The Diamondback, February 20, 2020 by The Diamondback

SCORING SISTERS: Behind Catie and Libby May, Maryland women’s lacrosse cruises in opener, p. 12

ACID FOR THE CHILDREN: A new side to Flea, p. 8

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Monday, February 10, 2020

state politics

Collins family will take to state capital

community

LIFT EVERY VOICE & SING

They will advocate for changes to hate crime law A day after a judge anChristine Condon nounced her son’s killer was @CChristine19 acquitted on a hate crime Senior staff writer charge, Dawn Collins assured the media she’d take to Annapolis to broaden Maryland’s hate crime statute. And on Tuesday, she will. Maryland’s House and Senate are poised to hear companion bills that would make it so that hate doesn’t need to be the sole motivation behind a crime for a person to be charged with a hate crime. If passed, “certain actions motivated either in whole or in part by another person’s or group’s race” could be considered hate crimes in Maryland, according to a description on the General Assembly’s website. The bill is named after 2nd Lt. Richard Collins, a black Bowie State student, who was killed by former University of Maryland student Sean Urbanski on this school’s campus in 2017. Urbanski, who is white, approached Collins with his pocket knife at the ready, and, unprovoked, stabbed the ROTC student in the chest. During Urbanski’s trial, prosecutors presented evidence from his cellphone, including a handful of racist memes that made frequent use of the n-word and racist stereotypes. But Urbanski’s defense attorneys argued the prosecutors failed to connect the racist images to the killing. Ultimately, the judge agreed, and tossed the hate crime charge aside. Throughout their arguments, the defense attorneys argued Urbanski could have chosen to stab Collins for other reasons, including that, after Urbanski approached Collins and two others, shouting nonsensical commands, Collins was the only person who said “no.” In a press conference held shortly after Urbanski’s first-degree murder conviction, Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy hinted her office would push for legislation adjusting the hate crime statute to include cases where other motives, in addition to hate, might have existed. “Other people in our community — in the future — will be able to get the justice that they deserve,” Braveboy said at the time. by

By Jillian Atelsek | @jillian_atelsek | Senior staff writer

julia nikhinson / the diamondback

A Prince George’s County resident is on a mission to convince basketball teams to play the “Black National Anthem.” Last week, UMD became one of them.

Eugene Williams sat in his darkening living room last week, smiling as the sun set through the window behind him. “Alexa,” he called out. “Play ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ by Beyoncé.” He let the sound wash over him. The song — often referred to as the “Black National Anthem” — is a rich, soaring hymn, its melody a slowly building crescendo. “It gives me a sense of liberation,” Williams said. “It inspires me. It exhilarates me.” “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was written about 120 years ago as a poem by James Weldon Johnson, an NAACP leader and prominent artist during the Harlem Renaissance. Johnson’s brother later set the words to music, and Williams, like many other black Americans, grew up singing the song right alongside “The Star-Spangled Banner.” For more than two years, Williams, now a 78-year-old Clinton, Maryland, resident, has made it his mission to convince basketball teams across the country — professional and collegiate alike — to play the tune before games begin. And last week, the University of Maryland obliged. Before Maryland basketball’s victory over Rutgers Tuesday night, Maryland Gospel Choir singers Tiffany Blossom and Erin Stewartson performed “Lift Every Voice” in front of a sizable Xfinity Center crowd. Williams couldn’t be there, but news of the performance made him “jubilant,” he said. University athletics spokesperson Jason Yellin said the department was “thrilled” to share the song with the crowd. He added, though, that there aren’t any plans to make it a recurring tradition. “That’s the night that it was going to be played because that was the night we were celebrating Black History Month,” Yellin said. Since he began his mission in 2017, Williams has seen considerable success. He spends his days reaching out to sports teams’ spokespeople by phone, introducing himself tiffany blosson, top, of the Maryland Gospel Choir, performs at Tuesday’s game. Bottom: Eugene Williams keeps a collection of baseball caps lined up on the piano in his Clinton, Md. home. photos by julia nikhinson / the diamondback See Anthem, p. 7

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state politics

Proposed bill aims to boost student voting It would require most Maryland colleges to host a polling place on campus University of Maryland community members testified before the House of Delegates on Thursday, lobbying for a bill that aims to increase student voter participation. The Student Voter Empowerment Act proposes that both public and private universities with more than 4,500 students have a polling location on campus. It would also require public universities to put a link on their websites for voter registration and designate a staff member as a “student voting coordinator.” That person would be tasked with creating a “student vote plan” to help students prepare to cast their ballots. House Majority Leader Eric G. Luedtke, who is also a professor in this university’s public policy school, by

Luciana Perez-Uribe @LucianaPerezUb Staff writer

student government

Grad students underrepresented in USenate Chair says many are discouraged from getting involved on campus Lyna Bentahar By the time run for the 11 seats open to @lynabentahar the period to them. Staff writer a p p ly to r u n Currently, the ratios of for a University Senate seat closed on Friday, a clear divide had chalked up in the candidate pool: Far fewer graduate students had applied to run than undergraduates. Compared to 123 undergraduate students who applied to fill the 30 seats o p e n fo r u n d e rg ra d u a te re p re se n ta t ive s, o n ly 1 8 graduate students applied to

graduate and undergraduate student representation in the senate are largely the same, with about one senator per 1000 students. But Pamela Lanford, the body’s chair, still expressed concern for the relatively lower number of graduate student applicants. S h e t ra c e d t h e l a c k o f engagement back to their overwhelming workloads,

which she said could discourage some from becoming involved in extracurriculars or student life on campus. “It’s natural for grad students to just not want to become absorbed into the broader community,” said Lanford, director of animal research support in the university’s research division. “And it’s not a bad instinct. Because you do have to focus. Or you won’t finish.” Additionally, Lanford said advisers rarely encourage their graduate students to ge t i n vo lve d o n c a m p u s outside of their departments.

See voters, p. 7

calendar 2 OPINION 4 FEATURES 5 city 6 diversions 8 SPORTS 12

Some advisers even actively discourage their students from doing so, Lanford said, adding that some faculty members don’t prioritize university engagement. H oweve r, t h i s d i d n o t a p p ly to L a n fo rd wh e n she was a doctoral student a t t h i s u n ive rs i ty i n t h e 1990s. She said her former a dv i s o r, A r t h u r Po p p e r, consistently encouraged her to attend conferences and join committees on campus, giving her the opportunity to build relationships. Branching out beyond the classroom or lab is becoming See senate, p. 7

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2 | news

monday, February 10, 2020

CRIME BLOTTER By Rina Torchinsky | @rinatorchi | Senior staff writer

Police and fire officials responded to reports of a possible fire, a vehicle crash and theft over the past two weeks.

PossiblE Fire

T he P ri nce G eorge’s County fire department responded to Baltimore Hall Saturday at about 9:20 p.m., after people reported smelling gas and seeing smoke in the hallway gas, department spokesperson Michael Yourishin said. Occupants evacuated the building. Firefighters responded but did not find the source, and concluded it was a false alarm, Yourishin said. Officials issued an allclear for the area at about 10 p.m.

vehicle crash Police responded to the area near Preinkert Drive and Mowatt Lane for a crash involving a student police

auxiliary vehicle on Saturday, Feb. 1, police spokesperson Sgt. Rosanne Hoaas wrote in an email. The driver, a student police auxiliary member, backed into another car. There were no injuries, but the vehicle that was hit sustained minor damage. The student police auxiliary vehicle was not damaged.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR 10 monday

70% high 49° low 45°

11 tuESDAY

80% high 58° low 36°

MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. NEBRASKA XFINITY Center, 8:30 pm Hosted by Maryland Athletics. go.umd.edu/iQr

AR SANDBOX COMPETITION William E. Kirwan Hall, Room 1403, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hosted by the STEM Library. umd.libcal.com/event/6370038 CLIMATE CHANGE AND IMPAIRED POPULATION HEALTH LECTURE Morrill Hall, Room 1101, 12 to 1 p.m. Hosted by the Maryland Population Research Center. go.umd.edu/idV

GRADULTING: HELP! HOW DO I DO MY TAXES? Adele H. Stamp Student Union, Margaret Brent Room 2112, 3 to 5:30 p.m. Hosted by the Office of Graduate Student Legal Aid. go.umd.edu/idC BLACK WOMEN’S ADVOCACY, ACTIVISM, & MOBILIZATION ACROSS THE DIASPORA Edward St. John Learning & Teaching Center, Room 2208, 5 p.m. Hosted by Multicultural Involvement & Community Advocacy. go.umd.edu/idF

12 wednesdaY

70% high 44° low 38°

THE KIBEL GALLERY PRESENTS: MAKING THE HOLODOMOR MEMORIAL Architecture Building, Kibel Gallery, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Hosted by School of Architecture. go.umd.edu/iPk STAMP GALLERY PRESENTS: NEURO BLOOMS EXHIBITION OPENING RECEPTION Adele H. Stamp Student Union, Stamp Gallery, 5 to 7 p.m. Hosted by Stamp Gallery. go.umd.edu/iPZ A DOLL HOUSE The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Kogod Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Hosted by The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

Theft

Pol ice responded to Commons 2 for a theft report at about 2:40 a.m. on Feb. 1. A male with no affiliation to this university reported to police that his wallet went missing between 2:15 a.m. and 2:30 a.m., Hoaas wrote. The male was notified by his bank of a fraudulent charge on his credit card. The case is open.

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1,000 PG County police officers to get body cameras

13 thURSDAY

70% high 61° low 23°

14 friday

high 30° low 16°

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. IOWA XFINITY Center, 6 p.m. Hosted by Maryland Athletics. go.umd.edu/iQR

A DOLL HOUSE The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Kogod Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Hosted by The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

GLOBAL BUSINESS SHOWCASE Van Munching Hall, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hosted by Center for Global Business. go.umd.edu/iPo

CHILEAN THEATER TROUPE: TEATRO Y SU DOBLE The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at 8 p.m. Hosted by The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

15 saturday

high 34° low 26°

A DOLL HOUSE The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Kogod Theatre, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Hosted by The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. THEMED CYCLE - 2000’S HIP-HOP/R&B Regents Cycle Studio, 10 to 10:55 a.m. Hosted by Eppley Recreation Center.

VETERANS NETWORKING SOCIAL The Lobby Bar at The Hotel, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Hosted by Veteran Student Life. go.umd.edu/vetnetworking2020 A DOLL HOUSE The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Kogod Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Hosted by The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

16 sunday

30% high 46° low 33 °

WREST VS NORTHWESTERN College Park, Md., 1 p.m. Hosted by Maryland Athletics. https://umterps.com/calendar.aspx

County exec announced the program after officer-involved shooting stirred controversy One thousand Prince George’s County Police officers will wear body cameras by the end of this year, county executive Angela Alsobrooks announced last week. The move comes after a Prince George’s police officer was charged in the fatal Jan. 27 shooting of a by

Eric Neugeboren @eric_neugeboren Staff writer

handcuffed man, prompting calls for body-worn cameras. Though Alsobrooks recently announced the program, she decided last October to devote funds in the fiscal year 2021 budget toward body cameras, spokesperson Gina Ford said. “This program will increase transparency and accountability, which will continue to build public trust, as the County continues to see a

reduction in crime,” read a statement from the county executive’s office. The rollout of the new cameras will begin July 1. Eighty officers currently wear body cameras as part of a pilot program that began in 2015. University of Maryland sociology professor Rashawn Ray, who has researched the positive effects of bodyworn cameras, said “it’s past

time” for the county to use more cameras. “They’ve been saying the same things for the same broken record for five years,” said Ray, who is currently on leave working at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. “Just make it happen.” Alsobrooks allocated $1.2 million for the body camera program in the county budget she will submit to the county

council, she told Fox 5 DC Wednesday. Last year, in her first year as county executive, she allocated $500,000 of the budget toward body camera technical infrastructure costs. Only members of the county’s patrol force — the officers that interact with the public — will have cameras, said Mark Magaw, the county’s deputy chief administrative officer for public safety, in

an interview with Fox 5 DC. There are over 1,500 officers total. But Ray said he remains skeptical about the rollout. “I don’t understand why it’s not gonna be on all officers by the end of the year,” he said. “I do think it’s necessary. But I also think that our county leaders simply just need to get it done.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

Crime at UMD jumped last year after a decade low in 2018 Over the past decade, crime at t h e Un i versity of Maryland has declined by about 40 percent, according to police data. But after criminal activity hit its lowest point in at least 16 years in 2018, incidents increased by nearly 50 percent last year. Dav i d M i tc h e l l , t h i s by

Rina Torchinsky @rinatorchi Senior staff writer

university’s police chief, said the numbers tend to fluctuate. “2018 was a banner year for reduction, that’s for sure,” said Mitchell, who has been in his role since 2010. “But you know, when it goes down, it’s going to go up again.” Here’s a look at how crime o n t h i s ca m p u s i n 2 0 1 9 stacked up with past years — and how this university

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compares to others in the Big Ten. Incidents of theft jumped about 43 percent from 2018, with 74 more incidents last year. There were two additional robberies and 18 additional burglaries. While larceny-theft i s d e f i n e d a s u n l aw f u lly taking property from another person, according to the U.S. Department of Justice’s definition, burglary is the illegal entry of a building to commit a theft or felony. M a ny o f t h e b u rg l a ries occur in public spaces, such as academic buildings, rather than residential

areas, said police spokesperson Sgt. Rosanne Hoaas. “Someone’s coming in and they’re seizing an opportunity,” Hoaas said. “No one’s around, pop in, pop out and they’re gone.” Thieve s stole walle ts, purses and other valuables f ro m o f f i c e s a n d o t h e r buildings last year, she said. Electronics, Mitchell said, are another popular target. Other Big Ten universities, like Ohio State University, saw higher burglary rates. In 2018, there were 95 burglaries on the u n i ve r s i t y ’s C o l u m b u s campus, compared to 11 at this university, according to

an annual security report. T h e re we re 2 6 i n c i dents at the University of Michigan in 2018. And on Rutgers’ New Brunswick campus, there were eight burglaries, a decline from 2016. W h e n t h i s u n ive rs i ty hosted a meeting of Big Ten police chiefs in 2015, Mitchell said the other universities were impressed with this university’s security operations center, which was conceptualized in 1996. “Man, we were the envy of the whole bunch,” he said. “I can’t think of a better way to help secure our safety of our student body, faculty and staff.” The operations center, a room in the Pocomoke building lined with screens of camera views across the campus, allows the team to “work smarter, not harder,” he said. Hoaas said the department’s information analysis unit, which was introduced about ten years ago, plays a role in crime prevention as well. The unit produces reports with crime trends, including popular areas and

times, for patrolling officers and criminal investigators. It’s a “one-stop source of information,” she said. Lydie Diwa, a sophomore enrolled in letters and sciences who transferred to the university this year, said she feels pretty safe on this campus. “I don’t really get scared on campus when I’m walking at night or something, unless I’m like offcampus, in town,” Diwa said. Donatella Aho, a sophomore public health science major, said that sometimes she’ll walk a little bit faster near Route 1, but she feels safe by herself around the campus. Aho said she remembers receiving an alert about “a potential snatcher” near Fraternity Row, which isn’t far from where she lives, she said. She didn’t remember seeing police around the area. “I don’t really feel unsafe, but something could always happen,” she said. “I don’t feel like this school, in particular, makes me or my peers unsafe.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

monday, february 10, 2020

news | 3

Programs merge campus lectures and study abroad Students can now take the hybrid courses about race in France or foreign policy in Cuba by

When University Chloe Goldberg @ChloeGoldberg10 of Maryland professors William Reed and Jóhanna Birnir led their students on a study abroad trip to Scandinavia in 2009, they felt there was something lacking. “It was very difficult to deliver the class content on location in as effective a manner as if you were in the classroom,” Birnir said. They also wondered about how accessible the trip was. It was offered during the summer, when many of their students worked. And then there was the question of cost. “We wanted to make that experience available to more students in the GVPT major,” Reed said. Eleven years later, the professors managed to overcome both obstacles, creating the university’s first course to combine lectures at this university’s campus with a study abroad component during winter break. With help from the Education Abroad office,

Birnir and Reed launched GVPT388F — “Cuba: Foreign Policy Decision Making.” The class of 20 students met Fridays during last fall semester to learn about strategies leaders use in creating foreign policy. Once the semester ended, students further explored this topic on a 10-day trip to Havana, Cuba, where they dove into the Cold War events that helped shape United States foreign policy, such as the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban missile crisis. Gaining background on this topic before the trip helped students orient themselves once in Cuba, Reed said. But exploring the country firsthand also challenged their preexisting notions of U.S.- Cuba relations. “Many of them buy into the Western perspective because that’s what they’ve been exposed to for most of their life, through their education,” Reed said. “And then they are confronted with something completely different in the

Students look to loan forgiveness for 2020 choice

Ahead of Maryland’s April 28 primary, how candidates approach loan debt becomes a major factor by

Ever since

my financial decisions for the

Chloe Goldberg student loan next 15, 20 years,” said junior @ChloeGoldberg10 debt hit the $1 government and politics major trillion mark in 2012, the ever-growing burden has become a focus of presidential campaigns. Today, with as many as 44 million Americans with student loan debt, several candidates competing for the presidency have presented their own case for handling student loans. And in a state with one of the highest rates of federal student loan debt in the country, some University of Maryland students plan to vote with that in mind. “I mean, they’re going to be probably the main thing driving

Stephen Kenny. “It’s weighing huge on my mind, especially as a voter.” Maryland accounts for $32.3 billion in federal student loan debt as of last June, according to Capital News Service. This makes it 13th on the list of states in the country with the highest federal student debt. Estimated in-state tuition at the University of Maryland for the 2019-20 school year is $10,778. For out-of-state residents, that number is more than tripled, coming out at $36,890. For Kenny, who said that

country, not only from an academic perspective, but also being on the ground, walking around, meeting people from Cuba.” Lectures from Cuban professors on history and religion, visits to the U.S. Embassy and the country’s revolutionary square helped to provide this difference in perspective, Reed said. At night, following academic programming, students also learned from the local families they stayed with in “casa particulares.” Antoine Banks, a professor in the government and politics department, is teaching a similar combined lecture and study abroad course this spring focused on race relations in the United States and France. He hopes that bringing students to a new environment — in this case, Paris — will force them to expand their thinking outside of the U.S. narrative, and understand how the experiences of racial minorities differ in France. “I think they see the racial

dynamic play out in the U.S.,” Banks said. “But it’s definitely different when you read about it in a book, and actually go there and see, and be able to ask questions and talk to experts who deal with this stuff on a day-to-day basis.” Last semester, Abigail Landesman worried about fitting in all the international relations credits she would need to complete her concentration. So when she saw an email announcing the Cuba course, the sophomore government and politics and theatre major was intrigued. President Donald Trump’s recent travel restrictions on the country, which limited U.S. flights to any airport outside Havana, further motivated Landesman to sign up. Plus, a ticket to Cuba would be relatively cheap. “This opportunity to go just seemed like something I didn’t want to pass up,” she said. For Landesman, being immersed in Cuban culture for 10 days helped contextualize all those lessons she learned

in her textbook. “One time in Cuba, we toured a bunker that was created during the missile crisis,” Landesman said. “And we had watched a movie about it, and read these books, but being in that place, kind of put it all into perspective.” Like Landesman, Salima Omwenga worried about reconciling her study abroad aspirations with a full course load. The option of travelling to Cuba — a country that always interested her — over winter break instead of the semester, allowed Omwenga to get the credits she needed, she said. “I grew up listening about Cuba-U.S. relations, but I never really went into depth and really understood what our history to Cuba is, so the topic really intrigued me,” the junior government and politics major said. But interacting with her host family, she said, allowed her to analyze the topic on a more personal level. “That was the most raw take

on Cuban life that we could possibly have,” Omwenga said. “To be able to speak with the host family, and get to learn about their day-to-day life— that, to me, was one of the most memorable things.” With unexpected turnout from students for both classes, Birnir — who doubles as the director of government and politics’ global learning program — plans to make them a permanent fixture in the department. Students will continue to go to Cuba in upcoming years, although the next course based around this trip will focus on Latin American politics, she said. Banks’ course will also run for another two years. In the future, the program will host one class each semester and expand to more subjects and locations. “We’re super excited about this program, and we just look forward to seeing it develop,” Birnir said.

student loans is one of the top two issues affecting his vote, searching for a candidate who can adequately address student debt was essential. He found that in Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Under Warren’s loan forgiveness plan, borrowers with household incomes less than $100,000 would get $50,000 of their debt canceled. Those who make between $100,000 and $250,000 would qualify for further loan forgiveness on a sliding scale. A small annual tax on families with wealth over $50 million would pay off the loans. “Those plans in general — including mass forgiveness of student loans — speak to me because they understand the economic burden that my generation faces, even though they’re not of my generation,” said Kenny, who sits on the executive board for UMD for Warren, a student-run campaign group. While he believes Warren’s plan has the best potential to move the economy forward, other students — including Michael Dunphy, president of Terps for Bernie — believe it

doesn’t go far enough. Like Kenny, Dunphy said student loans are a top priority going into the next presidential election. He acknowledges that they will keep weighing on his mind for the next 15 years while he pays them off. And in a society that values education, student loans are a burden that people “shouldn’t even have to go through.” “It’s kind of like the nagging thing in the back of your head that you just push away as much as possible, but you know it’s still there,” the junior computer science and government and politics major said. Dunphy supports Sanders’s proposal to cancel student loan debt, regardless of a person’s income, once they graduate. Sanders plans to raise over $2 trillion to get rid of the debt by imposing a new taxes on financial transactions, such as bond sales and stock trades. “There’s been a history with Social Security, Medicare, you name it, where a universal program works better than a means-tested program, where you have a limit based off the

income or something like that,” Dunphy said. “I think Sanders’ plan is not just more effective, but more politically viable.” Jared Gill, the treasurer of Terps for Bernie, also supports Sanders’ student debt plan. But the senator’s push for tuitionfree public colleges and universities makes Sanders further stand out, Gill said. “I think making public colleges tuition-free is the most important part of the whole thing because that frees up future generations of students to pursue higher education without the stress of student loans,” the senior computer science major said. For those students whose voting choices are not as clearly defined, student loans remain a varying concern. Ben Schaefer, a senior mechanical engineering major, said loans wouldn’t be a decisive factor in his vote, as his scholarships amount to nearly a full ride. Still, a candidate’s position on the issue may cause him to think twice before voting. “Any presidential candidate

who’s focused on education, and bringing it to more people … probably has their heart in the right place,” Schaefer said. Janiya Molina, a freshman African American studies and criminology and criminal justice major, said student loans weigh on her mind heavily, and will be a major factor when she next goes to the voting booth. For now, she values Andrew Yang’s “realistic approach” to tackling student debt. Yang, a political newcomer, has proposed the “10×10 Student Loan Emancipation Act,” in which the federal government would buy student loan debt from private lenders, allowing graduates to pay off their debts with 10% of their income for 10 years. After 10 years, the remaining balance would be forgiven, according to his campaign website. “Forgiveness is a good approach,” Molina said. “I don’t think it’s realistic to just cancel it. It’s money and it doesn’t just go away.”

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DOTS to install racks at scooter parking spots Students expressed security concerns about scooters that don’t lock remotely or with an app Following student backlash over security concerns, the University of Maryland will begin installing racks in scooter parking spaces as soon as next week, said DOTS director David Allen. The 27 e-scooter parking sites on campus — which the university created after the Department of Transportation Services rolled out new safety regulations — do not feature racks or poles students can use to physically lock their scooters in place. This has raised criticism that the new rules are incompatible with scooter brands that don’t lock remotely or via an app, such as Gotrax or Ninebot. Last semester, students often stored their scooters inside their dorms or in bike rooms inside of their residence halls. While the community living standards outlined in the Department of Resident Life’s Community Living Handbook had previously banned this practice, the policy wasn’t by

Kanika Mehra @thedbk Staff writer

actively enforced until this semester. During mid-year inspections last fall, Resident Life spokesperson Tracy Kiras said resident assistants found many scooters stored in dorms. So, the department distributed educational materials to remind students of the policy, she said. However, before this semester, students haven’t been formally penalized when scooters were found in the dorm. Over the break, RAs began documenting any instances where scooters were found, Kiras said. Now, under the new regulations, scooters parked outside of designated parking locations are subject to impoundment, relocation, or fines. The university also began enforcing traffic violations on scooters riding on sidewalks Feb. 3, according to a campuswide email from DOTS. Now, they “must be operated on the road and follow all traffic laws,” the email read. “The foundation of our program and the values we hold dear is safety and we

Scooters must now be parked in one of 27 campus spaces, according to new regulations from the Department of Transportation Services. are committed to providing a safe environment,” Kiras said, adding that banning scooters from residence halls falls in line with recommendations from the Fire Marshall’s office. Parhum Ghassemi, a sophomore environmental science and policy major, expressed his concerns on the updated

scooter policy in a letter to university President Wallace Loh, writing that prohibiting scooters in dorms would make it difficult for students to charge and store them safely. “The new scooter policies are not the right way to deal with scooters,” wrote Ghassemi, who owns a Gotrax scooter.

“I understand how important safety is, but some of these new policies actually make scooter riding less safe.” Even though Morgan Craver rents a scooter from Bird — a company that allows users to lock their devices remotely — she expressed similar concerns. Craver, a junior

gabby baniqued/thed iamondback

astronomy major, explained that the Bird app recommends that users lock their scooters. “[It’s] just an extra precaution, like how we need both a password and a Duo [verification] to log onto our UMD accounts,” she said. newsumdbk@gmail.com

monDay, february 10, 2020

4 | opinion

Opinion OPINION 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.

column

Leah Brennan

Arya Hodjat

Madelyn Miller

Hadron Chaudhary, Zachary Jablow

EDITOR IN CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

OPINION EDITORS

column

UMD shouldn’t have closed its Confucius Institute KEVIN HU @OpinionDBK Columnist

Tucked away on the fourth floor of Susquehanna Hall lies the University of Maryland’s Confucius Institute, a compact but lively hub for Chinese language and culture. I had no idea what it was until a few months ago. I only became aware of its existence after stumbling upon a Diamondback article on the ongoing federal investigation surrounding it. My curiosity piqued, I did some research and learned it was a non-traditional academic institution designed to immerse students, parents, and even young children in Chinese language and culture. Browsing through some of their past cultural events immediately made me nostalgic; it was essentially the higher education equivalent of the Chinese school program that I attended throughout my childhood and teenage years. I was devastated after finding out that our Confucius Institute was closing. As someone who benefited greatly from a similar program, I know firsthand how important it was for Chinese Americans to be given the opportunity to understand and appreciate their heritage. Growing up, I had difficulty coming to terms with what felt like separate identities. The ideals that were ingrained into me at home — the absolute importance of respect and profuse gratitude – were completely different from what I was taught at school. Occasionally, I felt that my silence and deference were misrepresented as a lack of intelligence and confidence. It didn’t take long before I began to resent my Chinese heritage. I felt detached from my peers. It wasn’t until I started attending elementary school at Hope Chinese School that I

began to realize the metaphorical distance I felt from my peers was due to underlying differences in our cultural beliefs. Every Saturday, I would learn about popular folktales and partake in traditional Chinese games and performances. Through my experiences, I became more cognizant of the basis on which a large number of Chinese values and idioms rested upon. I started to understand my heritage and why my cultural norms were different than my peers. The knowledge empowered me; I began to realize there was overlap between these two seemingly disparate identities and this allowed me to assimilate without compromising my cultural background. This experience isn’t something that you can achieve simply by taking a Chinese class at the University of Maryland. In a traditional academic setting, the emphasis is typically on scrutinizing the subject through a scholastic lens. However, in order to understand and truly appreciate different cultures, a holistic mindset and the ability to empathize with unfamiliar perspectives are arguably more important. To accomplish this, sometimes it’s best to withdraw from standard academic expectations and learn in a nontraditional environment like the Confucius Institute. However, primarily due to political pressure and concerns about espionage, universities are being coerced into closing down their Confucius Institutes nationwide. As relations between the United States and China deteriorate, more Americans now harbor unfavorable opinions of China and view it as a threat. The recently passed National Defense Authorization Act prevents Defense Department

funding for institutions that host Confucius Institutes. In addition, prominent senators, such as Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, have raised concerns about government-influenced censorship and security breaches related to these institutions. While these concerns are undeniably valid – especially given the evidence so far – it seems presumptuous to assume that these institutes are important enough to a possible espionage strategy to warrant a mass closure. Despite widespread suspicions, there has been no positive proof of any security breaches related to Confucius Institutes. In addition, these institutions are apolitical by nature – they focus on the diffusion of Chinese language and culture – so it’s illogical for critics to be worried about potential censorship. As controversial as this may seem, these institutions aren’t mandated to discuss Tibet or Taiwan. If you were taking a class to learn American English or culture, chances are you probably wouldn’t learn about the human atrocities committed during the Iraq War. Without Hope Chinese School, I probably would’ve continued to live in suspension between two outwardly irreconcilable cultures. For Chinese Americans who want to embrace their dual identity or for anyone that wants to understand a prevalent but foreign culture, it’s imperative that we continue to support Confucius Institutes. This iron-fist response appears to be an impulsive response to rising xenophobia when we could work toward a compromise that protects our national security while remaining faithful to the noble mission of these institutions. kevxhu@gmail.com

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College Park needs more to do Lexie Werner @OpinionDBK Columnist

The University of Maryland and College Park have missed the mark with their goal of making the city a top-20 college town by 2020. In order to cultivate an environment fitting of a top-20 town, this university should prioritize working with the city and state to invest in the city’s floundering arts and entertainment sector. Of course, there are many other factors at play for why College Park doesn’t deserve a top-20 rating. There are ongoing issues with housing availability and affordability, delays of Purple Line construction and previous food desert status — though now somewhat alleviated by the openings of Lidl and Whole Foods. There are basic standards we are not meeting. Yet it also cannot be denied that the city must fix the lack of continued development in the arts and entertainment sector in order to achieve the top-20 goal in the foreseeable future. Why? Because there’s nothing to do in College Park. Okay, there’s not nothing. But, it is plain to see that the unavailability of off-campus activities is majorly hindering the university’s goal.

The nearest movie theater is a bus ride away in Hyattsville. The best music venue in College Park is in some dudes’ basement. The city’s best arcade — which, to be fair, is an excellent collection of pinball machines — is in the back of a MOM’s Organic Market and is about three miles from Stamp Student Union. MilkBoy ArtHouse, a restaurant and music venue opened in collaboration with The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, recently closed, although the center will still hold some events there. Between the edge of campus and Hyattsville lies a strip of unifying businesses along Route 1 that bring both student and non-student College Park residents together. The populations have an opportunity to coexist at the TargetExpress down to the 7-Eleven, but not so much anywhere else. And for those who do not drink, the weekend and nightlife scene is extremely drab. Route 1’s strip of a few bars is less than appealing, and there are only a handful of sit-down restaurants in this area to enjoy a night out without traveling beyond College Park. Even fewer have attractions that make you want to stay longer without drinking. More entertainment concepts like The Board and Brew,

a board game themed restaurant along Route 1 near The Varsity, should come closer to the housing hubs in College Park. A thriving college town should not rely only on bars to create its nightlife but have a variety of arts and entertainment options. However, there is a glimmer of hope. Storefronts are changing. Since beloved shops are going out of business, developers should consider providing the things College Park is really missing. Be it a themed restaurant, an arcade, a small music venue, axe throwing, art classes, a gallery — make it something to do. The importance of the presence and availability of arts and entertainment in student life should not be overlooked. If this university and College Park are really dedicated to making the city a top-20 college town as soon as possible, they should work more closely together to invest in cultivating culture. As new developments come to College Park seeking to expand housing options and revitalize Route 1, it is imperative they work on the exceptional absence of things to do and act to build new beloved fixtures of the city. lexiew@terpmail.umd.edu

Doctoral advisers have too much power MAX FOLEY-KEENE So you’re working on a thesis, an endeavor with considerably lower stakes @MaxFoleyKeene long-term project, and it’s than a doctoral dissertation. My adviser was the Columnist a very important one. It will furthest thing from abusive, but throughout the chew up many years of your life and, in large part, determine your success in your (extremely competitive) chosen field. You spend months and months preparing a project proposal, which you will deliver to a superior who has almost limitless power over its success. And after a year of work, you’re finally ready to present. You’ve kept your superior in the loop and expect things will go smoothly. But, right after your presentation, your superior suddenly takes issue with your work — he tells you to go back to square one. A whole year’s work, erased with the flick of a wrist. This is fairly nightmarish stuff, and it happens in doctoral programs at the University of Maryland. As The Diamondback reported, an international Ph.D. student at this university’s agriculture and natural resources college, whose entire support network lives in the Middle East, worked for a year on her dissertation proposal — all for her adviser to say her dataset was improper. “I hysterically cried for three or four hours,” she recounted, an eminently reasonable response. Because this student came to the United States on an F-1 visa — which is time-limited — she would need to extend her visa to finish her Ph.D. But for that, she needs the sign-off from her adviser — the very reason she needs an extension in the first place. Here’s the deal about most doctoral programs in the United States: your adviser can basically do whatever they want to you, and you can’t really do anything about it. What are you to do if your adviser asks you to work impermissibly long hours? You need to do everything you can to stay in their good graces, because if you don’t, you risk losing their attention — or getting dropped altogether. Graduate schools are isolating. The institution’s foundation is the relationship between the adviser and the student, and it is not a balanced one. The student needs their adviser’s support to get their Ph.D. and succeed in academia. The adviser needs graduate students for help with research and teaching, but they don’t really need any specific graduate student. If a relationship with one student becomes fraught, just drop ’em! Last semester, I defended my undergraduate

process, I felt an ambient anxiety: like things could go dramatically wrong at a moment’s notice and all my work could go to waste. That anxiety is, of course, the feeling of powerlessness. The underlying problem behind the way we do graduate education comes down to the lack of student power. Thus, the solution is to empower them. We could — and should — implement a system where students are advised by a committee, rather than a single academic. But this wouldn’t empower students, so much as diffuse the power held over them. We could — and should — make free, high-quality mental health services available to all graduate students. But that wouldn’t empower students, so much as treat symptoms associated with their powerlessness. What graduate students really need is some institution that gives them formal power over the terms of their education and employment. They need an institution that would somehow reduce their isolation — perhaps by bringing together all graduate students in a spirit of solidarity. Through such an institution, graduate students might realize that, while they don’t have much power as individuals, their collective power is great. We might call such a thing a “union.” In a statement to The Diamondback, the dean of this university’s graduate school, Steve Fetter, remarked that “issues inevitably arise” in such a large school. But, he insisted, “We take the concerns of our students seriously and work hard to address issues that they may face.” But there’s actually an easy test to determine whether Fetter and the rest of the graduate school administration care, in a meaningful sense, about what their students face: Do they support giving graduate assistants collective bargaining rights? Dear reader, they do not. In fact, just last week, Fetter traveled to Annapolis to testify, once again, against legislation that would alleviate the pain he purports to care about. During a similar hearing last year, after being asked about possibilities for abuse in the adviser-student relationship, Fetter responded,“This is the very nature of doctoral education.” But must it be? maxfkcap2016@gmail.com

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Adding an ASL major would benefit UMD CATERINA IERONIMO @cate_ieronimo Columnist

Not many people realize that Washington, D.C., has one of the largest populations of deaf and hard-of-hearing people in the United States. The DHH community is so large, partly thanks to Gallaudet University, the world’s only university whose programs and services cater specifically to DHH people. H Street, known for its vibrant nightlife, is a hot spot for local deaf culture. You don’t even have to drive far down Route 1 from campus to arrive at Streetcar 82, the first deaf-owned and operated brewery on the East Coast, which hosts American Sign Language classes in-house. Despite the University of Maryland’s proximity to these cultural epicenters, the university itself doesn’t offer many ASL classes. In fact, while majors and minors are offered in 12 languages through the languages, literatures and cultures school, only beginner and intermediate level ASL courses are offered this semester through the education college. More broadly, this reflects the university’s shaky history of accommodating people with disabilities, who have had to openly challenge the university for their needs to be met. While the university has made some strides in accessibility, implementing an ASL major or minor would be a way of showing that the university not only cares about disability access, but also prioritizes educating people about the DHH community. After all, accessibility issues are everyone’s responsibility. This university’s challenges with helping people with disabilities are well-documented. Incidents of students being unable to attend class because of elevator repairs, the removal of handicap-accessible markers and a lack of wheelchair-accessible ramps have forced students with disabilities to take matters into their own hands and demand better. While the university is using this feedback to improve, the presence of these issues demonstrates a prevailing attitude that disability access is not important for those

who do not live with disabilities themselves. Everyone at the university has a right to accessibility. The lack of an ASL major or minor and the scarcity of ASL classes reflect a belief that deaf and hard-of-hearing people should fight for their right to equal access alone at every stage of their lives. Fortunately, some students and professors feel differently enough to take action. There is already a waitlist for ASL classes at the university, and over 1,000 people have signed the ASL NOW petition for an ASL major or minor. Let’s follow their lead by working to create a program that normalizes prioritizing equal access. And, as the students of ASL NOW point out, implementing an ASL major or minor program — just like any other language program — is a cultural endeavor. It sends the message that ASL is not just a tool for DHH people to communicate; it’s also part of a vibrant cultural fabric created and adapted over the years to include a wide range of dialects and mannerisms. This intricate culture is not limited to DHH communities. It’s integral to places such as Washington, D.C., and its surrounding area, where this university has the advantage of being situated. Ultimately, creating an ASL course of study would demonstrate the university’s commitment to diversity and to promoting a culture of accessibility that goes beyond the campus. The implementation of this program is especially important considering this university’s record of failing to prioritize the needs of students with disabilities. Given the university’s location relative to cultural sites that are important to the DHH community, implementing an ASL major or minor would also reward students with a window into an amazing culture that few outside the community get to experience. Yet, regardless of what the university decides, the message of ASL NOW and their supporters is clear: Accessibility matters, and it’s not something we can ignore. ieronimocaterina@gmail.com

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monday, february 10, 2020

City â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of life left in itâ&#x20AC;?: Owner says selling Ledo Restaurant is bittersweet

The business, which got started in Adelphi but moved to College Park, has been run by one family for 65 years by

After a University of Maryland football game in September 2010, students and families flocked to the newest restaurant in the city â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a 5,800-square-foot pizzeria with a bar and dining room, placed quaintly underneath a parking garage on Knox Road. The Original Ledo Restaurant had just moved from its first location in Adelphi to College Park, and the sight of Maryland fans streaming into the pizzeria that day filled longtime owner Tommy Marcos Sr. with joy. He would pass away about a month later. Early this year, his son, Tommy Marcos Jr., 53, announced heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s selling the Original Ledo Restaurant to retire. For Marcos, selling the family business of 65 years is â&#x20AC;&#x153;bittersweet.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;In all these years, you become close with people and become friends with people,â&#x20AC;? said Marcos, who began working for his father in 1976. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve watched kids grow up, and now they have their kids coming in.â&#x20AC;? In 2018, Marcos suffered two

Jonathan Tercasio @jon_terc Staff writer

strokes and injured his foot, making it more difficult to keep up with the bustling pizza joint. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been able to put in the time since my health got worse,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And a restaurant is something that requires a lot of time and effort.â&#x20AC;? A real estate listing for the business was posted earlier this year. The space in downtown College Park costs about $12,000 a month, according to the listing. Some things about the restaurant â&#x20AC;&#x201D; like the menu â&#x20AC;&#x201D; are likely to change under new ownership. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everything we make here has been homemade,â&#x20AC;? said Carol Cornwell, the restaurantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manager. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The menu is going to look a little different after the spring.â&#x20AC;? Sophomore architecture major Giovanni Amodeo and sophomore accounting and finance major Kyle Cotoia said they often order pizza from the Original Ledo Restaurant and would like to see the current menu stay. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the food is perfect the way it is,â&#x20AC;? Amodeo said. The restaurant may close briefly in April and could be

renamed, Cornwell said. Still, the pizzeria will be competing in an area that has recently welcomed many new businesses. According to Marcos, â&#x20AC;&#x153;everybody wants to try the new place.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;It seems as if the landlords will put anything here,â&#x20AC;? Marcos said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are probably seven pizza places within a mile.â&#x20AC;? Higher minimum wages in Prince Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s County have also affected the restaurant, which relies on part-time workers, Marcos said. In 2017, the minimum wage in Prince Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s County was raised to $11.50, where it will remain until 2021. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have qualms about why they did it,â&#x20AC;? Marcos said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But ... my payroll went up $6,000.â&#x20AC;? College Park seemed like the perfect place to put a pizzeria, Marcos said, because it was difficult to get students and families to come to Adelphi. After moving closer to the university, the restaurant saw more business, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My worst year is probably what people would love to be doing with their businesses,â&#x20AC;? Marcos said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good restau-

Tommy Marcos Jr., who owns and operates The Original Ledo Restaurant, in his office Feb. 6. rant. It has a lot of life left in it.â&#x20AC;? One of his fondest memories will be the tight-knit community that has formed within the restaurant, Marcos said. It will be the cooks, the managers and the customers who have been stopping by for decades. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have been blessed with really good people and families that have worked with us,â&#x20AC;? he said. Cornwell, who has been

working at the restaurant for 25 years, said she was surprised when Marcos first told her about his decision to sell the business and retire. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It threw me off guard,â&#x20AC;? Cornwell said.â&#x20AC;&#x153;But I understand that his health hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been all that great.â&#x20AC;? Marcos said heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll spend his time off â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a rarity in the restaurant industry â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with family, going on the vacations he missed

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out on. During his years running The Original Ledo Restaurant, he usually took only one week off each year. Cornwell and Marcos agreed that over the years, the restaurant has become something bigger. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It became more than a business,â&#x20AC;? Marcos said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like a huge family.â&#x20AC;? newsumdbk@gmail.com

City council grants additional $10,000 to parade The money may be used for shuttle buses to transport people to the 75th anniversary parade on June 6 The College Park City Council accepted a request from the city managerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office for an additional $10,000 for a celebration of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 75th anniversary during a work session Tuesday night. The council originally allotted $20,000 for the celebration set for June 6. It will include by

Clara Niel @clarasniel Staff writer

an hourlong parade down Rhode Island Avenue and a free fair at Duvall Field in the afternoon and evening, said Gabi Wurtzel, the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event planner. The cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new budget of $30,000 for the celebration was based off past city celebrations, Wurtzel said. The additional $10,000 could go toward transportation to the parade, such as shut-

tles or a rideshare program, Wurtzel said. As councilman John Rigg pointed out, there arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t many parking spaces in the area it will occur. Wurtzel said the fair will be birthday-themed, in honor of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 75th birthday. The event will feature live music, performers, vendors, inflatables, crafts and contests. Sponsorships, Wurtzel added, could also help fund the event.

The mayor and council members voiced their excitement while discussing ideas with Wurtzel and Ryna Quinones, the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s communications coordinator, who also presented the proposal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 75 years already. It feels like just yesterday we were teenagers getting our driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license,â&#x20AC;? said Patrick Wojahn, the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mayor.

Wurtzel also suggested inviting residents to submit photos and videos to create a booklet or video to showcase the history of College Park. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m pretty sure that I can think of two individuals that come to mind in my district who definitely have a lot of archived information, pictures, about cars back in the 40s, 50s and 60s,â&#x20AC;? said District 4 councilwoman Denise Mitchell. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So

that will be great.â&#x20AC;? Much of the festival is still being planned, so there will be further deliberation in the coming months as planning continues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want everybody who has been a part of the history of College Park to be involved in capacity with this event,â&#x20AC;? Wurtzel said. newsumdbk@gmail.com

Construction on city meeting center to start in May The community center will replace a 50-year-old swim club in the College Park Woods neighborhood Crews Jonathan Tercasio will start construc@jon_terc tion in Staff writer May on a c o m m u n i ty meeting facility in the College Park Woods neighborhood, replacing a swim club more than half a century old. The building, which is slated to open in 2021, will include a lobby, kitchen area and large windows, said District 4 councilwoman Maria Mackie. The project is estimated to cost the city more than $550,000, according to the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Community groups, like the by

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neighborhood watch group or the civic association, can meet there,â&#x20AC;? Mackie said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be a nice amenity in College Park.â&#x20AC;? Plans to demolish the existing facility were approved by the Prince Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s County Planning Department on Jan. 6. The city purchased the property on Marlbrough Way from the College Park Swim Club in 2018. They announced the project last October, after hiring architects from Buchart Horn Inc. to perform a facility assessment. The city has held several meetings with the community â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the latest one on Jan. 22 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to

gather feedback. Residents suggested adding new walkways, a patio and a garden to the facility, according to city documents. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Those fine-tuning details havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been totally completed,â&#x20AC;? Mackie said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m an advocate for having places where people can be outside and walk around.â&#x20AC;? The one-story building will comply with the American with Disabilities Act, unlike the old clubhouse, Mackie said. Yoga, knitting and â&#x20AC;&#x153;low-impactâ&#x20AC;? workout classes are among program ideas for the facility, according to city documents. College Park Woods resident

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Mary King said she discontinued her membership in 2006. Her six children had gotten older, and new management was unable to take care of the facility, she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It ran into financial problems because they couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get enough people to join to pay the bills,â&#x20AC;? said King, who has lived in the neighborhood for 35 years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A few people took it over. They did not do well with it.â&#x20AC;? Once the city bought the property and cleared the debt from previous management, there was a general consensus that the pool should be replaced, King said.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;People wanted the pool to be resurrected, but they were a minority,â&#x20AC;? said College Park resident David Segal, who attended community meetings about the project. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is basically an outdated structure.â&#x20AC;? Residents also raised concerns about the limited parking and increased traffic that will come with the project, according to November meeting minutes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now, we have multiple-car families and increased rental in the community,â&#x20AC;? Segal said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the parking will be sufficient.â&#x20AC;? College Park Woods is a quiet

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neighborhood, and much less urban than downtown College Park, Segal said. The streets are narrow, he added, made for the one-car families that used to live there. The city will continue to hold community meetings as May approaches, according to a city presentation. So far, Segal said the city has been receptive to resident concerns. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was very impressed with how responsive the city has been to what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve wanted in the past, and what we want currently,â&#x20AC;? Segal said. newsumdbk@gmail.com

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news | 7

“IF YOU TELL ME NO, I’M GOING TO PROVE YOU WRONG” How UMD alum Tracy Young went from radio DJ to Grammy winner The first time one of Tracy Young’s mixes went on air at WPGC-FM in the early 90’s, the station’s music director didn’t do much to put her buzzing nerves at ease. Albie Dee strode into the mix room and pulled open the blinds, revealing the headlights dancing across the Beltway as cars whizzed past. Then, he turned to the young DJ and pointed at the view. “You see all those cars out there?’” Dee recalls telling Young, who, at the time, was a student at the University of Maryland. “There’s about three and a half million people that live in this town. You better not screw up.’” Her hands were trembling as she put the needle on the record. She had tried so hard to hide her nervousness, and yet, Dee seemed to see right through her. But when the words “On Air” glowed red and her demo started to play, it all faded away. “It was classic, classic” Dee said. “I do that as an initiation... I do that just to mess with people” Dee said Young killed it that night — and it was only up from there. Her sound was different from

what everyone was doing, Dee said. He couldn’t quite say what it was, but he envisioned her in a club, a house, a show. He couldn’t have predicted seeing his former assistant up on the stage, holding a golden gramophone trophy with tears in her eyes. As Dee watched Young walk up to the Grammy stage on Jan. 26 — a walk she said felt two miles long — he beamed like a father. At that moment, she became part of history as the first woman to be nominated for — and to win — the Grammy award for best remixing. In November, when she heard she had been nominated, she felt happiness, incredulity, anger. To be the first woman comes with both pride and resentment. But she wasn’t surprised. “If you tell me no, I’m going to prove you wrong,” Young said. “œIt makes me angry, it makes me more motivated.” The music business has peaks and valleys — often times, the valleys last longer, Dee said. For women, the hike is harder. The roles for women in the music industry historically put them on display as performers — to be seen and to be heard. It was assumed that women had no interest in or talent for production, said Laura Schnitker,

a lecturer in this university’s music school. “Technology is traditionally a masculine sphere, and anytime women have tried to penetrate [male-dominated] spheres, they’re met with a lot of fear and hostility,” Schnitker said. In the station where Young started her career in radio, she was the only woman in a staff of 10, Dee said. No station in the Washington, D.C. area had a female mixer at the time, he added, which was one reason why Dee hired Young — he wanted the radio station to stand out. They worked together for about five years. Young would sit with him in the mix room, and they would listen to music that recording labels had sent. Dee would listen to the lyrics, the beat, and would be able to tell whether the song would be a hit. Sometimes, he would change it — he would think the rhythm wouldn’t fit or that the beginning would work better as the ending. Young watched him until she started to do her own mixing. And then, over 20 years ago, serendipity happened. Young met Madonna. After some time spent working at the WPGC radio station, Young relocated to

southern Florida, following a job at a record label. It had been a little less than a year when she learned her position had been eliminated, Dee said. She called him, seeking advice on what to do. “Go do what you do best,” Dee told her. “Be a club girl and just kick ass.” Young started working at Liquid, an upscale nightclub in eastern Miami. In its glory, Liquid attracted an elite group of club-goers that included Madonna. At the time, the artist was a new waves in mainstream radio, bringing love and dark sexuality from Erotica, her fifth album, to an otherwise conservative era. Ingrid Casares, the owner of the nightclub, wanted Madonna to hear Young’s work. Casares believed in her, Young said. So Casares invited Madonna to go to the club one night that Young was DJing, Dee said. A few years later, Young called Dee again. By then she had already worked on two hits with Madonna — Music and Don’t Tell Me — and acted as the DJ for the artist’s movie premieres and album release parties. Then she told him the news. She was going to DJ Madonna’s wedding in the Scottish Highlands, she said. “Hold on, because the ride is

about to freakin’ explode,” Dee told her. And he was right. “She just took the hell off,” Dee remembered. In the following years, Young worked with artists across the musical spectrum — pop, Latin pop, new wave, R&B, disco. All because Madonna believed in her, Young said. “When you work with an artist of that magnitude and that artistry, people pay attention,” Young said. In the 14 times she has remixed for the “Queen of Pop,” Young had freedom to reimagine the work, changing it to complement the artist while also making it new and different than it was before. But she still showed it to Madonna and wanted her feedback — she knew Madonna might hear or see something that she didn’t. After listening to a demo, Madonna always provided Young with feedback. Young loved working with her — she was a perfectionist and made her better. “If people are always accepting your work the way it is, you don’t grow,” she said. Now, she wants to grow as an artist by composing and producing originals. Steve Aoki and The Chainsmokers, two big names in the electronic

dance music world, started their careers by remixing for other artists. After they started doing original music, they reached stardom — and Dee sees the same thing happening to Young. “She’s got a great ear, she just knows how to put music together and how to put a piece together,” Dee said. Young’s achievement doesn’t signal that next year’s Grammys will have more female nominees. But change does come slowly, Schnitker said. “I think maybe in 10 years we can look back and see she was one of the pioneers,” Schnitker said. As she heard the Grammy nominees being read out, Young hid her face with her hands. It was like being on a rollercoaster — she didn’t want to look. But at the stage, Young took in the view: the men and women applauding her, the lights dancing on the audience. She had said she wouldn’t cry, but now, in tears, she dedicated her award to all the female producers who had been overlooked. Dee said that the award was just the beginning for his former protege. “Watch what happens from this point out. It’s just gonna be insane,” Dee said.

anthem

university — which Williams said he first contacted with his request in 2018 — remained a point of special interest. It’s in his home county, for one thing. Plus, his wife of nearly 30 years, Mary Johnson, is an alumna — one of the first black students to receive a doctoral degree in math education from this university. Years down the road, while she was running a science and technology high school in Washington, D.C., she made sure her students sang “Lift Every Voice” at commencement each spring. The lyrics, in their entirety, were printed in the program year after year, too. At 85, Johnson still volunteers to teach third-grade math at two schools in the county, but she helps her husband with his calls to universities and professional teams when she can. With a laugh, she realized that there was

a kind of serendipity in being brought back into contact with her alma mater all these years later. “I think this will be very beneficial, not only to players, but the audience should know about it,” she said. “And this gives them the chance.” Both Johnson and Williams stressed that the vast majority of basketball players — both professional and collegiate — are black, even though coaches and team owners are overwhelmingly white. “It’s only fair that we would recognize [the players’] value and their worth,” Williams said. And “Lift Every Voice” fills Williams with pride in a way that “The Star-Spangled Banner” never quite will, he said. The national anthem’s author, Francis Scott Key, was a slaveowner, and many interpret a third verse that’s not often

sung as embracing slavery. “ L i f t E v e r y Vo i c e ,” meanwhile, has long been a staple of civil rights movements across the country. It’s a combination of mournful lines reflecting on the horrors of slavery and upbeat ones filled with optimism. “Sing a song full of faith that the dark past has taught us,” the lyrics read. “Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us / Facing the rising sun of our new day begun / Let us march on till victory is won.” Blossom, one of the two women who sang Tuesday night, said she was introduced to the song as an elementary schooler. She was only given a week’s notice of the performance, she said, but she wasn’t too concerned — the melody and lyrics were a fixture of her childhood. “It was really an honor,”

Blossom said. “I had no clue that they wanted to have this song done at a basketball game, and it really meant a lot to me.” She’s hoping the department will make the anthem part of an annual tradition, she added. Monique Small, a senior criminology and criminal justice major at this university, said that while playing the song was a “good gesture,” it also “opens the door for a lot of disrespect.” Small, who is involved with the Nyumburu Cultural Center, learned “Lift Every Voice” growing up in Prince George’s County schools. And despite her appreciation for the song, she expressed concern — worrying that on a campus long troubled by hate, it could be criticized or misunderstood by non-black students. “We have a lot more progress to make before that’s something that would be wholeheartedly

accepted,” Small said. Still, Williams describes himself as an “eternal optimist.” And he’s not done with this university yet. “Certainly, I will be following this up, and I will be desiring that it be played regularly,” he said. “This is the beginning.” Since he began this work in 2017, Williams has been featured in about a dozen news articles. He’s been interviewed by publications such as ESPN, the Washington Post and the Associated Press. And quietly and calmly, far away from the buzz it’s created, Williams still sings “Lift Every Voice” to himself often. “It will always be a part of me,” he said. “And I’m praying and hoping that it will also be a part of all other people who listen to it.”

provides students with polling locations at Stamp Student Union and Ritchie Coliseum, multiple universities around the state do not. In the 2018 midterm election, among 18- to 29-yearolds nationwide, voter turnout jumped to 36 percent, up from 20 percent four years prior. While voter turnout increased it was still lower than any other age group. In the same election, 66 percent of people ages 65 and over voted, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. From 2014 to 2018, Lesley said, this university’s voter registration rate increased to over 85 percent — but its voter turnout rate is still hovering at around

46 percent. “We are blessed at the University of Maryland to have a lot of these policies already in place,” Lesley said. “There is a lot of room for growth.” While more than 10 people testified in favor of the bill, several attendees proposed amendments and considerations for future hearings. Del. Jason Buckel questioned whether it was necessary for campuses that have a precint close by to construct a new one solely for students’ benefit. Senior citizens vote more than young voters, he added, arguing it might make more sense to invest in voting centers near senior centers for people

who can’t walk far to a polling place. Local governments, he said, should be responsible for determining where new polling places are constructed. “One size doesn’t fit all,” Buckel said. “My concern is that we’re taking one particular group of potential voters and creating all these special things.” Another provision of the bill would excuse absences for students who miss class to vote. Patrick Nicholas Hogan, a former member of the Maryland House of Delegates, and Bryan Newton, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Services Wor-Wic Community College, both spoke against that idea at the hearing.

Though both men supported the bill, they were concerned with taking away from instructional time. Newton highlighted that many students have long commutes — meaning that skipping class to vote could mean missing the whole day. Sara Fidler, president of the Maryland Independent College and University Association, was concerned that certain universities in her association would have trouble implementing a polling location. At Loyola University, for example, it would be difficult to establish a precinct due to space and parking issues, she said. “We would like to see the trigger for the requirement for

polling place on campus to start with an undergraduate population of 4,500 students, instead of a total population, and that would solve that problem for us,” she said. The hearing for the Senate version of the bill is set for Feb. 20, at 1 p.m. “I believe that this bill and the policies within are helping support a historically disenfranchised community from voting and is also helping support what we hope will become a lifelong habit” said Annie Rappaport, president of the Graduate Student Government.

category — and which call for a different set of skills, Popper said. “[Graduate students] need to be prepared for, in my view, a much broader world,” said Popper. “Students aren’t going to get jobs in universities. They’re going to get jobs doing very productive and successful things where they can contribute to society.” The struggle to draw in graduate student participants

hasn’t been isolated to the senate — the Graduate Student Government had also run into recruiting difficulties, said its president, Annie Rappeport. So, to bolster its numbers,Rappeport said the GSG sought help from university departments, which connected executives with potentially interested students. While Rappeport said graduate student representation is growing among campus governing bodies, she added

that there’s still room for improvement. “We have further to grow, because I think there’s still potential to improve,” she said. Britt Starr, a senator and English doctoral student, emphasized the importance of increasing graduate student representation in the senate. When graduate students serve as senators, they not only develop essential skills — they also enhance the body’s ability

to serve the campus community. Graduate students are trained to analyze problems, and tend to view issues through a “more intersectional lens than the older faculty,” Starr said. However, she recognized that graduate students are already “super overburdened and underpaid.” The current minimum stipend for graduate students working nine-and-ahalf month assistantships sits at $18,791 — about half the salary

MIT’s Living Wage Calculator lists as a liveable wage for a single adult in Prince George’s County. Even so, Starr hopes that the next senate term will see an influx of new faces. “It would be unfortunate for the future diversity of representation if the grad student seats don’t get filled,” she said.

Clara Longo de Freitas @clongode1 Staff writer

From p. 1 and making his case. He’s gotten NBA teams, such as the Washington Wizards, Golden State Warriors and the Brooklyn Nets — and colleges like Georgetown and George Washington universities — on board. And last year, Prince George’s County Public Schools issued a proclamation encouraging all schools to introduce students to the song at least once during the month of February. That proclamation sits in a frame on Williams’ piano, alongside a photo of President Obama and a row of baseball caps. One of the hats — which Williams designed himself — has “Lift Every Voice and Sing” embroidered on it in cursive. Despite his victories, this

voters From p. 1 is one of the main sponsors of the bill. He taught middle school for many years before moving on to teach freshmen at the college level — and many of his students, he said, would come to him with basic questions about things like voter registration and requesting an absentee ballot. “Young people want to be engaged, they want to be involved in this process,” Student Government Association president Ireland Lesley told lawmakers during the hearing. “Support by our universities [and] by the state really invest in that education, which is so critical.” While this university already

senate From p. 1 increasingly more important for today’s graduate students, said Popper, the senate’s former chair and a retired professor from this university. For a long time, people assumed that students went to graduate school exclusively to prepare for a career in academia. But now, more and more graduate students are taking jobs that don’t fall in this

newsumdbk@gmail.com

8 | Diversions

Monday, February 10, 2020

Diversions UPCOMING EVENTS

ONE-SENTENCE REVIEW Diversions editor Iris Vukmanovic on this season of ‘The Bachelor’:

“Peter giving girls roses for crying over him is a major yikes.” ★✩✩✩✩

The Anthem

Rex Orange County

Feb. 12

8 p.m. Sold out

U St. Music Hall

Anna Of The North

Feb. 13

7 p.m. $20

The Anthem

Fitz And The Tantrums

Feb. 14

8 p.m. $45

Flea’s Memoir ‘Acid for the Children’ gives a vulnerable glimpse at a rockstar’s upbringing By Camryn DeLuca | @camrynxcx | Staff writer Flea, bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, relased his memoir, ‘Acid for the Children,” in November 2019. Photo via Amazon

hen people think about Flea, they often think about the rowdy free spirit who plays bass for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And on the surface, it’s hard to imagine more than that — his completely naked performance during the band’s Woodstock set in 1999 is hard to forget. But aside from his outlandish exterior, Flea’s thoughts in interviews and on social media have always intrigued me. When he revealed he was writing a memoir, Acid for the Children, I couldn’t wait to grab a copy. There’s more to Flea than kooky performances, and a memoir is a chance for an artist to highlight a side of themselves many have never seen. In between songs at that same Woodstock set, the bassist exclaimed to the crowd, “I love killer whales, and I love

mangoes and Iggy Pop, too!” When the Red Hot Chili Peppers first catapulted into the Los Angeles rock scene in 1984, their music was more eccentric than the polished Grammywinning albums they’re known for now. The band’s frontman, Anthony Kiedis, provided a firsthand account of the group’s antics in his 2004 memoir, Scar Tissue. Among them were recording sessions with producer and funk icon George Clinton, paired with $500 worth of cocaine. I assumed that Flea — formally known as Michael — would provide similar stories in his memoir. How couldn’t I, when the memoir’s cover is a photo of teenage Flea smoking a joint on the beach? But to my surprise, Acid for the Children concludes just after the Chili Peppers’ first performance. They hadn’t even chosen their name yet. And yet, it feels complete.

Flea details the life that led up to that moment — where “four became one” — in a stoic manner. The memoir follows a basic chronological structure, split into three parts: childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. But aside from this structure, Flea exercises a lot of creative freedom throughout the book. Chapters vary in length, bringing compelling accounts of small childhood moments to life. Flea inserts italicized paragraphs throughout the text, which sometimes work as an extension of his thoughts, or as an author’s note. A native of Australia, he has a two-page chapter dedicated to the country’s beauty and flaws — and his connection to the land. In a few long-winded, dizzying sentences, Flea explains how a place can hold such beauty yet also terrify him with lethal insects.

He also does an excellent job of reproducing his thoughts as a young child, creating a short list of the main things he thought about as a toddler. The most detailed memory was him imagining his father in the Navy like a sailor in a Looney Tunes cartoon. Music has been — and will continue to be — a driving force for Flea.It’s sprinkled throughout the memoir in various forms. He includes words mimicking the sounds of the bass, and excerpts from songs at the beginning of certain chapters. He even concludes the book with a list of concerts that changed his life. His enthusiasm to share these musical annotations personalizes the memoir. Kiedis and Flea have been packaged as a dynamic duo since the Red Hot Chili Peppers entered the spotlight. Flea introduces his longtime friendship with Kiedis by saying nature brought the two together. After

calling their friendship “yin and yang, light and dark, beginning and end,” Flea inserts another italicized author’s note of sorts. The bassist is completely open with readers, describing the difficulty he had writing about this friendship, and his transparency in revealing this decades-long relationship shows his vulnerable side. The fact that Flea felt the need to preface his chapter on Kiedis shows the enormous amount of care he put into it. Vulnerability, loneliness and the wonder of discovery are key themes in this memoir, and Flea presents difficult stories in a unique light. When describing his experimentation with shooting cocaine, Flea switches up the chapter’s format. With a typewriter-style font and script format, Flea describes his experience buying syringes at a pharmacy under the guise that he needs them for administer-

ing insulin rather than an illicit substance. He commits to his act of pretending he’s just picking up insulin and syringes, like another stop on his wife’s to-do list. His depiction of such a gruesome time of his life helps express the absurdity of it all. Acid for the Children ends when Flea is just starting his rock career. At age 57, his memoir covers about half of his life, but that doesn’t mean it’s incomplete. He provides a compelling account of the people and experiences that contributed to the person he is today. In a joking fashion, one of the last pages teases a “Flea Volume Two,” which would answer the many questions that puzzle us to this day, like, “What could rock stardom actually do to a vulnerable human being/guinea pig???” And I’d be happy to tune into volume two. diversionsdbk@gmail.com

BoJack’s Epiphany BoJack Horseman’s final episodes leave us a poetic note about the meaning of life By Alyson Trager | @alysontrager | Staff writer

hen we left BoJack Horseman atthe first half of season six, he was on a path to redemption. He gets clean after a lot of rehab, makes his rounds of apologies and starts as a professor at Wesleyan University. But there remained the potential of BoJack’s past coming to light, personified by two oldtimey-accented journalists. So when the second half of season six opens, you expect to see BoJack panicking, panting (presumably from running away from his inevitably miserable life) or calling Diane. But instead, we pick up right where we left off with BoJack as an acting professor, gaining purpose from helping his students, which is a perplexing

The final episodes of ‘BoJack Horseman’ were released on Netflix on Jan. 31, 2020., wrapping up the series’ six seasons. Photo via YouTube feeling for an avid watcher of this show. BoJack? Doing well? This can’t be right. The first three episodes of the second half (9, 10 and 11) felt disjointed. Bouncing from BoJack’s new life at college to Diane’s writing struggles in Chicago to Mr. Peanutbutter’s broken relationship — all while following the reporters attempting to uncover BoJack’s past with Sarah Lynn and Penny — was taxing. It was almost impossible to see what the “thesis statement” of these episodes would be. I found myself focusing more on putting the pieces of the puzzle together than I was on the actual content in front of me. The next episodes bring us back to classic BoJack. As soon as things start to go south for his reputation, he gets drunk,

takes pills and makes (bad) excuses for every decision he’s ever made before finally passing out in a swimming pool. We had watched BoJack make so much progress, just to witness him crumble with each narcissistic, self-loathing swig of vodka. The most creative episode was the penultimate, “The View from Halfway Down.” In a recurring dream — that BoJack suddenly has trouble waking up from — he faces all the deceased characters he’s known in his life. His mother, his uncle, Herb Kazzaz, Secretariat, Corduroy JacksonJackson, Sarah Lynn and even Zach Braff all join BoJack for dinner and a show. Here, Secretariat recites a poem with the same title as the episode. While it sounds like a middle school homework

assignment, the poem is definitely more existential. Secretariat now knows that however awful his life was before, it is far, far shittier to be dead — a realization BoJack has while his own death draws nearer. This episode is frightening. It reminds us all that this life is all we have and everything we do matters so much — yet, as the dinner guests remind us, nothing at all. What was most interesting about this half of the final season was the mundanity of it all. This is a show known for Todd’s crazy shenanigans, Princess Carolyn’s busy-bee lifestyle, Mr. Peanutbutter’s increasing fame and of course BoJack’s blacked-out, attention-drawing mistakes. But these episodes illuminated that, for the other characters, life without BoJack is much

easier, and life for BoJack is always going to be difficult — filled with choices that have consistently hurt others. What was originally a disjointed storyline, with Diane being in Chicago and everyone else still in Los Angeles, came to an “Aha!” moment close in the final episode. When BoJack and Diane meet atop a roof, Diane fully comes to terms with BoJack’s role in her life. She understands that his toxicity is not something she has to endure, and moving forward with new people in her life is all she can do to stay happy. The ending was nothing special. It actually comes to a rolling and slow stop as BoJack and Diane sit quietly and awkwardly on the roof. But that seemed to be the point. Life moves on. There

is no special ending because there aren’t special endings in life — or, at least, you don’t realize them in the moment that they’re happening. The contrast between Diane and BoJack’s new lives couldn’t have been more clear in some of the final pieces of dialogue, which are too good not to share. BoJack says, “Well, what are you gonna do? Life’s a bitch, and then you die, right?” to which Diane rebutts, “Sometimes. Sometimes life’s a bitch and then you keep living.” The entire series was meant to show the growth between BoJack and Diane, juxtaposing the two kinds of people in the world: those who see the glass as half full and those who see it as half empty. diversionsdbk@gmail.com

monday, february 10, 2020

Sports | 9

gymnastics

Terps’ best event proves to be part of downfall vs. Nebraska Maryland ranked 10th in the country on bars entering Saturday, but they posted a season-low 48.075 Senior Tiara Wright entered Saturday night’s meet at Nebraska averaging greater than 9.840 on the uneven bars, serving as one of the key contributors to Maryland gymnastics’ top-10 national ranking on bars. But as the Terps’ fourth competitor on bars in Lincoln, Wright lost her form on an overshoot to the lower bar, forcing the judges to issue the senior a season-low 9.325 mark. And Wright wasn’t the only one to struggle on bars, ultimately dooming Maryland to a season-worst 48.075 in the event. In what had been their best event all season, the Terps simply couldn’t piece it together in their first rotation Saturday. The negative result set the tone, leading to problems all night long for the 19th-ranked team in the country. “That’s one of our best events, and it’s been stable for us all year,” coach Brett Nelligan said. “Having that rough start was surprising to us, and it took us a while to regain our footing.” Following the uncharacteristic performance on bars, Maryland gave itself a chance in by

Kevin F. McNulty @kmcnulty_219 Staff writer

the second rotation. All but one gymnast scored above a 9.700 on the vault — but it wasn’t enough to mask the misfortunes of the first event. “I thought we did a better job pulling it back together on vault,” Nelligan said. “But it was an off-night that started with the first routine… Once an event is done, we don’t want to carry it with us, especially if it didn’t go the way we wanted it to.” The poor start in Maryland’s best event gave way to another shaky showing on beam — the team’s worst event thus far. The Terps entered Saturday’s match ranked 36th on the apparatus, with an average score of 48.638. But they ended up lowering that figure against the Cornhuskers after finishing with a score of 47.875. It was the first time this season Maryland’s score had dropped below 48 in an event, with veteran leaders Alecia Farina and Sabriyya Rouse posting 9.025s. Even though Maryland’s performance on beam was in the last event, the team could trace back the negative momentum swing to the bars. The Terps have prioritized not bringing a bad display with them to the next events. “The leadoff position is super

senior tiara wright struggled on bars against Nebraska, posting a season-low 9.325 in the event. She was one of three Maryland gymnasts to score 9.5 or below on bars. joe ryan/the diamondback important,” sophomore Sanya Glauber said. “If something goes wrong, we definitely have to flip a switch and stand behind our team.” Other gymnasts expressed similar sentiments after Saturday’s meet. The Terps acknowledged that it was an off day on

bars, but they had high hopes of turning it around in their next three events. They didn’t. “Everyone has their off days, but we don’t want to drag any negativity with us,” sophomore Alexsis Rubio said. The event that usually carries Maryland was its downfall Sat-

urday, and it resulted in its first loss in a dual meet this season. Nelligan’s squad will have a chance to reverse its fortunes on bars at home against Rutgers on Sunday. Until then, the Terps want to make sure a bad event doesn’t morph into another loss and

another mediocre score. “Once we move events, we need to keep pushing,” Glauber said. “After the first event, you can always come back. You can never think it’s over because it’s not.” sportsdbk@gmail.com

Maryland falters without two of top gymnasts, posts season-low 193.525 Kirsten Peterman and Audrey Barber sit out as Terps struggle to overcome poor showings on bars and beam by

Donning a

Kevin F. McNulty pink leotard @kmcnulty_219 as a part of Staff writer Nebraska gymnastics’ annual “pink meet,” freshman Aleka Tsiknias missed a connection during the first bar routine of the evening. Tsiknias scored just

a 9.200 to open the rotation for Maryland gymnastics, kickstarting its worst effort on bars this season. Without junior Audrey Barber at the end of each lineup, the Terps struggled to recover from their 48.075 in the first rotation. On top of Barber’s absence, Mary-

land was also without senior leader Kirsten Peterman. The struggles on bars percolated into the team’s other events, too, ensuring coach Brett Nelligan’s squad never surpassed 49.000 in an event. On the road against No. 14 Nebraska, the Terps posted their lowest score of

the season (196.175-193.525) on Saturday. “We were just a little bit off, and it started to build,” Nelligan said. “In gymnastics, being a little bit off can turn into a big deduction. It just wasn’t our night.” Maryland came into the night ranked 10th in the

coach brett nelligan’s team got off to a promising start in 2019 after notching two straight 196-plus scores. But his squad struggled to a season-low on Saturday. julia nikhinson/the diamondback

nation on bars and previously averaged 49.150 in the event. But the Terps totaled a score of just 48.075 Saturday night. They were forced to count senior Tiara Wright’s 9.325 after Tsiknias’ missed connection. “ We n e e d to wo rk o n leaving the result of each event where it is,” sophomore Alexsis Rubio said. “It’s about continuing on to the next event and taking it from there.” Nelligan’s squad recovered on vault with a score of 48.900 on vault. Freshman all-arounder Emma Silberman landed a unique spin, giving her a career-high 9.825. Rubio went on to match Silberman’s score, which brought the Terps within a point after two rotations. Junior Sabriyya Rouse led the way on floor during last weekend’s meet. She scored a team-high 9.900 against the Illini, and this weekend, she followed it up with another team-leading 9.850. Thanks to Rouse’s leading number and a 9.775 from freshman Reese McClure, the Terps posted another

solid score of 48.725 on floor. After three rotations, Nelligan gathered his team on the floor in preparation for the final rotation. Maryland went into the balance beam with a score of 145.700, relying on a high mark in the last event. “I always want them to pull together when times are tough,” Nelligan said. “It’s easy to be a team when everything’s going right, but I want them to pull together when we have a tough night.” Befo re her dismo unt, McClure executed a splitjump, and the freshman opened up floor exercise w i t h a so l i d 9.75 0. B u t Maryland faltered down the stretch on beam with two straight 9.025s in the fourth and fifth slots, dropping it to its lowest score of the campaign. “We’ve had four great meets, and this was the first meet that we really weren’t happy with,” Nelligan said. “We said at the end that we’re going to move on and get ready for Rutgers next week.” sportsdbk@gmail.com

football

Trio of three-star prospects sign letters of intent to join Maryland football’s 2020 recruiting class

VOTED COLLEGE PARK’S “BEST BAGELS”

BAGEL PLACE

The Terps added a defensive back and bolstered both of their lines DefenDerek Ohringer sive back @ohringahh Osita Staff writer Smith, offensive lineman Amelio Moran and defensive lineman Almosse Titi all signed their letters of intent Wednesday on National Signing Day, rounding out Maryland football’s 2020 recruiting class. The group of three-star recruits, per 247Sports, join 23 others in the Terps’ class — the majority of whom opted to sign during the early by

signing period in December. Smith played safety for Wilde Lake High School in Columbia. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound defensive back signed with West Virginia after graduating in 2018. Instead, he attended Milford A c a d e my i n New Yo rk , before deciding to return home to join Maryland. Moran is a 6-foot-5, 308pound offensive tackle from Virginia Beach, Virginia, who played junior college football at Lackawanna C.C. The recruit chose Maryland

over Texas Tech, West Virginia and Indiana. Maryland lost three players this offseason from the offensive front, leaving gaping holes that his staff needed to address. T iti is another junior college player who’s adding size and experience to the trenches. The 6-foot-3, 310pound defensive lineman is from Tampa, Florida, and a t te n d e d Iowa We s te r n Community College. He was formerly a grayshirt at Massachusetts but decided

to take the JUCO route amid coaching changes in 2019. D u r i n g h i s f re s h m a n season at Iowa Western, Titi played in 11 games and recorded 27 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Wednesday’s signings weren’t huge splashes, but they were valuable additions to an already talented recruiting class. The Terps’ 2020 recruiting class now ranks 31st in the country and sixth in the Big Ten. sportsdbk@gmail.com

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10 | sports

monday, february 10, 2020

MEN’S BASKETBALL

With zone switch, Terps pull away Coach Mark Turgeon’s defensive scheme change against Illinois gave his team new life in 75-66 victory by

As Mark

Andy Kostka Turgeon @ afkostka put it after Senior staff writer No. 9 Maryland men’s basketball’s 75-66 victory over Illinois — the Terps’ first road win over a top-20 team since 2008 — there’s a c e r ta i n l e ve l o f l u c k involved. But a team still needs to be good, the coach said. When Maryland switched to a press-and-zone defense with less than nine minutes remaining before halftime while trailing by 12, Turgeon’s team benefited from a bit of both. The Terps lucked out with a favorable Illinois lineup, foul trouble keeping some zone-killing sharpshooters sidelined. And Maryland’s also a talented defensive squad, capable of changing games in ways that don’t include scoring. Much has been made of that defensive prowess this year, and it’s shown up time and again to will the Terps through difficult matchups such as Friday’s. So after an in-game adjustment with about 30 minutes before the final buzzer would sound, that double-digit deficit didn’t seem so imposing. “[Illinois] lost their rhythm,” Turgeon said. “They had 29 in the first nine minutes or something, ended up with 60-whatever. So kind of slowed them down a little bit.”

guard darryl morsell scored 15 points and added five rebounds in Maryland’s comeback win over Illinois on Friday. It was the fourth straight game the junior guard reached double-digit scoring. T h a t f i rs t p osse ss i o n with zone seemed to set a marker for how disruptive it would be throughout the final 30 minutes of action. After guard Darryl Morsell made a pair of free throws, Maryland dropped back into a press. Guard Da’Monte Williams worked the ball up court for the Illini, came to a stand-still just before crossing the half-court line and looked for an avenue to e s c a p e g u a rd A a ro n Wiggins’ defense. B u t M o rs e l l re a d h i s ensuing passing attempt to forward Kipper Nichols, jumped the lane and picked

it off. On the fast break, Morsell squeezed a bounce pass through traffic for forward Donta Scott to finish at the rim. Howeve r i n n o c u o u s Scott’s layup appeared at the time, it was the start of a turnaround, even if the Terps still trailed by 10. But from then on, Illinois would score 35 more points compared to Maryland’s 54 — including Scott’s lay-in. And despite opening up a 14point lead in the first half, the Fighting Illini converted at a 25.9-percent clip during the second half. “The zone,” said guard

Alan Griffin, whose two 3-pointers in the final 20 minutes were part of just seven field goal attempts the Illini managed. “The zone was the adjustment they made. We were struggling to find ways to score out of it.” The Terps have forced other teams into scoring difficulties this season, too — against Rutgers; in the second half against Northwestern; at home against Purdue; and again Friday night, needing another comeback effort to move into first place in the Big Ten. But not many other teams

have suffered through Maryland’s zone scheme. “Quite frankly,” Turgeon said, “we haven’t been very good in it.” S t i l l , t h e Te r p s h ave practiced the zone defense consistently, and Turgeon’s bided his time to pull it out. Friday was that moment, needing to counteract Illinois’ fast start and mounting advantage. The 3-2 scheme put the brakes on that before a 1-3-1 zone — something Turgeon said they had used o n j u s t o n e p osse ss i o n against Indiana — made an appearance in the second half during the comeback

julia nikhinson/the diamondback

victory. “ We ge t c o m fo r ta b l e when we get down a little bit,” guard Eric Ayala said. “I don’t think we get rattled.” Trailing early may not be the best habit for the Terps to fall into. But with an ability to change games defensively, those early deficits haven’t been fatal. And at the State Farm Center — another hostile setting, fa c i n g a n o t h e r s i z a b l e deficit — the switch to zone defense added just another chapter to a season full of high-level defense.

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monday, february 10, 2020

Sports | 11

men’s lacrosse

Jack Brennan is making waves as freshman goalscorer It’s uncommon for a rookie to make an instant impact for the Terps, but Brennan has four goals in two starts by

Jack

David Suggs Brennan @David_Suggs3 sauntered Senior staff writer a ro u n d t h e back of the attacking area, waiting for something — anything — to fall his way. The Maryland men’s lacrosse midfielder had scored a goal three minutes before, and was desperate to see the net ripple once more — to bring his team within one goal on an afternoon in Richmond, Virginia, when t h e Te r p s we re l a rge ly second-best. So when attackman Anthony DeMaio’s pass found the Rochester, New Yo r k , n a t i ve , B r e n n a n cocked back and fired. And once the ball flew into the top corner, Brennan turned to h i s tea m m a te s, f i s ts clenched in excitement. Off the field, Brennan pa i n ts a m o re re se rve d figure. But on it, Brennan is brash, tough, confident. And through Maryland’s first two games, the freshman has been a revelation, quickly adapting to the rigors of college lacrosse to serve as a goal-scoring force in the midfield. “He’s a quiet guy,” attackman Jared Bernhardt said. “But we know every time he goes out there he’s going to give us 100 percent.”

Brennan, a former fourstar recruit, came to College Park tethered to expectations formed while he starred at Irondequoit High School. There, he tallied 188 goals and 102 assists for 290 points — the second-most goals and third-highest total points scored in program history. Still, even with gaudy high school stats, it’s uncommon to see a freshman make such an impact for coach John Tillman’s squad, especially considering Maryland’s willingness to let young players lurk in the shadows and acclimate to the Terps’ style of play away from the spotlight. “Not a lot of people would say they came here because they thought they were gonna step on the field right away or they thought they were gonna be an AllAmerican as a freshman,” midfielder Roman Puglise said. “It takes time.” B re n n a n b u c ke d t h a t trend, starting Maryland’s first game against H igh Point. And the newcomer quickly made himself a nuisance in the middle of the park. Early in the first quarter, Brennan whirled around the net twice and smashed both efforts past goalkeeper Parker Green. T h e ea rly go a l s we re

Jack brennan slotted home two of his five shots in Maryland men’s lacrosse’s season-opening victory over High Point, one of 12 players to find the net in that matchup. And in Saturday’s contest with Richmond, Brennan’s two goals were a key part of the overtime comeback win, 14-13, with both coming in the fourth quarter. julia nikhinson/the diamondback crucial for the Terps, who struggled to get themselves up to speed in the early m o m e n ts o f t h e sea so n opener. Brennan’s scores propelled Maryland’s atta c k i n g fo rce , o n e t h a t would finish with a 23-goal display. “Jack Brennan shot us out of a hole in the first quarter,” attackman Logan Wisnauskas said after dispatching the Panthers. And Brennan’s procliv-

ity for timely goals surfaced again on Saturday. With the Terps down 12-9 on the scoreboard against Richmond — and up a man on the field with nine minutes left in regulation — Brennan took up residency behind the net, an area he has frequented in his first two games. Once he saw space open up in front of the crease, he darted to goalkeeper Jack Rusbuldt’s left and flicked

his shot past the netminder’s stretch. Brennan’s first goal gave the Terps life after a listless display in the first three quarters. His second, in contrast, gave Maryland hope. And whenDeMaio’s teammates swallowed him in a wave of red following his double-overtime gamewinner, there was only one name on his lips. “Jack’s been doing a great job for us, he’s been shoot-

ing the ball really well and that’s a credit to his work ethic,” DeMaio said. “He’s just doing it the Terp way.” Brennan may be a quiet figure in the eyes of his teammates, but as long as he continues to rack up goals and assured performances, it will be his teammates whose voices will be the loudest — in their celebration and in their appreciation. sportsdbk@gmail.com

women’s basketball

With blowout over Scarlet Knights, Terps make it nine wins in a row Kaila Charles posted 16 points, playing like the “All-American she is,” and Maryland added 25 free throws by

Coming

Gus Martin in as one of @gusmartin321 t h e h o t te s t Staff writer teams in the country, Maryland women’s basketball made it known early that it wasn’t taking its opponent lightly Sunday. The Terps went right into their trapping press defense and ran out to a 6-0 run in the game’s opening minutes, capped by forward Kaila Charles’ steal-and-score that brought the crowd to its feet. Behind Charles’ 16 points and a season-high 25 free throws made as a team, Maryland beat Rutgers, 79-50, to earn its ninth straight win. “We wanted to embrace t h e p hys i ca l i ty,” coa c h Brenda Frese said. “For us to have [Rutgers] score the fewest points they’ve scored in conference play … it was a pretty flawless game.” Following the 6-0 start, Rutgers quickly called a timeout to regroup. But the Terps remained focused and forced a turnover on the next possession. Frese’s team executed its signature “12” defense as well as it had all season in the game’s opening minutes. The Scarlet Knights had four giveaways and a double-digit deficit within the first five minutes but cleaned up their act thereafter. They couldn’t contain Charles, though, as she notched 10 points and four rebounds in the opening period. Her athleticism was on full display while skying for several offensive rebounds and beating Rutgers defenders down the floor for layups. Charles was also feeling her jumper and hit three long midrange pull-ups on possessions when her team struggled to find an open

shot. The Terps mostly found good looks, though, and shot 55.6 percent in the frame. “[Charles] played like the All-American that she is,” Frese said. “She’s just set the tone for us this last month and we couldn’t do it without her leadership.” The second quarter was more of the same — but this time Maryland’s defense helped balloon its lead. The team held Rutgers to just 14.3 percent from the floor, forced four turnovers and outrebounded the opposition by four. Outside of guard Blair Watson, who hit two triples in the period, the Terps missed a handful of easy shots. Multiple layups that should have gone in rolled off the rim into the hands of Scarlet Knights players, but Maryland’s aggressiveness earned it trips to the freethrow line, where it made all seven attempts. Frese’s squad trotted into the break up 18 after executing the game plan to near-perfection. The beginning of the third quarter saw the game’s pace come to a screeching halt. Rutgers couldn’t play defense without fouling, and the Terps took full advantage at the free-throw line. They made all but one of their 13 attempts in the frame, which helped slightly grow the lead despite some shooting woes. “[Free throws] have been an area we’ve talked about [that] in postseason we don’t want those ‘free-bees’ at the free throw line to cost us our season,” Frese said. “Really focused effort, and I loved the fact that we got there 29 times today.” A f te r o p e n i n g u p t h e period in the team’s press defense, Frese briefly chose to switch to a 2-3 zone. She’s

been experimenting with different zone looks over the last few games, but the Terps gave up multiple wide-open shots to Rutgers when not in man-to-man. Frese quickly switched out of it, and Maryland began to play its steal-and-score brand of basketball once again. Guard Ashley Owusu continued to push the pace, scoring six and tallying two assists in the process. “I’m most comfortable in transition,” Owusu said. “Just keeping my head on a swivel being able to locate my teammates.” Forward Shakira Austin also looked reinvigorated in the period. She played only nine minutes in the first half because of foul trouble, but she was a force in the third. Her teammates repeatedly fed her in the post, where she made both of her shots and went 4-of-5 from the charity stripe. A 25-point lead heading into the final frame allowed the Maryland bench to get a good run and coast to victory. Although the team took its foot off the gas and had some sloppy offensive possession to start the quarter, forward Stephanie Jones’ and-1 as the shot clock sounded garnered one last eruption from the crowd and put the finishing touches on the contest. With the victory, Maryland earned its fourthstraight double-digit win and remains tied with Iowa for first place in the Big Ten. “The better question is what didn’t they do,” Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer said when asked what the Terps did to give her team trouble. “They flat-out just outplayed us in every aspect of the game. Period.” sportsdbk@gmail.com

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12 | sports

monday, February 10, 2020

THIS WEEK’S GAMES

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Wrestling 15 Illinois

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women’s lacrosse

for opposing defenses, it’s mayday Sisters Catie and Libby May combined for six goals, helping lead the Terps to a season-opening victory. By Jacob Richman | @JacobHRichman | Staff writer

Catie (left) and Libby may got to play together during Maryland women’s lacrosse’s first game of the 2020 campaign, taking 11 shots and finding the back of the net with six of those attempts. They proved to be thorns in the side of George Mason. julia nikhinson/the diamondback FAIRFAX, Va. — Catie May couldn’t stop smiling after Maryland women’s lacrosse blew past George Mason in its season opener on Saturday. It was partially about the result on the field — and partially about who she shared that field with. “It’s just unreal getting the chance to play with my little sister,” Catie said. “I’m so proud of her.” Libby May made her Terps debut in Saturday’s 19-6 victory, partnering with her older sister to play a large role in coach Cathy Reese’s attack. The duo combined to pepper the cage with 10 shots

on goal, with six of them finding the back of the net. Maryland struggled to put together its offense in the opening five minutes of the season, which coach Cathy Reese called an expected obstacle. She places an emphasis on her squad’s ability to make adjustments in-game. But it was Catie’s opening goal that got the ball rolling. She beat her defender behind the net, slotting home a wrap-around goal to tie with the Patriots at one apiece. A co n ce ss i o n ove r a minute later put the Terps down again. But then it was Libby’s turn to change the

game, turning a free-position shot into her first college goal. Libby was one of three freshmen to get a starting spot in the first match of the season, joining midfielder Shaylan Ahearn and defender Emma Schettig. “That was fun,” Reese said. “The freshmen have their first college game of their career, at one point there was a conversation with Libby and Shaylan: ‘Take a deep breath, we’ve got this, just do what we’re good at.’” Catie found the net again over three minutes later — from a set-up by senior Kali

Hartshorn on the near side of the goal — to give Maryland its first lead of the season. Libby continued the goalsspree for the Mays, converting another free-position shot for a score as the Terps began to build up an advantage that George Mason wouldn’t be able to break down. “They work really great together,” Hartshorn said of the sister tandem. “They’re so sneaky and so quick, they’re hard to defend. Thank God they’re on our team.” Catie scored two more goals in the second half — bringing her tally to a team-

high four goals — to almost reach a third of her 13 total goals last season. Libby wouldn’t find the net again, but she had no turnovers and forced three saves out of the Patriots goalie. Reese said she thought Libby could have shot better, but lauded both sisters for their ability to work together and ignite the offense. “They’re both good at different things, that’s why their connection is as good as it is,” Reese said. “Catie is a great feeder, great around the crease. I think she’s one of the best crease players in the country with how quick she

is … Libby is good at seeing space and cutting into it and getting herself open. So Catie has the opportunity to hit Libby quite a bit.” After a strong opening game for the duo, Reese said people should pay attention to them this year as Maryland begins to build its team chemistry early on during its title-defending campaign. “To see [Libby] work so hard on and off the field and be able to play and share this moment with her is so exciting,” Catie said. “I’m ready to enjoy every moment of it.” sportsdbk@gmail.com

Terps pass first test with flying colors

Cathy Reese’s squad erupted for eight straight goals to end the first half, burying George Mason in rout FAIRFAX, Va. — All senior Kali Hartshorn had to do was plant her foot and shoot on her first free-position attempt Saturday to find the back of the net and extend Maryland women’s lacrosse’s rout. “She’s good at that,” coach Cathy Reese said. “She’s one of the best shooters in the country.” When the Terps took on George Mason last season, Hartshorn put up three goals on the way to a 16-5 victory. In her first game back from Maryland’s championship-

“It’s exciting to come together for our first game and end up in the win column,” joint high-scorer Catie May said. “I’m really proud of all of my teammates. There’s a lot of energy and excitement.” The Terps started on the back foot, allowing an early goal to midfielder Abby Folker, who scored two goals against Maryland last season. George Mason kept possession for the first five minutes, keeping the Terps out of the net, but a wrap-around shot from Catie May in the seventh minute gave Maryland its first

pulled it together in the first media timeout and told everyone to take a deep breath and get out there and play. From that point on we played with a little more confidence and trust in our teammates.” The Patriots responded quickly with a goal from attacker Hailey Johnson, who weaved through the Terps’ defense before shooting through the legs of goalkeeper Maddie McSally. George Mason’s scoring chances were few and far b e twe e n , t h o u g h , a n d through the rest of the first

Fre s h m a n L i b b y M a y scored her first two career goals, both on free-position shots, while her sister Catie May added her second goal

goal from attacker Deanna B a l sa m a . I t b ro ke a 2 3 minute scoring drought. The comeback did not last long as Catie May added her

ment was a little slow, our feet were a little slow, but I think we really brought it together by the end of the game.”

catie may was one 10 goalscorers for Maryland as the team poured on 19 goals to dispatch George Mason. julia nikhinson/the diamondback after being set up for an open net by Hartshorn. Hartshorn took control of the closing minutes of the first half, scoring three goals in a row to give Maryland a 9-3 lead at the half. “She hustled all over the place … trying to hunt the ball down,” Reese said. “That CATIE MAY tied for a team-high four goals in the Terps’ blowout win, putting away 80 percent of her shots.. julia nikhinson/the diamondback sometimes goes unnoticed, winning season, she was one goal of the season. half, it was all Maryland. but it was a huge part of our of 10 Terps to find the back of “A lot of jitters when we Reese’s squad went on an success on the offensive end.” the net, tallying four goals en first got out there, which is 8-0 run, flashing the ability The Patriots broke their route to a 19-6 victory over to be expected,” Reese said. that propelled the team to an scoring drought one minute the Patriots on Saturday. “But I’m proud of how we NCAA title last season. into the second half with a

third goal. Brindi Griffin, the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, had been held in check for most of the game, but she quickly made her presence felt, scoring two goals in quick succession. Hartshorn got her fourth tally on a free-position shot. Unlike her first, she took a few steps off the line. But in the end, the result was the same. “I credit it all to the team,” Hartshorn said. “We started off a little slow, ball move-

The Patriots added an additional goal from Balsama, who finished with a teamhigh two tallies. Folker found her second late in the second half, matching her total from last season. Additional goals by Maryland freshman Hannah Leubecker, Griffin, Catie May, and Darby Welsh helped build the Terps’ lead beyond reach for the Patriots as they finished the game, 19-6. sportsdbk@gmail.com