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WHAT MATTERS MOSLEY A TIME FOR THE AGES Freshman guard’s contributions go well beyond the box score

M. Ward’s latest doesn’t match that of Post-War, but it’s still a solid release

SPORTS | PAGE 10

DIVERSIONS | PAGE 8

THE DIAMONDBACK TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009

Council to request few additions to city budget

99TH YEAR | ISSUE NO. 90

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Stimulus to provide state $3.8B Universities nationwide could receive as much as $75B from package

BY MARISSA LANG Senior staff writer

After weeks of Congressional debate, President Barack Obama is set to sign a $787 billion economic stimulus package that could include up to $75 billion for the nation’s students and universities, lawmakers said.

Economic downturn largely responsible for fewer big-ticket items

The bill, intended to jump-start the nation’s lagging economy, includes only half of the original $150 billion in new federal higher education funding proposed in a bill initially approved by the House of Representatives, the compromise legislation still stands to provide a major “jolt” to the nation’s higher education system, officials said.

Under the federal package, the state was allocated $3.8 billion, $1.1 billion of which is required to be put toward state public schools and universities.

“We were very encouraged by this,” said Rae Grad, the university’s federal lobbyist. “There are a lot of possibilities for how the state can put this money to good use.”

But the eliminated $75 billion did contain several provisions university officials were hoping for. For instance, the measure does not include a specific allocation for campus construction that the House had passed initially, or money for the Perkins Loan

Please See STIMULUS, Page 3

An obscured

VIEW

BY BRADY HOLT Senior staff writer

College Park City Council members are asking for only small additions to the city’s budget as they face both uncertain economic times and a city election year.

Most council members submitted their annual “wish list” requests for funding to be considered in the upcoming 2010 fiscal year Friday without many big-ticket requests. The one exception was from longtime District 2 Councilman Bob Catlin, who asked for $30,000 in homeowner tax credits.

Catlin said council members will likely scrutinize every line of the budget this year, both because of the economic downturn and because the council found itself debating $500,000 of police spending at the last minute last year.

“I don’t want to put too much on the list,”

Noisy construction, impaired views leave residents upset about costly rental rates

BY DANA CETRONE For The Diamondback

W

hen David Pennington goes to shower in the morning, the junior communication major is no longer surprised that the floor beneath him is constantly shaking. It’s not an earthquake that makes the floors in his University View apartment vibrate; it’s the noise of the construction taking place just outside the building.

Pennington, a member of Navy ROTC, is constantly disturbed by the construction on University View Overlook, right in front of the View.

“I leave at 6 a.m. for ROTC, and when I come back, I can’t even take a nap because the construction is so loud,” Pennington said.

Please See BUDGET, Page 3

Junior English and history major Byron RomJensen buys a book from the University Book Center. VINCE SALAMONE/THE DIAMONDBACK

Professors take aim at high book expenses Actions intended to fix fact textbooks are chosen, bought by different groups

BY MARISSA LANG Senior staff writer

When it comes to the high costs of textbooks, most students think professors just don’t understand.

But some professors at the university are doing what they can to keep the rising costs of textbooks from overwhelming students by employing creative measures to keep prices low. The methods range from the mundane — posting ISBN numbers early — to the relatively radical, such as using free online books and journals in place of course texts.

The moves by professors are an attempt to fix a fundamental problem of the textbook market — the people who buy the books (students)

Please See TEXTBOOKS, Page 2

TOMORROW’S WEATHER:

ILLUSTRATION BY HEATHER MCCARTHY/FOR THE DIAMONDBACK

Please See VIEW, Page 3

Construction on a new apartment building is on-going outside of the University View along Route 1. MATTHEW CREGER/THE DIAMONDBACK

Going for the green in eco-competitions Campus performing well compared to ACC schools in annual RecycleMania event

BY RICH ABDILL Staff writer

In the world of environmental competitions, green isn’t the color of jealousy — it’s the color of victory.

The university is seeing success in two nationwide contests: RecycleMania, which measures campus waste and recycling by the pound, and America’s Greenest Campus, which decides one of its prizes based on how many stu-

dents register at its educational website. Though only RecycleMania reflects measurable environmental success, campus environmental experts are optimistic about the benefits of both.

The university has settled in the

top three in all categories of the RecycleMania contest among Atlantic Coast Conference schools. The nationwide competition, which ends in late March,

Please See RECYCLE, Page 3

More than the average five-day forecast University professor looks to predict climate’s impact on the Chesapeake Bay

BY TIRZA AUSTIN Staff writer

If you think the daily weatherman has a tough job, try predicting the weather decades into the future.

That’s exactly what Raghu Murtugudde, a professor in the atmospheric and oceanic science department, is trying to do with the Chesapeake Bay Forecast Project — a sys-

Rain/30s

INDEX

tem that will predict future changes to the physical environment in the Chesapeake Bay region.

The ultimate goal is to make it easier to predict health patterns, changes in the physical environment and the effects of agriculture and water levels within the Chesapeake Bay area. The hope is that by

Please See CLIMATE, Page 3

NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 OPINION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Raghu Murtugudde, a UMD professor and the executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Forecast Project, explains how pollutants from the area get into the bay. JAMES B. HALE/THE DIAMONDBACK

CLASSIFIED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 FEATURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

DIVERSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . .8 SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

www.diamondbackonline.com

2

THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009

TODAY

WE WANT YOU Story ideas? News tips?

E-mail them to The Diamondback at newsdesk.dbk@gmail.com

@M

ARYLAND

OVERHEARD

NEWSMAKERS BRIEFS Gov. asks faith leaders to help end death penalty ANNAPOLIS – Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) said Monday his effort to get the votes to repeal capital punishment in Maryland “is not done,” and he asked the religious community to help by petitioning lawmakers facing a difficult decision.

“I need your help, I really and truly do on this death penalty legislation,” O’Malley told about 300 people attending the African Methodist Episcopal Church Legislative Day. “It is not done.”

The governor also urged repeal supporters not to take any votes for granted on the issue.

“I need your help writing letters. I need your help persuading. I need your help even talking to delegates and senators that you may think are probably already with us,” O’Malley said. “You never really know.”

O’Malley is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Wednesday, where his bill to replace capital punishment with life in prison without possibility of parole is scheduled to have a hearing.

— Compiled from wire reports

CUBA, AFRICA, REVOLUTION!

JEAN DRYDEN, "COPYRIGHT IN THE REAL WORLD"

A panel discussion immediately follows the film, featuring members from the Cuban Interest Section, activists and experts on Cuba and the Liberation Struggle in Southern Africa, 7 p.m., Nyumburu Center: Multipurpose Room

Q+A

Dryden will discuss her theory on copyright practices, 12:30 p.m., McKeldin Library: B0135

BEST of the BLOGS

SCENE + HEARD

‘Eating disorders don’t discriminate’ Anorexia survivor and male athlete hopes to dispel social stigma, educate others

BY ANNA KOWALCZYK Staff writer

Almost a year ago, Patrick Bergstrom was told he only had twelve months to live — unless he swallowed his pride and sought help.

“In March, it’ll have been one year,” Bergstrom said. “And I am not dead.”

Bergstrom, a 25-year-old Maryland native and former Division III lacrosse player at Wesley College, was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa in 2007.

Last night, Bergstrom talked about his fight to survive to an intimate group of about 10 students and faculty members at the Center for Health and Wellbeing’s “I Choose to Live” presentation.

After 30 days of in-patient treatment and months of therapy, Bergstrom chose to tell his story — both through in-person presentations and on his website, www.ichosetolive.com — in hopes of helping others understand that “eating disorders don’t discriminate.”

“If I reach only one person in a group of five or 500, I’ve made a difference,” he said. “I want to bring hope and inspiration to others.”

Tracy Zeeger, the coordinator

Professors refuse to ‘give up’ on textbooks TEXTBOOKS, from Page 1

ing up the opportunity for students to sell the book to other aren’t the same as the ones who students who enroll in the class choose which books will be pur- next semester.

Stairs said students often chased (professors).

This means professors have less think professors and adminismotivation to keep textbook trators are ignorant to the growing strain books can place on costs down.

“This is not rocket science,” students’ wallets, a sentiment, he said, that isn’t history professor always too far off Sonya Michel said. from the truth.

“The price of books “Students feel that has gone up.” way because it’s Michel, who has probably true,” been teaching at this Stairs said. “I think it university for 37 would be dandy to years, has seen the have a faculty forum cost of textbooks rise where we could all over time. One report come together and has indicated the discuss ways to take price of textbooks has SONYA student costs into increased 40 percent MICHEL greater consideraover the past five HISTORY PROFESSOR tion.” years, rising to about Michel, who said $900 per undergraduate student per year. The result, she occasionally shares her new Michel said, is more and more ideas on how to save students students are not purchasing money on textbooks at department meetings, echoed Stairs’ textbooks.

At the beginning of the enthusiasm for a faculty forum.

But professors say, regardsemester, Michel sent out an extensive e-mail to all of her less of how high book prices students outlining four alterna- continue to climb, neither stutives to buying books that could dents nor professors should save students money, but she consider “giving up” on books said she comes up with more but rather look to the examples of cost-conscious professors every day.

“I feel obligated to try to help and take small steps to save stumy students,” Michel said. “If dents some money. A recently you don’t [give them alterna- adopted University System of tives], they won’t buy the books, Maryland policy on textbooks and they won’t do the reading. asks professors to take similar And they’re already doing so steps, including using textbook much — paying for school, rentals, electronic editions and going to class — to not do the online content to reduce the cost of textbooks. reading.”

Allen Stairs, a philosophy professor who has authored a langdbk@gmail.com textbook himself, said he uses the library’s reserve system and available online journals — a system both professors hail as an underused resource.

“We have a great library here with plenty [of] books,” Michel said. “But I’ve literally taught seniors who have no idea where Males and females. the libraries on campus are.”

Meet new friends! Travel!

Stairs said he also puts Teach your favorite activity. together a book for his classes Tennis Swim for “significantly less than what Canoe Sail [his students] would pay if they Waterski Kayak got one from a bookstore.”

Gymnastics Archery He said creating a textbook is Silver Jewelry Rocks relatively easy and allows it to English Riding Ropes be produced on an on-demand Copper Enameling Art basis, which he said publishers Basketball Pottery could do to lower costs.

Field Hockey Office “If textbooks were produced Softball Photo on-demand, the cost would be Newsletter Soccer much lower for students,” Lacrosse Dance Stairs said, though he acknowlTheater Costumer edged that changing things on June to August. Residential. the level of publishing compaEnjoy our website. nies is much more difficult than Apply online. changing the approach at the TRIPP LAKE CAMP university and in his own classFOR GIRLS: room.

1-800-997-4347 Furthermore, Stairs also uses www.tripplakecamp.com the same book every year, open-

“I feel obligated to try to help my students.”

SUMMER IN MAINE

of the Center for Health and Wellbeing, said she invited Bergstrom to speak to dispel the common misconception that men, especially athletes, cannot fall victim to eating disorders.

“It is not just a woman’s issue,” Zeeger said. “It affects men, too.”

She added that about 1 percent of males at this university suffer from anorexia, and about 1 percent suffer from bulimia.

“The majority of my life, I thought eating disorders were about models, girls trying to lose weight,” Bergstrom said, emphasizing his point by holding up two magazine covers criticizing Jessica Simpson’s recent weight gain.

“I wasn’t thinking right,” Bergstrom added of his behavior at the time. “I needed to get help, but was embarrassed to ask because of the media stigma. I thought I had an eating disorder, but when I told people, they laughed at me. Boys don’t have eating disorders.”

Later, when Bergstrom built up the courage to go to a therapist with his problem, he was diagnosed with depression and binge drinking, rather than the deeper and more pressing issue of anorexia.

Despite his continuous struggle to maintain a normal life with

the disease, Bergstrom played club lacrosse at the University of Tennessee and Division III lacrosse for three years at Wesley College. He spent much of his free time at the gym, drinking with friends and keeping up his grades. All along, however, Bergstrom was not eating and was unhappy with his life, he said.

“I lived a secret life,” he said.

“It was a mess. ... I was slowly becoming not-myself. I didn’t eat lunch. I probably didn’t eat dinner, but I was still running three miles a day.”

During this time, Bergstrom started to display common signs of anorexia, such as pale skin, thinning hair and a constant feeling of being cold.

About one year ago, Bergstrom broke down crying in a friend’s living room and asked for help.

Recovery has not been easy for Bergstrom, but is part of the reason he said he shares his story — to make the path back to healthy behavior easier for others like him.

“There are days when I feel depressed,” he said. “I’m not ashamed of it anymore, though.

It’s a blessing to live each day.” kowalczykdbk@gmail.com

Patrick Bergstrom talks about the stereotypes that are often associated with eating disorders. VINCE SALAMONE THE DIAMONDBACK

Double dip.

You don’t have to choose – Diamondback Classified Ads appear in both print and online for one low price.* Just 35¢ per word, $3.50 minimum. Plus, if you run your ad four consecutive days, you’ll receive a fifth day FREE! All classifieds appear in both the print and online versions of The Diamondback – available at 60 distribution points around campus and at diamondbackonline.com.

To place your ad, call 301-314-8000 or come to room 3136 South Campus Dining Hall, Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Or, email advertising@dbk.umd.edu. *Sprinkles not included.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009 | NEWS | THE DIAMONDBACK

3

Catlin: City should have enough funds for tax credits BUDGET, from Page 1

Construction in front of the University View has caused inconveniences for students.

MATTHEW CREGER/THE DIAMONDBACK

Students want reduced rent VIEW, from Page 1 The construction of a 13-story residential and retail building directly in front of the current University View is meant to be the first half of a two-part expansion of the property, but the addition is causing headaches for those living there.

“It won’t be too pleasant to look out and see a new building,” Dave Kraus, a senior economics major and Pennington’s roommate, said.

The only way for students to avoid staring at the new building, called the University View Outlook, once it is finished is to rent a room on one of the top four stories of the 16-story View or on the side facing the campus and Paint Branch stream. The catch: The price of a room depends on its location relative to the parking garage and amenities or its view. So, in most cases, the higher floors cost more to rent, and so do rooms facing away from Route 1.

Currently, a seventh-floor quad with two bathrooms facing where the Outlook will soon stand costs about $775 per month. The exact same room on the 16th floor that is high enough to avoid the sight of the new building costs $845, according to the rent estimates on the View’s website. Similarly, a double on the seventh floor costs about $875, while on the 16th floor it costs $945. This adds up to an extra $840 per year for a nicer view.

The new building won’t be an eyesore, because “Route 1 is not that pretty,” Pennington said. “But they should have a rent deduction, at least while the construction is going on.”

The management of the View acknowledged there had been some complaints.

“There are complaints about the

noise of the pile driving, but most students are very understanding,” O.T. Warren, the property manager of the View, said.

Students, however, disagree.

“They should give a reduced rent,” Kraus said. “Seven days a week, I am woken up at 8 a.m. There are a lot of complaints to the front office.”

Students will get a break during midterms and finals weeks from the loudest of the noise.

“There will be no pile driving during midterms,” Warren said.

Students’ schedules have also been disrupted by the rearranged route of the Blue Shuttle-UM bus, due to the construction. Instead of picking students up right in front of the building, students have to walk out to Route 1 to catch the bus.

“I didn’t know the Blue bus changed stops, and I missed it a couple times,” junior communication major Stephanie Silverstein said. “I was running around College Park trying to catch it.”

The only amenity the Outlook will offer that the View does not is 10,000 square feet of retail space, the tenants of which are yet to be determined. There will be no new parking offered. However, the builders are working on a deal with the university to have parking available at Comcast Center, Deborah Olhmacher of Clark Enterprises, the contracting group building the Outlook, said.

The construction began in January of this year and will not end until the summer of 2010, according to Olhmacher.

“Our e-mail said [the construction] would be ending this year,” Silverstein said. newsdesk.dbk@gmail.com

District 1 Councilman Patrick Wojahn said. He asked for some minor landscaping improvements and a few trash cans for northern College Park.

Despite the broader recession and the upcoming loss of the city’s largest taxpayer, due to the closing of the Washington Post printing plant, Catlin predicts College Park’s economy will remain fairly robust and should have no trouble funding the tax credits.

“Let’s just say that the city’s financial situation in the coming year is far better than it was up to 2002,” Catlin said. “Things might be worse in the next in two years or three, but not as bad as in the 1990s.”

Catlin said the city’s recent student housing projects and other developments have kept the city coffers flush with tax dollars compared to a decade ago, but that hasn’t stopped council members from trying to cut back in the past.

Last spring, District 3 Councilman Mark Cook upset some of his colleagues by asking for 5 percent budget cuts for each city department.

pits 514 colleges against each other in categories for both total amount recycled and average amount recycled by person.

While placing as low as 93rd in per capita rankings, the university is faring very well among ACC schools, a change from past years, according to Mark Stewart, campus sustainability coordinator with the Office of Sustainability.

“Hopefully, we can keep it up until the end,” Stewart said. “In previous years we haven’t done as well in the ACC, but we’re making real progress.”

The university leads the ACC in the “waste minimization” category, with 5.93 pounds of cumulative waste recorded per person. Even then, however, overall standings put the university in 69th place in the category nationally.

Stewart is optimistic the university’s efforts will be bolstered by the revised recycling contract, allowing students and faculty to recycle all types of plastic instead of just the beverage bottles previously accepted. Education, he said, was the key.

“So long as we get the word out about it [the new recycling guidelines], that’s going to be the biggest thing that will help,” he said. Stewart added that the Office of Sustainability is planning recycling bins and an advertising campaign that will more clearly explain the new rules, which allow all plastic to be recycled, as long as it is clean and free of food.

The Student Sustainability Council plans to roll out a similar advertising campaign addressing multiple campus recycling topics by the weekend, said Davey Rogner, the environmental liason for the Student Government Association.

BOB CATLIN DISTRICT 2 CITY COUNCILMAN

“The city needs to at least symbolically reduce spending on some items,” he said last year, after the city raised taxes to pay for three contract police officers.

District 4 Councilwoman Mary Cook said she had not made requests on the wish list because she felt no single item would make a significant dent in College Park’s problems.

Criticizing some of her colleagues as “shortsighted,” Cook said she thought the city’s priorities should be to evaluate the role of its planning department and to develop and pursue a master plan.

“We don’t need any more speed bumps in this city; we need to improve the whole city,” she said.

Cook, one of three council members who had opposed the $500,000 of police spending in last year’s budget, did say she would

STIMULUS, from Page 1 program that the Senate had originally approved.

“There was a big chunk of allocations for infrastructure and new construction funds that got wittled away,” said University System of Maryland Chancellor Brit Kirwan. “We were pretty disappointed to see that happen.”

The measure also excludes a provision in the original House bill that would allow for a $2,000 increase in annual borrowing limits on unsubsidized Stafford Loans for undergraduates.

The state can still grant funding to the university or system to put toward construction, though there is not any mandates in the stimulus package that would require them to do so.

“We still hope to attain funding either from the stimulus package or other means to modernize our facilities,” Grad said. “But ultimately it will be decided by [Governor Martin O’Malley (D)].”

An O’Malley spokesman touted higher education as one of the governor’s highest priorities, citing his continuation of the tuition freeze for the fourth straight year despite an economic downturn as an example. But officials said they hope the governor will allocate funds to help the university and the university system deal with a massive backlog of construction and repair projects.

“We’re giving the governor a list of facility improvement projects and a list of other things we’d like to have funding for,” said P.J. Hogan, a lobbyist and

RECYCLEMANIA: WHERE WE STAND As of the last weekly results posting, Feb. 1 through Feb 7. All results cumulative since Jan. 18.

policy advisor for the university system. “I hope these lists turn into more than just wishes.”

The federal government first gives the allotted amount of funding to the state, where the remaining funds are apportioned based on federal mandates and the state’s own discretion of “high priority” issues.

“The governor’s priorities extend beyond the [state] budget he has already crafted — which was painfully lean,” said Shaun Adamec, O’Malley’s spokesman. O’Malley’s proposed budget was designed to close a budget gap of nearly $2 billion.

Many of the cuts, meant to win over the support of moderates and conservatives, were compromises made on controversial points.

Despite criticism from opponents of the package, who said the Federal Pell Grant Program wouldn’t stimulate the economy in the short term, the final version of the legislation includes an increase in spending on the grants, which help low-income students pay for college. The maximum Pell Grant award was increased by $500 over a two-year period, resulting in an unprecedented increase to $5,550 by 2010 — an unconventional decision as Pell Grant funding was cut during the 1980 and 1981 recessions because Congress failed to authorize enough money for student financial aid.

The legislation also grants an additional $200 million to the College WorkStudy Program and increases the higher education tax credit to a maximum of $2,500, thereby increasing its availability to nearly 4 million low-income

Per Capita Classic Measures amount recycled per person.

University rating: 1.74 lbs/person ACC Rank: 3rd, behind Boston College at 3.19 lbs/person Stewart also said that just separating trash could help significantly boost numbers.

“Students can really help out by recycling in the [residence] halls,” Stewart said. “It’s really important, and not just for the competition — just separating your paper and plastic from the rest of your trash makes a big difference.”

Much of the recycling burden falls on faculty, staff and administrators because 90 percent of office waste is recyclable, Stewart added.

The university is faring markedly better in the America’s Greenest Campus effort, which offers $5,000 to the school that has the most participants — including students, alumni, faculty and staff — register on its website, along with other prizes for a video contest and the best results in an interactive carbon emissions reduction quiz.

With 529 registrations as of Monday night, the university is currently in

holtdbk@gmail.com

Waste Minimization Measures total recyclables and trash per person University rating: 5.93 lbs/person ACC Rank: 1st, ahead of secondplace UNC-Chapel Hill

Gorilla Prize Measures total materials recycled.

University rating: 68,770 lbs.

ACC Rank: 2nd behind University of Virginia at 70,660 lbs. first place, with George Mason (487) in second and Stanford (115) in third.

Rogner said any prize money awarded to the university would go to the SGA for sustainability projects. He also said the contest was originally scheduled to run until Earth Day, April 22, but may be extended because of a lack of participation.

Stewart, who helped project developers formulate the educational section of the site, said while the site isn’t reflective of any actual green initiatives, the fact that the university is in the lead is still promising.

“It’s certainly not the ‘greenest campus’ in the sense of infrastructure, it’s [the] ‘greenest campus’ in terms of the number of people signing up to be educated,” he said. “It’s saying nothing about how green the campus is, but the fact that the UMD community is getting so excited about being educated is very promising.” abdilldbk@gmail.com

students who had not had any access to the higher education tax credit in the past, by making it partially refundable.

“Bettering the quality and access of our higher education is in line with the governor’s desires and the president’s desires,” said Hogan, a former Democratic state senator. “I’ve heard Obama say that this stimulus package is twofold: To invest and to stimulate.”

Despite the compromises, both the House and Senate were able to agree on the final bill. “[Congressman Hoyer] is pleased with the package,” said Stephanie Lundberg, spokesperson for House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.).

“Even though the Senate’s proposal differed slightly from the House’s original proposal, they were able to compromise.”

Hoyer, a university alumnus who represents College Park, said in a statement that everyone should look past the cuts that were made to the initial legislation, because “a real economic recovery isn’t just about responding to a short term emergency, it’s about building a wise foundation for the future” — which, he said, this bill will accomplish. Even with the cuts, the bill still contains a virtually unprecedented increase in federal aid to education.

“Education is seen as a key component to long term economic growth and sustainability,” Lundberg said. “There is no greater investment in our future than education, and that is something this stimulus bill strives to emphasize.” langdbk@gmail.com

Despite funding loss, global warming impact research will continue CLIMATE, from Page 1

Grand Champion Measures percentage of waste that is recycled.

University rating: 29.31 percent ACC Rank: 2nd, behind Boston College at 36.85 percent

like to see a tax cut but added she didn’t think that was a realistic objective.

With elections for the mayor and council positions this fall and an increasing public eye on the bottom line, Catlin said more residents might be paying attention to the city’s budget this year.

Though the budget has rarely been a campaign issue, Catlin said, some candidates might seize on it this year and risk complicating the budget process.

“We’re talking about politics, not necessarily rational people,” Catlin said.

Stephanie Stullich, who represents District 3, had said earlier this year the city might consider paying for extra summer code enforcement to crack down on noisy parties.

Stullich did not return calls asking if she had made this request.

The council will meet on two Saturdays in April to discuss the upcoming budget, largely prepared by the city staff with council wish list input and continual feedback over the past year.

It will vote on a final budget later this spring.

Construction funds cut from bill

Univ. leads in waste minimization RECYCLE, from Page 1

“We’re talking about politics, not necessarily rational people.”

doing so, officials will be able to make more informed decisions with regards to the environment.

“All impacts of global warming are local,” said Murtugudde, who also serves as the executive director of the project.

He stressed the importance of the location and the impact of the bay on the mid-Atlantic region, noting the coastline of the Chesapeake Bay is as large as the West Coast, and is in danger with islands and ways of life around the coast disappearing as water levels continue to rise.

The project coordinates information from earth systems forecasts by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and satellite information compiled by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to predict how global warming will impact the Chesapeake Bay area — a collaboration Murtugudde lauded as a key component in the success of this project. “[The university is] sitting here in the middle,” Murtugudde said.

“They are working together through us.”

The project also facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration between about 30 university researchers — including faculty members, graduate and undergraduate students — multiple colleges and departments in the university such as the School of Public Health, School of Architecture, and the computer science and geography departments.

Researchers are already using

the technology to make short-term forecasts — up to 16 days into the future — but the accuracy of more long-term predictions need to be determined before the software is made available to the public, Murtugudde said.

“We take the global forecast and domesticate it,” Murtugudde said.

“We want to design a street-level forecast for Joe the Plumber.”

Instead of arbitrarily deciding what information might be useful to the general public, Murtugudde said he is taking input from insurance companies, politicians and transportation departments to see what kind of information they could use and how it could be applied, such as collecting data about rainfall to predict the stream flow forecast.

Recently, NOAA stopped providing monetary support to the project, though they are continuing to collaborate on the research, Murtugudde said, adding that as a result, researchers are now looking for additional funding from federal grants and local industry sponsors before money runs out in October. $800,000 has been spent on the research so far, Murtugudde added.

Funding problems will not stop the project, but may allow other rival researcher organizations to catch up to the university’s progress.

“Funding is always part of the game,” Murtugudde said. “Competition in research is always good. It’s just part of the game.” taustindbk@gmail.com

4

THE DIAMONDBACK | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009

THE DIAMONDBACK

Opinion

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Get over the Hillock

Intelligent debate

S

ometimes, it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. On Wednesday, the Stu- least collaborating with — department officials to ensure the student voice is dent Government Association will consider a resolution urging university heard. So, the fact that a student voice is absent from the Facilities Council, which administrators to evaluate alternative sites for the relocation of campus de- has the power to suggest bulldozing 11 acres, is in many ways an affront to their partments displaced by the East Campus project. Administrators have contributions.

But for the SGA to be taking aim at a done deal that East Campus’ developers opted to put the buildings in the Wooded Hillock area, an 11-acre forest near the have already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on seems misguided, even if Comcast Center.

Administrators settled on the site more than two years ago, and as the university its intentions are noble. Any expansion will come at the expense of unused land, so the key for administrators is to off-set their environmental is moving toward breaking ground on the project, the SGA is cerimpact as much as possible. And the university has taken tainly coming to the issue late. Not that the current administration many steps to do so. For every tree the university cuts down, can be blamed. The decision was made before most took office, and SGA Senior Vice President Joanna Calabrese said she hadn’t The SGA should lobby for administrators will plant another seedling elsewhere. Some sites that were considered in addition to Hillock would have even heard about the issue until a disgruntled staff member apstudent representation on required the university to construct parking, which is not in proached her. line with its long-term vision to reduce campus traffic. Sites It’s hard to believe an environmental advocate like Calabrese the Facilities Council. further from the campus would also take a financial and enviwouldn’t be aware of such a seemingly tremendous decision, but the fact that it was reached by a council composed entirely of faculty and adminis- ronmental toll in the form of fuel costs and gas emissions. And though the Wooded trators provides the likely reason. Carlo Colella, Facilities Management’s director Hillock area was a valuable site for professors to research and take classes, nearby of architecture, engineering and construction, said the Hillock site was chosen by parks can provide the same services.

While losing 11 acres of woodlands is far from favorable, it’s realistically too late members of the Facilities Council, which has no student representatives.

The university is developing an eco-conscious identity, and to its credit has to reverse the plans. But the SGA has still showed encouraging efforts, which launched many successful initiatives, eliminating plastic foam from the dining shouldn’t count for nothing. Students have exposed a problem. There’s no student halls, adopting green construction practices and investing in hybrid buses. Stu- representation on an influential body that guides the university’s environmental dents have been at the helm of many campus green initiatives, lobbying — or at the policy. And it’s not too late to change that.

Our View

Editorial Cartoon: Mike O’Brien

Green diversity : Cross cultures, save the world

I

met with a black state delegate about a bill a few weeks ago and made sure to ask him what the environmental community was doing wrong in reaching out to minorities. In his response to me, he made a good point. It’s difficult to tell someone they need to put a solar panel on their roof or to get the roof insulated when they’re working hard just to keep that roof over their head. He also stated the situation was unfortunate, because minority groups are most affected by global warming, rising energy costs and pollution. They also stand the most to gain from a clean energy economy if they’re involved in creating it. How do we stress that linkage? He didn’t have an answer. I have ideas.

Communication isn’t what it should be. We hear about “green jobs,” but I doubt most people can tell me what those are. I rarely hear about health.

The kinds of respiratory ailments that someone can get from living near a coal plant, a toxic waste dump or an inciner-

MATT

DERNOGA ator cost families and our health care system a lot of money.

Rather than going into a community and telling people how to change their lives, we need to first listen. We have to understand what kinds of challenges a particular community faces before finding a genuine linkage between their problems and our problems. We can’t create a linkage for our convenience.

The messenger matters. The state delegate I mentioned earlier understood the linkages. But do his constituents? There is a responsibility for political, civic and religious leaders to connect the economic and health concerns of people to the quality of their

environment. Environmental groups must make a genuine attempt to extend their hand, but someone has to take it.

Recall the outcry to Don Imus’ comments on the radio or to the noose hung outside the Nyumburu Cultural Center.

They are both legitimate issues, but every day, far more minorities are exploited by coal plants and toxic waste dumps in their backyards than those instances of bigotry. The reaction to this has been scarce. It should be overwhelming.

This isn’t to say there aren’t minority leaders doing amazing things. Van Jones founded Green For All and has been fiercely advocating for millions of green jobs to lift people out of poverty.

Majora Carter formed a non-profit called The Sustainable South Bronx and helped her community fight off multiple waste dumps, spearheaded restoration projects and created green job training centers. A couple of weeks ago, I heard the Rev. Lennox Yearwood, the president of the Hip Hop Caucus,

talk about the need for global warming solutions, green jobs and greater participation from the minority community in the two.

I recently discovered a new group on the campus called Project Humyn.

They’re working to lobby local politicians for green jobs while helping kids in a Washington homeless shelter learn about sustainability. They meet every Tuesday in room 0205 of Jimenez Hall at 6:30 p.m. I’ve attended a Community Roots meeting, held in room 1101 of Tydings Hall on Thursdays at 6 p.m., where social justice issues are discussed by diverse groups of people. There should be greater efforts by green and cultural groups to collaborate.

Having been to both, I feel we share the same dream. I fear that divided, that’s all it can be. Pinch me.

Matt Dernoga is a junior government and politics major. He can be reached at mdernoga@umd.edu.

Testudo: Shame in a shell

W

hen I look at our mascot, I see many things.

A terrapin raising hell in a shell, however, is not among them.

Next time you’re at a university basketball game, take a good look at the mascot representing the Terps. Are you inspired? Proud to be a Terrapin? Or are you scratching your head at how we’re trotting out a grotesquely old and dingy costume that, pardon the pun, really is a shell of what a mascot should be?

I personally see a cockroach with deformed wings and a huge head. Others liken the figure to a distorted owl that can walk.

Regardless, I think it’s a complete joke that one of the most visible and mainstream representations of campus spirit doesn’t reflect the immense pride the student body

has for its school.

As a university student you’re giving plenty to this school — a decent amount of cash, your time, your energy and your commitment to your education. Beyond that though, you’re forging a connection with a greater body of people — the students who attended this university before you and those who will come after you. As members of this collective body, we should be able to revere all of the university’s accomplishments.

Your diploma, your memories, your experiences all stem from your time here, and for the rest of your life, you’re going to be associated with this school, hopefully representing it with pride and distinction.

In theory, one would then surmise that a mascot would dutifully represent the group or body that it

OPE

LANIYONU symbolizes. This, however, is where Testudo’s shortcomings are apparent. There is nothing noble or awe-inspiring about that costume.

The costume looks weak and, therefore, embodies a weakness onto the body Testudo represents.

The costume always seems 10 sizes to big for whoever’s wearing it, and the colors are likened to a certain excrement that ends up in your toilet (great motivation for our sports team and adoring fans). It seems Testudo’s design is a product of the ’70s and ’80s, and

while the university redesigned the logo of the Terrapin in recent years to the fiercer version we now see, apparently our mascot’s costume missed the makeover.

And while our mascot isn’t as pathetic as the Virginia Tech Hokie (Really? A Hokie?), Testudo could definitely use some new threads.

All of the sports teams were recently given Under Armour apparel. Let’s help the turtle out with a new design and new clothes.

Who knows, maybe the change will wake up the men’s basketball team. I know I wouldn’t play up to par if I had to look at that thing during every timeout.

Ope Laniyonu is a junior international business and marketing major. He can be reached at laniyonudbk@gmail.com.

POLICY: The signed letters, columns and cartoon represent only the opinions of the authors. The staff editorial represents the opinion of The Diamondback’s editorial board and is the responsibility of the editor in chief.

KERRY CLARK In the Feb. 13 edition of The Diamondback, both an article interviewing Jeffrey Jensen (“Wishing You a Happy Darwin Day”) and the opinion column by Sheila Reynolds (“Respect the Theory”) misrepresent the debate between the general theory of evolution (GE) and the theory of intelligent design (ID). They both assert that ID is wishful thinking with no scientific evidence and that GE is a theory based on facts. In their arguments, ID can be dismissed on that basis. But as a number of recent news stories have shown, that isn’t an honest assessment of current facts.

First of all, we need to be honest about our terms. There is a sort of evolution that is supported by verifiable facts. Within each species, there have been various changes and adjustments observed due to environmental factors. This sort of micro-evolution is observable and repeatable. However, the real debate is not concerning small changes over time, but macro-changes from one species into another. Evolutionary theory also asserts that all variety of life emanated from a single non-living event (abiogenesis).

Following, there are no fossil records demonstrating the formation of one species into another. There is speculation as to what happened but no scientific facts. There are evolutionary stories, but stories are not evidence.

Even according to Reynolds, GE has explanations for the complexity of the eye. Therefore, GE still holds true. It’s like saying that since I can come up with an explanation for why Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) won the election, he must have really won the election.

ID, on the other hand, makes the claim that stories are not sufficient to explain the diversity and complexity of life. They make arguments from a biological perspective (irreducible complexity to DNA information) and a cosmological perspective (balanced universal forces to Earth’s unique positioning and environment). The role of science is not only to search for what is true but also to allow the evidence to form reasonable conclusions. It is more reasonable to believe that a bed of flowers that spell out the words “I love you, Melissa” was planted and arranged by someone than to believe it occurred by random chance.

Some say that science cannot speak to those conclusions. When you do so, you must evoke the existence of God. But the problem with that notion is that you are begging the question. You have stacked the deck. By ruling out any conclusion other than natural causes, you create a standard that controls what you expect to see. Therefore, no one has the freedom to follow the evidence to wherever it leads. This excludes any possibility of intelligence, even when it is reasonable to come to that conclusion.

In forensic science, death is either brought about by natural causes or by premeditation. In other words, does the evidence demonstrate that death occurred by natural processes or by intelligence? We trust forensic science to make that determination; it is therefore reasonable to believe that science can speak to issues of intelligent causes.

There is not enough room to go into more detail about the evidence cited by each side, and there are plenty of books about this subject. I just wanted to make clear that these articles misrepresent the complexities of the arguments on both sides.

Kerry Clark is a senior graphic designer for the agriculture and natural resources school. He can be reached at kclark777@gmail.com.

AIR YOUR VIEWS Address your letters or guest columns to the Opinion Desk at opinion.dbk@gmail.com. All letters and guest columns must be signed. Include your full name, year, major and day- and nighttime phone numbers. Please limit letters to 300 words. Please limit guest columns to 600 words.

Submission of a letter or guest column constitutes an exclusive, worldwide, transferable license to The Diamondback of the copyright in the material in any media. The Diamondback retains the right to edit submissions for content and length.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2009 | OPINION | THE DIAMONDBACK

5

Best of the week “Quite frankly, as a state and as a nation, we are not going to be able to prosper if we don’t fix it.”

- University System of Maryland Chancellor Brit Kirwan on the achievement gap.

From the Feb. 10 edition of The Diamondback

BILL HANNA [Editors’ note: Every other week, The Diamondback will publish a column from a member of the faculty that connects a professor’s expertise to an issue important to the university.]

Our College Park campus has such interesting and diverse neighbors! To our south, along Kenilworth Avenue, is “Little Mexico” where thousands of people from that country have settled.

To our west is Maryland’s International Corridor, a set of hundreds of stores and restaurants — and thousands of residents — stretching a mile or two along and near University Boulevard, where the languages spoken include Spanish, French, Vietnamese, Korean, Creole and more.

I have two interests in diversity.

One is my hobby — eating in restaurants representing the world’s cultures. Sure, it’s better to be eating in Vietnam, El Salvador and Lebanon.

But there are nearby restaurants serving reasonably authentic food from these and other countries. (My favorites are available upon request.)

My second interest stems from my teaching and research, which focus on cultural diversity and the challenges of crossing cultures. Both are influenced by the fun I have exploring other cultures — trying to gain some understanding of people different from myself, including their needs, and then trying to figure out how best to partner with those who are challenged in order to address those needs.

This semester, for instance, I’m teaching a graduate seminar on urban planning in what I call “The TwoThirds World,” that is, in the lessdeveloped countries. (The countries cover about two-thirds of the earth’s land mass and have about two-thirds of the earth’s population.) And I’m teaching an honors course on immigration and immigrants, with special reference to the people who live in and near Langley Park, a neighborhood just one mile west of our campus. Most of my scholarly research and writing over the past decade have focused on that neighborhood.

Just over a decade ago, I directed a graduate research seminar that focused on the needs of Langley Park’s working class residents. Most of the residents come from El Salvador or Guatemala, although there are also hundreds of immigrants from other Central American countries, West African countries and elsewhere. I thought my involvement with the neighborhood would last just that semester, but the intellectual challenges and emotional connections grew, and I’m still teaching, researching and writing about the neighborhood’s residents and their challenges.

Even though my father left Northern Ireland for the U.S. to have greater career opportunities, and my mother’s parents ran away from Russia to escape persecution, I didn’t have a good understanding of the immigrant experience when I started to work in Langley Park. After a decade, I think I’ve gained some understanding.

Many Central Americans of Langley Park also left their home countries for opportunities or safety — and often both. Some of them have been very successful here, but many remain marginal to the US economy, polity and society, thanks in part to their need to be with others who have had similar experiences and speak the same native language. However, the marginal status is also the result of non-immigrants’ words and deeds that push the newcomers to the margins. Just think how most immigrants feel about the sometimes vicious public propaganda campaigns against immigrants, the proposal to bulldoze most of the affordable apartments, or the many jobs that they are refused due to status, language or skin color.

Of course, such anti-immigrant negativism is not new in the U.S. A hundred years ago, the viciousness was directed at immigrants from Ireland and Italy, Jews from Eastern Europe and others.

So for personal and intellectual reasons, my work and play involve trying to cross cultures and helping others to do so. Like many immigrants I know, I guess I’m also trying to act upon a dream of a better world. University students also have great opportunities in the area: there are courses to take, internships and volunteer work to pursue, international food to sample, and much more. After a decade of experience, my advice is simple: Go for it!

Bill Hanna is a professor in the urban studies and planning department. He can be reached at bhanna@umd.edu.

- Alli Matson, coordinator of sexual health education programs at the University Health Center.

From the Feb. 11 edition of The Diamondback

“Most residents [in Graduate Gardens and Graduate Hills] know people there who have been shot at.”

- Graduate Student Government President Anu Kothari, at a safety forum.

From the Feb. 13 edition of The Diamondback

Student power: Listen up, Mr. Man

Professor’s Perspective

Diversity next door

“You can’t enjoy sex when you’re focusing on how you look.”

W

hile reading the two responses to my Feb. 3 column, “The SGA: Real leadership wanted,” I was struck by a terrible fear. Had I suggested that the Student Government Association president should concern himself mainly with spitting in university President Dan Mote’s coffee or talking about Provost Nariman Farvardin’s mother? Did I accidentally propose that the SGA lead a mob to burn the administration building to the ground and rename the school The Students’ Republic of the University of Maryland? When I looked back I found that I had not, in fact, suggested doing any of these things.

What I had suggested, and what ended up being so offensive, was the idea that the SGA should start using the power it already has.

In Joel Cohen’s Feb. 11 response piece, “Student leadership: Walk soft, carry a big stick,” he compared my vision of the SGA to obstructionist congressional Republicans, refusing to sit down and work through differences. Here’s what Cohen is missing: Students aren’t the minority. We’re not even a small majority; the vast majority of people affected by decisions made by this university are students. This should be self-evident, but apparently it needs some explanation. An example that’s more analogous to our current situation would be if the current Democratic majority won

MALCOLM

HARRIS another third of the seats in the Senate and the House and then let Libertarians run the country.

That would be a clear misuse of power.

The root of my student-power philosophy is that if students are the ones affected by the decisions, then we should be the ones making the decisions. Since we all have classes to attend and hopefully some learning to do, we need to hire some full-time bureaucrats to run the day-to-day operations of the university. This is how we should use the administration. In SGA Speaker of the Legislature Matt Lyons’ Feb. 4 column, “The right way to lead,” he worries that I think of the administration as enemies of students. Let me be clear: They aren’t our enemies; they’re our employees.

Both Cohen and Lyons argue that a combative SGA wouldn’t have the ear of the administration. The only time a minority can ignore the majority in anything resembling a democratic system is if the majority isn’t well-represented.

The administration should be worried that they’re going to fall out of our favor, not the other way around. Instead,

what we have now is an SGA that cooks dinner and then begs for table scraps.

Don’t get me wrong; there are many students in the SGA who work tirelessly every day to represent students. Current SGA attempts to protect the Wooded Hillock from development are but one example of SGA members fighting for a better university. These legislators deserve our admiration and need our vocal support.

However, there’s a more fundamental problem. The SGA shouldn’t have to ask the administration very nicely not to destroy the only wildlife space we still have on the campus. They shouldn’t have to go through the work of developing an alternative proposal. They should be able to just tell the administration, “No.” I don’t have what Lyons called “cliched college contempt for all things political,” but rather I have a cliched college idealism that puts faith in a democratic system. I want an SGA that thinks students, not administrators, should be decision-makers.

If Mote disagrees with something we want, fine, let him call the SGA president and ask nicely.

The power belongs to us, not them, and it’s time our representatives realize it.

Malcolm Harris is a sophomore English and government and politics major. He can be reached at harrisdbk@gmail.com.

at issue What incentive would convince you to fill out all of your course evaluations?

“ “ “ Emily Gorman Sophomore History

Philip Anderson Freshman Computer science

Mariela Canaviri Senior Public health

I fill mine out — if a teacher’s shit, they deserve to know.”

A two-letter grade boost in whatever class you fill them out.”

iTunes giftcards.”

“ “ “ John Toman Sophomore English

Cash.”

I’m an exchange student, and if we don’t fill them out, we can’t check our final grades.”

A free meal in Stamp.”

Sohee Whang Exchange Student, Yunsei University Government and politics

James Sensor Sophomore Letters and sciences

College Park: (Good) Drivers wanted

I

n my four years in College Park, I have seen it all when it comes to bad driving. Last week, I witnessed a car making a U-turn on Route 1 at Knox Road, right in the middle of rush hour. Not only was the car unable to make it all the way around on the first try, but while he was backing up to get the rest of the way around, a huge pile of cars was right behind him, their drivers honking and yelling from their windows.

Maybe I’m spoiled. Not only do I come from a place where there is no rush hour traffic, but our drivers leave much more space in front of them than they do around here.

Additionally, my state (the great state of New York) has a no-cell phone law for drivers, which this state has yet to enact. While New Yorkers still inevitably break this law, we have a significantly lower number of cell phone multitaskers, as well as fewer smokers, consumers of fine cuisine and makeup artists.

JONAH

RICHMOND And it doesn’t end on Route 1. On the campus, it is still surprising how many people don’t know how a traffic circle works. Or how so many people think it’s okay to idle their car right in front of La Plata Hall when there are plenty of open parking spaces they could pull into.

Perhaps the most dangerous thing that I witness regularly is cars trying to pass a Shuttle-UM bus that is letting off passengers, not realizing that the passengers crossing the road cannot see the car coming around the bus. In all honesty, the bus doesn’t really take that long to let riders off.

Safety is everyone’s responsibility, and if we are going to worry about our quality of life on this campus, we have to address the

safety of our campus roads. Maybe rather than focusing on catching people going 25 miles per hour on the empty stretch of road out by Comcast Center, more enforcement could be targeted at the core of our campus, where real safety is at risk.

Of course, when Campus Drive is finally converted to a pedestrian mall, there will be much less opportunity for accidents. Until then, however, the responsibility is on us.

And after then, there will still be other campus roads to worry about.

In the meantime, pedestrians beware. You never know who may be coming around the corner and how careless, distracted, hurried or rude he or she might be. My advice to anyone trying to use the campus roads is to use extra caution and remember that two wrongs can cause an accident.

Jonah Richmond is a senior environmental science and policy major. He can be reached at jrichmon@umd.edu.

Foreign Correspondence

Jordan: From Tinseltown to the truth ARI

GORE

I

was recently in a car with a few Jordanian guys when Celine Dion came on the radio. I expected my friend to change the channel. Instead, he turned it up. I couldn’t help but laugh.

I’m in Jordan listening to a 1990s Dion song with a bunch of Jordanians who are innocently humming along. Any guy in the United States who admits to liking Celine would get a raised eyebrow, but in Jordan even the “manliest men” don’t understand the cultural significance of different types of American music. It’s a great example of how Jordanians relate to Western culture — and an indication of how cultural subtleties get lost in transmission.

When I first came to Jordan, I thought it would be dangerous to share my nationality with others; my plan was to be Canadian for the year. However, I soon realized that to most Jordanians, being an American is a plus. “You’re from America?” the conversation normally goes. “Ahalan Wa’salahan — welcome! I have cousins there!” If I had said that I was from Canada, we’d have had nothing to talk about.

Jordanians have access to American culture; my host family has more U.S. satellite channels than we do at this university. At the same time, their cultural access to the United States is often limited to Hollywood movies and TV shows such as American Idol. Deeply held American values such as liberalism and individualism generally don’t make it through the airwaves. The skewed understanding of Western culture that results is often amusing and entertaining, but it can sometimes cause real problems.

Western women, especially those with blond hair, tend to have a more difficult time in Jordan than men or women with darker complexions. For Jordanians who have only had access to Baywatch reruns, many see stereotypicallooking American women as Baywatch babes in the middle of Amman, Jordan’s capital, ready to fulfill any young, sexually frustrated Jordanian guys’ fantasies.

(Of which there are many.)

Cultural misconceptions are not limited to physical appearances; they’re also apparent in speech.

Jordanians use the word n----without reservation — they just don’t understand its significance.

I’ve had a number of awkward conversations trying to explain to Jordanians that if they went to the U.S. and started using the word liberally, they’d be insulting a lot of people and should be preparing for a big ass-whooping.

At the same time, these cultural misunderstandings can go both ways. When I tell Jordanians I’m from Chicago, they ask, “But isn’t it dangerous over there? The mob?

Bullets?” When I talk to my friends and family in the U.S., they say, “Jordan? Dangerous! Aren’t you in the middle of a war zone?” Both sides incorrectly perceive the other as being unsafe, based on nothing more than what they see on television, read on the Internet or hear on the radio. The funny thing is, I feel the least safe in the one place no one questions: College Park at 2 a.m.

A recent Hollywood film, Body of Lies, was supposed to center on life in Amman. Most Jordanians I talked to were frustrated with the movie — I was, too, as it wasn’t a fair representation of the Jordanian capital. It looked more like a scene out of One Thousand and One Nights than the real city, teeming with far more people wearing hijabs and keffiyehs than there actually are. While it fulfilled American expectations of what a “real” Arab town is supposed to look like, it did not reflect reality.

It’s easier to generalize than to acknowledge the nuances within any given society. Sadly, both sides seem content with their misconstrued understanding of the other.

Ari Gore is a junior government and politics major. He can be reached at arigore@gmail.com.

6

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009 | THE DIAMONDBACK

7

Features HOROSCOPESTELLA WILDER

CROSSWORD ACROSS 39 Hide — hair 45 Sketch 51 Cooper of 60 Do well 1 Wild country 41 Stephen King 46 Like baked “High Noon” 61 Clock part 5 Refrain syllables 62 Manage okay novel apples 52 Fall mo.

8 Ward off 47 Handle dough 53 Test 63 Blowgun weapons 42 Charged for 12 Top story 44 Ad — (wing it) 54 Farm unit 49 Reflect 64 Swirling water 14 Wide valley 65 Blasting material 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 15 Film director 66 Tableland — Kazan 12 13 14 16 17-syllable poem DOWN 17 Trick 1 Derisive snorts 16 17 18 Puny pup 2 Jazz’s home 19 Made cole slaw 3 Mingle 19 20 21 22 21 “Crocodile —” 4 Follow a trail 23 Silence 5 Speak highly of 23 24 24 Marino and Favre 6 Hirt and Gore 25 Hairpin curve 7 Garden plots 26 27 28 29 30 26 Emulated Gallup 8 Terrarium plant 30 Silver or Scout 9 Slip past 32 33 32 Be of benefit 10 Playing cards 33 Losing traction 11 Goes steady 36 37 36 Toasty 13 Heavy stick 37 Blokes 14 Remnant 40 41 42 20 Homer, to Bart 38 Splice 22 Pre-owned 40 Chemists’ wear 43 44 24 Ear cleaners (2 wds.) (hyph.)

42 Small drum 45 46 47 48 49 26 Rabbit’s foot 43 Pound fraction 27 Ellipse 44 In a row 51 52 28 Superman’s mom 50 45 Gross!

29 In-between state 48 NYC airport 57 58 59 60 30 Go rollerblading 49 Wire gauge 31 Spicy mustard 50 Genghis Khan 61 62 63 33 Hut was one 34 Opposite of some 52 Rent from a 64 65 35 Billion, in renter combos 57 District 37 Disagreement 58 Currier and — © 2009 UNITED FEATURES SYNDICATE

A M U S E

P I P E R

O L D E R

T R I G A ERO MA KO S P I ED HARDS O V A L E S E L I NE EM I R I CADA N T SHOP A L AMO COK E S T E ENY

18

25 31 34

35

38

53

There will be times in your life in which you have trouble fitting in or finding your niche. Never think twice about shifting gears or changing your mind about things, since it is only in these ways that you can explore what is available to you and find what makes you truly happy.

39

54

55

56

Also born on this date are: Renee Russo, actress; Alan Bates, actor; Hal Holbrook, actor; Michael Jordan, basketball player; Lou Diamond Phillips, actor.

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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.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18 AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — You’ll have good reason to take a trip down memory lane, but you may discover that you’ve had your facts wrong all this time.

•

O L L A

10

B

R.J. BENTLEY’S

L O F T

9

orn today, you can be quite flirtatious and affectionate when a member of the opposite sex has caught your eye, and you must always be aware how close you are, at any given time, to falling head-overheels in love. Indeed, you are likely to be no stranger to love — you will be in love and out again many, many times in your life, and yet each time you will be confident that this time it’s for real. There is no self-deception in this, in fact; when you fall in love, it is the real thing, no matter how long it lasts.

•

E R A S

8

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Previous Day’s Puzzle Solved:

55 Movie-lot locales 56 Adamson’s pet 59 Wernher — Braun

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) — Be ready to do what is asked of you, without asking questions yourself. It’s important that you prove your loyalty at this time.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) — Your search for a lost personal article may produce more than expected by day’s end. You may have to settle an argument that arises.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — A little exploration can result in a few important discoveries, and it doesn’t matter if you have company or go it alone — yet.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — You can do good work, but only if you’re willing to think outside the box. Now is no time to do things the ordinary way.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Prospects are bright, and you may have so many options available to you that you don’t know exactly where to begin.

Enjoy this high period.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — Yes, it’s true — you’re not as young as you used to be. Don’t let this get you down, however; there’s no reason to lighten your load just yet.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — You don’t have as much money to throw around as you would like, but even while you economize further, you can enjoy yourself quite a bit.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) — Progress comes in waves, and you’ll come to realize that the more open you let your mind remain, the more opportunities come your way.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Others may be expecting you to make quite a blunder, but if you take it slow, you should be able to surprise them all.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — You can make a fine strategic move, and still your critics aren’t going to see the sense in it. Are you working for them, or for yourself?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — You don’t want to engage in any unnecessary conflicts. Indeed, you may discover that no conflict is truly necessary right now.

Copyright, 2009 United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

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THE DIAMONDBACK | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009

Diversions

arts. music. living. movies. weekend.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: ROBYN HITCHCOCK AND THE VENUS 3 — GOODNIGHT OSLO “With age, Hitchcock has lost a good deal of his weird vibes without sacrificing his beloved idiosyncrasies. Oslo finds his uncanny wit still very much intact, as piercing as it can be playful.” — Zachary Herrmann RATING: 2.5 stars out of 5 For reviews of this and the three albums below, just click the Diversions link at: Robyn Hitchcock

WWW.DIAMONDBACKONLINE.COM

REVIEW | DARK WAS THE NIGHT

Feist, left, Bon Iver, right, and The National, center, all contribute songs to the double-disc benefit album Dark Was the Night. The National’s Araron and Bryce Dessner curated the set, which also features new songs from My Morning Jacket, The New Pornographers, Grizzly Bear, Ben Gibbard, The Decemberists and many more. FEIST: COURTESY OF AOL CANADA, THE NATIONAL: COURTESY OF NICHOLAS BURNHAM, BON IVER: COURTESY OF PICASA

INDIE ROCK’S DARK NIGHT Heavyweights of the modern indie rock scene combine for new charity compilation

BY VAMAN MUPPALA Staff writer

B

y nature a fragmented medium, the world of independent music rarely makes a cohesive statement. The new compilation Dark Was the Night — although meant to assist with AIDS relief — is far more fascinating as a brief glimpse of where alternative music is today rather than as a plea for help.

Curated by The National’s Aaron and Bryce Dessner, the album consists of two discs, helpfully titled This Disc and That Disc, which are rife with Canadians and Americans reaching back into the past to exhume lost gems and mine the outer reaches of their aural comfort zones.

Of the two discs, This Disc is by far the more potent and rewarding.

Although considerably less hyped than the album opener — David Byrne and the Dirty Projectors’ duet “Knotty Pine” — The Books and Jose Gonzalez’s cover of Nick Drake’s “Cello Song” is far richer.

While Drake’s orchestral and intricate acoustic finger-picking loses some of its layered beauty as it acquires the signature digital inflections of The Books, the familiar, gorgeous cello refrain provides a measure of reassurance. One realizes that the original has merely been trans-

online exclusives MORRISSEY — YEARS OF REFUSAL “The music of Years of Refusal — as justly expected — reaches nowhere near the groundbreaking work of former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, nor does it recall the sulk ’n’ sigh worthiness of Moz’s earlier work. The true gift of a Morrissey song is, of course, the lyrics. Undeniably one of the greatest and most celebrated pop lyricists of our time, the sexually ambiguous vegetarian does not disappoint with his latest set of woefully spot-on truths.” — Reese Higgins RATING: 4 stars

...AND YOU WILL KNOW US

BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD — THE CENTURY OF SELF “The band’s sixth full-length carries a freewheeling attitude notably absent on its past couple of releases. ... The Century of Self begins with the instrumental “Giant’s Causeway,” a soaring, if predictable, rise from solo piano to fullband racket. If anything, the short piece is a powerful statement of the band’s return to form.” — Jon Wolper RATING: 3.5 stars

JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT — JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT “Far from outstanding but far from trash, 400 Unit exists in that middle ground of albums that produce little feeling from the listener outside of compliancy. It’s an apathetic record that you would be happy to have playing, even though you will not be reaching for it anytime soon.” — Reese Higgins RATING: 2.5 stars

formed — not transfigured — for a new age.

The union between Canadian pop-folkie Feist and repentant former emo purveyor Ben Gibbard seems an odd one. Fortunately, Gibbard’s voice carries a restrained gravitas rather than lapsing into the pleading whine he employs in Death Cab for Cutie.

Feist, however, has long left her inner folkie behind and excels far more when surrounded by the baroque arrangements of Grizzly Bear in “Service Bell.” The composition is — like the best of Grizzly Bear — an amalgamation of various aural fragments. In this particular case, dueling bass and tenor chants, rattling drums and Feist’s haunted vocals merge seamlessly into a river of sound.

Even stranger than Gibbard-Feist is the notion of Antony covering a Bob Dylan outtake.

Yet, that is precisely what happens as Antony teams up with Dessner to completely pervert the spirit and themes of the original. “I Was Young When I Left Home,” in its true form, is one of Dylan’s masterfully insightful sketches of Americana.

With lines such as, “I don’t like it in the wind/I go back home again/But I can’t go home this a-way/This a-way, Lord, Lord, Lord,” the piece is a dark glance at the Beat lifestyle, in which the road ceases to be the quixotic escape of youth and instead turns into a stifling trap.

Antony’s incessantly wavering vocals merely drift over the plains of the Midwest, missing the heart and soul of the original.

Far more natural is the pairing of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon with Aaron Dessner. What results is “Big Red Machine,” a gorgeous arrangement replete with strings gliding alongside Vernon’s over-dubbed, angelic falsetto.

Even Bon Iver’s contribution, “Brackett, WI,” with its pounding bass and soaring organ, pales slightly in comparison to the sheer grandeur of the former’s instrumentation.

Likewise, The National’s effort “So Far Around the Bend” settles comfortably into an oddly merry rhythm rather than the usual, crepuscular grooves largely due to the influence of Nico Muhly, the avant-garde composer responsible for the arrangement. Muhly’s flutes and strings almost seem to expose The National’s formidable melodies — seemingly always composed as the night wears down — to a healthy dose of sunlight and air.

By the time one begins to delve into That Disc, the bloat and excesses begin to show. Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues’ “Amazing Grace” is merely perfunctory and universally dull despite — or perhaps due to — her odd vocal

phrasing. It appears Ms. Marshall reserves her best covers for Lincoln commercials.

“Love vs. Porn” is a rather inappropriate song for an AIDS compilation, but Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew has always been, and always will be, a thoroughly amusing and insightful chronicler of sexual adventures.

Therefore, it is advisable to assume that despite lyrics such as, “The joy, the joy used to be in all the books; kids today think that hookers are the hook,” Drew’s heart is in the right place, and the bittersweet irony is enjoyable.

Amid the indie giants on the disc, such as The New Pornographers, Yo La Tengo and My Morning Jacket, the humble violinist and whistler of Illinois Andrew Bird manages to almost subterraneanly deliver an entrancing fairy tale of a track, “The Giant of Illinois.”

Whether or not Dark Was the Night represents a sea change in the musical world, as indie truly becomes pop, remains to be seen.

We do know that something has changed, though, when a charity compilation shuns “We Are the World” and opts for “Love vs.

Porn” instead. vmain13@gmail.com

ALBUM: Dark Was the Night | VERDICT:

1/2

REVIEW | M. WARD

Same as he ever was M. Ward’s latest album continues to mine the past for inspiration

BY ZACHARY HERRMANN Senior staff writer

M. Ward’s music exists in a world steeped in anachronisms — it’s a world where the record player or even the phonograph reigns as king, not the iPod. Each entry in Ward’s songbook seems to be drawn from several different eras rather than any one particular time period. But in this artful distillation of time and genre, Ward’s music still remains immediate, emotionally direct and very relevant.

Any unsuspecting listener stumbling across Hold Time — Ward’s sixth and most eclectic studio LP — would have a hell of a time figuring out just when the songs date from. On his preceding album, Post-War, Ward adopted a richer depth of sound (and a studio band), but he’s still just as capable of lapsing into his lofi, four-track roots.

Half the time, Ward sounds just as content letting a cheap Casio do the work of a full orchestra. Unlike fellow Portland, Ore., musician Elliott Smith, there is no sharp division between Ward’s earlier acoustic work and his later, more expansive albums. “Shangri-La,” despite being one of Hold Time’s weaker offerings, could have easily appeared on any one of Ward’s LPs. Nothing on the album is a far cry from what Ward has put forth in the past, but like any good artist, he’s still exploring. The title track, an eerie little ballad with echoes of composer/producer Jon Brion’s discography, blends synthesized and organic strings to create the slowing-down effect the narrator desires.

“You were beyond comprehension tonight/ But I understood… If only I could hold time,” Ward laments, later admitting his words have failed him.

As the strings swell and fade, he drifts seamlessly into a chug-along rendition of Buddy Holly’s “Rave On,” a perfect fit to Ward’s style. There’s almost a dialog between the two songs: a problem posed and a solution offered.

When not pulling inspiration from Holly, Ward finds help elsewhere. Plenty has been said about Ward’s influence on Zooey Deschanel, the female half of their collaborative group, She & Him. But on “To Save Me,” it would seem Deschanel’s penchant for Phil Spector girl groups has made quite an impression on Ward.

His reconstruction of the Wall of Sound instrumentation on “To Save Me” and “Stars of Leo,” another of Hold Time’s high points, shows Ward at his best.

Everything is delicately composed, though never precious — nothing Johnny Cash or Hank Williams would have had reason to scoff at.

Occasionally, however, one could accuse Ward of sounding a little too much like… well, himself. “Fisher

With contributions from Lucinda Williams, Jason Lyte and She & Him partner Zooey Deschanel, M. Ward’s Hold Time is ripe with collaboration — a staple of Ward’s work. COURTESY OF ANNIE MUSSELMAN

of Men” bears an uncanny resemblance to “Chinese Translation,” a Post-War standout. The metaphor, “He’s got a line in the water/ He’s a fisher of men,” rings especially true these days, adding to the fablelike quality of the story. Still, it’s hard to ignore the recycled melody, especially as the album’s momentum gets held up.

The six-minute version of Don Gibson’s “Oh Lonesome Me” drags a bit but suffers more from its incredibly mismatched duet. Singer Lucinda Williams’ gravel-road vocals sound great on their own. Against Ward’s smoky voice, though, the similarities clash.

You really have to wonder why Deschanel wasn’t approached to sing this one.

Finding her Him in better shape elsewhere, Deschanel does chime in on “Never Had Nobody Like You.” All the fuzzed-out electric guitars serve as a reminder: Ward is an underrated and thoughtful lead guitarist who really doesn’t display his chops enough in the studio.

He’s also one of the more intriguing singer-songwriters finger-picking his way through the country.

Where most concept or pseudo-concept albums usual-

ALBUM: Hold Time | VERDICT:

ly prove terribly obnoxious, both Transistor Radio and Post-War were able to capitalize on their sonic models (classic radio broadcasts and post-World War II culture, respectively).

Hold Time is in no way a disappointment. On the contrary, it packs in some of Ward’s most successful and ambitious material to date. But after the cohesive retro pop of She & Him’s Volume One or Ward’s own Post-War, his newest album feels disjointed at times.

Of course, it’s better if the LP suffers from too many ideas as opposed to too few. As a result, we get lovely moments like the album’s finale, a mournful instrumental simply titled “Outro.” It’s the logical choice for a closer, and its melancholic nostalgia links back to the album title and title track.

And all this significance is nearly lost thanks to the preceding song, “Shangri-La.” Such minor details do not detract too much from the overall splendor of Hold Time. They do, however, limit the album to being one of Ward’s better efforts instead of what certainly could have been his best. zherrm@gmail.com

1/2

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009 | SPORTS | THE DIAMONDBACK

SCHIMMEL

Terps have chance at title SCHIMMEL, from Page 10 Coach C. Vivian Stringer’s crew has lost a little bit of its edge on defense, and while they shot especially poorly Sunday, they had never been known for their offense anyway.

Even so, a 20-point win against a wellrenowned program on national television is indicative of how the Terps have been taking care of business lately.

By most accounts, the Terps have been playing their best basketball of the season during this five-game streak, and they aren’t showing signs of slowing down.

Toliver and running mate Marissa Coleman have both raised their season scoring averages the past five games, and they seem poised to continue to take their games to higher levels as the “my collegiate career is about to be over” sense of urgency kicks in.

After scoring 85 points or more in their previous three games, the Terps showed Sunday they can win with defense if they have to, a versatility that should serve them well next month and hopefully into April when they face additional foreign opponents.

The Terps had a seven-game winning streak to close out the regular season last year that didn’t carry them as far as they would have liked in the ACC or NCAA tournaments. But at the time, they weren’t dominating teams the way they had in the first couple months of the season, and the feeling persisted that perhaps the Terps had peaked too soon.

That proved to be the case two seasons ago, as well, when the Terps won their first 18 games coming off a national championship before slowing down and eventually stalling in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

This year, in a women’s game in which seemingly every major program other than Connecticut is performing at a level below its standard, a well-timed wave of momentum could lead to big postseason success.

“It goes by quick,” Coleman said. “We’re just trying to ride it out and continue to get better and see if we can go as far in the tournament as we possibly can.”

The Terps’ games this week against Georgia Tech and Duke will be major tests and key in keeping the momentum going heading into the ACC tournament.

But there’s really nobody in the conference they shouldn’t be able to handle, and if they can maintain the consistency they’ve begun to establish the past couple of weeks, good things should happen.

At the very least, it’s refreshing to have a basketball team to be optimistic about. schimmeldbk@gmail.com

9

Mosley known for pesky D MOSLEY, from Page 10 the course of the game — sometimes some of them go unnoticed because they’re not stats,” coach Gary Williams said. “They don’t show up in the stat sheet; they’re just great plays. That’s always there for us now. That’s been there on a pretty consistent basis.”

Exhibit one: Early in a game against Miami, Mosley saw a tipped pass heading toward the baseline, destined to go out of bounds. While other players might have been content to let the ball go, the freshman guard sprinted to that part of the court and knocked the errant pass off an opposing defender before it touched the sideline.

No rebound, no steal, just a hustle play creating an extra possession.

Exhibit two: Virginia Tech possession with the shot clock winding down, the 6-foot-4 Mosley is defending guard Malcolm Delaney, the Hokies’ top scorer this season, averaging 18.6 points per game.

Delaney is unable to shake off Mosley with a series of moves, so he’s forced into a contested shot that lands off the mark and is corralled by a Terp.

No block, no rebound, just sound defense creating a defensive stop.

The game is simple for Mosley in this stats-free world. “I give myself a 10, because I stopped him from scoring,” he says, assessing his defensive performance on Delaney, who scored just five points going into the last 3:03 of the Terps’ double-digit win.

Mosley had nine points. The previous game, he had zero at Georgia Tech. His coach praised his play after both.

Facially, and with a bushy throwback haircut, Mosley looks like he could be 30 years old. His mature approach to the game and wideshouldered frame might suggest the same. But when he cracks his almost perpetual smile, the essence of the teenager inside shines through.

While he says he does no special exercises for coordination, Mosley demonstrates the hasty hands of a hibachi chef, constantly jabbing at the ball when an opposing player has it. But through all his poking, he has yet to foul out or even face serious foul trouble recently, even as he’s garnering close to 30 minutes per game the last two weeks.

“He’s definitely a pest,” forward

Guard Sean Mosley looks older than the typical freshman, and his game exhibits a similar maturity. ADAM FRIED/THE DIAMONDBACK

Landon Milbourne said endearingly. “Guys don’t really want a part of him, he plays so physical. He plays physical without fouling, and that’s what’s so good about him.”

When an offensive player has the ball between Mosley and the hoop, the freshman’s patented move has been a reach-around poke. Sometimes, the move draws a whistle.

Other times, it creates a Terp steal.

He may be young, but Mosley is quickly learning what he can and cannot get away with. “[Mosley] never fouls — he never

touches anybody,” Williams quipped. “I think good players get a sense of how the game is being called. You have to, because there is contact on every play from everybody. So it’s judging how much contact the referee is going to let you get away with and where’s the line.

Good defensive players pick up on that pretty quickly.”

At practice one day toward the beginning of the season, when the Terps’ frontcourt situation was still unresolved, Williams told the team that whoever comes in and gets

rebounds is going to start.

“He was directing that toward post players,” Milbourne said, “but I think [Mosley] kind of took that upon himself to just go in there and get every single rebound that came off the board. It’s tough to block him out. He just fights every time.”

Indeed, Mosley eventually became a regular starter, replacing junior Eric Hayes four games ago.

The Terps are 3-1 since that switch.

If there’s a statistic Mosley accumulates that may pop out from the box score some games, it’s either steals or offensive rebounds.

Against the Hokies, he had three of each, two of the swipes happening within 25 seconds of one another.

When Virginia Tech players Jeff Allen and Terrell Bell grabbed rebounds on consecutive trips down the floor, Mosley waited for them to land and then reached in and jerked the ball out of their grips.

“With Sean, he’s always working,” Williams said. “So percentagewise, he’s going to get a piece of the ball sooner or later, because his hands are always working. His hands might not be faster than another guy, but since he’s always digging, he’s gonna get his share.”

Back in November, Mosley, the reigning Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year, was asked about adjusting from being superstar in high school to a role player in college.

Though he tallied 2,933 points in his career (second most in state history) and led St. Frances Academy to a Baltimore Catholic League championship, Mosley didn’t see it that way.

“In high school, I wouldn’t call myself a superstar,” he said. “I still was a role player. I was a leader, and that was my role to play.”

As his career progresses, Mosley will be called upon to score more and fill up that box score. When the older Terps leave, he might be the star of his team again, just as he was in high school.

But don’t expect his gritty, kneesto-the-hardwood style to fade.

“Even in high school, he was diving on the floor for loose balls, getting down with the big guys, getting some rebounds,” forward Dave Neal said. “He loves contact, even in practice.”

If only there was a stat like that listed in the box score. mseligdbk@gmail.com

10

THE DIAMONDBACK | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009

Sports

AP Men’s College Basketball Poll Top 10 School 1. Connecticut 2. Oklahoma 3. North Carolina 4. Pittsburgh 5. Memphis

Record

Prev.

(24-1) (25-1) (23-2) (23-2) (22-3)

1 2 3 4 8

School 6. Michigan State 7. Louisville 8. Wake Forest 9. Duke 10. Marquette

Record

Prev.

(20-4) (19-5) (19-4) (20-5) (21-4)

9 5 7 6 10

CAN’T KNOCK THE

HUSTLE

Freshman Sean Mosley’s contributions this season cannot be measured with traditional statistics

BY MARK SELIG Senior staff writer

Marissa Coleman and the Terps are playing outstanding basketball lately and appear to be championship contenders. JACLYN BOROWSKI/THE DIAMONDBACK

Women’s team has staying power GREG

SCHIMMEL

I

t’s funny how in consecutive days, you can watch the two Terrapin basketball teams accomplish similar things yet have completely different feelings about where each is headed.

Both the Terp men’s and women’s teams earned workman-like victories at Comcast Center this weekend. The men have won three out of four, and the women have won five in a row.

But while the men are about to

Terrapin men’s basketball guard Sean Mosley is not a stat guy. On a fantasy college basketball team, the freshman wouldn’t be of much value.

Pure numbers indicate Mosley is a mediocre freshman with minimal impact on his team’s success. Watching

PHOTO BY ADAM FRIED/THE DIAMONDBACK

run into a season-threatening scheduling buzz saw that starts tonight at No. 13 Clemson, the ladies’ success should have some staying power.

“We just want to take advantage of every opportunity we have in practice and in games,” guard Kristi Toliver said. “It’s sad that it’s kind of winding down, but there are potentially a lot of games that are left to be played.”

The Rutgers team the Terp women stymied Sunday isn’t nearly as good as the Scarlet Knight squad that went to the National Championship game in 2007 or as good as the team that beat the Terps early last season on its way to the Elite Eight.

Please See SCHIMMEL, Page 9

SENIOR GRADUATION PORTRAITS

T

he 2009 TERRAPIN YEARBOOK, in association with Carl Wolf Studios, will be taking graduation portraits the week of February 23-27, 2009. Although it is TOO LATE for these pictures to be included in the 2009 TERRAPIN, many of you called to request this portrait session.

There is absolutely NO cost or obligation on your part. Several poses will be taken, both with and without cap and gown, if you prefer. You will then have an opportunity to purchase portraits at a reasonable charge.

You may make an appointment by calling 1-800-687-9327, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. until Friday, February 20th, or schedule your appointment on the net! Visit our site at www.ouryear.com using Maryland’s school code: 87101.

Beginning Monday, Feb. 23rd, appointments can be made by calling the Terrapin office at (301) 314-8349 between 11 a.m.–7 p.m.

DATES: February 23-27, 2009 • One Week Only!!

TIME: 11am-7pm PLACE: 3101 South Campus Dining Hall (TERRAPIN YEARBOOK Office) PHONE: 1-800-687-9327 or www.ouryear.com School code: 87101

him play night in and night out refutes that assumption. The Terps (16-8, 5-5 ACC) are counting on him to do those things that belie the box score and be a ball-hawk once again tonight at Clemson (20-4, 6-4), final statistics be damned.

“The effort plays that Sean Mosley gives you throughout

Please See MOSLEY, Page 9

Terps vs. Clemson Where: Clemson, S.C. When: Tonight, 7:30 p.m.

TV: ESPN2

SPECIAL EDITION

TUESDAY

FEBRUARY 17, 2009

SPRING Career Guide

FACING THE RED Students say the weakening economy puts a damper on post-college plans | PAGE 2

2

THE DIAMONDBACK | SPRING CAREER GUIDE | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009

Weak economy worries graduating students Internships, networking, work experience help students obtain jobs during recession

BY SARA NEWMAN For The Diamondback

With the passage of a $787 billion economic stimulus bill and an unemployment rate that last month rose to a 16year high of 7.6 percent, college seniors say they are feeling particularly anxious about the tanking economy, as many have seen their postgraduate plans impeded by an everdwindling job market.

A student’s employment security following graduation “depends on [his or her] major,” said Hassan Ibrahim, a professor at the business school. “Students are getting one to two job offers as opposed to three to four in other years.”

Regardless of what shape the economy is in, there isn’t much luck for graduates with-

out internships under their belt, according to Ibrahim.

Real work experience, taking part in campus activities and performing community service are key to getting a job after graduation, he added.

“Our department has something unique,” Ibrahim said.

“Students usually join a consulting firm in their senior year, so they work with real clients and have real work experience.”

The business school helps its students when it comes to getting experience by demonstrating how to build strong resumés and secure jobs. On Feb. 10, the business school held a networking dinner for the Accelerated Finance Fellows.

“Recent alums and other finance professionals were matched as ‘mentors’ with

Account Executive Seeking College Grads Entry Level Sales/Marketing Must be Ambitious, Leader, Great Student, and looking for Growth. Work with Fortune 100 Client doing presentations and analysis. Opportunity to travel, Great Pay. Call Colleen at 410-252-6430.

undergraduate fellows,” said business school professor Elinda Kiss.

“There were more than 100 [people] in attendance,” Kiss said. Students are nervous about the market for jobs and want opportunities for advice, Kiss added.

However, regardless of the

amount of hands-on experience and networking opportunities available, some seniors are still concerned about their postgraduate success. “[The recession] has created a whole new set of worries,” said senior English major Charles Sebian-Lander.

“It’s harder to figure out

where you want to go because jobs are limited. ... I can’t be that kid living off my parents forever.”

Others aren’t as deterred by the recession. “[Business school students] are led to believe that upon

Please See JOB, Page 4

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009 | SPRING CAREER GUIDE | THE DIAMONDBACK

3

Temp agencies provide new job options Students find alternative work to build resumés, earn money during breaks

BY DANA CETRONE For The Diamondback

If the prospect of waiting tables or scanning groceries at a minimum-wage job seems like an unappealing way to spend your summer, temporary employment agencies can offer alternative ways, such as administrative opportunities, to beef up your resumé.

“I think it’s great for getting experience during breaks from school — definitely better than working retail or fast food,” said sophomore architecture major Tori McGoogan, who found summer work through a temporary agency.

“I worked in an office, mostly just organizing files, but it actually turned out to be more of an experience of being in the real office working world, seeing it for the first time as a young adult,” she said.

These agencies provide job opportunities lasting from one day to several weeks to a few months for students looking to make money during summer break.

“Temp agencies are a great tool for students,” Holly Kaiser, a staffing consultant at Express Employment Professionals, said. “We know [students] have good skills and the motivation.”

Agencies usually require a computer skills test and an interview. Then the agency calls when a job comes along that could benefit from a worker’s specific skills.

Filing, reception, data entry and administrative assistant duties are frequent jobs for temporary employees.

“The work was fairly relaxing, and I got paid well,” junior accounting major Kara Goldman said of her personal experience with a temporary agency.

Temp agencies provide a different option for students on the brink of graduation who are unsure of what path to take with their careers.

Students can get a foot in the door in the job market and gain contacts that could later lead to employment.

In addition, employees who show proficiency on the job can get an offer from the company and become permanent employees.

“This summer I started at one company, and they ended up liking me, so they kept me the whole summer,” Goldman said.

Andrea Solomon of TRAK Services in Washington said, “I think when you graduate, you’re not sure what direction you want to go in, but by temping you can find where you can excel, and in the current economic climate there are not as many entry-level jobs.”

“We coach [students] on

interviewing, resumés, how to keep their jobs and what to do on the job,” Solomon added.

Senior psychology and criminology major Victoria Easthope temped in a legal office in Washington.

“I think it better prepared me for the corporate world

and the work ethics of an office,” Easthope said. “I got to see how an office runs and the hierarchy of personnel. ...

It turned out to be in the Revenue Accounting Department and I’m an accounting major, so that was nice.” newsdesk.dbk@gmail.com

THE DIAMONDBACK ESTABLISHED 1910

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MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS

©2009

READER INFORMATION EDITORIAL OFFICE: 3150 South Campus Dining Hall, University of Maryland, College Park, Md., 20742 HOURS: Noon to midnight, Sunday through Thursday PHONE: (301) 314-8200 FAX: (301) 314-8358 E-MAIL: newsdesk@dbk.umd.edu CONTACTS: News: Kevin Robillard Opinion: Ben Slivnick and Mardy Shualy Sports: Adi Joseph Diversions: Rudi Greenberg and Zack Herrmann Comments, complaints and corrections: Steven Overly, editor in chief.

ADVERTISING: OFFICE: 3136 South Campus Dining Hall, University of Maryland, College Park Md., 20742 HOURS: 9:30 a.m.to 4:30 p.m.,

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SUBSCRIPTIONS: COST: Available by first-class mail for $210 per year PHONE: (301) 314-8000 CONTACT: Maggie Levy, business manager.

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POLICIES: The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use or reproduction of all materials as well as all AP dispatches.

To obtain permission to reprint an article, fax your request to Kevin Litten, editor in chief, at (301) 3148358.

ABOUT: The Diamondback is an independent student newspaper, in no way affiliated with the campus or state.

Maryland Media Inc. is a nonprofit organization of student publications at the University’s College Park campus. It is in no way affiliated with the campus or state.

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4

THE DIAMONDBACK | SPRING CAREER GUIDE | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009

Not all students phased by current recession JOB, from Page 2 highly marketable; we therefore have a high level of confidence in our ability to obtain positions at prestigious companies,” Katie Erwine, a senior accounting major, said.

She added, however, that many began the year having offers from companies they interned with over the summer.

“Because these offers were given at the end of the sum-

2009 SPECIAL EDUCATION RECRUITMENT FAIR Friday, February 27, 2009 10:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. Holiday Inn

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9615 Deereco Road, Timonium Maryland We are recruiting to fill these positions for the 2009-2010 school year:

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If you wish to expedite the application process, visit the Baltimore County Public Schools website – www.bcps.org/offices/personnel/ then click on forms/applications on the left side of the screen. You may print the Teacher application, complete it, and bring it with you to the recruitment fair.

“I have not personally heard of any graduates losing their job offers due to layoffs.”

Mark Kenyon CAREER CENTER ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

mer, many seniors, like myself,

have not been forced to acknowledge the deepening unemployment crisis in our country,” Erwine said.

For others, it’s not the economy that worries them.

“Most of the conversations I’ve had involve a lack of direction and fear of going nowhere in life,” said senior communication major Heidi Shaffer. “My uncertainty comes from not knowing how my passions, gift[s] and interests fit together into a package

that meets a need somewhere.”

Mark Kenyon, an associate director at the Career Center, said, “I have not personally heard of any graduates losing their job offers due to layoffs.

But the threat of layoffs just reinforces that point that graduates should start their job search early, be flexible in the types of positions and employers they’re looking into.” newsdesk.dbk@gmail.com

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009 | SPRING CAREER GUIDE | THE DIAMONDBACK

5

Paid internships scarce in poor economy O’Rourke: ‘Take the experience now and the money will come later in the form of a career’

BY MICHELLE CHAN For The Diamondback

With the economy in a slump and summer a few months away, many students are finding that internship opportunities are scarce. And in case the threat of sitting on the couch all summer long wasn’t scary enough, students are having an even harder time finding internships that pay them for their work.

Neil Shah, a graduate student studying telecommunications and business management, found his search was limited in the current economic climate.

This difficulty, coupled with his foreign student visa, forced Shah to delay his graduation from May to August so he would have time to find a paid internship.

“There are many internships that are unpaid in small corporations and non-profits organiza-

tions,” Shah said. “The location near Washington, D.C., makes conditions very difficult for international students because many of these jobs require a security clearance, whereas for many of my friends in other states like New York, there are many technology firms, so they get more chances.”

Attitudes at the Career Center aren’t so grim. There, students can get help finding parttime work, internships and jobs after graduation. Students can also get advice on choosing a major and deciding if graduate school is the right option for them, according to the Center’s website.

“Coming to events like the Spring Career Fair will allow students to meet face-to-face with employers and ask them about their internship programs,” Megan O’Rourke, the internship coordinator at the Career Center, said.

“Many students find that some of the best internship experiences have been unpaid. ... It’s really important to remember that an internship can give you two things: a learning experience and/or money. ... Take the experience now and the money will come later in the form of a career,” O’Rourke said.

In addition to the Career Center, the university also offers panels and workshops through different colleges to help students in search of work.

Lindsey Kopps, a sophomore marketing major, recently attended Project Intern, a workshop sponsored by the Office of Career Management. She was surprised when a recruiter told her that as a sophomore, it was too early for her to be looking for internships.

“I was really surprised, because I thought that the earlier you start, the better,” Kopps said, after being told her searches

were unlikely to be fruitful.

Despite the help that is out there, many students still find their options limited, as they can’t afford to take on internships that don’t pay.

“I don’t really look into the unpaid internships,” Tubah Sultan, a sophomore accounting major, said. “I really need the money. It’s not that I don’t volunteer my time, but for the extent of summer, I need to earn money for school.”

O’Rourke said students could “consider taking on a part-time job at night and on weekends, manage your budget and find roommates.”

Melissa Oguamanam, a junior geography major, said she searched for five months before finding and securing a stipend internship in her field.

“I think it’s hard to get internships,” Oguamanam said. “It was hard and took a lot of effort to apply, to write the essays,

send the transcripts.

Other paid internships are out there for students, if they are looking in the right places.

Business school professor Colin Linsley said internships for students interested in accounting are available.

“The CPA firms are very, very keen to get interns in their junior year, and they’re well-paid internships, too,” Linsley said.

He added that these firms’ main purpose in offering junioryear internships was to eventually provide promising interns with job offers.

“It’s a good situation because you go through your senior year knowing you’re set, getting invited to Christmas parties, knowing the people in the company, keeping up contacts. Of course, they don’t want you to look for another job,” Linsley said. newsdesk.dbk@gmail.com

6

THE DIAMONDBACK | SPRING CAREER GUIDE | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009

Back to basics with bartending School on Route 1 teaches the how-to of mixing drinks

BY JAMES B. HALE Staff writer

Mea Elliott’s bar is more like a playhouse than a real bar. The ice cubes are plastic, the cherries are fake and the booze is colored water. Her job isn’t getting people intoxicated; it’s teaching people how to make alcoholic beverages.

Elliot is the owner of Bartender of America Bartending School, located on Route 1, where people can learn to serve up drinks. She helps inexperienced people become skilled bartenders in 10 classes.

There are certain skills necessary to be a bartender, she said. A knowledge of drinks and an ability to pour them is obvious, but knowing how to deal with customers and the hectic bar environment is also important. The program costs $500 to obtain certification.

“You just need the basics,” Elliott said. “We try to equip

“You just need the basics. We try to equip students with just what they need to do the job effectively.”

MEA ELLIOTT BARTENDER OF AMERICA OWNER

students with just what they need to do the job effectively.”

After passing the final class at the school, which requires pouring 16 drinks in seven minutes, students receive state certifications that show employers they know what they’re doing, she said.

Gregory Maley, a former Bartender of America student who is now an instructor at the school, said the experience helped him land a job at Olive Garden in Hyattsville.

Maley, a real estate agent

who began bartending to make extra money, said the school gives him an edge over other bartenders who might not know how to make some of the drinks he does or deal with customers in the same way.

“Making drinks is easier if you have practical knowledge,” he said.

He said the classes aren’t too difficult but require a lot of memorization. Some drinks he still struggles with, however: A Bahama Mama, for example, is his ultimate weakness.

He said, though, he’s a pro at making other drinks.

“I got a compliment on my Zombie last night,” Maley said.

Sophomore environmental policy major Randy Mintz, who is not a student at the bartending school, said the training might be more useful at more upscale establishments, but not for College Park bars.

Please See BARTEND, Page 7

Mea Elliott, owner of Route 1 bartending school, Bartending of America , pours a fake drink at the bartending school’s faux bar.

JAMES B. HALE/THE DIAMONDBACK

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009 | SPRING CAREER GUIDE | THE DIAMONDBACK

7

Gemmell: ‘Bartending school is a waste of time’ BARTEND, from Page 6

Instructor and former student Gregory Maley pours a Bahama Mama at Bartender of America. JAMES B. HALE/THE DIAMONDBACK

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“I think it’s a good idea,” he said. “People have to learn to bartend somewhere.”

Although bartending school can be a great tool, some say they find it expensive and unnecessary to work behind a bar.

Senior operations management major Jannette Williams said the school is better for those truly passionate about bartending.

“It seems a little excessive,” she said. “I wouldn’t pay $500.”

Joe Gemmell, a bartender at Cornerstone Grill and Loft, said he got his job after working his way up from waiting tables. He said he learned all he knows about serving drinks from other bartenders during his first few shifts on the job.

“Bartending school is a waste of time,” Gemmell said. “Most places train you themselves.”

Gemmell’s manager, Brian Lambert, said he doesn’t necessarily look for people who have experience from bartending schools. He said the outside training is a plus, but won’t guarantee somebody a job at Cornerstone.

Lambert said he rarely even

“People have to learn how to bartend somewhere.”

RANDY MINTZ SOPHOMORE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY MAJOR

sees applicants who have been to bartending school, but even if he did, they still might have to start waiting tables or working security.

Knowing how to make strange drinks, or improvise if you don’t, is a big part of the job, Elliott said.

The bar scene is hectic, and you never know what might happen next, but that’s what makes the job so exciting, she said. Being a bartender is all about serving people, and learning the craft requires a lot of practice.

“It’s just a lot of repetition, doing it over and over,” Elliott said. “This is the time where you come in and practice, get your feet wet.” newsdesk.dbk@gmail.com

Gregory Maley, an instructor and former student, strains a drink at Bartender of America. JAMES B. HALE/THE DIAMONDBACK

8

THE DIAMONDBACK | SPRING CAREER GUIDE | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009