February 18, 2015

Page 1

The University of Maryland’s Independent Student Newspaper

W E D N E S DAY, F E B R UA R Y 1 8 , 2 015

Facilities staff spend day shoveling Powdery snow made for easier day removal By Jeremy Snow @JeremyM_Snow Senior staff writer As students celebrated the semester’s first snow day yesterday, Facilities Management worked for

hours to clear the light and powdery snow that covered campus roads and sidewalks. The announcement to close the university came at 10:12 p.m. Monday. Earlier in the day, officials on the campus decided to close at 3 p.m. to allow Facilities Management to prepare for the cleanup. Four to 5 inches of dry, light snow fell consistently through Monday

night, covering the campus, William Monan, landscape and arboretum and horticultural services associate director, wrote in an email. The snow’s texture made shoveling and plowing easier to clear the areas effectively. At 6 a.m. yesterday, trucks began treating roads with salt because it was previously too cold for the materials to start working. By the afternoon, surrounding roads were in

good condition, Monan wrote. Facilities Management teams worked throughout the day shoveling snow off stairs and pathways, and a small salt crew worked through the night to prevent ice from forming on paths. Outside parking lots were all cleared by yesterday afternoon as well. See facilities, Page 2

an art house could fill the vacant Barking Dog space as a cafe and arts venue in a publicprivate partnership. courtesy of msr design

Art house plan draws criticism

FLURRIES OF FURY

Arts students, faculty voice concerns about fundraising, planning By Danielle Ohl @DTOhl Senior staff writer After the announcement that a new art-based restaurant, bar and performance space could fill the vacant Barking Dog location, some members of the university community have voiced concerns that the project could distract from badly needed fundraising in the theatre, dance and performance studies school. The project, which would be a public-private partnership with this university and the Philadelphia music venue MilkBoy, could provide a space for live performances, food and drink by next spring. University officials hope to fund the project through public and state grants, though no plan has been solidified. “I f a lot of energ y on t h is campus is going toward donors giving towards an art house and

brendan lockharT, a senior physics major, leads an attack during yesterday’s massive snowball fight on McKeldin Mall. Visit dbknews.com for more photos from the snow day.

“WE THREW SNOWBALLS AT PEOPLE, AND AT ONE POINT, A GUY HAD A FLAG IN HIS HAND AND WE ENDED UP CHARGING BEHIND HIM YELLING, ‘CHARGE!’” KAITLYN HALLER, Freshman hearing and speech sciences major

See CLARICE, Page 2

Univ researchers develop cheaper, less painful vaccines

City manager retires after over 25 years as gov official

System sends antigens with soap bubble tech By Joe Zimmermann @JoeMacZim Senior staff writer

By Alessia Grunberger @thedbk For The Diamondback Minutes before a College Park City Council meeting this month, City Manager Joe Nagro leaned back in his chair and read a handwritten thank-you note he received from a city resident. The note read, “I remember when there used to be discontent between the city and the university.” Though Nagro did not know the sender, the corners of his mouth curled upward as he read on — knowing that the relationship between city residents and university officials and students has changed since he became city

joe nagro helped lead College Park for the past 25 years. He will retire in June. manager in 2005. After serving the city for more than 25 years, the longtime resident and city official announced at the Jan. 13 City Council meeting that he would retire in June. Nagro, 69, has an “everyman” personality, City Planner Terry Schum said, and some colleagues and students said he has been an agent of

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change for the city. At that meeting, College Park Mayor Andy Fellows said the city was experiencing “rough, rocky times” when Nagro first became city manager, but Nagro bailed out the city from a transition period of turmoil among leadership, he said. See NAGRO, Page 3

Aside from the public debate about side effects some attribute to vaccines, the day-to-day use of immunizations against bacterial disease and viral infection means expensive preparation for companies and sore arms for patients. But two professors at this university are developing a method that could solve both problems and begin a new paradigm for vaccination. Their idea: vaccine delivery via soap bubbles. Chemistry professor Phillip DeShong and cell biology and molecular genetics professor Daniel

Stein said they used their combined knowledge of different fields to synthesize bubbles of soap-like nanoparticles that are coated with antigens. This should allow the immune system to be exposed to the antigens of viruses and diseases in a safer way, they said. The two founded SD Nanosciences in 2006 through the Office of Technology Commercialization, which helps researchers at this university commercialize their technology by establishing startup companies. In recent years, they have increased their focus on this vaccine technology and found more success, DeShong said. “You get a shot, what’s the first thing that happens? Your arm swells up. It gets hot. That’s reactogenicity,” DeShong said.

Celebrate the fine art of basketball. See vaccines, Page 3

Celebrate the fine art of basketball.

SPORTS

OPINION

CAN THEY KEEP IT ROLLING?

BULMAN: Interpretations of the past

Celebrate the fine art of basketball. The Terps men’s lacrosse team hopes it can find an offensive rhythm this year and sustain it, unlike in previous seasons P. 8

Separating history from politics for present state of democracy P. 4 DIVERSIONS

WHY THE STAMP HILL IS THE WORST It’s bad in warm weather, but worse in the winter months P. 6 The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is proud to support Maryland Basketball.

Go Terps!

Celebrate the fine art

of basketball.

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is proud to support Maryland Basketball.

Go Terps!


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