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TOO MUCH RUCKUS

Terps tripped over their own mistakes against Rutgers

Ghostface’s new CD is excessively raunchy

SPORTS | PAGE 8

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

DIVERSIONS | PAGE 6

THE DIAMONDBACK Our 100TH Year, No. 21

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Opposition Terp freshman charged with assault to financial aid reform ramps up

Basketball center Jordan Williams surrenders to police in Connecticut hometown

BY ADI JOSEPH Senior staff writer

Terrapin men’s basketball player Jordan Williams is facing charges of third-degree assault and breach of peace in his hometown of Torrington, Conn., according to police.

Williams, who has yet to play a game for the Terps, turned himself in to the Torrington Police Department

Industry claims 35K jobs would be lost

BY MARISSA LANG

on Saturday after learning of a warrant for his arrest, according to police reports. The charges stem from an Aug. 8 incident in a local shopping mall, according to The Register Citizen newspaper.

Both charges are misdemeanors.

Williams has had no previous charges in Connecticut, according to a state records search. He has since been released with an agreement of

attending trial on Oct. 5, according to the Associated Press.

Four others were arrested in conjunction with the incident: two 16year-olds, a 17-year-old and a 19-yearold, according to The Register Citizen.

Because minors are involved in the case, the warrants have been sealed until the cases go to trial.

JORDAN WILLIAMS

see WILLIAMS, page 3

TERRAPIN MEN’S BASKETBALL CENTER

From the

Hogwarts houses to McKeldin Mall

Senior staff writer

After months of smooth sailing, student loan reform is entering stormy waters.

Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed legislation that would effectively overhaul federal student loans by eliminating subsidies to banks and placing the industry firmly in the federal government’s control. But the bill could face stronger opposition in the Senate, where Republicans could ally with conservative Democrats to block its passage.

Advocates said the bill, which is being called the biggest overhaul of student loans in 35 years, eliminates an unnecessary middle man by dissolving the Federal Family Education Loan program, which provides three-quarters of all federal loans by

see LOANS, page 2

125 students register for city elections

Rachel Lavin, who started the university’s quidditch team, practices last week on McKeldin Mall. JACLYN BOROWSKI/THE DIAMONDBACK

University’s quidditch team brings Harry Potter sport to life

BY KRISTI TOUSIGNANT Senior staff writer

Alert the Ministry of Magic: Quidditch players have been sighted beating, chasing and seeking in the middle of McKeldin Mall, in plain view of Muggles and the rest of the university.

But Firebolts and Nimbus 2000s were

As deadline nears, SGA increases efforts

BY BRADY HOLT

replaced with standard broomsticks and even one Mr. Clean mop Thursday night as students attempted to emulate the popular wizarding sport made famous by the Harry Potter book series.

Unlike the popular magical hero of literature, these wizard wannabes are totally

see QUIDDITCH, page 2

Senior staff writer

A SGA initiative has registered 125 students for November’s College Park City Council election with their current local addresses, SGA officials said.

All students who have moved — even from one part of campus to another — since they last registered to vote have until the afternoon of Monday, Oct. 5, to submit change-ofaddress forms to the Prince George’s County Board of Elections if they intend to vote.

Student turnout in city elections is typically poor, but Summer Raza, who is organizing the Student Government Association’s voter registration program, said more students should head to the polls.

“There are going to be elections going on. You’re part of the city of College Park,” Raza said. “[Students] are part of the community, and they should participate ... and obviously if you want to vote you should be registered.”

However, even though nearly all students are either registered to vote at home or have moved since last registering, the SGA campaign has so far

see REGISTRATION, page 3

TOMORROW’S WEATHER:

Police officer presents different take on drug prohibition 33-year law enforcement veteran argues for legalization of narcotics at SSDP event

BY KARA ESTELLE Staff writer

About 50 people attended a presentation last night to witness something relatively unheard of: someone involved in law enforcement advocating legalizing drugs.

Neill Franklin, who has been involved in various aspects of law enforcement for 33 years, spoke last night at a “Cop Says Legalize Drugs” presentation in the Stamp Student Union, advocating the legalization of all drugs — everything from heroin to marijuana — which would effectively put an end to the war on drugs.

Franklin spoke on behalf of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition — an international non-profit organization that, according to its website, is made up of current and former members of law enforcement who support government drug regulation rather than prohibition.

In his presentation, Franklin said the goal of the war on drugs is to lower the incidence of death, disease, crime and addiction that results from substance abuse.

He said his organization has the same goals, but thinks those ends should be reached by legalizing all drugs.

Partly sunny/60s INDEX

Irina Alexander, a junior criminology and criminal justice major and president of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, said Franklin provided a unique perspective on the issue of drug reform. She said she thinks Franklin is different because he is advocating legalizing drugs while still involved in law enforcement, whereas many other speakers from the organization are retired officers.

Alexander said when she passed out flyers for the event, some students did not believe a police officer was

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

see LEGALIZE, page 3

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

Neill Franklin, a law enforcement officer, spoke to about 50 students in the student union last night about drug legalization. CHARLIE DEBOYACE/FOR THE DIAMONDBACK

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

www.diamondbackonline.com

2

THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2009

www.diamondbackonline.com

ONLINE TODAY

LOVE LOCKDOWN AT TUFTS? If you’ve ever had to suffer through being in the room while your roommate is having sex (or any other activities of that nature), then check out what Tufts University is doing about it.

It’s happened to all of us.

You’re laying in your narrow dorm bed trying to somehow get comfortable on your ancient mattress when your hear it. The squeak of a spring.

The rustle of blankets. The creak of a bedpost. Maybe a giggle or two.

Your roommate is hooking up. In the bed just feet away from you.

Students at Tufts University are now prohibited from engaging in “any sex act in a dorm room while one’s roommate is present.” So Tufts kids looking to get some without consideration for their roomie, best think twice before getting busy in their bunk bed.

Read the rest on The Diamondback’s news blog Campus Drive at blogs.umdbk.com/campusdrive .

A LOOK AT STARTING LINEBACKERS Live on TerrapinTrail.com, The Diamondback’s official sports blog, Terrapin football beat reporter Adi Joseph takes a look at the performances of the Terps’ starting linebackers. And tomorrow afternoon, check back for updates from coach Ralph Friedgen’s weekly media luncheon.

TWEET AT US! Check us out on Twitter to see what The Diamondback is doing next. Find out the latest, breaking news. Just go to http://twitter.com/thedbk and tweet at us!

Quidditch players balance their brooms while running around McKeldin Mall during the team’s second practice. JACLYN BOROWSKI/THE DIAMONDBACK

QUIDDITCH from page 1 grounded — they are members of the new quidditch team at the university.

These magical miscreants are part of this university’s chapter of the Intercollegiate Quidditch Association. After its start at Middlebury College, a liberal arts school in Vermont, in 2005, the IQA sparked a trend now taking flight across the nation. Around 100 universities now have IQA chapters, and the group even hosts a Quidditch World Cup each year at Middlebury.

“If you’ve never heard of this before, and you hear someone say, ‘Want to play real life quidditch?’, they think you are crazy,” said Alex Benepe, one of the founders of the IQA. “But, it would be hard for me to believe that anyone could not have fun playing this sport.”

This university’s chapter was founded by junior art major Rachel Lavin, who was also an editorial cartoonist at The Diamondback. She discovered IQA this summer while surfing Harry Potter fan sites. She couldn’t wait to recreate Harry Potter’s sport of choice on solid ground.

“I’ve always been a major Harry Potter fan,” Lavin said. “I started reading the books when I was nine. I always wished quidditch was real. When found out about [IQA], I thought, ‘That’s the coolest thing.’”

Though the game lacks the key element of magic, the basic structure remains true to the book — team members whiz around on broomsticks and hold the same positions of Chaser,

LOANS

Pell Grant Increases

from page 1 subsidizing ones given by private lenders. Instead, the Department of Education would loan the money directly to students. If passed, the bill would save the government $87 billion.

“This plan would end the billions upon billions of dollars in unwarranted subsidies that we hand out to banks and financial institutions — money that doesn’t do anything to make your loans any cheaper,” President Barack Obama said to students during a health-care rally in the Comcast Center earlier this month. “Instead we’re going to use that money to guarantee access to low-cost loans no matter what the economy looks like.”

But conservative opponents of the legislation said the plan would amount to another government takeover and could kill thousands of jobs. The loan industry claims 35,000 jobs would be lost, according to TIME magazine.

“I think the underlying bill is flawed. I think it is a rush to a government takeover; it is going to add to our deficit,” Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), the top Republican on the House’s education committee, said during debate on the House floor. “Let’s take advantage of the private sector; let’s see if there is a way that we can strengthen it and encourage it ... and look at the program before we push precipitously the entire industry into the hands of the government.”

All but six Republicans voted against the bill in the House, and similar solidarity could be expected in the Senate, where five Democrats have already said they will vote against the bill. However, the House passed the bill using a technique called reconciliation, meaning it can’t be filibustered.

The $87 billion saved will instead expand other federal aid programs and provide $50 million to the Department of Education, intended to help colleges make the transition. The

Seeker, Beater and Keeper.

Players must wear capes and run around on their brooms, keeping one hand on it at all times. The basis of the game is to shoot a Quaffle — here a volleyball — through hoops at opposite ends of the field. The Chasers on each team are charged with this main task.

All the while, two Beaters from each of the teams throw three dodgeballs at the players. If struck, the player has to run to their end of the field before he or she continues play.

And the last elements, are of course, the Seekers and the Golden Snitch. Instead of a winged, elusive golden ball described in the Harry Potter books, the Snitch in this game is actually a person — often a cross country runner — that races around being chased by each team’s Seeker. The Snitch can run anywhere he or she wants for 20 minutes before returning to the field. The capture of the Snitch earns the team 50 points and ends the game.

“It’s basically a combination of different sports in one game,” Lavin said.

“The Chasers would be rugby and soccer. The Keepers would be like basketball or any other goal keeper. The Seekers are playing tag. And the Beaters are essentially playing dodgeball. All these games are going on at once within the context of a single sport.”

Benepe was part of a group of freshmen who were playing pick-up games at Middlebury in 2005. The group finally established official rules, and the number of players grew. By 2007, Vassar College had a team as well, and the first Quidditch World Cup was held.

Today, Middlebury has a few hundred students playing on Quidditch

DATA FROM THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR

“Let’s take advantage of the private sector; let’s see if there is a way that we can strengthen it.”

JOHN KLINE REPRESENTATIVE (R-MINN.)

House bill invests $40 billion to increase the maximum annual Pell Grant award — a federal grant that provides need-based aid to help low-income students pay for college and does not have to be repaid by recipients — from its current value of $5,350 to $5,550 in 2010 and $6,900 by 2019.

“With student debt at record levels and loan default rates on the rise, the House just passed legislation that will provide real annual increases in student grant aid, reducing the need to borrow,” said Lauren Asher, president of the Institute for College Access and Success.

Beginning in 2011, the grant will be linked to match rising costs-of-living by linking it to the Consumer Price Index — a measure of inflation used by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

And the need for financial aid is growing.

New figures from the U.S. Department of Education show that the total amount of money borrowed by students and received by universities in the 2008-2009 academic year increased by about 25 percent from the year before — totaling about $75 billion.

“Making all federal loans through the Direct Loan program will also make it easy for borrowers to distinguish federal student loans from risky private loans,” Asher said.

“This bill is a win for students and families.”

The Senate’s version of the legislation hasn’t been written yet. But objections could also be raised to provisions in the House bill that would make spending on Pell grants mandatory and limit Congressional control over the program.

If the student financial aid bill is approved by the Senate, it will land on Obama’s desk.

The president has been a longtime supporter of reforming the federal financial aid system and is expected to sign the bill into law.

“We will take this battle for America’s students and America’s working families to the Senate,” Obama said. “And then I intend to sign this bill into law. Because that’s the change you worked for. That’s the change you voted for. ” mlang@umdbk.com

Sharpen your pencils and check out the crossword puzzle on page 5.

Players toss around the Quaffle. JACLYN BOROWSKI/THE DIAMONDBACK

teams and schools from Washington State University to McGill University in Montreal, Canada, travel to Vermont to participate in the World Cup every year. Benepe has even been contacted by schools in Mexico, Israel and Australia interested in starting teams.

Only six students showed up for practice Thursday night. The small group passed the volleyball Quaffle around.

Lavin said she hopes to get enough students to be able to compete with other universities by early November.

Once they’re ready, the university’s quidditch team will be competing against at least five other university

teams in the area: American University, George Mason University, University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University and East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.

Freshman chemistry major Deanna Edmunds said she has quidditch in her blood — her cousin is a captain of the team at Emerson College.

“I’ve mostly done ballet and dance, but I’ve never done a team sport before,” Edmunds said. “But, also, I love Harry Potter. Like, I would major in Potions if I could.” tousignant@umdbk.com

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2009 | NEWS | THE DIAMONDBACK

REGISTRATION from page 1 targeted mostly freshmen and recent transfer students, Raza said. But upperclassmen with out-of-date registration information may face trouble at the polls.

City residents who are registered with a previous address may not be allowed to vote, and could face prosecution if they simply offer election workers an inaccurate address that they know matches their previous registration, according to Jack Robson, chief of the Board of Elections in College Park.

If, for example, you registered to vote in the presidential election last year with a Denton Hall address but now live in La Plata Hall, you must file new paper work to vote for a College Park mayor and two city council members in your district.

Giving your old address to avoid re-registration is technically a criminal offense.

“You’re just supposed to tell them where you live,” Robson said. “You then sign a card, which from a law perspective is equivalent to stating it under oath.”

The SGA distributed voter registration forms to orientation students, left them at residence hall ser vice desks, gave forms to some student groups and went door-to-door in residence halls to register students, said Raza, who hopes to register 200 students by Monday. In 2007, the SGA registered more than a thousand students, but many students were updating their registration in anticipation of the presidential primaries rather than the city council election. Of the thousandplus registered, Robson estimated only between 25 and 50 students voted in the city election.

While the primar y boosted the number of students who registered who had no interest in the city council, it also motivated students to submit registrations with their current addresses.

Raza said the SGA will provide transportation to the city’s two polling stations — voters in Districts 2 and 3 use City Hall downtown and those in Districts 1 and 4 vote in Davis Hall farther north — and help students determine which district they are in.

Raza did not offer a specific goal of how many stu-

WILLIAMS from page 1 Terp coach Gar y Williams released an e-mail statement on the arrest at 3:56 p.m. yesterday.

“We are aware of the situation and are monitoring any changes,” Williams said.

“We will let the judicial system run its course before making any decisions. Any

UPDATE YOUR INFO Do you need to update your voter registration?

If you intend to vote in the City Council election and have moved – even within the campus – since you last registered to vote, you must update your registration to reflect your current College Park address.

To update your voter registration: Complete by hand and sign a voter registration form, which should be available at all residence hall service desks or can be downloaded from http://elections.state.md.us/for ms/ Give this form to the Student Government Association to submit for you, or mail it to:

Alisha Alexander, Election Director 16201 Trade Zone Ave., Suite 108 Upper Marlboro, MD 20774 Forms cannot be postmarked later than Oct. 5. They also cannot be submitted electronically. Officials recommend voters don’t wait until the last day, warning that workers may make mistakes that lead to difficulties on election day.

To vote: Election day is Nov. 3, and polls are open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. To see a map of the districts and a full listing of which addresses fall into which district, visit collegeparkmd.gov. dents she hoped would vote in the city council election, saying only she hoped student turnout would improve over the 2007 election. She said the transportation and awareness campaigns would achieve these ends. The SGA had provided a littleused shuttle ser vice at the last council election.

The SGA will not be endorsing candidates in the city’s districts, Raza said, saying students should be able to decide for themselves.

One student voter in 2007 said he arrived to vote in a contested District 2 race after hearing the merits of voting from the SGA, but with no knowledge about the three candidates, he made his two selections based on their alphabetical order on the ballot. bholt@umdbk.com

discipline coming from the campus will be in accordance with our Student-Athlete Code of Conduct.”

Jordan Williams, a 6-foot-10, 260-pound post player, was a four-star recruit, ranked by Rivals.com scouting service as the 85th best player in the 2009 recruiting class, and is expected to get minutes at center this season. ajoseph@umdbk.com

3

Labyrinth to open next week near Chapel University officials laud new development as a peaceful space for students

BY SOHAYL VAFAI For The Diamondback

Those searching for a quiet space to reflect on the campus, away from the hustle and bustle of ever yday life, will soon be able to find peace in a labyrinth, set to open the first week of October.

After the tragedies on Sept. 11, 2001, and at Virginia Tech in 2007, the university and the nation mourned. Megan Miller, coordinator of the Memorial Chapel, said during tr ying times there should be space for students seeking solace to go.

“There aren’t many places on campus for people to stop and reflect and get acquainted with themselves,” Miller said.

But early next month, a labyrinth at least 25 feet in diameter will be built on the campus, offering a place to get away from it all. This need for tranquil spaces on the campus is also the main impetus behind the Garden of Reflection and Remembrance, Miller said. Construction for both is planned on the south chapel lawn, a plot adjoining the Memorial Chapel and the Chapel Fields, where the Mighty Sound of Maryland practices.

The labyrinth, the centerpiece of the garden, will be a circular walkway with sweet thyme separating the paths. In addition to the labyrinth, heritage trees, densely planted areas, benches, a reflection pool and fountains will be planted and installed on the site. There is no scheduled completion date for the entire project as of yet.

Unlike mazes, labyrinths are flat, save for the stones or bricks that line the paths. Also, unlike mazes, there are no dead ends — just a single path leading to

“One of the intents of the project is to preserve the trees. ...

We’re preserving the healthy fabric.”

SCOTT MUNROE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT FOR FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

The labyrinth in the tranquility garden by the Memorial Chapel is expected to open sometime in early October. COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS

the center and a single path leading out.

In spring 2008, the university was awarded a $200,000 grant from the TKF Foundation — a private foundation whose purpose is to create “Open Spaces, Sacred Places.”

Mar y Wyatt, executive director of the TKF Foundation, said one of the reasons the chapel was awarded the grant is because of its accessibility and promise of serenity.

“It’s a reflective, contemplative opportunity,” Wyatt said. “It includes a labyrinth for contemplative walking.”

The garden, officials said, will also further the university’s goal to become a greener institution.

“One of the intents of the project is to preserve the trees,” said Scott Munroe, the landscape architect for the office of facilities management. “They will be relocated or removed if not in good health.

We’re preserving the healthy fabric.”

Munroe added that in a further step to be green, the main walkway will be made of TerreGranite, which consists of recycled rubber and polyvinyl chloride pipes — more commonly known as PVC pipes.

“One of the eventual pieces is that the garden will be added to the other botanical landscapes,” he said. “There will be a

walking tour, and the plant material will be labeled.”

When constructed, the Garden of Reflection and Remembrance will be added to the list of other botanical sites on the campus that allowed the university to be certified as an arboretum and botanical garden more than a year and a half ago.

“It depends on grants — we’re not taking out funds from any school budget,” Munroe said, adding that the labyrinth and certain water features will be built, but the other features of the garden will need additional funding.

Lohse Beeland, assistant director for grants and scholarships at the Division of Student Affairs, said he is hopeful the university will receive full funding for the project.

Miller said the garden is a vehicle to relieve students’ stress, adding she hopes students will support the endeavor as much as the university has thus far.

“The 2002 senior class made granite plaques with memories, and they will be installed along the main sidewalk,” Miller said. “We’re hoping each class will do this.” ga@umdbk.com

LEGALIZE from page 1 speaking in favor of legalizing drugs.

“I’ve been to previous events, but I’m very interested in what this guy has to say because this is the first time I’ve heard someone in law enforcement who wants to legalize drugs,” sophomore physics major Cyrus Fitch said.

Franklin’s law enforcement background seemed to be what drew the majority of students to the event.

“I wanted to hear what the police officer had to say, because it’s close to what I’m dealing with at home. I have a lot of family incarcerated because of drugs,” junior English language and literature major Kiara Somerville said. “I find it odd that a police officer is against putting people in jail for drugs, so I just wanted to hear what’s going on.”

“I love it,” sophomore chemical engineering and mathematics major David Royer added. “He’s definitely for the right cause and has the right mindset.”

The presentation ended with a question-and-answer session between Franklin and students in which students asked Franklin about his law enforce-

Neill Franklin of LEAP discusses the legalization all drugs with students in the student union yesterday. CHARLIE DEBOYACE/FOR THE DIAMONDBACK

ment background and tested the limits of his radical position.

One student asked Franklin how he deals with other law enforcement officials’ approach to the drug issue. Franklin said he simply expresses his opinion and they either get it or they don’t.

He said there is not much difference between him and other officers, other than the amount of research they do

regarding drug legalization. He said all police want to do good things, but some are just “misinformed” or “misguided.”

The presentation was hosted by SSDP, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, the Black Student Union and Students for a Democratic Society. estelle@umdbk.com

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4

THE DIAMONDBACK | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2009

Opinion

KEVIN ROBILLARD

THE DIAMONDBACK

EDITOR IN CHIEF

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

KYLE GOON

JOHN SILBERHOLZ

MANAGING EDITOR

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

ROB GINDES

JUSTIN SNOW

OPINION EDITOR

OPINION EDITOR

Staff Editorial

Guest column

Don’t bank on it F

ederal student loans are on the verge of being massively reinvented. gress in an attempt to kill or significantly derail the bill. Sallie Mae alone has Last week, the House of Representatives passed a bill, supported by spent $5.8 million. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) has emerged as a vocal opponent President Barack Obama, aiming to forever change federal financial aid of the proposal, no doubt because the student lender Nelnet employs 1,000 of works. The bill would end the historic process of subsidizing unneces- his state’s residents and has donated generously to his campaigns. Other senasary middlemen — banks and other lenders — to get federal dollars to students. tors with jobs and campaign donations at stake could develop similar feelings.

But parochial interests shouldn’t stand in front of broad-based ones. EliminatA program in which the Department of Education hands out and administers ing jobs now may sadly be necessary to create a more prosthe loans directly is set to replace it. Eliminating the middle perous future and a more educated workforce. Expanding step would save around a total of $87 billion over the next Pell Grants and direct loans can save money for students, decade, which would go to an expanded Pell Grant program who are defaulting on loans at the highest rate since 1998. for low-income students and their families.

Under the legislation, which still needs to pass the U.S. The federal student loan Two-thirds of students cope with increased college costs by Senate, the only losers are going to be lenders. Some compa- process would be greatly simply borrowing, and as the cost of college continues to rise, this trend isn’t likely to change. nies would have to shut down and many could lay off workFor decades, leaving the halls of this university and ers. In the midst of the worst economic downturn in 70 improved by cutting out countless others has left students in debt. Even Obama didyears, no one wants this. But progress has its costs and the middle man. n’t pay off his student loans until his two books became destruction can be creative. It is not the government’s job to bestsellers and after his election to Congress. But the blindly support redundant businesses.

Subsidizing companies isn’t a bad thing when it makes sense. But for House has taken the first step to fixing an irrational student loan system. In decades the federal government has spent millions propping up an industry response to the bill’s passage, Rep. George Miller (D-Cal.) said that now is the time to stop funneling taxpayer dollars through boardrooms and start sending that costs taxpayers money and hurts students.

But that industry won’t go quietly. The top 20 federal bank-based loan com- it to dorm rooms.

Let’s hope the Senate agrees. panies have spent nearly $14 million in the past year and a half and lobbied Con-

Our View

Editorial Cartoon: Justin Cousson

People-watching: Here’s looking at you

I

’m doing what college kids do when they’re not studying, working or drinking: I’m just sitting here watching. You know that slightly creeped out vibe you get when you notice someone acting in a way that can only be described as ... a little off?

Oh, yeah. I’m giving off those vibes.

Big time.

Fellow people–watchers know that labels are an occupational hazard: Weirdo. Dork. Perv. Stalker. Peeping Tom. It’s a burden we all have to bear.

And bear it we do, because keeping our peepers on our peers gives us insight into our fellow man, a brief foray into the twisted motivations and the often sordid backgrounds of those we call friends. Or maybe just acquaintances.

Anyway, we do it because by looking outward we are better able to understand what we see (or don’t see) when we turn our questioning gaze inward.

Scoff all you like. Tell yourself,

BETHANY

OFFUTT “Speak for yourself, Hannibal Leerer.

I’m only watching the people around me because it’s funny and takes my mind off the fact that I have a psychology exam tomorrow, and I’m tired of learning about things with names like ‘metencephalon.’”

But it’s not their lives you’re interested in — it’s your own. Now, before you screech to an indignant halt and throw my psychobabble back in my face, just keep reading.

You see a man walking his young daughter on a leash. A teenage goth couple is spotted with their tongue rings stuck together. A woman is sitting at a table by herself, crying into

her Oreo McFlurry.

Are you concerned for the woman’s mental health? Sympathetic to the plight of our multipierced brethren in black? Wondering about the repercussions of tugging your child around at the end of a rope?

Don’t be absurd.

You’re relating every single stimulus back to yourself. We all do it.

Beneath all our socially acquired consciences and internalized norms, humans are generally selfish creatures concerned primarily (and in some cases, solely) with our own lives and problems. So you’re not focused on them — you’re focused on you.

You’re thinking, “Gee, my parents never hugged me enough as a child or bought me that pony I always wanted, but at least they never paraded me around like a domesticated animal.”

You’re thanking whatever deity it is you thank that at least you have your problems under control enough to keep the waterworks at bay while in public. And

that you have the good sense to choose the M&M McFlurry over the Oreo. As for the tongue-tied teens, well ... I guess I don’t really have to explain that one.

We’ve all been there.

I’m not really trying to pistol-whip you through print. I thoroughly support scanning the crowd for private reassurance. What else would we have to do while we prowl McKeldin Mall, stroll down the sidewalk or sit at a red light? Nothing productive, that’s for sure, and nothing more interesting or soothing.

So go ahead. Spy on your neighbors.

Draw comfort from their misfortunes while you minimize your own and laugh at their oddities that allow you to gloss over yours. Just realize that you’re not the only one out there using social comparison to sleep at night.

Bethany Offutt is a sophomore criminology and criminal justice and psychology major. She can be reached at offutt@umdbk.com.

Town hall: What should have been asked

I

f you were expecting the university’s budget town hall meeting on Sept. 22 to be dramatic, tense and reminiscent of the summer health care forums, then you were surely disappointed.

Indeed, while the health care debates were more focused on academic differences (How can the president be a socialist and a fascist?), creativity (Should President Barack Obama be drawn with a Hitler mustache or the Joker’s smile?) and rhetorical flourishes, the university is facing a financial emergency where every decision will impact a job, a family’s budget or someone’s future.

The town hall was an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to voice their opinions, ask probing questions and challenge the administration. Instead, much of the hour was dominated by accusations that the university was not accountable and transparent when it came to publishing the budget.

The budget undoubtedly is important. Budgets are much more than a simple means for balancing revenues and expenditures. It is a system of con-

MATT

VERGHESE trolling spending, a statement of university policy and an instrument of planning. It is imperative that this document is freely available for public scrutiny. As a public institution, the university has to be even more mindful of being open and responsible to elected officials and university families. I applaud the students who outmaneuvered the administration and placed the budget online.

Shame on university President Dan Mote for not doing this sooner.

But the budget document will not tell you anything about how the administration will tackle the university’s shortfalls. In this regard, the town hall represents a wasted opportunity — we learned nothing.

Here are the questions that should have been asked:

Will you cut programs that cost too much or don’t perform?

The university’s strategic plan and the provost’s revenue allocation plan demonstrate a commitment to rethinking how and why programs are funded.

The provost must take an even more aggressive approach and actively target programs that fail to meet the mark.

The ultimate objective must be to put in place a system that focuses on outcomes, develops standards, measures performance and links performance information with the allocation of resources.

How will you mitigate the effects of tuition and fee increases?

The university must not price out students in its drive to raise revenue. As a society, we believe in a progressive tax system, but as a university, we charge a flat rate. The solution is to make financial aid the key to affordable higher education.

What is our “big” solution?

It is easy for Mote to point to the Commission to Develop the Maryland Model for Funding Higher Education (more commonly known as the

Bohanan Commission) as the way out of this mess. Given the state’s own fiscal turmoil, it is unlikely that any of the commission’s recommendations will be implemented. In The Washington Post, Robert Birgeneau, the chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, proposed a large federal investment in public higher education. The feasibility of such an idea can be questioned, but it represents a creative solution. This university needs such solutions.

What can I do to help?

The real strength of the university is in its people, and it is time they were mobilized. Instead of sitting back and idly waiting for more bad news, the university community should become involved and take charge of their own fate. If nearly 50,000 people can show up for a Terrapin football game, this university can surely send 50,000 messages to the Governor Martin O’Malley and other state leaders demanding more funding.

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

Dog flu and you JACQUELYN HOGAN

I

t’s official: The flu gods have it out for us. Between the seasonal flu, avian flu and now swine flu, it is easy to see that the forces of nature have now deemed humanity somehow worthy of their nauseating, feverinducing attention.

What most people do not know, however, is humans are not the only ones dealing with the flu epidemic this autumn. Dog flu, also known as H3N8, is now gunning for our canine compatriots.

Although originally of equine origin, H3N8 is now classified as a highly contagious form of the flu that dogs can contract from one another. Fortunately for us, humans cannot contract the disease, but it is a serious concern for most local pet owners.

Unfortunately, more than 30 states have reported cases of the disease, to which there is no natural resistance in canines. This means kennels, doggy day cares and even dog parks are becoming breeding grounds for H3N8.

According to CBS News, there is currently an outbreak in Virginia.

Considering the rate of interstate traffic in the Washington area, state dog owners should be extremely cautious about allowing their pets access to potentially infected areas.

Originally discovered in 2004, canine influenza causes symptoms such as coughing, runny nose and fever, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What makes this illness a true danger to canines is the risk of contracting pneumonia.

Although the proportion of dogs that contract canine pneumonia, an infection of the lungs and bronchi, is relatively small, this bacterial infection can lead to death due to the effects of dehydration, loss of appetite and breathing difficulty.

Consequently, illnesses such as H3N8 require immediate veterinary assistance.

As to how canine influenza is spreading, the CDC blames direct contact with infected canine respiratory secretions either by people, objects or the canines themselves.

They recommend dog owners with symptomatic pets avoid participation in activities that would expose other animals to the infection.

For those who think their dog is showing signs of canine influenza, testing for the disease is available at veterinary diagnostic clinics.

Once a dog is identified as a carrier of H3N8, treatment includes supportive care, medication to keep pets comfortable, plenty of fluids and, in suspected cases of secondary bacterial infection, broad-spectrum antibiotics. Also, if you are a proactive pet owner, a canine influenza vaccine is available for your pet.

According to the CDC, there have been no reported cases of H3N8 in humans. However, as recent events have shown, influenza viruses are constantly mutating and adapting.

My advice to you: If you let your dog outside, get it vaccinated and write a carefully worded inquest to the CDC. After all, no one saw swine flu coming, and look at the state of media-induced panic it left people in when it first reared its head.

Jacquelyn Hogan is a sophomore criminology and criminal justice and psychology major. She can be reached at jhogan12@umd.edu.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2009 | THE DIAMONDBACK

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Marquette’s title Bottle top Winter vehicles Ocean flier Obtain Leopard feature

DOWN 1 Reduce to pulp 2 Exercise aftermath 3 Soprano’s piece 4 TV producer —Griffin 5 Nosegay 6 Floe or berg 7 Models of excellence 8 Grandeur 9 Some vines 10 Twangy 11 Fame 13 Dictation pros 14 Daffodil starter 20 Nothing at all 22 Treaty 24 Urban maps 26 Hot tub 27 Loud cry 28 Quick reminder 29 Oater action 30 Rolls tightly 31 Fourth-down options 33 Inquire about 34 Crumpet companions

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OFF THE WALL

B

You are a keen student of human nature, and very little happens that you cannot explain as a result of the way things are in one way or another. You can be quite gregarious, and yet there are times in which you seem to avoid the company of others. You have strong beliefs that are not easily shaken.

Also born on this date are Greer Garson, actress; Madeline Kahn, actress and comedienne; Bryant Gumbel, sports commentator and TV host; Lech Walesa, Polish patriot and president; Gene Autry, actor; Stanley Kramer, producer; Miguel de Cervantes, novelist.

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.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — You’ll want to maintain control over those things that sprang from your own imagination.

Don’t let anyone co-opt your ideas.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — While you follow the advice of those who are in the know, you can still assert your own authority to a limited degree. Experiment.

new skill.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — You’re all set to enjoy the fruits of your labors, provided you haven’t overlooked one particular key detail.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — Pressure is likely to mount — either at home or at the workplace. Someone wants you to be doing more to promote your own ideas.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — You may be overthinking a certain situation, making things seem worse in your own mind than they actually are. Take a step back.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — You’re not likely to respond well to any sort of criticism, especially if you feel it is premature. Keep things under wraps still.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) — You’ll feel the competition heating up between you and a rival. You are still able to keep things fun and lighthearted.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) — An opportunity to shine in a new way must not be overlooked. You may feel uncertain, but you’re ready to show off a

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — You are likely to be surprised by the onset of an unfamiliar feeling closely related to interaction with someone close.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) — Alliances are shifting at this time, but you can remain untouched by any negative developments if you remain true to your own ideals.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — You can prove dependable in more ways than expected. In the end, you’ll be riding a wave of approval that isn’t likely to break soon.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Don’t respond to routine developments in a way that is at all out of proportion. Keep your emotions in check after dark.

Copyright 2009 United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

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THE DIAMONDBACK | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2009

Diversions

NEW ALBUMS:

arts. music. living. movies. weekend.

LYNYRD SKYNYRD Gods & Guns

AFI Crash Love

ALICE IN CHAINS Black Gives Way to Blue

REVIEW | GHOSTFACE KILLAH

online exclusives

Verbally off-course

PARAMORE, BRAND NEW EYES With the release of its new album, Paramore takes another step forward in carving itself into a unique niche. It seems as if the greatly matured group has really grasped its sound and is fulfilling its potential.

This album is a bit harder than its previous efforts, but the shift in tone hasn’t shaken up the quality of Paramore’s music. Sure, no one has ever claimed lead guitarist Josh Farro is the next Jimi Hendrix, but he and the rest of the band’s musicians have always held their own. The music is nothing groundbreaking — hell, it’s mature pop-punk — but the band fits its genre perfectly.

— Kyle Lucas RATING: 4 stars out of 5

Ghostface fails to one-up Raekwon with his new album

BY VAMAN MUPPALA Senior staff writer

THE AVETT BROTHERS, I AND LOVE AND YOU Upon first hearing a song such as “Slight Figure of Speech,” it sounds as if The Avett Brothers have finally gotten around to making the type of music they’ve probably always wanted to make: rock ‘n’ roll.

The proliferation of hook-laden pop songs on the band’s sixth fulllength album, I and Love and You, is a contrast to its previous output. Much of The Avett Brothers’ catalog consists of respectful acoustic songs, rooted in a folk and bluegrass aesthetic, which is tunneled through the trio’s rock vision.

— Reese Higgins RATING: 4 stars out of 5 For full reviews of the albums above, just click the Diversions tab at:

WWW.DIAMONDBACKONLINE.COM

Ghostface Killah and Raekwon have been linked since Wu-Tang Clan’s 1993 debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). They always had the most chemistry in the collective and, standing together in iconic cigar smoke, created arguably the greatest hip-hop album of all time, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.

So it makes sense this month with Raekwon releasing the surprisingly vital sequel to OB4CL, as it’s known to the Wu-heads, the famously prodigious Ghostface would hit back with a solo album of his own. And why shouldn’t he?

Comparatively speaking, Ghostface has never actually made a bad solo album — a remarkable achievement unequaled by Nas, Jay-Z or any number of other hip-hop luminaries.

Well, Ghostdini, Wizard of Poetry In Emerald City, while not the definitive end of Ghostface’s golden era, does show the rapper, known as Ironman, is losing his superhero powers.

The album art alone should give longtime Wu-disciples pause. Though Ghostface has been known for a number of iconic covers (Supreme Clientele and Fishscale come to mind), this one is a puke-green embarrassment with miscellaneous models poorly Photoshopped into the foreground.

These confused-looking women signify that Ghostdini is above all, if not for the ladies, at least about them and their outsized private parts. Don’t get me wrong — Ghostface’s particular blend of raunchy and heartfelt romance is still extremely entertaining when executed properly.

Ghostdini, however, feels like The Pretty Toney Album stripped of all balance and pushed into pornographic excess. The latter had the suggestive — yet restrained enough to be radio friendly — “Tush” as a single. But Ghostdini features the definitely notsafe-for-work “Stapleton Sex.” Rappers have often unfairly been accused of misogyny, but Ghostface seems to be begging for protests

Classified CALL

MARIAH CAREY Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel

when he commands, “Shut the f––– up/ This ain’t no R&B dick this hood ... / Put your thumb in your mouth and f––– me real slow.”

Of course, Ghostface has always had the wit to win back listeners’ sense of humor with that oddly specific, ridiculous detail only he can do so well. In “Guest House,” he catches his wife mid-coitus with a cable guy voiced by Fabolous.

What makes the track noteworthy is not Ghostface’s long-standing paranoia about unfaithful women, but that a vengeful, Glock-toting Ghostface “had them looking like the black Adam and Eve, two sinful lovers.” Moreover, the cable guy is not your run of the mill Comcast or Time Warner technician, but rather “the FiOS n–––a.” Almost no other emcee could work in his choice of Verizon’s fiber-optic Internet and HD-cable service as he slays the lover of his “queen.”

Sandwiching “Guest House” are pure R&B standouts “Paragraphs of Love” and “Let’s Stop Playin’.” The former is easily the classiest joint on the album as Ghostface offers “cheese crackers” and “sauteed shrimp” to the “most beautifulest queen [he] has ever seen.” This pregnant, married, unavailable amour is played by Estelle. As she banters back in her British tones, the idiosyncratically endearing Ghostface of old becomes apparent.

The latter track features John Legend with all the technical proficiency and smoothness his participation suggests.

There remains a vast roster for hire of R&B hook singers not in the same class as Estelle and Legend, and two of them — former Cheetah Girl Adrienne Bailon and Raheem DeVaughn — make excruciating appearances.

This is especially disconcerting since Ghostface’s records always hinge on his collaborators.

DeVaughn, a rookie to Ghostface’s music, appears to have missed Jay-Z’s memo about the death of Auto-Tune

Songs on rapper Ghostface Killah’s latest, Ghostdini, Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City, are some of his most sexually explicit. COURTESY EXCLAIM.CA

and deploys the technology with a tacky vengeance on “Baby.” Against an agreeably bouncy, ’70s, horninduced beat in “Do Over,” DeVaughn climbs a few registers but merely proves that his falsetto rap-speak is just as bad as his T-Pain imitation.

As for Bailon, her vocals in “I’ll Be That” are altered to sound like a breathy, moaning, high-frequency teen robot. Maddening staccato flutes and the turgid interplay between Ghostface and Bailon only exacerbate the listener’s pain. A Ghostface album, in theory, is the perfect respite from the squeals of the Disney tween machine, but here it continues to gnaw like a super mosquito.

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To illustrate just how awfully recycled Ghostface’s material is starting to become, consider Ghostdini’s bonus track — a remix of “Back Like That.” It might sound eerily familiar to buyers of Ghostface albums because it’s the 17th track on his previous effort, More Fish. Buyers of that album might have been just as puzzled because, excluding a Kanye West guest verse, the song was identical to a “Back Like That” on Fishscale.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2009 | SPORTS | THE DIAMONDBACK

KRAUT from page 8 only “reload not rebuild” program playing this past weekend in College Park against the team it beat in the national championship last season. The Terp field hockey team has won three titles in four years and six overall. But field hockey players aren’t leaving early for the pros, and the sport is dominated by teams from the South Atlantic states — Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.

Friday night’s win proved the men’s soccer team has just as much talent as any other contender in the nation and a legitimate shot to win another title this year.

That would be a truly remarkable feat. Even if college soccer isn’t as competitive as football or

MASON from page 8 Patriots aren’t short of talent.

The team is full of quality players like Gracia, who was a member of the U.S. Soccer Under-17 National Team in 2006-2007 before returning to the state.

“They know they’re good players,” Lee said. “They’re probably going in with the mentality of just saying the same thing that we are.”

“It’s definitely going to be one of their biggest games of the year, playing the National Champions and getting elimi-

2 0 1 0

7

basketball, there are still prominent programs from coast to coast. And most of those teams boast high-caliber players capable of playing professionally, even if only a select few end up in European super-leagues or international competitions.

Considering how much talent the Terps (5-1-1) lost to Major League Soccer in the offseason, a potential repeat becomes an even bigger accomplishment.

Three of those four defenders — A.J. Delagarza, Omar Gonzalez and Rodney Wallace — are now starting in the MLS. Cirovski has indeed reloaded on the backline, making sure two highly regarded freshmen, Ethan White and Taylor Kemp, were ready to go, while working Tangney into the lineup late last season to get him ready for a dramatically increased role.

And even though Cirovski

himself admitted the revamped backline is “ahead of schedule,” the results so far have been similar to the Terps’ start last season, when the team was expected to excel. Of course, last year the team ended up winning a program-record 23 games and allowed just six goals in a seasonending 16-game win streak.

This season, the Terps aren’t quite that good. It’s just not possible, not even for Cirovski, who operates a program as similar as you’re going to find to any professional team in college soccer.

(Just ask former midfielder Maurice Edu or ex-goalkeeper Chris Seitz about that.)

The Terps lack the depth of last year’s squad, evidenced by the attack’s failure to keep things flowing after forward Casey Townsend went down with a first-half ankle injury Friday.

But the Terps have already

nated by us last year,” White added.

If there’s one advantage to sustained success that coach Sasho Cirovski has when approaching potential land mine games like this, it’s that he’s been here before many times.

“It goes back to our philosophy — we respect everyone and fear no one,” Cirovski said.

“We concentrate on our preparation. We are obviously going to have our team prepared with what we anticipate with George Mason. The focus is going to be on making sure that our guys are highly concentrated and committed to doing all the

little things that we ask them to do on every game. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance to win.”

This weekend’s conference action might have also served as the best warning to the Terps.

League lightweight Virginia Tech took down No. 16 N.C. State, while Clemson downed No. 11 Virginia. For a team headed to No. 12 Duke on Friday, getting caught looking ahead is not something the team wants to do.

“Our guys have had a level head all year,” Cirovski said. “I think that’s been one of the trademarks of our team. We

T E R R A P I N

proven they are no fluke.

They’ve beat North Carolina and California and dominated Boston College, while also getting a late goal playing down a man to tie at N.C. State.

Even in their one loss, a 2-0 defeat to UCLA in the season opener, the Terps proved themselves by completely controlling the first half before succumbing to fatigue and defensive lapses in the second.

So yes, luck on the injury front will be necessary to make a run at the College Cup. But then again, what championship team hasn’t benefited from good fortune?

The saying goes you create your own luck, and for Cirovski and the Terps it’s true seemingly each season, regardless of who’s on the field. akraut@umdbk.com

constantly remind them of the fragile nature of the game of soccer and the importance of having a humility in our approach to every team and every game. If we can carry that forward, we’ll be in a good place.”

And then, for players like White, there are the immediate rewards of winning a game against old friends turned foes.

“Some of them come to our games and they talk trash, like guaranteeing a goal against us,” White said. “It’s definitely bragging rights for when we hang out later.” shaffer@umdbk.com

Y E A R B O O K

Here’s the Scoop on Senior Pictures!

Senior Pictures for the 2010 Terrapin Yearbook will be taken for three weeks, October 5-23, 2009, by Herff Jones Photography. Six to eight poses will be taken, including an optional cap and gown shot, and it only takes five minutes!

The photo session doesn't cost you a cent, and guarantees you a place in the 2010 TERRAPIN, all at no cost. You select the pose to be published in the 2010 TERRAPIN to preserve and recognize your college memories. HJP offers a wide variety of excellent, quality photographs at reasonable prices. Students often find these portraits make great gifts and help resumes and job applications.

AND . . . You Can Win An iPod Touch!

At the conclusion of the photo sessions every senior photographed will be entered in a drawing. Three lucky seniors will win an iPod Touch! And, since we don’t want you to wait ‘til the last minute to get your picture taken, each senior photographed during the first week, 10/5-10/9, will be entered three times in the drawing. Get your picture taken 10/12-10/16, you’ll receive two chances and if you wait until the third week, 10/19–10/23, you’ll get only one chance. So why wait? Call today and make an early appointment!

SAVE $12!!

Save $12 on your 2010 Terrapin Yearbook if you purchase one when you get photographed.

WHAT TO DO? Call 1-800-687-9327 between 8am5pm to schedule your most convenient time for an appointment, or visit our website at ouryear.com (school code:

87101) and make your appointment online!

We’ll be shooting October 5-23, 2009, Monday-Friday, 11am-7pm in room 3101 South Campus Dining Hall (Terrapin Yearbook Office).

CALL 1-800-687-9327

BETWEEN 8AM-5PM TODAY TO MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT! OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT

WWW.OURYEAR.COM (SCHOOL CODE: 87101) AND MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT ONLINE! 3101 SOUTH CAMPUS DINING HALL OCTOBER 5-23, 2009 • 11AM-7PM

Rutgers cornerback Devin McCourty makes one of three Rutgers interceptions Saturday. ADAM FRIED/THE DIAMONDBACK

FOOTBALL from page 8 Only Miami (Ohio) has lost more turnovers than the Terps, and only Oregon has lost more fumbles than the Terps’ eight.

“We gotta obviously fix the little things, the mistakes,” wide receiver Torrey Smith said. “We should easily be 3-1.”

In addition to the Terps’ five turnovers against the Scarlet Knights, they committed a season-high 10 penalties for 85 yards.

The Terps’ rank tied for 57th in the FBS in penalties committed per game, and they have already committed 26 penalties for 220 yards on the season.

Many of the infractions have come at inopportune times, and Friedgen said, “most of the penalties are stupid penalties.”

“We’re not giving ourselves a chance,” Friedgen said.

“Even if we were a good team right now, we wouldn’t win.”

The Terps’ overall inexperience is perhaps a convenient excuse for the early-season struggles, yet not only did the situation get worse in the fourth game of the season, but many of the mistakes have been committed by veterans.

The Orange Bowl and most of the Terps’ goals for this season are still theoretically within reach, but if the current trend continues, so is the worst season in Friedgen’s nine-year tenure.

That leaves Wujciak’s own teammates fighting creeping doubts about whether a turnaround is even possible.

“You know, maybe it does, but I can’t show that,” center Phil Costa said, when asked if it was getting hard to envision the Terps improving from here. “You have to be able to be strong at these points.” schimmel@umdbk.com

8

THE DIAMONDBACK | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2009

Sports

More football analysis online For more Terrapin football coverage and Jordan Williams updates, check out TerrapinTrail.com, The Diamondback’s official sports blog.

Mistakes bury Terps again Friedgen dismayed by team’s mental errors in Rutgers loss

BY GREG SCHIMMEL Senior staff writer

When asked what the Terrapin football team can still accomplish this season, even after all that has already gone wrong, linebacker Alex Wujciak did not mince words.

“If we go undefeated the rest of the season, we get to go to the Orange Bowl,” Wujciak said. “So if we win all our ACC games, we’ll go to the Orange Bowl.”

Wide receiver Adrian Cannon (right) speaks with running back Da’Rel Scott after Scott’s third fumble in two games Saturday. ADAM FRIED/THE DIAMONDBACK

Technically, the Terps’ leading tackler is correct. But with all the turnovers, penalties and general ugliness the Terps have displayed during their 1-3 start to the season — and after showing few signs of improvement in Saturday’s 34-13 loss against Rutgers — Wujciak’s proclamation sounded more like a proud statement of defiance than a rational analysis of the Terps’ current situation.

But the Terps know if they are

going to win enough games to make the Orange Bowl, or even the five more games necessary to become bowl eligible, they are going to have to cut back on the crippling mistakes that have defined their season so far.

“My plan for this year, because I knew we had some new positions, was to not beat ourselves. That was the goal from the first day of camp,” coach Ralph Friedgen said. “I can’t tell you how much we work on it in practice.”

The Terps are off to their first 1-3 start to a season since 1997, and the seemingly correctable turnovers and penalties are the major issues holding them back.

Through four games, the Terps have committed 13 turnovers and have forced just three. Their minus10 turnover margin ranks 117th among the 120 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

see FOOTBALL, page 7

Midweek match has local stakes Men’s soccer match at George Mason is not short on familiar faces for both sides

BY JONAS SHAFFER Staff writer

This summer, Terrapin men’s soccer defender Alex Lee reunited with an old soccer friend for some harmless fun on the pitch.

Tuesday night, when Lee sees his friend Draymond Washington, a forward for the George Mason Patriots and a former teammate at Magruder High School, the stakes will be much higher than some chuckles over a game of pickup soccer.

Regional bragging rights are on the line tonight in the Terps’ matchup with the Patriots in Fairfax, Va. On the surface, it’s just another game in a long, winding schedule. For players like Lee and Washington, two of many from the Washington Metropolitan area expected to have a say in the rematch of last year’s 2-0 Terps NCAA Tournament second-round victory, it’s about getting the last laugh with a familiar acquaintance.

“We’re both very competitive, but we’ve never played in serious games,” Lee said.

“It’s going to be new, but it’ll be fun.”

Lee’s experience with Washington is quite extensive. Both led Magruder’s juggernaut offense to the 2007 4A state title, with Washington and Lee scoring 21 goals apiece in the season to set a new school record. Lee earned first-team Washington Post All-Met honors, while Washington garnered a spot on the second team.

Midfielder Ryan Gracia (Thomas Wootton High School) and Fro Adu (Georgetown Prep) are also familiar names to Lee and defender Ethan White. White played with Gracia when both starred on the D.C. United Youth Academy team, while Adu competed against both Lee and White in the local club soccer scene.

While the Terps (5-1-1) typically attract the best collection of talent in the area, the

see MASON, page 7

Sasho Cirovski (right) has won two National Championships in his 17 seasons at the helm of the Terp men’s soccer team.

JACLYN BOROWSKI/THE DIAMONDBACK

Programming 101 AARON

KRAUT

T

he Terrapin men’s soccer team should not be this good this soon.

Freshman Ethan White is a crucial piece for the Terps in replacing all four starting defenders from last year. JACLYN BOROWSKI/THE DIAMONDBACK

After winning his second National Championship last season, coach Sasho Cirovski lost all four starters from the nation’s best backline, his leading goal-scorer and his most clutch performer.

A team losing so many crucial elements — in any sport, at any level — just isn’t supposed to keep rolling along when the next season gets going.

That’s really why the Terps’ 1-0 win Friday against then-No. 2 North Carolina was so significant — more so than the nearly 7,000 fans in attendance, the national television audience or the late-game heroics from defender Kevin Tangney.

The win proves Cirovski and his staff have reached rarefied air in college athletics.

The cliché “reloading, not rebuilding” mantra is used entirely too often to describe teams coming off championship seasons. Rarely is the statement true, at least not over the long haul. Today, perhaps you could slap that label on the Southern Cal football team, but few other revenue sport teams have earned the distinction.

Of course, men’s soccer wasn’t the

see KRAUT, page 7

Spurt scoring may be an issue for Terps No. 1-ranked field hockey still looking for offensive consistency

BY KATE YANCHULIS Senior staff writer

The Terrapin field hockey team barreled down the field with less than two minutes remaining in the first half of Saturday’s match against Wake Forest, aiming to break a 1-1 tie before returning to their lockers.

Inside the circle, the possession devolved into a scramble. But rather than using it to their advantage, the Terps became caught up in the confusion. Back Alexis Pappas took two whacks at the ball, but both shots went straight to a Demon Deacon.

Then a shot by forward Katie O’Donnell was stopped by the goalie.

Three shots in 11 seconds, yet the Terps had nothing to show for it.

O’Donnell said the Terps started out too frantic, too willing to simply swing at ball and hope it would find its way into the cage. In the second half, they settled down, scoring three goals for a 4-1 win in a rematch of last year’s National Championship game against No. 3 Wake Forest.

“I think we were slacking a little bit in the first half,” O’Donnell said. “But in the second half we put it together, and we definitely got a lot more goals on the scoreboard.”

Now, the No. 1 Terps (10-0, 2-0 ACC) must stretch that out over the full 70 minutes, starting at No. 20 American (4-3) today.

The Terp attack finds its rhythm by scoring. One goal can open the floodgates, as it did in a 4-1 win against Michigan on Sept. 6, when the Terps scored all four goals in a five-minute stretch of the second half, or in an 8-1 victory against Penn State on Sept. 12, when the Terps’ first four goals came within 10 minutes of each other.

Jitters calmed, the team takes better shots with greater accuracy, leading to more goals. But they have sometimes used sloppier shots to get that flow going.

“It’s worked, being frantic, before,” O’Donnell said. “But now we just need to stay calm and place it where we want to put it.”

Against Wake, the Terps scored on the first shot of the game but had their next possessions broken up and could not establish momentum. This led to increasingly hurried shots, all stopped by a stout Wake backfield.

By halftime, the Terps had converted just 1 of 8 shot attempts, a measly 12.5 percent.

But O’Donnell scored on the sec-

“We just need to stay calm and place it where we want to put it.”

KATIE O’DONNELL JUNIOR FORWARD

ond possession after the break, and the tired Demon Deacon backfield allowed the Terps to sustain that energy, leading to better control and presence inside the circle and two more goals. The Terps scored on 3 of 6 shots in the half.

“When [O’Donnell] was able to put in that first goal in the second half and put us up 2-1, I’m not surprised that we came to the plate with more after that,” coach Missy Meharg said.

Meharg wants the team to place every shot with precision, no matter the score or situation. This becomes particularly important as the Terps are in a stretch of five straight games against top-20 opponents. American goalkeeper Alyssa Poorman allows just 1.51 goals a game on average, the lowest of any goalkeeper the Terps have faced so far.

Back Alexis Pappas (left) hugs teammate Megan Frazer after a goal in the No. 1 Terps’ 4-1 win against No. 3 Wake Forest. VINCE SALAMONE/THE DIAMONDBACK

She hopes players will keep their composure and focus on the best decisions in a certain play, not the consequences or ramifications, and will leave the frantic play to opponents.

“You just take things inch by inch and don’t get caught up in what the outcome is of that little inch or that little moment,” Meharg said. kyanchulis@umdbk.com