February 8, 2013

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Side Effects’ story line is twisty but still works p. 6

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The University of Maryland’s Independent Student Newspaper

ISSUE NO. 84

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103rd Year of Publication

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DLS proposes edu. cuts

TERRAPINS 60

Student robbed in Lot KK

55 HOKIES

O’Malley’s proposed investments at risk

By Jim Bach Senior staff writer

By Fola Akinnibi Staff writer

BY THE NUMBERS

An armed robbery, the second this week, occurred at around 10:40 p.m. yesterday in Lot KK near the chemical and nuclear engineering building, according to University Police.

An armed male suspect approached a female student who was walking in the lot, according to Sgt. Aaron Davis. The suspect, who had his face covered and was wearing a dark hoodie and baggy jeans, reportedly took the student’s cash and phone, Davis said. Police gave an all-clear for the incident at about midnight.

Officers searched the area for the suspect, he said; it is unknown whether the incident is related to an armed robbery that occurred Tuesday on Paint Branch Parkway near Rhode Island Avenue.

Prince George’s County Police arrested a 21-year-old College Park man, Demonte Spearman, Wednesday in connection with an attempted armed robbery in The Varsity apartment building on Jan. 27.

Davis said students should to stay in well-lit areas, take advantage of University Police resources and not walk alone. The investigation is ongoing, and more information will be provided as it is obtained. Check The Diamondback online for updates.

7.5

W h i l e G o v.

Percentage increase in state Martin O’Malley funds from FY2012 hoped to invest in, rather than cut, higher education Money that would go toward for the first time in his tenure, the “enhancement funding” under state’s Depart- O’Malley proposal ment of Legislative Services is suggesting cuts DLS’ proposed cuts to that would inhibit O’Malley’s USM budget enhancement funding.

Under O’Malley’s proposed budget bill, the University System of Maryland would see a 7.5 percent increase in state funds from last fiscal year, with $34.8 million being funneled toward enhancement funding. However, the DLS report suggests reductions to the system that would add up to $24 million, according to testimony to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee by system Chancellor Brit Kirwan, ultimately delivering a blow to the much-coveted funding Kirwan has long sought after.

The enhancement funding would include an expansion of STEM enrollment, more funding for the MPower the State initiative — the strategic alliance between this university

$34.8 mil $24 mil

See budget, Page 3

An organized mess Alumnus develops desktop app to help organize emails

By Madeleine List Staff writer For years, sending and receiving emails has remained unchanged, but David Baggett seeks to change the fundamental ways people manage their inboxes.

Using his linguistics and computer science background, Baggett, a 1992 graduate, developed Inky — a desktop application that integrates users’ multiple email accounts, organizes their messages and sorts them by relevance. While other email programs analyze messages based on alphabetization or other factors that disregard the message’s content, Baggett said, Inky will manage content more like a human than a software program.

“One of the things that we’re doing with Inky is making [it] understand what your message is about,” he said. “In the long run, we’re making Inky do what a person does when they read their email.”

Baggett began developing his idea in 2010, when he founded his computer software business, Arcode. Fellow university alumnus Charles Pinnix partnered with him to design the app’s icon, an octopus-like creature, using the concept of ink to remind users of the way people used to communicate before the Internet age, Baggett said. Octopi have ink. And so Inky was created. Though the app has already been downloaded about 100,000 times, its software development is far from complete, Baggett said. The development team is continuously analyzing what works and what See inky, Page 3

INDEX

newsumdbk@gmail.com forward jake layman scored 14 points in the Terps’ first win on the road in conference play against Virginia Tech. charlie deboyace/the diamond-

ONE FOR THE ROAD Terps notch first ACC road win with inconsistent offensive performance

By Connor Letourneau Senior staff writer Mark Turgeon was tired of hearing the complaints and seeing the long faces. So during halftime at Cassell Coliseum last night, the Terrapins men’s basketball coach delivered a strident message to his frustrated players.

Guys who pout and feel sorry for themselves are going to watch the NCAA tournament from home, he said. Teams that have men will be in it, playing for a shot at a national title.

It didn’t matter the Terps had just scored just one field goal over the final 10 minutes of the half.

It didn’t matter they allowed a struggling Vir-

ginia Tech squad to enter the break on a 17-3 run.

The time had arrived for a young group to finally respond to adversity on the road.

And respond they did. The Terps jumped to a fast start in the second half and made enough necessary plays down the stretch to secure the 60-55 win over the Hokies. They weathered a workhorse effort from guard Erick Green to escape with their first ACC road victory in exactly a year and their first in five tries this season.

“That was big for us,” said Turgeon, who’s now 3-12 in true road games with the Terps. “It’s going to go a long way for us.”

Res. Life proposes staff raises

By Annika McGinnis and Sarah Sexton Staff writers Housekeepers and maintenance workers could see their first pay raise in several years, according to next year’s proposed Resident Life budget, but several students and workers said the increases would not be adequate to address workers’ need for higher wages.

The proposed budget from the Department of Resident Life, Dining Services and DOTS,

See hokies, Page 2

See rha, Page 2

Loh indicates support for allinclusive Good Samaritan policy Says student safety should be first priority

By Sandra Müller Staff writer A week ahead of the University Senate’s upor-down vote on expanding the Good Samaritan policy, university President Wallace Loh indicated his support for the first time of increasing its scope to include drug use.

So far, Loh said, the university has been right to put students’ safety at the forefront of university policy with Good Samaritan, which protects students from Office of Student Conduct sanctions if they call emergency services for themselves or a friend due to dangerous drunkenness. Though he did not explicitly state his approval and declined to anticipate how the senate will vote Thursday, his remarks at Wednesday’s Student Government Association meeting underpinned the student

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

body’s support for granting amnesty to those who call for help in the event of an overdose.

“The university has taken a good step [with this policy] so far. It saves lives,” said Loh, who took questions from students for about an hour with 40 stitches in his back from a recent surgery. “Nobody can disagree that the safety of the students at our university is our No. 1 priority.”

Last Friday, the Senate Executive Committee, the body’s most powerful committee, called for a vote on former undergraduate senator Brandon Levey’s proposal, which he introduced more than a year ago as an expansion of the Policy on Promoting Responsible Action in Medical Emergencies.

This university would be the first institution in the University System of Maryland with a medical amnesty policy covering both alcohol and drugs, and the final decision is now within students’ grasp.

“This updated Good Samaritan policy is the

Submit tips to The Diamondback at newsumdbk@gmail.com

See loh, Page 2

university president wallace loh did not explicitly state his position on an all-inclusive Good Samaritan policy at Wednesday’s SGA meeting but indicated his support. christian jenkins/the diamondback

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THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | FRIDAY, FEBRuary 8, 2013

HOKIES From PAGE 1 Green nagged the Terps all night, hitting a host of clutch baskets to keep the Hokies within striking distance until the waning moments. But it took Green 23 shots to net a game-high 29 points, and Virginia Tech fell to 2-7 in the ACC when its star shoots below 50 percent from the field. On the night, the Terps held the Hokies to just 33.8 percent shooting.

That defensive showing proved key in the game’s critical stages. After center Alex Len hit two free throws with 58.4 seconds left to give the Terps a 56-53 lead, the Terps made two crucial stops against g u a rd Ro b e r t B row n a n d Green, respectively. The Terps

rha From PAGE 1 which the RHA will vote on at its Tuesday meeting, allocates $50,227 more for 105 workers, including 43 maintenance workers and housekeeping staffers, two Resident Life employees and 60 hourly employees who work during summer and winter breaks.

The budget would also set aside money to retroactively fund resident directors’ pay raises of about $2,474 apiece, increases that were mandated by the University System of Maryland in spring 2012.

Several RHA senators said the university should increase workers’ salaries beyond what is required by the state and system, but it would likely result in a greater hit to financially conscious students’ wallets — and the proposed budget already calls for student fees to rise nearly twice as much as they did last year. Students living on the campus would pay an additional $234 to $244 for housing next year, compared to the fee increase of $125 to $131 they saw in 2011-12.

In July, the system approved the first pay increase in four years for resident directors, who live in and oversee daily operations in the dorms and on-campus apartment buildings. Departments set aside an additional $49,483 for the 20 resident directors on the campus.

However, both of the pay increases were defined by the system’s assessments of similar positions’ wages outside the state, said Deb Grandner, Resident Life director.

In addition, she said the resident directors’ pay was not as helpful to those staff members as it might appear on paper. The pay increase was not added to the resident directors’ salaries until Jan. 1, the same day a two-yearold payroll tax cut expired.

“Taxes went up, so the increase really just helped them break even again,” Grandner said.

Some students expressed concern that the $50,227 set aside for maintenance workers and housekeeping staff would not be adequate to help those workers keep up with the cost of living in today’s economy. Oliver Bulley, a senior English major, said employees on the campus are hardworking, and most students would likely support paying a little extra to bring their wages up.

“Those workers really deserve it,” Bulley said. “But I do think the university could allocate funds differently so they wouldn’t have to raise student fees.”

The disparity in alloted funds leaves resident directors “with a lot more than dividing up $50,227 between 105 employees,” RHA senator Jonathan Lee said.

T h e u n ive rs i ty s h o u l d heighten its efforts to increase workers’ wages beyond the minimum mandated by the state, said Renée Nicolas, a career center staff member and member of Justice at Maryland, an organization working to expose and address concerns of worker abuse on the campus.

Last year, groups including Justice at Maryland and the Black Faculty and Staff Association conducted investigations

then connected on enough attempts from the charity stripe to secure their first road win since late November.

“I definitely think we grew up this game,” forward James Padgett said. “We made some stops and did what we had to do to get the win.”

The Terps (17-6, 5-5 ACC) jumped to a fast start against a Hokies (11-11, 2-7) team that entered last night’s contest on a four-game losing streak.

Forward Jake Layman scored eight points before the first media timeout, and Turgeon’s squad cruised to a 21-10 lead midway through the first half.

But then the Terps’ immaturity began to show. They tallied a string of costly turnovers and missed shots, and allowed Green to drive through the lane for easy layups.

Virginia Tech capitalized on

a more than six-minute Terps stretch without a field goal, tying the game at 22 on a Green free throw with 3:44 left in the half.

Padgett responded with a hook shot — the Terps’ lone field goal over the final 10 minutes — but the Hokies hit two shots to cap their 17-3 run and enter halftime with a 27-24 edge.

When Turgeon tore into his downtrodden players during the break, Green boasted 16 points and the Terps had 10 turnovers. They seemed another up-and-down second half away from taking a significant step away from the NCAA tournament bubble.

But Turgeon’s halftime tirade resonated with the youthful Terps. They emerged from the break firing, piecing together a 14-3 run that gave them an eight-point lead with 15:12 remaining.

The two teams traded blows until a 12-5 Hokies rally cut their deficit to 51-49 with about five minutes remaining. It was then a back-and-forth battle until the Terps created the necessary distance after Len’s two made free throws in the final minute.

“We knew we weren’t playing well in the first half and we knew we had to pick it up defensively,” Layman said. “We shut them down in the second half.”

Of course, that second-half emergence didn’t come out of nowhere. It took a fired-up coach to place the pressure on his inexperienced squad and stave off another ACC road disappointment.

“It’s never easy when you’re trying to grow up as a team,” Turgeon said. “We are growing up and getting better.” sportsdbk@gmail.com

“You’re grateful for those extra $12 a month, but you’re still struggling to get your kids to school or get to work on time or feed your children, and that’s a high stress situation.”

Renée Nicolas

Justice at Maryland member of reported rights violations and ill treatment of workers, which included workers’ concerns they weren’t making living wages. After taxes, the mandated pay increases could come out to a few more dollars a month, said Nicolas, who graduated last year.

“They’d like to get paid more — and it’s sad because they kind of see it as they’re not being valued,” she said. “You’re grateful for those extra $12 a month, but you’re still struggling to get your kids to school or get to work on time or feed your children, and that’s a highstress situation that’s almost impossible to live in.”

But increasing workers’ salaries could put even more of a financial burden on students.

Many students have difficulty paying for college, and this year’s tentative jump in fees doesn’t make things any easier, said Omer Kaufman, RHA’s student groups and organizations liaison.

RHA committees plan to examine the budget line by line to ensure students don’t have to pay any more than necessary, he added.

“I work. I subsidize my own stay here. I am on student loans like most of our students are,” Kaufman said. “So to me and the entire RHA, we are committed to saving cents, if that’s what we can, because that will make an impact.”

Still, Lee said even a small additional fee increase could be substantial for housekeepers and maintenance workers, saying he thought students would support such a measure, especially as an increase of just $1 from thousands of students living in on the campus could make a difference in workers’ salaries.

This year’s proposed budget does include the first merit increases in several years, meaning money was delegated as rewards for hardworking employees.

Although merit pay could be helpful, Nicolas said she was worried about reported favoritism and other workermanagement relations issues leaving housekeepers out of the running.

“We’ve had issues with supervisors discriminating against people, so if the trend continues, they’re not going to give these raises to women; they’re not going to give these raises to Latino workers,” Nicolas said.

To Nicolas, the only solution is a fair system and more money to go around.

“I don’t want anyone on this campus to be living in poverty because they’re not getting paid enough,” she said. “I just want a living wage for all people.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

Josh Ratner, SGA’s College Park City Council student liaison, asks university President Wallace Loh a question at Wednesday’s SGA meeting. christian jenkins/the diamondback

loh From PAGE 1 right path forward to a safer and more responsible campus community,” said James Jalandoni, SGA director of governmental affairs. “Safety of students is the university’s primary responsibility. Disciplinary action

should never be a deterrent to responsible actions when safety is on the line.”

Among students who responded to a spring 2012 SGA ballot question, 74 percent said they would be more inclined to call emergency services or receive help if an appropriate policy was in place, according to SGA records.

COACH Mark Turgeon’s Terps beat the Hokies last night, 60-55. charlie deboyace/the diamondback

University Police spokesman Maj. Marc Limansky told The Diamondback in 2011 “unlawful drug violation is criminal” and expanding the policy was “kind of crossing over a line.”

However, state Attorney General Doug Gansler said in an opinion that implementing an expanded Good Samaritan policy would not violate state law.

“I strongly believe that expanding the current policy to include drugs is both necessary and a positive change promoting practical policies when drugs are involved,” said Matthew Popkin, speaker of the legislature and an SEC member. “If changing the policy encourages one more student to call for help, then I would consider it a success.”

During Loh’s visit to the SGA meeting, he also engaged the body in conversation on students’ most pressing questions, including closing achievement

gaps, limited enrollment, mandating sexual assault education for all incoming students and progress of the planned Purple Line transit line.

He also addressed the upcoming move to the Big Ten, stressing the financial urgency of joining a conference that can strengthen athletics and enrich academics.

The switch will help the university become one of the first where athletes support academics, he said.

“No money, no mission,” Loh said, shortly summarizing his view on costly projects the university is undertaking, such as the Edward St. John Teaching and Learning Center.

At the body’s next meeting, representatives are scheduled to vote on an alternative funding model for the MaryPIRG interns program and a resolution supporting a smoke- free campus. newsumdbk@gmail.com

fridAY, FEBRuary 8, 2013 | NEWS | THE DIAMONDBACK

budget From PAGE 1 and the University of Maryland, Baltimore that was approved in fall 2012 — and course redesign initiatives. The investments would be a welcome change for higher education officials who have continually grappled with limiting the damage of budget reductions, rather than being able to push for more investment.

O’Malley’s budget signaled a promising move toward this goal, but the DLS cuts would hamper the effort.

“It doesn’t put us further back to where we were, but it doesn’t advance us further like the governor wanted in his budget,” said Zach Cohen, University System of Maryland Student Council chairman.

The DLS budget recommendations, Cohen said, put a lot of these initiatives at “considerable risk.”

Among other reductions to the system budget are $10 million worth of cuts to current services, which fund merit pay increases, cost-of-living adjustments, facilities renewal, financial aid, new building openings and debt service on outstanding bond obligations.

The report also suggests an $8

million cut in general fund appropriations and a $950,000 reduction to the Collaborative School of Public Health, which is being formed under MPower the State.

The DLS report cited discrepancies between the expected revenue from tuition and fees versus other services as the impetus for many of these reductions to the system. Between 2010 and 2012, the system consistently underestimated the money it would bring in from these revenue sources, and in 2011, overshot the estimated figure by $96.4 million, according to the report.

The report argued this trend would continue into this fiscal year, and the spread between expected revenue from tuition and fees would cover the cost of the reductions.

While in his testimony Kirwan conceded enrollment has exceeded expectations, it has primarily been at University of Maryland University College, an open-enrollment institution, where actual enrollment commonly exceeds estimations.

He added that UMUC is “overwhelmingly” funded by tuition and receives the least amount of state funding at $1,300 per student. Additionally, when en-

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rollment exceeds estimations, UMUC incurs further costs to hire faculty, which it must self-fund.

The reductions are only recommendations at this point, and Cohen cautioned they don’t reflect what the actual budget outlook will be after the legislature is tasked with finalizing state allocations.

State law only allows the legislature to make cuts to O’Malley’s baseline allowances.

However, the legislature may not expend state funds past the $37 billion-plus appropriated in this year’s budget. The system will be working “tirelessly” with legislators, Cohen said, to ensure cuts like those suggested by the DLS don’t threaten efforts to expand several initiatives.

Despite the proposed cuts, Kirwan’s optimism about the legislature’s commitment to higher education hasn’t wavered.

“We’re all going to have to work very hard to keep this money in the budget,” Kirwan said. “We’ve already started working with the leaders in the General Assembly and making our case to keep these funds in the budget, and so far those conversations have gone well.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

MORE ONLINE Super bowl thoughts FROM A NON-FAN For me, sitting in on a Super Bowl party is like Kanye West sitting in on Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech — so wrong on so many levels.

When I was invited to a friend’s Sunday night party, I couldn’t wait. This is the one day 100 million warm-blooded Americans wait for to raid the grocery stores of tortilla chips, chicken wings and themed cupcakes.

However, I wasn’t excited to watch oversized brutes growl at one other over a pigskin.

No, I was looking forward to the dips, the sauces and Sasha Fierce’s halftime show.

For more, check out The Diamondback’s student blogs at diamondbackonline.com.

charlie deboyace/the diamondback

INKY, an application created by university alumnus David Baggett, seeks to change the way users manage their emails. Using his linguistics and computer science skills, Baggett is working to make Inky better understand phrases to organize users’ inboxes. photo courtesy of inky.com

inky From PAGE 1 doesn’t, updating the software in response to user feedback and reviews.

“The thing with software is you’re never really done,” Baggett said. “With Internet delivery of software, you can push out updates whenever.”

The ultimate goal is for Inky to be able to understand the meanings of words and sentences so it can perform as a better email managing system. In trying to make computers better understand human language, Baggett’s linguistics training comes in handy.

“There’s a lot of overlap between learning about [linguistics] in humans and how to make computers do the same,”he said.

Baggett’s exceptional talent stood out in Sharon Inkelas’ phonology class, where most students were pursuing graduate degrees.

Baggett, an undergraduate, wrote an impressive paper about tones in African languages that included many new ideas, said Inkelas, who now teaches linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley.

“He was so smart and such an eager, thoughtful student.

You could give him a problem, and he would think through it so clearly,” she said. “I could talk to him at a much higher level than I could talk to most students.”

And though linguistics came naturally to Baggett, it was computers that initially sparked his curiosity. At 8 years old, Baggett was already writing computer programs for his mother, a writer, to help her format her articles.

In college, Baggett’s intelligence and problem-solving skills caught the attention of his computer science professor William Gasarch, who taught Baggett complexity theory, a course requiring “an immense amount of both mathematical and computer science maturity,” Gasarch said.

After earning his bachelor’s degree from this university, Baggett pursued his doctorate in computer science at MIT, but left with his master’s degree after two years to make video games in Los Angeles. As a member of a seven-person team, he helped create one of the first 3-D games set in organic environments, Crash Bandicoot.

“The game was ultimately very beautiful,” he said, adding previously, video games were typically set indoors, which made programming easier. Creating the rocks, trees and plants of Crash Bandicoot proved to be the biggest challenge, he said, and it set the game apart from most others at the time.

Returning to Cambridge, Mass., in 1998, Baggett founded ITA, a travel search engine software

company that powered sites such as Orbitz and Kayak. When Google bought ITA in 2010, Baggett started Arcode in Bethesda.

This drive to pursue his lifelong interests and turn them into a career is something Baggett’s professors noticed when he was a student.

“Most people say what they’re going to do to and don’t actually get around to doing it,” Gasarch said. “He went out and did it.”

Outside of Arcode, Baggett remains connected to the campus. A member of the university’s College Park Foundation Board of Trustees, he also sponsors the Baggett fellowships and summer scholarships for students pursuing in-depth linguistics research.

Though computer science and linguistics have always been his main interests, Baggett stresses maintaining a diversity of knowledge. He encourages students to explore classes outside their majors,opening up to ideas beyond their majors and comfort zones.

Creativity comes from combining knowledge of things that might be completely unrelated, he said, which could in turn spark a great idea.

“My most important insight that I’ve gained since I was at Maryland,” he said, “is how rare and important creativity is.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

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Opinion

THE DIAMONDBACK | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

EDITORIAL BOARD

YASMEEN ABUTALEB Editor in Chief

Mike King

Managing Editor

Deciding under the gun T

Managing Editor

maria romas Opinion Editor

nadav karasov Opinion Editor

CONTACT US 3150 South Campus Dining Hall | College Park, MD 20742 | newsumdbk@gmail.com OR opinionumdbk@gmail.com PHONE (301) 314-8200

STAFF EDITORIAL

h e Sa n dy Ho o k E l e m e n ta ry School shooting began framing this country’s gun control debate from the moment it made national headlines. Some have viewed it as a call for action, while others perceived the politicization of the event as both disrespectful and inapplicable.

For us, ignoring the issue altogether appears impossible because the next few months will decide whether Sandy Hook will be remembered as a watershed moment in the gun control debate or as “merely” another tragedy to add to an ever-increasing list. Both President Obama and Gov. Martin O’Malley are hoping for the former — and so are we.

On Wednesday, O’Malley joined legislators in Annapolis to testify on behalf of his sweeping proposal to expand gun control legislation in the state. The main substance of O’Malley’s push consists of adding 45 “military-style” assault rifles to the pre-existing ban on assault pistols, more stringent licensing requirements for handguns and halving the number of rounds allowed in a magazine, from 20 to 10. This legislation would also restrict visitor access to schools, prevent gun access for those with a history of mental illness and mandate more background checks, gun safety courses and digital fingerprinting for those seeking a gun license.

These moves are neither unprecedented nor a threat to personal freedoms. We live in one of six states, plus

Tyler Weyant

Washington, that already limits the sale of high-capacity magazines, and the state already requires digital fingerprinting for those seeking to carry a concealed handgun. This restriction would also help eliminate “straw purchases” — buying a handgun for the purpose of giving it to someone without a license, likely for nefarious purposes — which state law enforcement officials consider a serious problem in Prince George’s County and Baltimore.

OUR VIEW

This editorial board supports Gov. Martin O’Malley’s legislation to expand gun control in this state.

Plus, the licensing requirement wouldn’t apply to those purchasing hunting rifles and shotguns, and would add no extra burden for taxpayers. In fact, the $7.2 million the Department of Legislative Services predicts the state will collect in its first year far surpasses the $3.4 million cost.

Above all else, this legislation is accompanied by widespread popular support. In a poll this year, 62 percent of state respondents were in favor of an assault weapons ban, and 71 percent favored a limit for the number of bullets in a magazine. In a similar national trend, 82 percent of gun

owners support background checks for all firearm sales.

If Obama’s recent appearance in Annapolis didn’t make it obvious enough, this state issue is certain to garner national attention. And the measures could serve as an indicator for the success of national legislation and other state-led efforts if the president and governor can use their political might to sway state Democrats to support the initiative.

Plenty disagree with state and national gun control laws — they should take action too. Join the 1,500 protesters who have already made the trip to Annapolis, reach out to your representative or join a grassroots cause. The same applies to supporters. Simply sitting put is unacceptable when 20 innocent children — and countless others — had to die at the hands of a gunman.

This editorial board strongly supports O’Malley’s proposal and hopes enough legislators do too. While this state already enjoys one of the stricter gun licensing policies in the country, we have the opportunity to both better solidify our policy as well as invigorate the national push for more expansive legislation.

Something more needs to be done in the wake of the mass shootings that are becoming more frequent, along with the countless homicides that don’t make it to the press. If O’Malley’s proposals could be a catalyst for that movement, the least we can do is help make it happen.

EDITORIAL CARTOON

Facebook: ‘Friend’ or foe?

How to stop unhealthy social media usage and find online freedom MATT RICE As I write this, I am very tempted to click over to my browser and, from muscle memory, hit the Facebook icon in my bookmarks to see if someone liked my clever post, messaged me or posted a funny picture within the five minutes since my last visit. I suspect I’m not the only one who is easily distracted by Facebook, the ultimate procrastinating tool.

Yet checking Facebook too much may do more than waste time. A recent German study linked Facebook usage with increased loneliness and envy, which makes sense. People typically post the awesome parts of their lives on Facebook — hanging out with friends, going on vacation, receiving awards, etc. I’m sure most people would rather be doing these things than checking Facebook, so when we see them from our friends on our newsfeed, we feel inferior.

As humans, we need community to be happy, and Facebook appears to fulfill that need. Yet, if we use Facebook as our social interaction fix, we can quickly find ourselves obsessing over how many people “liked” our picture or how many “friends” we have.

Facebook is an excellent tool for communication, but it is just that: a tool. It’s not a source of happiness — that is more elusive. Many of history’s greatest (pre-Facebook) minds have considered the best way to pursue happiness — something we don’t always consciously think about. One of my favorites, Aristotle, thought that, in order to “live well,” we must become virtuous.

We often associate freedom with happiness: If I could do whatever I want, whenever I want, without anyone trying to stop me, I would

be happy. Our idea of freedom is life without restraints. Yet Aristotle says virtue, which dictates our actions, leads to happiness. So which is right?

In the course of writing this column I have interrupted my train of thought by checking Facebook at least three or four times. I know this hinders my goals of making this column interesting and useful, yet for some reason I did it anyway. Anyone who has a computer with Internet is “free” to check Facebook, but does this lead to real freedom? Obviously not in my case.

When I can’t stop myself from checking Facebook every few moments, even when it is detrimental to my goals, I am not free — I am hindered by myself.

Virtue makes us internally free to do what we know is right and do it with ease. Virtuous people are not plagued with temptations to check Facebook constantly; they desire to check it when and only when it is prudent. They do not even need to lock themselves out of Facebook in order to stop wasting time because they instinctively enjoy Facebook and other pleasures only as much as they are beneficial.

Though it is not virtue, forcing ourselves to give up Facebook completely is the first step. In the midst of my high school senioritis, I became obsessed with a video game, playing and talking about it constantly. When I realized it was hurting my grades, I gave it up cold turkey, and within a couple of weeks I didn’t even want to play it anymore. If you can’t stop yourself from overusing Facebook or anything else, I encourage you to join me in giving it up. That is what is necessary to break habitual overuse and begin to form new habits of prudence and temperance. These new habits and virtues will give us true freedom, and thereby lead to happiness.

Matt Rice is a sophomore engineering and materials sciences major. He can be reached at matthew.rice.d@gmail.com.

GUEST COLUMN

Upper-class atheism

F

ben stryker/the diamondback

Dismantling the death penalty This state needs to move with deliberate speed and due diligence to abolish the death penalty JOSHUA DOWLING The Washington Post reported earlier this week that two more state senators have signaled their support for Gov. Martin O’Malley’s bill to abolish this state’s death penalty. With their votes, supporters of repeal tentatively have 25 votes in a body where 24 votes are needed to pass legislation. Should the axiom that the House of Delegates is a more liberal body hold true, the death penalty will be abolished by the end of this legislative session. And that is a very good thing.

Truth be told, however, this state’s death penalty has been effectively repealed since before O’Malley took office in 2007. Owing to a 2006 Court of Appeals ruling that deemed the procedures behind this state’s death penalty inadequate, executions have been halted until O’Malley issues new regulations governing death penalty usage. While this has meant no one has been executed in the state since 2005, the next governor could issue a set of regulations that would allow the death

penalty to resume. This makes a legislative repeal of the death penalty so much more important.

It would put the issue to rest for the foreseeable future and allow a measure of certainty for judges, prosecutors, prisoners and victims and their families.

While it is fairly certain a legislative repeal is now possible — the votes have been lined up in the Senate — state residents should still contact their senators and delegates to ask them to support abolishing the archaic death penalty, as the House of Delegates could still pull the rug out from beneath the repeal effort at any moment.

Other governors, such as Parris Glendening and John Kitzhaber, cognizant of the difficulties of legislative repeal, have used executive orders to suspend the death penalty in this state and Oregon, respectively. While our state may have a de facto moratorium at the moment, O’Malley should issue an executive order suspending the death penalty to prove his commitment to ending this statesponsored injustice. But even that probably won’t go far enough. An executive order is just as susceptible to change as is the current regulatory injunction against the death penalty. If O’Malley and like-

minded governors truly wanted to help end the death penalty in their states, they would commute the sentences of those on death row from execution to life in prison.

While opponents might claim this amounts to amnesty for those on death row, it would be the only truly effective way O’Malley could ensure those persons are not executed under a different administration.

Even though there are only five people on death row in this state, their lives should not be subject to the whims of whichever governor happens to be in office. The people of this state should act expeditiously to ensure the legislature repeals the death penalty. If that proves too tall an order, the governor ought to commute the sentences of those on death row.

Either of these avenues would put this state among the ranks of the others which have realized the death penalty is cruel and unusual and has no place in civilized society. Virginia, perhaps, but not Maryland.

Joshua Dowling is a senior government and politics and history major. He can be reached at dowlingj@terpmail.umd.edu.

AIR YOUR VIEWS Address your letters or guest columns to Maria Romas and Nadav Karasov at opinionumdbk@gmail.com. All submissions must be signed. Include your full name, year, major and phone number. Please limit letters to 300 words and guest columns to between 500 and 600 words. Submission of a letter or guest column constitutes an exclusive, worldwide, transferable license to The Diamondback of the copyright of the material in any media. The Diamondback retains the right to edit submissions for content and length.

riedrich Nietzsche proclaimed the ruin of organized religion long ago, but the institution remains a prevailing standard, despite the skepticism that should come along with recently increased access to information. One of the central premises of faith is viewing life’s metaphysical questions through a nonscrutinizing lens.

How can these divisive institutions find unsuspicious, devoted followers and even thrive in the information age?

In an attempt to contribute to this question, I ask: What practical purpose does religion serve?

To answer this, we need to philosophize and imagine a hypothetical place where civilization exists, but religion does not. In this time period, people have no answers to the basic questions of their existence. Why are we here? Where do we go when we die? Why is there sadness, pain and injustice? If you take all possible ideologies into account, these questions are not objectively answerable.

However, they do play with the entire range of human emotions, causing some of the most powerful suffering and grief in the human experience. The deepest human despair, logic and reason — which might otherwise act as the seeds of atheism — are blotted out by the pain of reality. Now, when I say “atheism,” I mean any doctrine of disbelief that addresses metaphysical questions, such as atheism itself, agnosticism, free thought or irreligion.

So during such times, answers to the big metaphysical questions are critical to maintain sanity. In a crisis, religion acts to soothe the sufferer, perhaps promising a paradise after death where we meet our benevolent creator, who will explain all the inexplicable intangibles we encounter on Earth. There is a reason why even the most nonreligious sometimes turn to God on their deathbed.

One place that atheism does

seem to take root is at universities.

I admit I’m basing this only on anecdotal evidence, but in my limited experience, atheism is more tolerated and widespread at colleges than most other places.

Now, it would be easy to say, “here we are more educated” and leave it at that, but that’s just the sort of patronizing, intolerant atheism we see from the likes of Richard Dawkins — whether it’s true or not, that exposure to more ideas breeds nonbelief.

The real reason for atheism on campuses has more to do with the economics of higher education. It’s not far-fetched to suppose people who go to college have wealthier families than people who do not. More money allows us to live in places with less crime, purchase better health care, live longer and perhaps experience less hardship. There may be individuals in college who have faced adversity, but on the whole, we have led privileged lives free of death, misery and crime.

Ultimately, since college students confront less adversity, they do not need the consolation of religion as much as the rest of the world does. It’s no coincidence that atheists are the most affluent religious demographic.

However, this privilege by no means grants atheists the right to downplay the validity of other people’s ideologies. Many atheists today criticize the historical intolerance and hypocrisy of religious sects while simultaneously sneering at believers for being “foolish” and “uneducated.”

It amounts to the same kind of conceited religious condescension that long ago served to rationalize slavery and colonialism.

This is not to say that working toward an end to violence and death is an unworthy goal — quite the contrary. Regardless, aggressively ridiculing others because of a characteristic largely imposed by factors beyond their control is no way to foster understanding and compassion.

Brian McGough is a senior government and politics major. He can be reached at bpmcgough@gmail.com.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013 | THE DIAMONDBACK

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Features ACROSS 1 Greathearted 6 Hornless cattle 11 Bleach bottle 14 Chirp 15 Moor 16 Volcanic dust 17 Living fence 18 Pillow filler 19 Electrical unit 20 Bona fide 22 Clinging vines 24 Kind of glass 28 Band shell offering 30 Gather together 31 Not apathetic 32 Ryan or Tatum 33 Surfeits 36 Bronze component 37 Typewriter type 38 Improvise 40 Jennifer of tennis 43 Cite 45 Brings home the bacon 46 Hot fudge -47 Found out 50 “Lost Ark” seekers?

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Paris papa Comb through More peaceful Sturm -- Drang Merry’s opposite Camel relative

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orn today, you are widely acknowledged to be one of the most passionate individuals born under your sign. What is most important for you to cultivate as you age and evolve is the ability to balance the forces that drive you so that you are not battered this way and that against your own will and desires. Let circumstances rule, and you may simply be a portrait of personal disappointment and even disaster.

Step up and do what you can to maintain your autonomy; practice careful self-control. If you do what you can to shape your own destiny you can, instead, be a portrait of personal satisfaction and success.

You are a friendly, although not altogether social individual; you treat others with respect and courtesy, and have a knack for bringing them “out of themselves,” but you are not compelled to socialize -- especially when large numbers are involved. You prefer one-on-one interaction over group dynamics.

Also born on this date are: Gary Coleman, actor; John Grisham, author; Robert Klein, actor and comedian; Nick Nolte, actor; Ted Koppel, journalist; John Williams, composer and conductor; James Dean, actor; Jack Lemmon, actor; Audrey Meadows, actress; Lana Turner, actress; Jules Verne, author; William Tecumseh Sherman, U.S. military commander.

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.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9 AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -What you know to be right in front of you today may not be all that apparent at first glance. You must do a little careful investigation.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -You’ll receive a promise of sorts that has you thinking that something is “in the bag,” when in fact, nothing is really that certain.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- It’s time for you to render service to one who has been there for you through thick and thin. You are willing to do what you can.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- It’s a good day to dispense information that is yours alone so that others can benefit from it as well. Don’t try to put any spin on it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- You may be looking forward to something that is only a vague idea right now -- but if you put the pieces into place it can surely come to pass.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- You may not feel comfortable allying yourself with the team at this time -- but use care when the time comes to say so.

t LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- You’ll be surprised by the actions of another today. Give yourself more time to become acclimated to new circumstances.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -Today, the most concise instructions are best -- whether you are giving them or receiving them. Don’t overcomplicate matters.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- You can calm those who are feeling rather panicky about what is going on around them today. Focus on what can be controlled.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -You may find it beneficial to look in an entirely different direction today for what you truly need. A new environment may well be the key.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- You’ll receive important information both the old-fashioned way, and the new way -- and both methods are only partially reliable.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- You are eager to do what you can to secure your position among those who are recognized for their expertise.

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THE DIAMONDBACK | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

Diversions

ON THE BLOG

COMMUNITY COMES BACK

After four months of shake-ups (and more importantly, no episodes!), Community returned last night with its fourth season.

Read senior staff writer Warren Zhang’s recap and catch up on other shows, such as Girls, at diamondbackonline.com.

REVIEW | IDENTITY THIEF

stealing all his thunder Melissa McCarthy’s emotional depth shines in a film that otherwise brings a lot of fluff and not enough humor

By Zachary Berman Senior staff writer Ja s o n B a te m a n ( D i s c o n n e c t) never laughs, and at this point, his u n fettered g rimace in the wa ke of even the f u n n iest situations has made him one of Hollywood’s go-to funnymen.

But even the best straight man is only as good as the comedy he refuses to react to, and in the case of imbalanced road trip film Identity Thief, Bateman probably isn’t laughing because there isn’t much to laugh at.

The real problem with Identity Thief is it simply can’t decide what kind of film it wants to be, rushing from comedy to action set piece to heavyhanded drama with wild abandon.

T he story involves Sandy Bigelow Patterson (Batema n), a financial number cruncher who has his identity stolen by lonely criminal Diana, played wonderfully by Melissa McCarthy (This Is 40), the sh i n i ng center of a n otherwise droll film.

W hen Sandy realizes the cops aren’t going to help him put his life back together, he concocts a preposterous plan to fly to Florida and convince Diana to come back with him to Colorado in the one

week h is boss has g iven h i m to clean up his act.

A pair of drug dealers — played horrendously by Genesis Rodriguez (The Last Stand) and T.I. (Takers) — and a bounty hunter (Robert Patrick, Lovelace) pursue the pair at length, and the movie fizzles out from there.

In many ways the spiritual successor to director Seth Gordon’s last film, Horrible Bosses, Identity Thief manages to diffuse the different elements of its comedic revenge by way of road trip mash-up into even more absurdly unsatisfying proportions.

The comedy rarely arouses more than a chuckle; the numerous car chases are tedious; and the characters’ serious emotional problems are handled as soap-opera farce.

By not settling on one aspect of the film and honing that into something substantial, every layer of Identity Thief is underdeveloped.

Worst of all is the film’s insistence on creating a subplot about the drug dealers and bounty hunter chasing after Sandy and Diana. None of the antagonists accomplishes much of anything throughout the entire film, acting more as distracting tangential filler than anything else.

Despite the incessant failures,

although jason bateman is known for his deadpan stare in the face of humor, he doesn’t have much to laugh at anyway in Identity Thief. Similarly, T.I. and Genesis Rodriguez, who play the drug dealers trying to track down Bateman and McCarthy, also provide nothing more than a pointless distraction. photo courtesy of collider.com h o w e v e r, M c C a r t h y ’s p e r fo rmance in this film is absolutely astounding. Whereas Bateman slips into his comfort zone and plays d e adpa n for ne a rly t wo hou rs, McCarthy brings a great deal of depth to Diana by refusing to stick to the wild physical comedy she’s known for.

REVIEW | SIDE EFFECTS

EXISTENTIAL CRISIS Side Effects offers a flawed and twisty but ultimately captivating narrative

By Warren Zhang Senior staff writer You’d be forgiven if you walked out of Side Effects after its first hour. Director Steven Soderbergh’s (Magic Mike) latest theatrical release starts out as a deliberate, low-burn psychodrama.

Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) begins taking antidepressants and seeing psychiatrist Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law, Anna Karenina) after her husband (Channing Tatum, Magic Mike) leaves jail. Emily’s depression is, for a while, seemingly treated until an unexpected catastrophe th rows her’s a nd her husba nd’s

lives into ruin, sullying Jonathan’s sufficient context to be much more than a passable portrait of depression name in the process.

Up until that catastrophe, Side and modern medicine.

But suddenly, after that aforeEffects plays it very low key. While we mentioned plot twist, the narracome to mostly understand Mara tive kicks into overdrive. and Law’s characters, A series of cascad i ng t here’s somet h i ng surprises, revelations persistently aloof and breakdowns not and distant about only moves the film the couple. Unsignificantly away fortunately, this from what the trailemotional disers and marketing tance makes it materia l suggest, difficult to invest but also pulls comin Mara’s plight. plete reversals on most A n d so, t h e f i rs t of the leading characters. hour of the film moves What emerges from the a bit too slowly, without photo courtesy of shockya.com

For instance, every time we see Diana shopping at the mall, we see her recognize that customers and clerks are laughing at her weight and lack of style. The emotion McCarthy conveys with her face is truly upsetting and only serves to emphasize her need to steal other people’s identities for herself.

While it’s great to see an actress throwing all of her energy into a role, it doesn’t save Identity Thief from being anything other than another passable rainy-day rental — it might make you smile, but you won’t laugh.

mess is a film that becomes increasingly at odds with itself — the movie form of an existential crisis.

Side Effects is certainly not a condemnation of big pharmaceuticals or doctors; if anything, the movie ends up criticizing our reaction to medicinal controversies. It also ends up not being much of a character study, eschewing the delicately wrought observations of the first half for a vague revenge thriller.

The final product winds up unsatisfying mostly because Side Effects spends so much time subverting and then counter-subverting expectations. The film bears evidence of considerable, shrewd craft — the aloofness in the first half of the movie turns out to be very intentional — but the way Soderbergh and writer Scott Z. Burns (Contagion) present the series of toppling dominoes exhausts more than it enthralls.

To the movie’s credit, however, the second half is nothing less than captivating. Even when you’re not quite sure if you understand what’s

goi ng on, the mov ie ma kes you feel that something important is happening and gently nudges you toward the right path.

Soderbergh, acting as his own cinematographer and editor, const r ucts i m a ges w it h g race a nd finesse, subtly suggesting various mental states while keeping the second half of the movie moving at a rapid clip.

The cast also manages impressive performances. Mara, in particular, is incredibly frightening in the lead role, while Law strikes a crucial balance between outright emotional exhaustion and sociopathic creepiness.

That tension between Law’s weariness and his insatiable need to clear his name is what powers the last third of the movie. Though Side Effects ends on more of a whimper than a bang, the journey there is at least compelling and interesting enough to warrant the price of admission.

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013 | THE DIAMONDBACK

7

STATLINE Terps men’s basketball forward Dez Wells’ performance in a 60-55 win at Virginia Tech

8

9

5

Points

Rebounds

Assists

Sports

STRUGGLE IN THE MIDDLE

The Terrapins wrestling team looks to overcome its middleweight struggles this weekend. For more, visit diamondbackonline.com.

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FRIDAY, February 8, 2013

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Tenacious defense

GYMNASTICS

Kathy Tang out with ankle injury Terps to host N.C. State, New Hampshire, Towson tonight without talented freshman

By Joshua Needelman Staff writer

Coach Brenda Frese has her Terps playing stifling defense this season. They rank No. 1 in the ACC and No. 8 in the nation in opponent shooting percentage. file photo/the diamondback

Wake Forest hosts No. 7 Terps, ACC’s top-ranked defensive unit, tonight

By Daniel Gallen Senior staff writer A typical Terrapins women’s basketball team defensive possession this season has followed the same distinct pattern.

Forward Alyssa Thomas greets the point guard just outside the threepoint line, forcing a pass. Forward Tianna Hawkins and center Alicia DeVaughn refuse any feed into the post, and guards Katie Rutan and Chloe Pavlech force contested outside shots.

Soon, Thomas or Hawkins scoops up a rebound, and the Terps are off in the opposite direction.

It’s been the usual result for opposing offenses’ possessions this season, and it looks to continue tonight when the No. 7 Terps travel to Winston-Salem, N.C., for an ACC tilt at Wake Forest.

“This group, in general, is a really competitive group,” coach Brenda Frese said. “The personality is very competitive, so they take ownership that they don’t want people to score on them.”

The Terps rank as one of the top defensive teams in not only the ACC, but the country. Opponents are shooting 33 percent from the field against the Terps, a mark that ranks No. 1 in the ACC and No. 8 nationally. The Terps also allow

52.8 points per game, good for second in the conference and 20th in the nation.

The numbers may stand out on a national level, but they stand out for the program, too. No Terps squad has posted these defensive numbers during Frese’s 11 years in College Park. The field goal percentage mark is more than 2 percent less than the next lowest mark. The Terps are allowing nearly six fewer points per game than they have in any of Frese’s previous seasons.

In the past four years, the Terps have allowed opponents to shoot at least 40 percent from the field an average of 11.25 games per season. This year, that’s happened just three times. Twentyone games into the season, the Terps have held opponents under 30 percent shooting nine times, which ties the most in a single season since 2009.

“We’re really locked in and knowing the players that we’re playing against,” Thomas said. “We want to be better defensive players, so we’re just locking in.”

The changes in the Terps’ defense started last summer when the program added Katie Fowler as its basketball performance assistant director, Frese said. Joining basketball performance director Kyle Tarp, Fowler implemented an extensive conditioning program for the players to complete.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE | SEASON PREVIEW

This season, that work has paid off.

“You got to be able to stay in a stance, and you’ve got to be able to run up and down in transition defense,” Frese said. “I feel like that conditioning base for us has obviously allowed us to be successful with limited numbers, as well as defensively because we’re not playing a lot of numbers.”

Their defensive performance this season under Frese is no small feat, either. In the past 11 years, the Terps have won a national championship, been to the Elite Eight three other times and notched 30 wins in a season four times.

With a typical defensive performance tonight against the Demon Deacons (10-12, 3-7 ACC) and a few more this year, the Terps (18-3, 9-1) could be adding to that resume.

“It’s something the coaches just stressed with us this year,” Thomas said. “Defense leads to offense, and if we can get stops, we’re out on transition, which is our specialty.”

TERPS NOTE: Guard Sequoia Austin suffered a concussion in Sunday’s win over Boston College and was listed as day-to-day. As of yesterday afternoon, there was no update on her status for tonight’s game. sportsdbk@gmail.com

When freshman Kathy Tang collapsed to the floor, desperately grabbing her left ankle Saturday at North Carolina, the entire Terrapins gymnastics team fell silent. Everyone but her sister, junior Karen Tang.

“I cried,” Karen said. “It hurt me to know that she was hurting.”

The junior knew exactly how her sister felt. Karen was forced to redshirt her freshman season after injuring her knee for the second time in two years.

Kathy will have to deal with something similar. Coach Brett Nelligan said she’ll likely miss the rest of the regular season with that ankle injury, and said she is scheduled to undergo a few more MRIs after the swelling reduces before a final diagnosis is given.

Karen, on the other hand, is almost ready to resume her role as an allarounder and will replace her sister on beam tonight when the Terps host N.C. State, New Hampshire and Towson in Comcast Center.

And regardless of Kathy’s status, Karen believes the Terps can survive.

“We are still going to win the conference,” Karen said. “We’ll do it for Kathy because she gave us the confidence to be great.”

Karen alone can’t replace her sister, though. The Terps will also turn to freshmen Alex Zimmerman — who will perform on vault and floor — and Bailey Philbin — who will compete on bars — to make up for Kathy’s absence.

“They are both very excited for the opportunity,” Nelligan said. “They both did a phenomenal job in practice this week.”

With their highest all-around scorer out, Nelligan’s conferenceleading squad will look to its veterans to anchor the team. Junior Katy Dodds, reigning East Atlantic Gymnastics League Specialist of the Week, will play a crucial role for the team moving forward.

So will Stephanie Giameo. The sophomore ranks third nationally on the beam and is coming off a meethigh 9.850 last week.

“We are just going to show off our routines,” Giameo said. “We all have to do our jobs.”

Still, Tang’s injury cuts short one of the most exciting seasons a Terps rookie has delivered in recent seasons. The freshman took home three EAGL weekly honors — including Co-Gymnast of the Week — and her 39.200 all-around score ranks second in the EAGL. But even without her, the Terps maintain they will not go down lightly.

“We didn’t get to where we are for no reason,” senior captain Kesley Cofsky said. “Everyone has to step up.”

The Terps will be debuting their brand-new Maryland Pride leotards tonight. The timing seems fitting for a team eager to prove they will not let Tang’s injury slow them down.

“This team is tough,” Nelligan said.

“They can handle anything.” sportsdbk@gmail.com

The Terrapins gymnastics team could be forced to compete without Kathy Tang for the rest of the regular season. The freshman injured her left ankle in Saturday’s loss at North Carolina. file photo/the diamondback

Finishing what they started Terps seniors hope to claim second career national title

By Joshua Needelman Staff writer

Midfielder Katie Schwarzmann and her senior teammates are looking to close out their Terps careers with their second national title. Schwarzmann won the Tewaaraton Award in her 72-goal campaign last season. charlie deboyace/the diamondback

As the Northwestern Wildcats celebrated their eighth consecutive National Championship bid at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium in May, the Terrapins women’s lacrosse team locker room was harboring the opposite emotions right across the hall.

Coach Cathy Reese’s squad was dealing with the harsh reality of the night’s preceding events: For the second year in a row, the Terps had fallen to the Wildcats in the final four.

Though 2011’s defeat took place in the National Championship game, this year’s defeat stung just as harshly.

“It was really quiet in the locker room,” midfielder Katie Schwarzmann said. “We wanted to win the big one, but at the end of the day we came up just short.”

Schwarzmann — the 2012 Tewaaraton Award winner for the best player in women’s lacrosse — is determined to make sure her team gets over the hump this season, and that journey starts in their season opener Sunday at Richmond.

“We don’t want any regrets this year,” Schwarzmann said. “We want

to reach our ultimate goal.”

Schwarzmann, along with fellow captains attacker Alex Aust and defender Melissa Diepold, hopes to instill a sense of accountability in this year’s Terps. After coming up short two years in a row, the trio wants to ensure their teammates offer the same attention to detail and focus that they do.

It will start on the offensive end, an area on the field where the team ranked No. 1 in the ACC last season.

The unit will have to deal with the loss of attacker Karri Ellen Johnson, but Schwarzmann and Aust, a senior — who combined for 116 goals and 74 assists last season — should provide more than enough to replicate Johnson’s production.

“We all have the mentality that we have some unfinished business,” Aust said after the Terps’ 19-8 exhibition drubbing of the Japanese national team on Feb. 1.

The Terps also have some holes to fill on defense. While they return Diepold and All-American defender Iliana Sanza, they’ll have to replace graduated goalkeeper Brittany Dipper in the cage, a task that will fall on either senior Kasey Howard or redshirt sophomore Abbey Clipp.

“We are going to work together,” Sanza said. “We will do what our coaches ask and be there for each other.”

The addition of another talented recruiting class should help them do that. Defender Alice Mercer, midfielder Taylor Cummings and attacker Halle Majorana will all look to make their impact on the veteran-laden Terps squad, and Reese hopes the mix will prove to be a winning formula.

“We have a great history of playing a number of freshmen and having them step up,” Reese said. “We expect no different with this class.”

Just three seasons ago, a Terps team packed with noteworthy freshmen Schwarzmann, Aust, Sanza and Diepold rode a dominating 22-1 record to a National Championship victory over Northwestern.

After consecutive losses on the game’s final weekend in the past two seasons, the now-senior crew would love nothing more than to go out just the way they came in.

“We are ready to go,” Diepold said. “We’ve got to beat the best to be the best.” sportsdbk@gmail.com