December 5, 2012

SPORTS OPINION

Men’s basketball begins six-game stretch against unheralded foes tonight vs. UMES p. 8 Columnist Erik Shell explains why we should stop playing the Busy Olympics p. 4

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GSG budget increases year to year Tuition

By Teddy Amenabar Staff writer Although the GSG has ended several fiscal years with surpluses of more than $10,000, the organization continued to rake in money each year from graduate student activity fees and mandated bonuses, increasing its budget by $28,000 from five years ago.

Since fiscal year 2007, the Graduate Student Government has seen its budget increase from about $97,000 to nearly $126,000, according to annual reports. The funds cover everything from salaried positions in the GSG to advertising, elections, refreshments and social events. The organization reported surpluses of $10,052 and $10,671 in 2007 and 2008, according to documents provided by GSG Operations Director Mike Spitz, though annual reports on the group’s website show different amounts.

However, the group’s budget continued to expand each year without members seriously considering the possibility of cutting student fees.

could decrease

GSG BUDGET SINCE FISCAL YEAR 2007 $120,000

GSG Budget

Body has ended several fiscal years with surplus

Experts say college prices reaching brink of bubble

$90,000 $0 2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

2012-2013

Years the gsg’s annual budget has steadily increased, leaving the body with several surpluses. graphic by may wildman/the diamondback The university instead asked the GSG to begin a “spin-down” three years ago, meaning the group must spend a certain portion of the extra money at its disposal, Spitz said.

With such a substantial increase in money, GSG Financial Affairs Vice President Will Burghart said he is unsure why this hasn’t led to lowering the activity fee — an annual charge for every graduate student on the campus.

“You know that’s a damn good question — and

By Jim Bach Senior staff writer

that’s one worth looking into,” Burghart said, “because we’re always trying to cut other fees.”

“I do not have an answer,” he added.

There have been discussions among executives to propose a lower activities fee if the group is not using its money, Spitz said, but GSG President David Colon-Cabrera said a cut would only lead to a noticeable rise in

The days of skyrocketing tuition could be coming to an end.

While inflation in college prices has risen more than 400 percent since 1982 — far outpacing the natural inflation rate of 115 percent — the exponential rise could be nearing the burst of an economic bubble that would inevitably force colleges to lower prices, several experts said.

If colleges are able to successfully adapt to changing technologies, more students will be

See gsg, Page 3

See tuition, Page 2

Pepco looks to increase charges Higher monthly rate would hit university’s budget

By Savannah Doane-Malotte Staff writer Many state residents could see their monthly electric costs increase after Pepco proposed raising its prices, to the concern and dismay of many university officials and off-campus students.

The company, which services customers in the state and Washington, hopes to raise its electricity prices for state customers by $7.13 a month, along with a supplementary charge of 96 cents to advance its power grids’ reliability. But the additional expenses could negatively impact the university’s already limited budget, said Jack Baker, operations and maintenance director.

During the summer, Pepco produces at least half of the power used on the campus, while the other half is created in the university’s central plant, Baker said.

“The university is a big Pepco customer,” he added. “If the cost were to increase, it would certainly have an impact. We would have to increase our fuel utility budget, which supports See pepco, Page 3

ZIPS DRY cleaners OWNER LEA CALLAHAN works to serve the community by not only providing students and residents a place to get their clothes cleaned, but also by aiding in local business initiatives, including ones with R.J. Bentley’s and Ledo Restaurant. She opened her establishment 23 years ago, though it served as a community establishment well before then. rebecca lurye/for the diamondback

A CONTINUING CYCLE

Twenty-three years ago, owner Lea Callahan opened her dry cleaning business

By Rebecca Lurye Senior staff writer Gone are the free weights, the tanning beds, the hot tubs — customers waiting for their laundry at 7215 Baltimore Ave. no longer practice tae kwon do in the dance studio or

study upstairs.

At nearby Laundry World, they can still shoot pool or play Cruis’n Exotica. But most people pass quickly through ZIPS Dry Cleaners’ black and yellow overhang after dropping off their wares, just as they do at any of the chain’s locations.

Next to owner Lea Callahan’s desk, there are

signs hinting at the laundry service’s deeper roots in the community. Plastic binders list off “Student Union,” “Northwestern ROTC” and “Band Costumes.” Before Callahan’s store became a Dry Clean Depot and later ZIPS — nearly 14 years ago — it See ZIPS, Page 2

McKeldin to undergo $100 mil. renovations Libraries dean presented future plans, without set date, to Residence Hall Association last night; include incorporating new technologies for environmentally friendly layout

By Teddy Amenabar and Colleen Wilson Staff writers

MCKELDIN LIBRARY will undergo $100 million worth of future renovations, but officials have not set a start date. charlie deboyace/the diamondback

INDEX

Officials are mapping out $100 million in future renovations to McKeldin Library, less than a year and a half after completing a multiphase update to the library’s second floor.

The plans, which Libraries Dean Patricia Steele

NEWS 2 OPINION 4 FEATURES 5 DIVERSIONS 6 CLASSIFIED 6 SPORTS 8

presented to the Resident Hall Association last night, do not yet have a start date. Architecture graduate students have developed blueprints for a proposal to change the north side of the building. To move away from the “purgatory”-like design, Steele said, officials plan to redo the back section with a glass wall, supporting an environmental layout that holds or expends heat depending on the season.

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“We want to bring a lot of technology and make a really aesthetic space,” Public Services Associate Dean Gary White told the body.

The renovations will develop a “sense of pride,” White said.

To ensure the renovations make the most of

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See mckeldin, Page 3

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THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | wednesDay, december 5, 2012

Laundry World provides billiards and arcades along with its rows of washers and dryers. Nearby ZIPS Dry Cleaning offered spa and gym amenities when it was called Clean and Lean 14 years ago . rebecca lurye/for the diamondback

ZIPS From PAGE 1 was already a community fi xture.

Callahan’s job doesn’t stop in her store — she continually works to improve the community. As president of the Downtown College Park Management Authority, she collaborates on local business initiatives with the owners of Ledo Restaurant and R.J. Bentley’s, among others.

Before Laundry World, Callahan ran Clean and Lean, a “schizophrenic” laundromat that doubled as a spa and gym and appealed to the scores of students living near Route 1, especially fraternity and sorority members, in the 1990s. But when the university completed an $8 million renovation of Ritchie Coliseum 15 years ago, her already transient student clientele began to slip.

“Through the month of August, we’re all biting our nails hoping we can make it till the students come back, and I swore my next business would not depend on that campus for 100 percent of my revenue,” Callahan said.

After nine years of Clean and Lean, Callahan jumped on an opportunity to franchise. ZIPS now completes all dry

Now under a different owner, the business has retained its arcade features, a friendly, welcoming staff and a clean environment.

“T h is L au nd rom at is about one of the cleanest Laundromats I’ve ever been in,” said Laverne Method, who had three machines still running as she folded rugs from two more dryers. “There’s people that have been com ing here for a long time … they don’t have a lot of problems, they don’t have a lot of people coming in, the derelicts.”

Method’s laundry run will take nearly three hours and will cost about $24, she said. The store can be hectic on weekends when children get bored of the games — though she’s tried her hand at Pac-Man herself — but it’s peaceful this Tuesday morning.

And she pushes to improve security in the area in response to the threat of crime and the tension that festers between residents and student renters. In particular, she hopes the city will add security cameras to the Calvert Hills area.

Three years ago, three armed men in masks broke through ZIPS’ back door, and made away from the robbery in a carjacked Porsche, Callahan said. And last month, on a smaller scale, students vandalized a neighbor’s home. They ripped a large plaster eagle from its mounting above the front door and crushed it into three pieces on the lawn.

“They had to be on each other’s shoulders to get it,” Callahan said.

“I don’t how the hell they got it off.”

But Callahan works to strike a balance. She’s always happy to contribute a gift certificate to fraternity and sorority members’ fundraisers.

A nd t hou g h she m i sses t he workout equipment and atmosphere of Clean and Lean, it’s a comfort to know her laundry business is fi rmly grounded in the College Park community.

“I’ve always been a firm believer, recession or no recession, everyone always has to clean their clothes,” Callahan said.

cleaning on its premises and promises same-day service for those who drop off clothes before 9 a.m., for $1.99 per garment.

“I would never use a Laundromat and [ZIPS is] reasonably priced and fast,” said Leah Wilson, an alumna from Washington.

However, the loss of self-service washers and dryers — as well as circuit training and a study room — has left its mark. Callahan has seen a growth in business from outside the area, which helps anchor downtown College Park, but fewer students. And some of her former customers now take their business to Laundry World.

When Diane Whitney, of Mechanicsville, lived in the city, she would bri ng her ch i ld ren to Clea n a nd Lean so they could fit in a workout while running errands. But after the store switched to dry cleaning only, Whitney went to ZIPS. “This is my office,” said Whitney, who was going over paperwork with her son while her grandchildren’s laundry dried. “I have someone else meeting me, too.”

In the late 1990s, that expansive, glass-enclosed store just a few yards away served its laundry services with a side of hot dogs instead of workouts. newsumdbk@gmail.com

TUITION From PAGE 1 taking online courses, customizing their education in a multimedia environment and limiting the use of paper textbooks.

The efficiencies of this type of education could stem the burgeoning tuition prices.

“If there’s a successful restructuring, then prices won’t increase as fast as they have,” university economist Jeffrey Werling said. He added, however, it is less likely prices relative to inflation will shrink.

Additionally, a portion of the population known as the “Baby Boom echo” — children of the Baby Boomers — is going to age, effectively shrinking the nation’s pool of high school graduates looking to pursue higher education, Werling said.

“Within five or 10 years, the number of Americans that would be 18 years old, that’s going to fall,” he said.

“There’s going to be a kind of a compression for universities.”

This could push down demand and prices as a result, but Werling said colleges can lower standards or bring in students from abroad to combat the population shift, adding technology could help drive down higher education costs.

“I don’t think the demographics are going to be the big determinant here,” Werling said. “I think instead higher education is going to change in some fashion.”

In what could be the doomsday scenario, prices may decrease if what has been known as the higher education bubble bursts and cuts universities off from the revenue they receive from federally subsidized loans.

With the federal government issuing more than 90 percent of student loans in the past year, Antony Davies, an economics professor at Duquesne Univer-

sity, said more students are attending college than there should be. Given rampant unemployment and underemployment for college graduates, Davies said not all students would be able to make the most of their degrees, which won’t necessarily fetch them a highpaying job after graduation.

“On one side you’re going to have a large number of graduates or dropouts who cannot obtain a high enough wage to compensate them for this debt they have taken on,” Davies said. “This group of graduates and dropouts are students who would not otherwise have gone on to college, but we pushed them in” with low government-subsidized interest rates.

Because the government issues loans with taxpayer money, it is less stringent in its lending practices, making it susceptible to subsidizing students who won’t be able to pay back the loan. Davies said this removes “the natural reluctance” private lenders would have.

If the bubble does burst, he said, fewer high school students are going to view higher education as a lucrative return on investment, given the flood of graduates with thousands of dollars in debt and no high-paying job to show for it.

“Incoming students who see this are going to say, ‘I don’t want to be in that position,’” Davies said. “You get a significant reduction in student enrollment.”

In this situation, colleges will have to respond to falling demand by lowering costs.

“Certainly, it’s bad news for colleges and universities that are going to have to scramble” to bring in more students, Davies said. “It’s good news for students who are college material because they’ll now be competing with fewer other students for seats in a classroom.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

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wednesDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2012 | NEWS | THE DIAMONDBACK

mckeldin From PAGE 1 space available, developers questioned students about what they would want to facilitate studying. Accommodating students’ desires for a traditional library environment, the plans will keep half of the stacks on the shelves. One student’s initial idea proposed a “treehouse”-like environment where students could study away from hustle and bustle in the library, Steele added.

Next semester, library off ici a l s w i l l delve i nto t he details of a fi rst-fl oor update — the fi rst plan in the renovation — and will again consult students on what they want to help create an effective library environment.

With the university’s upcoming July entry to the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) — an academic consortium made up of the Big Ten Conference’s 12 schools and the University of Chicago — new connections will help McKeldin provide a vast library of digital books. This will further lower the number of books officials will need to hold on the shelves; each book costs $4.15 a year for the library to hold, while it only costs 15 cents to “place” a book on a digital library.

This university’s libraries are now ranked 10th in spend-

GSG From PAGE 1 the foreseeable future.

“That will be convenient in the short term,” Colon-Cabrera added. “When the ‘spin-down’ is done, we will have to increase the fee again.”

I n add it ion, t he g roup wou ld h ave faced def icits in the past if not for money carried over from past years.

In 2002, the GSG spent $17,978 more than its budget allowed but was able to end

pepco

ing on electronic resources as a percentage of total library materials among the 125 members of the Association of Research Libraries, a nonprofit that promotes the future roles of libraries. Readership of physical books had declined as well — a study conducted at McKeldin found 40 to 50 percent of the library’s books had not been checked out in the last 10 years, Steele said. In addition to holding 3.8 million volumes, the university’s library resources include 17,000 electronic journals, 600,000 electronic books, more than 350 databases and a rental system for laptops, ereaders, tablets and cameras, according to its website.

Officia ls sa id they must expand more practical online resources while accommodating students’ desires for a traditional library environment.

“You can almost trace the growth of the expenditures on electronic resources with the downward spiral of book circulation,” Steele said.

A year and a half after the second f loor of McKeld i n

Library reopened following a $1.6 million multiphase renovation to address the need for more designated group and individual study space and computer accessibility, the challenge officials are now finding is “being all things to all people,” said Eric Bartheld, a McKeldin spokesman.

“Need first, space second,” Steele said of plans for the next update. “We really have to engage users all the time to make sure the right need is being described for this whole thing.”

The previous repurposing was meant to help today’s students, Bartheld said.

“That second floor is all collaborative spaces and technology. You don’t see a book on that floor, and that’s not on accident.

It’s not what students really need to get their work done,” he said, noting it was designed for group work and meeting technological needs.

However, not all students were pleased with the results. Officials should try to balance a traditional study settings with more contemporary aspects in their next update, said Cara Reilly, a freshman English major.

“The second floor is definitely the most modern and the nicest part of McKeldin, but it’s also always really loud and crowded,” Reilly said.

“Most of the library is conducive to studying, but I fi nd it hard to concentrate on that

specific floor.”

While freshman journalism major Matt Present mainly uses McKeldin’s online databases for research papers, he agrees that a wealth of books is essential.

“It wouldn’t be a library without books,” he said. “But, with that said, I think if more books were available online, it would certainly be a convenient asset.”

Reilly added some teachers require students to use books in addition to online resources for papers. Having something tangible makes a difference, she said.

“It’s easier for me to read and comprehend when I’m reading a book compared to when I’m reading online,” she said. “I tend to get very distracted when

using Internet resources.”

Before conducting renovations last year, Steele said they asked anthropology students to conduct a study about which improvements students desire in a library. For many, it was the presence of books, according to Steele.

“They wanted books to be a prominent and physical part of the library,” Steele said. “Books gave them, I think, a historical perspective … that made them feel like they were going to do important work.”

“We can’t let the users’ needs get lost in all of this,” she added.

the year with an even balance, according to annual reports.

The mandated “spin-down” has given the body $13,000 to spend this year alone, but the GSG cannot use it to fund long-term programs, Spitz said. Funds can be used for a d d i t i o n a l fo o d a t m e e tings, graduate student event f u nd i ng a nd ot her a n nu a l allocations. Though ColonCabrera does not know how much money could come from the “spin-down” next year, he said the additional money enables the organiza-

tion to extend its activities and resources to the graduate student population.

Last year’s activity fee was cut by “a mere” 64 cents to $29.12, Spitz said, but it fluctuates every year with graduate student admittance. That fee is then split roughly in half between the Graduate Student Legal Aid Office and the GSG, Colon-Cabrera said. A cut in spending, as the “spin-down” continues, would allow for this yearly fee to decrease.

“We want to be successful to a lso bri ng awa reness to

the graduate students about what we are doing and what we want to do by representing them,” Colon-Cabrera said.

This year, $25,500 has been allocated for programming, according to annual reports, including $13,500 for Graduate Pub — bi-weekly events run by the Graduate Assistant Advisory Committee at Adele’s restaurant that each h o s t ro u g h l y 3 0 0 g ra d uate students. T he GSG has about $69,000 to spend on office operations, including office salaries and graduate

assistantships, according to annual reports.

By hav i ng a la rger f u nd, GSG has been able to provide new programs or assistance for graduate assistants that weren’t accounted for before, Colon-Cabrera said.

“We’re trying to be creative in ways that we can give back that money to the graduate students,” Colon-Cabrera said. “It allows us some resources and to just keep doing what we’re doing.”

“Books gave them, I think, a historical perspective … that made them feel like they were going to do important work.”

PATRICIA STEELE

Libraries dean

From PAGE 1

McKeldin Library will undergo $100 million worth of renovations, Libraries Dean Patricia Steele told the Residence Hall Association last night. No start date is set. charlie deboyace/the diamondback

Staff writer Savannah DoaneMalotte contributed to this report. newsumdbk@gmail.com

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photo by zachary handler, courtesy of umd.edu

A FORCE FOR THE ARTS Farr retiring after 12 years as CSPAC executive director For the past 12 years, Susan Farr has worked tirelessly to bridge the worlds of arts and academia in innovative new ways.

Next year, the 66-year-old Farr will retire as executive director of the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, wrapping up a career in which she redefined what it means to run a performing arts center at a research university. Farr was twice named one of the “100 Most Powerful Women” by The Washingtonian magazine for her contributions to the world of performing arts, but her innovative plans began long before CSPAC opened in 2001.

Farr sees a place for art in everything and sought to share that vision with the rest of the campus — an ambition born out of a long history of dissatisfaction.

From 1969 to 1986, Farr worked behind the scenes at the performing arts centers at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley. After that, she promised herself she would never work in higher education again.

To read more, visit The Diamondback’s website at diamondbackonline.com.

gas, electricity a nd f uel across campus.”

The company has committed more than $1 billion for infrastructure enhancements for the state over the next five years in the hopes of decreasing widespread outages and delivering better and safer service. Pepco has worked for two years to make its electrical system more reliable by trimming trees that hang over power lines, updating grids and adding electrical feeders throughout the area, said Thomas Graham, Pepco region president, in a news release.

“$7 a month isn’t a huge increase, but combined with all of the other house bills we have to pay, it adds up.”

ERIN EMELIO

Off-campus resident and senior English major “Customers are experiencing fewer outages, and the outages that do occur have shorter durations,” Graham said.

If the Maryland Public Service Commission approves the company’s plan in July 2013, customers will begin paying the $7.13 rate and the 96-cent surcharge will go into effect January 2014.

The cost is a strain on students’ budgets, especially those living in off-campus houses, said senior English major Erin Emelio.

“I think that as an unemployed college student, any price increase bothers you,” she said. “$7 a month isn’t a huge increase, but combined with all of the other house bills we have to pay, it adds up.”

While numerous customers have criticized Pepco’s reliability — especially following June’s derecho, which left millions of customers without power for more than a week in the midst of sweltering heat — Baker said the university and surrounding area businesses have experienced few power outages over the last few years. Most outages were caused by car accidents or trees knocking down power lines, neither of which are the electric company’s fault, Baker said.

“We have been very successful in recent storms,” Baker said. “We may have seen small blips in the power, but we have not lost power for a long extent of time.”

Because of Pepco’s initiatives, the company reported state customers so far experienced 38 percent fewer outages and a 36 percent decrease in outages’ duration from 2010 to 2012. And the company expects improved service in 2012 and 2013, it said.

Emelio said her house has had few power outages, and those that do occur have not persisted for very long.

“We’ve had good experiences with Pepco,” she said.

“Our one power outage happened during Sandy, and it only lasted for two hours.”

Pepco is also proposing stricter reliability standards to meet in 2015, with an incentive that will necessitate the company to pay back customers up to $1 million if it does not meet the minimum reliability standards, and the company would charge clients an overall additional $1 million if it achieves the higher standards.

Though the university may struggle to pay these higher costs, Baker said it does not have many other options for electrical services.

“We don’t really have a choice but to pay for it,” he said. “Pepco has been working to improve their r e l i a b i l i t y, a n d t h a t ’s always going to bring an added cost.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

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Opinion

THE DIAMONDBACK | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2012

EDITORIAL BOARD

It’s a common refrain in almost any classroom around finals time: “I have so many papers to do right now.” The best — and majority — of us sing this popular, post-Thanksgiving hymn. It’s as if we can no longer go more than an hour without letting someone know just how busy we are.

Right away, let me say there is nothing wrong with being busy. I have yet to find an example of hard work and persistence causing complete career oblivion, a few money laundering and stock market scandals aside.

There is also nothing wrong with talking to people about your busy schedule. In fact, telling your friends all about the hard things you have to do creates a nice sense of accountability.

Imagine: Your friends are out there, aware of your goal to run the New York City Marathon next fall. This gives an extra kick to those difficult mornings when you play the “I don’t have to run today” game in your head. You can’t let your friends down and more importantly, you can’t let yourself down.

But I’d like to talk about a more destructive game. For lack of an established term, let’s call it the “Busy Olympics.” Here’s how to play: First, get a group of close friends into a room, typically a dorm room, classroom or bar. Next, someone has to start the exchange. This typically begins with two people, usually in the same class, dropping one-liners about the severity of that class. That first player sets the score for the group.

Then, a second person, determined by whoever gets in the next word, attempts to beat the score set by the first person. The game continues on

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The games we play when there’s work to do ERIK SHELL

YASMEEN ABUTALEB

and on until the group either takes a snack break or decides one person has it the worst of all. This latter ending is very unlikely and is assigned the highest score possible. Rinse and repeat when the group returns from the kitchen or bathroom.

If this sounds familiar to any of you, it’s because it happens in almost any classroom on any given day. Let me just say that I’m guilty of playing this game. I may or may not have a few silver medals in my room to mark my achievement. But this is a game that we need to stop playing.

At its best, this game makes us lie to our friends. No one is ever quite as busy as they tell others. There might be a grain of truth, but every game of Busy Olympics has us adding a few extra pages to that paper, a few extra hours to our part-time jobs and sometimes outside activities or jobs that no one can cross-check.

Also, this game has no winner. I joke about a point system, but we all walk away from the game harboring a little more resentment for our friends than before, and we certainly don’t feel any better about our workload.

So what are the benefits of this game? The short answer: There are none. The long answer, however, involves a bit of work. When we remember other people are busy, we can make an effort to build each other up.

Create a network of accountability among your friends and, if you support them, they will – if they’re good friends – support you as well. Then we can finally stop playing the Busy Olympics and start being productive, successful members of our respective fields.

STAFF EDITORIAL

A new school of thought S

tudents, faculty and city residents have likely grown accustomed to the buzz of local construction and promise, as this university and the city of College Park have enjoyed a period of blossoming development in recent years. The 22-acre East Campus Development, set to begin in the spring, is one of many that will soon join Prince Frederick Hall on the growing list of current projects.

But when it comes to the painstaking process of development in College Park — and nobody would argue the East Campus project has gone smoothly — maintaining momentum and rational decisionmaking can be an elusive endeavor.

Consistent with these trends, the College Park Academy Public Charter School, which was set to take over the former Calvert Road School site, faces an uncertain future. Just as construction was about to begin on the school, local residents voiced concerns and signs of protest. As a result of a local petition signed by nearly 60 residents, plans to open the charter school for grades six and seven for the 2013 to 2014 school year have halted.

Ultimately, the plan is to expand the school to offer spots for up to 700 students grades six through 12.

But instead, the school will temporarily relocate to Hyattsville as local residents and officials contemplate whether to allow the project to develop any further in the future.

Given the project’s potential, hopefully the petition is not a sign

of greater opposition. This project appears to benefit both city residents and the campus community, and preventing the school from ultimately opening at the Calvert Road location lacks a persuasive justification.

Taking a risk-averse approach to

OUR VIEW

We can’t sit back and allow the College Park Academy Public Charter School to vanish — its benefits are simply too widespread to throw away. development has its merits — it helps avoid costly or detrimental projects and maintains residents’ sense of ownership over the future of their community. But according to yesterday’s Diamondback article, the main concerns cited in the petition were “traffic congestion and a potential increase in loitering.” These are hardly monumental threats to the community, and it appears petitioners would rather assume the worst than see the opportunity this presents for the city.

If College Park is ever going to successfully lose the stigma of “A Livable Community,” as College Park City Council members have attempted to do through a recent branding campaign, it has to continue to stay attuned to what current and potential residents want. While the charter school will be open to all

Prince George’s county residents, providing high-quality elementary and high school education opportunities is an attractive draw for families with children.

Building a competitive charter school near the campus is consistent with the efforts “to promote and support commercial revitalization, community development and housing opportunities,” outlined by the College Park City-University Partnership, the nonprofit organization leading the charge for the new charter school.

Additionally, integrating elementary and high school students into the university network will provide students of all majors with easily accessible education-related internship and volunteer opportunities.

Petitioners’ requests for clearly delineated plans to address safety concerns are certainly valid, and approaching the project with caution is, by itself, no reason for condemnation.

But we hope petitioners and other residents critical of the move continue to seek out productive solutions.

There is a clear need for what the charter school offers — collectively, the Prince George’s County Public Schools Science and Tech high schools have just 500 spots for the 3,000 applicants they receive annually, and the charter school can help fill that niche. Most importantly, offering students the opportunity to gain college credit with a personalized and blended curriculum will help the city continue distinguish itself as a “smart place to live.”

EDITORIAL CARTOON

E r i k S h e l l i s a so p h o m o re classical languages and literatures and history major. He can be reached at opinionumdbk@gmail.com.

The need for action with marijuana reform LAUREN MENDELSOHN In the month following the election, the partisan arguing seems to have died down as the American people settle in with the re-election of President Obama.

But the president wasn’t the only thing voted in this November. Another election outcome will soon receive national spotlight: the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington state. In case you weren’t aware of other states’ ballot initiatives, marijuana is now legal for recreational adult use in two states, despite remaining federally illegal. Although it’s been weeks since these passed, there has yet to be a response from the president.

How is this possible, you may ask?

It’s a bit fuzzy, and I’ll explain why.

Legalizing marijuana within a state is, in essence, an act of civil disobedience against the federal government, which the residents of that jurisdiction feel is enforcing laws that are not for their benefit. From a state’s perspective, the 10th Amendment grants the power to oversee activities not listed in the Constitution, including the regulation of marijuana. From the federal government’s point of view, such a move would violate the Controlled Substances Act. Yet this argument is circular, as the Controlled Substances Act itself is flawed, especially in its classification of marijuana, and noncompliance with unreasonable laws is an acceptable method of protest.

Over the past few decades, a handful of bills have been introduced to remove criminal penalties from marijuana, though these efforts lacked strong support and were unsuccessful. The first serious attempt to legalize, with a large campaign and national attention, was by California in 2010, but the proposition failed because of low turnout among young voters and some doubt about how the state would handle the new law considering the difficulties encountered from federal interference with their medical marijuana program.

Picking up where California left off,

three other progressive states — Colorado, Washington and Oregon — drafted proposals to legalize in 2012, clearly detailing any points that might raise question. The bills advocated regulating marijuana similarly to alcohol, with sale and possession limited to adults, licensing requirements for distributors and restrictions against driving under the influence of the drug.

Support for the initiatives, and for marijuana policy reform in general, was higher than ever, and polls revealed it was going to be a close race. Oregon’s bill was vague in comparison to the other two legalization bills, as it did not include anything about amounts allowed to be sold or grown (it would have allowed self-cultivation). The Oregon measure did not pass, but did receive almost a majority of the votes needed.

The initiatives in Colorado and Washington were more detailed, and laid out distinct regulation and implementation plans such as changes to law enforcement procedures and how tax revenue from the new product would be used.

The bills specified that users must be 21, and that the maximum amount allowed to sell or possess is one ounce. These measures both passed by equal margins of roughly 55 percent to 45 percent, reflecting a nationwide trend. Current studies suggest that half of all Americans favor legalizing marijuana, and that the percentage of support continues rising while the percentage of opposition is shrinking.

The Obama administration has been silent on this issue, despite calls from both sides to be clear about any federal response. With Washington’s new law going into effect tomorrow and Colorado’s scheduled to be implemented by early January, it would be comforting to have some reassurance that they’ll be respected. This is Obama’s opportunity to make a stand for democracy by acknowledging the legitimacy of states’ marijuana statutes.

Lauren Mendelsohn is a senior psychology major and former president of Students for Sensible Drug Policy at this university. She can be reached at opinionumdbk@gmail.com.

JACK CHEN/the diamondback

GUEST COLUMN

A Big Ten fan’s welcoming words Hello Terps, My whole life has uniquely prepared me to tell Terps fans the honest and funny truths about the Big Ten. I grew up with intense Big Ten loyalties, because both my grandfathers taught at Big Ten institutions, and I got hooked on attending freezing-cold football games in Madison, Wis., to bond with my dad at an early age. I graduated from Northwestern University and covered multiple Big Ten sports for its school newspaper.

The kicker is I recently married an amazing and incredible alumna of the University of Maryland, whose entire immediate and extended family are proud Terps. Therefore, my decades of Midwestern pride, plus my Terps-filled future, compels me to seize this moment to better introduce the Big Ten to Marylanders.

Here are just a few things that newcomers to the conference should know: 1. For all the revenue the Big Ten Network generates, it is not a polished product. On the bright side, you won’t need ESPN3 anymore for football games. However, you have been fairly warned many of the regular football and basketball commentators require the mute button — they’re too hokey and rarely include much substance. The early season student broadcasts are actually the

network’s standard of excellence.

2. If you ever travel for an away game, prepare yourself for some legendary tailgates. Many of these schools are treated like a local professional team by their fans. The football stadiums are enormous — Michigan, Penn State, and Ohio State’s stadiums all exceed 100,000 seats — and even if you travel many miles to see your team lose in front of a heavily partisan crowd, you will still walk out surprised by the friendliness of Midwesterners.

3. Big Ten expansion is here to stay.

Though most Midwesterners wanted the conference to remain unchanged in the Midwest, they have reluctantly adjusted to Penn State and Nebraska.

The next schools to join may likely be North Dakota and Delaware, since the conference is committed to expanding across borders. However, most fans would root for some combination of Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri to join in future years.

4. Once you are in the conference, do not leave it. We have never heard from University of Chicago athletics again.

5. The conference has more than just basketball and football. The Big Ten is far and away the best wrestling conference in the nation — Iowa, Minnesota and Penn State have combined to win the last six NCAA titles. The cold weather schools love their hockey and recruit Canadians. Women’s volleyball boasts traditional powers such as Penn State and Nebraska and the confer-

ence has had a school make the NCAA championship game each of the last eight seasons, winning five of them.

And last but not least is, of course, women’s lacrosse, where Northwestern (coached by Terps legend, Kelly Amonte Hiller) has won seven of the last eight NCAA titles. I admit this whole factoid was a setup to brag a bit about Northwestern’s best team.

6. Onto the mascots: You now join the good guys in the conferences.

There is a lot of mascot-mocking in this conference, and we will be on the same side representing colleges that have animal mascots (Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Northwestern, Penn State) versus the oversized human mascots who are either preposterous looking or steroid addicts (Nebraska, Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan State).

Indiana and Michigan have no creativity and don’t believe in mascots.

Illinois’s Chief Illiniwek was banned recently and an extensive mascot search is underway.

7. Finally, just to reassure you, it is fine to still hate Duke. We all do, too.

In conclusion, I love my family and childhood (Wisconsin), I love my alma mater (Northwestern), and I love my wife and her parents, grandma, aunts, uncles, cousins and family dog (Maryland) a lot. I love the old Big Ten, and will love the new Big Ten too.

Robert Eccles is a Big Ten fan. He can be reached at eccles310@yahoo.com.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2012 | THE DIAMONDBACK

5

Features

CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Gondolier’s “road” 6 Footnote note 10 Those against 14 Relish tray item 15 Pesters 16 Bard’s river 17 “The Luncheon on the Grass” painter 18 Pelts 19 Like autumn leaves 20 Fritz’s pub 22 Nanny 23 “Little piggies” 24 Playhouse 26 Common sense 29 Gymnastics move 31 Web addr.

32 Turkish honorific 33 Arctic hazard 34 Threw the dice 38 Whit 40 San Francisco hill 42 Sherpa’s sighting 43 Brawl 46 Lincoln’s st.

49 Holiday mo.

50 1040 pro 51 “Soapdish” actress 52 Molecular biology topic 53 Qualm 57 Porpoise relative

59 Wide awake 60 Bell-shaped animal 65 Dressy event 66 Ranch concern 67 Racoonlike mammal 68 Church or Stonestreet 69 Summit 70 German pistol 71 Risque 72 Bandleader -Kenton 73 Flee to the JP

28 Bye, in Bristol (hyph.)

30 Lowly laborers 35 Advance 36 Harrow rival 37 Met celeb

39 Precision 41 Obligated 44 Dr.’s visit 45 “Gal” of song 47 “Big Daddy” Ives

DOWN 1 Remove tangles 2 Mountain range near China 3 Prime-time hour 4 Circumvent 5 Remits (2 wds.)

6 Herb tea 7 Smear 8 Wading bird 9 Future bks.

10 Idly 11 Easily seen 12 Like Vikings 13 Dirty look 21 Recount 22 First-century emperor 25 Half of a Heston role 26 Very thin model 27 Russian epic hero

© 2012 United Features Syndicate

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B

HOROSCOPE STELLA WILDER

orn today, you have a great many natural talents that will serve you well throughout your lifetime, but there will be one or two that you will want to develop as fully as possible to see where they may lead you in life. Do as much as you can to foster those that really ignite your passions and you will surely come upon a great many opportunities that can provide you with reward, contentment and even perhaps lasting fame -- provided, of course, you follow your passions and don’t let the naysayers hold you back.

Despite the fact that you have one or two ideas that could be your claims to fame, you may require the assistance of someone who sees the potential in you and who is willing to take you under his or her wing and teach you the lessons you need to learn.

Also born on this date are: Joan Didion, author; Morgan Brittany, actress; Carrie Hamilton, actress; Walt Disney, cartoonist; Jim Messina, rocker; Little Richard, singer; Fritz Lang, filmmaker.

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, DECEMBER 6 SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- You and a friend will have to work closely together in order to reap the individual benefits that you feel are coming to you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

COLLEGE INTUITION RICHIE BATES ROGER DOES COLLEGE

-- You’ll impress others with your knowledge and skill, but it is your energy, enthusiasm and personality that really win the day.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- You may have to break down at long last and do something you swore long ago you would never do -- but you have a good reason for doing so.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -- It may be next to impossible to do that which someone else says cannot be done -- but you will want to give it a try anyway.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -You’re after something of higher quality than others are used to experiencing -- and you know just how to achieve it.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Others may not realize you are on top of a situation they fear is getting out of control. It’s time to let them know you’re in charge!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -Make no assumptions today, and don’t let anyone else persuade you to do that which doesn’t feel right. You are your own boss right now.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Now is no time to worry about the things you cannot influence or control; indeed, there are plenty of other things to worry about, yes?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- You can exert a positive influence on someone who has, in the past, seemed to be immune to just that kind of pressure, good or bad.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Now is not the time to run from the responsibilities that you accepted only a short while ago. You know how to get things done!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -Honesty is the best policy -- in most cases! Once or twice today, however, you’ll want to avoid speaking the truth -- so say nothing at all.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -Focus on those things that really seem to speak to you. You do not want to expend energy on those things that leave you cold.

COPYRIGHT 2012 UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.

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THE DIAMONDBACK | wednesDAY, december 5, 2012

Diversions

BACK TO REALITY

Staff writer Kelsey Hughes thinks reality TV provides “tiny glimpses into the ignored pockets of American life.” Staff writer Dean Essner thinks it’s ruining modern culture. We get ready to rumble as these two face off. Check out diamondbackonline.com for more.

REEL NEWS

ESSAY | THE YOLO-NESS OF POPULAR MUSIC

it’s the end of the world as we know it As Dec. 21 approaches, pop songs seem to be jumping on the end-of-the-world bandwagon, taking on a reckless “carpe diem” mantra

By Beena Raghavendran Staff writer 2012 has undoubtedly been the year of YOLO. The phrase “You Only Live Once,” popularized by Drake’s song “The Motto” (which was released in 2011, oddly enough), is the new “carpe diem” battle cry for reckless, exciting behavior.

It spawned a Twitter hashtag and online memes. Popular music, which aims to directly reflect general society’s feelings, jumped on the YOLO bandwagon as soon as it could. And it’s not letting go.

Remember t he su m mer h it “ We A re Young,” which urged its listeners to “set the world on fire”?

Recent hits epitomize the same theme. One Direction’s “Live While We’re Young” was released in September, about the same time as Ke$ha’s “Die Young.” The lyrics practically echo each other — “Let’s make the most of the night like we’re gonna die young,” Ke$ha sings; “Tonight let’s get some/ and live while we’re young,” One Direction begs in a set of rather provocative lyrics.

The influx of seize the day mentalities in popular music can be attributed to the

one direction is just another pop group that advises listeners to seize the day and take advantage of their youth. photo courtesy of skytopradio24.com quickly approaching Dec. 21 deadline, when the world is thought to be slated to end by the Maya prediction. Though it’s invalid to think all consumers of popular music believe in the forecast of destruction, the end of the world theme could play a small part in the increased consumption of YOLO music. Writers could be using the mostly ridiculed prediction as a peg for songs that call for a last hurrah.

More reasonable is an attribution to the impatient culture of popular music consumers. In a world controlled by social media, everything is demanded instantly. The idea of not wanting to wait is present in music

culture, too — just as in “Call Me Maybe” and other recent hits, there’s a need to hit success quickly. The new mentality is: Don’t wait. Do it now. Don’t look back.

Youth has always meant the liberty to be more reckless — providing a heavier sense of urgency, a higher likelihood of doing something just because it’s fun. The older you get, our society seems to think, the more you become bogged down with the worries of the world. It becomes more difficult to seize the day and live to the fullest when you’re worried about extraneous factors.

A nd maybe, in the past year, life has

grown more precious. Steve Jobs, Etta James, Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston all died — all were relatively young.

Then, a summer of shootings. Aurora. A Sikh temple in Wisconsin. Times Square.

A bitter election cycle. Chaos i n the Middle East. A potential fiscal cliff.

Turning to music is an escapist tactic, a comforting method that tells us to live while we’re young and push away the fear of the unknown. Because there’s a lot of unknown out there.

“Young hearts, out our minds/ running like we outta time/ wild child’s lookin’ good/ living hard just like we should,” Ke$ha sings.

But if popular songs are teaching a younger generation to live as if they’re younger than their actual age (so 13-year-olds act like and have the responsibility of 7-year-olds), everyone will grow increasingly younger; a world of progress will be lost.

And yet, those are all really speculations.

Tomorrow’s world is a mystery. All we know is that some myths prophecy the end of our lives in 16 days. So we might as well live them like we’re gonna die young. diversionsdbk@gmail.com

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2EVEN WEDNESDAY, DECEMBer 5, 2012 | SPORTS | THE DIAMONDBACK

NOTEBOOK From PAGE 8 the Terps and their fourth national championship.

“This is the biggest stage we’re goi n g to me et on ,” Cirovski said. “And it’s going to have a lot of intrigue.”

ROAD CREW The Terps’ rabid fan base that follows the team wherever it goes has been a staple of Cirovski’s College Park tenure. And even with the College Cup a 12-hour drive or a several-hundred-dollar plane ticket away, Cirovski remains confident the fans will uphold their reputation.

“T here are going to be a lot of Terp fans at the game,” C i ro v s k i s a i d . “ M a k e n o mistake about that. It’s going to be fi ne.”

After the ACC championship win over North Carolina in Germantown, Cirovski said the Maryland SoccerPlex had a better environment than last year’s College Cup in Hoover.

But no matter the crowd — sparse, neutral, hostile or

friendly — the 20th-year coach expects his team to be prepared for anything. The Terps have played seven games on the road or in neutral locations and boast a 6-1 record in those games, the lone loss coming Nov. 1 at Wake Forest.

“I think this will be a great environment,” Cirovski said.

“We’ve played in sort of neutral environments. We went to Creighton in the preseason and we played a bunch of games in the ACC on the road that are not pro-Maryland crowds.”

For New Orlea ns native Patrick Mullins, the trip to Alabama marks a homecoming of sorts, and he’s looking to draw a crowd. For Mullins’ parents, it’s the most convenient location the Terps have ever played in.

“There’s defi nitely going to be some Maryland supporters in the crowd,” Mullins said.

“Our presence will be known there, no doubt.”

HERMANN FINALISTS A s t he Col lege Cup approaches, Mullins is garnering individual attention. The

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

Coach Sasho Cirovski expects there to be Terps fans in the stands Friday in Hoover, Ala., despite the game’s notable distance from College Park. charlie deboyace/the diamondback ACC Offensive Player of the Year was named a semifi nalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy on Nov. 28.

The list of 15 semifinalists will be pared down to three finalists tomorrow, but Mullins isn’t thinking about that.

“Right now, it’s obviously a great honor and I’m truly blessed and appreciate being

Forward Alyssa Thomas and the Terps gave UConn its toughest test of the season on Monday night. charlie deboyace/the diamondback

FRESE From PAGE 8 team in a hostile environment.

“I love the fact that there’s no quit in this team and obviously a lot of adversity, but we worked defensively,” Frese said. “We scratched; we clawed. We did everything we can.”

In pushing UConn, the Terps forced the Huskies to rely on their starters more than

they have all season. Entering Monday’s game, UConn had nine players averaging at least 17.3 minutes per game, with Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis leading the way with 28.6.

But only six Huskies saw at least 19 minutes against the Terps, and four players were on the court for at least 30 minutes.

“We’re the fi rst team to actually give UConn a game,” forward Alyssa Thomas said. “They played 10 players all year, and they shortened their bench to six.

honored i n t h at,” he sa id yesterday. “Honestly, right now, I’m focused more on the team goals and what we’re looking to do.”

T h e fo r w a r d l e a d s t h e Terps in goals (16), assists (eight) and points (40). He’s tops in the ACC in goals and points, and ranks fifth in the nation in both of those cat-

We competed with UConn, and I know we will see them again.”

Huskies coach Geno Auriemma leaned heavily on center Stefanie Dolson, who posted a game-high 14 points, and forward Breanna Stewart added 13.

Only three Huskies exceeded their scoring averages Monday night, and the Terps’ defense held seven UConn players below their season averages.

“If you’re going to be consistent as a team defensively, you can bring it every single night,” Frese said. “I think that’s what this team is able to see with the win that we had at Nebraska and be able to come in with the fire power that Con necticut has and to really make them have to work through the possessions, I thought, was a positive thing for us.”

While turnovers and issues inside — UConn outscored the Terps, 32-16, in the paint — doomed the Terps, they said they held their own. Sure, maybe most people outside of College Park weren’t expecting much out of the shorthanded Terps, but the team showed its capabilities against an elite foe on a national stage.

Now, the Terps know what to improve and what to change down the road. After all, Thomas said she expects to take the court against the Huskies again.

“They gave us our punches,” forward Tianna Hawkins said. “But we didn’t back down.” sportsdbk@gmail.com

egories as well. Mullins was also asked about his future with the program yesterday.

Key Terps contributors like Stertzer and defenders Taylor Kemp a nd L ondon Woodberry a re g raduati ng, a nd Mullins could leave school early for the MLS. B ut, a s he h a s a l l yea r, Mullins is keeping his mind

in one place and one place only.

“Haven’t even thought about it,” Mullins said. “I’m having too much fun this year honestly and just enjoying being around all the guys I’m with around here. I want to take as much time here and enjoy this as much as I can.” sportsdbk@gmail.com

Coach Mark Turgeon said, “I haven’t slept very well since the game ended,” thinking about the Terps’ turnover problems. The team is averaging nearly 16 per game. charlie deboyace/the diamondback

HAWKS From PAGE 8 Turgeon knows the next month of games will give his team a chance to better itself enough to make that statement once league play begins.

“Northwestern was two full days of working on them to get used to it. So you’re not working on yourself. We had time before George Mason to work on us, which was good,” T u rgeon sa id. “We have a long way to go before we can compete in the ACC, so it’s a big month for us.”

Turgeon highlighted turnovers and defense yesterday as the Terps’ two chief areas of concern. Their turnover margin is easily the worst in the ACC, and they’re averaging nearly 16 giveaways per game — more than two more than they averaged last season.

“I haven’t slept very well since the game ended Sunday.

I can’t figure it out,” Turgeon said. “In hockey, they give an assist to the guy who throws the pass to the guy that gets the assist. I kind of wish our game did that. Because our guys always want to make the pass to the basket, instead of the pass that leads to the pass.”

Defense has been a focus, too. Turgeon has emphasized the significance of on-ball defense all season, and while he admitted some of the Terps didn’t play well offensively in the Terps’ 69-62 win over George Mason on Sunday, he said yesterday it was one of their strongest defensive efforts of the season.

Still, there’s work to be done.

Turgeon praised the commitment to defense he’s seen from

We have great talent on this team. Once we really tap into those guys and they really start to learn and slow down, it’ll be lights out for any team we play against.”

DEZ WELLS

Terrapins men’s basketball forward veterans Wells, Nick Faust and Alex Len, but he said the team’s freshmen still haven’t gotten to the level he’ll need them to be later in the season.

“One of the players came out of the game the other day and said to me, ‘Why’d I come out?’” Turgeon said. “I said, ‘Because those five guys can really guard.’ It was a close game, we had the lead and we had to protect it. I think it was a message to a young guy.”

Those young guys would likely admit they’re not where they need to be, too. Each one of the team’s four freshmen contributors has struggled at times this season.

But Wells isn’t worried about them. They have a month to get themselves fully acclimated to the college game — plenty of time to make the necessary adjustments.

“We’re not even scratching the surface on the potential that we have,” Wells said.

“You guys haven’t even seen how good Jake Layman is. You haven’t seen how good Seth Allen is, or Charles Mitchell or Shaq Cleare. We have great talent on this team. Once we really tap into those guys and they really start to learn and slow down, it’ll be lights out for any team we play against.” sportsdbk@gmail.com

QUOTE OF THE DAY Sasho Cirovski Terps men’s soccer coach

“We feel we’re the hardest working team in the country and we know when we line up against anybody, we’ll be more prepared.”

Sports

MEET YOUR NONCONFRIENDS

For a full breakdown of the Terrapins men’s basketball team’s next opponent, Maryland-Eastern Shore, visit diamondbackonline.com.

PAGE 8

ON THE BLOG

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2012

MEN’S SOCCER | NOTEBOOK

No ill will for Terps vs. G’Town

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Looking inward

Maryland-Eastern Shore game gives Terps chance to focus on themselves

Fans expected to travel; Semifinals for Mullins

By Josh Vitale Senior staff writer

By Daniel Gallen Senior staff writer

The next month will prove critical for the Terrapins men’s basketball team.

Not because of its desire to climb into the top 25 or solidify a place in the postseason, though. No, the next month will prove crucial because the Terps will have ample time to focus on the aspect of the ga me coach Mark Turgeon deems most important: themselves.

Starting with tonight’s matchup against Maryland-Eastern Shore, the Terps will host six low-ranking nonconference foes in the next four weeks. And while facing the likes of the Hawks, Monmouth and Stony Brook likely won’t motivate them the same way January matchups against Virginia Tech, No. 25 N.C. State and No. 20 North Carolina will, the team knows its next half dozen contests will be crucial in preparing them for ACC play.

“The days where you really don’t want to practice or when you really don’t want to play are the days you need to take advantage of, because it can be taken away at any given moment,” forward Dez Wells said. “Some days they’re not going to like me, because I’m going to push them and they’re not going to be in the mood. If that’s going to make us better and get us to the ultimate goal, then I don’t really care if it’s what this team needs.”

“From one to 10, I say we’re at a two,” Wells said. “As we play more and more, by January or February, I feel like we’ll be at like a six or seven as far as defense and, overall, our chemistry as a team.”

Turgeon agrees. The second-year coach knows his young team has made strides over its 6-1 start, but he believes it hasn’t done enough to prove itself as a contender. He’s said it numerous times this season. The Terps are going to be a good team; they’re just not there yet.

The Terps won’t have a chance to prove themselves in the next few games, though. Maryland-Eastern Shore enters tonight’s contest at 0-7, and the Terps’ fi nal five nonconference foes are a middling 22-20 combined this season.

While they can’t make a statement against any of those six teams,

There’s little doubt what the chief story line will be when the Terrapins men’s soccer team faces Georgetown in the College Cup semifinal in Hoover, Ala., on Friday.

After all, it’s a matchup between two athletic departments that won’t meet each other in any regular-season matchups until the two sides agree to play in men’s basketball.

For coach Sasho Cirovski, though, there’s no ill will.

“When you’re a coach, you’re part of a team,” Cirovski said yesterday. “When my coaches make decisions, you support them. I think, right now, my only focus is on playing the game and not really worrying about bigger picture stuff. I’m a team guy, and I support everything our school does.”

Instead, he’s concentrated on the rise of another local program making a deep postseason run and the relationships some No. 2-seed Terps have with the No. 3-seed Hoyas.

“I know a couple of guys on the team I played with in club,” midfielder John Stertzer said. “It’s going to be great to be able to see the progress each of us has made and now playing at the biggest stage in college soccer. It’s going to be a great opportunity for all of us.”

The magnitude of this matchup transcends the squabbling between the departments. Though the two schools are only about 12 miles apart, Georgetown is just the next opponent standing between See NOTEBOOK, Page 7

Forward Patrick Mullins and the Terps face off against Georgetown in a 2010 preseason game. file photo/the diamondback

The Terps’ starting five (center) of Pe’Shon Howard, Nick Faust, Dez Wells, James Padgett and Alex Len has begun playing cohesively, but the Terps are looking for improvements from freshmen (clockwise from top left) Jake Layman, Seth Allen, Charles Mitchell and Shaquille Cleare over the next month. charlie deboyace/the diamondback

See HAWKS, Page 7

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Frese: ‘How many of you didn’t think we had a chance in this game tonight?’

Coach impressed with Terps’ performance at No. 2 Connecticut despite 63-48 loss

By Daniel Gallen Senior staff writer

HARTFORD, Conn. — Brenda Frese has never been one to accentuate the negative.

She didn’t falter once as wave after wave of injuries washed over her Terrapins women’s basketball team. When it was announced guard Laurin Mincy would miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL on Friday, Frese kept the same message of accountability she used after guard Brene Moseley and center Essence Townsend each tore an ACL. Things would be hard, she said, but the Terps still boasted a talented roster even if their bench featured the same number of players in uniform as in warmups.

So considering everything surrounding the No. 9 Terps this year, it was easy to see why she was impressed with her team despite falling at No. 2 Connecticut, 63-48, on Monday night.

“How many of you didn’t think we had a chance in this game tonight?”

Frese said to open her postgame press conference at the XL Center.

The Terps held a team averaging 92 points per game to a season low.

They lost by 15 points, but UConn had beaten every other opponent by at least 31. The Huskies shot a season-low 38.3 percent from the floor.

T hough the Terps never led and their smallest deficit was two with six minutes left in the fi rst half, Frese was impressed by the mettle of her See FRESE, Page 7

Coach Brenda Frese found a way to point out positives in the Terps’ performance against UConn on Monday despite their 15-point loss in Hartford, Conn. charlie deboyace/the diamondback