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ISSUE NO.
Plan it for the planet
7, OUR 108th
YEAR
Columbus daze
Monday, October 9, 2017
STAFF EDITORIAL: U’s updated climate action plan is good, but it doesn’t go far enough to combat global warming, Opinion, p. 4
Terps drop to Ohio State, 62-14, as QB injured, Sports, p. 12
campus “I really believe this is the most important day in the history of this university.” – GOV. LARRY HOGAN
clarks give univ its biggest gift ever Building mogul’s foundation pledges $219.5M donation
Sum will support scholarships, profs, campus building
The University of Maryland will receive almost $220 million, the largest donation in its history, from the A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation. The donation of $219,486,000 will create and fund a variety of need-based scholarships, graduate fellowships, faculty positions, programs and infrastructure for this university and its engineering school, which bears Clark’s name. It was announced at a ceremony Wednesday that included Gov. Larry Hogan, Maryland House of Delegates Speaker Michael Busch and University System of Maryland Chancellor Robert Caret. The gift will be paid out over the next decade, said Courtney Clark Pastrick, board chair of the Clark Foundation and A. James Clark’s daughter. About half of it will go toward need-based scholarships, doubling this university’s financial aid support, she said. “My dad was extremely committed to creating affordability and access to an education at his favorite school,” she said. The previous record, a $31 million contribution from Oculus VR founder Brendan Iribe in 2014, mainly went toward the construction of the new Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Innovation, which is slated to open for occupancy in January 2019. Hogan dubbed it “the most important day in the history of this university.”
“He’s told me this story himself: There were times when he couldn’t afford the bus fare, and he had to hitchhike to come here — he was a commuter student,” Loh said. “What made his education possible was a scholarship. He has said repeatedly, ‘I have never forgotten that.’” The highlight of the contribution is the campuswide scholarship program, said Darryll Pines, the engineering school dean. “In this gift there is a huge opportunity to potentially double the needbased scholarships for students who have need and therefore allow more students to reduce their burden and go to school and get an education across the entire university,” he said. “So that makes me the most proud.” Pines said the donation will help the college continue to participate in influential research such as the Solar Decathlon competition, where students design and build a sustainable solar-powered home. The gift also sets aside construction funds for improvements to engineering facilities and labs, alongside a new “innovation hub” building to grow engineering research into companies. “[Clark] wants to have another facility where bright, talented students and their faculty mentors and other people get together and put their ideas to work,” Loh said. “It’s for a whole bunch of innovation like cybersecurity, like neuroscience, like robotics, drones, which is of course the technologies and industries of the future.” The record gift also endows a pilot
by
Christine Condon @CChristine19 Senior staff writer
STATE, USM AND UNIVERSITY LEADERS unfurl a massive banner revealing the A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation’s $219,486,000 donation, the largest sum ever given to this university. University System of Maryland Chancellor Robert Caret, below left, and Gov. Larry Hogan, below right, joined other dignitaries in praise of the donation, which will fund scholarships, fellowships, faculty and infrastructure at the university. tom hausman/the diamondback
“Starting with agriculture ... and moving into virtual reality, the flagship campus continues to do what it has always done.” – USM CHANCELLOR ROBERT CARET
establish a need-based “Thousands of Unischolarship program for versity of Maryland TOP DONATIONS TO THIS UNIVERSITY prospective students of students wake up in all majors. The foundadorms and study in acaA. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation $219.5 m tion’s donations to this demic halls or are here $31m 2014: Brendan Iribe pool will be matched by as a result of scholar$30m 2006: Robert E. Fischell the university’s private ships that bear Mr. fundraising, creating a Clark’s mark,” he said. $30m 2005: A. James Clark total of $100 million in “Today, Clark’s spirit $30m 2005: Robert H. Smith need-based scholarof generosity is on full $25m 2014: Kevin Plank ships, Loh said. display yet again, even Loh said this brings more than ever before.” the life of university The Clark Founalumnus A. James Clark “full circle,” dation’s donation, which univerSource: University Communications. by providing for the next generation sity President Wallace Loh said was Graphic by Evan Berkowitz/ The Diamondback of lower-income students. about two years in the making, will
maria fisher | 1998-2017
police
‘She exuded kindness’ By Natalie Schwartz | @nmschwartz23 | Senior staff writer
W
hen Celia Snipes came back to her dorm after she was out of town, she found a stuffed elephant waiting for her on her desk. Her roommate, Maria Fisher, had bought one to surprise her with while she was at the zoo, knowing it was Snipes’ favorite animal. The gift was one of the small ways Fisher showed she was a “genuine and compassionate” person, Snipes said. Fisher, a University of Maryland student, died the morning of Oct. 1 after she was hit by an SUV while attempting to cross Route 1, police said. She was 18. “She just brought out joy in everyone,” Fisher said. “She exuded kindness.” Fisher was supposed to meet her father Sunday for the Ravens vs. Steelers game in Baltimore. Her father, Daniel Fisher, found out she died while on his way to the hospital.
See clark , p. 2
MARIA FISHER, an 18-year-old university student who was struck and killed while crossing the street on Oct. 1, was remembered as “genuine and compassionate.” photo courtesy of daniel fisher Fisher said an outpouring of comments on social media from his daughter’s friends described his daughter as a kind, considerate and caring person. “That’s what I saw, but as a parent, you just hope that’s what other people will see too,” Fisher said. “It’s hard to read because See FISher, p. 3
calendar 2 OPINION 4 FEATURES 5 city 6 diversions 9 SPORTS 12
Police: Derogatory scrawl wasn’t bias Affected student calls it ‘homophobic and ableist,’ but police say motive ‘was a joke’
LGBT community, but it was also insulting to the disabled community, so it was homophobic and ableist in that sense,” said Dechter, who added he was so upset he had to skip one of his classes. “I was really upset by that. I by After a Univer- was anxious and angry.” The Department of Resident Life sity of Maryland Lila Bromberg student’s white@LilaBBromberg board was plasStaff writer See whiteboard, p. 8 tered with a derogatory slur last Monday, police are not classifying the event as a hate bias incident. Sophomore psychology and Spanish major Logan Dechter wrote the definition of homophobia on his whiteboard outside his dorm in Anne Arundel Hall after several LGBT-friendly messages were erased from it, he said. An individual later wrote “REEEEE” on top of the message, he added. The term is meant to sound like a frog but as a scream, and is used to either express outrage or represent so-called autistic screeching, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. “Not only was it insulting to the
A DORM ROOM WHITEBOARD in Anne Arundel Hall was plastered with “REEEEE,” a word used to ridicule people with mental disabilities. photo courtesy of logan dechter
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