February 26, 2015

The University of Maryland’s Independent Student Newspaper

T H U R S DAY, F E B R UA R Y 2 6 , 2 0 15

Business school to launch 50-50 plan Administrators aim to increase proportion of female MBA candidates to half of program students

By Talia Richman @TaliRichman Senior staff writer

of her classes seemed hesitant to raise their hands in a room where about 70 percent of students were men.

“If the class was closer to 50-50, women would probably feel more During Jennifer Long’s first secomfortable because they may feel mester in the business school, she remembers some of the women in one like there’s someone in the room who

has a similar opinion,” said Long, now a second-year business administration graduate student.

Long’s thought process aligns with the business school’s new initiative aiming to increase the portion of female MBA students to 50 percent by 2020, the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in the United States.

“We believe that women have cer-

tainly come a long way, but there’s a lot more places where women need to make progress in order for women to really have a strong voice in areas that really impacts their life,” said Joyce Russell, business school vice dean and leader of the Women’s Initiative Board, the panel that is pioneering the effort.

See mba, Page 3 Charmaine Wilson-Jones, SGA vice president of academic affairs, speaks at the SGA meeting on Jan. 28. stephanie natoli/the diamondback

bleeding the state dry

U students weigh in on Obama idea Big Ten students form workgroups to address federal college ratings

Winter weather causes area drive cancellations, heightens demand for blood

By Taylor Swaak @tswaak27 Staff writer An Association of Big Ten Students committee sent feedback to the U.S. Education Department on Feb. 16, highlighting areas of potential improvement for President Obama’s proposed federal college ratings system.

The committee — consisting of five student government delegates from this university, the University of Minnesota, Ohio State University, the University of Iowa and Michigan State University — weighed in on the proposal, which aims to measure college success by evaluating the access, affordability and outcomes of institutions across the country, according to the department’s proposal.

“We felt as the body of Big Ten institutions that we had a duty to give our own comment in regards to this proposal, because it’s

By Morgan Eichensehr @MEichensehr Staff writer Sophomore Khaleed Robinson went to Stamp Student Union yesterday, rolled up his sleeve and donated blood, helping out the American Medical Student Association-hosted emergency blood drive.

“When you see the word ‘emergency,’ that will usually bring people out,” said Robinson, an economics major. “It’s something I think we should all strive to do, and we can do it pretty easily.”

Several area blood drives were canceled due to the freezing temperatures and poor weather conditions the state has experienced this month, prompting an emergency See blood, Page 2

Conor Briggi, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, gets blood drawn at the emergency drive hosted by the American Medical Student Association yesterday in Stamp Student Union. The event helped compensate for several blood drives that were cancelled due to inclement weather. stephanie natoli/the diamondback

Social issues poll reveals lack of interest in identity topics

Poverty, environment trump gender, LGBTQ

By Lexie Schapitl @lexieschapitl Staff writer

A university survey of freshman interest in social issues found respondents were most willing to work toward protecting the environment, reducing poverty and advancing education and least willing to work toward LGBTQ equity.

T he Ca mpus Assessment Working Group administered the survey in the fall of 2013, analyzed its results in spring 2014 and presented its findings at a forum Wednesday.

The survey received responses from 1,705 freshmen in introduc-

tory courses, such as UNIV100: The Student in the University, HONR100: Honors Colloquium and ENGL101: Academic Writing, about six social issues. Forty-two percent of the freshmen submitted responses.

Reducing poverty, promoting equal access to education, and protecting the environment and natural resources consistently received the highest levels of interest. Promoting racial understanding, gender equality and LGBTQ equity, more identity-based issues, received lower levels of interest.

When respondents were asked to choose one issue to work on, 29 percent chose the environment while 13 percent chose race, 8 percent chose gender equality and 5 percent chose LGBTQ equity.

Ori Gutin, sustainability director for the Student Government See issues, Page 2

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‘This is me; this is who I am’ Black Monologues event highlights racial identity, univ diversity

By Lexie Schapitl @lexieschapitl Staff writer When sophomore Mandla “Kosi” Dunn walks along Knox Road at night, he said he ties up his dreadlocks “as not to stir fever or fire from sorority girls.”

When he plays rap music in his dorm lounge, Dunn said he often fears the reactions from his white peers.

He also fears being stereotyped and left out of study groups.

The individual studies major said

SPORTS MINCY’S WINDING CAREER NEARS END

Jason Nkwain, a senior engineering major, speaks to the audience while performing at the Black Monologues event in Hoff Theater in Stamp Student Unio- yesterday. sung-min kim/the diamondback during the Black Monologues 2015 last night in Hoff Theater that these are some challenges black students might face. Ten black participants presented monologues about identity, race issues on the campus and current events.

Chief Diversity Officer Kumea Shorter-Gooden said the monologues offered black students a space to express their identity and share their experiences.

“W hen one’s experiences are

Celebrate the fine art of basketball.

The Terps women’s basketball team will honor guard Laurin Mincy on Senior Night tonight, a little more than two years after she suffered her second ACL tear P. 8

marginal, or if one feels marginalized or stigmatized, sometimes it doesn’t feel safe to say, ‘This is me. This is who I am,’” she said.

“The monologues are a wonderful opportunity for our community to hear from black students, staff [and] faculty about what it means to be black, what it feels like, what it looks like, what people experience on a day-to-day basis.”

Celebrate the fine ar of basketball.

See monologue, Page 3

Celebrate the fine art of basketball.

OPINION

STAFF EDITORIAL: Improving charter schools Hogan’s bill will innovate education throughout the state P. 4

DIVERSIONS

BYE-BYE LI’L SEBASTIAN Saying a fond farewell to Parks and Recreation 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!

2

THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | THURSDAY, February 26, 2015

issues

blood

From PAGE 1

From PAGE 1 blood situation and a void in daily collection numbers, according to Rebecca Manarchuck, marketing manager for I nova Blood Donor Services.

“As a major suppl ier of blood and blood products to hospitals in the Washington, DC, metro area, IBDS must collect more than 250 units of blood daily,” Manarchuck w rote i n a n ema i l. “With 60-70% of our blood being collected in the field at local blood drives, it’s advantageous for our organization to reach out to large community partners like UMD to help boost our inventory.”

This university’s AMSA c h ap te r te a m e d u p w it h Inova Blood Donor Services and collected about 87 units of blood from people at this university yesterday to help make up for the loss.

Rebecca Xi, AMSA’s copresident, sa id the g roup has worked with Inova a few times since 2013, but this blood drive was unplanned until Inova reached out to say it needed blood as soon as possible.

“We received an urgent email from Inova [about two weeks] ago that a previous organization that was scheduled to host Wednesday’s blood drive had canceled,” Xi said, “and that Inova really needed our help.”

X i said she was amazed that AMSA was able to pull the drive together during the past two weeks, and by yesterday morning, they had about 104 people pre-registered to donate, surpassing the original goal of 65.

R ic Ma rti n, a n accou nt manager for Inova, said there is a constant blood shortage in the country and it’s helpful when Inova can to come to a site that draws a lot of potential donors. While about

BY THE NUMBERS

Freshman eMILY DAHL, left, an early childhood education major, participates in the emergency blood drive hosted by the American Medical Student Association. stephanie natoli/the diamondback 39 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood, about 5 percent of people do, he said.

Inova added extra incentives for this blood drive to get more people to donate, such as offering free shirts and a raffle for gift cards, Xi said. Students were able to make donations for the supplier in three ways: by donating whole units of blood, which can only be done every eight months, by donating ju st pl a sm a or pl atelets, which can be used to stabilize burn and trauma victims and to assist cancer patients.

“Blood d rives a re g reat b ec au se t hey a l low b u sy c ol l e ge s t u d e nt s to p a rticipate in meaningful service right inside Stamp and only take about an hour out of their schedules,” Xi s a i d . “ We , a s s t u d e n t s , are studying and working hard to eventually improve our futures and the lives of those around us, but blood drives serve as reminders that we can make a direct impact now.”

Junior biology major and AMSA member John Lee said

he thinks anyone who is able to donate blood should do so.

“A steady blood supply helps to keep people alive,” Lee said. “Plus, I get to know that someone is getting my blood and, just maybe, I’m helping save a life.”

One unit of blood could save up to three lives, Manarchuck wrote. Inova will also notify donors when their blood has been used, which Xi said could make the experience more real and rewarding.

“There is no substitute for blood,” Manarchuck wrote.

“It can only come from one source, a volunteer blood donor, and the students donating today are helping to save lives, one pint at a time.” meichensehrdbk@gmail.com

HOT NEWT ARTIS

.

K r e t Por

Association, said he has engaged with many students who are passionate about the environment and willing to dedicate their time and effort toward the cause.

“I’m not that surprised, but it’s great to hear that confirmed,” said Gutin, a ju n ior env i ron menta l science and policy major.

“The sustainability minor is the most popular minor on campus, and that’s only been around about two and a half years. … I think that’s a really strong indicator of how interested students are in the topic.”

This university’s Pride Alliance President Camille Veselka said based on her observations, student interest in LGBTQ issues is increasing, but might not be a priority for many.

“A lot of those issues hit home more for more people than LGBT does,” she said. ”Usually you’re not too concerned about it unless you are LGBT or you’re very close to someone who is.”

She said increased media attention or visibility of student organizations could help to raise awareness.

CAWG administers a beginning student survey on a different topic each fall.

The group picked social issues in 2013 because Sheri Parks, an American studies professor, approached the

29 percent Amount of freshmen who chose the environment as an issue to work on.

13 percent Amount of freshmen who chose race as an issue to work on.

8 percent Amount of freshmen who chose gender as an issue to work on.

5 percent Amount of freshmen who chose LGBTQ equity as an issue to work on. group about incorporating students’ interests into curricula to engage them in social work.

S o p h o m o re c h e m i s t r y major Chris Ma said he is interested in poverty, global health and the environment, and he would take a class that incorporates these issues.

However, he said program requirements would make this difficult.

“If there’s a way to make that class fit my schedule, then I would definitely take it,” Ma said.

At the forum, attendees and presenters noted that many different factors could influence respondents’ choices, including their interpretation of the questions and their own demographic identities.

“The majority of us don’t have as much of a personal sta ke i n t he pover ty a nd access to education,” said attendee Ashley Wray, a freshman enrolled in letters and sciences. “We don’t know as

much about them.”

Wayne Taliaferro, a CAWG member and research analyst, wondered whether the results of the survey indicated that students see racial, gender or LGBTQ issues as issues of the past. LGBTQ Equity Center Director Luke Jensen agreed.

“I’m hearing all the time: ‘LGBTQ, well you have marriage now; what else is there?”

Jensen said.

Joann Prosser of CAWG said the group is confident with its results, but people should use caution when making generalizations, especially concerning their response about LGBTQ issues.

“Is it a red f lag? I would say no. I would say the opposite, that it’s optimistic,” Prosser said. “If we could figure out creative ways to ha rness the power of the freshman class to work on a social issue, we could potentially move the needle.” lschapitldbk@gmail.com

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3

Palestinian writer visits campus to discuss Arab challenges, identity Sayed Kashua, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, addresses about 80 at Stamp

By Morgan Eichensehr @MEichensehr Staff writer W hen Sayed K ashua, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, moved his kids from their Jewish schools in Jerusalem to a public school in Champaign, Illinois, it surprised him that the school’s registration forms had no race option for Arab, Jewish or Israeli.

He asked an official which race he should be identified as, and she told him to say he is white.

“I c a n not rea l ly rel ate to home as a sa fe place,” Kashua said. “And I didn’t

ratings From PAGE 1 something that could have a large effect on all of our schools,” said Charmaine Wilson-Jones, Student Government Association vice president of academic affairs.

T he depa r t ment gat hered feedback for the ratings system proposal — which focuses heavily on financial aid and access — between September 2013 and Feb. 17.

The proposal and opportunity for public comment first came to the attention of K.C. Perlberg, the vice president for governmental affairs for the Associated Students of Michigan State University.

Perlberg said he sought out the support of the ABTS, proposing a bill at its January meeting to create a committee to review the proposal. The bill passed, and the resulting committee spent about three to four weeks collaborating through conference calls, G oogle Docs a nd ema i ls, Wilson-Jones said.

T he committee focused on en s u r i n g t he met r ic s u s e d to m e a s u re c ol le ge success a re fa i r a nd consistent across institutions.

“There’s a financial aspect of [the proposal], where the metrics would be involving average levels of debt, number of Pell Grant recipients, the cost of college at a specific university,” said Nicholas Wilson, director of legislative affairs for the Association of Big Ten Students and a policy adviser for the Minnesota Student Association. “There are also metrics

want [my kids] to feel just like me, that they should always be ready to lose their home.

It’s really very difficult when it comes to kids.”

K ashua, a w riter a nd author best known for his satirical Hebrew column for Israeli newspaper Haaretz, spoke to a crowd of about 80 c om mu n it y m e m b e rs and university students and staff last night in the Prince G eorge’s Room at Sta mp Student Un ion. D u r i ng a discussion presented by the Gi lden hor n I n st it ute for Israel Studies, the creator of the Israeli TV show Arab Labor discussed challeng-

used in this ratings system that measure more of the institutional value of the different colleges and universities, which we are a little cautious to approve or be in favor of, as they can become arbitrary.”

Wilson-Jones said the main concern of the committee was the proposal’s suggestion to use the number of graduate school attendants and labor market success as two metrics in the ratings system.

“T hat would affect s c ho ol s ve r y d i f fe re nt ly because certain disciplines don’t necessa r i ly wa nt graduate school attendance to go further in their field,” Wilson-Jones said, noting a similar issue for the labor market. “Different disciplines have different rates of success in the labor market, and are just affected differently in the labor market.”

Solutions proposed in the committee’s feedback included focusing on the percentages of graduate students who apply to graduate school and get in instead, as well as avoiding blanket measures that don’t account for differences between schools, such as labor market success, Wilson-Jones said.

Perlberg said the committee is especially wary of metrics in the proposed ratings system — such as graduate school attendance — that could incentivize schools to act poorly.

“If you’re the administrator at a new administration and you’re struggling under these new ratings, don’t you think your next reaction, if money is tied to this, is going to be to start investing and

es he has faced living and writing as an Arab in Israel.

His writings and television show often address issues A rabs face w ith identity, rights and discrimination in Israel, but in a humorous and relatable way. He said the only way to bring an Arab story to mainstream television in Israel is to make it funny, but he felt as though he was constantly being closely watched or judged.

Kashua’s discussion began with an episode of Arab Labor, in which the show’s main character, Arab-Israeli journalist Amjad Alian, is dealing with his daughter’s identity struggles while attending a Jewish school in Israel as an Arab. Kashua said he has faced similar struggles living in Israel.

“I’m a Palestinian citizen of Israel, and a major part of the education system is nationality,” Kashua said. “I’m not sure the word Palestine was even mentioned until I was in the ninth grade, so all the stories [about Palestinian heritage] I know are from my grandmother.”

K ashua sa id h is g ra ndmother i nspi red h i m to become a storyteller. He said she used to tell him about the “awful war” of 1948, when his grandfather was killed and his family lost their land.

K a shu a ex pl a i ned t h at Palestinians live as refugees inside Israel, culturally and nationally, and are rejected as citizens in all aspects of life.

Despite being born in Israel and having lived most of his

focusing more on the disciplines that do [produce more graduates]?” Perlberg asked. “We have to be careful not to harm the healthy parts of the higher education system.”

M ic he l l e A p p e l , t h i s u n iversity’s d i rector of e n rol l m e nt p ol i c y a n d pl a n n i n g, s a i d t h o u g h the rating system proposal needs a bit of tweaking, it has the potential to be a great public resource.

“Establishing a system that rates institutions of higher education can be really important in helping families make decisions and giving them some easily identifiable, easily understandable measures,” Appel said. “Looking at something that really measures outcomes and affordability and access is great.”

The ratings system — which is also planned to involve metrics such as family income, loan debt, first-generation students, graduate rates and transfer rates — is expected to be in effect by the start of the 2015-2016 academic year, according to the Education Department.

Wilson said the ABTS plans to keep tabs on the progress of the ratings system.

“We expect to hear back from the [Department of Education]” Wilson said.

“And we’ll be meeting with them to discuss this rating system as well as other issues involving Big Ten college students at the ‘Big Ten on the Hill’ event in April.”

mba

tswaakdbk@gmail.com

CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, Monday’s story “SGA, univ officials release textbook affordability site” incorrectly stated that students spend $1,130 per semester on books and supplies. Students spend about $1,130 a year.

Mitzpeh, the UMD Jewish student newspaper, is hiring an advertising representative.

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3136 South Campus Dining Hall, UMCP, College Park, MD 20742

complicated the current situation is there. She said as a Jewish student, it was validating to hear from someone else who has lived there.

“And, you know, he left,” Sherman said. “I feel like t here mu st b e a solut ion besides leaving, but no one has come up with it.”

Kashua said he misses his home in Israel and will likely go back one day but is not hopeful anymore that the Arab situation in Israel will change.

He said he might bring his TV show’s main character to Illinois, because he has lots of stories to tell. For example, he said, after coming from Israel, all the corn fields are “really fascinating.” meichensehrdbk@gmail.com

From PAGE 1 T he business school w i l l of f ic i a l ly a n nou nc e the “50/50 by 2020” plan on March 5 at the school’s a n n u a l Wo m e n L e a d i n g Women symposium.

Women made up 34 percent of incoming full-time MBA students at this university in fall 2014, according to Daryl Ja mes, a busi ness school spokesman. A nd among the top 26 business schools worldwide, women’s representation ranges from 22 to 43 percent this year, according to MBA50.com.

“If we can be a leader in th is a rea, I th i n k we ca n show other business schools the true power of having this more balanced gender composition in our program,” said Alex Triantis, the business school dean.

Russell said there could be several reasons women are underrepresented in MBA programs, such as a lack of encouragement of young girls or scarcity of role models.

“Women don’t see other women in some of these senior positions in organizations,” she said. “If you look at top positions in these companies, if you look in the C-suites, you’re mostly going to see men. If that keeps up, we’re never going to really change these companies to get more women in.”

But having more women as business leaders would be beneficial, Russell said, as they tend to foster collaborative work environments and can offer insight into promoting “family-friend-

monologue From PAGE 1

THE SEARCH IS ON

life there, he said Israel still belongs more to Jewish people than to Arabs, though they are citizens in the same state.

Kashua eventually moved with his family to the U.S. last summer.

Senior Cara Hamel said it was interesting to hear Kashua speak, considering he has such a complicated identity.

“I really loved it,” the fire protection engineering major said. “He has an ability to speak about something that is, for many people, so sensitive, in a way that is comfortable and funny.”

Amalya Sherman, a junior studio art major, said she came to Kashua’s talk because she often struggles with understanding and accepting Israel’s history, as well as how

Shorter-Gooden and nine students performed monologues based on their own experiences. Tia Dolet, director of the event, said each performance had its own distinct voice and style.

“It’s just a great way for people to kind of tell their stories and bring in a diverse crowd,” Dolet said. “Everyone can just kind of celebrate our heritage month and really get a feel for different types of black identities.”

O peyem i “O-Sl ice” Owoeye, a junior government a nd pol it ics m ajor, rapped about modern discrimination in this country.

She specifically addressed police brutality issues.

“Protect and serve, you got some nerve; I don’t know how you sleep at night,” she said.

“They tell you put your hands up, you comply, and then they still shoot.”

Several performers also discussed what it means to be black and female.

“This is for brown girls that can never find their complexion in the makeup section at insert big box department

The business school, housed in Van Munching Hall, plans to work to increase the number of female MBA students to 50 percent of its enrollment by 2020. file photo/the diamondback

ly practices” and resolving for students, faculty, staff “work-life issues.” and alumnae.

“T hey’re better able to The final part of the strategy represent our population, is improving job placement for ou r work force, con s u m- female MBA graduates. ers,” she said. “Instead of “What else can we do to requiring women change to place women at very strategic fit the culture, we think that places and organizations?” by having a strong corps at Russell said. “How can we the top, maybe our culture assist them in moving up? We w i l l cha nge to better ac- may have workshops on negocom modate the d iversity tiation and such so they can of our population.” be placed at higher levels.”

The “50/50 by 2020” plan First-year MBA student is made up of three facets. Krystal Duffus said increasFirst, business school officials ing diversity in the business want to broaden the pipeline school would result in more of female students coming to challenging conversations the business school by reach- and new perspectives. ing out to middle- and high“If you think about what school girls to get them excited boardrooms look like now, about business, Russell said. it’s similar to what the busiT he bu si ness scho ol h a s ness school classrooms look hosted two annual Future like now,” she said. “When Women in Business Confer- you bring more women to ences for high school students. the business school, it sets T he second pa r t of t he the framework for having i n i t i a t i v e w i l l f o c u s o n more women go up the corex pa nd i ng prog ra m m i ng porate ladder.” like Smith Women’s Week, which involves daily events trichmandbk@gmail.com

store name here,” said Abisola Kusimo, a senior mechanical engineering major. “This is for my girls that have been down for so long.”

Kusimo then compared life for black girls to the “real-life Hunger Games, ‘cause the odds ain’t never in our favor.”

Junior electrical engineering major Abriana Height said she was “already born with two strikes against [her]” because she is black and a woman.

“So often I hear men, real men, allegedly real men, say that they want a woman who is strong independent, a leader,” Height said. “But she can’t be too strong; she can’t be too independent. She can’t be too much of a leader because then who’s going to follow you?”

Senior engineering major Jason Nkwain, who immigrated to the U.S. from Cameroon nine years ago, discussed how Africans express their culture and spirit through dance.

“We dance like it’s our last,” Nkwain said. “For our legacies are better when painted on tainted canvas, for tomorrow may crumble this page with dementia, causing us to forget the heavenly joy that was spent here tonight.”

S h o r t e r- G o o d e n d i scussed her memories of the

civil rights movement in her performance, as well as her feelings about current events such as the Trayvon Martin shooting and the Black Lives Matter movement.

“Today reminds me of yesterday,” she said. “I’m grateful for the victories, but frustrated, disappointed, actually heartbroken that we have so much further to go.”

Junior women’s studies major Asma Neblett said she was happy to hear challenges she has faced depicted on the stage.

“From being excluded from that study group or feeling like your music is just a little too thuggish for people to be around you, all of those little m icro-agg ressions rea l ly challenge the black experience here on campus, especially for females,” she said.

In a Q&A session after the performances, Owoeye said she hoped other black students are encouraged to share their stories, particularly with white peers, to start a conversation and make progress.

“When people talk, people start to feel, and when people feel, people start to do,” she said, “so hopefully we can get enough people doing.” lschapitldbk@gmail.com

4

THE DIAMONDBACK | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

OPINION

EDITORIAL BOARD

Laura Blasey Editor in Chief

MATT SCHNABEL Managing Editor

An autonomous push

W

Deputy Managing Editor

CAROLINE CARLSON Opinion Editor

MAGGIE CASSIDY Opinion Editor

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

STAFF EDITORIAL

ith the unsettling lack of successful bipartisanship between Gov. Larry Hogan and Democratic legislators in Annapolis, the political future of this state has become questionable at best. However, Hogan might have something up his gubernatorial sleeve to appease all groups on this state’s political spectrum.

Hogan recently introduced the bill entitled “Public Charter School Expansion and Improvement Act of 2015,” which would overhaul the operations and abilities of charter schools in this state.

In 2003, this state began allowing the presence of charter schools in the public school system. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools describes charter schools as “unique public schools that are allowed the freedom to be more innovative” and are open to all children with no tuition and no special entrance requirements. Since 2003, 47 charter schools have opened their doors in this state.

But currently, the charter schools operating in this state, including the local College Park Academy, face restrictions on their day-to-day operations.

Hogan’s bill to revamp charter school regulations would include changes such as reducing the charter schools’ hiring and firing restrictions, granting them more power over admissions criteria and providing more access to public funding.

According to research conducted by the charter schools alliance, this state’s strict rules and lack of laws in favor of

NATE RABNER

charter schools have prevented some of the nation’s best charter school operations from setting up classes here.

With Hogan’s bill, the charter schools in this state could have the ability to act more on their promised innovation in education, and the bill could potentially alleviate some of the contentious relationships in Annapolis.

OUR VIEW

Gov. Hogan’s bill to ease restrictions on charter schools would promote innovative education in this state.

In addition to providing more autonomy to charter schools, Hogan’s bill also proposes providing a tax credit to corporations that contribute to private schools in this state.

For this state’s charter schools to be innovative and competitive with other states’ while providing a different degree of education, autonomy is a must — especially for College Park Academy.

Most notably, the bill would give charter school operators more autonomous power to hire and fire teachers.

Possibly the most contentious aspect of the bill is that teachers at charter schools would not have to be statecertified teachers. Clearly, this has alarmed some in government and the education community.

Se n . Pa u l P i nsky (D - P rince

George’s), chair of the Senate Education Subcommittee of the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, is one of the people who is concerned about the idea of uncertified teachers working in the charter school system. It is understandable that Pinksy has qualms about this “lowering of the bar.”

If teachers are not certified, it could most definitely negatively affect the quality of education in charter schools.

However, the lack of certification could enhance the charter schools and help make good on their promise of being an innovative educational option. If Hogan’s bill is successful and does not require state certification for teaching in charter schools, then there will be an opportunity for experts in various fields to share their knowledge with charter school students.

The advancement in charter schools’ autonomy, which could be augmented by Hogan’s bill, could greatly help both the charter school and public school communities.

With more independence, institutions like College Park Academy could become even bigger innovators in education — with the right leadership, of course.

Even more importantly, if charter schools have more lax operations, then the nation’s top charters could be drawn to this state’s school system, create innovative schools in the state and potentially boost this state’s economy — a bonus for the fiscally conscious Hogan.

EDITORIAL CARTOON

Failure to salt roads is inexcusable spread the salt around.

The university isn’t the only place leaving me salty. Old Town College Park was a rink last weekend for both pedestrians and drivers. I was actually a little surprised as I did my research and found College Park budgets for salt, even as much as $35,800 for last winter, I couldn’t have walked from one end of Old Town to the other without watching a driver slide on the road. Where is that salt going? I could have gone to Five Guys and picked up more salt than I saw out there.

Private properties around Route 1 are not excused from my shakedown.

Wasabi Bistro was a Slip’N Slide, the lot in front of Bagel Place and BookHolders was eating cars, and Shanghai Cafe could have hosted an Olympic ice-skating practice. The empty green shack between Cluckster’s and Subway was a black hole from which pedestrians could not escape.

If the city of College Park doesn’t salt these sidewalks, and the businesses don’t care enough about their customers to throw down a little salt, then someone has to do it. It’s not a gray area — people have been getting, are getting and will get hurt.

Like I said, I’m not expecting a monster operation. If salt is too expensive, gravel has always been a good alternative. If gravel is too expensive, maybe College Park can find a contractor who can go back, use the salt that was bought and never used and actually put it on the road.

Or, to be even more cost-effective, let’s all just total every car in town on the ice so there will be no incentive to sort out this problem.

EMMA ATLAS

SENIOR

I

’ve been spoiled by the competence of Massachusetts snow clearance. In elementary school, I was consistently infuriated by the lack of snow days, even after three feet of snow had built up over night. The monstrously efficient snowplows, thorough road salting and overall blizzard-readiness have left me with high, high expectations.

I know we hardly receive Massachusetts levels of snow here, but if the bar is lower, it’s easier to meet. Even so, College Park still seems to be hurting for the simplest of precautions: salt. All the way from my place near Paint Branch to Oakland Hall to Route 1, people are saying “Na” to salt.

And they’re writing checks my tush can’t cash.

I could understand, but not forgive, the failure to adequately salt university property as distant as Courtyards and the Leonardtown apartments. It’s inconvenient to get salt out there, and I know that must be the reason I often see it lying around in little pucks as if the crew just expected it to get around on its own.

Knowing it’s a pain in the butt for them, however, doesn’t excuse the pain in mine.

Anyone who shows up two days late to a snowstorm, takes a blob of salt and drops it without trying to cover some surface area isn’t incompetent at that point. They want someone to get hurt. The best I can do is plead. Please stop Emma Atlas is a senior government hurting students. Ice is danger- and politics major. She can be reached ous. Please get here early and at eatlasdbk@gmail.com.

GUEST COLUMN

Don’t ‘rush’ to judgment

B

ALEX CHIANG/the diamondback

Keep politicians out of class DANIEL GALITSKY JUNIOR

E

arlier this month, Rep. Dan Fisher (R-Okla.) put forth a bill intended to ban state funding for AP U.S. History courses in his state’s public high schools and replace them with an alternative, state-specific curriculum. The bill quickly passed through committee. This is an egregious overstep

by Republican lawmakers for both practical and ethical reasons.

First of all, students nationwide depend on the Advanced Placement program to prepare for the academic standards of college. Credits earned in high school are useful for saving time and money on higher education.

Denying Oklahoma’s students the opportunity to pursue Advanced Placement classes would place them behind the rest of the nation.

Oklahoma is ranked 48th in education among the 50 states and Washington, according to Education Week.

The state’s students cannot afford to have politicians further deny them opportunity. Having well-prepared students who are competitive nationwide benefits Oklahoma in the long run, and removing AP opportunities from the classroom undermines that goal.

That alone is enough reason to dismiss Fisher’s bill, but the real threat is political

interference in the classroom. He condemned the College Board’s “emphasis on what is bad about America” and its depiction “of America as a nation of oppressors and exploiters.” His efforts are a naive attempt at sugarcoating the past and an insult to the intelligence of his constituent students. Discussing dark times in our nation’s past will not taint young minds, but remind them of the shameful results of American inequality.

Not all elements of the actual text of the bill should be dismissed summarily. The bill references dozens of documents on which U.S. History education should be based. The focus on the founding philosophies provides examples ranging from the Magna Carta to John Locke. The importance of enlightenment thinkers in the development of the new United States cannot be denied. Additionally, the curriculum includes a diverse set of readings such as Abigail Adams’ “Remember the Ladies,” the “Declaration of Sentiments” and Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet.”

The very principles upon which this nation was built, and those which Fisher hopes to emphasize, are made clearer when contrasted with our nation’s misdeeds. Slavery, segregation and Japanese internment, among others, serve to remind students how precious equality and liberty really are. Studying war reveals the price of protecting American values. Similarly, studying our domestic tragedies is not about blaming today’s citizens, but about demonstrat-

ing what happens when our values are ignored or perverted.

It is impossible to create a history curriculum that no observer would call politically biased. Even if such a curriculum were developed, individual teachers would put their own spin on it, intentionally or not. By focusing on particular topics more than others or by embellishing with “alternative” interpretations, history teachers might stray from the intended lesson. Even subtleties such as tone of voice can blur the lines between opinion and strict fact.

But without the idiosyncrasies of each instructor, history class can be a monotonous chore. Throughout students’ years in the classroom, they will encounter all kinds of differing views.

College-bound achievers taking a rigorous AP course should be able to handle the same discussion and discord they will need to handle in the real world.

History education is not a cut-anddried file to be uploaded to students’ brains, but a participatory immersion that requires ongoing critical thinking.

It is not a list of events whose nature and impact are set in stone. Most of all, history is not a tool by which politicians should hope to propel an agenda or spread a particular worldview. Ignoring this is the greatest mistake Fisher has made.

Daniel Galitsky is a junior economics and finance major. He can be reached at dgalitskydbk@gmail.com.

ecause there isn’t any war, hunger, poverty or social injustice in the world anymore, the biggest issue upsetting people yesterday was this: After a win by the men’s basketball team, students had the audacity to rush the court.

For the uninitiated: Students rush the court (or field) after big wins, chiefly in football or basketball, and it creates the dumbest lightning rod for controversy ever (Non-Anti-Vax Division). All over the country, people have come out of the woodwork to do Court Storming Calculus: A six-point win divided by beating a team ranked nine spots ahead of us equals MORAL OUTRAGE. The backlash for the courtstorming is insane. I saw so many scorching-hot Twitter takes from my fellow alumni that I feel the need to apologize to you students for it. Alumni are crusty old farts whose opinions don’t matter, and I say that fully including myself.

Please disregard our lame opinions. I’m sorry. (By the way, do people even say “lame” anymore? Whatever the 2015 word is for “lame,” that’s what our opinions are. It’s probably just an emoji with an embarrassed face or something now.

But I digress.)

I’m always appalled when p e ople who have g raduated from college try to act like the High Holy Protectors of The College Experience, giving a royal thumbs-up or thumbsdown based on what they decide is proper college enjoyment and what isn’t. Please ignore these people and continue living your life — at the end of the day, as long as you’re enjoying yourself and not hurting anyone else, that’s what college is all about.

College is the full embodiment of Little League: If you had fun, you won. You should know this;

you’re the people who made the term “YOLO” popular.

Rushing the court is not a sacred act. It’s a meaningless, fun experience where you dance around and try to take a selfie with Dez Wells, and then you go drink at Bentley’s.

(That’s still in College Park, right?

It’s been a while.)

I strongly urge all of you to rush the court as many times as you possibly can.

Basketball team beats Nebraska?

Rush the court. Baseball team wins a double-header? Rush the field twice. Club hockey beats somebody?

Rush the ice … carefully.

As a freshman in 2006, I was one of the idiots who rushed the football field after the Terps beat an unranked Miami team. We were probably even favored to win the game, but who cares? I had fun for four seconds and then I ate a bunch of food and went to bed. Little did I know that it would haunt me forever.

Every time I’ve interviewed for a job, the prospective employer has said, “Hold the phone – Maryland? You rush the field too much.

You are disqualified and now you are homeless.”

Wait, that has never happened, because no one worth anything in the real world cares. If it’s fun for you, rush the court. If it’s not fun for you, don’t rush the court. Don’t “yuck” someone else’s “yum.”

So if you run into one of these high moral arbiters of collegiate sportsmanship, morals and ethics, and they give you an earful about how classless you are, just remember that they’re a loser — and you, the college kid who’s just trying to have fun and not infringe on anyone else’s fun, are the real winner.

And when you realize you’re the winner, I’ll be there to rush up to you and dance around.

Rob Gindes is a 2010 alumnus and former opinion editor. He can be reached at rob.gindes@gmail.com.

POLICY: Signed letters, columns and cartoons represent 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.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 | The Diamondback

5

FEATURES CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Bedroom slippers 6 Preserve (2 wds.)

11 Beads on grass 14 Charley horse 15 Dalai Lama’s city 16 New Haven student 17 Rack up, as debt 18 Wallaroos 19 Iron pumper’s pride 20 Nebraska hub 22 Sporty car 24 Tennis gear 28 Eating trough 29 Walrus hunters 30 Arched ceiling 32 Wine’s partner 33 Primitive weapon 35 Cultivates 39 Goes on the stage 40 It may be black or blue 41 Funny Bombeck 42 Downtime 43 Thin-shelled nut 45 “Get real!”

(2 wds.)

46 Saturate 48 Oval-nest builder 50 Nulls 53 More grim

54 Rectify 55 Suit material 57 Tea holder 58 Leave-taking 60 Sediment 65 Narrow inlet 66 Summer camp sites 67 Gauguin’s prop 68 Sum total 69 Divers’ finds 70 Comeback

28 Tankard 30 Lombardi of coaching 31 “Diana” singer 34 Stead 36 Name meaning “bearlike”

37 Writer -- Zola 38 Lower-risk 43 “NOVA” network 44 Observe 47 Citations 49 More embarrassed

50 Striped animal 51 Click “send” 52 Like a monarch 53 Kiddie-lit author 55 “Kon- --” 56 Exude moisture

59 Morse syllable 61 Charlotte of “Bananas” 62 Sixth sense 63 Toothpaste type 64 Devious

DOWN 1 1101, to Brutus 2 Coffee dispenser 3 Natural resin 4 Ostrich cousin 5 Germinate 6 Kilt feature 7 Nope (hyph.)

8 Rhett’s hangout 9 Club for GIs 10 French philosopher Blaise - 11 Remove glitches 12 Flee to the J.P. 13 More spacious 21 Jam or pickle 23 Broadcasting (3 wds.)

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COLLEGE INTUITION

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orn today, you may not always make things as easy for yourself as they might be, for you are likely to go through life with a chip on your shoulder, eager to confront those who would challenge you, and always willing to engage in a fight when things get tough.

While this can serve you well in certain situations, it can also bring you a great deal of hardship. The truth is, you may see opposition in the eyes of one who is actually quite supportive of you, and subsequently threaten or even destroy the relationship through inappropriately aggressive behavior.

Still, you are able to inspire loyalty among your inner circle, who understand that there is something special about you.

You have a keen mind and the ability to think your way through problems that would stump nearly everyone else -but that doesn’t mean that you will always solve those problems! On the contrary, knowing what to do isn’t the same as doing it -- and this will often make the difference between success and failure for you.

Also born on this date are: Johnny Cash, singer and songwriter; Erykah Badu, singer; Michael Bolton, singer; Jackie Gleason, actor and comedian; Fats Domino, musician; Victor Hugo, author; William Frawley, actor; Tex Avery, animator; Buffalo Bill Cody, Wild West showman; Tony Randall, actor; Robert Alda, actor; Ariel Sharon, Israeli leader; Betty Hutton, actress.

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

RICHIE BATES INSOMNIAC

SENIOR EXTENDED !

GRADUATION PORTRAITS DUE TO COLD WEATHER CLOSINGS, THE PHOTOGRAPHER WILL BE BACK FOR ANOTHER SESSION. The 2015 TERRAPIN YEARBOOK, in association with Life Touch Studios, will be taking graduation portraits March 2-4, 2015. Although it is TOO LATE for these pictures to be included in the 2015 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.

HOROSCOPE | STELLA WILDER FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27 PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -- You may be trying to disguise a certain aspect of your physical appearance or your personality, but it’s not likely to be successful.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Attempts to outsmart someone who has proven him- or herself to be just a little superior can provide a few surprises.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- You may be trying to do things instantly, but that’s not the way to get them done correctly. Take time and be thorough.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -You’ll hear from someone who has finally decided to answer a plea you sent some time ago. You can get things moving now.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -You may spend much of the day wondering why you’re doing what you’re doing -- until the answer becomes crystal clear toward day’s end.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- You’re interested in what your ancestors were up to and how they responded to the kinds of difficulties you’re encountering.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -Someone else’s behavior needn’t affect your own -- especially if it is in any way inappropriate. You want to toe the line.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- By following the rules, you’re likely to learn a few important lessons about yourself -- and those around you, too.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- The clock is running, and you must bring all your talents to bear if you’re going to get a project in on time and under budget.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- You should focus on endeavors that will bring you lasting rewards rather than mere immediate gratification.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Your mood swings may be unusual, and someone is likely to keep his or her distance for a while -- but you know exactly why.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -You’ll feel the pressure of fate, but know that any and all influences can be controlled to a certain degree.

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THE DIAMONDBACK | THURSDAY, february 26, 2015

DIVERSIONS

ON THE SITE

CHILDHOOD RUINED? Staff writer Zoë DiGiorgio looks back at infamous kiddie film flops in search of what the critically-acclaimed Paddington gets right. Visit dbknews.com for her thoughts.

TV | DEPARTURES AND FINALES

saying our tv goodbyes Jason Biggs’ Larry is out of Orange Is the New Black’s next season. That’s a great thing.

By Maeve Dunigan @maevedunigan Staff writer

photo courtesy of avclub.com

I f t h e c h a ra c te r L a r ry B l o o m from Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black were a dessert, he would be an expired jar of rice pudding. He is unnecessary, unloved, boring and he leaves viewers wondering why he is still there.

Thankfully, it seems this out-ofdate dessert is finally being tossed in the trash.

Jason Biggs, who played Larry on the show for the past two seasons, will not be making an appearance in the Netflix original next season, which is set to premiere sometime in June.

“Larry will not be in season three,” Biggs told the New York Daily News.

“But there’s always a possibility he can come back.”

Orange Is the New Black is different from most hit shows because the main character doesn’t necessarily have the most interesting storyline. In fact, as the series progressed through its sophomore season, I found myself barely caring about Taylor Schilling’s character, Piper Chapman, at all, making her ex-fiance Larry’s storyline even more superfluous.

The other vibrant and beautifully written female characters who inhabit Litchfield Penitentiary make it hard to focus on the drab neediness that Piper and the baggage of her privilege — including her ex-fiance — exude. As the show progresses, viewers are able to delve into the lives of these other characters, enthralling women who see the worst aspects of the American prison system.

And that makes Larry all the worse, because he’s just a narcissistic man-baby.

He tries to further his own writing career at the expense of his imprisoned lover. He then goes on to engage in relations with his ex-lover’s best friend, knowing full well that his ex-

Parks and Recreation wrapped up this week. That’s a sad thing.

By Jonathan Raeder @jonraeder Staff writer

Larry Bloom is reportedly done on Orange Is the New Black. photo courtesy of orange-is-the-new-black.wikia.com fiancee will inevitably have to deal with this information while coping with the hundreds of other trials that come with being behind bars.

Basically, if Larry isn’t on screen being boring, he’s on screen doing something absurdly annoying. Plus, Larry isn’t a character viewers love to hate (like the devious Pennsatucky or the cunning Vee); Larry is a character viewers hate to hate. He isn’t necessarily a devious villain, but he is far from being a lovable guy. As the show progressed, he just seemed to take more and more time away from characters with actual purpose.

Larry wasn’t always such a nuisance. In the very beginning of season one, Larry was an important aspect of Piper’s life. He was a vaguely interesting and occasionally amusing WASP-y contrast to the diverse group of women portrayed in the prison.

Now, it seems, the writers have made the right choice in giving this character the boot. With Larry’s exit, the show’s third season hopefully will be able to focus more on the plethora of interesting characters who call Litchfield their (temporary) home. mdunigandbk@gmail.com

Parks and Recreation ended last night.

That was hard to write.

For seven years, NBC’s little show about a group of Parks and Recreation employees in the small Midwestern town of Pawnee has been bringing a quiet sense of pure optimism and unrepentant goodness into our TV world.

Most comedies start off shaky, then find their footing for a few excellent seasons, usually between seasons 2 and 4. Then things start feeling a little stale, and the show begins the long descent into selfparody and, sometimes, pure awfulness. Parks and Recreation followed this trajectory at first (the first season is noticeably subpar, and seasons 2-4 are still the high point of the show) but then subverted it.

Seasons 5-7 were still quite good.

Maybe they weren’t as laugh-outloud funny as the show at its height, but instead, the show transformed its focus to developing its characters into better people.

Pawnee, like the best TV locations, has become a unique, hilarious and distinctly Midwestern character in itself. Every good, altruistic thought of every American finds its way into the actions of its characters, even while every lazy, cruel or flatout idiotic impulse is indulged by its citizens. People work together to make tiny improvements in the lives of the people around them; they put on concerts to honor the memory of

a miniature horse (RIP Li’l Sebastian); they help one another make important life decisions; and yet, they also dissolve into petty, angry comments, live in a stew of political and social ignorance and drink cups of soda the size of small children.

Amid a TV landscape of awful, violent people we were either rooting for or laughing at, Parks and Rec always served as an escape into something better — a world like our own with its foibles and annoyances, but filled with people who actually cared for one another, despite how many of them would never admit it.

We didn’t keep watching Parks and Recreation just because we felt some obligation to see what happened to its characters; we watched them because they’re funny, wonderful people who’ve changed over the course of the show. Can you remember way back to when Andy was an obnoxious loser? Or when Ron was genuinely mean to people?

Or when Donna and Garry weren’t really important characters at all?

The cast has truly evolved.

Parks and Recreation’s finale, “One Last Ride,” decided to continue the show’s trend of time-hopping by turning the entire episode into a kind of epilogue. After all, haven’t the last couple episodes really been the finale? Donna and her husband live an exciting life in Seattle; Craig is married to Ron’s hairdresser and is irascible as ever; Andy and April continue being awesome people but are now awesome parents; Tom loses his entire empire and turns it into a bestselling book entitled Failure: An American Success Story; Garry

lives a full life as the forever mayor of Pawnee; Ron ultimately works for the government doing what he loves the most — being in nature; Ben wins his congressional run; and Leslie? Of course she becomes governor of Indiana, and likely the president. Yes, it’s an absurdly unrealistic series of futures, with everyone’s lives ultimately fulfilling all they ever wanted, but there isn’t a show or a group of fictional people that deserves it more.

So we’ll miss you, Pawnee, even as you say farewell to us from the distant future of 2017. Thanks, Leslie, for showing us how truly good people can change their surroundings through sheer will and unrelenting optimism. Thanks, Ron, for your wise words of self-reliance and begrudging friendship. Thanks, Tom, for letting us treat ourselves every now and then. Thanks, Donna, for letting us be confident and assertive. Thanks, Ann, for showing how a good friend can bring out the best in everyone. Thanks, Chris, for being literally the best person we could ever imagine. Thanks, Andy and April, for providing us with young adults with the ideal relationship. Thanks to all the weird side characters and places and moments we’ll look back on fondly come 2017.

Thanks, Parks and Recreation, for being one of the best comedies of all time, featuring many hours of laughs and a couple of happy tears.

We’ll miss you.

Oh, and Garry/Jerry/Larry/Terry?

Thanks for nothing. jraederbk@gmail.com

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THURSDAY, February 26, 2015 | SPORTS | The Diamondback

mincy From PAGE 8 “It’s hard when you talk about the elements that are thrown at most freshmen,” coach Brenda Frese said. “It’s already tough enough, and then to add that element of not being 100 percent full speed; she struggled early.”

After an up-and-down regular season, Mincy came off the bench to score 12 points in 26 minutes during the second round of the NCAA tournament.

It was a positive stride for Mincy, but Georgetown shellacked the Terps, 79-57.

The postseason exit stopped Mincy’s momentum as she waited another year before playing a competitive game at full health. But the delay proved well worth it.

She looked like a different player in her second season with the Terps. After earning one start and averaging 4.9 points per game her freshman year, Mincy started 35 games as a sophomore and put up 13.1 points per contest.

“She was really coming into her own,” Frese said.

“Just so selfless in terms of whatever this team needed.

Playing the point guard position. Scoring for us. Her and [Alyssa Thomas] were our anchors. We kind of likened them to Batman and Robin.”

‘EXPECTING THE WORST’ Mincy was headed toward a career night. Early in the second half against Nebraska, the junior had 16 points, and everything seemed to be going right.

The Cornhuskers were trying to climb back into the contest by pressing Mincy as she brought the ball up the floor. So Mincy resorted to the tactics she was taught.

“Coaches always tell us if they are going to ride you up the court, then try to cut them

off,” Mincy said.

It had been working all night, so Mincy blew past the point guard once more. The guard continued to bump Mincy from behind, though, and on one of the bumps, Mincy’s knee gave out.

She knew it wasn’t just a sprain. She had been through this before. She tried to hold out hope that maybe this time it was just a torn meniscus — a six-week recovery compared to a year for an ACL — but deep down she knew what was coming.

“I was hoping for the best but expecting the worst,” Mincy said.

And days after the game, a doctor delivered the news. She had torn her right ACL. Having already spent nearly two years of her life building the strength back in her left knee, the diagnosis could’ve sunk Mincy. Instead, her experience served as motivation.

“It gave me confidence,” Mincy said. “It gave me hope. I had no doubt in my mind that I was going to be the same player I was before.”

‘STAYED THE COURSE’ Mincy’s injury came five games into her junior season, so she was able to redshirt to maintain two years of eligibility, but she struggled to regain her top form early on last season.

Frese said Mincy lacked the explosive first step she displayed during her sophomore campaign. And guard Lexie Brown, who joined the Terps as a freshman last year, noticed Mincy wasn’t the same player she had watched on TV in high school.

“I knew how she played before she got hurt,” Brown said. “I knew she was extremely explosive. She played above the rim in girl’s terms.”

After averaging 32.3 minutes per game and starting all but one contest as a sophomore, Mincy

7

cekovsky From PAGE 8

guard Laurin Mincy reaches for a loose ball during a victory over Rutgers on Feb. 10 at Xfinity Center. Mincy averages 13.3 points per game this season. alik mcintosh/the diamondback saw her playing time nearly cut in half as a redshirt junior. She started just nine games and averaged 17.1 minutes.

The staff urged her to be patient, and the soft-spoken veteran never voiced frustrations despite the decrease in action.

For the second time in her college career, Mincy wasn’t 100 percent until the postseason. After averaging 5.8 points during the regular season, Mincy played an integral role off the bench during the Terps’ Final Four run by averaging nine points per NCAA tournament contest.

“She’s had to go through so much adversity, and nowadays you don’t see kids fight through that,” Frese said.

“They might take the early out or transfer. She stayed the course through some very tough times.”

‘BLESSING IN DISGUISE’ Mincy wasn’t supposed to play in the Big Ten. She wasn’t supposed to be a part of the Terps’ current 19-game winning streak. She wasn’t supposed to be the leader.

But injuries have altered everything the 2009 Gatorade New Jersey Player of the Year was supposed to do. That’s OK with Mincy, though, because it has given her the opportunity to do all of those things this year.

“It’s been a blessing in disguise,” she said.

Mincy has returned to her pre-injury form this season to average a career-high 13.3 points per game. She’s started all 27 games for the Terps so far, too.

When Frese asks the players what they are playing for, they reply by saying championships. They already earned the Big Ten regular-season title, and they have the Big Ten and NCAA tournament left to play for.

The next question Frese asks is whom the Terps are playing for. And the young team with its sights set on another Final Four run responds with a nod to their only senior.

“We especially want to send [Mincy] out because she’s given so much back to this program,” guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough said. “We want to reward her for it.”

But before the Terps embark on their postseason journey, they are going to take the chance tonight to honor a veteran who’s been waiting five years for an opportunity to celebrate her Senior Night.

“She should shine alone when you talk about all the knee injures, the patience, where she came in at and now to finally to have her healthiest season,” Frese said. “She should have the stage by herself.”

per game, scoreless during the stretch.

Wisconsin’s star senior finished with 18 points on the night, but missed both of his shots during Cekovsky’s first stint of action.

“He’s awesome,” Cekovsky said of Kaminsky. “He’s a great player. It was really tough to play against him because he is more experienced than me.”

Yet Cekovsky didn’t have much trouble containing Kaminsky early on.

During Cekovsky’s first 5:25 on the court, the Terps outscored the Badgers 12-3 to take a commanding lead that held up throughout the game. The Slovak was re wa rd e d w i t h c r u c i a l second-half minutes, and he steadied the team while Dodd suffered from foul trouble.

The solid performance against Wisconsin bucked Cekovsky’s trend of struggling to make a mark on ga m e s i n B i g Te n p l ay, but it held true to another pattern. Early this season, Turgeon leaned heavily on Cekovsky in games against top-tier teams, and he did so again Tuesday.

And again, Cekovsky delivered. Three of the four games this season in which Cekovsky has played at least 24 minutes have come against teams ranked in the top 15; Turgeon said Cekovsky was instrumental in the Terps’ victory over then-No. 13 Iowa State in November.

“Michal Cekovsky’s been ready,” said guard Dez Wells, who finished with a gamehigh 26 points. “He’s been one of those guys that can step up and come in and contribute at any given moment.”

But while Cekovsky’s had success in some of the

BY THE NUMBERS

24 mins

Michal Cekovsky played during the No. 14 Terps’ win over No. 5 Wisconsin

4 points

Cekovsky scored in the win over Wisconsin

6 boards

Cekovsky grabbed during the Terps’ win over Wisconsin

Terps’ biggest games, his first season in the United States has been far from smooth. He’s scored more than two points in just three conference games and has played 10 or more minutes in only five Big Ten contests.

While the Terps’ three o t h e r a c t i ve f re s h m e n simply relocated within the mid-Atlantic to play college basketball, Cekovsky flew from the other side of the ocean. The tasks of learning a new language, adapting to new food and adjusting to a new style of basketball have taken a toll on the reserve forward.

“It’s tough because of my school schedule and everything,” Cekovsky said, “but I’m trying hard, trying to do my best.”

Tuesday, Cekovsky reaped the benefits of his work with his most impactful game in months. And while Ryan’s mind might have been on classical music after the Terps’ capped their win, C e kovs k y ’s tea m m a te s noticed his improved play.

“He’s had some of the freshman woes that some of the other guys haven’t, so we’ve been keeping him confident,” Wells said. “Tonight he showed great poise and confidence in himself.”

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PAGE 8

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL | SENIOR NIGHT PREVIEW

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Cekovsky plays part in victory

Seldom-used center helps Terps defense stifle No. 5 Badgers

By Aaron Kasinitz @AaronKazreports Senior staff writer

Guard Laurin Mincy sprints past a Nebraska defender during the Terps’ victory Feb. 8 at Xfinity Center. Mincy has helped the Terps win 19 games entering tonight’s contest against the Hoosiers. alik mcintosh/the diamondback

PUSHING THROUGH Mincy enters Senior Night against Indiana with injury-plagued career back on track

By Ryan Baillargeon @RyanBaillargeon Senior staff writer Laurin Mincy sprinted from one end of the floor to the other during warm-ups before a summer basketball tournament.

She was preparing for the senior season of her historic career at University High School in New Jersey. That winter, she had become the first junior to eclipse 1,500 career points at her school.

But Mincy wouldn’t see the floor again as the high school’s star.

On her fourth sprint up the court, Mincy went to practice a crossover.

“My leg went one way, and my body went the other,” she recalled. “I just went down.”

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“SHE’S HAD TO GO THROUGH SO MUCH ADVERSITY AND NOWADAYS YOU DON’T SEE KIDS FIGHT THROUGH THAT. ... SHE STAYED THE COURSE THROUGH SOME VERY TOUGH TIMES.” BRENDA FRESE

Terrapins women’s basketball coach knee. The injury sidelined Mincy for her final season in high school and prevented her from playing in front of friends and family on Senior Day. More than five years later, Mincy will get the opportunity to compete at a her Senior Night tonight when the No. 5 Terrapins women’s basketball team hosts Indiana. But the road to taking the court tonight hasn’t come without

setbacks and hardships.

‘ONE STEP BEHIND’ About a year after Mincy suffered her knee injury, she arrived on this campus. While the 6-foot guard thought she was fully recovered, Mincy experienced a reality check when she started practicing with the Terps.

“I finally realized I was one step behind as far as my explosiveness and my speed,” she said.

Mincy wasn’t at the same level as her teammates. She said she was at about 75 percent when she arrived in College Park, and it wasn’t until the last game of the season that she deemed herself fully recovered from the high school injury.

See MINCY, Page 7

After a 59-53 loss to the Terrapins men’s basketball team Tuesday, Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan joked he was confused to see forward Michal Cekovsky check into the game early in the first half.

“At first I thought you were talking about a concert,” Ryan said. “You know, Tchaikovsky. I remember him from music class.”

Cekovsky, a 7-foot-1 Terps freshman, was the one stepping onto the Xfinity Center court, not famous 19th-century composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. But considering Cekovsky had been buried deep on the bench in recent weeks before sliding into a key role against the Badgers, Ryan’s quip made sense.

The rookie from Slovakia played 12 combined minutes in the five games leading up to the contest with Wisconsin, but he spent 24 minutes causing Badgers All-American candidate forward Frank Kaminsky fits Tuesday. By the night’s end, Cekovsky had scored four points, grabbed six rebounds and helped the No. 14 Terps upset the No. 5 Badgers with his interior defense.

Coach Mark Turgeon, unlike Ryan, wasn’t too shocked watching the European contribute heavily in one of the biggest games of his career.

“Cheko has really been practicing well for the past three or four weeks,” Turgeon said. “I knew this night was coming. We’ve continued to work with him. He took on a challenge.

He used his length.”

Kaminsky scored four points in the first four minutes while working against Terps forward Damonte Dodd, but then Cekovsky entered the game with 15:42 left in the first half. The baby-faced big man stayed in the game for more than five minutes and held Kaminsky, who averages 17.7 points

See cekovsky, Page 7