030212

STUDY ABROAD THE DOC IS OUT The Lorax doesn’t live up to its source material

Weijs finally adjusting to life in America SPORTS | PAGE 8

Friday, March 2, 2012

DIVERSIONS | PAGE 6

THE DIAMONDBACK Our 102ND Year, No. 101

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

O’MALLEY SIGNS MARRIAGE LAW

Gov. Martin O’Malley (right) signs same-sex marriage legislation into law. CHARLIE DEBOYACE/THE DIAMONDBACK

The halls of the Statehouse rang with applause and cheers as Gov. Martin O’Malley put his signature on a bill that would enable same-sex marriage in the state yesterday afternoon.

O’Malley threw his support behind the legislation in June and, after successfully passing both chambers of the General Assembly over the last two weeks, signed the bill into law despite opponents’ efforts to petition the statute and place it on the November ballot.

If the bill survives the petition effort, it will officially go into effect Jan. 1, 2013.

“We are one Maryland, and all of us, at the end of the day, want

the same thing for our children: to live in a loving, stable, committed home protected equally under the law,” O’Malley said to raucous applause.

Despite the effort to put the bill to a vote, some lawmakers, such as Sen. Allan Kittleman (RCarroll and Howard), the lone Republican to favor the legislation in the Senate, are hopeful state voters will favor the legislation on the ballot.

“Should it get to referendum, hopefully people will seriously consider it and understand it, and hopefully the message will get out that this is a civil rights issue that we need to support,” he said.

— Jim Bach

JEREMY KIM/THE DIAMONDBACK

WIRED WITH DAVID SIMON

Regents approve UMB alliance plan Partnership will create joint public health school, bioinformatics center

BY REBECCA LURYE Senior staff writer

The Board of Regents unanimously approved a strategic alliance between this university and the University of Maryland, Baltimore, which includes launching a joint public health school and operating a joint bioinformatics center.

Officials said they will immediately begin implementing several initiatives of MPowering the State — the banner name of the strategic partnership developed by University System of Maryland Chancellor Brit Kirwan, university President Wallace Loh and UMB President Jay Perman. Loh said the new initiatives and collaborations will enhance resources

and opportunities available to students as well as increase the university’s contributions to the state economy.

“Today we go a step even further in stature and impact and service to the state, the people of Maryland, in education, research and commercialization,” Loh said. “It is now our job to roll up our sleeves and make it happen.”

About one year after state Senate President Mike Miller tasked officials with studying the potential costs and benefits of merging the two institutions, Gov. Martin O’Malley said he was thankful to see the plan come to fruition — especially, he said, at a time when

see ALLIANCE, page 3

Charter school proposal sent to county system to begin review phase College Park Academy will improve county school system, officials say

BY CHAD SINCLAIR Staff writer

University alumnus, creator of The Wire, speaks about social change

BY LAUREN KIRKWOOD Staff writer

For David Simon, it’s all about the argument.

Although Simon, a 1983 graduate of this university, is the creator of the HBO television series The Wire, the motivation behind his works was always the desire to stimulate

debate — not to entertain — he told a crowd of about 300 in the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center last night. The event was the penultimate installment of the Dean’s Lecture Series, an effort to bring notable speakers to the campus.

Although The Wire — a critically acclaimed series set in Baltimore primarily created and

written by Simon — has drawn a large fan base since its premiere in 2002, Simon said he never aimed to entertain.

Instead, he said, he hoped to address society’s pressing problems and spark social change.

“I’m not interested in giving you entertainment,” he said.

“Obviously, it needs to be entertaining, or no one will

watch it. … All of us [at The Wire] were interested in having an argument about what was going wrong in terms of the American experiment.”

And at the center of that argument, Simon said, is the ongoing drug war.

“The drug war is a war

see SIMON, page 2

A coalition of university, city and state officials submitted a 175-page proposal for a university-sponsored city charter school, officially moving the six-year project into the review stages necessary to make such a vision possible.

The proposed charter school, dubbed the College Park Academy, is now in the hands of the Prince George’s County Public School System, which will review the details over the next several months.

Although the county’s high school graduation rates stands at 85 percent, officials said only 43 percent of graduates are “college and career ready.”

The academy, university and city officials alike said, would serve as a catalyst for young students to move into their college careers and succeed in higher education immediately upon graduating.

Officials hope the academy will open in 2013, with 600

students ultimately enrolled in grades 7 through 12. Students would be able to earn up to 60 college credits, including from Advanced Placement tests, and up to 25 would be transferable to this university. Enrolled students — who have to reside in the county — would be selected on a competitive basis and pay a still-undecided tuition rate.

Education college Dean Donna Wiseman, who has been the point person on the university’s involvement in the project, said the county’s approval process will take several months.

After a school system committee reviews the proposal and interviews those behind the efforts, it will make a recommendation to the school board and Superintendent William Hite. After the board and Hite conduct individual reviews, Wiseman said a final decision will be made in May. If approved, one year of

see CHARTER, page 2

Big Play Sports Grill to open this month After five-month delay, disagreements with city council, bar owners plan to open by end of March

BY NICK FOLEY Staff writer

By the end of this month, students will have one more bar to choose from when deciding how to spend their Friday and Saturday nights — Big Play Sports Grill will open its doors just in time for the Final Four weekend of March Madness.

After delaying its opening

for five months due to disagreements between the bar’s co-owner, Andre Hopson, and the College Park City Council regarding specific terms of the property use agreement — which included disputes over when Hopson would be able to sell hard liquor — Hopson said he has secured all necessary licenses and permits.

The bar, Hopson said,

TOMORROW’S WEATHER:

which cost $125,000 in renovations, will boast an intimate, upscale atmosphere fitting for students, families, residents and young professionals in the city and will be “a step up from what you may normally see in College Park.”

“That’s been missing in College Park for a while; I don’t think there’s been a spot

Storms/50s

see BAR, page 3 INDEX

Big Play Sports Grill, set to fill the space Vito’s Pizzeria once rented, is slated to open its doors by the end of this month for the Final Four, bar co-owner Andre Hopson said. SU HONG/THE DIAMONDBACK

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

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2

THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

SIMON from page 1 against the poor; that’s all it is,” he said. “That was The Wire’s chief message, what a brutalizing fraud the drug war is. The Wire was this incredible argument for it to end. And ever yone looks at it and says, ‘well, that was entertaining.’ And it’s so frustrating.”

But Simon’s childhood was anything but tumultuous. He grew up in a suburban household, full of books, newspapers and — most importantly — constructive debates.

“It was a house where argument was sport, in the best possible way,” he said.

“It was anticipated that you would express yourself. An argument was not a system failure; it was a moment of interest.”

While Simon has pushed social boundaries in writing scripts for The Wire, he said his love of debate was given free rein most as editor in chief of The Diamondback in a way he hasn’t experienced since, which ultimately helped lead him to success.

“It was the only time in my life when we really didn’t have to answer to anybody,” he said in an interview after

American studies professor Sheri Parks moderates last night’s discussion with David Simon, the creator of HBO’s The Wire.

CHARTER from page 1 official planning will take place, including finalizing a location for the school. Three spots have been identified: the former Calvert Road School, an empty office location at 4700 Berwyn House Road and the old 94th Aero Squadron Restaurant.

Although such a school has been discussed for six years, the project has moved forward since university President Wallace Loh announced his goal to make College Park a top-20 college town by 2020.

“We kind of abandoned the efforts and moved on to establishing school-university partnerships within the area,”

the event. “All of us were in charge. It was very sincere; we were convinced we were carrying on something fundamental and traditional that mattered.”

Simon then went on to serve as a reporter for The Baltimore Sun covering crime — a beat that fostered the knowledge of the city that would ultimately lend itself to his first novel, Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets. He later co-wrote an-

other book, The Corner: A Year in the Life of an InnerCity Neighborhood, which was adapted into a miniseries. He then went on to create The Wire and several other successful programs.

Simon said one of the qualities that initially attracted him to journalism was the ability to never “close any doors” and instead write and investigate multiple topics.

“You go to work, and you

don’t really have to choose a profession; you get to be a voyeur,” he said. “I love the idea of the generalist, because it was kind of like not having to choose a career.”

Since he never grew up wanting to write for television or be involved with show business, Simon said it was difficult for him to realize he has now been involved with the entertainment industr y longer than he worked as a reporter.

Arts and humanities Dean Bonnie Thornton Dill said Simon’s willingness to challenge the status quo and his success since graduating made him a natural choice for the Dean’s Lecture Series.

“People saw in his work some real commentar y about big issues, and one of the things this series tries to do is get people to talk about these major issues of society,” she said.

“It’s a step in the right direction [to improve community education], but I don’t necessarily think it will do the entire job.”

ago. Since then it’s slowly gained steam.”

The academy would be the eighth charter school in the county. Wiseman said it’s especially important for each institution to offer a unique learning experience.

“There is no real hierarchy within the charter schools,” Wiseman said. “We want each to work in a different way, each making a different contribution.

It’s part of an overall approach to upgrading education here.”

Despite the attention paid to improving the county school system, senior criminology and criminal justice major Hope Mookim, who attended High Point High School in Beltsville, said her experience as a county public school stu-

dent was positive.

“Even though the school itself wasn’t well regarded and there were problems within the school, the honors program there that I was involved in was really good, and that’s what enabled me to come to Maryland,” Mookim said.

While Mookim said she wouldn’t change where she went to high school, she noted the appeal of the academy’s academic focus.

“It’s a step in the right direction [to improve county education], but I don’t necessarily

think it will do the entire job,” she said.

Sen. Jim Rosapepe (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel) said the academy would benefit not only students but also parents, who would be paying for college credits built into high school tuition.

Two weeks ago, the College Park City Council unanimously approved the plans for the school, and Rosapepe said this collective support for the project will help ensure it is approved by the county.

“With the strong support of

HOPE MOOKIM SENIOR CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE MAJOR

Wiseman said. “We came back together after President Loh’s 2020 vision was launched, and real substantial conversations began about a year and a half

Academy Stadium Theatre Week of March 2 6198 Greenbelt Rd.

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JEREMY KIM/THE DIAMONDBACK

Senior communication major Corinne Gracyalny, a “huge fan” of The Wire, said her love of film prompted her to attend Simon’s talk.

“Film is my passion,” she said. “And it’s such a common issue, the drug war and the class war. I am also really into how people use visuals and multimedia to get their views across to people.” kirkwood@umdbk.com

President Loh and the City of College Park, the proposal has a good chance of approval,” he said.

While Wiseman said she’s satisfied the proposal has been submitted, she said it’s not time to celebrate just yet.

“There is still a great deal of work to be done,” Wiseman said. “It’s very exciting to see it on paper, but we are more excited to see it come to fruition.

It will be really satisfying to see what’s next.” sinclair@umdbk.com

STUDENT MEMBER WANTED FOR STUDENT PUBLICATIONS' BOARD

!

D E D N E T X E E N I L D DEA 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, 2012. 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 Wednesday, March 7th at noon.

NO MORE ECLI PSE! No one has applied to be Editor-in-Chief of Eclipse, the Black Student Newspaper.

No Editor – No Eclipse!

We will extend the deadline for applications until Wednesday, March 7th.

Applications can be picked up in the Diamondback Business Office, 3136 South Campus Dining Hall, 9:30am-4:30pm.

ECLIPSE 1968-2012

R.I.P.

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012 | NEWS | THE DIAMONDBACK

3

Raising funds and hearts University student raises $11,000 to host celebration

BY ANGELA HARVEY For The Diamondback

It all started with one student’s ambition to bring people across the campus together to celebrate their culture.

Maurice Nick, a senior logistics, operations managementtransportation and supply chain management major and president of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, raised the $11,000 needed to host Monday’s Culture of Excellence dinner — a Black History Month celebration that drew about 400 people, including special guests such as Prince George’s County Councilman Will Campos. Nick said he felt the university did not have a largescale Black History Month event for students and hopes this dinner will become an annual event.

“It was the first time that a college chapter has ever done a program this large,” Nick said.

“It definitely changes the caliber of the events that we are able to produce.”

Nick said he started planning and fundraising for the event over the summer by sending out proposals to local businesses, university departments and state and county officials. He was also able to secure sponsors and qualify for county grants through the nonprofit Onward and Upward, which Nick started through Alpha Phi Alpha.

The event’s highest contributors were Campos and Councilman Mel Franklin, who each contributed $2,500 from a county grant fund.

“Maurice Nick was the mastermind behind this event,” said Alpha Phi Alpha Vice President Olufemi Sokoya.

“He is really good at networking, and with the vast amount of contacts and his tireless efforts he was able to make his idea a reality.”

However, fundraising did not always go as smoothly as Nick had hoped, and he only received small donations from about a dozen of the 90 sponsors he petitioned. Nick origi-

nally wanted to raise $14,000 to provide four $1,000 scholarships through the event’s oratorical contest.

However, because he did not meet that goal, the fraternity could only provide one scholarship to the contest’s winner, sophomore mechanical engineering major Abisola Kusimo.

“I thought I might have to cancel the event in early Januar y,” he said. “The donations were small compared to how much we needed. … Tr ying to inspire others without being discouraged by the ‘no’s’ was difficult.”

However, several attendees at Monday’s dinner called the event a great success, and Nick said the process also taught him valuable lessons about networking with professionals.

He added that other students should not be afraid to go after their own large-scale ideas.

“Always plan big,” Nick said.

“Reach for the top, and then downsize if you need to.” news@umdbk.com

Maurice Nick, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity president, raised enough money to host a celebratory dinner Monday in honor of Black History Month. CHELSEA DIRECTOR/THE DIAMONDBACK

February proves to be busier month for University Police Police respond to 50 more incidents, including public urination, flashing, than December, January

BY ERIN EGAN Senior staff writer

University President Wallace Loh and USM Chancellor Brit Kirwan received approval from the Board of Regents on a strategic alliance with UMB yesterday. FILE PHOTO/THE DIAMONDBACK

ALLIANCE from page 1 job creation and unemployment weigh heavily on lawmakers, residents and students.

“Maybe because we’re a relatively tiny state, we’ve felt like we don’t have to collaborate … but that’s not the way the world works anymore and we need to work together, and President Miller saw that,” O’Malley said.

Officials estimate the full implementation of the project, which still must receive its final stamp of approval from the General Assembly, will cost about $43.7 million over the next decade. Reallocations within the two institutions’ budgets will cover most of the costs, along with additional state and federal appropriations and fundraising.

“Given the appropriate support, we will make things happen in a way that I think will cause this MPowering the State entity to be a model for systems across the country in these challenging times,” Perman said.

Although many phases of the plan’s implementation are dependent upon funds the university has yet to secure, Kirwan said he anticipates the partnership will eventually garner hundreds of millions of dollars in research grants and revenue.

Ultimately, officials hope to monopolize on each university’s strengths — such as this university’s acumen in the sciences and engineering and UMB’s in law and medicine — and streamline the process of transforming ideas and research from both institutions into commercial products and businesses.

“Each institution has on its campus elements of a robust commercialization operation and what we propose to do is … bring together the two assets,” Kirwan said.

The institutions will immediately begin seeking accreditation for the collaborative public health school — a process that could take up to two years, officials said — for a single degreegranting public health program.

UMB officials will participate in choosing the new dean of this university’s program.

Provost Ann Wylie said she thinks combining the two institutions’ offerings will “tremendously” expand students’ opportunities because it will eliminate redundant courses and free up faculty to teach new courses and expand each university’s curriculum.

Regent Gary Attman said he thinks UM Ventures, a joint technology transfer and commercialization initiative, will help propel the institutions to greater prominence.

“In a few years, we will be known for our entrepreneurship, and if you’re a student who’s looking to change the world in a big way, you’ll come to the University of Maryland,” he said.

Loh said he is committed to doubling the number of businesses the university creates each year from five to 10 with help from the resources of UM Ventures.

“We are not just ivory towers coming up with wonderful new ideas,” he said. “It is now about translating those ideas into impact for the economy and society, and one of the ways of having that impact is the commercialization of research.”

Additionally, officials will establish the Center for Biomedical Informatics and Imaging within the university’s Institute for Advanced Computer Science. That center will study significant health-care issues and, in the next five years, create at least five joint programs to research solutions and advance national health.

“This is something we’re prepared to launch immediately, and

it’s just an enormously important area for society,” Kirwan said.

One of the new educational programs coming out of the partnership, the University of Maryland Scholars, will encourage students to take advantage of both institutions’ resources.

Wylie said the university hopes to provide funds for two university students to engage in research with UMB faculty this summer to “get it off the ground,” although the program will eventually expand to include dozens of students.

Other educational offerings will include a program for students to study nursing at each campus for two years and create “pipelines” for students to enter directly into UMB’s law school from this university.

Later this month, Stamp Student Union will host representatives from UMB’s graduate programs to meet with students and share information about obtaining professional degrees.

“We want our students to have a much broader view of what joining a professional program might look like,” Wylie said.

Additionally, MPowering the State will involve joint appointments and joint grant submissions, as well as some shared library resources to reduce administrative costs.

Kirwan also said the system must enhance its connection to Montgomery County by appointing a dean to oversee operations at the University of Maryland, Shady Grove.

Wylie said having a dean and community of faculty would improve the environment of the Shady Grove campus.

“This partnership will allow us to realize what other states have realized,” he added. “This is a good day for Maryland.” lurye@umdbk.com

ON THE BLOG

campusdrivedbk.wordpress.com

SNOOKI’S PREGNANCY — THE END OF LIFE AS WE KNOW IT As an avid fan of Jersey Shore, I can say the climax of my infatuation with the series has finally passed now that I’ve found out Snooki is reportedly pregnant. The future of the series is probably not over, but its ratings don’t stand a chance.

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is reportedly about three months into her pregnancy, according to sources close to the reality star, and you can already hear MTV shuffling through the stacks of cash it will be making from the spinoff shows.

For more, visit The Diamondback’s news blog, Campus Drive.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GAWKER.COM

University Police responded to nearly 230 incidents during the month of February, as compared to January’s 169 and December’s 177.

They responded to incidents including public urination, counterfeit bills and men flashing their genitals in public.

STOLEN SCOOTER – A student reported a stolen scooter from Mowatt Lane Garage at about 9:45 a.m. on Feb. 2. After officers linked a video of a man moving the scooter to another video of the same man driving away in a van, University Police arrested 26-year-old Michael Fiala at his residence in Columbia and charged him with theft less than $100; theft from $1,000 to $10,000; and theft less than $1,000, University Police spokesman Capt.

Marc Limansky said.

Limansky added although scooter thefts are common, it is not common for police to catch the thieves.

“There are much more stolen and unresolved cases than solved and recovered ones,” Limansky said.

“Scooters often aren’t secured ver y well … and even if they are, they’re not that hard to pick up and move.”

PUBLIC URINATION – A 20-year-old male was cited at about 1:15 a.m. on Feb. 3, for urinating in public after officers caught him relieving himself beside the Subway restaurant on Route 1, Limansky said. Upon fur-

BAR from page 1 like that,” he said. “[It’s] a nice spot that you wouldn’t mind bringing your parents to if your parents came up for a game or were just visiting the school.”

Hopson said the delay in opening stemmed from the county ensuring the owners — who also include Ezetrick Coleman and Allen Morrison — adhere to the new business’ plan.

The bar will take the spot of Vito’s Pizzeria, which unexpectedly shut its doors last semester. University Police cracked down on the pizzeria last year, suspecting it violated its property use agreement by simultaneously operating as a nightclub.

“They basically just wanted to see a detailed plan of what we wanted to do,” Hopson said. “It really didn’t have much to do with us, but just the history of the spot; they wanted to make sure that we wouldn’t let just anybody come in here.”

District 2 Councilman

ther investigation, the officer determined the male was also carr ying a fake ID. Limansky said there was no indication the 20-year-old was intoxicated.

“It happens with relative frequency,” Limansky said of public urination. “I’d say each weekend that there are a handful of cases.”

FRAUD – Police discovered a counterfeit $20 bill at the South Campus Dining Hall on Feb. 8 while officials were processing change from the Commons Shop, the Union Shop and the 24 Shop, Limansky said. Officers are not sure where the bill was used and the fraudulent money was turned into the Secret Ser vice.

Another counterfeit $20 bill was used at Footnotes Cafe in McKeldin Librar y on Feb. 13, Limansky said.

That bill was also turned into the Secret Ser vice for further investigation.

Limansky said it is difficult to track a counterfeit bill, as anyone could be in possession of the fake money and not even be aware of it. “[The Secret Ser vice] wants to see where it’s coming from, and then they go after the bigger fish when they see where they’re being circulated,” he said. “Anyone could get one and not even know, so you can’t just look at who spent the bill and where.

They have to track where it was made.”

INDECENT EXPOSURE – A woman was walking through Lot 15 in the Gra-

“We’d rather do it the right way; get it open and have longevity.

That’s been the biggest issue with that whole retail over there — there’s been so much turnover.”

ANDRE HOPSON BIG PLAY SPORTS GRILL CO-OWNER

Bob Catlin said he did not think the bar should receive a full liquor license until it established itself as a lasting business in the city.

“A lot of places in the county start off with a beer and wine license and then after they get some experience they go in for an upgrade,” Catlin said.

“There’s a lot more beer and wine licenses than full licenses — there’s a lot fewer [full] licenses to go

ham Cracker at 9:45 p.m. on Feb. 14 when a man in his 20s exited his vehicle and exposed his genitals to her, Limansky said. The woman left the area and called the police a few hours later. The suspect, who has not been found, was described as wearing glasses, Limansky said.

In a similar incident on Feb. 16, a woman was walking past a vehicle on College Avenue at about 7:30 a.m. when a man jumped out of his car and exposed his genitals to her. Police do not believe the two incidents are related, Limansky said, as the second suspect is described as a 50-year-old white male with gray hair and a gray beard.

Indecent exposure is not a common occurrence on this campus, Limansky said.

“The motive is usually some weird sexual gratification,” he said. “They tr y to elicit a reaction. That’s how they get their excitement.”

DISORDERLY CONDUCT – A 21-yearold male was arrested Feb. 15 outside of the Barking Dog on charges of making a scene, Limansky said. The patron was screaming, pushing and shoving people standing outside the bar when an officer asked him to leave. When he refused, he was arrested for disorderly conduct, Limansky said. The police report said the incident was alcohol-related but did not specify whether the man was intoxicated. egan@umdbk.com

around.”

But Hopson said he hoped the full license would give his business a chance at sur viving.

“We’d rather do it the right way; get it open and have longevity,” he said.

“That’s been the biggest issue with that whole retail over there — there’s been so much turnover.”

Six different businesses have occupied the locale in the past seven years, Catlin said, noting the size of the space likely played a large part in the closings of past establishments.

“It remains to be seen,” Catlin said. “It’s still kind of a small venue; goodness, it’s smaller than all the other bars in College Park.”

Some students, such as senior American studies major Herbert Law, said the bar’s size could hold it back in its efforts to become a staple of College Park’s nightlife.

“I don’t see it working because it’s too small for an upscale place,” Law said.

“People need a dance floor.” foley@umdbk.com

4

THE DIAMONDBACK | FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

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Staff editorial

Guest column

(Sync)ing standards

A look at the real Ron Paul

A

s if college students don’t self-segregate enough already by choos- expect to get along with. Further, roommates needn’t become best friends ing majors, participating in student organizations and joining fra- for a successful pairing.

The semi-random process in place addresses the big issues, such as ternities or sororities, the Department of Resident Life wants to let incoming freshmen pick their friends and roommates with a tobacco use and sleep patterns, but sometimes forces roommates from different backgrounds to work out the details of spending time together in a Facebook app — all before ever stepping foot on the campus. finite space. That’s something you can’t learn in a For $5,000 up-front and an additional yearly fee, classroom, and the ability to overcome differences is a Assistant Resident Life Director Scott Young hopes to valuable life skill — whether dealing with future enlist the ser vices of RoomSync, a Facebook applicacoworkers or a spouse. tion that allows students to search for compatible Incoming freshmen can As we all know, college is about learning. Part of the roommates by answering questions about themselves gain useful life experiences learning experience that is dorm life is lost when stuand their ideal roommate.

The software compiles the information into a by having a semi-randomly dents find like-minded friends from similar backgrounds to live with before they’ve had a chance to “Lifestyle Preferences” section and creates a “Minichosen roommate — give anyone else a chance.

Profile” with information pulled from students’ actual Besides, college kids are savvy Facebook users.

Facebook profiles. Users are able to browse potential RoomSync would hinder Many profiles have evolved into carefully crafted friends and roommates, search by shared interests — images where users present the most appealing vereven tag potential male and female matches for furstudents’ chances at sion of themselves to the digital world. An application ther investigation. becoming more diverse. such as RoomSync doesn’t really match people who The goal, officials say, is to reduce conflict between will make good roommates; it matches people who roommates by letting students select each other. At first glance, the use of a relatively inexpensive application on a website have cultivated a similar mirage on their Facebook profiles.

Believe it or not, 18-year-olds don’t always make the best decisions. It’s that’s nearly ubiquitous among the college crowd seems like a good idea. If it works, Resident Life staff will have more time to spend on other duties, understandable if the idea of a roommate-matching application is popular with and students will have more time to study — or party — their way through incoming students, because people don’t like to step out of their comfort zone.

But college is about diversity — at least for the first 16 weeks, before freshthe semester.

But this editorial board wonders: Is letting incoming freshmen choose men begin to finalize their sophomore year housing arrangements.

Resident Life officials should drop plans to adopt RoomSync and underroommates based on Facebook profiles a good idea?

Under the current system, some residents may experience conflict and stand what they are sacrificing if such a system is put in place. Self-segregafriction, but others forge lifelong friendships with people they’d never tion may be inevitable, but let’s at least give diversity a chance.

would highly recommend you do not cross because I will have no problem flattening you.” Obviously, walking in front of these cars is a bad idea, but it is usually hard to tell which drivers do this until you are on the road. I almost hope these drivers hit a pedestrian — you deserve a lifetime of debilitating guilt for trying to shave five precious seconds off your trip in the most stupidly dangerous way possible.

Ultimately, none of these nuisances compare to the stench the triple on my floor emits. It is an odor so foul, its residents should be arrested for disturbing the peace. It makes me gag so hard that my body is incapable of vomiting, even though it really wants to.

So, as you go through your day, dealing with problems similar to those I have described, remember: Someone in Denton smells worse than you.

Rajarshi Chattopadhyay is a sophomore aerospace engineering major. He can be reached at chattopadhyay@umdbk.com.

Jon Saltzman is a junior government and politics major. He can be reached at jonnsaltzman@gmail.com.

Our View

Editorial cartoon: Ben Stryker

Tales from Europe: YOLO-ing at the Notre Dame

I

f you don’t live under a rock, you have probably seen the acronym “YOLO” written on various social networking sites at some point in the last few months. The colloquial abbreviation of “you only live once” is of unknown origin, but it gained popularity with the Drake and Lil Wayne song “The Motto.” Upon hearing this wondrous motto, I naturally wondered how the YOLO movement is taken by Buddhists, who believe in reincarnation.

Coincidentally, I met a Buddhist girl in Barcelona, and immediately asked her what she thought of the YOLO-volution. “It works for them, and that’s great!” she said.

“Buddhists,” I scoffed. “You don’t know how religious supremacy works.”

Buddhism is a growing religion with a rather small U.S. presence. Perhaps this is because Buddhists spend too much time preaching about love, peace, democracy and the golden rule.

Buddhism could take a few lessons from my religion, Catholicism.

We know how to complete God’s will: Make ever ything the way it was in the 16th centur y. Instead of tweeting about love and respect for mankind and demanding democracy in the darkest parts of the world, His

GREG NASIF Holiness the Dalai Lama should join Catholic leaders in comparing President Barack Obama to Hitler on Fox News and condemning contraceptive ser vices proven to reduce pregnancy. He should follow this up by complaining that there are too many abortions. Prioritize!

Buddhists should also start to focus their efforts on opposing gay marriage, because that’s really popular with young people nowadays. More importantly, His Holiness must immediately recant his statements that homosexuals be treated with tolerance and respect.

The Catholic Church would never make such a mistake.

Buddhists must make sure to stand with the Catholic Church in supporting American politicians who want to start as many wars as possible. Such politicians are easy to identify because they also oppose Christ’s mantra of benevolence to the poor. But remem-

ber, it’s their realistic zero-tolerance views on pre-marital sex and secular government’s acknowledgement of monogamous unions between “sinners” (according to one line in an ancient text filled with trivial rules and customs) that are important.

Some biased media like to stir up trouble by pointing out biased facts.

They claim Arkansas’ right to segregate its public schools was once an acceptable point of view, but those days are long gone; that day will come with gay rights, and those who tie their survival to halting the homosexual agenda will go the way of the dinosaurs. I don’t know why, but that’s a lie.

But fear not, Buddhists! Christ will come again to inform us that judging and condemning others for what they do wrong is more important than doing what is right. So get on the horn and tell these YOLO-mongers they’re going to become worms or something.

Of course, this advice is hypocritical because the Church isn’t entirely archaic. Catholics run some of the largest charities in the world. A majority of Catholics support marriage equality, and the Church has even called for universal health care. They are better than the stories you hear, but they cannot

blame the media for their misinterpretation. They can only blame themselves.

While the Dalai Lama’s tweets about love, freedom and peace routinely dominate the Twittersphere, the Church continues to channel its public image by dictating sexual morality on Fox News, despite being in the wake of a massive and heartbreaking molestation scandal that makes Penn State look like a convent. They have a worse public relations team than Randy Edsall.

Following the principles of YOLOism, I made sure to pay a visit to the Notre Dame de Paris for Ash Wednesday. The grand cathedral is humbling, both in prestige and history, for the many chapels inside once served as a refuge for the homeless of Paris. But the Catholic Church is losing that compassionate face. To survive this generation, it must find new ways to convey to its followers, and perhaps itself, to accept what Christ taught when his arrival smashed centuries of old ways and misconceptions: Human dignity is more important than old traditions. YOLO. Greg Nasif is a senior history major. He can be reached at nasif@umdbk.com.

A day in the life of a disgruntled Terp

M

y morning schedule is simple: wake up, brush my teeth, shower and get out of bed (not necessarily in that order). The only real problem I can run into is if something major goes awr y, such as there not being hot water. Luckily, this only happens about ever y other day in Denton Hall. On those days, the shower cruelly teases me, warming up as if it was about to get hot — then suddenly plunging me into the Arctic. When paying nearly $3,000 per semester for housing, I should get hot water. Maybe the university could offer discounted diner food for the days it does not provide hot water. To prevent students from lying about this, a representative from the school could stand in a cold shower for five minutes to verify that it is indeed piercing and numbing at the same time.

Teeth still chattering, I walk out into the rain. Of course it is raining —

what other weather could there be in the middle of winter? Thanks to the design of the sidewalks on the campus, I will be wading through small koi ponds at least five times on my way to class. My socks soaking, lectures that are already hard enough to pay attention to become downright miserable. But this is not the worst part about rainy days on the campus.

The worst part is the pairs of girls with huge umbrellas who insist on walking beside each other, effectively blocking the entire sidewalk while moving the speed of diseased livestock. Maybe they watched Gandalf face the Balrog the night before, or maybe they are having a very important gossip session — all I know is they want to keep me trudging glumly in the rain for as long as possible.

Food never fails to cheer me up, though, and even if food at the diner is not spectacular, a sandwich seems like a safe bet. Oh, it looks like the person making my Maryland Club forgot to

RAJARSHI CHATTOPADHYAY add lettuce … I guess I can just ask them to put that on. Wait, I said lettuce, not mayo. No, not hot sauce either … too late. This is probably the least appetizing sandwich I have ever paid for, but there are way too many people in line behind me to make a fuss. Maybe discounted food is not worth cold showers.

If there is one thing I learned from Sesame Street, it is to look both ways before crossing the street. What it did not teach me, however, is that while most drivers are very courteous to pedestrians, every now and then one will speed up near crosswalks as if to say, “See how fast I’m going? Even though you have the right of way, I

A

s a liberal reading the book The Conscience of a Conservative by Barry Goldwater — a former Republican presidential candidate — I can understand why his libertarian viewpoints inspired many modern-day libertarians. While I disagree with many of things he wrote, I do find it intellectually stimulating.

It’s a shame his brand of libertarianism was marginalized in the Republican Party and replaced with this tea party nonsense. Now many voters across the country are longing for a return to libertarian principles and looking for a leader to take them to their libertarian paradise.

Then I see columns in The Diamondback and a number of media sources around the campus dedicated to Ron Paul. I can’t even search one page on Reddit without his name popping up. Paul is no libertarian, and I worry about the large number of students who have dedicated their time in recent weeks to this man they think truly fulfills libertarian viewpoints.

The truth is, Paul is a Republican similar to Ronald Reagan. If you liked Reagan and support the right-wing status quo, then go ahead and support Paul. But for those of you who think by supporting Paul you are supporting someone who wants small government, liberty and something different than what the Republican Party has been spitting out lately, I urge you to examine his record.

Let’s start with the obvious. Libertarians pride themselves on individual liberty — or at least the decreased influence of the federal government. First and Second Amendment rights are prized almost to an extreme. Why then, would a libertarian support the Family Protection Act? This bill, which Paul introduced in August 1980, prohibits federal funds to any organization that suggests homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle.

It also requires federally funded abortion centers to notify the parents of unmarried minors in the event the minor requests an abortion, contraceptives or treatment for venereal diseases.

Generally, libertarians don’t trust their government. The government has often been “the oppressor” in the past, especially during the civil rights era. Moreover, school systems have often made minorities feel like outcasts.

How does that correlate with Paul’s constitutional amendment to allow prayer in public schools? To his credit, the amendment doesn’t force students to pray, but as a libertarian, do you trust schools in heavily religious districts to happily stand by as students refrain from praying? I’m not even libertarian, and I don’t see that happening.

Of course, there is the gold standard of Paul’s non-libertarian policies. (You’ve got to love puns.) Paul’s views on abortion are a complete contradiction to individual freedom.

According to his website, as president, Paul would pass a “Sanctity of Life Act,” defining life as beginning at conception. And while we’re at it, let’s talk about sanctity. The word comes from the Latin “sanctus,” meaning holy. Whatever happened to the separation of church and state, Paul? Surely the federal government legislating on the basis of religion isn’t a libertarian principle.

If you are a libertarian and you actually look at what Paul has put out there, I can’t imagine why you would ever want to support him.

You are looking for a libertarian savior — I get that. However, he is by no means your answer. If you are conservative, then maybe it would make sense. But even then, how can you support a candidate who has said time and again he opposes civil rights legislation, while wanting to dismantle the Department of Education? What do you think this would mean for the future of race relations in this country? How can you support someone who wants to put us back on the gold standard, and even introduce competing currencies to the dollar in a constitutionally questionable act?

I know we live in scary times, and that many of the candidates out there are pretty crappy. I know many of you are angry at the current president and dissatisfied with both major political parties. But Paul is no libertarian, and he is not even close to what we need right now.

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.

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012 | THE DIAMONDBACK

5

Features HOROSCOPESTELLA WILDER

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Chalky mineral 5 Throat-clearing sounds 10 It may be flat 14 Ho-hum 15 Peerage member 16 Homeboy’s turf 17 Graceful wrap 18 Lethargy 19 Well-aware of 20 Grand or baby grand 22 Take up, as a cause 24 Warty critter 27 Hedge shrubs 28 Tuckered out 32 Super buys 35 Antenna type 36 Orlando attraction 38 Aquarium denizen 40 Scribbles down 42 Movie with a posse 44 Attend a banquet 45 Bungling 47 Mideast nation 49 Windy and cold 50 Tape over 52 Dazzling 54 “Slither” actor 56 Rochester’s Jane 57 Went around

60 Lovely weather for — 64 Swede’s neighbor 65 Dorm climbers 68 Rajah’s consort 69 Folksinger Burl — 70 Hourglass parts 71 Border st.

72 Get acquainted 73 In leaf 74 Not prompt

29 30 31 33 34

Avignon’s river Following Is overly fond Clan leader Red Sea peninsula

37 Former Fiesta Bowl site 39 X-rated 41 Most zonked out 43 Trust 46 1917 abdicator 48 Dweeb

51 53 55 57 58 59 61

Wolfing down Kind of network When pigs fly Use a coupon Deep — bend Casino supply Dear, in Italy

DOWN 1 Recipe amt.

2 Jai — 3 Dr. Zhivago’s beloved 4 Glazed fabric 5 Civil War prez 6 “Star Wars” rogue 7 Osprey kin 8 Meek and timid 9 Took potshots 10 Large number 11 They carry a charge 12 Habitual 13 Shoguns’ capital 21 Move like the Blob 23 Feels obligated 25 Purina rival 26 Tooth problem 28 Japanese peak, familiarly

© 2012 UNITED FEATURES SYNDICATE

Previous Day’s Puzzle Solved:

TODAY’S CROSSWORD SPONSORED BY:

62 Work on a sweater 63 Label info 64 Lose brightness 66 Barely get by 67 Tax-form ID

orn today, you are the kind to maintain close ties to friends and family members throughout your lifetime, and neither the passage of time nor great distance can diminish what you feel for those closest to your heart.

Indeed, when it’s time to play catch-up with someone, it doesn’t matter how long he or she has been out of touch, for it will quickly feel as though no time at all has passed. This is something you apply to all things in life: an ability to overcome or simply overlook obstacles that might make things more difficult than they need to be.

B

You are likely to demonstrate one or two remarkable talents at an early age, and if you develop either or both of these fully from the start, you are almost guaranteed a place in the pantheon of career greats. Of course, luck and timing will always play a role!

Also born on this date are: Bryce Dallas Howard, actress; Daniel Craig, actor; Jon Bon Jovi, singer and actor; Laraine Newman, comedian; Karen Carpenter, singer; Lou Reed, singer; Mikhail Gorbachev, Soviet leader; Jennifer Jones, actress; Desi Arnaz, actor, producer, bandleader; Theodor Geisel, children’s author known as Dr. Seuss; Bedrich Smetana, composer.

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.

business decision — but before it is a done deal, you’ll want to explore just one more unusual option.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — You may find yourself attracted to the ringleader of a certain situation that has caused you some trouble in the recent past.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — An unusual arrangement can be hammered out today between you and someone with whom you have very little in common.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) — You’ll learn more through the grapevine today than in any other way — but certain rumors may lead you down a rather dangerous path.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — You may be slowed by a minor injury or ailment today; recovery should be quick, but until then it will surely prove inconvenient.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Your money can go further than expected, primarily because you have recently narrowed your focus and planned expenditures wisely.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — You may get further than usual today sharing your opinions openly. More people are likely to accept your views than reject them.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — You’re interested in doing things that benefit others today — and you’ll have a number of options. Why not start at the top of the list?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Nothing you do today is likely to be set in stone; you’ll be able to make changes as necessary very soon — and quickly, too.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Your experiences today are likely to foster an unusual new point of view — but this may, in turn, endear you to a whole new crowd.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — You may realize that there are those who spend time with you simply because they want something from you — and you’ll know who they are.

COPYRIGHT 2012 UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.

TODAY’S HOROSCOPE SPONSORED BY:

This spot could be yours.

SATURDAY, MARCH 3 PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) — A friendship may be strained today because you are less willing to take a certain risk at this time.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) — You are on the verge of a sound

COLLEGE INTUITION

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Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9.

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THE DIAMONDBACK | FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE:

Diversions

MOVIE — TIM AND ERIC’S BILLION DOLLAR MOVIE Fans of the absurdist comedy team Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim should check out Reese Higgins’ review of their new film, which doubles as an interview with the duo. It’s just about as absurd as you would expect.

For the full review, just click the Diversions tab at: WWW.DIAMONDBACKONLINE.COM

arts. music. living. movies. weekend.

REVIEW | THE LORAX

This Lorax doesn’t speak for the trees Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax deserves a better film adaptation than this one about trees, which no longer exist in the artificial city. In The Lorax film, trees, of course, are Adapted for the screen by the fun, brightly colored things director of Despicable Me, Dr. used to attract another memSeuss’ The Lorax is boring and ber of the human species in the weightless. I don’t recall laugh- springtime mating rituals.

The only reason Ted — poring audibly more than once at trayed by Efron as flatly as four this would-be activist comedy.

The movie — and the story it slashed tires — cares about is it based on — concerns the that silly thing known as the devastation of a once-fertile land environment in the first place and the cute, fuzzy creature that is because he’s got a crush on attempts to stop the destruc- Audey (the singer Taylor Swift, tion, but the similarities be- whose acting credits are limited to Valentine’s Day and an tween book and film end there.

Outside of the locked-up, episode of CSI). His struggle plastic city of Thneed-Ville to find a tree has little to with saving the planet (guarded by a and everything to steel wall VERDICT: do with demonreminiscent strating his masof The TruUnfunny but pleasant to culinity and winman Show), lies a Mordor- look at, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax ning over his esque dead is another disappointment sweetheart. in Dr. Seuss film Our villain, the zone of adaptations. misogynistic Mr. smoke and O’Hare (Rob Rigash.

Our gle of the failed hero, Ted (Zac Efron, New Year’s Eve), Kleenex advertisement Big Miramakes it his mission to venture cle), sells bottled air and has made out into no man’s land to learn a fortune off the ignorance of citiBY REESE HIGGINS Senior staff writer

zens in Thneed-Ville, which couldn’t possibly act as a mirror for any real society.

I mention Mr. O’Hare’s hate for women because The Lorax is a surprisingly intolerant film.

There are several instances of disrespectful put-downs (including the “That’s a woman?” line seen in the film’s ubiquitous trailers). The most disturbing of these interactions is when Mr. O’Hare demands freshly baked cookies of Ted’s mother: When she returns with a plate of baked goods but interrupts Mr. O’Hare’s evil activities, he demands she goes “back downstairs” to the kitchen.

Even The Lorax’s pro-environment message is watered down by the film’s conclusion, which implies ecological destruction is perfectly fine as long as society cleans up after itself — eventually. Apparently, wiping out all of a land mass’s natural resources is perfectly fine, because 40 years later, the jerk who killed off Mother Nature will just happen to have one last tree seed that can magically reproduce an en-

The Once-ler, left, and The Lorax, right, in Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax.

tire valley of plants and animals.

There will also be an uplifting song to end this chapter of human shame.

The only bright spot in the movie is Ed Helms (The Office), whose portrayal of The Once-ler is the film’s strongest performance. The Once-ler is

PHOTO COURTESY OF COLLIDER.COM

more developed than most characters in The Lorax — he obliterates the forest despite The Lorax’s (Danny DeVito, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) warnings because he wants to prove himself to his abusive family.

The Lorax had a lot of poten-

tial to be an entertaining film about why we should cherish the beauty around us, but it’s more interested in candy-colored animation than in seriously pursuing the message at the heart of Dr. Seuss’ work. rhiggins@umdbk.com

REVIEW | PROJECT X

A little get-together Project X is hilariously successful

BY ZACHARY BERMAN Senior staff writer

Popularity, pimples, PSATs and prom — it’s hard to forget the emotional deluge of the high school experience. Whether memories are fond, funny or best forgotten, anyone who’s been involved with secondary education can relate to an R-rated comingof-age film such as Project X. Most movies are more tactful in their approach to these kinds of stories — including classics

such as Fast Times at Ridgemont High and American Pie — but Project X’s take on the teen dream is honest — and decadent — enough to connect with the current generation of sexually frustrated youth.

We’ve all seen the movie about the dorky teenage guys who attempt to get laid by throwing a huge party while their parents are away, but this film alters that old formula by only allowing the fantasy to last one night before bringing dream-crushing real-

ism back to the story as the sun rises on the party.

The film’s increasingly unrealistic circumstances provide an onslaught of gut-busting sequences that give voice to the most misguided and carnal desires of the teenage years.

Every scene leaves the audience wondering if, given these impossible situations, they might allow themselves the leeway act to as the characters onscreen are acting. The humor in that alone is worth the price of admission alone.

Stylistically, Project X is one of the few movies in the current found-footage craze that actually deserves the treat-

ment. While the explanation the Tumblr-scouring members for the film’s high-quality main of the ADD generation.

As hilarious camera is treated as as Project X is, a tongue-in-cheek VERDICT: the film peaks joke throughout, the as the house protagonists’ pervaProject X draws and surroundsive need to capture huge laughs with a ing neighboreverything on film standard premise. hood descend and the use of other into chaos with partygoers’ phones and cameras to tell pieces of a palpable sense of dread unthe story are both clever ways derscoring the high school stuof incorporating people’s ob- dents’ obvious inability to session with social media into clean up their mess before the parents come back, unlike the movie.

Similarly, the film’s ludicrous- every other teen comedy.

Just as reality settles back ly fast pace and numerous flashy montages of teen de- into place and it seems like the bauchery are deftly attuned to movie may end on a sad, off-beat the attention spans and tastes of note, an annoying final scene

implies that getting arrested, losing your college fund and ruining your chance at a stable future is somehow worth having some people from your high school finally recognize you.

Regardless, this one scene doesn’t detract from the fun of watching the rest of Project X’s wickedly entertaining depravity. Though these final moments will miss the mark for some viewers, many more will be reminded that getting through the pimples and the parties was all about finding that same ill-conceived teenage sense of optimism. berman@umdbk.com

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Also looking for marketers and entrepreneurs. Must be outgoing, trustworthy and punctual. Also able to build partnerships with businesses and professional sports teams. Email resume to tbranthover@comcast.net or visit bravedave.org.

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Camp Counselors

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Male & female needed for great overnight camps in the mountains of PA. Have fun while working with children outdoors.

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Basement room for rent. Private bathroom.

Laundry & kitchen privileges. Free cable and Wi-Fi. Utilities included. Access to recreation room. $1000/month. Call 301-439-4781.

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College Park Towers – several 2 bedroom apartments for 3 or 4 persons. Walk to UM. Parking available. Utilities included. Starting at $1500. 301-598-1130.

WALK TO CAMPUS 7007 Dartmouth Ave. 5 BR/2 BA, washer, dryer, dishwasher, front porch, rear deck, $2900.

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301-699-1863 or DunnRentals.com for more info HOUSES FOR RENT. Go to cphouse4rent.com.

Apartment for rent. Knox Towers. 3 bedrooms, 1 bath. Walk to campus. Lease starts in June. $2800/month, all utilities included.

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FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012 | SPORTS | THE DIAMONDBACK

THOMAS from page 8 finished first in the conference with 17 points per game and fifth with 8.2 rebounds per game, also ranking fourth in free-throw percentage, 11th in assists and 15th in steals.

“As a person and a player, she’s one of the people you want to wear your uniform and to represent your school,” coach Brenda Frese said in a statement. “I think Alyssa’s had more legendary-type moments in one season than most have in a lifetime. Her will to win is unsurpassed, and I don’t think anyone plays harder for her team.”

The Harrisburg, Pa., native was also the No. 6 Terps’ go-to scorer down the stretch in tight games. She nailed a game-winning jumper with 17 seconds left in a 77-74 win over No. 15 Georgia Tech on Jan. 6 and scooped in a game-tying layup at the buzzer in an eventual overtime win over North Carolina two days later.

She also sealed the Terps’ Feb. 19 victory over No. 5 Duke in dramatic fashion, blocking Haley Peters’ 3-point attempt at the buzzer to preserve a 63-61 win.

“Those probably definitely helped me out a little bit,” Thomas said. “My teammates look for me to have the ball in my hands. For them to have that confidence in me, that gives me the confidence to have the ball in those situations.”

Tonight, Thomas will lead her team into the ACC Tournament with hopes of avenging last year’s forgettable showing in Greensboro Coliseum. The Yellow Jackets upset the Terps, 70-64, in the quarterfinals, a fate they want to avoid repeating tonight.

First up for the Terps will be

7

sixth-seeded Virginia (21-9, 9-7), a team they have already beaten twice this season — first in a 6861 win on Jan. 16, then a 73-56 victory exactly one month later. But even with two wins they can draw on for preparation, getting through Virginia’s conferencebest scoring defense a third time could prove difficult.

“Virginia is a very scrappy type of team,” Frese said. “They’re very active in terms of leading the conference in steals. You really have to value the basketball.”

Should the Terps handle the Cavaliers tonight, they face a likely matchup with No. 2 seed Miami (25-4, 14-2) tomorrow.

The No. 7 Hurricanes have been an Achilles’ heel for the Terps all season, ending their 16-0 start with a 75-63 win in Coral Gables, Fla., on Jan. 12 before toppling them again, 7674, a month later.

Miami’s All-ACC guard trio of Shenise Johnson, Riquna Williams and Stefanie Yderstrom keyed both of those efforts, averaging a combined 56.5 points per game in the two victories.

“They’re very guard-heavy.

Their guards supply them with most of their points,” guard Laurin Mincy said. “It’s going to be up to [our guards] to stop and defend them.”

Said center Lynetta Kizer: “It’s hard to beat a team three times.”

For Thomas, it doesn’t matter who the Terps’ opponent is or how many times which team has beaten the other. For the newly named ACC Player of the Year, this weekend is just business as usual.

“We know that [Miami] is right there, but we’re just focusing on our first game,” Thomas said.

“Right now, we’re just taking it one game at a time.” vitale@umdbk.com

WEIJS from page 8 Australia, had a pivotal role in his son landing at Harcum to continue his academic and athletic endeavors. In his two years at the Philadelphiaarea junior college, the center hardly distinguished himself, never earning a starting position. But he set a singleseason program record with 119 blocks and soon garnered some looks from midmajor schools.

Weijs finally got a break during a pickup basketball game in College Park two years ago. Some of the current Terps saw his potential and passed along their praise to then-coach Gary Williams.

With a frontcourt deprived of depth, Williams took a flier on Weijs and offered him a scholarship after another impressive workout at Comcast Center.

With a slight 200-pound frame, Weijs went through a variety of diets and weighttraining programs to add muscle before his first season for the Terps. And while he packed on some pounds before the start of the 2010-11 season, he lost nearly all of it by the end of the year.

The center was routinely outmuscled in the post in ACC games and, stuck behind starting forwards Dino Gregory and Jordan Williams, couldn’t quite crack the rotation as a junior last season. He would play in 23 games, averaging just 5.2 minutes per contest.

“It was rough,” Weijs said.

“If I’m on a team and they’re winning and they don’t need

Center Berend Weijs has started six games this season for the Terps, but averages just 11.6 minutes per game. He’ll be honored Sunday on Senior Night. CHARLIE DEBOYACE/THE DIAMONDBACK

my help, it’s easier. But it’s just sometimes you feel that you can bring in something or that you should get an opportunity. But the coaches probably have their reasons for it.”

Still, he never complained. He worked out with former Terps forward Laron Profit during the offseason, hoping to develop a midrange jumper and become more comfortable with the ball in his hands.

And with the offseason departures of Gregor y and Williams, Weijs has found a steady, if not significant, spot in Turgeon’s frontcourt rotation this year.

He’s started six times this season, but played more than 20 minutes just twice. To Tur-

geon, his work ethic and positive attitude stand out more than anything.

“He’s just so nice,” Turgeon said. “If you watch Berend, Berend works with Alex [Len] before practice and after practice, he’s talking to Alex all the time. He’s just a great teammate. I’ve asked Berend to help us with the scout team, even though he’s in the rotation. He’s never said boo, he just does it.

He loves being here.”

The center has played in every game this season, and his seven-point, six-rebound performance against Notre Dame helped give the Terps one of their few marquee wins on the year.

“He’s been a fun guy to coach,” Turgeon said. “He

really has. And he’s tried. He has limitations, but it’s amazing for a guy that didn’t play a lot last year just how much he’s helped us this year.”

And despite his initial fears of leaving and his feelings of being out of place when he first moved stateside, Weijs is relishing his final months as a student-athlete in the ACC. “I’ll remember just the crazy things about playing in Comcast Center, the people always talking to you, the love you get from people just for being able to aim a ball into a hoop,” Weijs said. “It’s crazy.

In Holland, we don’t really have that. The campus, the whole experience, we have nothing like this.” ceckard@umdbk.com

MILO from page 8

Coach Erik Bakich and the Terps will host Manhattan in a four-game series this weekend.

The team is 5-1 this year, which is its best start in 25 years. FILE PHOTO/THE DIAMONDBACK

MANHATTAN from page 8 the time.”

Bakich has kept the Terps (5-1) on the same weekly plan since before the team even began play Feb. 17 at UCLA. When the team starts playing one or two mid-week games in the coming weeks, nothing will change, not even as the games start to add up.

“It’s a grind,” first baseman Tim Kiene said. “We all know that and plan accordingly. …

It’s hard, and we expect that and we’ll continue to grind and get through.”

This weekend is the only four-game series of the Terps’ season, and its effect on the team’s pitching staff will be important. The Terps enter the weekend with a 1.24 ERA, the best mark in the ACC, and only three of their 10 pitchers who have appeared in games this season have allowed earned runs.

But as the innings accumulate this weekend, Bakich might be forced to go deeper into his untested bullpen.

“When you play a lot of games in a short amount of time, a lot of times you get into your pitching depth and

DUKE from page 8 will likely draw upon last spring’s memories before tomorrow’s matchup, it may not recognize too many faces.

After all, the No. 5 Terps (2-0) lost 17 seniors after last season’s runner-up finish. They’ve been forced to retool after graduating five of their top six defensemen, as well as their two leading scorers.

Coach John Tillman’s young unit has impressed so far, scoring a combined 28 goals in convincing wins over Hart-

there’ll be some guys that will get the opportunity to pitch that maybe haven’t pitched yet,” Bakich said. “We’re looking at, if the opportunity presents itself, getting some guys in there that haven’t had an opportunity yet, especially on the mound.”

His team’s pitching overhaul has, to this point, gone as planned. The Terps have made wholesale improvements across the board, and last year’s team ERA of 5.24 is a full four runs higher than where the mark stands now.

“We’ve just been working on, this whole last fall, throwing a lot of strikes, just filling up the zone with strikes, letting our defense work because our defense is phenomenal right now,” righthander Brady Kirkpatrick said. “[Shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez is] making plays everywhere. We have our outfielders diving all over the place making plays.”

Kirkpatrick leads a staff that will also start right-handers David Carroll, Sander Beck and Brett Harman this weekend. In three starts in the Keith LeClair Classic at East Carolina, Kirkpatrick, Carroll and Harman did not

surrender an earned run.

But like last weekend, the Terps will run into strong competition. The Jaspers (13) won the MAAC last season and made the NCAA Tournament.

Manhattan boasts the 2011 MAAC Pitcher of the Year in John Soldinger, and 2011 MAAC Tournament MVP John Giordano joins him in the Jaspers’ rotation.

“We’re going to need some more guys to step up that haven’t really pitched that much this year,” Kirkpatrick said. “But we have complete confidence in all of our pitchers right now, and we feel like we can put anybody in there at any time and they will do well.”

Given the Terps’ “one game at a time” mantra, Bakich broke down this weekend’s series into much simpler terms.

“As far as the series, we don’t look at a four-game series as a four-game series,” Bakich said. “We look at it as four one-game series. That’s really what we focus on. We don’t look at all four. We’re looking at tomorrow night and focusing on that.” dgallen@umdbk.com

ford and Georgetown to start the season.

But the Hawks and Hoyas can’t match the Blue Devils’ combination of talent, athleticism and experience. Tillman said he and his coaching staff saw each facet in abundance when they scouted Duke’s 16-7 rout of Jacksonville on Sunday.

They came away impressed, to say the least.

“They’re by far the best team we’ve played,” Tillman said. “By far, in every aspect.

It’s going to be a challenge for our guys.”

For the Terps to answer that call, they’ll likely need their

best defensive performance of the young season. The Blue Devils return about 70 percent of the offensive production from a team that averaged 12.2 goals per game last year. Entering the season, it had Inside Lacrosse’s top-ranked midfield and fifth-ranked attack.

And despite showing some rust in a season-opening loss to No. 10 Notre Dame, Duke’s offense has already had flashes of dominance this year. It’s averaged 14 goals in its past two games, including a four-goal win over No. 18 Penn last Friday.

“They know what they’re

“Milo Jr. is sitting in the truck right now, ready to go to North Carolina. He’s the traveling Milo, while Milo Sr. stays in the [Terps’] locker room for motivation.”

Coach Kerr y McCoy said Milo is his team’s Testudo, a good-luck charm for all its matches.

“Around campus, everyone gets to rub Testudo’s nose for good luck, so we talked about something for our guys to have to rally around,” McCoy said.

“It’s just keeping the tradition around.”

While Milo Sr., known as Big Daddy, is decorated with a black singlet, white teeth and a red letter M, Milo Jr. is still unpainted.

Johnson said he is hoping Milo Jr. will be painted in an away uniform and that more wrestlers can help him finish the project.

Both were created “with a little bit of [Teenage Mutant] Ninja Turtle and a whole lot of understanding what a turtle looks [like],” said Johnson, who needs help carr ying both statues.

“Milo Jr. is a two-person carry, but Big Daddy takes four people to move it,” Johnson said, adding that the unfinished Milo Jr. will be the lucky turtle to see Chapel Hill this weekend.

Johnson has also carved an eagle for American and a ram for Navy, though both statues are smaller than Big Daddy. All three mascots will travel to the NCAA Championships in St. Louis on March 15.

Johnson has no ties to this university other than a friendship with assistant coach Todd Beckerman. He made Milo bigger than the others, he explained, purely based on his vision.

“I’d like to hit you with a super answer that would go down in the Bible, but it’s just the wood,” Johnson said. “It’s like the Eskimos do when they see a walrus tusk; they see what it’s going to be before they car ve it. I saw Milo in this wood.”

The main log of Milo Sr. measured 32 inches in diameter before it was carved, Johnson said, and each arm is a separate log with an 18-inch diameter.

The arms are bolted and glued to the main frame and are meant

doing, and they’re very athletic,” Tillman said. “They’re really good in transition, so we’re going to have to do a good job of making sure we take away their ability to score in transition.”

That could be a tough task for a defense that has just one player (Bernhardt) with significant experience playing in front of goalkeeper Niko Amato. The starting defensive core of sophomore Michael Ehrhardt, freshman Goran Murray and sophomore Brian Cooper had a combined eight games of experience entering the season.

“I’ve never seen that in 20

Milo Sr., pictured above, used to travel to all the Terps’ matches with his creator, Jimmy Johnson. PHOTO COURTESY OF JIMMY JOHNSON

to “intimidate” the competition, he said. In Johnson’s view, Milo will be the deciding factor in this weekend’s tournament.

“Saturday is going to be very tight,” Johnson said of the individual ACC matches. “It’s going to come down to bonus points, and Milo Jr. is worth about five to 10 points just in motivation, so he has to go down, because it’s going to be that close. Milo is the 11th man, and he could be the winner of this competition.

He won’t wrestle, but he’ll certainly help the other 10.”

And for those who will be wrestling this weekend, Milo will act as nothing less than an inspiration.

“The big one’s our favorite, and the little one’s also really cool,” 157-pound Kyle John said of the two statues. “That thing looks mean, and it definitely helps. We have such great supporters, and those turtles just add to it. It’ll be nice to have it there and get some guys fired up.”

The Terps’ 23 ACC championships are a conference record and six more than second-place North Carolina. The Terps also have won 197 individual cham-

pionships, which is the most in ACC history.

And, according to John, those numbers will only grow this weekend.

“Personally, I’m going for first place,” John said. “I’ve been second for the last two years, and now it’s my turn to be first.

There are a lot of guys on our team gunning for first place, and it’s definitely feasible.”

Saturday’s results will help decide which of the Terps gets to go to St. Louis for the NCAA Championships. A top finish can guarantee one of the ACC’s 25 spots in the national tournament, while an additional 40 atlarge qualifiers will be selected Wednesday.

“One of the goals we set at the beginning of the year was to get 10 guys to quality for NCAA, so that’s what we’re trying to do,” McCoy said. “Everyone’s 00, and what happened earlier this season doesn’t matter.

We’ve trained all year for this.

By 9 p.m. Saturday night, we’ll know who’s going to NCAA’s.”

One thing’s for sure, though: Milo will definitely be on the list.

years,” Tillman said of his revamped defense last week.

“I’ve never seen that many defensemen all disappear.”

Yet the players who remain understand the significance of tomorrow’s rivalry and have been willing to take the time to get up to speed. The defense has spent at least an hour before each practice this week watching game film, hoping to perfect its scheme and reads.

“We’re settling down a lot more now,” Ehrhardt said.

“We’re understanding the system now. We’re getting the concepts of our defense.”

Still, the team understands

no amount of game planning can account for the emotional charge of any game against Duke. Even though it doesn’t carry the significance of the teams’ last two meetings, tomorrow’s matchup has been circled on both teams’ calendars since the schedules were released in January, just as they are every year.

“These are the games that everyone comes to a place like Maryland to play,” Tillman said. “You get excited about playing a team like a Duke in your stadium.”

egan@umdbk.com

letourneau@umdbk.com

8

THE DIAMONDBACK | FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Sports

More weekend action For previews of the Terrapins women’s lacrosse and softball teams’ games this weekend, go to diamondbackonline.com.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Thomas named ACC’s best Forward only second sophomore to win conference Player of the Year

BY JOSH VITALE Staff writer

For a player of considerable talent, Alyssa Thomas is as modest as they come. Whether she’s posting career-best numbers in a win or earning firstteam All-ACC honors, the sophomore forward is much happier talking about the Terrapins women’s basketball

team than she is about her individual accomplishments on it.

So her unassuming reaction to receiving the conference’s highest honor yesterday came as no surprise.

A day before the thirdseeded Terps (25-4, 12-4 ACC) begin a quest for their first ACC Championship since 2009, their gifted forward became just the second soph-

omore in conference history to be named ACC Player of the Year.

“I definitely didn’t expect this at all,” Thomas said. “I was just coming in to play basketball and try to do better than last year.”

Thomas is the fourth player in Terps history to receive the honor, joining Vicky Bullett, Crystal Lang-

horne and Kristi Toliver.

“We’ve built on a legacy that they started,” Thomas said.

“For me to follow in their footsteps and be with them is a huge honor for me.”

Thomas proved to be one of the league’s most consistent all-around performers in her award-winning season. She

see THOMAS, page 7

Forward Alyssa Thomas, who was named ACC Player of the Year yesterday, will be key for the Terps tonight in their ACC Tournament quarterfinals matchup with Virginia. JEREMY KIM/THE DIAMONDBACK

MEN’S LACROSSE

MEN’S BASKETBALL

In Duke, Terps facing an enemy with motive Blue Devils lost May Final Four meeting

BY CONNOR LETOURNEAU Staff writer

When the Duke men’s lacrosse team faces the Terps in the teams’ ACC opener at Byrd Stadium tomorrow, it will likely still feel the sting of its last visit to the Old Line State.

About nine months ago, the unseeded Terps pushed, nudged and knocked the No. 6-seeded Blue Devils right out of the NCAA Tournament, besting their conference rivals, 9-4, before a raucous home crowd at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium.

But it wasn’t the bruises that hurt Duke in that physical semifi-

nal loss; it was the finality of it. Less than five weeks after dropping the ACC Tournament title game to the Terps, the Blue Devils’ defense of their first and only national title was over, and they had the same opponent to thank for it.

This year’s Duke squad should vividly remember that painful day.

Its 10 returning starters ensure as much.

“I think it’s going to be a huge motivation for them,” long pole Jesse Bernhardt said yesterday.

“They’re definitely coming out to get some revenge from last year.”

And while No. 10 Duke (3-1)

see DUKE, page 7

WRESTLING

Milo’s big trip Monstrous turtle wood carving has become part of Terps’ core

BY ERIN EGAN Senior staff writer

Center Berend Weijs has appeared in every game this season for the Terps, making six starts. CHARLIE DEBOYACE/THE DIAMONDBACK

THE WEIJS DECISION Terps senior Berend Weijs never wanted to leave his home in the Netherlands. Good thing he found one in College Park.

BY CHRIS ECKARD Senior staff writer

B

erend Weijs didn’t want to leave home, especially not to keep going to school.

The gangly 6-foot-10 center wanted to stay in the Netherlands, try his luck with professional basketball in his home country and maybe one day work for his father’s hardwood door company.

“My dad wanted me to study, and I didn’t want to study,” Weijs said yesterday, lounging back in a chair tucked away in a Comcast Center office. “I wanted to work and play basketball.”

But he ultimately decided to leave the tulips and windmills of home behind for a shot at the

American dream. Nearly 4,000 miles away from the comforts of Amsterdam, Weijs played two years at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, Pa., before transferring to suit up for the Terrapins men’s basketball team in August 2010.

More than four years later, Weijs still isn’t a fan of school — “I’m ready to be done,” he said — but he’s less than three months away from graduating with a degree in agricultural and resource economics. And despite playing a limited role the past two years for the Terps, he’ll be honored alongside seniors Sean Mosley and Jon Dillard before Sunday’s game against Virginia.

The center doesn’t have NBA scouts drooling, and he won’t be in line for any postseason

awards. He’s not the Terps’ top rebounder or shot blocker, and he hasn’t had a breakout performance against the ACC’s elite. But Weijs is the consummate teammate, exhausting all he has for each practice session.

“I always have energy,” Weijs said. “I never sleep.”

And no Terps player shows it more from the sidelines.

“He’s a big energy guy,” freshman guard Nick Faust said. “He always keeps us fired up. If a guy makes a mistake, he’ll get on them right away. He’s just one of those guys that keeps the team energized and fired up.”

Weijs’ father, who played professionally in the Netherlands and

WHO: Terrapins vs. Virginia | WHEN: Sunday, 2 p.m.

WHERE: Comcast Center | TV: ACC Network

see WEIJS, page 7

It’s been to New York and Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Jersey. It’s seen a program’s exalted heights and crushing lows, looked over All-Americans and reserves alike.

This weekend, though, Milo — a human-sized wood carving of a turtle in a wrestling singlet — will make its way to Chapel Hill, N.C., for what will be the Terrapins wrestling team’s biggest test all season: the ACC Championships.

The massive pine wood carving — at 200 pounds, no small thing itself — was whittled by a curious Jimmy Johnson four years ago after he decided the task looked easy enough. Johnson, a

retired schoolteacher and former wrestling referee, spent an entire summer shaving and carving the muscle-bound monstrosity.

Milo, which borrows its name from the sixth-century Greek wrestler who was said to train by carrying a calf up and down a mountain, made the trip with Johnson to all of the Terps’ matches until Johnson crafted a substitute: Milo Jr., which weighs only a little more than 100 pounds.

“Little Milo came along because it’s so much easier to transport than Milo Sr.,” said Johnson, who wouldn’t reveal his age but said he was on the firstever wrestling team during his college years at SUNY Brockport.

see MILO, page 7

BASEBALL

Routine-reliant Terps look to keep right on schedule Surging team set to face Manhattan in Shipley opener

BY DANIEL GALLEN Staff writer

Baseball players, over time, become creatures of habit. With dozens of games over the course of a season, the day-to-day customs of players and coaches become increasingly important.

Sometimes, all it takes is one unexpected change to throw the whole system off.

But when the Terrapins baseball team takes the field at Shipley Field for the first time this season today against Manhattan, coach Erik Bakich figures he knows what to expect out of his players.

“Baseball is about routines, so we’ve established a pretty good routine these past few weeks

Brady Kirkpatrick and the Terps’ pitching staff have posted the best ERA in the conference this year. FILE PHOTO/THE DIAMONDBACK

ever since we came back for preseason training,” Bakich said. “I like where we’re at from a preparation standpoint. There’s more games going to be played starting next week, but that doesn’t really factor or change the way we prepare on a daily basis. We take the approach all

see MANHATTAN, page 7