February 4, 2015

The University of Maryland’s Independent Student Newspaper

W E D N E S DAY, F E B R UA R Y 4 , 2 015

Delegates to review U Pay It Forward

Athletic dept reports $3.5M operating loss for past year Officials: Future Big Ten revenue, increased ticket sales will help

Bill could require USM to study new tuition plan

By Aaron Kasinitz @AaronKazreports Senior staff writer

By Jon Banister @J_Banister Senior staff writer

This university’s athletic department reported about $3.5 million in operating losses during fiscal year 2014 at a University System of Maryland Finance Committee meeting Thursday, a number that adds to mounting debt but hasn’t concerned administrators.

Though operating losses nearly tripled from fiscal year 2013, Damon Evans, the athletic department’s chief financial officer, said he expected the increase. Evans said the department has a plan in place that should produce a budget surplus by 2018 and maintained that the losses from the past year don’t hinder progress toward that goal.

This university will use its Big Ten revenue installments to trim the athletic department’s debt, Evans said. He also cited a 25 percent increase in football ticket sales this past season as well as the men’s basketball team’s recent resurgence as reasons for optimism.

“It’s a combination of things,” Evans said. “We have increased benefits from the Big Ten, and when you’re seeing an increase in ticket sales, you can drive money to the institution, and that will help allow us to reach a surplus.”

After university President Wallace Loh announced this university’s move from the ACC to the Big Ten in November 2012 — a decision rooted in economics — he approved a plan by a president’s commission to ensure that the athletic department would repay its debt.

james levin/the diamondback

— sky high — University, flight safety advocates clash over building heights

By Joe Zimmermann @JoeMacZim Senior staff writer The College Park Airport, the world’s oldest airport still in continuous use, could see less air traffic as more construction projects sprout up along Route 1 and on this university’s campus.

Standing on the historic runway where the Wright brothers once helped train the first military pilots, longtime pilot Kurt Schneckenburger pointed in the direction of the campus.

“You’ve got the [University] View there.

Then Clark Hall will come next to it. And [the

Hotel at the University of Maryland] will be next to that,” said Schneckenburger, a Beltsville resident. “You’re building a wall.”

Though not directly adjacent to the airport, these three buildings would stretch across the horizon in front of the airport runway. So many buildings, Schneckenburger said, could be difficult to fly around, especially on hotter days when planes have less lift.

If it is too much of a challenge to fly planes from the 105-year-old airport, he said, it could go into disuse.

The View is currently the only completed

The House of Delegates is considering a bill to study a Pay It Forward program that could dramatically change the way students pay for college.

Under a Pay It Forward program, high school graduates would not have to pay any upfront cost to attend college. Instead, they would agree to pay a percentage of their income after graduation for a set number of years.

In Oregon, which will be the first state to test a pilot of this program in the 2016-17 academic year if it passes an Oregon General Assembly vote this spring, 4,000 randomly selected students will pay between 1.5 and 4 percent of their income for 20 years after they graduate.

While this bill would only commission the Board of Regents to study the possibility of implementing such a program in this state, the bill’s sponsor said it’s an important first step.

“This state has a lot of untapped potential in students that would be great in college and will be able to come back and really contribute to our economy, but they just can’t afford to go upfront,” Del. Kirill Reznik (D-Montgomery) said. “This program would open up that funnel of opportunity and be able to let anybody who wants to go to college get into college on their merits and succeed in college.”

Student Government Association President Patrick Ronk testified in favor of the bill at a House appropriations

See BUILDINGS, Page 2

See athletics, Page 2

See FORWARD, Page 3

Student group calls for better water policies

Resident Life strategic plan restructured amid budget cuts 15-year plan includes new dorms, dining hall

MaryPIRG advocates Senate water act review

By Morgan Eichensehr @MEichensehr Staff writer

By Josh Magness @josh_mag Staff writer As members of Congress consider expanding the scope of the Clean Water Act, some students at this university are working to strengthen the CAMERON JackSON holds a “Save the Bay” sign outside of Stamp Student Union yesterday to show support for extending the Clean Water Act. A Senate committee will hold a hearing today. josh loock/the diamondback act’s protections.

The Senate Committee on Envi- gress to consider in response to a 2001 ruling that a body of water must ronmental and Public Works and the pair of Supreme Court decisions be “navigable by boat” to be protectHouse Committee on Transporta- in 2001 and 2006 that limited the ed. The changes would redefine the tion and Infrastructure are holding a bodies of water protected by the definition of federal waters so that smaller bodies of water are protected, hearing today to discuss intensifying Clean Water Act. According to Morgan Folger, the even if they are not navigable. federal regulation of waters under the “The proposed rule change is going law, which governs water pollution. campaign co-coordinator for MaryPIRG’s Clean Water Champions camThe Environmental Protection Agency proposed changes for Con- paign, one such limitation was the See WATER, Page 3

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As a result of the state-mandated $15.6 million budget cut to this university, planned renovation and construction projects will have to be re-evaluated, Department of Resident Life officials said.

Resident Life’s On-Campus Student Housing Strategic Plan, first presented to the university community in April, details more than $700 million in expected housing construction and renovations over the next 15 years. The largest housing project outlined in the plan, Academic Village, will now have to be rescheduled

because there will not be the necessary funds available to complete the Academic Village when originally expected, Resident Life Director Deb Grandner said.

Construction of the Academic Village, a private-public partnership housing project that would include three new dorms with 1,500 new beds and a dining hall in Lot 1, initially was scheduled to begin in summer 2016 and conclude by 2019. It is expected to cost about $170 million, Resident Facilities Director Jon Dooley said.

“Originally, we were going to pursue the Academic Village first,” Grandner said, “but we may be reorganizing the project flow.”

Instead, Resident Life will first pursue a smaller, less expensive building project slated for the varsity practice fields near the Ellicott Community,

Celebrate the fine art of basketball.

See PLAN, Page 3

Celebrate the fine art of basketball.

SPORTS

OPINION

BOUNCING BACK

STAFF EDITORIAL: Pay It Forward model

Despite a recent string of poor play, Terrapins men’s basketball coach Mark Turgeon remains confident in his squad entering tonight’s bout with Penn State P. 8

The higher education funding bill could help with tuition P. 4

Celebrate the fine art of basketball.

DIVERSIONS

HIGH TECH AT SUNDANCE Films are getting a dose of virtual reality P. 6

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is proud to support Maryland Basketball.

Go Terps!

Celebrate the fine art

of basketball.

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is proud to support Maryland Basketball.

Go Terps!

2

THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | wednesday, february 4, 2015

buildings

athletics

From PAGE 1

From PAGE 1

building of the three, but a groundbreaking for Clark Hall was held Nov. 21 and the Hotel at the University of Maryland is slated for construction beginning this spring.

Clark Hall, the engineering school’s planned six-floor biomedical facility, has come under scrutiny by the Maryland Aviation Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration, both of which declared that the research building would be a hazard to air traffic.

T he M A A a nd t he FA A have not ruled on the safety of the Hotel at the University of Maryland, which is substantially taller than Clark Hall at 13 stories.

Bill Olen, the interim executive director for planning and construction with Facilities Ma nagement at t h i s u n ive rs it y, sa id t he design for Clark Hall is still in progress and can change even after groundbreaking has occurred.

The university will wait for a response from Prince George’s County on the matter before a change in design is considered, Olen said. “ We a r e r e q u i r e d t o respond to the county and s t a t e a g e n c i e s . We a r e dealing with MAA and with PG County,” he said. “We a re i n t he pro cess of responding both to the county and to the state.”

D ep end i n g on how t he state and county rule on the issue of air safety, Olen said the university would consider various options, including shortening Clark Hall from its current design — 134 feet above ground level.

“We would really not like to do that, but it’s an option,” he said.

O t he r op t ion s i n c lu d e equipping the building with

The Intercollegiate Athletics Workgroup constructed the department’s financial plan and worked with the university to act on it. In response to the operating losses, the athletic department released a statement to say it was “on target” to meet the objectives laid out by the work group.

“The plan is there,” Evans said. “It’s about being fiscally responsible moving forward to make sure we’re doing the things to keep our eyes on the prize and maintain our objectives.”

The athletic department’s debt came to light in summer 2012 when the university cut seven varsity sports teams.

Former Ath letic Di rector Debbie Yow approved $50 m i l l ion i n renovations to Byrd Stadium in 2007, and the struggle to fund the upgrades contributed to putting the department in a sticky financial spot.

Loh intended for the move to the Big Ten to ease budget issues, but the university paid the ACC $31.4 million in a settlement after a back-andforth legal battle concluded this summer.

Despite Evans’ confidence and Loh’s assertion that the athletic department is on pace to repay its loan from the university, some students on the campus believe the athletic department is struggling in its aim to climb out of debt.

It’s particularly concerning, freshman criminology and criminal justice major Kevin Ellis said, considering the financial struggles of the university that could lead to mid-year tuition hikes.

“The fact that we’re spending so much money on athletics and it’s not giving us more money to work with means it’s draining us,” Ellis said.

“We’re not getting a good deal

kurt SCHNECKENBURGER flies his airplane north toward Baltimore. The College Park Airport, the world’s oldest continually operating airport, is becoming more dangerous to fly from due to construction on and around this university’s campus. james levin/the diamondback hazard lights, as was done with Prince Frederick Hall, which previously had been considered a hazard by the MAA and an obstacle by the FAA. T he FA A a nd t he M A A review buildings projects nea r a i rports, a nd one of t hei r con siderat ion s i s a number of imaginary surfaces around airports that buildings should not penetrate, MAA spokesman Jonathan Dean said. Clark Hall is taller than the maximum height a l lowed nea r the airport.

“T he bu i ld i ng a s designed would penetrate the horizontal surface [of the maximum allowed] by 4 feet,” he said. “The design was 4 feet too high.”

Others at this university have noted, however, that this small height difference should not interfere with the construction of Clark Hall.

Edward Maginnis, a lawyer for this university, spoke at a Dec. 4 board meeting of Maryland-National Capital Pa rk a nd Pl a n n i ng Commission about the issue. He pointed out that Clark Hall

is shorter than the View — which stands at 16 stories — and is 200 feet farther away from the runway. The View was officially ruled a hazard by the MAA, but only considered an obstacle by the FAA. “I haven’t heard anybody say [Clark Hall] is not safe,” Maginnis said at the meeting.

“I’ve heard it’s four feet above an imaginary surface.”

Ultimately, the rulings of both the MAA and the FAA serve as advisories and are not necessarily binding, Dean said. The FAA is currently reviewing the Clark Hall project once again.

Schneckenburger said 4 feet is not much but suggested that if Clark Hall is permitted to be taller than what is considered safe for air traffic, it could pave the way for more buildings being constructed without regard for air safety.

On Saturday, Schneckenburger took his four-seater Piper Cherokee around the College Park area. Aided by the lift of the cold air, he flew close to an altitude of 400 feet, but said he could lose as much

as 100 feet on hot days.

Smaller planes can’t reach the same altitude as larger ones, which could make it difficult to clear nearby buildings in the summer, he said.

In the short term, more buildings and the resulting more difficult flight conditions could mean many pilots will simply stop flying from College Park Airport, he said.

But i n the long term, the increased number of buildings could have larger consequences.

“The airport is over 100 years old,” Schneckenburger wrote in an email.

“It has seen a lot of change over that time — most of it coming in the last decade or so. If enough buildings that penetrate the protected su rfaces a rou nd the airport are built — at some poi nt t he a i r por t could lose its operating license and be closed. The only thing left will be the museum.”

BY THE NUMBERS

$3.5 million

This university’s athletic department’s operating losses during fiscal year 2014

25 percent Increase in football ticket sales this past season. Big Ten revenue installments will help with the department’s debt from that standpoint.”

In December, the university system Board of Regents approved plans to transform Cole Field House into a $155 million football practice facility funded primarily through private donations.

Athletic Director Kevin Anderson said in November the renovations will not push the athletic department further in debt, and the department raised $45 million for the project by December.

“We’re going to reach all of our financial goals we’ve set over the next few years,” Anderson said. “The gifts to our university and future fundraising efforts will make an indoor football facility possible while keeping us on track for our financial projections.”

Loh, Anderson and other ad m i n i st rators h ave e xpressed a firm belief that Big Ten revenue and ticket sale increases will help the department climb out of debt and avoid future financial trouble.

But Evans recognizes it won’t be easy to sidestep economic issues because many athletic departments across the country are in the same position as this university’s, he said.

“Our challenges are not unique,” Evans said. “Exp end it u res of t he NC A A continue to increase across the country, and we have to maintain our commitment by following through with the plan in place.”

Celebrate the fine Celebrate theartfine a of basketball. of the basketball.

Celebrate fine art Celebrate the fine art jzimmermanndbk@gmail.com

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Celebrate the fine art of basketball. of basketball.

of basketball.

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is proud to support Maryland Basketball.

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center Arts Center The Clarice Smith Performing Go Terps! proudSmith to support Maryland Basketball.

TheisClarice Performing Center is proud toArts support Maryland Basketball. is proud to support Maryland Basketball.

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wednesday, february 4, 2015 | news | The Diamondback

3

U holds ‘teach-in’ to ignite race issue discussion Speakers, guests remember ‘Black Lives Matter’ origin

By Lexie Schapitl @lexieschapitl Staff writer W hen sophomore government and politics major Hayoung Yoo arrived for her sociology class yesterday, she expected to hear a regularly scheduled lecture from her professor, Rashawn Ray. But Ray’s class, SOCY224: W hy a re We Still Ta lking About Race, was instead part of the audience for the first of many “teach-ins” regarding racial issues to be held at this university.

Throughout the semester, a coalition of organizations on the campus, including Bl ack L ives M atter U M D and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, will host talks and public events regarding campuswide and nationwide race relations.

Kanisha Bond, a government and politics professor, spoke yesterday to more than 100 people — including several University Police officers — in an Art-Sociology Building lecture hall about the origins of the Black Lives Matter movement to fuel a better understanding of the social action going on.

“There’s kind of a myth that people at a university like the University of Maryland are not racist,” Chief Diversity Officer Kumea Shorter-Gooden said.

“We haven’t shot anybody.

We haven’t killed anybody. A Michael Brown incident has not happened here, so we’re not racist.”

Shorter-Gooden said the Black Lives Matter movement aims to raise awareness about how black people are perceived and treated by society. She said she hopes discussing racial issues on the campus can help members of the university community combat

cameron jackson takes a selfie while tabling outside Stamp Student Union yesterday. He is one of many students campaigning to strengthen the Clean Water Act. josh loock/the diamondback

water From PAGE 1

STUDENTS listen to Kanisha Bond, a government and politics professor, speak about the Black Lives Matter movement during a teach-in yesterday. The discussion concluded with an open dialogue about what the campus can do to participate. rachel george/the diamondback stereotypes and create change.

But Shorter-Gooden also said more subtle forms of racism exist on the campus, which cannot be addressed if they are not discussed.

The “Black Lives Matter” slogan originated when “three black, queer women” — Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi and Patrisse Cullors — posted the phrase on Facebook in 2012, and it resonated with others, Bond said.

“T his movement comes from everyone in this room,” she said. “T he movement comes from people.”

Bond also said any social movement could be attributed to two conditions: lighters and sparks. Lighters are the preconditions that set the stage for movements to occur, while sparks are direct, proximate causes or specific events that spur the movement, she said.

Referring to a black social movement specifically, Bond named several common lighters and sparks, including the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, as well as the systematic marginalization of black people.

She said this marginalization also affects all minority groups, women, the poor and the LGBT community and dates back to the Three-Fifths Compromise.

“What social movement

“WHAT SOCIAL MOVEMENT ALLOWS US TO DO IS TO SAY, ‘IF WE DON’T LIKE THIS INSTITUTION, WE CAN CONFRONT IT, AND OUR CONFRONTATION IS MEANINGFUL.’” KANISHA BOND

Government and politics professor

“This event was so eyeopen i ng,” she sa id. “It talked about very relevant issues, so I think this campaign is really great and I hope that people continue supporting it.”

C ol i n B y rd , a s e n i o r sociology major and soci a l advocacy ch a i rman for the Black Student Union, said he found the p re s e nt at ion i nte re s ti ng a nd “u n fortu nately necessary.” While he said he thinks race relations on this campus have improved over time, there is sti l l “a lot of work to be done.”

“It was really good that a lot of people that may not necessarily have an intrinsic interest in the topic ca me, or i n some cases, were requ i red to come,” Byrd said. “I think it wa s a g reat lea r n i ng experience.”

If students feel motivated to make a change, Bond said, all actions, such as changing one’s language to donating money or attending a rally, can contribute to the cause.

“Participation … doesn’t always have to be grand,” Bond said. “But in every action, there is power.”

allows us to do is to say, ‘If we don’t like this institution, we can confront it, and our confrontation is meaningful,’” Bond said.

Tasneem Siddiqui, a University of Southern California doctoral candidate, also ex pla i ned yesterday that the modern-day Black Lives Matter movement is rooted in black radical traditions and is a continuation of the C iv i l R i g ht s M o v e m e nt.

I nstead of respond i ng to Jim Crow laws’ segregation and denied suffrage, people respond to structural conditions, such as oppressive policing, gentrification and mass incarceration.

“T h is is not someth ing new,” she said. “It’s something that’s continuous.”

Yoo said the presentation was a pleasant surprise, and she would consider attending similar events in the future. lschapitldbk@gmail.com

forward From PAGE 1

deb grandner, Department of Resident Life director, speaks during the RHA meeting yesterday in Oakland Hall. sung-min kim/the diamondback

plan From PAGE 1 Grandner said. On the field, officials plan to construct two new dorms, add 850 beds and build a new dining hall that ultimately will replace the North Campus Dining Hall, she said.

The Varsity Practice Field project will cost about half as much as the Academic Village, about $82 million, Dooley said.

Residence Hall Association President Sree Sinha has been working with Resident Life officials to implement and adjust the Strategic Plan, and she said these changes seem like the best option for the campus after analyzing the cuts.

“From the beginning, the Strategic Housing Plan has been just that — a plan. The idea was to have a vision for the next 15 years, and then adjust accordingly from there,” Sinha said. “I think that the Varsity Practice Field is a fantastic area for development, and

will be great for North Campus given the dining and academic spaces that the plan includes.”

The Varsity Practice Field project was scheduled for completion in fall 2021, but Grandner said she now foresees construction starting in fall 2019 and being completed within 18 to 24 months. A more permanent, rescheduled timeline for Academic Village construction and other projects is still in discussions, she said, but the department is looking into new ways to earn funds for the project while keeping costs reasonable for students.

Sasha Galbreath, R HA’s Resident Life Advisory Committee chairwoman, said she is worried postponing the Academic Village may affect students’ attraction to the campus. The project was supposed to add greater academic value to campus housing, she said, but it might not work out as planned because of the several construction projects lined up.

“I do think it will affect the draw, but hopefully our future students will understand that it’s for the betterment of our campus in the long run,” she said. “Going forward, we’re taking it day by day. Especially with the Maryland budget cuts.”

But Dooley said he isn’t worried about whether changes in the plan would negatively impact students’ abilities or desire to live on the campus.

“P utt i ng for wa rd t he Varsity site over Lot 1 still w i l l a d d re s s o c c u p a n c y demand once the new buildings come,” Dooley said.

Gra nd ner sa id other aspects of the strategic plan are moving forward as scheduled, including the renovation of Cambridge Hall to begin this summer. Still, she said the department must adhere to a “very tight budget” in completing planned updates to Cambridge Hall. meichensehrdbk@gmail.com

CORRECTION Due to a reporting error, the CEO of MdBio Foundation Inc. was incorrectly named as Ben Gaines in Tuesday’s story “Univ students aim to create, improve on medical care models in new competition.” His name is Brian Gaines.

Due to a source error, in Tuesday’s story “Loh: Spring tuition rise permanent,” it was incorrectly stated that the university will be increasing tuition by 2 percent each spring semester. The university will only continue to see additional funds generated by the tuition increase announced Jan. 16.

committee hearing Tuesday afternoon.

In addition to taking the financial burden off students and incentivizing universities to equip their students for t he workforce, Ronk said that a Pay It Forward program would allow students to choose a field based on their passions and not money.

“The current system of paying for college is unsustainable,” Ronk said in his testimony. “We’ve come to the poi nt where just keeping tuition increases low is not enough. As we say at UMCP, we need to be driven by fearless ideas for a better future, and the Pay It Forward Program could be one of those fearless ideas.”

In order to implement t he prog ra m, t he state w o u l d n e e d to m a k e a

aren’t protected,” the junior environmental science and policy major said.

To help raise awareness of the issue, members of MaryPIRG tabled outside of Stamp Student Union on Tuesday and asked students to send photo petitions to U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin.

Aber sa id he hopes the photo petitions can help push Cardin, who Aber said is a “champion” for environmental issues, to vocally support the proposed changes to the Clean Water Act. “Having a table in front of Stamp allows young voters to learn about the issue and tel l B en Ca rd i n to s p e a k up,” Aber said. “We need him to be an active voice at his hearings and any other subsequent meetings to talk about why these rules need to go into effect to protect b o d i e s o f w a te r l i k e t h e Chesapeake Bay.” Getting students involved is important because they are, as a whole, more knowledgeable and passionate about environmntal issues than the general public, said Ori Gutin, Student Sustainability Committee director.

“It won’t matter what job or deg ree you have i f you live in a place so polluted t h at you c a n’t d r i n k t he water,” the junior environmental science and policy major said. “College is about getting educated to go into the real world, but it’s also about having a clean world to live in.”

to close that loophole and fix the wording so more bodies of water are covered,” the junior English and environmental science and policy major said.

“This is important because every year, millions of tons of toxic waste are dumped into the Chesapeake Bay by local rivers.”

T hough the nav igable Chesapeake Bay is currently covered, many argued it is not fully protected because many of the streams that flow into it are not.

The Chesapeake Bay isn’t the only body of water affected by the limitations on the Clean Water Act, Folger said. About half of bodies of water nationwide aren’t protected following the two court decisions, with that number jumping to 59 percent in this state, Folger said.

More t h a n 200 m i l l ion pounds of toxic chemicals are dumped into this country’s waterways annually, according to The Baltimore Sun. Folger, along with other members of MaryPIRG, designated the Clean Water Act as their main campaign of the semester. Aaron Aber, the group’s treasurer and media coordinator, said his passion stems from the Clean Water Act’s crucial role in protecting the Chesapeake Bay. “The Chesapeake Bay is a symbol of the state of Maryland, and a lot of Maryland’s waterways and other bodies of water that go into the Bay jmagnessdbk@gmail.com

large initial investment until the revenue generated from graduates’ wages becomes enough to make the program self-sustaining, Reznik said.

University System of Maryland Vice Chancellor P.J. Hogan, who testified in opposition to the bill, estimated it would cost the state about $2 billion.

“We know the state does not have that kind of money, the institutions cannot fund that kind of money,” Hogan said.

“It’s a wonderful idea, it’s just not realistic.”

John Burbank, executive director of the Economic Opportunity Institute, developed the Pay It Forward concept and has worked closely with states trying to study and test the program.

While no states have fully implemented the program, he sa id 12 a re study i ng it and Oregon is developing a pilot program.

A version of this bill was proposed in 2014, but it died

after receiving an unfavorable report from the committee.

Burbank, who also testified at Tuesday’s hearing, said Oregon’s pilot program will be funded through lottery revenue. He emphasized that each state is different and can work to find an appropriate funding solution.

One solution he suggested for this state was a slight increase in the estate tax, which is taken from a person’s remaining wealth after they die.

Ultimately, Burbank said, a Pay It Forward program will be self-sustaining and c re ate opp or t u n it ie s for less fortunate individuals to attend college and achieve financial stability.

“It demolishes the psychological and the financial barriers of applying to college,” Burbank said. “It demolishes the sticker price, and that’s really important to get people to access higher education.” jbanisterdbk@gmail.com

MORE ONLINE

photo courtesy of maria oei

Univ pre-dental students travel to Honduras over winter break Nineteen university pre-dental students traveled to Honduras and, along with children from rural communities there, sang a song 20 times a day to emphasize keeping teeth healthy.

“Brush, brush, brush your teeth, In the front, the back, the gums and the tongue, Three times, three times, three times each day, In circles, in circles, after you eat.”

The song, which students sang in Spanish, was part of this university’s Global Dental Brigades chapter’s January weeklong trip.

For more of staff writer Grace Toohey’s story, visit dbknews.com.

4

THE DIAMONDBACK | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015

OPINION

EDITORIAL BOARD

sity’s arts and humanities college. An even more disconcerting thought is that if the number of liberal arts students continues to decline, will that mean that these programs may not receive fair and adequate attention and funding from university officials?

Even though I’m probably biased, the reason why there aren’t enough English majors to fill a classroom in Tawes Hall is because the English major and all other liberal arts majors are not marketed well enough by those who have the power to change the perception of the humanities.

Right now, the English department does a great job of catering to the wants and needs of current English majors with its lecture series, weekly istserv emails, graduate school round tables and the ARHU Career Series.

These might be enough to satisfy those of us who are in it to win it with an English degree, but it definitely isn’t enough to sway freshmen who aren’t sure whether they should follow in their parents’ footsteps and become a broker or a nurse or if they should forge their own path in the liberal arts.

Arts and humanities officials need to get out there and crusade to increase enrollment in their majors.

The quality of the education isn’t doubted, but the prospects for a student’s professional future are.

Officials need to figure out a way to provide a plethora of internships to potential students that can lead to jobs and an avenue to get there with liberal arts degrees.

Liberal arts students have already done their part by taking the road less traveled. It’s up to our mentors, professors, advisers and any other educational official to turn heads in the academic and professional fields.

JUNIOR

I

Editor in Chief

MATT SCHNABEL Managing Editor

NATE RABNER

Deputy Managing Editor

CAROLINE CARLSON

MAGGIE CASSIDY

Opinion Editor

Opinion Editor

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

Saving the arts and humanities majors MAGGIE CASSIDY

Laura Blasey

’m no stranger to the woes of being an English major. Answering the asinine questions of what route — if any route — will I go with my degree or why did I choose to major in English grows wearisome. I used to think that the rest of this university’s English majors faced the questions in solidarity so we could band together and face all of the STEM majors head-on. However, in order for solidarity to work, you have to numbers, and right now, the number of English majors is dropping all too quickly.

The Diamondback reported Monday that English major enrollment at this university has decreased about 40 percent over the past three years. Now, it’s not as though a few of the slow readers from the major jumped ship for fiscally stable lands over a long period of time. Instead it seems as though the English major is the Titanic, and there aren’t enough finance, psychology or biochemistry lifeboats to go around.

It’s not a secret that those who study the liberal arts sometimes experience professional hardship in their lives come post-grad season. There are studies upon studies out there that tell any wide-eyed high school senior to steer clear of the arts and humanities unless they want to teach, pursue academia, go to law school or worse, work as server or barista.

This university’s arts and humanities dean, Bonnie Thornton Dill, stated that there was a healthy increase of student enrollment in the liberal arts area between the years of 2001 and 2010.

However, that healthy increase took a sudden turn in 2012, and the population of students studying the arts and humanities decreased 18 percent in just three years. If the percentages of students in the arts and humanities Maggie Cassidy is a junior English continue to drop at this rate, few to no major. She can be reached at students will be enrolled in this univer- mcassidydbk@gmail.com.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Trying to pay it forward

T

he last few years have been tough on this state’s economy, and Gov. Larry Hogan inherited a fiscal mess. During November’s elections, this editorial board endorsed Hogan for his promises of fiscal restraint, and following the release of the governor’s fiscal year 2015 budget, it’s clear that cuts and strong measures were needed.

Hogan’s budget was based on an expected $750 million revenue shortfall, and it included University System of Maryland projections of a 5 percent tuition increase, even with the governor proposing a $15.4 million increase in funding for the university system.

Additionally, state budget cuts at the end of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s term resulted in a 2 percent midyear tuition increase at this university and staff furloughs.

It’s unfortunate that tuition needs to increase as a result, but that’s the price we pay to attend college in this state. Instead, we need to focus our energies on finding ways to keep higher education as affordable as possible, and that’s why this editorial board supports the higher education funding model bill making its way through the House of Delegates.

The bill, co-sponsored by Del. K irill Reznik (D-Montgomery), could require the university system to explore the feasibility of a Pay It Forward model for managing tuition costs and report its findings by the end of 2015.

Pay It Forward allows students to attend a state university at no cost during their college years, instead deducting the cost as a small portion of their postgraduate paychecks over 20 years. The bill wouldn’t implement the system, but rather would encourage university system officials and legislators to consider new ways of helping this state’s students make it through college.

OUR VIEW

In light of the state’s deficit, we support efforts to find a long-term strategy for keeping college costs low.

The idea was first introduced in Oregon. It was panned by experts and legislators, who deemed it too risky and expensive after a review found that even a small pilot program of 4,000 students could cost up to $20 million and take more than 20 years for the state to break even. Oregon is, however, moving forward with a pilot program plan to be funded through lottery revenue, Economic Opportunity Institute Executive Director John Burbank told The Diamondback, with 12 other states studying similiar programs.

The same can’t be said, however, for this state — though Reznik and a group of legislators proposed the EDITORIAL CARTOON

LAURA BLASEY, Editor in Chief MATT SCHNABEL, Managing Editor NATE RABNER, Deputy Managing Editor JORDAN BRANCH, Assistant Managing Editor BRITTANY CHENG, Assistant Managing Editor ERIN SERPICO, News Editor TEDDY AMENABAR, Online Managing Editor NICK GALLAGHER, Asst. Online Managing Editor MOLLY PODLESNY Asst. Online Managing Editor KELSEY SUTTON, Design Editor CAROLINE CARLSON, Opinion Editor MAGGIE CASSIDY, Opinion Editor BEENA RAGHAVENDRAN, Diversions Editor ERIC BRICKER, Diversions Editor AARON KASINITZ, Sports Editor DANIEL POPPER, Assistant Sports Editor CHRISTIAN JENKINS, Photo Editor JAMES LEVIN, Photo Editor KAI KEEFE, Multimedia Editor JENNY HOTTLE, General Assignment Editor

Alex chiang /the diamondback

EDITORIAL BOARD Laura Blasey, editor in chief, is a senior journalism major.

She has worked as a reporter, assistant news editor and news editor.

MATT SCHNABEL, managing editor, is a junior journalism major.

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

NATE RABNER, deputy managing editor, is a junior journalism major. He has worked as a copy editor and assistant managing editor.

CAROLINE CARLSON, opinion editor, is a senior government and politics and information systems major. She has worked as an assistant opinion editor and columnist.

MaGGIE CASSIDY, opinion editor, is a junior English major.

She has worked as an assistant opinion editor and columnist.

bill last year, it died after receiving an unfavorable report from the Senate appropriations committee.

It’s true that the upfront costs are daunting and perhaps unworkable.

Oregon students have a similar level of debt to students in this state and also pay similar tuition rates at their largest respective state universities, according to the Project on Student Debt. Both states rank in the middle of the pack for average student debt, with this state taking the 26th spot nationally and Oregon sitting at 30 for 2013.

University system officials were right to question the impact of the costs in February 2014 and again at yesterday’s hearing. There’s also the matter of ensuring that future education revenue isn’t damaged by graduates who violate the terms of their payment agreements.

As tuition increases, debt accelerates and cuts are made to federal and state loan programs, it’s a mistake to not consider all the options and discuss new ideas. We won’t know exactly how a program of this kind would impact this state until someone does the research. Tuition caps are only temporary, and we support this bill with the hope that it will open the door for further conversations about innovation in college affordability.

As Student Government Association President Patrick Ronk said in his testimony to the appropriations committee yesterday, “We need to be driven by fearless ideas for a better future.”

AIR YOUR VIEWS

Address your letters or guest columns to Caroline Carlson and Maggie Cassidy 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.

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Achieving equality through investments CHARLIE BULMAN JUNIOR

B

attling inequality remains the order of the day. At least that was the takeaway from the 2015 State of the Union address, in which President Obama proposed a package of new tax changes. The president’s plan coupled expanded childcare and education tax credits with tax hikes on investment and inheritance — a trade-off the administration billed as funding middle class-friendly initiatives by improving tax fairness.

The proposal includes an increase on the top investment tax to 28 percent from the current rate of 23.8 percent, a move that acknowledges the role of outsize capital gains for the wealthy in driving the recent surge in income

inequality. For instance, in 2012, a year in which the Standard & Poor 500 index rose 13.4 percent, the top 1 percent received 71 percent of all capital gains, according to the Tax Policy Center. While Obama attempts to tax a greater slice of wealthy investor’s earnings, millennials should learn from the lessons of the recovery and tap into new financial technologies that are making investors rich (or richer).

Obama is right: soaring inequality is a direct consequence of low taxes on capital gains. A 2012 report from the Congressional Research Service found that tax cuts on income and dividends were the largest cause of rising income inequality from 1996 to 2006. But Obama and organizations such as Occupy Wall Street that rail against policies skewed in favor of the wealthy miss differences in financial decision-making between the

wealthy and ordinary Americans that also fuel inequality.

Research from University of Michigan economists Bing Chen and Frank Safford of the confirms what many Americans have long suspected: The rich won the recovery. But it was market timing that made the difference.

Stock market valuations often run in cycles. Accordingly, after the S&P 500 index plunged 36.55 percent in 2008 during the financial crisis, the index notched gains in every year since. This opportunity wasn’t lost on the wealthiest 10 percent of American families, who piled into cheap stocks from 2008 through 2010. Unfortunately, the downturn triggered a huge selloff among the other 90 percent as spooked investors locked in steep losses and missed out on the ensuing upswing.

Financial know-how allowed

wealthy, generally older investors to take advantage of the recovery.

But with a bit of education, millenials can use the market to succeed too. Stocks are notoriously hard to pick, and few people can consistently select shares that outperform major market indexes, such as the S&P 500. But with mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, new investors can purchase a diversified basket of stocks for a fraction of the cost of buying each stock separately. This allows inexperienced traders to benefit from market upswings without the risk or hassle of picking stocks.

For many young people, $9 or even $5 commissions on trades is discouraging. Robinhood, a new online broker, is revolutionizing trading through no-cost trades. By turning to an online-only model and cutting out brick-and-mortar locations to save costs, Robinhood’s

founders are banking on young, tech-savvy traders to carry the app-based brokerage to success.

Getting into the market young can yield significant gains in the long run. Of course, as the unevenness of the recovery suggests, financial education is the key ingredient to success. However, the Internet, and especially free educational sites such as Investopedia and Khan Academy, are making financial information more accessible than ever.

As President Obama knows, the rich won the recovery. But with the arsenal of educational sites, lowcost funds and tech-accessible brokerages available today, millenials should be ready for the next opportunity.

Charlie Bulman is a junior government and politics and history major. He can be reached at cbulmandbk@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.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015 | The Diamondback

5

FEATURES CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Chopped a tree down 7 Hex halved 10 Meadow rodent 14 Form a thought 15 Lib. section 16 Orchidlike blossom 17 Gleeful shout 18 Gridiron meas.

19 Nurses a drink 20 Optical toy 23 Connoisseur 26 “Have you -wool?”

27 Obie relatives 28 Heavy hydrogen discoverer 29 Internet suffix 30 Holtz of ESPN 31 Howard or Guidry 32 Mobster’s piece 33 Charming 37 --, amas, amat 38 Hearth residue 39 Vane dir.

40 Expensive gift 41 Type of eel 43 Dog tags, e.g.

44 Gator Bowl st.

45 USN rank 46 Rollover subj.

47 Dog and cat 48 Alan Ladd film

51 Conclude 52 Hawk’s lair 53 Moan-ful place?

(2 wds.)

56 This, in Havana 57 Size above med.

58 Takes a powder 62 Harrow rival 63 Cakelike cookie 64 Brief snooze 65 History 66 Still exist 67 On horseback

29 30 32 33 34

Caravan halts Darnell or Hunt Red gemstone Goofball Job seeker’s desire

35 “Vitamin” lead-in 36 Clean the board 42 Banner 46 Be a natural part 47 Squinted at

48 49 50 51 52

Collie’s charge “-- la vista!”

Gas guzzlers Degas or Cayce PC character code

54 Isle of exile 55 Soyuz launcher 59 “Just -- -thought!”

60 Geol. formation 61 Decline

DOWN 1 Not care a -2 Tokyo, to shoguns 3 Endorse 4 Toady 5 Fictional Frome 6 Bargain 7 Irksome 8 “I Am Woman” singer 9 Then (2 wds.)

10 Sticky 11 Hunter constellation 12 Insolent 13 Slalom runs 21 Uninhibited 22 Moraine contents 23 Pompeii art 24 Bakery lure 25 Snake toxin

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HOROSCOPE | STELLA WILDER

orn today, you will never sit back and let the world turn without you. You are determined to take part, to stake your claim to that which you feel is yours by rights, to have an impact and to enjoy the success you know you deserve. You do understand, of course, that such success is not something that will come to you as a matter of course, and that the good things in life will not be handed to you on a silver platter! You will have to work for what you want -- and work for it you will -- but you’re not about to stand for letting others put obstacles in your way for any reason. You know how to put your foot down, how to say “enough is enough” and how to influence those around you for the better.

When it comes to your personal life, you are something of a mystery to many; you don’t feel that it is necessary for you to share certain parts of yourself with anyone but your closest friends and loved ones. Even those in your inner circle must come to terms with the fact that there are things about you that they will never know.

Also born on this date are: Rosa Parks, civil rights activist; Alice Cooper, singer; Rob Corddry, actor and comedian; Oscar De La Hoya, boxer; Natalie Imbruglia, singer; Charles Lindbergh, aviator; Lawrence Taylor, football player; Gabrielle Anwar, actress; Clint Black, singer; David Brenner, comedian; Dan Quayle, U.S. senator and vice president; Ida Lupino, actress; Arthur A. Ross, screenwriter.

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.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5 AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- If there’s something you really want, you’d better go after it, because you’re not the only one. Yes, a race has now begun!

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -- You can enjoy some social time with those who are usually “under” you in some way, either professionally or personally.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- You may be running out of time, so today is the day to tell that certain someone what you expect -- and what you’re willing to give in return.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -Now is the time for you to give another everything that you think he or she needs. Trust your instincts, and know you’re on the right track.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -You may think that what someone has to offer is entirely inappropriate, but in fact, that person has his or her finger on the pulse of the group.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -Give yourself all the time you need to come up with a workable solution to a tricky problem. It’s better to be right than quick.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- You can get much done, and it doesn’t even have to relate to your primary objective. What counts is productivity.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -That which seems a certain way will likely prove to be entirely different, but you can work with it no matter how it comes out in the end.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -You’ll enjoy sharing what you have with those who you know will appreciate both your efforts and the original idea.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- You may find yourself thinking about a better time, but in fact, you’re on the verge of something that could be just as good.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- You may be further away from a cherished goal than you have been in the past, but you mustn’t lose heart; it is still in sight.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Someone with whom you have shared a great deal may express his or her disappointment, but you can reverse this, surely.

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THE DIAMONDBACK | wednesday, february 4, 2015

CAN’T TOUCH THIS

ALL THE CRAP YOU CARE ABOUT

DIVERSIONS

The poster for Channing Tatum’s Magic Mike XXL, the sequel to Magic Mike, due in theaters this summer, hit the Internet yesterday; it features Tatum pointing to a provocative body part.

project syria director Nonny de la Peña calls his project “immersive journalism.” It puts viewers in Syria in a rocket attack using virtual reality. photos courtesy of (from left): “project syria demo” on youtube, “project syria: an immersive journalism experience” on youtube, “project syria demo” on youtube ESSAY | VIRTUAL REALITY AT SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

brave new world Sundance Film Festival’s New Frontier section is highlighting virtual reality films and projects — a form that is changing the entertainment landscape

By Jonathan Raeder @jonraeder Staff writer Music, visual art, dance, literature, film, television, video games and now the latest medium of human expression is about to begin.

The recent Sundance Film Festival featured the debut of a vast panorama of indie films, but it also showcased a new form of art that’s likely to gain traction in the next few years. Building off the advances in virtual reality, like the now-famous Oculus Rift, virtual reality technology is being used to create an entirely new form of media. The name for this strange art hasn’t yet been chosen, but it’s somewhere between a film and a video game. Sundance’s New

Frontier exhibition featured several of these projects.

For example, consider Nonny de la Peña’s creation Project Syria.

Wearing a virtual reality headset, the user walks through a simulation of a war-torn street in Aleppo. Rockets fire, screams erupt, smoke fills the skies … and the user can do nothing about it. It’s a startling change from video games, which generally require some type of user input, but it’s more immersive and inherently different than a film. This type of technology is a way to take an experience and make someone else live through it instead of just watching it.

The festival also showed the debut of 1979 Revolution, created by the former cinematic director of Grand Theft Auto Navid Khon-

sari and documentary filmmaker Vassiliki Khonsari. The visual style is reminiscent of a video game, featuring exaggerated cartoon graphics, but the story is that of the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

The examples of virtual reality games/films from Sundance Film Festival are mostly in this same vein, showing users tense, historically relevant worlds and events that they would have never otherwise experienced, devoid of the ability to act. But if this technology takes off and this type of art becomes widespread, it could be used for many other purposes: artistic, educational and entertaining.

Imagine the possibilities of a photorealistic walk across Mars or a recreation of Victorian London or

even Hogwarts. Picture a strange collection of visions and sounds more immersive than any film or game yet made. Think of the incredibly powerful storytelling that could come from free-roaming a world and seeing what unfolds, unable to intervene. What happens when we can intervene, choose to interact with an ongoing story at different times and change the narrative completely? It’s hard not to be insanely hyped and a little apprehensive about this coming change, as various projects like it haven’t always panned out.

Like all new forms of media, this one is likely going to have its growing pains, and it will take a while before it’s accepted as entertainment and a legitimate art

form. Nevertheless, it’s exciting to see the growth of the art world happening so quickly. Virtual reality technology was once something consigned to science fiction, but so were portable video-talking devices with robotic helpers. Now we have those in our pockets.

Technology is continuing its rapid ascent, but it’s comforting to know that even as the world gets more complex, art will continue to grow with it. In just a few years, we might look back at examples like Project Syria and 1979 Revolution with a little laugh at how primitive they were, back in the days before our fictional worlds were almost indistinguishable from our real one. jraederdbk@gmail.com

ESSAY | KROLL SHOW

kroll show is a troll show Nick Kroll’s sketch show pokes fun at the derivative and repetitive nature of TV with sketches about characters in its own little world

By Danny Parisi @DBKDiversions For The Diamondback Kroll Show, Nick Kroll’s delightfully absurd sketch show, just entered its third and final season on Jan. 13.

Three seasons may seem like a short run, but Kroll’s “sketch-uational” comedy (a term Seth Meyers used to reference the show, a nod to the narrative style in its sketches) wasted so little time getting started and packed so much into each episode that it has already done more in just two years than most shows can in twice as long.

In the episode “Too Much Tuna” from the first season, the cold open has Kroll debuting his show to a robot, who is a perfect amalgamation of the 18- to 34-year-old male demographic. The robot instantly destroys the TV and then murders Kroll. It’s funny, sure, but it also shows the self-awareness of the

show. Kroll understands who his audience is — the people raised on TV but sick of how endlessly unoriginal it can be. His sketches mercilessly ridicule the inanity of television but require a thorough knowledge of that kind of programming in order to fully get it. I’m reminded of my mother scoffing that Fifty Shades of Grey was the most disgusting thing she’d ever read as she left to go buy Fifty Shades Darker, its sequel. Kroll’s viewers are the robots and Kroll is serving up something that short-circuits the brain — a loud and boisterous television show that expertly critiques loud, boisterous television.

The show’s main target is the near-endless hours of exploitative footage milked from the lives of strange and ultimately sad people in reality TV. Rich Dicks satirizes the addicting catharsis of watching vapid rich people on TV; the Pub-

LIZity sketch satirizes the love of drama-fueled meltdowns; C-Czar is pretty much an adult Honey Boo Boo, a character whose funny mannerisms and strange decisions overshadow a legitimately depressing background. Characters get recycled in endless reality shows, spin-offs, specials and commercials.

“KROLL ENVISIONS A WORLD WHERE JOKES DON’T GET DISCARDED WHEN THEY’VE RUN THEIR COURSE; THEY JUST GET THEIR OWN REALITY SHOWS.” Every sketch is a fragment of a piece of fictional media from the bizarro pop-culture universe Kroll has created. It might be the first epistolary television show. Watching Kroll Show is like tuning into a

channel being broadcast from an alternate dimension in a dystopian world in which everyone is eternally chained to their televisions, forced to watch increasingly strange programs featuring the same faces until their entire understanding of reality collapses into itself.

But that’s the beauty of Kroll’s decision to end the show after just three seasons. One of the primary things Kroll Show rails against is the endless recycling of ideas and previously successful gimmicks in television. The characters star in spin-offs of spin-offs in an endlessly recursive spiral, repeating until you don’t even remember how you were introduced to them in the beginning.

This happens all over. When a Saturday Night Live sketch goes viral, the next few weeks are plastered with redoes of that sketch. When there’s a fun new YouTube sensation, it gets recycled a thousand

times until it’s discarded.

Even the critically acclaimed Key & Peele is guilty of this — the duo just released its third iteration of the East-West Bowl sketch.

Kroll envisions a world where jokes don’t get discarded when they’ve run their course; they just get their own reality shows. Kroll Show itself avoids one of the main flaws it depicts in its internal shows: It ends.

The show is a masterful work of sketch comedy. Kroll Show is more than just a collection of discrete comedic pieces; it’s a complex whole woven with conceptually relevant threads. It’s a show with a vision lampooning shows with no vision, meaningful absurdism that decries meaningless realism.

Its conclusion mocks the idea of a televised wasteland with no end in sight. diversionsdbk@gmail.com

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015 | SPORTS | THE DIAMONDBACK

guard melo trimble rises for a layup in a victory over Northwestern. Trimble and the Terps lost the next game by 24 points at Ohio State. alexanderjonesi/thediamondback

LIONS From PAGE 8 past three games by at least 19 points, sandwiching a narrow win at home over last-place Northwestern between the two blowouts.

But Turgeon doesn’t want his players to lose confidence as they move into the second half of their Big Ten schedule.

“His message was just that we’re fine,” Layman said.

The Terps (18-4, 6-3 Big Ten) hope they can steady themselves tonight against the N ittany Lions, who sit at 12th in the Big Ten standings. The key to that, Turgeon and several of his players believe, is to find more success on the offensive end of the floor.

lacrosse From PAGE 8 2014. Meanwhile, midfielder Mike Chanenchuk, who led the Terps with 36 goals, graduated. Rambo scored 30 goals last season and would be the Terps’ top returning scorer.

For now, though, Rambo will have to prove himself worthy of his second chance. “[Rambo] is doing a great job with the things we’ve asked him to do,” Tillman said. “Once he gets to the point where I feel like he can represent Maryland, he will be back on the field.”

BATTLE IN NET The offense isn’t the only component of Tillman’s squad facing change, as the coach will begin a season in College Park for the first time without goalkeeper Niko Amato.

Amato, the 2014 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, logged 964 minutes last season, while goalkeepers Kyle Bernlohr and Thomas Guarino combined for less than 56 minutes.

Last week, Bernlohr was one of three Terps named to the Big Ten men’s lacrosse Players to Watch list. And while Tillman maintained that Bernlohr is “in the lead” to succeed Amato, he has been impressed with sophomore goalkeeper Dan Morris’ play lately.

“I really felt like after the fall, Kyle had separated himself a little bit, but Danny was certainly in the conversation,”

notebook From PAGE 8 us,” Epperson said. “Having my cousin there, it was no pressure at all. We get along really well, and she’s one of my best friends, so I was just so excited, and I always had a smile on my face, and I was really enjoying tonight.”

Finishing in first place on uneven bars and tied for first place on the vault with Terps seniors Katy Dodds and Shannon Skochko, Epperson was named Big Ten Event

Though Trimble and guard Dez Wells each received attention for their offensive prowess during the Terps’ hot start, the team ranks last in conference play with a 38.6 field-goal percentage. “ I t ’ s r e a l s i m p l e ,” Turgeon said. “We just got to move the ball and move our bodies and don’t settle.

Things were coming too easy for us, and we settled.

We’ve been working on it this week. Hopefully we can become more consistent offensively in our shot selection.”

Layman and guard Richaud Pack agree. Turgeon decided to implement the motion offense this season, a system predicated on floor spacing and crisp ball movement.

Those factors have been lacking during the Terps’ recent slump, so Turgeon had his players count their passes during possessions this week in practice.

“It’s completely mental,” Pack said. “When the ball doesn’t move, we don’t score as much.”

The Terps will get a crack at finding their offensive rhythm on the heels of a five-day layoff against a Penn State team that ranks 1 1 t h i n t h e c o n fe re n c e in field-goal percentage defense. Still, Wednesday’s matchup presents it’s share of challenges.

Guard D.J. Newbill leads the Big Ten with 21.5 points per game, and Turgeon repeatedly called the Nittany Lions a “tough-minded team.”

Tillman said. “Danny’s made a lot of progress over the last few weeks.”

Bernlohr, who was named the No. 4 freshman goalkeeper in the nation in 2013

by Inside Lacrosse, hasn’t started a college game yet. But with the season imminent, the Dallas native’s stock appears to be rising on a team with four goalkeepers.

“We feel like we have two guys right now that we could play,” Tillman said. “We feel very confident both of those guys would play well for us.”

SCRIMMAGES The Terps begin preseason play with a 4 p.m. scrimmage at Towson today before hosting Cornell on Saturday.

T illman said he scheduled the scrimmages close together to prepare his team for quick turnarounds they’ll endure during the regular season. “ O u r g u ys h a ve b e e n beating each other up in practice everyday for three-plus weeks,” Tillman said. “So I know they’re excited just to play against someone else.”

The Terps defeated Cornell, 8-7, in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year.

“They have Matt Donovan, who killed us last year,” faceoff specialist Charlie Raffa said. “Cornell, they always play hard. They’re going to be good, regardless of how many practices they’ve had. So it’ll be a good scrimmage that’ll help us see what we need to work on.” jneedelmandbk@gmail.com

Specialist of the Week for her standout performance. It’s the program’s first weekly honor in its new conference.

VAULT STICKS It had been one of the Terps’ main focuses in practice during the week, and Friday night, the team’s work to perfect their vault landings paid off.

Freshmen Dominiquea Trotter (9.80) and Epperson (9.85), junior Kathy Tang (9.80) and senior Shannon Skochko (9.85) consecutively

7

Plus, the Terps needed a frantic comeback to avoid dropping a home game to Northwestern, so they’ve gotten a warning about the Big Ten’s bottom tier.

“I don’t believe any of us think of tomorrow as an easy game,” Pack said yesterday. “Penn State’s a good team. They haven’t won much, but they are losing games by two, three or four points to really good teams. It’s going to be a good game.”

Turgeon said this season’s Big Ten is unique in terms of its depth, which is why teams such as Penn State and Northwestern are close to breakthroughs against teams near the top of the conference.

“I wish there was an easy game in our league, but there’s really not,” Turgeon said. “There’s not a lot of separation from second place to 14th place, talentwise, so you just got to be ready to play well.”

Still, Turgeon has spent the week focusing on patching up the Terps’ issues rather than concocting a plan to expose the Nittany L i o n s ’ d e f i c i e n c i e s. He wants his team, which tied the best 19-game start in school history this season, to return to its old habits.

“It’s college basketball.

Unless you’re Kentucky or Kansas, everybody loses,” Turgeon said. “For the majority of the season we’ve been good, we just got to get back to doing those things.” akasinitzdbk@gmail.com

popper From PAGE 8 a much less exciting proposition, especially when it occurs within the familiar confines of Xfinity Center.

Yet with the No. 17 Terps ailing from the worst threegame stretch of the season, tonight’s matchup with the Nittany Lions is perhaps the most important test to date for coach Mark Turgeon’s young squad.

Not so much because of whom the Terps are playing, but because of what a loss — or another shaky victory, for that matter — could mean.

Thanks to the past two we e ks, wh i c h fea t u re d blowout losses at Indiana a n d O h i o S ta te a n d t h e closest of close calls at home against Northwestern, the Terps have dropped from the top 15 in the AP poll and now sit at their lowest ranking since Dec. 15. Once a No. 2 seed in Joe Lunardi’s projected NCAA tournament bracket on ESPN.com, the Terps have fallen to a projected No. 4 seed behind their recent string of play.

G ra n te d , t h e se a re a l l college basketball first-world problems for fans who’ve supported the Terps for the past five years. But there’s no denying this team is on a downward trend, and it hasn’t shown any signs of correcting itself since the Hoosiers hit 15 of 22 threes and shot the Terps out of the gym in Bloomington on Jan. 22.

That’s why tonight is so important; it provides a chance for Turgeon’s group to regain some confidence against an inferior opponent and put on the type of performance everyone expected when the Terps faced off against the last-place Wildcats.

Based on the past three games, though, the problems in need of fixing are widespread.

It starts on defense, which not long ago was a daunting unit for Terps’ opponents.

Before this recent stint, Turgeon’s squad surrendered 67 points just three times.

They’ve now done it in three consecutive games.

A big reason for the downturn has been the Terps’ perimeter defense, which allowed the Hoosiers, Wildcats and Buckeyes to shoot a c o m b i n e d 5 6 p e rc e n t from three-point land over the past three games. But perhaps lost in that statistic is the fact that the Terps have been without a legitimate post presence, too.

After having appeared to make significant strides early in his sophomore season, forward Damonte Dodd has regressed of late. The big man hasn’t played more than 12 minutes in any of the past three games and has just one blocked shot since Jan. 17.

Offensively, the Terps have experienced a dip in production from their primary scoring trio: Dez Wells, Jake Layman and Melo Trimble. In the past three games, Wells (12.7), Layman (10.3) and Trimble (13.3) have all posted scoring

BY THE NUMBERS

56 percent Opponents have shot from three against the Terps in the past three games

15.7 points Guard Melo Trimble averages per game this season

3 points

Trimble scored on 0 of 8 shooting from the field Sunday averages below their season marks. Trimble, a freshman, had the worst showing of his career in the Terps’ most recent bout, totaling three points on 0 of 8 shooting in a loss to the Buckeyes.

Meanwhile, senior Richaud Pack, a significant contributor on both ends of the floor during non-conference play and the early stages of the Big Ten schedule, hasn’t produced of late.

In his past five games, the graduate transfer is averaging just 3.6 points on 5 of 14 shooting. Pack went 10 of 14 from the field for 22 points in a single game earlier this season, a win over VMI. All these issues are reason for concern. But tonight’s matchup with the Nittany Lions is a golden opportunity for the Terps to show signs of improvement and get a convincing win under their belt.

Before this stretch, though, the game might have been an afterthought. dpopperdbk@gmail.com

leslie From PAGE 8 really didn’t even notice that I played that much.”

Not only did Leslie’s physicality make her a tough matchup for Logic, but her size at the guard position also makes her a solid interior rebounder.

Leslie pulled down six boards in the win, which was second best on the team and as many as any Hawkeyes player. “ I t’s h e r b o dy s tyl e ,” fo rwa rd Tierney Pfirman said. “She is kind of built like Alyssa Thomas. That helps her on the boards.”

Those days battling under the glass against her brothers helped Leslie, too.

They used to play “21” together, in which everyone on the court is competing against one another.

“Grabbing rebounds over them was really tough,” Leslie said. “Grabbing rebounds over girls like this is not nearly as tough as that.”

Leslie’s brothers served as teachers as well. When she was in elementary school, she approached them about strengthening her left-handed layups.

The brothers spent that afternoon helping Leslie hone her finishing from her nondominant side.

“Every time we went outside and played, they tried to get me better,” she said.

Sunday’s game offered a glimpse at the skill set Leslie brings to the Terps.

In the season opener, she dropped 16 points, which stands as her career high. Leslie followed the performance with an 11-point outing, but she totaled just five points in the next five games after and hit double digits once since November.

Leslie finished with seven points Sunday, her second-highest total in conference play, but it was her defense and rebounding that kept her on the floor.

“She can play against anyone in the

stuck their Yurchenko full vaults in the second through fifth lineup spots en route to posting a season-high 49.15 vault score.

“This week in the gym [our] focus was a lot on sticking the landings because we did well at Penn State last week, but our landings were where we got most of our deductions off on vault,” Skochko said. “This week [the coaches] had us do some drills in the gym everyday and we were really focusing on sticking those landings.”

Senior Katy Dodds also

guard kiara leslie drives into the lane in a win over South Florida on Nov. 19. Leslie was averaging just five minutes per game in conference play before Sunday, when she played a key role in a victory over Iowa. christian jenkins/the diamondback country,” Frese said. “She is a matchup nightmare and very difficult for people to defend with her strength, power and athleticism.”

Leslie was able to hold her own against four older brothers growing up. The Terps are just waiting for her to adjust to the college game so

posted a 9.85 in the anchor position to round out the Terps’ rotation.

After Friday’s performance, the Terps climbed back into the top 20 on vault in the GymInfo rankings and now rank 18th in the country.

BEAM TURNAROUND In their first three meets of the season, the Terps posted at least two falls on beam each competition, meaning the team counted at least one in their final event tally.

But against Iowa, the Terps

the contributions she made Sunday become commonplace.

“For Kiara, it’s taking that next step of being that consistent and that confident all the time,” Frese said. “She belongs out there.” rbaillargeondbk@gmail.com

reversed their recent troubles with a season-high 48.80 team score. No Terps gymnasts fell or scored below a 9.70.

“We know we’re a good beam team, and we knew that once we put it together, we would be something special,” coach Brett Nelligan said.

It was the first time this sea so n anyb o dy b esides senior Stephanie Giameo earned a score of 9.80 or higher. Giameo, in the anchor spot, posted a 9.825 to lead the Terps on Friday night, and sophomore Leah Slobodin added a 9.80 in her

career beam debut.

Slobodin’s performance was especially heartwarming for the Terps as she is returning from a ruptured Achilles tendon that required surgery and wiped out her first season.

“She had such a tough year last year with the ruptured Achilles and she is such a phenomenally talented gymnast that everyone just wants her to get back to where she was before the injury,” Nelligan said. “It’s just so great to see her doing well.” ccaplandbk@gmail.com

SPORTS

TWEET OF THE DAY Lexie Brown @lexiekiah_4 Terrapins women’s basketball guard

“#BaeWatch”

LOWE EARNS HIGH PRAISE

One outlet named Terrapins baseball’s Brandon Lowe a preseason All-American on Tuesday. For more, visit dbknews.com.

PAGE 8

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015

MEN’S BASKETBALL | PENN STATE PREVIEW

REACHING FOR A REVIVAL

COACH MARK TURGEON and guard Dez Wells, a senior, talk strategy during a 75-59 victory over Michigan State on Jan. 17. The Terps have lost two of their three games since that victory and dropped to No. 17 in the most recent AP Top 25 poll. christian jenkins/the diamondback

Turgeon aims to keep players positive as No. 17 Terps look to snap slump against 12th-place Nittany Lions

By Aaron Kasinitz @AaronKazreports Senior staff writer As reporters fired questions regarding the Terrapins men’s basketball team’s recent funk toward Mark Turgeon yesterday, the fourth-year coach defended his players time and time again.

“You go through cycles during a season,” Turgeon said in reference to Jake Layman’s struggles to get to the free-throw line over the past few games.

“Great,” Turgeon responded when asked about freshman point guard Melo Trimble’s attitude after an 0 of 8 outing at Ohio State on Thursday. “Melo’s a winner.”

Turgeon even handed praise to forward Damonte Dodd, whom he yanked after an ineffective two minutes in the loss to the Buckeyes.

It all fits in to the sideline general’s approach entering tonight’s bout with Penn State. The No. 17 Terps have lost two of their See lions, Page 7

After poor three-game stretch, matchup with Penn State suddenly becomes significant contest in resurgent season DANIEL POPPER

Men’s basketball columnist When the Terrapins men’s basketball team’s inaugural Big Ten schedule was released in late August, I keyed in on a number of entertaining matchups.

Conference opener at Michigan State in front of the Izzone? My mouth started to water. Late January matchup with Indiana

at historic Assembly Hall? Shivers ran down my spine. Playing host to a national-titlecontending Wisconsin team in February?

You get the picture.

But never in a hundred years would I have put any emphasis on tonight’s home contest against Penn State.

Traveling to State College for a game at Beaver Stadium is one thing. Facing a program that hasn’t finished above .500 since 2011 is See popper, Page 7

MEN’S LACROSSE | MEDIA DAY NOTEBOOK

Tillman: Rambo must work his way back onto roster Goalkeepers ready for position battle; season opens with scrimmages

By Joshua Needelman @JoshNeedelman Staff writer Perhaps the most pressing issue surrounding the Terrapins men’s lacrosse team had been the status of attackman Matt Rambo, who was suspended indefinitely on Oct. 31 after being charged with two counts of assault and malicious destruction of property.

So at the Terps media day yesterday, Tillman wasted no

time in addressing Rambo’s status. The sophomore has returned to school, Tillman said, but will have to work his way back onto the team. “[The Office of Student Conduct]’s decision was to maintain Matt based on the facts,” Tillman said. “Even though Matt was allowed to stay, there are certain standards and expectations we have in our program that are always going to be higher than the typical student here at

Maryland. … Matt has some consequences, and he’s got some expectations he’s going to have to fulfill before he’s back on the field.”

Tillman, whose Terps open the season against Navy on Feb. 14, said the Office of Student Conduct conducted a “thorough” and “lengthy” investigation of the late October incident, which also resulted in former defenseman and graduate assistant Brian Cooper being charged with assault.

R a m b o, a 2 0 1 3 Un d e r Armour High School AllAmerican, was a member of the Terps’ 2014 freshman class that featured Inside Lacrosse’s top four attackmen in the nation — Rambo, Tim Rotanz, Connor Cannizzaro and Colin Heacock.

Cannizzaro transferred to Denver in the offseason, while Heacock and Rotanz took a combined 26 shots in attackman matt rambo makes a move against Notre Dame during the ACC tournament in See lacrosse, Page 7 April. Rambo was charged with assault after an incident in October. file photo/the diamondback

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

GYMNASTICS | NOTEBOOK

Leslie sparks win vs Iowa

Epperson shines in front of family

Guard’s defense, toughness stand out in 93-88 victory

By Ryan Baillargeon @RyanBaillargeon Staff writer Not many 6-foot-tall sisters have to look up when they’re talking with their siblings. Kiara Leslie isn’t like most sisters, though.

The Terrapins women’s basketball guard grew up in Holly Springs, North Carolina, with four older brothers.

Three of them played basketball, including former N.C. State forward C.J. Leslie, and Kiara Leslie spent countless days in the backyards com-

peting against them.

The physicality and toughness Leslie gained playing with her brothers behind their house made her an ideal matchup for Iowa guard Samantha Logic on Sunday. The soft-spoken freshman logged a career-high 24 minutes to help the No. 5 Terps earn a 93-88 victory over the thenNo. 20 Hawkeyes.

“Everyone knows she has the talent,” coach Brenda Frese said. “For her, it’s just confidence and believing that she belongs on the floor. I thought she had a terrific

game against Iowa and even better when I went back and watched it.”

Leslie entered the season as the Terps’ top freshman, according to ESPN’s HoopGurlz, but earning playing time during conference play hasn’t been easy. Entering Sunday’s matchup, Leslie was averaging less than five minutes per game in Big Ten games.

But Leslie looked strong in practice before the top-20 showdown, and she came out with the type of confidence Frese wants her to show consistently.

Terps produce improved scores on vault, beam in narrow loss at Iowa

By Callie Caplan @CallieCaplan Staff writer guard kiara leslie leaps through traffic during a victory over Iowa on Sunday at Xfinity Center. marquise mckine/the diamondback “I just wanted to go out there and do what I do to help my team win,” Leslie said. “I See leslie, Page 7

Friday night meant a lot to Abbie Epperson. Not only did she post a career-high 9.90 on the uneven bars and tie a career-best 9.85 score on vault in a narrow Terps’ loss at Iowa, but she also got to do it with nearly 50 family members and friends in attendance.

A Texas native, Epperson has many relatives, including her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins from Minnesota who made the trek down to Iowa City to watch her and her cousin, Caroline McCrady, a sophomore gymnast for the Hawkeyes.

“I love my family, and I love when they get to come watch See notebook, Page 7