093008

2008

VOTE

The Terps announced they are real contenders in the ACC Saturday

15

STATEMENT GAME

SPORTS | PAGE 10

DAYS LEFT TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN THE GENERAL ELECTION

T.I. proves he’s king of the South with his latest album

LEAVING A PAPER TRAIL

Most students are eligible to vote. Register online at www.diamondbackonline.com/election

DIVERSIONS | PAGE 8

THE DIAMONDBACK TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2008

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Univ. View shuttle now requires IDs

ELECTION 2008 | THE ISSUES OF OUR AGE

A WOBBL Y

N O T G N I H WAS

Off-campus students angry they can no longer use bus to get on the campus

BY TIRZA AUSTIN Staff writer

Students taking the University View bus will now be required to show a View ID before boarding, excluding many off-campus students who use the bus to commute to the campus.

The Department of Transportation Services decided to enforce the rule after the apartment building’s residents complained to View staff about bus overcrowding. The View pays DOTS $76,440 a year to fund the bus route for their residents, and property manager O. T. Warren said he thinks View residents should have priority on the buses.

“The goal is to make the buses exclusive for our residents,” Warren said.

Economic crisis puts students’ futures on shaky ground

“We want to make everything convenient for our residents.”

The View sent out e-mails to students to inform them they needed to have their View ID cards before riding on the bus this week. Signs were also posted outside of bus stops Friday.

Management from the View approached DOTS about the student complaints and the department supported the idea to limit the route to View residents, Director of the Department of Transportation Services David Allen said.

“You’re paying for it,” Allen said.

“Your students should be able to use it.”

Junior biochemistry major Charlotte

Please See VIEW, Page 2

Shuttle use among city residents climbs

BY BEN PENN Senior staff writer

The housing crisis, the diminishing value of the American dollar, soaring gas prices and now the most recent economic setback, the government’s multibillion dollar corporate buyout, which taxpayers are expected to bear the brunt of for years to come.

All of these issues surround a struggling economy that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) or Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) must attempt to resolve immediately after taking office in January.

While both candidates will try to convince voters of their economic prowess on the campaign trail, what much of the presidential candidates’ jargon fails to capture is the degree of influence the economic status will have on current student voters in their most trying years of post-college, early professional life.

With Nov. 4 looming, the choice

Councilwoman says DOTS improperly logged riders during first two weeks

BY TIRZA AUSTIN Staff writer

More than 100 College Park residents have registered to ride DOTS buses since the program’s start date at the beginning of the month, city officials said.

While Department of Transportation Services Director David Allen said only 22 city residents have actually ridden the buses since the program started on Sept. 1. The city of College Park has registered 135 people for bus permits, according to Sara Imhulse, assistant to the city manager.

After two weeks of the new program offering residents free admission on Shuttle-UM buses with a city ID card, DOTS officials said no residents had

Please See ECONOMY, Page 3 [Editor’s note: This is the third story in a biweekly series highlighting the impact of the presidential election on college students.]

99TH YEAR | ISSUE NO. 21

used the pilot program. However, the past weeks have upped the tally.

Knowing how many city residents are riding the buses is critical for the city to decide whether it should continue the program, which costs $5,000 a semester. If the program is continued, it will cost the city an additional $5,000 for each subsequent semester. If not enough residents decide to use the service, the city council could opt to use the funds elsewhere.

District 4 Councilwoman Mary Cook, who has been one of the program’s strongest supporters, is concerned DOTS was not properly logging the number of city residents using ShuttleUM. Cook said she and at least one

Please See SHUTTLE, Page 2

ILLUSTRATION BY SAM STONE

Students serve on all but one Univ. Senate committee

A fresh take on the cold cup Freshëns unveils compostable cup at Sneakers Energy Zone in ERC

BY MARISSA LANG

BY SAM TAUTE

Staff writer

Staff writer

In a dramatic improvement from last year, all but one University Senate committee has student representation, an achievement officials hope to continue in future years.

Last year, six senate committees went without student representation, including the Library Council, which is the only committee without a student representative this year.

Although senate officials said that this is not a new problem — they chalk up the consistent lack of student engagement to overcommitted students who are unable to fit serving on a committee into their schedules — the senate is looking at ways to get the word out more effectively, something student leaders say is a must.

Because the senate, the university’s most powerful legislative body, operates through a

Please See SENATE, Page 3

The Leonardtown apartments lack security to stop people from walking right up to the front doors. JACLYN BOROWSKI/THE DIAMONDBACK

Security concerns emerge after Leonardtown robbery

BY KYLE GOON Staff writer

Days after an armed robbery at a Leonardtown apartment, all three suspects have been apprehended and charged, but members of the community are still trying to return

to their normal routines.

The scare has caused minor changes, they said. They’re checking the door more carefully when they hear a knock and locking windows they once left open.

On the heels of Dining Services’ recent decision to phase out styrofoam from the dining halls, Freshëns has introduced the nation’s first completely renewable and compostable paper cold cup to the campus.

Freshëns, whose smoothie and health food products are sold at Sneakers Energy Zone in the Eppley Recreation Center, held a national media event on Monday to introduce “ecotainer” paper cold cups to the college market.

Officials from Atlanta-based Freshëns, which has more than 1,200 locations nationwide, including 420 on college campuses, say they chose the university as their launch spot because of the commitment the university has shown toward

Please See FRESHENS, Page 3

Please See LEONARDTOWN, Page 2 JACLYN BOROWSKI/THE DIAMONDBACK

TOMORROW’S WEATHER:

T-Storms/70s

INDEX

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CLASSIFIED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 FEATURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

DIVERSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . .8 SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

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POLL Should Maryland voters pass the slots referendum?

Undecided 5%

No 31%

Yes 64%

BRIEFS Dow takes a dive as bailout bill fails in Congress

@M

Police: Mom says daughters’ remains in freezer LUSBY — Child-sized human remains uncovered in a basement freezer were those of two girls and have been there for months, their adoptive mother told investigators. Authorities said Monday they believe she is responsible for their deaths.

Sheriff’s deputies were investigating an abuse complaint regarding a third, surviving child Saturday when they discovered the remains encased in ice.

— Compiled from wire reports

Thirty-minute meditation series focusing on the spiritual dimensions of life at college, noon, Stamp Student Union: Edgar Allen Poe Room

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Cook: City needs reliable numbers On Route 1, longer “We have to have waits for buses accurate numbers

RIDERSHIP, from Page 1

other city resident rode the bus during the period when the university reported no city riders.

Cook said she is telling residents to insist that bus drivers call in and report their presence on the bus.

“It’s very important to [make sure DOTS accurately records the number of residents], because at the end of this term, we have to have accurate numbers to decide whether it’s worth spending the city’s money,” Cook said.

Allen said the bus drivers have been reminded they need to radio in when a city resident rides the bus so

DOTS can keep track of the numbers and inform the city, who can then make an informed decision at the end of the pilot program.

“We are the service provider,” Allen said. “We will provide them with their numbers.”

Allen said the program is worthwhile because it introduces residents to the university bus system.

“Any time the university and the city can come up with a win-win situation, it’s good,” Allen said.

Imhulse said she plans on contacting the residents who have signed up for the program via e-mail to get a sample of how many residents are

to decide whether it’s worth spending the city’s money.”

MARY COOK DISTRICT 3 COUNCILWOMAN

using the buses, just so the council “has an idea.”

“I think it needs to be documented,” Cook said. “What we need to do now is to get it off to a better start by marketing it better.” taustindbk@gmail.com

Victim says police downplayed robbery LEONARDTOWN, from Page 1

NEW YORK — The failure of the bailout package in Congress literally dropped jaws on Wall Street and triggered a historic sell-off, including a terrifying decline of nearly 500 points in mere minutes as the vote took place, the closest thing to panic the stock market has seen in years.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 777 points Monday, its biggest single-day fall ever.

THE FRESHMEN SPIRIT: EXPLORING THE SOUL OF COLLEGE LIFE

“We used to open the door to see who it was,” sophomore biology major Hannah Miller said. “Now we use the peephole or check through the windows.

We really all are a lot more cautious.”

The motel-style housing community sits on the edge of the campus and is an area that Interim University Police Chief Maj. Mark Sparks describes as a “transitional zone” between the university and the city of College Park, and thus is an area of special concern.

Over the past few nights, police have stepped up their presence in the area, said Capt.

John Brandt, a University Police spokesman. Police and the Department of Resident Life have also encouraged residents to take extra precautions.

So far, community members seem to be taking that advice to heart.

“Our windows are locked all the time now,” sophomore landscape architecture major Mike

Humber said, who lives in the building where the robbery occurred. “We used to open them to let in air, but now they pretty much stay closed. We leave the blinds closed a lot, too.”

But while some are being more cautious, many students said they still feel relatively safe, given the speedy arrests following the incident and how the victims were targeted.

“It was unnerving at first, but we’re trying to get things back to normal,” sophomore Russian major Rick Jackson said. “The police are rolling by a lot, and they seem to have it well-covered. I think they’ve shown they take this stuff extremely seriously.”

Not everyone thinks Leonardtown is as secure as before.

“I feel a lot less safe,” Miller said. “It’s a lot different living here than in the dorms. I don’t feel safe going out by myself to do laundry. It’s not really a part of main campus, and it’s not really protected by anything.”

Attempts to reach Leonard-

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town Resident Director Kelly Tavenner were unsuccessful.

The victims of the shotgun holdup felt that police may have downplayed the incident by saying it was targeted.

“It almost sounded like it was our fault,”said sophomore kinesiology major Phil Coblentz, one of the victims. “It’s a little irritating that some people think it couldn’t happen to them or they’d do something different if someone pointed a gun at them.”

Brandt said the police department was just trying to provide students with as much information about the crime as possible so they could make their own judgments.

Police are looking into adding more dedicated patrols in the area and possibly adding more security cameras, Sparks said.

Miller said she has noticed more police patrols. “Hopefully they’ll stick around. Any extra precaution from the university would be great.” goondbk@gmail.com

VIEW, from Page 1

makes for about a 1.5 mile walk. And that’s just one way.

“I rely on the bus system to Higgins lives off-campus and depended on the University get to campus,” Debelius View bus to get to class. Hig- said. “It’s more convenient to gins, who lived in the View last walk to the View than waiting semester, said she never saw an hour for the other buses.”

Debelius has no other way the bus turn anyone away before and said the overcrowd- to get to the campus. If Debeing problem was nothing new, lius can’t use the View bus, having sat through many she will have to get to class an hour early or walk crowded bus rides a half-hour to the while she lived there. campus, she said.

Higgins didn’t buy “It bothers me a parking permit this because it’s a UM semester because bus,” Debelius she had counted on said. “We should the View bus as the have equal privieasiest and cheapest leges to all buses.” way to get to the camBut some View pus. Now, she will residents said they have to wake up at didn’t have a prob6:50 a.m. to walk to lem with non-resiher 8 a.m. class. dents using the “If my school is bus. encouraging me to “It does get a litgo green, wouldn’t tle crowded,” junthey want people to ior economics take the bus?” Hig- BRITTANY major Justin Day gins said. “Now peo- DEBELIUS said. ple will be driving JUNIOR ELEMENTARY EDUCATION MAJOR Junior psycholvehicles — unless ogy major Calei they expect people to bike or ride a scooter. It just Chan lives in a house on Rhode Island Avenue and now doesn’t make any sense.”

Allen said he didn’t think has to walk from the far side of the now-excluded students campus to her house, nearly a would overflow other buses. two-mile walk.

“People don’t realize it’s He said they will probably just end up walking or could a really long walk,” Chan wait a little longer to catch the said. “[The new rule is] anCampus Connector South noying.”

Bus drivers will be lenient Shuttle-UM bus route or the Route 1 Corridor bus, which for the first couple days, Allen said. The ID check will only run every 30 minutes.

“It is a huge hassle with occur between 9 a.m. and 5 getting work done,” junior el- p.m. for the safety of students ementary education major who want to use the bus at Brittany Debelius, who lives night.

“I have no problem with off-campus, said. “I don’t want to be sitting and waiting [the new rule]. If I lived over for a bus when I should be there, I’d be pissed off,” Day back at my house doing said, pointing across the street while sitting at the homework.”

Debelius lives off of Berwyn View’s bus stop.

Road and her classes are in the education building, which taustindbk@gmail.com

“ I don’t want to be sitting and waiting for a bus when I should be back at my house doing homework.”

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2008 | NEWS | THE DIAMONDBACK

3

Experts struggle to distinguish candidates’ economic abilities ECONOMY, from Page 1 of placing a man in office to dictate policy potentially affecting students for up to the next eight years may seem academic to some, but students will graduate to a world in which either Obama or McCain plays a major role in shaping the economy.

While the housing market crunch that has plagued the nation the past year is predicted by some experts to now have a brighter outlook for potential first-time home buyers, the job market still looks bleak.

Peter Levine, who studies the political motivations of young people as the director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University, a title he used to have at this university, said it is the young demographic who may have the most to lose as a result of the economic disaster.

“Unemployment is really concentrated with young people, so it really is a youth issue,” Levine said. “Candidates tend to not talk about it that way; they talk about it in a neutral way.”

With unemployment already hurting young Americans, this month’s financial fallout only stands to hurt this year’s upperclassmen even more as they enter the workforce in the next several years.

“It’s pretty clear that the seniors this year are going to have a tough job market,” finance professor Albert Kyle said. “And I would suspect that the juniors next year are going to have a tough job market, because the economy is going to be in something resembling a recession.”

Assuming that college graduates can find a job, next comes the responsibility of paying taxes, an issue that looms large regardless of who becomes president.

Similar to the job market, the news for taxpayers in light of this month’s financial collapse is not promising, according to government and politics professor Paul Herrnson.

“Students should be advised that this catastrophe, which was caused by just following the mantra of deregulation, is going to be with them for a long time,” Herrnson said. “They will be the

ones paying this debt off when they pay their taxes.”

Political economy professor Gar Alperovitz believes Obama’s proposed tax increases for the wealthiest Americans will benefit the overall economy, allowing for more spending on other ventures that will benefit students, but Kyle is less optimistic that either candidate can truly distinguish one set of tax policies as superior.

“Neither McCain nor Obama seems like they will increase taxes on the bottom 95 percent of the population, and they’re only arguing about a few percentage points on the top five percent of the population,” Kyle said.

“Changing taxes plus or minus a couple of percentage points doesn’t make much difference.”

Looking into the future to determine how this issue will play out is taking a backseat to the more pressing concern of discerning which candidate has the economic platform more likely to limit the negative consequences of the economic crisis.

Obama’s plan to retool the economy includes a proposal to tax oil companies to provide a

$1,000 rebate to all families, spending $50 billion to prevent a million job losses and tax cuts to benefit the middle class.

McCain’s proposal calls for keeping tax rates low on large and small businesses, constructing nuclear power plants to provide a new source of energy and create jobs and eliminating government earmarking and wasteful spending.

The same experts who pontificate about the certainty of doom in this country’s economic future are at a loss for words when attempting to distinguish the candidates’ ability to lay out a plan for improving the economy.

“I follow the election very closely, but I don’t quite understand what either of the candidates is proposing on the economy,” Kyle said.

Even a professor with a more intimate understanding of the political arena can’t provide a more definitive statement.

“Will either of [the candidates] be able to say anything terribly revealing [about the economy]?” government and politics professor Stephen Elkin asked rhetori-

cally. “And the answer, I think, is no. Neither of them wants to say anything terribly specific, if they can help it.”

Watching debates and speeches may not provide clear solutions, but there are other means to differentiate between Obama’s and McCain’s economic stances.

“By and large, the thing to do is look at the record more than what they say,” Alperovitz suggested.

Alperovitz finds Obama’s proposals more likely to improve the economy, but McCain’s policy of a free-market economy is more appealing to others, including sophomore government and politics major Nicholas Cravotta.

“Obviously, I want more jobs and I want to graduate in an economy that is more stable, but as a Republican, I don’t change my beliefs of a free-market economy,” said Cravotta, who is secretary of the College Republicans.

“I think that a free-market economy that John McCain is supporting will lead to a more stable, more prosperous, job-creating economy.”

Senior physics major and Democrat Andrew Grossman said

he believes Obama is taking the more level-headed approach to solving the economy thus far, but he is not expecting either candidate to say anything that will guarantee a prosperous economy in years to come.

“I’m voting based on the type of person that they are, the type of experiences that they’ve had and their philosophy on things,” Grossman said.

Grossman acknowledged the importance of his future job security, but still vowed not to make the candidates’ specific economic policy proposals the basis of his voting decision, a mindset Levine can understand.

“I think the economy at one level is very hard to understand, very technical,” Levine said.

“There’s an element where maybe that will be harder for younger people.”

Kyle echoed Levine.

“It’s going to be hard for students to make up their mind,” Kyle said. “I don’t think that the candidates’ economic proposals offer much choice to the students.” penndbk@gmail.com

Despite economic turmoil, Seniors are not worried about job market

BY BROOKE GILLILAND For The Diamondback

Ryan Earle is staying optimistic. Despite a slumping economy that analysts don’t think will turn around until 2009 or 2010, Earle is confident his full-time job offer with Ernst & Young will pan out next October, right in time to go house or apartment hunting while taking advantage of the market slump.

However, the senior accounting major admits his optimism has its boundaries.

“If I hadn’t secured a job, though, I would be very concerned,” Earle said.

Earle is one of thousands of seniors at the university who are going to enter the job market during a period of economic turmoil that has riled the financial and

banking industries. Despite the grim outlook for companies in those fields, most students are confident they will land a job.

Daniel Bailey, a senior accounting major, has a job with SC&H group, an accounting firm he interned with last summer.

“I honestly don’t feel too bad about the job market when I graduate,” Bailey said. “SC&H is a growing firm, and they actually experienced record profits in the month of July.”

The economic problems making headlines in recent weeks have roots in the subprime mortgage market and have caused a series of dramatic events.

On Sept. 7, the federal government overtook Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two of the country’s largest mortgage companies. A week later Lehman Brothers, one

of the country’s largest investment banks, went bankrupt.

Merrill Lynch, another venerable Wall Street investment bank, had to be bought by Bank of America to avoid a similar fate. And American International Group, one of the country’s largest insurance corporations, was taken over by the government Sept. 16.

And other economic problems remain: Gas prices are up, housing prices continue to fall and unemployment is at 6.1 percent, a five-year high.

But the economic slowdown may have an upside for graduating seniors. Kavita Gopalan, a senior finance major, thinks the demand for general, entry-level positions will always be high.

“If anything, this economy makes us more coveted,” Gopalan said. “We offer enthusi-

astic, cheap labor at a time when companies are desperately trying to cut costs.”

But Susan White, a finance professor at the university, has concerns.

“I think the slow economy will make the job searches for students graduating in December, and likely in May also, more difficult,” White said. “In particular,

students who were set on an investment banking career will have difficulty in the near future.”

For graduating seniors, White suggests being flexible, exploring all options and making contacts even when not looking for a job.

Freddy Tang, a senior economics and finance major, said his concern about the job market has

made him consider studying abroad to delay graduation.

“I have not secured any internships/job offers yet but I am ardently looking,” Tang wrote in a Facebook message. “For the first time ever, I attended a career fair this year. I got so much free stuff — it was awesome.” newsdesk.dbk@gmail.com

DIAMONDBACK DEBATE PANEL Participate in a 10-person panel about Thursday’s vice presidential debate. Applicants must be students who are not officers for a political group on the campus. If interested, please e-mail Steven Overly, The Diamondback’s editor in chief, at overlydbk@gmail.com

Cups to be disposed at three sites Non-senator spots are hardest to fill FRESHENS, from Page 1 becoming environmentally friendly.

Besides already having a composting program in place to handle the disposal of a compostable product such as the “ecotainer,” the university was deemed one of the nation’s top 15 green colleges and universities by Grist, an environmental magazine.

“We chose the University of Maryland because we’re both moving in the same direction,” Frëshens Senior Vice President Ed Redmond said. “The university really understands green.”

But making the cups truly green will require effort from students.

In order for the “ecotainers” to be composted properly, they need to be brought to one of three locations by the students who purchased them, a demand that could stretch even the greenest college student.

The locations — at The Diner,

the South Campus Dining Hall and the Stamp Student Union — are the only ones that feed into the university’s compost stream, where they go to a compost pile to disintegrate.

“That’s not a permanent solution or a long-range solution, but that’s what we have right now,” Dining Services spokesman Bart Hipple said. He also pointed out that having a compost bin in the ERC would not necessarily fix the problem because most people carry their smoothies home.

Regardless of whether the cup is composted, however, Frëshens representatives say that there are other environmental benefits to the “ecotainer.”

Specifically, the manufacturing process requires less energy and uses renewable as opposed to non-renewable resources.

“There’s no excuse for everyone not to get on the bandwagon,” Redmond said, expressing his desire that more companies use the “ecotainer” to replace

traditional paper cups.

To try to get more people on that bandwagon, representatives from Frëshens and International Paper, the company who manufactures the cup, hosted a beantoss game outside Sneakers Cafe through the afternoon. Coupons, T-shirts and free smoothies were awarded. Frëshens representatives also handed out free smoothie samples.

“This all coincides with the repositioning of the brand to attract customers that are really interested in leading active, energetic lifestyles,” said John Stern, the president of Frëshens.

Frëshens officials said the price increase for implementing the new cups will be minimal.

“It might cost a couple cents more per cup,” Redmond said.

“And with the cost of petroleum continuing to rise, it could actually be cheaper soon to use paper instead of styrofoam.” tautedbk@gmail.com

Express yourself.

There are more effective ways of getting your message across. Diamondback Classified Ads reach a wide audience by appearing in both print and online editions. And you can keep your shirt on.

Just 35¢ per word, $3.50 minimum. Plus, if you run your ad four consecutive days, you’ll receive a fifth day FREE! All ads appear in both the print and online versions of The Diamondback – available at 60 distribution points around campus and at diamondbackonline.com.

To place your ad, call 301-314-8000 or come to room 3136 South Campus Dining Hall, Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Or, email advertising@dbk.umd.edu.

SENATE, from Page 1 committee system — an issue brought to the senate’s attention is sent to a committee to be discussed, reviewed and reported back to the senate — having every seat in a committee filled is always the senate’s goal, and having both students and faculty represented is what the senate strives for, said Senate Chair-Elect Elise Miller-Hooks.

“The way this university’s senate is set up is really quite special, because we have students serve as senators and on committees,” MillerHooks said. “We always try to find interested students but it’s been tough to get undergraduates.”

While the chairs of committees must be senators, non-senator students may serve as members on the committees.

Miller-Hooks

said the senate has struggled with recruitment for these non-senator positions in the past.

“Part of the problem is we don’t have a way to get the word out to the right students,” she said. “We go to the senators and have one or two representatives to ask for help [with recruitment] but we don’t have a good way to find that pool of people who might be interested.”

Senate officials said they usually look to senators who have connections to the campus such as leadership organizations like the Student Government Association to get the word out to fellow student leaders.

These students, however, tend to be over-committed and despite applying for the job in the spring, change their minds and back out of the position they applied for come fall semester.

“Once someone bows out of a position, we have to find a replacement,” said Senate Executive Secretary and Director Reka Montfort. “In the past we’ve been somewhat successful, but we did a pretty decent job this year, though it was a bit of a struggle to get to this point.”

Despite their success in filling vacant committee seats, Montfort said the senate did not change its

recruitment strategy from years past.

“There are a lot of longstanding issues that are inherent to student schedules conflicting with meeting times as well as with our ability to get students to engage and commit,” Montfort said. “We are talking about ways to better get the word out other than what we’re currently doing.”

Student leaders, however, say more needs to be done to attract students.

“I had no idea there were all these committees before I became a senator,” said junior American studies and communication major Samantha Liang, who is an Arts and Humanities senator.

Students cite e-mail notifications and informing the student body more clearly about what the senate does as necessities in this venture to attract more students.

“I think that because undergrads are such a huge part of this campus, we need to have them in these committees so they can have a say in what goes on,” Liang said. “A lot of people complain about things on campus, and it’s so easy to do that, but if you really want to see a change, then you have to get out there and participate.” langdbk@gmail.com

4

THE DIAMONDBACK | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2008

Opinion

THE DIAMONDBACK

STEVEN OVERLY

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OPINION EDITOR

Staff Editorial

Guest Column

Living and learning safety L

Instead of manufacturing a sense of closeness between students who would ife for most freshmen on this campus is relatively straightforward: You live with a roommate you probably don’t know, you dodge the watchful eyes of likely develop it on their own, why not concentrate the department’s efforts on your resident assistant, you take your freshman English and CORE classes more important endeavors, such as making sure students feel safe in the dorms where they study, sleep, eat and spend at least the first two years of their colleand you revel in your newfound, parentless freedom as much as possible.

And there’s a good chance you’re part of a living-learning program, such as Hon- giate lives?

Also in Monday’s issue of The Diamondback was a story by Michael Lemaire, ors, College Park Scholars, Gemstone or CIVICUS, all of which cluster residents together in dorms throughout the campus. These groups claim to bring students to- “SGA, RHA plan dormitory walk throughs,” which described how the Student Government Association and Residence Hall Association plan to gether in a quest for friendship, cultural awareness and higher walk through dorms on the campus and hear from students education. about problems often found in their buildings. Similar to the But let’s be real: Without living-learning programs, would students really be incapable of forming their own relationships or Resident Life should focus on Safety Walk held each year around the campus, the walkthroughs would highlight issues students have in the places pursuing academic success? How much hand-holding must the other initiatives, not another where they’re doing all that living and learning that fills ResiDepartment of Resident Life really do to create a rightful place dent Life with pride. for everyone? And how many students are actually interested? living-learning program.

Before the department launches a misguided program that will Derby Cox’s Monday story, “Few residents attend living-learning meeting,” described how Resident Life is developing a program, to be piloted in bring together students who simply don’t seem that interested, it should first focus on Easton Hall, that would encourage “students to connect with one another,” accord- making those same students feel safe. Partnering with the SGA and RHA on those ing to Resident Life Associate Director Amy Martin. The department hopes to walk-throughs would be a good first step, as would be organizing campus-wide fobring 200 to 300 students across the Denton Community together within the next rums inviting students to talk about the areas of the dorms where the light’s always five years for programs that are “small in nature.” “We’re not looking to do large- broken or the window never locks or the door doesn’t close all the way.

Living and learning is all well and good, but safety — especially in light of the scale programs or large-scale lectures,” Martin added. home invasion at Leonardtown last week and the Peeping Tom in Hagerstown Number of students who came to the meeting: about 20.

Hall last year — should always be Resident Life’s first priority.

Number of initiatives Resident Life could be pursuing instead: probably a lot.

Our View

Editorial Cartoon: Shai Goller

A time for SafetyUMD JONATHAN SACHS It has been important for me to read all the feedback about SafetyUMD in The Diamondback. Joel Cohen’s Sept. 17 column, “Leaders: Protect students from crime, not themselves,” raised some interesting questions that I have been responding to in private e-mails since the launch of the SafetyUMD program four short weeks ago. Most of the feedback has been positive, yet the negative seems to be making its way onto the opinion pages of The Diamondback.

Annually, the campus is flooded with promises about improved safety — such as more police or student patrols. We have 99 police officer positions and 80 police auxiliary for the campus and the immediate off-campus area. The city has contracted police officers and Prince George’s County Police, who also provide us with additional protection, and the university offers two types of police escort services, evening Shuttle-UM routes and blue-light phones to help people feel safe.

I went on a ride-along last week with the University Police. It was clear to me that the police do frequent our neighborhoods and are vigilant in investigating suspicious activity, but they need our help.

Policing by itself will not offer instant gratification on this important issue.

SafetyUMD outlines the ways in which we can assist in their JONATHAN efforts.

SACHS It was my goal SGA PRESIDENT to do something different and more proactive with SafetyUMD: to address safety in a way we haven’t done before in our community. Education is the best way to access knowledge about dangerous scenarios and resources available to students. All of us are here to further our own learning, including learning how to adapt to different environments and situations. It is my goal to provide an interactive way to learn about small steps that we can take to make our environment as safe as possible.

SafetyUMD’s comprehensive approach allows us to be more responsible for our safety and security. Improving our community is not simple or easy, but education is a gateway to greater awareness and possible prevention. By better equipping ourselves with the tools needed to make safe decisions on and off the campus, we can make the university safer together.

During the past week, there have been some crime incidents on the campus. Now, more than ever, it is important for us to familiarize ourselves with the resources available to assure that we do not become victims.

I encourage you to take SafetyUMD and add all of the campus resource numbers to your cell phone and carry them with you. Do not hesitate to use these resources any time you feel unsafe. You can get to the link easily on the new and improved website for the Student Government Association, www.sga.umd.edu.

“Policing by itself will not offer instant gratification on this important issue.”

Foreign Affairs: A financial paradigm shift

T

he long-term effect of the financial meltdown on American interests is going to take years, if not a decade, to fully unravel.

One of this country’s longtime strengths in the world economy was not only the depth and sophistication of its financial markets, but the perceived stability and security of the financial system itself.

Now that the image has been cracked (if not shattered) by recent events, it remains to be seen if foreign investors will continue to see America’s financials as an attractive investment.

In the midst of this country’s financial crisis, an equally disturbing but far less impactful social crisis has been taking place in China. Milk manufacturers had been putting the toxic chemical melamine in their products, poisoning tens of thousands of children and killing four. Parents throughout China are furious — both at the manufacturers and at the lax regulation that allowed such an event to take place. It thus far appears to

HUNTER

PAVELA

be one of those rare events in modern China that is forcing the central government to act lest they risk discontent.

American furor over the fraud and negligent business practices that lie at the center of the current economic problem has been no less strident. Part of the gridlock in Washington over the failed $700 billion bill to bail out American banks was in no small part due to angry constituents putting pressure on lawmakers over what is seen as a reward rather than a punishment for dishonest business practices.

What brings these two seemingly unrelated events together is the economic

system in which they took place. The United States and now China both have capitalist economies based on free market principles. In the United States, it’s only been strong crises that have brought on regulation — normally as a sort of ad hoc fix. While it’s not accurate to think of the U.S. economy as a strict free market, it’s clear that American fiscal policy is different from that of Europe or other more socialized economic systems.

The natural question that arises from these events is whether societies (even ones as culturally different as the United States and China) have the sort of goodfaith, societal trust that is required to avoid such crises in relatively unregulated economic markets. In an article in Time, Bill Saporito wonders if we haven’t turned into France, writing “We’re now no different from any of those Western European semi-socialist welfare states that we love to deride.” Writers like Saporito and others are wondering if the United States will move toward states

like France who have highly nationalized financial sectors in order to avoid the corruption that seems to follow from a lack of governmental oversight.

Meanwhile, a growing intellectual movement in China has been criticizing the government for, ironically, not having enough socialization in the economy.

Seeking to return to values of social responsibility, this movement also wants China to avoid the stricter free market thinking that has characterized the United States economic philosophy.

The fundamental questions these crises bring up are ones that the university, and the generation of students now enrolled here, will have to address. Our solution may not be a shift to a more European approach, but at the least it will entail some way of ensuring our trust isn’t violated again.

Hunter Pavela is a senior Chinese and philosophy major. He can be reached at hpavela@umd.edu.

Slots: We may win, but at what cost?

D

id you know the poorer you are, the more likely you are to gamble? This is why the slots referendum we’ll be voting on in November will place 15,000 slot machines in three rural areas and two lowincome minority areas. The poor also gamble differently from the rest of us, at proportionately higher stakes as an illadvised investment, not entertainment.

The reality is that slots are a regressive tax on the poor that bring negative social consequences. They are highly correlated with gambling addiction, crime, domestic violence and child neglect. By taking advantage of low-income people and minorities to reap profits for our state, lawmakers are showing an alarming lack of morality and vision.

A little over a year ago, there was a noose hanging outside the Nyumburu

Cultural Center. Everyone from university officials to student leaders held discussions and rallies about race relations and racism. But the noose represented far more than racism; it represented social oppression of people. Slots are a form of oppression targeted at low-income minorities. How can anyone protest a single noose, yet stay silent or support slots?

We’re so quick to condemn blatant racism, but we’re slower than a snail with arthritis to spot its subtle signs.

Where is the leadership on the campus with this issue? What happened to university President Dan Mote? Where are the College Democrats and College Republicans? How does the Student Government Association not speak up?

Are we all paralyzed simply because the promise of funding for higher education is tied to a measure that chal-

MATT

DERNOGA

lenges our principles?

There’s a fascinating similarity between the slots referendum supporters and the people that slots will be taking money from. Our university, our Board of Regents and many of our elected officials are desperate. They need money very badly. They’re willing to try and acquire it by any means necessary, even if in better circumstances they would prefer to do it differently. Compare that to the people who play slots. Just as desperate.

They’re just hoping to catch a break against a system that seems more stacked against them every hour of every day. So they play our game.

In this game, the odds are impossible to overcome. Our revenue depends on them losing.

So the single mother pops in quarter after quarter and keeps pulling the lever.

The man fighting alcoholism becomes a gambling addict and digs deeper into his meager savings. Children never make it to college to see the higher education benefits their parents paid for. These people may never crawl out of their budget shortfall. It’s OK though — we win. Right?

Matt Dernoga is a junior government and politics major. He can be reached at mdernoga@umd.edu.

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

Jonathan Sachs is the president of the SGA. He can be reached at jjsachs@umd.edu.

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

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

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2008 | THE DIAMONDBACK

5

Best of the week “It’s one thing when you’re walking around at night, but I didn’t expect someone to be pointing a gun at me in my own apartment.”

- Sophomore landscape architecture major Matt Kepler From the Sept. 26 edition of The Diamondback

2008 Election

Energy: Defining this year’s election COLLEGE DEMOCRATS [Editor’s note: This is the first face-off style column in an occasional series aimed at giving the College Democrats and College Republicans a chance to weigh in on issues in this year’s election.]

Energy policy is the defining issue in this election. It drives the economy, as crude oil prices dictate the price of nearly everything else. Energy policy affects foreign policy, with a country’s possession of oil playing a large role in how we deal with it. And it has an effect on the environment, which we are slowly destroying with every drop of gasoline we burn. We are at a crossroads in this country when it comes to energy policy: If we continue down the path we are on, we will see skyrocketing inflation, wars over oil and far fewer polar bears. But if we make a change now, there is a good chance we can right the ship.

Democrats lead the way when it comes to protecting the environment and creating alternative energy solutions. Global warming is a serious issue that requires serious solutions, not empty promises made at election time with no real results. The Republicans have realized that to get to the 270 electoral votes necessary to win the election, they have to follow the Democrats’ leadership on this issue.

But they have no track record of producing results, and we can expect that this issue will slip back as a priority somewhere between Election Day and Inauguration Day if the Republicans win in November.

Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) choice of a running mate belies his campaign rhetoric and shows his true commitment to taking the energy crisis seriously. Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) only recently admitted a human role in global warming. This is not the attitude we need a heartbeat away from the Oval Office if we expect to make any progress toward solving the energy crisis. We need leaders who will address this problem head on, not who bury their heads in the melting snow.

The Republicans’ big new idea is that we need to drill for oil here at home. That is a cigarette addict promising that the next pack he buys will be the last, or a gambling addict slipping off to Atlantic City for one last night of poker. The solution is not more oil. What we need is a plan that weans us off of oil and produces alternative, sustainable and costeffective sources of energy. And a stop-gap measure like this only means more time spent destroying the environment and less time searching for an JOHN alternative.

ALLENBACH R egrettably, COLLEGE DEMOCRATS Sen. Barack PRESIDENT Obama (D-Ill.) has offered tepid support for drilling in the United States for the sake of political expediency. But he has by no means made it the centerpiece of his energy policy. Obama and the Democratic Party have laid out a comprehensive, detailed plan on how he will make the energy crisis a priority. He sets ambitious goals, calling for five million new green jobs, increasing fuel efficiency standards, fully funding alternative energy sources and taxing oil companies who continue to profit as they enable our addiction to foreign oil.

He proposes a project on the scale of the Apollo program to get to the moon — and he didn’t first commit to these ideals when he realized he wanted to win the Iowa caucus.

We don’t need leaders who resort to pithy, poll-tested talking points and solutions that simply prolong the energy problem. We need leaders who are willing to spend the political capital necessary to effect meaningful change. Obama has the plan and the will to end America’s addiction to oil and put us on the path to alternative energy sources.

“We need leaders who will address this problem head on, not who bury their heads in the melting snow.”

John Allenbach is president of the College Democrats. He can be reached at jallenba@umd.edu.

“We love the firefighters. We want to communicate with them. They put the wet stuff on the hot stuff.”

“The last five minutes were just quiet.

That’s when you know you’re doing your job.”

- Senior defensive tackle Jeremy Navarre From the Sept. 29 edition of The Diamondback

- University Police spokesman Paul Dillon From the Sept. 24 edition of The Diamondback

Evolution: A case for religious compromise

A

nyone interested in ruining conversation at the dinner table can always depend on the subject of evolution. Nearly 150 years after the publication of On the Origin of Species, no one seems to be able to keep a clear head when discussing Darwin’s theory. Self-proclaimed religious adherents adopt every absurdity in their attempts to discredit evolution, while those on the other side of the debate beat their heads against the wall in frustration and direct often unjust insults against the Christian establishment.

I will not endeavor here to address specific complaints against the theory of evolution itself. Darwin was careful to attend to the majority of legitimate arguments against his theory in On the Origin of Species and The Descent of Man, and anyone who questions how an eye or a sense of morality could have developed under evolutionary principles may consult these two texts.

I am more disturbed by the nature of the evolution debate, which seems founded on false principles. Apparently, the reigning consensus is that every scientific achievement must be accompanied by an extraordinary inflation of hubris on the part of the scientist. Too often, science is assumed to be opposed to religion, as if the scientist loses the need for spirituality when examining nature’s beautiful and complex phenomena. The truth is that the best scientists never lose their sense of wonder before nature. Religion need not worry that science will usurp its rightful place in the pantheon of human thought.

Questions regarding man’s relationship

SUSAN

HOLCOMB to God, his purpose on earth and the moral tenets he should follow to live the best life, are not problems that physics is ever likely to solve, and science geeks know that as well as anyone.

However, in insulting the humility of the natural scientist, the Christians who protest against evolution also do themselves and their religion injustice. The complaint, of course, is that the theory of evolution does not accord with the Biblical account of the origin of life in Genesis. How insulting that they suppose that the word of God can be so easily interpreted! If one really conceives of God as the infinite and absolute, then no amount of scientific minutiae detailing the origin of man should be able to threaten His power. If science conflicts with our interpretation of the Bible, we should have the humility to question our own interpretation.

Too often, when examining the Bible, we expect to extract easily understood stories with a clear moral significance, which can be accompanied by a cheerful illustration in next week’s session of Sunday school. We focus too much on the stories’ historical significance and completely miss their philosophical value.

In Fear and Trembling, Søren Kierkegaard begins his spiritual inquiry by presenting several re-imagin-

ings of the famous story of Abraham and Isaac. He gives four different interpretations by filling in the historical details not included in the Biblical account, and in doing so, he highlights the story’s philosophical importance. He treats Abraham and Isaac as human beings rather than worn-out symbols of faithful obedience. He asserts that the point of the story is not, as so many have assumed, to show us that we should follow God’s commands.

Instead, we should “either forget all about Abraham or learn how to be horrified at the monstrous paradox which is the significance of his life.” Ultimately, the story reveals the paradoxical nature of faith, and it is this philosophic discovery — and not any cheap moral summary — that the religious thinker should take away from his or her reading.

Similarly, we sell the creation story in Genesis short if we expect to use it as a means of calculating the precise number of years that the earth and mankind have existed. The creation story should teach us far more than what the scientific origin of species is.

If the Bible is so dear to them, the opponents of evolution should learn to respect it and to understand that it is a vastly complicated work with a wealth of philosophical importance beneath its surface. They should concern themselves with the higher problems of theology and leave the work of calculation to the scientists.

Susan Holcomb is a physics major. She can be reached at holcombdbk@gmail.com.

at issue How has your sense of security changed since the Leonardtown home invasion?

Matt Devlin Sophomore Economics

Janae Harrison Sophomore Letters and sciences

“ “ “ “ “ “ I feel fine.

I’m still breathing, aren’t I?”

I honestly don’t know what they could do to step up security in the dorms.”

Since the incident, there are so many more police that I’m more scared to smoke outside or drink outside.”

Matt Karlin Sophomore Letters and sciences

Raquel Sosnowski Junior Environmental science and policy

I mean, these things just happen.

There’s plenty of crimes in D.C.”

It really hasn’t because I haven’t heard about it.”

It really hasn’t changed all that much because Leonardtown is on the opposite side of campus.”

Chris Auzmendi Sophomore Finance

Mary Bolgiano Freshman History

Advice

Vegging out

Q:

This is my first year at the university, and I’m a vegetarian on the meal plan. It seems so unfair that there are hardly any vegetarian options, and I can already see myself putting on weight.

How can I avoid gaining the freshman 15 while on the meal plan?

I’ve been a vegetarian since I was about 8 years old, and the bottom line is, you have to sacrifice for your choice, and that’s it. During my first semester on the meal plan, I ate the same thing every day — literally.

You’re not entitled to any extra assistance based on your high moral stances, and I promise you, it will get monotonous. While you’ll sleep better at night knowing the cows and chickens that have already been killed (and will probably get thrown in the trash at the end of the day anyway) at least won’t have been killed for you, you won’t be able to indulge in most of the

A:

ESTI

FRISCHLING options at either The Diner or the South Campus Dining Hall. But the good news is, the vegetarian options don’t have to be fattening.

First of all, little things like dipping carrot sticks in bleu cheese dressing as opposed to dipping your cheese fries in bleu cheese can make a significant difference in your daily caloric intake.

Try and leave yourself more time to eat so you can wait in the Salad Sensations or Sprouts line, instead of getting fries.

Whole-wheat wraps and salads are obviously good options, but when that gets boring, you have to get creative.

One of my favorite tricks is stealing the patty from the veggie burgers and constructing my own sandwich or salad instead of eating it with the white bun.

Being a vegetarian is the only high-

moral road I take, though, so I usually nonchalantly drop the empty bun on the floor to avoid paying for it.

I also think eliminating Late Night is a smart choice, as the options available are obviously catered to insomniac stoners with the munchies.

And, speaking of late-night activities, your drinking habits are as important as, if not more important than, your eating habits. If you find yourself starting to bulk up, it’s time to man up. Lounging around the keg at a party, sipping beer all night, is one way to meet guys ... and then have them stop texting you a few weeks later on account of the beer baby you’ve started to gestate.

Might I also suggest taking the stairs? With no air conditioning in most North Campus dorms, you should be back to your normal size soon.

Esti Frischling is a sophomore studio art major, so she literally has nothing better to do than answer your questions. She can be reached at estidbk@gmail.com.

2008 Election

Energy: Asserting America’s future COLLEGE REPUBLICANS [Editor’s note: This is the first face-off style column in an occasional series aimed at giving the College Democrats and College Republicans a chance to weigh in on issues in this year’s election.]

Rapidly increasing energy costs are undoubtedly among the most important issues to the American people as this year’s presidential election approaches. The recent financial crisis and the ensuing mortgage crisis make Americans even more desperate for immediate relief from the high cost of gas. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is extremely receptive of the financial burden soaring gas prices impose on American families, and this seasoned veteran also understands the importance of eliminating the United States’ dependence on foreign oil.

McCain has stated that the energy challenge “concerns America’s most fundamental interests and, above all, the safety of our citizens from the violence of the world.” Leaders such as Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, who acquire immeasurable wealth because of America’s dependence on their oil, often manipulate oil prices, to the detriment of the American people. The main goal of McCain’s energy policy is ending the United States’ vulnerability to the malicious decisions of foreign leaders while also relieving prices at the pump.

If elected, McCain will achieve oil independence and greatly reduce our trade deficit before 2025 by removing the legal restriction on offshore drilling. This plan has multiple benefits because it creates an enormous domestic source of oil for the United States, thus dramatically increasing supply, which would substantially lower prices for consumers. Moreover, McCain supports nuclear energy more than Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and favors the construction of new nuclear power plants, which are not only environmentally sound but will further decrease our reliance on foreign oil.

Additionally, building new nuclear plants will ensure that the United States maintains its civilian nuclear technological advantage over other sophisticated countries such as Japan, France and Germany, which also use nuclear power. McCain’s energy plan also calls for research into affordable, green-energy technologies; however, unlike Obama and the left, he favors phasing in these technologies over time. To encourage cleaner energy in the car industry, McCain has proposed a positive incentive in the form of a $5,000 tax credit for anyone who buys a zerocarbon-emission car.

McCain’s plan not only includes cleaner energy but also paints a clear path to finally ending America’s dependence on foreign oil. He recognizes that the only way to guarantee affordable energy is by expanding off-shore drilling within the United States. This is an aspect of McCain’s plan that Obama fervently opposed but now belatedly claims to support (since August).

Clearly, the energy crisis needs to be addressed immediately. Unless the bold, effective solutions proposed

by McCain and the Republicans are rapidly implemented, the United States will be virtually held hostage by oil-rich dictators, and soaring gasoline prices will devastate our economy, our small businesses and the financial security of American families.

We as Americans have the ability to solve the energy crisis and secure our nation’s future, if we unite in support of effective long-term solutions. As Abraham Lincoln said so truly, if Americans are determined to persevere, we will outlast any crisis and emerge even stronger, for “if [destruction] ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”

Christopher Banerjee, Leigh Ryan and Nicholas Cravotta are the president, vice president and secretary of the College Republicans, respectively. They can be reached at chrispat@umd.edu.

6

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2008 | THE DIAMONDBACK

7

Features HOROSCOPESTELLA WILDER

CROSSWORD 21 Misses a syllable 22 Camel kin 23 Oats stalk 24 Mover’s challenge 25 Fix up an old house 29 Nepal neighbor

© 2008 UNITED FEATURES SYNDICATE

Previous Day’s Puzzle Solved:

TODAY’S CROSSWORD SPONSORED BY:

A C E D

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Y E OW K E ER DS

E Y R E

E E K S

PROFESSOR GORILLA

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Also born on this date are: Jenna Elfman, actress; Marilyn McCoo, singer; Fran Drescher, actress; Angie Dickinson, actress; Deborah Kerr, actress; Johnny Mathis, singer; Truman Capote, author; Buddy Rich, drummer.

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orn today, you are one of those capable and quiet individuals who goes about his or her business in a manner that attracts little attention, but that is guaranteed to get results each and every time. You are confident and efficient in all you do, and you address others in such a manner that you inspire confidence and efficiency in them. You work well on your own, but you are particularly good at harnessing the talents of others and focusing them on a large and complex task. In this way, you are able to find great success when others might come up short.

You know your character and your body well, and you take good care of yourself physically, emotionally and mentally. You are never wanting for stimulus of any kind, for you have a vivid imagination and you can create for yourself one important project after another.

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52 Fire residue 54 — law, in physics 55 Cuba, to Castro 59 Lemon cooler 60 Brown of renown 61 Grads-to-be

46 Doze 47 Fold-up mattresses 48 Doggerel 49 Organic compounds 50 Crouch 51 Like a good sentry

30 Halftime marchers 32 Fragrant fir 33 Overly fond 34 Slip-up 35 Derek and The Dominos tune 36 Nursery buy 42 Indicate

ACROSS 44 Some whiskey 1 Campaign 45 C’— la vie! highlight 46 Bad-mouth 7 Ballpark figure 47 Sheep pen 10 Stuffs to 48 Hearth goddess bursting 51 Aleta’s son 14 Famed sci-fi 52 Mystiques writer 53 Insect guru 15 “Mona Lisa” 56 Castle, in chess singer 57 Wield an axe 16 BTU part 58 Schools of fish 17 Well-protected 62 Gin-fizz flavor 18 Mex. matron 63 Half a couple 19 1492 caravel 64 Bank, often 20 Luxury trans65 Cable channel port (2 wds.)

66 Sault — Marie 23 Wild time 67 Judge 26 London lav 27 Very reluctant DOWN 28 Evened the 1 German article score 2 Vane dir.

29 Friendly advice 3 Pen brand 30 Happy hour site 4 Entertained 31 Super Bowl roar 5 Rich cake 32 Offer 6 Hardly — 33 Medieval 7 Remove maidens the cork 37 Wheel buy 8 Traveler — Polo (2 wds.)

9 Nile god 38 Lincoln nick10 Minor partners name 11 Inner self 39 Stop — — dime 12 North Dakota 40 “Norma —” city 41 Is unsteady 13 Hidden supply 43 NFL scores

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.

varying intensity. All can be solved.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — You may find yourself risking a valuable friendship merely to score points that are, in the long run, less important than expected. Be careful.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — A little sentimentality goes a long way — but be sure to look at a pivotal relationship from a down-to-earth perspective.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — A meeting of the minds can provide you with more than expected — and the gains you enjoy will be more than merely financial.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) — Danger may arise as a result of your own insistence that others do things your way. Some may be neither willing nor prepared.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) — Fulfillment is likely to come to you in an unusual form — thanks to someone who has been looking out for you in recent days or weeks.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — You may require more in the way of excitement and challenge than usual — and you may have it if you will only wait a little while.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — It’s a good day to look ahead and plan for financial instability that may be just around the corner.

Prepare, and you needn’t lose it all.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) — See if a little closer focus doesn’t enable you to achieve more. You can find yourself in a new realm before the day is out.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — Someone you’ve always wanted to meet may actually be seeking you out — literally or figuratively. Try to be in the right place right now.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — The pace is likely to pick up quite dramatically, requiring of you a great deal more attention than you’ve been giving in the recent past.

Copyright 2008, United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

TODAY’S HOROSCOPE SPONSORED BY:

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Applications will be available in our office beginning September 25, 2008. They are also available via our website: www.studentorg.umd.edu/legalaid/.

We will begin accepting applications on October 6.

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8

THE DIAMONDBACK | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2008

Diversions

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE:

Tom Morello, also known as The Nightwatchman.

Tom Morello always has something to say come election time, and this year is no different. His sophomore effort as The Nightwatchman, The Fabled City, channels Bruce Springsteen more than his former band, Rage Against The Machine. For our review, just click the Diversions link at:

WWW.DIAMONDBACKONLINE.COM

arts. music. living. movies. weekend. hot and cold most definitely hot: OKKERVIL RIVER “LOST COASTLINES” Call it earnest indie-folk if you want, we’ll just call it damn good. Okkervil River’s “Lost Coastlines” starts with a subtly plucked banjo and Will Sheff’s softly sung vocals before the bass kicks in (along with some horns, eventually), giving the song a Spoon-like feel. It’s a fine introduction to the Austinbased band, which just released The Stand Ins on Sept. 9.

most definitely cold: BRITNEY SPEARS “WOMANIZER” The bitch is back. Cue electronics, thumping bass and talk-sung vocals, and you’ve got Britney Spears’ second comeback single in as many years. This time she’s not looking for someone to “Gimme More;” instead, the subject is “a womanizer, baby,” which is repeated over and over (at times with a robotic voice as backing) in case you forget the point of the song.

Spears sings, “You say I’m crazy/ I got your crazy/ You’re nothing but a womanizer.” OK?

VAMPIRE WEEKEND “OTTOMAN” Vampire Weekend + Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh + Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist = a slight mess. Yes, it’s cool Mothersbaugh produced it, but it sounds like every other Vampire Weekend song (complete with Ezra Koenig reusing the “Feels so unnatural/ Peter Gabriel too” line from “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”). Maybe it’s a joke, maybe it’s not, but the song’s staccato guitars and a string section are all too familiar, making “Ottoman” actually a perfect fit for Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. (Can we start calling it Juno: Part Deux yet?)

REVIEW | T.I.

T.I. against the world T.I. follows T.I. vs. T.I.P. and house arrest with what may be his best album

BY ALEX RUSH Staff writer

Although T.I. reps Atlanta to the fullest, the way his current trials and tribulations have affected his latest album, Paper Trail, is similar to that of a West Coast legend.

When Tupac Shakur released Me Against the World, one of his most lauded albums, he was facing some dire circumstances: In 1995, the late, great emcee was in prison for a sexual assault conviction and had just recovered from multiple gun shot wounds after being ambushed at a recording studio.

But despite, or perhaps because of, those struggles, Shakur delivered classic material.

Like Shakur, T.I. is also facing legal issues. He recently pleaded guilty to gun possession and was sentenced to a year in jail, which he will serve after completing 1,000 hours of community service. And also like Shakur, his drama with the law inspired him to record his best album to date.

T.I. recorded Paper Trail, his sixth record, under house arrest. He clearly had plenty of time to reflect on his life and his innermost thoughts, because the album is deeply personal. The album owes its title to the fact that T.I. wrote down his lyrics, which he has not done since his 2001 debut. Unlike his previous release, T.I. vs. T.I.P., the rapper does not create caricatures of himself and duel with his split persona. Instead, T.I. bares his soul. Paper Trail shows the true Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. T.I.’s advanced, rhythmic lyrics and husky voice are a tour de force over mostly minimalist and drum-dominated beats. Although the smash single is the catchy, sing-songy “Whatever You Like,” the rest of the album isn’t simple, crossover pop rap.

Confrontational tracks such as “Ready for Whatever” provide insight into T.I. the man. He raps to justify his case: “If your life was in jeopardy, everyday is you telling me/ You wouldn’t need weaponry, just because of your felonies.” T.I. discusses the paranoia and depression he felt after his close friend was shot dead, as well as his frustration with street violence. However, he admits buying unregistered machine guns was a

ALBUM: Paper Trail VERDICT:

REVIEW | BEN FOLDS

Ben Folds’ piano-laden pop rock shines through on his latest, Way to Normal.

COURTESY OF WOLFTRAP.ORG

Far from Normal Ben Folds’ latest studio set should translate nicely live

BY TRIPP LAINO Staff writer

Ben Folds is a musician built for the live setting, despite his unorthodox choice of instrument: piano.

Regardless of the quality of his albums (which have always been good) or the piano’s traditional classical use, Folds has always been a musician who excels in the live setting, elevating the already-superb tracks laid down in studio to a higher level.

It’s nice to see how Way to Normal, his third solo album, seems to follow this pattern for Folds. The album feels like a blueprint for what he intends to do with the tracks once he’s able to transport them to the live setting. While it’s next to impossible to duplicate the energy and feeling of a live show in the studio, Folds does his best job to replicate the experience.

“Dr. Yang” has a bouncy, aggressive rhythm, which is driven by a heavy drumbeat and Folds slamming the keys, but the song transitions into more intricate ivory work as the track progresses.

Though the track is a scant 2 minutes and 30 seconds, its length helps keep the tempo high.

It’s easy to picture Folds playing the song in front of a rabid audience — bopping in his two-point boxer’s stance as he slams his hands on the piano and races to match his vocals to the breakneck tempo. “Dr. Yang” should be a crowd-pleaser, bringing people to their feet and keeping them there.

A major part of Folds’ charm has always been his ability to take himself lightly, especially on songs with an autobiographical tilt. He’s been poking fun at himself for a long time, with Ben Folds Five songs such as “Army” and “Best Imitation of Myself” showcasing his ability for lighthearted jabs.

He continues this tradition with “Hiroshima (B B B Benny Hit His Head),” a song about how he walked straight off the end of the stage at a show in Japan, incurring a concussion in the aftermath. It describes what happened in a straightforward manner, “I waved down low to the crowd/ As I busted ass on

ALBUM: Way to Normal | VERDICT:

the front of the stage.”

The song doesn’t only highlight the ordeal in a silly way, but also employs live ambiance to add another dimension to the track. Furthering the album’s stance as better heard live, a pre-recorded crowd chimes in on the “Oh-Oh” portion of the chorus — making it an instant addition to the live show.

Folds loosens things up in other ways on Way to Normal, not only by highlighting embarrassing episodes in his life, but also with off-the-wall looks at life and relationships.

“Bitch Went Nuts” has a spoken word intro detailing how men and women look at relationships differently. It says while women can offer up many different reasons for a relationship ending, men always say, simply, “The bitch went nuts.” The song’s offbeat lyrics are endlessly catchy, and the accompanying beat is sure to get toes tapping.

It’s not all fun and games for Folds, however. For those in search of the next “Brick” (a fan favorite from Ben Folds Five’s Whatever and Ever Amen), in terms of tone and mood, the best fit is probably the melancholy “Cologne.”

The percussion is muted, allowing the song to focus almost exclusively on Folds’ vocal and soft piano work as he laments the loss of a woman. It’s a little scattered lyrically, jumping from the lonely walk back to his hotel room after the woman has left on a train to the story of the scorned astronaut who drove cross -country in diapers in a revenge attempt.

Still, even with this odd choice, it’s an emotional song, conjuring up the feelings of a bad breakup in anyone who has shared that experience. It’s not the emotional wallop of a song like “Brick,” but it will suffice.

Way to Normal hits a lot more than it misses. Folds manages to lay down lots of punchy, upbeat tracks, sure to please fans both on the album and in concert.

It’s not a knockout, but it’s definitely a win by decision. tripp.laino@yahoo.com

out contemporaries, which he sums up succinctly: “Go see Weezy for the wordplay/ Jeezy for the bird-play/ Kanyeezy for diversity/ And me for controversy.” T.I. knows all eyes are on him. Luckily, he doesn’t buck under pressure.

On “I’m Illy,” T.I. declares, “I’m the hottest n---- rapping since Shakur.” Although he clearly isn’t taking into account some of his veteran peers (Jay-Z and Nas, of course), T.I. can overcome adversity through music as well as Makaveli.

poor decision by spitting, “I’m wrong and I know it, my excuse is unimportant/ I’m just trying to let you know I didn’t think I had a choice.”

Perhaps this mature outlook, which rarely glorifies his badass exploits on Paper Trail, is due to his community service. He fulfilled most of his hours by speaking to youth at schools around the country about how to steer clear of trouble and remain positive. MTV even filmed some of it and is thinking of turning it into a reality show.

T.I. continues his socially conscious message on “Live Your Life,” which includes that bizarre sample from the infamous “Numa Numa” dance video on YouTube. Although Diversions dissed the track two weeks ago, the Just Blaze-produced beat may grow on listeners. Plus, T.I. drops knowledge such as “your values is in disarray, prioritizing horribly/ unhappy with your riches because you’re piss poor morally/ Ignoring all advice and all forewarning.” Listeners should be impressed with T.I. for turning such a goofy instrumental into a wise track.

But don’t think the role model music makes T.I. soft.

T.I. may have a frail frame, but he’s a beast on the beats and still proclaims he’s King of the South. T.I. can expand on one type of rhyme for a whole verse and include plenty of punch lines, metaphors and meaningful contexts along the way.

“Swagger Like Us” is an infectious track featuring superstars Jay-Z, Kanye West and Lil Wayne rocking over an M.I.A. “Paper Planes” sample. But T.I. makes it clear this is his track — holding his own among his stand-

arush@umd.edu

2009–2010 Applications available on-line at

www.resnet.umd.edu/raposition The Department of Resident Life is now accepting applications for Resident Assistants for the 2009-2010 academic year. If you’re interested in becoming a part of the Resident Life team, join us at one of the information sessions listed.

Wednesday, October 1

Tuesday, October 7

Monday, October 13

4:00–5:00pm Eppley Recreation Center, Multipurpose Room

6:00–7:00pm Glenn L Martin Hall, Room 1108

Thursday, October 2

Wednesday, October 8

2:00–3:00pm Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building, Room 2118

7:00–8:00pm Stamp Student Union, Benjamin Banneker Room A

6:00–7:00pm Annapolis Hall, Multipurpose Room

Biology-Psychology Building, Room 0283

Monday, October 6

Thursday, October 9

Wednesday, October 15

12:00-1:00pm & 2:00 – 3:00pm South Campus Commons #1, Seminar Room

12:00–1:00pm Stamp Student Union, Thurgood Marshall Room

5:00–6:00pm Leonardtown Community Center

Tuesday, October 14

For any questions or concerns related to the RA selection process, please contact the Department of Resident Life’s Office of Human Resources at drlhr@umd.edu or (301) 314-5111.

You must attend an Information Session as part of the RA application process. Resident Life staff will be available to answer your questions. *Candidates must submit an application online, attend an Information Session and sign up for a group process and individual interview before 4:00pm on Friday, October 17, 2008.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Applications must be submitted and interviews scheduled by 4pm on October 17, 2008

WIN

AN XBOX 360 OR PS3

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4. The best comment will win a FREE copy of EA Sports’ “NCAA FOOTBALL 09” (based on availability either XBOX 360 or PS3 version).

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THE DIAMONDBACK

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2008 | SPORTS | THE DIAMONDBACK

9

Rowe, O’Donnell both have increased production HOCKEY, from Page 10 or position changes are really just taking a look at different shapes and different spaces that become available,” Meharg said. “Both [Rowe and O’Donnell] have handled it really, really well. They’re the type of positions where you don’t have a lot of time to think, which is very much of an asset for their game and the team.”

Meharg said formations often must be adjusted to exploit the strengths of each player. A shift in position doesn’t force a player to change their game — instead, it is more often an opportunity to put players, and the team, in a position to succeed.

By pinching her two top players closer to the middle of the field, Meharg has constructed a strong core from which the Terps have controlled possession and built their counter attack. “[Rowe] has been tremendous in transferring the play [up the field],” Meharg said. “I think [O’Donnell] from 30 to 40 yards out is more dangerous than she is from 16 to 20.”

O’Donnell has thrived in her new role as defensive pest and fast-break facilitator.

In the Sept. 14 win over Northwestern, O’Donnell snapped up a pass at the 25yard line and darted toward the goal. She snuck between two defenders and drew the

goalie out of the net before flicking a pass to forward Mary Reilly for an easy goal.

It was her sixth assist of the game.

“I don’t ever think about, ‘Oh, I have to go out and score for us to do well,’” O’Donnell said. “I want to be doing something out there to help us win.”

The same can be said for Rowe, who has responded to the move by leading the team in goals with 13. Her imposing size and powerful shot have made her a threat inside the scoring circle and a force on penalty corners.

But even though things are working out now, Meharg made it clear that the formation situation is subject to change. The bottom line is that the team will put players wherever they are needed on the field.

“So far, it’s worked out very positively,” Meharg said.

“Now, on the flipside, it’s very easy to move [O’Donnell] up in the system and [Rowe] back, which we’ve done at times. It has a lot of flexibility to it.

“It’s all how you look at it,” Meharg added. “I don’t look at it as we’ll switch if we’re struggling in a certain area, I look at it as we’ll switch so we can get a goal. ... It’s more the nature of the way the game is going and what we need at that time.” mkatzdbk@gmail.com

Running back Da’Rel Scott, cornerback Cameron Chism and fullback Haroon Brown (right to left) celebrate Saturday. ADAM FRIED/THE DIAMONDBACK

Terps confident teams are taking note after victory CLEMSON, from Page 10 November 2006.

“Everyone said Clemson was gonna win the ACC this year, and we just beat them,” defensive tackle Dean Muhtadi said. “I think everyone will start realizing what we’re capable of.”

During a teleconference Sunday, Friedgen was asked if

the Terps are capable of emerging as the team to beat in the ACC this season. Friedgen deflected the question, saying his team still has a long way to go. He then listed several of the teams he believes to be among the league’s elite before adding “anybody can win on a given night.”

But after the Terps showed their resiliency Saturday in

recovering from a rough start to rally past Clemson, it’s hard not to wonder what the Terps can do.

The Terp defense adjusted and held one of the conference’s most explosive offenses scoreless in the second half. Even with a poor offensive performance, the Terps still put up 20 points in a hostile environment.

For now, Friedgen will be content to be 1-0 in conference play.

It’s as good a start as he could ask for.

“It’ll feel real good if I get eight [conference wins], and then hopefully nine,” Friedgen said. “But you can’t have eight until you’ve got one, and we’ve got one right now.” edetweilerdbk@gmail.com

Terps trying to turn loss into a learning experience REBOUND, from Page 10 “We’re gonna make the learning from this game to be very positive,” Cirovski said.

“There were a lot of positives in that game. Sometimes, all that is lost when you just see the result. I think the players have embraced all the challenges and we’re gonna grow from it.”

Binghamton (5-1-3) has an experienced roster with eight seniors and earned three votes in last week’s

NSCAA/adidas coaches’ poll.

“I think they’re a dangerous team,” Cirovski said.

“They’re a team that has a very experienced squad, had a very good season last year and is having a very good season this year. It will be a good test for us.”

Other than defender Michael Marchiano, who is injured after making his season debut last week against American, the Terps have no major injuries.

Freshman midfielder

Kaoru Forbess, a highly touted recruit from Garland, Texas, made his first career appearance against Wake Forest Friday after a back injury held him out all season.

“He’s a really skillful player. I know we need to slowly get him into the mix,” Cirovski said. “His lungs were hurting after the [Wake Forest] game. It was a good introduction for him, and I think he’s just going to get better and make us better.”

For now, the Terps say it’s time to leave the Wake Forest game behind and continue to improve into October and beyond.

“They’re the best in the country, so we can’t forget about that,” Yates said. “We obviously had a lapse in the second half, but we know we can play with them. In these next games coming up we really want to put on display what we can do.” akrautdbk@gmail.com

Graham Zusi and the Terps are looking to gather themselves after a loss to Wake Forest on Friday. ADAM FRIED/THE DIAMONDBACK

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10

THE DIAMONDBACK | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2008

Sports

Associated Press NCAA Football Top 10 School 1. Oklahoma 2. Alabama 3. LSU 4. Missouri 5. Texas

Record

Prev.

(4-0) (5-0) (4-0) (4-0) (4-0)

2 8 5 6 7

School

Record

6. Penn State 7. Texas Tech 8. Brigham Young 9. USC 10. South Florida

(5-0) (4-0) (4-0) (2-1) (5-0)

Prev.

12 10 11 1 13

Men’s soccer starting anew after Wake loss

BY AARON KRAUT Senior staff writer

Tonight’s game against Binghamton isn’t the actual halfway point of the Terrapin men’s soccer team’s schedule, but it does represent a change in team’s mindset for the rest of the regular season.

All of the attention surrounding the No. 2 Terps’ 42 loss against No. 1 Wake Forest on Friday has faded, and the team is ready to concentrate on the lessons learned from a second half in which it gave up two goals and was shut down offensively.

“I guess you could say that was basically the culmination of our first half of the season,” midfielder Drew Yates said. “It definitely gives us more motivation for the rest of the year. Obvi-

Terps vs. Binghamton Where: Ludwig Field When: Tonight, 7:30 p.m.

Radio: WMUCsports.com ously, [today’s] game is next in line, but Wake challenged us to get better, and next time we meet them, we want to give them a better game.”

The team was in good spirits following yesterday’s practice, and coach Sasho Cirovski said the Terps (6-20) should have no trouble refocusing after their biggest game of the year.

Please See REBOUND, Page 9

The Terp defense came out of the gate sloppy Saturday, but in the second half, they shut down Clemson’s vaunted ground game. ADAM FRIED/THE DIAMONDBACK

Ugly win gives Terps big hopes Terps are right in ACC title hunt with first 1-0 start in 4 years

Senior back Susie Rowe has increased her offensive output this season because of the Terps’ new formation. ALLISON AKERS/THE DIAMONDBACK

BY ERIC DETWEILER

Formation changes pay dividends in midfield 2008

CLEMSON, S.C. — After watching his team score 14 points in the second half to complete a comeback win at then-No. 20 Clemson on Saturday, Terrapin football coach Ralph Friedgen didn’t sugarcoat his team’s performance.

Friedgen acknowledged his offense wasn’t at its best against the preseason ACC favorite.

The eighth-year coach didn’t make any excuses for a defense that allowed 195 yards rushing in the first half.

His best explanation for the improbable win was his team’s heart and making fewer second-half mistakes.

But that was certainly good enough for him.

Although it wasn’t pretty, the Terps (4-1) improved to 10 in ACC play for the first time in four seasons. By dropping the Tigers (3-2, 1-1 ACC) in Death Valley, the Terps showed they have to be con-

BY MICHAEL KATZ Staff writer

Missy Meharg didn’t seem to get the memo: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

The Terrapin field hockey coach decided she could get more out of two of her most productive players, repositioning senior Susie Rowe and sophomore Katie O’Donnell, both of whom are coming off All-American seasons.

Rowe has traditionally anchored the back line for the Terps. She was second on the team in goals a year ago, and this season, she has been bumped up and asked to take an even more

FIELD HOCKEY

aggressive role in the offense.

O’Donnell burst onto the scene last season and led the team in goals and assists as an active forward. This season, she has started games at midfield to best use her defensive intuition and ball skills.

Both have rapidly adjusted to their new roles and the No. 3 Terps (9-1, 2-0 ACC) haven’t missed a beat.

“Many times, formation

Please See HOCKEY, Page 9

2008 FOOTBALL

Senior staff writer

Running back Da’Rel Scott and the Terps silenced critics with a shocking win in Clemson on Saturday. ADAM FRIED/THE DIAMONDBACK

sidered a factor in a conference lacking a dominant team.

“We found a way to win on the road against a good football team,” Friedgen said.

“That’s got to be huge for your season.”

It was a big step for the program, especially given its recent history in ACC openers.

Friedgen improved to 3-5 in games in conference openers.

Since beating Duke 55-21 to kickoff their 2004 conference slate, a 1-0 ACC start had

eluded the Terps.

In 2005, they blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in a home loss against Clemson. The next year, the team couldn’t hold a 9-point fourth-quarter advantage at Georgia Tech. Last season, Wake Forest rallied from a 21-point second-half deficit to beat the Terps in overtime.

This season, it was the Terps who pulled it together late to gain some early-season confidence, leaving the Tigers and 81,500 fans at Clemson Memorial Stadium in shock.

“It’s real big, especially in this atmosphere,” said running back Da’Rel Scott, whose 1yard touchdown run with 10:25 left won it for the Terps.

“Being in Death Valley and getting our first ACC win just gives us a lot of momentum for the rest of the ACC games.”

The Terps have now won three straight games, including a pair against ranked opponents, since falling at Middle Tennesee on Sept. 6. In the Associated Press poll released Sunday, they were the last team left out of the country’s Top 25.

With a road win Saturday against a 1-3 Virginia team, the Terps could find themselves ranked for the first time since

Please See CLEMSON, Page 9

LIVE FROM TERRAPINTRAIL.COM Behind the Numbers: Terps vs. Clemson Reporter Jeff Newman analyzes how the Terrapin football team managed to win the field position battle in Saturday’s win at Clemson despite being outgained by nearly 80 yards on offense

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Punter Travis Baltz had one of his best games as a Terp on Saturday at Clemson. The sophomore landed three of seven punts inside the Clemson 20-yard line. ADAM FRIED/THE DIAMONDBACK

o, how does a team get outgained 372 to 295 total yards and still win? Forcing three turnovers and committing none certainly helps. A 76-yard run by Darrius Heyward-Bey on a reverse to set up the Terps’ first touchdown also helped. But in tight games like Saturday’s, every little thing can have a profound impact on the final outcome.

Against the Tigers, Terp punter Travis Baltz averaged a net of 39.4 yards per punt and dropped three of seven boots inside Clemson’s 20-yard line. On the other side, Tigers punter Jimmy Maners averaged a net of only 30.6 on five punts, dropping one inside the Terps’ 20 and one for a touchback.

That’s nearly one additional first down the Terps added onto each Clemson drive, which can take its toll over the course of a long, physical game. Field position was a critical element to last week’s win over Eastern Michigan, and Saturday was no different — the Terps’ average starting field position for the game was the Clemson 35; the Tigers began on average on the Terps’ 24-yard line.

The importance of special teams play peaked in the fourth quarter, though. After the Terp offense failed to convert on third and 10, Baltz, who was named co-ACC special teams player of the week, recorded his lone touchback of the game when he booted a 42-yard punt into Clemson’s end zone. The Terps’ defense stuffed Clemson at the 20, and Maners responded with a poor 35-yard punt that was returned 10 yards by Danny Oquendo to the Clemson 45.

Given another chance inside Clemson territory, the Terps and Oquendo (who had three catches for 43 yards on the drive) cashed in for the go-ahead touchdown and the game’s final score. In a game as close as this one was, it’s often the small, ignored aspects that make the difference. The Terps were able to overcome an explosive Tigers offense by being opportunistic on defense and forcing turnovers. But they needed Baltz to win the field position game and get them over the hump.

— Originally published on TerrapinTrail.com. jnewmandbk@gmail.com