December 6, 2012

SPORTS

OPINION

A FAMILIAR FOE

Women’s basketball coach Brenda Frese and Terps to face Virginia tonight in start of ACC play p. 8

DIVERSIONS

PREVENTING PROGRESS

HISTORY IN FOCUS

The U.S. Senate disappointingly failed to ratify a U.N. treaty that would protect disabled people p. 4

Are biopics too concerned with treating their subjects reverently at the cost of inaccuracies? p. 6

The University of Maryland’s Independent Student Newspaper

ISSUE NO. 67

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thursday, december 6, 2012

Denton quad project to finish Fri.

TERRAPINS 100

Loh speaks to Sen. on BIG move

68 HAWKS

$3.65-mil. renovations began 7 months ago

By Savannah Doane-Malotte Staff writer After several setbacks and schedule conflicts, renovations to the Denton quad are set to be completed by tomorrow, finally giving students the outdoor oasis they’ve been awaiting since the start of construction seven months ago.

According to Capital Projects Director Bill Olen, the $3.65-million project was initially set to be finished by early October. However, the inability to acquire the proper building permits for the remodel, as well as the impact of Hurricane Sandy, delayed the quad’s opening by two months.

“The weather associated with Sandy caused a slight interruption in the construction,” Olen said. “We lost a number of days of work because of the heavy rains that occurred from the storm.”

Now, facilities workers are putting the final touches on the improved quad.

Olen said with the completion of renovations tomorrow, students should be able to use the quad next week.

In order to deem a construction project ready for opening, Facilities Management must inspect the area to confirm every aspect of the remodel is prepared for student use, Olen said.

This includes testing benches and picnic tables for durability and making sure all of the newly installed lighting is functional.

Once Facilities Management has confirmed the site is sufficiently equipped and finished, officials will declare “substantial completion” for the quad, with the demolition of the fences surrounding the area and the end of construction following soon after. The quad’s opening will provide See denton, Page 2

By Lauren Kirkwood Senior staff writer

See senate, Page 3

Speaking volumes Terps display offensive prowess in dominating performance over Maryland-Eastern Shore minutes. The freshman had worked hard in practice, doing all the little things asked of him.

Three days later, Turgeon did something he’d never before considered throughout his 14-year coaching career. He moved three reserves into the starting lineup.

Hours before tipoff against Maryland-Eastern Shore, Turgeon informed freshmen Seth Allen, Jake Layman and Shaquille Cleare

By Connor Letourneau Senior staff writer Mark Turgeon isn’t one for sweeping lineup changes. The Terrapins men’s basketball coach understands that reduced minutes bruise egos.

But while driving home after Sunday’s George Mason game, he had a revelation: He needed to give center Shaquille Cleare more

Univ. researchers hope to expand functions of time-reversal physics

By Fatimah Waseem Staff writer

With successful state vote, DREAMers now eye nat’l stage

By Alex Kirshner Staff writer

INDEX

See hawks, Page 2

the terrapins men’s basketball team beat Maryland-Eastern Shore yesterday in a 100-68 blowout performance. Above, from left, forward Dez Wells, guard Nick Faust and center Alex Len celebrate after the team notched its seventh consecutive win in its eighth game of the season. charlie deboyace/the diamondback

DREAM advocates fight for federal law

DREAM Act advocates saw their efforts come to fruition when residents upheld a state version of the law on Election Day, but their battle hardly stops there.

Supporters on the campus said now that they have cleared the first hurdle, they hope to push into law the federal Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, which would provide undocumented students a pathway to citizenship if they pursue a college degree or serve in the military.

“It’s great that the state has been able to have such great changes,” said sophomore Diana Villatoro-Sancho,

they’d supplant mainstays Pe’Shon Howard, Nick Faust and Alex Len in the first unit.

The changes proved worthwhile, as the new-look Terps routed the Hawks, 100-68, before 9,813 at Comcast Center last night. Their superior size, depth and athleticism simply overpowered a winless team from start to finish.

University President Wallace Loh addressed the financial and academic impact of the university’s planned move to the Big Ten before faculty, administrators and students at yesterday’s University Senate meeting — the body’s last gathering of the semester.

Just more than two weeks after announcing the university will leave the ACC in 2014, Loh spoke for about five minutes on the academic benefits the university will receive as a member of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, composed of the Big Ten schools and the University of Chicago. He then fielded questions regarding the university’s use of funds from the Big Ten and the lack of transparency in the decisionmaking process.

In addition to touching on the benefits of the CIC, which include shared resources and increased study-abroad opportunities for students, Loh emphasized the funds received from the conference each year will boost academics across the campus. Because the Big Ten is a revenue-sharing conference, each member receives an equal share of the annual income.

While several undergraduate senators commended Loh for recognizing the academic benefits of joining the conference, history professor Jeffrey Herf said he is worried his department, and others on the campus, will continue to struggle attracting top graduate students because of a lack of funds needed

students rally for the state’s DREAM Act in October at an on-campus event that features several prominent state elected officials, including Sen. Ben Cardin (D) and Del. Heather Mizeur (D-Montgomery). file photo/the diamondback the public relations vice president for the Latino Student Union. “But it’s also important to not just move onto a national level, but to slowly move out of the borders of Maryland.”

The state DREAM Act’s passage means undocumented immigrants who have completed 60 community

college credits, attended a state high school for at least three years and proven they or their parents have filed state taxes for at least three years will be eligible to pay in-state tuition rates at public institutions.

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

See DREAM, Page 3

Within the next five years, it may be possible to charge a cellphone without knowing where it is and destroy tumors no matter how deep they are within the body, using research conducted at this university.

Through an age-old technique called time reversal, a team of professors discovered how to communicate — by transmitting power, sound or images — in any direction rather than merely across a straight line using electronic magnetic pulses. The team found they could transmit power, such as by charging a cellphone, without knowing an object’s location or disturbing its surroundings. The research — which will be published in the next two months — has been in the works for two years.

“Even to us, it’s a kind of magic,” said Steven Anlage, a physics professor who oversaw the research.

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“This is the first time this has been done with electromagnetic pulses.”

Unlike its name, time reversal does not turn back the clock; rather, it is equivalent to playing a recording backward before the machine’s antennae receives it. The waveforms are reversed in space and time, allowing the wave to recoil back to its original source using the same path it originally took, said Matthew Frazier, a postdoctoral research fellow in the physics department.

“Imagine recording something like an echo, where you say one word and hear it several times; time reversing that recording properly should ‘undo’ the echoing and you’ll hear a single, backwards copy of what you said to make the echo,” Frazier said.

Previous time-reversal research, which has been around for 10 to 20 years, has focused on linear objects — or motion across a straight line, such as with underwater communication

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See time, Page 3 © 2012 THE DIAMONDBACK

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THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | thursDAY, december 6, 2012

denton From PAGE 1

Center Shaquille Cleare scored a career-high 12 points in the Terrapins men’s basketball team’s blowout win over Maryland-Eastern Shore last night, 100-68. In the Terps eighth game of the season and seventh consecutive win, coach Mark Turgeon moved freshmen Cleare, Seth Allen and Jake Layman into the starting lineup. charlie deboyace/the diamondback

hawks From PAGE 1 But that hardly means it was typical. Guard Logan Aronhalt’s season-high 17 points led four usual reserves in double figures, three of whom were freshmen. In total, 12 players scored and one — forward John Auslander — notched his fi rst points of the season.

“I felt like it was a great experience knowing that we have great depth on our team and knowing that everybody can play,” said forward Charles Mitchell, who posted his second career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. “It was cool knowing those bench guys can fill the role of our regular starters.”

With three “bench guys” starting, the Terps shot 61.3 percent. They connected on 10-of-20 3-pointers and limited the Hawks to a paltry 31.9 percent shooting mark from the field. They also shared the

ball well, tallying 27 assists — 21 more than their lightly touted visitors. Allen and Faust notched eight and seven dimes, respectively.

“I was really pleased with the way we distributed the ball,” Turgeon said. “We did some really nice things there.”

Turgeon had plenty to appreciate last night. The Terps did what they expected to do, blowing out an overmatched opponent in nearly every facet.

They didn’t waste any time either, scoring on their first five possessions to take an 11-3 lead less than four minutes into regulation.

And though Hawks guard Kyree Jones notched 18 of his game-high 24 points in the first half, the Terps’ combination of size and athleticism proved overwhelming. Padgett and Cleare muscled inside for easy layups, Aronhalt and Layman hit wide-open 3-pointers and the Terps took a 30-13 lead with 8:23 remaining in the fi rst half.

By the time Turgeon’s squad entered the break with a 21point edge, the Terps were well on their way to their second blowout win in eight days.

Cleare and Layman already boasted career highs, helping the bench outscore UMES’ reserves, 17-2.

The second half was much of the same. The Terps (7-1) attacked with ease, fed the ball to the open man and sped past the Hawks in transition.

UMES (0-8) managed a 9-2 run to cut the Terps’ lead to 64-43 midway through the second half, but it hardly mattered.

The Terps were well on pace to their seventh straight victory.

“This game gave us some confidence, I think,” Turgeon said. “Confi dence, togetherness and smiling faces; that’s what I’m going to take away from this game.”

One thing Turgeon can’t take away from last night’s display?

Less turnovers. The Terps, who rank a distant last in the ACC

with nearly 16 giveaways a game, tallied 15 turnovers against a Hawks team picked to fi nished 12th in the MEAC this season.

Still, bouts of sloppy play couldn’t mar a noteworthy night for a trio of players making their first career starts. Turgeon said after the game he plans to make some more lineup adjustments for Saturday’s matchup with South Carolina State. After that, he expects the starting lineup to return to normal.

But last night, the freshmen were just content reveling in an extended chance to prove t hei r wor t h. It d id n’t m atter t h at t he minutes may dwindle once tougher tests arrive.

“It felt good,” Allen said of h is fi rst ca reer sta rt.

“Overall, it was just a good experience.” sportsdbk@gmail.com

residents with more opportunities to enjoy the space in close proximity to their dorms, Olen said.

“T hese renovations w i l l provide students with a safe environment where they can gather and get out of their dorm rooms,” he said. “The increased amount of space means that on nice days, students can be outside, close to their dorms.”

Facilities Management began the project’s design process in January 2011, when officials decided Denton Community residents deserved better lighting, more picnic tables and bike racks and a complete remodeling of their outdated quad, according to Olen. Notable attributes of the quad, Olen said, include its sustainable and green features, such as new landscaping and plants as well as a water management system that will reduce the amount of storm water runoff to neighboring communities.

The completion of the quad signals the last phase of the threeyear project to remodel part of North Campus. Other projects included Oakland Hall and 251 North, Olen said.

“The quad renovations were on an area on campus around other newly renovated buildings,” he said. “This project is a great completion to the Denton Community renewal.”

Denton resident and freshman journalism major George Hindy said he is happy the renovations are over, as they

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“Considering that my walk through the quad constantly consisted of the possibility of spraining my ankle, I’m glad that it’s done now.”

LUCIA RIZZO

Freshman business major brought loud noise and obstructions to the community.

“The construction was pretty annoying all semester,” he said.

“I would usually wake up early in the morning to the sound of a jackhammer.”

Though she doesn’t live in the Denton Community, freshman business major Lucia Rizzo said maneuvering through the construction in order to have her weekly meal at 251 North was an inconvenience.

“It was always really chaotic to get to 251 since there was only one very small walkway, so safetywise, it should have definitely been better,” she said. “Considering that my walk through the quad constantly consisted of the possibility of spraining my ankle, I’m glad that it’s done now.”

Hindy added the aesthetic configuration of the quad is pleasing and he plans on using the new features and space.

“Now, I think the new quad looks great, and I am glad they renovated it,” he said. “It was worth the few months of annoyance. It seems like a good place to hang out, and it’s a nice open space with nice landscaping work.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

Distribute Flyers on Campus Only Canvassers needed to pass out flyers near sorority chapter houses. Must be bubbly, sweet, and approachable. Flexihours. Monday-Friday. Daytime hours ble hours only. Interviewing now, hiring for spring semester. If interested, please contact Scott Bearden, 301-452-3450.

thursday, december 6, 2012 | News | the Diamondback

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senate From PAGE 1

Steven anlage (left) and Matthew Frazier stand in front of the nonlinear time-reversal mirror. They are among a team of professors who, using a technique called time reversal, discovered how to communicate in any direction using electromagnetic pulses. photo courtesy of steven anlage

time From PAGE 1 and room acoustics. Those diffuse energy in a simple way, Anlage said. But transmission through nonlinear objects — anything from a cellphone to a rusty nail — is another animal, as the communication can be dispersed in any direction.

In one of many controlled experiments, researchers sent two pictures of the diamondback terrapin to a cellphone from another device using a microwave pulse.

But before the cellphone received the photos, a device called a transceiver gobbled them up, recorded and reversed their waveforms and transmitted the time-reversed communication back. While the cellphone received the pictures, a linear device also capable of grabbing transmissions did not — the time reversal of the waves had created a code that only the nonlinear cellphone could comprehend.

“What we’ve done is essen-

tially created a private communication channel; other objects cannot understand the signal,” Frazier said.

Additionally, scientists may one day be able to destroy tumors by tagging them with certain chemicals that respond to rays of destructive heat. The process would be especially useful for deep tumors because surrounding cells would be unharmed.

Concentrated energy could also harness the ability to power up objects wirelessly.

“You walk into a room, put your cellphone down and a mirror will send energy to your phone without knowing where it was — it’s pretty cool,” Anlage said.

Researchers must now figure out how to expand on their discoveries in real-world settings, where the environment is far less controlled than in a laboratory.

“There will need to be much more work to make a robust system that can do things like charging cellphones remotely,” Frazier said.

A similar study by the researchers earlier this year used the same time-reversal strategy to detect small changes in the physics building. The researchers set up a sensor in a stairwell that opened to a large, clear area.

They then released waves of communication, which scattered and bounced against the walls while a recorder collected them. After being transferred to a computer, the waves were reversed and retransmitted, undoing the scattering effect. This simplified process allowed the waves to detect any change in the stairwell — from fluctuation in air currents to an object left behind, Anlage said.

At the microscopic level, everything is time-reversible in physics, paving the way for numerous applications, Anlage said.

“It’s the sy m metry of nature,” he said. newsumdbk@gmail.com

to offer competitive stipends.

The Big Ten, Loh said, will provide a unique opportunity to increase funding for academic departments.

“We absolutely will not divert — we have never diverted — resources from the academic side to support the athletic side,” Loh said. “For the first time, we have the possibility of taking revenue flowing into athletics and allocating some of it to the other side of the house.”

In a few days, university officials will announce a commission that will examine how best to integrate the university into the Big Ten and the CIC. A “very broad-based constituency,” including faculty, staff, students, alumni and donors, will comprise the commission, which will develop a plan to ensure the sustainability of university athletics for the next 20 years, Loh said.

Senate Chairwoman Martha Nell Smith said she was happy to see Loh reach out to the senate in the days following his announcement.

dream From PAGE 1 Although its details would be hashed out in Congress, a possible federal version of the DREAM Act received attention several times during President Obama’s first term, and became a hot-button issue during the recent election campaign.

Tyler Grote, president of this university’s College Democrats, said the passage of the act in individual states could portend federal action.

“I don’t know how fast the process will move along, but eventually this will become one of those national societal issues,” Grote said.

A nd t he federa l version could gain ground over the coming months and years as the number of Hispanic voters — who are most impacted by the fate of the DREAM Act — rapidly grows.

Maryland’s version of the DREAM Act garnered 58 percent support in the Election Day vote.

Students mobilized well before the election to rally support, as the Student Government Association passed a resolution favoring the bill, and several groups held a rally on the campus in October. Eighty-four percent of on-campus voters ultimately chose “Yes” to uphold it.

At an Amnesty International

Gay Gullickson, a faculty senator, hopes the commission analyzes how other Big Ten schools, such as the University of Michigan, devote funds to academics. This university should also set aside a certain portion of revenue each year for academic use, she said, so the university can stand strong alongside its new peers.

“I’m hoping this will allow us to truly compete on all levels with them,” Gullickson said.

Loh also addressed questions about the closed-door decision-making process behind the move, which he said was necessary in order for negotiations to continue. Widespread discussion of the deal before it was sealed would have killed it, Loh said, drawing a comparison to former President Richard Nixon’s decision to establish diplomatic relations with China without consulting Congress.

“Normally, I believe in shared governance, but there’s certain issues, if you consult in advance, it would never go anywhere,” he said.

In the first few days after the

announcement, Loh said his office received hundreds of negative emails, mainly from fans who were disappointed to see the university lose the traditions of the ACC. However, he said, the way the Big Ten brings in money will ultimately help prevent the athletic department from having to cut more teams under his leadership or that of future university presidents. Relying on revenue from television contracts, rather than from filling seats in a stadium, will ensure financial stability, especially because college students are more apt to watch games on mobile devices or TV than attend them, he said.

“T he Big Ten, what they realize, is that the days of geographical boundaries are over — geography no longer matters,” Loh said. “Our best teachers are going to be online, broadcasting to the whole world. … What I learned by talking to the Big Ten is that the expectation that people have for education, they also have for entertainment, and for sports.”

event before the referendum, freshman government and politics major Heather Moldofsky heard the story of a young Latino woman summing up why she supported the bill — and why she thinks it could have broader appeal.

The woman was brought to America when she was much younger, and Moldofsky said the law is the only reason she will be able to attain a college education.

“If the DREAM Act hadn’t passed, she wouldn’t be able to stay here for college because she wouldn’t be able to afford it. So she’d have to go back, probably wouldn’t get a college degree,” Moldofsky said. “So it was really interesting to see actual people’s real-life experiences with it, how much it affects everyone.”

D e s p i te i t s w i d e s p re a d support, there are still many who oppose the measure and believe it is detrimental to the state.

Allison Agazzi, president of this university’s chapter of College Republicans, said she understands young Hispanics’ plight, but it’s not enough for her and most other College Republicans to support the initiative.

“It’s pretty tough. I greatly sympathize with them. I know if I was in their situation, I would want to make my life better and get an education,” Agazzi said. “But I also do sympathize with the law and the fact that they are illegal.”

Agazzi added the state law

creates economic contradictions, as undocumented immigrants who graduate will still be in the country illegally.

“As tough as it sounds, the law is the law, and we can’t just go breaking or bending the law to favor a certain group of people,” she said.

Even though she and many Republicans opposed the law, Agazzi said the next step for the DREAM Act movement is likely to be a push for the federal version of the bill.

“I think that that’s definitely something [Obama] might try and push in his second term, especially now that he doesn’t have to be re-elected,” she said.

But this state is one of the nation’s most liberal, so it’s more challenging to mount a national DREAM Act effort, VillatoroSancho said.

“I’m not saying that it was easy in Maryland,” she said.

“But it would take a lot of hard work and a lot of giving people the facts.”

Educating the public on the true functions of the DREAM Act was a critical challenge for the movement to overcome, Villatoro-Sancho said.

“I defi nitely want to go back to just getting people informed,” she said. “You can’t make ignorant decisions when you don’t know the facts.”

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THE DIAMONDBACK | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6 , 2012

Opinion

I got this writing gig basically because of a guest column I wrote last semester about our society’s addiction to its smartphones. The piece chastised the time wasted and overall degenerate ramifications they have on us. Now, having owned a Galaxy S III for months and walked into every wall/stranger/ oncoming car because of the trance it had on me, I’m not here to tell you I’m a hypocrite. Just that I was wrong.

Sort of.

My main point in the iPhone column was simple enough: Smartphones are being used by dumb people for even dumber reasons. Time to augment that a bit. The bastardization of the smartphone isn’t an example of our society devolving, nor is it necessarily a “bad thing.” At its worst, the addiction is just an indication of the new normal — the juggling of who we are online and who we are in life.

Take it from me, the prime suspect, public enemy No. 1 of this abuse: a college student. In college, we simultaneously build our lives through pregames, posts on our timelines and transmissions through cellphone towers, and the three often take us in different directions. Ask yourselves: How many friends do you have who let you use their phones without hesitation or fear you’ll read their texts?

It’s as if our digital selves, our binary fingerprint, is holy scripture, sacred only because of its secrecy and its slight difference to the real “us.”

And that’s not even with alcohol involved.

Contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker, alcohol isn’t liquid courage — it’s more like shame retardant. And in the spectrum of what it means to be a person, we are never more truly honest with ourselves than when the veil of shame is lifted. But, unfortunately for honesty’s sake, when shame abandons us and leaves us alone with our cellphones and impulses, we

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Dumb and dumber: Our cellphones and our genitals DREW FARRELL

YASMEEN ABUTALEB

EDITORIAL BOARD

become something else entirely: perverts. How else do you explain how we creepily Facebook-friend our crush at 3 a.m., how we regrettably text our exes or how we go to bed at 2 with a 10 and wake up at 10 with a two?

Thanks to smartphones and our 24/7 access to our versions of what Dexter calls his “Dark Passenger,” it seems that everyone, to some degree, is in the booty-call business.

And cousin, business is booming. I mean, it’s hard to imagine the booty call flourished the way it does now before cellphones or social media existed. I sincerely doubt anyone ever sent consecutive telegrams that read: “What are you wearing? Stop.”

“Haaaaa, I’m drunk. Stop.” “Sorry about last night. Stop.”

The booty-call text and the drunk Facebook stalking are shameless shots in the dark, sure — but they’re honest ones at that. They’re alcoholendorsed, unadulterated unconscious desires that almost always end up being nothing more than letdowns — emotional contributors to your hangover the next morning. However, occasionally you get exactly what you want because of this dynamic duo.

Occasionally, it’s the alcohol and relative anonymity associated with your smartphone that gets your foot in the door; occasionally you react the same way Harry does when he finds out Lloyd traded the shaggin’ wagon for a scooter in Dumb and Dumber. Only it’s your cellphone that’s “dumb” and your libido that’s “dumber,” and your brain is the one saying, “Just when I thought you couldn’t possibly be any dumber, you go and do something like this … and totally redeem yourself!”

If nothing else, this new standard, walking the line between our smartphones and reality, between our Facebook friends and our actual friends, gives new cause to ask the timeless question: “Am I a monster, or is this what it means to be human?”

STAFF EDITORIAL

T

Able, yet unwilling

he U.S. Senate fell five votes short of ratifying a treaty meant to advance the rights of the blind and disabled around the world this week — a pact touted as a human rights effort to transform how those with long-term physical, mental and intellectual impairments are treated. And what it came down to was a war of abstract and party-driven politics, unfortunately at the expense of disabled people across the globe.

In order for the treaty — the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities — to be ratified, 66 senators needed to vote in its favor.

Only eight Republicans and two independents came together with the Senate Democrats to make up the 61 pro-treaty senators. The 38 who voted against the ratification blocked its passage because they believed some of the language alluded to reproductive rights, which some conservatives consider a code for abortion, the Boston Globe reported.

Former senator Rick Santorum held a news conference to talk about this exact concern last week, and he (along with other treaty opponents) said it risked the usurping of U.S. sovereignty, as well as endangered the rights of parents with disabled children. This editorial board believes not supporting this treaty on a worldwide scale undercuts support for the disabled in America; you can’t support the rights of disabled people conditionally. There shouldn’t be a different standard for disabled people in countries besides the U.S., and

this treaty is taking steps toward equalizing this contrast.

The attitude senators such as Santorum seem to have adopted — of only passing bills that perfectly fit every aspect of their ideology — is what’s holding our government (and other world powers) back from making progress in the modern world. The treaty’s principles are already instituted in this

OUR VIEW

By voting against supporting the rights of disabled people around the world, the U.S. Senate displayed devastating and blind partisanship. country; it doesn’t make sense to withhold instating them for the world simply because some Republicans are afraid the wording is too liberal. Misinterpretation leads to overexaggerated political speeches and decisions detrimental to changing the world for the better.

In a Dec. 3 Washington Post article, retired U.S. Army Capt. Dan Berschinski stated why he supports the measures the treaty outlines. While in Afghanistan, he stepped on the “unseen trigger of an improvised explosive device, and both [of his] legs were instantly torn from [his] body.” He explained he feels his needs are accommodated in the U.S., but once he leaves these borders, it’s a different story. He explained how difficult it would be to live an independent life abroad. He implored the Senate to reduce the challenges he, and millions of

other disabled people, face by ratifying the treaty. This one disabled man understands how important it is to uphold moral values in this country; apparently, the Senate does not.

Many veterans, who fought for this country throughout their lives, joined business groups, disability advocates and a few high-profile Republicans to work toward persuading the overwhelming number of anti-treaty GOP members. The Globe reported the GOP’s main concerns were over abortion, U.S. sovereignty and timing — none of which make even a remote amount of sense.

Reproductive rights don’t equal abortion. Why would we shoot down a treaty simply because it only has the power to issue nonbinding recommendations?

We can work on implementation later; if the rules aren’t in place, there’s nothing to implement. And timing has nothing to do with the benefits this could have for disabled people — including the moral support it could have for the 56.7 million disabled U.S. citizens.

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) wrote a blog post after the vote on The Hill’s Congress blog. He asserted the objections to the treaty don’t stand up to scrutiny. His criticisms made clear, concise sense, and any senator who voted against it should look at it for justification.

Steve Rothstein, president of the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, said, “I could not sleep tonight if I were one of the senators who did not vote for this today,” The Globe reported.

We agree with this sentiment. We hope the treaty comes up in the next congressional session, and the senators can make the right decision the next time around.

EDITORIAL CARTOON

Drew Farrell is a senior English m a j o r. H e c a n b e re a c h e d a t opinionumdbk@gmail.com.

Don’t let final exams frighten you JOSHUA DOWLING I have a special place in my heart for finals week. Strange as it may seem, I actually enjoy caffeine- and sugar-fueled essay-writing power hours. When I cram for my final exams, I never cease to be amazed at all the fascinating subjects I could have learned more about throughout the semester.

A personal favorite will always be HIST442: Twentieth-Century Russia.

While I spent most of my semester doodling pictures of Vladimir Lenin and writing love letters to Peter Palchinsky, my frantic finals week study session helped me learn there was so much more to Russia — Kosygin reform, anyone? — even if I didn’t really care about it at all. Finals week will always be special to me.

But if there’s one thing I cannot stand about finals week, it is the incessant need for my peers to validate themselves and their course choices by complaining about how much work they have. While I’m largely empathetic to the struggle we students face during finals — sometimes one, two, maybe eight finals a day — I have difficulty feeling any sort of sympathy for people who spend more time complaining about the amount of work they

have to do rather than doing it. Finals week is a competition; I learned that years ago as I stared down my biology professors in a virtual death match of wits and angry glances. But it’s a competition between professors and students — a struggle for the ages — not a competition between students.

I get it, I really do! Finals week is really, really hard sometimes. But I think the best way to deal with that is to accept it for what it is: a horrible, horrible moment in time I somehow manage to enjoy occasionally. In accepting finals week, though, we must strive to maintain positive attitudes and work together to make sure we all do well.

It doesn’t do anyone any good to spend time comparing who has it worse during finals week. Nor does it really help at all to post status after status on Facebook complaining about how much work you have to do or how few days until you’re free. Plus, it’s probably annoying!

We all have our courses to bear, and we all have our extracurricular activities, be they jobs, clubs or social lives.

Finals week is difficult for everyone.

Complaining doesn’t do anything to reduce your stress level or help you complete any of your work.

Joshua Dowling is a senior government and politics and history major. He can be reached at opinionumdbk@gmail.

OPINION COLUMNISTS WANTED Spring 2013 paid columnist positions are open. Applicants must be enrolled at this university. Opinion columnists usually write once every two weeks. Exceptional writing ability is required. Knowledge of campus affairs is preferred, but not required. If you are interested in applying for the position, please contact Maria Romas and Nadav Karasov at opinionumdbk@gmail.com for more information and to request an application.

JOEY LOCKWOOD/the diamondback

GUEST COLUMN

Transparency in senate voting

I

n mid-November, the Senate Executive Committee of the University Senate rejected a proposal to record and maintain voting records for university senators. Not only does the senate not currently record votes for elected senators, but it also did not even send this proposal to another committee for further deliberation. Whether regarding implementing plus-minus grading, improving the student fee review process or expanding the Good Samaritan policy, senators should be available to the campus community.

The rejected proposal called for the senate to record and maintain voting records through the electronic clicker system it already uses for voting. This was in an effort to improve transparency by providing more information about campus decision-making, providing constituents with the ability to learn how their representatives have voted — something that is routine in governing bodies across the country.

Rather than send the proposal to another senate committee for deliberation, the SEC chose not to have the appropriate committee examine these concerns — which are not insurmountable — and instead let their opposition to elected senators revealing how they voted overshadow the main goal of the proposal. So why was

this proposal not even given the appropriate consideration?

The Purpose of the Senate: Many SEC members, including the chairwoman, Martha Nell Smith, claimed because the senate is simply an “advisory body,” it is not only unnecessary, but inappropriate to record votes.

Regarding this, it is important to establish what the University Senate is.

Senate.umd.edu, the senate’s website, states, “The University Senate is one of the largest and most influential governing bodies at the University of Maryland … [and] the primary function of the Senate is to advise the University President on virtually all campus policy matters and concerns.” The senate is explicitly both a governing body and an advisory body. Governing bodies should certainly be accountable and transparent to their constituents.

Moreover, the president has rarely rejected senate recommendations, giving more weight to such decisions sent from the senate.

Logistical Challenges: The senate has more than 180 members and borrows electronic clickers for each full meeting. The senate’s size does pose a challenge, but certainly not an unsolvable one. The Student Government Association legislature, though only having roughly 40 members, uses a similar system and does record votes for reference and constituent purposes. Logistics and implementation can easily be discussed while analyzing the

overall merit of the issue in committee — even if this were to ultimately get voted down by the full senate. (The vote to not record votes, ironically, would also not be recorded.)

Potential for Intimidation: First, while there is potential for intimidation or judging promotion or tenure based upon how faculty senators vote, that is not a problem with public voting records, but with the institution and individuals themselves. The issue of staff intimidation, though, should definitely be examined carefully. I am mindful the interaction of staff with their higher-ups is based upon a chain of command, and I recognize their bosses may wish to influence or pressure their staff senators. That being said, lobbying and dialogue are keys to any governing body and should be encouraged, so long as they do not rise to the level of intimidation.

The lack of consideration given to this proposal was disappointing, as it was intended to improve the senate’s transparency and accountability and improve its effectiveness and perception. Moving forward, the senate should strive to be as transparent as possible in its decision-making and response to concerns of the campus community.

Matthew Popkin is an undergraduate behavioral and social sciences college senator and a member of the Senate Executive Committee. He is a senior government and politics major and can be reached at mpopkin@umd.edu.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012 | THE DIAMONDBACK

5

Features

CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Staffs 5 Play place 10 Junk email 14 Mr. Baldwin 15 Put the whammy on 16 Realtor’s offering 17 Eye protector 18 Big game for bwana 19 Name in essays 20 Memorabilia 22 Primp 23 Garage job 24 Handy swab (hyph.)

26 Eucalyptus muncher 29 Aptly 33 -- to the teeth 34 Brief sparkle 35 Blended whiskey 36 1917 abdicator 37 Please greatly 38 “-- Smile” (Hall & Oates tune) 39 Untold centuries 40 Shaman’s findings 41 Brownies 42 Kind of turtle 44 Beauty’s swain 45 Not theirs 46 Sunblock additive 48 Machines for weaving 51 Ritzier

55 Ms. Thompson of films 56 Gold-orange gem 58 Groundless, as fears 59 Sooner city 60 Habituate 61 Beak 62 Wind catcher 63 Geologic samples 64 Pleased

32 Nutritional supplement 34 Hollows 37 Qatar ruler 38 Taming hair

40 Opera or symphony 41 Poet’s black 43 Brilliantine 46 Not in the dark

DOWN 1 Actress - Powers 2 Mr. Greenspan 3 Bird’s abode 4 German poet 5 Rose bush 6 Giggle (hyph.)

7 Gyroscope part 8 Mil. rank 9 Tokyo of old 10 Everest guide 11 Guide a raft 12 Brigitte’s friend 13 Vicious 21 Campus area 22 Cussler hero 24 Gives notice 25 Antler prong 26 Winslet and Beckinsale 27 Bean or Welles 28 Iowa commune 29 Street lingo 30 Shout to a diva 31 Early harps

© 2012 United Features Syndicate

PREVIOUS DAY’s puzzle solved:

Today’s crossword sponsored by:

47 Lolls in a hammock 48 Chive relative 49 Former Atlanta stadium 50 Jump over

51 Urge on 52 Elvis, to some 53 Famed lioness 54 Bulrush or cattail 56 Nervous twitch 57 She loved Lennon

B

HOROSCOPE STELLA WILDER

orn today, you have what it takes to attract a great deal of attention to yourself at any given moment, and though this may result in personal advancement and gain, what really counts for you is doing things for others -- and you can surely use your natural charisma, talents and communication skills to promote ideas that benefit those around you in addition to yourself. You are not always at home in the trenches doing the day-to-day work; rather, you are better suited to a position near the top that allows you to think and to come up with plans that are implemented by others. You are a natural leader.

You have the ability to remain true to yourself even when the world seems to be conspiring against you and your ideals -- which is something you’re certainly going to have to get used to if you wish to survive and succeed.

You may, at times, feel as though you are in it alone.

Also born on this date are: Steven Wright, comedian; Tom Hulce, actor; Dave Brubeck, musician; Agnes Moorehead, actress; Ira Gershwin, lyricist; Lynn Fontanne, actress.

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

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7 SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- You may not want to face what someone else has in store

COLLEGE INTUITION RICHIE BATES ROGER DOES COLLEGE

today, but you will soon realize that real progress depends upon it.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- You have something surprising up your sleeve, but today may not be the day to reveal it. You’ve waited this long, you can wait longer.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- You are not likely to respond to the kinds of cliche statements and answers that many will offer; you may want to be on your own.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -- You expected one thing but are likely to get something quite different today; even when all is said and done, you may be a bit disappointed.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -You will want to give an ally a bit more time to do what is required -- and what you know he or she can do very well indeed.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -“It’s a keeper!” That’s what you’ll be saying about something you merely stumbled across -- and you’re not in the mood to share, either!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -Address issues directly and they’re

not likely to develop into anything you cannot handle with ease.

Strike while the iron is hot!

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -You’ll find that good humor and a willingness to laugh at yourself will surely serve you well throughout an otherwise trying day.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- The wisdom you display will be appreciated by those who have not experienced what you have -- and by those who have, as well.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -They say you cannot please all the people all the time, but today you may come quite close. Your charm carries the day, surely.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -Now is no time to deceive those who are deserving of nothing but the truth. Any attempt to distort the facts will surely backfire on you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- You will want to investigate reports of misbehavior; surely you are not guilty of all that has been said about you!

COPYRIGHT 2012 UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.

Today’s HOROSCOPE sponsored by:

Max Siskind

su | do | ku © Puzzles by Pappocom

Fill in the grid so that every row, column, and 3x3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9.

PREVIOUS DAY’s puzzle solved:

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY:

HARD

Today’s SUDOKU PUZZLE sponsored by:

6

THE DIAMONDBACK | thursDAY, december 6, 2012

Diversions

ON THE BLOG

’TIS THE SEASON

The tradition of caroling during Christmas has been evolving for centuries, bridging the gap between religion and secular musical populism. For more, visit diamondbackonline.com.

ESSAY | THE AGE OF THE BIOPIC

IMITATION OR INSPIRATION? Biopics are popular for their examinations of historical figures, but their lack of originality hurts their credibility

By Dean Essner Staff writer Biopics are like cover songs: They tell old stories through new artists. But once the conceptual thrill wears off, and we realize the films are more about appreciation and less about inspiration from the preexisting material, it’s hard not to question why they exist in the first place.

Over the past couple months, two important men — Abraham Lincoln and Alfred Hitchcock — have had their long, illustrious lives broken down to a few short hours for movie audiences. In Lincoln, director Steven Spielberg takes us to early 1865, after Lincoln’s re-election, where the president is both spearheading the abolitionist cause and trying to end the Civil War — a tricky dual cause that ends in triumph for him and his country.

In Hitchcock, we begin just after the 1959 premiere of North

by Northwest, with our man in the midst of a creative identity crisis, partially due to his age and partially due to his unparalleled thirst for gore and doom that alienates him from nearly everyone in Hollywood. Nevertheless, Hitchcock decides to adapt the novel Psycho and make it his nasty little pet project, paying out of pocket to finance the film that is now considered the pride of horror cinema.

Pondering whether these movies are worthwhile pieces of entertainment — in the case of Lincoln it’s a resounding yes, but for Hitchcock it’s more of a whimpering maybe — is a dilemma that encompasses discussions of timeliness, directorial perspective and faithful versus interpretive acting. It’s impossible to analyze a biopic without acknowledging how the director took the source material, which is often too vast for a single film, and stuffed certain parts of it into a two-hour sequence.

Both Lincoln and Hitchcock have narrative flaws, not because of plot holes or poor writing b ­ ut because I, as a viewer who has some understanding of each background story, can refer to the real past to point out discrepancies.

The most original and impressive biopic in recent years is Steven Soderbergh’s The Informant!, the antithesis of both Lincoln and Hitchcock. It’s a film about deception, a retelling of the scandal caused by criminal numskull Mark Whitacre, who blew the whistle on his food processing company’s pricefixing actions. But, as we learn toward the end of the movie, Whitacre was lying the entire time.

Soderbergh’s film is so brilliant and so different from most other biopics that have been released in the past five years because he hardly conforms to the typical, history-glorifying standards.

He drops Whitacre in his world and prods at his sociopathic sensibilities, urging him to let them run wild. And Whitacre, in

fact, stomps all over the first half of the film, making friends and earning a great reputation with the FBI until it all comes crashing down. But until that breaking point, our main character is a strange and beautiful enigma of catchphrases and quirks; it’s nearly impossible not to love him. Most importantly, we forget Whitacre, played by Matt Damon, is an actual person. He seems, instead, like a bizarre concoction whipped up by Soderbergh himself. Therefore, we find ourselves unconcerned with the real-life story in lieu of the depiction we’re given.

We can only hope the future will bring more biopics like The

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Lincoln manages to cram the essentials of its subject’s life into an engaging two-hour film, but most other biopics suffer from a lack of authenticity and urgency. photo courtesy of screenrant.com Informant!, which is less about appreciating and professing love for the source material as much as it is drawing inspiration from it to create something fresh and fascinating. History will be enticing to adapt, but the question is: Can we  always PARTMENTS something PARTMENTS say new about it?

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Employment

Website Support

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Hours can be flexible between normal working hours (9-5). Pay is between $1215 per hour depending on experience.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012 | THE DIAMONDBACK

7

STATLINE Terps men’s basketball guard Seth Allen’s night in a 100-68 win vs. Maryland Eastern Shore

8

8

2

Points

Assists

Turnovers

Sports

SIX TERPS NAMED ALL-ACC

The Terps football team had six players honored by the ACC yesterday. For more, visit diamondbackonline.com.

PAGE 8

ON THE BLOG

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Another Early Test

Coach Brenda Frese and the Terps faced two ranked opponents — No. 25 Nebraska and No. 2 Connecticut — in a six-day span. Tonight, they start ACC play vs. Virginia. charlie deboyace/the diamondback

After facing challenges to start season, Terps host Virginia tonight in ACC opener

By Daniel Gallen Senior staff writer The challenges keep coming for the Terrapins women’s basketball team.

It lost another key player — guard Laurin Mincy — to a season-ending injury and faced

two nationally ranked squads in a six-day span. Now, the Terps turn their attention to conference play.

The team’s ACC title defense starts tonight when the No. 9 Terps welcome Virginia to Comcast Center. The Terps have won three straight meetings

with the Cavaliers and last beat them in the ACC tournament quarterfinals in March, 70-58.

“It’s pretty exciting, starting ACC play,” forward Tianna Hawkins said. “That’s what we look forward to every year. I’m excited to play Virginia, which I guess is a rival. Every year we

give them a good game.”

Tonight’s matchup comes after arguably the team’s most difficult game of the year, a 63-48 loss at No. 2 Connecticut on Monday night. T he Terps, who posted the strongest defensive performance the Huskies have seen this year,

were undone by 26 turnovers, 18 of which came in the first half.

Coach Brenda Frese said she was able to digest that performance better in the two days since the game.

“I was actually surprised more of our turnovers were in the half court than the full court,” Frese said yesterday.

“In-game, you felt differently. A lot of turnovers also came in the half court just with their pressure and our ability working new players in and freshmen.”

Despite the fact those turnovers led to an early deficit, the Terps were still strong Monday in many of their hallmarks, holding UConn to a season low in points and outrebounding the Huskies, 39-35.

They’re fourth in the ACC in scoring defense, with opponents averaging 55 points per game, and their rebounding margin (+19.5) is the best in the conference.

“We can’t allow ourselves to beat ourselves,” Hawkins said. “UConn came out with good defense. They made great plays, but I think the little mishaps that we had were most of our fault.”

Tonight’s game kicks off the first 18-game ACC slate the Terps have ever played. The longer conference schedule, which was 14 games in 2010-11 and 16 games last season, is something each team across the league will have to adapt to, Frese said.

“We all are having to adjust at the same point,” Frese said.

“Everybody that has an early game, it impacts everybody the same. Just as it does for us,

it does for UVA. You’re going to be as prepared as you normally are as a staff and as a team. It’s just that this game happens in December rather than January or February.”

Many of the key Terps have ACC experience, as half of the team’s eight healthy players played on last yea r’s ACC tournament championship squad. The Terps have won at least nine games in conference play in six of the past seven seasons. But with so many conference games, there’s no telling how it will affect the team down the stretch.

“You talk about conference play and now to be playing i n December, you have to prepare your team in terms of that physicality, mentally and emotionally and physically,” Frese said in October. “It’s just another level when you get ready for conference play.”

And as ACC play begins, Frese is still searching for the right combination to lead to results on the court. Her team proved to her Monday it’s capable of performing on a national stage against an elite foe while playing without two starters.

Though there are kinks to be worked out, the Terps held their own against UConn, just like they plan to do against the Cavaliers tonight.

“We’re role-filling right now to figure out and test who plays where,” forward Tierney Pfirman said. “It’s a great loss that [Mincy] went down, but at the same time, we’ve got to pick her slack up and just play as a team.” sportsdbk@gmail.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

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2

THE DIAMONDBACK | holiday shopping guide | thursday, december 6, 2012

Let the games begin Check out a few ways to make exchanging gifts more fun

By Tyler Weyant For The Diamondback You wrap the presents, give them to each other, unwrap the presents and then part ways. What is this, I Love Lucy? It is 2012, and you expect a certain oomph from your gift-giving and receiving experience. Here are five ways you can add more spice to your December than Paula Deen adds butter to her holiday mashed potatoes.

White elephant/Yankee swap Ever thought the one thing missing from Christmas was the constant fear of theft? If so, then these games are definitely for you!

How it works: Everyone brings a wrapped gift and puts them together in a pile. Yankee swaps are traditionally for new items, while white elephant involves items you have around the house. Everyone draws numbers. Person No. 1 picks

a gift from the pile, and then person No. 2 has the ability to either pick a new gift or steal from person No. 1.

If your gift is stolen, you can choose again. The game ends when everyone has a gift.

Fun twist: Require all the gifts start with the same letter. For example, in an “R” year, a rectal thermometer could make a perfect gift (preferably in a Yankee swap, as an old white elephant thermometer might not be welcome).

Gag gift Why not pass that horrific Bill Cosby-like sweater from Aunt Louise around your friend group and make it a gag gift?

How it works: One year, you give the gag gift to Jane, who will keep it until next year, when she gives it to Monica because she deserves it, and so on. Who doesn’t love scheming and getting terrible gifts during the holidays?

Fun twist: Extend the gift-giving to a year-round terror spree of hiding the pernicious present. Friends in my neighborhood once passed around a ghastly wooden Halloween cat for three years, forcing it into homes, cars and parties where it was most unwelcome.

Cookie swap A cozy tradition in which actual presents are passed over for the opportunity to stuff your mouth full of sweets.

How it works: Have each person

gifts can be more fun if they are exchanged in the form of a game. Some of the best games are white elephants, giving gag gifts, cookie swaps and cobweb parties. photo courtesy of christmasstockimages.com

bring a plate of a dozen or so off-the-wall cookies for a more cookies; put all the names of the interesting selection while still bakers in a hat and then pick and swap to your heart’s content. Make See games, Page 8

3

thursday, December 6, 2012 | holiday shopping guide | THE DIAMONDBACK

Adding a personal touch Want something unique? We’ve provided 10 homemade gift ideas that will set you apart and save your wallet

By Cherise Centi For The Diamondback Homemade gifts are both per-

sonal and inexpensive, and they show your friends and family members just how much extra effort you’re willing to put into making

them a special gift. The problem, of course, is that most of the population is less than artistically inclined. But don’t fret! Here are 10 homemade gift ideas you don’t need to be a Picasso to create.

Recipe booklet This is a perfect gift for any self-proclaimed chef of the house.

All you need to do is get together a collection of your favorite recipes.

Invoke state spirit in this season’s presents

Mix CD Mix CDs are not only easy to make, but they also require no artistic skill other than knowledge of music.

“I like making my friends CDs,” said Kerry Kramer, a senior communication major. “I like putting songs that we’ve listened to throughout the year together on the CDs. It’s a cheap, easy, but still See homemade, Page 7

HONDA

MARYLAND PRIDE

By Dustin Levy For The Diamondback ‘Tis the season to be a Terp.

And with so many places to find deals on Maryland-themed gifts nearby, there is no reason not to let your school spirit run wild as you shop around for your folks or fellow Terps buddies. Here are some state-inspired ideas.

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University Book Center

The store puts a lot of Terps merchandise on clearance toward the end of the semester, and as part of the Student Appreciation Sale, you can also expect 20 to 25 percent discounts throughout the holiday season.

“We run a lot of promotions,” store manager Mike Gore said. The most popular holiday gift items include winter hats, Maryland-flag shorts, sweatpants, anything Under Armour, and, of course, hoodies.

“I see a lot of hoodies,” store employee Danielle Clemons said.

“We try to put out the more popular items that are sold.”

Gore also noted now is the perfect time to bring back rented books and sell back purchased ones if you want to snag a little extra spending money.

“Generally, the money we pay out helps buy Christmas presents,”he said.

The University Shop

Located in the College Park Shopping Center, this store currently offers a number of holiday sales, including a $29.99 university fleece. For sports fans, the shop also started selling all sorts of Terps basketball gear, including jerseys

See maryland, Page 8

4

THE DIAMONDBACK | holiday shopping guide | thursday, december 6, 2012

Keeping up the spark Show your significant other just how much you care it wrong when we try to guess what our boyfriend or girlfriend actually wants.

First off, it’s a common misconLadies, put down that weird new ception that all guys love the latest gadget your boyfriend has no use for. And men, don’t even think and greatest technology. Not only about taking the easy way out and can these be pretty pricey, but it can be difficult to gauge just how buying your woman a gift card.

With so much riding on one gadget-loving your boyfriend s i m p l e p re se n t , f i n d i n g t h e actually is. Sure, he might like perfect holiday gift for your to play video games, but does significant other can be beyond he really need another handheld stressful, and far too often we get gaming device? Probably not.

By Rachel Barron For The Diamondback

“Guys don’t really care that much,” sophomore civil engineering major Jason Rohner said.

“They just want something useful, usually something they’re not clever enough to have thought of buying themselves.”

So find something your guy actually needs. For the men who live for the outdoors or snowboarding, pick up a pair of quality sunglasses See relationship, Page 7

Ready to live on the wild side?

For those more adventerous, here are some crazy shopping ideas Onesie pajamas/Snuggie

homework? And if your friend wouldn’t like that, there’s always With the weather getting chilli- the option of getting him or her a er and more cuddle-friendly, what cute pair of onesie pajamas. Check Looking for fun holiday gift ideas student wouldn’t want a Snuggie that aren’t too Santa-themed or to wear while watching TV or doing cringe-worthy?

See GIFTS, Page 5 Drop whatever green and red tinsel-tinged gift you’re holding.

We’ve got you covered with these fun and inexpensive items you may decide to just keep for yourself.

By Amna Farooqi For The Diamondback

Crazy calendar The year is coming to an end, so it’s time to welcome the new year with a brand new calendar to mark exams, parties and other important dates.

However, to make this gift really special, don’t go with the usual themes such as flowers or landscapes.

Get a crazy-themed one with firemen, puppies or provocatively dressed ladies — whatever you think your friend will enjoy most. Calendars.com features all types and plenty of sales, so you don’t have to splurge on an expensive gift.

those in relationships should think about what their significant other actually needs, so their gifts are not quickly tossed away once the new year rolls around. yasmeen abutaleb/for the diamondback

5

thursday, December 6, 2012 | holiday shopping guide | THE DIAMONDBACK

GIFTS Holiday advice for the single, taken and in-between

From PAGE 4

out Mysnuggiestore.com and Jumpinjammerz.com. Just the website names themselves get you into the holiday spirit.

By Stephanie Meinhardt For The Diamondback Ahh, December is finally here.

Regardless of your religion, you likely agree this cold month brings both a lot of stress and joy into our lives. Whether you’re planning your eight crazy nights, putting up a Christmas tree or cramming for finals, the holiday season brings big expectations and even bigger downfalls in the realm of love.

If you happen to be single during the season of snow, the holidays can be a time of either joy or loneliness.

After overdosing on holiday romantic comedies, eggnog and Christmas tree-shaped cookies, you may find yourself watching your married relatives exchange gifts with a frown on your face and crumbs on your shirt. So the real question becomes: What can you do to combat the holiday blues?

Luckily, there are other ways to lift your holiday spirits. My first piece of advice is to get off Facebook and Twitter because those photos and tweets of your high school nemesis kissing a cute boy under the mistletoe are only going to depress you.

Try to distract yourself from thinking about what it would be like to be someone’s “Santa baby” by spending a lot of time with family and friends. It’s a seemingly obvious solution but one that works well, nonetheless.

If distracting yourself by finding Hanukkah gifts with your friends doesn’t hit the spot, your next best solution is to change your focus.

New Year’s comes right after the holidays, so start focusing on New Year’s resolutions, whether it’s putting yourself out there more or learning how to be happy alone.

Whatever you do, make sure you keep in good spirits and avoid becoming the single holiday Grinch.

For those of you who happen to

fun with it.

Coupon-advice book This is the epitome of the cheap, last-minute, couldn’t-think-ofanything-else gift. However, if you do it right, it could be the gift of the season.

Write the most hilarious or ridiculous words of advice you can come up with based off of inside jokes or past experiences with your friends, and then make it into a book with some nice arts and crafts touches.

As for the coupons, they could include a free trip to Adele’s, a promise to break into Byrd Stadium or just a nice walk around McKeldin Mall under the stars one night.

This gift leaves a lot up to the imagination and is easily individualized for whomever you want to give it to.

Care package for finals

the holiday season can be lonely for those who are single, but Stephanie Meinhardt suggests spending time with family and putting thought and care behind your gifts. photo courtesy of christmasstockimages.com be single and happy during the holidays, help those around you who might not be so thrilled by spreading some holiday cheer. Remember: The holidays are all about appreciating your loved ones, so give lots of extra love to those around you and lift up those who may need a little extra kindness in their stocking this year.

If you happen to be in a relationship and are feeling the pressure of finding the perfect holiday gift, I have some advice for you, too. When it comes to holiday love, you can tell a lot about your relationship by

your gift.

I am not talking about how expensive the gift is. I am talking about the thought behind the gift.

I have forgotten about many gifts from my past relationships, but I never forgot about the Christmas gifts that had meaning behind them. When in gift doubt, just remember to always pick the gift that has love behind it and not the one with a steep price tag. Anyone can give expensive jewelry, but only you can give a gift from the heart. newsumdbk@gmail.com

With the holidays coming up right after exams, why not soften the blow of finals with a small, thoughtful care package? This could include nonperishable food you personally want to get rid of, a CD burned with all of your friends’ favorite throwbacks, a chick flick DVD and maybe a few letters of encouragement. Have

Funny USB flash drives

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Find some hilarious-looking USB sticks at usbmonkey.com or other sites such as Amazon to get something perfect for your friend that he or she could also actually use.

Wallet stuffed with surprises

A cute wallet filled with gift cards, some pictures or tickets to his or her favorite concerts or sporting events would show how much thought you put into giving the person something he or she would appreciate.

Touchscreen gloves

Anyone with a smartphone would appreciate this gift. Save your friend the hassle of having to take off his or her gloves in the cold just to check an email.

While these can be expensive, there are plenty of good deals on Amazon.

Even if none of the above sounds particularly appealing, the best gifts are often the personal ones.

And if you can’t think of anything, avoid cheesy and just go with sincerity. Even a nicely written letter can sometimes be the best and most thoughtful gift to make you appreciate the people in your life.

Best of luck in all your holiday shopping endeavors. newsumdbk@gmail.com

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THE DIAMONDBACK | holiday shopping guide | thursday, december 6, 2012

Short on cash? Here’s how to look your best for New Year’s without putting a dent in your wallet

By Lauren Redding Senior staff writer Looking good for New Year’s Eve doesn’t have to break the bank, especially if you recycle old wardrobe pieces and freshen them up with new accessories.

Sure, it’s fun to find a new, (hopefully) even better outfit each year, but there’s no reason to, especially if you’re down to counting the quarters at the bottom of your bag.

Follow these simple steps and you’ll be mistletoe-ready in practically no time and for very little money.

For the ladies: Step one: Pull out last year’s Little Black Dress - $0.

There are obviously several or jeweled buttons to top off the routes to go, but this is the way to outfit. go to avoid putting a serious dent in your wallet. And no one will even remember that one of the pieces has been reused from last year.

(Note: The dress doesn’t have to be little or black. Just pick a solid-color dress that you feel great in.)

Looking for something a bit more outgoing? Pick a solid-color tie or one with a cool pattern.

If you’re feeling festive, there are plenty of crazy holiday-themed ones to choose from and you’re sure to have a piece that will help

Step two: Invest in some flashy accessories - $20.

Decide what kind of look you’re going for – sexy, fun, classic, etc.

– and pick jewelry that defines the outfit. Hit up stores such as H&M and Forever 21 to score some cheap

For the guys: Step one: Pull out your standard button-down Oxford - $0.

It can be pin-striped, solid-colphotos courtesy of forever 21.com, jcpenny.com and macys.com ored or just plain white. This is your starting point for an effort- start a conversation. less and clean holiday look. Just Step three: Add a new blazer, like with the ladies’ Little Black Dress, you can skip buying a new sweater or vest - $50 Oxford and invest in the items jewelry. Depending on your dress’s listed down below.

You’ll likely be able to find a neckline, you may or may not want bargain blazer or sweater when the to go for a necklace. But nothing Step two: Invest in a new skinny post-Christmas sales start. says New Year’s like a big, flashy tie - $15 Hit the stores early to find the ring. Pick one up for yourself and final piece to your New Year’s enfeel fabulous.

Decide what look you’re going semble. Again, look for something for and buy a new tie to go with that that will pull together the look Step three: Add some layers to look. Pick a skinny black tie for a you’re going for. warm up - $30 A blazer or vest will pair persexy, classic style. fectly with a skinny tie. A pullover sweater will go great with a Regardless of your New Year’s more brightly colored tie. For a plans, you’re likely going to have more formal occasion, look for a to venture outside for a bit. Add sharp blazer for the perfect finsome colored tights and a sweater ishing touch. or jacket to complete your outfit and So there you have it. There are stay warm. plenty of ways to make a statement Look for tights that will comat any type of party without anyone a new dress, but there’s no need to. plement the color scheme you’re knowing it didn’t take a handful of Dressing up an old classic is much going for. For example, if you Benjamins to get there. picked a black dress and jewmore wallet-friendly.

Enjoy your holiday season, and el-toned jewelry, look for some Instead of spending money on a don’t forget to treat yourself. deep purple or teal tights to brightnew dress, you can put more money into accessories to make last year’s en up the outfit. dress into a brand new outfit.

Pick a cardigan with sequins or newsumdbk@gmail.com You might be tempted to spend some of your Christmas money on

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thursday, December 6, 2012 | holiday shopping guide | THE DIAMONDBACK

RELATIONSHIP From PAGE 4

So pick out something that reminds you of your girlfriend. If she always has a certain type of candle burning, go for a perfume with a similar scent. Or opt for a Jennifer Zeuner necklace monogrammed with your girlfriend’s initials. That way, she will think of you whenever she wears it.

So it seems the common theme among boyfriends and girlfriends is that they want a gift that shows just how well their significant other really knows them. If your relationship is healthy and strong, you should be able to pick up on their quirks, hobbies and things they like.

Just keep those in mind as you hit the aisles.

or goggles from Oakley. If your boyfriend is into music, you can’t go wrong with tickets to his favorite band’s concert.

Now for the women. It might seem like a good idea to get her a gift card. That way, she can buy herself exactly what she wants, right?

Wrong. To a girl, a gift card translates into neither thoughtful nor personal.

“I’d be happier with something that a guy put some thought into,” junior business major Jenny Snowden said. “It doesn’t have to be anything expensive, just somenewsumdbk@gmail.com thing meaningful.”

HOMEMADE From PAGE 3 meaningful gift.”

Personalized calendar Thanks to the Internet, it’s exceptionally easy to make your own calendar. You just need 12 printouts for each month and 12 special photos to pair with them. You can personalize the calendar with pictures of you and your friends together and write in a few special occasions, such as the gift receiver’s birthday.

Scrapbook While this gift does require a little bit more artistic ability, compiling memories of you and your friend or family member makes a fun, nostalgic gift to page through during the holidays.

Christmas cookie tin Everyone knows homemade cookies are one of the highlights of the holiday season. Taking an assortment of them and

putting them together in a holiday-themed tin creates a delicious, quaint homemade gift.

“My mom’s homemade pecan cookies are probably the best homemade Christmas gift I’ve ever gotten,” said Suzannah MacLeod, a junior agricultural science and technology and education major.

Photo wreath This homemade gift makes for a great, personalized holiday decoration. Just gather pictures of you and your friend or family member and super glue them onto an empty wreath. You can also glue ribbons to the border of these photographs to add more flair.

Slideshow of memories Very little artistic ability is needed to create a PowerPoint slideshow of pictures and memories and burn it onto a CD. Nonetheless, this slideshow can make for a meaningful and personal gift for your loved one.

A Song Whether silly, heartfelt or

both, writing and performing a song for your special friend or family member can be a unique and unexpected Christmas treat.

You could even record the song onto a CD and throw in a printout of the lyrics.

Handmade Fleece Blanket

This gift is not difficult to make at all, and it’s perfect for snuggling in front of the fireplace on cold winter nights. You can find fleece at any fabric store, even at Walmart or Target. Simply cut the fleece to the desired blanket size and make 1- to 2-inch cuts around the edges. Then tie the pieces of fabric hanging off in individual knots.

Personalized Gift Basket

This idea really shows the gift recipients how well you know them. Take something your friend or family member loves and create a gift basket with that theme. For instance, if your mother is a dog lover, try creating a doggy gift basket with leashes, pet toys and dog treats. newsumdbk@gmail.com

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THE DIAMONDBACK | holiday shopping guide | thursday, december 6, 2012

games

“cobweb” they have to follow to receive their present.

Fun twist: Don’t do this and From PAGE 2 just have a secret Santa. Much less ensuring they taste good. Nobody tripping. wants to be the bad cookie guy or gal. Nobody.

Secret Santa Fun twist: In lieu of cookies, swap beers or liquors — fewer sweets, The thing you will do instead of but it still somehow ends up being the ever-dangerous cobweb party. a good time.

How it works: You’ve probably done one before. Everyone gets a person in the group, buys gifts for Cobweb party them under a certain dollar limit The folks in the Victorian era did and then leaves clues for them a lot of crazy stuff, but this might throughout a certain period of time take the cake. A warning: Don’t do as to who the gift giver is. In a final this party game unless you have a party, everyone gives one another lot of room and yarn to work with. gifts and they all have a big laugh.

How it works: First, designate Yay, holiday times.

Fun twist: Make your hints reprea room for the party itself, then assign each player a different yarn sent someone else in the group to mess color. Each player ties their spool with your gift getter. It will be worth it of yarn to a gift, and then every- when you see their annoyed face over one runs around, weaving the your cobbled-together present.

There you have it. May all your yarn through rooms, under sofas and dogs and over banisters and gift-giving games be merry and your geology textbooks. Then, tell bright and stuff. whichever predetermined person your gift was for which color newsumdbk@gmail.com

MARYLAND From PAGE 3

tickle your fancy, this may be the place to find them.

Shopterp.com (UBC website)

and official university basketball shorts.

If online shopping is your thing, this website lets you purchase all your Terps gear without having to leave the comfort For those on a budget, this Silver of your room. It offers all the same deals Spring thrift store is the ideal place as the Book Center, but also offers barto go, especially because most gains for university alumni, Gore said. items in the store are 25 percent off on Mondays. Those with a Value MD Flag Shoes Village discount card can also get extra deals on Thursdays. Whether What if you want something not or not Terps merchandise will be in everyone else has? Senior kinesiolstock depends on donations, but it ogy major Lindsey Rodkey has you is definitely a good place to look. covered. Rodkey paints customizable shoes with this state’s flag design, which make perfect gifts Rugged Wearhouse for all proud Terps and are only $25 Maybe you don’t mind spend- a pair. Students can post requests ing a little more during the holiday for Rodkey’s unique shoes on the season on Terrapins apparel. If Facebook group “MD Flag Shoes.” university-themed sweatsuits, sweaters and Christmas ornaments newsumdbk@gmail.com

Value Village