february 6, 2013
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The Diamondback, February 6, 2013TRANSCRIPT
The University of Maryland’s Independent Student Newspaper
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2013 TOMORROW 40S / Sunny
ONLINE AT
diamondbackonline.com
ISSUE NO. 82
103rd Year of Publication
NEWS 2 OPINION 4 FEATURES 5 DIVERSIONS 6 CLASSIFIED 6 SPORTS 8INDEX Submit tips to The Diamondback at [email protected] For breaking news, alerts and more, follow us on Twitter @thedbk © 2013 THE DIAMONDBACK
Erratic weather affecting studentsCombination of snow, freezing rain, warm weather contributing to fl u and allergies
By Savannah Doane-MalotteSta� writer
Recent student fl u and allergy fl are-ups may be connected to last week’s erratic weather, which assaulted stu-dents with everything from freezing rain, snow and extreme wind conditions to T-shirt temperatures.
The near-epidemic level of the current flu season, combined with oscillat-ing weather, has made students more susceptible to circulating viruses as-sociated with di� erent weather condi-tions, health o� cials said. For example, damper weather tends to coincide with onsets of the common cold, while the fl u is associated with drier weather, said Don Milton, an epidemiology and biostatis-tics professor. As the weather fl uctuates between these two extremes, students at this university may be at greater risk of coming down with something than those in other regions.
Last week, in a whiplash-inducing series of weather events, students experienced a cloudy Sunday with a low temperature in the 20s; a Tuesday and Wednesday that began with highs inching up to 70 degrees and ended with a severe wind, thunderstorm and tornado warning; and a Saturday that left the campus dusted with snow.
“This erratic weather could be favor-ing many types of viruses, which could expose students to more infections and promote mixed infections,” Milton said. “However, the weather acts as a trigger to where viruses come — but [it’s] not necessarily why.”
To discover why and how the fl u virus is transmitted, Milton and other public See WEATHER, Page 3
health school researchers are conduct-ing a study titled Got Flu?, which is funded by a $1.4 million subcontract from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The team is monitoring several factors, including the number of fl u cases at the university, where sick students live on the campus and — if it’s possible to determine — what caused the illness. Researchers have found that when air is driest, cases of the fl u spike, Milton said.
“We still don’t know how the flu is transmitted, which turns out to be a large problem with a pandemic episode,” Milton said. “It is apparent
By Fola AkinnibiSta� writer
Prince George’s County Police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred o� the campus early Tuesday morning.
A female student was walking on Paint Branch Parkway near Rhode Island Avenue at about 12:05 a.m. when an unidentified male ap-proached her. The suspect allegedly displayed a handgun and demanded the student’s property, after which she handed over an undisclosed amount of money, said Cpl. Larry Johnson, a county police spokes-man. The student was not injured, he added.
The suspect reportedly wore a black mask, black and red Air Jordan sneakers and a black pullover with a hood, Johnson said.
“We’re just reminding anyone
Police look into armed robberiesStudent robbed Tuesday; incident at Varsity still under investigation, University Police say
an emerging starArt of projection, multimedia theater now part of theatre curriculum at university
By Madeleine ListSta� writer
With the allure of 3-D and IMAX movies, it can be hard for stage produc-tions to compete for the short attention spans of today’s audiences.
But as technology has evolved, so has theater. Two new classes aimed at producing stunning multimedia theater productions are now part of the theatre department curriculum. THET 399D — Independent Study: Media
Design and THET 669D — Indepen-dent Study: Advanced Media Design II, taught by visiting professor Jared Mez-zocchi, were launched last semester and became immediately popular with students through delving into the art of projection and multimedia theater, and the science behind the software that makes it all happen.
When it’s done well, the projection becomes another actor on the stage, said Mezzocchi, who has headed multi-media directing and design for 16 pro-
ductions since 2009. This aspect of interactivity, which is
so new to multimedia theater, is what makes projection design so cutting-edge, said Misha Kachman, under-graduate theatre studies director.
“This is a thing of the future,” he said. “It is really important that we o� er curriculum in this area.”
One of the ways Mezzocchi does this is by familiarizing students with a
See theater, Page 3
multimedia theater and the art of projection are emerging forms of theater production that are taking hold at this university. Above are photos from three plays visiting professor Jared Mezzocchi has helped design or direct, including The BFG (top). Projections should enhance storytelling, not distract from it, Mezzocchi said. photos courtesy of jared mezzocchi
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By Jim BachSenior sta� writer
Hoping to set the tone in Wash-ington for a substantive debate on comprehensive immigration reform, President Obama has proposed his vision for a “common sense” law that hints toward a federal DREAM Act.
While only rhetoric at this point, Obama has pledged to let bipartisan congressional committees sort out the details for a potential bill, and vowed to only step in and author his own legislation if fierce divisions
Obama’s immigration policy step toward fed. DREAM, experts say
on Capitol Hill hold up the process. Among his immigration goals, Obama supports a comprehensive bill including provisions that would expedite the path to citizenship for DREAM Act-eligible individuals, which include those who came to the U.S. as minors and com-pleted either two years in the military or two years at a four-year college.
It would also continue Obama’s strict enforcement regimen that defi ned his fi rst-term immigration agenda. Tight-ening border security and cracking
See obama, Page 3
See CRIME, Page 2
walking, especially at those hours of night, to walk in groups and in well-lit areas,” he said. “[People should] just be vigilant in their surroundings.”
That incident came about a week after another reported armed robbery — Prince George’s County Police are continuing their investigation of a Jan. 27 incident at The Varsity, in which a suspect entered a university student’s fourth floor apartment at about 1:15 p.m., displayed a handgun and demanded the student’s laptop, said University Police spokesman Maj. Marc Limansky. The student did not comply, and after a brief scuffle, the suspect fl ed, Limansky added. No in-juries were reported, and the suspect is still at large.
Officers described the suspect as a 5-foot-8, 165-pound black male, wearing a black peacoat, black ski mask
DOWNLOAD Scan the QR Code at right for the DBK mobile appSTAR TREATMENTElbow to chest inspires Len’s return to form p. 8 DIVERSIONS Does My Bloody Valentine’s new album live up to the hype? p. 6
Commission will help with transition
See transition, Page 3
B1G task force begins meetings
By Alex KirshnerSta� writer
With just 17 months until the university officially joins the Big Ten, a commission charged with determining how to best transition to the revenue-sharing conference has already begun meeting.
University President Wallace Loh’s Nov. 19 announcement that the university would leave the ACC after a nearly 60-year membership for the Big Ten took many by sur-prise, prompting open criticism at the secrecy behind negotiations. To ensure all a� ected parties have a say in the transition to the new con-ference, Loh formed a 22-member commission comprised of students, faculty, sta� and alumni, which will help decide how the university will
move forward in the wake of the de-cision. The commission had its first meeting Jan. 16 and is set to meet next on Feb. 12.
“The scope of integrating athleti-cally and academically is pretty large,” said Brian Ullman, the commission’s spokesman and the university’s mar-keting and communications assistant vice president.
The university’s move will become official on July 1, 2014, and it is pro-jected to make $100 million more than it would have in the ACC by 2020, ac-cording to numbers obtained by Sports Illustrated. Because of the prospec-tive revenue gains, a plan is in place to balance the athletic department’s budget by 2015, and the commission will also look at bringing back some of the seven sports teams Loh cut in July.
“We want to make sure we have a plan in place — whatever [teams] we bring back — that what happened last year won’t happen again,” said Ath-letic Director Kevin Anderson, who is a senior sta� member to the commission. “We want to look at how the budgets will look at the periods of time so we make sure we have fi nancial stability doing this.”
Additionally, the commission’s four
WEATHER MADNESS
photo illustration by ben fraternale/the diamondback
2 THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | WEDNESDAY, FEBRuary 6, 2013
Dining Services o� ers weekly cooking demonstrationsO� cials hope classes will promote healthy eating habits
By Bradleigh ChanceSta� writer
Starting this week, students at 251 North can do more than sample gourmet foods from the all-you-can-eat diner — they can learn to recreate those meals at home.
Through free weekly cooking classes every Monday at 5:30 p.m., students can watch a pre-sentation and absorb practi-cal tips on cooking and eating
healthfully, said Bart Hipple, Dining Services spokesman. Each class runs about 30 minutes, with half the session devoted to cooking and the other half to a period of questions and answers.
At the first lesson Monday, students learned how to prepare gluten-free quinoa oatmeal cookies. Many of the upcoming recipes will also be gluten free, said Bonita Woods, the 251 North general manager who oversees the lessons.
“We hope these classes will give students an additional reason to gather at 251 North and to consider 251 to be part of their community,” Hipple said. “A community could be built as students meet others who have similar interests in good food, in learning how to cook, in special diets and in health.”
Taking the time to learn healthy recipes is especially important for college students, many of whom don’t devote much thought to their eating habits, said Carly
Bodolus, a freshman enrolled in letters and sciences.
“It’s really easy for college stu-dents to make poor eating deci-sions because they’re stressed and they don’t have time,” Bodolus said. “But this is the time that you really need to be paying attention to what you’re feeding your body the most.”
Dining Services has offered cooking classes to students in the past, frequently in cooperation with resident assistants. Addi-tionally, the farmers market on the campus held a series of cooking demonstrations last spring using some of the fresh ingredients available that day. However, this semester’s “Wellness Cooking Classes” should reach a greater audience, particularly because they are held in a dining hall during normal hours of operation.
“The university has been very supportive of my ideas and the way I translate food service,” Woods said. “My feeling is that it’s not just our job to provide food — we’re providing nourishment and energy. If I can o� er some educa-tion to go along with it, it creates a fully positive experience.”
The classes consist solely of a cooking demonstration at this point, but Woods plans to alter the program based on student
bonita woods, the 251 North general manager who oversees Dining Services’ new weekly cooking classes, said she hopes to give students the skills they need to recreate healthy meals in their own homes. The classes will be held each Monday in 251 North. photo courtesy of allison lilly
feedback and needs. Some of the individual recipes for the classes were based on student requests, she said.
“It’s not a lecture in a class-room. I don’t expect anyone to walk away from here an expert. But it’s important to understand what we’re eating,” she said. “When we can combine our cravings in a way that it’s also healthful, we can become both emotionally and physically satiated.”
Because the dishes prepared during the cooking class are then served at 251 North, the cost of production is already included in the dining hall’s budget, Hipple said.
Several students said the classes o� er skills that become invaluable once they transition from dorms to apartment-style living.
“As an RA, I fi nd that students in suite-style apartments some-times need a little extra help learn-ing how to use the equipment,” said Alex Whipp, a sophomore computer science and psychology major. “Learning proper cooking habits is a life skill that everyone needs to establish at some point.”
And the weekly lessons could give students a unique opportu-nity to meet others who share their desire to cook healthfully, Bodolus said.
“Students who share a passion for cooking can come here to connect, share recipes and make lasting friendships,” she said. “I’m excited for the upcoming classes, and I really want to help spread the word.”
YASMEEN ABUTALEB, Editor in Chief
Mike King, Managing Editor Tyler Weyant, Managing EditorRebecca Lurye, News Editor Leah Villanueva, GA EditorNadav Karasov, Opinion Editor Maria Romas, Opinion EditorRobert Gi� ord, Diversions Editor Mary Clare Fischer, Diversions EditorConnor Letourneau, Sports Editor Josh Vitale, Sports EditorCharlie Deboyace, Photography Editor Chris Allen, Design EditorLAUREN REDDING, Online Editor René Salvatore, Multimedia Editor
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
3150 South Campus Dining Hall | College Park, MD [email protected] OR [email protected] PHONE (301) 314-8200
POLICY
Signed letters, columns and cartoons represent the opinions of the authors. The sta� editorial represents the opinion of The Diamondback’s editorial board and is the
responsibility of the editor in chief.
EDITORIAL BOARD
YASMEEN ABUTALEB, editor in chief, is a junior journalism and microbiology major.She has worked as a reporter, assistant news editor and news editor.
mike king, managing editor, is a junior journalism major. He has worked as a copy editor, assistant managing editor and deputy managing editor.
tyler weyant, managing editor, is a senior journalism major. He has worked as a copy editor, assistant managing editor and deputy managing editor.
Maria Romas, opinion editor, is a junior English major.She has worked as a reporter and columnist.
Nadav Karasov, assistant opinion editor, is a junior economics major.He has worked as a columnist.
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and dark blue jeans. The depart-ment had no update on its inves-tigation as of Tuesday.
The Varsity temporarily increased patrol after the in-cident, wrote Gina Cowart, a spokeswoman for the apart-ment complex, in an email. The Varsity has a courtesy desk patrol overlooking both en-trances to the building on week-days from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and 24 hours a day on weekends,
she wrote — outside of these hours, a concierge monitors the front desk.
“We believe this is an isolated incident,” Cowart wrote.
Though the incident was the fi rst of its kind at The Varsity, several residents expressed con-cerns with the apartment build-ing’s security practices.
Sarah Bowers, a senior govern-ment and politics major, said she was furious after learning of the armed robbery, adding the build-ing could be monitored better.
“I pay a lot of money to live here,” Bowers said. “I just want
CRIMEFrom PAGE 1
to feel safe.” Tim Dowding, a sophomore
criminology and criminal justice major, said management should focus its attention on the build-ing’s vulnerable spots — for example, he said, residents reg-ularly prop the stairwell doors open, allowing anyone access to the building.
“What they need to do is check the fire exits more reg-ularly, probably alarm [the doors],” Dowding said. “They could step it up.”
cooking demonstrations are held during 251 North’s normal operating hours, and Dining Services o� cials said they hope many students will choose to attend. photo courtesy of allison lilly
prince george’s county police are investigating a Jan. 27 armed robbery that took place on the fourth � oor of The Varsity apartment complex. Some residents said management needs to improve security by adding alarms to � re exits to prevent future crimes. � le photo/the diamondback
destiny’s child superbowl reunion: just an ego boost for beyonce?
Who runs the Super Bowl? Beyonce.When it was announced that “Sasha Fierce,” and possibly Destiny’s Child,
would be the halftime performers at Super Bowl XLVII, I was convinced the messiah had � nally come — and I’m certain I’m not the only one who had this thought.
It took almost 10 years since the infamous Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake wardrobe malfunction � asco for the Super Bowl to � nally book performances to get this generation excited. (Except maybe Paul McCart-ney and Bruce Springsteen. Because, c’mon, The Beatles and The Boss.)
For more, check out The Diamondback’s student blogs at diamondbackonline.com.
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRuary 6, 2013 | NEWS | THE DIAMONDBACK 3
working groups will each focus on a different aspect of the move: maximizing academic opportunities with the move to the Committee of Institutional Cooperation, an academic con-sortium made up of member schools and the University of Chicago; athletics; communi-cation, fundraising and brand-ing; and finance and business.
“The four subgroups refl ect the topics that are important that we settle so that we are poised to take advantage of every opportunity,” said Linda Clement, co-chairwoman of the commission and student a� airs vice president.
The commission — which alumnus Barry Gossett, one of the university’s most promi-nent donors, also chairs — follows a 2011 report on the state of university athletics that prompted Loh to cut the seven teams.
Few details surrounding the transition and move have been worked out, but the overarching goal, Clement said, is to “elevate the Maryland brand.” What that will mean has yet to be deter-
mined, though, she said.University o� cials have fre-
quently boasted of the added academic and fi nancial benefi ts the move will bring. The com-mission will have to research and determine how to best capital-ize on those opportunities and ensure the university is fully prepared for all of the changes that come with conference realignment.
“We’re going to make recom-mendations on how to inform and encourage faculty and sta� to take advantage of the oppor-tunities,” Clement said.
The commission’s working group on CIC integration is focused especially on procuring adequate resources for research in development, she added. The university will join the CIC on July 1, a full year before athletic teams make the move.
“The buying power of the CIC is much greater than any individual institution, so there are opportunities along that,” she said.
Specifi cally, the CIC working group is examining potential programs for administrative training, library resources, study abroad programs and ways for students to contribute to the conference’s academic
consortium.“Some of the things we’ve
been exploring are the connec-tions” that come with being a CIC member, Clement said.
“Those types of things are just really, really valuable for every-body,” Ullman added.
The transition extends beyond the upper reaches of academia, however. There is also an em-phasis on blending together the fundraising e� orts of the athletic department and the rest of the university, Clement said.
“We want to enhance the university fundraising organi-zation,” she said, “so we want to know how the fundraising department in the athletic de-partment is going to fold into university fundraising.”
One subgroup is emphasiz-ing branding and marketing initiatives for the athletic de-partment, designed in part to maximize the gains from a new TV audience of tens of millions on the conference’s exclusive channel, the Big Ten Network.
Ullman said the university’s brand has benefited simply by association with the Big Ten and its consortium.
He pointed to the univer-sity’s rise from eighth to fifth place this year of the best public
that humidity is a main factor in fl u transmission, and dry weather can increase the amount of fl u cases.”
While that research continues to inform professors, many stu-dents said they already assumed the climate may be behind the spate of viruses on the campus.
“I think the bipolar weather could very well be the cause of sicknesses,” said Allie Daniere, a freshman environmental science and technology major who has already caught a cold this semester.
In addition to the humidity, this year’s late arrival of winter has brought an earlier start to allergy season, said Raghu Mur-tugudde, an atmospheric and ocean science professor. Students should prepare for the possibil-ity of experiencing symptoms far earlier than they’re used to.
“It could arrive suddenly as the weather is going between hot and cold,” he said. “Some allergy medications take time, sometimes weeks, to go into e� ect, so students need to start taking them early to avoid harsh allergy symptoms.”
Global warming is a large factor of the random weather changes, said Murtugudde, as a decrease in arctic ice is forcing the jet stream to fluctuate. As the jet stream acts abnor-mally, it could cause danger-ous weather patterns such as thunderstorms, tornadoes, hur-ricanes or even droughts.
“In general, everything is hap-pening in a warmer climate, and this is causing extreme events to happen,” Murtugudde said. “This also means that bigger storms can occur farther north in the United States, which we have seen with events such as Hurricane Sandy.”
Hailing from the West Coast, M ira Rosen has found the recent weather to be bizarre, as it never really follows a strict confi guration.
“The weather is definitely really weird compared to Cali-fornia, where the weather follows a pattern, so having a cold and sunny outside or anything similar to that never happens,” said Rosen, a freshman archi-tecture major. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the weather is part of the reason that students are getting sick lately.”
Though Milton and other re-searchers are still determining the best way to protect against the fl u and other viruses, he proposes that in the meantime, students get the fl u vaccine, wash their hands often and keep tabs on the level of humidity.
In expectation of more unfore-seen weather patterns, Murtu-gudde suggests students not trust the view outside their windows when gearing up for the day.
“Students need to actually look at the weather forecast to determine how they should get dressed,” he said. “They must keep in mind that it isn’t summer yet; we still have a lot of cold days to come.”
Kevin Anderson, athletic director, said it’s important to thorougly plan for the university’s transition to the Big Ten. Four work groups will focus on main facets of the conference move: athletics, academic opportunities, communication, fundraising and � nance. � le photo/the diamondback
WEATHERFrom PAGE 1
college values in Kiplinger’s Per-sonal Finance magazine, which said the bump was partially because of the move.
Ullman said capitalizing on the heightened exposure is a
down on employers hiring un-documented workers made up a large part of his broader goals.
“All of this bodes well for a successful immigration debate, which will fi nally allow us to fi x our broken immigration system in a common-sense way,” said Cecilia Muñoz, the White House’s Domestic Policy Council director, in a conference call with report-ers. “It advances the economy, it advances our values as a nation — in particular a nation of laws and
a nation of immigrants.”The proposal comes about
three months after state voters upheld a version of the DREAM Act that provides in-state tuition to undocumented students if they complete 60 community college credits, attend a state high school for at least three years and prove they or their parents have fi led at least three years’ worth of state taxes. This provision starts and ends at the state level, and a federal version of the DREAM Act, which would help regularize the immigration status of these individuals, has yet to pass Congress.
With the strength of the His-panic vote helping propel Obama to victory in the 2012 election, lawmakers are taking note of this emerging voting bloc so as to help set the stage for a debate on immi-gration, which makes the prospects for reform brighter, said Robert Koulish, a government professor.
“The politics now have changed in large part because of the chang-ing demographics and as a result of the election of 2012,” Koulish said. “I’m more optimistic now that there’s going to be compre-hensive reform than I would have been a couple years ago.”
Amid the fervor in Washing-ton to pass an immigration bill, the federal DREAM Act could be swept up in a catch-all legislative package, Koulish said.
This demographic shift gave Obama and Democrats an oppor-tunity to capitalize on the politi-cal climate to come to the table with reform, but Isabel Garcia, co-chairwoman of human rights organization Derechos Humanos, said the White House pledge has fallen short of a solution that would prove beneficial to un-documented immigrants living in the U.S.
“The whole approach is wrong, and I think it’s quite cynical and not going to provide the kind of relief and justice that our communities need right now,” Garcia said.
While it may spell good news for DREAM Act advocates, Garcia said this immigration debate is fl awed from the onset. By zeroing in on border secu-rity and employer sanctions,
program called Isadora, an inter-active-media software designed to be simple to use regardless of whether a person is computer-savvy. Through Isadora, students can create their own content, project it onto the set of a pro-duction and manipulate the image during a show, creating the theatrical sensation known as projection design.
The software itself has been around for many years, but pro-jection design is relatively new to the performing arts and has recently evolved into a more so-phisticated element of theater. Projections were formerly used solely as backdrops, but with more advanced technology, they can become interactive, said Sarah Tundermann, projection designer for In Time of Roses, which will debut at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center on April 26. Previously a lighting designer, she said, this will be her fi rst show using projection design in a major way.
Projections are made with fi lm footage and still images that
designers have either produced or collected, then fed through filters or altered with special e� ects using Isadora. Users can project the content onto any-thing, from a fl at background to a three-dimensional set, or even the actors themselves. During a performance, projection de-signers operate from behind the scenes, making the images work in tandem with the action of the play, said Shane O’Loughlin, a senior theatre major.
The classes in projection design have been popular so far — Media Design’s eight seats are full. Though the courses are technically reserved for theatre majors, Kachman said any student can enroll in the class after an interview process.
This semester, Mezzocchi is teaching both courses again, as well as a graduate class in media design and editing. He hopes to expand the projection design program at this university and devote more attention to teach-ing students how to use the art form to enhance storytelling.
Projection designers must be careful not to let their fl ashy multimedia tricks distract from the story of the play, which is
theaterFrom PAGE 1
the most important aspect of theater, Mezzocchi said.
“[Projection design] should be more magical as opposed to a gimmick,” he said. “I hope that we know what we are able to do, and just make educated ensemble-based choices with it.”
To avoid misusing the tool, designers should not replace a physical set with a projection for the sole purpose of showing o� , said Daniel Conway, head of theater design.
“People who are using projec-tion design use it best when it is an integral part of the story and when it responds to the actors,” he said.
Projection design is also eco-nomical, allowing the designer to do a lot on a budget, said Conway. Since the theatre de-partment already has most of the necessary hardware, such as computers and projectors, the only added expense is a licensing fee for Isadora, which amounts to a one-time cost of about $500, Tundermann said.
For O’Loughlin, who took Mezzocchi’s media design class in the fall, learning about projec-tion design shifted his focus from just acting to becoming more in-
volved with the composition of a production.
“It dramatically changed what I want to do,” he said. “It opened up an entire new aspect of theater that wasn’t accessible before.”
As for the future of projec-tion design, no one can be quite
Projection designs by theatre professor Jared Mezzocchi have played a role in several projects, including The B Cam in 2010 (above). He hopes to expand media design education on the campus and teach students how and when to use projections in theater. photo courtesy of jared mezzocchi
sure where it is headed. Mez-zocchi hopes it will “calm down, and find its way into better storytelling.”
Though O’Loughlin doesn’t think theater is in danger of disappearing, he said it will help the art form not only stay
relevant, but thrive.“I think opening the world of
theater to the digital world is an enormous step, something that is going to make theater phenom-enal again.”
transitionFrom PAGE 1
goal of the marketing working group and the commission as a whole.
“Even before we’ve estab-lished a single research col-laboration with anyone in the
Big Ten or CIC,” he said, “the prospect of doing so has now enhanced the brand of the Uni-versity of Maryland.”
OBAMAFrom PAGE 1
she said, the push for legis-lation is guided by principles that don’t address the press-ing issues for the 11 million undocumented immigrants already living in the country.
A better solution would have started with halting de-portations and recognizing the benefi ts of these undoc-umented workers, which the nation’s economy depends on. Garcia said.
Leaders have failed to convey undocumented immigrants in a positive light, Garcia said.
“To the American public, it’s like these guys are stealing us blind — that’s really the politi-cal narrative,” she said.
Additionally, the rhetoric preceding the expected leg-islation does not address the root causes of the “broken” immigration system. U.S. foreign policy initiatives, such as the North America Free Trade Agreement, Garcia said, have historically prompted migration to the U.S. in the first place by displacing workers in Mexico.
“I don’t believe that we can move forward in a positive way on immigration unless some of these key folks at the top that can talk to everybody engage in a discussion that is really more honest and reflective of the contributions that im-migrants have given,” Garcia said. “We have a population that have impoverished their lives to enrich our lives.”
photo courtesy of umdconnection.com
umdconnection.com provides campus-centered classi� eds
The idea � rst came to Aaron Shirian at the end of his freshman year — there had to be an easier way to � nd students interested in buying his used textbooks.
That thought led him to team up with then-freshman computer science major Greg Brinker and launch UMDConnection.com, a website where stu-dents can post classi� ed ads for books, electronics, furniture and anything else students may want to buy or sell within the campus community.
“I thought to myself, ‘There are 26,000 undergraduate students. There’s almost a guarantee that someone wants what I have. I just have no way of reaching them,’” said Shirian, a sophomore � nance major.
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Struck by Cupid’s arrow
LAUREN MENDELSOHN
When prospective students come to visit this university, one of the fi rst things they hear about is the
commitment to diversity. It’s a point of pride for our school, and it’s ingrained in the mission statement: “Providing equal educational opportunity; hiring and retaining a diverse faculty and sta� of exceptional achievement; and recruiting and graduating talented students from traditionally underrepresented groups are institutional priorities.”
And university President Wallace Loh cemented his commitment when he added a chief diversity o� cer posi-tion to his cabinet in Kumea Shorter-Gooden. For more than a year now, we have had an administrator and an o� ce — the O� ce of Diversity and Inclusion — solely devoted to promoting and preserving diversity on the campus. In that time, there have been two diversity marketing campaigns, with the second slated to launch tomorrow.
Rise Above seeks to overcome biases, prejudices, intolerance and discrimina-tion — all noble goals — through mar-keting strategies that include buttons, fl iers and tabling. While the campaign’s goals obviously sound good in theory, we can’t help but think they’re too broad and far-reaching to actually accomplish or e� ect long-term changes in campus dialogue. The campaign is expected to cost $10,000 for the 2013-2014 school
STAFF EDITORIAL
year, so o� cials set aside $20,000 for on-campus diversity initiatives.
Although the university has been striving toward an increasingly diverse and inclusive campus for decades, the defi nition of these terms has become far too broad — they don’t simply apply to race or ethnic groups anymore. There’s still much work to be done in accepting people of all sexual orientations, reli-gions, socioeconomic backgrounds and those with disabilities.
Rise Above is a promising starting point for fostering and promoting inclu-sion and acceptance, but grant money seems like it would be better spent on smaller, more focused campaigns. Rather than attempting to solve prob-lems like prejudice and discrimination, which have existed for all of human ex-istence — and surely cannot be solved in a matter of months or even years — student groups should propose cam-paigns or projects that help a specifi c group of people. For example, a cam-
paign specifi cally aimed at helping the campus community better understand the obstacles and prejudices autistic people face could use all of its resources to research and bring in speakers devoted to a single cause.
Additionally, campaigns would likely be most e� ective if direct communication — whether through speakers in UNIV 100 or other large classes or discus-sion groups — was the primary means of spreading the message. While fl iers, buttons and other memorabilia are good for marketing, they’re seldom e� ective in truly instilling a message. Those who take away the message from that type of advertising are usually the people who don’t need to change their behavior.
This university touts increasing di-versity over the past several decades in its 30-page diversity plan — among the most prominent accomplishments are a 29 percent increase in the undergraduate Hispanic American/Latino/a popu-lation and 58 percent at the graduate level, as well as a 5 percent increase in the percentage of new minority students from 2001 to 2009.
With improved diversity comes more responsibility, which o� cials seem pre-pared to tackle. Rise Above certainly has a noble and admirable goal, but from what we know, it doesn’t seem to go above and beyond in actually tackling the problems that continue to persist.
Rising above broad campaigns
OUR VIEW
The Rise Above campaign is rooted in the right place, but
future projects should be more speci� c.
JACK CHEN/the diamondback
EDITORIAL CARTOON
We may spend our lives working toward a successful career or serving our community, but for most people, the ultimate goal of worldly existence is fi nding love. A quick sampling of the entertainment industry, from chick fl icks to heartfelt breakup songs, ex-emplifi es just how prevalent we fi nd humanity’s fi xation on love.
When people speak of future dreams, they often involve a com-fortable home with a caring and sup-portive partner. Yet many people remain alone, despite longings and potential candidates, while others seem to fi nd that special someone without even trying. So what actu-ally makes this happen?
As it turns out, scientists have dis-covered the process of falling in love is far more complex than it seems. Using functional MRI studies, re-searchers found a whole network of brain regions that operate together when a human experiences roman-tic love, and that the structures and activation patterns involved di� er from the experiences of friendly love or motherly love.
When we feel passionately about someone, our brain engages not just the areas devoted to emotion, but also those involved in rewards, goal-set-ting, attention, social cognition and body image. Thus, focusing on a ro-mantic partner induces subconscious “thinking” about other factors, too.
This frenzy of neural activity and physiological responses — such as the rapid heartbeat and sweaty palms associated with the early stages of attraction — are the result of neu-rotransmitters, chemical signalers in the brain. When we’re in love, neural levels of dopamine, oxytocin, adrenaline and vasopressin increase. Adrenaline contributes to elevated heart rate, heightened responsiveness and stomach “butterfl ies.” Dopamine produces euphoria and increases a person’s motivation, desire and crav-ings; in terms of brain activity, falling in love looks similar to being addict-
GUEST COLUMN
ed to cocaine. Oxytocin, the “cuddle hormone,” is released in response to human touch (among other triggers) and promotes partner bonding by cre-ating a sense of trust, attachment and lack of fear. Vasopressin also promotes bonding, but in a more physical sense, via increases in arousal and attraction for one’s partner and a reduction of anxiety.
In comparison to having more of these chemicals, a “brain in love” has lower levels of serotonin than normal, leading to aggressive and obsessive behavior, such as constantly thinking about one’s partner and fending off competitors. The term “crazy in love” isn’t that far o� ; functionally, romantic infatuation and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder look quite similar.
Other animals use olfactory signals when choosing a mate, but the extent to which humans use scent for this is still unclear. Pheromones are odor-less chemical “signals” outside of our awareness. Some animals have special nasal receptors for detecting them, and while these receptors aren’t functional in humans, our noses can still pick up on pheromones and other scents we can’t detect consciously. Everyone has a unique, genetically defi ned “odorprint,” and certain combinations of these chem-icals may provoke a passionate response.
Recently, another player in this system has been identifi ed: the nerve growth factor. Researchers discovered that subjects who had recently fallen in love had more NGF, a protein, in their blood than subjects who were not in love. Furthermore, the amount of NGF was related to relationship duration (newer bonds — more NGF) and strength of the romantic feelings (more NGF — more intense). This suggests passionate love acts as a trigger to develop, enhance and heal the mind and body.
Regardless of biological basis, pas-sionate love should be treasured. Chem-ical signals lay the foundation for attrac-tion, but it’s up to us to develop this into a deep connection. Romantic relation-ships enable us to improve ourselves and others, and let us experience the magnifi cent range of human emotions.
L a u re n Me n d e l so h n i s a se n i o r psychology major. She can be reached at [email protected].
My boyfriend and I have been dating for fi ve months. Before me, he had never gone all the way. How can I convince him to practice so we can have a more fulfi ll-ing sex life?
The idea of “going all the way” can make anyone feel anxious. Everyone who has already done it remembers his or her fi rst time, and the rest are still ner-vously waiting for theirs. Either way, it’s a scary experience. You hear about other people who regret going all the way with someone for whom they didn’t have feel-ings, and others who feel they waited far too long to explore their sexuality. How do you know when the time is right? Are you going to end up getting hurt?
Your boyfriend is probably scared that he won’t be good enough in bed and that you’ll be less attracted to him because of it. How do you respond to those fears? Turn them into an opportunity. Tell him you think it’s cute that he’s new at
this, and that you’re excited to teach him what you know. He is already sexy in your eyes — make him understand that you want to do this with him, and not anyone else, because of who he is. Confi dence is often the best aphrodisiac.
All of us want to be good enough for our partners to enjoy sex. That’s why people believe their partners enjoy a sexual encounter more than they do. We’re hoping that we’re meeting the needs of our partners. In reality, none of us are as good as we think we are. The only way we can judge is by responding to the feedback our partners give us.
The more communication and posi-tive feedback you have with your boy-friend, the more comfortable you can make him. With his comfort will come confi dence, which is the key ingredient that will lead both of you to love your sex lives.
I’m a male who’s currently single and wondering when I’ll be able to get a girl-friend. I am worried that if I develop a friendship with girls, that’s all they will be interested in, due to my average looks.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s decision to lift the ban on women in combat is an important step
toward equality in the U.S. military. It is common sense that if a woman can meet the requirements for a particular job, be it in the military or in the civil-ian world, she should be allowed access to it. However, not everyone agrees; some have argued against lifting the ban, with objections lame at best and blatantly sexist at worst.
Take, for instance, comments made by retired Army Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin, executive vice president of the Family Research Council. In an opinion piece for CNN, Boykin wrote, “During opera-tions of this kind there is typically no access to a base of operations or facilities. … Soldiers and Marines have to relieve themselves within sight of others.”
The argument here seems to be that in a foxhole likely containing at least one dead or mangled body, it would be upsetting to have to relieve yourself in front of members of the opposite sex, or have to see members of the oppo-site sex doing the same. This seems like an overly trivial reason to deny qualifi ed women the right to serve on the front lines. If a woman is willing to subject herself to such conditions, who is Boykin, or anyone, to tell her she can’t? And if a man is uncomfortable doing his business in front of a female soldier, it is his own hang-up to get over. I trust our soldiers are man, and woman, enough to handle it.
In the same piece, Boykin said lifting the ban would “place a tremendous
burden on combat commanders. Not only will they have to maintain their focus on defeating the enemy in battle, they will have to do so in an environment that combines life-threatening danger with underlying sexual tensions.”
So a qualified female soldier shouldn’t be allowed to serve because male soldiers may be attracted to her and it will disrupt the mission? This seems to imply not only that men can’t help themselves, but also that women should su� er because of it.
Then there are conservative col-umnist David Frum’s objections to lifting the ban. Frum said on CNN that he worries about “reductions in strength and endurance requirements.” Considering there has been no move to reduce the qualifications in con-junction with lifting the ban, this is a nonpoint. If such a proposal arises, then this concern can be addressed.
Frum also said women will face the risk of rape if captured by the enemy, and this is unfair since men do not face the same risk. It should be noted men do face this risk, but that is besides the point. There is a very subtle bit of sexism at work in this line of reasoning. Frum is basically saying women shouldn’t be allowed to choose whether to accept such a risk, and should instead be disallowed from putting themselves in this position. Frum seems to be implying women can’t be trusted to make this decision for themselves.
Frum’s third objection is that lifting
the ban would place even more of a burden on military families. Again, let the women speak for themselves as to what they are and aren’t willing to do.
Another noteworthy piece of in-formation is a recent survey of U.S. Marines reported by The Associ-ated Press showing that one of male Marines’ top concerns about lifting the ban is being falsely accused of sexual harassment or assault. I am concerned about being falsely accused of this too, or any crime for that matter, but that has nothing to do with whether women should be allowed in a newsroom with me. Either these soldiers think women revel in falsely accusing men of sexual harassment, or they are worried they may actually do something to warrant such an accusa-tion. Either way, it is blatant sexism to suggest this is a reason lifting the ban would be a problem.
Ye s, wo m e n a l rea dy se rve i n combat, and it can be argued that lifting the ban is just a formality al-lowing women to receive promotions and other credit based on their combat service. This is true, and important — but even if this weren’t the case, the bottom line is that not allowing a woman to perform a job when she is able to meet the qualifi cations based on her gender is discrimination. It is sexist and wrong, and this move by the defense secretary is long overdue.
Shane Doyle is a senior journalism and philosophy major. He can be reached at [email protected].
Lifting the ban on women in combat
Hump Day Conversations: Dating and relationships
NOAH ROBINSON
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I would like to join clubs and groups to meet girls, but my mom seems to think it’s a waste of money and that I should concentrate on fi nding a job, which is all I’ve ever done. How do I get girls to be genuinely interested in me for who I am rather than just friendship?
Many factors go into our desire to be happy. Some of us believe that money will buy us happiness, while others think a relationship is the key. In reality, a combination of factors make us happy. Maybe you’ve been focused on pleasing your parents and getting a job as your way of achieving happiness, but you’re feeling a void in your life and want an intimate relationship.
Being single, for you, is frustrating. You are looking for a partner, but it always seems to result in another friend-ship. As this continues to happen, your confi dence in being able to get a girl-friend gradually diminishes. Now, you are also worried about becoming friends with women, as you believe it closes your path to an intimate relationship.
You say you are worried about too many friendships with women, but
really, your problem is the opposite: You are viewing all women as potential intimate partners. It would be better to put your search for a girlfriend on hold. Have fun with your friends, whether they are men or women. Develop rela-tionships and be yourself. Gain a sense of confi dence and your insecurity about being alone will become less prominent in your interactions with women. This will cause you to appear more attractive, which will lead to an eventual intimate relationship. It’s ironic, but feeling like you don’t need a girlfriend is probably the best way to fi nd one.
Finding a partner has a lot to do with timing and luck. So be patient, and let yourself meet women without any ex-pectations. That way, when the time is right and you have just the right amount of luck, the woman of your dreams will meet you and fall in love with you.
N o a h R o b i n s o n i s a j u n i o r psychology major. He can be reached at [email protected]. To submit a n a n o n y m o u s q u e s t i o n , go t o tinyurl.com /HumpDayDBK.
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ACROSS 1 Athens rival 7 Joanne of old films 10 -- Wooley of “The Purple People Eater” 14 Hearsay 15 Lawyer’s thing 16 Gourmet mushroom 17 Sense 18 Common Market inits. 19 Bing Crosby tune 20 Milky Way, e.g. 23 Airport summons 26 Mantra chants 27 Upholstery choice 28 Lime coolers 29 Email senders 30 Ginza money 31 A Bobbsey twin 32 Hearty laugh 33 Swindle (2 wds.) 37 VI halved 38 Dander, plus 39 Bear -- 40 Pen part 41 Crunchier 43 Previous 44 Linen vestment 45 Do a send-up 46 Rx givers 47 Antler prong
48 Falsely incriminate 51 Carbondale sch. 52 Transported kids 53 Trunk item (2 wds.) 56 Iridescent stone 57 WWW find 58 It turns litmus blue 62 Glassmaker -- Lalique 63 Unisex wear 64 Pump choice 65 Treasured 66 Any ship 67 Unruffled
DOWN 1 Delhi honorific 2 Knock-knock joke 3 Lb. or tsp. 4 Wakes up 5 Stumbles 6 -- spumante 7 Wishes and hopes 8 Fishing gear 9 SOS receivers 10 Climbing 11 Macho type (hyph.) 12 Adhesive 13 Emerald, in geology 21 Granny’s chair
22 Emulate Hamlet 23 Wall Street woe 24 Oil-well capper Red -- 25 Lamp dwellers 29 Blender button 30 Not mine
32 Shout of glee 33 Little angel 34 Writer -- Nin 35 Mr. Pim’s creator 36 Receded 42 Needlework of yore
46 Telemarketing device 47 Like a walrus 48 Viking’s bay 49 Calcutta coin 50 Maytag rival 51 Cliff debris
52 Prove false 54 Baseball’s Babe -- 55 Youths 59 Cool -- -- c ucumber 60 Tolerated 61 Seine moorage
CROSSWORD HOROSCOPE STELLA WILDER
Born today, you may not start out life this way, but it is almost certain that as
you come into your own, you will blossom into a colorful, vibrant individual who is all but impossible to ignore -- and that’s just the way you like it! When young, you may be something of a rebel, going off in your own direction whenev-er an authority figure tries to chart a path for you. You’re not the kind to do things because someone else says you must; that is a given! You are driven, ambitious and multi-talented -- but you may surprise even those who know you best by choosing to pursue a line of work that ex-ploits your most unusual ability, whatever you determine that is. You do like to surround your-self with the best that money can buy, and you will want to ensure that you are never lacking the funds required to bankroll the life you envision for yourself. Fortunately, you understand that there is more to life than material gain -- though there’s nothing wrong with it, surely! Also born on this date are: Axl Rose, singer; Natalie Cole, singer; Bob Marley, musician; Tom Brokaw, newsman; Mike Farrell, actor and activist; Rip Torn, actor; Mamie Van Doren, actress; Zsa Zsa Gabor, actress; Ronald Reagan, actor and U.S. president; Babe Ruth, baseball player; Aar-on Burr, U.S. statesman and vice president. 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.
© 2013 United FeatUres syndicate
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DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY:MediUM
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7 AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- You shouldn’t worry about being behind the pace today, as you’ll have a chance to catch up when the circumstances favor your efforts. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -- You are proud of the fact that you are able to look into the future with some degree of accuracy, but today you may surprise even yourself. ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Your competitors are “bringing it” in no uncertain terms, and you must be willing to apply all your efforts to the current challenge. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Approach what arises today in a head-on manner and you’ll be able to nip certain problems in the bud. Family matters are important. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Now is the time for you to do what you know is right, even though it may be difficult for you under the circum-stances. Don’t wait. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- You’ll receive news that has you debating whether to follow your instincts or another’s instructions. The answer is clear after dark. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- You mustn’t put in certain terms that
which is uncertain; you know that accuracy and honest communication are of paramount importance right now. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Keep your head in the game today and don’t let anyone drive you off course even by the smallest margin. You know what you have to do. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- What you cannot afford today is that which you are perilously close to ex-periencing; put yourself in another’s shoes for a time. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- You feel as though you are not doing all you can do to prevent another from making the same mistakes you may have made. Don’t be so hesitant. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Any sort of deception can be quite dangerous to you today -- especially that which begins in your own camp. Everyone must play by the rules! CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- A little excitement comes your way today, courtesy of a friend who knows you have a naughty streak. Explore the possibilities.
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6 THE DIAMONDBACK | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2013
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Musical immortalization is a dicey subject. A band’s sound requires a certain level of unmistakable recognition transcending the span of time to be deemed “classic.” Better yet, it should be understood as products of its time, and, while remaining endlessly replay-able, continue to be unmarred and unscathed by the many imitators — both good and bad — the group has inspired.
That being said, My Bloody Valentine, the unequivocal titan of shoegaze and creator of Loveless, one of the best records of the past half-century, is mortal. It’s had a rather tumultuous run post-Loveless, full of scrapped recording sessions and forays into the madness that come from pining for musical perfection, but the band has returned with its third album, m b v, which was released online Saturday night.
I comment on its status as a “mortal” band, though, because m b v is far from a phoned-in effort that signals complacency and satisfac-tion with past accomplishments. It also does very little to complete its legacy. Instead, we get something both reflective and pro-gressive, a natural follow-up to Loveless in many ways, but also a possible statement of purpose for the future.
I fall somewhere between a My Bloody Val-entine completist and a casual listener, so I can attest that patches of m b v — in particular Kevin Shields’ jagged tremolo phrases on “Who Sees You” and Bilinda Butcher’s phantom-hush vocals on the gorgeous, Madchester-nodding “New You” — are perfect and wonderful nostalgia trips.
The last three tracks, however, prove Shields is still the wily enigma he once was. Forgoing the wistful shoegaze of the rest of the record, “In Another Way,” “Nothing Is” and “Wonder 2” are knotty, difficult and cacophonous. With time, these songs will probably reveal them-selves to be worthy experiments; in the short term, they prove My Bloody Valentine is still interested in exploring.
This spirit, which is unnoticeable in m b v’s Loveless-inspired first six tracks, is ultimately the reason we cannot shove My Bloody Valen-tine in a shrine with other “classic,” dormant bands such as Pavement, The Smiths and R.E.M. The band has stood the test of time while remaining a definitive product of its time. But with immortalization comes the eternal use of the past tense. For a band that has only released its third full-length LP, maybe, just maybe, My Bloody Valentine is only getting started.
There are some bands and albums that are so legendary, you have to come into them at a certain age. Otherwise the magic is lost forever. If you heard In the Aeroplane Over the Sea when you were 15 and liked it, it likely went on to mold your future music taste. But if you heard it when you were 21 and enjoyed it, you will probably just appreciate it for what it is and think Jeff Mangum is kind of a strange guy.
The latter is exactly how I feel about My Bloody Valentine, and it makes me feel like an outcast.
If you like alternative, rock, indie, whatever music, then you’ve heard of the Eng-lish-Irish shoegazers of My Bloody Valentine a nd thei r elusive f ront m a n Kev i n Shields, who made a classic album, Loveless, in 1991 and haven’t been heard from since. I don’t have a dreamy story about the first time My Bloody Val-entine graced my ears. Instead, I listened to Love-less per a friend’s recommendation and I thought it was pretty good. Maybe if I wasn’t already a fan of more contemporary shoegaze acts such as Ringo Deathstarr and Asobi Seksu, I would think My Bloody Val-entine broke more ground with its music.
Well, after many years of waiting and broken promises of new material, My Bloody Valentine announced it would spontaneously release its third album, plainly titled m b v, Saturday evening. The world was unprepared for it and waited on tenterhooks to see if it would live
up to all of their long-formed expectations.The major problem with m b v is no one
will be interested in listening to it or review-ing it out of context, because this is it! It’s the album some fans have been waiting for since their very birth! Instead of burning out, Shields constructed an indestructible wall of mystery around himself and his music, so when m b v was finally released on a whim, he basically broke the Internet.
Like many of my peers, I gave m b v a thor-ough listen when it came out. But unlike most people crying on Twitter about how amazing it is, I think it’s a decent noise album that fails to live up to the hype surrounding it. It’s evident that the band and Shields have
deviated from their shoegaze and occa-sional thrashing roots to create a
calmer and more experimen-tal work, and sometimes
it really succeeds — the second t rack, “O n ly
Tomorrow,” is filled w it h slow-bu r n i ng guitar fuzziness that keeps drawing you in throughout the song.
But some parts of the a l b u m j u s t f a l l f l at,
especially when placed in a modern context. “Is
This and Yes” sounds like a boring version of an old Beach
House song, and “Nothing Is” builds on itself without any conclusion, like someone’s amateur bedroom project.
I may sound critical, but I do understand that Shields must possess an intense musical genius if he was able to keep so many people interested in My Bloody Valentine’s music for so long. And besides, if someone told me Neutral Milk Hotel was releasing a new album, I would probably freak out too.
Diversions
TWENTY YEARS GONEAfter a 20-year absence, My Bloody Valentine returned Saturday with an album of all-new music. Was it worth the wait, or has the band’s moment come and gone?
FACEOFF | MY BLOODY VALENTINE
PRO | M B V SHOWS THE BAND IS STILL EVOLVING CON | NOSTALGIA DOESN’T MAKE IT A GOOD RECORD
By Dean EssnerSenior staff writer
By Emily ThompsonStaff writer
AFTER A TWO-DECADE HIATUS, My Bloody Valentine is back. Does the band’s new album, m b v, prove that it’s still a vital creative force? Will it at-tract a new generation of fans? Will it alienate older listeners? Only time will tell. photos courtesy of pushtofire.wordpress.com and riothouse.com.au
FALLING FOR FALL OUT BOYMy Bloody Valentine isn’t the only downer band making a comeback — Fall Out Boy is back with a new album and tour. Kelsey Hughes offers an appreciation of the emo-rockers. For more, visit diamondbackonline.com.
ON THEBLOG
EVEN THE DIAMONDBACK | XXXDAY, SEPTEMBER XX, 20122 THE DIAMONDBACK | FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2012THE DIAMONDBACK | SPORTS | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2013 7
next long break they would face would be between the ACC Tournament, which runs from March 7-10, and the beginning of the NCAA Tournament on March 23.
Against Boston College, the Terps opened the game by missing nine of their first 11 shots before reeling off an 11-0 run to take the lead for good about midway through the half. Early turnovers and uncharacteristic re-bounding flaws helped the Eagles put the Terps into an early hole.
“I didn’t think we were locked in,” Frese said. “I thought defensively was disappointing. We were giving up too many 3’s and we were turning the ball over too much. Obviously, when we get shots at the basket, we’re pretty good.”
Once the Terps got rolling, Boston College didn’t have an answer. Forward Tianna Hawkins had a game-high 26 points while forward Alyssa Thomas added 24 points and 12 re-bounds to lead five Terps in double figures. The Terps’ four main interior players — Hawkins, Thomas, center Alicia DeVaughn and center Malina Howard, who played 26 minutes off the bench — combined for 73 of the Terps’ 85 points.
“In the second half, their size, their length wore us down,” Eagles coach Erik Johnson said. “We had so many different ways of congesting the paint, but unfortunately, they’re so relentless that any time the game plan wasn’t exactly perfect, Maryland makes you pay.”
ON WATCH
In a season and career she started under the radar, Hawkins has been slowly gaining recognition through-out her time in College Park. That rise continued Monday when the Women’s Basketball Coaches As-sociation added the senior to the State Farm Wade Watch List, which nominates players “on the basis of game and season statistics, leader-ship, character, effect on their team and overall playing ability.”
Hawkins was one of eight players who joined the original preseason watch list of 25 candidates, which includes Thomas.
Hawkins is the ACC’s leading scorer with 19.4 points per game and second-leading rebounder — behind Thomas — with 10 rebounds per game.
The Clinton native’s addition to the Wade Watch List comes one week after she, along with Thomas, was named to the Wooden Award’s Mid-
season Top 20 List.The Wade Watch List will be cut
down to 12 finalists in mid-March and the State Farm Wade Trophy winner will be announced during the Final Four in New Orleans.
FAST RISERS
After holding steady in the AP top 25 for a month at No. 10, the Terps shot up three spots to No. 7, the highest they’ve been since they were No. 5 in the Nov. 19 edition of the poll.
During the month of January, the same 10 teams occupied the top spots in the poll, occasionally shuffling up or down one or two spots, but largely remained in the same order.
But this week, the three teams di-rectly in front of the Terps — Penn State, Kentucky and Tennessee — all lost at least one game and tumbled in the rankings. That allowed the Terps to make the third-largest improve-ment of the week to solidify their national standing.
Delaware, a team the Terps defeated in December, made the most significant jump, advancing five spots from No. 25 to No. 20. Georgia moved up four spots this week from No. 13 to No. 9 after defeating Kentucky.
Forwards Tianna Hawkins (left) and Alyssa Thomas (right) have both been named to postseason award watch lists this season. charlie deboyace/the diamondback
NOTEBOOKFrom PAGE 8
GYMNASTICS
katy dodds, along with teammate Ally Krikorian, ranks in the top 20 nationally on vault. christian jenkins/the diamondback
on hand with two monstrous putback dunks.
“I think that got him going,” coach Mark Turgeon said of Thomas’ elbow. “We talk about Alex protecting the rim, be a presence. He was a big-time presence today.”
The all-around display came just three days after Len notched arguably the worst performance of his Terps career. Limited with foul trouble much of the game, he finished with four points, five rebounds and three turnovers in a last-second 73-71 loss at Florida State. The ugly stat line in-cluded a missed alley-oop in the final minute that ultimately secured the Terps’ fourth-straight ACC road loss.
Turgeon didn’t hide his frustration with his leading scorer during last Wednesday’s postgame press confer-ence. The second-year coach said he “didn’t recognize” Len, and placed much of the blame on his shoulders.
B u t L e n l i ke ly d i d n ’t n e e d a public scolding to understand his
miscues. After reflecting on his Florida State showing, he decided to move forward. There’s nothing he can do about the past, he figured, so he might as well focus on bouncing back against Wake Forest.
“After Florida State, I was a little bit down on myself,” said Len, who was averaging a modest 9.6 points in the five games preceding Saturday’s blowout. “But it’s just next play, like Coach is always saying. Next play, you’ve got to get back up.”
Defense has become Len’s primary concern in recent days. The points will arrive, he said, but becoming a solid defensive presence is the best way to ensure consistency. It’s something he takes pride in, something he feels defines him as a player.
So when Thomas tested him early Saturday, Len felt he had little choice. He needed to make a statement. He needed to show why some pundits salivate over his professional potential.
“Every game, players come out and play as hard as they can against me,” Len said. “So it’s just part of it.”
LENFrom PAGE 8
By Joshua NeedelmanStaff writer
Brett Nelligan has hardly forgotten his college days at Massachusetts. The Terrapins gymnastics coach remembers placing in the top 10 on vault at the NCAA Championships, and he recalls finishing third in his conference on the event.
So when Nelligan became a Terps assistant coach in 2003, he knew only one way to teach the apparatus: the men’s way. Little has changed over the past decade. Nelligan, who took over the program from his father four years ago, still encourages the Terps to burst onto the vault runway and perform stuck landings — practices not nor-mally encouraged on women’s squads.
The Terps’ male-oriented style has helped them emerge as one of the top vaulting teams in the country this season. They boast the sixth-ranked vaulting rotation in the nation, and
feature two gymnasts — junior Katy Dodds and senior Ally Krikorian — in the top 20 nationally on the event. Their strong vault performances have buoyed a group that paces the East At-lantic Gymnastics League four meets into the season.
“We can bank on it,” said Dodds, who ranks fourth in the nation with an average vault of 9.919. “It’s defi-nitely a leverage we have with a meet.”
The Terps have finished in the top three on vault in the conference every year Nelligan has been at the helm, never averaging less than a 48.767.
But this season has been special. The Terps set a program-record score of 49.300 on the apparatus in a Jan. 19 quad-meet sweep at Pittsburgh. Dodds earned an individual program record of 9.975 a week earlier at N.C. State, and Krikorian — a two-time EAGL vault champion — is currently ranked second in the conference.
Nelligan believes that perfection at a meet is a byproduct of perfection during workouts. The Terps have em-braced his attitude, regularly perform-ing mock competitions in practice.
But the Terps’ work ethic is not exclu-sive to the gym. Three days a week, the athletes head to Comcast Center Pavil-ion after practice, where they perform intense CrossFit-style workouts that are instrumental in preparing for the vault.
“The girls don’t just settle for an OK landing,” Nelligan said. “They’ll do it over and over until the landings are perfect.”
Nelligan can’t help but feel a bit nostalgic during meets and practices. Except now, rather than being the one sprinting down the vault runway, he is helping perfect the Terps’ routines.
“We are a good teaching staff,” Nel-ligan said. “We can develop these kids.”
Vaulting to victoryNelligan’s men’s-style technique has Terps among sport’s best on vault
Center Alex Len bounced back from a disappointing four-point, five-rebound performance in a loss at FloridaState to score 12 points and grab nine boards in an 86-60 win over Wake Forest on Saturday. file photo/the diamondback
which has the Terps’ class ranked No. 3 nationally and tops in the ACC. “Despite the news that the team would be bolting to the Big Ten in 2014, head coach Sasho Cirovski has brought in another of the nation’s best recruiting classes.”
Dainkeh, a four-star recruit ac-cording to TopDrawerSoccer.com, primarily played left back in the developmental academy, but pos-sesses the versatility to play center back or defensive midfielder, Pfister and Clark said. He’s joined by five-star goalkeeper Zackary Steffen from Downington, Pa.,
who’s seen time with the under-20 men’s national team, and four other four-star recruits.
The Terps, who graduated just three players and return their top two scorers, are poised to build on strong performances from younger players and MAC Hermann Trophy winner Patrick Mullins moving forward.
“The Terps haven’t lost a ton,” Clark said. “Sure, London Wood-berry, Taylor Kemp and [John] Stertzer are gone, but the combi-nation of the recruits coming in and what Sasho already has on his roster matches up nicely, filling in spots in the midfield and along the backline, where the need is greater.”
Cirovski isn’t afraid to have his
freshmen play major minutes, either. In 2012, three newcomers — forward Schillo Tshuma and de-fenders Dakota Edwards and Mikey Ambrose — were regulars in the starting lineup throughout the year. Freshman forward Christiano Francois was one of Cirovski’s top options off the bench.
The class has the versatility to fill in the spots Kemp and Wood-berry left on the backline — where Pfister thinks Dainkeh could have an immediate impact — while also pushing the returning starters for playing time.
“It’s really exciting because there’s a lot of talent on that team,” Dainkeh said. “I want a challenge. I just want to push myself. When I
get to campus, I want to work really hard and hopefully I can get time on the field.”
In the pursuit of another College Cup appearance this December in Philadelphia, Cirovski appears to have constructed a recruiting class to both build around and supplement his returning pieces. The talent is returning to College Park yet again.
“Sasho is the name of college soccer,” Pfister said. “Maryland soccer’s like the Duke of basket-ball. If Sasho wants you, I don’t see many people turning down him, not only for the program, but the great academics that Maryland has.”
[email protected] Dainkeh said yesterday, “I want a challenge. I just want to push myself.When I get to campus, I want to work really hard.” photo courtesy of marty pfister
RECRUITINGFrom PAGE 8
Page 8 WEDNESDAY, February 6, 2013
Sports
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL | NOTEBOOK
Long layoff causes slow startHawkins joins award watch list; Terps move up in pollsBy Daniel GallenSenior staff writer
Playing its first game in a week, it took the Terrapins women’s basketball team more than two minutes to score its first points Sunday against Boston College.
While the absence of a game Thursday night was a welcome occurrence for a team nursing a variety of injuries and lots of minutes, the effects of lacking game action were clear early in the 85-62 victory over the Eagles.
“ O bv i o u s l y we u n d e r -stand every game is like this in conference play, but when you’re kind of in that groove of playing two games a week and
you don’t have that, I do think it took us a little time,” coach Brenda Frese said. “We had a few players start flat, so kind of that combination.”
From now on, though, the
Terps won’t have to worry about any more long layoffs. They play two games per week through the rest of the regular season. The
Coach Brenda Frese said the break between games led to a “flat” start. charlie deboyace/the diamondback
WEEKLY HONOR FOR GENTRYTerps wrestler Shane Gentry was named ACC Co-Wrestler
of the Week. For more, visit diamondbackonline.com.ON THEBLOG
TWEET OF THE DAY
Patrick Mullins @p_mullins_7Terps men’s soccer forward
“Sharing a bday with @CoachTurgeon pretty cool, sharing a bday with C. Ronaldo even better. But sharing it with @LydiaHastings is the best.”
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Don’t make him angry
Center Alex Len credited an elbow he received from Wake Forest forward Devin Thomas with getting him going earlyin the Terps’ 86-60 victory over the Demon Deacons on Saturday at Comcast Center. charlie deboyace/the diamondback
Inadvertent elbow fuels Len’s dominant performance in victory over Wake Forest
By Connor LetourneauSenior staff writer
Alex Len is used to the star treat-ment. The projected NBA lottery pick is easily the Terrapins men’s basketball team’s most daunting offensive threat, and opposing frontcourts have targeted him as such.
They harass Len night in and night out, tossing elbows and sending double teams. Anything to nullify the 7-foot-1 Ukrainian. Anything to force the Terps’ supporting cast to take shots.
Saturday was no different. Wake Forest forward Devin Thomas, the younger brother of Terps women’s bas-ketball star Alyssa Thomas, arrived at Comcast Center intent on besting the bulked-up Len.
But that plan hit a snag early in the first half. Trying to clear some space down low, Thomas threw an innocent elbow directly into the sophomore’s chest. As whistles blew, Len stared down Thomas and placed his forehead against the rookie’s dome. The message was clear: Thomas had angered the Terps’ big man.
Len proceeded to dominate an un-dersized Demon Deacons frontcourt, creating plenty of distance in the Terps’ eventual 26-point rout. He scored 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting, grabbed nine rebounds, dished out three assists and blocked three shots. Len even dazzled the smattering of NBA scouts
MEN’S SOCCER
Suliaman Dainkeh will officially sign his letter of intent to join the Terps this afternoon. He joins a recruitingclass that TopDrawerSoccer.com ranks No. 3 in the nation and No. 1 in the ACC. photo courtesy of marty pfister
Dainkeh headlinesstrong class of 2013 Cirovski’s group of recruits ranks No. 3 overallBy Daniel GallenSenior staff writer
This afternoon, Suliaman Dainkeh will take a seat at South Lakes High School in Reston, Va., and sign his letter of intent to join the Terrapins men’s soccer team this fall.
It’s the realization of a four-year dream for the 17-year-old, his high school coach said. Dainkeh will join a highly touted freshman class on one of the nation’s top programs.
“I can tell you ever since he was a freshman at South Lakes, he wanted to go to Maryland,” South Lakes coach Marty Pfister said. “When he first said that, I’m sure a lot of kids say that, but he’s had the determina-
tion. He hasn’t wavered. I think it’s perfect for him.”
Dainkeh, a member of the D.C. United Academy, a developmental team, and U.S. under-18 men’s na-tional team, is one of the headliners of another strong recruiting class coach Sasho Cirovski will officially begin inking today. The 20th-year coach, whose Terps were just inches away from advancing to the nation-al championship game nearly two months ago, has built a reputation as one of the game’s top recruiters. This year’s crop shouldn’t disappoint.
“It’s another strong class,” said Travis Clark of TopDrawerSoccer.com,
See RECRUITing, Page 7 See LEN, Page 7
See NOTEBOOK, Page 7