survivors, who might realize they are victims after taking the surveys or feel more comfo r t a b l e re p o r t i n g t h e i r experiences.

She also said the anonymity of the surveys could lead to more truthful responses.

Obama’s task force, created Ja n. 2 2 , g ives of f ici a ls 9 0 d ay s to d e ve l o p re commendations to combat sexual assault, particularly on college campuses.

The task force is the first of its k i nd i n t he federa l government and came after a rep or t f rom t he W h ite House Council on Women and

Girls found that nearly one in five women have experienced rape or attempted rape, but 12 percent of student victims report the incident.

As a whole, the proposed legislative changes are responses to the growing movement of students and recent graduates stepping out as sexual assault survivors, said Redding, former president of UMD Feminists.

“We’re taking a stand and say ing, ‘We haven’t been treated right by our schools.

These universities haven’t been dealing with it in the right way; they’re fostering environments where rape thrives,’” Redding said.

The “tidal wave of change,” as Redding described, started out slowly as survivors filed complaints to the U.S. Department of Education and gradually picked up, ultimately landing in the White House, she said.

T h is u n iversity i mplemented a sexual harassment education pilot program in the fall. T he Violence Int e r v e n t i o n a n d P r e v e ntion Program, authored by Redding during her senior year, was administered to between 300 and 600 incom i n g u nd erg radu ates, but Redding said ideally all university students would attend the program.

This university also combined the sexual assault and sexual misconduct policies in fall 2013, redefining consent and outlining the practices in place for responding to complaints. With the expanded Code of Student Conduct, officials hoped more students would feel comfortable coming forward to the university following incidents of sexual misconduct, said Andrea Goodwin, student conduct director. “ J u s t a n e c d o t a l l y, I

would say that we have received more complaints this year than in years past, as more students are coming forwa rd,” G oodw i n sa id, adding that this year the department has been paying close attention to all reports of Title IX violations.

Zwerling said she is thrilled the issue is garnering national attention and being recognized as an important issue, but there is still more to be done. Though it may not be solely a college problem and blame should fall on society as a whole, she hopes the university will recognize its opportunity to intervene and end the cycle of violence.

“There is no other societal infrastructure that can so actively make a change and directly educate people, as a university can in educating the students on its campus,” she said.

Redding echoed similar

“WE’RE TAKING A STAND AND SAYING ‘WE HAVEN’T BEEN TREATED RIGHT BY OUR SCHOOLS.’” LAUREN REDDING

University alumna

sentiments. Not only undergraduate students but also all members of the campus community should receive sexual assault education, she said, adding that “change will only happen if every constituency is engaged.”

“If the campus is 98 percent people agreeing that sexual violence is bad, that perpetrators should be held accountable and sexual victims are never at fault, t h at’s st i l l not enou g h,” Redding said. “If 2 percent don’t ag ree, there is sti l l more work to be done.” dcostellodbk@gmail.com

a PAINTING depicting influential black Americans, seen in part above, hangs on a wall of Nyumburu Cultural Center next to Stamp Student Union. rachel george/the diamondback

LANGUAGE From PAGE 1 sessions, along with Kasanje, who is fluent in Kiswahili.

T he attendance for the class ranges from eight to 12 people, with the small number keeping the classes “more conducive” to learning, Kasanje said. Not all of the students have a backg ro u n d i n s p e a k i n g t h e language, but they work together to learn and participate. Many of the students enrolled either have parents from African countries or are just interested in the topic, Kasanje said.

“For some it works as a refresher, but for the most part, everybody is just learning,” Karangu said.

The class meets about twice a week for an hour and reviews topics such as vocabulary, speaking and writing the language. It also includes discussion of the geopolitics behind it, including the Congo crisis, the Kenyan presidential elections and geographical facts.

That information is important, Comissiong said, as the context of the language was obscured by years of slavery in Western countries.

“It’s more conversational than lecture,” Kasanje said.

“We wanted to also offer something to supplement the conversation and practice.”

Students don’t get academic credit for taking the class, but Karangu doesn’t mind. It’s the cultural bond among the students that makes it worthwhile, he said.

“I wasn’t under the realization that there were so many other Kenyans that attended the school,” Karangu said.

“Some of them have the same story I do.”

“LANGUAGE IS THE CORNERSTONE TO ANYONE’S CULTURE.” SOLOMON COMISSIONG

Nyumburu assistant director The group serves as both a class and a student organization, which “provides an opportunity for us to bind,” Kasanje said. The students took a field trip last semester to Swahili Village, a local restaurant that serves Kenyan food, to practice their language skills.

“W henever you learn a language, you have those embarrassing moments where you say something wrong,” Karangu said. “But since it was something we all wanted to do, the experience was more unique and more special.”

Taqwa Rushdan, a December 2013 alumna, joined the program for her final semester.

Rushdan took away a better understanding of the “mother tongue and culture,” she said, with her own curiosity bringing her to the course.

“It just sounded really interesting,” she said. “I was interested in learning more about Swahili, especially because I was an Arabic major.”

Although the program’s cl a sses h ave fo cu se d on K iswahili thus far, a new program launching this semester, the Pan African Indigenous Language Initiative, also will focus on other languages, such as Haitian Creole and Krio from Sierra Leone, Comissiong said. They ultimately plan to have three separate classes during the semester, Kasanje said.

“You can really see they’re starting to take a lot of pride in what they learn,” Comissiong said. eserpicodbk@gmail.com MLC_1736_PartyStarters_UMD_AD.indd 1

1/27/14 1:08 PM

THURSDAY, January 30, 2014 | NEWS | THE DIAMONDBACK

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ZAMORA From PAGE 1

Ulysses muÑoZ (left), a junior journalism major, interviews Inga Spinge (center), founder of the Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism, during the journalism school’s winter term trip to Riga, Latvia. During the 18-day trip, students researched and discussed the state of press freedom with Latvian media professionals. They also explored the countryside, shopped for amber and other traditional souvenirs (top right), visited the Baltic Sea and tried activities such as bobsledding (bottom right). james levin/the diamondback

LATVIA From PAGE 1 Nelson also hoped students would come away with a taste of foreign correspondence.

Students were paired with various Latvian investigative journalists to interviewed them about how they conduct their work under their country’s conditions. The students all asked the Latvian journalists the same set of questions so their results could be fairly compared and documented for research.

“I never really had such an appreciation for how importa nt freedom of press is,” senior journalism major

Marissa Parra said. “It was fascinating to talk to people and journalists who just came out of Soviet rule; it was honestly mind-blowing.”

The students got a chance to learn what reporting is like in a foreign county when they were paired with Latvian journalism students chosen by Springe.

T he pa i rs v i sited soup kitchens, interviewed kitchen patrons about their lives in poverty and produced a series of video profiles. The profiles will eventually be published on Re:Baltica, a nonprofit organization that produces investigative journalism.

Not only did students attend lectures given by Latvian journalists and economics

experts, but they also had time to explore Latvia and neighboring country Estonia.

Five students even went bobsledding in Latvia’s Olympic training venue.

“There was time to sightsee and time to explore, but there were also lots of all-nighters and lots of coffee,” Parra said.

“But it was a lot of fun; we had a really good time.”

Idrees Ali, a journalism graduate student, is compiling the student research from the trip to send to American Journalism Review.

“It was very interesting working with people from another country and culture,” Ali said. “I would definitely recommend a trip like this.”

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Nelson chose Latv ia partly because of her friendship with Springe — whom she met when Springe was a Humphrey Fellow at this university — and partly because of her connection to the country, where Nelson has taught investigative reporting.

During her time teaching in Latvia, Nelson built a relationship with the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, which served as the students’ host institution.

Nelson said she plans on continuing the program in Latvia and hopes to see more journalism-focused trips to other destinations, such as Cuba, and to get more students interested in the programs.

“Ever y t h i n g went so smoothly,” Nelson said. “I couldn’t have imagined a better trip.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

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at Montgomery College and his bachelor’s degree at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s campus at Shady Grove. He was president of the student government at both institutions.

Prior to registering to run for state delegate, the Montgomery County resident got a taste for public office by serving in a variety of city, county and education roles.

During his time on the Gaithersburg and Montgomery County community advisory committees, Zamora realized he wanted to become more involved with local politics.

“It was very challenging because you get to see the needs of the county and the city, stuff that you don’t even imagine,” he said. “Being a part of the community advisory committee really opened my eyes to the needs of the community, and that really brought me to get to the next step, which is what I’m doing now.”

While working for the advisory committee, Zamora was a full-time student and employee. For eight years, he has worked as a procurement specialist for the Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research adjacent to the Universities at Shady Grove.

“He’s always trying to make things better, and given his i nvolvement i n va rious action groups in Montgomery County, I didn’t think it would be long before he would probably seek public office,” said Edward Eisenstein, a bioengineering professor with the Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research. “He’s one of the everyday heroes that make things work.”

Zamora said his platform has been greatly influenced by past experiences. He seeks to create affordable education and build a healthy job market for students post-graduation, two things he said he has experienced as he continues to work his way through college.

He also said the minimum wage should be increased.

“I have been a minimum wage earner, and it’s just ridiculous. You cannot even pay for your books with minimum wage,” Zamora said. “I think that it’s time for not just the state, but the nation to look at raising the minimum wage.”

In addition to looking to improve traffic on Rockville Pike, which he said would improve business along that

RHA From PAGE 1 estimated costs for necessary salary and wage adjustments and increases in employee fringe benefits, which the directors said were required by state law, explaining some of the fee increases. However, each department has different reasons for the swell in its costs.

Both Grandner and Wright-R iva will need to grapple with increased costs associated with the addition of the gender-neutral Prince Frederick Hall in fall 2014.

Partially fueling the steeper fee increases for Grandner’s budget are cable costs, landlines and general facilities operating expenses for the new dorm. And Wright-Riva is anticipating a higher volu me of students for Dining Services.

“We will have over 400 new people with us because of Prince Frederick, and they’re going to be additional people eating,” Wright-Riva said.

DOTS likely won’t see a significant budgetary effect from the additional dorm.

Its costs are instead pushed upward by employee sala-

corridor, Zamora wants to put more emphasis on science education.

“Maryland has the potential to become this beacon of scientists and great minds to start developing more scientific advancements,” he said.

Zamora will run against three other Democrats in the June 24 primary election: Andrew Platt and LaurieAnne Sayles, both of Gaithersburg, and Susan Hoffman, former Rockville mayor.

As a native Spanish-speaker who returned to the U.S. at age 19, Zamora said he wants to be a role model for citizens in a county that’s nearly 18 percent Hispanic. But he’s not trying to represent just the Hispanic population.

“I’m running to represent everyone,” he sa id. “I’m just representing the change that is happening, not just in Montgomery County but in the nation. We are just getting to the point where people are realizing that Hispanics are also well-educated.”

James Thorpe, an art professor who taught Zamora, said he was impressed with Zamora’s intellect, openness and objectivity.

“He would represent his community well. He’s very articulate, he’s very sincere, and I found him to be very capable of working with lots of different people,” Thorpe said. “I would vote for him if I lived in Montgomery County, but I don’t.

He’s a very fine young man.”

Junior Reva Smith said Za mora helped bri ng the students in their studio art classes together. She said she could see him doing the same thing with constituents.

“He’s that kind of person; he’s very community oriented.

He brought a really good cohesive element to each class that we’ve had,” said Smith, an education and studio art major. “He’s there to help.”

At 29, Zamora said he might be a young candidate, but there are other candidates across the state close to his age. Junior finance and journalism major Jimmy Williams, 20, and North Laurel resident Danny Eaton, 29, are both running for state delegate in District 13.

“There’s a new generation coming, and I think it’s time to start making the changes that we need,” Zamora said. “I’ve been a resident of District 17 for a while now, and I just want to represent my community and keep working for them.” gtooheydbk@gmail.com

ries and benefits, general m a i nten a nce a nd i n su rance, Allen said. The fee increase will hit staff, faculty and students parking on the campus. An expected influx of Big Ten sports fans visiting the campus on game days will drive up revenue, he said.

RHA Senate members questioned directors about specific items on each budget proposal and met briefly in committees to discuss issues warranting further attention.

The budget proposals will be brought by senators back to their halls, RHA spokesman John Thacker said, where they will then be discussed with their hall councils as well as residents.

Senate committee chairs will discuss any major points of interest with department directors to decide if any changes to the budget proposals will be necessary, Thacker said.

Ultimately, resolutions are drafted by the committee chairs to call for the approval of the final budgets by the RHA Senate.

“Those are then voted on by the senate and usually are passed,” Thacker said. newsumdbk@gmail.com

CORRECTION: Due to a reporting error, in Wednesday’s story, “Council: City-univ relationship top priority,” District 3 Councilwoman Stephanie Stullich was misquoted.

She said “Route 1 sector plan,” not “Route 1 center plan.”

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THE DIAMONDBACK | THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

OPINION

EDITORIAL BOARD

Mike King

Editor in Chief

DAN APPENFELLER Managing Editor

MATT SCHNABEL

Deputy Managing Editor

maria romas Opinion Editor

ADAM OFFITZER Opinion Editor

CONTACT US 3150 South Campus Dining Hall | College Park, MD 20742 | opinionumdbk@gmail.com PHONE (301) 314-8200

STAFF EDITORIAL

O’Malley gets an “A” on education issues As the final year of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s second term hits its stride, there’s ample opportunity to look back on his demonstrated commitment to college affordability and quality learning at the elementary and high school levels.

I n Tu e sd ay n i g h t’s S ta te o f t h e Un i o n a d d re ss, P re s i d e n t Obama reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring universal access to c o l l e ge d e g re e s a n d u rge d c o n t i n u e d e d u c a t i o n re fo r m .

“Five years ago, we set out to change the odds for all our kids,” the president said in his address. “Today, more young people are earning college degrees than ever before.”

It’s apparent this state lies at the forefront in providing quality, reasonably priced education.

For the fifth straight year, this state capped its higher education tuition increases at 3.3 percent, resulting in the nation’s lowest tuition hikes since 2007. Over the

same period, neighboring states Pennsylvania’s and Virginia’s tuition rates have risen by 16.6 percent and 31.9 percent, respectively. In addition, this state’s $39.2 billion budget for fiscal year 2015 allocates $5.53 billion to higher education, a 2.7 percent boost from last year. In all, 48 cents of every state tax dollar go toward funding education.

S i n c e 2 0 0 8, t h e n u m b e r o f bachelor’s and associate’s degrees awarded in the state has risen by 24 percent.

Closer to home, the University System of Maryland and this university have profited mightily from the governor’s educational initiatives over the past eight years. The system and this university are slated to receive $1.2 billion and $464.6 million for the upcoming fiscal year, respectively.

Yet perhaps the highest praise for O’Malley’s administration should be reserved for the state’s primary education program. In 2013, this

state received Education Week’s No. 1 ranking for its kindergarten through 12th grade education system for the fifth straight year.

Statewide high school graduation rates reached historic highs in 2013, with nearly 85 percent of students graduating on schedule.

OUR VIEW

Gov. O’Malley’s consistent commitment to education has made this state a national model on the issue.

O’Malley and the General Assembly clearly recognize investing in the state’s future necessitates investing in education at all levels.

Over the past eight years, the governor’s administration has enacted policies proving a commitment to those ideals.

Even as O’Malley closes out his gubernatorial career, the educational initiatives he’s long supported in the General Assembly should help ensure his legacy. In 2012, the General Assembly funded MPowering the State, a strategic alliance between this university and University of Maryland, Baltimore that has already resulted in a joint public health school and a partnership with Israel’s Tel Aviv University, among other developments. Initiatives such as this will continue to drive innovation and academic excellence.

The state also is slated to offer universal pre-kindergarten by 2018, in accordance with an initiative highly touted by Obama in his address.

However, educators and administrators have voiced concern over the governor’s decision to balance this year’s budget rather than offer enhancement funding for a variety of system-wide initiatives, as with

last year’s budget.

Admittedly, many departments and administrators at this university and across the university system would do well with more enhancement funding. An inflow of state dollars could help university programs such as MPowering the State expand their reach and fund other research endeavors.

Education is frequently discussed in high-minded terms that link teaching to the country’s future vitality. Of course we agree with those sentiments. This state has proven its commitment to education in all forms. O’Malley no longer needs to convince his constituents of that fact.

We also agree with the O’Malley administration’s apparent admission that sometimes high-mindedness must bend to fiscal reality. To ensure the state’s long-term economic stability, reasonable compromises are necessary.

EDITORIAL CARTOON JOEY LOCKWOOD/the diamondback

MIKE KING, Editor in Chief DAN APPENFELLER, Managing Editor MATT SCHNABEL, Deputy Managing Editor OLIVIA NEWPORT, Assistant Managing Editor BRIAN COMPERE, Assistant Managing Editor Chris Allen, Design Editor QUINN KELLEY, General Assignment Editor JENNY HOTTLE, News Editor LAURA BLASEY, News Editor Maria Romas, Opinion Editor ADAM OFFITZER, Opinion Editor RobERT Gifford, Diversions Editor Mary Clare Fischer, Diversions Editor DANIEL GALLEN, Sports Editor AARON KASINITZ, Assistant Sports Editor CHRISTIAN JENKINS, Photo Editor JAMES LEVIN, Photo Editor FOLA AKINNIBI, Online Editor SARAH SIGUENZA, Multimedia Editor

EDITORIAL BOARD MIKE KING, editor in chief, is a senior journalism major. He has worked as a copy editor, assistant managing editor, deputy managing editor and managing editor.

Dan Appenfeller, managing editor, is a senior journalism major.

He has worked as a copy editor and assistant managing editor.

MATT SCHNABEL, deputy managing editor, is a sophomore journalism major.

He has worked as a copy editor, assistant managing editor and diversions writer.

Maria Romas, opinion editor, is a senior English major.

She has worked as a reporter, assistant opinion editor and columnist.

ADAM OFFITZER, opinion editor, is a senior journalism major.

He has worked as a diversions staff writer and columnist.

AIR YOUR VIEWS

Address your letters or guest columns to Maria Romas and Adam Offitzer at opinionumdbk@gmail.com. All submissions must be signed. Include your full name, year, major and phone number. Please limit letters to 300 words and guest columns to between 500 and 600 words. Submission of a letter or guest column constitutes an exclusive, worldwide, transferable license to The Diamondback of the copyright of the material in any medium. The Diamondback retains the right to edit submissions for content and length.

OPINION EDITOR WANTED

Applicant must be enrolled at the university. Ideal candidates have an understanding of university, state and national issues, a familiarity with journalistic writing, strong managerial skills and the ability to meet deadlines. Opinion editors typically work 30 to 35 hours per week. The position is paid. For more information on the position or how to apply, please contact opinion editors Maria Romas and Adam Offitzer at opinionumdbk@gmail.com.

“Look over here” journalism Taking Macklemore’s tweets out of context ADAM OFFITZER “Is Macklemore A 9/11 Truther?”

“Did Grammy-winner Macklemore used to tweet homophobic jokes?”

On BuzzFeed, The Washington Post and plenty of other websites, headlines such as these popped up after Macklemore’s successful Grammy night Sunday. The answer to both questions is “no.” Macklemore is not a 9/11 truther. And he’s not a homophobe. But the Internet has no time for context. Instead, these headlines were irresponsibly published and circulated, eventually becoming recognized as established facts, regardless of their truth.

BuzzFeed’s big “expose” featured a Macklemore tweet from Sept. 18, 2009: “911…bush knocked down the towers.” Certainly, this tweet deserves attention and speculation; Macklemore seems like a fairly smart guy, and it would be interesting if he held the radical belief that 9/11 was a conspiracy.

But he doesn’t. His next tweet, posted eight minutes later, said, “Was just bumping that mos def/immortal technique song…good song.” He’s not a 9/11 conspiracy theorist. Just a rapper quoting a rap song. The only revelation here is that Macklemore doesn’t like to use proper grammar

in his tweets.

Still, I suppose it’s understandable that in today’s fast-paced media landscape, BuzzFeed would take the tweet and run with it, then do some further reporting. Once the site’s contributors found out the tweet just quoted a lyric, surely they’d take the story down or update the accusatory headline, right?

Nope. Instead, the headline hasn’t changed, and the story is still up.

There is an update saying the tweet “appears to be lyrics” from an Immortal Technique song, but it’s posted at the bottom of the article, not the top.

I’ve made it pretty clear in past columns that I truly love BuzzFeed and believe it serves a valuable purpose in the media landscape.

But these types of headlines are unethical and unfair. The article has 189,634 total views. That’s a ton of people who could be mistakenly telling their friends Macklemore is a 9/11 truther.

BuzzFeed’s headline was still outdone by others: “Macklemore’s strange ‘no homo’ tweet raises eyebrows,” reads a Salon headline from Tuesday, claiming to find “homophobe-ish” tweets from Macklemore’s past: “I’m so happy right now,” one reads. “No homo…I love new york! Pause. I’m so not gay! F*** yea. And I’m so secure in that!”

At first glance, this is a pretty fascinating tweet. Perhaps Macklemore is a hypocrite and “Same Love” is

just a stunt to capitalize on the marriage equality movement. But give the tweet another read, and it’s pretty clear — this is obviously sarcasm.

The exclamation points are meant to poke fun at the hip-hop community and irresponsible use of gay slurs.

Other tweets from Macklemore’s past reveal consistent beliefs: “#youhavealreadyfailed when you start off your sentence with ‘hey man, i’m not trying to be a homo or anything,’” he wrote in 2010.

The Washington Post mentioned another potentially controversial tweet, in which Macklemore used a word derogatory toward lesbians. But again, this tweet merely referenced two official softball team names in Seattle. Nothing to see here.

Joshua Benton, director of the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard, has referred to this unfortunate phenomenon as “journalism as an act of pointing — ‘Look over here, this is interesting.’” Sometimes, there’s a legitimate case to be made for this type of “publish first, report later” mentality. But these headlines are problematic because they ask questions rather than answer them. “Is Macklemore a 9/11 Truther?” “Did Macklemore tweet homophobic jokes?” If the answer is no, the article shouldn’t have been published to begin with.

Adam Offitzer is a senior journalism major. He can be reached at aoffitzerdbk@gmail.com.

Spring forward, fall back in school Why it’s harder to focus in spring

DAVE STROH

can get boring in the final few weeks. The beginning of August signifies an opportunity to return to school and rededicate ourrselves to the life of academia we pay so much money to experience. But the short winter break, a time to spend with family and friends during holiday celebrations, tends to leave us wanting more. This desire can have a lasting effect going into the spring semester that can damage our productiveness.

But probably the biggest cause of sliding spring grades is spring break.

I have nothing against spring break; I love spring break. But the five-day stoppage of class (nine days when counting the bookending weekends) is just enough to get students out of their educational grooves.

The first few weeks of class can be difficult before getting into a groove of homework and studying. Once we get in this groove, it’s far easier to push forward and be productive. But once we’re thrown out of it, even for just a couple of days, it can be extremely difficult to re-enter. Not to mention that nearly two weeks of fun, parties and warm weather make the time spent in classrooms in April even more unbearable.

So headed into this spring semester, make sure to put your studies first. Take advantage of the improving weather when you can, but don’t prioritize sunbathing over your homework or classes — unless you’re a graduating senior, because who really cares at that point?

Throughout my time in college, I’ve gone through what feels like an endless cycle of fall and spring semesters. And in this cycle, I’ve noticed a striking pattern: It’s always more difficult to stay focused in the spring than in the fall.

It might seem strange to say a season can determine the level of focus and effort put into schoolwork, but in reality, it makes perfect sense.

The first cause of this phenomenon is the weather.

When spring rolls around, the change from bitter cold to pleasant warmth is more than enough to steal my attention away from schoolwork. In the fall semester, after a long summer of outdoor activities, when given the choice between staying in to study or going to play basketball or golf, the option to return to the court or course is not as appealing. But after a month of freezing temperatures and being cooped up in my apartment, there is nothing I want more than to get into the sun. And it’s not just skimping on homework — who even wants to sit in class for hours at a time when they can be out adventuring in Washington or lying on La Plata Beach?

Another reason for this springtime decline is the d i f fe re n ce b e twe e n o u r re s p e c t i ve s e m e s te r b r e a k s . Dave Stroh is a senior English Despite what many of us like to m a j o r. H e c a n b e re a c h e d a t admit, the long summer break dstrohdbk@gmail.com.

POLICY: Signed letters, columns and cartoons represent the opinions of the authors. The staff editorial represents the opinion of The Diamondback’s editorial board and is the responsibility of the editor in chief.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014 | The Diamondback

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FEATURES CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Dreary 6 Cut drastically 11 Ruin, with “up” 14 Pay-phone place 15 Sun, in combos 16 Environmental prefix 17 -- Rica 18 Lariat 19 Non-verbal OK 20 Hawaiian island 22 Geneva’s river 24 Roomy sleeve 28 Lao and Thai 29 Thunderstruck 30 Dismantle a tent 32 Ukraine’s capital 33 White heron 35 Get better 39 Ultimatum word 40 Geological period 41 Bowser’s pal 42 Cattail or bulrush 43 Ism 45 Mr. Stravinsky 46 Complies 48 Rule 50 Dodgers’ Reese (2 wds.)

53 Umpire 54 Shaman’s findings 55 Fleeting

57 58 60 65 66 67 68

British title Flawless Rainwater pipe Bulldogs backer Florentine poet Delete a file Billy -Williams 69 Type of test 70 Pithy

27 28 30 31 34 36

Flag (2 wds.)

Well-put Encourages Essential item Big steel town “The -Sanction” 37 Be crazy about

38 Greene of “Bonanza” 43 So-so mark 44 Pointed arch 47 Next to 49 Compensate for 50 Sat for a photo 51 Novelist -- Zola

DOWN 1 “Doctor Who” network 2 London lav 3 Selene’s sister 4 Legal rep 5 Army duds 6 Monsieur’s gesture 7 Carrie’s “Star Wars” role 8 Jai -9 Take a chair 10 Froggy 11 Columbus’ port 12 Huskies of the NCAA 13 Fashions 21 Poker stake 23 Exuberant greeting (hyph.)

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B

HOROSCOPE | STELLA WILDER

orn today, you are no stranger to adversity, yet adversity is not something that ever holds you back. Indeed, it actually motivates you!

Like a great many Aquarius natives, you are aggressively forward-moving and forwardthinking, always eager to chart a course that you can follow faithfully, and that others will want to follow as well. You are a born leader, and once you settle into a position that affords you the authority to make the big decisions, others are sure to support you eagerly, confident that your solutions to problems will be not only creative and new, but also very likely permanent.

You are not always able to contain your affections and focus them on only one person.

As a result, you are likely to fall in love many times in your life -- and, conversely, others are likely to fall in love with you again and again. This may be a tricky moral path to tread -- one that requires careful thought at all times.

Also born on this date are: Phil Collins, singer-songwriter and musician; Christian Bale, actor; Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S. president; Dick Martin, actor, director, and comedian; Dorothy Malone, actress; Gene Hackman, actor; Wilmer Valderrama, actor; Dick Cheney, U.S. vice president; Vanessa Redgrave, actress; Brett Butler, comedian and actress; Boris Spassky, chess grandmaster; Charles Dutton, actor.

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.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31 AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- A look at certain past episodes will clue you in to what others have been talking about lately. It’s time to take center stage.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Someone you know may be engaged in behavior that is questionable if not downright dangerous.

What you do about it makes a difference.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- You’ll enjoy hearing what others have to say about you now much more than being reminded of what they said about you in the past.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- You’ll come to an important realization regarding your place among others of high professional status.

You have much to be proud of.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -While you’re waiting for someone else to come through for you, you can come through for someone else before being asked.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -Some bad news may rock you and your community, but you’ll know how to rise above it and continue reaching ever higher. Others will follow.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- You’re eager to see what someone else has up his sleeve today, but you’ll have to wait until the situation is a little less volatile.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -There are mysterious elements to an otherwise routine day. What you uncover on your own will mean more to you than anyone else.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- You may have to work more quickly than you would like, but that is not the only way in which you will be outside your comfort zone.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- It’s time for you to accept what you have been resisting for so long.

Someone you know well will let you explore pros and cons.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Take care not to overindulge today. Focus on doing things according to the rulebook, and don’t be tempted to do otherwise.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -You’ll know precisely when enough is enough. Once you reach that point, you’ll not want to proceed along the same course.

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THE DIAMONDBACK | THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

DIVERSIONS

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PBS, long an also-ran in the TV ratings game, has found success by importing popular British shows such as Sherlock and Downton Abbey. For more, visit diamondbackonline.com.

ESSAY | THE END OF TV’S GOLDEN AGE

WHERE HAVE ALL THE GOOD SHOWS GONE? The Wire, The Sopranos and Breaking Bad are no more. Television has yet to offer any worthy heirs. Is this the end of TV’s renaissance?

By Michael Errigo @DBKDiversions For The Diamondback At some point in 2013, the golden era of television that began at about the turn of the century with the premiere of The Sopranos and subsequently flooded our living rooms with quality content throughout the 2000s died a quiet death.

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment of departure. It might have happened on Sept. 29 with the finale of Breaking Bad. Or maybe it was the first Thursday night last October when NBC aired neither 30 Rock nor The Office. In the same comedic vein, one could argue that it came to a complete end Sept.

17, the premiere date of Dads. No golden epoch could survive the advent of Dads.

It was a slow, painful passing for the greatest period of prosperity for America’s favorite medium.

The descent began at about the start of this decade, when shows such as The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones and American Horror Story pushed their ways to the forefront.

While popular and at times entertaining, these programs marked a shift from carefully crafted original scripting to stories adapted from comic books and fantasy novels centered on shock value and mythical creatures. It’s a disappointing devolution for TV fans who salivated over the beautiful writing

and thematic complexity of shows such as The Wire, The West Wing and Lost. But to TV execs who can speak only the language of money, shows such as The Walking Dead — which boasts the highest ratings of any cable show ever — are welcome ratings boosts.

But escapist novels — graphic and otherwise — are not the only source of recycled material. Many spinoffs are in the works for next year. While this formula has its share of hits (The Simpsons, Frasier, The Jeffersons), the coming Better Call Saul and How I Met Your Dad seem lazy and unnecessary. Spinoffs are a cop-out and leave networks AMC and CBS, respectively, in desperate need of something new.

Stars are also being regurgitated. Sean Saves the World and The Michael J. Fox Show are just

two of many desperate grabs at past successes — in those cases, Will & Grace and Family Ties. The Crazy Ones, meanwhile, is a sad excuse to give Robin Williams a paycheck.

Hopefully the show is canceled before everyone realizes Patch Adams has his own sitcom. The same goes for Don Cheadle (House of Lies), William H. Macy (Shameless) and even Ashton Kutcher (Two and a Half Men), all trapped in shows that don’t

deserve them. TV should be a vehicle for creating stars, not a retirement home for those looking to cash in on their legacies.

Among the rubble left behind by the golden age, there remain a few diamonds in the rough. Mad Men, arguably the best show on televi-

sion, still has one season left. Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David’s brilliant comedy, hasn’t been canceled and can start cranking out episodes whenever David feels like it. FX’s The Americans and The Bridge have lots of promise.

Alternate sources such as the BBC (Luther, Sherlock, Top of the Lake) and Netflix (House of Cards, Orange is the New Black) are other bright spots amid the darkness.

What can bring TV back to life?

Good writing and good characters make good shows. The best programs are driven by strong writing staffs. All channels, but the big four networks especially, need to take more chances in their searches for the next big show — and the next big showrunner. They also need to stay away from the norm, the formulas that might get viewers but lack originality. These channels need to try something new because what they’re doing now killed TV and is not going to bring it back.

Hopefully, TV creators will come to their senses. But for now, television lovers who find themselves lost in the barren wasteland of content can take shelter in HBO GO or Netflix.

Because when it comes to quality TV, at present, it’s better to live in the past.

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thursday, JANUARY 30, 2014 | SPORTS | THE DIAMONDBACK MEN’S BASKETBALL | TERPS 74, HURRICANES 71

Layman plays ‘a little more selfish,’ scores 15 Sophomore shoots 6-of-15 from field, 3-of-8 on 3-pointers in aggressive performance

By Dan Appenfeller and Aaron Kasinitz @DBKSports, @AaronKazreports Senior staff writers For the majority of the season, Mark Turgeon preached selflessness. The Terrapins men’s basketball coach and former point guard wanted his turnover-plagued squad to share the ball and stop settling for subpar shots, as it has been prone to erratic performances.

But there’s an exception: forward Jake Layman.

“We just want him to be aggressive,” Turgeon said Tuesday afternoon. “I don’t say it to many players, but I say it to Jake: He’s got to be a little more selfish on offense.”

In last night’s 74-71 victory over Miami, Layman appeared more willing to be selfish, taking more shots than he had in any other game this season, scoring 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting.

Combining his size with a smooth shooting stroke, the 6-foot-8 Layman spent the offseason transitioning into one of the Terps’ most reliable scoring options. He entered last night’s game second on the team with 12.5 points per game and tied for the team lead with a 38.1 three-point percentage. He went 3-of-8 from three-point range against the Hurricanes.

So Turgeon wanted the shots coming from Layman’s hands. At the half against Miami, Layman had almost double the number of field goal attempts of any Terp with nine. He also had the most three-point attempts with four.

And with the team’s leading scorer, guard Dez Wells sitting scoreless on the bench for all but five minutes in the first half after two quick fouls, the

canes From PAGE 8 their second-highest fieldgoal percentage of the season against the Hurricanes (10-10, 2-6). They shot 56 percent from the floor on the night and 69.9 percent in the second half.

In the first half, when Wells didn’t attempt a shot and sat with two quick fouls, the Terps leaned on Layman (15 points) and Smotrycz (15 points) to lead the way. The two forwards each had eight points in the first half, and the Terps’ quick ball movement against Miami’s matchup zone defense helped the team take a one-point lead into halftime.

“I thought we shared the ball and got them out of their zone early,” Turgeon said. “We really executed.”

With Wells back in the second half, the Terps offense improved, and they built a 10point lead. But the Terps were still plagued by defensive lapses that allowed the Hurricanes to stay within striking distance.

Behind guards Rion Brown (25 points) and Manu Lecomte (19 points), Miami shot 50 percent on the night.

“Our defense is just not

Layman has taken about twice as many shots per game so far this season, and he averaged a team-high 32 minutes per game entering last night. So it’s been quite the transition for Layman, who admits he was taken aback when Turgeon first demanded that he be more selfish.

“Yeah, it was strange,” Layman said Tuesday. “It’s a good thing and a bad thing. One, it means I’m not aggressive enough. And two, it means I’m waiting for my shots and staying open and not go crazy.”

Layman is still searching for the proper balance between sharing the ball and looking for his own shot, but his teammates are trying to help find him scoring chances. All of Layman’s six made field goals were assisted, part of the Terps’ 15 assists overall.

“Jake’s a really good shooter, and he passes up a lot of opportunities,” forward Evan Smotrycz said Tuesday.

“I think he’s really good when he’s driving to the hoop and puts some pressure on the defense.”

Miami’s defense didn’t allow any Terp too many opportunities Wednesday night. Coach Jim Larranaga’s Hurricanes, with their slow pace and match-up zone defense, held the Terps to 50 field goal attempts — their second-lowest total of the season — meaning Layman took 30 percent of the Terps’ shots.

And Layman’s willingness to shoot, especially in the first half, helped the FORWARD JAKE LAYMAN entered last night’s matchup with Miami tied for the team lead in three-point shooting by Terps come away with a much-needed making 38.1 percent of his 3-pointers. He was also averaging 12.5 points per game. christian jenkins/the diamondback win. But don’t call him selfish just yet.

“I think 15 [shots] might have been Terps needed a scorer early in the game. soft-spoken sophomore, to ratchet “It’s all part of his maturation,” up his aggressiveness. As a freshman, a little bit too many,” Layman said last Turgeon said Tuesday. “But he needs the sharpshooter played 19.9 minutes night. “But overall, I think I did a pretty to be aggressive for us to be successful per game and attempted 4.9 shots per good job.” contest, but now the team leans on offensively.” sportsdbk@gmail.com It hasn’t been easy for Layman, a Layman more.

free throws that came on the front end of one-and-ones to give Miami extra chances. And with 19 seconds left, the Terps allowed Brown to get free and drain a game-tying 3-pointer.

Still, the Terps didn’t see a need to panic. Turgeon didn’t need to use a timeout after Brown’s three, either. He simply allowed Wells to take control of the ball and asked the rest of the Terps to give him space.

“We had talked in previous timeouts about what we would run late if we had to run late in the shot clock, and that was one of the plays we were going to run,” Turgeon said. “[Wells] made it. He was feeling good.”

Turgeon admitted afterward that he was hoping Wells would drive to the basket rather than attempt a long-range jumper.

But the third-year coach, like his players, trusted Wells to make the right play.

And the guard from Raleigh, N.C., who scored 13 of his team’s final 15 points, did plenty to validate that faith.

“The best play, I thought, guard dez wells laid in this alley-oop pass from guard Nick Faust to give the Terps a 63-57 lead last night. christian jenkins/the diamondback was a three,” Wells said, with lead with 1:45 left, the Terps sent Adams to slice into the lane and a laugh. “And I made it, God quite there,” Turgeon said. willing.”

Those issues were put on Miami to the free-throw line cut the lead to three.

On the other end of the floor, display as Miami staged its late twice in a span of 49 seconds comeback. After taking a 71-61 and then allowed guard Garrius guard Seth Allen twice missed akasinitzdbk@gmail.com

7

aird From PAGE 8 and CMO of Complete Athlete Inc., where he taught volleyball to inner-city youth. He then returned to the program in 2012 and helped coach the Nittany Lions to a national semifinal appearance in 2012 and the 2013 national championship.

Though the Terps had a disappointing 2013 campaign, posting a 13-19 record, Aird believes the team is not far off from being competitive in the Big Ten. “I think there were a couple injuries last year, a couple d e u c e ga m e s away f ro m having a pretty good year,” Aird said. “I think there’s potential. I’m excited about the roster. Regardless of what anyone else’s opinion is about that year was like or what they think they are. Now they’re my team.”

Aird said he hasn’t thought about the composition of his coaching staff yet, as assistant coach Michael Shearer remains on staff after fellow assistant coach Audrey Ludwig followed Horsmon to Dayton in late December.

Right now, he’s just excited to begin working with the team.

“It’s a conference I’m familiar with, obviously,” Aird said. “So there’s a certain level of comfort knowing what I was getting into. Obviously, there’s a certain level of discomfort knowing how good the conference is. It’s one of the best, if not the best, volleyball conferences in the country.”

Aird is directly responsible for some of the conference’s recent strength. He was on the sideline a month ago next to longtime Penn State coach Russ Rose when the Nittany Lions defeated Wisconsin, 3-1, to win their sixth national championship.

Before he accepted the job with the Terps, Aird consulted Rose, who has been with the Penn State program for 35 years.

“He’s a passionate coach with great vision for how he wants to run a program, and I’m sure he’ll have great success at Maryland,” Rose said in a release. “I think he has a good skill set and good energy.

And he wants to be a head coach, and that’s one of the things that’s really important.”

Aird left behind prestige and a family atmosphere in Happy Valley at Penn State.

But as the Terps prepare to move to the Big Ten, he’ll attempt to create those intangibles in College Park.

“The job that I just left is, I think, one of the best jobs in the country,” Aird said. “You have to be wired a certain way to say, ‘Hey, I’m going to leave this and do what I decided to do.’ But for me, the rewards outweighed the risks.” jneedelmandbk@gmail.com

wolfpack From PAGE 8

Thanks to the students for voting for us!

Visit our closest store at Greenbelt Plaza.

learned a lot from our mistakes, and so now it’s just taking them into the next element going to N.C. State.”

Still, Frese has been satisfied with the focused attitude the Terps have demonstrated despite the setbacks. During the postgame media conference after their loss against Notre Dame, she called on the upperclassmen to lead the Terps to quicker starts from the opening tip.

“We didn’t have time to mope,” Mincy said. “We have games to get prepared for.”

But the Terps still need to show they can get back on track in conference play, and a fast start against the Wolfpack would go a long way in showing their recent play has been an aberration.

“It will be interesting to see how we react to the challenge as far as being on the road twice,” Mincy said. “Hopefully, we can get it done.” ppierrelouisdbk@gmail.com

STATLINE

Terps men’s basketball guard Dez Wells’ performance in a 74-71 win over Miami

21

24

100

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Minutes

FG percentage

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PAGE 8

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

TERRAPINS

74

71

HURRICANES

weathering THE STORM

Wells’ 3-pointer in final 10 seconds erases late collapse, lifts Terps to second win in six games

By Aaron Kasinitz @AaronKazreports Senior staff writer

Last night’s game hung in the balance with the Terrapins men’s basketball team and Miami tied, 71-71, with 19 seconds to play, and guard Dez Wells wanted the ball in his hands at the crucial moment.

But perhaps more telling, coach Mark Turgeon and the rest of the Terps wanted Wells to have the ball, too. Though they had just coughed up a 10-point lead in about 85 seconds and were in danger of losing their third consecutive game, forwards Jake Layman and Evan Smotrycz said they felt comfortable with Wells handling the ball with the clock dwindling down.

That confidence paid off. Wells buried a 3-pointer a few steps to the left side with about five seconds remaining to give the Terps a 74-71 victory over the Hurricanes before an announced 12,061 at Comcast Center.

“We all trust him in those moments,” Layman said. “And he always comes through in the clutch.”

Wells’ late three, which thwarted Miami’s comeback and comes after the Terps’ stretch of four losses in five games, was part of a virtuoso second-half performance. After sitting all but five minutes of the first half because of foul trouble, the junior scored all 21 of his points in the second half, shooting 7-of-7 from the field and 6-of-6 from the foul line.

Wells took only one 3-pointer in the game, and it was a similar shot to one he attempted to win a scrimmage between the Terps and Villanova in the preseason. Both of those shots went in with the game on the line.

“If you are going to take that shot, you can’t be afraid of the consequence or repercussions that come from taking that shot,” Wells said.

As a team, the Terps (12-9, 4-4 ACC) had GUARD DEZ WELLS (right) and forward Evan Smotrycz (left) celebrate after Wells hit the game-winning 3-pointer in the Terps’ 74-71 win over Miami See canes, Page 7 last night at Comcast Center. Wells scored 21 second-half points on 7-of-7 shooting after a scoreless first half. christian jenkins/the diamondback

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Defense a priority against N.C. State Terps begin two-game road trip at No. 18 Wolfpack after losing past two

By Paul Pierre-Louis @PaulPierreLouis Staff writer After an 86-72 loss at Virginia a week ago, the Terrapins women’s basketball team didn’t want another team to generate as much offense as the Cavaliers did.

“After the Virginia loss, we were angry,” guard Laurin Mincy said. “We wanted to get better from our mistakes.”

At the time, it was the most points the Terps had allowed in a game before an 87-83 loss to Notre Dame on Monday night usurped that woeful defensive performance. In both games, the Terps allowed opponents to develop a rhythm and establish control early.

Now the Terps enter a twogame road stretch, starting tonight at No. 18 N.C. State, and they hope to get a fast start to bounce back from their first losing streak of the season.

“We knew when we got into conference play how difficult every opponent was going to be,” coach Brenda Frese said.

“We don’t take two losses in a row any differently than two wins in a row. It’s just getting better and being ready to get back out on the road.”

Frese praised the Terps during the majority of their 14-game win streak for their consistent play. Fast starts helped the Terps build comfortable halftime leads in convincing victories.

But in recent contests, the Terps haven’t had control from the outset. In their last win — a 92-81 victory against Georgia Tech on Jan. 19 — the Terps trailed at halftime, 44-43, only the second game the Terps trailed during the half at the time. The other was a Nov. 15 loss to No. 1 Connecticut.

They held a 38-34 lead entering the break against Virginia but struggled to defend the threepoint line, and the Cavaliers shot roughly 14 percent better than their season average from beyond the arc. Notre Dame shot better than 66 percent in the first half and cruised to a 12-point first-half lead.

“Definitely something we’ve addressed, we’ve shown on film,” Frese said of opponents’ fast starts. “There’s nothing more we can do in terms of emphasizing it any greater than what we’re doing. So the ownership has got to be in terms of the players being ready to play.”

Despite the film study and the effort that Frese has often lauded during practices, the Terps have yet to carry that same level of defense into their recent games.

They have allowed more than 80 points in three straight contests. Against an N.C. State team that averages the most 3-pointers made in the ACC, the Terps will have to avoid lapses like the ones against Virginia and Notre Dame.

“We have great practices,” Frese said. “I think we’ve See WOLFPACK, Page 7

VOLLEYBALL

Terps hire Aird from Penn State Former Nittany Lion to lead team to B10

By Joshua Needelman @JoshNeedelman Staff writer Steve Aird possesses a strong affinity for Penn State. After leading the Nittany Lions men’s volleyball team to three NCAA tournament semifinals as a player, Aird returned to State College, Pa., to serve as women’s volleyball director of operations in 2007. He later rejoined the squad as assistant coach in 2012, living near the campus with his wife and two children.

But yesterday, Aird was in College Park purchasing a toy Testudo for his 3-year-old daughter, Mackenzie. He had just been named the new head coach of the Terrapins volleyball team, and he wanted his family to embrace its new home.

After six unfulfilling seasons under former coach Tim Horsmon, this university’s athletic department selected Aird to lead its volleyball program into the Big Ten, one of the most renowned volleyball conferences in the nation.

“I’m a really loyal guy,” Aird said last night. “I’ve been part of the Penn State family obviously for a really long time because I played here. I saw myself being here for a really long time when I came back. But there was something really, really intriguing about kind of where Maryland is as a program.”

Before joining Penn State in 2007, Aird served as an assistant at Auburn from 2002 to 2005. In 2008, he left the Nittany Lions to serve as president See aird, Page 7