May 9, 2013

SPORTS

OPINION

WORTHY TOURNAMENT OPENER

DIVERSIONS

@FAKEWALLACELOH SPEAKS

Men’s lacrosse meets with Cornell in matchup steeped in history p. 18

MY LITTLE BRONY

Some male student fans of My Little Pony are very dedicated — and proud of it p. 8

The Twitter account holder reaches out to find a successor before graduation p. 7

The University of Maryland’s Independent Student Newspaper

ISSUE NO. 143

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thursday, May 9, 2013

U. officials plan mental health fund staff hires

FEDERAL STUDENT LOAN DEFAULT RATE 9.1 percent 8.8 percent

7 percent*

2009

By Savannah Doane-Malotte Staff writer Months after seeking out a mental health services appointment, Ashli Haggard finally joined a group therapy session at the beginning of the semester.

The long wait time for an individual counseling session was frustrating for the sophomore behavioral and community health major, one of many students seeking counseling services on the campus.

In the wake of recent events that sparked dialogue about mental health awareness, the university received $5 million in state funding toward hiring new mental health staff members. And though students and staff are optimistic about the enhancement of campus mental health services, some said the ultimate solution has yet to be found.

“Meeting students’ mental health needs is a marathon, not a sprint,” Haggard said. “When the university meets one need, another one will come up that they have to fix. But we are definitely getting closer in helping students.”

The funding will go toward hiring four additional counseling psychologist positions in the Counseling Center and one-and-a-half psychiatrist positions in the University Health Center’s mental health unit. The funding does not go into effect until July 1, but three Counseling Center positions have already been filled by employees who will start this summer.

Receiving university and state support was critical to the improvement of these on-campus services, said Linda Clement, student affairs vice president.

See health, Page 12

2008

*Ratio visualization 2007 The proportion of students defaulting on federal loans has risen over the past few years, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Experts call for ed. loan reforms

By Jim Bach Senior staff writer the Memorial chapel houses something students struggling with mental illness might not find at the University Health Center: spiritual counseling. Religious leaders are wondering what their role should be in such cases, knowing some students may feel their illness is a result of weak faith. fatimah waseem/for the diamondback

See loans, Page 10

University religious institutions reconsider role in mental illness dialogue prayer would provide healing — would guide her.

But after one-on-one sessions with a counselor at the University Health Center, Krueger found that her faith was not a source of her illness.

Religion was her way out, a realization she said is crucial to remove what she called “lack of discussion of mental illness in some religious groups.”

“People say ‘Hush, hush.’ We don’t talk about mental health

By Fatimah Waseem Staff writer When Jackie Krueger was diagnosed with depression two years ago, her faith put her at a crossroads.

Thinking mental illness signaled spiritual weakness, the music education major delayed seeking mental health counseling. She hoped what others were telling her — that depression was a loss of faith and

Univ. Senate year saw major policy decisions Expansions, smoking ban to impact students

By Alex Kirshner Staff writer

CIA historian details role of intelligence jobs filled by women

By Mary Faddoul For The Diamondback

INDEX

See counseling, Page 3

faith in recovery

Female spy agents key to U.S. past

Linda McCarthy believes in the old slogan, “Behind every great man is a great woman,” and she argues that the saying even holds true for the CIA. Last night, McCarthy, a historian for the CIA, went through a montage of historical female figures who took part in American espionage since the American Revolution. Speaking before about 10 students in Jimenez Hall, McCarthy said she owes these female spies a personal debt because they dared to work at a time when it was not “fashionable” for a woman

issues in churches enough, only in the shadows. People feel embarrassed,” she said. “But it’s nothing to feel ashamed of. It’s not faith-based.

It’s not something you can pray away.

You have to confront it head-on.”

Religious institutions are not the only ones lacking an understanding of mental illness. But the perception of religion as a “healing method”

With the release of a new report, officials at the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are sounding the alarm bells on private student lending — students are graduating with high levels of debt and may slow the broader economy, they said.

Private loans come with high interest rates, and with the nation’s student loan debt running at about $1.1 trillion, CFPB Director Richard Cordray said recent graduates are finding themselves with large debts and fewer job opportunities, a “domino effect” that could drag down the nation’s economy at a macro level.

“Many of them are postponing or forgoing major financial milestones like living on their own, starting a family or buying a home,” Cordray said. “Others tried to put those choices into context

Linda mccarthy, CIA historian, discussed influential female spies on Wednesday. Those women played critical roles in American history, starting with covert operations in the Revolutionary War. tim drummond/for the diamondback to participate in war efforts.

During the Revolutionary War, former President George Washington had a superior intelligence operation — “There’s more to him than a cherry tree,” McCarthy joked — and everyday women were major participants.

The women would hang their laundry in a certain way to signal whether a British ship was approaching, and one woman, identified about three years ago as Betty Lloyd, revealed British Maj. John

Andre’s plan to take over the fort at West Point. Thanks to Lloyd, West Point remained in American possession.

“They had women agents positioned at the other side of the Hudson in New Jersey,” McCarthy said.

Some of the other names McCarthy introduced were already well-known among the students for reasons other than their roles as spies.

NEWS 3 OPINION 4 FEATURES 5 CLASSIFIED 6 DIVERSIONS 8 SPORTS 18

See mccarthy, Page 3

During the University Senate’s final, transitional meeting of the academic year May 2, about a third of the body’s members ended their terms, replaced by new representatives.

Over the academic year, the senate made several influential policy decisions, such as expanding the Good Samaritan policy to protect students who overdose on drugs from university sanctions, planning the implementation of a campuswide smoking ban and expanding the Code of Student Conduct jurisdiction off the campus.

INCLUSIVE GOOD SAMARITAN POLICY

Medical Emergencies protocol — better known as the Good Samaritan policy — in March 2011, exempting underage students who call police for help in alcohol-related emergencies from university discipline.

That policy was a step in the right direction, but didn’t go nearly far enough, said drug safety advocates, who sought an expansion to the policy that would cover drug-related emergencies of all types.

However, supporters of an expansion had been trying to push it through the senate since 2007, failing each time.

“It kind of stalled,” recalled Stacia Cosner, a former undergraduate senator who fought for the all-inclusive policy before graduating four years ago.

When then-undergraduate senator Brandon Levey proposed the idea to the

The university instituted the Promoting Responsible Action in

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For breaking news, alerts and more, follow us on Twitter @thedbk

See senate, Page 10

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counseling From PAGE 1 could foster beliefs that depression and other mental illnesses are signs of weak faith, emphasizing the growing need to combine faith-based counseling with mental health counseling, said Lisa Greey, a campus minister at the Catholic Student Center.

“Mental illness is like a disease; those afflicted by it cannot be held personally responsible for this disease,” said the Rev. Rob Walsh, the center’s chaplain.

Like other groups, religious groups offer strong community support, said Greey, suggesting there may be an untapped route to understanding and spotting the signs of mental struggle, especially for students who may feel more comfortable addressing religious-based questions with religious leaders.

“There may not be a negative stigma towards these issues, and there certainly isn’t a built-in denial of mental illness,” said Greey, who is researching the topic for her master’s degree in psychology and theology. “But we certainly need to talk more about these issues. Students need to know that we can talk.”

Religious groups should take advantage of their role as community centers to encourage more faith-based counseling, said Lisa Driscoll, a sophomore journalism major.

In college, her older brother was diagnosed with scrupulosity, an obsessive-compulsive disorder related to religious devotion, she said.

“Mental health and spiritual health are so connected, and if you do not have one, it is impossible to be healthy with the other,” Driscoll said. “Whether a person has a mental illness or not, a person who is invested in their faith needs spiritual guidance and support.”

linda mccarthy, CIA historian, shared spy gadgets with students, such as this camera used to take photographs from planes during World War II. mary faddoul/for the diamondback

mccarthy From PAGE 1

faith-based counseling, used in conjunction with mental health counseling, could be an effective way to treat mental illnesses, said Lisa Greey, a Catholic Student Center campus minister. Religious groups offer strong community support, she said. christian jenkins/the diamondback However, drawing the line between where and how that counseling should take place is a challenge not many religious leaders are trained for, said Genevieve Hunt, who is studying to be a faith-based counselor in the Washington area and works frequently with college students.

“At what point am I a spiritual adviser, and at what point am I counselor?” Hunt said. “I’m trained to answer this question, but people without training may not be able to know when to spot symptoms and send a student to the University Health Center.”

Greey has seen students use religion as both a crutch and a healing tool for combating mental illness. Distinguishing these two roles played by religion, she said, can be challenging.

“Some people hide behind their spirituality and hope they’ll pray it away,” Greey said.

“Others use it as a tool to foster positive thinking.”

For Walsh, a priest trained in spotting mental health concerns, referring individuals to other counseling services is a case-by-case decision.

“I have training to understand when an individual has surpassed my ability to help them with their problems,” Walsh said. “Once that line has been crossed, I will refer them to those better suited to help them deal with what’s going on.”

The power of religion as a support system is undeniable, Hunt said.

She once counseled a student who expressed signs of suicidal thoughts and cut herself, and Hunt provided her with a reference to a licensed clinical social worker as well as religious support.

Driscoll reverted to her faith as a result of her brother’s struggle with mental illness.

“As members of the Church, we have a responsibility to be a system of support for each other,”

Driscoll said. “We must love even when we don’t have answers and be aware of where to direct people who need to receive medical care.”

Krueger’s experience also strengthened her belief in God, reminding her that “hitting rock bottom” gave her an opportunity to “climb back up.”

Her counselor at the Health Center, she said, helped her work through her problems within a religious framework.

Having overcome her depression, Krueger hopes to see more discussion about mental health in religious institutions and within society as a whole.

“We think it’s OK to not talk about these things because they’re ‘sensitive.’ We don’t want to overgeneralize. We don’t want to step on thorny ground,” Krueger said.

“But the more we talk about it, the more people know, and the better it is for all of us.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

her, she got into the business after she was inspired by books about the history of espionage.

“While I loved the books, I was really into the gizmos,” McCarthy said. She even presented a few of those “gizmos” to the students.

One was a camera used to take photographs from planes during World War II. Another was a hollow pencil containing a sharp weapon, which spies would send in packages to prisoners of war so they could use them to attack their guards and escape.

While McCarthy’s audience was small, several attendees said they were inspired by the presentation.

“It was great to see those who made incredible contributions to various war efforts get recognized for what they did,” sophomore geography major Megan Williams said. “Definitely makes me want to follow their ways.”

Male attendees also said they learned a great deal about women’s roles in U.S. military history.

“You just hear [women] typed and stuff like that, but to hear they actually went out on the field was encouraging,” said senior history major William Treiber.

For instance, before she became a world-famous chef, Julia Child worked with the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. She even helped develop a shark repellent to keep sharks away from underwater explosives used against the German U-boats.

But one of the greatest female spies in U.S. history came from Baltimore, McCarthy said.

During World War II, Virginia Hall worked with British operatives and assisted with the invasion of Normandy in 1944.

But because of a malfunctioning trigger, she accidentally shot herself in the foot and had her leg amputated. With a wooden prosthesis, she went down in history as the limping lady of the OSS. “Woman and handicapped,” McCarthy said. “You wouldn’t think those would become America’s greatest female spy, but she did.”

Even today, McCarthy said, women deal with certain situations better than men. As for newsumdbk@gmail.com

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Opinion

THE DIAMONDBACK | THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

EDITORIAL BOARD

Mike King

Editor in Chief

DAN APPENFELLER Managing Editor

Bouncing back for safety T awareness about sexual assault and stop rape culture.

Because so few survivors come forward and make official reports, sexual assault is commonly seen as a perplexing crime, especially by university officials, community members and even students. It’s not often we see a local business take such clear, decisive steps toward helping students.

OUR VIEW

College Park bouncers need to make it their priority to protect students, not break the rules.

Soon after students first discovered the offensive stamp, some posted on Facebook about their desire to boycott The Barking Dog, and maybe that’s what spurred the management’s response. But what matters is that the management took action once it realized students had a problem, a practice that’s both good for business and promising for students’ safety.

The University Senate recently passed an expansion to the Code of Student Conduct, partly in response to the danger and prevalence of assault, both sexual and otherwise, in local bars. Some College Park bouncers have a notorious reputation for looking the other way far too often. And as Ian Tolino, a bouncer at a different local bar and SARPP peer educator, told The Diamondback, bar

security is supposed to be the first line of defense to protect students.

If it can’t do that, students simply aren’t safe. Tolino said bouncers who condone the “Shut up N take it” stamp give him the impression that they can’t be counted on to catch the warning signs of sexual assault. We agree. The Barking Dog has said these bouncers will face consequences, but the fact that this stamp was used in the first place speaks to an overarching problem with bar security.

Even on the simple matter of underage drinking, some bouncers — such as those who sometimes charge underage patrons more for cover before letting them in, according to a former Bentley’s worker in April — don’t stand up under scrutiny. If bouncers cannot uphold the rules on such a straightforward matter, where the law clearly states those under the age of 21 cannot enter a bar, how can we expect them to figure out what to do with such a pervasive yet enigmatic matter as sexual assault?

Underage drinking happens on college campuses, and some patrons will slip through screening. The bigger problem is a culture that condones bouncers bending the rules.

The Barking Dog has made a positive first step toward ending rape culture and preventing sexual assault at this university. But students need to do the same, by first making sure the establishment follows through on its promises, and then tackling the more widespread culture of bouncers simply not following the rules.

EDITORIAL CARTOON

JOEY LOCKWOOD/the diamondback

Leaving the old Stamp-ing ground LAUREN MENDELSOHN Over the past four years, I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience this university from several different angles.

I have seen it from the perspective of an out-of-state student to that of an on-campus resident, from the eyes of a College Park Scholar to the eyes of a (coed) fraternity member and from the viewpoint of a student group leader to that of a campus writer.

The insights and knowledge I gained in each of these roles helped me grow as a person and shaped my ideas for the future. But after thinking about all my college endeavors and each one’s significance, I realized the perspective that made the most difference in my “here-and-now” college experience was my position as a student employee at Stamp Student Union.

I’ll bet some of you are looking at my picture now and thinking, “I knew I recognized her from somewhere!” That’s correct; I’m one of the lovely information desk assistants at our beloved Stamp, the bustling hub of the campus.

Or rather, I was — I’m moving on to a land far away from Campus Drive — but I’ve spent the past six semesters there answering phones and checking out keys and laptops. (That’s not all I did, but you get the idea.)

I started working at Stamp as a sophomore. I’d been very proactive as a freshman and began searching for an oncampus job right away because I knew I was going to be involved in a lot of things

Deputy Managing Editor

maria romas Opinion Editor

nadav karasov Opinion Editor

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STAFF EDITORIAL

he “Shut up N take it” hand stamp at The Barking Dog has officially been discontinued and the local bar’s management has apologized after receiving a student-created petition with nearly 650 signatures arguing that the stamp promoted sexual violence.

The bar’s management found out about the stamp after senior environmental science and policy major Jesse Rabinowitz, who decided to start the petition this weekend after discovering the stamp, set up a Change.org petition and contacted the establishment.

The Barking Dog’s overwhelmingly heartening response to the sadly offensive wording in the stamps is somewhat unprecedented. Bar management indicated to Rabinowitz that it would run a sexual assault awareness campaign that could include hosting a fundraiser, posting information about consent and the Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Program in bathrooms and possibly using “Consent is sexy” stamps.

Generally, if a business were to use stamps that offended customers, management would know about it in the first place, and any subsequent questioning of the measure would be wholeheartedly defended by the establishment. But because The Barking Dog’s management was unaware its bouncers were using this check-in method, they have apparently picked out the problem and found a remedy to it relatively easily.

Not only that, but they are going above the call of duty by reaching out to college students and trying to raise

Tyler Weyant

and needed a flexible schedule working somewhere I could walk to. I’m a very outgoing, enthusiastic person who’s great with directions and remembering “fun facts,” so a customer service-type job was exactly what I wanted.

As soon as I began working at Stamp, I learned there is this huge behind-thescenes portion of the university most people never encounter that nonetheless is vital to the flow of everyday campus activities. I also realized just how many resources are available to students and organizations (an innumerable amount) and witnessed firsthand the vast scope of this university’s influence.

As a student group leader, I was able to take my newly acquired knowledge of how the student union (and university as a whole) operates back to my group, which helped when making reservations and coordinating audiovisual services for events. I like to think I acted as sort of a liaison between my organization and the university because I’d expanded my personal network to include important contacts within Stamp and because working there gave me the confidence to approach any university official with a smile. (Smiles and laughter are common among Stamp employees, and I’m lucky to have worked with such a great group of people.)

My job gave me the chance to interact with every kind of individual on the campus, from classmates to professors to prospective students with their families and even international guests visiting for conferences or events. This allowed me to break down my sense of cultural barriers, for I’ve met people from diverse cultures whom I might not have met otherwise and learned

that, fundamentally, we’re all the same on the inside and all desire happiness, friendship and peace. I learned a lot about different religious traditions and social norms just from listening to the conversations going on around me and by casually chatting with folks who came to the desk.

I’ll miss interacting with so many different people on a daily basis, but I’ll leave satisfied with my impact on the campus community. I learned a lot about this university and helped others have a great college experience.

Lauren Mendelsohn is a senior psychology major. She can be reached at lmendel1@terpmail.umd.edu.

A senior’s goodbye What I have learned to accept and leave behind throughout my college years DREW FARRELL The first thing I ever learned in college was actually the only thing I ever learned in college. When I was a freshman at Anne Arundel Community College, my English professor, Mark Ripka, taught me the definition of “alma mater.” The phrase comes from the Latin for “nourishing mother,” and it basically indicates that your college is your origin — it’s the place that prepares you for the rest of the world.

So my last column is a goodbye of sorts to my alma mater as well as an acknowledgment of what I will remember the most about it.

Goodbye, Department of Transportation Services.

Goodbye, guy who stole my debit card off of Turtle’s grimy floor and spent $400 on booze. At the time, I didn’t know Turtle was even worth $400, nor did I know I went to school with sociopaths. Thanks for the heads-up!

Goodbye, girls asking me to take their pictures every weekend and Thursday night.

Goodbye, commenters on The Diamondback’s website. It’s hilarious to me that you think your opinions matter.

Goodbye, R. J. Bentley’s dining room, which is a respectable place for lunch by day and a dance floor that houses a sloshy make-out fest for awkward dorks by night.

Goodbye, guys who took intramural sports way too seriously.

Goodbye, long line at Bentley’s, with the underage line-cutters and the of-age line-cutters and the decent people waiting their turn in the back.

Goodbye, crime alerts and University Police. I’m cool with letting the armed robbers and assailants get away as long as you manage to nab at least one 19-year-old on an alcohol citation or escort a student out of late-night McKeldin because he or she forgot an ID. Goodbye, Testudo’s germ-ridden snout.

Goodbye, having to worry about spelling or grammer,

Goodbye, Greek versus independent debate. Riveting stuff.

Goodbye, beer pong, flip cup, kings or any other drinking game that brilliantly combines alcohol with male competitive streaks.

Goodbye, feminists.

Goodbye, paying a $5 cover just to stand in a place that plays awful music louder than a jet engine and has a stench that reminds me of the inside of a Bonnaroo Porta Potty, probably because people vomit and pee inside it as if they were inside a Bonnaroo Porta Potty.

Goodbye, students who are jobless yet still wear suits to class.

Goodbye, students who compare novels we had to read for class to movies.

Goodbye, professors who told me when I get to the essay portion of their exam, to remember there’s “no such thing as one right or wrong answer.”

That’s a good thing to tell someone who’s been spoon-fed everything else in his life and is about to enter the real world.

G o o d b ye , S t u d e n t G o ve r n ment Association. What you do is so important.

Goodbye, fellow English majors.

When the apocalypse happens, I assume we will either be allowed to live as traveling minstrels or killed and eaten for our lean hipster meat.

Goodbye, science majors. I know it sucks that you to have to pay more than the rest of us, but that’s what you get for picking a degree that society won’t use, ever.

Goodbye, university President Wallace Loh. I hope you don’t lose sight of the student body from that ivory tower, I mean, new presidential mansion, I mean, fundraising project to help the school.

Goodbye, rioting whenever five of our fellow “students” manage to put an orange ball into an iron rim more times than five other “students” from a pretentious private school in the South.

Finally, and most importantly, goodbye to The Diamondback, which paid me to share my opinion every two weeks even though I turned in every column late and knew absolutely nothing important or useful.

Drew Farrell is a senior English major.

He can be reached at dfarrell@terpmail.umd.edu.

MIKE KING, Editor in Chief DAN APPENFELLER, Managing Editor OLIVIA NEWPORT, Assistant Managing Editor Chris Allen, Design Editor JENNY HOTTLE, News Editor Nadav Karasov, Opinion Editor RobERT Gifford, Diversions Editor DANIEL GALLEN, Sports Editor FOLA AKINNIBI, Online Editor

TYLER WEYANT, Deputy Managing Editor MATT SCHNABEL, Assistant Managing Editor BRIAN COMPERE, Assistant Managing Editor LAURA BLASEY, News Editor Maria Romas, Opinion Editor Mary Clare Fischer, Diversions Editor AARON KASINITZ, Assistant Sports Editor SARAH SIGUENZA, Multimedia Editor

EDITORIAL BOARD MIKE KING, editor in chief, is a junior journalism major.

He has worked as a copy editor, assistant managing editor and managing editor.

Dan Appenfeller, managing editor, is a junior journalism major. He has worked as a copy editor and assistant managing editor.

TYLER WEYANT, deputy managing editor, is a senior journalism major.

He has worked as a copy editor, assistant managing editor and managing editor.

Maria Romas, opinion editor, is a junior English major.

She has worked as a reporter, assistant opinion editor and columnist.

Nadav Karasov, opinion editor, is a junior economics major.

He has worked as an assistant opinion editor and columnist.

EDITORIAL CARTOON ben stryker/the diamondback

THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013 | THE DIAMONDBACK

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Features ACROSS 1 Cough syrup meas.

5 Blues street in Memphis 10 Upscale wheels 14 Pinch 15 Earth tone 16 Inland sea of Asia 17 At hand 18 Chorus platform 19 A.D. coiner 20 Judge or umpire 22 Evening serenader 24 Literary miscellany 25 -- chi ch’uan 26 Basement sink 30 Suspect’s photo (2 wds.)

34 Days before 35 Antivenom 37 Put on the payroll 38 Shady 39 Tigger’s friend 40 Not stringent 41 Smooth-tongued 43 Insurance giant 45 Golf stroke 46 Least involved 48 Connives 50 Mantra chants 51 “-- Sera, Sera” 52 Drives in (2 wds.)

56 Hold out

60 Puppy-chow brand 61 African tribe 63 -- -- for the money 64 Chinese dynasty 65 Remove a renter 66 Chase-away word 67 Flower shop purchase 68 Liner levels 69 Comet -- -Bopp

CROSSWORD

28 29 30 31 32

18-wheelers Jaunty hat Physics particles Seed scar Expound at length

33 Course requirements 36 Go bad 42 Life study 43 Took for granted 44 Clears

DOWN 1 “Simply the Best” singer 2 Dutch colonist 3 Wild guess 4 Outcasts 5 Agencies 6 Qatar ruler 7 4-wheel drive feature 8 Onion cousin 9 Publisher’s blunder 10 Immature 11 Nonsense comedy of 1960s TV (2 wds.)

12 Arroyo 13 Arctic transport 21 Demolition need 23 Label 26 Blocky heel 27 St. Teresa’s town

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Grouchy 911 responder Ben- -Gangplank Hodgepodge Med. staffers

55 Lay down some blacktop 56 Lineman’s coup 57 Cuzco founder 58 Perfume bottle 59 Feminine suffix 62 Incite Rover

B

HOROSCOPE STELLA WILDER

orn today, you are drawn to those things that loom large and that are destined to have a major impact on your own life and the lives of those around you -- and even, in some cases, on the world at large. Not for you the small, routine endeavors that seem to matter very little; rather, you choose to spend your time engaged in negotiations and plots that have import and significance.

In other words, you always want to be playing with the big boys. You are quite skilled, and your talents range from the domestic to the universal. You are able to do those things that matter to both direct family members and members of your larger human family. You enjoy working behind the scenes, as well, making things happen in a way that often goes unnoticed -- at first.

Like so many other Taurus natives, you prefer the company of others to your own -though you can be by yourself without any real harm to your own happiness or productivity.

Still, what you do with others is likely to make more of a mark than anything you do entirely on your own.

Also born on this date are: Candice Bergen, actress; Glenda Jackson, actress; Billy Joel, singer, songwriter, musician; Albert Finney, actor; Mike Wallace, journalist.

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.

FRIDAY, MAY 10 TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- You won’t be able to make up your mind if you’re unwilling to put things in the proper order or importance. Priority is everything.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- You may not recognize the symptoms, but today you may be suffering from a kind of malaise that doesn’t allow you to commit fully.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -You’re likely to meet someone today who will have a major impact on the way you do things in the future. Be ready to make some changes.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Your mischievous side is showing, and today you may get yourself into a little hot water as a result -- though nothing you can’t get out of.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- You may be playing with fire, but you may also be entirely unable to stop doing what you are doing. In that case, prepare yourself!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- You may not understand what is going on beneath the surface, but it’s surely something you’ll want to learn more about as soon as you can.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -You mustn’t let yourself be rushed into making a decision prematurely today. There are some complicated issues to weigh and assess.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- You’ll receive an invitation today in which the details are very surprising. This may be something you cannot afford to miss!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Your eagerness may be giving someone else the advantage today.

Hold your cards a little nearer to the vest.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- That which strikes you as funny today may actually be something that someone else is wholly unwilling to laugh at -- and that has to be OK with you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -- It’s time for you to try something you’ve avoided -- but take care that you don’t sacrifice your autonomy in the process.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- You may discover that someone else has been working on the same thing you have for quite some time.

Perhaps you can join forces.

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

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CLASSIFIED DISPLAY ADS • Larger type • Sold in 1” increments • One column wide • $33.00/column inch • Run online at no additional cost OFFICE HOURS 10AM – 4PM Monday – Friday • 3136 South Campus Dining Hall DEADLINES The deadline for ads is 2PM • 2 business days in advance of publication SPECIAL Run the same ad 4 consecutive days and get the 5th day FREE!

All Classified & Classified Display Ads will run online at no additional charge. ¿ ONLINE

To place an ad: PHONE 301-314-8000 | EMAIL advertising@dbk.umd.edu | FAX 301-314-8358 | v m A All ads must be prepaid

EMPLOYMENT

Marketing Assistant/

Customer Service Established 29 year old Beltsville distributor needs dependable, self-motivated, articulate individual for marketing assistant/customer service position. This individual must be detail oriented, able to multi-task & prioritize workload responsibilities and have terrific organizational skills. Great start in business! Good salary!!

Call 301-595-4627.

Office Coordinator $10-$13 per hr.

Fast-paced office, build your resume, 30-40 hrs./week, no manual labor, fun atmosphere.

Home Visions Inc.

www.homevisionsinc.com 301-937-4663

LIFEGUARDS

FT/PT, flexible schedule. FREE training & competitive pay.

Work in MD, DC, VA, PA.

Call 301-210-4200 x107, aczyszczon@usaquatics.net.

Design Student Needed!

The University of Maryland Center for Advanced Study of Language (CASL) is seeking an Undergraduate Student to join its IT team as a Multimedia Specialist.

Student must have experience using: Mac OS X; Final Cut or Premiere; After Effects or Motion; Photoshop. Must be able to provide portfolio of video and graphic design work. Must hold U.S. citizenship.

Sophomore or Junior preferred. Position is for the summer and possibly beyond, with a minimum of 20 hours per week. $10-15/hour.

Submit cover letter, resume, and portfolio of relevant work to:

hr@casl.umd.edu.

Appointment Setters Needed $12 per hour plus commission. Flexible hours. PT or FT. Greenbelt, MD. Email resume to dposner@beltwayblinds.com. www.beltwayblinds.com $ Bartending $ – $250/day potential. No experience necessary. Training available. 1800-965-6520 x116.

EMPLOYMENT Valet Attendant: $8.50 + Gratuity

• Must be able to drive manual transmission

Ramp Coordinator: $11.50/hr.

• FRI. & SAT. nights and Sunday mornings Contact TJ: Tholland@lazparking.com Contact Eric: Egomes@lazparking.com

Clinical Assistant

Part time/Full time. Excellent opportunity for a motivated individual who would like to pursue a career in the medical field and gain clinical experience. We are a cardiology clinic in the College Park area who provide comprehensive cardiology services. Attractive salary is offered ($35,000/yr.).

Please email, fax CV, or call.

Tel: 301-277-2290 Fax: 301-277-1241 Email: ashmuhammad@hotmail.com

FOR RENT

FOR RENT

Walk to campus. 3 bedroom, 2-1/2 baths.

Sleeps 5. $2200. Open June 1st. 410-9257696.

SFH. College Park. Off University Blvd./Metzerott Road. $2000/month plus utilities. Parking for 4. 1 year lease. Avail. 6/1. Call 410827-5997.

Mazza Wishes Congratulations to UMD Graduates!

SUMMER SUBLET – One room in 4BR apartment available. Individual bathroom, kitchen, fully furnished, wifi, good roommates, parking garage, partial utility covered, rent negotiable. Call Brandon, 443-845-4267.

Mazza GrandMarc Luxury Student Living New Low Rates for Fall 2013 Now Leasing!

FREE GARAGE PARKING www.mazzagrandmarc.com

BIKE TO CAMPUS. 5718 Vassar Drive. 5 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, 2 kitchens, ac, 2 dishwashers, washer/dryer. 1.58 miles to campus. Shuttle stop .12 from house. Bike path end of street. Free parking spaces available on College Ave. $1895. 301-6991863 or email dunnrentals@aol.com.

Check Out

CollegeParkHousing.org

HOUSES FOR RENT. Close to campus. cphouse4rent.com

for your off campus housing needs FREE CLASSIFIEDS — RUN THE SAME CLASSIFIED OR CLASSIFIED DISPLAY AD 4 CONSECUTIVE TIMES AND GET THE 5TH DAY FREE! Call 301-314-8000 Monday thru Friday, 10 am - 4 pm for more information.

WALK TO CAMPUS Apartment. 4502 Guilford Road (not a Knox Box). 3 bedrooms, fireplace, dishwasher and big walkup attic. $1850. 301-699-1863 or email dunnrentals@aol.com.

NEED MONEY FOR RENT? — Call 301-314 -8000, 10 am - 4 pm, Monday - Friday, to place a classified ad and sell your extra stuff!

Work ON the Beach This Summer!

Are you sick of classes?

Do you want to get paid to work on the beach?

Telescope Pictures and 85&Sunny are looking for dynamic, motivated, and hardworking college students ready to experience the best summer of their lives! We offer an exciting work environment. Housing and paid internships are available! 443-878-2377.

Apply Online NOW:

resortentertainmentgroupinc.com Comfort Zone, the fashion-forward College Park retailer, is looking to hire a part-time salesperson. Qualified individual must be computer literate and people oriented. Convenient location – 9721 Baltimore Avenue.

Please forward resume to videoplusmd@gmail.com or call 301-4864548.

KENWOOD Country Club

Bethesda Seasonal Positions May-Sept.: Servers • Bartender • Line Cooks Assistant Pool Manager Contact Bill, 301-320-3009

CHILD CARE

After-School Babysitter

Seeking UMD senior or grad student as Fall 2013 after-school babysitter in Bethesda. Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 3-6 pm. Must have own car. Top-of-scale pay; UMD students have loved this job! Interested?

Email: phyllismarcus@verizon.net.

Apartments as Low as $549/BR on a 3 Bedroom 1, 2 and 3 Bedroom Apartments Available 6200 Springhill Drive Greenbelt, MD 20770

301-474-1600

All utilities included. Free shuttle service to and from UMD campus. Walk to Metro and Beltway Plaza.

•

www.Franklinparkliving.com

FOR RENT

House for Rent

Townhouse with central AC, washer/dryer. 3 levels, 3 bedrooms, $1900/month. Walking distance to campus – Berwyn House Road.

Call 301-792-0207 or 301-879-8178.

One block from campus – early signing bonus: $1000! Plus gas grill with lease signed in two weeks. Three residential houses in University Hills. Available June 1. 5 bedrooms, central ac, dishwasher, washer/dryer.

RENT range from $3100 up. Great location for students in team sports (lacrosse, soccer). Dr. Kruger: 301-408-4801.

FAX SERVICE

Send/Receive Local/Long Distance (international not available) Diamondback Business Office 3136 South Campus Dining Hall PHONE: 301-314-8000 Mon. - Fri. 10 am - 4 pm

FOR RENT

5-6 Bedroom House

Beautiful Cool Spring community. http://coolhousecollege.com/

Contact Don at 301-956-5501.

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THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013 | OPINION | THE DIAMONDBACK

7 OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS

The title of @fakewallaceloh is up for grabs Seeking a successor @FAKEWALLACELOH HelLoh friends, students and countrymen. This is Fake Wallace Loh, speaking through The Diamondback instead of the usual Twitter. I come to you today in search of a successor. Please pardon the Loh puns and my poor writing for the next several minutes as you read this column.

It has been a Lohng academic year, but running this parody account has truly made my senior year worthwhile. My junior year, I watched from the sidelines as this Twitter personality grew and grew, and I knew that I wanted to somehow, someway join in on the fun. I interacted with the original Fake Wallace Loh both on- and offline, and when the opportunity presented itself in 2012, I applied to take over for the retiring senior: Greg Nasif, former Diamondback opinion columnist.

One day, while mindlessly slaving away at my summer job, I got an email with the subject line, “I am Fake Wallace Loh but you will be soon.” I nearly wet myself in excitement. I assumed the post in early July 2012, and I have remained enveLohped in a cLohk of secrecy ever since.

I admit to those folLohing the transition in summer 2012, I struggled out of the gate. However, once school kicked into full gear here in College Park, my throne grew more comfortable. I found no shortage of things to lampoon or joke about.

I’ve jabbed at myriad topics and people as fake president: our fiscally troubled athletic department, our campus administration, national media events, student groups, student activities, students, etc. I critiqued, bashed and made fun of, at some point, seemingly everyone and everything on the campus. Not taking any credit here; many times jokes fell into my lap, a la the crazy sorority girl email or anything the Student Government Association ever tries to do (#WTFUMD).

It was great interacting, both positively and negatively, with all of you. Some of you have been very loyal folLohers and have constantly retweeted, favorited or replied to my tweets day in and day out, no matter how corny they were, and I thank you for that. You don’t know who I am; you probably won’t ever find out who I am, but you kept me

VIEW Handsome and hilarious billionaire seeks funny heir to the @FakeWallaceLoh throne — the Loh must go on. going all year Lohng. I enjoyed watching several university-oriented anonymous accounts rise and flourish. @UMDBoobs and @UMDConfessions, you guys rock. However, it has gotten a bit out of hand as of late — a fake BookHolders account? Try harder.

To those whom I offended at various parts of this year, I am not sorry. Lighten up a bit.

However, to the two main recipients of my digital jabs, the SGA and The Diamondback: I do respect you. I’m a daily reader and I see the hard work and passion you put into everything and hope you saw the passion behind my tweets — however, they are to be taken far less seriously (#WTFDBK?).

To (real) university President Loh, if you are reading this, thank you for not banishing me from the campus or imprisoning me in the dungeon underneath the Reckord Armory. I hope you appreciated the humor and harbor no ill will toward me. I wish we could have interacted more, but if you ever want to grab a beer or something, let me know. I’m 21, I swear.

Like my predecessor, I cannot continue to run this account once I depart from these halLohed grounds. I love this university, but I cannot bear to see this account run under the fluorescent lights of an office cubicle or the worn fabric of my mother’s couch.

I’m looking for someone with some humor, chutzpah and a touch of class to take over this account. If you think you have what it takes to be the next Fake Wallace Loh, please email me by the end of the academic year the reasons you think you should be handed the keys. In that email, I ask that you offer me some sample tweets you would send out as Fake Wallace Loh. I will tweet them and use the number of interactions to help guide my selection.

One last thing: #GoTerps #F---Duke #TheLohGoesOn. Fa k e Wa l l a c e L o h c a n b e re a c h e d a t fakewallaceloh@gmail.com or on Twitter @FakeWallaceLoh.

Citing empty criticism MARIA ROMAS I was highly amused by the @FakeWallaceLoh Twitter account last school year when former Diamondback columnist Greg Nasif ran it. Before I found out he was the creator — through his final column of his senior year — I was very interested to see who was behind the clever quips and puns from the account inspired by Dan Sinker and his infamous fake @MayorEmanuel persona for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. I was then incredibly excited to hear the cleverness was coming from one of our very own staff members.

And then, we made a grave mistake: We decided to let Greg come out as Fake Wallace Loh in The Diamondback and search for a contender for the position. There was nothing wrong with the column idea or Greg’s writing, but it seems the selection process for his successor went horribly awry.

This year’s account holder (who wishes to remain anonymous) was much more crude, endorsing degrading accounts such as @UMDBoobs and @UMDConfessions, among others. Yes, he’s using a spoof account to do so, but it’s a spoof account many students follow, and bringing even more attention to these vulgar Twitter accounts is deplorable.

Nasif’s successor would also tweet unsophisticated jokes about getting to see girls’ boobs and getting smashingly drunk, along with a slew of profanity with most tweets. Sure, occasional jokes about getting trashed and a moderate amount of cursing are tolerable, even amusing. But if you tell a joke too many times, you simply kill it.

Additionally, this year’s account holder was too heavy-handed with the puns, forcing “Loh” to fit into words in which it had simply no place.

This year’s account holder, instead of having interesting, humorous debates with followers, simply attacked and called out different people’s tweets (that had nothing to do with this university), apparently aiming to be funny. But the attempt failed.

But the tweets I took most issue with, as opinion editor at The Diamondback, were those disparaging

VIEW The new @FakeWallaceLoh should strive to be witty and make insightful comments about the campus community. the newspaper staff’s hard work and finished product.

It was difficult watching Fake Wallace Loh drag the paper’s name through the mud. With more than 2,500 followers, the account clearly has a following, and it would have been nice to see some intelligent comments about the paper. They didn’t even have to be positive or supportive, just constructive.

Maybe I shouldn’t be complaining — when Fake Wallace Loh links to The Diamondback online, at least the website gets hits — but it’s disheartening to see someone make fun of your work with no support or effort and get patted on the back for doing nothing but swearing and blindly throwing darts (or in this case, retweets).

If Fake Wallace Loh had constructive criticism, I would welcome it. If Fake Wallace Loh had anything to add to the conversation, I would love a punny dialogue. But all Fake Wallace Loh seems to want to do is make unfounded accusations, make fun of my coworkers and call the newspaper we all work on — day in and day out — a rag. He should think before he tweets.

There is simply no way to respond to his supposed critiques because there is no substance. So I let them go; don’t worry, I’m not crying about Fake Wallace Loh’s comments. In fact, I still follow the Twitter account. But I choose to use this opportunity to set the record straight: I love seeing tweets at and about The Diamondback. I welcome any analysis or disagreement with our columns and staff editorials — it’s the opinion section. That’s exactly what it’s for. But this newspaper is made by a small group of students who put their hearts and souls into their work. Baselessly attacking it is just cruel.

I will continue to follow the @FakeWallaceLoh account with the hopes that it will be passed into the hands of someone who can return the account to its previous prestige — someone who can surpass the current holder’s Loh standards and return the tweets to their former glory.

Maria Romas is a junior English major. She can be reached at mromas3@gmail.com.

8

THE DIAMONDBACK | thursday, may 9, 2013

Diversions

ON THE BLOG

TO DINE WITH GLORY

Hungry and off the campus? Need a meal on the cheap? Staff writer Emily Thompson runs through the pros and cons of each of College Park’s three major diners. For more, visit diamondbackonline.com.

ESSAY | ZACK BRAFF’S KICKSTARTER

BRAFF GETS THE LAST LAUGH

Kickstarter is supposed to give everyone a leg up, no matter how small and that means letting rich and famous people such as Zack Braff use it too

By Kelsey Hughes Staff writer When the makers of Cards Against Humanity wanted to get their game off flimsy printer paper and into a professional boxed set, they turned to Kickstarter to fund their project. They raised almost $15,000, far surpassing their initial $4,000 goal. When musician Amanda Palmer took to Kickstarter for $100,000 to cut a new album, she received more than $1 million. In 2012, 19 Kickstarterfunded films made their way to the Sundance Film Festival, according to the site.

And in April, the executive producer of Veronica Mars created a Kickstarter to fund a movie based on the show. It earned more than double its goal of $2 million and became the project with the highest number of backers in the site’s history, according to CNNMoney, with 91,585 donations.

For more than four years, Kickstarter has been an accessible way for artists, inventors and innovators to share and get funding for their ideas. It is free to start a project, and the platform is open to everyone from unknown self-starters with brilliant ideas to well-established entrepreneurs who want a little more creative freedom with their projects than they could get if they sold their ideas to a company.

Enter Zach Braff.

Inspired by the success of the Veronica Mars project and sitting on the script for Wish I Was Here, a spiritual follow-up to his cult hit Garden State, Braff turned to Kickstarter to get funding to create the entire movie himself and retain total creative control.

Less than a week after its launch, Braff’s project had surpassed its $2 million goal. Amid this success, many have questioned whether Braff is right to be asking fans for money when he’s already wealthy and well-connected, especially considering it might be taking money

away from another worthy project that lacks other avenues for funding.

But this logic is flawed. As Braf himself points out, no matter how much success he has had in his career on Scrubs and in other ventures, he still doesn’t have enough cash to fund this project himself — though he has said he has sunk a considerable sum into the project, according to the Los Angeles Times. And he is honest in his video introducing the project — he could get it funded in more traditional means, but that could mean taking away the vision of the film that he had imagined while writing.

What those criticizing Braff fail to remember is the high democratization of Kickstarter. All users are allowed to post their projects, and everyone has the potential to succeed or fail on the site. Fans can “vote” with their money, and if the project is a bad idea, it won’t be funded.

Saying that Braff’s project takes money away from other projects is like saying people who go to major arena concerts are taking money away from smaller-venue bands. People will pay for what they want to see, and if the major concerts or projects didn’t exist, people wouldn’t suddenly spend their money on a smaller projects or shows.

As Braff pointed out to the Los Angeles Times, many of the people who funded his project were first-time Kickstarter funders, some of whom went on to support other projects. And Braff has done his fair share to promote other projects, too.

Differentiating between who can and can’t begin a Kickstarter is arbitrary and sets bad precedent. And what makes what Braff is doing any worse than what the producers of Veronica Mars did when they turned to Kickstarter for funding?

In the end, people will continue to hate Braff for his actions and his public persona. But those people don’t have to support Wish I Was Here.

It’s simple: If you disagree with any start-up project, put your money elsewhere. diversionsdbk@gmail.com photo courtesy of chrisglass.com

thursday, may 9, 2013 | diversions | THE DIAMONDBACK

9

FEATURE | BRONIES

boys will be boys Why do legions of grown men love My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic?

sometimes you want to go where every brony knows your name. Shelters from an online culture dominated by negativity and hate, Internet communities based around a love of the endlessly positive kids show My Little Pony have attracted thousands — and spread into the real world. photo courtesy of fanpop.com

By Beena Raghavendran Senior staff writer EDITOR’S NOTE: A student’s name has been withheld to protect his privacy.

It was the last Friday in April at about 9 p.m., and the Student Involvement Suite in Stamp Student Union reeked of french fries.

A group of students were sprawled out on ottomans and couches , talking and laughing. A few held bags of fast food. One had a guitar. A stuffed pony was perched on one of the ottomans — a centerpiece of sorts — representing the element that had brought the group together.

My Little Pony, originally a series of toys and later a number of television shows designed for girls, has grown into a phenomenon for thousands across the country. The franchise’s 2010 resurgence in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, thanks to Lauren Faust (also known for work on Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends and The Powerpuff Girls), has taken on a cult following, the majority of which is men ages 18-30.

They follow the show’s messages and nuances like a religion, mostly through a growing Internet fan base.

They call themselves “bronies.”

Bronies are, first and foremost, an

Internet sensation; their home base is EquestriaDaily.com, equivalent to the Reddit of My Little Pony, complete with fan art, song remixes and fan fictions.

They come together in meet-ups across the country to put faces with names.

There are two in the Washington area — one downtown and one in College Park.

Ken Passwaters — the one with the guitar — began to nonchalantly strum the theme song to My Little Pony as the rest of the room chatted, swapping jokes from the show. Passwaters, a sophomore geology major, started out as many bronies do — apprehensively watching the first episode of the fourth generation — and, reeled in by a cliffhanger, ended up staying.

“I just kept on watching, and eventually my own self-hatred went away,” he said.

In the first few episodes, several factors initially hook the bronies to the show. The voice talent on My Little Pony is superior, they say. Tara Strong is the voice of main pony, Twilight Sparkle, and she has a lengthy resume bronies like to cite — she voiced Dil Pickles on Rugrats, Bubbles on The Powerpuff Girls and Timmy Turner on The Fairly Odd-

Parents, among other characters. The show’s art is beautiful, they say, and the writing is quick and witty.

They then bond together through episodes uploaded to YouTube, memes, graphics and songs, providing a language and a glue for a community united around a television show. It’s like any fan club, but with accentuating factors that make it unique.

E., a senior geographical sciences major, wished to be identified by just his first initial for this story. He said brony culture distinguishes itself by the show’s themes of friendship and loyalty, which the fandom unites around.

“I can’t honestly say that there will ever be a more accepting, loving community of any fandom out there, ever,” he said.

E. is a self-described closeted brony — not always willing to make his viewing habits widely known — but he spoke candidly at Stamp in April. He’s passionate about his relatively new love for the elements of a TV show.

The date Oct. 24, 2012, is etched in his memory as the most special of his anniversaries — it’s the day he became a brony. Before discovering My Little Pony, E. was a self-described disloyal friend, someone who valued personal needs over the needs of others.

Now, he’s Skyped with friends who’ve needed him until about 5 a.m.

“Being a brony for seven months, I can safely say that I’ve got a much more positive outlook on life overall,” he said.

“I feel like I’ve become a better friend and a better person overall.”

He said the show has been documented as a “prescription for depression,” which extends to the online fan base, as well. He said he’s met more lifelong friends in the time he’s been a brony than in the two decades before that.

“Come for the show, stay for the community,” E. said.

It has, however, turned away some people who see the oddities of grown men watching a children’s television show. There have been online outcries that those who watch My Little Pony are homosexual or perverted. Some online forums, too, include claims that bronies aren’t being harassed and should stop behaving as if they are because Internet users don’t care about a person’s favorite television show.

The show and community disregard gender norms, E. said.

“The most important thing I’ve learned from being in this fandom is that men are allowed to cry,” he said.

“People feel safe and comfortable talking about things that you might not even admit to your parents,” he added.

His parents don’t know he’s a brony.

“Bronies share a common bond,” he said. “We all tend to share the same personality type.”

Bronies tend to be the geeky ones who cling to computers and love Internet memes and online connections, he said.

Lenkowsky is a senior electrical engineering major, right in the middle of the 18- to 30-year-old age bracket. He said being a brony is similar to being part of Greek life or another organization with likeminded people.

Unlike some of his fellow bronies, Lenkowsky isn’t shy about his love for the show. He sat in Stamp, wearing a black My Little Pony T-shirt that read “Every Day I’m Shufflin’” — based on episode content and the LMFAO song — under a red jacket.

He’s been to BronyCon, the convention for fans of the show. In 2012, he said, the crowd was capped at 4,000 because of space constraints.

The show is in no way just for young girls, he said, nor is it just for young people. He said it must have been designed knowing that parents would be watching the show alongside their kids. Lenkowsky cited Walt Disney’s quote about marketing — creators are dead if they only market for kids because adults are just kids grown up.

From a young age — because of the fate of chromosome arrangements and random luck — boys and girls are culturally conditioned to a few operatives.

Boys like dirt, blood, cars, trucks, video games, war, destruction, obstruction, explosions and anything that makes loud or obnoxious noises.

Girls like hair, makeup, pink, purple, nail polish, glitter, sparkles, fashion, lip gloss, Barbie dolls, small animals, teen magazines.

And ponies. Especially ponies. Girls love ponies. Boys — even when they ride small members of the genus equus — never ride ponies, never anything with the cutesy “–y” ending; they ride horses.

About half an hour later, the Wii was in place, hooked up to the television inside one of the activity rooms in the suite. The bronies dragged chairs around it. YouTube would be their entertainment source for the night. Their first clip was a parody video entitled “Friendship is Magic Bitch.” It involved ponies getting catapulted to the moon by the show’s most powerful character and incorporated meme humor, rage faces and heavy trolling.

The bronies in the room voiced the words along with the video, cracking up, uniting together over something they’d previously witnessed on separate screens.

The meet-up had only just begun.

Jason Lenkowsky became a brony in summer 2011.

diversionsdbk@gmail.com

10

THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | thursday, may 9, 2013

Loans From PAGE 1 by describing how high monthly student loan payments can diminish personal savings or crowd out other types of consumer spending.”

Officials at the CFPB, a firm that monitors consumer conditions and sends reports to the federal government, compiled the report from more than 28,000 surveys sent to student loan borrowers in February. Using the survey comments, they produced a list of common concerns and suggestions for solutions.

One of the largest concerns was the high interest rates that loans from private lenders often carry. While interest rates for federal student loans conform to price ceilings, private lenders don’t have the stability of taxpayer funding. Many lenders assume

senate From PAGE 1 senate again in November 2011, it was met with more support.

The bill went to a full senate vote Feb. 14 and ultimately passed 81-2 with one abstention, significantly expanding the policy’s scope.

“We have a very clear guideline that students are not going to be punished for seeking help with drug overdoses and things like that, and I think that that’s great,” said then-Senate Executive Committee Chairwoman Martha Nell Smith. “Student safety comes first — all campus constituent safety, but definitely student safety.”

IMPLEMENTATION OF A SYSTEMWIDE SMOKING BAN The University System of Maryland’s Board of Regents voted last summer to institute a smoking ban on each of the

“But when you are saddled with sky-high monthly student loan payments, those funds can be hard to come by or even qualify for.”

But while CFPB data suggest private lenders are at fault for mounting student debt, a report from the Department of Education released in September indicates the onus may not be entirely on private firms: The proportion of students defaulting on federal loans has steadily risen over the past few years. About 9.1 percent of students defaulted on federal loans in 2010, up from 8.8 percent in 2009 and 7 percent in 2008.

Conversely, the nation’s largest private student lender, Sallie Mae, had a default rate of about 3.4 percent in 2012. And Wells Fargo, the country’s secondlargest private lender, boasted a default rate of 2.1 percent.

Additionally, many experts argue that an expanding federal loan market has spurred an ar-

tificial demand for college, inflated tuition prices and high default rates — a higher education bubble. The federal government issued 93 percent of student loans in 2012, up from 75 percent between 2006 and 2009, according to the College Board.

“There’s this undercurrent in Congress that colleges are raising their tuition just as fast as we raise the student aid,” public policy professor S. Anthony McCann told The Diamondback in December.

But in a statement, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan wrote that the CFPB’s calls for private loan reform shouldn’t fall on deaf ears — students who choose to borrow from federal loan programs often have an easier time climbing their way out of debt — a luxury not afforded to private borrowers.

“We’ve done a lot to provide federal student loan borrowers with key protections and affordable repayment options so

that occurred on the campus or at university-sponsored events, but the senate passed a bill May 2 that will expand that authority off the campus. In some instances, local law enforcement could turn over cases to the conduct office.

Supporters of the expansion said it gives the university more leeway to protect its own reputation and the well-being of students who are victims of other students’ misconduct and that the policy was thoroughly vetted over several months by senate committees and student government.

CODE OF STUDENT CONDUCT “I’m confident that they JURISDICTION EXPANSION did not make this decision in a One of the most hotly debated vacuum,” Goodwin said.

But some senators voiced conbills of the semester was an Office of Student Conduct cerns about what the jurisdiction proposal to give its director, expansion could mean in the long Andrea Goodwin, the ability to term, worrying that the policy enforce the university’s Code of gives too much latitude to the Student Conduct for violations director — in this case, Goodwin — to determine students’ fates. that occur off the campus.

“It gives an awful lot of disThe code’s jurisdiction had previously covered only violations cretion to the director of student

conduct,” faculty senator Peter Mallios said during the floor debate before the vote. “You have to ask the question of, ‘What happens if we get a bad director of student conduct?’”

Vincent Novara, the new senate chairman, called the expansion a step forward and said the issue of staff turnover is an important consideration with any policy.

“That’s always an issue. She could leave tomorrow. But she, up to this point, has proven to be really authoritative on this topic and has the best intentions,” he said.

Officials have stressed that the change is tailored to combat serious offenses such as sexual assault and drug distribution, not underage drinking.

students are high-risk borrowers because they tend to have little credit history, and lenders set rates high to ensure repayment.

CFPB officials suggested instituting a refinancing relief program for those who make reliable payments, which would give them a chance to refinance at lower rates.

Another proposal gives borrowers in distress a “road to recovery,” and a third option would grant them a “credit clean slate.” These programs are necessary, Cordray said, because the negative effects of bad credit and debt can spread to other sectors of the economy.

It has an especially damaging effect on the housing market, he said, as graduates saddled with high debt often choose to live with their parents instead of signing a lease or mortgage on their own.

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau showed that, in 2011, about 5.9 million Americans

between the ages of 25 and 34 were living with their parents.

And the National Association of Realtors estimated only 27 percent of home buyers in the current market are in that age demographic, a historic low.

“First-time home buyers play a critical role in the market by increasing demand and facilitating ‘move-up’ purchases by existing homeowners,” Cordray said.

“Some of the current generation of first-time home buyers carries record levels of student debt — and this may inhibit their ability to qualify for a mortgage.”

Student debt also delivers a blow to innovation and entrepreneurship, he added, as damaged credit and a low capacity to take on new debt discourages and can even prevent borrowers from applying for small business loans.

“In any business, it is critical to invest funds to hire employees and market your product,”Cordray said.

system’s dozen institutions, leaving the senate with the task of determining a way to implement the rule before it goes into effect July 1.

Marcy Marinelli, chairwoman of the senate’s Campus Affairs Committee, which drafted the implementation plan, said the goal of the policy is to emphasize education.

“It’s really about how do we help people that decide, ‘I want to focus on quitting smoking,’” Marinelli said.

The full senate approved the plan April 4, with some provisions relating to signs around the campus and cigarette receptacles to reduce litter and pollution.

There are no designated oncampus smoking areas explicitly included in the plan, which also puts off punitive enforcement of the policy for at least a year.

“I think there is broad support for this being a nonsmoking university. I totally understand that some

people oppose that,” Smith said.

Fo r S m i t h , t h e i ss u e o f smoking is a personal one — her father was a smoker, a habit that contributed to seven heart attacks and ultimately necessitated transplant, she said.

“I’ve seen up close and personal, it’s a serious addiction that has really serious health [consequences],” she said. “Anyone who wants to do it can do it, but you are impinging upon others’ space when you’re smoking.’”

BY THE NUMBERS

5.9 million people between the ages of 25 and 34 live with their parents.

27 percent of new home buyers are between ages 25 and 34.

93 percent of student loans were issued by the federal government in 2012. they can successfully repay their loans, and we have made it easier for them to pursue public service careers,” Duncan said. “While federal loans remain a student’s best option, the CFPB’s important work … provides thoughtful options for addressing these challenges that deserve policy makers’ serious consideration.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

track faculty treatment and appointment, tenure and promotion.

Novara will lead the senate during the coming academic year, and he’ll be followed by university extension specialist Donald Webster, who was chosen as chair-elect at the transition meeting.

“I’ve been very interested in becoming more involved with campus operations and learning more about campus, and trying to get campus to learn more about my organization,” Webster said.

As the outgoing chairwoman, Smith expressed confidence in Novara’s future leadership and said he has long shown the characteristics required of a good chairman.

“He listened, which I think is a very important component of being MOVING FORWARD chair,” she said, “because you’re Several long-term items remain going to have all sorts of people on the senate’s agenda, including throwing you all sorts of things.” recommendations from task forces on sexual harassment, non-tenure- newsumdbk@gmail.com

thursday, may 9, 2013 | NEWS | THE DIAMONDBACK

11

Univ. transportation habits ‘Robo Raven’ takes flight subject of student-led study Graduate students produce first flying robot of its kind Anthropology class looks to encourage greener choices

By Carlos Alfaro For The Diamondback With the goal of reducing the university’s carbon footprint, a class of anthropology students surveyed the transportation habits of about 365 students, faculty and staff members and asked if they would consider trying more eco-friendly ways to commute.

In April, eight students in ANTH468O: Special Topics in Cultural Anthropology: Researching Environment and Culture launched TerpCrawl. com, which featured the online survey along with live streams of local traffic on roads such as Route 1 and Piney Branch Road and Twitter feeds of campusrelated transportation updates.

The students also went out across the campus to interview members of the university community about their preferred modes of transportation and the students’ plan to submit their findings to the Department of Transportation Services.

“What our study really focuses on is actually interviewing some of these folks about their commuting habits,” said anthropology professor Jen Shaffer, who teaches the class. “Why do they drive their car; would they accept an alternative if it were available; what would

encourage them to try alternative ways of transportation that would have a smaller footprint?”

The data showed many commuters were willing to consider greener transportation options.

Out of the 105 drivers who took the TerpCrawl survey, 20 percent expressed interest in commuting by bicycle and 28 percent expressed interest in using Shuttle-UM. Moreover, of the 42 who regularly use the shuttle service, 54 percent were satisfied with the system and 71 percent would recommend it as a way to commute to school.

On the other hand, 75 percent of shuttle riders also said bus scheduling is an issue and 67 percent said overcrowding is a problem. DOTS Assistant Director Beverly Malone said members of her department are already considering implementing changes to on-campus transportation services, such as adding more electric vehicle charging stations, creating a vanpool system and adding more bicycle parking spaces. “ Fro m wh a t I ga t h e re d through interviews, people are pretty set in their ways,” Anastasia Borovikov, a senior biology major and TerpCrawl project member, wrote in an email. “It’s not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing; that’s not why we are

“it seems that most people are satisfied with their own choices, and that may be all we get.”

ANASTASIA BOROVIKOV

Senior biology major and project member doing research. We want to know what people want. It seems that most people are satisfied with their own choices, and that may be all we get.”

However, sophomore anthropology major and project member Shaiyon Merkel is optimistic that the survey may encourage people to think about greener transportation alternatives.

“I do think it will make a difference,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is see how we can implement reform so that both ways of transportation are made more convenient for students, but also make it more sustainable for the environment and more economical for the university.”

For some students, the choice is already easy.

“I live a mile off campus, so I either walk or ride my bike,” said Kathy Vinokurova, a hearing and speech sciences graduate student. “I feel like I’m not contributing very much [to the carbon footprint].” newsumdbk@gmail.com

By Matt Bylis For The Diamondback

It’s not a bird, nor is it a plane — but Robo Raven, a robotic bird developed by a group of university professors and graduate students, is taking to the skies.

After five years of development, the work of two engineering professors and five graduate students is making national headlines with Robo Raven’s first successful flight on April 30. The robotic bird is the first flapping wing robot to have independently controlled wings, and it means engineers are one step closer to creating a machine that accurately mimics a real bird’s flight pattern.

Each wing motion is programmable, an extremely difficult feat, according to Dr. Satyandra K. Gupta and Dr. Hugh Bruck, the professors responsible for the development of this project.

“We can program the desired wing velocity and position,” the professors wrote in an email.

“This allows us to closely replicate the flapping motions of bird wings. Previous flapping wing robots were driven by a single motor. This makes wing motions coupled,and only allows changes in flapping speed.”

Because each wing is independently controlled, Robo Raven can generate aerodynamic forces that enable it to be highly maneuverable and fly like a real

bird. It can quickly dive, turn and even avoid colliding with other objects, as well as glide in windy conditions to minimize energy consumption. Robo Raven’s flight motion looked so realistic a hawk attacked it multiple times during a test flight.

The professors are also excited about the surveillance and environmental capabilities Robo Raven could bring.

“It can even scare away other birds from places where they may cause serious problems, like airports and agricultural fields,” they wrote.

Ariel Perez-Rosado, one of the doctoral students, said the biggest challenge was making the bird light enough to fly while still retaining the ability to digitally control each wing.

“The reason this has never been done before is because two motors can be heavy,” he said. “We had to spend months testing and performing trials before our first flight, but we eventually found a way to change the weight balance to where it could stay in the air.”

In order to make each wing separate, the robotic bird needed larger batteries than previous models, so the group had to tinker with the other pieces of the robot to reduce its weight. They used new manufacturing technologies, such as 3-D printing and laser cutting, to create structures that kept Robo Raven’s weight down and new wing shapes with a large aerodynamic lift to help it take flight.

The professors initiated the project — Gupta began developing early versions of Robo Raven five years ago — but students Luke Roberts, John Gerdes and PerezRosado did most of the experimentation, which proved to be a valuable learning experience in both patience and engineering, Roberts said.

“They headed up the project and gave general pointers, and then it was our job to figure out which parts to use, do the testing and come up with wing designs,” he said.

With flying robots, any unsuccessful flight can damage the delicate technology. Still, Roberts said Gupta’s and Bruck’s input enhanced the collaborative effort and led to the bird’s successful launch.

“The professors work really hard on their research and give the best opportunities to students,” he said.

They care about our success as well as their own, and that’s something you don’t see all the time.”

The crew isn’t done working on the robotic bird, Gupta and Bruck said, as there are still many potential applications it could achieve with further development.

“We hope that Robo Raven will soon be carrying cameras and sensors to monitor areas for potential hazards that are not currently accessible by other means,” they wrote. “In addition, we have had a number of requests from hobbyists who want to start playing with it.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

12

THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | thursday, may 9, 2013

health From PAGE 1 “This is the biggest single improvement that we have seen in student services in years,” Clement said. “People’s eyes are wide open to this issue and will all be watching carefully to see if demand is being met.”

The new staff could help tackle the extensive wait times for treatments, a common complaint among students seeking mental health services, Haggard said.

“Hiring is a great start and will decrease the volume that each therapist has to handle,” she said. “However, I also think that the centers should have ways for students to get in contact with therapists from outside of the university, especially for those uncomfortable with group therapy.”

Additional staffing could also allow more students opportunities for long-term psychotherapy, said Marta Hopkinson, health center mental health director.

“We have a very large demand for all services and have had to prioritize significance of each situation when people come through,” Hopkinson said. “In the future, we hope to offer services to a broader range of students.”

T h e Co u n se l i n g Ce n te r reviews and evaluates its services regularly, said Sharon Kirkland-Gordon, the center’s director. The center added more therapeutic group sessions this year after students noted their effectiveness during previous semesters, she added.

Earlier this semester, the Student Government Association, Active Minds at Maryland and the Help Center collaborated to create Get Help UMD, a Face-

“the funding does not give the university an excuse to now ignore mental health issues … this is a battle that’s going to go on.”

JEN ROBINSON

Active Minds at Maryland president book page allowing anonymous students to address improvements for the health and counseling centers. The online forum helps improve the dialogue between students and health officials, said Jen Robinson, Active Minds president.

“There is no surefire way to fix everything all at once, but encouraging a discussion between students and the centers is definitely a worthwhile solution,” Robinson said.

“Officials need to continue to check up on students and see if they are actually being helped.”

Dialogue about mental health awareness is more essential than ever, said sophomore civil engineering major Colby Brown, especially in the wake of recent events such as this semester’s off-campus murder-suicide.

In February, graduate student Dayvon Maurice Green, who suffered from mental illness for at least a year, killed one of his roommates and injured another before taking his own life.

“In light of what’s happened in the past few months, it’s important that the university provide these services for students,” Brown said.

“I think that especially at college, stress can get to a lot of kids and affect them emotionally.”

The prevalence of mental illnesses at colleges and universities has led Active Minds to plan a suicide awareness campaign and work to make the health and

counseling centers more accessible to students in the upcoming years. Though the state funding is a good start, it’s not the final solution for such a widespread issue, Robinson said, and other adjustments must continue to be made.

“The funding does not give the university an excuse to now ignore mental health issues,” she said. “This is a battle that’s going to go on.”

Because so many students have attempted to get help on the campus, Hopkinson said this shows the stigma against mental illness and seeking treatment is already waning. The university has a long way to go to meet student needs, she said, adding the centers are improving thanks to the funding.

“The university has been supportive of mental health and is trying to take care of the well-being of students,” Hop-

officials at the University Health Center and the Counseling Center are hoping $5 million in state funding will improve the quality and capacity of the mental health services available on the campus and increase student access to such care over the next several years. file photo/the diamondback kinson said. “I do think that we meet the urgent needs of students, but it’s probably going to continue to be a challenge to address more and more needs as they arise.”

Meeting the needs of every

student seeking mental health services is a tough goal, Clement said, but it’s a goal worth striving toward.

“I think that demand is always going to outweigh the services available, but we will

always try to meet that demand in the best way that we can,” Clement said. “Mental health is a priority of the university and will continue to be.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

thursday, may 9, 2013 | NEWS | THE DIAMONDBACK

13

University works to attract minority students to STEM Science and tech fields lack diverse student body

By Madeleine List Staff writer Despite efforts to encourage minority students to study STEM fields, university science, technology, engineering and mathematics classes still don’t reflect the diversity of the wider student population.

Both professionally and in higher education, these fields remain dominated by white men, according to the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering. Organizations at this university, such as the Women in Engineering Program and the Center for Minorities in Science and Engineering, are making efforts to recruit students to science and engineering programs from a young age.

“Our mission is to recruit, retain, develop and graduate underrepresented minorities in STEM,” said Trinette Young, CMSE outreach and recruitment coordinator. “We’ve seen a lot of students, and every year we see more students applying.”

Of the undergraduates enrolled in the university’s engineering school, 21.2 percent are female and 33.3 percent are minority students, according to the Office of Institutional Research Planning & Assessment.

Although the university’s numbers are more encouraging than the nationwide figures, even in the bioengineering program, which has a high number of female students, “Our classes are probably mostly 60 to 40, guys to girls,” said Meghan O’Lone, a sophomore bioengineering major.

In universities across the country, 18 percent of women earned bachelor’s degrees in engineering in 2009 along with

NASA ASTRONAUT jeanette epps spoke at the Center for Minorities in Science and Engineering’s 2013 STEM Expo, which drew more than 800 students. photo courtesy of wikimedia commons 5 percent of black Americans, 8 percent of Latino Americans and 0.5 percent of American Indians, according to NACME. “The numbers are better than what they used to be,” said Whitney Wilson, a sophomore bioengineering major and incoming president of the Black Engineers Society.

“The issue is the retention rate in STEM. A lot of students come in trying to be STEM majors and don’t end up graduating.”

Majoring in science or engineering is already daunting because of the rigorous course work and difficult material, but these fields can be especially intimidating for students who know they will be greatly outnumbered in their classes, Wilson said.

“I can speak from personal experience — in my STEM classes, I am one of a small handful of

minority engineering majors,” Wilson said. “It’s kind of a double whammy to be a woman and an African-American in STEM. You become a minority within a minority. It can be intimidating to be in a class where you’re not only the only woman but the only AfricanAmerican in the room.”

Many female STEM students agreed being a woman isolates them from their classmates.

“It’s pretty annoying. You tell yourself it doesn’t bother you, but when you walk into a lecture hall with three girls, it’s kind of intimidating,” said Paige Nelson, a sophomore computer science major. “You feel like you’re being looked at sometimes.”

Feeling singled out in class can add to the pressure of an already difficult major, several students said.

“I don’t share how I’m doing in class because I don’t want them to use me as a judge of girls,” Nelson said. “I don’t want my performance to reflect a whole gender.”

However, other students said being a member of a minority group doesn’t affect the way they feel about their major.

“Being a female in STEM is not really noticeable unless you make it noticeable,” said Maria Kaplan, a freshman chemical engineering major. “It’s not a big deal unless you make it a big deal. It has its own challenges, but engineering is challenging in general. That has nothing to do with being a girl.”

And many women said they’ve experienced support among female STEM students.

“There’s a sense of camaraderie,” Wilson said. “We all know what it’s like to be the only girl in the room.

At some point, every girl goes through that period of time where it can be overwhelming and lonely.”

Officials at this university have tried to encourage more minority and female students to take an interest in STEM fields. The CMSE hosted several events and summer programs targeted at students of all ages. In April, the center’s 2013 STEM Expo drew more than 800 black and Latino students and featured NASA astronaut and university alumna Jeanette Epps.

But the real problem may lay in the stigma surrounding STEM professions. Women may feel excluded from STEM programs because of long-standing stereotypes that men are the only ones cut out for the job, said Bria McElroy, Women in Engineering Program assistant director.

“There is kind of an unwelcome undertone in STEM programs,” she said. “That might not be outward discrimination, but it might be subtle cues that STEM isn’t the right thing for women. Technology, video games, robotics clubs — they’re mostly geared toward boys

and also send a signal to girls that technology and engineering might not really be for them.”

In 2011, women earned 25 percent of engineering bachelor’s degrees at this university, according to the Center for Women in Engineering, and 33 percent of those admitted to the engineering program for the fall semester are women, McElroy said. Although this number may change depending on how many of those students decide to stay in the program, it’s still a promising statistic, she said.

“This is a really great number, and it’s a big improvement,” McElroy said. “The climate really seems to be improving for women in STEM fields.”

It is important for STEM majors to welcome all students because these fields create some of the highest-earning professions, she added.

“Being able to have a career in STEM is something that provides financial stability,” McElroy

said. “It becomes an economic concern at the individual level, not to mention all the other rewarding aspects of a career in STEM. You are working with others to solve problems in society.”

Because STEM fields promote social progress, the professionals working in those areas should reflect the wider public they are trying to serve, Wilson said.

“Increasing diversity is important because STEM fields are fields that are going to continue to be growing,” she said. “The people in those fields need to be representative of the general population, and the general population is diverse. It really is going to be a win-win for everyone because not only are you giving people an opportunity to do great things with their life, but you’re also creating a more diverse pool of people who are contributing to something that helps the world as a whole.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

MORE ONLINE

file photo/the diamondback

the best way to find a seat in mckeldin library

McKeldin Library during finals week is like a parking lot during Black Friday, except with frustrated, sleep-deprived students. Stay far away.

I have spent countless hours over the course of my two years here trying to find a quiet space that is not limited to graduate students. I have found that using “the glare” or standing in the middle of the back of the first floor or any part of the fourth floor looking confused does not find you a seat.

To read more of Alexandra Tennant’s blog post, check out The Diamondback’s student blogs at diamondbackonline.com.

14

THE DIAMONDBACK | sports | thursday, may 9, 2013

THE MATCHUP Cornell big red

No. 6 MARYLAND TERRAPINS

12-3

10-3

WHEN Sunday, 1 p.m.

WHERE Byrd Stadium TV ESPN2 SERIES Terps lead, 13-2 DATA The Terps and Big Red met three times in national championship games in the 1970s. The Big Red won two of those meetings in 1971 and 1976. The Terps won in 1974.

red From PAGE 18 i n t h e p rog ra m a n d h ave watched the team compete in each of the past two national title games before falling just short of gratifying wins against Virginia and Loyola.

“All the alumni, we all tried our hardest, but for some reason, we haven’t won a championship since [1975],” said Brian Dougherty, a Terps goalkeeper in the mid-1990s, in late March. “If it were to be coach [John] Tillman and the boys this year, it’d make a lot of people really proud.”

Getting past the first round of the 16-team single-elimination tournament won’t be easy, though. Cornell (12-3) presents a tough opponent for the Terps (10-3) and has a resume befitting a top-eight seed, Tillman said.

In fact, the Terps and the Big Red were ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in the national poll a month ago. In a year of unusual parity, Cornell slipped in the rankings after narrow losses to Syracuse and Princeton and drew a first-round visit to College Park.

Still, the Big Red posted a stellar 12-win season, and all their losses were in games decided by just one goal.

“This is a really tough challenge,” said T illman, who graduated from Cornell in 1991.

“They are only a couple goals away from being the No. 1 seed in this tournament.”

The matchup itself also has a storied history. All but one title game in the 1970s featured either the Terps or the Big Red. In the 1976 championship bout, Cornell beat the Terps in overtime, 16-13, marking the beginning of the Terps’ 37-year title drought.

Cornell, meanwhile, hasn’t won a title since repeating its 1976 championship in 1977.

Both teams have remained among the nation’s most consistent programs — the Big Red

have finished at or above .500 in each of the past 15 years — yet neither has been able to claim the sport’s top prize.

“I am surprised that neither team has won it,” said Mike Farrell, a Terps defender from 1973 to 1976. “It shows that it takes a lot to win one. You can be there every year, but things have to go right for you.”

The Big Red’s gaudy offense could present a significant obstacle to the Terps’ attempt to return to the NCAA championship. Led by attackmen Rob Pannell (80 points) and Steve Mock (3.43 goals per game), Cornell’s 14.4 goals per game ranks second in the nation, and the squad has tallied at least 10 goals in all but one game this season.

“They have a really good, disciplined attack,” goalkeeper Niko Amato said. “Rob Pannell and Steve Mock have been there for a while. They’re like the steady hand of that offense.”

On the other side, the Terps’ 7.62 goals-against average is the fourth-lowest mark in the country, and they’ve already shut down star attackmen such as Duke’s Jordan Wolf and Colgate’s Peter Baum this spring.

Back in 1976, Farrell and the Terps defense couldn’t contain Cornell’s offense in a threegoal loss.

So when the squad begins its attempt to win its first title since topping Navy in 1975, the Terps will have the alumni in mind. But Farrell doesn’t think they should focus on any former teams.

The current Terps have already done enough to make the alumni proud, Farrell said. They don’t need to shoulder the burden of the past 37 Terps teams.

“You always want to win, but I don’t feel the kids should feel the pressure that they have too,” Farrell said. “This is their team.

Not the year before’s team, not the 1975 team. It’s their team.” sportsdbk@gmail.com

HOKIES From PAGE 15 a higher ACC tournament seed this year despite its youth.

Infielder Lindsey Schmeiser was the most impressive freshman throughout the regular season, leading the conference with 55 RBIs. Her stout offensive numbers helped her win ACC Freshman of the Year honors.

“The growth throughout the … year has been good to watch,” Watten said. “To see where we’re at right now is good.”

The Terps have won 11 of their past 15 games, and Beards — who boasts a 16-game hitting streak — has also led the offensive charge over the stretch with a .467 batting average and 14 RBIs.

“My confidence level has gone way up,” Beards said.

“This is probably one of my best years hitting.”

Though the Ringwood, N.J., native has been hot at the plate, the two batters at the top of the Terps’ order, outfielders Amanda McCann and Sara Acosta, haven’t experienced the same success. The pair combined to tally just three hits this weekend.

The Terps chose not to think of today’s game as a grudge match, but it holds significance for other reasons, too. If the Terps wish to hold on to their postseason hopes, they will likely need to start a winning streak today.

“This is the next step in our season,” Maier said.

“Now we’re just focusing on one game at a time.” sportsdbk@gmail.com

rams From PAGE 15 In his past three appearances, including last night, Kirkpatrick has surrendered eight earned runs on nine hits and five walks in fewer than three innings.

Right-hander Jared Price replaced Kirkpatrick in the sixth inning after only one run had been scored, but the freshman couldn’t stymie VCU. The Rams plated another three runs — all charged to Kirkpatrick — to take an 8-4 lead.

The offense was there to answer once again, though.

The Terps put together a three-run sixth inning to cut the deficit to one run, highlighted by an RBI double from Hagel and a two-RBI double from Wade.

Right-hander Bobby Ruse pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings before issuing

a walk to lead off the ninth inning. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second base, Szefc brought in closer Kevin Mooney to finish the inning. But the freshman right-hander surrendered an RB I sing le to the first batter he faced, giving the Rams a two-run cushion that proved insurmountable in the bottom half.

After playing some of their best baseball throughout the past month — including the team’s lone ACC series victory of the season at Duke two weekends ago — the Terps resorted back to many of the tendencies that plagued their slow start to the season.

“We’ve done it all year, man,” Szefc said. “We leave too many guys on base, and we walk too many hitters. That’s how you lose 24 games.” sportsdbk@gmail.com

thursday, may 9, 2013 | sports | The Diamondback

15

SOFTBALL | ACC TOURNAMENT PREVIEW

BASEBALL

VCU holds down Terps rally Hagel’s double, home run, four hits not enough in loss

By Daniel Popper Staff writer

infielder candice beards hit .467 with 14 RBIs as the Terps went 11-4 in their past 15 games to close the regular season. file photo/the diamondback

Hokies provide familiar foe entering ACC tournament Virginia Tech bounced Terps from postseason in 2012

By Paul Pierre-Louis Staff writer Nearly a year ago, Virginia Tech outfielder Kat Banks smacked a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning off then-Terrapins softball pitcher Kendra Knight to knock the Terps out of the ACC tournament.

On Sunday, the Hokies notched three runs in the sixth off a two-run homer and an RBI single, sealing a 4-0 win that prevented the Terps from finishing second in the conference.

As the Terps prepare for their ACC tournament quarterfinal today at JoAnne Graf

Field in Tallahassee, Fla., they face the same Virginia Tech program that dealt them those pivotal losses. The Terps prefer not to think about recent matchups, though.

“We have a completely different team [from last year],” said outfielder Nikki Maier.

“I haven’t even thought about last year.”

The contest could also have a significant impact on the Terps’ postseason hopes.

Ranked 89th in the RPI, the Terps need to impress in the single-elimination ACC tournament in order to receive a bid for the NCAA regionals.

Though it holds the No.

3 seed in the conference tournament, the team has the third-worst RPI ranking among ACC teams. “[Making regionals] is a priority, but right now we’re trying to focus on winning the ACCs,” infielder Candice Beards said. “If we do win the ACCs, we’ll definitely have a chance to be in regionals.”

Despite the pressing scenario the Terps face heading into today’s game, coach Laura Watten said the team has accomplished a considerable amount so far this season, starting with how it notched See HOKIES, Page 14

The Terrapins baseball team regressed to its old habits last night.

Despite receiving a stellar performance from senior right fielder Jordan Hagel — 4-for-6 with two RBIs, a double and a home run — the Terps fell behind early in the game’s opening innings and never recovered in a 9-7 loss to Virginia Commonwealth at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium.

They received poor pitching from starter Jake Drossner.

A bullpen that had become reliable in recent weeks faltered. And the offense left 13 runners on base and failed on numerous occasions to notch base hits with runners in scoring position.

Down by two runs in the ninth inning, the Terps had runners on second and third base, but neither center fielder Charlie White nor Hagel were able to come through with a clutch hit to tie or win the game.

“We came out very stale and were pretty awful in the first part of that game,” coach John Szefc said. “It was a pretty poor performance in general.”

Drossner struggled early in his sixth start, surrendering four runs to the Rams (24-23) in the first two innings, and two of those runs scored on wild pitches in a steady rain.

The Terps (28-24) answered in the second, though, loading the bases after back-to-back singles by second baseman Kyle Convissar and designated hitter Kevin Martir, plus a walk from left fielder Anthony Papio.

Jack Cleary grounded out to third base in the next at-bat,

right fielder Jordan Hagel went 4-for-6 with a double, home run and two RBIs, but the Terps fell behind early to Virginia Commonwealth and lost, 9-7, last night. file photo/the diamondback chopping the ball deep enough into the left-side hole to prevent a play at home and score Convissar. Shortstop Blake Schmit then hit an RBI sacrifice fly to center field to cut the Rams’ lead to two.

The Terps tied the game at four in the fifth inning. Hagel led off with his fourth home run of the season over the left field fence. After first baseman LaMonte Wade struck out and Convissar grounded out, Martir walked to spark another run. Papio hooked an RBI triple down the right field line, scoring Martir easily.

“We do struggle a little bit in the beginning of games,” Hagel

said. “But we [also] do a great job of coming from behind.

We have a lot of come-frombehind victories, and we’re always confident because we have done it in the past. So it’s that confidence that pushes us to come back.”

In the sixth inning, Szefc replaced Drossner with righthander Brady Kirkpatrick, who has battled a shoulder injury throughout the season.

Kirkpatrick’s struggles continued, though. Szefc pulled him after he allowed the goahead run on three hits and a walk before recording an out.

See rams, Page 14

16

THE DIAMONDBACK | sports | thursday, may 9, 2013

NCAA From PAGE 18 two teams that will meet Friday at Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex for the right to face the Terps.

“They’re fired up,” coach Cathy Reese said. “They’re excited about the first two parts of the season we’ve had, looking forward to the third. We’ll take it as it comes.

Hopefully, we’ll have good things ahead.”

Despite the Terps’ familiarity with Northwestern, they insist they are not focusing on the defending champions. The Terps are merely concentrating on themselves, just as they have all season long.

The Terps’ senior class is determined to return to championship glory. The seniors have fallen just short of their goal in the past two seasons after winning a title their freshman season.

Now, as the top-seeded team in the tournament, the seniors are determined to go out on top.

“We talk about it all the time,” attacker Alex Aust said. “We’ve been very close and tasted it. We lost in the national championship, lost in the final four.”

The seniors know their time is almost up. That’s why they have tried to instill a sense of urgency among the freshmen since the season’s onset.

“The seniors talk about coming full circle,” midfielder Taylor Cummings said in late February. “They have a great feeling about this year.”

Cummings has been a key cog in the Terps’ 2013 campaign.

Her 81 draw controls are more than double the next highest Terps total, which helped her win this year’s ACC Freshman of the Year award.

And although the freshman has struggled in the draw circle recently, the Terps don’t plan on making any adjustments in tournament play.

The Terps’ high-powered offense carried them through the regular season, while Reese repeatedly lamented the struggling defense’s performance.

But the defense has ended the season strong. Reese called the team’s effort in the 12-8 ACC championship game victory over North Carolina its “best of the season.”

The revived defense is surfacing at the season’s most important juncture. They held North Carolina’s potent offense scoreless for a more than 16-minute stretch. The unit was relentless at midfield, regularly preventing the Tar Heels from clearing.

And even when North Carolina did manage to move the ball into scoring range, the Terps’ defenders swarmed star midfielder Kara Cannizzaro, holding her to just one goal.

“When you can look back and say your last game was one of the best games you’ve played, that’s something to be proud of,” Reese said. “We didn’t leave each other out to dry.”

Before the Terps and their renewed defense can begin the quest for their 11th national title, however, they will have to take on the winner of the Friday first-round matchup between Stony Brook and Towson.

Both squads have already tested the Terps this season.

The Seawolves held the nation’s top-ranked team to its lowest goal total of the season in an 8-3 Terps win on March 17, and the Tigers nearly upset the Terps with a late rally before falling, 11-8, on March 26.

The Terps’ goal isn’t just to win second-round tournament matchups at home, though — they want to win a national championship in Villanova, Pa. If they reach the title game, they may meet Northwestern there. The No. 2-seed Wildcats recently clinched the American Lacrosse Conference Championship with an 8-3 victory over Florida.

“Anything can happen come tournament time,” Aust said.

“We worked hard to get the No. 1 seed this year. But we’re really taking it one game at a time.” sportsdbk@gmail.com

HIGH FASHION

In just two years, Terrapins athletic teams have revamped their aesthetic appeal from top to bottom On Aug. 22, 2011, the Terrapins football team unveiled its new look for the upcoming season at a high-profile fashion show, complete with players strutting the runway for assembled fans and media.

Words such as “Terrafont” and “Terraprint” would soon enter the Terps fans’ lexicon, and the Terps teetered on the fringes of the national conversation. After all, that kind of uniform reveal at the time was unprecedented.

And then the Terps took it to another level on Sept. 5, 2011, changing uniforms after pregame warmups and debuting their Maryland Pride jerseys against Miami in a nationally televised tilt.

Reaction was swift as the Terps toppled the Hurricanes, and the Maryland Pride uniforms dominated conversation in the sports world.

At the time, it seemed like it could be an anomaly — would the Terps really rely on the state flag for all of the teams’ uniforms?

In the past 21 months, though, the makeover has extended to every single team on the campus. The “Terrafont” logo has become a staple on courts and fields instead of the former “Terps” script. Football unveiled an updated uniform for its past season along with even more unique looks, such as White Ops and Black Ops. Nearly every team has its own Maryland Pride uniform for marquee matchups and unique looks for other big games.

The Diamondback has combed through its photo archives to provide an online collection of uniforms worn in the past two years — from men’s lacrosse’s White Ops ensemble to women’s basketball’s uniforms for February’s Play 4Kay Pink Games, from football’s black Maryland Pride jerseys to any number of men’s basketball combinations.

— Text by Daniel Gallen — Photos compiled by Charlie DeBoyace from The Diamondback archives

MORE PHOTOS ONLINE

For a complete look at Terps uniforms over the past two years, visit the gallery: bit.ly/MDuniforms.

ON THE WEB

THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013 | THE DIAMONDBACK

17

TWEET OF THE DAY Shawne Merriman @shawnemerriman Former Terps football defensive end

“I can’t wait to compete on Season 5 of #AmericanNinjaWarrior this summer going to be crazy”

Sports

ONE LAST GO-ROUND

ON THE BLOG

The ACC announced yesterday that men’s basketball will face Ohio State in December’s ACC-Big Ten Challenge. For more, visit diamondbackonline.com.

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thursday, may 9, 2013

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S LACROSSE | NCAA TOURNAMENT PREVIEWS

BRINGING IT BACK HOME

Terps seek to end national title droughts — men’s lacrosse since 1975 and women’s lacrosse since 2010 — as postseason play begins

goalkeeper niko amato and the Terps have fallen in the past two national championship games. file photo/the diamondback

By Aaron Kasinitz Staff writer Statistically, the Terrapins men’s lacrosse team is among the nation’s most consistently successful programs.

In the 88 active seasons since the program’s inception in 1924, the Terps have never experienced a losing season.

Their 750 total victories rank fourth alltime, their .746 win percentage ranks second and with Saturday’s thrashing of Colgate, they notched their 11th straight 10-win campaign.

Each year since 1975, the squad has mounted a run at its most prominent goal.

They’ve reached the NCAA tournament 31 times and been in seven title games —

including the past two — during that span.

Yet the Terps have gone 37 straight seasons without winning a national championship.

When the No. 6-seed Terps host Cornell in the NCAA tournament first round Sunday, it’ll be a difficult and historically significant matchup in its own right. But it also signals the beginning of the team’s attempt to snap a startling and lengthy title drought.

“We know what a championship would mean to us but also to the alumni that didn’t get a chance to win it,” long pole Jesse Bernhardt said. “It would be enormous.”

Many former Terps remain involved See red, Page 14

midfielder taylor cummings and the Terps will face either Stony Brook or Towson on Sunday. file photo/the diamondback

By Joshua Needelman Staff writer At the turn of the millennium, the Terrapins women’s lacrosse team represented the gold standard in women’s college lacrosse. The Terps had won five straight national championships and appeared primed to sustain their dominance.

The tide turned over the course of the next decade, however. The team won two more titles, but they were forced to adjust after several iconic players graduated and the sport’s landscape changed.

A new national power had emerged. In 2005, Northwestern charged into Johnny Unitas Stadium in Towson to celebrate its first of five consecutive titles with a

13-10 victory over Virginia.

The old guard seemingly returned in 2010, though, when the reloaded Terps toppled the Wildcats, 13-11, to end Northwestern’s five-year run and clinch their first title in nine seasons.

But the Wildcats returned the favor in each of the next two years, beating the Terps on the sport’s final weekend — in the 2011 title game and the 2012 semifinals — en route to two more titles. Now, after an undefeated regular-season campaign and a fifth-straight ACC championship, the No. 1-seeded Terps are ready to reclaim the sport’s top spot. On Sunday, they’ll play the winner of Towson and Stony Brook, See NCAA, Page 16