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NAUGHTY LAWS

OLD FRIENDS

Williams, Terps face former ACC coach in game vs. Cougars

The Gamer defends video games’ right to feature violence

SPORTS | PAGE 10

DIVERSIONS | PAGE 6

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

THE DIAMONDBACK Our 101ST Year, No. 53

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Students, Students vote ‘yes’ on administrators bringing HBO to dorms discuss future of Arabic dept.

Few on-campus residents support paying $25 per month to maintain landline phones in dorm rooms

BY ERIN EGAN Staff writer

Changes to department’s structure spurred critique

BY LEAH VILLANUEVA Staff writer

After more than two dozen students signed a petition demanding changes to the Arabic department in response to recent reforms that students said resulted in a weaker program, administrators decided last night to listen to what these students had to say.

Although emotions ran high throughout the meeting, which was held in St. Mary’s Hall, students and faculty said hearing both sides was a significant step in ensuring the program progresses in a direction both constituencies can agree on.

Much of the disagreements outlined in a petition signed by 30 students (as of last night) hinged on changes made to the Arabic department since Valerie Anishchenkova took over as head of the department this semester. The students, who dubbed themselves Students for Reason in the Arabic Department, outlined their concerns in the petition, which was presented at last night’s meeting: Directors imposed a standardized curriculum on faculty with little room for flexibility;

see ARABIC, page 2

After about 70 years, water main will be replaced Repair project will cost univ. about $600,000

BY YASMEEN ABUTALEB Staff writer

After more than 70 years and numerous failures since its installation, a key water main that serves southern and eastern portions of the campus will be replaced this summer, Facilities Management officials said.

The Facilities Advisory Committee, which allocates funding for repair and renovation projects at the university, awarded $600,000 for the project when officials decided the failures were interfering with day-to-day activities.

“The cost of repairs is a relatively small amount compared with the loss of service in any buildings you’re supporting,” Director of Operations and Maintenance Jack Baker said. “When we lose water in an academic building, the restrooms

see PIPE, page 2

Most students would prefer not to pay a monthly $25 fee for access to a landline phone jack in dorm rooms, but nearly half would pay about $3.25 a month for HBO programming, according to a Residential Facilities survey conducted in the spring and released yesterday.

The 32-question survey was sent to 2,000 dorm residents in May, and the department will now work with the Student Government Association and Residence Hall Association to determine how to implement its findings, Residential Facilities Director Jon Dooley said at last night’s RHA meeting.

Dooley said his office would need to

coordinate with the Office of Information Technology and redraw its cable contract with Comcast to make the changes, which could happen at any time or not at all.

“There is no specific step intended today or tomorrow with regard to Comcast,” Dooley said. “So in terms of a process, we’re presenting the results of the survey right now. No decisions have been made.”

Of the 832 students who responded to the survey, just 12 percent said they would like to keep paying for landline phones, and 46 percent said they would like HBO access.

“HBO would be a cool option,” sophomore communications major Terra Dodrill said. “I don’t really have time to sit around

see HBO, page 3

Residential Facilities Director Jon Dooley shares the results of the dorm survey with students at last night’s Residence Hall Association meeting.

MATTHEW CREGER/THE DIAMONDBACK

Stereotypes

that shape communities Community leaders discuss how media influence self-perception, actions of young people

BY MARIA ROMAS Staff writer

Elements of truth in racial stereotypes adapted from the slave-trade era persist to this day, forming a cycle that this generation must be responsible for breaking, panelists at this year’s State of Black Leadership discussion said last night.

Two years after the first black president was elected and following a midterm election in which the number of black representatives in Congress decreased, last night’s discussion moved away from politics and focused instead on the media’s impact on self-perception and actions among black youth. The nine panelists — who included three black radio personalities, a photojournalist, three students and two professors — said the media have been and continue to be partially responsible for by conditioning children with shows that display stereotypical behavior.

“We have a lot of young parents these days; a lot of young parents haven’t grown up yet,” said panelist and photojournalist Irene Johnson, who noted this changes how children are raised. “[The parents] are listening to the same music and watching the same TV shows as their children.”

At the panel, moderators asked about 10 questions of the panel, ranging from the importance of education and self-perception to political activism and community perception.

At each point, panelists’ views varied widely, which the crowd appeared to appreciate.

“I was engaged in what they were saying,” senior sociology major Makeda Amelga said. “I wish the students had spoken more, but the panel was pretty diverse. I felt like my voice was always heard because if somebody brought up one thing, a minute later another person was refuting it.”

One of the speakers, communications professor William Lawson, introduced a different view on many issues, being the only white presence on the panel and expanding other panelists’ specific

see LEADERSHIP, page 7

Nine panelists discussed how the media influence formations of black identities at the State of Black Leadership event.

PHOTOS BY MATTHEW CREGER/THE DIAMONDBACK

Jamaican restaurant moves into Perk house Owners say new spot will be more ‘island-like,’ but students bemoan greater distance from campus

BY RACHEL ROUBEIN Staff writer

The Jerk Pit, a Jamaican restaurant, will replace the College Perk coffeehouse in a building north of the campus on Route 1 by this weekend. ORLANDO URBINA/THE DIAMONDBACK

TOMORROW’S WEATHER:

Sunny/50s

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The Jerk Pit is trading its strip mall storefront for a full-size house formerly occupied by alternative coffeehouse the College Perk — a location the owner hopes will garner more business but students said they might be less likely to travel to.

The Jamaican restaurant is moving nearly a mile north of the Campus Village shopping center to the building at the corner of Route 1 and University Boulevard. That location was

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

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

DIVERSIONS . . . . .6 SPORTS . . . . . . . . .10

once occupied by the College Perk until its owner lost the property to foreclosure in January 2009.

The restaurant, whose original storefront closed Sunday, will be reopened by tomorrow or Friday to offer its Jamaican jerk chicken dishes to walk-in and delivery customers, said Lisa Rose, who opened the restaurant in 2005.

The new facility will offer a 50-percent expansion, a more visible location, a private dining area and outdoor porch, she said, providing

see RESTAURANT, page 7 www.diamondbackonline.com

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THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2010

RHA will not address sportsmanship issue Motion to e-mail students about profane chants voted down

BY ERIN EGAN Staff writer

Although several university officials, the SGA and even the university president have denounced unruly fan behavior at sporting events, the RHA has refused to jump into the fray.

Last night, Residence Hall Association members voted against a proposed resolution to send an email to on-campus students encouraging them to behave better at athletic games, largely citing the fact that such a gesture could have “underlying implications.” Several RHA members, including Chief Information Adviser Sasha Azar, said the resolution could be considered a violation of students’ First Amendment right to free speech.

Although inappropriate fan chants have long been debated at this university, this semester has marked a substantial push from administrators to address the issue. At September’s opening Terrapin football game against Navy in Baltimore, Terp fans reportedly shouted, “F--- Navy” and other obscenities to the opposing team, prompting an outcry from university President Wallace Loh, who hadn’t officially started the job. Since then, the SGA and Athletics Director Kevin Anderson have also supported changing the atmosphere of athletic events to be more family-friendly.

Members of the RHA said that by voting against the resolution, they weren’t supporting unruly behavior — they just didn’t want to get involved. And although it was ultimately voted down, several representatives were in support of such outreach to students.

Before the vote, RHA Vice President Taylor Cole said her younger brother often runs around the house screaming “You suck” because of the chanting by students at Terrapin basketball games.

“All we’re asking students to do is just be mindful,” she said.

“We just want students to be conscious.”

According to Anderson, season ticket sales were down for both football and men’s basketball games, partly because parents don’t want to bring their kids to games — a fact that senators in support of the vote were quick to point out.

“We’ve been getting negative attention from everywhere because Maryland sports fans have been rude and disrespectful,” said undergraduate Senator Chris Martens, who proposed the resolution. “The negative attention could be hurting our sports teams.

RHA should be the ones to encourage this. Students can still yell their hearts out — we just want them to do it in a more appropriate way.”

Some students said profane cheers contribute to an atmosphere at games they’ve come to expect and appreciate.

“As a fan, it adds to the enjoyment of the game to put the other team beneath yours,” sophomore education major Nick Sevilla said.

“No one should take trash-talking seriously. It’s simply a form of trying to get inside your opponent’s head, rattle them a little bit, to help your team. As athletes, it’s their job to block it out and focus on competition rather than what’s being said off the court.” egan@umdbk.com

ARABIC from page 1 the one-on-one, three-hours-aweek language partner program was replaced by a one-hour-aweek group session; and all of the department-supported clubs are gone. When three Arabic professors left the department mid-semester — one was dismissed and two resigned — students’ concerns came to a head.

For some students, such as junior Arabic studies and government and politics major Sehar Sabir, the changes came all at once.

Sabir said the Arabic program had been “close-knit community and family” when she left to study abroad in Egypt last semester, but when she returned, everything had changed, she said.

“They’re just sucking out all of the culture from the department,” Sabir said. “They’re making us only focus on the language when we really should be focusing on the culture. It’s really difficult to get what we want out of it. What we used to love is not there anymore.”

These opinions, among others, were shared with several faculty members who stayed after

PIPE from page 1 don’t work and people are inconvenienced, so there are a lot of impacts that go past the cost of repair.”

The pipe — which runs from Taliaferro Hall to Route 1 and supplies water to dorms, McKeldin Mall’s academic buildings and other facilities — broke last month, cutting off service to the Leonardtown community and Fraternity Row for nearly 24 hours.

“It was beyond annoying,” sophomore mechanical engineering major Chadwick Van

hours to discuss students’ concerns in a closed meeting last night. Several students at last night’s meeting also rose to the defense of the department, disagreeing with the petition and blaming students’ criticisms on ill feelings and grade disputes.

“It was more intense and emotionally charged than I expected,” junior Arabic studies major Maryam Elbalghiti said. “It’s good there was open dialogue, but things boiled over a bit.”

Carol Mossman, director of the languages, literatures and cultures school, said she was impressed by the discussion, particularly at how students were able to negotiate their different opinions among themselves.

“It was fantastic,” Mossman said. “The students were very eloquent and articulate, and there were many students who were very happy with the Arabic department. ... We saw there were some areas that may need to be changed, and we are certain to look at that.”

Mossman and Anishchenkova, who was also present, said some of the students’ concerns had already been addressed, and an optional one-on-one language partner would begin at one hour a week and clubs would be rein-

stated next year.

Although most attendees agreed the open forum helped move things along, some remained unsatisfied with the state of the department.

“They kept mentioning growing pains, like, ‘We’re only going through growing pains,’” said junior Arabic studies and government and politics major Kiya Mirmozaffari, one of the founding members of Students for Reason in the Arabic Department. “But when you have growing pains, you don’t lose what you already had.”

One issue that was not raised during the meeting was personnel losses. Sophomore Arabic studies and Spanish major Kevin Butts and Mirmozaffari said they were disturbed after faculty research assistant Ridha Krizi was dismissed in late August with no explanation. Then program coordinator Roula Abousaleh resigned mid-semester, followed by lecturer Tony Rahi.

Butts and Mirmozaffari said they and many other students were extremely fond of Rahi, describing him as someone who took students into his own home and taught them one-on-one at no charge.

“He was the best teacher I ever

Erbe, a Leonardtown resident, said of the recent water loss. “At one point, I had to take a shower with a water bottle, and it didn’t work out, so I ended up walking to Eppley Recreation Center in my flip-flops. I walked all across campus with a towel in my hand and shampoo just to take a shower.”

The most recent break — the latest of six or seven since 2005 — made officials decide to replace the circa-1937 line, Baker said.

“When you look at the impact it had on the residents of Frat Row and Leonardtown, that’s a pretty significant impact,” Baker said.

“It’s kind of like your car. When do you keep repairing your car

and when do you just go ahead and buy the new one?”

The line cannot be replaced until the summer because of the magnitude of the project, Baker said. Workers will have to “dig up” Route 1 and Chapel Drive to reach it.

Even though the whole line needs to be replaced, Baker said the project will have to take place in two phases. The section that will be replaced this summer runs from Fraternity Row to Lot W by Skinner Hall; officials are still reviewing how to replace a section of line that runs under historic Morrill Hall.

“The location of the pipe is such that we’d probably end up

had,” Butts said.

“How can you lose a teacher like that?” Mirmozaffari added.

“We know there are departmental problems. The question we have to address is why all these teachers left in the middle of the semester. You don’t have that happen if everything is all right.”

In the end, students and faculty said, what came out of the meeting was opening up a dialogue within the department’s community.

“I think we all felt great now that we had the chance to talk,” Mirmozaffari said. “It’s making sure our voices don’t fall off now that we have used them this once.”

And that’s something that may continue: Students and directors have begun considering holding regular meetings between students and faculty.

For students like Mirmozaffari, knowing administrators were aware of student dissatisfaction was enough — for now.

“I don’t know if they listened,” Mirmozaffari said. “But I think they feel the pressure to feel responsible for this. ... We’re just worried about making sure this is the best program that it can be.” villanueva@umdbk.com

killing most of the trees on the Morrill quad,” Baker said. “We’re still discussing the best way of replacing that section without destroying all those trees.”

Students who are served by the pipe said they recognize the need for disruptive repairs and appreciated that officials are waiting for a time when the campus will be emptier. But Fraternity Row resident Joshua Wohl said he worried the pipe might not survive the wait.

“If we’re going to have another incident like that, I feel like it should be over winter break or something,” Wohl said. abutaleb@umdbk.com

Students stop by the Terp Wellness Hut outside of the University Health Center this week. ORLANDO URBINA/THE DIAMONDBACK

‘Wellness Hut’ will target busy students Despite accessibility, students say health center hub not often used

BY MARIA ROMAS Staff writer

Thanks to a new initiative started by the Center for Health and Wellbeing to make health information more accessible, students don’t have to look farther than the sidewalk for information about getting over a cold or de-stressing during exams.

To reach students on even their busiest days, health officials established the Terp Wellness Hut, a portable kiosk that moves around the campus so students can easily ask questions or get information.

Each month, representatives from the Center for Health and Wellbeing hope to educate passersby on a specific health-related topic. November’s theme — “Want More A’s? Get More Zzzz’s!” — emphasizes the importance of a regular sleep schedule.

Officials hope the hut will become a go-to place for students who don’t have time to go to the University Health Center.

“It is not just about the health center and trying to prevent sickness, it’s about taking care of one’s self — emotional, mental, all aspects,” said Lauren Stewart, interim coordinator for the Center for Health and Wellbeing. “Stress is a big issue. We are really looking to help students de-stress and relax — to know that there are people that can help.”

The concept of the hut was initially adapted from schools such as the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas, Austin and is now used to promote the health center and the Center for Health and Wellbeing, officials said. “[Students] like coming up and walking away learning something,” Stewart said. “This month, we had sleep quizzes.

They talk to the peer educators and walk away with more information. They also like freebies, which helps us market things.”

Despite the accessibility of the hut — which has set up at hot-spot locations, including outside of the health center and the Cambridge Community Center — many students still said they didn’t know the service existed, and others doubted how many travelers would stop to ask a fellow peer a question, instead of a certified health professional.

“It’s just not interesting,” women’s studies major Rachel Chand said. “I don’t need students telling me to be healthy — they probably know just as much about it as I do. If I wanted to get any information, I would ask a doctor, not them.”

Some said the hut could be beneficial to students who need quick information on their way to class.

“I’ve heard of it. I was actually considering stopping by right now,” freshman aerospace engineering major Zachary Mellen said. “I think it’s good, out by the street where everyone walks by.

I’ve seen ads but haven’t really paid attention. If people have questions, I think they are more likely to stop by than go into the health center.”

Others said even the freebies weren’t enough to pause.

“I looked and saw that they had free cups and didn’t want one,” junior accounting major Greg Ricciardi said. “The people standing there looked friendly enough, and I’m interested in getting healthy and whatever, but I just didn’t want to stop.”

Still, officials said the they hope to soon figure out what locations on the campus will attract the most students.

“It’s our first semester with the gazebo, and we are trying to figure out what are the hot spots,” Stewart said. “We want to get people to recognize us and come to us for information or whatever they need.” romas@umdbk.com

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Woman charged in Calvert Road assault Police claim she kicked officer who detained, attempted to search her

BY BEN PRESENT Staff writer

A 24-year-old College Park woman was charged with disorderly conduct and seconddegree assault after an alleged altercation with her boyfriend led her to attack police officers, University Police said.

Police first met Shad’l Crawford crying in the middle of Calvert Road on Nov. 2 at about 9 p.m., when she told officers her boyfriend stole her purse and left her in the street. After issuing a lookout for her boyfriend’s green Buick, officers attempted

to question Crawford, but she largely ignored their attempts and refused to get out of the road, police said.

After repeated attempts to move Crawford to the sidewalk, one officer attempted to escort her, but she broke free. University Police spokesman Ken Leonard said Crawford then took “a fighting stance” and allegedly swung at the officer, knocking that officer’s glasses off in the process.

Police eventually detained and handcuffed Crawford, but — while still in cuffs — she allegedly kicked one of her

arresting officers as they attempted to search her, police said. Officers also said they could smell alcohol on Crawford’s breath when she was taken to the Department of Corrections in Hyattsville, but her blood-alcohol level was not confirmed.

Leonard would not release the names of the officers involved because the department is reviewing the use of force reports from the incident.

Junior computer science major Russ Forte said he was walking to his off-campus house Nov. 2 when he came across the scuffle.

Forte said his small neighborhood, which is mostly nonstudent housing, is more peaceful because students do not typically have parties there. And while he said he was not surprised to see police activity, the number of police vehicles that converged on the intersection shocked him.

“It was one chick, and there’s, like, six cop cars surrounding her,” he said. “It was like what you’d do if there was a major robbery or hostage situation or something.” present@umdbk.com

City supports liquor board’s Turtle action Council writes letter backing county move to revoke bar’s liquor license

BY ALICIA MCCARTY Staff writer

Nearly a week after the county liquor board unanimously voted to revoke Thirsty Turtle’s liquor license for allegedly serving underage patrons, the College Park City Council chimed in last night to support the board’s decision.

The council passed a resolution to send a letter of support as Prince George’s County Board of License Commissioners prepares for a second hearing on the popular downtown nightspot tonight to discuss its role in an Oct. 12 quadruple stabbing outside the bar.

“Based upon the information received by the city, the actions alleged do constitute a danger to the peace and good order, and a threat to city residents and visitors,” read the city’s resolution, which cited written testimony from police, this university, Catholic University and Archbishop Spalding High School in Anne Arundel County.

Additionally, the city’s letter

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addressed the overall atmosphere of the bar, where officials said a low food-to-alcohol ratio creates an atmosphere that invites violent behavior.

“The Thirsty Turtle serves liquor to minors on a routine basis, and over serves them and exercises no control on the amount of alcohol they consume. As a result there have been numerous instances of minors requiring medical treatment for alcohol use,” the letter read.

The motion to support the county’s actions passed 7 to 1, with District 2 Councilman Jack Perry opposing.

Perry said that while he supported the county’s decision to revoke Turtle’s liquor license based on specific violations, he did not approve of the language in the letter that blamed Turtle for the Oct. 12 stabbings.

“We haven’t heard that it’s the restaurant’s fault.” Perry said. “I don’t know if we can actually say the Thirsty Turtle is responsible for an altercation not on the premises. I don’t know that we got to get

HBO from page 1 and watch movies all the time, but I wouldn’t mind paying the fee to have a movie night every once in a while.”

At the same time, she said, the $25 landline fee is “a pretty useless charge.”

“I don’t use my landline,” Dodrill said. “I don’t think anyone ever uses their landlines. I don’t even know of anyone who has a landline phone.”

Irene Kadel-Harder, a sophomore geology major, said she just likes the novelty value of her landline.

“It’s shaped like a ketchup bottle, so that’s my excuse,” Kadel-Harder said. “Only one person on campus knows the number and calls it occasionally. I’m too confused by the rigmarole of what numbers to use to call off campus to try to use it to call out, though.”

Sophomore public health and women’s studies major Maariya Bassa said it might be useful to have a landline in each floor’s lounge in case of emergencies when cell phones don’t work, but even that might be a stretch.

“I think it’s safe to get rid of landlines because we don’t all have the same cell service,” Bassa said. “So even if AT&T were down, Verizon would still be up.”

While Dooley emphasized that there haven’t yet been

“I feel like overall, a lot of students use more of their televisions than they do their landlines.”

MAARIYA BASSA SOPHOMORE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WOMEN’S STUDIES MAJOR

any decisions made as a result of the survey, he said that even 12 percent is a significant part of the university community — about 1,000 students.

“Unlike everyone’s impression that most people don’t use and don’t want landlines, there was a larger number than expected that would wish to continue the landline use,” Dooley said. He wouldn’t speculate about why any particular student would want a landline.

But many more students said they would like to see the introduction of HBO into dorm life.

“I feel like overall, a lot of students use more of their televisions than they do their landlines,” Bassa said.

“I think the majority would appreciate having HBO more than having landlines because a lot of us don’t use landlines at all.” egan@umdbk.com

STUDENTS’ SURVEY RESPONSES District 2 Councilman Jack Perry said it was unfair to blame Thirsty Turtle for the Oct. 12 stabbings, but he was outvoted 7-1.

CHARLIE DEBOYACE/THE DIAMONDBACK

into that.”

District 3 Councilwoman Stephanie Stullich defended the letter.

“Those same individuals, who were under the legal drinking age, were involved in an altercation inside and then continued it outside with pretty serious results,” Stullich said.

“To me, there are a pretty compelling series of circumstances.

I think that it provides a very strong case for why we should

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support the revocation of the liquor license.”

The city had scheduled a half-hour discussion of Turtle in which university and county police would share their criticisms about the bar and Alan Wanuck, its owner, would defend it. The letter was instead passed with little debate when no police or bar representatives attended. mccarty@umdbk.com

What devices are plugged into your bedroom phone jacks?

How important is having an activated room phone jack?

Telephone: 21 percent Game system: 10 percent Personal computer: 9 percent Other: 2 percent Nothing: 66 percent

Extremely/very important: 7 percent Somewhat important: 11 percent Not important: 82 percent

Percentage of time each device is used to make phone calls?

Cell phone: 77 percent Personal computer: 21 percent Room phone: 2 percent IP phone: less than 1 percent

About 88 percent of residents said they make no phone calls on a room phone About 3 percent of residents make 25 to 100 percent of their phone calls on a room phone

4

THE DIAMONDBACK | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10. 2010

Opinion

THE DIAMONDBACK

MARISSA LANG EDITOR IN CHIEF

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

KATE RAFTERY

ANN SUN

MANAGING EDITOR

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

JUSTIN SNOW

KEVIN TERVALA

OPINION EDITOR

OPINION EDITOR

Staff editorial

Guest column

Give a damn

Quick to judge

S

tudents at this university, as well as many others like it, have often makers may ver y well look to cut higher education funding to help close likened college life to living in a bubble. And with ever ything from that gap. Additionally, with looming tuition increases and state unemployclasses to friends to food to sporting events in one place, it can be ment at 7.5 percent, the legislative session may impact the futures of college easy to forget that a world exists beyond the borders of this campus. students and soon-to-be graduates.

On the national level, students have just as much — if not more — at stake.

However, ever y once in awhile, circumstances force students to step out Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) has pledged to make repealing the Patient Protecof the bubble that is college existence and take note of state, national and tion and Affordable Care Act, which includes a provision that allows young people to global happenings.

Election season is one of these times. In the weeks leading up to the 2010 stay on their parents’ health insurance plans until the age of 26, a top priority. Addimidterm elections, there was a palpable increase in the amount and urgency tionally, the 112th Congress will again be asked to tackle the DREAM Act — proposed legislation that would grant undocumented minor of political activity at this university, as student leaders immigrants permanent residency if they have lived in this and organizations attempted to engage students in a country for at least five years, have graduated from high defining election.

Students have a school and go on to serve in the military or attend college The Student Government Association held a debate for at least two years — whose passage this university’s SGA between the College Democrats and College Republiresponsibility to remain voted to support. cans, giving students an opportunity to hear the perengaged in the political In the past, most students at this university have spectives of both political parties on several major done little to influence state, national and internaissues. Hundreds of students from this university process long after election tional politics. Last year, when the university, in condescended on Washington to attend the satirical, day to ensure their junction with the SGA, hosted its annual Annapolis though political, Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. interests are secured. lobbying day, only 68 students attended, the vast And a coalition of student organizations that do not majority of whom were from the SGA. Additionally, by always work harmoniously together successfully regisfocusing the vast majority of its lobbying efforts on state issues, the SGA, an tered more than 1,500 students to vote.

But the issues remain after the polls close and the results come in. And organization that claims to be the voice of all undergraduates, has neglected without student advocacy, these issues may be forgotten by the people they an important avenue for student engagement. With Washington only a may impact the most. Although the politics of college and the issues facing Metro ride away, there is no reason for activism and advocacy to be limited College Park may at times seem all-consuming, there is a world beyond this to the halls of Annapolis.

Ultimately, as citizens and as individuals whose lives are constantly university that students must embrace.

On a state level, the legislative session beginning in Januar y will no doubt affected by the decisions made by state and federal legislators, it is stuprove to be a significant one. With Gov. Martin O’Malley and the General dents’ responsibility to break free of the college bubble and actively engage Assembly seeking to close a projected budget shortfall of $1.1 billion, law- in state, national and international issues. It is our civic duty.

Our View

Editorial cartoon: Ian McDermott

Democrats: Battered, but not beat

A

lthough commentators assert the sweeping Republican victory during the midterm elections is an indication of voter sentiment against big government and the policies of President Barack Obama’s administration, the newly elected Republicans seem likely to disappoint in much the same way as the Obama administration — and for decidedly similar reasons.

The elections in the past two years have seen unprecedented shifts in voter opinion. In 2008, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina and Ohio — key swing states — voted for Obama in an apparent rejection of eight years of Republican leadership. Yet in 2010, every one of these states has gone the other way. It seems that in this election, like the last, the fickle electorate has somewhat ambiguously voted for change.

However, it seems as though the odds are slated against this sort of change.

While the Republicans may achieve modest tax cuts and government spending reductions, it seems unlikely that significant headway will be made in lieu

IAN RODENHOUSE

of the stubborn economic problems consistently hampering the efforts of the president. Moreover, it seems impossible that Republicans will reduce the deficit while simultaneously lowering taxes, especially at a time when historic reform of Medicare has greatly expanded government spending.

Additionally, congressional victory comes at a time when the party is itself in the throes of what is being heralded as a potentially crippling internal division. The radical tea party, which is somewhat responsible for a revitalized conservative electorate, is weary of the moderatism that resulted in the election of former President George W. Bush, who cut taxes while expanding government, subsidizing the cost of prescription drugs for the elderly and commit-

ting the country to war.

Obama, on the other hand, has stated that the “shellacking” the Democrats received this month is a result of voter frustration about the economy, and less about his policies.

Despite this, he has admitted that the change promised during his campaign has not been realized — a statement only mildly surprising to hear from the president because he will be up for reelection in another two years.

Campaigning aside, the president now has a more difficult task enacting liberal policies while confronting John Boehner and the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. Indeed, passing legislation was difficult even when the Democrats still held the House and the Senate. This should be indicative of the challenges facing the Republicans as they take over in January with a mandate from voters to reduce the deficit and cut costs. Hopefully, partisan gridlock and the coming competition to capture the White House will not damage the recovery or usher in a radical Republican presidential candidate.

The Democrats, for their part, should be sure not to surrender the understated victories the current administration has achieved. If the Republicans must compromise their own promises for the deficit, they seem destined to disappoint and their chances of victory in 2012 seem less promising. Thus, while the Republican gains have greatly reduced Democratic prospects in 2012, it seems likely that solidarity will ensure the Democrats a fighting chance, even if it is somewhat muted by economic hard times.

At this point, both parties appear forced to cooperate at a time when they would rather be pursuing policies most likely to see them victorious in 2012. For the Democrats, however, expectations are not as fresh as they are for the Republicans.

Perhaps, then, as compromise and disappointment looms, a Republican win has come too soon.

Ian Rodenhouse is a sophomore government and politics major. He can be reached at rodenhouse@umdbk.com.

O’Malley: Call me Mr. President

M

artin O’Malley is running for president.

No, the governor hasn’t made any announcement and probably won’t for another four or five years. But the good-looking Irish lad, who was born in Washington, appears to be on the path to national politics.

O’Malley was one of the few survivors of the Democratic Massacre of 2010, winning re-election by nearly 14 points last week and maintaining his grip on Annapolis for another four years, despite a nationally toxic environment for liberals and a worthy opponent — former Republican Gov. Bob Ehrlich.

But O’Malley pulled it off. After outspending Ehrlich by several million dollars and launching one of the nastiest attack ad campaigns in recent memory, which went so far as to paint Ehrlich as a lobbyist linked to the BP oil spill, O’Malley delivered Ehrlich his second consecutive defeat in state politics, likely ending the latter’s career in elected office.

Yet as questions arise over O’Malley’s future ambitions after his second term, he will no doubt sputter the typical non-denial denial until one fateful day, likely in February or March 2015, when he will speak be-

fore a crowd in Baltimore, flanked by his attractive wife and four children, and tell the country what locals have long predicted. His hair will likely be grayer and the lines in his face deeper, but the Kennedyesque comparisons will no doubt surge as a tingle rushes up the legs of women and gay men everywhere — and just wait until they find out he has an affinity for muscle shirts and fronts his own band.

O’Malley is a career politician. And while he has often claimed that his focus has always been on the here and now, his history shows us otherwise. While attending Catholic University, O’Malley went off to campaign for 1984 Democratic presidential candidate Gary Hart. He then attended the University of Maryland School of Law, then worked for Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D) and in 1988, began dating his future wife, who also happened to be the daughter of the state attorney general (coincidentally, that same year O’Malley was hired as an assistant state’s attorney for Baltimore City). After an unsuccessful bid for the state Senate, he won a spot on the Baltimore City Council, which he held for eight years before being elected mayor of Baltimore, a position he held for another seven years.

JUSTIN SNOW In that time, he’s developed a reputation as a rough-and-tumble politician with a tendency to hold grudges. As mayor, he once ranted at reporters that the Baltimore state’s attorney should “get off her ass” and into a courtroom. During his debates with Ehrlich, it was apparent that both men despised each other, but O’Malley looked ready to take it outside. And when asked by reporters the day after the election for a reaction to his double-digit victory, O’Malley said he was fortunate and blessed to “serve such intelligent people” — as if to imply the more than 700,000 who voted for Ehrlich were unintelligent.

It’s hard to say whether O’Malley would win a presidential nomination or the presidency itself, as political winds are about as unpredictable as likely future Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner’s tears. Regardless, as O’Malley begins to garner more national attention and finds

elaborate reasons to vacation in Iowa, his agenda will no doubt morph from one catering to a solidly blue state to one a bit more appetizing for middle America.

And that is essentially the curse of career politicians: The anticipation of the next campaign outweighs convictions, and the position one holds becomes more of a stepping stone than a job.

Last week, at about the same time Ehrlich was delivering his somber yet graceful concession speech at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, O’Malley was giving a rowdy victory speech at a swanky museum in Baltimore. As he stood before supporters, flanked by his signature radioactive green-colored campaign signs, O’Malley seemed ready to jump out of his own skin with excitement.

Standing at a lectern, he echoed his slogan from the campaign trail, “Moving Maryland Forward,” as the crowd cheered. But it was hard not to see the flicker in his eyes and imagine him before a different audience, at a convention surrounded by delegates, substituting the word “Maryland” with “America.”

Justin Snow is a senior history major. He can be reached at snow@umdbk.com.

R

emember that game telephone? It’s usually a corny icebreaker to get to know your classmates where the teacher tells the first student a message, which travels through several others before the last student reveals the version he or she received. It’s meant to show how words can get twisted so quickly among a small group of people. Now imagine the entire university playing that game with a message about a recently arrested teacher.

I first heard from a classmate that our once-a-week class was canceled because another one of our professor’s English classes was canceled.

Unsure, I waited for an e-mail from Joanna Findlay that never came, only to have my inbox flooded with e-mails from the director of the Professional Writing Program. On a side note, thank you, Lea Chartock, for your honesty in an e-mail that used phrases such as “Ms. Findlay, she is okay” and “will not be able to teach your class for the next several weeks.” Did you honestly think we wouldn’t find out?

I next received a text message that read, “So, Joanna is a murderer now?

Check the link on my Facebook.”

Thanks to this newspaper, a short fact-filled article about a seconddegree murder charge was posted along with an unflattering mugshot of one of my favorite professors in college. I couldn’t believe I had just seen her days before in a perfectly good mood, greeting me with a nice smile and a friendly hello as she did to everyone. Contrary to what multiple rambling students were quoted as saying, the teacher I knew occasionally mentioned booze and the right to bear arms and was not a murderer. I suspected that her alleged actions probably stemmed from self-defense.

Joanna cared about her students and was open to discussing our concerns in the class at the cost of her time. When I needed help constructing my resumé and cover letter, she responded to my e-mail faster than most of my other professors would. She even went back and forth with me several times, while offering to look it over and giving me thoughtful suggestions.

While everyone described her as a cool professor — which she undoubtedly was — and exaggerated how many times she canceled class, I remember the Joanna who would hold us the entire three hours until everything on the agenda was correctly completed. She taught us how to get employers to look at our profiles before our competitors, along with other useful job-hunting skills. When someone would ask whether they should mention their fraternity on their resumé, she’d be blunt and say, “Unless it’s an academic one, I’d leave it off. You don’t want your potential employers getting an image of keg stands, hangovers and hazing.” (Pause for students laughing.) “You might laugh, but this is what people think when they see ‘fraternity.’”

Though I only caught a glimpse of her personal life from funny, relevant anecdotes she told in class, I know for sure Joanna was an awesome professor with a memorable personality. Her useful insight on life, sarcasm and amazing ability to make time fly as fast as a good movie turned junior English, once a dreaded requirement, into an entertaining and practical course.

What’s done is done, and taking someone’s life is never right. But to all the students who added ridiculous details to the story and had never even met her, think twice before joining in on this round of telephone because you’re more likely to sound like the imbecile on the other end.

Fenan Solomon is a senior journalism major and former Diamondback columnist. She can be reached at fenan9@gmail.com.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2010 | THE DIAMONDBACK

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Features HOROSCOPESTELLA WILDER

CROSSWORD ACROSS 57 Thursday’s god 1 Respectful title 58 Candle 6 Bakers’ meas.

60 Makes a bow 10 Havens 61 Perchance 14 Plato’s last letter 62 Choose 15 Sheik’s cartel 63 Aptitude — 16 Find a tenant 64 Ugh! 17 Formula One car 65 Shoulder muscles 18 Be effusive DOWN 19 Fridge stick 20 Wheel buy 1 End of an Aesop (2 wds.) fable 21 Grocery list item 2 Fridge maker (3 wds.)

3 Fall into ruins 24 Designs 4 Sharpen a 26 Apollo’s priestess cheddar 27 Garden produce 5 Theater sign 28 Back to the 6 Frat-party wear salt — 7 Inducement 30 River rapids 8 Nuisance 33 Four duos 9 Tall beer glass 34 Tokyo, to 10 Pleasant scents shoguns 11 Antique 37 Mocking laughs 12 Toll 38 Indiana cager 13 Feed the fire 39 Greedy 22 Ms. Hagen 40 Dwarf of films 41 Swamp critter 23 Fume 42 Ms. Witherspoon 25 Makes a decision 43 Concise 28 “Star Trek” 44 Douglas — physician 45 Safe place 29 Road for Caesar 48 Preferred 30 Ernesto Guevara 52 Tweed pattern 31 “2001” computer 55 Historical period 32 TV band 56 Canal of song 33 Courtroom ritual

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orn today, you are known for possessing many classic Scorpio traits, including a reactive nature, a quick tongue, a tendency toward being judgmental and dismissive, and an unwillingness to put yourself at risk when there is another path to take. On the other hand, despite all of this, you can be quite generous and humane in your outlook; indeed, the good of mankind is often foremost in your mind, and you will often do those things that enable you to be truly helpful to those around you.

B

You are highly energetic and dedicated; some would call you driven — and indeed you have been known to make considerable personal sacrifices in order to get what you want or reach a goal that you have set for yourself.

You’re not the kind to compromise if you can help it.

Also born on this date are Donna Fargo, singer; Mackenzie Phillips, actress; Ann Reinking, dancer and actress; Richard Burton, actor; Martin Luther, religious reformer; Roy Scheider, actor; Claude Rains, actor; Tim Rice, lyricist.

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CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Keeping your mouth shut and brooking certain annoyances can give you what you want for the time being — but in the long run, perhaps not.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — You’ll want to hide away from the kinds of responsibilities that have you out and about usually. Time spent at home is rejuvenating.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) — That which gives you comfort is worth fighting for — at least in your own way that allows you to express yourself freely.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) — You’re after something that you can’t have unless someone you love gives it to you — or gives you permission to find it elsewhere.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — You are not ready to do what you have been asked to do, but you can take a step toward that readiness by taking a certain risky leap.

tion can result in something that brings you into the limelight. This attention will be both good and bad.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) — The time has come for you to examine certain issues from a more objective point of view.

Your own feelings are not part of the equation.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — You may be growing out of a current phase, which means that you’ll be more agreeable when it comes to doing things on the spur of the moment.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Whether at work or play, your current endeavors will be characterized by a willingness to take things a little further than you have before.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — There’s no reason for you to intrude on another — unless you are confident that by doing so you will be offering some very real help.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — The combination of thought and ac-

Copyright 2010, United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

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THE DIAMONDBACK | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2010

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Video game violence: A right or wrong?

ANDREW

FREEDMAN Despite being a big fan of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, I’m admittedly not an expert on the justice system.

This doesn’t mean, however, that I didn’t take notice of an important U.S. Supreme Court hearing last week.

On Nov. 2, the Supreme Court heard the case of Schwarzenegger v.

Entertainment Merchants Association.

Don’t know it? Let’s get you caught up.

Back in 2005, California state Sen. Leland Yee picked up the mantle as the new champion against video games. A child psychologist, he claimed that violent games could cause children harm unlike any other medium. He eventually wrote up a bill, signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, that would fine retailers up to $1,000 for selling games considered violent to children under 18.

The video-game industry sued, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals both sided in its favor, finding the law unconstitutional because it violated the First and 14th amendments.

Now the Supreme Court has heard the case, and its decision will lead either to the death of this law or a surprise comeback for the legislation.

Let me say that I absolutely think the sale of games should be regulated

in some form. Like movies and music, some games contain content that is inappropriate for children. I think the Entertainment Software Rating Board’s system does this job quite well, but the California law takes it a step further. If the Supreme Court finds the law constitutional, “violent” video games will only be sold to adults — think of it like going into the back of a video store to purchase pornography. It’s the same idea.

In fact, Chief Justice John Roberts alluded to that idea during the hearing.

“Could you have a law that says the State has to put … video games in a particular area of the video store? …

[A]nd minors are not allowed in that area?” he asked.

Yee has put Postal 2 in the spotlight for its gratuitous violence — he is correct in that regard. If you look the game up on YouTube, you’ll see some footage that can be described as “heinous, cruel or depraved,” as the law states. I couldn’t give you a good reason for a game like that to be made.

It’s positively disgusting. But the First Amendment, for better or for worse, grants developers the right to make these games without penalty.

During the hearing, Justice Sonia Sotomayor pointed out, “To me, it’s not entertaining, but that’s not the point. To some it may well be.”

But Postal 2 is a high bar to set for game violence. If we take apart the descriptions of this law, it could apply to many games.

Part of the law defines what makes a game violent and therefore illegal for children to purchase. The first is that a “reasonable person, consider-

Although it was released more than seven years ago, M-rated Postal 2 is still a benchmark for violent video games, as shown by its use as an example in last week’s U.S. Supreme Court hearing. PHOTO COURTESY OF GAMETRAILERS.COM

Classified CALL

ing the game as a whole, would find appeals to a deviant or morbid interest of minors.”

Secondly, the material must be “patently offensive to prevailing standards in the community as to what is suitable for minors.”

Lastly, the content must cause “the game, as a whole, to lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.”

These three measures are extremely unclear. What is considered of “morbid interest” to one may not be the same for another. How is “minor” defined? The ESRB system clearly breaks up the age groups into “Early Childhood,” “Everyone,” “Everyone 10+,” “Teen,” “Mature” and “Adults Only” (which most retailers don’t carry). During the hearing, California Deputy Attorney General Zackery Morazzini argued that games should be classified for minors “as a class” — either younger than 18 or 18 and older.

Another part of the law is more clear, stating that the game “enables the player to virtually inflict serious injury upon images of human beings or characters with substantially human characteristics in a manner which is especially heinous, cruel, or depraved in that it involves torture or serious physical abuse to the victim.”

Well, that clears things up. The subject has to be human. What about last summer’s critically panned Naughty Bear? Players beat up and kill other anthropomorphized teddy bears (another concept that I don’t see particular value in). They aren’t human, so it would pass the bill’s scrutiny.

Which gets to my point — we can’t pick which games are violent based on these terms. Is it OK to ensure games are only sold to appropriate audiences? Absolutely.

But if you’re going to stray from the ESRB rating system, you better have a clear-cut way of deciding exactly what should be restricted from getting into the hands of minors.

And these games already aren’t supposed to be sold to kids. M-rated games can only be sold to those 17 or older.

How do kids get them?

Oftentimes, their parents buy them.

If a fourth-grader is playing Naughty Bear, his or her parent has the responsibility to notice not only the rating but also the bear wielding a machete on the front of the box.

Although the law has already lost in lower courts and the law is in blatant disregard of developers’ First Amendment rights, it doesn’t mean it’s a waste of time for the Supreme Court to hear the case.

“We have here a new ... medium that cannot possibly have been envisioned

The playable, eponymous character of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game Naughty Bear murders fellow teddy bears with a variety of weapons, including a machete, in the T-rated game. PHOTO COURTESY OF GAMEREUPHORIA.COM

at the time when the First Amendment was ratified,” Justice Samuel Alito said. Indeed, a case on video games is not only groundbreaking but may also decide the fate of the future and legal content of interactive media.

I fear that this case will further isolate video games from other arts — books, movies, television, theater and music — all of which can contain material that isn’t suitable for children. The attack on video games is a blow to the credibility of a growing and creative industry.

There are games that are violent for the sake of violence (once again, we have movies and books like this, too). I don’t support those titles. But for every game like Postal 2, there are games that tell stories with intricate plots and themes, making artistic statements.

Yes, violence may be one vehicle of driving a plot along, but it shouldn’t be the only one.

The Supreme Court has until the end of June to make its final decision on this case, so it could be hotly debated for a long time. I hope the court spends that time carefully considering this issue and the effects it will have on the industry, not to mention First Amendment rights, for years

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to come.

But I want to make this clear: The California law is subjective. There is no clear way to decide which games can be banned from sale to minors.

And the law is redundant because there is already a system in place for ensuring games are not sold to inappropriate audiences.

The existing system is a good one.

Rather than making a fuss and stifling the video-game industry’s creativity, let’s improve the ESRB rating system to make it easier for parents to protect their children.

The law should be found unconstitutional. Some games feature violence, and some games go overboard. But developers and publishers put hard work into their art, and regardless of your personal belief in their appropriateness for a certain age range, they have a constitutional right to produce and sell their games.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go back to shouting “Objection!” into my Nintendo DS until the decision has been made. My Ace Attorney defendant isn’t representing himself, you know.

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LEADERSHIP from page 1 examples to fit a broader selection of society.

“We all play into stereotypes, but my question is why we let ourselves,” Lawson said, responding to comments that stereotypes are what shape the black community. “Do we need the media? Yes. It provides us with useful facts. Are there other elements we could do without?

Yes, but that’s not the media’s fault, it’s the receivers’. That’s where the responsibility lies.”

Radio personality Aaron “Herkules” Graves offered his own analyses of the various questions, which students described as a down-to-earth, realistic perspective of the black community and media’s impact on it. The student panelists responded most readily to Graves’ commentary.

When discussing the black individual’s ability to critically evaluate him or herself, Graves brought the conversation around to what it was like to grow up in a black community, which spurred senior communications major and panelist Amberly Ellis, who is the Black Student Union’s historian, to discuss stereotypes more generally.

“Stereotypes are ver y much about perception, and we have to learn how to not be afraid to be critical,” she said.

“It’s like we are afraid to criticize or think analytically about anything ... which can be problematic.”

Both Ellis and Graves said that constant exposure to stereotypes can blur the line between reality and fiction and that black youth need to be on-guard when absorbing information from mainstream media.

Students who attended the forum said they were impressed with the panelists’ ability to make the often broad topics relevant to the university community.

“I got more than I expected,” said Deonte Carter, a junior criminology and criminal justice major and student of Lawson’s.

“I didn’t know there was going to be a nice, suited-up panel with deep discussions. ... First, it was a window for the black community to see what is going on and evaluate what we are doing right and wrong so that we can fix it.

Then, it gave black people a look from the outside — having my professor there allows us to evaluate how to better ourselves.”

The panel discussion stayed conversational, with playful banter maneuvering itself into the serious conversations as WHUR reporter and panelist Molette Green worked to keep people on topic.

“It’s always good to have representatives out there to have critical discussions,” senior sociology major Chris Roberts said. “There’s always room for us to improve. I hope this will springboard people into action. There are things here at the university that we need to act on, and these issues aren’t just going to go away.” romas@umdbk.com

7

RESTAURANT from page 1 patrons with a more authentic, laid-back island feel.

“The fact that it has an outdoor area and, in the summertime, it’ll be great for people to enjoy the weather and give you more of the Caribbean feel, more so than being in a shopping center,” Rose said. “The trees, the deck, the porch — the setup is more in line with what a jerk pit is.”

And the restaurant will continue selling its classic dish, jerk, a type of food cooked in Jamaica on a charcoal grill with a variety of spicy seasonings, such as pimento, scallion and Scottish bonnet peppers.

“A lot of the students love our chicken and jerk pork sandwiches. Our specialty is jerk: jerk chicken, shrimp and tofu,” Rose said, adding that she also offers increasingly popular vegetarian and vegan options.

Although Rose said her new location at a major crossroads will likely attract more passing motorists, it may alienate some existing fans.

Senior economics major Freddie Tchuente said he’s a fan of The Jerk Pit’s fried fish and plantains — “I gotta support my Jamaican” — but he added the move may hinder him from trekking out there as frequently.

Matt Reilly, a freshman engineering major, said he vis-

The Jerk Pit will open up in the former College Perk building at Route 1 and University Boulevard later this week, its owner said. ORLANDO URBINA/THE DIAMONDBACK

ited Jamaica last year and fell for the savory jerk chicken and beef, but the new location is too far from his dorm.

“I live in Denton — even Route 1 is far away,” he said.

“It makes [The Jerk Pit] an outside possibility for what I’m thinking of for dinner.”

Rose is confident these reactions will be in the minority.

“We deliver; we’re only half a mile away from where we were,” she said. “It’s not like it’s a considerable amount of difference.”

Rose said the move has been hectic, but she’s ready to open up shop this week.

“I’m excited about it because there’s a lot more visibility — we have an opportunity to serve to more customers — and the setting is in line with the Jamaican trend,” she said. “I look forward to the summertime; it’s going to be pretty great.”

And will there be any specials for the grand opening that is potentially slated for next weekend?

“They’ll have to come and find that out,” Rose said.

Patrons seeking alcoholic beverages with their jerk will have to wait. According to District 2 College Park City Councilman Bob Catlin, The Jerk Pit will be appearing before the Prince George’s County Board of License Commissioners in December to ask for permission to transfer its liquor license to the new location. roubein@umdbk.com

TOP 10 QUESTIONS ASKED BY SENIORS AT MARYLAND 1.

Is this the last week I can get my Senior Picture taken for the 2011 Terrapin Yearbook?

YES.

2.

Should I wait until the last day, Friday?

NO! THERE WILL BE LESS HASSLE AND WAITING IF YOU COME IN EARLY IN THE WEEK.

3.

Is there a phone number I can call to make an appointment?

YES. 1-800-687-9327. OR GO ONLINE AT OURYEAR.COM. Use school code 87101.

4.

Where are pictures being taken?

3101 SOUTH CAMPUS DINING HALL.

5.

What time?

11AM – 7PM

6.

Is there a charge?

NO – IT’S FREE!

7.

Can I buy a yearbook when I get photographed?

ABSOLUTELY! AND WE’LL GIVE YOU A $14 DISCOUNT SO IT WILL ONLY COST $56.

8.

Can I win an iPod Touch or an iPad? YES – EVERY SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHED WILL BE ENTERED IN A DRAWING.

9.

How long does it take?

ABOUT 5 MINUTES.

10. Is there any chance I can get my picture in the Terrapin if I don’t come in by Friday?

ZERO.

8

THE DIAMONDBACK | SPORTS | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2010

FIELD HOCKEY

POSTSEASON

Terps earn No. 1 overall seed in NCAA Tournament field

BY JAKOB ENGELKE Senior staff writer

The Terrapin field hockey team, as expected, garnered the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament yesterday.

The Terps ran through their regular season with a 19-1 record and claimed their third straight ACC title Sunday. They held either the No. 1 or No. 2 ranking in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association national poll all season long.

The Terps crowded into the lounge area at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex last night to watch the 8 p.m. webcast.

When the Terps were called, the room erupted in cheers.

The team will host Massachusetts in its first-round game Nov. 13. Should the Terps advance past the Minutewomen, whom they beat, 3-0, on Sept. 19, they will face the winner of Connecticut-American.

“It’s always nice to have the number one next to your name, but going into this weekend, we have a pretty tough bracket,” forward Katie O’Donnell said. “Yeah, we can celebrate the number one for a little bit, but then you go straight into looking at UMass and preparing for them.”

ACC runner-up North Carolina, Virginia and Big East champion Syracuse round out the tournament’s top four seeds.

This is the third year in a row the Terps have received the No. 1 overall seed.

They won the national championship in 2008 but fell short in 2009, losing to North Carolina in the title game.

“I think if we learned anything from last year, it’s the amount of pressure that can be put on a team to be number one,” coach Missy Meharg said. “I don’t think it really has any effect on this group.” jengelke@umdbk.com

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from page 10 WakeMed Soccer Park. Needing a win to solidify their NCAA Tournament resumé, the Terps faced a stout Virginia defense.

Despite a man advantage, the team failed to score and eventually allowed the Cavaliers to snatch a decisive late goal.

“Last year was a debacle,” Cirovski said. “They were devastated.”

The early exit from the tournament gave the team a quiet bus ride home and the Cavaliers a springboard to the ACC Tournament title and a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

This year, the No. 3 Terps (14-21) will look to erase those memories and replace them with more pleasant ones. Their postseason run starts this afternoon back in Cary, N.C., against a young Clemson team that narrowly lost to the Terps earlier this season.

“We’re going there to win; that’s the bottom line,” Cirovski said. “We have great respect for the ACC Tournament. I think it’s the hardest tournament in the country. But

we’re very focused.”

But the sting from last year still weighs some on the team.

“It was heartbreaking,” midfielder Matt Kassel said. “It was a major letdown for us.”

The disappointment continued over that weekend as the Terps watched their name appear in a peculiar spot in the NCAA Tournament bracket: the first round. For the first time in eight years, the Terps went unseeded in the tournament, making their road to the College Cup that much more trying.

“It shows how important the ACC Tournament is,” Kassel said.

This season, the Terps, who are slotted at No. 4 in the latest RPI rankings, should have no problem garnering a seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. But they’re also fighting for a No. 1 seed, which would ensure home-field advantage until the College Cup in Santa Barbara, Calif.

“It’s going to motivate a lot of people tomorrow, especially how we felt afterwards,” forward Casey Townsend said yesterday. “We never expect to lose.”

Today, the Terps enter the conference tournament with a No. 2

seed, a 10-game win streak and as good a chance as any ACC team at the championship. The Terps have beaten all but two conference opponents — No. 1 seed North Carolina and No. 5 seed Boston College — and would not have to face either until the championship game Sunday.

Their slate starts against Clemson, though, which rebounded from an early deficit to nearly upset the Terps at Ludwig Field on Oct. 16.

“We got a little complacent,” Townsend said of the Terps’ 3-2 victory. “We have to stay focused for 90 minutes.”

“This is a Clemson team that played very well against us here,” Cirovski said. “It presents a good challenge to see how much we’ve learned since that game.”

With no hurricanes in the forecast, the Terps are hoping their trip back down to North Carolina ends more favorably. After last year’s disaster, they have no doubt it will.

“We know what we’re capable of doing,” Kassel said. “We know we can win.” ceckard@umdbk.com

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2010 | SPORTS | THE DIAMONDBACK

9

FOOTBALL

In Year No. 2, Brown’s defense finally flying

BY KATE YANCHULIS Senior staff writer

The Terrapin football team’s adjustment to a pressure-heavy defensive scheme that almost never stops moving hasn’t always been easy.

But even after a performance that had its share of both highlights and lowlights in Saturday’s 26-20 loss at Miami, players said they have seen a steady improvement in play that’s dovetailed with an increased level of comfort under second-year defensive coordinator Don Brown.

“Everybody knows what Coach Brown is looking for now,” defensive end Drew Gloster said. “And I just feel like with this talent that we have, it was just easy for us to come together and gel into one unit and be a successful defense this season.”

As a team, the Terps are holding opponents to more than 55 fewer yards per game than they did last year. Their 36th-ranked defense even ranks ahead of traditional powerhouses such as Virginia Tech and Penn State.

Even individually, though, Terp defenders are quick to note the contributions of unrecognized teammates.

In the second quarter Saturday, for instance, linebacker

The Terp defense ranks No. 36 in the nation in total yards per game allowed. JACLYN BOROWSKI/THE DIAMONDBACK

Alex Wujciak jumped in front of a pass by Miami quarterback Stephen Morris and rumbled 60 yards into the end zone for a touchdown.

Sure, the senior explained, he was in the right place at the right time to make the grab, but the turnover was far from a one-man play.

Safety Matt Robinson “threw the block on the running back to give me a pretty clear path into the end zone,” Wujciak said. “And [Joe] Vellano, he just did a

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great job of standing in the lane of the quarterback. People tr y to go for the killer shots, but the fact that he just kind of took a shoulder and ran next to the quarterback to block him shows how aware he is.”

Gloster joked that Wujciak needed the extra time to make it to the end zone; on a quick defense, the linebacker is one player not exactly known for his speed.

“That’s my boy, but I always joke with him about that,”

Gloster said. “It’s a great play, and I’m glad he made it, but we just tease him about how slow he looked running down the sideline and how he almost got caught at the 1.

“But that’s OK, because the rest of us were there for him. We’ve got each others’ backs.”

The attacking style even showed up in a usually routine situation Saturday — during an extra-point opportunity. After Miami scored a second-quarter touchdown to pull within two, Vellano, a defensive linesman, blew through the Hurricane line to block the kick.

“Coach Brown, he lives and he dies by the blitz,” Gloster said. “And we have a lot of fast guys on our defense, so when you have a fast defense, you can blitz a lot and still recover.”

That didn’t always happen Saturday, though. On the Hurricanes’ final drive, the Terps allowed a 16-yard quarterback scramble on third-and-11, then had the game-winning 35-yard touchdown pass sail over their heads.

“We went with the pressure, a four-man rush,” Brown said of the play. “We’re in one of the better coverages for us, and we didn’t execute.” kyanchulis@umdbk.com

Guard Adrian Bowie and the Terps will face a dangerous College of Charleston team tonight. CHARLIE DEBOYACE/THE DIAMONDBACK

per game last season, tied for third most in Division I. The Terps’ athleticism helped from page 10 them overcome a shaky first half and 29 scored the final eight turnovers in their seapoints in regulation, son opener Monday including a game-tying against Seattle. But 3-pointer with two secWilliams knows the onds left en route to a dangers a Creminsgame-high 24 points. coached team can “He’s the guy that present if the Terps basically beat North aren’t watchful.

Carolina last year,” “He’s an accomWilliams said. “He’s BOBBY plished coach, one of the preseason player of CREMINS the good guys in the year in the South- COLLEGE OF coaching, and his ern Conference.”

CHARLESTON MEN’S teams compete,” Now a senior, BASKETBALL COACH Williams said. “They Goudelock leads a team that relies on sharp shoot- always show up and play.” ing from its backcourt. The Cougars averaged 9.6 3-pointers kyanchulis@umdbk.com

CREMINS

$

Financial/ Budget Specialist The City of Takoma Park is seeking a Financial/Budget Specialist.

Please see website: www.takomaparkmd.gov.

Hourly range: $22.18-$24.65 depending on qualifications. EOE.

Have to move?

Look for a new place in

The Diamondback Classifieds

10

THE DIAMONDBACK | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2010

Sports

Follow all the Terps’ action Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/DBKSports to get real-time updates on the action in the Terrapin men’s basketball and men’s soccer games today.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

MEN’S SOCCER

Charleston’s Cremins a familiar face

After 2009, Terps enter postseason cautiously

Former Ga. Tech coach, Williams meet tonight after long ACC history

squads used to battle the Terps at Cole Field House.

And while the ACC itself has also changed since Cremins last faced Williams, the Cougar coach still remembers how to win against the league’s members.

College of Charleston beat defending national champion North Carolina last January, and the 82-79 overtime win started a downward spiral for the then-No. 9 Tar Heels. Point guard Andrew Goudelock

No one on the Terrapin men’s soccer team has fond memories of last season’s ACC Tournament — not of its beginning, and certainly not of its end.

With a hurricane storming through Cary, N.C., ACC officials initially told the Terps and coach Sasho Cirovski that all second-round games would be postponed, if not canceled altogether. So Cirovski let his players enjoy the afternoon, setting them free at about noon so they could venture off in search of bites around town.

Only 45 minutes later, Cirovski received a call saying the Terps were indeed still set to play at 3 p.m.

Rushing around, Cirovski and his assistants rounded up the entire team and went to

see CREMINS, page 9

see POSTSEASON, page 8

BY KATE YANCHULIS Senior staff writer

Although the Terrapin men’s basketball team has played College of Charleston just once before in program history, coach Gary Williams will see a friendly, familiar face on the Cougars’ bench tonight — that is, at least until the whistle blows.

Bobby Cremins, a friend and former league rival whose coaching career at Georgia Tech spanned three decades, has led the Southern Conference school since 2006, when he accepted a job with the Cougars after six years out of coaching. But

from the opening tip-off until the final buzzer, Williams said, their camaraderie will be put on hold.

“Bobby Cremins is trying to win this game tomorrow night as hard as I am, I guarantee you that,” Williams said. “And that’s the way it should be. There’s no reason why, no matter what happens in the game, you can’t be friends before and after.”

Cremins started at Georgia Tech in 1981, only the Yellow Jackets’ third year in the ACC, and quickly transformed the school into a regional and national contender. In four short years, Georgia Tech won the conference championship and advanced to the

BY CHRIS ECKARD Senior staff writer

Coach Gary Williams and College of Charleston’s Bobby Cremins, who used to coach at Georgia Tech, often squared off in the ACC during the 1990s. JACLYN BOROWSKI/THE DIAMONDBACK

Elite Eight.

In the 1989-90 season, when Williams accepted the Terps’ coaching job and started his own rebuilding project, Cremins took Georgia Tech to the Final Four and was named the Naismith College Coach of the Year.

A decade later, the coaches had become colleagues as well as competitors.

Cremins said that a Yellow Jacket loss to the Terps late in the 1999-2000 season — the fourth straight in which Georgia Tech would miss the NCAA

Tournament — helped him decide it was time to retire.

Williams was one of the first people he called about that decision. And even then, the Terp coach said he knew Cremins would not stay away from coaching forever. In 2006, he was proven right.

“It was longer than I thought,” Williams said. “I thought he’d be back into it quicker because he’s really good. He’s good for a program because he gets people excited.”

Now, Cremins returns to College Park, where his old

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