030509

BURNEY DONE

SUPERFICIAL HEROES

Foot injury sidelines forward Jerome Burney for season

It’s just as we feared: Watchmen is an epic waste of time

SPORTS | PAGE 8

DIVERSIONS | PAGE 7

THE DIAMONDBACK THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2009

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

99TH YEAR | ISSUE NO. 102

Univ. Senate applications soar Anti-Palestinian Student applicants triple; origin of interest hard to pinpoint

BY MARISSA LANG Senior staff writer

The University Senate has seen a record number of applications to join the university’s highest advisory body next year, senate officials said, citing

cations almost tripled to 175. The number of faculty applications has also increased, though not by as steep a margin.

One such student who has already

a three-fold increase in undergraduate applications.

The number of undergraduate student applications usually hovers around 50 — last year 59 undergraduate students applied for senate seats — but this year, the number of appli-

Please See SENATE, Page 3

fliers hung near solidarity event Mote calls for tolerance, open dialogue in e-mail to the campus

Outside the box

BY KYLE GOON, ADELE HAMPTON, AND MARISSA LANG

Week-long event explores multiracial identities

Senior staff writers

Palestinian students and supporters were confronted with malevolent opposition Tuesday in the form of posters bearing vivid anti-Palestine propaganda that students said made them feel threatened, though it did not stop Palestinian Solidarity Week from continuing last night.

University officials and University Police are conducting ongoing investigations into the incident, though they do not know who is responsible for making the posters.

BY ADELE HAMPTON Staff writer

“Check one: American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, White or Other.”

Thousands of students at this university go through the application process, sorting themselves into clear-cut racial categories.

But not everyone is a perfect match.

Through Mixed Madness Week, a series of events dedicated to the promotion and acceptance of multiracial students at this university, the Multiracial and Biracial Student Association hopes to bring multiracial issues to the forefront of campus dialogue, MBSA president Erica Franklin said. This week’s programs are meant to spark more discussion about forced racial categorization

The fliers prompted a campuswide e-mail from university President Dan Mote yesterday in which he encouraged an “open dialogue” that promotes tolerance.

One such flier depicted a woman, wearing a traditional Muslim burqa and holding an AK-47 in one hand and a bomb-toting baby in the other. “What did she teach her child today?” was written above the picture.

This poster and others like it were found after Tuesday’s “What would MLK say about Gaza?” event, which

Please See OPPOSITION, Page 3

ANNAPOLIS 2009

Mote defends funding for higher education

Please See MULTIRACIAL, Page 3

President says the university’s economic benefits outweigh proposed cut to USM

BY ALLISON STICE Senior staff writer

Kyland Howard, right, discusses the issue of "race boxes" and the ability to choose more than one as part of Mixed Madness week, organized by the MBSA.

University officials defended their portion of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s (D) proposed budget in Annapolis yesterday, saying the university delivers economic benefits that far outweigh its cost to the state.

University President Dan Mote testified against a $5.6 million cut to the University System of Maryland by emphasizing the ways in which the university contributes to the

state’s economy through entrepreneurship, research and partnerships. He highlighted the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute, an incubator with a start-up cost of $88.8 million that he said had a $19.7 billion economic impact in goods and services.

The cut was proposed by legislative budget analysts during a hearing last month and is meant to reflect decreased corporate tax revenues,

Please See FUNDING, Page 2

PHOTOS BY JACLYN BOROWSKI/THE DIAMONDBACK

Teaching calm in the face of crisis University Police plan mock chemical explosion to prepare campus staff

BY NICK RHODES Staff writer

Aly Litkowski, an SGA legislator, speaks in support of a bill that suggests a class on sustainability be made mandatory. JAMES B. HALE/THE DIAMONDBACK

SGA pushes for required course on sustainability

BY DERBY COX Staff writer

Student leaders called for a sustainability course requirement to be added to the university’s general education program at an SGA meeting last night.

The resolution comes at a criti-

TOMORROW’S WEATHER:

cal time, as the General Education Task Force will soon begin work on a new general education curriculum in accordance with the university’s strategic plan.

The plan states that the university will become a “national model for

University officials from numerous departments were tied up yesterday dealing with a chemical explosion outside H.J. Patterson Hall. And though the situation was serious, most seemed more interested in the bagels and muffins located in the back of the room.

Luckily, the incident was only a hypothetical exercise sponsored by University Police to educate members of the university community about how to react to real-life crises and to practice group problem-solving.

About 80 officials from 12 various onand off-campus departments and organizations attended the tabletop exercise called “Operation Fire Storm” yesterday morning in the Nyumburu Cultural Center. The exercise consisted of a crisis scenario and an analysis of the procedures each department would take to keep the campus — and the university community — safe.

Please See SGA, Page 2

Partly Sunny/50s

Please See EXERCISE, Page 3

INDEX

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

University staff members from various departments gather to discuss plans of action during hypothetical on-campus emergency situations. JAMES B. HALE/THE DIAMONDBACK

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

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

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‘Green’ courses may satisfy requirements

BRIEFS Woman killed, child hurt in crash with trash truck

HEARING THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE

GLEN BURNIE – Anne Arundel County fire officials say a woman was killed and a child injured when the car they were traveling in hit a garbage truck.

The crash occurred around 6:45 a.m. on East Ordnance Road at Blades Lane in Glen Burnie.

County Fire Department Battalion Chief Matthew Tobia says the car hit the large commercial garbage truck and both vehicles caught fire.

Tobia says Christine Schoppert, 33, of Pasadena died from multiple injuries.

The five-year-old child was taken by ambulance to Johns Hopkins Hospital with serious injuries.

SGA, from Page 1

approve or strike down the cut in the next few weeks, said university lobbyist Ross Stern.

“We’re working on it, talking to them individually, reminding them of it every day,” Stern said.

Bohanan said the committee will vote on whether to approve or strike down cuts next week.

“Everything’s going to be tough, but we’ll try to avoid it if we can,” he said.

After passing out of committee, the budget moves through the House of Delegates, which will be the first chamber to vote on the budget this year. Afterward, the House-approved budget travels through the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee to the senate floor.

The different decisions made by both chambers will be reconciled through a conference committee of high-ranking legislators in the final days of the session in April. No cuts are final before then, Stern said.

a Green University.” Despite concerns among some members that a new requirement would burden students, proponents of the bill said sustainability courses are necessary to ensure students are ready to address the challenges facing the world.

“A course in sustainability should be both intellectually and ethically engaging — these are at the heart of the criteria I believe a [general education] course should meet,” Ira Berlin, a history professor who is the task force’s chairman, wrote in an email. He noted, however, that the group has not yet met.

Student Government Association Senior Vice President Joanna Calabrese emphasized that sustainability — which the university’s Office of Sustainability defines as the “ability to provide for the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs” — goes beyond protecting the environment.

“My hope is that it won’t be interpreted as just another piece of green legislation,” she said.

It’s not just about going green; it’s not just about the environment. It’s about sustaining quality of life for generations to come,” she added.

The Office of Sustainability has created a list of more than 150 courses currently offered in 25 departments that might satisfy the requirement. New courses might be created as students and faculty become “more excited” about sustainability, Calabrese said.

“Creating global thinkers on this issue and making sure people are aware of this issue should be an extreme priority for the campus,” SGA Environmental Affairs Liaison Davey Rogner said Tuesday.

But some SGA members worried the requirement would make it difficult for students to complete their coursework.

“I was a double major,” said South Campus Commons Legislator Greg Baesa, who voted against the bill.

“You can only have so much room [for classes]. ... For the university to impose another requirement on you, I think, is a little bit troubling.”

The last clause of the bill states that sustainability courses could be counted more than once in order to fulfill multiple requirements.

Letters and Sciences Legislator Kelley Chubb, who also voted against the bill, said she thought the language of the bill was too strong in calling for the new requirement.

Campus Sustainability Coordinator Mark Stewart, who said sustainability encompasses the “biggest issues humanity faces in the 20th century,” said in an interview before the meeting that it is important that there be a wide range of courses on the issue.

The bill passed 14-2 with five abstentions after an impassioned speech by SGA President Jonathan Sachs.

“This is where the jobs for tomorrow are here in the United States,” Sachs said. “The CORE curriculum exists for the sole purpose of preparing students for life after college in a holistic way.”

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County corrections officer arrested UPPER MARLBORO – A Prince George’s County Department of Corrections officer has been arrested.

Authorities say Cpl. John Hanna of Glen Burnie was arrested Sunday in Prince William County in Virginia and charged with burglary, rape, abduction and other offenses.

He is being held without bond in Manassas.

Prince George’s County officials say Hanna had been on administrative leave with pay from the county corrections department since Jan. 15. His leave was due to a jail incident that is still being investigated.

Authorities say Hanna has now been suspended without pay because of the criminal charges.

Drive-by shooting investigated in Hagerstown HAGERSTOWN – Hagerstown police said several shots were fired from an SUV on Boward Street downtown.

There were no injuries.

The incident occurred Tuesday about 11 a.m. The rear window of a minivan was shattered.

Sgt. Paul Kifer says police found a Hagerstown man whom they believe to be the shooter. The man has not been charged in the shooting, but was arrested on an unrelated incident in Montgomery County.

— Compiled from wire reports

CORRECTIONS Due to an editing error, the inside headline on yesterday’s story about an attempted robbery was incorrect. The attempted robbery was the third to fail in February.

Due to a reporting error, a women’s basketball story that was published yesterday, “A seedy situation,” incorrectly stated the highest recent seeding in the NCAA tournament for the Terps. The Terps received a No. 1 seed in the 2008 NCAA tournament.

SCENE + HEARD

Students and many others gathered in the Grand Ballroom lounge Wednesday night to see the film Sounds of Silence, part of the Muslim Film Festival, which is presented by the American Islamic Congress and Project Nur. The festival runs until March 12 and includes other area universities, such as American and Georgetown University. VINCE SALAMONE/THE DIAMONDBACK

Two-fifths of fund cut would hurt univ.

FUNDING, from Page 1 which are used to fund the Higher Education Investment Fund, the state’s first dedicated source of funding for higher education. System officials have said that lower expected revenues were already factored into O’Malley’s proposal and have called the proposal a “double cut.”

Mote said the university would likely absorb about 40 percent of the proposed cut. However, no cuts have been proposed specifically for this university, and O’Malley’s budget increases funding for the campus by about 3 percent.

Mote emphasized the university’s economic impact throughout his talk, mentioning several small business incubators that have generated state jobs and revenues.

“We’re a big lever for the state’s economy and additional revenues to do this are quite modest,” Mote said.

However, members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education & Economic Development were more interested in hearing about efforts to improve retention and graduation rates, especially for minority students, and inquired about financial aid and the university’s Freshman Connection program.

Mote cited several programs that tutor and track student success as tools for increasing graduation rates.

The graduation rate is 82 percent campus-wide, 78 percent for Hispanic students and 68 percent for black students, he said, adding that the university is not satisfied with those

“We’re a big lever for the state’s economy and additional revenues to do this are quite modest.”

DAN MOTE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

numbers.

Mote’s answer to most questions revolved around the university’s 10-year strategic plan. The ambitious document intends to position the university among the best public research universities in the country, and its implementation began in the fall.

Each college will submit their own strategic plans to the president’s office in May. The plan involves faculty reviews, stabilizing enrollment and bolstering financial aid.

“As a veteran of two decades of university leadership positions, it’s the best strategic plan I have ever seen in its rigor, quality and direction,” University System Chancellor Brit Kirwan testified.

One important facet is that each department will reduce its own budget by 2 percent, which the provost’s office will collect and reinvest, a move that will encourage competition among departments and force them to justify their funding, Mote said.

The plan requires an extra $40 million each year from the state to achieve its goals and will likely not be fully funded for some time.

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The university’s 2010 budget increased by $44 million over this year’s in the governor’s proposal.

“I’m always impressed with Dr. Mote and there are so many good things going on at College Park, but I’m particularly impressed with the long-term strategic plan,” said subcommittee chairman Del. John Bohanan (D-St. Mary’s), who also chaired a commission that studied long-term funding for the university system. “Higher education has fared very well under Gov. O’Malley, and you’re beginning the see the seeds of the investment in the strategic plan in that increase.”

The budget could still be reduced before the General Assembly approves the final budget in April. Even after it clears the legislature, the Board of Public Works can slash it midyear; the university gave back $26.2 million of its budget in such cuts last year, which Mote said slowed progress.

“That’s in no way a complaint, but it’s something you need to recognize is going to have an effect, whether on financial aid or other programs,” he said.

Many problems won’t improve without state money, Mote said, adding that the university has taken steps to raise money for itself through donations and research grants. The campus has passed the $600 million mark in its Great Expectations campaign, which aims to raise $1 billion in private donations by 2011.

As for the $5.6 million cut, the House Appropriations committee may

“Higher education has fared very well under Gov. O’Malley, and you’re beginning to see the seeds of the investment in the strategic plan in that increase.”

JOHN BOHANAN STATE DELEGATE

THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2009 | NEWS | THE DIAMONDBACK

3

Students No student senate seat uncontested in election say fliers seemed menacing SENATE, from Page 1

OPPOSITION, from Page 1 was hosted by several student organizations.

“We were expecting some disagreement, but we never expected Islamophobic messages,” said senior government and politics and Spanish major Sana Javed, who is also a member of the Muslim Students’ Association. “We don’t know where it’s coming from, so we can’t really point any fingers. It could get worse. I’m really appalled.”

Senior dietetics major Gisica Abdallah was at Tuesday’s event — which was held in Jimenez Hall — when her friends brought the posters to her attention. She initially dismissed them as a one-time thing, but when she got to McKeldin Library, she noticed signs covering the outside and lobby of the building.

“They were everywhere,” Abdallah said. “The hatred that was portrayed, that was the most hurtful thing.”

Abdallah then began tearing down as many signs as she could before running to the Stamp Student Union, where she brought the fliers to Vice President for Student Affairs Linda Clement. “[The posters] made a number of our students feel very uncomfortable,” Clement said. “We have been doing things all day to investigate the incident. ... We have people examining surveillance tapes in the union and will be working with University Police to try and figure out who did this.”

Clement added that because the topic is so controversial, it is possible that someone from outside the “university community” is responsible for posting the offensive fliers.

“It would be a real shame for people to think that this is something that needs to be rectified within our community,” Clement said. “What the reality is, we just don’t know yet. The posters were put in very public places, not in residence halls or places where access is limited to students and a few other people.”

Abdallah echoed Clement’s sentiments and does not place blame on any specific student organization, adding the fliers were most likely the work of individuals.

“I don’t think any student organization can stoop to this level,” she said. “There were just some angry people [Tuesday] night, and this is what they did.”

University Police spokesman Paul Dillon said police have also started collecting information about the incident.

“We heard about it this morning and we’ve been talking to some individuals, seeing what we have,” Dillon said.

“We’re trying to gather those initial facts before we start looking for people or reviewing [surveillance] video.”

But no student victim had gone directly to police as of last night, Dillon added.

The fliers, which were in violation of the university’s policy on free speech, are also being condemned by some Jewish student organizations as well as the university’s Hillel chapter, who is sending out messages condemning the fliers.

“There’s such a thing as free speech,” Clement said. “But when you post things anonymously and make others feel threatened, that’s not free speech.”

Despite the posters — which many students described as “menacing” — Palestinian Solidarity week went on last night with an event. The event, which explored some of the issues facing the Palestinian people, was “heavily staffed” and was monitored to prevent other incidents from occurring, Clement said.

Speaker Mauri' Saalakhan, the author of the book The Palestinians’ Holocaust: American Perspectives, addressed a lecture hall filled with students about Palestinians’ “right to defend themselves” against Israeli occupation, though there was much debate among attendees about whether or not Palestine is an “occupied state.”

But Saalakhan also added that while he recognizes Judaism as a legitimate faith, he condemns Zionism and Americans for being “too fearful and too ignorant to explore the conflict.”

Some organizers said that Saalakhan’s controversial message went against their goal of promoting a positive dialogue about the conflict.

“Christians, Jews and Muslims have a right to live in equality,” Saalakhan said.

“But Israel has no more right to exist than the apartheid [had].”

Palestinian Solidarity Week aims to give a voice to the unheard Palestinians on the campus, which organizers said is necessary because of the university’s large Jewish population. Javed added that because many on-campus organizations and students are pro-Israel, the thoughts and struggles of Palestinian students are “drowned out.”

“We just want to present the Palestinian story and show that there’s another side of the story,” Javed said.

“It’s all under the umbrella that Israel is defending their land. We’ve completely missed out on the whole other half of the story.” hamptondbk@gmail.com, goondbk@gmail.com, langdbk@gmail.com

set up a Facebook group to campaign for his senate bid is Student Government Association President Jonathan Sachs, who said he will not be pursuing reelection.

While senate officials are thrilled with the sudden wave of interest, they said it’s difficult to pinpoint its origins.

Reka Montfort, the senate’s executive secretary and director, speculated that November’s presidential election sparked a new wave of political interest among young people that she thinks has also been brought back to the university level.

“For a lot of students, [the presidential election] was probably their first time voting,” Montfort said. “So we’ve probably had so much enthusiasm generated by the general presidential election that it has carried over into the senate elections.”

Other hypotheses include increased publicity both by senators themselves and by campus media.

“There have always been active students who want to get involved, but this is [on] an unprecedented scale,”

senate chairman Ken Holum said of the number of applicants. “The senate office has done a terrific job of organizing outreach this year ... and [media] coverage has been pretty good and very active this year, which keeps students informed on issues that directly affect them.”

In a new move to get the word out and pique student interest, the senate office sent an e-mail message to all university students, informing them of the voting period and application process. In the past, notifications were only sent out to departments, who were then expected to pass the message along.

The controversial issues the senate is discussing might also be partially responsible for the onslaught of student interest, Holum added.

“Look at what we’ve addressed this year,” he said. “There’s the good Samaritan policy, the no-smoking policy, post-tenure review; the list goes on.

They’re controversial. And all the policies we do discuss affect students in one way or another.”

Though the colleges and schools with the largest student populations —

the College of Arts and Humanities and the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences — had the greatest number of student applications for their senate seats, Montfort said all departments had least two applicants per seat and, in many cases, had more than ever before.

“It’s been a pretty consistent jump across the board,” Montfort said.

“There’s no such thing as just one person being the only one person running for a seat. There’s competition in every college.”

Because of the senate’s importance and the unforeseen level of participation, voter turnout in senate elections this year is crucial, senate officials added, as no student seat in the legislative body will be going uncontested.

The one-week-long voting period, which opens Friday, allows all members of the university, including students, faculty and staff, to vote for representatives who will, if elected, vote on university policy recommendations delivered directly to university President Dan Mote, who rarely ignores them.

“I think it’s really appealing to be a part of the senate because it’s an advisory body to the president,” undergraduate student Senator Brad Docherty said. “The senate represents all constituents on the university campus, so when [Mote] hears something being recommended by the senate, he tends to listen.”

Sachs said this reason is a primary motivating factor in his decision to run for a position in the senate, as opposed to running for reelection as president of the SGA, which, he said, he decided against on Feb. 16.

“I really want to contribute to the university in as many ways as I can,” Sachs said. He added that if he is elected as BSOS senator, he will focus on implementing the university’s strategic plan and trying to better the BSOS department, which has been underfunded recently. “[The university] means a lot to me,” Sachs said. “I want to make sure we continue to progress in the direction we’ve been going.”

Staff writer Derby Cox contributed to this report. langdbk@gmail.com.

Students say cultural groups need to bridge gaps MULTIRACIAL, from Page 1 and other issues in the public consciousness, she added. “[Mixed Madness] was put in place to build bridges across racial borders,” Franklin said. “We wanted to establish our presence on campus and to get the word out that biracial students have experiences that need to be talked about.”

Started in 2003, Mixed Madness Week began as Multicultural Madness Week and was sponsored by the MAVIN Foundation, a national multiracial awareness organization, according to the MAVIN Foundation’s website. Since then, Mixed Madness Week has grown to include a number of different events, such as the game show-like “Dual of the Duos” on Tuesday and “Check ALL That Apply,” a panel discussion held last night. “Mixing It Up,” an art showcase and social mixer scheduled for Monday, was canceled because of the snow day and will be possibly held in April, Franklin said.

During yesterday’s panel discussion, university administrators and members of the Maryland Equity Council put a spotlight on the university’s “race box issue.”

On the application for this university, students have to check the box corresponding to their race.

Multiracial students who don’t fit into or identify with a specific category must choose a single race or choose “other.” If more than one box is chosen, statistics can be skewed.

As a federal mandate, all universities must report their diversity statistics to the federal government by 2010 and must allow potential students to chose more than one race, said Denise Nadasen, the director of reporting, accountability and infrastructure for the university’s Office of Insti-

Cortland Lee discusses the issue of “race boxes” and the ability to choose more than one as part of Mixed Madness Week, organized by the Multiracial and Biracial Students’ Association. JACLYN BOROWSKI/THE DIAMONDBACK

tutional Research Planning and Assessment Reporting.

“It’s a topic that brings up the identity issues of multiracial students,” Counselor Education Program director Courtland Lee said.

The panel discussed alternative options for the university to determine the racial background of potential students and talked about the effects of checking more than one box.

“I don’t feel like an ‘other,’” Franklin said of the check box option.

While the MBSA is an advocate of bringing different cultures together, this is the first year Mixed Madness Week is co-sponsored by other cultural student organizations. The showcase and mixer that was canceled Monday,

for example, was organized with the help of eight other groups, such as the campus chapter of the NAACP, the American Indian Student Association, the Ethiopian Students Association and Kappa Phi Lambda.

The events of Mixed Madness Week promote diversity, something this university has yet to embrace, Franklin said. About 34 percent of students are minorities, but some say that number should be larger, she added.

“I know we are 13 percent black or whatever, but that number gets real small, real quick,” Franklin said.

Mixed Madness Week also brings attention to the issue of stereotypes, a practice Franklin said needs to be addressed

because students can often characterize multiracial students’ behaviors into simple racial stereotypes.

“People say ‘Oh, you got an A on that? That must be your white side,’” Franklin said. “No, that’s just me.”

While the issues explored by Mixed Madness Week are prevalent on the campus, Franklin worries that after the week is over, those concepts may fade out of students’ minds.

“I honestly don’t think the student body understands,” Franklin said. “People don’t think about how you have to fit into race categories.

Socially, I think a lot of people expect you to hang out with people you look like.” hamptondbk@gmail.com

Hypothetical crisis tests interdepartmental communication EXERCISE, from Page 1 The exercise, which was planned for some time, was not a response to the chemical spill in the Chemistry Building on Friday. However, the two did share some similarities, such as unknown chemical substances and a response by a hazardous materials team.

University Police spokesman Paul Dillon said the aim of the exercise is to throw scenarios at people in real-time, and to see how they respond.

“It’s designed to help people work together and deal with crisis situations,” Dillon said.

The exercise was broken up into several segments called “injects,” which would gradually reveal more information about the unfolding crisis. This incident started out as a truck driver noticing a gas leak in a cylinder while making a delivery.

After each inject, the groups had about 15 minutes to discuss what their department would be responsible for and how they would respond. They were encouraged to “call” other departments and go over to other tables to seek advice. Then, each group’s “spokesperson” would give a short presentation to the room about what they would do.

Several other complications would arise throughout the morning, such as an explosion due to the gas, smoke and fire being blown toward dorms; phone lines and websites in danger of being compromised due to heavy traffic; and victim searches amid chaos.

Although the scenario was intense, participants were encouraged to have an open exchange of ideas and not to put pressure on themselves to come up with answers. The moderators encouraged a relaxed setting conducive to learning rather than loading administrators with overwhelming anxiety.

During the exercise, the group let out a

Staff members from various university departments and other off-campus organizations gather to work through a hypothetical emergency situation in the Nyumburu Cultural Center yesterday afternoon. JAMES B. HALE/THE DIAMONDBACK

hearty laugh when one of the injects suggested there was an odd odor emanating from the chemical spill and an official from the Stamp Student Union suggested it was the daily special from the Maryland Food Collective.

The exercise was sponsored by University Police and led by Major Jay Gruber, the commander of the Technology Service Bureau, and Fire Marshal Alan Sactor of the environmental safety department. Both were pleased with the re-

sults.

“I thought it was very successful,” Gruber said.

Gruber said the little details people realize during the meetings — such as overdependence on phone lines and websites — tend to make a difference.

Sactor echoed Gruber’s sentiments, explaining the drills give university officials a chance to remedy flaws in procedures.

“I think it went really well,” Sactor

said. “It’s a really good opportunity to get all the campus departments together with outside agencies. It also gives people an opportunity to meet each other.”

Gruber said preparing for disasters and crises are important because the university has a responsibility to take care of its students.

“We take that very seriously,” he said.

“It’s why we all work so hard.” rhodesdbk@gmail.com

4

THE DIAMONDBACK | THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2009

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Open endowments

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peaking before a legislative session of the Student Government Commission, a national organization that develops state policy recomAssociation, university President Dan Mote said that for an insti- mendations, has been working to change states’ overly restrictive endowtution of our size, we should have an endowment of about $2 bil- ment management laws. Kieran Marion, legislative counsel with the ULC, lion. Endowments allow universities to launch new initiatives and notes that the proposed law gives endowment administrators the latitude fund scholarships and professorships essential to achieving both accessi- to use endowment funds flexibly and effectively. Since 2007, Marion noted happily, 27 states and Washington have adopted the ULC’s proposal as bility and excellence. law, and a number of other states have the bill on their dockets.

Right now, our endowment stands at about $400 million.

This past Friday, the state Senate passed the bill as What’s more, out of that $400 million, there’s money SB230, and it is now coming before the House Judiciary that can’t be touched at the moment. Here’s what’s hapCommittee. This procedural bill doesn’t have the flash pening: Let’s say a Terp alumnus who has struck it rich (perhaps he built a company of stretchy athletic wear) is The state should adopt a bill of same-sex domestic partner benefits or even the obvious appeal of legislating cheaper textbooks. Changing convinced to break off a piece of his fortune to establish making endowment the restrictions on endowment management from “hisa scholarship fund. He writes a check for $300,000, toric dollar value” to “prudent management” probably which the university then invests in a portfolio of stocks administration more doesn’t quicken your pulse. and bonds. Under state law, the university can only use flexible.

But as Steven Leitess, a commissioner pushing the the portfolio’s profits to fund the scholarship. So if the stock market tanks and the value of the endowment portfolio drops to state’s version of the bill, notes, SB230 was introduced as an emergency $200,000, the money can’t be touched until the fund regains its original bill, and with good reason — endowment money is locked up just when students need scholarships more than ever. This bill is worth supporting. value. That year, there’s no stretchy scholarship given.

Last year was the roughest in the stock markets in recent memory, and Even if it’s not exciting, it’s important. This bill will make education more our endowment lost 23 percent of its value. Fortunately, the Uniform Law accessible without costing the state a dime.

Our View

Editorial Cartoon: Mike O’Brien

to view this cartoon animated go to WWW.DIAMONDBACKONLINE.COM

Baseball spectators: Where’s the love?

L

ike most high school baseball players, my career ended at 18 when I traded in my bat and mitt for a pingpong ball and some Solo cups. The complete disintegration of my athletic prowess kept me off the field, but it certainly did not stop me from being an avid baseball spectator.

Apparently I am unique.

This past weekend, I attended a Terp baseball game and was embarrassed to see a fan base that consisted of a couple of scattered parents and a few girlfriends. Meanwhile, just down Paint Branch Avenue, the women’s lacrosse stadium sounded like a Led Zeppelin concert, thanks to the overflowing bleachers of screaming fans. I have nothing against lacrosse, but baseball is one of the cornerstones of American sports. In fact, it’s one of the cornerstones of American culture. The fact that it has been

MIKE

DIMARCO usurped by a sport where players use nets to throw a ball into other nets is ridiculous.

I know baseball is not the most action-packed sport to sit and watch, and it certainly hasn’t been the strong point of the university’s athletics program over the last few decades, but the fact that the team is nearly devoid of any fan support is simply sad. Remember the days when baseball was considered a national pastime? Well, apparently those days are long gone.

With the Orioles perennially in the dumpster, it’s understandable that

faith in Major League Baseball is waning, but the trickle-down effect is turning baseball everywhere into a joke.

With no disrespect to the many other underappreciated college sports teams (shout out to women’s water polo), the Terrapin baseball team deserves our support. When these college players chose baseball as kids, it was in the pre-steroid, Cal Ripken era and the sport was pure.

How were they to know that by the time they reached college, the game they loved so much would be taking a backseat to nearly all other major sports?

In case you haven’t noticed, the rest of the world is playing baseball and playing it really well. In the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006, the United States finished in a dismal 8th place. While South America and Asia are pumping out young talent faster than American Idol,

America is producing children who are beginning to skip baseball in favor of other options. The empty bleachers flanking our diamond are just another reminder that a sport that was once a unifying and patriotic experience is quickly becoming an afterthought in the minds of American youth.

The harsh truth is that college is where most of these players’ baseball careers will end, and we are in effect making them play out their final games in a ghost town. I am not so naive that I expect to save baseball. But I don’t think it’s too much to ask that at some point this semester, you skip the daytime rerun of From G’s to Gents and take two hours out of your day to support a group of guys who deserve better.

Mike DiMarco is a junior English major. He can be reached at dimarcodbk@gmail.com.

Religion: Happiness isn’t next to godliness

W

hile sifting through the emails and comments in response to my Feb. 16 column, “Presidency: When will we break the God barrier?”

I noticed an overriding theme in the criticism. What seemed difficult for my critics to swallow wasn’t my conclusion that it would be near impossible to elect an atheist to high office, but that neither goodness nor happiness is linked to godliness.

All too often those who say morality is derived from the Bible nitpick through the nastiness of scripture and only preach the less disturbing parts.

There’s no better example than the story of Abraham, a charming bedtime story. God orders Abraham to murder his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. But then, just before Abraham slices into his petrified son, an angel appears. Just joshing, Abraham, God was only test-

ing your faith, the angel informs him.

Abraham and Isaac then walk off into the sunset, surely to have a great father-son relationship for the remainder of their days — OK, so that’s an exaggeration, but you get my drift.

Many faithfuls look at this story as an allegory, something that only reflects how we should have trust in God and we’ll be shown the way. But that, in itself, is contradictory. If we derive our virtues from the Bible, then how can we look at this story and say that it’s morally wrong? Our sense of right and wrong must come from some other place.

But if there weren’t a higher entity monitoring our actions and thoughts, wouldn’t we all turn into diabolical heathens? Anyone who refrains from inflicting pain and suffering on others just because God may be watching is nothing more than a brown-noser. But

JUSTIN

SNOW

those who continue to avoid committing murder and the like without a God prove that a higher power isn’t necessary to be good.

Religion affects all of us. There is not a person who won’t one day grapple with faith. And as college students, we’re at a stage in our lives when we’re coming to terms with our beliefs. Some are sticking by the convictions of their parents while others are rejecting them entirely. But in either case, we’re filtering through facts and opinions to find ourselves. Those who

refuse to question their own faith fail to discover the flaws in their arguments.

There are surely billions of people who sleep better at night thinking that there is some order to the world. The idea that life came about by chance is hard for our minds to fathom. But that doesn’t mean happiness is unattainable without God. One of the pitfalls of religion is that it teaches us to be content with not knowing. Ignorance may be bliss, but as Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw said, “The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one.”

Amen to that.

Justin Snow is a sophomore history major. He can be reached at snowdbk@gmail.com.

POLICY: The signed letters, columns and cartoon represent only 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.

GABRIEL BAND AND MARK JUBAR Malcolm Harris’ March 3 column, “Terrorism minor: Don’t train, teach,” about the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism and its terrorism studies minor program was inaccurate, offensive and unprofessional. As recent graduates from the program, we feel compelled to set the record straight and address a few of Harris’ misguided points.

The terrorism studies minor is an open, interdisciplinary and scholarly program dedicated to the research and analysis of terrorism. It consists of three academically rigorous courses that investigate the behaviors and motivations that precipitate terrorist activity and the societal responses to terrorism, and it provides students with the scholarly tools and experience necessary for the continued study of terrorism. To provide a well-rounded perspective, the minor also includes an elective requirement in an interdisciplinary field and a course dedicated to developing students’ research methodology skills. For the record, rather little emphasis is placed on counterterrorism. We are taught about terrorism, and we are trained to understand what career paths are best for us to combat such national security issues.

With regard to the information presented, we would like to address the major inaccurate points. First, we reject the assertion that “the minor isn’t even designed to teach anyone about anything.” Indeed, had Harris continued reading on the same page on START’s website, he would have found an explicit set of student learning outcomes, including gaining an improved understanding of theories of terrorist group formation, improved analytical and research skills and practical experience related to the homeland security community. We emphasize the absence of practical torture skills and stress that participation in the program does not entail belief in such methods.

Second, we acknowledge and appreciate the Department of Homeland Security’s funding for our center and its initiatives. The department’s Science and Technology Directorate funds the START center (and four others ranging from zoonotic disease research to catastrophic event response) in an effort to facilitate interchange between experts and researchers. The university is a state institution, and a large portion of its funding for all academic programs is provided by the government. On this basis, we reject the assertion that the funding from the Department of Homeland Security is any form of government intervention or influence in our overall academic discourse.

Finally, we would like to address Harris’ questions pertaining to the education that the minor provides. Yes, the curriculum is likely to present non-mainstream viewpoints, introduce information likely to make students question the current wars and inspire lively debate about what gives rise to terrorist activity. The START staff is not made up of government representatives. Indeed, they are the same professors interested in teaching, and, unlike as Harris suggests, they are without an agenda. We encourage anyone doubtful of this free and open discourse to apply to the program and see for themselves.

Rather than attacking successful programs, we recommend that Harris divert his zealous efforts to promoting other exceptional academic programs so that the university truly does provide for its entire constituency. The minor has afforded its students with incredible educational and professional opportunities in its short tenure here at the university.

Gabriel Band is a senior biology major minoring in terrorism studies. Mark Jubar is a senior government and politics major also minoring in terrorism studies.

They can be reached at gband@umd.edu.

AIR YOUR VIEWS Address your letters or guest columns to the Opinion Desk at opinion.dbk@gmail.com. All letters and guest columns must be signed. Include your full name, year, major and day- and nighttime phone numbers. Please limit letters to 300 words. Please limit guest columns to 600 words.

Submission of a letter or guest column constitutes an exclusive, worldwide, transferable license to The Diamondback of the copyright in the material in any media. The Diamondback retains the right to edit submissions for content and length.

THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2009 | THE DIAMONDBACK

5

Features HOROSCOPESTELLA WILDER

Previous Day’s Puzzle Solved: R I V E T

OT DE ED D A I DE VO I DS AWL S T E E C CO UN TO L N EWB A CHAR AR I A PUNS

R N S B R I D L I N G

SCAR OH I O D EMO AWS T S S PRO F L OU U I L T E E L L S P CA L GAM OUS ORA NUS

R E N T J A V E L I N

BO L OMA NER I NG NS E G DU GON A SO L E AR DU AUD D L E OT R

Estuary Utmost degree Pelt WSW opposite Hwy.

11

12

13

16 19 23

35

36

37

38

41 45

61

62

63

64

orn today, you are destined to be immersed in the big things from an early age, and it is likely that routine trivialities are not ever to be a part of your life for any length of time. You thrive on being where the action is, and you want more than anything to be in a controlling position that affords you the opportunity to have a major impact on the issues of the day and their daily evolution and development. In simple terms, you want to be important — and indeed you can be so. Always take care, however, that you don’t let your head grow out of proportion.

B

You don’t really like to be alone, and fortunately you very likely won’t be very often. You can be rather blunt, caustic and forbidding at times, and when it comes to your opinions, you can be quite vocal — and, of course, inflexible.

You know that you are right — period.

Also born on this date are: Samantha Eggar, actress; Marsha Warfield, comedienne and actress; Rex Harrison, actor; Chou En-Lai, Chinese premier; Dean Stockwell, actor.

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

TODAY’S CROSSWORD SPONSORED BY:

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FRIDAY, MARCH 6 PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) — An early start can yield some surprising results. You’ll want to keep an accurate tally of the gains you score at this time.

B E N T H E R E

ARIES (March 21-April 19) — The unusual may be quite usual all day long. Late in the day, you’ll have reason to dig deep

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — You’ve been so eager to see a loved one progress recently that you’ve been putting your own desires on a back burner.

That can change.

into your bag of tricks in order to progress.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — A past association can prove quite valuable to you once more, as a shared goal brings you and a former ally back together for a time.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Proceed carefully and according to plan. If you don’t have a plan, it’s time to formulate one as quickly as possible.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — You’re in for a surprise if you expect to go about your business with no intrusions and no distractions.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — You may be approaching some dangerous territory at this time, either literally or figuratively. Are you ready for what lies ahead?

CANCER (June 21-July 22) — Don’t come across in a manner that drives people away. Be courteous, realistic and gracious.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — You’ll have a chance to demonstrate your own unique way of getting something done. Soon, others are likely to follow suit.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — You’re sure to be surprised by what someone has to offer. You may want to rethink your own strategies and make subtle changes.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — The stars are not likely to forgive a late start or any kind of carelessness. Make sure that you’re doing things the way they should be done.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — You and a friend may find yourself at cross-purposes for a time, but you can both be back on track before nightfall. Communicate.

Copyright 2009 United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

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THE DIAMONDBACK | SPORTS | THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2009

Terps have blown leads in home losses NOTEBOOK, from Page 8

CONFOUNDING HOME STATS The Terps haven’t trailed at halftime in any of their seven most recent home losses, dating back to last season.

Here have been the leads (or tie) at halftime at each loss.

3/1/09 – Wake Forest: +7 2/25/09 – Duke: Tie 1/27/09 – Boston College: +11 1/7/09 – Morgan State: +3 3/2/08 - Clemson: +12 2/20/08 - Virginia Tech: +2

1/27/08 - Duke: +9 In all but the pair of Duke games, the Terps once held a double-digit lead. The last time the Terps lost at home and also trailed at the half was on Dec. 22, 2007, when American upset them 67-59.

“You never know how it’s gonna look until the dust settles.”

GARY WILLIAMS MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH

STILL HAVING FUN? In the post-game press conference after the Terps’ 65-63 loss against the Demon Deacons, a reporter asked Williams if coaching toward the end of the season is as enjoyable as it once was, given the pressures of

reaching an NCAA Tournament.

“It’s always enjoyable,” Williams responded, before reminiscing on the 1993-94 Terps, his first team at Maryland to reach the Big Dance.

“It’s always great.”

Later, Williams was asked what it would take for this year’s team to make the tournament. Too often, some fans and analysts pick a milestone of total wins or conference victories a team needs to reach, rather than truly assessing the top 34 atlarge teams. Williams reflected the flaw in that mode of thinking.

“You never know how it’s gonna look until the dust settles,” he said while walking to the locker room.

“You don’t put a number on it.” mseligdbk@gmail.com

Schmidt did admirable job on Crotty

www.diamondbackonline.com BASEBALL: With snow canceling outdoor practice and two midweek games this week, the Terps have been forced to turn to video games and pitching machines as they prepare for ACC play to begin this weekend at Georgia Tech.

WRESTLING: Alex Krom was skeptical of new coach Kerry McCoy after the departure of mentor Pat Santoro. But the junior has turned his attitude around and now hopes for a national championship.

SOFTBALL: After a 6-9 start in three nonconference tournaments, a young Terp squad has high hopes for a season featuring a unified team and a lot of inexperienced talent.

GYMNASTICS: Problems on the balance beam and uneven bars have been the only downfalls for a Terp team otherwise in the midst of a very strong season.

Long pole Brett Schmidt took over at close defense last Saturday when Brian Farrell was unable to play.

Duke attackman Ned Crotty complimented the sophomore’s play. ADAM FRIED/THE DIAMONDBACK

Hart. He finished without much to show on the stat sheet, but his willingness to change roles was emblematic of the Terps’ make-itwork mentality.

“I talked to everyone, you know, any tips I can get, I’ll take,” Hart said. “And I’ve lived with Farrell for three years, so he’s kinda helping me out.”

This communal approach in games and practices is something

the Terps will need to continue if Farrell requires a significant amount of recovery time. The Terps will be without him again this Saturday at Towson.

But the performance Saturday goes a long way toward boosting the confidence of this unit. One week after some mighty struggles against the Hoyas, the Terps said they were more trusting and communicative.

Classified CALL

MORE ONLINE LIVE on

POLES, from Page 8 the following weekend. But when he experienced shortness of breath in practice early last week, coach Dave Cottle had the training staff re-evaluate him.

Replacing Farrell on defense has required a team effort. And the flexibility of this bunch was on display in an 11-8 win against then-No. 12 Duke on Saturday.

After Farrell started the first three games, sophomore Brett Schmidt took his spot at long stick midfield. He may lack the same physical stature, but Schmidt held his own Saturday.

“Compared to the other defenders, I’m not nearly as big, so I think I just bring a different look to the defense,” Schmidt said. “I’m subbing in for Farrell right now who’s — what? — 6-foot-4. And I’m a 6-footer. I’m not gonna say my weight, but I’m not heavy.”

Saturday, that different look was exactly what Cottle was looking for.

Schmidt was able to use his speed to pester Duke’s Ned Crotty. The attackman finished with two goals and three assists, but one of each stat was collected with under two minutes to go and the game no longer in doubt.

In the third quarter, Schmidt also provided a highlight when he leveled Max Quinzani at the goal line extended as the Duke attackman tried to tiptoe around the cage.

“Our plan was to give him work when we played some really quick guys because we felt like we weren’t apt to cover quick guys,” Cottle said. “So we started about two weeks ago, trying to get Brett ready for that move eventually.

On Thursday, we found out something was wrong [with Farrell], so Brett made the move. And I can’t tell you how hard he played, how tough he played and how good a player he played.”

Though he did not know Schmidt’s name, Crotty praised the defender’s ability to turn him into the Terps’ double team. But he maintained that the real trouble was finishing shots because the Blue Devils were able to anticipate and pass out of the double, resulting in good looks at the cage.

With Schmidt down low, junior Dan Halayko moved up to assume the top long pole spot.

Halayko was active on defense, scooping three ground balls and accounting for two of the Terps’ four caused turnovers. Several times he seemed to provide just enough deterrence, making Blue Devils midfielders pull back a shot they had wanted.

Also running at long pole was

Adrian Bowie and the Terps have blown double-digit leads in all but two of their last seven home losses. MATTHEW CREGER/THE DIAMONDBACK

“We were undisciplined [against] Georgetown. We did a lot of things we don’t usually do,” Schmidt said. “But [against] Duke, we just had a hard week of practice on the defensive end and we just played disciplined defense and we helped each other. I think that’s why we came out with the W.”

TERRAPINTRAIL.COM: Read about a $500,000 prank war at a basketball game, a men’s lacrosse star lacking name recognition and the Terp women’s basketball team heading out to the ACC tournament, plus more Terp sports coverage and analysis, at TerrapinTrail.com, The Diamondback’s official sports blog.

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Participate in Language Research Study, EARN $25 in an hour. The University of Maryland, Center for Advanced Study of Language is looking for UMD students to participate in a Pre-DLAB study. Participants will take a one-hour test on language learning ability and receive $25 in compensation. No foreign language experience required. Cell phones or other electronic devices are not permitted in the testing sessions.

You must be a University of Maryland student and at least 18 years old to participate. For more information and to sign up for the study, please visit: http://register.casl.umd.edu.

WALKING DISTANCE 4 rooms starting at $550-$650 + utilities. Washer and dryer.

2 bathrooms. Backyard.

Call 240-355-8337.

Knox Box Apts.

One Block from Campus 2 BR from $1200-1700 301-770-5623/24 Email: gosia@pinstripeproperty.com

...to experience college the right way, make the move into our Studio apartment at Seven Springs for only $891! Just around the corner from campus, all utilities included and UMD shuttle and Metrobus stops throughout the community.

KNOX BOXES for rent Fall semester.

301-918-0203

Seven Springs Village 9310 Cherry Hill Road College Park, MD 20740 SevenSpringsVillage.com 888-306-3119

College Park. Houses 4/5/6 bedrooms, Apartments, 2 bedrooms. 410-544-4438

FOR RENT EHO

HOUSES/Apartments- Walking distance. 1-7 bedrooms.

301-335-7345. ecb1985@hotmail.com One bedroom in house on Rhode Island. $750/month. May — August. Preferably female.

732-768-3769; nribsam@umd.edu

4 BR, 2 full BA (1 in MBR). In Berwyn Hts., MD. Washer/dryer. $2,000 per mo. Utilities NOT incl.

Available April 1st. Shown in eve. & wkends. Call 301-741-7229.

Walk to campus. Nice 5 bedroom house. Summer or Fall availability. 301-918-0203

GOT EXTRA STUFF?

Apartments, Sublets & Roommates. List & Browse Free! 1-877-FOR-RENT/ 201-845-7300

Apartments. 2 bedrooms. 2-4 people. Near Smith business school. 301-770-5624

Houses: 3-4 bedroom, off Route 1. From $1200.

240-210-1503. landwardmd@gmail.com

4 grad students seeking another to share 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom. Close to campus. Available 4/1/09. 301-648-2548

THE DIAMONDBACK CLASSIFIEDS

House. 1 mile from campus. 5 bedrooms, 2 baths, w/d, deck. Renovated. Lease starts June. $2,500/month. Call Brit 301-806-0790

CALL 301-314-8000 MON.-FRI. 9:30 A.M.-4:30 P.M. TO PLACE YOUR AD WITH YOUR CREDIT CARD.

Furnished Master Bedroom with private bath. $665. Female preferred. Share large house.

Hardwood floors, sundeck, fireplace. Small room: $350. Near campus. 301-699-8155.

ARE THE PERFECT PLACE TO SELL YOUR EXTRA STUFF.

SERVICES

FAX SERVICE Send / Receive Local / Long-Distance (international not available)

Diamondback Business Office 3136 South Campus Dining Hall PHONE: 301-314-8000 Mon.-Fri. 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

ADOPTION ADOPTION: Happily married couple seeking infant to share our love and life adventure. Will pay legal/medical expenses. Contact Jim & Debbie collect: 202-567-1871 or DebJim.Family@yahoo.com

THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2009 | THE DIAMONDBACK

7

Diversions

REEL NEWS: As reported Wednesday in Variety, Leonardo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road) will be starring in Christopher Nolan’s (The Dark Knight) next film, Inception. Nolan plans to shoot his original sci-fi piece for Warner Bros. later this year with a summer 2010 release date in sight. If Nolan does decide to come back for a third Batman film (we’re betting he will, but you never know), Inception would presumably be his only project before The Dark Knight’s sequel.

arts. music. living. movies. weekend.

S E V I T C E T E D E H T G N I H WATC

REVIEW | WATCHMEN

E N I L T A FL Moore's n la A f o e c n e s s e e th ture Watchmen fails to cap kimming over the rich subtexts in l, s seminal graphic nove ger, louder set pieces favor of big

BY ZACHARY HERRMANN Senior staff writer

You could mess with Romeo and Juliet pretty badly and people would probably forgive you.

Desecrate Frankenstein and, still, the Mary Shelley fans of the world can learn to forget. Even a failed adaptation like The Great Gatsby gets buried eventually.

But in all likelihood, the Watchmen that director Zack Snyder (300) has brought us will be the only one in the foreseeable future. And whether or not Snyder is completely to blame for the film’s shortcomings, his superficial take on the comic book classic is unforgivable.

Of course, any fan of Alan Moore’s brooding graphic novel should have seen this coming, if not for the blinding notion of wishful thinking. Director Terry Gilliam (of Brazil fame) dismissed Moore’s superhero satire as unsuitable for a feature film running time; the complex backstories and interweaving narratives in the novel are incredibly codependent, and Gilliam knew the risks of condensing the piece.

The project fell in and out of several other hands before landing with Warner Bros. and right into a summer 2008 lawsuit with 20th Century Fox over distribution rights, one that was eventually settled out of court.

All the signs seemed to scream this one was not meant to be, but once the footage hit, even the geekiest of diehard fanboys quieted down. Cynicism be damned; whatever Snyder had put together, it looked like Watchmen.

Unfortunately, looks in this case do turn out to be quite deceiving. Along with cinematographer Larry Fong (300) and his production design team, Snyder has nailed the outer layers of Moore’s alternate vision of New York City circa 1985. The gutters swell with rain and sewage, President Nixon has been elected to a third term, and the country is staring down the barrel of

World War III with the Russians.

It’s a shadowy world where caped crusaders have been outlawed as vigilantes, doomed to live out a life with no outlet for their sexual hang-ups. They have been rendered obsolete by the emergence of a real American superhero, the godlike marvel of science, Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup, Dedication).

Manhattan stands as a nuclear deterrent for the rest of the world. But when the murder of one of these so-called watchmen, The Comedian (a pitch-perfect Jeffrey Dean Morgan, The Accidental Husband), arouses the suspicion of Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley, Semi-Pro, also dead on), one of the few lone gunmen still in the costume business, nuclear stability begins to unwind.

As in the source material, the plot gets twisty and tangled from there on in, but as in all hero flicks, the fate of the world is at stake. Unlike Snyder and his screenwriters, David Hayter and Alex Tse, Moore created a palpable sense of dread around his end-of-the-world scenario while still maintaining a layer of superhero deconstruction.

The film adaptation does a fair job at reconstructing — the credit sequence takes us through a wonderfully imagined alternate history set to “The Times They Are A-Changin’” — but Snyder’s Watchmen only operates on a bloated, exterior level. His inability to capture the spirit of the comics confirms Moore’s longheld paranoia toward adaptations of his work.

There’s no tone to Watchmen, just atmosphere. Dan Dreiberg, the second Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson, Passengers), isn’t impotent without his mask, but moping.

His love interest, Laurie Jupiter, or the second Silk Spectre (Malin Akerman, 27 Dresses), doesn’t feel trapped by her mother’s superhero legacy — she just complains about it plenty.

MOVIE: Watchmen | VERDICT:

No matter how much the film looks like Watchmen should, the skimming over (Gilliam had a point about the runtime) of valuable character backstory and subtext leads the film toward an unaware parody.

Snyder’s penchant for slow-motion action sequences and added gore doesn’t help much, either, reflecting a misreading of the text: Watchmen was meant to be graphic, not gratuitous.

In trying to please both fans of the revered graphic novel and the uninitiated masses, Snyder and Co. have produced a film suitable for neither. What ends up on the screen clashes terribly with the original (any dialogue not from the book sticks out horribly), but at the same time, Watchmen offers very little for audiences without previous investment in the storylines.

Seen through a post-Dark Knight view of superhero films, it makes the grade for darkness, but only as a photographic principle. The heroes talk of nuclear holocaust and murder without any sense of gravity. In post-Sept.

11 America, it’s amazing how Watchmen never feels timely or even relevant — just fleeting and, well, boring.

Almost a quarter century ago, Moore had the audacity to think a comic book — a medium believed to be suitable only for pulp fiction and low culture — could address the same sort of social plights and fundamental truths reserved for serious literature. With Watchmen, he looked into the heart of humanity through the lens of superhero tradition.

He and illustrator Dave Gibbons brilliantly recorded the loathing and despair of a generation. Snyder has given the next generation of Watchmen fans so much less than they deserve: His film is a mere photocopy of an idea. zherrm@gmail.com

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What is and what would never be: three directors who came close to making Watchmen

DIRECTOR: Terry Gilliam WHEN: 1989, 1996 CREDENTIALS: Brazil, 12 Monkeys WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN: More than any of the other attached directors (Snyder included), Gilliam had the chops and vision to pull it off. He was the only director to meet directly with Moore, who urged him not to go forward with the film. Eventually, Gilliam stated Watchmen could only be done properly as a five-and-a-halfhour miniseries.

DIRECTOR: Darren Aronofsky WHEN: 2004 CREDENTIALS: Pi, Requiem for a Dream WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN: His first two films had the darkness and paranoia necessary for Watchmen, but in hindsight, Aronofsky probably wasn’t ready to handle the scope (and budget) of the project. If his reimagining of RoboCop pulls through, it will probably be the best indicator of what Aronofsky’s Watchmen might have looked like.

DIRECTOR: Paul Greengrass WHEN: 2005 CREDENTIALS: Bloody Sunday, The Bourne Supremacy WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN: Before Snyder, Greengrass came the closest — he was already well into pre-production when Paramount pulled the plug. Chances are, the director’s herky-jerky Bourne action would’ve been an odd visual fit for the material. Then again, it seems just as appropriate as Snyder’s slow-motion, bloodlust sequences.

Leonardo DiCaprio

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THE DIAMONDBACK | THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2009

Nike/Inside Lacrosse Men’s Poll Top 10

Sports

School 1. Virginia 2. Syracuse 3. North Carolina 4. Cornell 5. Princeton

Record

Prev.

(5-0) (2-1) (5-0) (2-0) (2-0)

1 2 4 6 11

School

Record

Prev.

(3-1) (3-0) (3-0) (1-1) (2-0)

7 8 9 3 13

6. TERRAPINS 7. Notre Dame 8. UMBC 9. Johns Hopkins 10. Hofstra

TERRAPIN MEN’S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK

Burney to miss rest of season

BY MARK SELIG Senior staff writer

Playing long pole for the first time as a Terp, Dean Hart was crucial for the Terp defense against Duke Saturday. ADAM FRIED/THE DIAMONDBACK

Farrell’s injury leaves Terps short on long poles Schmidt, Halayko, Hart all stepped into bigger roles in Duke win Saturday

BY MICHAEL KATZ Staff writer

Picking up a long pole for the first time in his career, midfielder Dean Hart had to adjust to a stick three feet longer than he was used to.

Both Hart and his teammates enjoyed watching as the junior learned to manipulate his new toy last week. It was a bit of an odd experience for all parties.

“I was laughing at first, but I got used to it,” Hart said. “[Brian] Farrell probably said the most junk to me.”

But new stick or not, everyone on defense is carrying a little extra weight right now

for the Terrapin men’s lacrosse team. Hart’s move to long pole was part of several positional shifts that took place because the Terps are without Farrell, an Inside Lacrosse pre-season AllAmerican, for now.

The injured defender spent last Thursday night in the hospital, where he had two liters of fluid drained from his lungs. He was hurt after taking a hit to the chest on Feb. 14 against Air Force.

After missing a week of practice, Farrell gutted out the Terps’ 13-10 home-opening loss to then-No. 8 Georgetown

Please See POLES, Page 6

Terrapin men’s basketball reserve forward Jerome Burney, who sat out Tuesday’s 6563 loss against No. 10 Wake Forest, will miss the remainder of the season with a fractured bone in his right foot.

Last night, Burney, a redshirt sophomore, said that he will be on crutches for two to three months. He had X-rays taken Tuesday afternoon.

Later that night, before hearing the diagnosis, he was dressed in street clothes with a protective boot on the foot. Burney missed 11 games earlier this season with a stress fracture in the same foot.

He was forced to redshirt the entire 2006-07 season with a left foot injury.

The 6-foot-9 Atlanta native averaged 0.9 points and 1.9 rebounds in 7.6 minutes per game. He didn’t play in eight games as a coach’s decision in addition to the 12 he missed with the injury.

His main role was to provide frontcourt depth when another forward was in foul trouble.

Sophomore forward Braxton Dupree will likely absorb Burney’s minutes. Dupree scored four points in six minutes against Wake Forest.

NO FREE PASSES With 14:42 remaining in Tuesday night, Sean Mosley stepped to the foul line and knocked down a pair of free throws. The Terps, who lead the ACC in free throw percentage, were perfect from the line Tuesday night.

Burney provided the Terps with rebounding, defense and overall depth in a limited frontcourt.

ADAM FRIED/THE DIAMONDBACK

Redshirt sophomore forward Jerome Burney missed his 20th game of the season Tuesday against Wake Forest and later found out he would miss the rest of the year with a foot injury. ADAM FRIED/THE DIAMONDBACK

Problem was, Mosley’s two makes were their only two attempts of the game.

The 2-2 free-throw shooting represents the fewest shots made and the fewest

shots attempted from the charity stripe all season for the Terps. The Demon Deacons committed 12 personal fouls, but only hacked the Terps once in the act of

shooting and never put their opponent into the bonus.

“We got inside a couple times, but they blocked everything,” coach Gary Williams said. “Every time we got it in there they seemed to just swat it away.

It’s gonna happen; we’re not the biggest team this year.”

Wake Forest, which features six guys in their rotation who are 6-foot-9 or taller, had 10 blocks in the game.

“I’m pretty sure their game plan coming in was saying ‘Maryland is an undersized team,’” forward Dave Neal said.

The Terps’ -18 rebounding margin was its worst all season, matching the number from the 41-point loss at Duke.

Please See NOTEBOOK, Page 6