020912

Thursday, February 9, 2012

‘ZACHING’

GRAMMY GLAM

How one manager is inspiring the Terps

Has the Grammy Awards show lost it?

SPORTS | PAGE 8

DIVERSIONS | PAGE 6

THE DIAMONDBACK THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

IN OR OUT? After report says embattled O’Brien will transfer, sophomore quarterback writes he’s ‘still a Terp’

BY CONOR WALSH Senior staff writer

The speculation surrounding Danny O’Brien’s future appeared to come to a close yesterday afternoon. And then it didn’t — at least not yet.

NBC-4 reported the Terrapins football team quarterback had met with coach Randy Edsall to inform him that he would be transferring. An hour later, O’Brien said, via his Twitter account, “Contrary to rumor, I am still a Terp.”

While O’Brien put the immediate rumors to rest yesterday, reports began surfacing from sources close to the program that the 2010 ACC Rookie of the Year remains on the fence about his future with the Terps.

The Washington Post

reported yesterday that O’Brien is on the verge of leaving the program for another school and that he’ll spend the upcoming weekend with his family to decide on his future.

Similarly, the Baltimore Sun reported that O’Brien felt “mismatched” in former offensive coordinator Gary Crowton’s system last season and has maintained a close relationship with former offensive coordinator and current Vanderbilt coach James Franklin.

Such controversy surrounding the rising junior would have been considered preposterous at this time last year. In the Terps’ 9-4 2010 campaign, O’Brien established himself as the face of the program with a 22-touchdown season.

But the departures of Franklin and

see O’BRIEN, page 7

FILE PHOTO/THE DIAMONDBACK

SGA supports plastic bag tax

County would place 5-cent tax on disposable bags

BY LEAH VILLANUEVA Senior staff writer

After a 20-minute debate, the SGA voted to urge Prince George’s County to place a surcharge on paper and plastic bags at its meeting last night.

The measure, which would place a 5-cent tax on disposable bags, has divided county and state lawmakers. Although some Student Government Association legislators raised concerns over how effective a plastic bag tax would be in reducing bag consumption and littering, the organization ultimately backed instituting a countywide implementation of the tax in a 10-4 vote, with one abstention.

Legislators will wait until next week’s meeting to vote on the proposed Community Cleanup and Greening Act of 2012, which would place a statewide, rather than countywide, addi-

tional charge on bags.

To inform legislators about the financial and environmental costs the state incurs from disposable bags, Julie Lawson, a representative from Trash Free Maryland Alliance, spoke at the start of the meeting. The country uses 100 billion plastic bags and 10 billion paper bags — or the equivalent of 14 million trees — annually, Lawson said. In the state, many of those bags eventually end up in the Anacostia River and the Chesapeake Bay, Lawson added.

While most legislators voiced support for the statute, several questioned how effective such a tax would be.

“There’s no evidence that offering an incentive instead of a penalty wouldn’t also change behavior,” neighboring commuter legislator Aaron Zaccaria said. “If our litter laws and

see TAX, page 2

SGA Senior Vice President Matthew Popkin spoke in favor of the plastic bag tax at last night’s meeting. CHARLIE DEBOYACE/THE DIAMONDBACK

Our 102ND Year, No. 85

Athletics dept. just beginning to change Eight athletic teams still need millions to survive

BY REBECCA LURYE Staff writer

University officials are just beginning to take concrete steps toward eliminating the athletics department’s deficit, nearly three months after university President Wallace Loh announced eight Terrapins teams would be cut unless they could raise the money needed to fund their programs for the next eight years.

Although the President’s Commission on Intercollege Athletics — the task force Loh assembled in July to address the department’s $83 million debt — released a report in November outlining revenue-generating measures for the university to erase the deficit by 2015, officials said they are still in the planning stages of most of these changes.

Meanwhile, the teams facing elimination — men’s cross country, men’s indoor track, men’s outdoor track, men’s tennis, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, acrobatics and tumbling and women’s water polo — have been feverishly raising money since the announcement to reach the marks, they are all still millions of dollars short with less than five months left.

The report recommended the university upgrade Comcast Center to accommodate high-profile guests and performances, enhance the game-day atmosphere to garner more fans, rent out Byrd Stadium to outside groups, such as high school sports teams and cut administrative costs by 10 percent.

Associate Athletics Director Doug Dull said the department has recently begun discussing how to implement these initiatives, noting it has left several positions vacant to reduce expenses.

“Each of our sport programs and administrative units are exploring their operating budgets to ensure efficiency and find ways to

see ATHLETICS, page 2

Student lobbyists prepare for 251 North meals to debut in diners North and South Campus diners will soon feature trip to Annapolis this month more popular dishes from the all-you-can-eat hub

BY ALLISON GRAY

Many plan to discuss tuition hikes with legislators

BY LEAH VILLANUEVA Senior staff writer

As a number of decisions coming before the state legislature would significantly impact college affordability next year, student leaders said they are working to ensure student lobbyists are best prepared to effectively make their voices heard in Annapolis.

With tuition likely to increase by at least 3 percent next year, Student Government Association leaders said they plan to focus their efforts on fighting for the lowest hike possible and advocating for increasing student financial aid.

Student leaders will also plan to back a bill just recently introduced in the state Senate on Friday by Sen. Richard Madaleno (D-Montgomery) that would make textbooks sales tax free for a designated period each year.

“We’re focusing on various issues about making college affordable and accessible now and into the future,” SGA Director of Governmental Affairs Zach Cohen said.

To prepare for Terrapin Pride Day — an annual event where the SGA transports student volunteers to Annapolis to speak directly with legislators — on Feb. 27, Cohen said the SGA

TOMORROW’S WEATHER:

Students will travel to Annapolis Feb. 27 to lobby legislators. FILE PHOTO/THE DIAMONDBACK

will be hosting training sessions to inform students on the various issues, explain the “talking points” of the lobbying efforts and hold mock meetings to practice how to best communicate

see LOBBYING, page 2

Sunny/40s

INDEX

Staff writer

North Campus residents, hold those coveted 251 North meal swipes tonight. South Campus residents, no need to trek to the other side of the campus for a meal at the university’s only allyou-can-eat dining hall.

Dining Services’ Senior Executive Chef John Gray is conducting an experiment this semester to see whether some of the more popular meals at 251 North will sell well at the North and South Campus dining halls. On the menu tonight is grilled rosemary thyme chicken over chicken chorizo penne pasta with a smoked gouda cream sauce.

This meal is one of many that Gray — who has been cooking since he was 11 years old and at this university for three years — plans to incorporate into the North and South Campus dining hall menus.

Others include Cajun fried pork chops with tomatillo sauce and ratatouille vegetables, set for Feb. 14 and March 13, and seared pork with ancho chili, mushrooms, tomatoes and corn tortillas, set for March 7.

In the coming weeks, Robert Fahey will take over as 251 North’s head chef. This will give Gray — who currently oversees all Dining Services-run food — more time to revamp the older dining halls’ menus.

NEWS . . . . . . . . . .2 OPINION . . . . . . . .4

FEATURES . . . . . .5 CLASSIFIED . . . . .6

DIVERSIONS . . . . .6 SPORTS . . . . . . . . .8

Several students said the changes are needed.

Freshman journalism major Shea Winpigler likened the North and South Campus dining halls to gas station food and 251 to Red Lobster.

The idea behind 251 North was to have students broaden their food comfort zone by introducing them to gourmet dishes on the campus, Gray said.

“Once they see it here [in 251 North] and then they see it over there [in the dining halls], they’re going to say ‘Ah, I’ve had that before, that was really good,’” he said. “Before, if they didn’t know what it was, they’re spending $7 to $8 on a meal for dinner, and if they didn’t like it they were kind of stuck with it.”

Between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., workers serve roughly 3,000 students at the North Campus Diner, according to Gray.

It was therefore necessary to handpick meals that could be produced fast and in large quantities with the dining halls’ older equipment.

“A lot will depend on if we can produce the food at the rate food costs to become a value meal,” said Dining Services spokesman Bart Hipple. “The value meal price can’t go up unless the board rate goes up to cover it.”

A secondary challenge was diversifying the menu, Gray said.

see DINING, page 3

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THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012

LOBBYING from page 1

with legislators. Under last year’s administration, SGA leaders only handed out pamphlets with the talking points on the bus ride to the event.

“This is about informing students on these real issues and make sure they understand why and how higher education is an investment and how to present them to the legislators,” Cohen said. “We want to make sure we have the maximum impact with the resources we have.”

SGA President Kaiyi Xie and Cohen have already made several trips to Annapolis to meet with legislators and testify on behalf of student affordability. Xie said it’s important for students to relay their own experiences to the legislators to illustrate why college affordability is such a critical issue.

“The humanizing element is really important,” Xie said.

“We’re not economists by any

means. We’re not going to convince the legislators that way. We make a bigger impact by using what we have, and what we have is that we are the ones who are directly affected by this.”

Cohen agreed, saying he would encourage student lobbyists to share personal stories with legislators how they or their friends are directly affected by tuition increases and textbook expenses.

“Students are the ones who are metaphorically in the trenches, and that can have a great impact,” Cohen said.

Along with college affordability issues, the legislature will also revisit bills that the SGA lobbied for in last year’s session, including same-sex marriage and the DREAM Act. In December, the SGA passed a bill supporting marriage equality, but it failed in the House of Delegates. The DREAM Act — which would provide in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants — passed the General Assembly, which may be put to a referendum.

“We want to make sure we have the maximum impact with the resources we have.”

ZACH COHEN SGA DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

While the SGA has pledged support for these issues, Xie said most efforts would be focused on convincing legislators to keep college financially accessible.

“Affordability is our priority,” Xie said. “If you can’t afford to go to college, the other things don’t matters too much to you in terms of being a student, and it’s our role as an SGA to lobby on that.” villanueva@umdbk.com

The SGA voted 10-4, with one abstention, to support a county-wide measure that would institute an additional 5-cent charge on disposable bags. CHARLIE DEBOYACE/THE DIAMONDBACK

TAX from page 1 enforcement aren’t enough, then what’s to say that charging a fee for using it would be more effective?”

Zaccaria and David Lieb, computer, mathematical and natural sciences legislator, also raised concerns about how the money generated from the tax would be used. In its resolution, the SGA calls on legislators to use the revenue toward county environmental initiatives. A similar bill passed in Washington generated $15,000 toward

Anacostia River cleanup and has decreased plastic bag consumption by 80 percent.

However, Lieb and Zaccaria noted with significant state budget cuts looming, there is no guarantee lawmakers would not use the tax revenue elsewhere.

However, Senior Vice President Matthew Popkin, who is also an undergraduate representative on the university’s sustainability council, spoke up several times during the debate in favor of the bill.

“Anyone can use reusable bags; there’s no poverty line or socioeconomic class to it,” Popkin said. “We’re not saying you’re

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University President Wallace Loh announced in November eight teams would be cut at the end of this year to balance the athletics department’s $83 million debt. FILE PHOTO/THE DIAMONDBACK

ATHLETICS from page 1

reduce spending as much as possible while not affecting the competitiveness of the team or essential services to our student-athletes,” Dull wrote in an email.

To sur vive past June 30, men’s and women’s swimming and diving must raise more than $11.5 million; men’s track and women’s acrobatics and tumbling must raise nearly $9.5 million; and women’s water polo and men’s tennis need about $8 million combined.

So far, a general fund has raised about $1 million to help save all eight teams; men’s indoor and outdoor track has raised $61,943 in total; the acrobatics and tumbling team has secured $3,684; water polo has $8,244, while men’s tennis has $333; and the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams have raised $2,809, with an additional $1.5 million in pledged donations. If the teams do not raise sufficient funds, the money donated this year will be returned.

While the university has appointed two senior staff members to aid the teams in fundraising efforts, some student-athletes said it hasn’t been enough.

“I’m one of the people on the team that acts as a liaison between my team and the administration … and it has been really frustrating because it’s a lot of red tape and a lot of running in circles because no one has clear answers,” said Becky Yep, a sophomore on the cross country team.

Some state legislators are calling on the administration to ease the teams’ burden, saying the university has not done enough to give the teams a viable chance at saving their programs.

Del. Neil Parrott (R-Washington) and Del. Benjamin Kramer (D-Montgomer y) wrote letters to Loh and, in a meeting last week, asked him to extend the teams’ deadlines and to reduce the swimming and diving teams’ fundraising goal by more than $2 million, the operating cost of Eppley Recreation Center Natatorium.

“The cost the university gave the fundraising effort was really far and above what they should be paying for,” said Parrott, who was involved in the university’s swimming and diving team as a student at this university.

“They need to come up with a cost that’s reasonable and a cost that truly would be just for the swim team,” Parrott said, adding that giving the students just six months to fundraise millions of dollars seemed like “almost a false hope that was

thrown out there.”

However, Loh said straying from the commission’s recommendation by extending the deadline would jeopardize the university’s goal of balancing its operating budget by 2015.

“I am held accountable for one thing, and the whole university is held accountable: We balance this budget,” Loh said.

“We will not back down from that plan because the regents and the legislature expect me to balance the budget. I will not run a deficit.”

Loh hopes the teams can be saved but said he’s limited in what he can do in part by the emphasis on revenue-generating sports. In Division I football, teams can offer up to 85 full scholarships. On the Terps football team, 81 players are under scholarship, Dull said, and 70 saw the field last season.

“The fundamental system of funding athletics in this country has to be reformed,” Loh said. “You do the math and you can quickly see how you can support some of the other

teams that were cut.”

Although Loh added he has proposed the possibility of limiting the number of scholarships at meetings with other NCAA university presidents, many are not receptive.

For now, Loh said, the university is simply focusing on the task at hand.

“The commission realized we had almost cut [the budget] to the bone, that there was nothing left to cut except teams,” he said. “At this point, what we need to do is stay with the plan that the commission developed and raise revenue.”

Some student-athletes, such as acrobatics and tumbling’s Anna DiPaula, said the department was supportive of fundraising efforts and had done all it could to prevent the current situation.

“No one wants to see teams get cut,” said DiPaula, a freshman. “I think giving us the opportunity to fundraise is a gift in its own.” lurye@umdbk.com

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012 | NEWS | THE DIAMONDBACK

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Engineering school will open graduate online-learning center New Siegel Learning Center will house Distance Education program classes in J.M. Patterson next semester

BY TEDDY AMENABAR Staff writer

Facilities Management began construction in J.M. Patterson last month to create the Siegel Learning Center, a state-of-the-art technology hub to be the centralized location for Distance Education program faculty. CHARLIE DEBOYACE/THE DIAMONDBACK

Beginning next fall, the university will be able to educate dozens more students across the state under one roof with the creation of a new online learning hub.

The engineering school’s Distance Education program — which has offered video teleconferencing technology connecting undergraduate and graduate students to the classroom for decades — will soon have a new home on the campus as the Siegel Learning Center in J.M. Patterson, gaining the capability to expand online courses to even more students.

Marty Ronning, the assistant director of Distance Education Technology and Services, said the center will help the university serve more students statewide, despite the fact that the university possesses limited funds to hire more faculty and a classroom deficit of 70,000-square-feet on the campus.

“This could go a long way in satisfying the University System of Maryland mandate that all the campuses increases their enrollment,” she said.

Director of Educational Development and Communications Paul Easterling said out of the university’s 600 graduate engineering students, about half earn their degree through the Distance Education program.

Although the majority of the courses currently offered are for graduate engineering students, Easterling said he would like to expand the curriculum to other disciplines on the campus and eventually to undergraduate students.

Facilities Management began construction of the center in J.M. Patterson last month and it will open in the fall. Facilities Management Operations and Maintenance Director Jack Baker said the funds were a gift from a past director of the Distance Education program.

“It will be a very well known, sophisticated, state-of-the-art teaching facility,” he said.

For at least the past 20 years, the programs were housed in various rooms in the campus’s engineering buildings.

The program will now exist in one area built specially for video conferencing with highdefinition video cameras and video annotators.

Several students said they were concerned the university’s emphasis on technology could result in students living on the campus being forced to choose an online version.

“I think it’s a very useful tool, but I don’t think anything can replace the authenticity of coming to class,” said sophomore accounting and finance major Tyler Gordon.

Others, such as sophomore communication and economics major Alex Reynolds, said they would take advantage of the opportunity if they knew the course would be equally strenuous as a traditional class.

“As long as there’s no compromise in the workload and the expectations of the graduate students because of the way that they are being taught, then I don’t see a problem with it,” he said. amenabar@umdbk.com

Anti-racism activist speaks Wise tells students to fight against racial stereotypes

BY CHAD SINCLAIR Staf f writer

For the first time in his 17year speaking career, author and anti-racism activist Tim Wise spoke at this university last night about issues of color and white privilege and explained why President Barack Obama cannot speak out against either: Because he’s black.

As part of Stamp Student Union’s Voices of Social Change speaker series, Wise delivered his speech, “Between Barack and a Hard Place,” which outlined what he calls both “color blindness” and “color muteness” — a term used to describe individuals too afraid to speak out against racial inequalities.

That fear — visible among all races, Wise said — manifests itself in different ways.

For white people, Wise said most are “deathly afraid they will say the wrong thing.” For people of color, it’s because they fear that they will be seen as capitalizing on racial stereotypes.

“It tells us that we’d be a hell of a lot better off if we just take the risk, have a conversation, quite likely screw up in those interactions, but yet be able to come back and have a produc-

DINER from page 1 “One of my big jobs was to get variety into our value meal because I know the first semester I was here I was pretty much bored walking into the dining hall and seeing what they had,” he said.

Some students, such as freshman letters and sciences major Patrick Markel, said they are more than ready for a change.

“Lately the value meals here have not been that good. I’ve been avoiding them lately,” he said. “If they bring [251 North] food here, I’m gonna munch.”

tive conversation anyway,” Wise said.

Even though a significant racial barrier has been broken — the election of a black president — Wise said that has not eliminated racism in the nation. In fact, he said, it has hindered racial progress.

“I am 43 years-old and white and I am standing up here saying all this stuff that the President can’t say and the people of color in this room cannot say because folks will do things in retaliation,” Wise said. “He is ostensibly one of the most powerful in the world. You’d think he could say any damn thing he wanted to.”

Stamp Coordinator for Leadership Curriculum Development Daniel Ostick said it is impor tant for students to listen to speakers of Wise’s caliber explain the magnitude of these sor ts of social issues.

“The priorities in our office are to bring in diverse speakers who can talk about the social change that is happening,” Ostick said. “He’ll provoke people and challenge their ideas so that people will leave talking about the important issues.”

Ostick said he expects three more speakers to participate in the series throughout the

For others, time, not food, dictates their meal choice.

“I just go to the place there’s no line,” said sophomore government and politics major Joey Kalmin.

Either way, Gray said Dining Services bases its meals on what students like — and he thinks this change will be well-received.

“The more food that translates from here into those venues, I think the more students are going to like it, the more variety they’re going to get,” Gray said. “I think it also makes my cooks happy because they’re learning something new as well.” gray@umdbk.com

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semester, one of which will include author Barbara Ehrenreich in May. Many audience members praised Wise’s speech, including freshman government and politics major Diana VillatoroSancho, who said she could relate to much of what Wise spoke about.

“I thought he brought up a lot of good points, especially in the beginning when he said whites are afraid to talk about the issue,” Villatoro-Sancho said. “I personally have gone through that as well, since I am a person of color. Most of my friends in high school who were white, we couldn’t really have these types of conversations.”

Wise closed the event by saying before real progress can be made, white Americans must come to the conclusion that many of the economic issues they face today is something people of color have faced for years.

“That’s where white America is right now, saying, ‘What the hell is happening to me?’”

Wise said. “The world is happening as it has been happening for others all these years and [whites] didn’t have to pay attention to it — which is exactly how we got here.” sinclair@umdbk.com

Anti-racisim activist Tim Wise speaks to students last night about the progress that still needs to be made in transcending racial barriers. CHARLIE DEBYOACE/THE DIAMONDBACK

ON THE BLOG campusdrivedbk.wordpress.com BREAKING NEWS: KIDS WHO GO HERE ARE SMART This university has been inching forward in nationwide academic rankings for years now, and it looks like the next crop of freshmen — all of whom are seemingly more intelligent than Jimmy Neutron — will be keeping that trend alive.

Freshmen coming to campus this fall have an average weighted GPA of 4.11, according to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. You can compare those numbers to, say, the 3.96 average weighted GPA of the cavedwelling mongoloids who matriculated here back in 2006.

And that’s not all — the average weighted GPA for incoming freshman admitted to the honors college is 4.39. Half of these students have beaten Stephen Hawking in a game of chess and a third helped build the Large Hadron Collider. Another quarter of honors kids have pyrokinesis and two or three of them have probably figured out the answer to the universe, but aren’t telling.

JOKER PRETENDS TO BE COLLEGE PARK CUDDLER The student-run blog, TerpSecret, where users can anonymously post their secrets, has gotten a lot of attention recently. But sophomore journalism major Sarah Tincher, who created the site, probably never expected to receive this secret: “I’m the College Park cuddler. Some may not understand why I like to get in bed with girls, but I think it’s the sexiest thing ever.”

It apparently was a (bad) joke. See Campus Drive for more.

CLASS OF 2016 PHOTO COURTESY OF NICK.COM

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Additionally, she recommends that students be allowed to re-enroll in a n a campus with nearly 38,000 students, sometimes it only takes one to develop an idea beneficial to the entire community — an course after taking a leave of absence from the university — something idea that makes us think, “Why haven’t we been doing that all many struggling with mental health disorders choose to do — without realong?” Such is the case with senior psychology major Samantha applying to the entire institution.

Her rationale is simple: “Students who are hospitalized or maybe never Roman, who recently proposed a novel idea to the University Senate.

Roman ser ves as president of Active Minds at Mar yland, an on-campus leaving their dorm aren’t going to be focusing on the withdrawal policy and withdrawing on time,” she said in a recent inter view advocacy group dedicated to creating dialogue about with The Diamondback. Mental health professionals mental health issues and ensuring struggling students on this campus agree. Jeri Boliek, the University receive the support they need. Roman is also just an Health Center’s coordinator of triage ser vices and suiaverage student working toward a degree. Last semesThe University Senate cide prevention program, said students dealing with ter, just like ever y other undergraduate student at the should strongly consider a depression often don’t realize how the disorder is university will do at some point, she fulfilled her junior affecting their concentration.

English course requirement, taking ENGL395: Writproposal which would Depression is debilitating. It affects sleep, appetite ing for Health Professions. Roman wrote her final project on the need for a university policy that allows stu- enable students recovering and resilience — all aspects that are key to being successful in college. It also increases the likelihood of dents suffering from mental health disorders to from mental illnesses to substance abuse, and when coupled with other mental retroactively withdraw from a course. health disorders — such as anxiety, eating disorders, It would have been easy for Roman, like most sturetroactively withdraw bipolar disorder and schizophrenia — can be devastatdents, to take her final grade and move on. Roman subfrom their courses. ing to a student’s academic and social life. mitted the proposal Saturday to the University Senate, The prevalence of these issues on college campuses the university’s most powerful legislative body. The Senate Executive Committee will discuss the policy at its Feb. 22 meeting is far from rare. According to a 2008 American College Health Association sur vey, 30 percent of students felt so depressed it was difficult to function, and decide whether to assign it to a sub-committee for further review.

If the members of the executive committee are as smart as we hope they yet only 10 percent of those students were actually being treated for depression. Forty-nine percent of all students experienced over whelming anxiety, are, they will assign it immediately.

The beauty of Roman’s proposal is that it’s fairly straightfor ward. Cur- and more than 6 percent seriously contemplated suicide.

The pressures to succeed in college are enormous; the university needs rent university policy states that students must withdraw from a course about a month before the last day of the semester in order to receive a W to establish an alternative option for students to get back on track academion their transcript. Once that date has passed, the university only makes cally after struggling with mental disorders. Students would never fail a exceptions “under extreme and unusual circumstance.” Roman’s proposal course because they were hospitalized for a heart defect. Mental health discharts a clear path for students struggling with mental health disorders to orders should be considered just as serious. If the University Senate does withdraw from their last enrolled semester, as long as documentation is anything but push this policy for ward, it will be sending the message that these illnesses are less legitimate — and that would really be depressing. provided from a medical professional.

people, who are able to work, take advantage of the system by relying on welfare rather than looking for a job. By making the welfare program so big, the government has only enhanced the class deemed “lazy.” I imagine it is predominately these irresponsible individuals taking advantage of the welfare system who use government assistance to get the goodies on the street.

Some of these individuals put drugs before family, one of the most despicable acts a person can do, in my mind.

If those on welfare have nothing to hide, then they can take the drug test and continue living their lives.

Some Democrats have argued this bill “targets the poor.” To this I ask one question to these same politicians — would you willingly give money to someone who you knew was going to use it to buy drugs? I know my answer and I assume you know yours.

When Janiceia entered my 11th grade social studies class with aspirations of becoming a doctor, she had all the necessary potential but wasn’t being challenged with the level of rigor that would prepare her for collegelevel pre-med coursework. She had consistently received good grades in her classes at Northwestern High School in inner-city Baltimore, but because so many students growing up in her low-income community had fallen far behind, the bar had been set low.

Her straight A’s did not reflect the mastery of high school material she needed to set her on a path to college, let alone medical school.

Janiceia’s story is all too common among students growing up in low-income communities. When kids growing up in poverty enter kindergarten, they are already academically behind their wealthier peers. This gap in educational opportunity only widens over time. By the fourth grade, they are three grade levels behind and half won’t graduate from high school. Only one in 10 will attend college and for those lacking a college degree, many doors are firmly shut.

Knowing Janiceia was just craving to be challenged academically, several of my fellow teachers and I joined forces to give her the extra time and rigor she needed. Soon we had her grappling with college-level novels, helping to design a new forensic science elective curriculum for the high school, attending Saturday writing workshops and studying for the SAT. Quiet and studious, Janiceia was often at school by 7 am and was one of the last to leave every evening. With our support, she blossomed as she found a routine that allowed her to consistently throw herself into new challenges. By the end of her senior year, Janiceia was awarded the Baltimore Incentive Award — a scholarship given to the three or four top outstanding academic seniors in Baltimore to attend this university — and became the first in her family to go to college.

I couldn’t have been more proud, and not just because Janiceia had earned a full-ride to my alma mater.

She’d taken the first step to literally change her life trajectory. I joined Teach For America upon graduating from the university because I wanted to take on the challenging, meaningful work of creating educational opportunities for our communities’ highestneed students. At this university, I learned to think beyond my own circumstances, care deeply about others, especially regarding issues of injustice or inequality, and be a leader for positive change. As a Teach For America corps member, I had the opportunity to work alongside other committed educators and make an immediate difference in the lives of students such as Janiceia. She continued to grow as a scholar and a leader, graduating with a degree in journalism and giving back to her community more directly by joining the Teach For America corps herself in 2007.

Janiceia was teaching students who share her background and, in some cases, the challenging home circumstances she faced as a student.

Both Janiceia and I have stayed in education. She’s an instructional coach in Baltimore, helping new teachers continuously increase their effectiveness in the same schools she attended as a child, and I now lead Teach For America’s New Jersey region as the executive director, impacting kids in my own home state. The teaching corps was my launching pad to leadership in education and a career I’m deeply proud of.

I can think of nothing more impactful a recent college graduate can undertake than shaping the lives of a classroom of students. It’s an unmatched opportunity to utilize the leadership skills you’ve cultivated at this university while working collaboratively with others to solve one of our nation’s most pressing problems.

For too long, a child’s zip code has defined his or her destiny. You can be a leader in the effort to change that reality, ensuring another generation of students has the opportunity to attain an excellent education and have the option to go to college — and, of course, potentially join our collegiate family and become a Terp.

Knowing that we can close the achievement gap for students like Janiceia who in turn are creating a world of opportunity for others, I simply can’t walk away from this work. As you think about the role you will play in the broader world upon graduation, I hope you will consider joining me in these efforts. Teach For America’s final application deadline is tomorrow Please visit www.teachforamerica.org for more information.

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

Fatimah Burnam is a 2001 graduate of the university. She can be reached at fatimah.burnam@teachforamerica.org.

Our View

Editorial cartoon: Joey Lockwood

Graduate in four years or get drunk trying

I

n this campaign season we frequently hear, “Let’s make Obama a one-term president” from many Republican organizations. My question is, why aren’t we, as college students, calling for something similar?

And yes, from that introduction — and my histor y of socially, fiscally and in all other relevant ways conser vative columns — you might anticipate this to be a political column. Instead, I offer you a question inspired by collegiate graduation statistics: When did college become not a four-year institution, but a five, six or other-numbered one?

There are exceptions to every rule.

Times are tough, jobs are scarce, majors change and sometimes it takes a while to figure out your future. But if you do not have any of the aforementioned issues, I beg of you: What are you still doing here?

LAURA FROST Mathematically and logically, college as a four-year institution makes sense. There are educational programs that of course do not agree with this four-year plan — such as engineering tracks and extraordinar y double-major programs — but excluding these and others of similar caliber, students should be able to graduate within four years.

The real problem (brace yourself for the social conservatism again) is students somehow see partying like it’s 1999 on weeknights as part of the essential college experience. Students don’t want to take certain classes that

will help them graduate on time because that may push them over — gasp —12 credits. Or make them wake up at 8 a.m. Or — God forbid — may force them to learn something.

Ah, the traps of the world: truly growing our minds in college; actually working at our jobs; not getting trashed ever y time we drink; not having sex with someone just because we find them attractive and know their last name. These are difficult times in which to live.

You know what though? I have faith in our generation to turn these dastardly ways around. So what if college graduation rates are now measured in the eight-year spectrum? So what if many popular degrees are now being examined to determine whether they are actually useless? We can turn this around.

Stop taking classes just because they are supposed to be easy (this

also easily backfires, as ourumd.com is not the most accurate of measures). Stop letting your social life dictate your class schedule. Stop texting in class (I’m pretty sure the professors see you but decide to let you schmuck away your education because they get paid regardless).

We all know I have the answer to life, the universe and ever ything else (42, in case you wondered), so here’s my final point: It’s time to start pulling your weight. Knock it into that sheltered brain of yours that college is not a free ride (unless you’re brilliant and on full scholarship, in which case: props). There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch — so get to paying for yours.

Laura Frost is a junior government and politics and journalism major.

She can be reached at frost@umdbk.com.

Too much overdosing on welfare

T

here has been a push recently to require people receiving welfare to undergo mandator y drug tests. States including Florida, Kentucky and Virginia are all discussing, or have already passed, bills requiring citizens on welfare to be drug-free. Opponents of the idea claim the bill is unconstitutional because it applies to only one social class. Supporters of the bill claim it will ensure government money is being used correctly. Personally, I couldn’t agree more with drug testing those on welfare.

Since 1996, after former President Bill Clinton passed welfare reform, states have controlled welfare. During the 2011 legislative sessions, at least 36 states introduced some sort of proposal regarding drug testing and welfare.

Predominately Democratic states, such as this one, will likely see a much more contested debate if the bill reaches the floor than solid Republican states.

Recently, Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich called Presi-

dent Barack Obama the “food-stamp president.” And while I don’t particularly like Gingrich, I admit that after looking at the numbers I can’t help but agree with him. Since December 2008, food-stamp use, which is part of the welfare system, has jumped 46 percent, with the total spent on the program doubling to an all-time high of $75.3 billion. Each state’s welfare system is supported by the federal government, which gives money to states to assist the poor each year. It seems the White House has irresponsibly pumped funds into this program, much like the previous administration did for failing endangered banks through the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

The welfare program began in the 1930s during the Great Depression. With the recent economic slump, it makes sense that there may be a slight hike in money spent on this program, but a tough economic situation shouldn’t increase the reliance on the program so much. Regardless, if people need welfare, they should use it to support their families, not get drugs.

JOSH BIRCH In a democracy, the government serves the citizens with the idea they will obey the laws the government sets out. With welfare, the government helps a group of people with the mindset that they will use the assistance for the correct purposes. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. This is by no means a blanket statement stating all poor people use welfare to buy drugs, but there are some who do.

Don’t get me wrong, I completely agree with the idea of helping those unable to work or find a job take care of their families.

However, since the beginning of the welfare system, people have taken advantage of the help. People sometimes abuse the system by staying single or having more kids to increase government aid. Other

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

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012 | THE DIAMONDBACK

5

Features HOROSCOPESTELLA WILDER

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Burrito morsel 5 Net surfer 9 Long, dismal cry 13 Lattice 15 Shade of green 16 Libretto feature 17 Toughen up 18 Paris cop 19 Arroyo 20 Authorize 21 Motel plus 23 Carried on 25 Toppled 26 More to the point 27 Took turns 30 Battery size 31 Turkish coins 32 Headed for sea 37 Elevator man 38 Scrape against 40 Lady of the haus 41 Surreptitious 43 RBI and GNP 44 Ms. Hagen of films 45 King Arthur’s domain 47 Horror-flick sound 50 Cliff dwelling, now 51 Close-fitting dress 52 Blow gently 53 Tissue layer 56 German import

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Fully qualified Look of disdain One in a million A&W rival Feasible

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Furniture buildup Advanced(2 wds.)

Prowl about Recital offering Kate and Jaclyn

45 Old jalopies 46 — Wiedersehen 47 Legendary grid coach Don — 48 Moths hate it

49 51 52 53

Union demand Moselle feeder Rugged Court statement

DOWN 1 Bucket handle 2 Flying piscivore 3 Just touch 4 Choice word 5 Develop 6 Window ledge 7 Yale athlete 8 Have fun 9 Bored responses 10 Expound at length 11 Less cramped 12 Reclined 14 Wards off 22 “Grand — Opry” 24 Burnoose wearer 25 Lab glassware 26 Tight as a drum 27 Untidy person 28 Gyro pocket 29 Ambler or Clapton 32 Galley mover 33 Repeatedly 34 Mountains or river 35 Defense gp.

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54 55 58 60

Mortgage, e.g.

Distant past Exec’s degree Coast Guard off.

orn today, you seem to know just where you are going and how to get there — though you can expect to encounter some obstacles along the way, giving you reason to alter your course now and then. You will do this with style and efficiency, however, always with your eyes on your eventual goal, and never letting any sort of temporary setback affect your natural enthusiasm and zeal. When it comes to pursuing your goals, you are perhaps the best bet of anyone born under your sign, and anyone who bets against you is likely to be sorely disappointed, for you know how to get results, no matter how long it may take.

B

You may think, when you are young, that your earliest success will prove to be the be-all and endall for you, but you would be mistaken. This will surely prove a learning opportunity for you, and as you gain experience you will accomplish more, improving in every way as you mature.

Also born on this date are: Travis Tritt, country singer; Mia Farrow, actress; Joe Pesci, actor; Alice Walker, writer; Carole King, singer; Roger Mudd, newsman; Brendan Behan, playwright; Carmen Miranda, actress and entertainer; Ronald Coleman, actor; William Henry Harrison, U.S. president.

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.

track in some way, but you must be sure to warn others that things will be heating up quickly.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) — Now is no time to hold back; say what needs to be said, do what needs to be done, and go where you need to go to maximize results.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — You may surprise those around you by doing what you are least expected to do — but recent behavior should have given you away.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — Now is the time for you to contact others who may be able to offer you a way out of a situation that is unhealthy and unnecessary.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) — You are waiting to hear from someone in authority before you make any decisions affecting your immediate future.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — The options you are considering may not address all concerns you have at this time. More information may be forthcoming.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — You may have to do a little sleuthing on your own today in order to pinpoint just exactly what was done, and when, and why.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Once you get the ball rolling today you can bet that others will come to your aid. One or two supporters will make all the difference.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — You may have to get the assistance of many people far from your own home base today before you can right a very simple wrong.

TODAY’S HOROSCOPE SPONSORED BY:

R.J. BENTLEY’S RESTAURANT • DOWNTOWN COLLEGE PARK

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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) — You can put yourself on the fast

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — You may not understand just what is meant by a message received through uncommon channels today. An investigation is in order.

COPYRIGHT 2012 UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10 AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — You may find yourself the center of attention today, and not all of it will make you feel good. Some criticism will surely come your way.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — You must be sure that the options you are facing today are realistic and will not affect your reputation adversely in any way.

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6

THE DIAMONDBACK | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012

BEST BET

Diversions

JOHN HODGMAN @ BIRCHMERE Hodgman is a humorous person with several books (The Areas of My Expertise) and acting roles (Bored To Death) to his name — he played the PC in those Justin Long-as-Mac Apple commercials. Tomorrow’s event at the Birchmere in Alexandria brings Hodgman to town in support of his newest work, That Is All, “the last book in a trilogy of Complete World Knowledge.” It is a mystery as to what will actually be happening tomorrow night. A book reading? Stand-up comedy? A cooking demo? All of the above? Tickets are sold out. Show at 7:30 p.m.

arts. music. living. movies. weekend.

FACE OFF | GRAMMY AWARDS

OF GRAMMYS & HOOLIGANS The Grammy Awards broadcast, which airs Sunday night, has long tested the patience of its audience. Is it worth tuning in?

BY ADAM OFFITZER Staff writer

So much is wrong with the Grammy Awards, now in its 54th year — the ridiculous categories (Best New Artist nominee Bon Iver has been around since 2007), the nonsensical snubs (Kanye West isn’t nominated for Album of the Year but Bruno Mars is) and, of course, the overwhelming fact the Grammys are not a celebration of all music but primarily of music produced and distributed by the major labels.

Despite all of its flaws, the Grammys are consistently more entertaining than the Oscars and the Emmys.

The show achieves this by centering the broadcast not around the awards (which nobody really cares about), but around the performances. On top of that, year after year the performers chosen represent nearly every genre imaginable.

Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney are both slated to perform this year — and so are Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry. Last year featured Mumford and Sons and The Avett Brothers — as well as Rihanna and Barbara Streisand.

Over time, the Grammy broadcast has adapted to the changing musical landscape,

fully recognizing the unique opportunity it has to create one-night-only mash-up performances. Perhaps the most memorable instance comes from the 2001 Grammys, when the show had Elton John duet with Eminem. Similarly, in 2006, Jay-Z and Linkin Park took the stage to perform their rap-rock hybrid music, only to be joined by Paul McCartney, singing “Yesterday” over a banging rap beat.

Even when the show isn’t mixing genres, the Grammys often shoot for spectacular performances that can only be done with the resources of a bigbudget production. From Kanye’s 2005 performance of “Jesus Walks” with a gospel choir, to Radiohead’s “15 Step” performed with the USC Marching Band in 2009, the show allows its performers to try something different — something that will be talked and tweeted about the next day.

The Grammys have also continued to adapt their nominations, now fully recognizing the indie rock genre — Death Cab For Cutie, Bon Iver and My Morning Jacket all received nominations this year. This

YES

comes after a year in which Arcade Fire — a band that developed its following not through pop radio but with college radio; not through television but through music blogs — beat out Lady Gaga and Katy Perry to win Album of the Year.

Ultimately, when it comes to music taste, everyone is different. The Grammys face the difficult task of trying to be all things to all people. In doing so, the broadcast has no true identity and no target audience. Instead, it’s a smorgasbord that celebrates an incredibly diverse variety of music. Performers this year will represent country (Carrie Underwood), classic rock (Springsteen), mainstream rock (Coldplay), soul-pop (Adele), rap (Nicki Minaj), contemporary R&B/hip-hop (Chris Brown) and the most mainstream of pop (Katy Perry).

Not everyone who deeply cares about music will be pleased, or entertained. But they will watch.

BY DEAN ESSNER For The Diamondback

Identity crises suck. The Grammy Awards, currently standing at a frail and delicate 54 years old, has been undergoing a massive one for years. Unsure whom to pander to, the entire spectacle ends up pleasing no one, instead coming across as an uninformed, overblown attempt at rewarding the highest-selling musical acts with more press and recognition.

Perhaps even worse is the nominations list, with its adherence to a formula of grating predictability.

There’s the critical and commercial pop darling that’ll take home every award (Adele), the outsider of moderate indie credibility (Bon Iver), the polarizing rags-toriches phenomenon (Skrillex), the rockand-roll mainstay (Foo Fighters) and, of course, the rulers of modern radio (Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry). This sounds less like America’s “Best of 2011” Spotify playlist and more like a lazy attempt at high-scale

diversification. The Grammy Awards don’t necessarily lack a purpose — its creators just don’t have a clue how to hold the attention of such a wide range of people.

The lack of familiar faces is just one aspect of the Grammys that makes it tough for the awards show to keep the attention of a wide audience. The Academy Awards, Golden Globes and Emmys are all incredibly successful at keeping audiences satisfied because they showcase the mugs of iconic stars. If George Clooney were to walk through Stamp on any given afternoon, a majority of the student body would recognize him. But if Justin Vernon of Bon Iver were put in the same position, perhaps only a handful of people would be able to pick him out.

To make up for this lack of familiarity with the nominees, the Grammys are then forced to resort to silly, time-wasting gimmicks,

NO

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAGJAGUWAR RECORDS

Cinema’s star venues: Airbus IMAX Theater Staff writer

Of late, you may have noticed many IMAX installations invading your local multiplexes, malls, McDonald’s, daycare centers, tree nurseries and dolphin rehabilitation centers. You may have also shelled out $20 for a movie ticket and then were disappointed by how the screen failed to live up to memories of humongous screens in stuffy natural history museums.

Why is that? Well, the majority of newly installed IMAX screens across

diversions@umdbk.com

offitzer@umdbk.com

Bon Iver is up against Katy Perry for Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards, which airs Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBS.

BY WARREN ZHANG

such as pairing Cee Lo Green and Gwyneth Paltrow for a bizarre take on “Forget You” at last year’s ceremony.

Accepting the drawback of unrecognizable faces would help remove a lot of senseless absurdities, instead cutting right to the acceptance speeches, which is what most people want to see.

In the end, scrapping the Grammys as a whole is unnecessar y because there is still some merit in honoring the best musical acts of the year.

And though music may be more subjective than film, television or theater, it is still possible to assemble an intelligent, informed jur y of nominators, who can help lift the Grammy Awards from its battered state of obscurity and criticism into an ice bath of widespread cultural relevancy.

America are shams — they use two digital projectors in conjunction with screens not significantly larger than your typical cinema’s screens.

If you really want to see The Dark Knight Rises on a legit, obscenely huge IMAX screen, your only option in the Washington metro area is one of the Smithsonian’s IMAX theaters. And of these IMAX theaters, the theater that most frequently features blockbusters is the Airbus IMAX Theater in the National Air and Space Museum Steven F. UdvarHazy Center in Chantilly, Va. The best part of the Airbus Theater is

its glorious 2D-only projector and sound system. The IMAX screen is intimidatingly massive and immersive, the image is crisp and vibrant and the sound system is suitably deafening. Thankfully, the theater proprietors have mostly eliminated dead zone seats, allowing almost everyone in the room to get a good, unobstructed view of the screen.

Unfortunately, the screen is just about the only good part of the Airbus Theater.

Since it is a Smithsonian institution,

additional info AIRBUS IMAX THEATER Tickets: Regular — $15.00 (no matinee/3D) Food options: No restaurants in

the feature-length movies are only shown in the late afternoon or evening.

There are no trailers and no concession stands. In fact, you aren’t allowed any food or beverage inside the theater.

Water is the only exception, offered for the exorbitant price of about $4 a bottle.

If you do attend the late afternoon screening, your bags will be subject to a brief inspection by the TSA-lite security guards out front.

All screenings, however, are preceded the immediate area. A McDonald’s is located within the museum. No food or beverage (except water) allowed in the theater.

Transportation: No bus or train service available. Parking after 4 p.m. is free. Earlier parking costs $15.

by a ridiculously long line coming out of the theater. If you want prime seats or even seats right next to your companion(s), you should plan on arriving at least 15 minutes prior to the showing.

Arriving there 15 minutes early is complicated somewhat by the Airbus Theater being in the middle of nowhere.

Nowhere, in this case, is in Virginia and beside Dulles Airport. Transportation options are limited to driving there through a toll road or … driving there through a toll road. Thankfully, parking is free in the evening.

Is the IMAX screen really worth all this trouble? That will depend on the movie. But, for anything less than the year’s biggest, most obnoxiously pervasive blockbuster, Airbus Theater really isn’t worth that extra effort. chzhang@umdbk.com

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012 | SPORTS | THE DIAMONDBACK

CAVALIERS from page 8

got more and more into the game with each love given in the team’s favor, until they were tied at four apiece.

“Virginia and Maryland in any sport is a healthy rivalry,” Spencer said. “Anytime there is a great atmosphere and the fans come out and are good and rowdy, that is a good environment for college tennis.”

Once tied, the two sides struggled to gain a decisive advantage over the other. Ultimately, the match came down to a tiebreaker. The first team to score seven points, with a twopoint lead, would win the set and match. The Terps opened up with a 3-0 lead, but were only able to score one additional

FEE from page 8

predictably dwarfed by that of the Terps’ football and basketball teams.

To some, a policy mandating a usage fee for a natatorium is highly unusual in the world of college swimming.

Bob Groseth, the former swimming and diving coach at Northwestern and executive director of the College Swimming Coaches Association, said that while it is typical for a pool to be part of a multi-usage facility, as it at this university, a rental fee is uncommon. Northwestern, Groseth said, built its current pool with contributions from the athletics department, the school itself and alumni of the swimming team.

The athletics department was expected to contribute a third — about $4 million — of the funds required to build the pool area when Eppley Recreation Center was completed in 1998, Gilchrist said. However, the department was in debt and could not afford it, and Gilchrist said the university paid the remaining costs with the understanding that the athletics department would pay a third of the yearly operating costs.

The fee “has been a part of CRS’ budget since the opening of Eppley,” Gilchrist wrote in an email, “and to lose it would mean either it has to be made up through other revenue sources, or current recreation programs would need to be cut.”

Groseth said the annual

point as Virginia fought back to draw even. This continued until both teams were tied at 8-8. The Cavaliers took a one-point lead with a kill shot after a Terps serve, and won the tiebreaker, 10-8, forcing a Terps player to hit the ball into the net.

“I felt like we did a good job in doubles,” Spencer said, “and we were unlucky not to win that doubles point.”

Overall, Spencer said he saw major improvement in the team’s play as a whole, especially in singles play. Each match Virginia won was hard fought, and Spencer said he wants that energy for ever y match going forward.

The Terps face Binghamton on Sunday at the Tennis Courts of College Park.

benscher@umdbk.com

from page 8

a second time. Only 18 years old, Lederer has a cancerous tumor in his brain. Again.

Seven years after beating cancer a first time, it has come roaring back. He doesn’t know if he will live for another month, another year or for much, much longer.

Lederer doesn’t care. He’s confident he will beat cancer a second time. His defiant fight has come to be symbolized by a post-operative strongman pose that’s gone viral and earned its own Tim Tebow-esque moniker: “Zaching.” For the team he’s devoted countless hours to, it’s represented a rare opportunity to step away from the game that tends to engulf everyone involved.

And despite the circumstances, he loves the life he’s living.

“I have cancer for the second time, I have all sorts of stuff going on with me, I don’t know where my life is turning right now,” Lederer said, “but I am living the dream.”

BAD NEWS

As gold-clad students flooded into Comcast Center in anticipation of a showdown with Duke on Jan. 25, a member of Mark Turgeon’s Terps family was absent.

He instead sat in a waiting room inside The Johns Hopkins Hospital, miles away from the cradle of Terps basketball, wearing a medical gown and counting down the minutes until he migrated to an open operating table. As guard Terrell Stoglin and the Terps prepared for their nationally ranked opponent, Lederer readied for a surgery that could save — or end — his life.

“We’re trying to beat Duke,” Turgeon told the team in his pregame speech that night, Lederer said. “Zach’s trying to beat cancer. These are two dif-

O’BRIEN from page 1

Reports surfaced yesterday that quarterback Danny O’Brien plans to transfer. FILE PHOTO/THE DIAMONDBACK

sports@umdbk.com

fee is counted against the budgets of the swimming and diving team, which made their expenditures “appear bloated.”

Coach Sean Schimmel was not available to comment.

The department’s debt is only worsening, as indicated in November’s report by the President’s Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. With a projected deficit nearly four times the size of the current one, university President Wallace Loh made the decision to cut the teams if they could not raise enough money to support themselves for the next eight years. For the swimming teams, that number is a staggering $11.6 million.

While support for the Terps has only grown since Loh’s announcement, they still need more than just kind words. A report in The Washington Post said that the “Save Maryland Swimming and Diving” support group has, through various means, the potential to raise roughly $4 million — less than half of what the team needs to survive.

The natatorium itself features eight 50-meter lanes and four diving boards. It hosted the 2009 ACC Tournament, many local competitions and, according to senior co-captain Ginny Glover, was built with the intention of drawing the Summer Olympics to Washington.

“The pool is our greatest asset,” Glover said. “But also our greatest downfall.”

LEDERER

7

TIGERS from page 8 College in the ACC standings, the youthful Tigers (6-15, 2-8 ACC) are in the midst of a rebuilding year. Four of the team’s five starters are underclassmen, including freshman guard Nikki Dixon, who leads the team in scoring at 11.9 points per game. Overall, the team features six freshmen, two sophomores and just three upperclassmen.

Even with its inexperience, Clemson has shown flashes.

After losing the first three games of their conference schedule, the Tigers upended the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, N.C., 52-47.

“They’re playing a lot of freshmen and sophomores, but they have a lot of great length and size inside with their post play,” coach Brenda Frese said.

“We got to come in and be ready to play.”

Historically, the Terps (20-3, 7-3) have dominated Clemson, leading the overall series by 14 games and winning each of the past 10 meetings. But Littlejohn Coliseum has not been as kind to the Terps, as the team has lost half of its games played there.

“Anytime on the road is a

NOTEBOOK from page 8 we’re not just blitzing every play, every down,” Stewart said.

“That’s not what pressure is.

Pressure is when the receivers get ready to catch the ball, the [defensive backs] are in a place where they can contest every catch. Pressure is when there’s

ferent things. Let’s get that straight.”

In Baltimore, the doctors finally called Lederer in for the surgery. Without hesitation, without any fear or worry, he said three words.

“Let’s do it.”

That same brazen confidence had propelled the freshman through a most unusual past seven years.

It all began in middle school, after a hospital trip for severe migraines ended with doctors finding a tumor in the middle of Lederer’s brain. After a 14-hour operation, they determined there wasn’t a way to extract any of the walnut-sized tumor from inside the 11-year-old.

Instead, they had to install a ventricular shunt to transport fluids from his brain to his abdomen.

The operations produced so much swelling, Lederer said, that doctors had no other option but to induce a coma.

These days, Lederer breezes through the recollection of those difficult moments as if they were a weekend bout with a cold — not brain surgery.

“We did some treatment, did all sorts of surgeries,” Lederer said. “[I] got put into a coma for a week, [had] rehabilitation, had to re-learn how to walk, relearn how to talk, re-learn how to pick up a spoon.”

The treatment worked, reducing the size of his tumor to a mere centimeter in diameter. It became so small, in fact, that by the time he entered his senior year at Centennial High School in Ellicott City, he was cleared to play — and did play — full-contact football for the first time since his surgery.

Through it all, there was never any indication that his fight wasn’t over, no sign that he would have to go through the whole process again. To him, cancer was finished.

“We were stunned,” Christine Lederer, Zach’s mother, said last week of the discovery of another tumor. “His doctors were stunned. We were all

former coach Ralph Friedgen left O’Brien in flux. It soon became clear he was ill-suited for Crowton’s quick-hitting spread offense last year, leading to the quarterback controversy that came to define the Terps’ dismal 2011 campaign.

Dual-threat quarterback C.J. Brown replaced O’Brien in the team’s fifth game of the season and nearly engineered a comeback over Georgia Tech. He started the team’s next three games before losing the job to O’Brien, who started two games only to have his season ended with a broken bone in his left arm against Notre Dame on Nov. 12.

Rumors swirled about

O’Brien’s discontent throughout the season, and they continued into the offseason, even as he maintained his loyalty to the program publicly.

If O’Brien does transfer, he could avoid sitting out a year because he is set to earn his degree in May and could therefore enroll in a graduate program.

His departure could also have a lasting impact on recruiting, as O’Brien hosted highly touted five-star wide receiver Stefon Diggs on his official visit Saturday. Diggs, who starred for local powerhouse Good Counsel last year, will announce his destination Friday night.

A team spokesman said via email that he could neither confirm nor deny the NBC report. cwalsh@umdbk.com

tough place to play,” Barrett said. “They’re a good team; they beat North Carolina.

Ever y team in this conference is going to give us their best shot, especially when they’re at home.”

The road trip to Clemson is made even more difficult by the quick turnaround. Between their trip to Duluth, Ga., on Monday for a hard-fought win over Georgia Tech and their game at Littlejohn tonight, the Terps have had less than two days home this week.

“You get back to College Park at 2 a.m. [Monday] and expect your players back at 8 a.m.,” Frese said. “That’s the difficult thing; being smart with your rest and the fatigue factor. It’s something that we’re ver y much aware of.”

Even with the short break and arguably the toughest part of their ACC schedule still ahead, memories from the Terps’ disappointing loss to middling Virginia Tech on Jan. 26 have the Terps focused exclusively on the upsetminded Tigers.

“We have a real-live example we can point to every day in the Virginia Tech game,” Frese said. “There’s not any team you can take a night off on.” vitale@umdbk.com

linebackers showing at the line of scrimmage … [and] the quarterback doesn’t know [who] at the line of scrimmage is coming.”

Stewart added that, unlike Locksley, he’s spent plenty of time studying film. He specifically noted his excitement over players like defensive tackle Joe Vellano and safety Matt Robinson.

“I watch [film] every day, over and over,” Stewart said. “So what

stunned.”

MR. MANAGER It’s not uncommon this time of year for Lederer to get a call late at night, if not in the middle of it.

Usually, the voice on the other end of the line is a Terps basketball player, asking the freshman to make the trek from his Hagerstown dorm to Comcast Center.

Lederer never hesitates. He drops whatever he’s working on or hops out of the bed he’s sleeping in to spend hours chasing down rebounds. It’s totally mindless, nearly thankless work, but also one of the myriad responsibilities Lederer has to uphold as a team manager.

“How can I complain?” Lederer said. “So many people would die for the opportunity to rebound for any Maryland basketball player.”

The broadcast journalism major’s passion for sports isn’t anything new. His first bout with cancer kept him from competing on the field for quite some time, but couldn’t keep him from the sidelines. He served as a manager for three years on the football and basketball teams at Centennial.

Those opportunities, as Lederer loves to say, created more opportunities. Soon, he was working basketball camps at Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn for former Terps great Derrick Lewis.

“He has a great basketball mind,” said Spalding assistant coach Pat McKindless, who worked with Lederer for two summers at the camp. “I could see him becoming a coach.”

When Lederer went off to college, Lewis and Aziz Abdur Ra’oof — the president of the M-Club, a university booster club for former student-athletes, and a family friend — put him in contact with the Terps’ program. Soon enough, Lederer became the eighth and final manager of the team

under the newly hired Turgeon.

Investing about 30 to 50 hours a week in the program, Lederer carries out the perfunctory duties of a team manager. He gets to practice an hour early — 30 minutes before Terps players — to set up equipment. He lays jerseys out.

He fills coolers with water and Gatorade.

“He’s been unbelievable, just off the charts,” said Dustin Clark, the team’s director of operations. “He gets it. He understands the game. But he also understands his role relative to our team. He’s always positive with our guys. He knows that it’s imperative that managers bring energy to practice to keep them high-intensity.”

Once practice starts, Lederer becomes a glorified cheerleader, expending what energy he has left after waking up to a 5 a.m. alarm.

“I have to go crazy as soon as I walk into the gym,” Lederer said. “I’m screaming, I’m cheering, I’m getting them pumped up.”

GOING VIRAL The morning of Jan. 26, Lederer wanted to show the world a different side of himself, one that spoke to his character and his vitality.

So with cords dangling from his arms and his hospital gown slightly unbuttoned, Lederer turned to his father, John, and said: “Dad, take a picture of me.

I want people to see how strong I am.”

“If anybody is questioning that I’m not in the top shape of my life, I want them to see that I’m at the peak,” Lederer said.

“If anyone has any worries, I’m making biceps in the hospital bed.”

Heavily medicated and still only hours removed from intensive brain surgery, he looked straight into the camera with a stoic stare and flexed both of his biceps. John Lederer

Guard Anjale Barrett said the Terps, who play Clemson tonight, “don’t look past any opponent.” JEREMY KIM/THE DIAMONDBACK

I should end up by spring ball is knowing the skill set of the players that should be on the field.”

SPRING SCHEDULE The Terps are still more than a month away from the first day of spring practice March 10.

They’ll have three practices that week before taking a week off for spring break. They’ll

posted the photo to Facebook as a quick pick-me-up for concerned friends and family who wanted to see that Zach was doing all right.

And he was. The new tumor, which doctors found in a yearly checkup at the beginning of January, was more accessible and treatable in surgery. This time, they were able to extract 80 to 90 percent of it.

And as Lederer pushed himself to get out of the hospital and back to Comcast Center for a game against Virginia Tech two days later, his father’s photo went viral. A high school friend started a Tumblr account to keep a running collection of people in a “Zaching” pose.

Hundreds have posted since, including Turgeon, guard Pe’Shon Howard, the Cincinnati women’s lacrosse team, actor Craig Robinson of The Office and Wisconsin football running back and Heisman Trophy finalist Montee Ball.

“Life is full of setbacks,” Lederer said. “But I want people to realize that anything can be beaten. Cancer can be beaten.

And I want to inspire.”

“Zaching is a new way to inspire.”

NEW INSPIRATION When Turgeon first heard about Lederer’s second tumor, he quickly tasked his staff to gather everything they could about him — his phone number, his parents’ names and address, his story from middle school. Anything they could find, Turgeon wanted.

In the midst of his first season at the helm of the Terps and surrounded by the countless duties of a Division-I head coach, Turgeon found time to routinely check in with Lederer and send him words of encouragement.

Soon enough, Lederer became an inspiration for the entire program.

“Zach’s such a great kid,” Turgeon said in an interview yesterday. “He’s such a hard

return to the field March 27, and will practice each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for four weeks before their annual RedWhite spring game April 21.

Unlike recent years, this spring’s Red-White game will not coincide with the university’s annual Maryland Day, which will be held April 28 this year. cwalsh@umdbk.com

worker. It’s made us appreciate him more and appreciate all the managers more for what they do. And I think for our players, to see a kid their age with cancer is a real eye-opener for them.”

Superstitious when it comes to basketball — Turgeon sits in a particular chair in the locker room before each game and likes to begin his press conferences by fielding questions from the same reporter — the coach instructed his staff to eschew tradition and wear white Under Armour tennis shoes during the team’s game at Miami on Feb. 1 in support of Lederer.

Doctors still haven’t determined the exact type of tumor he has, and a combination of radiation and chemotherapy treatment will be required in the coming weeks. Still, Lederer has been a constant at practice, even traveling with the team to Clemson for its game Tuesday.

“A lot of times,” forward James Padgett said, “we’ll say to go out there and play for Zach.”

“You don’t live so that you can play basketball or coach basketball,” Clark said. “You play basketball and you coach basketball so that you can live.

Throughout basketball, you see real life. This is real life.”

Looking a reporter straight in the eyes last week, Lederer said he’ll tell anyone he’s not scared. He’ll say to them that life is a gift and something worth fighting for. He’ll add that this battle will take 100 percent of him, nothing less.

But Zachary Lederer also vows that he will overcome this latest obstacle. And he’ll say it with a conviction that makes you want to believe him.

“I told all my friends, ‘What an opportunity, I’m not even 19 years old and I’m going to show the world how strong I am for the second time,’” Lederer said.

“Living the dream. It all goes back to that.” ceckard@umdbk.com

8

THE DIAMONDBACK | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012

Sports

‘Zaching’ goes viral For more photos inspired by Terps men’s basketball manager Zachary Lederer, go to zaching.tumblr.com.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

FOOTBALL | NOTEBOOK

Locksley, Stewart talk hires Terps’ annual spring game set for April 21

BY CONOR WASH Senior staff writer

Mike Locksley made his return to the Terrapins football team this offseason after two-plus forgettable seasons as the coach at New Mexico.

In addition to his 2-26 record with the Lobos, off-the-field allegations marred his time in Albuquerque.

His first head-coaching stint ended in September after a recruit allegedly borrowed Locksley’s car and was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. That came after accusations that Locksley punched an assisZachary Lederer, a student manager with the Terps men’s basketball team, picks up balls before Saturday’s game against North Carolina. CHARLIE DEBOYACE/THE DIAMONDBACK

Offensive coordinator Mike Locksley took questions from reporters yesterday afternoon.

‘Living the dream’

CHARLIE DEBOYACE/THE DIAMONDBACK

tant coach in the face and sexually harassed a former employee.

When he met with members of the media yesterday, Locksley didn’t avoid discussions of his dubious past.

“Call it what you call it. ‘Stuff,’” Locksley said. “If all the so-called baggage or stuff was true, it’d be pretty hard for any place to hire me. … If the things that were written happened, it’d be tough to have a job. I would hope that we’re in a common sense era where if you use common sense and good judgment on the stuff, that if any of the things were true, I wouldn’t have collected every penny from the University of New Mexico.

“Probably [would have been] tough for Maryland to hire a guy that did any of the things that allegedly I did, so yeah, I’m glad that the stuff is behind me.”

Zachary Lederer has had two brain surgeries before the age of 19. Yet he loves his life and is helping inspire others’.

By C hris E ckard Senior staff writer

D

octors told him he wouldn’t sur vive the night.

That was seven years ago.

But there was Zachary Lederer walking into Comcast Center, proudly wearing his gray “Maryland Basketball” polo and a pair of black slacks that Saturday morning. A white hat covered his half-shaved head and the 28 staples that lined the

right side of his skull.

To the amazement of the Terrapins men’s basketball coaching staff and team, Lederer took his place under the basket, helping with lay-up lines, snagging water and Gatorade and sweeping the floors as the team prepared for its Jan. 28 game against Virginia Tech.

He couldn’t even see straight.

Just three days before, Lederer went through major brain surgery for

STEWART TALKS SHOP

see LEDERER, page 7

First-year defensive coordinator Brian Stewart also met with the media yesterday, using the opportunity to explain the philosophy behind his 3-4 defensive scheme.

Stewart and coach Randy Edsall have each said the Terps are seeking more aggressiveness this season. Yesterday, Stewart made it clear just what that would mean.

“We are a pressure defense, and when we talk about pressure defense,

see NOTEBOOK, page 7

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SWIMMING AND DIVING

MEN’S TENNIS

No. 2 Virginia cruises to 6-1 win vs. Terps

Clemson is next up for No. 8 Terps

BY RHIANNON WALKER Staff writer

BY JOSH VITALE

ics department must pay a yearly fee of roughly $300,000. The funds, according to Jay Gilchrist — the director of Campus Recreation Services — represents a fraction of the pool’s operating costs. But the fee accounts for a significant portion of the team’s budget, which is pre-

After dropping a heated doubles match to start the day, the Terrapins men’s tennis team was able to wrestle only a lone victory away from No. 2 Virginia yesterday at Tennis Courts of College Park.

The team ended up losing its match against the Cavaliers, 6-1. In their first ACC contest of the season, the Terps’ (1-4, 0-1 ACC) sole victory came from junior Jesse Kiuru in his singles match.

“The matches were competitive,” coach Kyle Spencer said. “Any time you go up in level, like with a program like Virginia, it’s not hard to raise your level.”

In doubles, only the Terps pairing of Andy Magee and Jesse Kiuru won their match.

On court No. 1, Maros Horny and John Collins fought back from a 4-1 deficit in the third set, to tie the match at eight and force a tiebreaker. Fans watching the team play its ACC rival

see FEE, page 7

see CAVALIERS, page 7

Staff writer

Three days from now, the Terrapins women’s basketball team will begin arguably its most difficult four-game stretch of the season.

With home games against No. 6 Miami, No. 5 Duke and No. 22 North Carolina and a road trip to Virginia sandwiched in the middle, the No. 8 Terps will face three of the conference’s top four schools in a brutal 12day span.

The upcoming weeks will go a long way toward deciding where the team stands entering March’s ACC Tournament. But before they can worry about battling the conference elite, the Terps will first have to handle a road trip to Clemson tonight.

“We don’t look past any opponent,” guard Anjale Barrett said. “We got Clemson next, and that’s what we’re focused on right now.”

Sitting ahead of only winless Boston

see TIGERS, page 7

With its 50-meter lanes and other amenities, the Eppley Recreation Center Natatorium is considered one of the premiere venues for swimming and diving in the ACC. CHELSEA DIRECTOR/THE DIAMONDBACK

Fighting a fee Natatorium usage charge hurting as much as it’s helping Terps

BY JASON BENSCHER Staff writer

When news of the athletics department’s plan to cut eight Terrapins varsity teams broke last semester, the potential elimination of the swimming and diving program seemed the most eye-opening.

Supporters and alumni wondered

aloud how an athletics department could hemorrhage money so badly that a program with perhaps the conference’s finest resources could be in jeopardy.

A potentially unusual policy regarding the Terps’ prized facility — the Eppley Recreation Center Natatorium — is part of the answer.

To use the natatorium, the athlet-