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ROMAN RISES

BUBBLE BATTLE

Roman Polanski’s The Ghost Writer thrills and compels

Terps face fellow NCAA Tourney bubble team Boston College tonight SPORTS | PAGE 8

DIVERSIONS | PAGE 6

Thursday, February 25, 2010

THE DIAMONDBACK Our 100TH Year, No. 92

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Purchase of Three men rob student on S. Campus Washington Post plant finalized 19-year-old North Campus resident was walking to study session in Harford Hall

BY DARREN BOTELHO Staff writer

Univ. ready to start East Campus construction

University Police are looking for three men who robbed a female student heading to a study session Tuesday night on South Campus.

The victim, a 19-year-old North Campus resident on her way to a meeting with friends in Harford Hall, bumped into one of the three suspects between Harford and Frederick Halls at about 8:30 p.m.,

which initiated the incident.

University Police spokesman Paul Dillon said one of the men began shouting at the victim, calling her names and demanding she apologize for pushing him.

Dillon said, while the first man yelled at the victim, another began grabbing at her backpack. When the bag wouldn’t come off, the suspect demanded she give him money, and she complied.

After handing over the money,

the victim ran to her North Campus dorm and called police.

The victim gave police a description of the three men, but she does not know where the men fled to.

“After the incident, the victim took off and didn’t look back,” Dillon said.

Dillon said the robbery is under investigation, but it’s too early to say if any suspects have been identified. No witnesses have come forward yet, he added.

The victim identified the suspects as 6-foot-tall black males wearing dark-colored hooded sweatshirts.

The first suspect was wearing dark, loose-fitting pants and a darkcolored baseball cap with a gold sticker on the bottom brim. The second suspect had neck-length dreadlocks and a dark knit cap. The third suspect had a buzz cut.

see CRIME, page 2

BY DERBY COX

88

Senior staff writer

ANNAPOLIS – The stage is set for the university to push forward with East Campus development after the Board of Public Works yesterday approved the university’s $12 million purchase of The Washington Post Company’s College Park printing plant.

The three-member board, which is composed of Gov. Martin O’Malley, Treasurer Nancy Kopp and Comptroller Peter Franchot, unanimously approved the purchase. The approval represents a victory for the university and breaks a string of bad news about the development, which seeks to fundamentally change the image of College Park.

“I’m thrilled,” Vice President for Administrative Affairs Ann Wylie said after the vote. “We appreciate the support of the city, and we’re thrilled.”

The university will use the space to relocate facilities currently housed on East Campus to clear space for a 38-acre development that will include shops, a music hall and graduate student housing.

The approval ends a tumultuous search for a suitable site for the facilities, which include the Campus Mail Facility, ShuttleUM and maintenance shops. The university’s original plan to move the services to a 22.4-acre forested area near Comcast Center known as the Wooded Hillock drew the ire of environmentally minded

79

FINISHING TOUCH Terps overcome 12-point second-half deficit to solidify hold on second place in ACC

BY ERIC DETWEILER Senior staff writer

Greivis Vasquez rose and dunked in transition with a Clemson player hanging helplessly behind him in last night’s Terrapin basketball game at Comcast Center.

The Terps, down by as many 12 points in the second half, suddenly held a 10-point lead with 6:04 remaining.

As Clemson hurried to call a timeout, Jordan Williams leapt and chest-bumped Vasquez, Sean Mosley and Cliff Tucker in rapid succession.

The freshman big man had been banging inside against Tigers’ star Trevor Booker for most of the game, but the rapid momentum swing had him feeling sprite.

Home comebacks tend to have that effect.

The Terps climbed all the way back to drop Clemson 88-79 and remain undefeated at home this season in conference play.

“We were frustrated in the first half, and to get that relief, it just showed we’re a good team and we’re going to be sticking around with a lot of good teams,” said Williams, who provided 18 points and five rebounds, while limiting Booker to two secondhalf points.

Mosley exploded from an extended slump with a game-high 20 points. Vasquez fought off an upset stomach and a slow start to finish with 15 points, 13 assists and three steals. And the Terps followed up their buzzer-beating win against Georgia Tech by avenging a Jan. 31 loss at Clemson, snapping a threegame losing streak against the Tigers.

see POST, page 3

SGA can’t decide on tuition hike

see CLEMSON, page 7

Legislature rejects bills on both sides of issue

BACK PAGE

BY KELLY FARRELL Staff writer

After a two-hour debate on two bills, the SGA could not reach a final decision on whether to support a tuition increase scheduled for next year.

The Student Government Association had originally planned to present a bill in Annapolis supporting or opposing the 3 percent increase, which was included in Gov. Martin O’Malley’s budget. They hoped to reach a decision before Terrapin Day, the university’s annual lobbying day, which is being held Mar. 1.

But two bills, one supporting the increase “if necessary” and the other opposing any hike in tuition, both failed at last night’s meeting. Now, the SGA may be forced to hold a special session later this week to decide how to deal with the first tuition increase in four years before they have to present their position to state legislators.

The first bill on the tuition increase accepted the hike as a done deal, since state legislators can only cut from, not add to, the governor’s budget. But some legislators, while agreeing the hike was inevitable, worried the bill could set a bad precedent for future

see SGA, page 3 TOMORROW’S WEATHER:

Guard Sean Mosley and forward Landon Milbourne celebrate during the Terps’ comeback win over Clemson at Comcast Center last night. JACLYN BOROWSKI/THE DIAMONDBACK

Terps are passing all tests in stretch run | Page 8

Re-orienting religion Religious leaders discuss opening their communities to LGBT members

BY ADELE HAMPTON Staff writer

Though faith and sexuality may seem an unlikely pair, they clashed last night in a panel composed largely of religious leaders who discussed how members of the LGBT community are slowly finding acceptance in the religions that once scorned them.

About 60 students and community members gathered to hear five panelists from different faiths talk about homosexuality in the context of their personal lives, congregation and reli-

Windy/30s

gion. Representatives from within Judaism and the Baptist, Episcopal and Universal Unitarian churches spoke on the panel.

Sponsored by Hamsa, the university’s Jewish lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender student group, the panel aimed for respectful dialogue, opting to refrain from outlandish commentary, sometimes stifling conversation.

“I thought it was very informational and respectful,” senior communications major Monique Robinson

INDEX

see PANEL, page 2 NEWS . . . . . . . . . .2 OPINION . . . . . . . .4

Beth Chai Rabbi Arthur Blecher speaks at a panel last night sponsored by Hamsa, a student Jewish LGBT rights group. CHARLIE DEBOYACE/THE DIAMONDBACK

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

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

www.diamondbackonline.com

2

THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010

www.diamondbackonline.com

ONLINE TODAY

Sen. Rosapepe talks tuition, city-university relations

BY AMANDA PINO Staff writer

SLAVERY CONNECTIONS The Rev. L. J e r o m e Fowler, a seventh generation Prince George’s County resident, spoke yesterday about the connections between slavery and this university in honor of Black History Month.

Fowler’s great-great grandfather, Adam Francis Plummer, worked as a slave on the Calvert family’s Riverdale plantation, which stretched across where the university stands today.

Fowler believes his greatgreat grandfather should be considered a founder of this university.

To find out more, check out The Diamondback’s news blog, Campus Drive, at blogs.umdbk.com/campusdrive.

PANEL from page 1 said. “It was a good atmosphere to share views without confrontation. There is a difference between being honest and being rude, but for the sake of people’s feelings it was necessary.”

The discussion comes as Washington considers legislation

CRIME from page 1 This is the university’s first reported on-campus robber y of the calendar year. Dillon said there is a remote chance of a student being robbed on the campus, but they should still be aware of their surroundings and make safe decisions.

“Being the victim of any crime should be any student’s concern regarding any situation,” he said. “Students should remember to walk in well lit areas, travel in groups and call NITE Ride if they need to.” dbotelho@umdbk.com

RECYCLE

THE DIAMONDBACK

Senator Jim Rosapepe met with the College Democrats yesterday to advocate caps on tuition increases, a strong university-city relationship and the mobilization of student support.

Rosapepe (D-Anne Arundel and Prince George’s) talked about the Tuition Cap and College Opportunity Act, a bill Rosapepe helped write, which would cap annual undergraduate tuition increases at 4 percent. The legislation would also secure permanent, stable and mandated state funding for the university. “[The bill] grew out of my work over the years with the university,” Rosapepe said.

“This campus is underfunded ... and it’s underfunded because there’s never been a big enough organized effort to get a law passed that puts in place a regular funding formula.”

Rosapepe also updated stu-

to legalize gay marriage and as this state considers recognizing gay couples married out-of-state.

Panelist Rabbi Art Blecher of the Beth Chai Congregation in Washington said he supported the measure. In a religion that has traditionally rejected homosexual relations, Blecher said he has struggled as a gay man within the Jewish faith. Although orthodox Judaism prohibits homosexual rela-

COLLEGE DEMOCRATS VICE PRESIDENT

the bill fail to pass, he would ask the Board of Regents to create an internal policy to the same effect.

Rosapepe took a partisan stance with an audience made up mostly of members of the College Democrats familiar with his platform, blaming Republicans for the financial crisis and reminding students about Gov. Martin O’Malley’s work for higher education affordability.

“Because of O’Malley, we’ve had a tuition freeze for four years, but under Governor Ehrlich, we had a 43 percent increase in tuition over three years,” he said.

Former Gov. Robert Ehrlich, who served from 2003 to 2007, is considering challenging O’Malley for the governorship in the 2010 November elections, and Rosapepe told students their votes would count.

“I’ve been on this campus when a few hundred students have voted, and I’ve been on this campus when thousands of students have voted,” he said.

tions, other Jewish sects have been more welcoming to the LGBT community, Blecher said.

“We are taking steps to undo the damage we’ve done,” Blecher said. “For me, it’s not a question about accepting my congregation.

I care about who accepts me.”

The night turned tense on the topic of homosexuals that reject their orientation, usually because of values or religious beliefs.

Christopher Doyle, a sexual reorientation therapist with the International Healing Foundation, who was not associated with a church, had formerly lived a gay lifestyle. Because of personal family values, Doyle said he suppressed his homosexuality and now leads the life of a straight man. He is married to a woman and has children.

“The claim that no one can

dents on the status of a bill that would require university administrators to consult with city officials before undertaking large construction projects. The city and the university worked together to write the legislation.

Both parties testified in favor of the legislation, Rosapepe said, but the state senators’ votes are still split.

“The thing I’ve been hearing from senators is, ‘Well, if you’re in agreement, why do you need the bill?’” Rosapepe said.

The senator said that should

“[Sen. Jim Rosapepe is] probably one of the biggest on student issues and pushing them.”

ANGELA GENTILE

Sen. Jim Rosapepe spoke to the College Democrats last night about tuition increase caps and better relations between the city and the university. CHARLIE DEBOYACE/THE DIAMONDBACK

College Democrats Vice President Angela Gentile said she organized the event because the state senator has consistently been one of the most student-friendly legislators in Annapolis.

“I’d say he’s the most invested in College Park,” Gentile said. “He’s probably one of the biggest on student issues and pushing them.”

change is false,” Doyle said. “I don’t judge people, and we don’t believe homosexuality is bad, but I chose a lifestyle that’s congruent with my values. It was a personal decision.”

Others had a different perspective, saying homosexuality is not a matter of what’s right and wrong.

“Jesus doesn’t say anything about orientation in the Gospels,”

Reverend Peter Antoci of the Episcopal-Anglican Campus Ministry said. “Instead, he teaches love and compassion. If anything, the only thing he speaks out against is divorce, and you don’t see them trying to outlaw divorce. What we’re dealing with are anthropological issues about human dignity and human worth.”

pino@umdbk.com

hampton@umdbk.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010 | NEWS | THE DIAMONDBACK

EATING AWARENESS

3

Univ. Senate will discuss rape, smoking ban this semester Staff writer

University Health Center intern Nailah Harrell, left, and social worker Julie Parsons promote awareness of National Eating Disorder Week. STEVEN OVERLY/THE DIAMONDBACK

SGA from page 1 state tuition increases.

“We’re taking a political and symbolic stance” against the increase, South Campus Commons Legislator Lisa Crisalli said.

Many legislators opposing the bill said the tuition hike could discourage students, particularly lowincome ones, from pursuing higher education.

Arts and Humanities Legislator Kenton Stalder presented statistics that 30 years ago, tuition at a public university in the state cost just $780 in 2009 dollars. He said the state needs to ensure all students can access higher education, not just privileged ones, and argued the SGA shouldn’t back the tuition increase because most students don’t support it.

The considerable opposition to the bill eventually killed it with an 18-10 vote.

Stalder had drafted a second bill “in about 10 minutes” immediately before the meeting in case the first bill didn’t pass. The bill, which opposed any increase in tuition, was immediately criticized by many legislators for being hastily written and sloppy.

“This bill is contradic-

“If we say it’s OK this time, all they’ll remember is we didn’t complain about it.”

KENTON STALDER ARTS AND HUMANITIES SGA LEGISLATOR

tor y, and we cannot pass it,” Denton Community Legislator Ian Winchester said. The bill failed on a 1514 vote, with Speaker of the Legislature Kelley Chubb casting the tiebreaking vote.

Throughout the debates, Glickman urged legislators not to make a hasty decision and asked them to pass a bill only if they really believed it was something they would be proud to bring to Annapolis.

Stalder reminded ever yone how important it was to come to a decisive stance on the issue before going to Annapolis.

“If we say it’s OK this time, all they’ll remember is we didn’t complain about it,” Stalder said, and that seemed to be the consensus in the room as the meeting closed. farrell@umdbk.com

The University Senate is preparing to tackle contentious issues, such as rape on the campus, merit pay for faculty and a smoking ban this year, even though one month into the semester, the body has yet to meet.

The senate, an advisory body that makes policy recommendations to university President Dan Mote, will finally meet next week, after the first meetings of both the full body and the Senate Executive Committee were cancelled due to inclement weather and a lack of issues on which to vote.

But the cancellations shouldn’t prevent the senate from finishing a packed agenda, officials said.

“Their cancellation had very minor impact,” civil engineering professor and Senate Chair Elise Miller-Hooks wrote in an e-mail.

“In general, we would not have cancelled a [Senate Executive Committee] meeting if the cancellation would have significant consequences.”

An additional senate meeting was added in April because several big issues will not be ready until then.

“We have several very big items coming up that will not be ready for Senate action until April,” wrote Miller-Hooks. “We want to get these through this year — hence, the extra meeting.”

Committee chairs are also optimistic that the lack of meetings won’t affect the senate timetable this semester.

“The next senate meeting will be a little packed and a little stretched for time,” said Student Affairs Committee Chair Kevin Tervala.

CAMPUS AFFAIRS The two most controversial issues the senate will be looking at may come from the Campus Affairs Committee. The first is an issue on the campus that committee Chairman Ed-

ward Walters said largely flies under the radar: rape.

“With the rape issue, there is apparently some serious non-reporting,” he said. “Things are being shoved under the rug. Not by the campus but by students who don’t necessarily want to come forward and admit that it happened. It’s a lot to deal with.

We’re trying to see what the current situation is on campus.”

The committee plans to host a forum in early April to discuss the issue and gauge how students feel about it.

“We want to gather as much information as we can and then make a recommendation that something needs to be done or at least make [the senate] aware of the problem,” said Walters.

“We’re trying to bring this out into the open.”

The committee is also dealing with a proposed ban on smoking on the campus. While Walters wouldn’t say what the committee plans to do, they do have a recommendation in mind.

“If we put a more stringent ban on it, there’s a lot of problems we could run into, like how do we enforce and pay for this change?” he said.

STAFF AND FACULTY AFFAIRS The Staff Affairs and Faculty Affairs committees are working with the Graduate Student Government to look at what they say is a campus-wide problem: access to childcare.

“The childcare available now is very limited,” said Cynthia Shaw,

“With the rape issue, there is apparently some serious nonreporting.”

from page 1

chairwoman of the Staff Affairs Committee, noting that the Center for Young Children has a long waiting list and only allows children of a certain age.

Shaw and other members of the committees are working to find low-cost solutions by seeking out a resource specialist from George Washington University who helped solve a similar problem there.

Staff Affairs will also face the question of extending domestic partner benefits to include maternity leave, Shaw said, which is a new issue for the senate. Last semester, the state voted to mandate medical benefits for domestic partners.

“It seems logical to extend these benefits even further,” Shaw said. “It’s a financial issue.

We’re going to work really hard to get this through the senate by the end of the semester.”

Eric Kasischke, chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee, is heading a task force charged with updating the university’s merit review policy, which determines when faculty members are awarded bonuses for good performance.

Kasischke, a geography professor, realized there was a clause in the policy that stated it was due to be revamped because it had reached its five-year limit.

“The policy was due to be reviewed,” Kasischke said. “We want to make sure faculty concerns are being taken care of.”

STUDENT AFFAIRS The Student Affairs Committee is working on clarifying the university policy regarding student absences that can only be excused by a doctor’s note.

“At the moment, we’re not looking at a policy change,” said Tervala, a junior art history and history major. “We want to clarify to the university community what the issue is. There’s a lot of confusion pertaining to this policy.”

students and professors, some of whom used the site for class instruction. Unrest culminated in a University Senate vote near the end of last semester over whelmingly opposing the use of the hillock.

Besides the hillock controversy, the university has also had trouble finding financing for the project, and the original developer, FoulgerPratt/Argo, pulled out of the project last semester, forcing the university to develop the project piece by piece instead.

If the university can find developer support, Wylie said, construction on East Campus could begin within a year. Relocation to the closed plant would begin as soon as possible.

The economic impact to the city was one of the major sticking points of the purchase.

The Washington Post Company paid about $260,000 in property tax to the city last year, but because the university is a state organization, it will not pay any city property tax.

To assuage the city’s concerns, the university will compensate the city for the lost revenue. The university had originally offered to pay a fixed yearly sum, but after city officials questioned the plan at a College Park City Council meeting, the university agreed to pay a variable rate based on an assessment conducted by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation. In the days before the meeting, city officials wrote a letter to the Board of Public Works stating they did not oppose the purchase.

“The [payment] goes a ways towards lessening the harm that comes from taking our largest taxpayer off the tax rolls,” Mayor Andy Fellows said.

Fellows said he was pleased the purchase would bring much-needed graduate student housing close to the campus and it meant the hillock would be spared.

“On the whole, East Campus will be a great benefit to the city,” he said.

redding@umdbk.com

cox@umdbk.com

Full legislative body will meet for first time next week

BY LAUREN REDDING

POST

EDWARD WALTERS CAMPUS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

SENIOR GRADUATION PORTRAITS

T

he 2010 TERRAPIN YEARBOOK, in association with Carl Wolf Studios, will be taking graduation portraits the week of February 22-26, 2010.

Although it is TOO LATE for these pictures to be included in the 2010 TERRAPIN, many of you called to request this portrait session.

There is absolutely NO cost or obligation on your part. Several poses will be taken, both with and without cap and gown, if you prefer. You will then have an opportunity to purchase portraits at a reasonable charge.

You may make an appointment by calling 1-800-687-9327, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. until Friday, February 19th, or schedule your appointment on the net! Visit our site at www.ouryear.com using Maryland’s school code: 87101.

Beginning Monday, Feb. 22nd, appointments can be made by calling the Terrapin office at (301) 314-8349 between 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

LAST 2!

DAYS

DATES: February 22-26, 2010 One Week Only!!

TIME: 11am-7pm

PLACE: 3101 South Campus Dining Hall (TERRAPIN YEARBOOK Office)

PHONE: 1-800-687-9327 or www.ouryear.com School code: 87101

4

THE DIAMONDBACK | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010

KEVIN ROBILLARD

THE DIAMONDBACK

Opinion

EDITOR IN CHIEF

YOUR INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK PHONE: (301) 314-8200 | FAX: (301) 314-8358 3150 SOUTH CAMPUS DINING HALL | COLLEGE PARK, MD., 20742 NEWS@UMDBK .COM | OPINION@UMDBK .COM

KYLE GOON

JESSICA BAUER

MANAGING EDITOR

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

ROB GINDES

JUSTIN SNOW

OPINION EDITOR

OPINION EDITOR

Staff editorial

Guest column

Paying the bill

People power

F

or the past several years, the cost of college in the Free State has stayed able to shift costs otherwise covered in tuition to newly created student fees much under control. Tuition was frozen, and fees were largely limited to stan- as this university did last fall in the creation of $135 in new fees for libraries and the dard increases of about 3 percent. But this hasn’t always been the case. University Health Center.

Although these student services run without any funding from the state, the ultiThere have been plenty of times when, for policy or political reasons, the mate goal of the bill must not be forgotten. Legislatures are attempting to aid state cost of college in the state has increased and increased rapidly.

Preventing this from happening in the future is a major goal of the Higher Educa- families in order to ensure their ability to afford college. Although tuition is a huge tion Investment Fund, which draws from the state’s corporate income tax and uses cost, it is not the only cost. On top of student fees also come room and board, textbook costs and other living expenses. After four years, these money to cushion university funding against major economic costs can overwhelm an indebted student or family. downturns. Legislation being debated in Annapolis would Stripping student fees from the bill would provide a loophole make the fund, which is scheduled to sunset this summer, perfor universities to make up for lost funds and would skew the manent. The fund has proven its worth already — the univerIn the battle between ac- broader picture of who can afford a college degree. Although sity took $15 million from it just last year — and higher educacessibility and fee tuition would be capped if it rose faster than the average family tion advocates are unanimous in their support.

But the bill contains a new element: a proposed cap on how flexibility, a compromise income, student fees would not be factored into this number, which could lead to no cap in tuition even if the overall costs much tuition can increase each year. The bill wants to make it difis warranted. rose faster than the average household income. ficult for tuition to increase by more than a rolling average of the That said, students have come to expect the best when it state’s median family income over three years. A special trust comes to student services, and without proper funding, those expectations cannot within the fund would be designed specifically to prevent jumps greater than this.

Right now, the bill defines tuition as including student fees. This makes sense be maintained. That is why a system should be devised that would allow departbecause, in the words of state Sen. Jim Rosapepe (D–Anne Arundel and Prince ments that depend solely on student fees to appeal a cap on prices if they can adeGeorge’s), “From a student’s point of view, tuition and fees look the same. They’re quately demonstrate costs cannot be cut and more funding is vital for them to function properly. all money.”

The simple fact is when students and their families hear the word “tuition,” they But from a university’s point of view, tuition and fees are very different and can be used for entirely different things. University System of Maryland lobbyist P.J. do not think solely about the several thousands that go straight into the university’s Hogan argued at a hearing last week that capping student fees would prevent uni- wallet. They equate the word with numerous expenses and charges that show up versities from raising money to maintain and expand student services such as on their bill each semester. To exempt student fees from legislation meant to help families afford college would be foolish. Many students already believe they’ve dorms and dining halls.

But not capping student fees could just lead to universities sneakily making up been bled dry by high university costs, and in many cases, they have been. Annapofor reduced costs lost from tuition in outrageously high fees. Universities would be lis doesn’t need to give the university additional means to do so.

Our View

Editorial cartoon: Jenna Brager

Tax policy: Widening the gap

I

n a country that seems fundamentally divided between “us” and “them,” we’ve all become populists. For Democrats, the differentiation is between working Americans on Main Street and the insidious kingpins of high finance on Wall Street.

For Republicans — or at least Sarah Palin — the country is split between honest, God-fearing Americans and the cultural elite who get their doctorate degrees in liberal indoctrination at University of California, Berkeley. Given that populism is back in vogue, I was disappointed to see that a new report published by the Internal Revenue Service looking at America’s 400 highest incomes was basically ignored.

Disappointed, but not surprised — given the report details a significant rise in inequality. These 400 people reported an average income of more than $300 million; this is a 500 percent increase on their average incomes since 1992. To put this in perspective, the average American worker would have to work

MATT

VERGHESE about 10,000 years to make what one of these individuals makes in one. With conservatives ranting and raving over the enormity of the tax burden on these entrepreneurs and business owners, one would assume the federal government would be raking in significant amounts of money on the backs of these hardworking Americans. No, not really. The top 400 paid an average tax rate of only 16.6 percent — a 50 percent decline since 1993.

This report is but the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Income inequality has been widening since the 1980s, and in 2007, the top 10 percent of Americans garnered just under 50 percent of all income. Inequality is at an unprece-

dented level that has even surpassed previous highs observed during the Great Depression. This trend was initially exacerbated during the period of economic expansion in the 1990s but accelerated under the administration of former President George W. Bush.

Economic turmoil and anxiety among the middle class have only cemented public opinion on the recourse to this problem: Raise taxes on the rich. Inequality in and of itself does not constitute a reason to tax the wealthy. Yet the extent of the inequality in the United States, where wages have stagnated for the majority of Americans while the upper echelons of the population continue to benefit, provides a raison d’être. This accumulation of wealth has also conferred to the rich an unprecedented amount of both economic and political power. This concentration of wealth and power not only further degrades the standing of the majority of the country’s population but endangers the very fabric — both eco-

nomic and democratic — of this nation.

President Barack Obama and state leaders, such as Gov. Martin O’Malley, have rightfully come out in favor of a fair and progressive tax system where taxes are levied according to an individual’s ability to pay. To the disdain of Republicans who have made tax cuts sacrosanct orthodoxy and part of their national brand, most Americans agree with them.

The problem, however, is that fiscal catastrophe cannot be averted only through these means. The Tax Policy Center concludes that the federal budget can’t be balanced with income tax increases alone, while former Gov. Robert Ehrlich thinks that most rich state residents have closed up shop and moved. Are we prepared to support even tougher decisions to get our fiscal houses in order?

Matt Verghese is a graduate student in public policy. He can be reached at verghese@umdbk.com.

Olympics: Time to shine, hopefully UNDERDOG(S) OF THE WEEK

I

told myself a few weeks back that no matter what, I wasn’t going to give in and write a column about the Winter Olympics.

Now, I’m an Olympic junkie as is proven by the hours of sleep I’ve lost these past few weeks watching bobsledding at 4 a.m., but I’ve also come to the conclusion that it is no longer cool or edgy to be a fan of curling or talk up the technicalities of the luge. On the other hand, I do run a column celebrating underdogs, so you know what? Screw it; let’s talk about some people who downright kick ass at playing in the snow.

Every Olympic Games provides us with at least a few tales of triumph and heartbreak, but something about this year seems to stand out. Maybe it’s the continuous blunders made by the Vancouver maintenance crews or the unfortunate onslaught of bad weather, but

this year’s Winter Games just keeps on giving us the sort of craziness we usually reserve for the silver screen.

Let’s start with the good stuff, huh?

Hopefully you all watched the U.S. hockey team come out of nowhere and put the clamps on Canada last Sunday.

That’s right kids; our boys stepped up and beat Canada at one of the only significant things they’re still better at than us, until now. If you ask me, it’s time to start giving out medals for providing universal health care because we proved Sunday that if there’s anything Americans hate more than foreigners, it’s being outdone by Canada. Oh yeah, and by the way, our women’s hockey team has outscored its opponents somewhere in the vicinity of 643-2 and is playing none other than the lady Canadians for the gold medal tonight.

I hate to single out the massive fail-

MIKE

DIMARCO ures of just one Olympian, but if I had to choose someone to spearhead the underdog cause, it would have to be John Shuster. If you don’t know him, he is the captain of the men’s curling squad, and in what was surely the most embarrassing four days of his life, he missed four wide open shots to win matches and was consequently benched in the following contest. This is a guy who, by definition, is the best curler in America, and yet when the eyes of the world were on him, he looked like a drunken college kid playing shuffleboard. We’ve all had our pants fall down in front of a hot girl —

metaphorically speaking — but when that hot girl is millions of viewers around the world, I’m sure it’s no picnic.

So, Mr. Shuster, I feel your pain.

There are, of course, so many more people to talk about, whether it’s Bode Miller finally winning gold after years of binge drinking and reckless behavior or Lindsey Vonn proving that you can be both a super hottie and a badass gold medal skier. I think what I’m getting at is these are people who picked a direction and committed, and even though they are the best in the world at what they do, most of them still work at Home Depot. While the summer games revolve around speed and strength, the Winter Olympics celebrate people’s passion for sports that are admittedly superfluous. To me, that’s an admirable thing.

Mike DiMarco is a senior English major.

He can be reached at dimarco@umdbk.com.

SOLOMON COMISSIONG

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umerous benefits come with being a member of a major university community. Scholarship and career preparation, as well as basic access to valuable resources, should hover near the top of most people’s list of benefits.

However, access to social capital (people power) may be one of the most overlooked, yet invaluable, resources available to members of a university such as this one. I have long understood it is the responsibility of “privileged” individuals to give back, whenever and wherever they can. The simple fact that 1 percent of the world’s population is college educated reminds us that every college student here is privileged to a certain extent. However, it is important to understand that being college educated comes with the responsibility to find ways to contribute to the greater good by way of the resources accompanying our access to higher education. Large social disparities within global society prevent scores of people from gaining access to the same college education that many of us take for granted. Working to eradicate those disparities, as well as increasing the overall access to the academy, should be one of the many goals we strive for.

Two years ago, the Nyumburu Cultural Center opted to tap into the university’s social capital to help youth in northern Uganda. The people have been rebuilding its culturally rich society since the brutal 21-year war within that region ended in 2007.

This war claimed the lives of over 350,000 people and displaced more than two million Acholi (an ethnic group predominately in northern Uganda). More than 30,000 children were abducted and forced into child soldiering and sex slavery by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Tens of thousands of women were raped and mutilated. Hundreds of thousands of children were orphaned. In Uganda, the youth are avid learners and eager readers, but the displacement to Internally Displaced Persons camps, due to the war, has made it difficult for families to afford secondary school fees. And most schools in northern Uganda lack sufficient textbooks and libraries for high quality education.

We at Nyumburu, along with student groups, other area universities, local businesses, churches and the off-campus community, committed to a books-for-schools campaign that raised enough money to send 35,000 brand new textbooks to several schools in Uganda. We also sent 15 laptops for teachers to utilize for their classes. Prior to this campaign, the maximum number of books one could find at any of these schools was approximately 35. And the average number of students in each school was 900. By partnering with the United Movement to End Child Soldiering and Books for Africa, the Nyumburu Cultural Center was able to launch this campaign and subsequently spread it to the rest of the university. This campaign could not have been completed if various members of the university community had not felt compelled to help out.

On Sept. 14, 2009, those 35,000 textbooks reached their northern Ugandan destination. One of the schools that received a few thousand textbooks has decided to name their library after the Nyumburu Cultural Center. This is an honor in and of itself, but the greatest honor is to know that we utilized our collective social capital to help so many youth enhance their educational experience. I see what we did as part and parcel of the responsibility that comes with being fortunate enough to have certain resources at your disposal — you share them.

This year, Nyumburu Cultural Center Director Ronald Zeigler and I will be going to northern Uganda.

We will be visiting the youth and their teachers to witness how the books are impacting their schools.

We plan on video documenting this incredible experience so that we may share it with the university community. This learning experience will undoubtedly change our lives. As long as I am a member of a university community, I will utilize various resources and work with others to give back to the broader global community. As privileged global citizens, this is our responsibility.

Solomon Comissiong is the assistant director for Nyumburu Cultural Center. He can be reached at solomon@umd.edu.

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

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010 | THE DIAMONDBACK

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Features HOROSCOPESTELLA WILDER

CROSSWORD ACROSS 67 Opal and topaz 1 Backslide 68 Luminous 6 Popular player 69 Part of CBS 10 Frosty coating 70 Red-waxed 14 Luau welcome cheese 15 “Fancy” singer 71 Drops feathers 16 Merrie — England DOWN 17 Round buildings 1 Young woman 18 Dating from 2 Others, to Ovid (2 wds.)

3 Ply a gondola 19 Shoe-box word 4 Ninja’s leader 20 Long bout 5 Palette adjunct 21 Starched 6 Levin and 23 Einstein’s Gershwin hometown 7 Ant or roach 25 Wd. part 8 Orchestra 26 FBI agent (hyph.) member 29 Throw off heat 9 Cartoon duck 32 Buy by mail 10 Faucet hookup 37 Even, for Keats 11 Lena — of 38 Horses do it “Chocolat” 39 Hagar, to Helga 12 Carpentry tool 40 New Age adepts 13 Bulrush (2 wds.)

22 Diskette 43 Cabbie’s fares 24 Gets to know 44 Shade of blue 26 Transmission 45 Garden-pond fish parts 46 Archeology find 27 Excellence 47 Good, to Guido 28 Battery terminal 48 Sports network 30 — -jongg 49 Thai language 31 “Forsyte Saga” 51 Huge racket heroine 53 Fine (hyph.)

33 Vive le —!

59 Zing 34 Twilight times 63 Nest builder 35 Bar legally 64 Fifi’s friend 36 Pine product 65 Ball-gown fabric 38 Seldom 66 Sherpa’s sighting 39 Economized

© 2010 UNITED FEATURES SYNDICATE

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S H A H

T I I M RP EAP CR SKA T E T ERSE RAD N ANOA PURCH CA MO L L U GROAN RE L I T S L AMS

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At one point, at least in your life, you will go through a phase marked by self-doubt, but this will be the result, surely, of one or two bad decisions that set you off down the wrong roads. Once you realize where you are headed, you can quickly reverse course, and undo any damage done.

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orn today, you are likely to experience many distinct phases in your life, each marked by specific yearnings, specific dreams, specific efforts, specific triumphs and specific failures. During your youth, your life is likely to be all about accomplishment — doing this or that for the joy of it, or for the rewards the activity can bring. Later in life, you will mellow into one who takes things more slowly, and enjoys a more relaxed approach. At all times, you will be conscientious and maintain your integrity through thick and thin.

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Also born on this date are Enrico Caruso, operatic tenor; Sally Jessy Raphael, talk-show host; George Harrison, singer, musician, former Beatle; Jim Backus, actor; Anthony Burgess, author; Carrot Top, comedian.

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

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — Someone you know well claims to be on your side, but you may feel as though he or she is really working with or for someone else.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — Don’t make the mistake of behaving in public as if you were entirely by yourself. Certainly things are not for sharing.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) — A chance encounter is likely to develop into something of a struggle that, by day’s end, yields up a major moral victory for one of you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — Now is no time to get worked up. Do everything you can to remain calm and see things in a logical, straightforward, simple fashion.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — There are those who would remove you from a position of authority at this time, were you to let them. It’s time to be more firm and aggressive.

that you are thoroughly professional at this time. Those in charge will recognize your worth, surely.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Someone who made it possible for you to do what you are doing these days will claim some credit for your success. Grant it, surely.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Prospects are looking up.

Relationships are improving on all fronts. Confidence is on the rise. A productive phase is beginning.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — You’ll want to make sense of things in a way that allows you to see the big picture before the day is out.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — You may not approach a current problem the way others would, but you’re likely to win tangible results sooner than anyone else.

Copyright, 2010 United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — You don’t have to do much to prove

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THE DIAMONDBACK | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010

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Diversions

MOVIE — NORTH FACE “A true story of man battling the elements, North Face raises enough spectacle to sometimes be exhilarating while also offering a little more than what audiences have already had.” — Drew Waldo RATING: 3.5 stars out of 5 For full reviews of North Face and Cop Out, just click the Diversions tab at: WWW.DIAMONDBACKONLINE.COM

arts. music. living. movies. weekend.

REVIEW | THE GHOST WRITER

online exclusive

One fine disappearing act

COP OUT Tracy Morgan is frighteningly good at playing a moron. Perhaps it was his shot to stardom on Saturday Night Live that influenced tactics in him similar to that of Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler. Each of those men has appeared in numerous films equal in their stupidity and cultclassic status — think Ferrell’s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Sandler’s The Waterboy.

While Cop Out may not reach cult status, it could be the first in a line of movies where Morgan will be playing slight variations of Tracy Jordan, his character from NBC’s 30 Rock. Fortunately for him — and for that matter, Ferrell and Sandler — this everrecurring brand of comedy seems to entertain every single time.

This movie marks an interesting outing, meanwhile, for director Kevin Smith, who is well known for writing and directing films within his idiosyncratic Askewniverse (including Clerks and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back).

Cop Out does not really fit into his brand of humor, which may be why there isn’t much focus on plot.

Light on story and heavy on strange, Cop Out follows partners Jimmy Monroe (Bruce Willis, Surrogates) and Paul Hodges (Morgan) as they track down Jimmy’s stolen, incredibly valuable baseball card.

The lead characters are a bit onedimensional. Jimmy is driven by the need to pay for his daughter’s wedding with the baseball card, and Paul seems to blindly follow his partner. Paul also has insecurities about his wife’s faithfulness, which offer very little in the way of entertainment. Even Jimmy and Paul’s relationship, which is campaigned in the trailers as a major draw, is anything but dynamic. Sometimes, an intriguing match-up like Willis and Morgan just doesn’t work out like it should on paper.

— Trevor Ruben RATING: 3.5 stars out of 5

The Ghost Writer is a tense, tightly knit thriller

BY JON WOLPER Senior staff writer

In The Ghost Writer, Ewan McGregor’s sees himself as no more than a ghost.

And in many ways, his character is less of a ghost writer and more of a supernatural specter. He’s written a handful of popular memoirs — his I Came, I Sawed, I Conquered, written for a magician, hit No. 1 — but we never learn his real name.

As director Roman Polanski (The Pianist) lets him sleuth around, uncovering bits of information like the investigative reporter he steadfastly claims not to be, we begin to wonder how important he truly is.

After all, he doesn’t even have a name, and he barely has an identity — what sort of real impact could he have on proceedings much larger than he is?

The Ghost Writer centers around McGregor’s trip to an island off the east coast of the United States to interview and write the memoirs of a former British prime minister, Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan, Mamma Mia!), after Lang’s assistant suspiciously drowned not long before.

McGregor’s character is unsure of the whole idea as soon as he takes the job, and, to add to the unease, the day after he arrives, a former British cabinet member accuses Lang of handing suspected terrorists over to the CIA for interrogation, a war crime.

From there, our protagonist starts to piece together clues, many left by Lang’s late assistant, that may lead to Lang’s incrimination.

Therefore, at times, The Ghost Writer plays like any awfully familiar procedural drama. McGregor goes out of his way to track down and question a person of interest, and they trade vocal barbs and

Classified CALL

Ewan McGregor stars in Roman Polanski’s latest film, The Ghost Writer.

meaningful glances until McGregor leaves and is followed by a suspicious-looking car.

But even these derivative sequences are put together extremely well. Polanski ever-sogradually ramps the tension, keeping the scenes buzzing without crossing the bridge into actionpacked ludicrousness.

So when something crazy eventually does happen — and it does, in practically the entire final act — the audience has been conditioned to identify with the movie’s realism enough that it’s easy to suspend disbelief.

And the payoff, then, is stunning.

As the ubiquitous ghost writer, McGregor generally stays calm and curious, letting the supporting characters carry much of the emotional weight. Small touches, like a series

of scenes showing him sleeping on various modes of transportation while passing through beautiful landscapes, endear the audience to the character.

Brosnan’s Lang is suitably mysterious, and his wife Ruth (Olivia Williams, X-Men: The Last Stand) brings a quiet intensity to a role that sometimes comes very close to slipping into a betrayed-wife stereotype.

In fact, what stops the film from devolving into a set of stereotypes is both the strength of its actors and its constant sense of humor.

While a few early expositional scenes can afford to rattle off some harmless jokes, The Ghost Writer’s willingness to tr y for a laugh at its bleaker moments offsets the fact

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that some of those moments aren’t terribly inventive.

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Whatever it is, it works extremely well. After nearly two hours of slow-building tension, the movie’s final act is both a welcome release and an unpredictable ride.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010 | SPORTS | THE DIAMONDBACK

7

TERPRECAP

TERPS 88, CLEMSON 79

THE UPS

&

THE DOWNS SEAN MOSLEY The guard was in the midst of his worst shooting stretch of the season before exploding for 20 points on 6-for-8 shooting yesterday.

JERAI GRANT Grant, a Bowie native, had a career night against the Terps on Jan 31.

Yesterday, he fouled out in just 10 minutes after not scoring or grabbing a rebound.

CLEMSON TERRAPINS

48 39

31 ——————79 49 ——————88

CLEMSON (19-8, 7-6 ACC) PLAYER MIN FG T. Booker 36 5-13 Stitt 33 6-12 Smith 21 2-4 Young 33 5-11 Grant 10 0-2 Potter 26 5-11 D. Booker 17 2-4 Johnson 10 3-5 Jennings 14 2-7 Team TOTALS 200 30-69

FT 3-4 2-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-2 0-0 2-2

O-T 4-13 3-3 3-5 1-2 0-0 1-3 2-4 0-1 0-2 5-6 8-10 19-39

A 4 1 2 3 0 3 1 0 0

PF 3 0 3 1 5 4 2 0 2

TP 13 15 5 13 0 13 5 8 7

14 20 79

PERCENTAGES–FG: 43.5 FT: 80.0 3FG: 36.7 3-POINT GOALS– 11-30 (Potter 3-7, Young 3-9, Johnson 2-3, Stitt 1-2, Smith 1-2, Jennings 1-4). TURNOVERS- 15 (Stitt, Smith, Grant 3).

BLOCKED SHOTS– 3 (T. Booker 2). STEALS– 7 (Stitt, Potter 2).

TERRAPINS (20-7, 10-3 ACC) PLAYER MIN FG FT Milbourne 20 2-5 3-4 Williams 28 8-12 2-5 Hayes 33 6-9 0-2 Mosley 29 6-8 6-7 Vasquez 35 5-13 4-4 Bowie 5 1-2 0-0 Tucker 18 3-6 1-2 Gregory 26 0-3 0-0 Padgett 6 1-1 0-0 Team TOTALS 200 32-59 16-24

O-T A 0-1 1 2-5 0 0-3 3 2-4 2 0-2 13 2-2 0 0-1 1 1-5 0 1-3 0 3-6 11-32 20

PF 2 4 0 3 2 0 2 2 0

TP 8 18 15 20 15 2 8 0 2

15 88

PERCENTAGES–FG: 54.2 FT: 66.7 3FG: 61.5 3-POINT GOALS–– 8-13 (Hayes 3-3, Mosley 2-3, Tucker 1-1, Milbourne 1-2, Vasquez 1-4). TURNOVERS–– 10 (Vasquez 4). BLOCKED SHOTS–– 5 (Milbourne 3). STEALS–– 7 (Vasquez 3).

ATTENDANCE–– 17,950 (17,514).

Jordan Williams, who recorded 18 points and five rebounds yesterday, greets fans as he walks off the court.

CLEMSON from page 1 It was the first time all season the Terps had four players score more than 15 points.

After surrendering 48 first-half points, the Terps (20-7, 10-3 ACC) held the Tigers to 36 percent shooting in the second half. They shot 60 percent themselves and, buoyed by the home crowd, surged back to strengthen their hold on second place in the ACC. “This was one of those games that you find out a little bit more about yourself over the course of the year as a team,” said coach Gar y Williams, whose team clinched its 12th 20-win campaign in his 21 seasons.

The Terps, who shot 54 percent for the game, trailed by nine points at halftime and trailed by as many 12 in the second half before exploding past the Tigers (19-8, 76) in the final 10 minutes.

They seized control with a quick 12-0 burst capped by Vasquez’s dunk — and Jordan Williams’ celebration.

“This was one of those games that you find out a little bit more about yourself over the course of the year as a team.”

GARY WILLIAMS TERPS’ MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH

Vasquez’s 3-pointer with 7:26 remaining in the game gave the Terps a 70-67 lead — their first since the game’s opening four minutes. On the next possession, the fier y Venezuelan fed Williams for an easy layup. As Clemson coach Oliver Purnell used a timeout in an effort to stem the building momentum, Vasquez pounded his chest and yelled to his home fans.

But Eric Hayes canned a 3pointer after another failed Tiger possession, and then Vasquez grabbed the ball from Clemson’s

JACLYN BOROWSKI/THE DIAMONDBACK

Tanner Smith and threw it down.

In a span of less than two minutes, they went from down by two to up by 10.

“We ran the offense, got great looks and guys hit shots,” said Mosley, who began the game by scoring seven of the Terps’ first 10 points.

“We had to play well,” Gar y Williams added. “We didn’t have much room for error to start the second half.”

Vasquez bounced back from a career-high nine turnovers in the Terps’ 62-53 loss at Littlejohn Coliseum with a workman-like performance that included 13 secondhalf points.

The senior received treatment for stomach problems before the game and again had trouble attacking the basket against the athletic Tigers. Clemson’s focus on the Terps’ star helped set up open looks for Mosley, Jordan Williams and Hayes, who added 15 points.

“No question they did a great job,” Vasquez said. “I had 13 assists, and that wasn’t something that just happened. ... They got

me pumped. They got me going this time.”

When Vasquez finally got his offense on track in the second half, it helped key the Terps’ sixth win in seven games — and third straight in which they overcame a second-half deficit.

Gar y Williams said he didn’t say much to his team at halftime, beyond that he believed they could still win.

He also adjusted by devoting less effort to stopping Booker, who finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds, in hopes of taking away open outside shots. The Tigers burned the Terps for eight firsthalf 3-pointers.

His squad responded with one of their best halves of the season.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, students chanted, “We want Duke,” a reference to the No. 5 Blue Devils — the ACC’s top team — who visit Comcast Center on March 3.

“We showed a lot of courage,” Williams said, “not just tonight, but all year.” edetweiler@umdbk.com

FREE CLASSIFIEDS Run your classified for 4 consecutive days and receive the 5th day

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MOVEMENT FESTIVAL Come out and take a dance class with professional teachers!

SATURDAY, FEB. 27 10 am-5 pm

STUDENT MEMBER WANTED FOR STUDENT PUBLICATIONS' BOARD Maryland Media, Inc., publishing board for the Diamondback, Eclipse, Terrapin, and Mitzpeh, has openings on its board of directors for two full-time students.

The Board of Directors sets general policy, approves budgets and selects the Editors-in-Chief for the student publications. The term of office is one year and begins in May, 2010. The Board meets about once a month during the school year.

For an application, stop by room 3136 South Campus Dining Hall and ask for Maggie Levy.

Applications are due by Friday, February 26th at noon.

THE DIAMONDBACK

Stamp Activities Room (Next to TerpZone)

Hosted by Revolutions Dance Ensemble 10-11 11:15-12:45 1:15-2:15 2:20-3:50 4-5:15

BARE FOOT FUSION with Carl Powell JAZZ with Sherry Dennison ZUMBA with Shawna Webster LYRICAL HIP HOP with Kristin Murrell and Zoey Cruz MODERN with Marissa Guerrero

Contact revolutionsdance@yahoo.com or rdeprperform@yahoo.com Interested in joining Revolutions Dance Ensemble?

Auditions Feb. 26, 3 pm in SPH Multipurpose Room

8

THE DIAMONDBACK | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010

Sports

More on the Terps and the NFL combine Former Terps’ offensive lineman Bruce Campbell is expected to

impress NFL scouts in Indianapolis for the league’s scouting combine.

Read more at Terrapintrail.com.

Terps finding new ways to win GREG

SCHIMMEL

T

Greivis Vasquez slams home a basket to put the Terps up 10 points late in the second half of the Terps’ 88-79 win against Clemson yesterday. JACLYN BOROWSKI/THE DIAMONDBACK

It’s now or never as Terps prepare for Boston College Women’s basketball needs win to boost NCAA Tournament chances

BY JONAS SHAFFER Staff writer

Ever since Boston College joined the ACC in 2005, two things have been consistent for the Terrapin women’s basketball team: victories over the Eagles and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Tonight, both could be in jeopardy. The Terps have never lost to Boston College in their 10 meetings, and a loss would not only end that streak but also imperil the team’s six-year run of NCAA Tournament appearances.

With a win tonight, the Terps could cement their own résumé’s superiority over their conference rival’s and neighbor on the tournament bubble. An Eagles win could even the score and put the Terps in a must-win scenario Sunday against Florida State.

“I think we’re certainly cognizant of the standings, but we realize that we need to win games,” guard Lori Bjork said. “It doesn’t matter if we’re playing the Sisters of the Poor or we’re playing Boston College or we’re playing Duke.”

Appropriately, it will be the seniors on the floor who could have the most say in shaping their team’s postseason fate.

Boston College seniors Ayla Brown, Mickel Picco and Brittanny Johnson are responsible for nearly twofifths of the Eagles’ scoring and are attempting to reverse a recent downturn in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

After advancing to the Sweet 16 in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, the Eagles have since failed to even make the 64-team field. Neither Brown nor Picco has ever seen action in an NCAA Tournament game. Only Johnson, a graduate student who was a member of the Eagles’ 20052006 team, can make that claim.

“It’s their Senior Nights,” Terp coach Brenda Frese said. “It’s going to be full of emotion. There’s going to be

a lot of motivation from both teams.”

Bjork’s situation isn’t altogether too different. For a program that has punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament six straight times, she’s one of six team members who have yet to experience college basketball’s Big Dance.

But her situation is different from the four Terps who haven’t had to sweat out Selection Monday. This is her last chance.

In her days as a prolific scorer at Illinois, Bjork never once came close to the NCAA Tournament.

After a coaching change before her junior year convinced her she would be happier elsewhere, Bjork decided to transfer instead of finishing her final season in Champaign, Ill. “I wasn’t really happy with how things were going,” Bjork said. “I decided that I cared about basketball an awful lot.”

After sitting out a year last year as a transfer, Bjork joined a Terp squad sorely in need of a senior leader. While ably filling that role, she’s lived up to her reputation as one of the conference’s best perimeter shooters, hitting nearly 45 percent of her 3point shots in ACC play.

“For a senior, when it’s your last shot, you couldn’t find any more deser ving than Lori,” Frese said.

Then there are the five freshmen. With a highly regarded recruiting class arriving next year and all but one player returning next season, their prospects are certainly bright in the coming years. Still, they don’t want to have to wait until next March to know what the madness feels like.

“For your young kids, it’s an opportunity to feel how exciting it is to be a part of the NCAA Tournament,” Frese said. “We just want to keep coaching this team.” shaf fer@umdbk.com

he Terrapin men’s basketball team continued to learn a lot about itself last night.

The Terps overcame a 12-point, second-half deficit for the second consecutive Wednesday night, beating Clemson 88-79 to earn their 20th win of the season and 10th win in the ACC. The exciting victory serves as the latest installment in a series of four diverse tests the Terps have faced these hectic past 10 days, each game seemingly set up to challenge their mettle as they get ready for the postseason.

The Terps just played a quarter of their conference schedule in a week and a half and made it through undefeated.

What’s more telling, though, is that they’ve won in just about every conceivable way — with a blowout win over Virginia, a gutty road win when they were off their game against N.C. State, a grind-it-out home win with a miracle ending against Georgia Tech and now an inspired comeback against a talented Clemson team.

With just three games remaining before the ACC Tournament, the Terps can only benefit from knowing they have what it takes to win in so many different circumstances.

The Terps can look at what

they’ve accomplished since the end of the university’s snow vacation and feel confident as they head toward March.

They’ve been through a lot, yet they keep finding ways to win.

“I talked to the team [when we were behind], and I said, ‘This is a good situation,’” guard Greivis Vasquez said. “Because if we go to the NCAA Tournament and we down 12, we know we can’t give up.”

For at least half the game last night, the Terps were not the better team on the court.

The only thing that kept them in the game early on was their shooting, as Clemson out-worked, outhustled and generally out-played them in the first half.

The Tigers scored seemingly uncontested second-chance points, beat the Terps to loose balls and just didn’t let the Terps get comfortable even on a home court where they have been dominant.

Tigers forward Trevor Booker was having his way with Terp forwards Jordan Williams and Dino Gregory in the low post, a host of Tigers were knocking down shots on the perimeter, and the raucous Comcast Center crowd started to grow restless.

“We couldn’t stop them — couldn’t keep them off the glass — and their press hurt us a little bit in terms of getting us out of what we were trying to do offensively,” coach Gary Williams said. “We had to change those things at halftime.”

That was easier said than done, but the Terps were able to flip the

switch and turned a 12-point deficit into a 10-point lead in only about 12 minutes of game time.

They easily could have panicked and let the game get away from them, yet they stayed calm and methodically adjusted the way they were playing.

The Terps held Booker to just four points in the second half, did a much better job handling the Tiger press and became the team with more passion and energy.

Simply put, they assessed the situation and did what they needed to do to win.

“We knew it was going to be a fight,” Jordan Williams said. “We didn’t want to give up. One of the signs of a good team is never giving up and always sticking together, and I think we did that.”

If it wasn’t clear before, the Terps proved last night and over the last four games that they are in fact a good team.

A cynic might point out the Terps still haven’t beaten the best competition the league has to offer, and perhaps their opponents have just let them off the hook in these varied wins.

But the Terps still have Virginia Tech and Duke on their schedule, and now they can be pretty sure they will get the chance to win games in both the ACC and NCAA Tournaments.

With what they’ve accomplished in these past four games, the Terps can be sure they are ready. schimmel@umdbk.com

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