January 31, 2013

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SPORTS

Terps fall to Florida State after squelching eight-point lead p. 8

DIVERSIONS

NBC’s Parenthood offers realistic stories and characters p. 4

The University of Maryland’s Independent Student Newspaper

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East Campus plans scrapped

WIND ENERGY TO RECEIVE PUSH FROM STUDENTS

After more than 12 years’ planning, officials start on new project to integrate community

SGA, activists hope to see O’Malley’s bill pass in its third year in state legislature

By Dustin Levy Staff writer

photo illustration by holly cuozzo/the diamondback

By Jim Bach Senior staff writer Two consecutive years of failing to pass Gov. Martin O’Malley’s offshore wind energy bill haven’t deterred student leaders and proponents — in fact, they’re planning on ramping up efforts this year to see it enacted.

Despite the state’s House of Delegates easily passing the bill last year, members of the Senate fi nance committee worried about the bill’s multibillion-dollar price tag ultimately killed it. This year, however, Del.

Elizabeth Bobo (D-Howard), one of the bill’s 58 delegate co-sponsors, said she’s optimistic the legislature will be more receptive to the payoffs of clean energy sources, rather than letting the short-term upfront costs prevent them from supporting the plan.

If passed, the legislation would put a 200-megawatt wind farm off the shore of Ocean City to create jobs and promote alternative energy sources.

“What has changed is that people are beginning to look in terms of longterm costs for energy over a long period of time, rather than simply looking at

getting started with wind energy is going to be something costly,” Bobo said. “But waiting, I think, is going to cost more.”

And student leaders are throwing their support behind the measure by increasing lobbying efforts and maintaining a continued presence in Annapolis. The SGA will lead an effort to partner with lawmakers, lobbyist groups and students to ensure their voices are heard in the State House, said James Jalandoni, Student Government

University officials are scrapping more than a dozen years of planning on the long-awaited East Campus project for a new plan they said will better integrate the campus and the surrounding community.

For about a decade, officials had their sights set on a planned town center that would bring graduate student housing, a movie theater, a hotel, retail and upscale restaurants to the development. But after hearing from the “broader community,” a “parcel-by-parcel” plan that brought these amenities along Route 1 seemed more compatible with the city, said Rob Specter, administrative affairs vice president and the point man on the project, at a forum held yesterday to discuss the project.

The thinking behind this new long-term project, Specter said, is

that it will make College Park a more desirable location for alumni, faculty, staff and prospective students, while allowing officials to complete the project in smaller steps. Officials do not have a concrete timeline because the project will be done in parts, but plans for a hotel will come in the next month or two, he said.

“We’re all a little more optimistic,” Specter said.

East Campus’ completion was initially slated for 2010, but a budget crisis in the same year halted plans.

Although the university began moving forward with development plans with Cordish Companies, it has now instead hired U3 Ventures, a multidisciplinary firm with expertise in college town development.

Specter and Omar Blaik, U3 Ventures’ founder and CEO,unveiled a five-pronged approach to the community redevelopment, which addressed housing, transportation, sustainability, See overhaul, Page 2

See ENERGY, Page 2

Residents, students discuss noise violation complaints at forum

By Jenny Hottle Staff writer Prepared for a friction-filled evening at City Hall discussing noise violations, student leaders worked to rustle up enough support to match a strong resident showing Tuesday night.

The public forum, the first of two hosted by the city’s Neighborhood

Stabilization and Quality of Life Workgroup, saw a crowd of more than 40 people ready to share their concerns — and begin working toward solutions to bridge the gap between Old Town’s permanent residents and student renters.

City officials saw the turnout — the highest District 3 Councilwoman Stephanie Stullich has seen at a public forum — as a positive sign the two groups are

finally on the same page about initiating change, a necessary step before they compromise their very different goals.

“One shared sentiment between both parties is the other just doesn’t understand,” said James Jalandoni, Student Government Association governmental affairs director. “If we See forum, Page 3

Students who help pay for tuition have higher grades, new study finds

By Fatimah Waseem Staff writer Parents who foot their children’s college tuition bill may want to consider a possible consequence of their generosity, according to a recent national study by the University of California, Merced.

While parent fi nancial support increases students’ chances of attending college and graduating, parent dollars decrease student GPAs across the board, according to a study published this month on the American Sociological Review’s website. Students with some of their own dough in the game work harder to cash in hard-earned money for good grades, while students who rely on their parents’ “free” money take on a more active social and extracurricular life, researchers found.

The study, which controlled for family socioeconomic status, was

INDEX

based on data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Without aid, students averaged a 3.15 GPA, according to the study, but as parental support increased, GPAs dipped under the 3.0 mark, particularly for families earning more than $90,000 annually. Students with $16,000 in support averaged about 3.0 while students receiving $40,000 averaged a 2.95.

“Students with parental support are best described as staying out of serious academic trouble, but dialing down their academic efforts,” said study author Laura Hamilton, a University of California, Merced sociology professor, in a journal news release.

In that vein, students without parental aid had only a 56.4 predicted probability of graduating, the report found. Meanwhile, students receiving $4,000 in aid had a 62 percent predicted chance of graduating.

And while the GPA drop may seem

BY THE NUMBERS

3.15 3.0

Average GPA of students without parent aid

All-inclusive Good Sam policy could move ahead Senate Executive Committee to vote tomorrow

Average GPA of students receiving $16,000 in support

2.95

Average GPA of students receiving $40,000 in support

56.4

Probability of students without parental aid graduating minimal, Hamilton said any disparity on a transcript is magnified in an increasingly competitive labor market.

Graduates are at a disadvantage when their records are considered next to those without such deductions, according to the news release, especially as parental support is considered to give students a leg up in their academics.

“Regardless of class background, the toll parental aid takes on GPA is modest,” Hamilton said in the release.

“Yet, any reduction in student GPA due

NEWS 2 OPINION 4 FEATURES 5 DIVERSIONS 6 CLASSIFIED 6 SPORTS 8

rob specter, administrative affairs vice president, said officials are starting a new project in lieu of moving forward with East Campus, which had been discussed and planned for more than 12 years. charlie deboyace/the diamondback

See TUITION, Page 3

By Alex Kirshner Staff writer It’s been a six-year uphill battle, but some students may soon see through the fi nal push to a comprehensive Good Samaritan policy — one that seemed unimaginable just a couple of years ago.

Student activists who first proposed the policy — which would protect students from university sanctions if they call 911 for a dangerously drunk friend or themselves — initially hoped to see a policy that included drug use. But when that proved to be too difficult, the bill’s supporters focused on a policy that only included alcohol, which passed the University Senate nearly two years ago.

Now, after many of the bill’s initial sponsors have graduated, a group of students may come one

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step closer to seeing that initial vision come to fruition. The Senate Executive Committee will decide at its meeting tomorrow whether to send the bill, which now includes protections against drugs, to the full body for an up-or-down vote next month.

Brandon Levey, a 2012 graduate who now works as the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation’s chief of staff in Silver Spring, introduced the initial expansion bill in the fall of 2011 while he was an undergraduate senator with the aim of protecting more students.

“Saving lives needs to be the most important goal of the university,” Levey said. “If there’s something that’s preventing the saving of lives, then we have to take action to make sure that lives can be saved.”

Although senators opposed the idea in the past, saying students

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See expansion, Page 3

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2

THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | thursday, january 31, 2013

ENERGY From PAGE 1

rob spector, administrative affairs vice president, and Omar Blaik, CEO of U3 Ventures, speak to community members at a forum on East Campus development plans. Officials announced they are overhauling the original development plans. charlie deboyace/the diamondback

overhaul From PAGE 1 education and public safety.

While students at the forum said they were impressed by officials’ ambition, they questioned the project’s progress since East Campus plans have been overhauled.

“I think what was offered here wasn’t so much a plan as their approach to development,” said Karina French, a member of the Student Government Association’s student sustainability committee.

As former vice president of Facilities and Real Estate Services at the University of Pennsylvania, Blaik said he knows firsthand the effort and energy needed to integrate a community with a college campus. U3 Ventures specializes in redeploying existing resources instead of creating new developments from the ground up.

“There is no ‘stickiness,’” Blaik said, referencing visitors’ lack of desire to stay in College Park

“i think what was offered here wasn’t so much a plan as their approach to development.”

Karina French

SGA member

carbon footprint.

“There are some natural limitations that limit what we’re able to achieve,” said Specter, adding a college community with fewer student and faculty commuters would help decrease emissions.

To keep the university community involved, officials have planned future forums, including at least one more this semester, in addition to meetings with individual stakeholder communities.

Specter expressed the importance of hearing from the community as well as keeping everyone informed about future developments, noting he is confident these plans will make university President Wallace Loh’s goal of seeing College Park become a top-20 college town a reality.

“I expect and hope people will be involved, because this is their university community and it’s their college town,” he said. “And it’s imperative that we understand what’s important to them.”

when Washington is only a Metro ride away. “We have provided them with nothing.”

But some students questioned some parts of the plan, namely whether bringing additional housing would result in additional expensive high rises, such as the University View and The Varsity — an unnecessary amenity, they said.

“Students don’t need all of this,” said Josh Ratner, city council student liaison, maintaining that more bare-bones housing like South Campus Co m m o n s wo u l d b e more successful.

Others wondered how the university and community would remain sustainable with increased development along Route 1, which could hamper the university’s goal of reducing its newsumdbk@gmail.com

Association director of governmental affairs.

Because the committee responsible for keeping the bill from a vote on the senate floor has seen a shakeup, one that could tip the scales in favor of the bill, Jalandoni said he expects there to be a better chance the legislation will finally make its way to O’Malley’s desk.

Public policy professor Nathan Hultman said the state would be a good candidate for this environmental push.

“There’s a good resource here and there’s a great argument that if it’s going to work anywhere, it should work here because we’re close to the demand,” Hultman said.

“There’s a lot of people that live on the East Coast, and it’s very easy to absorb the electricity that would be generated.”

O’Malley’s offshore wind energy plan has faced criticism for its cost, expected

electrical rate hikes and concerns surrounding the general reliability of wind energy. But the push for alternative energy is more a political maneuver for O’Malley’s rumored 2016 run for national office, Del. Michael Smigiel (R-Caroline, Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne’s) said in November.

“There’s a lot of things that could be done to fix the fiscal problems in the state and to actually address real concerns of energy,” Smigiel said, “that he’s not doing because they do not fit a political agenda.”

Instead, the state could address energy concerns by fracking for natural gases in Western Maryland — a move that would be met with anger from many environmental activists and has been subject to moratoriums — but would also help create jobs.

Building the infrastructure to support a wind energy farm comes with a hefty price tag, Hultman said. It requires, among other costly capital investments, giant turbines, an anchor to screw the turbine into

and a way to move the electricity onto land.

That upfront cost, however, could ultimately pay dividends because other forms of energy can have unrealized costs in the form of pollution and other environmental concerns.

“The primary negative elements of offshore wind is just the fact that it does cost more, but it doesn’t have a lot of the other unpriced environment or health externalities like, for example, coal would,” Hultman said.

And if the state joins a much broader effort on the Eastern Seaboard to lead the charge on alternative energy, it could become a “market leader” in a more global effort to push down the costs associated with wind energy, Hultman said. As technology continues to develop, w i n d e n e rg y w i l l b e co m e cheaper, Hultman added.

“The design of the product will help drive down the costs,” Hultman said. “Ten years down the road, they should be cheaper than they are now.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

MORE ONLINE

photo courtesy of noodles.com

EATING HEALTHilY AT NOODLES Making a New Year’s resolution is great, but the trick is actually sticking to it. And just because you’re back at school, that doesn’t mean you have to go back to eating unhealthily — plenty of College Park restaurants, like Noodles & Company, offer nutritious options.

For starters, Noodles doesn’t add MSG to any of its dishes. Common side effects of MSG are headaches and nausea, so knowing you’ll avoid that feeling after you eat is a great thing.

People most often cut back calories and fat when they’re on a diet. Luckily for anyone who doesn’t want to miss out on Noodles, the restaurant tells you which dishes you should look for.

Check out The Diamondback’s student blogs at diamondbackonline.com.

THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | thursday, january 31, 2013 3

Univ. academy EXPANSION to open next fall

From PAGE 1

By Savannah Doane-Malotte Staff writer

find an alignment between what they love and being successful.”

Chang, who was previously the Mtech business venture programs director,has helped students in the competitive realms of business, technology and entrepreneurship.

Before the program begins, faculty from each school and students from various undergraduate and graduate programs will be selected as liaisons to the academy, in addition to a board of visitors.

Officials would not disclose the program’s cost, but said it will use existing resources from the engineering and business schools, as well as set-aside finances and income from fundraisers.

“There are already a great set of programs, which can create a multiplier effect,” Chang said.

“We can simply leverage on existing resources and programs.”

Adding this new entrepreneurship program will help guide all students in their careers, said Ben Hsieh, a freshman finance major.

“Even though the resources at Smith and UMD right now are great for innovators and entrepreneurs, they are mainly geared towards helping people who have already thought out ideas and businesses,” he said. “Having an extra focus that trains the entrepreneurial mindset and fosters innovation will increase the number of profit-generating business that come out from the talented undergraduates here at Maryland and also enhance the experience that the existing entrepreneurs have.”

When students gain entrepreneurship and innovation abilities, Chang said their ideas and innovations can impact the world.

“The things we teach are equally applicable to all students,” he said. “We teach a process that will give students a chance to bring ideas into reality, and help solve problems in third-world countries and beyond.”

No matter their majors, all students will be able to tap into creative thinking and solve realworld problems when the university’s Academy of Innovation and Entrepreneurship opens this fall.

Business and engineering students already learn entrepreneurship and innovation skills through required classes. However, officials recognized a demand from the student body to make entrepreneurship lessons available for everyone, said Dean Chang, who will lead the academy and organize campus entrepreneurial activities. “[The university] has a rich 25-year-old history of robust entrepreneurship, and we have a great foundation for the academy,” the innovation and entrepreneurship associate vice president said.

“Many students are not business or engineering majors and cannot connect to programs as easily, so we wanted to fill in this gap and extend these opportunities.”

Consisting of classes, workshops, out-of-the-classroom experiences and mentoring programs, the academy will provide resources for students to discover their interests and develop inventions and theories to improve campus and global issues, Provost Mary Ann Rankin wrote in an email to the student body Monday.

“The Academy will play an integral role in encouraging students all across campus … to explore their innovative ideas and will empower them to put their knowledge into action,” she wrote.

The program will also benefit students undecided about their majors or career field, Chang said.

“There are a lot of students that are ‘latent entrepreneurs’ ­— they’re in that stage of college when they’re figuring out what they’re passionate about doing,” he said. “We can help these students in applying these passions and skills, which will help them newsumdbk@gmail.com

would abuse the policy or that such a policy wasn’t necessary, many have since said their priority is ensuring students feel comfortable calling for help.

“What’s most crucial for us as educators, for students and being good colleagues … is that we have students’ safety in mind,” said senate Chairwoman Martha Nell Smith, who has not taken a stance on the expansion. “And I would not want any student to feel, if he or she had been doing whatever, that they couldn’t call EMS if another student was in trouble, or to feel hesitant about calling.”

And students are largely supportive of a more inclusive policy, said Amanda Long, the Health Center’s coordinator of alcohol programs.

tuition From PAGE 1

“What I hear from students is that it’s a very positive thing,” Long said, “that it does encourage them to make the responsible decision if they’re ever in a situation where help needs to be called.”

But even if the bill in its current form does make its way to university President Wallace Loh’s desk, Levey said there’s still more to be done, including additional “dangerous” drugs.

Some law enforcement officials, however, have expressed concern that an expansion will take the policy too far.

“Where possession of alcohol underage is a civil violation of law, moving into unlawful drug violation is criminal,” University Police spokesman Capt. Marc Limansky told The Diamondback last year.

“It’s kind of crossing over a line.”

The bill has since undergone a 10-month review in the senate’s Student Conduct Committee, which included receiving

am the only one who is responsible for that tuition bill at the end of the day, and going to the bursar’s office and paying my own bill is a reminder that I worked hard to be here.”

But as access to financial aid becomes increasingly limited, students are growing more dependent on parents’ financial support.

Nearly two-thirds of students between the ages of 19 and 22 receive financial assistance from their parents, according to a University of Michigan, Ann Arbor study. At this university, 40.5 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid, and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $6,784, according to 2011 figures in U.S. News and World Report.

Given this need for support and the positive effect of parental support on graduation rates, Hamilton said parents should not cut off financial support entirely,but rather encourage their children to pick up some of their own funds so they feel invested in their education.

And for many students, such as senior family science major Maura Donnelly, financial support from parents is not an excuse to skimp on academic effort.

“I don’t think that GPA is specifically influenced by the amount students pay out of pocket, but by the amount of responsibility they take for the sacrifice being made,”Donnelly said. “I’m trying to perform academically as if I will be paying for my education in the future.”

to parental aid — which is typically offered with the best of intentions — is both surprising and important.”

Grants, scholarships, workstudy, student employment, veterans’ benefits and other funding sources with some strings attached — such as minimum GPA requirements — do not negatively affect GPAs because they create an incentive to excel and are classified under earned money, the study said.

This trend may be rooted in selfdetermination theory, meaning people are more motivated when they control their own behavior, said Allan Wigfield, a university professor who studies motivation.

“Students who pay their own tuition are more self-determined or chose to go to college themselves, than are students whose parents pay their tuition,” he said.

Self-determination was not measured in the study, but some students said they are more driven because of the high stake of their education.

Between working 50-hour weeks in the summer at her family’s farm and 15- to 20-hour weeks in Stamp Student Union, June Jones said picking up complete responsibility for college finances makes her education a personal investment.

“It is a gift to have someone help me pursue my collegiate education, but I don’t consider it anything that someone owes me,” the sophomore government and politics and psychology major said. “I newsumdbk@gmail.com

Senate members MARVIN BRESLOW AND LINDA MABBS applaud as the Good Samaritan policy passes in 2011. The new bill would include protections against drug use. file photo/the diamondback an opinion from state Attorney General Doug Gansler, who said implementing an expanded Good Samaritan policy would not violate state law.

Long said if the policy were to cover other drugs, the spirit of the current Good Samaritan rule would apply in a similar way.

“The thought behind creating such a program is that it encourages students to make the call in the event that someone’s in

FORUM From PAGE 1 interacted more, a lot of these concerns wouldn’t have to be addressed in these meetings.

We have to get to know each other first.”

For years, local residents h a ve c o m p l a i n e d a b o u t student behavior — namely, noise, disrespect and that the local rental housing market is driving down property values.

At this week’s forum, residents also said there’s too much crime, too much partying and too weak a police presence.

One resident’s car had been broken into; others reported finding an excess of discarded beer bottles and Solo cups in the streets. Drunk students have also been known to urinate on lawns and steal house decorations, they said, and current laws don’t do enough to keep students in line.

“These laws seem to be unenforced after hours,” said John Rigg, president of the Calvert Hills Citizens Association. “It is incumbent upon the University of Maryland police, the Prince George’s County Police Department, to make sure our neighbors and our neighborhood is adequately protected.”

However, students fall victim to crime too, said Shawn Greenspan, who told the audience his friend had been beaten on his way home one evening last semester.

“Students here have the right to expect to be safe when they’re walking around campus,” said

danger and needed to go the hospital,” she said. “If the policy were enacted, the spirit of the policy would encourage students to be more responsible.”

To m o r row ’s c o m m i t te e meeting is set for 1 p.m. in Marie Mount Hall. Other items on the agenda include withdrawal policy, sexual assault education and smoking ban legislation. newsumdbk@gmail.com

Greenspan, a junior bioengineering major. “I hope this focus isn’t lost.”

But noise remains one issue residents said they can pinpoint to their renting neighbors.

Karen Needles, a city resident, proposed requiring students to obtain permits before holding parties to cut down on the noise and drunken behavior. Between vandalism and excessive noise, residents said they’ve put up with sleepless nights for too long.

“I’m not opposed to parties, drinking and the students,” said Kathy Bryant, president of the Old Town Civic Association. “But I’m opposed to late-hour drinking and partying. Let us sleep.”

Residents also expressed concern over the high number of rental houses, which “do not contribute to the long-term well-being of our community,” University Park resident Michael McLean said, adding rental houses scare off potential homeowners.

Students said they are receptive to resident concerns, but the housing options for them are limited and rentals are some of the most affordable.

“A majority of options fall on the extreme end of the spectrum — expensive apartments or cheaply maintained apartments,” Jalandoni said.

The biggest problem is a lack of communication between members of the university community and the locals, Jalandoni said. And fostering a sense of community between the two groups, Rigg added, could help relax tensions.

“Just because people complain about student houses does not reflect poorly on all students,” Rigg said. “There are students in our neighborhood who are ideal neighbors, in many ways better than some of our long-term residents.”

Following the meeting, work group officials said they will come up with a list of solutions.

Next month, residents and students will get the opportunity to voice their opinions again when the work group presents its solutions at another forum.

Until then, the majority of students will continue with their usual, and often civil, relationships with city locals. For Isabel Enerson, a senior environmental science and technology major, her neighbors even eased the transition of living far from home by offering tips such as clearing leaves from the gutters before it rains.

“I’ve learned a lot from living in a mixed neighborhood,” Enerson said. newsumdbk@gmail.com

4

Opinion

THE DIAMONDBACK | THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2013

EDITORIAL BOARD

YASMEEN ABUTALEB Editor in Chief

Mike King

Managing Editor

No lifeline for veterans I

Managing Editor

maria romas Opinion Editor

nadav karasov Opinion Editor

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

STAFF EDITORIAL

t’s almost impossible not to feel helpless as wars rage on in Syria, Mali and elsewhere in the world. For the millions of veterans in the U.S. fighting for their lives, that same sense of helplessness is all too real. “I have gone through war fighting the enemy and now I need to fight my own government for the benefits I deserve,” said Iraq war veteran and Bronze Star recipient Robert Fearing to The Baltimore Sun. There are 23 million veterans of war in the U.S. that depend on the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide them with medical care. At an ever-increasing rate, their lives are in danger due to the department’s inept and nightmarish bureaucracy. From October 2011 to September 2012, nearly 19,500 veterans died while waiting to receive benefits, according to a report

by San Francisco’s Bay Citizen. Documents get lost, requests go unanswered and all the while veterans are left without a lifeline. They survive the battlefields and die in the backlog.

In the past two years, the average wait time before veterans received a decision on their disability compensation claim jumped from 166 to 262 days. Though last year VA Secretary Eric Shinseki promised to shrink the wait to 125 days by 2015, reaching this goal will require a monumental effort.

The crisis bears particular relevance for this university, as this state boasts some of the shoddiest VA service in the country. Of all the unresolved claims received by the Veteran’s Benefits Admin-

Tyler Weyant

istration’s Baltimore Regional Office, 84 percent, or 16,800 claims, are older than 125 days. Claim errors are nearly twice as high in the Baltimore office compared to national averages, and it has the highest percentage of backlogged cases in the country, according to a Baltimore Sun investigation. This state’s 450,000 veterans deserve better than this abysmal record.

Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben

OUR VIEW

This state’s veterans lack the quality service and benefits they desperately need, a national trend that warrants immediate action.

Cardin recently sent Shinseki an open letter requesting an action plan as to how the Baltimore office intends to resolve its deficiencies and meet its 2015 goals. We echo the senators’ sentiments and expect the VA to put forth an appropriate response and long-term strategy in light of its poor performance.

It needs to restore dignity to the thousands of veterans it has underserved and mistreated.

It’s important to note the situation goes beyond Baltimore or the VA and blame alone will not solve its root causes. In 2012, the VA received 1.3 million claims from veterans — double the number from 2001. Due to advancements in armor and medical care in

battle, more veterans are surviving previously lethal injuries, returning home in need of long-term care. This, along with the growing number of cases of post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans, has caused demand for VA services to skyrocket. Forty-five percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are seeking some sort of compensation, the highest wartime rate the VA has ever seen. As the U.S. continues the drawdown of troops in Afghanistan and more soldiers join civilian life, this crisis will continue well into the next decade.

In regards to the backlog, moving to a Web-based claims-processing system later this year will likely improve the VA’s efficiency. All sides agree the crisis necessitates additional training and quality checks for VA staff, and we hope legislative leaders, watchdog groups and grassroots activists continue to put pressure on the department to improve.

Likewise, some structural flaws will ultimately need to be addressed. The cost of the VA’s major benefit programs is expected to rise 70 percent to about $130 billion in 2022. The cost of war has extended well beyond Iraq and Afghanistan and will continue to demand immense resources in the decades to come. Ensuring the VA receives the funding it needs to fulfill its obligation to veterans is essential. But in this case, it hasn’t quite been a lack of funding that’s caused so many veterans to die in the waiting line. No, it was carelessness that killed them, and we need to do better.

EDITORIAL CARTOON

A winter lovefest

Nothing is as simple as it sounds on Birthright, except the choice ahead NADAV KARASOV This winter break, I staffed a 10-day Israel tour for 39 college-age Americans. Yes, it was ridiculous.

Like any worthwhile Jewish program, raging hormones and an overstuffed itinerary built immediate intimacy among participants.

Hiking mountains, visiting a Holocaust museum, floating in the Dead Sea by day and — as I discovered after the trip — threesomes in Bedouin tents, hash-fueled binges and libations galore by night. It was Exodus meets Wet Hot American Summer. As a whole, most participants enjoyed varying degrees of the “life-changing experience,” whatever that means.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m obviously all about kinky Jews mingling with one another, hence my attendance at this university. But I had never been able to view Birthright without dismissive cynicism. Stories from other trips seemed too shallow and ridiculous in their debauchery to take seriously and after going on a trip myself, these mixed feelings haven’t totally disappeared. How 40,000 Jews a year come to deserve such an experience is confusing. It’s discomforting. And yet, it’s satisfying.

Since its launch in 1999, wealthy American donors along with the Israeli government have spent over $600 million to fund these free trips for 18- to 26-year-olds who have at least one Jewish grandparent. Its aim is to “strengthen Jewish identity, Jewish communities and solidarity with Israel.” By immersing these young adults in an idealized version of their Jewish heritage, donors hope to establish a sense of peoplehood among a generation of disconnected and assimilated Jews.

It’s an absurd concept based on a fantastical version of a country and religion. While there’s no such thing as a free lunch — or a free trip — Birthright allows for the illusion of simplicity. With a predetermined schedule,

participants can passively relish the heartwarming stories, straightforward histories, delicious food, breathtaking views and a bus full of potential lovers intent on consummating Jewish love. It’s a Long Island mother’s greatest fantasy, i.e., potential Jewish babies.

Sadly, nothing about Israel, or being Jewish, is simple. Believing it is possible to sustain a neutral environment while leading an inherently political, religious and ideological trip would be delusional.

Few can wholeheartedly pretend their religion is perfect, and I never felt comfortable speaking on behalf of an entire people or state. And what does it even mean to view complete strangers as your religious, ethnic or cultural family?

I’ve been surrounded by Jews my whole life, yet in case my mug shot doesn’t give it away, a 6-foot-3-inch Minnesotan with blonde hair and blue eyes doesn’t exactly scream “Jew.” Since the days I stopped wearing a yarmulke publicly, my faith has suddenly grown into a choice — I could pretend to ignore my Semitic roots and live an assimilated life if I so choose.

In reality, the choice is nonexistent.

I am and forever will be a Jew. It is the same for the other participants on the trip, and no matter your religion or ethnicity, you face an equally plain conundrum. Whether your family originated from South Asia, Eastern Europe or Latin America, and whether you were born Muslim, Christian or whatever, in America, you can be whomever you want.

This choice is as essential as it is illusionary in relation to your identity. It need not define you, but your heritage is undeniable. Ignoring its existence will only impede your growth as an individual.

For all of Birthright’s flaws, it created a space where it was OK and simple for participants to celebrate their identity; the first time some of them had been surrounded by their religious and cultural peers. For 10 days they embraced their identity. Free trip or not, find out for yourself whether it’s worth doing the same.

Nadav Karasov is a junior economics major. He can be reached at njkarasov@gmail.com.

A well-centered 2013 lifestyle JOEY LOCKWOOD/the diamondback

Lost hair and the ethics of aesthetics It’s worth giving up flash judgments’ convenience

JAKE DeVIRGILIIS I used to have very, very long hair.

It was fun while it lasted and also extremely time-consuming. What’s interesting is now I have had the experience of a) not having long hair, b) having long hair and c) having had long hair previously. Others have perceived me differently in each phase.

What I miss most about my hairdo was the potential to start up conversations with complete strangers. Most notably, I spoke to strangers with long hair themselves. On countless occasions I made friends, if only for a short while, exclusively because of our shared experience of having an unusual hairstyle.

Others defined me in their own minds a certain way because of fairly inconsequential personal style choices I made. A particular set of assumptions and labels came prepackaged in people’s minds when dealing with someone possessing my previously unorthodox appearance.

Now, some of these assumptions, I’m sure, were spot-on. What’s worrying, at least to me, is that people had

no problem making these assumptions, and likely were unaware they even made them. Subconsciously, I think plenty of people “knew” things about me before knowing even the slightest thing about me. I don’t blame them for it; it’s an unavoidable consequence of our appearance-obsessed culture.

My long hair has since been cut, but without a doubt others still use my current appearance to create a Jake in their own minds that does not necessarily reflect who I actually am. In doing so, these hypothetical onlookers miss what is interesting: the truth.

Regardless, I don’t believe the way I look has any bearing on who I am as a person. I look this way only because I want to, not to express anything about my personhood. Granted, this is different for others. Those who look a certain way only to appear a certain way aren’t doing anything wrong (in fact, they seem to be faring far better than me). What I’m worried about is the readiness of others to accept at face value what they are shown and the fact that many prefer this immediate “knowledge” they can acquire at first glance. And this is an unsettling cultural phenomenon if you ask me (which you have,

by default, if you’ve read this far).

Perhaps this is yet another example of me desperately searching for meaning where there is none. That would be bitterly ironic, considering this entire piece has been about people doing just that (this tendency is the essential basis for almost everything I have written). But I base my theory on repeated observation that clearly reflects a larger cultural pattern.

The imagined, instant gratificationseeking masses I am indicting here are assuming information about a person, information I would argue is not so readily available based on what they can see. We all do it unknowingly, some more than others. I have only recently become aware of it, and in writing this, I won’t try to undervalue the importance of first impressions. But shouldn’t they be just that? Sure, that good first impression might get you a nice job, but if you are bad at the job, that just makes you a liar with charm and a nice tie.

This is probably the most critical problem facing American politics.

Jake DeVirgiliis is a senior government and politics major. He can be reached at j.devirgiliis@gmail.com.

AIR YOUR VIEWS Address your letters or guest columns to Maria Romas and Nadav Karasov 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 media. The Diamondback retains the right to edit submissions for content and length.

LAUREN MENDELSOHN I haven’t been the best at keeping New Year’s resolutions — for the past few years, I’ve forgotten to even make one. But 2013 is different. For the first time, I’ve begun the year as an adult and can almost feel the sense of worldly responsibility upon me. With this comes a newly kindled desire to follow through with my intentions and get realistic about my goals. I suddenly realize graduation is just a few months around the corner, beyond which lies the wonderful, mysterious future.

This might have daunted me years ago, but recently I’ve been able to get more in tune with my inner self to recognize my feelings and address how I respond to stressors. Now I begin the new year with the resolution to stay well not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally. Moreover, this doesn’t apply just to the next 12 months; it is a pledge by which I aim to live the rest of my life.

For me, the near future will take me to law school, possibly in a new, distant part of the country. I’m excited for the experience, which I know will be rewarding, but I’m also admittedly a little scared. Up until now, my immediate future had been relatively predictable. College life may seem drastically different than life in elementary school, but when you think about it, the general “school pattern” is the same. Although I often make plans spontaneously and have nothing against change, stepping into a completely unfamiliar and independent lifestyle is a bit intimidating.

Before I truly understood my physiological behaviors, I tended to worry over things I couldn’t control

or didn’t know the answer to, and I felt like I needed closure for peace of mind. As this desire to know “why” and “what if” got caught up in my mind, I found myself worrying about things that weren’t worth the emotional investment. This affected my health and motivation.

However, with assistance from close friends and self-help books, I’ve learned to take a mental “step back” in tricky situations. Having adopted a new Zenlike perspective in 2013, I’ll try experimenting with holistic techniques, such as yoga and meditation, to manage my stress and anxiety. These and other ancient practices are used to maintain a sense of calm and get in touch with oneself and the universe.

Yoga has many benefits, including better flexibility and increased blood flow to the brain. For a nonathletic person like me, it’s a simple way to strengthen muscles and improve posture without straining too much. Meditation is also a powerful stress reducer, and people who take a moment to relax and quiet their mind tend to be more optimistic than those who don’t.

The future is looming, but rather than becoming overwhelmed with the unanswered questions and challenges of tomorrow, I resolve this year to try to stay calm and worry-free in the face of the unknown. Considering my life plan and psychological tendencies, it won’t be easy, but I’m determined to find my inner tranquility. Using yoga, meditation and a positive mindset, I plan to exercise my mind, body and soul and emerge a happier and healthier individual. Luckily, these and other healthy practices are offered right here on the campus, and I hope many fellow Terps join me in this positive endeavor. Namaste.

L aure n Me nde lsohn is a se nior psychology major. She can be reached at lmendel1@terpmail.umd.edu.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2013 | THE DIAMONDBACK

5

Features ACROSS 1 Make fall 5 -- optics 10 Lie in the weeds 14 Float ingredient 15 Dull green 16 Distant 17 Baldwin of “30 Rock” 18 Ticked off 19 Pop’s -- Tennille 20 Payment 22 Wisecracks 23 Serve dinner 24 Major leaguers 26 Sausalito’s county 29 Pilot’s concern 33 Curved moldings 34 Luster 35 Egg producer 36 Holds up 37 Wingless insects 38 Bldg. manager 39 Opposite of “post” 40 Wood nymph 41 Turmoil 42 Called out 44 Let up 45 Cal Tech grad 46 Ancient ointment 48 Takes a powder 51 Collectives 55 Check manuscripts

56 Rock tumbler stone 58 Minute amount 59 Overrun 60 Place of safety 61 Tijuana tot 62 Not e’en once 63 Toboggans 64 Seize

CROSSWORD

30 USS Enterprise officer 31 Station 32 -- nous 34 More crafty 37 Wannabe prince 38 Overpowering

40 Oxford tutors 41 Pasture locale 43 Scrabble tile 46 Well-known 47 Parsons’ last words

DOWN 1 Romanov title 2 Starlet’s dream 3 The same as previously mentioned 4 Soothes 5 Strong point 6 Old war story 7 Cap visor 8 Ms. Arden 9 Primary color 10 Breaking news 11 Tabloid topics 12 Harangue 13 Mr. Kristofferson 21 Dice throws 22 Connect 24 Answer a charge 25 I-80 et al.

26 Change form, in sci-fi 27 Mall for Plato 28 Refuse to obey 29 Down the road

© 2013 United Features Syndicate

PREVIOUS DAY’s puzzle solved:

Today’s crossword sponsored by:

48 Capital near Zurich 49 “Garfield” pooch 50 “Not on your --!”

51 Neanderthal’s home

52 Roulette color 53 Volcano in Sicily 54 Foreign car 56 Happy sighs 57 Cowpoke’s sweetie

B

HOROSCOPE STELLA WILDER

orn today, you possess an adventurous spirit, and you are compelled to explore as much of the world as possible throughout your lifetime. There may actually be a risk of your leading a rather rootless life, but if you always remember to return to that one special place you call home, you can avoid this while retaining the benefits of being well-traveled. You have a vivid personality, and you’re sure to make waves wherever you go -- though it is entirely up to you whether this will be remembered as a good thing or a bad thing. Indeed, there will be at least two occasions in your life in which you may be tempted to cross over to the “dark side” in some way.

You can be something of a taskmaster, but this is likely the result of your being hard on yourself when you are young -- and of your belief that results stem from hard work and hard work alone. You’re no slacker, by any means, and you insist that those around you contribute and work hard as well.

Also born on this date are: Justin Timberlake, singer and actor; Minnie Driver, actress; Nolan Ryan, baseball player; Richard Gephardt, U.S. congressman; Suzanne Pleshette, actress; James Franciscus, actor; Jean Simmons, actress; Carol Channing, actress, singer, entertainer; Norman Mailer, author; Mario Lanza, singer; Jackie Robinson, baseball player; Zane Grey, author.

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.

COLLEGE INTUITION RICHIE BATES ROGER DOES COLLEGE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1 AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Now is not the time to focus on what might have been, especially since what lies ahead shows so much potential; you’ll feel inspired.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -- You will be ready for a well-earned “time out” toward midday. Use the time to assess your current position and formulate a game plan.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -Approach the day’s problems in a way that you feel comfortable with -without being tempted by another’s secret plan.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- You have a great deal of ability, and today you’ll find yourself in a position that allows you to put it on display in no uncertain terms.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -Working on your own gives you a certain advantage, but you may choose to involve a partner in order to give yourself a psychological edge.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- You may be facing a few unfamiliar situations today, and the options presented to you will have you considering taking an unfamiliar path.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Are you willing to take the kind of risk that

may be necessary to close the gap between you and a rival? This may be a game you choose not to win.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Safety is a prime issue throughout the day; you don’t want to find yourself or a loved one in a position that compromises personal security.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- You have a great deal to do today in a limited amount of time -- in large part because of what someone in charge is expecting of you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- A figure from the past seems to loom before you today, demanding of you something that you are not entirely willing to do or give.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- You may not get what you want today, but you will have a better idea of what is really available to you as a result of your efforts.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- A friend or family member will make demands on you today, but you will have every reason to set your own needs aside and cooperate.

COPYRIGHT 2013 UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.

Today’s HOROSCOPE sponsored by:

Max Siskind

su | do | ku © Puzzles by Pappocom

Fill in the grid so that every row, column, and 3x3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9.

PREVIOUS DAY’s puzzle solved:

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY:

HARD

Today’s SUDOKU PUZZLE sponsored by:

6

Diversions

THE DIAMONDBACK | thursDAY, january 31, 2013

IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE

ON THE BLOG

Remember the ’90s, when blink-182 was the biggest thing since sliced bread (or at least Pokémon)? Suddenly, 20 years have passed, but the band is still making music — albeit with a different tone than its older records. For more, visit diamondbackonline.com.

ESSAY | PARENTHOOD

under normal circumstances NBC’s Parenthood is entertaining because it tells the story of an average family and their messy, unpredictable lives without adding fake Hollywood endings

By Kelsey Hughes Staff writer TV is never like reality.

For every moment of truly relatable narrative, there are 10 more surreal plot points, too-perfect comebacks and over-the-top happy endings. No matter how emotionally gripping or mentally stirring a show may be, we understand it exists in some alternate reality that has made this situation and coupling of charac-

ters possible. I’m not complaining — I understand that as a medium of entertainment, creativity is necessary and important to keep a plot moving.

But if any show were to come close to real life, it would be NBC’s Parenthood, which wrapped up its fourth season Jan. 22. The plot is hard to explain because there’s not much to explain. The show follows the life of the Braverman family, a large, loving but often discordant group of people who struggle with

real-life problems. It sounds incredibly boring and astonishingly cliched, but it’s not.

Instead, it’s a really honest portrayal of life. Bad things happen.

Sometimes they work out, but a lot of the time they don’t — or at least not the way the characters might have hoped.

Relationsh ips su f fer g reat amounts of wear and tear over the years, and sometimes the damage is irreparable. Family means being

really pissed off and then getting over it because you know you need each other. Life can be a balance of big disappointments and, to quote K ristina, one of the married-in Bravermans, “small victories.”

It’s wholesome and educational without ever forcing lessons into your lap — in support of good parenting while acknowledging its difficulties. And most importantly, it’s not about quick, witty dialogue (even though Gilmore Girls super mom

despite its realistic portrayal of everyday hardships and the opportunities they give families to bond, Parenthood might not garner enough faithful viewers in order to return for a fifth season. photo courtesy of couchtimewithjill.com

Lauren Graham is also in this show, conveniently playing a hip and relatable single mom). It’s about progress, subtle lines and explosive scenes, sprinkled with a handy helping of the pure awkwardness that mirrors real human dialogue.

However, despite a big upswing in ratings this past season — possibly the best season executive producer Jason Katims has produced since the show debuted in 2010 — the fate of the show’s fifth season is unknown.

Katims recently told TV Guide a renewal was a “big assumption,” and the season finale tied everything together for most of the characters in a way that ominously hinted at an end.

If Parenthood is canceled, it will be a sad day indeed. The show has had a long history of pushing issues in unique ways — portraying real and unexpected life situations without putting shiny bows on everything or making too many cheap ploys for tears (the Christmas special stands out as one that may have piled it on a bit, but hey, it was Christmas, and at Christmastime, everything can be sappy). In this season alone, the characters tackled breast cancer, abortion and post-traumatic stress disorder, all without losing the natural feel that makes the show worthwhile. Katims deserves a chance to keep developing the issues that weren’t cut abruptly short by the fact that this season had only 15 episodes.

Long story short, Parenthood should be renewed and you should watch it. Don’t be fooled by its title.

It’s not just for parents. diversionsdbk@gmail.com

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EVEN 2 THE DIAMONDBACK | THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2013

THE DIAMONDBACK THE DIAMONDBACK | XXXDAY, | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER AUGUST XX, 31, 20127

SEMINOLES

GYMNASTICS

Runs in the family

From PAGE 8

Collegiate gymnastics can be taxing at times. There are tests to take, practices to attend and routines to perfect. But as Karen navigates the hectic experience, she feels comfortable knowing her sister will be right there with her every step of the way.

“We have become better sisters and better teammates,” Karen said. “It’s cool to have someone there, because she knows so much about my life. She knows me so well.”

for the final 6:29 of the half after receiving his second foul.

Still, Turgeon’s squad stymied the ACC’s lowest-scoring offense in conference play early and jumped to a 23-15 lead on a Faust layup with 8:35 remaining in the half. But the Terps (15-6, 3-5 ACC) didn’t score for more than three minutes following that basket, allowing the Seminoles (12-8, 4-3) to piece together a 9-0 run that gave them a one-point lead.

The two teams traded blows until midway in the second half, when the Terps went on a 17-9 run that give them a 62-54 lead with 6:56 remaining.

But then the Terps’ immaturity began to show. They started committing fouls, helping the Seminoles cut into the deficit with free throws. Florida State shot 14-of-16 from the charity stripe in the second half, and a Miller jumper tied the game at 66 with 2:32 remaining.

Wells answered with a 3-pointer and a 15-foot jumper over the ensuing minute to give the Terps a three-point cushion, but a couple poor plays defensively doomed the Terps in the end.

Snaer, who ended a recent shooting slump with a team-high 19 points last night, hit two uncontested jumpers to give Florida State a much-needed bounce-back win after a 71-47 loss at Miami three days earlier.

“We just kind of panicked and moved towards the ball,” Turgeon said of Snaer’s game-winner. “We left him wide open.

We knew he was going to make it.”

The defeat could prove critical for a Terps program that has notched just one road win in Turgeon’s tenure.

Come March, pundits tend to review road records when deciding whether a team deserves to move off the bubble and into the NCAA tournament bracket.

But after the final buzzer sounded last night, the Terps’ weren’t considering such scenarios. They were caught in the moment. Players wept openly in the locker room as they tried to understand their latest disappointment. The win had seemed in hand moments earlier, but one shot ripped it away.

“This one hurts,” Wells said. “It really does.”

sportsdbk@gmail.com

sportsdbk@gmail.com

Together again, sisters Karen, Kathy Tang anchor each other, teammates in Terps’ fast start

By Joshua Needelman Staff writer Karen Tang performs different rituals to prepare for every event she competes in at Terrapins gymnastics meets.

The junior stands in a particular spot before starting each routine.

While readying for the uneven bars, she waits for captain Kesley Cofsky to hand her a water bottle and give her a pep talk. And before Tang begins her sprint down the vault runway, she listens for her sister’s voice.

“Stay aggressive,” says Kathy Tang, a freshman gymnast. “Stay tight.”

It’s nothing new for the sisters.

Kathy and Karen have been each other’s support systems for as long as they can remember.

They were inseparable while growing up in Agawam, Mass.

Whether it was ice-skating, gymnastics or driving their parents crazy jumping on the bed, big sister and little sister were partners in crime.

“They had so much energy,” their mother, Jackie Tang, said with a chuckle. “They were always jumping around.”

Karen did her first cartwheel when she was two years old, and her mother finally decided to enroll her in gymnastics classes six years later. She soon developed a love for the sport and rose through the ranks. Naturally, Kathy wanted to join her sister in the fun.

To avoid making two separate trips to the gym a day, their mother arranged for Kathy to train in Karen’s class. But Kathy struggled to keep up with the older, more experienced children. Her classmates made fun of her and called her names. Everyone but Karen.

“She was very upset and she

started to cry,” Jackie Tang said.

“But Karen told them all to stop.

She was always a supportive sister.”

K a ren a n d Kathy eve ntu ally became the stars of Daggett Gymnastics in Agawam, but the rigors of club competition proved taxing.

At times, Kathy felt overwhelmed with the intense workload and demanding coaches.

But she stayed the course and won her first all-around title at a meet during her sophomore year at Agawam High School.

“I remember finishing my meet, and watching her out there doing so well,” said Karen, who lost to Kathy in the all-around that day. “When she won, I felt so happy for her because all of her hard work had paid off.”

Both of the Tang sisters eventually emerged as top gymnastics recruits. Karen won gold in floor exercise at the Junior Olympics in 2009, and spurned offers from powerhouse programs West Virginia, New Hampshire and North Carolina State to join the Terps.

Initially, she didn’t want Kathy to follow her to coach Brett Nelligan’s squad. She loved her sister, but wanted to establish her own niche.

And when Karen changed her mind following her freshman campaign, Kathy — a more highly touted recruit — decided she didn’t want to follow her sister to College Park.

“I kind of wanted to go on my own,” she said. “Then, when I came here and saw the campus and the team, I decided that it would be fun to be on a team with my sister.”

Nelligan is grateful the Tangs chose his program. Through three weeks of competition, Kathy leads t h e E a s t At l a n t i c Gy m n a s t i c s League in all-around. And Karen,

Junior Karen Tang and her freshman sister, Kathy, are helping to form the core of a Terps team off to a 4-0-1 start this season. Coach Brett Nelligan said they “add a whole new dimension to the team.” christian jenkins/the diamondback wh o re d s h i r te d h e r f re s h m a n year while recovering from a knee injury, was named to the 2012 AllEAGL bars first team last season.

Together, they make up the core of a Terps team off to its hottest start in recent memory. Less than a third of the way through the regular season, the EAGL-leading Terps boast a 4-0-1 record.

“When the bright lights go on at a meet, they both take it to the next level,” Nelligan said. “They add a whole new dimension to the team.”

NEWS

City revitalization grant offers applicants up to $25k

By Teddy Amenabar Staff writer A state grant of $75,000 may help entice business owners to take on a challenge — moving in to city storefronts, many of which have long stood empty and are in need of pricey renovations.

Businesses can apply for up to $25,000 of the money from a newly-formed Commercial Tenant Improvement Program to put toward making specific improvements before opening up shop or expanding, said Chantal Cotton, assistant to the city manager. The grant, which comes from a $5.5 million Community Legacy awards

program by the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development, has become a resource for local governments looking to boost their revitalization efforts.

“It will really allow us to maybe get some newer tenants into some buildings that haven’t been filled for a while,” Cotton said.

City officials hope the incentive could help turn vacant spots into thriving businesses that are sparse in the city, such as health clubs, upscale restaurants or apparel stores. Any new company interested in coming to the city will be able to fill out an application for funding and, if approved, the city would then cover 70 percent of the

MORE ONLINE

improvement costs, up to $25,000.

Officials will have two years to allocate the funds and plan to ensure all of it is used before time runs out. Several businesses have already expressed an interest in the program, said Michael Stiefvater, city economic development coordinator.

The program’s financial support should help give more commercial businesses the confidence that they can succeed in this city, said District 3 Councilman Robert Day said.

“As it grows, we will see more use of it, we will see different companies looking to come in,” Day said.

“It’s a tool we need to invite businesses back into College Park.”

Having a nose for business Alumnus invents equipment spray

By Amna Farooqi For The Diamondback

photo used under creative commons by neon tommy

why are we still talking about manti te’o?

In the Manti Te’o hoax, details continue to surface. The editors at sports blog Deadspin originally broke the story that Te’o’s girlfriend actually doesn’t exist. Since then, the public has been told by numerous journalists and news organizations that (a) the Notre Dame star linebacker was in on the hoax right from the beginning, (b) Te’o didn’t know at first but kept the lie going in order to garner attention during a Heisman race and undefeated season or (c) Te’o never knew his girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, was fake until the rest of us found out.

Either way, there is only one question you should be asking in regards to the bizarre sports story: “Who cares?”

For more, check out The Diamondback’s blogs at diamondbackonline.com.

All Stephen Steinberg wanted to do was make his room livable again, despite the ripe smell of his hockey equipment growing more noticeable by the day.

But he never expected that small idea would turn into a thriving business venture.

Steinberg, a 2010 university alumnus, is the inventor of Vapor Fresh — an all-natural odoreliminating spray for athletic gear that is currently the 27th bestselling ice hockey product on Amazon.com. The spray is just one of the products sold by Raw Athletics, a company Steinberg founded to provide natural and organic products for athletes to use to be healthier.

“I started it when I was a

Day looks forward to seeing new vendors open in the city as soon as possible.

The high cost of running a business on Route 1 makes the program especially helpful in this city, said senior Gamestop advisor Stephen Mlynarski.

“The price of renting around here is astronomical in and of itself,” Mlynarski said, and new businesses struggle to afford fixing up a store’s facade and carrying out major renovations on top of paying their monthly rent. “[City officials] either do need to help people get their businesses started or lower the rent in the area,” Mlynarski said. “That’s how

space, and there’s nobody moving into it,” Casazza said, adding the program sounds like a great idea.

“Having vacant storefronts is bad,” he added. “It makes the city look bad. It scares off new STEPHEN MLYNARSKI businesses.”

Senior Gamestop advisor Other areas of the state that have I see it as a person who’s lived here seen funding through Commufor six years and went to Maryland.” nity Legacy include Cumberland Big Planet Comics owner and Ocean City, according to the Peter Casazza said the large program website. number of vacant businesses “We’ve already sent out a press along Route 1 is affecting both release to quite a few landlords, his business and all the other brokers and just businesses that commercial tenants in the area we thought may be interested,” — yet the city hasn’t been able Stiefvater said. to see the problem.

“They’re building more retail newsumdbk@gmail.com

sophomore,” said Steinberg, who earned his bachelor’s degree in economics on the campus. “I played on a hockey team five or six days a week. I would bring back my equipment, and the rooms are small. Mine started to smell.”

Steinberg had always been interested in health and wellness, and he wanted to develop a product free of artificial ingredients that would clean his equipment without exposing him to harmful sprays.

“The entire winter break, I did a ton of research on products and how cleaning products work,” Steinberg said. “It was a lot of guessing and checking.”

He also sought advice from the business school’s Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, which he said helped steer him in the right direction. In 2009, Steinberg pitched his idea at the center’s monthly Pitch Dingman Competition, and the judges awarded Raw Athletics $1,000 as a result.

“They gave me the push,” Steinberg said. “I knew there was a great demand. The question was: Is there a market for badsmelling sports equipment?”

Senior marketing and supply

chain management major Adam Hurwitz, who met Steinberg through the Maryland Undergraduate Society of Entrepreneurs, believed there was.

“I immediately thought back to my high school days in the football locker room and having something like Vapor Fresh we could spray directly on our gear without having to worry about it touching our skin or in lacrosse having something to use on our bags at home,” Hurwitz said.

“When I heard the idea in 2010, the market focus was less targeted on organic nature-made solutions, so the product seemed very innovative and ahead of its time.”

Daniel Sperling-Horowitz, a 2011 alumnus and fellow entrepreneur, also recalled Steinberg’s initiative.

“I was really impressed he was going for it,” Horowitz said. “He was one of the few people that took the dive. That leap of faith takes a lot of courage. I had a feeling if he marketed it properly, he could be really successful.”

Raw Athletics now sells its products on its website as well as Amazon, and Steinberg said he is looking to grow.

“We’re expanding our product line to include nutritional supplements based off of natural

“The price of renting around here is astronomical in and of itself.”

“he was one of the few people that took the dive. that leap of faith takes a lot of courage.”

DANIEL SPERLING-HOROWITZ 2011 alumnus and entrepreneur

food,” he said. “We’re also expanding geographically.”

Steinberg added it was the advice and constructive criticism from his friends and family members that encouraged him to move forward with his ideas in spite of his doubts.

“There are points when you’re so stressed out you don’t know what you’re doing,” he said. “My parents were really supportive, and so were my close friends.”

He also encourages other student entrepreneurs to pursue their ideas for starting their own businesses.

“If you have an inkling that you have what it takes to start a business, you have to explore and follow your dreams,” Steinberg said. “College is a time to form that foundation — you’re in school, you don’t have any bills to pay. It’s cliche, but just go for it.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

STATLINE Terps men’s basketball forward Dez Wells’ performance in a 73-71 loss at Florida State

19 3 Points

Assists

6 Turnovers

Sports

“My arms/whole body is starting to get sore #thatliftyesterday #thecircuit getting trained like a pro #onlyatUMD #nopainnogain”

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TWEET OF THE DAY Schillo Tshuma @schilloT17 Terps men’s soccer forward

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2013

TERRAPINS 71

73 SEMINOLES

center alex len and the Terps held an eight-point lead late in last night’s game at the Donald L. Tucker Center, but Florida State came back. Guard Michael Snaer hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining on the game clock to give the Seminoles a two-point victory. photo courtesy of bob myers

RIPPED AWAY

Snaer’s last-second shot dooms Terps

By Connor Letourneau Senior staff writer

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Mark Turgeon thought his Terrapins men’s basketball team’s time had finally arrived last night. It was going to notch a much-needed victory. It was going to win its first road contest in four ACC tries.

The Terps had been in control much of the game, Turgeon reasoned. They just needed to put the finishing touches on the victory and head home.

But the feeling that stuck with the secondyear coach for much of the second half last night evaporated moments after Florida State guard Michael Snaer hit what was ultimately his second game-winning 3-pointer this week. Guard Dez

Wells’s last-second prayer clanged off the rim, sending the Terps to the airport with a heartbreaking 73-71 defeat at the Donald L. Tucker Center.

The Terps simply couldn’t hit the necessary shots down the stretch, allowing an eight-point second half-lead to evaporate over the final 6:56. It was the team’s fifth loss in seven games, and its fourth road loss this month.

“It hurts because we invested a lot,” Turgeon said after the game. “This one we felt like we could win if we played well. We just came up short.”

The defeat overshadowed a gutsy performance from guard Dez Wells, who finished with a teamhigh 19 points and three assists. The Xavier transfer tried his best to stave off the Terps’ second loss to the Seminoles in three weeks, hitting a handful of

crucial jumpers that kept the game within reach.

The showing was more than necessary considering center Alex Len’s struggles. Playing in front of a half dozen NBA scouts, the Ukrainian big man delivered arguably his worst Terps performance to date. Limited with foul trouble much of the game, he finished with four points, five rebounds and three turnovers.

“Everyone has bad games,” forward James Padgett said. “We expect Alex to bounce back from this.”

The Terps jumped to a fast start despite Len’s early disappearance. The center had just one shot over his first nine minutes of play, and sat See SEMINOLES, Page 7