October 31, 2012

OPINION

SPORTS

FACING OFF

‘UNBELIEVABLE’

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Better job rate not enough for grads

hurricane sandy landfall

By Jim Bach Senior staff writer President Obama’s campaign may be playing up the dropping unemployment rates, which once again decreased in September, but those numbers aren’t encouraging enough to suggest college graduates will see a steady paycheck after earning their degrees.

And it doesn’t matter who’s in office after the election; the job market will still be difficult to traverse and may be even more unstable, some experts say.

Both presidential nominees have made their future economic policies clear. Obama, among other measures, would eliminate some of the Bush-era tax cuts, which offer tax breaks to the wealthiest citizens, to make up lost revenue over the last decade and close budget deficits. Republican hopeful Mitt Romney would cut rates, eliminate tax loopholes and slash spending.

Some experts have said Obama’s policies haven’t done much to accelerate growth or provide jobs for students after they get their diplomas.

“Any student that graduates and is looking for a job, it’s not going to be easy,” said Phillip Swagel, a public policy professor and assistant secretary for economic policy at the U.S. Treasury Department under thenPresident George W. Bush. “It’s not as bad as two or three years ago, but it’s not the kind of job market that we would be hoping for.”

Obama’s past policies, such as passing a nearly $800 billion stimulus package of government spending and tax breaks, drew ire from fiscal conservatives who maintain the incumbent’s spending policies are fueling future See eCONOMY, Page 3

students were largely safe Sunday through Tuesday while officials prepared and responded to Hurricane Sandy, which caused at least 40 deaths on the East Coast. Classes were canceled Monday and Tuesday, and staff and University Police worked around the clock. Officials responded to minor leaks and building malfunctions, Facilities Management Associate Vice President Carlo Colella said. tj root/for the diamondback (bottom left), charlie deboyace/the diamondback

Students worry as East Coast hometowns suffer extensive damage from hurricane

By Laura Blasey Staff writer College Park may have escaped the full force of Hurricane Sandy, but other East Coast cities weren’t so fortunate. For the students who call those cities home, Sandy’s wrath is far from over.

One of the largest storms to hit the region in recorded history, Sandy left a trail of destruction from the Carolinas to Maine, and from Mas-

sachusetts to Illinois. Flooding in the region is widespread, and more than 8.1 million people are without power, according to Reuters. While some students enjoyed the break from attending classes, it was a nerve-racking few days for those from New Jersey and New York.

The storm — the product of a tropical hurricane, cold fronts and an early winter storm drifting in the Atlantic — See sandy, Page 2

A friendly neighbor

On a cloudy Sunday afternoon, Bob Schnabel wanders down Harvard Road, holding a leash attached to a furry creature with paws outstretched across slippery, yellow leaves.

Schnabel, a city resident since 1971, walks his brown and white cat, Gayorg, frequently in his Calvert Hills neighborhood. It’s an animal-friendly area, he says. But when the topic of conversation turns to the area’s human population, the husband of District 3 College Park City Council member Stephanie Stullich appears tense.

“There’s a sense of entitlement that students have in regards to behavior,” Schnabel said. “A normal person would not believe some of the things that happen.”

Decade after decade, he has seen scores of students move into rental

INDEX

houses and leave one or two years later, resulting in a blur of stories and experiences. And while some students and residents can forge friendships, it takes only the “5, 10 percent that are disrespectful,” to sour such bonds.

“You have a very transient population,” Schnabel said. “Sometimes the relationships can be friendly and respectful — sometimes they can be horror stories.”

Longtime city residents have become united over fighting a common battle, he said, coming together over their tumultuous ties with students, a fight that has only spiraled downward throughout the years.

“The people who controlled the city in the past really did not do a good job. … We didn’t have a noise ordinance until the late ’80s,” See residents, Page 3

By Savannah Doane-Malotte Staff writer While areas along the East Coast suffered catastrophic damage from Hurricane Sandy, the campus was left with minimal damage in the aftermath of the so-called “Frankenstorm.”

The university experienced small power blips, minor leaks in various buildings and four elevator malfunctions. However, it did

not suffer any major power outages, tree damage or flooding, according to Facilities Management Associate Vice President Carlo Colella.

“We are very happy to have escaped the brunt of the impact,” he said. “We are very fortunate that the campus incurred very little damage and came through the storm in such good shape.”

But some parts of the campus experienced more serious damage. Excessive See damage, Page 2

wairimu “Nimo” thande, 1992-2012

‘Made you feel like you mattered’

College Park residents form bonds with some students and butt heads with others

By Nick Foley Staff writer

Preparation measures protect campus from major damage; officials still cleaning up

By Laura Blasey Staff writer To many, Wairimu “Nimo” Thande was the creative soul with the long hair who wore her room key as an earring.

A warm, bubbly person, friends and family said Thande could brighten anyone’s day.

“I think the reason why her death affected so many people was not because they were all super close with her, but because she was the type of person who made you feel like you mattered,” said Hannah Methvin, a sophomore English and studio art major. “She paid attention, and she really cared about what people had to say.”

Thande, 19, was pronounced dead Oct. 19 after she was found unresponsive in her South Campus Commons 2 apartment. The medical examiner is investigating the cause of death.

Born in Nairobi, Kenya, on Dec. 11, 1992, Thande moved with her family

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PHOTO COURTESY OF ALICE WACHIRA

to the United States and attended North Point High School in Waldorf.

In her time there, she founded and edited the school’s online newspaper, Eagle Eye. Before graduating in 2011 with honors, Thande wrote dozens of stories on sports, events and student life, features on everything from the

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first boy’s basketball player to sign with a major university team to students’ perspectives on what it means to be African American.

She continued to write in college, covering fashion, entertainment and local charity events for a website dedicated to the area’s best philanthropies, supportsomething.org.

Thande was a member of Global Communities, and those who saw posters and flyers for the living-learning program may have spotted some of her designs.

“Although she was not living in Dorchester this year, we all still felt her presence,” Global Communities Director Virginia Haufler wrote to the community on Oct. 22.

Thande also put her talent for the arts to work shooting and editing videos for Urban Cartel, a local rap group with several alumni members. She also made

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See thande, Page 3

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THE DIAMONDBACK | news | wednesDAY, october 31, 2012

ALTHOUGH HURRICANE SANDY did not severely affect the campus, Facilities Management workers are beginning the cleanup process by clearing out drains, sidewalks and parking lots and replacing roof tiles. While many students only had to deal with excessive rainfall in College Park, those with families living in New York and New Jersey — the areas hit hardest by Sandy so far — said they worried about the safety of those forced to evacuate their homes because of the storm. tj root/for the diamondback (top left, middle), charlie deboyace/the diamondback

damage From PAGE 1 rainfall on Monday night led the fi rst fl oor ceiling in Hagerstown Hall to turn into a “fishbowl,” sagging from a combination of small leaks that created a large collection of water in the ceiling. After numerous residents fi led complaints with the resident director, 4-WORK came to repair the situation.

“It was pretty serious,” said Norris Vassell, a junior resident assistant on the second floor of Hagerstown. “I’m pretty sure if 4-WOR K hadn’t come in and punched the holes into the ceiling, it would have caved in.”

T he u n iversity’s ex tensive preparation and cleanup measures helped protect the campus through the storm, Colel la sa id, a nd lessened Sandy’s impact.

“The level of preparation was appropriate g iven the enormous magnitude of the storm,” he said. “Part of the

reason we had so little damage was because of our staff that wa s work i n g t h rou g hout, monitoring various buildings on campus and responding to issues that came up.”

Facilities Management staff have been working to replace ceiling tiles from leaky roofs and cleaning out clogged exterior drains, sidewalks and pa rk i ng lots. T he clea nup process will continue for the rest of the week.

Sandy’s impact on College Park and the surrounding area was similar to what forecasters predicted, said Jason Elliott, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“Ultimately, the impact was what we were expecting,” he said. “The only thing was that the storm didn’t last as long as we thought it would, which was good. This way, the area had less time with the damaging heavy winds and rain.”

Although College Park wasn’t hit too intensely, Elliott noted there were severe damages

MORE ONLINE THE best and worst halloween costumes of the year

Halloween may actually be today, but we all know the costume parties started last weekend. The lingerie/mouse ears combo and Twilight vampires came out to play as the candy and spiked punch were passed around.

Some covered up with silly costumes and some left little to the imagination, therefore lacking imagination of any kind.

To the contrary of my Halloween how-to post about the dos and don’ts of costuming, I saw a lot of small animals at the parties. If I knew it was “Bring Your Pet” night, I would have brought my lovable mastiff. Watch out, he slobbers! Fortunately, I know better to leave animals in their respective cages. I apologize if I mistook your fishnets and bustier for, well, something other than a kitten.

For more of Liz Lane’s post, visit The Diamondback’s student blogs at www.diamondbackonline.com.

and injuries in other parts of Maryland, Washington and New York. An estimated 8.1 million people on the East Coast lost power, according to Reuters, and there are 40 reported deaths so far.

But some students are still questioning the forecasted severity of the hurricane, because the campus experienced minimal damage.

Michael Joiner, a freshman enrolled in letters and sciences, said the university overreacted to the storm predictions, which he believes were exaggerated.

“Maryland’s weather forecasts never seem to be completely accurate, and it makes us become too cautious for u n necessa ry th i ngs,” he said. “I will say, though, that sometimes it’s necessary to be cautious for potential storms, but this was one of the perfect examples of how we overstress things.”

Even if the storm wasn’t as serious as many predicted, freshman journalism major Ariana Castro Acuña said canceling classes was in students’ best interest.

“Officials always have to think about what’s safest for students, and what was safest for everyone was to cancel classes,” she said.

“Commuters would have been put i n a d a ngerous situation having to drive in a forecasted storm, and students walking around would have been in danger, too.”

Marissa Parra contributed to this report. newsumdbk@gmail.com

sandy

power overnight. Hospital staff carried patients from the intensive care unit down nine From PAGE 1 flights of stairs to transfer them to hospitals with power. made landfall at about 8 p.m.

The city’s subway system Monday near Atlantic City, N.J. was shut down, and city ofSandy swept away blocks of its ficials said it could be a week famous boardwalk, leaving only before the seawater is pumped foundations protruding from the out. Low-lying areas, includfloodwaters.

MEGAN DRUSS ing the World Trade Center site, In Hoboken, N.J., residents Freshman government and politics major flooded, and fire crews spent were banned from leaving their hours battling a blaze in Queens homes while emergency perNew York experienced cat- that destroyed 80 homes. sonnel and the National Guard “The subways are affecting used boats to rescue stranded astrophic damage from the storm, including severe flooding my family the most, because citizens across the state.

Freshman neurobiology and and fires in the heart of Man- now that they will be closed physiology major Jess Ubogiy hattan. In 2002, a study by AIR for another week, my parents spent hours Tuesday morning Worldwide Corp., a weather risk can’t go to work and my brother trying to get in touch with her management company, listed can’t go to school,” said Megan family. Ubogiy is from Ocean New York City as the second- Druss, a freshman governTownship, N.J., a town just a worst place in the country for ment and politics major from Brooklyn. “A lot of my friends in few miles away from Atlantic a hurricane to strike.

Not only was public trans- neighborhoods near the water City. While her family didn’t have to evacuate, they were portation halted, but Wall had to evacuate, and it will be Street markets were closed much harder for those neighplaced on watch.

“A l l of ou r beaches a nd two days in a row, “the longest borhoods to repair and get back boardwalks were destroyed,” weather-related closure in 124 to business.”

Druss said she stayed glued to she said. “Initially, I thought it years,” according to The Washthe news and maintained conwouldn’t be that bad, because it ington Post.

“It’s only when you hear stant contact with her family was only a Category 1.”

But once evacuations began people talk about how they to ease her anxiety.

The storm isn’t over yet. and the storm hit, cell phone don’t know where to get food because tons of stores don’t Western Maryland, Tennessee, service was down for hours.

“The most worried I was have power, and hear about West Virginia and Kentucky are was when I couldn’t get ahold events like an entire build- swamped in blizzard conditions of them, even though I knew the ing’s facade coming off — that’s and are expected to get more power was out,” she said. “It was when I realize the severity,” said than two feet of snow.

So far, three nuclear power stressful being all the way here.” Claire Voon, a New York UniS o p h o m o r e j o u r n a l i s m versity student from Maryland. plants have been shut down, Voon said the lower half of according to The Post, but that major Adam Akelson said his hometow n i n cent ra l New the city lacks power and stu- number is expected to rise. The Jersey wasn’t hit the hardest, dents are resorting to taking death toll from Sandy is more b u t s u r r o u n d i n g t o w n s , showers by pouring cups of than 40 and is also expected where some of his friends live, water over their heads. Voon to rise, The Post reported. The and her friends walked more Weather Channel reported the weren’t as lucky.

“My family and some friends than 30 blocks to fi nd an open storm is expected to move into Canada today. may not have power until like coffee shop.

NYU’s hospital, as well as November 5th,” he said. “My dad had to go out of town to get gas.” its backup generators, lost newsumdbk@gmail.com

“a lot of my friends in neighborhoods near the water had to evacuate, and it will be much harder for those neighborhoods to repair and get back to business.”

wednesday, october 31, 2012 | news | The diamondback

economy

3

would cost quite a few jobs.”

At a time when households and businesses are forgoing spending to pay down debt, the government shouldn’t do the same, several experts said.

Instead, Bivens said, the government needs to bolster growth with further spending to ensure more money goes into the economy and incomes don’t fall. Obama’s plan likely won’t deliver on another full-scale stimulus package like in 2009, but Bivens said it’s better than Romney’s proposal to cut.

“I would say it’s nowhere near strong enough medicine relative to what the economy rea l ly needs, but it wou ld defi nitely pull the unemployment rate down, whereas the Romney plan, if you follow the letter of his policy, would actually start pushing it back up,” Bivens said.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in September dipped to 7.8 percent – matching the rate in January 2009 when Obama took office – and numbers released late last week indicated the economy is growing better than expected, albeit slowly. Obama supporters have lauded these numbers as

proof of the president’s successful policies during trying economic times, while the Romney campaign condemns them as a testament to slow-growth measures. Swagel said the numbers wouldn’t do much to sway the election, and either side can spin them to their advantage.

“The recent data don’t change the picture of the economy or the political narrative,” he said.

“You can look at it as glass halffull or glass half-empty; we’re a divided nation and it seems like half of it see it full and half of it see it empty. “ We’ l l j u s t h a v e to s e e which half comes out to vote,” Swagel added.

Regardless of who is president, Bivens said the economy isn’t going to see a spark anytime soon, noting it could worsen in 2013. Conditions may not clear up until at least 2017, he added.

“The outlook is just more of the same, with risks greater on the downside than on the upside,” he said. “Unless we do something pretty radically different with policy, we’ve got elevated unemployment for a long time.”

wrote Seph Ade, a member of Urban Cartel, in an email. “We will miss her spirit and positive From PAGE 1 energy greatly.”

Friends and family described the group one of her designs, a pen and ink portrait painted over Thande, a sophomore business major, as a free spirit and a gifted in deep browns and blues.

“Nimo was one of the nicest artist. Whether for her eloquent people I have ever met. Very writings or the detailed drawings kind hearted and artistic,” and jewelry she made and sold

online, Thande received numerous awards for her artistic ability.

Thande was active in her church, the John Calvin Presbyterian Church in Annandale, Va., and always made time for friends and family. She was pursuing a career as a pharmacist and had a passion for music, playing piano and guitar. Her

From PAGE 1 budget deficits and putting the country on an unsustainable path. Rom ney’s pol icies would try to avoid these costly measures by instead cutting government programs and spending.

“Gov. Romney says that he thinks he can turn the economy around,” Swagel said. “From my perspective, a change in policy seems like a good idea.”

O b a m a’s p l a n d o e s n’t propose cuts of the magnitude that Romney’s plan contains.

Romney’s measures, Economic Policy Institute policy and research director Josh Bivens said, would make the economy hemorrhage even more jobs.

“If you take them at their word, the Obama plan would actually provide some upfront spending to support job creation, and that would be good for jobs in the short-run,” Bivens said. “The Romney plan pledges a pretty draconian cap on total federal spending that would suck a lot of spending power out of the economy in the near-term, and I think that

THANDE

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residents

“I do like college park. i see it like living in NEw York city in the Village.”

Schnabel said. “The current ordinance needs to be more ef fect ive; t here a re not enough city employees in the code department.”

Several students who live downtown, such as senior journalism major Marisa Pilla, said they don’t frequently interact with city residents.

“T hey k i nd of keep to themselves,” Pilla said. “I don’t personally have problems with them. … Other houses get really bothered with them because they’re always calling the cops and things like that.”

Two and a half years ago, Jim McFadden and P. Manuel Guevara looked on in horror as students dragged a stolen car past their house at Knox Road and Hopkins Avenue, heading to Route 1 to set the car ablaze during the downtown riot after the Maryland men’s basketball team defeated Duke University.

“We spent the night on the lawn with the hose and fire extinguisher, wondering

where the hell the police were,” McFadden said.

Experiences like these have come to characterize life in College Park for McFadden and Guevara, who say despite its downsides, they like being in the center of the action of a bustling college town.

“I do like College Park,” Guevara said. “I see it like living in New York City in the Village.”

McFadden and Guevara recalled another rousing sight years ago, when then-80-yearold resident Amelia Murdoch approached some student members of the fratern ity Alpha Tau Omega. After she expressed an interest in trying out a scooter for the fi rst time, the group happily obliged by taking her along on a short ride.

Amid the frequent rowdiness, these kinds of memories soften their view of students.

Guevara added he doesn’t mind a raucous house party — as long as a swift cleanup follows the morning after.

“For me, it’s made me feel really good to see a group of students get up and start cleaning the streets,” he said.

But the city’s upbeat flair comes with a glaring nega-

family said she loved to sing.

For those who knew her and even those who didn’t, her sudden death was jarring. She was memorialized in an outpouring of tweets and blog posts in the days following her death.

“She positively impacted so many people’s lives, including my own, and ‘sad’ doesn’t seem to do

justice to how upsetting her untimely passing is,” Methvin said.

She is survived by her parents, Thande Njuguna and Nyambura Thande, a brother, Njuguna, and younger sister, Murugi. Friends and family commemorated Thande’s life on Saturday at a funeral service held at Good Samaritan Pres-

byterian Church in Waldorf, followed by an interment ceremony at Heritage Memorial Cemetery in Waldorf.

The family is accepting donations through the Bank of America in Waldorf. Details are available at DiasporaMessenger.com.

sophomore economics and fi nance major Clark Wright — one of Trupp’s closest friends and the leader of the tribe — received the most votes. Trupp called the vote a “blind side.”

Wright was exiled. A tiki light was snuffed.

T hings change when the players are all friends, too.

“No one wants to vote their friends out,” Nicholas said.

“There’s no nice way to say, ‘We don’t want you on our team.’”

With unanimous consent and some raised forks in agreement, between bites, the name “Rattana” was decided — the name the first Survivor challengers chose for their newly merged team.

Though contestants are sometimes sad to see former tribe members voted off, the exile process is rarely taken personally, no matter the competitiveness of its players, they said.

They would all still text back and forth and play FIFA in each other’s rooms. They’d scheme and plan alliances via Facebook.

They’d call Trupp by his nickname — “Schteen” — and they’d make fun of Schuble for being late to challenges and councils. They’d spend mornings, afternoons and nights trying to outwit, outplay and outlast — all because they believe in the spirit of Trupp’s game.

From PAGE 1

P. MANUEL GUEVARA City resident

tive: Daily routines are sometimes pervaded by a fear of crime, which Schnabel said has increased over the decades.

Though weekends were always marked by an air of unruliness, an uptick in crime creates a more menacing atmosphere, he said; he once witnessed an armed robbery just steps from his house, located at the corner of Dartmouth and Knox roads.

“There’s a level of chaos here during the night,” Schnabel said. “It sets up an opportunity for people to prey on others.”

McFadden said he was also ratt led by a recent a r med robbery on Calvert Road, the kind of crime he would not have worried about when he and Guevara moved into the city 30 years ago.

“I walk that street almost every night,” he said. “That did make me wonder, ‘Should I be doing that?’” newsumdbk@gmail.com

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DIVERSIONS

SURVIVOR

That night, he was still celebrating after coming through for his tribe in the last chalFrom PAGE 6 lenge. It involved balloons tied finance major Jordan Schuble, who to people’s legs, and players stompi ng a nd popping the everyone calls by his last name.

balloon of their partner in the other tribe. Schuble brought cleats to the challenge, giving him an advantage.

He knew he was safe, at least for one night.

“I’m playing to win, since everybody is taking it seriously, too,” he said.

Nick Paskal, a sophomore astronomy and mathematics major, said it’s all careful logic for him.

“My favorite memory has been the strategizing and the mapping potential results,” he said.

Col leen Wi lson sa id she didn’t know many people in the Survivor group and came in thinking she’d lay low.

The sophomore atmospheric and oceanic science major’s attitude quickly morphed into a more competitive one, she said.

She’s familiar with the show, but said it’s a different experience when participating.

“They didn’t show how hard it is to vote people off,” she said. “I was upset when I was talking to the camera. I didn’t think it would be that hard.”

Wilson would be out by the time the teams merged on Oct. 23.

In the same council meeting,

And then there were 11. Eleven whittled down after two months of competitions, duels, challenges and tribal councils.

With a letter from Trupp on Oct. 23 — one of his twists in the game — the tribes were merged, united into one team.

They spitballed team names over a diner-made Oreo pie Trupp had bought to mirror the celebratory merging feast seen on the show. diversionsdbk@gmail.com

4

THE DIAMONDBACK | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2012

Opinion

EDITORIAL BOARD

YASMEEN ABUTALEB Editor in Chief

Mike King

Managing Editor

maria romas

Tyler Weyant

Managing Editor

Opinion Editor

nadav karasov

Assistant Opinion Editor

CONTACT US 3150 South Campus Dining Hall | College Park, MD 20742 | newsumdbk@gmail.com OR opinionumdbk@gmail.com PHONE (301) 314-8200

HEAD-TO-HEAD GUEST FEATURE

The election: College Democrats versus College Republicans VIEW President Obama is the right choice for the next four years. From his dedication to ensuring all Americans can afford a college education to Mitt Romney’s out-of-touch attitude with today’s average students, Obama is the answer.

A

s a student, the issue of education — specifically higher education — is a focal point of the presidential election for me. Despite a plethora of other important issues, higher education stands out near the top of the list for college students.

And because of that, the candidate with the best plan for this country is clear: President Obama.

According to a recent study by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, by 2020, 66 percent of all jobs in America will require at least a post-secondary education.

The reality of the global economic climate is that there is a need for all Americans to become more educated in order to be more competitive both domestically and internationally. Many Republicans are ignorant to this fact, such as former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, who once called President Obama a “snob” for wanting everyone in America to attend college. Is that really the approach we want to have toward college education in this country? I don’t think so.

On higher education, Obama has a clear and effective plan to increase affordability for every American, something Mitt Romney cannot say. On the campaign trail in Ohio in March, Romney told his audience students should “shop around” for the college that best fits them, for the right price and hope you don’t “take on too much debt.” He went on to say it is not the role of the federal government to provide students more money, and did not even touch on what can be done to improve Pell Grants and other forms of financial aid. While Obama has pledged to keep college affordable and provide students with loans, Mitt Romney’s education record shows he cut community college funding by 17 percent, and tuition in Massachusetts skyrocketed in 2006 to 59 percent higher than the national average, according to the Obama campaign’s website.

For someone who never had to worry about

money and financing an education, Romney’s views on higher education are so out of touch that it’s frightening.

Obama, on the other hand, understands the importance of giving every student a fair chance to go to college, regardless of where he or she comes from. One major issue regarding affordable education is the role of Pell Grants and federal financial aid awarded to students.

While Romney wants to cut or eliminate these programs, Obama raised the maximum Pell Grant award to $5,500 and plans to raise it next year, according to the White House website.

Additionally, the number of recipients has grown by more than 50 percent in the last four years, according to the site, to more than 3 million. He also prevented federal student loan interest rates from doubling for more than 7 million students and capped federal student loan repayments at 10 percent of income, also allowing loan forgiveness after 20 years, down from 25. Obama has also worked to keep tuition costs low at state institutions and has put his support behind legislation such as the DREAM Act, which would provide in-state tuition to undocumented students who meet certain requirements.

While Obama has ambitious plans and a proven track record of sticking up for students and higher education, Romney has done the opposite. He is against federal aid programs and would rather see the privatization of loans and aid. He does not realize the importance of an affordable and accessible education for all Americans, and the impact that more educated Americans will have on our economy. So when it comes to the issue of higher education, the choice is clear. President Obama has our backs.

Will you have his?

Tyler Grote is the president of College Democrats.

He can be reached at tgrote29@gmail.com.

VIEW Mitt Romney is the right choice for the next four years. From his dedication to promoting innovation to President Obama’s proven lack of ability when it comes to fixing the economy, Romney is the answer.

T

he idea of success in America is founded on the notion that people matter — more specifically, that you matter. This election is about whether we are going to continue believing in the American tradition that people and ideas count or starve our people of the opportunity to choose their own destiny. I came to this university on my own merits, like all of my fellow classmates.

I am working to improve my future and hope to apply these improvements in the American workforce. The choices made in Washington in the last four years have restricted the common desire of students like you and I to achieve our goals. They hold our destinies collectively, not allowing the shining stars to blaze a new path forward to a better and freer America.

While I felt optimistic about America’s ability to get out of the economic woes in 2008, my pessimism has grown, much like the burden placed on our shoulders. Today, graduates face the personal debts of college tuition, as well as the growing mountain of debt placed on them by federal fiscal decisions of the past four years.

These mountains of debt placed on our shoulders need to be dealt with before we collapse.

Besides these frightening troubles, students are now going out into a job market where more than half of recent college graduates are unemployed or underemployed. The job situation for America — specifically for students who have debts to repay — is dire. As a student graduating in just a few short months, I am anxious

about the prospects I will face when I go into the “real world” and look for a job — one that I have been working hard toward for the past three years. Those with the most need for jobs are without them. We, as students, are looking past our college years into the future and seeing a bleak outlook. The idea of continuing with the same person that created these problems is counterintuitive at best, and lunatic at worst.

Mitt Romney seeks to create a welcoming environment for people who desire to pursue their own destiny, and he has a plan that will help strengthen the middle class, foster innovation and champion small business. The ideas of free enterprise and choice are the foundations of what we are. The Republican Party, and more specifically Romney and congressman and running mate Paul Ryan, wish to promote the innovators of the world, the people who do and create and the people who have the next great ideas.

We came to college, guided by various mentors and teachers, on our own achievements. During our time at this university, we have written the papers, spent hours in labs and even pulled allnighters to obtain the best outcome. These personal achievements are yours, and yours alone.

On Nov. 6, I challenge you to vote for the candidate who allows your work to be rewarded: Mitt Romney.

Allison Agazzi is the president of College Republicans.

She can be reached at allisonagazzi@gmail.com.

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Halloween: Beloved tradition or stupid excuse for a holiday?

MADELEINE LIST Halloween always brings the same traditions: jack-o’-lanterns, candy, scary movies and costumes. But it also comes with the same divide — those who love the holiday and those who think it’s stupid. Some people say Halloween is just an excuse for girls to dress slutty, but it isn’t only that. Halloween is a chance for expression, creativity and fun.

Halloween is what you make it, and anyone can take part in the tradition.

Halloween comes from an ancient Pagan Celtic festival called Samhain. Samhain was created to recognize the ghosts of the dead coming back to earth. Ancient customs, such as dressing up in costume and an early form of trick-or-treating, have lasted until this day and have spread throughout the world.

El Dia de los Muertos takes the place of Halloween in Mexico and other Latin American countries. The three-day celebration was created to honor the dead, whose spirits are believed to return to their homes on Halloween night. People visit the graves of the deceased and light candles and incense to help the spirits of loved ones find their way home. This is a beautiful holiday that encourages remembering the dead and honoring their lives. Turning the pain of death into a celebration of life is an idea that is often left out of American culture. We focus so much on the sadness of loss that we forget to remember the lives of the dead.

In England, citizens celebrate Guy Fawkes Day during this time of year to commemorate the execution of Guy Fawkes, an English criminal convicted of attempting to blow up Parliament in the early 1600s. Celebrators shoot

off fireworks, light bonfires and have parades to honor the day an awful catastrophe was prevented.

American customs began in colonial times and evolved over time with the immigration of people from Europe.

European superstitions about ghosts, witches and evil spirits date back to the Middle Ages. Black cats represent bad luck because they were once believed to be witches who had transformed to avoid detection. The first Halloween celebrations in America consisted of ghost stories, bonfires, dancing and singing.

Today, Halloween is defined by children trick-or-treating, jack-o’-lanterns and people going out dressed in costume.

Halloween is a rare opportunity to be something different for a night. It’s a chance to get creative and break from the usual routine. And this year, Halloween falls in the middle of the week, giving us multiple chances to dress up in various costumes.

We can use costumes to make statements about ourselves. Halloween can bring out parts of our character that only this occasion would allow. Each year, people have new, witty ideas that align with trends in pop culture. Costumes can express what’s going on in our world.

This year, I expect to see Mitt Romneys, President Obamas and maybe a few Psys doing it “Gangnam Style.”

Halloween is a welcome escape from the shorter days and colder weather of the coming winter. The holiday has roots deep in history and has evolved with input from different places and cultures.

But mostly, it’s a chance to get creative, make a statement and be someone else for a night.

NEAL FREYMAN Well, it looks like Halloween was almost canceled on the East Coast this year — and I, for one, am ecstatic.

There is no shallower, cheaper, more rotten holiday than the one we thankfully did not have to endure for the last two years. Here’s hoping that trend lasts indefinitely.

I do not know the origins of Halloween, but then again, no one else on this planet does.

Hundreds of years ago, Celts in England spent “All Hallows’ Eve” honoring the dead and celebrating a bountiful harvest. If we take “honoring the dead” as “watching the ABC Family horror movie marathon,” and “celebrating a bountiful harvest” as “stuffing our mouths with Laffy Taffys until our teeth turn a distinct shade of yellow and proceed to fall out,” then I am certain 21st-century revelers have successfully maintained the historical significance of the holiday.

For small kids, I get the appeal

of Halloween. Like Jerry Seinfeld says, all we cared about as children was “Get candy, get candy,” and it’s hard to think of another time and place than the night of October 31 on Mrs. McGrady’s porch where this dream could have been more easily realized. But with all the recent emphasis on eating healthy, I hope and expect to see this tradition changed soon. In 20 years, when puny Draculas and Supermans come knocking on my door, they will be asked to recite, “trick or package of granola!” and should be expecting the latter.

Halloween is also a very scary holiday. For someone who was afraid of the dark until senior year of high school, I tend to stand clear of the haunted houses, horror movies and frighteningly carved pumpkins that define Halloween for so many people.

I will never understand why most of my friends enjoy watching ancient spirits wreak havoc on a white, middleclass family with a beautiful daughter until they can’t sleep for days, but I can’t even handle the previews. Scary things don’t entertain me, they just … scare me. Thankfully, I just received my parents’ package containing my blankie and a second night light for the bathroom, so sleep should come

easier than in past years.

While I give Halloween and its delights of dread a pass for small children, it has become an absolute joke on college campuses, including this one.

The weeks leading up to the holiday (if you can call it that) are filled with incessant chatter about potential costumes. Since when did Halloween become a monthlong holiday where we each need 34 costumes? Asking most girls, “What are you being for Halloween?” is equivalent to asking them to name every species in the animal kingdom, and I just don’t have time for that.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that severe weather has interrupted Halloween for the past two years. What we’re doing is just not right. Halloween should begin and end in elementary school. Halloween, especially at college, is a grotesque perversion of a holiday that, at its heart, is a grotesque perversion. College students should accept that and move on to better things, like getting drunk while wearing more than one article of clothing. Let’s keep it that way.

Neal Freyman is a senior history m a j o r. H e c a n b e re a c h e d a t opinionumdbk@gmail.com.

EDITORIAL CARTOON JACK CHEN/the diamondback

Ma d e l e i n e L i s t i s a so p h o m o re journalism major. She can be reached at opinionumdbk@gmail.com.

EDITORIAL BOARD YASMEEN ABUTALEB, editor in chief, is a junior journalism and microbiology major.

She has worked as a reporter, assistant news editor and news editor.

MIKE KING, managing editor, is a junior journalism major. He has worked as a copy

editor, assistant managing editor and deputy managing editor.

TYLER WEYANT, managing editor, is a senior journalism major. He has worked as a copy

editor, assistant managing editor and deputy managing editor.

Maria Romas, opinion editor, is a junior English and journalism major. She has

worked as a reporter, columnist and assistant opinion editor.

Nadav Karasov, assistant opinion editor, is a junior economics major.

He has worked as a columnist.

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

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2012 | THE DIAMONDBACK

5

Features

CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Bug repellent 5 Hasty escape 8 Hindu -- range 12 Talk-show name 14 Big celebration 15 “Sting like -- --” 16 Bete - 17 Rock fissure 18 Caroler’s tune 19 Vitamin C acid 21 Dream up 23 Dinny’s rider 24 He’s on first 25 Freight weight 26 Caught a glimpse of 30 Pizza feature 32 Reddish horses 33 Brushy thicket 37 Yawn 38 Brief upturns 39 Early movie dog 40 Low-key fire works 42 Potomac, for one 43 Nerd 44 Swigged down 45 Ally opposite 48 Paneling wood 49 Theorem ender 50 Make up 52 Funny 57 Ooze out 58 Glimmering 60 Jousting weapon 61 Take on cargo 62 Meddlesome

63 Something extra 64 Arctic transport 65 Mdse.

66 List extender (2 wds.)

41 Tae -- do 42 Mr. Nureyev 44 Mineral find 45 Fixes a tooth

46 Shaquille of the NBA 47 Find a loophole 49 Jetty

51 Barely scraped by 52 Pianist Dame Myra - 53 Some steaks

DOWN 1 Lady of Spain 2 Homer’s forte 3 Speed-skater -- Heiden 4 Polynesian staple 5 Secular 6 Melmac visitor 7 Goes with 8 Carol -- of “Taxi” 9 Wolf-pack member 10 Deal with (2 wds.)

11 Wife of Menelaus 13 Hoagies 14 Good hold 20 Physique 22 Civil rights activist -- Parks 24 Outer garments 26 Joule fractions 27 Grease cutter 28 Storybook bear 29 Lying still 30 Bird sound 31 Nature path 33 Ring up sales 34 Host’s request 35 Fit to -- - 36 Shortening 38 Meadow sounds

© 2012 United Features Syndicate

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B

HOROSCOPE STELLA WILDER

orn today, you are something of a visionary, and though you will always maintain ties to the past, you are always seeking to propel yourself and your endeavors into the future with new methods, techniques and ideas. You are so confident, in fact, that you would have no qualms about improving on a past master’s work of art -- and because you are so bold and daring in your approach it is likely that others would recognize your contribution and not take you to task for “defacing” the original! Fortunately, you have such respect for tradition that you’re not one to ruin another’s work.

You don’t always follow the most linear plans. There are times, indeed, in which you let your instincts determine what direction you will go -- and what goals you will pursue.

Eventually, you develop a concrete notion of what you are truly after -- and how to get it!

Also born on this date are: Peter Jackson, film director; John Candy, actor and comedian; Jane Pauley, journalist; Deidre Hall, actress; David Ogden Stiers, actor; Michael Landon, actor and producer.

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.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1 SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- You may not be able to get away with certain mischief today -- but

COLLEGE INTUITION RICHIE BATES ROGER DOES COLLEGE

in truth, now is not the time to challenge others in that way anyway.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Cause and effect is worthy of some study today, as it will play out in a way that is unexpected -though not altogether surprising.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- You’re going to want to have things transpire in certain ways -- but you must acknowledge that you can influence them only so much.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -Now is no time to sever communications, especially with those with whom you have been negotiating certain financial terms.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -- You may feel as though you are drowning in facts and figures, but it’s important for you to keep abreast of such details as best you can.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- It may be time for you to lay down the law, insisting that those in your care follow your instructions to the letter.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Your interest in another’s affairs is likely to increase as a result of

your introduction to one or two fascinating episodes.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -You may be worrying about issues that you cannot control; though understandable, such preoccupation will only serve to limit your productivity.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- You can see where others are headed, and there should be time for you to warn them against what you know lies ahead.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Honest talk can be quite useful as you try to cut through the kinds of barriers that result from secrecy of all kinds.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Appropriate action will be required as you face a situation that not everyone is familiar with -- but all are afraid of to some degree.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- You may be wondering how the competition has been able to challenge you so directly -- but today you’ll realize why this has been possible.

COPYRIGHT 2012 UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.

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APARTMENTS AUTOMOTIVE BEAUTY E DUCATION FLORIST HEALTH LEGAL AECREATION PARTMENTS PARTMENTS R AUTOMOTIVE UTOMOTIVE RELIGION BEAUTY EAUTY E DUCATION DUCATION APARTMENTS PARTMENTS FLORIST LORIST AUTOMOTIVE HUTOMOTIVE EALTH EALTH BEAUTY EAUTY LEGAL EGAL E DUCATION DUCATION RECREATION ECREATION FLORIST LORIST RELIGION ELIGION HEALTH EALTH LEGAL EGAL RECREATION ECREATION RELIGION ELIGION

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THE DIAMONDBACK | wednesDAY, october 31, 2012

Diversions

THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT

Staff writer Kelsey Hughes and The Diamondback’s Alicia McElhaney each discuss why Halloween is hauntingly satisfying — for completely different reasons. For more, check out diamondbackonline.com.

REEL NEWS SPOTLIGHT | SURVIVOR

survival of the fittest

Run by sophomore Austin Trupp, a game of Survivor on the campus proves to strengthen bonds of friendship between students who might never have met otherwise

between the Ellicott and Denton communities, sophomore Austin Trupp runs Survivor tribal council meetings modeled after the CBS show. Each week, the group votes to exile a contestant. photos by dennis ting /for the diamondback

By Beena Raghavendran Staff writer The rain had thrown a wrench in Austin Trupp’s plans.

Without it, the night would have been just as it always was — dramatic music playing in the grassy picnic area outside Hagerstown Hall, lit tiki torches casting a deep orange glow on his friends’ faces and a perfect council meeting.

Instead, the weather was teasing the sophomore government and politics major. An earlier downpour had made everything soggy and unappealing.

Water dripped through the trees in a slow drizzle periodically, playing a game of hide-and-seek throughout the night.

Seven of Trupp’s friends trudged through the puddles onto the picnic ground a few minutes after 9 p.m.

“I thought you guys brought towels,” Trupp said, referencing the damp picnic bench they’d have to sit on for an hour. The paper towels they’d carried wouldn’t cut it.

Trupp took his spot at the makeshift lectern — a crate — and started speaking. The meeting must go on; they’d have to survive.

Three sentences could easily characterize Trupp, the “host” of the game he calls “Survivor: La Plata Island.”

1. Austin Trupp is crazy.

“I have a track record of organizing outlandish things,” Trupp said. It’s a list that includes sports, fantasy football and camp activities (where his inaugural Survivor imitation game started).

In just two months of his college Survivor, he’s made his friends swim in Eppley Recreation Center’s indoor pool.

He’s made them compete in a three-part Olympics with quirky sports including handball and “lidball.” He’s had them put each other on the spot and vote each other out of the game.

“I thought this was some fun thing that we’d do to get rid of stress, but he went all out,” said Trupp’s roommate Allan Nicholas, a sophomore mechanical engineering and operations management major.

Nicholas said their room is fi lled with tiki torches and other random equipment — much of which is kept secret to him.

Trupp said his brainchild is always in the back of his mind.

“Class and Survivor — those are my top two things,” he said.

2. Austin Trupp is determined.

Combining his high school friends who attend the university and his floor friends was Trupp’s plan. No, they didn’t all know each other. And that was the point.

“One of my many goals — if not my main goal — was to get people to meet new people,” Trupp said. “I figured they would bond, and they have. You have people hanging out that they never would have otherwise.”

The groups spend three or four hours a week at challenges and tribal councils.

Trupp spends about two hours planning those — including gathering supplies, making videos, ensuring spaces are free, coordinating the players while maintaining top-secret status.

And he’s meticulous. Trupp takes videos with his iPhone, and his friend takes photos of many challenges while simultaneously moderating them.

When he’s not physically with the contestants — for privacy or enhanced dramatic effect — he films it all on a laptop webcam.

He’s been a fan of Survivor since he was about 15 and just applied to be a contestant on the show.

3. Austin Trupp is “that guy.”

For him, Survivor is the ultimate social experiment among his friends.

“The social and mental intensity appeals to me the most,” he said. “It’s a social thing more than anything.”

He said he’s always been that guy who organizes everything, that guy who loves athleticism and mental games, that guy his friends turn to for fun.

Eliminating the more horrifying elements — such as eating bugs, snakes, rats, etc. — of the original game for its adaptation to a college environment has humanized the game further, Trupp said, and stripped it down to its core: social interactions.

“I feel like life is a very watereddown and longer form of Survivor,” Trupp said. “It’s like The Hunger Games without dying.”

He continued with his routine speech.

“The reason we have fire is fire represents life. When your fire is out, you’re out of the game.”

It started out as a game, but it was always going to be something more.

There were about 20 of them at first — all sophomores, all Trupp’s friends — who were cut to a total of 16 in two tribes, Tagi and Pagong (named after the first Survivor season’s tribes) after a couple tribal councils a month ago.

Now, they’re down to 11 players who recently merged into a single tribe.

Drums echoed across the campus the night of the council meeting. This university’s drum line was practicing in front of Byrd Stadium just as they did every Tuesday and Thursday night. The sound rolled and rumbled through the Hagerstown picnic area in anticipation.

“Welcome to you r second tribal council, g uys. Just a few things before we start: the voting is slightly different this time. It’s pretty much the same thing, but things are getting wet. Go up there,” Trupp said while motioning to a laptop with a webcam set up at a neighboring picnic table displaying slips of paper. “Talk about why you’re voting for who you’re voting for, do your public spiel, fold it up, put it in the voting bin.”

He threw questions in true Jeff Probst fashion, taking a turn drilling each tribe member.

Do you feel like you’re an outsider? Are there alliances? Who do you think will be voted off? How do you feel about the other team? Let’s move on.

Contestants’ faces looked back at Trupp stoically, lit by the glow from the Hagerstown windows.

After half an hour of grilling, it was time for the vote.

Players huddled around one picnic table as each of them took turns walking to another table, voting to exile a player and slipping pieces of paper in a red box.

The votes were building up. So was Trupp’s anticipation — after all, his dream was coming true.

He counted the votes and returned to the tribe’s picnic table, trying to hide his grin.

T rupp u n folded the sl ips i n f ront of the tribe as the contestants waited — a n agony t hey called terrifying.

One vote. Trupp showed the name.

Then another and another.

The cast of chara c te rs i s a lway s evolving — exiles reenter the game; team leaders get voted off.

T here’s sophomore accounting and See survivor, Page 3

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2EVEN WEDNESDAY, October 31, 2012 | SPORTS | THE DIAMONDBACK

VITALE From PAGE 8 enough description for what’s h app ene d to t he Ter ps at quarterback this season. To go through two, maybe three quarterbacks in a season due to poor play or injury isn’t abnormal. But to lose four for the season — th ree i n one week — to devastating injuries? It’s unheard of.

But it’s the Terps’ reality.

When they host Georgia Tech on Saturday, their starting quarterback will be converted linebacker Shawn Petty.

Edsall hasn’t specified how the Terps’ offense will look with Petty as the signal caller, but a very run-heavy attack seems almost certain. Petty, after all, ran a Navy-style, triple-option offense at Greenbelt’s Eleanor Roosevelt High School.

If the true freshman becomes the fifth quarterback to go down with an injury, converted tight end Brian McMahon will take over under center.

Now, the chances of the Terps needing to fi nd a thirdstring quarterback with just four regular season games remaining would normally be slim to none. But the way things have gone this season, it might not be out of the question.

THE DIAMONDBACK THE DIAMONDBACK | XXXDAY, | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER AUGUST XX, 31, 20127

PETTY

“‘Somebody ought to do some research to see if this ever happened before.’ ... It’s pretty much unbelievable.”

From PAGE 8

RANDY EDSALL

Terrapins football coach

What would happen if both went down? Would running back Wes Brown be called on to run a Miami-Dolphinscirca-2008 Wildcat offense?

Would the Terps insert wide receiver Stefon Diggs at quarterback and just let him do Stefon Diggs things with the ball on every play?

Edsall said he hasn’t thought that far ahead yet. But based on this season’s events, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he starts to very soon. “ I s a i d to s o m e b o d y, I sa id, ‘Somebody oug ht to do some research to see if this ever happened before,’” Edsall said. “It’s pretty much unbelievable.”

To everyone who watched Rowe walk into the media room Saturday, and to everyone who has followed the Terps closely this season, it’s not “pretty much” unbelievable.

It’s just unbelievable. sportsdbk@gmail.com

C.J. Brown — Torn ACL

Perry Hills — Torn ACL

Devin Burns — Lisfranc

Caleb Rowe — Torn ACL

photos by charlie deboyace/the diamondback

on their active roster.

Petty a nd back up Br i a n McMahon, a freshman tight end who played quarterback for Columbia’s Atholton High School last season, are the Terps’ sole options after Perry Hills and Devin Burns endured season-ending injuries against N.C. State on Oct. 20. Hills, who started seven games for the Terps, was thrust into the first string job when presumptive starter C.J. Brown suffered an ACL tear in August.

“We’ll just go forward and get ready,” Edsall said Sunday.

“We have complete confidence in Shawn and what he can do and what he’ll be able to bring to our team as a quarterback.”

Green shares that confidence. He called Petty a “cool customer” and said the freshman’s competitive nature will help him grasp the Terps’ playbook quickly.

Petty ran the triple-option at Roosevelt, the same offense E d s a l l ’s s q u a d w i l l f a c e against the Yellow Jackets, and is fam iliar with the zone-read and option plays Terps offensive coordinator Mike Locksley employs in his multi-set offense.

Other aspects of the game, though, may be a bit trickier for the former first team allPrince George’s County selection. Roosevelt’s offense didn’t require Petty to call protections, so making reads based on plays may take him some time to master.

A lso, given the Raiders’ attack, Petty never had to rely heavily on his arm. Green estimated the two-star recruit

threw between 15 and 20 times a game, but few of those tosses sailed beyond 10 yards.

That will likely signal a significant step back from the 42 passes Rowe attempted in his fi rst career start, as well as an increased reliance on running back Wes Brown and star wide receiver Stefon Diggs.

Downfield throws may be few and far between, especially with second-leading wide receiver Marcus Leak done for the season with a broken toe, so the Terps could begin employing more short routes, run plays and option reads. “ I d on’t t h i n k t he fa n s s h o u l d go i n to t h e g a m e thinking, ‘Oh, we got this fi fth-string quarterback, the season’s over,’” Green said.

“He’s going to do everything he can to help the team win.

And with Diggs and all those guys, I think that’ll help out tremendously for him.”

It may also help that Petty will have a horde of supporters on hand at Byrd Stadium for h is f i rst col lege appearance — let alone start.

Greenbelt, after all, is just a 10-minute drive from College Park — an easy commute for a n yo n e w h o h o p e d P e t t y would get another chance at quarterback.

Green, though, won’t be i n attenda nce. H is tea m has a game at rival Suitland High School at 2 p.m., just 90 minutes after Petty takes his fi rst collegiate snap. He’ll have to be content catching a glimpse of the game on ESPN3.

Said Green: “I know we’ll be glued to the TV for the fi rst half of the Maryland game before we play.” sportsdbk@gmail.com

Defender Dakota Edwards and the Terps have played a tough schedule this season, and coach Sasho Cirovski thinks they’re showing some signs of being tired. charlie deboyace/the diamondback

SCHEDULE From PAGE 8 we can get a little bit of rest now before the Wake game and move on.”

This summer, the Terps convened in College Park to train together multiple times a week in an effort to prevent a lateseason swoon for the second straight year (they went 1-3-2 in their last six games last season).

This was the point of the season where they faltered last year, and they’re determined to avoid a similar fate.

“I don’t know about tiring,” said forward Patrick Mullins, the team’s leading scorer.

“Someti mes you’ve got to push through things like that.

[Cirovski] has more of an observation than we do on the field.

We’re just going 100 percent at all times. I don’t think it’s anything toward the end of the season. We train all summer for this period of time right here to be fit and ready to go.”

I n the short term, the

“I put them in that schedule. I think it’ll pay benefits in the long run, but I think tonight in the second half, I put them under some pressure.”

SASHO CIROVSKI

Terrapins men’s soccer coach schedule has seemingly had a negative impact on the Terps.

T he team’s defense lacked directness against Clemson, and the Tigers outmuscled and outhustled the Terps for stretches Saturday.

But Cirovski is now focused solely on the ACC and NCAA tournaments. A win against Clemson would have been nice, but he wants the Terps’ schedule to pay off in the postseason.

“I take responsibility for that,” Cirovski said Saturday.

“I put them in that schedule.

I think it’ll pay benefits in the long run, but I think tonight in the second half, I put them under some pressure.” sportsdbk@gmail.com

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ON THE WEB

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2012

FOOTBALL

Adding insult to injury

After Rowe’s injury, Terps’ fifth-string quarterback Petty to make first career start Sat.

Losing four quarterbacks to season-ending injuries in one season? It’s unfathomable.

By Connor Letourneau Senior staff writer

JOSH VITALE

Tom Green always fi gured Shawn Petty would get the opportunity to be a college quarterback. He just never expected it to unfold quite like this.

Green, who watched Petty play under center for three seasons at Greenbelt’s Eleanor Roosevelt High School, saw all the necessary tools for a BCS conference-caliber signal caller. The arm strength, the footwork and the leadership were all there, he reasoned.

But the offers weren’t. Even after leading the Raiders to a 10-1 record last season, Petty boasted only two scholarship offers — from FCS schools James Madison and Howard — to play quarterback. So the lifelong Terrapins football fan decided to take his talents to nearby College Park as a linebacker. Green’s hopes of one day seeing Petty take a collegiate snap waned.

That is, until Sunday. Green, in his fi fth season coaching the Raiders, received a text message from his longtime pupil saying Caleb Rowe — the Terps’ fourth option under center after a rash of season-ending injuries decimated the team’s depth chart — had suffered an ACL tear during a 20-17 loss at Boston College. Petty, who had started taking reps at quarterback as a precaution a week earlier, would earn the starting nod against Georgia Tech on Saturday.

“It’s unbelievable,” Green said of Petty’s sudden opportunity to play quarterback. “Never seen anything like it.”

Neither has Randy Edsall. T he second-year coach told reporters Sunday he wanted someone to research whether any team has ever lost four quarterbacks in a single season.

And while those results are pending, Petty’s status under center is secure.

With Rowe done for the year, the Terps are without a scholarship quarterback See PETTY, Page 7

A group of reporters watched as Caleb Rowe walked into the visiting team’s media room at Alumni Stadium on Saturday afternoon. There was no noticeable limp, no injury concern.

It didn’t matter he was the last remaining healthy quarterback on a Terrapins football team that had already lost three to season-ending injuries.

It didn’t matter his team had just lost, 20-17, at Boston College. Based on his comments after the game, he just seemed excited to have a chance to be on the field.

“I wasn’t really thinking, ‘Don’t get hurt, don’t get hurt,’” Rowe said Saturday. “I was just out there having fun and playing my game.”

He didn’t know then he had torn his ACL on the Terps’ second-to-last play of the game. He didn’t know then his season was already over. But when he woke up with soreness in his knee the next morning and underwent an MRI, Rowe learned he would be the team’s fourth quarterback to miss the rest of the season due to injury.

It’s almost unfathomable. It’s nearly impossible to believe. The Terps started the season with four healthy quarterback options. After Rowe’s injury, they have none left. C.J. Brown tore his ACL in the preseason, Perry Hills tore his ACL in the Terps’ loss to N.C. State on Oct. 20 and Devin Burns suffered a Lisfranc injury in the same game.

Randy Edsall is in his 13th season as a head coach, and he’s never seen anything like this before. In fact, there are probably very few people in football who have.

After eight games, the Terps have more torn ACLs on the sideline than they do active quarterbacks.

“We’ve gotten some bad luck,” Edsall said Sunday. “That’s all I can think of.”

“Bad luck” might not be a strong Coach Randy Edsall (top, left) lost quarterback Caleb Rowe (top, right) to a season-ending ACL tear in the Terps’ 20-17 loss at Boston College on Saturday. Converted linebacker Shawn Petty (bottom) will start under center Saturday. file photo/the diamondback (top, left), photo courtesy of daniel lee/the heights (top, right), photo courtesy of matt roth (bottom)

MEN’S SOCCER

See VITALE, Page 7

Daunting slate affecting Terps After season-long dominance, Cirovski says team didn’t look like itself in draw vs. Clemson

By Daniel Gallen Senior staff writer

Forward Patrick Mullins said he and his Terps teammates “train all summer for this period of time right here to be fit and ready to go.” charlie deboyace/the diamondback

16 14

Number of games the Terps have played this season

Number of wins the Terps have this season

BY THE NUMBERS

7

Number of times the Terps played twice in the same week

3

Number of teams the Terps have played that are currently ranked

0

Number of losses the Terps have this season

Back in August, Sasho Cirovski knew what his Terrapins men’s soccer team could expect this season.

The 20th-year coach made it clear: He was going to challenge his squad to get results against some of the nation’s stiffest competition twice a week.

Sure, it could wear his team down.

But it could also prepare a talented squad for a deep postseason run.

“It’s a dangerous schedule,” Cirovski said Aug. 20. “Every one of those teams can beat us, and we’re going to have to be at our best throughout.”

So far, none of those teams have beaten the No. 1 Terps. The lone blemishes on an undefeated season came in 2-2 draws with then-No. 11 UCLA and Clemson.

But while the Aug. 31 tie with UCLA could be viewed as the Terps asserting themselves on a national stage, Saturday’s effort against the Tigers seemed wholly different.

Gone was the consistently explosive offense and crisp passing that defi ned a 13-game win streak. Gone was the stout defense that surely wouldn’t give up two second-half

goals in a short time period.

The Terps simply didn’t look like themselves.

“I think what you saw was a team that was very mentally and physically tired,” Cirovski said. “I think you saw a real tired team out there.”

The potential scheduling pitfalls Cirovski referenced in August have been very real this season for the ACC regular-season champions. Six of the Terps’ past seven wins have come by one goal after having only one such result in their fi rst seven victories.

The Terps have also dealt with a target on their backs since assuming the nation’s No. 1 ranking on Sept. 18.

Unheralded teams like Lehigh, Colgate and Rutgers have pushed the Terps near the brink this season, but they emerged victorious each time.

Every team wants to take down No. 1 in any way possible, whether it’s on a Tuesday night, in front of a packed Ludwig Field on a Friday or tomorrow on the road at Wake Forest.

“When you’re No. 1 ranked for a month now and every team comes in and gives it their best effort, it wears you out,” Cirovski said. “Hopefully, See SCHEDULE, Page 7