February 5, 2012

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Police report armed robbery

Rankin gears up for tenure Plans include blended online learning, CIC

By Savannah Doane-Malotte Staff writer After spending her first couple of months simply acclimating to an entirely new campus and community, Provost Mary Ann Rankin is now ready to forge ahead with her ambitious educational plans for the university and oversee the transition to an academic consortium.

While Rankin planned to spend most of her time since assuming her post Oct. 1 familiarizing herself with university processes and planning her tenure in office, she found herself advising university President Wallace Loh on the academic implications of moving to the Big Ten, which includes membership in the conference’s Committee on Institutional Cooperation.

But Rankin still feels she’s adapting to her role and is ready to start boosting the university’s academic programs by incorporating more online and blended learning options and hiring additional faculty members.

“I want to focus on the things that will make students more successful,” she said. “The educational initiatives that the university is taking are so thrilling, and I plan to expand on the great academics already put in place.”

Part of those successes will come from finding the best online tools to improve courses and create a more interactive educational experience for students. Between innovative online programs and classrooms that will be featured in the Edward St. John Teaching and Learning Center — a $55.1 million facility that will be the first building of its kind — students and faculty can work in more collaborative environments, said Elizabeth Beise, associate provost of academic planning

By Yasmeen Abutaleb Senior staff writer An armed robbery took place at Paint Branch Parkway and Rhode Island Avenue this morning, according to a University Police email alert sent at about 12:45 a.m.

Prince George’s County Police did not have details as of 1:15 a.m. and said they likely would not be available for several hours. An all-clear was given at 1:25 a.m.

Check The Diamondback online for details on this developing story. newsumdbk@gmail.com

illustration by chris allen/the diamondback. photos by charlie deboyace/the diamondback

Home basketball games require meticulous planning, staff of up to 300

By Dustin Levy Staff writer

T

he lights dim. A booming voice comes over the loudspeaker, letting Comcast Center’s thousands of fans know it’s game time.

A blast of steam fills the basketball court before Alex Len, Dez Wells, Nick Faust and the rest of the men’s basketball team run out to screams and cheers.

The game regulars are used to this production. It’s how almost every basketball game starts and it’s why they keep coming back.

But for Carrie Blankenship and a staff of up to 300 people, every second of each home game has to be carefully mapped out. From the giveaways to the carbon dioxide blasts that greet the players as they take the court,

and even the length of the national anthem, no time is unaccounted for.

“You feel like you’ve worked a whole game when it’s only been pregame,” said Blankenship, assistant athletic director of marketing and sponsor services.

Blankenship draws up a meticulous time sheet for every home basketball game in the hope that they run seamlessly. Armed with a headset and stopwatch, Blankenship — who also decides much of the music and the results of the various contests, such as the shell shuffle and boat race — communicates with the band, the cheerleaders, the dance team, the video board crew, the person controlling the music that day, and her own staff during games.

“While I’m trying to get all this to happen, See GAMES, Page 3

Ravens boost business Sales strong Sunday

By Annika McGinnis Staff writer As the Baltimore Ravens ran across the field celebrating their Super Bowl victory on Sunday, College Park’s Hard Times Cafe owner Bill Swint was counting his own triumph in wing sales.

The local restaurateur sold almost 5,000 wings on Sunday in orders of 50 to 100 at a time, surpassing last year’s See BUSINESS, Page 2

See RANKIN, Page 3

Univ. scholarship support remains steadfast despite nationwide cuts

By Laura Blasey Senior staff writer Though schools and states across the country are changing scholarship standards as a means of saving money, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report, this state and university are attempting to buck the trend.

In this state, at least 85 percent of government-offered student aid is need-based, The Wall Street Journal reported in late December. But Maryland is no longer the norm as states begin to place a higher emphasis on meritbased money. In states such as Georgia, South Dakota and Arkansas, less than 14 percent of aid is need-based.

Schools and states approach financial aid differently to best serve the needs of their communities, but how a state executes its aid program can carry over into its public school system, the report noted.

INDEX

This school year, students at this university received about $47 million in need-based scholarships and almost $43 million in merit-based scholarships, and both types of award programs have steadily grown over the past decade, according to the university’s annual Institutional Research Planning and Assessment reports. However, the proportion of awards that are needbased has slipped — 63 percent of financial aid recipients’ awards were need-based in fiscal year 2012, compared to 73 percent five years ago.

While an award or grant can give some students the chance to overcome dire financial straits, it is still important the university strikes a balance, students said. Dennis Ting, for example, said his Banneker/Key Scholarship helps take some of the pressure off his parents.

“I can’t say that my family has serious financial worries, but I do have two

FINANCIAL AID University officials have worked to maintain strong need-based scholarship support despite nationwide cuts. Below is a breakdown for FY 2012.

Officials to debut new diversity campaign ‘Rise Above’ aims to overcome bias

merit-based, 37%

By Fatimah Waseem Staff writer need-based, 63%

From Institutional Research Planning and Assessment younger sisters, and it definitely helps my parents to know that they don’t have to worry about my education,” said the sophomore journalism major.

In the debate of merit versus need, this university strives to find that symmetry,

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

See aid, Page 2

Starting on Thursday, the campus community will be encouraged to rise above biases, prejudices, intolerance and discrimination through the launch of Rise Above, the university’s newest diversity campaign, at StampFest.

Following months of planning, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, a department restructured in 2011, will kick off the university’s secondever diversity marketing campaign

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Thursday in hopes of “engaging hearts and minds” to the university’s diversity goals, Chief Diversity Officer Kumea Shorter-Gooden said.

The campaign will award grants of up to $750 for campus initiatives that promote on-campus diversity and cultural acceptance through communication, as well as publicizing the campaign’s mission with colorful buttons, creative tabling and eyecatching fliers. After estimating the campaign will cost $10,000 over the 2013-2014 school year, officials set aside $20,000 for grants.

Last year’s grant program proved to be a success for the ODI. Officials invited community groups to apply for up to $15,000 in startup money for pilot projects that worked toward goals outlined in the university’s Strategic Plan for Diversity. They received 42 applications, but were only able to fund 11.

Officials said they hope to see the same success with Rise Above.

“The rationale is to look into sound policies and procedures, but it is key to win over hearts and minds to avoid

For breaking news, alerts and more, follow us on Twitter @thedbk

See campaign, Page 3

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THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | Tuesday, FEBRuary 5, 2013

aid From PAGE 1 wrote Sarah Bauder, this university’s financial aid director, wrote in an email.

“Our commitment is to serve the needs of the public as well as fulfill the vision and mission of the University,” Bauder wrote. “Merit and need-based scholarships fulfill different purposes with the end result of building a diverse and academically robust class.”

It’s important to reward people for proving academic excellence, said Sheyla Guevara, a sophomore community health major, but many students hit a roadblock without financial support.

“We need to recognize that others may want to realize their potential as well, even if they do not qualify for a merit scholarship,” she said.

Her President’s Scholarship, an award for academically exceptional incoming freshmen, has made a difference in her college career, Guevara said.

“I don’t think I would have been able to live on campus without it,” Guevara said.

It’s not surprising this university has worked to find that symmetry. The University System of Maryland was one of just 10 higher education institutions invited to a conference on transparency in college affordability with Vice President Joe Biden last summer.

The system has also managed to keep its costs notably low. The net price of attending the university — a figure that includes tuition, financial aid, inflation, fees and room and board — rose only 2 percent in the last five years, while many comparable colleges saw huge leaps in costs, The Washington Post reported in October. With student loan defaults at an all-time high, the demand for scholarship money is growing.

However, due to a struggling economy, the supply from universities and states is shrinking.

For example, in Georgia, one of the main state-funded merit scholarships requires GPAs as high as 3.7. The logic behind it, state officials told the Wall Street Journal, is that only students who are highly motivated and academically prepared for college will meet the qualifications for the scholarships.

It’s survival of the fittest: The rigorous standards weed out students who might struggle and thus not benefit from the experience of going to college.

There’s a twist to that thinking,

Like the

“we need to recognize that others may want to realize their potential as well, even if they do not qualify for a merit scholarship.”

SHEYLA GUEVARA

Scholarship Recipient

though, advocates of need-based aid say. Many students who have poor academic records come from poverty and school districts that cannot give them solid academic footing. Financial aid — especially scholarships and grants — plays a huge role in putting college within reach of local high school students, said Moya Malcolm, who works with this university’s pre-college community outreach programs, which provide students with tutoring services and counseling to help them succeed.

“These are students who have strong GPAs, who show potential for college readiness, who are taking AP classes and honors classes in high school, so clearly they’re ready for college,” Malcolm said. “But a big barrier is the fact that college costs.”

Many of the students do qualify for financial aid, Malcolm said, but often the award packages don’t cover everything. Needbased scholarships and grants can fill in the gaps without penalizing the student later in life with high interest rates and debt.

“It’s about taking into consideration the financial aspect of the family and offering opportunities to those families who are in great need of assistance,” Malcolm said. “We aim for 100 percent of our seniors to apply for scholarships in addition to applying for financial aid.”

While the university has been working toward greater communication in its aid process, some students said more clarity is needed.

“I believe that there should be more accessibility in terms of either scholarship,” said Muftau Shinaba, a sophomore community health major. “As a person who has been awarded needbased scholarships, I don’t see much, if any, information about these scholarships.”

Regardless of the type of financial award, scholarships are beneficial to everyone, Ting said.

“It’s also reassuring to know that I won’t be in debt coming out of school and that the money I make post-college can be used for myself and my sisters’ college educations,” Ting said. newsumdbk@gmail.com

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UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK 3150 South Campus Dining Hall | College Park, MD 20742 newsumdbk@gmail.com OR opinionumdbk@gmail.com PHONE (301) 314-8200 YASMEEN ABUTALEB, Editor -in -Chief Mike King, Managing Editor Rebecca Lurye, News Editor Nadav Karasov, Opinion Editor Robert Gifford, Diversions Editor Connor Letourneau, Sports Editor Charlie Deboyace, Photography Editor LAUREN REDDING, Online Editor

Tyler Weyant, Managing Editor Leah Villanueva, GA Editor Maria Romas, Opinion Editor Mary Clare Fischer, Diversions Editor Josh Vitale, Sports Editor Chris Allen, Design Editor René Salvatore, Multimedia Editor

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.

EDITORIAL BOARD YASMEEN ABUTALEB, editor-in-chief, is a junior journalism and microbiology major.

She has worked as a reporter, assistant news editor and news editor. mike king, managing editor, is a junior journalism major. He has worked as a copy

editor, assistant managing editor and deputy managing editor. tyler weyant, managing editor, is a senior journalism major. He has worked as

a copy editor, assistant managing editor and deputy managing editor.

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

She has worked as a reporter and columnist.

Nadav Karasov, opinion editor, is a junior economics major.

He has worked as a columnist.

BUSINESS From PAGE 1 record by almost 12 percent, Swint said. The café also sold 400 gallons of chili, served from enormous 70-gallon kettles in the back. Swint owns just one of many local restaurants and bars that saw sales soar on Sunday, most likely as a result of a local team playing in the Super Bowl, business owners said.

“We’re all cheering as the last order’s going out the door,” Swint said. “We do a wing night on Wednesdays, but I haven’t had a one-day sales day like that since 10 or 12 years ago when I used to offer a 10-cent wing.”

But despite the unusually high Super Bowl fervor, owners said everything remained organized and their customers were well-behaved.

At Looney’s Pub, the bar ran out of wings around 7 p.m. because “people were just ordering [them] by the dozen,” said Cathleen Carey, a hostess at the bar who called the carryout process “absolutely insane.” Buffalo Wild Wings sold more than 20,000 wings, compared to about 15,000 last year, said Ryan McNeill, a restaurant manager. Managers of the Barking Dog, R.J. Bentley’s, Jimmy John’s and D.P. Dough also cited higher sales.

“It definitely is affected by what team is in the Super Bowl ,” sa i d D. P. Do u g h manager John Decker. “If it’s a local team, customers are more joyous, having more parties, and there’s a lot more presence of Baltimore team fans ordering food to go.”

But because of the huge volume of carryout sales, several students said they had to be patient while waiting for their food. Andrew Shaw, a sophomore physics major, waited at least 30 minutes longer than normal for Domino’s pizza to arrive at a Super Bowl party in the Leonardtown apartments.

Route 1 Businesses, including Cornerstone Grill and Loft, saw an increase in business Sunday, which owners credit to the Baltimore Ravens playing in the Super Bowl. However, sales did not beat records set by major Terps sporting events, bar owners said. charlie deboyace/the diamondback “I guess the higher demand made the delivery slower,” Shaw said. “I was most upset that the delivery time estimate was so off. They didn’t account for how busy they were, so the estimate the website showed when we ordered wasn’t accurate, and the pizza got to us much later than we thought it would.”

The long wait time for popular Super Bowl party foods, such as pizza and wings, inspired Brian Mokua, a freshman mechanical engineering major, to go a different route: fried chicken.

“I knew a lot of places that deliver would be really busy and probably take a really long time, so I just avoided that and picked up Popeyes instead,” Mokua said.

Although the majority of sales were in carryout orders, bar and restaurant owners said they had a good in-house turnout watching the game. Afterwards, many students went down to the bars to celebrate — Looney’s saw its highest turnout after the game ended, Carey said.

But despite the record sales

and crowds of fans passionate for their local team, everything ran smoothly and no one rioted or caused disruptions, business owners said. At R.J. Bentley’s, customers received raffle tickets and then won prizes such as a Budweiser fire pit, said owner John Brown. A far cry from the rioting that ensued in March 2010 after the Terrapins men’s basketball team beat then-No. 4 Duke, the calm atmosphere made Brown proud.

“It was fantastic,” Brown said.

“It was just good, comfortable; people were well-behaved; nobody charged the streets …

They didn’t turn over cars; they didn’t do that in Baltimore either.”

During the game, the atmosphere in the Hard Times Cafe was “crazy” but exciting, Swint said.

“On days like that, there’s hooting and hollering,” he said.

“People are cheering and carrying on … People were very excited.”

Although his restaurant officially closed before the game ended, he still kept the eatery open as long as people were there, Swint said.

But despite the soaring Super Bowl sales, several businesses still didn’t break their overall records: those are set during university athletics games, they said. At Looney’s the turnout was lower than the wait staff expected, Carey said.

“I think we’re used to Maryland games and stuff like that where it’s really, really crowded in here and we reach maximum capacity,” she said. “Around 5, 5:30 people started coming in, which is different from Maryland games — for an 8:00 game, people start coming in at 4:30.”

Similarly, the Hard Times Cafe sees its most business during Terps basketball games, especially against Duke, Swint said.

But he was pleased with the boost in sales on Sunday. Brown, at Bentley’s, agreed.

“It was a very good day,” Brown said. “It was all happy. We used up all the happy — we have to save some for Maryland!”

Staff writer Sarah Sexton contributed to this report. newsumdbk@gmail.com

TUESDAY, FEBRuary 5, 2013 | NEWS | THE DIAMONDBACK

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Fewer incidents occur on campus this January than last University Police respond to 155 reports, down from 194 in December

By Fola Akinnibi Staff writer In a relatively quiet January, University Police reported 155 incidents on the campus, including fraud, disorderly conduct and theft, according to spokesman Maj. Marc Limansky.

That figure is down from 169 incidents in January 2012 and 194 in December 2012. However, University Police expect to see a significant increase in February, the first full month of the semester, Limansky said.

FRAUD — On Jan. 24, police responded to the South Campus

Dining Hall for a reported fraud in money, which had been brought to the dining hall from the Terrapins men’s basketball game on Jan. 22. An individual allegedly purchased items from concession stand number four at Comcast Center using a counterfeit $100 bill, Limansky said.

The bill was deemed to be counterfeit because of a fraudulent watermark, he added, which is not unheard of at large events on the campus.

“It happens with some frequency,” Limansky said. “We take [the bill], impound it and alert the Secret Service.”

DISORDERLY CONDUCT — On Jan. 13, police responded to a disorderly male student at 11 Fraternity Row. The male student was allegedly yelling loudly and banging on the front door at about 3 a.m.

The student, who was reportedly intoxicated, alternated between yelling aggressively at the officers who arrived on the scene and crying, Limansky said, and could not explain why he was at the door.

A female student who lives in the house called police because she feared for her safety, Limansky added. Police wrote the student a criminal citation

Testudo is one of many fixtures of home matchups at Comcast Center, where Terps basketball games are as much about the production of the game as the players on the court. A staff of up to 300 people carefully map out every second. charlie deboyace/the diamondback

games From PAGE 1 I can’t actually move,” said Blankenship, who is seated at the scorer’s table next to the public address announcer at home games.

And if things don’t go according to plan, Blankenship has to be quick on her feet before fans notice something has gone awry.

She remembers when no one could find former Terps guard Johnny Rhodes when it came time for the honorary captain’s recognition at the Jan. 9 game against Florida State. But there

rankin From PAGE 1 and programs.

Although the university has faced budget problems for the last several years, prompting mandatory furloughs and pay freezes, Rankin plans to recruit new faculty members across several departments; she is working with the University Senate to review the tenure policy. Hiring is now in its final stages, she said, and will recruit strong leaders onto staff.

“It’s really exciting to be adding new faculty members that have so many different areas of expertise,” she said. “They will really pull together multiple parts of campus in positive ways.”

Much of her responsibility has come in helping in the university’s transition to the CIC. When evaluating the potential benefits of joining the Big Ten, Rankin was able to provide Loh with reasons why the academic side of the move would greatly benefit the university, said Juan Uriagereka, associate provost for faculty affairs.

“She was instrumental in analyzing the academic aspects of this transition, which for many, if not most, of us is the main reason to celebrate this rather bold

was no time to panic. While Rhodes made his way down from a suite where he was grabbing a meal, Blankenship played a video — originally scheduled for later in the game — and planned to honor Rhodes at the next break.

“You’re in instant problemsolve mode,” she said.

Most of the time, few people — if any — know of any hiccups along the way.

“I had no idea that was supposed to be done earlier in the game than later in the game,” said Zack Bolno, athletic department spokesman. “It’s safe

move,” he said. “She worked very hard to provide a serious analysis of whether the move would be not just reasonable, but furthermore academically beneficial.”

Rankin is never satisfied with the status quo. She hopes to tweak academic programs so they can continue to improve and excel.

“We have a lot of programs that have been ranked in the top 20 in the nation, but could easily be in the top 10 or five if a few changes were made,” Rankin said. “It’s just a matter of getting organized, and I know that the faculty members are willing to do that.”

The university has already started taking steps to accomplish just that, partly through the recently announced Academy for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which will provide students of all majors with the opportunity to partake in classes and workshops focusing on creative thinking and entrepreneurship.

“This academy could take on a lot of different dimensions for the university,” Rankin said. “It will introduce innovation across campus, especially to departments where entrepreneurship education is not as explicit or involved in direct instruction.”

And Rankin has been working

for disturbing the peace and referred him to the Office of Student Conduct.

THEFT — On Jan. 9, police met with a male student who reported three bottles of liquor stolen that morning from his apartment in South Campus Commons Building 1.

At around 8 a.m., outside contractors entered the apartment to perform work on the floor. The victim, who was the only person occupying the apartment at the time, suspected the contractors took the liquor while doing the work, Limansky said.

There was no sign of forced

He now serves as an athletic marketing assistant, overseeing the internship program he participated in for three years.

“It’s a cool experience,” said Verderosa. “Now I get to run [the program]. I’m Maryland through and through.”

The work never stops. After wrapping up Saturday’s home game against Wake Forest, staff members have already been at work preparing for Sunday’s Virginia game, hoping each game will prove to be a memorable experience for fans.

“It’s pretty engaging and definitely fun,” said Danny Klein, a freshman finance and math major. “It’s good for student camaraderie — otherwise halftime would be pretty boring.”

Other students, such as sophomore Charlie Lane, said there’s still work to do in attracting more students to games.

“The experience for those paying for the tickets is good, but there’s more that can be done to get the students involved,” the government and politics major said.

“Sometimes people just scan and leave.”

The process consists of trial and error and finding out what works and what doesn’t. And, most importantly, crafting new, creative ways to get Terps fans excited and involved.

The carbon dioxide blasts were a new addition this year, but might soon join Terrapin traditions like newspaper shaking and the fatheads that keep fans coming back to Comcast Center.

“The goal,” Blankenship said, “is to provide the best experience for our studentathletes and our fans.”

to say that the 17,000 fans at Comcast who enjoyed the game that day didn’t know that that happened as well.”

But it’s not a one-woman show. There are several student interns who help Blankenship with promotions, running the contests and handing out fatheads of the team’s players, among a slate of other duties.

Bolno’s interns distribute the game’s statistical information press quotes and keep the social media platforms going.

For Nick Verderosa, those duties turned into a full-time job after graduating last year. newsumdbk@gmail.com

entry. Limansky said police have heard these types of allegations in the past, but they are tough to follow up on. The incident is still under investigation, he said.

THEFT — On Jan. 3 in Eppley Recreation Center, a 22-year-old man reported his wallet, North Face jacket and sweatshirt taken from a locker at around 6:46 p.m.

Police obtained video from the date of the incident on Jan. 15 and observed two suspects opening random lockers, Limansky said. A suspect opened the victim’s locker at 6:46 p.m., and through ERC information, police were able to identify the suspect as Douglas Jimenez, 21, of Silver Spring.

campaign From PAGE 1

Jimenez was charged with theft of less than $1,000, facing a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison and up to a $500 fine. Unattended property theft is easily preventable, Limansky said.

“We urge people to not leave their property unattended,” he said. “When placing property in ERC lockers, we urge students to take advantage of the locks provided by [Campus Recreation Services].”

The second suspect is still at large and anyone with information is urged to contact University Police. newsumdbk@gmail.com

such as creating an administrative position that addresses these goals, more focus should be placed on specific problems, for example a religious issue like distrust of atheists.

“I would like to see some more attention focused on inclusive and destigmatizing initiatives towards the secular demographic,” said Stanley, adding he brought up his concern with Shorter-Gooden.

While acknowledging biases and prejudice is the first step to promoting diversity, officials hope the campaign will dig deeper and, through collaborative grant projects, encourage “honest” dialogue that helps people understand where assumptions stem from, ShorterGooden said.

On the administrative end, the office has plans for a systematic campus assessment of workers’ rights issues later this year. Workers’ rights have become a prominent issue and the office is working to create a committee that will look at disparities in the tenure and promotion of minority faculty, among other problems. ShorterGooden also hopes to find ways to reach non-English-speaking audiences who may have limited access to assessments and other information.

“We can’t stop here,” Shorter-Gooden said. “This is just a platform from which we look inside, deep down, and understand where biases come from.”

falling short,” said ShorterGooden, adding that the collective support from the roots would make cultural identity groups feel more welcome.

S t u d e n ts a n d o f f i c i a l s, however, said it is unclear wh e t h e r co m m u n i ca t i o n s campaigns like Rise Above can be effective tools in promoting diversity, particularly as the word itself becomes a “stale, fatigued, and household term,” said Gloria Bouis, director of the Office of Diversity Education and Compliance.

The university’s first campuswide diversity campaign, “Moving Toward Community,” began in early 1998, Bouis said, but fizzled out in late 2004. The definition of “diversity” has since expanded beyond race to include sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, age and disabilities, although it is no longer a new concept.

“A lot of people see diversity as a ‘been there, done that’ concept.

Frankly, people are not as excited as they were 10 years ago, so we have to move on to look at specific issues,” Bouis said, acknowledging that the campus is fairly diverse as it stands.

Freshman government and politics and psychology major Joshua Stanley said while the university has demonstrated its rigorous focus on improving minority retention, success and inclusiveness through initiatives newsumdbk@gmail.com

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provost mary ann rankin had just a few months to adjust to her new role on the campus — she took the helm Oct. 1 — before the university embarked on a conference move. She must now plan for entering into the Big Ten’s academic consortium, the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, which brings new opportunities to students and faculty. photo courtesy of u-teachinstitute.org to communicate directly with students. She attended her first Student Government Association meeting last week, during which she introduced herself to the association and informed them of her priorities for the university.

She has also helped the SGA develop the Dean’s Student

Advisory Council, which provides students an opportunity to be more involved in their academic plans.

“She doesn’t just want to tell us what she had done or what she wanted to do, but to also encourage us to work with her and together on new ideas,” said Matt Arnstine,

SGA communications director.

And Rankin’s past experience as natural sciences college Dean at the University of Texas will help her turn the university into an even greater center of education, Uriagereka said.

“She came from an excellent university and she clearly has a

vision of a world-class institution for us, as game-changers and active partners in an everchanging landscape,” he said.

“She is not happy with slogans like, ‘This is how we’ve always done it,’ or ‘You can’t do that.’” newsumdbk@gmail.com

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THE DIAMONDBACK | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

Opinion

EDITORIAL BOARD

YASMEEN ABUTALEB Editor in Chief

Mike King

Managing Editor

Tyler Weyant

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

GUEST FEATURE

Passing marijuana legislation is a must I

n my more than 30 years as a physician, I have all too often seen the pain and frustration that afflict those living with devastating and complex medical conditions. Seemingly simple things such as eating and sleeping can become daunting tasks, and the toll this takes on families and friends is tremendous. If medical marijuana can alleviate these patients’ suffering and improve the quality of their lives, I believe they deserve safe and legal access to it.

As a legislator, I am proud to be sponsoring legislation — with bipartisan support — that would ensure patients in this state are able to safely obtain marijuana for medical purposes without fear of arrest.

There is no disputing the efficacy and relative safety of marijuana to treat conditions such as cancer, HIV and AIDS, multiple sclerosis and severe chronic pain, among others.

Even the federal government, which continues to publicly assert cannabis

has no medical value, has been sending marijuana to a small group of qualified patients on a monthly basis for decades.

Current state law provides medical marijuana patients with an affirmative defense, meaning they will be acquitted of possession charges if they can prove during their trial that the marijuana was being used for medical purposes. Yet these individuals must go through the stressful and costly process of being arrested and possibly jailed before having their day in court. But some are so brave — including a student at this university — that they have been willing to share their stories publicly.

It is unconscionable that our current legal system forces these people into the underground drug market, where they might encounter violent criminals and tainted marijuana. Those who choose not to break the law, because of conscience or caution, suffer needless pain and other symptoms. People with serious medical conditions should not be treated in this manner.

An estimated 32.5 percent of U.S. citizens live in states where medical marijuana is legal, and our neighbors in New Jersey and Washington, D.C., are moving forward with their own programs.

In 2011, a state work group was formed, including medical professionals, law enforcement, state officials and citizens. The group studied other states’ experiences in legalizing medical marijuana, crafting a plan that would incorporate best practices and avoid pitfalls. The group’s final report defined a safe, responsible plan for a medical marijuana system in this state, one that would service patients but not create undue risks. Unfortunately, even with polls showing broad public support across the political spectrum, the legislation did not pass.

Hopefully this year will be different.

This legislation would allow patients with specified debilitating medical conditions to possess small amounts of marijuana without fear of arrest.

Qualified patients with recommenda-

GUEST COLUMN

tions from their doctors would be able to purchase safely grown marijuana from a limited number of state-licensed dispensaries or pharmacies located throughout the state. Not only would every aspect be carefully monitored, the legislation mandates data collection so we can learn what works and what doesn’t.

This bill would not only benefit seriously ill citizens but also the broader community. Rather than spending time arresting and prosecuting sick people, our police and prosecutors would be able to focus more of their time and attention on more serious crimes. It is also worth noting research has shown neither teen marijuana use nor traffic fatalities have increased in states following medical marijuana legislation. In fact, it shows they often tend to decrease.

As a practicing physician, I prescribe medications far more dangerous than marijuana, but only after careful consideration of the risks and benefits and discussion with the patient.

It’s not the drug, it’s the context of its use. If a patient can benefit from medical cannabis when appropriate, then doctors ought to be able to prescribe it, just like any other medicine. Let’s replace the dealer-patient relationship with the doctor-patient relationship.

I know some would prefer a general decriminalization of marijuana for personal as well as medical purposes. But my position is that no matter one’s opinion on that issue, there is simply no excuse for continuing to deny relief to ill and suffering citizens for another year. If you agree, please contact your state legislators and Gov. Martin O’Malley and ask them to join you in supporting this common sense medical marijuana legislation.

Dan Morhaim is the deputy majority leader in the state’s House of Delegates. He can be reached at dan.morhaim@house.state.md.us.

EDITORIAL CARTOON

Canvassing for true learning innovations The new ELMS embodies what we need from higher education

A

s a faculty member on this campus, I was astonished by the Jan. 29 Diamondback headline, “Professors unhappy with Canvas shift.” The story truly misrepresented my experiences, and probably those of a large group of my peers teaching at this university. But this is neither a story about my feelings, nor a simple reaction to the article. It is an invitation to think about the amazing transition we are currently experiencing on our campus as part of a worldwide educational transformation.

It is important to recall Canvas, our new enterprise learning management system, was chosen by a democratic process. In spring 2010, university officials charged a group of faculty to explore options for our new online learning platform. Eager to get broad input, the committee systematically engaged about 40 instructors, 1,200 students and 30 IT specialists. After carefully reviewing and discussing a substantial amount of data, the campus committee members unanimously voted for Canvas.

The committee referred to Canvas as an outstanding and cutting-edge learning management system — the best of all systems tested during the spring 2011 semester. Canvas was also rated highest by the students and was ranked No. 1 by the then-Office of Information Technology support team. Although these facts provide context to readers about how we shifted to Canvas, they may not explain why faculty and students selected Canvas as the best learning management system among the seven assessed and five tested systems.

Education in the digital age is rapidly evolving. The biggest challenge is no longer telling or summarizing existing information freely accessible to our students. Controversially, education has turned into exploring unique learning tools, strategies that cultivate students’ curiosity and empower them to co-author their own future. In that regard, Canvas uses contemporary elearning tools designed to facilitate the

interaction among all participants. It is a system that inspires learning, creativity and autonomy. It incites you to alter traditional teaching strategies from an information-giving learning model to a critical and collaborative paradigm.

I can’t deny shifting to Canvas, like any change in life, might disrupt certain aspects of our routine. But it only requires a little willingness to change — an opportunity to be up-to-date. I have offered more than 20 Canvas workshops in the public health school, and I have given more than 40 one-on-one consultations to our instructors. Instructors and teaching assistants both adopted Canvas with surprising ease.

A 31-minute session enables users to understand the basic principles of the system and empowers them to explore and discover its full capability. I have taught more than 450 undergraduate students using Canvas, and I have never heard a student complain about it.

To those instructors who think Canvas seems clunky and unintuitive, I would respectfully suggest teaching is a neverending learning process. I would invite you to consider it a good time to step from behind the lectern and enjoy the future with our students. It is past time to embrace new learning technologies like we did when we moved from carousel slides and overhead projectors to PowerPoint. It is time to realize you are just one of the most experienced learners in your classroom, and that may be enough to make you an admirable leader.

We are living in one of the most inspirational times in education, a time in which teaching is based on uncertainties and learning requires continuous innovation. Welcome to Canvas and to a university that is wisely and fearlessly moving to be in the vanguard of 21stcentury higher education.

Marcio A. Oliveira is the assistant dean for educational innovation in the public health school. He can be reached at marcio@umd.edu.

Jake steiner/the diamondback

The puzzles you wonder NEAL FREYMAN Take a look at the page to the right. You know, the one with robots, fortune cookies (without the cookie) and half-assed drink specials. Amid the clutter is a big square inhabited by a strange arrangement of blank and filled-in smaller squares. It would be wise to assume you know this is called a crossword puzzle, but what’s less well-known is how crossword puzzles found themselves over on that page next to the Leos and the Virgos, or why anyone bothers with them at all.

The modern crossword puzzle dates back to 1913, when Arthur Wynne, an English immigrant to the United States, was asked to create a new game for The New York World’s Fun section, which apparently was anything but fun at the time. Based on a more elementary children’s word game at the time called “magic squares,” Wynne’s puzzle took the shape of a diamond and offered clues to help readers fill in the blank

spaces. The game soon became popular on both sides of the Atlantic, as crossword puzzles found a home nestled in the leafy pages of newspapers around the world and adjacent to the Opinion section in our very own Diamondback.

In 1942, The New York Times established crossword puzzles’ modern conventions, namely symmetrical grids with blackened-out squares, solutions at least three letters long, multi-word answers and subtler clues. The Times crossword puzzle is without a doubt the world’s most popular. Its success comes from a distinct pattern of increasing difficulty as the week progresses (Monday is the easiest while I’d be hard-pressed to fill in one word on a Sunday) and the unsurpassed quality and cleverness with which it is created and edited.

The evil mastermind behind the Times crossword — he’s only evil when the puzzle is just so dang hard to solve — is probably one of my top-five favorite human beings alive today. His name is Will Shortz, and he has been editing The New York Times crossword puzzle since 1993 while founding and overseeing the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament since 1978. As an undergraduate at Indiana University, Shortz took the

“create-your-own-major” option to heart when he decided to pursue enigmatology, the study of puzzles. Now, he is the face — and brains — of crossword puzzles. There’s even a movie about him, a 2006 documentary called Wordplay.

What Justin Bieber is to 12-year-old girls, or Yo-Yo Ma is to cello enthusiasts, that’s what Will Shortz is to American crossword fanatics.

Unlike Shortz, I am no cruciverbalist — a word meaning “a person skillful in creating or solving crossword puzzles” — but nonetheless I do get a thrill from doing the crossword puzzle, or the small chunk of it I can fill in. I like doing crosswords because they test such a wide swath of knowledge, from sports to literature to pop culture.

Most people have a similar inclination to solve puzzles and test their wits. It is built into our humanity. How else can you explain the success of Sporcle, Words With Friends or even the game show Jeopardy!? Like Shortz says, puzzle solving “scratches an itch that we don’t reach in any other way.” I’ll gladly scratch away.

Neal Freyman is a senior history major. He can be reached at nfreyman3@gmail.com.

Success at others’ expense is a shallow excuse for a life MARC PRIESTER I want to be successful. It’s unclear by which standards I’ll judge my success, yet this burning desire to achieve continues to smolder in the pit of my stomach.

As I contemplate how to define success, it’s impossible to separate the results I seek from the methods used to achieve them. Even when fantasizing about life as a lawyer, banker or entrepreneur, anytime Future Marc seizes his dreams in a seemingly immoral manner, the worth of these lucrative careers begins to diminish in value, almost to zero.

True, the outcomes you’ve experienced in life affect how others will define you as a person. But should we value our lust for land, labor and capital over the ways we seek to collect them? In other words, do the ends justify the means?

It’s really up to you. With these opinion columns, we run the risk of passing unwarranted judgments from a removed, holier-than-thou pedestal.

So as I write this column, I want to be as impartial as possible.

It’s understandable why individuals would feel axiomatic moral beliefs are disposable. Ethical reciprocity, or “do unto others,” is flawless — in theory. In reality, self-gratification drives most actions.

Think about these common scenarios: Someone in class is willing to endure

the abuse of always providing you with homework help. Or gaining a leg up on the competition, not by work ethic, but by cunning and brownnosing. Almost everyone would denounce these acts as wrong, yet we do them anyway against our true moral instincts.

We’ve been encouraged — subconsciously or not — to use any means necessary. Executives boast stories of climbing over others to reach the top of the corporate ladder. Negative political campaigning has become expected.

You’re probably familiar with “nice guys finish last.” But is that the world any of us want to live in?

A wise, fictitious character named Suzaku Kururugi once proclaimed, “Any ends gained through contemptible

means aren’t worth anything.” Resultcentered methods, in many situations, are overestimated in significance. When one factors in the damage and suffering others experience, it naturally reduces the worth of these dubious schemes.

The world suffers when everyone acts in a self-interested manner. Bloody competition may help identify winners and losers, but when our own livelihood is tarnished by the constant threat of someone else usurping our success, paranoia takes over. We look for monsters that aren’t there. We all lose.

A person only has his or her principles to stand by. Things such as property, relationships and success are finite illusions doomed to disappear over time.

Principles are infinite. A conscience

will always hold you culpable for your actions, and the resulting remorse will continuously remind you of your faults.

It’s the worst form of poetic justice, and it lasts a lifetime.

I can never be certain which virtues are correct. I can only advocate and hold myself accountable for my own actions, while never subjecting others to my ethical canon.

What kind of person do I want to be?

I don’t know. But whoever Marc Priester is in five, 10 or 20 years, he’d better make damn sure he fulfills his dreams without harming others.

Marc Priester is a sophomore economics and government and politics major. He can be reached at marcpriester@gmail.com.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013 | THE DIAMONDBACK

5

Features ACROSS 1 Use solder 5 Insurgent 10 Good for Caesar 14 Face-to-face exam 15 Loan-sharking 16 Nay opposites 17 Valhalla honcho 18 D.C. consumer advocate 19 Corner 20 Dutch exports 22 Rainwater catcher 24 Nope 25 Draw with acid 26 Seemly 30 “Gunsmoke” doc 35 Incan treasure 36 Apt. units 37 Gymnast’s stickum 38 Sells off 41 Beach hazard 43 Actress -- Davis 44 Bon Jovi of rock 45 Ripen 46 Banana oil, e.g.

47 Comfy chair 50 Does something 53 Freedom, briefly 54 Terrestrial 58 Lofty goals 62 Road map info 63 Heart or liver 66 Uprising 67 Security lapse

68 Demi or Dudley 69 “-- -- Excited” 70 Terminates 71 Like tartan 72 Aboard ship DOWN 1 Tootsy 2 Pakistan’s language 3 Ride a windjammer 4 Warm ocean current (2 wds.)

5 Give out (2 wds.)

6 NASA counterpart 7 Leaf-to-be 8 Construct 9 Sheet-music line 10 Cotton stuffing 11 Fictional governess 12 Within reach 13 Cable channel 21 -- for the course 23 Like a tack 25 Slalom run 26 Be evasive 27 Senecas’ enemies 28 Feel envious 29 Verbal stumbles 31 Pixel 32 Flu strain 33 Gnat 34 Vile smile

CROSSWORD

39 Compass pt.

40 Bernhardt of the stage 41 Caviar, actually 42 Tending toward 44 Next year’s grads

48 “Put a -- on it!”

49 Spain and Portugal 51 Walk heavily 52 Innsbruck locale

© 2013 United Features Syndicate

PREVIOUS DAY’s puzzle solved:

Today’s crossword sponsored by:

54 Whodunit name 55 Nefertiti’s god 56 Consult a book 57 Impatient chucks 59 Zeroes in on

60 Elude 61 Portico 64 Tibetan gazelle 65 Meyers of “Kate & Allie”

B

HOROSCOPE STELLA WILDER

orn today, you are a generally easygoing individual with a will to make others around you feel good about themselves and, as much as possible, about the world at large. You have been endowed with a tremendously positive outlook that is rarely shaken -- though it must be said that when it is, you can sink into a very serious depression from which it may take you quite a while to recover. In the main, however, you know how to see things for what they are without letting them get you down -- and usually you are able to find the silver lining in any cloud.

You are at your best when you are applying your considerable talents to projects that you consider truly worthwhile and beneficial. You cannot abide “busy work,” but you have an admirable work ethic when the stakes are high. It is likely you will build quite a professional reputation for yourself.

Also born on this date are: Jeremy Sumpter, actor; Michael Sheen, actor; Jennifer Jason Leigh, actress; Christopher Guest, actor, comic, musician; Roger Staubach, football player; H.R. Giger, surrealist artist; Hank Aaron, baseball player; Red Buttons, actor.

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

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6 AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -You may have to work a little harder than usual today to get the same

COLLEGE INTUITION RICHIE BATES ROGER DOES COLLEGE

results -- and that’s very much the product of a recent slowdown.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -You have a great deal of enthusiasm today, but you want to apply it to an endeavor that you can really wrap your head around.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- The schedule you have to keep may not be conducive to a relaxed way of working; you’ll have to work more quickly than you had planned.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- You will recognize a few things as being different from what you expected -- but that, in turn, will allow you to enjoy greater freedom.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- As with so many others today, freedom itself is a big concern, and anything you can do to guarantee yours will be a big plus.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- You may have little good to say about what you are working on at this time, but someone else recognizes that it may be among your best efforts.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- You cannot afford to be distracted by something that doesn’t concern you

today; keep yourself focused, and avoid anything draining.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- You have a journey ahead of you, but you may not be entirely sure where you will be at the end of it. Yes, the journey is its own destination!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- You will be captivated by something that someone does apparently in private -- but you will have caught a glimpse that has you making plans.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- You should be able to finally sit down and get back to work after a short, unintended hiatus. Now that you’re back at it, rewards follow.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- You may be tempted to see things in a negative light, but someone close to you will remind you of your naturally positive outlook.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- You can do or say just the right thing today to have a friend feeling much better about what he or she has recently said or done.

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:

MEDIUM

Today’s SUDOKU PUZZLE sponsored by:

6

Diversions

THE DIAMONDBACK | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

ALL THE CRAP YOU CARE ABOUT

CONTAGION TV SHOW TO (POSSIBLY) KILL GWYNETH PALTROW ON A WEEKLY BASIS

After simultaneously providing catharsis to all those who have suffered through Gwyneth Paltrow’s blog and convincing you that you’re dying, right now, of the flu, Contagion, the WebMD of movies, may be headed to the small screen. Writer Scott Z. Burns is adapting the film for TV, where he won’t have A-listers like Matt Damon to kill with germs and will probably have to settle for infecting a Christian Slater or Terry O’Quinn.

ESSAY | TELEVISION HATE-WATCHING

a love-hate relationship Due to the advent of TV-streaming websites, more and more shows are available with the click of a mouse — but the increase in quantity has also produced an increase in criticism

By Eric Bricker Staff writer There are hundreds of hours of original television programming released every week, and, if TV critics and the Internet literati are to be believed, only a select few are worth watching (and of these select programs, even fewer are popular with the mainstream TV-watching, 2 Broke Girls-loving populace).

So why, then, do shows often critically or culturally vilified — The Big Bang Theory, say, or NBC’s Broadwayor-bust musical drama Smash — rack up hundreds of comments on online message boards and pop culture websites, while high-quality cult favorites go undiscussed? Then again, why do little-watched but much-praised shows like HBO’s Girls receive so much hostility from certain parts of the Web? Shouldn’t we celebrate our beloved cable gems while we can?

In other words, we are left with a distinctly modern paradox: Why are we spending so much time watching and talking about shows we hate? And why do we spend so much time hating shows we — supposedly — love?

The Internet, coupled with the explosion of live recording and the boom of streaming sites (such as Hulu and Netflix), has given viewers access to more TV than ever before — the good, the bad and the somewhere-inbetween. As a result, artists, critics and audiences alike are talking about

TV in a way they never have before.

“Hate-watching,” or watching a show strictly to criticize or mock it online, was born out of this new critical landscape, carried out in real time on Twitter and in the comment sections and message boards of sites such as IMDb and The A.V. Club.

On the one hand, hate-watching is emblematic of everything that is wrong with pop culture consumption today. Overly snarky and often lacking depth, many comments are made out of blind hatred or the desire to be the first to quip, even if there’s nothing of substance to say. And there is no excuse for the misogyny and racism that certain dark corners of the Internet throw at shows such as Girls or The Mindy Project. Talking about quality and content is one thing, but attacking a show because its creator is a woman or a minority is a different matter entirely.

And, of course, there’s the age-old issue of economics: If people watch a certain show — even if just to mock it — networks are going to keep creating shows just like it. Whatever gets eyeballs gets made. There is no denying voting with a remote will do more to change the TV landscape than snarking on Twitter.

That said, there is a simple truth about hate-watching that far outweighs its potential harms: Making fun of bad TV is, well … fun.

Take Smash, which is set to start its second season tonight. The first season of the theater-themed drama was at

times transcendently awful, a fever dream of a show where Bollywood musical numbers crashed up against random Nick Jonas cameos. Needless to say, I watched every single episode, laughing to myself all the while. The show has apparently been seriously retooled for its second season, bringing in new stars and a new showrunner.

But if the show develops better quality, it will almost certainly become less interesting as a result; I would rather have a daring disaster than another sanitized, mediocre network dramedy.

Train wrecks are always more fun.

Ask comedian and all-around nerd icon Patton Oswalt, who recently joined so many other comics and writers in tearing apart Liz and Dick on Twitter when the Lifetime original movie first aired. The film was an unmitigated disaster, but watching tweets about it unfold in real time salvaged it, turning a dismal piece of television into a crowdsourced work of comedy.

And hate-watching can have positive effects on the medium itself. Lena Dunham’s Girls came under fire online throughout much of its first season for skirting around issues of race and the privileged nature of its main characters.

Rather than rebuking or ignoring her critics, Dunham is now smartly using the show itself as a response; season two seamlessly incorporated Donald Glover’s black Republican into the show’s world and started to, as A.V. Club TV editor Todd VanDerWerff put it, “call the characters on their bullshit.” Rather

than hiding, Dunham confronted her critics, and her show improved noticeably, opening up the conversation to larger discussions of race, class and gender.

This is not to say all hate-watching should be — or should even aspire to be — so idealistic. Sometimes it’s just fun to sit with some friends and talk about how terrible The Office has become. Like any movement born and bred on the Internet, hate-watching

can be a destructive, offensive force.

But it is an inescapable reality of the new TV landscape. We now have a more immersive and more open television community than ever before.

Hate-watching, then, is nothing more or less than an effort to put TV, arguably our most populist medium, back into the hands of the people. Everyone’s a critic, for better or worse. diversionsdbk@gmail.com

girls received criticism for avoiding sensitive topics such as race during its first season, but creator Lena Dunham took viewers’ comments to heart, addressing such issues as the show continued. photo courtesy of crushable.com

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EVEN 2 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013 | SPORTS | THE DIAMONDBACK

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

WRESTLING

January a struggle for Gentry Junior owns 6-10 record in month over three-year career

By Daniel Popper Staff writer Shane Gentry has accumulated plenty of accolades during his three years starting on the Terrapins wrestling team. He was named team captain entering this season, earned 2011-12 All-ACC honors and placed second at last season’s ACC Championship.

But Gentry still can’t seem to overcome one thing: his annual January slump.

“It’s funny,” coach Kerry McCoy said. “This is his third year and you go back and look in his record books and I don’t think he’s won very many matches in January.”

Ove r t h e co u rse o f h i s career, Gentry has compiled a

6-10 record in 15 January dual matches. This season, he finished the month at 2-4, allowing 13 dual points in his four losses.

Luckily for Gentry, though, the Terps’ matchup with No. 11 Virginia was scheduled for Feb. 1. And fittingly, the junior defeated his friend and rival No. 8 Matt Snyder in a rematch of the 2012 ACC finals only one day removed from his least favorite month.

Trailing Snyder, 2-0, with eight seconds remaining in the third period, Gentry freed himself from his opponent to score a takedown and tie the match. But Snyder had accumulated 2:48 worth of riding time during a dominant second period, giving him a one-point advantage.

Needing two more points for the win, Gentry gained leverage and got Snyder on his back to score a two-point near fall as time expired and capture a 4-3 victory.

“It’s to the point where we know each other so well, we have to go out and have a different game plan every time we wrestle each other,” Gentry said.

“I kept it close and stayed into it and got it in the end, which is just what we were hoping to do.”

All McCoy needed to see was his captain’s face following the match to know how important the victory was to Gentry.

“It’s awesome for him and I’m excited for him,” he said.

“It’s the first time he’s smiled in a while and it’s allowing for the team to start rebuilding

Shane Gentry has struggled in January, owning a 6-10 record in that month during his three years with the Terps. christian jenkins/the diamondback that confidence in him.”

With January now behind him, Gentry is looking forward to the end of conference play

PADGETT From PAGE 8

forward James Padgett made all six of his shot attempts to score 12 points in the Terps’ win over Wake Forest on Saturday. file photo/the diamondback

following through,” Padgett said moments after the Terps’ 86-60 win. “I don’t think I ever went 6-for-6 ever.”

That milestone came three days after Padgett tallied six points and three rebounds in a season-high 31 minutes during the Terps’ buzzer-beating loss at Florida State. He sat just one minute after halftime and earned praise from Turgeon during the postgame press conference for his solid interior defense.

Padgett has now scored more points (18) over his past two games than he did in his previous seven games combined. In that span, he has also paced the Terps from the field with an 88.9 shooting percentage.

Turgeon is taking notice. The second-year coach said yesterday he plans to start Padgett at Virginia Tech on Thursday. In fact, he went so far as to say the team needs Padgett to continue his solid play if it hopes to have any chance of doing “what we need to do down the stretch.”

At first glance, it may have seemed a bit of an overstatement considering Padgett’s limited

and the looming postseason.

But most importantly, he’s just thankful for a breath of fresh air.

“Today is Feb. 1,” McCoy

said after the match. “And it’s a new day.”

role during the weeks preceding the Florida State defeat. After starting 10 of the Terps’ first 11 games, Padgett hadn’t topped the 20-minute mark in 2013. He was averaging 2.8 points and 3.4 rebounds during that span — a far cry from the 8.8 points and team-high 5.8 boards he averaged as an everyday starter last season.

The reduced playing time wasn’t a punishment for mounting turnovers or decreased production. Turgeon simply wanted to create minutes for Mitchell and Cleare, two highly touted rookies with substantially higher ceilings than Padgett.

Padgett is consistent, sure, but he possesses little flash.

He’s good for a few rebounds, a couple high-percentage hook shots and the occasional trip to the free-throw line. Mitchell and Cleare, meanwhile, have more star potential. They can use their burly frames to dominate during stretches, attacking the glass with force.

With that in mind, Turgeon felt compelled to tinker with his lineup as the Terps readied for ACC play in late December. He wanted to see how Mitchell and Cleare would hold up against high-major competition, to see if they could provide a much-need-

ed spark during a tough stretch that featured games against N.C. State, North Carolina and Duke.

Padgett accepted the decision and quietly waited his turn on the sideline.

“He was a little bit down, but James is a senior,” center Alex Len said. “He knows how to handle it.”

Perhaps Padgett’s biggest asset this season is his grasp on his role. He knows he’s not the Terps’ go-to scorer, and realizes he’s no All-ACC candidate.

He’s just trying to give what he can, to follow through as a vocal leader of a youthful group.

So after Seminoles guard Michael Snaer hit a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left to hand the Terps’ their fourth-straight road loss on Wednesday, Padgett wasn’t content sitting passively in the visitors locker room.

He told his teammates time was running out. He said they needed to start winning soon, that the ACC tournament was closer than they thought.

And then he hit 100 percent of his shot attempts against the Demon Deacons three days later.

“James was just tremendous the whole [game],” Turgeon said.

“It was a welcomed sight.”

sportsdbk@gmail.com

sportsdbk@gmail.com

Guard Chloe Pavlech notched six assists in the win over Boston College, but she also turned the ball over three times. charlie deboyace/the diamondback

Turnovers From PAGE 8 pushing the ball in transition off an Eagles turnover or miss, Boston College couldn’t run back in time. The Terps finished with a 20-5 advantage in fastbreak points and a 17-7 edge in points off turnovers.

“We had a couple turnovers, and it’s really hard to get back in transition when [we] turn the ball over,” Boston College coach Erik Johnson said. “What makes Maryland so good is that they can take advantage of your mistakes, so when we did have either a bad shot or a quick turnover, they were able to get out in transition.”

Thomas was the main catalyst in the Terps’ transition offense later in the game, dishing out three of her four assists in the second half. The junior AllAmerican would simply grab one of her game-high 12 rebounds, sprint down the court and either pass off to her primary running mate Hawkins or take it herself and draw a foul.

“It’s fun watching the two of them clicking on all cylinders,” Frese said. “When [Thomas is] coming down the center of the floor, I don’t know how people decide how they’re going to guard. Then, when you talk about Tianna running the floor with her, it just gives you so many great options.”

In one stretch late in the game,

Thomas drove, drew a foul and made a layup on two consecutive Terps possessions. That aggressiveness helped the Terps hit 20 free throws, tied for their thirdmost makes on the season.

With two of the nation’s best scoring options in Thomas and Hawkins, plus complementary scorers like guard Katie Rutan and center Malina Howard, the nation’s 10th-best scoring offense has plenty of options.

It’s just a matter of making sure the ball gets to them.

“Whenever you can take care of the ball, it’s a good thing,” Thomas said. “We limit a lot of our mistakes when we don’t turn the ball over.” sportsdbk@gmail.com

TWEET OF THE DAY Torrey Smith @TorreySmithWR Former Terps wide receiver

“2 years ago we were watching the Superbowl at UMD in Commons 3..Now we won it!! #blessed @i_amquan”

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FOLLOW US ON TWITTER For news and updates on all Terrapins sports teams, follow us on Twitter @DBKSports.

Page 8

TUESDAY, February 5, 2013

MEN’S BASKETBALL

rising to the occasion

Report Card The semester has just begun, but the Terrapins men’s basketball team has already reached the halfway point of its ACC schedule. And courtesy of senior staff writer Josh Vitale, the grades — and midseason honors — are in:

BACKCOURT Even without the departed Terrell Stoglin, the Terps’ veteran backcourt was expected to be one of the team’s strong points. Pe’Shon Howard was finally healthy after an injury-marred season last year, Nick Faust was coming off a strong freshman campaign and Dez Wells was joining the team with a lot of fanfare, giving the Terps what looked to be a deep and balanced backcourt rotation.

But as the year wore on, the backcourt proved arguably the team’s weakest component. While Wells has lived up to expectations, Howard has been relegated to the bench after a season-long string of bad performances and Faust has struggled to find his shot all season, averaging just eightand-a-half points per game while shooting 37 percent from the floor.

FRONTCOURT

Forward James Padgett has played limited minutes this year, but coach Mark Turgeon has given him an expanded role in the past two games. charlie deboyace/the diamondback

Veteran Padgett provides Terps steadiness, leadership despite reduced role

By Connor Letourneau Senior staff writer Mark Turgeon reached a simple conclusion at the end of last season: For his Terrapins men’s basketball team to make noteworthy strides during his second campaign at the helm, James Padgett would need to give him more.

Not necessarily in production. Not even in minutes. Turgeon just needed more vocal leadership from his consistent forward. Padgett would be one of two seniors on the 2012-13 squad.

ON THE WEB

He’d be the elder statesman in a rotation featuring a host of newcomers.

And even when freshmen big men Charles Mitchell and Shaquille Cleare started replacing Padgett in Turgeon’s starting lineup earlier this season, the Brooklyn, N.Y., native fulfilled his part of the bargain. He never complained, trying instead to make the most of a suddenly reduced role.

But Padgett’s responsibilities have expanded in recent days. Hoping to capitalize on a small and inexperienced Wake Forest frontcourt, Turgeon

started Padgett Saturday for the first time since a Jan. 13 loss at Miami. The co-captain responded with perhaps the most efficient performance of his playing career, shooting 6-of-6 from the field in a team-high 26 minutes.

He connected on a baby hook during the team’s first possession, and cruised to his highest point total since late November.

“I was just working on finishing, making as many shots as I can and See PADGETT, Page 7

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Improved ball security helps Terps pull away from Eagles Turnovers prove key as team expands lead

There’s no question the frontcourt has been a bright spot for the Terps this season. The unit ranks No. 1 in the nation with 42.6 rebounds per game, and its plus-11.1 rebounding margin is by far the best in the ACC. The group isn’t without faults, though. While Alex Len, Charles Mitchell and James Padgett are averaging a combined 24.8 points and 18.2 rebounds per game, they each have flaws in their respective games. Len has shown a tendency to disappear at times despite his considerable talent, Mitchell struggles with inconsistency and Padgett has been forced to cede a lot of his minutes to talented reserve center Shaquille Cleare. Freshman Jake Layman, who has started many of the

COACHING

C+

Those issues have forced coach Mark Turgeon to shuffle around his guard rotation. Freshman Seth Allen has performed better than expected in an increased role, and he, Faust, Howard and even Wells have all rotated in and out of the point guard spot. None of them have taken advantage of the opportunity, though, as the Terps’ 11.9 assists per game during ACC play rank in the bottom half of the league. With no true ball handler in the backcourt, the offense has struggled with inconsistency and turnovers throughout the season.

B+

Terps’ recent games, has also battled with inconsistency, showing he’s just as likely to get hot from beyond the arc as he is to struggle with his stroke and end up on the bench.

Despite those issues, the frontcourt will likely remain the Terps’ strength throughout the latter part of the season. Turgeon’s teams have historically played an inside-outside game, so the bigs will continue to play a major role on offense. As long as their inconsistencies don’t hold them back, that is.

B+

Mark Turgeon proved his worth as a recruiter entering his second season in College Park. He landed the strong four-player freshman class of Allen, Cleare, Layman and Mitchell and brought in two noteworthy transfers in Aronhalt and Wells.

But Turgeon’s in-season coaching has been a mixed bag. While it’s clear his work with Len and his tutelage of the freshmen have gotten results on the court, his handling of the team’s rotation has been questionable at times. The Terps have used 11 different starting lineups this season and are the only team in the conference with 10 players averaging more than 12 minutes per game. With so many players at

his disposal, Turgeon has shown a quick hook throughout the season, often subbing out players immediately after a turnover or miscue.

It doesn’t seem like the ideal situation. With so many players shuttling in and out of the lineup, it’s looked as though some of them have struggled at times to get into the flow of the game. Having a deep and talented roster is nice, but the Terps might be better served if Turgeon shortened his bench and gave more playing time to his most consistent options.

MOST VALUABLE

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

DEZ WELLS

PE’SHON HOWARD

The way Wells has played this season, it’s a no-brainer. The forward has lived up to the hype since transferring from Xavier in September, averaging a balanced 12.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists so far this season. After getting off to a slow start while he struggled to get comfortable with his new team, Wells has emerged as a player who wants the ball in his hands, and he’s led the team in scoring in seven of 22 games this season. His penchant for turnovers has at times marred his on-court performance — he’s averaging a team-high three giveaways per game — but his abilities as a scorer and leader have more than made up for his shortcomings.

The starting point guard through much of the early part of the season, Howard was finally removed from the starting lineup for good after the Terps’ Jan. 9 loss to Florida State. His 3.3 points per game are the lowest mark of any player in the rotation, and if you take away his 13-assist outburst in an early season win over LIU Brooklyn, he’s averaging just 3.8 assists per game.

He’s been even worse in ACC play, posting averages of just 2.3 points and 2.3 assists while turning the ball over two times per game. His low point came on Jan. 19 against North Carolina, when he scored zero points, notched zero assists and had seven turnovers.

Midseason Awards

By Daniel Gallen Senior staff writer The Terrapins women’s basketball team’s turnovers came in all varieties early Sunday in an 85-62 win over Boston College. There were errant entry passes to the post, out-of-control drives to the lane and even some quick-handed Eagles steals.

The sloppy start culminated in an early 15-7 Boston College lead, the Terps’ largest deficit in exactly one month.

But after entering halftime with a seven-point lead, the No. 7 Terps tightened up their ballhandling. As their turnovers dwindled, their lead ballooned, and soon they had another blowout win in ACC play.

“That’s the most important thing, taking better care of the ball, especially in a game like this where it’s a slowdown game,” coach Brenda Frese said. “You’ve really got to value the basketball.”

In the first half, the Terps tallied nine turnovers, compared to Boston College’s seven. Center Alicia DeVaughn and forward Tianna Hawkins coughed it up three times each, and it appeared

Forward Alyssa Thomas and the Terps turned the ball over nine times in the first half against Boston College on Sunday, but they limited that number to just six in the second as they secured a 85-62 win. charlie deboyace/the diamondback the Terps were headed toward yet another turnover-marred performance.

The Terps combined for just six giveaways in the second half, though, and no player turned the ball over more than once. Boston College coughed it up seven more times over the final 20 minutes, and its primary ball handler, guard Kerri Shields, finished with four.

The more turnovers the Terps forced, the more difficult it became for the Eagles to set their defense, which held the Terps to 2-of-11 shooting from the field early in the contest.

With Thomas and guard Chloe Pavlech (six assists, three turnovers) See TURNOVERS, Page 7