LOOKING AHEAD
A WORLD APART
Terps add well-regarded class of 2012 recruits
Aftermath takes the Iraq War to a very personal place
SPORTS | PAGE 8
DIVERSIONS | PAGE 6
Thursday, November 10, 2011
THE DIAMONDBACK THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Our 102ND Year, No. 51
U. Senate approves new GPA standard
Funding for the swimming and diving teams could be cut. FILE PHOTO/THE DIAMONDBACK
Students oppose vote, but faculty win
Debt troubles may endanger other teams
BY YASMEEN ABUTALEB Senior staff writer
The Terrapins men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams are the probable first casualties of the athletics department’s budget crunch, but other programs may be in danger, as well. The water polo team has been told it will likely be cut, according to several sources with knowledge of the situation. In total, eight to 10 programs could be eliminated as the department looks to remedy its mounting debt crisis. “Hard decisions have to be made, and that decision fell under my watch,” University President Wallace Loh said yesterday at his State of the Campus address. “I will make them in a fair way according to careful considerations of all the issues and after listening to all the affected parties.” The financial considerations are obvious. The university supports a combined 32.9 scholarships between the fully funded swimming and diving and water polo programs, and their expenses for the most recent fiscal year totaled nearly $300,000, according to data provided to the U.S. Department of Education. Faced with slumping donations, reduced ticket sales and a rising budget shortfall in the athletics department, Loh charged a university commission with investigating and solving the department’s financial woes. For many, the
University President Wallace Loh spoke for nearly an hour without a written speech before the University Senate yesterday in his second State of the Campus. CHARLIE DEBOYACE/THE DIAMONDBACK
and create new opportunities for students. Loh said the merger — which is currently being reviewed by the Board of Regents for submission to the state General Assembly — is the biggest opportunity the university currently faces. “We will be able to paint ourselves as a global educational and research powerhouse situated to win the future because the competition is not with other universities in the system; the competition is with rising universities in Asia, in Brazil and in Europe,” Loh said. “That
Students will soon face a grading system that calculates grade point averages based on plus and minus grades, after the University Senate voted to implement such a system — to the outrage of many students — at its meeting yesterday. After nearly 45 minutes of debate, the body passed the motion 49 to 26 with two abstentions. Several undergraduate senators and Student Government Association President Kaiyi Xie adamantly spoke against the bill. The SGA voted overwhelmingly against the bill at a special session held Monday and at its meeting last night, but faculty senators said they supported the new policy because it was in line with the grading systems of this university’s peer institutions. The legislation will go into effect next fall and affect both incoming freshmen and students still attending the university. The current GPA scale gives students the same number of points for each variation of a letter grade, not taking pluses or minuses into consideration. Under the new system, students will be awarded an additional .3 points for a plus and .3 points fewer for a minus — although an A+ will only be worth a flat 4 points. Officials said because most graduate schools already recalculate GPAs based on this system, the policy change will help better prepare students for post-undergraduate life. “We ought to look at [the policy] for the rewarding it gives — for faculty to recognize the achievement of their students,” Provost Ann Wylie said at the meeting. “This new grading system will change behavior … because people have known for a long time that the B- is the same as the B, so why
see ATHLETICS, page 2
see LOH, page 2
see SENATE, page 2
Water polo’s future likely among those in jeopardy BY JEREMY SCHNEIDER Senior staff writer
Loh pledges support for merger In second campus address, also announces new fund BY YASMEEN ABUTALEB Senior staff writer
In his second State of the Campus address yesterday, university President Wallace Loh publicly pledged his support for a merger between this institution and the University of Maryland, Baltimore for the first time and announced a $10 million investment plan to reinvigorate the university. At last year’s State of the Campus address, Loh offered few specifics on plans, instead taking the opportunity to introduce the campus community to his philosophies for the first time. Yesterday’s speech was
markedly different, however, laying out concrete steps he hopes to take the university in the next year. Although Loh — who spoke for nearly an hour without a written speech — had never stated his opinion on the contested merger, he said for the first time yesterday that he supported merging the two institutions under one name, with each campus retaining its own president. Additionally, Loh said he was able to generate $10 million — from budget reallocations, increased tuition revenue and a small president’s reserve — to help fund the university’s new general education program
Newcomer wins District 1 seat over incumbent
Lobbying lessons Two student leaders travel to Capitol Hill to lobby congressmen
Kabir joins Wojahn on council, wins by two votes BY LAUREN KIRKWOOD Staff writer
Two ballots made all the difference for District 1 candidate Fazlul Kabir, who will be the third fresh face on the College Park City Council in December. Tuesday night’s ballot count left two-term incumbent Patrick Wojahn with 324 votes and the definitive lead in District 1. Incumbent Christine Nagle, 296 votes, and Kabir, 287 votes, were forced to wait for yesterday’s absentee ballot
Sen. Ron Wyden (center) and Sen. Ben Cardin (right) speaks to about 35 students yesterday lobbying for more affordable higher education and job creation for recent graduates. PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHANNA PEREZ
As President Barack Obama called the “brutal recession” a continuing reality last week, two student representatives lobbied two congressmen yesterday to make college more affordable and to help create more jobs for recently graduated students. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) spoke to the group of about 35 students from differing universities as a part of the Young Invincibles program — a group that represents the interests of 18- to 34-year-olds and ensures their perspective is heard among politicians. Student Government Association Chief of Staff Steven Hershkowitz and MaryPIRG civic engagement campaign coordinator David Bransfield represented this university. The congressmen said the concerns the group of students brought forward yesterday were two of their primary goals. Hershkowitz said he looks forward to continuing efforts to ensure the politicians stick to their goals and to guarantee this issue is not swept under the rug. “They can make the whole process a lot more transparent to students,” he said. “They don’t see what they are paying for, and it’s just not fair.” —Text by Maria Romas
see ELECTION, page 2
TOMORROW’S WEATHER:
Sunny/40s
INDEX
NEWS . . . . . . . . . .2 OPINION . . . . . . . .4
FEATURES . . . . . .5 CLASSIFIED . . . . .6
DIVERSIONS . . . . .6 SPORTS . . . . . . . . .8
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