103008

SENIOR CELEBRATIONS

CHASING APATOW

The field hockey and women’s soccer teams are having Senior Night tonight

Zack and Miri Make a Porno doesn’t quite do the trick

SPORTS | PAGE 10

DIVERSIONS | PAGE 7

THE DIAMONDBACK THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

99TH YEAR | ISSUE NO. 43

Univ. faculty mostly Earmark policy to affect donate to Democrats future research funding ELECTION 2008

BY MARISSA LANG Staff writer

BY KEVIN ROBILLARD Senior staff writer

Last year, U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), an alumnus whose district contains College Park, shuttled more than $7 million to the university for various research projects.

But none of the money came from his pocket —

rather, it came from the federal treasury.

Hoyer and other members of the Maryland congressional delegation sponsored six earmarks totaling $7,419,286 for projects at the university, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.

The practice of earmarking money for research at universities is widespread

Developers say East Campus will endure FP-Argo: Economy not likely to dissuade potential businesses

BY BRADY HOLT Senior staff writer

The university’s planned East Campus project is faced with the twin hurdles of a lagging economy and the abrupt resignation of one of its key proponents, but its developers said they remain confident it will succeed.

East Campus is planned as a redevelopment of the parking lots and warehouses that front Route 1 from Fraternity Row to Paint Branch Parkway, converting the area into 38 acres of residential and commercial buildings and public open space.

University Vice President for Administrative Affairs Doug Duncan and developer Foulger PrattArgo had overseen the new downtown Silver Spring when Duncan was the Montgomery County executive and they hope to take East Campus in a similar direction with a wide selection of popular restaurants and shops.

But while Silver Spring is widely considered a success, it rolled during the economic boom. East Campus could emerge amid one of the greatest downturns in the country’s

— more than $2.25 billion went to 920 colleges and universities in fiscal year 2008, according to The Chronicle. But the process to grant government funds to university research efforts, as well as the amount of money available, may change drastically depending on the outcome

Please See RESEARCH, Page 3

An overwhelming majority of university faculty, staff and administrators who donated money to presidential campaigns this election cycle opted to support Democratic candidates, with just one of at least 80 donating to a Republican campaign.

Though donations ranged in both amount and frequency — finance professor Dilip Madan donated to campaigns on seven

occasions, totaling $3,000 to Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and $500 to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) — most were consistent in their political leanings.

An online searchable database from the Center for Responsive Politics shows more than 80 people who donated money since the primaries listed the university as their employer. All but one of them gave money to

DONOR DATA

Below are the approximate total donations faculty members made to presidential hopefuls during the primary and general elections.

Barack Obama (D): $73,000 Hillary Clinton (D): $20, 000 John Edwards (D): $1, 200 Fred Thompson (R): $1, 000 John McCain (R): $0 SOURCE: CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS

Please See DONATIONS, Page 3

WADING THROUGH WASTE Students, contractors assess university recycling by sorting campus trash

BY TIRZA AUSTIN Staff writer

Students and contractors dug through truckloads of waste yesterday to assess how much the university actually recycles. Though results for the study don’t come out until next week, one fact was very clear.

There was too much plastic foam.

The dumpster dive was part of a study conducted by an environmen-

tal contracting firm, SCS Engineers, to evaluate what percentage of recyclables are thrown away as part of the 227,000 pounds of waste the university generates a week, said Maria Lonsbury, a project specialist in the Office of Vice President for Student Affairs. The data were gathered in a two-day span, and officials sorted through a total of 2,800 pounds of trash from

Please See WASTE, Page 3

Sophomore Dan Bruce sorts through trash as a part of a waste assessment. MATTHEW CREGER/FOR THE DIAMONDBACK

Please See ECONOMY, Page 2

The guts and Gore of green Al Gore tells students via webcast to push for 100-percent clean energy

BY ALLISON STICE Staff writer

Former Vice President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore personally thanked the university in a live webcast last night for gathering the most students to watch his address on voting and energy policy to hundreds of campuses nationwide.

More than 100 students of

TOMORROW’S WEATHER:

about 200 RSVPs showed up to the “Blood, Guts and (Al) Gore” party, as environmental groups kicked off the last week of collecting pledges for Power Vote, a campaign that urges young people to vote for the candidate who has the best energy policy.

Gore challenged the nation to

Please See GORE, Page 3

Sunny/60s

Journalist calls war a ‘powerful narcotic’

BY JAMES B. HALE Staff writer

War is a terrible drug that can break you down and leave you begging for more.

That was the lesson Chris Hedges imparted to a crowd of hundreds at a lecture about his book, War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, on Tuesday in the Colony Ballroom of the Stamp Student Union.

A university panel chose the national bestseller for this year’s first-year book as a way to stimulate conversation about a topic not previously selected in the pro-

INDEX

gram, said Lisa Kiely, assistant dean of undergraduate studies and member of the panel.

Hedges said it’s important to understand the effects of war, especially for a country currently fighting one.

“I think war is the most powerful narcotic invented by mankind,” Hedges said.

“War controls you; you don’t control it.”

As a veteran foreign correspondent for The New York Times and other publications for 20 years, Hedges saw firsthand the horrors of war.

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

Please See HEDGES, Page 3 FEATURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 CLASSIFIED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Chris Hedges, author of War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, speaks to a large crowd Tuesday night about his traumatic experiences covering war. JAMES B. HALE/THE DIAMONDBACK

DIVERSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . .7 SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

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Hayes, Tucker lead scorers at basketball scrimmage Mark Selig Eric Hayes really looked good out there. Whether he was playing point guard or shooting guard, he was constantly in control. Known as more of a shooter than a penetrator, Hayes got to the basket for some floaters and lay-ups. Finally one of the older guys on the team, Hayes is letting his experience really show.

Cliff Tucker, who led last scrimmage with 27 points, had another big game Wednesday with 25 points. Tucker got a lot of those points in transition; he was dribbling the ball right at the defense and finishing strong.

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Kronos combines George Crumb's amplified string quartet Black Angels with the latest work from Serbian composer Aleksandra Vrebalov, 8 p.m., Clarice Smith PAC Ina and Jack Kay Theatre

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008 | NEWS | THE DIAMONDBACK HOW WELL DOES THE SYSTEM PROTECT THE INDIVIDUAL INNOVATOR? Explore the state of intellectual property rights and protections in the U.S. and internationally, 5 p.m., Kim Engineering 1110

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Strong interest in retail space remains ECONOMY, from Page 1 economy. Plus, two weeks ago Duncan announced he would leave the university early next month.

Despite these two worrisome setbacks, Principal of Foulger Prat-Argo Richard Perlmutter is not concerned.

Perlmutter counted on the current economic crisis to be over by the time the first phase of East Campus opens in 2012.

“We’re not economists, but these are cycles we are looking at,” Perlmutter said.

Perlmutter also said he thought Duncan’s interim replacement — Ann Wylie, university President Dan

SGA SCARES

Samantha Grieder, a senior journalism major, lets students into the SGA's Haunted House in the Grand Ballroom Lounge in the Stamp Student Union Wednesday night. The attraction took groups of scared visitors down a twisted path full of monsters, murderers and maniacs. JAMES B. HALE/THE DIAMONDBACK

“I’d say this: The university area in general is a very strong market. I think the prospects are good for a successful development.”

Kwasi Holman PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE PRINCE GEORGE”S COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Mote’s chief of staff — will be able to follow in his footsteps.

“We build for the long

term; we don’t look at the market on a day-to-day basis,” Perlmutter said.

While his firm conducted its market analyses before the economic downturn, he said he remained confident that a remaining interest in transit-oriented development would keep the project strong. He also said that retail stores were still very interested in the space.

“Needless to say, there will be bankruptcies in the retail world next year, but there’s currently a lot of enthusiasm,” Perlmutter told the College Park City Council last week.

Developers plan to include a six- to eightscreen movie theater, a

Birchmere music hall, a Harris Teeter or similar supermarket and an upscale hotel, along with extensive additional retail space, graduate student housing and market-rate apartments.

Kwasi Holman, president and chief executive officer of the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation, agreed with Perlmutter’s optimistic outlook for East Campus.

“I’d say this: The university area in general is a very strong market,” Holman said. “I think the prospects are good for a successful development.”

On the changes to the university’s administration,

Perlmutter said Duncan had done a “great job” working on East Campus, and will leave a legacy that includes a “strong bridge” between the university and the city that Wylie will have available when she takes over.

Wylie also said that she is not completely unfamiliar with the East Campus project, even if she doesn’t have Duncan’s background in Silver Spring.

“I’m very familiar with this project. I’ve been working with [Duncan] the entire time, and I’ve learned a lot from him,” Wylie said. “I hope I was a good student.” holtdbk@gmail.com

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008 | NEWS | THE DIAMONDBACK

3

Faculty: donations Earmarks not relied on for univ. research OK if views don’t affect teaching RESEARCH, from Page 1

DONATIONS, from Page 1 Democrats, with more than 60 donors doling out money to support Obama’s campaign. English graduate student Adam Lloyd is the only university employee who donated to a Republican campaign this election cycle — Lloyd donated $1,000 to Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) during the primary season.

None donated to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

Linguistics department chair Norbert Hornstein topped the list of donors with three installments of $2,300 to support Obama’s campaign.

Despite the hyper-political nature of such donations, professors say giving money to campaigns is a private decision that will not influence young voters as long as long as they are careful not to advocate their views in the classroom.

“I don’t discuss any of this with my students,” said education professor Rebecca Oxford. “I’ve worked [for the university] for about nine years, and I have never really talked about politics with anyone on campus. I’ve never felt the need to.”

Despite her demure approach to politics, Oxford has donated $2,094 since July to Obama’s campaign, a decision she said is unique to this election.

“This is the first time I have ever donated in my life,” she said.

Though university President Dan Mote has said that university employees are “free to participate in political

activities,” he has frequently said that administrators’ religion and politics should be higher education.

While Mote was not listed in the Center for Responsive Politics database, he donated money to support Sen. Barbara Mikulski’s (D-Md.) reelection campaign in 2004.

Mote’s chief of staff, Ann Wylie, who will take over as interim vice president for academic affairs on Nov. 8, was one of the many who gave money to Obama’s campaign this year — $500 in February.

Wylie said she hadn’t given the decision much thought.

“I think it’s a right of every citizen of the country to support a political campaign,” she said. “I think that private individuals at the university can give money to a political campaign if they wish.”

Students said regardless of the political message donations send, professors are entitled to do whatever they want with their earnings.

“What they do with their money is their business,” sophomore anthropology and studio art major Larisa Hohenboken said. “It shouldn’t matter if they work here or not.

It’s not like they’re donating money on behalf of the university. No one is going to decide to vote Obama when they were already leaning towards McCain just because some professors donated money.”

Senior staff writers Kevin Robillard and Brady Holt contributed to this report. langdbk@gmail.com

of the 2008 presidential election.

Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) has pledged to eliminate all earmarks if elected president, citing one earmark given to research on grizzly bear DNA in Montana as a reason why the earmark process doesn’t work.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) has said comparatively little about earmarks during his campaign but has pledged to double federal funding for basic research into mathematics, the biological and life sciences, and engineering over the next decade.

The federal government provides more than three-quarters of the university’s $401 million research budget through peer review — a process in which other academics determine who receives research funding — Associate Vice President for Research Ken Gertz said. The rest of the funding comes from foundations,

corporations and the state.

Despite many people’s focus on earmarks, they aren’t a major source of the university’s research funding, making up only 1.8 percent of the research budget last year.

“The university’s position is that we don’t go for earmarks unless it’s extraordinary circumstances,” Gertz said. “We’re not one of those universities that rely on earmarks.”

University President Dan Mote said he prefers the competitive grant process, but also said that some research projects don’t match up with any existing grant program.

Administrators said they hope to increase the university’s research budget to about $700 million a year by 2018. But the university’s research budget has been flat from last year to this one, which Gertz said is largely due to less research money being available. Since 2003, funding for the National Institutes of Health, for example, has been outpaced

accomplish 100-percent clean electricity in 10 years. Clean energy group leaders told partygoers they could make a difference and must hold leaders accountable to create green jobs and clean energy sources.

“It’s up to us,” urged Ali Adler, Clean Energy for UMD’s campaign director. “Why should we wait? Our impatience is a virtue.”

Gore symbolizes the clean-energy movement to many of the students in attendance, some of whom were in costume, from jesters to a body suit decked with coins and a sign reading “Change”.

Senior English major Henry Mills said he was inspired by the former vice president.

WASTE, from Page 1 dumpsters outside seven different locations across the campus, according to SCS project manager Stacey Demers.

In the middle of the obvious amount of plastic foam, workers dug through piles of old pizza, food rotted beyond recognition, crumpled Chick-Fil-A bags and even a big screen TV box. A stench wafted above the participants prompting, a few to walk away in disgust.

Trashbags from dining halls were dumped onto a wooden box used to sift through the trash. At first glance, Demers could already tell the ratio of plastic foam to trash was too high.

“I’ve never seen so much Styrofoam,” Demers said. “It’s way too much.”

Students and contractors wore jumpsuits, glasses and gloves to manually separate bags of trash into trash cans for plastics,

“We can all be Al Gores, every one of us,” he said. “What isn’t possible?”

The event also featured guest speaker State Sen. Paul Pinsky.

Gore praised the young for leading the nation in fighting climate change.

“Business as usual is unacceptable as far as energy policy is concerned,” he said.

Energy Action Coalition Executive Director Jessy Tolkan asked Gore questions from students, including one from Andrew Nazdin, a senior government and politics major and campaign director of Maryland Students Climate Coalition, that asked Gore what he thought the best solutions for America’s energy problem were.

Gore said efficiency in conser-

CORRECTIONS Yesterday’s feature art, “A shared struggle,” incorrectly stated where Paul Pumphrey grew up. He was raised in Montgomery County. The event, “Different Color, Same Struggle,” was hosted by the Phi Chapter of La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity Inc., the university’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Student Entertainment Events.

Due to an editing error, yesterday’s story, “Terps trying to spark slumping attack,” incorrectly implied a connection between Terrapin men’s soccer player Graham Zusi’s injury and his switch from midfielder to forward.

The position change occurred prior to the injury.

cently, where earmarks have grown 25 percent since 2003, the amount spent on peer-review funding is still much greater than money earmarked for research.

And outside of the large grant-giving agencies like NSF and NIH, other federal agencies give out far more in earmarks than in peer-reviewed funding, said James Savage, a political scientist at the University of Virginia who has studied the relationship between earmarks and higher education. He cited the Transportation Department, whose research grants are about 70 percent earmarks.

This, Savage said, prevents federal agencies from doing their jobs because instead of agency staffers sending money to areas that may need it, congressmen are able to redirect money based on political power rather than policy needs.

“It undermines the ability of the agency to set priorities and fulfill their mission,” Savage said. robillarddbk@gmail.com

Contractor: univ. uses too much plastic foam paper, biodegradable products and polystyrene before weighing the materials.

The trash was collected from the North and South Campus diners, Stamp Student Union, Eppley Recreation Center and Easton, Baltimore and Dorchester dorms.

Because departments already know the amount of waste they generate, SCS is able to calculate what percentage of recyclables each department throws away.

Because the university saves money by recycling, the study could potentially help reduce waste costs. Each ton of trash costs $70 to dispose at the landfill, but the university receives money for recycling certain products.

“Your trash bill is going down, and you’re doing something meaningful,” Demers said.

SCS will be comparing the numbers to a study done in 2002, though this year’s will exclude samples from administrative and

Gore: Bailout money could have funded clean energy GORE, from Page 1

by inflation.

McCain has called for a total freeze of spending in the federal budget except national defense and entitlements, but one of his advisors, Ike Brannon, said at a panel sponsored by Research!America, an advocacy group, that the freeze wouldn’t apply to science programs either, according to The Hill.

The university stands to gain regardless of whose research funding plan is implemented. Although the university wants to increase the amount of money it receives from foundations, an increase in research funding is also likely necessary for the university to reach its $700 million goal. But any increase in peer-reviewed research funding would be a break from recent history.

“The funding wasn’t flowing as freely as quite as easily” in recent years, Gertz said.

But while money coming from peer-reviewed agencies like the National Science Foundation and NIH has largely been stagnant re-

academic buildings which were included in the 2002 data. The results should be available next week, Demers said.

Demers, who analyzes how local communities and businesses generate waste, said SCS also creates a plan for organizations to minimize their waste.

As far as plastic foam use goes, the university already has a plan to eliminate it from the dining halls in January. Both Demers and Lonsbury also said they hoped the study would show improvement from 2002 with changes Dining Services made in terms by adding a food compost system to the dining halls.

Students have even gotten involved in improving university recycling. Gemstone students have proposed adding a compost bin to the student union, where students would sort their uneaten food.

“Students are interested in making this happen,” Lonsbury said.

“Students are really key. They have

HALE/THE DIAMONDBACK

vation, from plug-in cars to greener buildings, is clearly a top priority, followed by heavy investment in renewable energy and a nationwide smart grid to run the country on solar power from the southwestern deserts and wind power from the plains.

Gore said it would cost $400 billion over the next 10 years to accomplish these goals.

“That much money is being spent at the drop of a hat in the bailout,” he said. “And it would more than pay for itself in threeand-a-half years.”

Nazdin was relatively satisfied with Gore’s response, but wanted more.

“It was a pretty good answer, but I’d really like to see him talk more about coal,” he said.

“There really isn’t anything clean about coal, yet both parties

support it. From the ground to when it is burned, it’s just a filthy energy source.”

After party-goers trickled out of the Stamp Student Union, energy activists stayed behind to dorm storm North Campus halls in an effort to mobilize their peers behind the Power Vote campaign. Later this week, they will call the 2,328 students and counting who have signed the pledge to remind them to vote for whichever candidate they feel most supports clean energy.

But voting is to the political process what recycling is to climate change, Adler told the crowd — a necessary but small step.

“We can’t get just active once every four years,” she said. sticedbk@gmail.com

taustindbk@gmail.com

Hedges warns students not to take war too lightly HEDGES, from Page 1

UMD for Clean Energy members cheer as Al Gore commends them on gathering support on the campus via a live webcast. JAMES B.

the energy, the drive and they connect with other students.”

Six students from environmental programs actually participated in the trash sorting.

Sophomore animal science major Dan Bruce who is part of ECOhouse, a living-learning program that practices an eco-friendly lifestyle, said he thought it was important to help determine effectiveness of the university’s recycling program. He said his friends were “ripping” him for signing up to dig through trash, though.

“It’s not a bad experience,” Bruce said. “It’s better than you would expect it to be. It just smells a little.”

The university paid SCS $15,000 to do the study, Lonsbury said.

“This is very important,” Lonsbury said. “We can’t develop the budget, create policy or advocate a change without data.”

He was captured in Kuwait, shot at in the Balkans, and he saw children killed in Gaza. He’s driven full speed through war zones and literally navigated minefields to get stories.

One of the most valuable skills he learned, he said, was becoming fluent in Arabic. Knowing the language gave him the edge in reporting and kept him alive.

Hedges said he saved his life, and the lives of a few other journalists, by telling corny jokes he learned from his Arabic teacher.

The captors liked his humor enough to spare their lives. The incident was just one of many close calls in his years covering war, he said.

Even after he stopped covering wars, he suffered from trauma.

Hedges said at one point in his life he turned to alcohol to kill the pain.

“Anyone who spends prolonged periods of time in war carries with them hundreds of images and memories that will haunt them forever,” Hedges said. “You wake up in the middle of the night, your heart is racing; you can’t go back to sleep. You wake up, and you feel numb.”

Lilly Shanahan, a freshman letters and sciences major, said the book was depressing, but she liked

that it was real. Although she had to read it for her UNIV100 class, she said she would have read it anyway.

Associate English professor Linda Coleman said Hedges’ book is an important read for any college student.

“I think it’s hard to understand anything about what [war] is about unless you’ve been in it,” she said.

“When anyone in that position tells us what they saw and experienced, it’s worth paying attention.”

Coleman said she didn’t make the lecture a requirement for her class, but several UNIV classes did, filling the Colony Ballroom to standing-room only.

Mike Yuskiw, a senior Chinese and government and politics major was inspired by Hedges’ book and agreed with a lot he said.

“The book isn’t anti-war. He wants people to understand the nature of what’s going on,” Yukiw said.

Hedges said our society needs to stop treating war lightly. There are many misunderstood dangers to being in war that even enlisted soldiers never expect, he said.

“War is a poison,” Hedges said. “ If you don’t understand what that poison is, it can kill you just as surely as the disease itself.” jhale@umd.edu

4

THE DIAMONDBACK | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008

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The edge on education Y

ou shouldn’t need another reason to vote. Between university groups, your professors and the media, this newspaper included, the upcoming election has been discussed exhaustively at during the past two years. And with good reason. The next president will face an economic crisis unparalleled since the Great Depression, an energy crisis fueling it and the same uncertainties abroad that have dogged the country during the past eight years.

But while you’re in college, or at least working at one, we’d like you to consider another issue before you make that all-important choice Nov. 4: higher education.

Compared with previously mentioned issues, it’s hardly a deal-breaker, but we still strongly believe colleges are the places where people gain the skills needed to propel the economy; the places where the solutions to our energy draught are likely to be found; and the places that promote the cultural understanding necessary to promoting our standing in the world. So when you cast your vote, the candidates’ stances toward colleges must be taken into account.

Both Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and John McCain (R-Ariz) have called increasing the accessibility of financial aid for college students a priority, and on this issue we think both candidates bring smart ideas to the table. McCain has proposed simplifying higher education tax benefits and consolidating federal aid programs to make it easier for families to understand the benefits they qualify for. Many families miss out on aid already available to them, and in most cases these families are the ones who need the aid most.

Obama has similarly argued the aid application process is too complicated. His proposal to

Our View Sen. Barack Obama’s platform on higher education paves a path to make colleges more accessible and more useful to society. On this issue, his platform is preferable to Sen. John McCain’s. eliminate the Free Application for Federal Student Aid application cuts straight to the solution.

The 127-question long survey is daunting, and it’s not at all surprising that 1.5 million high school students eligible for federal Pell Grants failed to turn in the application in 2004. Obama has proposed to streamline the aid process to allow families to apply for it by checking a box on their tax forms. We hope whoever is elected will institute the changes both candidates have proposed on this issue.

Still, Obama is the only candidate who has proposed directly expanding college aid, and throughout the campaign his repeated emphasis on improving universities in order to improve the country has made it abundantly clear that he is the stronger candidate when it comes to higher education. Obama recognizes that the cost of college has outpaced the amount of aid the federal government provides. He has proposed to increase the maximum limit on Pell Grants to $5,100 per student in order to fix this.

Moreover, he has explicitly encouraged students to invest the knowledge college gives them back into the public good. Another Obama proposal calls for a $4,000 tax credit to be given to the families of freshmen entering college — if the students each conduct 100 hours of community service.

On the issue of university research, Obama is also the favorable candidate. While McCain has vowed to eliminate all federal earmarks — a noble nod toward increased government transparency — such a move would have harmful side effects for university research. Nationwide, about 5 percent of all university research is funded by earmarks. McCain has said more research dollars will follow in different forms once earmarks are defeated, but Obama has been more specific on the importance of research to sharpen the country’s edge worldwide. His vision to find an alternative energy source will rely heavily on university research, and he has called for doubling of research funding during the next 10 years. He has also particularly emphasized the need to invest in young researchers, such as graduate students and doctoral candidates.

These differences aren’t to say Obama represents the complete prescription to the country’s higher education issues. Neither candidate offers a total fix to the fact that college costs have gone up nearly 40 percent during the past five years, and 60 percent of all college students graduate with debt. In these tough economic times, it’d be hard to expect either candidate to have the resources available to contain these trends. And while Obama does offer a better bandage to address them, it remains to be seen if the money will be around to enact his plans.

In the end, however, these are only small remedies either candidate could adopt if elected. Obama’s vision to bolster colleges as a means of jump-starting a massive nationwide change is ambitious and inspiring. And while there are many pressing issues facing the next president, for students, this vision can hardly be ignored.

Working to improve safety My semiannual presentation to the College Park City Council and the mayor Oct. 21 included some encouraging information regarding our crimefighting efforts. The Diamondback included some of our crime reductions in a brief follow-up article that appeared on the front page Oct. 23.

The article mentioned a decline in thefts, burglaries, motor vehicle thefts and robberies. It went on to further address our increase in assaults by one from this same time last year and highlighted our reductions in thefts and burglaries. I was disappointed The Diamondback chose not to describe exactly how drastically our strategies have served to reduce crime in the city: a 28.2 percent decline in burglaries, a 33 percent reduction in thefts and a 35.3 percent drop in stolen automobiles are accomplishments residents, students, parents and alumni should all be made aware of in our era of crime alerts and its accompanying scrutiny of public safety in College Park.

Given The Diamondback’s routine front-page coverage of citizen robberies, including occasional maps of crime scenes, I was most disappointed that the paper neglected to specify the exact nature of our reductions in street robberies that often victimize the very students who read the newspaper. We drove down street robberies by 68.4 percent during this reporting period by dedicating our patrol and investigative assets in a manner that has served College Park well. This omission speaks volumes to me. The Prince George’s County Police Department and District 1 will continue to work hard to improve public safety in College Park.

MAJ. KEVIN DAVIS DISTRICT 1 COMMANDER PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT

Editorial Cartoon: Mike O’Brien

Hit the sack

Halloween: Take your chance — break the rules

I

like Halloween for the costumes. Not because I think they’re imaginative or innovative (last year I think there were more Spartans on the campus than in the movie), but because of what they say about the people wearing them.

Halloween in college is like Freud’s wet dream. Why have people lie down on a couch and work through their childhood to find out about their repressed desires when you could just as easily sit back and look around Route 1 every Oct. 31?

What’s so fantastic about it is people have the chance — with a good social excuse — to dress and act however they wish. Always wondered what it feels like to wear a skirt? Go for it! Kind of like the idea of being dressed fully in leather? No problem! Want to act like your costume? Why not? It’s Halloween! The only way you can really attract angry stares is not dressing up at all.

Halloween is our annual safety valve. Once a year, we have the opportunity to blow off all the steam that builds up in 364 days of conformist clothing and behavior.

MALCOLM

HARRIS

Halloween reveals that, when we throw off preconceived notions of appropriate dress and behavior, everyone has more fun. Also, there’s candy. And yet the real world seems to be colliding with my treasured day of apparel anarchy.

When we were young, it was simple and easy. We would all dress up as things we wanted to be or thought would look good. Those of us with liberal parents got a lot of leeway. My little sister dressed as a pirate (painted mustache and all), and I dressed as a purple unicorn.

Whatever, I liked unicorns, and it was Halloween, so I was allowed to say so. Later on, kids got a little more creative. One year, my brother dressed as Wolfgang Puck (a wolf costume with a bandana and a hockey-puck necklace),

another year as a bush (burlap sack and leaves). Groups of friends came up with their own themed costumes (in fifth grade, my friends and I went as cereal mascots). And then came high school.

With the advent of ninth grade came a total shift of Halloween norms. Almost everyone was comfortably past puberty, and so Halloween became about what everything becomes about in high school: sex. Don’t get me wrong: As a 15-year-old, having your school full of sexy nurses or sexy cowgirls or sexy unicorns (okay, not as many unicorns as I would have liked) seemed like a daydream. But as the years went on, before I noticed, I had stopped dressing up.

Maybe it was the public school system killing my imagination, or maybe I was just distracted wondering how girls planned to skirt the dress code and still come to school as dominatrices, but I couldn’t come up with a good costume anymore.

Meanwhile, costumes got more and more similar. Boys dressed up as characters from the latest blockbuster (see last year’s 300 obses-

sion), and girls stopped dressing up and started dressing down. I don’t know if it was because all women really hate clothes and are looking for any excuse to get out of them (doubt it) or if it was to get boys’ attention or, worst of all, just to fit in. I worry about my little sister going from pirate to prostitutepirate, but most of all, I worry about our declining imaginations.

If Halloween becomes more conformist than the rest of the year, we’ll all go insane by New Year’s.

So this year, try dressing as something you’re not supposed to.

Play with gender; play with species; play with anything; just play. If you’re a young woman, don’t be content to be just another X-rated Disney princess. If you’re a young man, dress as an X-rated Disney princess. If you’re an acerbic columnist, write a puff-piece about a holiday. Once a year, give it a shot. I’ll see you out there; I’ll be the purple unicorn.

Malcolm Harris is a sophomore English and government and politics major. He can be reached at harrisdbk@gmail.com.

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.

In response to Rob Gindes’ Oct. 28 “Antibodies: What college is all about” here’s all I have to say: Antibodies? Really? Although there appears to be a good point to what Gindes is saying, frankly, he does not know what he is talking about. I can tell from the way he uses antibodies as a reference to all forms of sickness. And Gindes, please don’t use “lupus or scurvy or encephalitis” as examples when you have no semblance of a clue. The first two aren’t even remotely contagious, and the chances of contracting encephalitis ... whatever.

Illness isn’t a cootie. What Gindes is really talking about are bacteria and their spread because of the proximity of people living on the campus. So Gindes does make valid points about hygiene, but hygiene, antibodies and bacteria are not even half the problem.

The body’s immune system can handle a lot of things we take for granted.

So how do we get sick? Either we are invaded by evolutionarily superior micro-invaders or we royally screw up our immune system.

And the Achilles’ heel of the immune system is a college student’s screwed up sleep cycle — or lack thereof. Sleep deprivation is one of the more cardinal of stresses we can put on our bodies.

Losing sleep can not only weaken our immune system, but it can also lead to depression and loss of motivation. It is the vicious cycle of not sleeping and procrastinating that has thrown our immune systems into a perpetual state of fatigue. Without good rest, our bodies are pretty much defenseless to the wide world of bacteria, viruses and bad college hygiene.

The common sicknesses currently circulating on the campus are not due to some super beefed-up bacteria. This kind of illness is really the immune system yelling, “You are screwing yourself over! Go get some rest!” There is no amount of taurine, caffeine, maltodextrin or anything else they put in energy drinks that can replace a good eight to 10 hours of sleep. The best thing to do the night before an exam is to make sure you get some sleep .

YIKE JIANG JUNIOR CELL BIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR GENETICS AND PSYCHOLOGY

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.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008 | THE DIAMONDBACK

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Hearty loaves Rock star, say Cornbread Fuddy-duddy Clod Fake sugar

Cheat Vampire’s teeth Play reveille Malaria symptom Can’t stomach Out to lunch

Yellow pigment Gravy spot Sports palace Ms. Davis of “The Fly” 50 This senora

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orn today, you are a strong leader known for your unique approach to daily life and your willingness to submit to hardship in order to achieve your goals. What separates you from the masses, however, is that some might suggest that you actually enjoy it when things get particularly difficult, and that you invite problems simply in order to impress others by solving them. This is not altogether true, though you do acquit yourself quite well when your back is against the wall and you have something to prove.

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You can be somewhat vain, but this is a result of your own healthy self-esteem, combined with the fact that your attributes are not likely to be hidden from the world. You show off your talents openly and generously in all manner of situations.

Also born on this date are: Ruth Gordon, actress; Ruth Hussey, actress; Grace Slick, singer; Henry Winkler, actor and director; Harry Hamlin, actor; Ezra Pound, poet; John Adams, patriot and U.S. president.

To see what is in store for you tomorrow, find your birthday and read the corresponding paragraph. Let your birthday star be your daily guide.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31 SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Listen to those voices that are ringing in your head. Share the info with only a choice few.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Things that become disordered early in the day are likely to straighten themselves out — so don’t be tempted to meddle.

game throughout much of the day. Meanwhile, be sure to address certain pressing personal issues.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Take time out from your busy schedule to reflect on your career. You may want to make changes, but you don’t know where to start.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) — You’re open to much that comes your way, but some things you may not know how to interpret at first. Trust those who have been in your shoes.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Can you keep up the pace? It’s essential that things progress at a healthy rate, but don’t drive yourself to exhaustion.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — You may be surprised to learn just what is coming your way — but you’ll want to double-check to make sure that your sources are reliable.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) — It’s a good day to do things in order and by the book; any improvisation on your part is likely to attract some critical attention.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — You may feel as though someone is putting you on the spot, but the fact is that you are capable of coming through in a pinch.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) — You may be attracted to someone who demands more from you on the job than you’re used to — and you can bet the attraction is mutual.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — It’s a good time to form stronger bonds with those at the workplace, especially since the workload is about to increase significantly.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — You’re expecting people to be loyal and hardworking at this time, and you can inspire them to do more than usual better than usual.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — You may be playing the waiting

Copyright 2008 United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

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Diversions

REEL NEWS: One of JVC’s mini-DV and VHS combo players

All you nostalgia freaks out there, get ready to shed a tear: The VCR is officially dead. JVC, the last company still making standalone VCR players, recently announced it will halt production of new VCRs. The manufacturer will continue putting out combination players (DVD and VCR), but we see this announcement as the definitive end to VCR technology. It’s been a nice 32-year run.

arts. music. living. movies. weekend.

REVIEW | ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO

HARD TIMES CALL FOR HARDCORE Kevin Smith shoots for Apatow’s comedic success in Zack and Miri Make a Porno and comes up a little short

BY RUDI GREENBERG Senior staff writer

Kevin Smith owes as much to Judd Apatow for his new film, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, as Apatow owes to Smith for his career. Where Smith broke through barriers of making simple, vulgar comedies over serious emotional backdrops with films such asClerks, Chasing Amy and Mallrats, Apatow perfected it (and made it profitable) with Knocked Up, The 40 Year Old Virgin and Superbad.

Now, with nearly everything Apatow touches turning to gold, Smith has gone and borrowed his crew, using Apatow’s go-to guy Seth Rogen (Pineapple Express), as well as Apatow alumni Craig Robinson (Pineapple Express) and Elizabeth Banks (W.).

Seeing those actors under Smith’s lens only punctuates the similarities between the two directors. Both rely on intelligent, rapid-fire dialogue, underdog protagonists, relationships and, of course, gross-out humor.

But where Apatow is able to create and produce films as earnest as they are vulgar and funny, Smith stumbles a bit in Zack and Miri, an enjoyable ride with a lackluster payoff (pun intended).

The film casts Rogen and Banks’ titular characters as the best friends who have never dated but probably secretly love each other.

trailer watch GRAN TORINO With Changeling already being brushed aside by critics and moviegoers alike, Clint Eastwood needs a comeback.

From the looks of things, though, Eastwood’s January release, Gran Torino, isn’t it. The Dirty Harry squint just doesn’t seem like it’ll resonate against the Oscar-ready racial tensions fleshing out the story.

FEARS OF THE DARK From the twisted minds of six comic and graphic artists, Fears of the Dark could be this year’s cure for the lame horror-remake blues. The separate tales vary from rickety sketches to smooth, computer-aided animation, but all seem to be cut from the darker side of the human psyche. Keep your eyes open (and the lights on) for a Washington-area release date.

The two live together, have known each other since high school and do everything together. (Example: Miri has a dildo on her Amazon.com Wish List; Zack sees it and orders its male counterpart, the Fleshlight.)

Zack works at a coffee shop, and it’s unclear what exactly Miri does for a living, but it can’t be much, as they fall on hard times and can’t afford to pay their bills.

After coming home from their 10year high school reunion, Zack and Miri have their power and heat turned off. Their solution: get drunk, of course.

So, what do two people who lack both options and dignity do to make money? They go into porn.

But you can’t make a porno without a script, actors and, most importantly, money. That’s where Rogen’s co-worker, Delaney (Robinson), comes in. Delaney uses his flat screen television fund to become financier and producer as Rogen cooks up a script for Star Whores, and casting begins.

Everything seems to be coming together, with a ragtag cast and crew featuring Smith regulars Jason Mewes (Netherbeast Incorporated) and Jeff Anderson (Clerks II) and two women who know a thing or two about porn: Traci Lords (Your Name Here) and Katie Morgan (Pleasure Dome). Lords used to make a living in the industry, while Morgan

currently does. Surprisingly, both fit into Smith’s comedic world very well.

After a few hiccups, filming begins with one major caveat: Zack and Miri are going to have sex, for the first time, on screen.

And lo and behold, the love story unfolds. Unfortunately, once the two have sex, about midway through the film, their on-screen chemistry falls apart, and Zack and Miri begins to falter.

It’s a shame because for the first half of the film you really believe Zack and Miri are best friends — their relationship is genuinely strong. But after they have sex, it feels like Smith is forcing the issue.

We all know there’s going to be a relationship conflict coming into the movie, but once it happens, things get kind of boring. Sure, the laughs keep coming, but the emotional aspect completely falters — Smith just can’t pull it off like Apatow can, and it holds Zack and Miri back.

Maybe Banks is to blame. She’s the weakest link in a fairly strong cast. None of the characters are particularly well developed, sans Rogen and Banks, but the bit parts all serve the actors’ strengths.

Mewes is ridiculous as always as one of the actors in the porno, and

Robinson shines with his suburban black man archetype.

Rogen is obviously the star, and he shines as usual, which isn’t a surprise. Zack isn’t far from Knocked Up’s Ben Stone, just like working with Smith isn’t far from working with Apatow.

“What Seth is genius at, is he is great at innately ad-libbing material that sounds like it’s organic to the film, or more specifically, to the character,” Smith said in a conference call with The Diamondback. “He’s also good at adlibbing stuff that tells the story forward. So, you welcome a guy like that because he’s not just executing — he’s elevating.”

And it’s clear Rogen elevated the film, as he always does.

It’s still strange to see Smith outside of his View Askewniverse — this is only the second film (Jersey Girl is the other) he’s made without his stock recurring characters — but it’s nice to see him branching out, even if the look and feel isn’t far from Clerks II. Still, it just feels like something’s missing. If Smith wants to try to win back his crown as the king of the silly-yet-serious comedy, he’s going to have to do a bit better than Zack and Miri. rudi.greenberg@gmail.com

MOVIE: Zack and Miri | VERDICT:

1/2

INTERVIEW | CHARLIE KAUFMAN

Confessions of a spotless mind Charlie Kaufman discusses his upcoming directorial debut, Synecdoche, New York

BY THOMAS FLOYD Senior staff writer

He won an Academy Award for his last screenplay, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and garnered nominations for writing Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. Hollywood widely recognizes him as one of the industry’s most creative talents, and Nicolas Cage even picked up an Oscar nod for playing him.

But Charlie Kaufman knows his surreal directorial debut, Synecdoche, New York, is still going to be a tough sell. And as the 49-year-old sat at the hotel restaurant in a Washington Park Hyatt with mussed hair and tired eyes, Kaufman looked visibly worn from doing more press for the film than he said was “humanly possible.” In an interview with The Diamondback, Kaufman discussed Synecdoche, a story he penned about Caden Cotard’s (Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War) existential experiences with art, reality and the inevitability of death.

The Diamondback: A lot of people have called this your most ambitious film yet — is that a fair assessment?

Charlie Kaufman: With each project, I’m trying to get closer to some truth. So

in that sense, it may be more ambitious.

But they’re all as ambitious as they can be at the time I’m writing them, based on where I am emotionally, how serious I might be or what ideas I might have at a certain point. I’m always trying to be honest, and I was with this one.

DBK: Your films tend to take place in a world that isn’t quite the one we know. Why do you think that sort of twisted version of reality works so well on screen?

Kaufman: I don’t think that the world we know is the world that is often depicted as realistic in movies. It’s kind of a conventional thing that we accept as realism, but I think that our reality is very subjective and that the color of things can be expressed through metaphor and dreams very emotionally. ... I want to use that canvas to explore real emotional issues.

DBK: I would say this is a film you can thoroughly enjoy but not completely appreciate after just one viewing. Is that something you think is true?

Kaufman: I think there are details, and there’s a lot to catch, and, just based on my experience of talking to people

who’ve seen it, I think they see more things the second or third time. It’s designed to reward multiple viewings, but of course, people have to like it enough the first time to see it again.

DBK: The passage of significant amounts of time goes by in Synecdoche without using a traditional subtitle. Why did you make the decision to do it that way?

Kaufman: The movie is a lot about time and the subjectivity of time and the way time, for me, seems to get faster and faster as I get older. Since this movie is from the point of view of Caden, I wanted them to feel what he feels and the same way that I feel. Sometimes, when someone tells me, “It’s been 10 years since this happened,” I’m like, “I can’t believe it,” because I thought it was like a week. It’s overwhelming in so many ways — not just because you can’t believe it’s been so much time since this event, but also because you’re that much closer to your death.

DBK: What was it like working with Philip Seymour Hoffman?

Kaufman: He does get very into his

roles. He’s very serious, very committed, very truthful, and it’s very tough sometimes. When he’s going through the traumas of this character, he’s really going through the traumas — or so it seems to those of us on the outside.

That’s why you’ve got such a nuanced and beautiful performance that carries the entire movie.

DBK: Synecdoche leaves a good bit open to interpretation. Why do you think that is such an interesting dynamic to have in your films?

Kaufman: To me, that’s what a piece of art does. ... I like the idea that people come up to me sometimes and tell me things about this movie that I didn’t write intentionally. That is very exciting. They got this thing out of it, and it sparked something in their mind that created these thoughts that were important to them, and I wanted to be open to that. So I try to keep that as a possibility. The other side of that is people hate the movie, and you know, that’s fine. It’s theirs — go away, go away little movie. Fly away.

Synecdoche, New York opens in Washington on Nov. 7. tfloyd1@umd.edu

8

THE DIAMONDBACK | SPORTS | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008

Miami must win once to KO Terps SOCCER, from Page 10 a big problem for the Tigers this season. They rank last in the ACC in goals against average, giving up 2.34 goals per game.

But Pensky knows the ACC is too deep in talent to take any team lightly, no matter its record or stats. In last Sunday’s game, the Terps took 16 shots and dictated the game offensively but still barely held on for a one-goal win against a Wolfpack team that’s winless in the conference.

“Clemson is a good team,” he said. “They have a number of very talented players despite the number of goals they have given up.”

In addition to the Terps’ season being on the line tonight, there will also be Senior Night ceremonies celebrating the final home game for the team’s six seniors. All the hoopla surrounding the game could cause a distraction for the predominantly young team, but Pensky said his team is mentally and physically prepared for what’s at stake.

“It was no different versus N.C. State, and I thought our team came out with a terrific mentality,” he said. “I am not worried about our players’ nerves at all.”

Unfortunately for the Terps, even if they do defeat the Tigers, a conference tournament bid is not guaranteed.

Currently ninth in the standings behind Miami, the Terps will need a win tonight in addition to some help from the Hurricanes. If the Hurricanes win one of their two remaining games — at N.C. State and at No. 2 North Carolina — or tie both, they’ll knock the Terps out of the tournament.

Miami will be playing at N.C. State at the same time the Terps will be trying to knock off Clemson. After defeating N.C. State just four days ago, the Terps will be rooting for the Wolfpack tonight, but not until after their work on the field is done.

“We must just focus on ourselves and not concern ourselves with the Miami result until we have taken care of our own business,” Pensky said. “We will look for the Miami score at 9 p.m. and not one second earlier.” dmorrisondbk@gmail.com

uisine C n a opi Eat In and Carryout i h Lattes • Smoothies Et Full Bar

Shagga

Coffee & Restaurant 240-296-3030

Brown’s accomplishment comes a bit late Despite reduction in playing time, volleyball outside hitter has reached blocks benchmark

BY KATE YANCHULIS Staff writer

When Mary Beth Brown moved into third place on the Terrapin volleyball program’s all-time blocks list last weekend, she was not surprised.

The 6-foot-4 outside hitter started the year in sixth place, 36 blocks away, and led the team with 144 last year. Barring injury, the third-place mark of 419 blocks seemed a foregone conclusion well before she reached it with three blocks in last Saturday’s loss to Wake Forest.

“It was exciting to reach that milestone,” Brown said. “I’ve been very fortunate over the past four years to block next to some great middle blockers to help me reach that goal.”

What was surprising was that it took her more than two-thirds of the season to do so.

As the co-captain and lone preseason All-ACC pick on the Terps (5-18, 1-10 ACC), Brown was expected to play regularly this season, as she did last year, when she played in all 31 matches.

But under new head coach

2008

VOLLEYBALL

Tim Horsmon, the outside hitter struggled to establish herself early this season. She was pulled from the starting lineup before the third match of the season. Since then, she has played varying amounts of time, mainly as a substitute, and her production has been down — probably not how she envisioned her senior season.

“Mary Beth started off slow,” Horsmon said. “I think she’s starting to understand what we’re asking her to do. A couple weeks ago, she decided to join us and cooperate with us. She made a choice to come out and finally join us and do what we’ve been asking her to do.”

Brown declined to comment on her significantly diminished time on the court this season.

“I just want to help the team the best that I can in our last stretch of the season,” Brown said. “I want to go out on a good

note and take advantage of the opportunities I get.”

With a team-leading nine kills two weeks ago against Clemson, she got a chance to start in the last two matches and finally reached third place against Wake Forest.

“I’m really happy for her,” Horsmon said. “I think she is as good a blocker as I’ve coached, and she was doing that a long time before we got here.”

Brown played with the firstand second-place players in the Terps’ all-time blocks record book, Rachel Wagener (649) and Stephanie Smith (602) in 2005, her freshman and their senior season. The two middle blockers led the Terps to three straight ACC titles in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

“I really learned a lot from Rachel Wagener and Steph Smith my freshman year. I don’t think I would have gotten to where I am without their help and guidance,” Brown said.

The Terps are now one of only five Division-I volleyball programs to have the top-three blockers in school history all play together at some point. But

the accomplishment comes in the shadow of a disappointing season so far.

She has played in 17 of the team’s 23 matches and started just eight, compared to last year when she played in all 31.

Though she has regained a starting job, her spot in the rotation is tenuous, as Horsmon changes the lineup weekly. One poor performance could see her back on the bench.

“She was given the opportunity (to play) because we’ve been playing poorly at other positions,” Horsmon said. “Now it’s really up to her to continue that.”

It is not only Brown’s time on the court that is down. Last year, she led the Terps in blocks with 144 total with 1.25 per set. This year she is in third, averaging only .77 a set and is on pace for fewer than 50, only around onethird of her 2007 total.

On offense, she has 69 kills a little more than a two-thirds of the way through the season, putting her on pace for fewer than 100. Last year, she had 248 total.

Her hitting percentage is down from .224 to .193.

But despite the decline in production and playing time, Brown has still earned the respect and admiration of her teammates.

“M.B. is definitely a leader, definitely vocally and with her experience and also the way she’s been playing these last few matches,” right side Brittney Grove said. “We definitely need that right now.”

As the end of her college career approaches, the Vienna, Va., native and daughter of two alumni looked back on what drew her to College Park.

Though she did not initially see herself as a Terp, she said that at the school’s volleyball camp, she “fell in love with the team and the program and wanted to be a part of it. I was lucky enough to get that opportunity.”

Now she wants the opportunity to end her final season with the Terps with a bang.

“I want to go out on a strong note,” Brown said. “I want to put myself in the best position to help us win, whatever that takes.” kyanchulisdbk@gmail.com

Jan Seiden

flute performance

LOCATION Baltimore Room, The Stamp DATE TONIGHT, October 30 TIME 5:00-7:00 pm

is bringing an extremely accomplished Native American flutist to perform on campus.

Jan Seiden has won many awards for her performances.

All are welcome for this wonderful performance.

CONTACT drichar6@umd.edu

6040 Baltimore Ave. One Mile South of UMD

www.diamondbackonline.com

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008 | SPORTS | THE DIAMONDBACK

9

TERRAPIN FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK

Thomas took a Terps excited to earn No. 25 ranking different path

BY ERIC DETWEILER Senior staff writer

HOCKEY, from Page 10 The journey has been particularly quick for the fifth member of the senior class.

Emma Thomas joined the Terps (15-2) midway through the season after completing her first three years of eligibility in her native England.

This season, Thomas has been worked into the fabric of the senior class.

Departing from the locker room after practice, each of the seniors was eager to tell just how much their teammates have meant to them.

The players may have captured a pair of titles, but those would appear to have less significance without friends to share them with.

For Rowe, another England native, the night is a reminder of the limited time left with her teammates. She will graduate in December and return home.

“Hockey’s been great, and that’s what I came here for, but it’s about the friendships that hopefully I’ll keep the rest of my life,” Rowe said.

“Especially because I’m gonna be out of the country, this is also coming toward the end of my relationship with them as well, which has been really special. Hopefully, I’ll have a few vacations in America when I grow up.

Bring the family back and go around Ellen’s house.”

Rowe has led the way as the senior class put its stamp on this season. Her teamleading 20 goals only begin to tell the story.

Meharg said the class has surpassed her expectations as team leaders. She praised the seniors for instilling a commitment to hard work, and for being the “backbone” of the squad.

“I look at them actually a little bit differently [than the past two classes] because I never really saw those classes as a collective group of seniors, there was much hierarchy within their

Forward Sarah Scholl is a four-year starter who will play her final regular season game as a Terp tonight. JACLYN BOROWSKI/THE DIAMONDBACK

classes,” Meharg said. “This group doesn’t have that ...

They’ve all had one thing in common, and that’s their team. In that regard I really highly value them because they have been one senior class and it’s represented a standard.”

One member of the class, Alicia Grater, will not be graduating, after redshirting her freshman year. Grater said it is “bittersweet” to see her classmates graduate, but that she was excited to celebrate their careers.

It’s tough to imagine the seniors won’t close out with a win. Virginia Commonwealth (4-13) enters the contest amid an 11-game losing streak.

And don’t expect emotions to get in the way when the Terps take the field tonight.

The class that came in with two championships is firmly set on leaving with one more.

The Terps will save the goodbyes until there are no more games left on the schedule.

“I don’t think there’ll be any tears,” Ott said. “Did other people say they were going to cry?”

She paused.

“I mean, my dad might.” mkatzdbk@gmail.com

For a moment Sunday, Chris Turner was confused.

While scanning the newly updated national rankings, the Terrapin quarterback immediately checked through the “Others Receiving Votes” category. He did not find his team listed.

“I was like, ‘What’s going on? Why didn’t we get any votes?’” Turner said. “Then I realized we were actually in the Top 25. That’s pretty exciting.”

The Terps are ranked No. 25 in the Associated Press and USA Today polls. It is the first time they’ve appeared in the top 25 since November 2006.

After five straight wins put the Terps into the polls, backto-back losses promptly dropped them out.

The Terps, who are the eighth ACC team to make the AP Top 25 this season, have now achieved a national ranking in six of coach Ralph Friedgen’s eight seasons.

Turner, who has led his team to three wins against ranked opponents this season, called cracking the rankings “a huge accomplishment.”

“It’s cool,” the junior signal-caller said. “It gives us a little bit of a swagger even though we’re just barely in it.”

But for the Terps who were around in 2006, the ranking is a reminder of what is at stake each week in the ACC. “I think you have to realize that, each week you play, you’ve got to bring your ‘A’ game,” senior center Edwin Williams said. “Teams are going to be hunting for you.

You’re one of the top 25 teams in the nation. Teams want what you have.”

Injury update Friedgen called linebacker Dave Philistin and running back Da’Rel Scott “questionable” for the Terps’ next game, Nov. 6 at Virginia Tech.

Both players left Saturday’s win against N.C. State and did not return.

A win against N.C. State on Saturday propelled Da’Rel Scott and the Terps to a top-25 ranking, thanks in large part to Da’Rel Scott’s running. ADAM FRIED/THE DIAMONDBACK

“We’re going to hold them this week and see where we are on the weekend,” Friedgen said.

One possible replacement for Philistin, linebacker Adrian Moten returned to the practice field Wednesday. The sophomore, who has missed the last three games after undergoing wrist surgery, wore a green jersey but took part in limited individual drills, according to Friedgen.

Friedgen said Moten will probably wear a black noncontact jersey in practice today and participate in more drills. The eighth-year coach remains optimistic Moten will be able to return against the Hokies. When the surgery originally occurred, doctors targeted this game for his return.

The injuries remain a concern for Friedgen as the team goes through its second bye week of the season, while preparing for a short next week.

“We’re trying to get every bit we can out of everybody,” Friedgen said. “We’ve just got to worry about stretching it too far and getting somebody hurt again.”

Friedgen also said cornerback Kevin Barnes, who is out for the season with a shoulder injury, will have surgery today.

Offensive line rebounds During the Terps’ last off week less than a month ago, Friedgen preached a return to the basics for his struggling offensive line, which produced a season-low 79 rushing yards in a 31-0 loss at Virginia on Oct. 4.

Since then, the offensive line, with new starting left tackle Bruce Campbell, has picked up its play. In the past two games, the Terps have averaged 5 yards per rush, and Turner has been sacked just once. In wet and sloppy conditions Saturday, the line

paved the way for 203 rushing yards in what Friedgen dubbed its best performance of the season.

“I think, after the Virginia game, they kind of renewed themselves,” Friedgen said.

“They’ve come out and had a legitimate desire to get better.”

The Terps did commit four holding penalties in the game, one of which nullified a Scott touchdown run on a drive that eventually ended in a missed field goal.

That’s why Williams said the line, which was on the blocking sleds in practice yesterday, will once again focus on fundamentals and continuing to gel as a unit.

“This is the most important four weeks in most people’s lives on this team, at least definitely in mine,” Williams said. “You just want to be sharp in everything.” edetweilerdbk@gmail.com

10

THE DIAMONDBACK | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008

NSCAA/adidas Men’s Soccer Top 10

Sports Terp win may not matter Women’s soccer team set for Senior Night with its fate out of its hands already

School

Record

Prev.

1. Wake Forest 2. Akron 3. Creighton 4. St. John’s 5. TERRAPINS

(15-0-1) (13-1-2) (10-1-2) (12-1-3) (13-3-0)

1 5 3 4 6

School

Record

Prev.

6. Northwestern 7. Loyola (Md.) 8. California 9. Tulsa 10. UC Davis

(11-1-2) (14-0-1) (7-2-4) (11-3-1) (12-2-3)

2 7 9 11 10

Winners since day 1

BY DAN MORRISON Staff writer

The Terrapin women’s soccer team is hoping it’s saved its best for last.

Needing a win in their final regular season game to have any shot at claiming the eighth seed in the ACC tournament, the Terps will need a second straight solid ACC performance when they take on a slumping Clemson team tonight at 7. But what happens in the Senior Night game at Ludwig Field may not matter if the Terps don’t have a little luck on their side.

A win could extend the Terps’ season; a loss or tie ends it. And they’re well aware of that.

“We have been very direct with our players about the importance of these last few games,” coach Brian Pensky said.

The Terps (6-10-1, 2-7-0 ACC) faced a similar mustwin scenario last Sunday against N.C. State. With their backs against the wall, they answered with a come-from-behind 2-1 win against the Wolfpack that kept their season alive.

With that win, all the pressure of this season is lumped into tonight’s

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

Radio: WMUCsports.com game. If recent play is any indication, the Terps should be the better team on the field.

While the Terps are coming off an inspiring victory that has kept their postseason dreams alive for the time being, the Tigers (5-9-1, 1-6-1) have been heading in the opposite direction recently.

They’ve lost four consecutive games in the conference and were outscored in those games 13-0. Last week, they suffered a pair of losses to nationally ranked opponents, falling to No. 6 Florida State 4-0 and No. 11 Duke 6-0. Though the Terps also lost to both those teams, each game was closely played, with the Terps coming out on the wrong side of 1-0 scores.

Giving up goals has been

Please See SOCCER, Page 8

Field hockey is graduating a group of two-time national champs Senior back Susie Rowe.

FILE PHOTO/THE DIAMONDBACK

BY MICHAEL KATZ Staff writer

They came. They won. Then they did it again.

With two titles in their first two years, the Terrapin field hockey team’s current group of seniors were quickly initiated into one of the nation’s top programs. Tonight, they will be honored before the No. 1 Terps’ final regular season home game against Virginia Commonwealth at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex at 7 p.m.

“The senior class has certainly had its array of experiences, having been [national] champions their first two years and having experienced an ACC championship,” coach Missy Meharg said.

Now, after four years in red and white, Danielle Keeley, Ellen Ott, Sarah Scholl and Susie Rowe agree: It sure has gone by fast.

“The crazy thing is that it just

Terps vs. Virginia Commonwealth Where: Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex When: Tonight, 7 p.m.

Radio: WMUCsports.com kind of sneaks up on you,” said Scholl, a four-year starter at forward. “In preseason, you’re thinking about maybe wishing days away or trying to make it through a practice. Then you make it to the end, and you realize you want to keep going, and there’s only a limited amount of time.”

Please See HOCKEY, Page 8

Ellen Ott is part of a senior class that has established itself as one of the winningest in Terp history. JAMES B. HALE/THE DIAMONDBACK