September 6, 2012

SPORTS

Hills can’t afford any more ‘silly’ mistakes in regular season p. 8

DIVERSIONS

What do journalists think of TV’s The Newsroom? p. 6

The University of Maryland’s Independent Student Newspaper

ISSUE NO. 6 Our 103rd Year

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thursday, september 6, 2012

158 lose fed. loans after slew of changes Pell Grant reform alters eligibility req.

By Jenny Hottle Staff writer Students relying on federal loans may have been waiting with bated breath to see how they would be affected by recent changes in Pell Grants, but university officials maintain that, thus far, only a small number of students will have more difficulty paying tuition.

Although the maximum need-based grants is still $5,550, students can now only receive Pell Grants for 12 semesters, rather than 18 — a change that went into effect July 1. Additionally, the Expected Family Contribution — the amount a family can afford to pay for tuition each year — dropped from $5,273 to $4,995, leaving 158 students at this university thus far who no longer qualify for grants, said Sarah Bauder, the Student Financial Aid assistant vice president at this university.

But university President Wallace Loh said he is still worried further cuts may keep otherwise qualified students from attending college.

“I think cutting financial aid for students, whether it’s Pell Grants or other types of financial aid for the middle class, is an enormous concern,” Loh said. “The future of this country, the long-term future ... depends on having the best educated workforce in the world.”

Since minority groups — especially black students — statistically take longer to graduate, these students have been hit the hardest by the recent changes, according to The Project on Student Debt, a research organization. The financial aid office does not yet have complete data on how many students have been affected by this change.

Black Student Union President Wendell Alston Jr., who went to a high school that was “about 99 percent minority,” said he has many peers who have relied heavily on federal loans, and he’s already wary.

“It’s lowering the opportunity for people in the minority communities who want to go to college but don’t have the finances for it,” said Alston, a junior business major.

Because of this, some students, such as freshman journalism major See LOANS, Page 3

Alcohol transports reach high In first week, police see most hospitalizations in several years

By Fola Akinnibi Staff writer While police prepare for a spike in partying at the end of every summer, students’ dangerously high blood alcohol levels this fall have resulted in the highest rates of hospitalizations in years, officers report.

This year, University Police reported 28 alcohol-related transports between the Sunday before

the first day of classes and Labor Day weekend. During the same period last year, there were 15 transports, already up from nine in 2010. University Police Spokesman Capt. Marc Limansky said the battle with over-intoxication is a yearly one, and police struggle to keep students from getting dangerously drunk.

“The beginning of the semester is always a shock,” he said. “It’s always a battle with the new crop of students.”

University Police Chief David Mitch-

ell called the spate of hospitalizations an issue of shared responsibility between police and students, adding police are doing their part. He said students should exercise self-control and look out for each other to prevent incidents of over-intoxication.

For a university with such a large population, 28 alcohol transports is a small percentage, but any spike in numbers is a cause for alarm, Mitchell said, adding See alcohol, Page 3

BY THE NUMBERS Police have seen the number of alcohol hospitalizations climb over three years:

28 15 9

Alcohol-related transports in 2012

Alcohol-related transports in 2011

Alcohol-related transports in 2010

proteus bicycles opened in 1972 and has withstood the test of time even through an ownership change. Co-owners Laurie Lemieux (right) and Ben Bassett (center), Lemieux’s son Paul, who is also a shop employee, and shop dog Carmen are all committed to providing a dependable store as well as a social hub that regulars frequent for potlucks and group trail rides. A cat named Snickers (not pictured) also lives in the shop. charlie deboyace/the diamondback

PEDDLING ON THROUGH Despite ownership change, Route 1’s Proteus Bicycles and its storied history are still thriving since its opening in 1972

By Nick Foley Staff writer At many businesses, a change in ownership would amount to handing over the keys and slapping on a new coat of paint. But at Proteus Bicycles, co-owner Laurie Lemieux inherited a legacy.

The building — located at 9217 Baltimore Ave. — is enveloped in a deep green hue, a pop of color in a sea of neutral-toned buildings lining Route 1. A gray and white cat dances around customers’ legs

outside and then slips underfoot, ushering them through the door. Its name is Snickers and it has lived in the shop for seven years. Welcome.

Lemieux and co-owner Ben Bassett took control in July after the shop’s previous owner, Jill DiMauro, left the country. She and her girlfriend, a Canadian immigrant who was denied a visa in the United States, left because no federal law grants citizenship to same-sex couples who marry, Lemieux said. DiMauro gave up the entire business to be with her partner.

But Lemieux, who had frequented the store for seven years and calls it her “second home,” said she is determined to keep the place, a staple since it opened in 1972, a bustling hot spot for cyclists across the county.

“The shop is what it is,” said Lemieux, who gave up her job as a nursing professor at Catholic University to oversee Proteus. “We wanted to make sure that [it] went on.”

See proteus, Page 2

DREAM supporters wary of Romney stance

Ready to debut her ‘Opening Act’

Republican pres. nominee’s previous hardline immigration stance has wavered

By Jim Bach Senior staff writer

Junior’s journey to Hollywood featured on Tuesday’s episode

By Savannah Doane-Malotte Staff writer

junior kayla taitz appeared on Tuesday’s episode of “Opening Act.” She got the performing gig after she submitted a YouTube video of herself singing “Lips of an Angel” by Hinder. photo courtesy of kayla taitz

Most YouTube cover artists can only expect to broadcast their music from their bedrooms to a few loyal fans and browsers. Kayla Taitz was no different.

The junior communication major dreamed of a day when a music pro-

ducer would recognize her talent and present an opportunity to her. She didn’t expect that day to come just a week after her first attempt to get noticed. But this summer, Taitz beat out more than 250 aspiring musicians to

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ONLINE AT

take to the stage in Hollywood and sing before a live audience as a featured performer in the reality show Opening Act. Her journey, which culminated in a

NEWS 2 OPINION 4 FEATURES 5 DIVERSIONS 6 CLASSIFIED 6 SPORTS 8

See TAITZ, Page 7

With immigration reform on the minds of state voters this election season, as the November ballot will feature the state’s DREAM Act, proponents are still unsure — and wary — of where Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney stands on a national scale.

So far, Romney’s comments on immigration include traditional conservative ideas like “building a better fence,” encouraging selfdeportation and an outright pledge to repeal the federal DREAM Act,

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in addition to a repeal of a similar immigration policy as Massachusetts governor. However, since the primary season, he has remained silent about whether he would repeal President Barack Obama’s directive that protects undocumented residents from deportation if they meet certain requirements, leaving many unsure of the former Massachusetts governor’s policy.

But Romney’s silence on the initiative doesn’t necessarily mean repeal, policy and political experts said.

While Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has said he is working on an alternative

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

See romney, Page 2 © 2012 THE DIAMONDBACK

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THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS |THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

Romney From PAGE 1

Proteus bicycles owners Laurie Lemieux and Ben Bassett took control of the shop, about a mile from the campus on Route 1, in July after the former owner moved to Canada. The shop specializes in bike fitting and carries independent bike brands. charlie deboyace/the diamondback

PROTEUS From PAGE 1 In a span of 20 minutes, every customer who walks in receives a first-name greeting. One woman in particular, decked out in full biking regalia, hands a beaming Lemieux a brand new clock for her store.

“We have the best customers,” Lemieux said. “We really appreciate people who love to ride and who love to shop.”

The store specializes in bike fitting, which requires exact adjustments to every part of the bike to best suit the rider. A section of the store resembles an auto-repair shop, adorned with scattered bikes in various states of intricate adjustment.

“We ca n spend a n hou r just playing with somebody’s pedals,” Lemieux said. “The average rider can benefit from

that right fit.”

While its location is isolated from the campus, about a mile up Route 1, the shop routinely sees students stroll through its doors, Bassett said.

“The distance is a bit of an issue for a lot of students, but we still do have a lot of students who make the hike regardless,” he said.

Several students, such as sophomore computer engineering major and cyclist Samantha Steffanus, said the university community could benefit from a full-service bike shop because the campus’s shop doesn’t carry specific bicycle parts. Instead, it supplies tools and bike repair services and sells U-locks, helmets and lights.

“The bike shop on campus doesn’t really sell anything,” Steffanus said. “I punctured my tire once and had to go to a different shop off campus.”

Because Proteus is not a corporate retailer, it carries smaller, often independent bike brands with prices ranging from $400 to $2,400 a bike, Lemieux said. The store does not carry used bikes.

But while the bike-lined walls and vast inventory have created many loyal customers, the shop is as much a social hangout as it is a business. On weekends, workers and friends take customers on rides throughout area trails and on Thursdays, they gather for a potluck from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., in line with a long tradition of serving visitors more than spokes and wheels.

“Rumor has it that [in the 1970s] there used to be a guy in the back who made tofu — before anyone knew what tofu was,” Lemieux said. foley@umdbk.com

version of the DREAM Act, Romney has neither officially supported nor spoken against it. Additionally, he criticized Obama’s directive and called it a political ploy in an interview with C B S n e w s a n c h or B o b Schieffer, but declined to say if and how he would change it.

R o m n e y ’s p r e v i o u s strong rhetoric against illegal immigration may just be appealing to his b a s e , b u s i n e s s s c h o ol professor Hank Boyd said, since Romney could face backlash from conservatives if he shows outright support for the Oba ma directive. When former President George W. Bush supported the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007, which included DREAM Act initiatives, he faced a barrage of criticism from Republicans, Boyd added.

“Bush tried to do something along the lines of addressing immigration and he got a lot of pushback; there was almost a conservative revolt,” Boyd said. At this point, he said, Romney doesn’t want to take the issue head-on and “disturb the waters.”

Obama’s directive was

a clear policy measure that signaled his support for extending educational opportu n ities to u ndocu mented students, state Sen. Roger Manno (D-Montgomery)said, and Romney hasn’t shown that same support.

“He hasn’t demonstrated support for universal education opportunities for kids and college students,” Manno said.

“It certainly gives a lot of pause and concern on critical issues like the DREAM Act because you don’t really know where he’s going to be.”

And Paola Henry, this university’s College Democrats vice president, said with Obama as president, it’s more likely the federal version of the DREAM Act will pass.

“Oba m a i s clea rly t he better choice for anyone who is concerned about getting the DREAM Act passed,” she said. “It’s difficult to say what a Romney presidency would mean for the DREAM Act.” Boyd, though, maintained t hat Rom ney wou ld l i kely p u r s u e b u s i n e s s-m i n d e d policy, and providing the tools for undocumented students to become productive society members, as the federal DREAM Act aims to do, could fit into a Romney platform.

However, deportations have been steadily increasing under the Obama administration, and immigration policy likely wouldn’t see a drastic change if Romney were elected, univer-

sity economist Jeff rey Werling said. The underlying theme in both parties’ messages is “comprehensive reform,” Werling said, meaning both candidates would overhaul current immigration law.

“If Romney is elected, at this point and time it would be really hard to say what the policy on immigration would be,” Werling said.

This comprehensive reform, Werling said, would implement more severe penalties on the hiring of illegal workers, tighten the borders, and, as the DREAM Act aims to do, provide a path to citizenship for the nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants.

But Romney might not want to aggressively push for imm ig rat ion reform. Don a ld Kettl, the public policy school dean, wrote in an email that Romney’s support for a policy of “self-deportation” isn’t a likely remedy because many u ndocu mented workers wouldn’t voluntarily leave the country. And Romney probably wouldn’t embrace the DREAM Act because “there are so many members of his party’s base opposed to any concession of any kind on immigration,” Kettl wrote.

“T hat puts him in a very tough place,” Kettl w rote, “between a policy unlikely to work and a reform unlikely to be embraced.” bach@umdbk.com

MORE ONLINE A group of undergraduate students are within reach of winning a $250,000 prize, unclaimed since the contest’s inception in 1980, for human-powered helicopter flight using a helicopter they designed.

The engineering school’s team unofficially broke national records Thursday when its giant aircraft — the Gamera II — hovered at an unprecedented height of 8 feet.

While the elevation falls just short of a parameter of the prize for the the American Helicopter Society’s Igor I. Sikorsky Human Powered Helcopter Competition, it is an optimistic height for the team. To win the award, its helicopter must have a flight duration of 60 seconds and an altitude of three meters (9.84 feet) while remaining in a 10 square meter area.

For more of Fatimah Waseem’s post, check The Diamondback’s news blog, Campus Drive, at diamondbackonline.com.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012 | NEWS | THE DIAMONDBACK

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More men to address peers on sexual assault awareness

SARPP has five male members, most in group’s history

By Sarah Tincher Staff writer More male students than ever before have beg u n training as Sexual Assault Respon se a nd P revent ion Program educators, with the goal of spreading awareness that sexual assault is not just a women’s issue.

With five men this semester, SARPP members said they have a stronger and muchneeded male voice to aid in the spread of information about sexual assault and how to help students prevent it.

While the most recent statistics on sexual assault report the majority of victims are women and nearly all perpetrators are men, members of SARPP said it’s vital for students’ safety to present all perspectives of the issue. “[That male support] shows victims and other people in the community that anybody can fight the good fight. Anybody can educate,” said SARPP Assistant Director Stephanie Rivero.

There have been 24 reports of harassment or stalking and two reports of sexual offense on the campus in the last year, according to University Police.

However, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, 54 percent of rapes and sexual assaults are not reported to the police.

“Things need to change, and the only way to do that is to get directly involved,” said sophomore peer educator Ian Tolino, one of the five male members. “We’re here to make that number [of sexual assaults] zero.”

Tolino said he was inspired to join SARPP when he saw his fraternity’s letters on a Clothesline Project T-shirt, shortly after a member of his fratern ity a l leged ly raped someone.

MORE ONLINE For more from two of the five male peer educators in the Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Program, check out umdbk.com.

“It was a really big eyeopener,” said Tolino. “I’m ready to get t he word out about what really happens around here.”

According to oneinfourusa. org, a non-profit organization dedicated to rape prevention, 27 percent of college women report surviving rape or attempted rape since turning 14, and 3 percent of college men report surviving rape or attempted rape as a child or adult.

“This shows that it’s both a men’s and a women’s issue,” said junior peer educator Drew Doherty. “Sexual assault goes both ways.”

Sophomore government and

this shows that it’s both a men’s and a women’s issue. Sexual assault goes both ways.”

DREW DOHERTY

Junior SARPP peer educator politics major Ross Seidman sa id men ca n best i nspi re others to get involved in sexual assault awareness and prevention by setting an example.

“I think guys will be more receptive to joining the group with other guys,” he said.

Ju n i o r c o m m u n i c a t i o n major Peyton Plummer said having five male peer educators will show SARPP is trying to take a comprehensive approach to preventing and responding to sexual assault.

“Letting the university and students know that the problem is being fought from all sides, rather than what might have been a limited, predominantly female side in the past, will strengthen SARPP’s message,” she said.

Plummer added men can help expand the perception of not only who is working to prevent such acts of violence, but also who is impacted by them.

“It’s good to see that it is not just women fighting on their own,” she said. tincher@umdbk.com

partying is always at its peak in the first weeks of school, and University Police reported a huge spike in alcohol-related hospitalizations this fall: 28 transports between the Sunday before class and Labor Day weekend, up from 15 last year and nine in 2010. file photos/the diamondback

ALCOHOL the problem is not isolated to the youngest students on the campus.

Sti l l, severa l fresh men said they don’t think about t he u n ive rs it y or p ol ic e depa r t ment’s i n it i at ives because they see few people facing consequences for underage drinking. Freshman kinesiology major Marley Cornfield said she thinks many new students also use alcohol as an excuse to get to know each other.

“Nobody’s worried about getting sick; their goal is to drink as much as possible,” she said. “They kind of think that’s the cool thing to do, and it seems like everyone around you is doing it, so why not?”

Mitchell recalled one night this semester in which police responded to a student who was “knocking on death’s door,” with a blood alcohol content of .30, nearly four times the legal limit of .08.

On Monday night, police responded to a male student who passed out after having 15 mixed drinks and a shot of tequila on his birthday, Limansky said.

“These aren’t just freshmen having a beer; these are people so drunk they can’t remember their own names,” he said. “Party, have a good time, sure, but not to that extent.

It’s foolish.”

Evan Lehrhoff, a senior economics major, said he regularly sees overly drunken students during his shifts as a community assistant in South Campus Com mons. One n ig ht t h is semester, he saw a girl who was “completely out of it” and barely talking before her friend helped carry her up to her room.

“There has always been an issue with kids knowing their limits,” Lehrhoff said. “We’re all adults and I like to think we can control ourselves.”

Resident Student Conduct Manager Keira Martone said her office also sends students to meet with a counselor at the health center.

She said educating students works best and they receive few repeat offenders.

“What we fi nd sometimes is that education needs to continue,” she said of students who gain additional referrals.

While students’ safety is the department’s top concern, alcohol transports are also frustrating, Limansky said, because

LOANS

PELL GRANT CHANGES AS OF JULY 1

From PAGE 1

From PAGE 1 Claire Gawryck, who relies on a Pell Grant, said the government should prioritize higher education funding.

“I think it’s partially the government’s obligation to provide students with money to go to school because students can’t always help what h app en s to t hem or why they can’t afford college,” Gawryck said.

Because it is unrealistic that the university can issue more scholarships and loans, Alston said, officials should focus on providing students with resources to help them

“nobody’s worried about getting sick; Their goal is to drink as much as possible.”

MARLEY CORNFIELD

Freshman kinesiology major they remove an officer and an ambulance out of service to transport an individual who decided to drink in excess.

Discipl i na ry actions a re taken in some cases, mostly when an intoxicated individual does not cooperate with police.

However, arresting students will not solve the problem, Mitchell said, but educating them might.

Police will generally refer students who were over-intoxicated to the Department of Resident Life or the University Health Center so they can receive help.

Resident Life disperses information about alcohol use to students through staff, events, posters and pamphlets, resources Mitchell considers to be the best forms of combating the problem.

“We aren’t out here to arrest ever yone,” M itchel l sa id .

“We care very deeply about [student safety].” akinnibi@umdbk.com

additional grants as well as offered work-study opportunities. She feels other students will be more comfortable with

BY THE NUMBERS the Pell Grant changes if the university continues to “make those resources available to as Semesters students can receive Pell many students as possible.”

Grants, down from 18 Educating students about how the revised Pell Grants may affect them is also important, Alston said, adding Students at this university who no longer that the Black Student Union qualify for federal loans plans to educate the minority community about financial aid changes.

Maximum Expected Family Contribution, “The more time they have down from $5,273 to prepare, the better chance seek out alternate financial they have to find other resources for financial aid.” aid options.

Gawyrck said the university has already provided her with hottle@umdbk.com

12

158

$4,995

MORE ONLINE SGA meeting change aims to engage students The SGA will change the order of its legislative meetings to make them more friendly to students outside of the organization.

The body unanimously passed a bill last night to move specific legislation to the beginning of the meeting rather than toward the end.

“This is more of a proactive step, just to try to improve something that can be improved,” said Student Government Association Speaker of the Legislature Matthew Popkin.

To read more, visit The Diamondback’s news blog, Campus Drive, at diamondbackonline.com.

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Opinion

THE DIAMONDBACK | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

YASMEEN ABUTALEB Editor in Chief

EDITORIAL BOARD

Mike King

Managing Editor

Tyler Weyant

Managing Editor

maria romas Opinion Editor

nadav karasov

Assistant Opinion Editor

CONTACT US 3150 South Campus Dining Hall | College Park, MD 20742 | news@umdbk.com OR opinion@umdbk.com PHONE (301) 314-8200 FAX (301) 314-8358

STAFF EDITORIAL

A rebellion of stupidity NADAV KARASOV Americans can be stupid. In a 2011 Newsweek survey, 73 percent of American respondents couldn’t say why the U.S. fought the Cold War (communism) and 80 percent did not know who was president during World War I (Woodrow Wilson). The fact I was worried enough to provide an answer to each question probably doesn’t bode well for any of us.

It’s a stupidity that manifests itself beyond simple gaps in knowledge. We have political leaders who blatantly distort science (Can I get a Todd Akin shout out?) as well as parents who still oppose childhood vaccinations.

(No, they don’t cause autism, and yes, that British guy was full of shit.)

Just in case you need more random depressing facts: In 2010, a third of Texans believed dinosaurs and humans walked the earth together at the same time. And no, they were not referring to Jurassic Park.

At this point there is no political comment, popular belief or statistic on American intelligence so absurd that it will completely shock you. We have grown immune to our own stupidity. This is not simply a failure of the educational system.

However terrible and bloated public schools may seem, poor instruction alone cannot account for the immense depths of this crisis. Yes, people should have learned about the Cold War in school, but it’s within society itself that Americans learn to embrace the notion that an individual’s freedom is purest when they have the choice to believe whatever they like. When modern science offered its presumption that the world is unsentimentally rational and explainable, the people of this country did the most American thing possible — they rebelled.

The world had become too simple.

Science could (seemingly) provide all of the answers, and meanwhile American society devalues its req-

uisite reason and intellectualism with increasing disdain. When the tides of progress point toward the obvious solutions — convictions based on empirical evidence, or at least logic — we as Americans tend to break in the other direction. The rebellious nature of this growing idiocy is what has made this country great and yet so prone to failure at the same time.

The Revolutionary War, Civil War, women’s suffrage, civil rights and, in 2012, the tea party and Occupy Wall Street movements all carried or carry undertones of rebellion. The inclination toward rebellion has been ingrained in nearly every American generation. Even the United States’ economic system relies on a rebellion against existing technology and conventional industries — creative destruction — to achieve such widespread success.

Fighting stupidity does not entail forcing people to uniformly believe the same things. To quote James Madison: “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.”

Fulfilling this precept requires that the general public follows certain rules: We must properly know our history to prevent politicians from distorting its message, and we must embrace empiricism over dogmatism in order to advocate for effective public policy.

In true American form, it will take a rebellion to steer our society back on a proper course — a “nerd rebellion.” Education, intelligence and opinions backed up with facts need to characterize the 21st century American for this society to succeed.

Don’t blame political leaders for the ignorance of their constituents. It’s up to us — especially us columnists — to maintain high standards to keep them and our fellow citizens accountable. So be an American and rebel — it’s the conventional thing to do.

Renovations for the worse

O

ne of the main attractions of coming to this university is the number of ways to get involved. When officials and tour guides boast the hundreds of different opportunities, they’re not exaggerating — there are 843 student groups.

Having a wide range of organizations to choose from gives everyone the opportunity to feel important and accepted on the campus. But for student groups to continue thriving and functioning, they need space, resources and tools — enter the Stamp Student Union’s Student Involvement Suite. While there simply isn’t enough space in the building for all 843 groups, the suite provides accommodations that many groups rely on. It’s easily accessible, as it’s practically in the middle of the campus, and allows student leaders to properly manage and sustain their groups.

This semester, however, the suite has undergone a striking identity shift. Rather than working to help the student groups the suite is supposed to serve, officials have re-prioritized the space inside Stamp. Retooling old office space that student groups used to be able to depend on, the suite underwent a renovation this past summer to house the Student Organization Resource Center. The center aims to “help groups with event plan-

ning, managing group bank accounts and advising,” Stamp Director Marsha Guenzler-Stevens told The Diamondback. Ironically, though, 26 student groups were kicked out and left on their own in a likely fruitless effort to

OUR VIEW

New offices in the Student Involvement Suite fail to prioritize the needs of displaced student groups. find similar accommodations somewhere else. And most of their appeals to remain in the suite were rejected by the Stamp advisory board.

Sure, maybe the resource center really will help student groups with their efficiency and planning. But what’s equally likely — if not more so — is that the benefits of the new center won’t outweigh the costs of relegating so many student groups to an uncertain future. It’s not just a matter of switching from one office to another for these groups. Instead, the renovation robs the groups of a central space to house their operations.

There’s a task force made up of students, faculty and staff to address this issue and help the student groups find alternative spaces on the campus.

However, the task force has yet to meet and may not for weeks. GuenzlerStevens said it’s expected to have its first meeting this month. But most of the task force’s plans are for next year, leaving groups this year in a state of flux and without any concrete solutions.

The message through this entire process is clear: Groups should fend for themselves, even if the groups and their legitimacy might be drastically disrupted by such a poorly facilitated shift. The suites provided professional office and storage space that right now doesn’t seem to exist anywhere else on the campus. And the fact remains that no concrete plans have been laid on the table to ensure displaced groups have the resources they need to thrive and, hopefully, continue growing and improving this semester.

One of the biggest fears of attending a large university is that size is synonymous with impersonalized treatment and attention. So while the number of student groups has increased in recent years — there were only 300 groups 10 years ago, Guenzler-Stevens said — that doesn’t mean they should be forced to grapple with fewer resources and dwindling space.

Today, the advisory board will hear a second appeal from seven groups that lost their space in the suite. We hope the result of the hearing shows Stamp officials have an appropriate plan moving forward. But we’re not holding our breath.

EDITORIAL CARTOON

Nadav Karasov is a junior economics major.

He can be reached at karasov@umdbk.com.

Done with music elitism SARAH GORDON

While attending a concert at the end of last semester at Rams Head Live in Baltimore, I mentioned to my friends that the last concert I had seen there was Owl City in December 2009. From the groans, jokes and laughter that ensued, one might have thought I’d just declared my endorsement of Kim Kardashian for mayor of Glendale, Calif. (In April, she expressed the intent to run — save us all.) Why, I asked my friends, was Owl City so mock-worthy? The answers ranged from “the lyrics are stupid,” to “all its songs sound the same” to “it’s just one guy in his basement” — as if a prestigious locale alone were a virtue. Now, rather than responding to each of those claims and further ostracizing myself from those with more “indie” music taste, I’ll address a larger issue.

What is it, exactly, that draws people to hate an artist collectively, such as Nickelback or Miley Cyrus?

These artists’ monetary success suggests a large audience supports their music. Yet, the bandwagon effect surrounds these bands and mires their achievements. I remember my own middle school friends listening to Yellowcard, Green Day and Nickelback, while years later they now scorn these bands as if they never listened to “Photograph” ten thousand times during eighth grade graduation. Is it age? Does a finer palate for music develop as one matures and hears more music? Perhaps, but on the flip side, the music of my dad’s youth — the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, etc., — has withstood the test of time since it captivated audi-

ences back in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

It is difficult to explain why we enjoy specific music. More often than not, the reasons are in how the music makes us feel or how it captures an emotion too visceral to be explained in words. Disco, for instance, focused exclusively on the escape from reality. Lyrics were shallow compared to predecessors such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, and the baselines of disco songs were often virtually indistinguishable from one another. To a rock critic, disco doesn’t hold up well next to the likes of Chuck Berry, Little Richard or Eric Clapton, and yet a decade’s worth of music lovers went crazy for disco.

Being musically cultured is about appreciating the aesthetic appeal of different kinds of music. It’s about having an open mind and knowing a certain sound offers something to another audience that you may not understand. To claim that one’s taste is so “indie” that it’s impossible to enjoy the pop, rap or rock of the Top 40 is a display of a superiority complex based on something so insubstantial, it’s actually hilarious.

Music taste is as varied as food preference, and yet liking anchovies fails to draw the ire of critics compared to the response you’ll see when a friend admits to liking Creed. Indie music lovers: Take off your horn-rimmed glasses, quit thinking everyone admires you for listening to Margot & the Nuclear So & So’s, while they themselves are fine listening to Avril Lavigne. If you’re offended by my musical taste, don’t listen to my iPod. It must take a lot of energy to keep up that air of condescension anyway.

Sarah Gordon is a junior neurobiology and physiology major. She can be reached at gordon@umdbk.com.

JOEY LOCKWOOD/the diamondback

A society bound by prisons MARC PRIESTER It requires tremendous arrogance to laud one’s nation as the land of the free while said nation boasts the largest prison population per capita in the world. Yes, neoconservatives, that includes the Middle Eastern nations we “liberated” in order to spread the gospel of freedom.

Ever since the Reagan administration intensified the war on drugs, the incarceration rate in this country has skyrocketed. Reagan’s policies led to more stringent drug laws targeting “high probability” areas of crime, aka places where minorities and the poor live. Worse yet, Reagan’s policies helped industrialize prisons by contracting private enterprises to house inmates on a for-profit basis.

After all, how could private companies fail? It’s not like deregulated industries are ever problematic, right?

The prison-industrial complex is a vicious and profit-motivated corporate beast with perverse incentives that breed dire consequences for at-risk communities.

Invested corporations lobby vigorously for severe, tough-on-crime

laws under the guise of security in order to increase the prison population and maximize their profits. Meanwhile, prisons exceed capacity — necessitating more prisons and further feeding the vicious cycle.

What do we as a society derive from this? Prisons help keep criminals off the streets, true. But as formed today, they also encourage increased recidivism of former inmates (so much for deterrence), a racist culture that attributes the stereotypes of criminality to minorities, the exploitation of prison labor as well as a plethora of human rights abuses — most notably and notoriously, sexual assault and rape.

Furthermore, we neglect to push for progressive societal change to correct the root cause of crime — the desperation caused by poverty. Selling drugs, stealing and other crimes are usually commodities of necessity, not an arbitrary and sadistic willingness to destroy America, as we are conditioned to believe. By changing the way we allocate scarce resources, we can better solve the problem of crime.

After sampling a number of students on their general impressions of the prison-industrial complex, I was met with an unapologetic chorus of obliviousness: Students are simply unaware of this repulsive system.

There is a certain naivety surround-

ing young college adults. The stark juxtaposition of college and prison is as striking as the blissful gaiety of Happy Feet contrasting Apocalypse Now. What does it matter for the senior accounting major that the most vulnerable citizens in our society are being deliberately targeted and essentially enslaved?

This dense cloud of obliviousness must dissipate before students can begin to truly understand our country and work to fulfill its potential. In a nation where public education is so desperate for financial backing that student organizations, sports teams and entire departments are sliced, diced and gutted, federal and state governments never seem short a dollar to subsidize a new prison facility. This sequence of logic is poisonous and further desecrates the sanctity of freedom — if it even truly exists.

It seems rather innocent to commiserate with what is seen as the bottommost part of society — those we deem incapable of walking amongst the ranks of the “civil.” Remember, people are endowed with the same inalienable rights against abuse, and even in instances of captivity, said liberties must be preserved. So have a little sympathy for the devil.

Marc Priester is a sophomore finance and government and politics major. He can be reached at priester@umdbk.com.

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

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012 | THE DIAMONDBACK

5

Features

CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Phony 6 Encircle 10 Use the phone 14 Love intensely 15 Bahrain VIP 16 Ms. Karenina 17 Type of cake 18 Wash 19 Sierra Club figure 20 Citizen’s - 22 Dvorak’s Ninth Symphony (2 wds.)

24 Baby fox 26 Beef cuts (hyph.)

27 Fragrant flower 31 -- you serious?

32 One more time 33 Painter’s garb 36 Startled cries 39 Pueblo Indian 40 “Wellaway!”

41 Dull and boring 42 Turn sharply 43 Involuntary jump 44 Grand or upright 45 Tolstoy title word 46 Developed 48 Snuck a look 51 Small fry 52 Pie fruit (2 wds.)

54 Rented 59 “Shane” lead 60 Sci-fi menace 62 Like pralines 63 Buffalo’s lake

64 Helen of Troy’s mother 65 Knossos locale 66 Gazed at 67 Soft cheese 68 Veered, as a ship

41 Puppeteer -- Baird 43 H.H. Munro 44 Strength 45 Used a blowtorch

47 TV knob 48 Polar explorer 49 Singer -- Gorme 50 Edited out

DOWN 1 Hemingway nickname 2 Skunk’s defense 3 Curdle 4 Marine bird 5 D.C. NFLer 6 Thicken 7 “-- -- Old Cowhand” 8 Fasten firmly 9 Recoiled (2 wds.)

10 Crooner Vic - 11 Harden 12 Indigo shrubs 13 Shortening 21 Can 23 Elbow grease 25 Physicist Nikola - 27 Brubeck’s music 28 Water, in Baja 29 Trolled 30 Caesar’s 1,002 34 Put a dent in 35 Sonnet stanza 36 Norse royal name 37 Dwindle 38 Like plow horses 40 Shaking

© 2012 United Features Syndicate

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52 Swiss painter Paul - 53 -- pop 55 Psychics may see one

56 One-pot dinner 57 Feminine suffix 58 Did Easter eggs 61 Loud thud

B

HOROSCOPE STELLA WILDER

orn today, you aren’t the kind to engage in petty tasks, small talk or useless treks here and there just to keep busy. If you’re going to do something, you’re going to be sure that it amounts to something and will result in measurable gains for yourself and others. If it does not promise these things, you would much rather do nothing at all, spending your time thinking thoughts and planning plans, and musing about the overall state of the world. You have a deeply spiritual side, and this is nourished only through thought and contemplation of people, places, things and worldwide developments.

You care about so much, in fact, that you do at times wear your heart on your sleeve -- but you are the kind of person who is somehow respected for that, and you rarely have to put up with any kind of derision, as so many sensitive, emotional people do.

Also born on this date are: Rosie Perez, actress; Jane Curtin, actress and comedian; Swoosie Kurtz, actress; Jeff Foxworthy, comedian; Joseph P. Kennedy, diplomat and patriarch.

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, SEPTEMBER 7 VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- It’s important that you stay the course

today, whatever it may be. Even if you feel it is not right -- it must be acceptable.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -You mustn’t be inflexible; there are those who will want you to acquiesce to their demands -- but a compromise is more in order.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -That which is crystal clear must be your guiding light, no matter how simple or out of date it may be.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Your dreams may have been full of images that will be revisited throughout your waking hours.

Pay attention to those that are shadowy.

CAPRIOCORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- You are likely to receive a message that changes the entire tenor of your day; you may feel as though much is topsy-turvy right now.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- You may be playing catch-up throughout much of the day; be sure to make time for someone who has been waiting patiently for your attention.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -You have been formulating your current position for quite some

time, though some may not fully understand where you got your information.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -A misinterpretation of sorts may set the ball rolling in the wrong direction. It’s up to you to restart things and restore order.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -The positive and the negative may be closely conjoined -- but you have a way of spotting what is best in almost any situation.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- You can employ charm and humor to great effect throughout the day -- and even turn your most vocal critic into something of a supporter.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -You must be ready to jump into the whirling waters of confusion when you are called upon; you know how to navigate the worst of currents.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- You will want to stay out of another’s way, exerting as little influence as possible, while he or she gets the lay of the land.

COPYRIGHT 2012 UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.

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HARD

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6

THE DIAMONDBACK | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

Diversions

ON THE BLOG

BLOOD, SWEAT AND SALT

The Diamondback’s Alicia McElhaney previews the newest, weirdest and...um, sweatiest new exhibition in the Stamp Gallery. For more, visit umdbk.com.

INTERVIEW | THE NEWSROOM

NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS

Aaron Sorkin’s HBO drama The Newsroom was one of the most talked-about — and divisive — shows of the year. But what do real-world journalists think of it?

By Kelsey Hughes For The Diamondback His name is Will McAvoy, and he wants to change the way you watch the news.

No, McAvoy is not real, and neither is his cable news show, News Night. Rather, they are the fictional creations of screenwriter Aaron Sorkin for his latest show, The Newsroom, which wrapped up its first season on Aug. 26 amid criticism from many TV reviewers.

Since its premiere in June, the show has been hit with a slew of mixed reviews, criticizing everything from its writing, to its character development, to how Sorkin idealizes the journalism industry. Yet viewers continue to return for each episode. Vulture, the arts and entertainment site for New York Magazine, reported that the show began its final episode with 2.3 million viewers, essentially the same viewer turnout it drew when it premiered.

Yes, some of the reporters’ commentaries are true. Sorkin is often criticized for his lack of strong female characters on the show. Brendan Ponton, a university alumnus currently working at WHSV-TV in Harrisonburg, Va., called the show’s “blatant sexism” one of its major shortcomings.

“That is a totally unrealistic portrayal of women in the newsroom,” he said, later adding, “[Sorkin] fails to show how a real newsroom interacts, or even how men and women act in 2012.”

Critics have also complained about the dialogue, calling it too preachy. But Dave Kosin, a 2006 graduate of this university and producer for KOMO 4 News in Seattle, as well as a self-proclaimed Sorkin fan, said this is simply par for the course in a Sorkin script.

“Are the characters on this show preachy?” he asked, “Absolutely!

The fictional news show is biased, driven by ego, and [has] a massive superiority complex. While I definitely understand why people would be turned off by that, it’s straight out of the Sorkin playbook.”

Though Kosin admits the fictional news team’s coverage of stories — which are always real-life events from the recent past — can sometimes be unrealistic, it’s simply a stylized way of showing how actual newsrooms debate.

“I guarantee every newsroom in the country … had the very same debate the News Night staff played out on the show about whether or not to report [former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle] Giffords had died based on another outlet’s story,” he said, recalling his own experiences making that decision while reporting on the Tucson, Ariz., shooting of Giffords in January 2011.

Critics disapprove of the show’s use of real events, claiming Sorkin is using the show as a platform to criticize the media’s coverage of them. But Kosin, while he agrees, said he thinks the decision to use real events also makes the show relatable.

“With the extremely large benefit of hindsight, Sorkin is showing us all how we should have done our jobs,” he said. “But as a storytelling device, it’s a smart move.

It gives the audience something to latch on to.”

Robyne McCullough, a 2011 university graduate who now works as a producer for WBOC TV-16 in Salisbury, said the speeches and lectures in the show are simply Sorkin “preaching to the choir.”

“It’s how we all think things should be,” she said, “but you get into how things are idealized … you’re destined to have a moment where ideas don’t match up with reality.”

Critics have had this complaint about several of Sorkin’s shows, especially The West Wing, a political drama about the White House. Many note that creating the ideal vision of a particular institution is just

Sorkin’s style. When asked whether or not she liked the show, McCullough said it’s all about how you look at it.

“I like it for its entertainment value,” she said. “Sometimes I’m right along with it, and I really wish it would happen.

Sometimes it makes me think what I could do differently. But I think it’s mainly a drama first and I take it as that.” diversions@umdbk.com

photo courtesy of collider.com

FEATURE | A CAPPELLA AUDITIONS

SINGING THEIR HEARTS OUT In the annual a cappella auditions week, many would-be singers will try out but — only a few will succeed

By Beena Raghavendran Staff writer The formula was unspoken and simple, the language clear: Not many of you will get in, so play by our rules.

And so the singers congregated, lining the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center’s walls, spilling into corners and spiral staircases, exercising their vocal cords, reading and re-reading lyrics. It was the second day in a traditional second-week-back string of a cappella tryouts, coordinated by the majority of this university’s a cappella community to serve as a one-stop audition shop.

The schedule is clear-cut; the rules are straightforward: Each a cappella group — in an order previously determined by the a cappella community — has 15 minutes to introduce itself to a group of applicants and squeeze in a group performance.

Applicants are then escorted outside, either to another group showcase or to wait until their names are called to audition (typically with a pop song of their choice). If an applicant’s name is called to audition for one group and he or she is with another group, the audition spot is saved for later.

“It’s hard to coordinate,” said Maura Cassidy, president of the group DaCadence and a senior psychology major, as she called to the applicants filling the long hallways for any last sign ups for her group.

Callbacks are even worse, she said. The end of the week proves to be a juggling act as each group re-auditions a smaller round of applicants, hoping to have enough time to discern personality and vocal blend from icebreakers and more singing.

The competition is tight. Amanda Barrett, senior civil and environmental engineering major and music director of Faux Paz, this university’s oldest co-ed a cappella group, said that about 130 students auditioned for the group’s five openings last year. Normally, Faux Paz’s turnout is more than 100 students who compete for the handful of seats vacated by graduates.

At best, it’s a 6- or 7-percent acceptance rate. Based on group reputation and selectivity, that’s a figure that can increase or decrease, said sophomore anthropology major Maria Sharova.

Sharova waited with her three friends outside the PandemoniUM room, mentioning that the

closeness among the a cappella families attracted her. She said she didn’t care which group accepted her — just that one did.

Hundreds of students go through the audition process for exactly that uncertainty, said Michael Brisentine, member of Faux Paz and a sophomore music education major.

“That’s the thrill of music,” he said. “You’re never guaranteed anything, but if you love it, you will try again and again. That’s the beautiful thing about it — the passion that comes with it.”

The groups of hopefuls were just that — many were fresh out of high school, already longing for the after-school music programs that they’d grown to love throughout their childhoods. They gathered in search of a musical outlet without committing long hours to the marching band or class time to the choir.

Certain applicants had expanded their repertoires past the typical high school choir experience.

Victoria Lopez, a 16-year-old freshman communication major, has her own YouTube channel where she sings original compositions and plays her ukulele and guitar. Brittney Wood, a freshman mechanical engineering major, spent her summer researching the a cappella groups on campus and meeting some of its members — culminating in her auditions that night.

“I’ve been practicing for weeks,” Wood said.

Applicants and friends dragged along for moral support were chatting in groups, abbreviating names for brevity’s sake from Generics, Treblemakers and PandemoniUM to “Gens,” “Trebs” and “Panda.” Common interests and musical tastes amped up the excitement.

At about 8:30 p.m., the showcases were over; it was waiting time. About 50 people milled around outside PandemoniUM, room 2170. Another several waited to be called to DaCadence’s auditions, room 2126.

A group of men outside the Generics room had been waiting about an hour to audition since the group’s showcase at 7:30 p.m., an hour for the group’s few callbacks and even smaller handful of openings.

For many applicants, it was their first night of tryouts. And it would be a long one. raghavendran@umdbk.com

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2THURSday, September 6, 2012 | SPORTS | THE DIAMONDBACK

ALABAMA From PAGE 8 didn’t present the same challenges Alabama will tonight, there’s reason for optimism.

Although the Crimson Tide is undefeated, it’s beaten the likes of Kennesaw State, Mercer and Samford.

But even if the Terps are the top team Alabama has faced this season, the road test won’t be easy.

“It could be the hardest game for us,” midfielder Domenica Hodak said, “but if we play well we should get on a roll and go into ACC play on top and look up for the rest of the season.”

It’s an interesting situation for the Terps, who have longrelied on big-name players

to carry them. But with 14 freshmen seeing significant minutes and former standouts like defender Skyy Anderson a nd goa l keeper Yewa nde Balogun no longer in College Park, the Terps are still trying to plug defensive holes and fi ne-tune their offense.

“We g raduated a lot of people, so it’s just been hard to have freshmen replacing big roles,” Hodak said. “I think that’s the main reason we haven’t been ourselves so far.”

It took them five games, but the Terps are starting to figure it out. And with four goals from midfielder Becky Kaplan, two each from midfielders Ashley Spivey and Olivia Wagner and one from three other players, the offensive weight has been distributed more evenly this

THE DIAMONDBACK | FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 20127

season than it has in years past. “ T h i s i s a f re s h t e a m a nd we’re not rely i ng on one person,” Kaplan said.

“Because of that, I think we have the ability to be a bit of a surprise.”

The Terps will try to continue that success tonight in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and the offense’s ability to outscore the dangerous Crimson Tide will be key to their chances.

A nd a lthough K apla n thinks the Terps have the potential to shock opponents, Hodak wants other teams to know they’re coming.

“It’s always hard to go play a team at their place,” Hodak said. “But we’re Maryland, and they should be afraid to play us.”

Forward Patrick Mullins scored his first goal of the season in the Terps’ 2-2 tie against California on Sunday. egan@umdbk.com

NOTEBOOK From PAGE 8 said. “We’ll give them our best effort.”

MULLINS GETS ON BOARD After a blazing beginning to 2011, forward Patrick Mullins’ start this year seemed rather tame by comparison.

The Terps’ third-leading scorer l a st yea r h ad been thwarted from reaching the goal through the Terps’ first two games against Louisville a nd UCL A . But the ju n ior was still making his presence known with three assists in the win and draw.

He didn’t let the lack of goals get to him, either.

“I was never too worried about it as long as we were doing the right things on the field as a team,” Mullins said. “That’s all I was worried about.”

Cirovski said he thought Mullins had been pressing, but all of that evaporated early in the second half of Sunday’s 6-0 win against California. Mullins’ unassisted tally in the 56th minute was the beginning of five second-half goals in the rout.

“I knew it would come,” he said. “I had a couple of assists

Quarterback Perry Hills said his issues against William & Mary on Saturday stemmed from “a couple of silly mistakes.” charlie deboyace/the diamondback

HILLS From PAGE 8 Campbell in the end zone at the start of the second quarter and tossed his fi nal pick less than six minutes into the third.

Still, there was little doubt who would finish the game under center.

“Never crossed our minds,” coach Randy Edsall said of sw itch i ng qu a r terbacks.

“Sometimes kids have to play through things.”

Especially on this team.

The truth is, Edsall doesn’t have much choice other than letting Hills take his bumps.

C.J. Brown, the unquestioned starter entering the preseason, suffered a season-ending ACL tear last month. True freshman Caleb Rowe faltered in camp,

and is now battling sophomore Devin Burns — a former wide receiver who moved to quarterback after Brown’s injury — for the No. 2 spot.

Hills will need to learn on the job this season, something he proved capable of doing in the fi nal stages of Saturday’s win. Hills led the Terps 69 yards down the field in the fourth quarter for their lone touchdow n. He recorded several key plays on the sequence, including a 16-yard pass to wide receiver Stefon Diggs that helped set up running back Justus Pickett’s 6-yard touchdown run.

It was a telling moment.

Hills wasn’t willing to let his early struggles dictate the course of the game. He was focused on learning from his mistakes, on making the necessary in-game adjustments

to salvage the contest.

“He didn’t let this stuff bother him near as much some of the younger kids probably could have,” guard Bennett Fu lper sa id. “So that’s a good thing, and he showed perseverance.”

In a season with little guaranteed, the Terps are concentrating on growing each day.

Hills is no different. Saturday’s comeback was just a starting point.

It still may be some time before Hills’ on-field performances catche up with his mental approach, but he’s confident it won’t take long for him to cut down on the errors.

“It was just a couple of silly mistakes that I shouldn’t have made,” Hi l ls sa id. “T hat won’t happen again.”

LETOURNEAU From PAGE 8 man behind the rumors surfacing on the Internet.

It was a bold decision, but one that could set the stage for a breakout season in 201314. Wells announced his decision to transfer to the university via Twitter on Tuesday, choosing the Terps over elite Kentucky and Memphis programs. A physical wing with NCA A tournament experience, Wells would’ve been an ideal pickup for any Top-25 program.

He might never see the court

letourneau@umdbk.com

charlie deboyace/the diamondback

before that, and I’m fi ne with that as long as my team’s doing well and I’m contributing to my team going in the right direction.”

you know, he’s got to play 90 minutes,” Cirovski said. “He was great.”

INJURY REPORT

T he Terps a re tied w ith Connecticut at No. 4 in the newest round of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Top 25 released Tuesday. The Terps have been on the move, jumping from No. 9 in the preseason to No. 6 after their 3-0 win over thenNo. 7 Louisville and now their current spot after a draw with No. 14 UCLA and a win over California.

ACC rival North Carolina has sat upon the No. 1 spot since the preseason and received all 23 fi rst-place votes.

South Florida and Creighton round out the top three.

A 2-1-1 start has caused tomorrow’s foe, Boston College, to fall 10 spots from No. 14 in the preseason to No. 24 in the newest rankings. On the other hand, undefeated starts for Wake Forest and N.C. State have the Demon Deacons and Wolfpack at No. 15 and No. 23, respectively. The Terps travel to Raleigh, N.C., to face the Wolfpack on Sept. 14.

Cirovski wouldn’t comment or give specifics on the injuries that caused defender Taylor Kemp and midfielder Helge Leikvang to miss Sunday’s game against California. He simply said the team would evaluate the status of the two starters.

Mikey Ambrose, the team’s usual starter at right back, moved into Kemp’s left back spot. Saint Cyr entered the starting lineup at right back, and Mikias Eticha replaced Leikvang in the midfield.

If there were any significant differences in the Terps’ play with two new starters, they weren’t obvious as the Terps notched their second shutout in three games this season.

Cirovski highlighted Saint Cyr’s performance Tuesday as a prime example of the depth on the Terps’ bench this season.

“Really, he’s a starter on this team, but because of injury and other people’s playing well, he hadn’t gotten to play because we don’t rotate much in the back, and next thing

this season due to NCAA transfer rules, but his presence will be felt whenever he finally steps on the Comcast Center floor.

He’ll join former Michigan forward Evan Smotrycz next year on a team loaded with young talent.

Top-100 recruits Shaquille Cle a re, Ja ke L ay m a n a nd Charles Mitchell will be in the fold. Guard Nick Faust and center Alex Len will likely still be in College Park, provided the NBA Draft doesn’t come calling.

And class of 2013 twins Aaron and Andrew Harrison — arguably the most highly touted package deal in history — could very well be the starting back-

POLL UPDATE

dgallen@umdbk.com

court; the consensus top-10 recruits list the university among their top five schools. They laud Turgeon in interviews, and they plan to attend Maryland Madness on Oct. 12.

Forget an upper-tier finish in the ACC. Forget an NCAA to u r n a m e n t a p p e a ra n c e .

Wel ls, a n Atla ntic 10 A l lRookie Team selection last yea r, cou ld be a key piece of a national championship contender.

Still wishing Williams was at the helm? Move on a nd embrace the future.

Turgeon certainly has. letourneau@umdbk.com

NEWS

TAITZ From PAGE 1 performance for the show’s season finale Tuesday night, began about a year ago when she posted her first video to YouTube. Though that song, an original work called “Can’t Sleep,” has only 4,000 views, some of her 54 videos have garnered more than 150,000 hits. Taitz has been singing her whole life and has been practicing guitar since the end of high school. Facing stiff competition to succeed as a professional musicia n, she has worked hard to build an audience on YouTube by singing men’s songs, performing tracks that haven’t been formally released and writing melodies to raps.

In July, she decided to take a chance and submit a video to the Opportu n ity Rocks sweepstakes, a contest she saw advertised online, for the chance to experience the star treatment in Hollywood.

The competition required all contestants to pick a song from an approved list and send

in a video of their performance.

Taitz chose to play and sing “Lips of an Angel” by Hinder — while the song doesn’t match her musical tastes, she thought it would set her apart. For Taitz, breaking into the music business is about strategy.

“I wanted to stand out, so I didn’t pick a song that I would normally choose,” she said. “I chose this song because I knew that a lot of other girls in the competition wouldn’t.”

Taitz said she hadn’t expected to see a result so soon after submitting her audition.

But after a week-long voting period to decide the top 10, the show’s producers — including Nigel Lythgoe — notified her she was the winning contender.

Taitz said friends and members of her sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi, supported her each time she posted a new video to YouTube by visiting the site daily.

“She def i n itely h a s t he talent,” said junior kinesiology major Tricia Almeida, a member of Taitz’s sorority.

“People just need to see it.”

Three days after the announcement, camera crews

came to fi lm in Taitz’s hometown of Rockville, and soon after, she hopped a plane with her best friend from home for a week of professional makeovers by the contest’s sponsor, CoverGirl, followed by video shoots and the fi lmed performance at the Universal CityWalk Stage. The finale showed footage of Taitz’s journey from Rockville to Hollywood and pointed viewers to watch her performance online.

“It all happened so fast.

One minute I was hoping and dreaming and the next minute it was a reality,” Taitz said.

“The whole time I was in Los Angeles, I just kept asking myself, ‘How is this real?’”

That dedication paid off for Taitz in the Opportunity Rocks contest, which granted her a performance on the new series Opening Act, a show that surprised other YouTube artists with the news that they would open for a star in concert. In the show’s finale Tuesday, Taitz joined those contenders for a fi nal performance.

Sophomore neurobiology and physiology major Susan

kayla Taitz, an aspiring musician, won the opportunity to perform in front of a live studio audience for the season finale of the reality show Opening Act. Footage of the junior communication major’s journey to Hollywood aired Tuesday night on E!. photo courtesy of kayla taitz Lubejko, also a member of her sorority, said it was exciting to gather in the sorority house with Taitz to watch her premiere Tuesday night.

“This is such a big dream for

her,” Lubejko added. “All of us in the sorority really support her.”

Almeida said it was gratifying for her friend’s talent to gain recognition beyond the campus and her YouTube channel.

“She’s so passionate and so dedicated, and I am optimistic that this is going to open a lot of doors for her,” she said. doanemalotte@umdbk.com

QUOTE OF THE DAY Nathan Renfro Terrapins punter

“It’s less nerve-racking punting on the field during a game than it is in practice with coach Edsall standing right behind you.”

Sports

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ThursDAY, September 6, 2012

ON THE WEB page 8

MEN’S SOCCER | NOTEBOOK

FOOTBALL

Eagles a tough test for Terps Even with slow start, Mullins stays patient

By Daniel Gallen Senior staff writer When the Terrapins men’s soccer team takes the field in Chestnut Hill, Mass., tomorrow, it will mark the third time in four games the squad takes on a top-25 opponent.

But unlike previous games against then-No. 7 Louisville and then-No. 11 UCLA, the Terps will have a distinct familiarity with No. 24 Boston College, a team they’ve played 10 times in the past seven years.

After all, it was the Eagles that ended the Terps’ ACC Tournament run last November, two months after the Terps whitewashed Boston College at Ludwig Field, 4-0. That loss ended a five-game undefeated stretch over which the Terps had outscored the Eagles, 9-1.

When the game begins, though, all eyes of the No. 4 Terps will be looking forward, not backward.

“I’m not saying we’re looking for revenge,” defender Widner Saint Cyr said. “We’re just looking to get better every time we play teams that are just as good or better so we can learn and get experience and be better every day.”

Gone, though, are Boston College’s early days in the ACC. The Eagles left the Big East after the 2004 season and combined to post a 13-16-4 record in their first two seasons in the conference. They’re now what coach Sasho Cirovski called “one of the tough outs in the ACC,” and the Eagles’ 38-20-6 record over the past three years shows that.

“We have to give them our utmost respect, but also show them that we’re here to play and we want to take a game from them,” midfielder John Stertzer See NOTEBOOK, Page 7

QUARTERBACK PERRY HILLS struggled in his first college start on Saturday, throwing three interceptions. He finished the game 16-of-24 for 145 yards in the Terps’ 7-6 win over William & Mary. charlie deboyace/the diamondback

hills ready to move past mistakes After throwing three interceptions in his Terps debut, freshman looks to cut down on errors against Temple on Saturday

By Connor Letourneau Senior staff writer Perry Hills doesn’t consider himself a rookie.

When the Terrapins football quarterback enters the huddle, he prefers to think he’s a fi fth-year senior. He wants to be poised and confident, to command respect from his peers.

But Hills hardly sounded like a veteran moments after the Terps’ 7-6 win over William & Mary on Saturday. He sounded like an 18-year-old freshman who’d just fi nished his fi rst college game.

“I’m excited for the win,” said Hills, sitting

in the Gossett Team House with an ice bag wrapped around his knee. “I think the line had a great game, the receivers had a great game and William & Mary played tough. There are things we can all improve on, get in and watch fi lm.”

Learning from Saturday’s showing will be imperative if Hills hopes to notch his first collegiate winning streak at Temple this weekend. The Pittsburgh native threw three interceptions and had no points through three quarters against the Tribe. Although he engineered a fourth-quarter touchdown drive to nab the victory, mistakes plagued Hills’ performance.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

He had a pass tipped and intercepted on his second play from scrimmage. Two drives later, he tried to make a play while taking a sack. The ball landed in the hands of William & Mary strong safety Brian Thompson, setting up the Tribe’s second field goal.

“Of any of them, that’s the one that disturbed me,” offensive coordinator Mike Locksley said of the second interception. “He was in a grasp and he needs to understand when to take a sack and be done with the play.”

Hills overthrew a wide-open Devonte See HILLS, Page 7

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Terps ready for tough road test vs. Alabama Team hopes to continue offensive fireworks

By Erin Egan Senior staff writer

Coach Mark Turgeon took a risk bringing in troubled Xavier transfer Dez Wells, but it’s a risk that could help turn the Terps back into a contender. file photo/the diamondback

Doing it his way

Jonathan Morgan doesn’t know exactly what his Terrapins women’s soccer team is quite yet.

Is it the team that scored just three goals in a 1-1-1 start? Or is it the team that erupted for eight goals in two victories last weekend?

The fi rst-year coach will fi nd out tonight, when the Terps travel to face undefeated Alabama in what could be their toughest early-season test.

“This is the time for us to take the next step,” Morgan said. “This is a pretty important game. … Can we create dangerous opportunities against a team with this type of pedigree?”

They’ll have to. The Crimson Tide has scored 19 goals in its five wins this

season, boasting one of the most highpowered attacks the Terps have met so far this year.

The Terps are on the right track to get to that level, though. After failing to score in their second and third games of the season, Morgan’s team scored three goals in a win over George Mason on Friday, and it scored more goals in a 5-0 win over Towson on Sunday than it had in the first three matches of the season combined.

“Scoring goals is becoming contagious,” Morgan said. “If you’re struggling to score, and once you’re able to break that, you breathe a little easier. We’ve become hungrier and more confident.”

While the Patriots and Tigers likely See ALABAMA, Page 7

Addition of Wells shows Turgeon’s commitment to winning now CONNOR LETOURNEAU Gary Williams was committed to winning on his own terms.

The former Terrapins men’s basketball coach wasn’t willing to sacrifice morals in the pursuit of wins; to allow others to dictate how he built his basketball team. He avoided the AAU circuit. He took risks on unheralded recruits. He encouraged players to wait on the NBA.

It was a formula that worked for the better part of two decades. Williams led the Terps to back-to-back Final Fours, won three ACC titles and captured the 2002 national championship.

But when Mark Turgeon arrived in College Park in May 2011, he had a different plan for success. He understood times had changed. To compete against the John Caliparis of the world, he’d need to utilize every available resource.

He’d have to recruit the summer

circuit. He’d have to own the Beltway talent pool. And he’d have to chase opportunities when they arose.

So when a Ha m i lton Cou nty (Ohio) court decided not to pursue sexual assault allegations against former Xavier standout Dez Wells late last mont h, it d id n’t ta ke Turgeon long to make his move.

He invited the 6-foot-5, 215-pound wing on an official visit. He wanted to meet Wells in person, to see the See LETOURNEAU, Page 7

Midfielder Becky Kaplan will try to lead the Terps’ offense against Alabama tonight. alexis jenkins/the diamondback