041112

LOOKING AHEAD OLD HABITS Wolfpack should reign next year in ACC hoops

Sisters learn classical Indian music from the best in India

SPORTS | PAGE 8

DIVERSIONS | PAGE 6

THE DIAMONDBACK Our 102ND Year, No. 124

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Water polo team given ‘Doomsday’ budget looms more time to fundraise ANNAPOLIS | 2012

Team still needs more than $1M by June 30

over legislators, students O’Malley says state ‘didn’t protect affordable college’

BY REBECCA LURYE Senior staff writer

Students mobilize against possible $50M cuts to USM

BY JIM BACH

BY LEAH VILLANUEVA

Senior staff writer

Senior staff writer

The University System of Maryland could face significant cuts if the “doomsday” budget bill — passed in the waning hours of the legislative session’s final day Monday — is left in its current form.

As the clock struck midnight at Monday’s legislative session, the state Senate and House passed a balanced operating budget but failed to pass a bill that would generate enough revenue for the state.

Many state lawmakers called it a “doomsday” budget because of the severe expected cuts to health care and education if a special session isn’t called; higher education overall could see a $63 million cut, and the system could receive $50 million less in state

With a potential double-digit tuition hike looming, student leaders are urging Gov. Martin O’Malley to hold a special legislative session that could reverse the significant cuts to higher education this state may face.

As the last day of the state legislative session drew to a close Monday evening, the state House and Senate failed to pass a bill that would generate revenue for the state and front some of the operating budget’s cost.

This saddles education with sweeping cuts to their state funding — including $63 million for higher education and nearly $50 million to the University System of Maryland, according to university lobbyist Ross Stern — prompting students to start mobilizing Tuesday

see BUDGET, page 3

see STUDENTS, page 3

The women’s water polo team became the fourth athletic team at risk of elimination to receive an extension in raising the money needed to fund its program eight more years.

The team, which had raised $24,221 as of Monday, according to Senior Associate Athletics Director Cheryl Harrison, now has until June 30 to raise more than $1 million. Before the team had struck an agreement with the athletics department — which the

men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams and men’s outdoor track and field have also done — it had until June 30 to raise the $4.2 million needed for eight years of competition.

“I’m certainly reenergized and excited about the opportunity,” water polo head coach Carl Salyer said. “The girls, on the most part, are focused on this season … they’re trying to do the best they can with the season they are in. I couldn’t expect a group to perform better given the news they

see EXTENSION, page 3

FROM THE KITCHEN TO THE GREEN University executive chef cooked for golfers at the Masters

BY ALLISON GRAY Staff writer

Since William Rogers began his career in restaurants just 12 years ago, he has managed to find many opportunities to cook on new turf.

The 30-year-old executive chef of Good Tidings, the university’s catering service, has jumped at the

chance to fish off the coast of Maine and cook inside Oriole Park at Camden Yards. And while he meant to settle down when he took a job on this campus in August, it was just a matter of months before he sought out another kitchen — this time on a fairway.

From April 1 to 9, Rogers joined nine other chefs at

District 1 Councilman Patrick Wojahn (left) said improving commercial districts will benefit the entire city. ALEXIS JENKINS/THE DIAMONDBACK

City moves to join state sustainability program

see CHEF, page 2

Maryland Sustainable Community would give funds to local redevelopment projects

BY CHAD SINCLAIR Staff writer

In an effort to expand commercial development around the community, the College Park City Council unanimously approved a measure that will designate the city as a Sustainable Community.

The state-funded Maryland Sustainable Community program is designed to support existing communities through grants and loans. The move was necessary for the city to remain eligible for the funding, as the state’s Community Legacy program is being phased out. Although the council approved the measure, it must be

approved by the state for the designation to become official.

“There are a number of commercial districts that are off the beaten path, off the Route 1 corridor,” District 1 Councilman Patrick Wojahn said.

“The ability to improve the quality of those commercial districts will help enhance the whole city.”

The Route 1 corridor was designated a Community Legacy area in 2001 and has received more than $1.3 million in state grant funding in total.

However, under the Community Legacy program, no other area of College Park was eligible to receive the

see COUNCIL, page 2

JEREMY KIM/THE DIAMONDBACK

A new kind of candidate 18-year-old freshman to face six-year incumbent in county race

BY REBECCA LURYE Senior staff writer

Raaheela Ahmed sat in a wide circle last Tuesday with dozens of supporters, waiting for the precincts’ reports to unfold on her computer screen.

By about 11 p.m., freshman biology and business major Ahmed saw she beat four candidates in the District 5 primary elections for the Prince

TOMORROW’S WEATHER:

George’s County Board of Education, winning by nearly 1,000 votes over six-year incumbent and school board chairperson Jeana Jacobs. Although Ahmed is one of three college students to win district primaries in the county this year, at just 18 years old, she is also the youngest.

“We were so happy the voters decided I was a serious and hardworking candidate,” she said.

Sunny/60s

In addition to being fresh out of the Prince George’s County school system — she attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School — Ahmed said her experiences at this university have helped her gain perspective on the challenges facing the county’s schools.

In particular, she has enjoyed mentoring with Partners in Print, an

see AHMED, page 2

INDEX

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

Freshman biology and business major Raaheela Ahmed attended a Prince George’s County school just last year, but is already running as the youngest county Board of Education candidate. ALEXIS JENKINS/THE DIAMONDBACK

FEATURES . . . . . .5 CLASSIFIED . . . . .6

DIVERSIONS . . . . .6 SPORTS . . . . . . . . .8

www.diamondbackonline.com

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THE DIAMONDBACK | NEWS | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

CHEF from page 1

Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia to cook for professional golfers and spectators at the Masters Tournament. University officials and colleagues said having Rogers represent the university was an honor.

“It’s a point of pride for us,” said Dining Services spokesman Bart Hipple. “It reminds us of the quality of chefs we have working here.”

Rogers said cooking at the Masters was especially exciting because he follows professional golf.

“I like to play [golf] as often as I can but I haven’t played in a little while,” he said. “I like to practice; I like to go to the range.”

Today, Rogers oversees the Good Tidings kitchen, manages food quality and writes menus. In some ways, it is a relaxing job for a former restaurant chef, he said, which was one of the draws.

“Hotels are very tough and intense, and I liked it a lot, but it’s hard to have both,” Rogers said. “It’s hard to have a life and have a quality of food.”

His connection to food began much earlier than his employment with a Ritz-Carlton hotel in Georgia, Florida and Virginia. He began helping his mother in the kitchen when he was 3 years old and at 18, took a job as a server at Mancini’s, an Italian restaurant on Fenwick

AHMED from page 1

America Reads, America Counts program that promotes reading and learning at home, and working up to 15 hours a week as a program coordinator for Health Leads, a student-run organization that connects patients to health care resources.

Ahmed said traveling to county schools up to three times a week with Partners in Print has also helped her “catch on” to issues and disparities within the county.

“You get to see the quality of the schools as well as the inter-

Island on the Delaware coast.

While carrying menus and delivering dishes, he admired the head chef for his technique and for making everything from scratch.

From there he worked in the kitchen at Camden Yards, and then finally studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. “For a guy that’s 30 years old, he’s done a lot,” said catering administrator Abbott Albright.

In one of his more unconventional experiences, Rogers said, he got to see food at its freshest: With a 2008 James Beard Foundation scholarship, he took eight days off to travel to Maine and work on a major seafood distributors’ fishing boat.

“It was really cool — we had one day where I got to break down a whole tuna,” Rogers said.

“I think it was a 400-pound tuna.”

Albright said Rogers always keeps his composure and pays painstaking attention to his work.

“He approaches everything in a calm and personable level, in a profession where people have a reputation for being cantankerous and rude,” Albright said.

Resident Life Assistant Director for Housing Partnerships Dennis PassarellaGeorge said he noticed Rogers is especially positive when they worked together to serve lunch to more than 400 guests at this year’s Student Affairs Conference.

action of the parents and the students and seeing those type of things going on, it really does bring a good perspective,” she said.

Olayinka Omishore, a senior community health major who works with Ahmed in Health Leads, said she was not surprised when her co-worker announced her run for office.

“She has an old soul in a young body,” Omishore said.

“I’m not surprised she’s gotten so far either. I know she’s worked hard for these primaries, knocking on doors every Saturday, going to meetings; she’s done everything it takes.”

District 4 school board candi-

COUNCIL

sinclair@umdbk.com

“He was great to work with, creative, very open to feedback and the food was amazing,” Passarella-George said.

One of Rogers’ clients, mechanical engineering coordinator Joanyuan Lee, said that

at the last minute, she needed to make a change in her order.

Rogers personally stepped in to get the revised order to many of her 80 guests.

“The chef really helped me at that point,” Lee said. “I was

quite impressed.”

Rogers said looking back over his time at the Masters, he was glad to have a chance to help the university from off the campus as well.

“I worked very hard with

them, and they were happy with me, so to have the name of the university there,” he said.

“It was good for me, and it was good for us.”

date Micah Watson said he thinks being “recent customers” of the school system could give Ahmed an advantage in serving the county.

However, he said college students lack other beneficial experiences, such as being a parent or balancing a job with paying a mortgage, car loans and student loans. Two University of Maryland Baltimore County students, District 8 school board incumbent Edward Burroughs III and District 1 school board candidate David Murray, both won their primaries.

“Even though they come out of the school system, they don’t really know yet how the school

system did a good job or bad job preparing them,” he said.

“They didn’t work in an office where they realized they didn’t get trained in school to do X, Y and Z.” However, Ahmed said there is more to serving on the school board than managing the system’s $1.6 billion budget.

She would like to see better communication between all levels of the school system, from students and administrators to bus drivers and building managers.

“I think on the basic level, the one thing we need is communication,” Ahmed said. “Communication is one way to show trans-

parency and accountability and also address the needs we have in our community.”

In the November general election, Ahmed and Jacobs will be the sole candidates for the District 5 seat.

Jacobs, a 1989 university alumna and adjunct professor at University of Maryland University College, wrote in an email that she has experience advocating for the county’s students.

“I look forward to continuing the difficult but most rewarding work I have ever done — advocating for our most vulnerable, our world’s future, our children,” she wrote.

Although the election is about

seven months away, Ahmed said it never leaves her mind.

“I go to sleep thinking about the campaign every night,” she said. “I’m taking a class in accounting, and then somehow I’m linking it to budgets and linking it to campaigning.”

Although she is getting an early start on running for public office, Ahmed said she does not consider herself a politician.

“I think when you’re in office, you’re there to help people,” she said. “But once it becomes a career that you’re in office, that’s when you start to lose focus on what’s important.”

ON THE BLOG

from page 1

funding, but any location in the city is eligible under the new Sustainable Community program.

Specific areas that may be targeted for redevelopment include the area around the College Park Metro Station, the Hollywood Commercial District in North College Park and the Ber wyn Commercial District, Wojahn said.

College Park Economic Development Coordinator Michael Stiefvater and several councilmembers said the move ensures that the city will continue its effort to enhance the community.

“In the past we have been somewhat hampered by county and state regulation for development in these areas,” District 2 Councilman Bob Catlin said at the meeting. “With this proposal, hopefully we can piggyback on some of the state money coming into the city more wisely.”

Wojahn said while no official projects have been announced, several ideas have been discussed. Currently, the city is discussing a project that would make it easier to commute on a bike in the city.

It’s a plan that Wojahn said may eventually feature the Capital Bikeshare program, although he declined to give more specifics because the details are still in the works.

“Through these grants we will look for projects that will enhance the city’s sustainability,” Wojahn said. “We have a major interest in redeveloping these other par ts of the city.”

William Rogers, a 30-year-old executive chef with the university’s catering service, cooked at the Masters Golf Tournament in Georgia. As an avid golf fan, Rogers said the experience was especially rewarding. JEREMY KIM/THE DIAMONDBACK

campusdrivedbk.wordpress.com KEEPING UP WITH THE KANDIDATES: SO LONG, RICK SANTORUM Heartbreak is not a feeling that’s exclusively tied in with love. It’s better to associate it with loss. We’re heartbroken when we’re missing pieces of who we are, pieces we have lost.

Today, Rick Santorum, his staff and all of his supporters are heartbroken. People who once believed Santorum was going to be the next president are now left with doubt and insecurity; they broke their own hearts.

Santorum started on top, coming out of nowhere to win the Iowa Caucus. As time went on, Newt Gingrich appeared to make it a two-horse race with Mitt Romney. I thought Santorum would be out of the race in due time.

For more of Juan Cervantes’ post, check out The Diamondback’s news blog, Campus Drive .

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012 | NEWS | THE DIAMONDBACK

BUDGET from page 1 funding, according to university lobbyist Ross Stern.

“We’re clearly upset and very concerned about the budget as passed; the only way to solve that is for a special session to occur,” system lobbyist P.J. Hogan said. “I think everything will be on the table from significant tuition increases to reduction of student services, larger class sizes, probably fewer sections; it’s going to be painful one way or another.”

Gov. Martin O’Malley would have to call for the General Assembly to reconvene at a separate special session — outside of the allotted 90-day session — to vote on the revenue-generating bills. Those would offset the $512 million cuts that Monday night’s meeting triggered.

“I have to tell you that, sadly, we did not protect the priorities of public education like we should have, like we could have, as we had the ability to, and we didn’t protect affordable college,” O’Malley said in a press conference at around 1 a.m. in Annapolis yesterday.

The Senate and the House both passed budget bills in the weeks leading up to the last day of session that included cuts to the system. The Senate version included $5.3 million cuts, while the House version, which raised less revenue, saw a more significant cut of nearly $20 million.

After the bill went to committee last week, both chambers voted on the Senate’s funding to the system.

However, the budget was prepared to trigger several automatic, across-the-board cuts should the General Assembly fail to raise significant revenues, according to Sen. Roger Manno (D-Montgomery). This scenario unfolded Monday at Sine Die — the last day of the state legislative session where lawmakers have to vote on bills that have been introduced since January or the legislation is killed for that year.

“Folks are about to see under a microscope what the failure of revenue looks like,” Manno said. “It’s more than I think any of us can bare, and I think it’s going to be an extraordinary wake up call.”

While O’Malley originally proposed allocating $9.5 million to the system if tuition is capped at a 3 percent increase, Sen. Jim Rosapepe (D-Anne Arundel and Prince George’s) said the potential cuts would increase tuition even more.

“If the university system were to protect its budget, it would end up with a 10 percent

3

“I have to tell you that, sadly, we did not protect the priorities of public education like we should have, like we could have.”

MARTIN O’MALLEY STATE GOVERNOR

tuition increase,” he said. “It would be very damaging to students.”

In addition to a potential tuition hike, Stern said the reductions could eliminate costof-living adjustments in their salaries for university faculty.

Many lawmakers feel the failure to pass revenue measures and the cuts that would follow warrant O’Malley to authorize a special session to bring the issue to a full body vote. However, others, such as House Minority Leader Anthony O’Donnell (R-Calvert and St. Mary’s) said the current budget is preferable to one that would enact more taxes.

“It’s not a ‘doomsday’ budget; the Earth is not going to stop spinning on its axis,” he said.

“The budget is balanced in its current form. There is a silver lining to a very poorly, poorly managed legislative session.”

O’Donnell added allowing a special session would only open the door to further burdens on state residents, such as increasing the gas tax and the income tax for high-income earners.

“It’s not necessary to have a special session,” he said. “That would be the only reason for them to come back, to raise taxes and continue spending increases.”

Despite his opposition, O’Donnell said he expects the chambers to reconvene. As of last night, O’Malley had not said if he will call for a special session.

Although the large reductions are in place, the House and Senate passed a capital budget — which is the money that funds construction and planning projects — that includes millions of dollars in funding to this university, affording the university all of the projects they requested from the governor.

“Everything got through that we wanted,” Stern said. “We’re very excited and happy about that.” bach@umdbk.com

EXTENSION

seven teams facing elimination are men’s and women’s swimfrom page 1 ming and diving; men’s outdoor and indoor track; men’s cross country; women’s acrobatics received last fall.”

If the team is able to meet its and tumbling; and men’s tennis.

Now that the water polo team June 30 deadline, it will have until Dec. 31 to raise $2,102,683 has renewed hope, Salyer said and until Dec. 2013 to raise the even small donations of $5 eight-year figure. In an April 7 would help the team by demonrelease, Athletic Director Kevin strating widespread support, Anderson said he hopes the which the program may need to new plan provides the best attract larger donations.

“We’ve talked to some people opportunity for success while maintaining the department’s who are big money donors, and what they want to see is a broad fiscal responsibility.

“Maryland Athletics is, and base of support,” he said. “$1 must remain, a self-supporting million is still a big number but unity, responsible for covering it’s certainly doable.”

Water polo is faring better expenses with athletics-related revenues,” Anderson said. “Our than men’s tennis and commitment to our student-ath- women’s acrobatics and tumletes, staff and our fans is to con- bling, however, which are still tinue to pursue excellence in millions of dollars short of being able to ensure their proeverything we do.”

In November, university grams’ futures at this univerPresident Wallace Loh sity. Men’s indoor track and announced he would be cutting field and men’s cross country eight athletic teams to help bal- cannot compete next year ance the athletics department’s unless another women’s pro$83 million debt unless the gram is able to raise the necesteams could raise enough sary funds by June 30.

Even though members of money to sustain their programs for eight years. The other women’s water polo are more

State Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown said he plans to fight higher education cuts. CHARLIE DEBOYACE/THE DIAMONDBACK

STUDENTS from page 1 morning to reverse these cuts.

Since this year’s General Assembly ended Monday, O’Malley would need to call for a special legislative session to stop the “doomsday budget,” which Sen. Jim Rosapepe (D-Anne Arundel and Prince George’s) said would likely translate into tuition increases of at least 10 percent.

“It frankly places a huge burden on many students,” said Zach Cohen, the Student Government Association’s director of governmental affairs. “We’re not talking about just a few people here. We’re talking about a wide swath of students whose families aren’t able to take the brunt of a 10 percent tuition increase.

It’s just a really bad situation right now.”

Several SGA members said student leaders across the system’s 12 institutions will work this week to lobby O’Malley to hold a special legislative session for lawmakers to reconsider the budget. The SGA also plans to pass an emergency resolution at tonight’s meeting urging the governor to call for this session — which some lawmakers said he is likely to do anyway -— and to continue to fight for college affordability.

Cohen said he was disappointed legislators did not manage to pass a budget that prioritized higher education in the allotted 90 days. If the revenue-generating bill is passed, the system will see a $5.3 million reduction in funds.

Student leaders across the system fought for months to

optimistic about their future at this university, they said they are gearing their efforts toward competition, not financials. The team is preparing to enter the WPA Western Division Championship on Saturday with a 17-4 record, which is the best in program history.

“I think as far as the fundraising is going, our focus right now is on our season and living in the present and just working on our goals,” junior water polo team member Allison Campbell said. “It would be very easy to get stressed out and worry about what’s going to happen next year and have that negatively impact us.”

Sophomore team member Katie Ermakova said even though the team is keeping its eyes on the pool, she’s still relieved the team received a boost toward its fundraising goals.

“Of course raising money is important to save our sport but we just want to compete, and we just want to show we are the best team this year,” Ermakova said.

“If we’re able to raise

lobby state lawmakers with representatives from 10 system institutions mobilizing to form the grassroots activism movement USM Students for Affordability group. Cohen said more than 22,000 people, primarily students, called and emailed lawmakers asking them to push for the lowest possible tuition hikes.

Although Cohen said he hoped this movement will be able to influence legislators to hold a special legislative session, others said $5.3 million is too much to cut from the system.

“It’s frustrating because we’ve been working on these affordability issues all year and in one fell swoop, because of the failures of our state legislators to come to an agreement, we are the ones who suffer here on the campus,” said SGA President Kaiyi Xie. With the “dust still rising” from the budget’s passage Monday night, Cohen said student leaders need to wait to determine what feasible alternatives they could lobby for to keep higher education affordable.

“It is imperative to all 150,000 system of Maryland students that we have a special session so that legislators can pass a responsible package,” Cohen said. “It’s entirely unlikely that [O’Malley] would throw in the towel now ... But at the end of the day, it’s the people of Maryland who are at risk right now. The lawmakers at Annapolis have already done the damage they can do.”

Senior staff writer Jim Bach contributed to this report. villanueva@umdbk.com

enough money to save another women’s team, then we can go back and relook at what we looked at for track and field,” Harrison said.

Ryan Bowles, assistant athletic director, said it is still too early to tell how the athletic department will satisfy Title IX requirements, which stipulates the university must offer men’s and women’s teams equal financial support, with the remaining athletics programs.

“We have a long way to go in this thing so we don’t have anything set in stone,” Bowles said. “We don’t have a magic ball to figure out how things are going to turn out. But we anticipate some momentum continuing to pick up.”

Salyer added the athletic department has demonstrated its support for the at-risk teams through fundraising efforts.

“We think we have a good relationship with the athletic department,” he said. “If we manage to save the team, it will be because we did this together.”

In the past six months, the retail space below the Varsity apartments has filled with businesses, including Sweetgreen, pictured above. FILE PHOTO/THE DIAMONDBACK

Students frequent new restaurants, bar scene uptown Only one new business closes below Varsity apartments on Rt. 1

BY NICK FOLEY Staff writer

While living in uptown College Park used to mean trekking to bars and restaurants, students living in the area’s high-rise apartments said a similar scene has developed just an elevator ride away.

Over the last six months, retail space under the Varsity and University View apartments filled with businesses, including Looney’s Pub, ChiDogO’s and Bobby’s Burger Palace. Only one of the new uptown businesses failed to stick — after opening in December, Austin Grill Express closed its doors March 18 due to “corporate changes,” according to College Park Economic Development Coordinator Michael Stiefvater, who said the closing was not related to lack of business.

Some students, such as freshman economics major Chris Cole, said that while downtown and the campus boast favorites such as Chipotle and Panda Express, nearby restaurants with similar offerings are able to satisfy those cravings instead.

“Shanghai Tokyo is like another version of Panda Express,” Cole said.

With the addition of those new

“I find that the more they open up on this side of the street, the less I find myself crossing [Route 1]. I’ve been eating out for most of my meals.”

businesses, as well as Sweetgreen and Pizza Autentica, several students said they rarely have to leave their block to eat.

“I find that the more they open up on this side of the street, the less I find myself crossing [Route 1],” freshmen communication major Ken Carrier said, adding that he no longer buys groceries.

“I’ve been eating out for most of my meals just because they added like, 10, restaurants.”

However, Cole said he was disheartened Austin Grill Express shuttered, as it provided a muchneeded Mexican option in the area.

“It was pretty much the same thing as Chipotle but a lot more convenient,” he said.

Stiefvater said the restaurant’s troubles were not isolated to its College Park location.

“It had mostly to do with them,” he said. “They closed down a few other Express stores.”

District 1 councilman Patrick Wojahn said he did not think the business took off because he never saw many customers inside.

“There never seemed to be anybody there — I walked by it a couple times and it always seemed empty,” Wojahn said. “It wasn’t quite as unique as some of the other places, but Shanghai Tokyo seems to be doing well, and there’s a lot of Asian places in the town.”

“Since California Tortilla closed, there aren’t really that many Mexican places,” he added.

Stiefvater said the other restaurants are thriving because the apartment buildings are a short walk away from the campus and the eateries can reach a broader range of customers.

“It’s just a short walk over the bridge, and it’s pretty easy to walk over there for students,” he said.

“From what I understand, they’re all doing well.”

KEN CARRIER lurye@umdbk.com

FRESHMAN COMMUNICATION MAJOR

foley@umdbk.com

national tour.

Artistic Director and Choreographer Aparna Ramaswamy now identifies Rajna and Anjna as her little sisters.

“It was very important to us to be artists practicing the classical Indian art with integrity here in the United States,” she said. “The fact that we come from very strong lineages with teachers who are known as the best in our respective forms means we feel a great responsibility to present our artistry at the highest quality, and they share that with us.”

The sisters are a dichotomy — a “unit,” as Ramaswamy said — but also seen as “internal and external space,” as Palaparty described them.

“There’s a very strong sort of meditative depth to Rajna,” Palaparty said. “She is the observer while Anjna is sort of the voice

and very expressive.”

Rajna and Anjna both feel they are trying to find new ways to express their identities through music. As co-artistic directors of Rhythm Fantasies, Inc., a nonprofit corporation the family created, they have shied away from simply bringing classical Indian musicians to America. Instead, the sisters are mixing contemporary with traditional, as their parents once did to give them the skills they needed.

“It’s the fact that we’re Indian, but we’re also American,” Anjna said. “We’re a perfect balance of the two and sometimes this constant war between the two, but there’s something so beautiful about being in those two places and being between those two places.”

DIVERSIONS

SISTERS from page 6

pulsating to the same rhythm,” Rajna said.

Rajna continued to travel to Chennai each year for the festival season. In 2009, Anjna joined her in India when her guru presented her to his teacher, M.F. Gopalakrishnan, Lalitha Swaminathan’s original idol. The teacher wasn’t impressed.

She stayed with Gopalakrishnan for 40 days, spending nearly six hours a day working.

He never told her she was doing a good job. The only positive recognition she received was an occasional nod of the head and a raise of the finger.

But after 40 more days of intensive training the following

year, the time for Anjna’s debut concert had arrived.

It was July 2010. Anjna was preparing to go to college, with her debut symbolizing both graduating and learning at a whole new level. It was an end and a beginning.

Fifteen days later, Lalitha Swaminathan, Rajna and Anjna’s mother, died suddenly of cardiac arrest. Her blood pressure had been slightly too high, but there were no telltale signs.

“It was so sudden that I knew it was fate,” Anjna said. “We realized that our mother gave us this gift and how it is that immediately after she presents us to the world, at the top of how happy she was, that’s it.”

“She’d always been the voice of reason that spoke up in any internal debate, so I always keep her in mind when I think

about where I’m going with my music,” Rajna said. “Without her I wouldn’t be where I am today, and this inspires me to persevere even when I’m completely lost.”

ADULTHOOD: AMERICA Vijay Palaparty first worked with Rajna and Anjna at a memorial service for their mother. At one point, they were rehearsing a poem that involved the color red. Out of nowhere, red balloons began floating toward the top of the theater. It was a perfect juxtaposition but strange at the same time, and they began to laugh.

“It was ridiculous, it was silly, it was random,” said Palaparty, the co-founder and co-artistic director of the Spilling Ink Project, a company that explores new ways of telling classical

South Indian stories through dance. “That sort of freshness was there.”

The sisters believed in life after death. Rajna became even more focused on music, and Anjna picked up theater with a new dream of becoming a star, not on the streets of Chennai, but on Broadway.

Gradually, both concentrated on performance studies within their own realm of study.

Rajna started to experiment with cross-cultural performances, specifically jazz. Anjna’s interest in interdisciplinary work grew, and soon she and Rajna were partnering with dance companies, including Ragamala. Last year, Rajna, Anjna and Ragamala performed at the Kennedy Center as a part of the maximum INDIA festival and are currently in the middle of their

mcfischer@umdbk.com

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THE DIAMONDBACK | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

LAUREN REDDING

0pinion

THE DIAMONDBACK

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YASMEEN ABUTALEB

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CHRISTOPHER HAXEL

MARIA ROMAS

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Staff editorial

Guest column

Smokers: 1, Senate: 0

The care behind the health

O

ver the last several years, the University Senate has grappled with enforce the 10-foot extension was to remove all cigarette receptacles that a number of issues vital to the campus community — including would tempt students to smoke within the 25-foot bubble around a buildrevamping General Education, reorganizing several colleges and ing. The senate could have required Facilities Management officials to passing a Good Samaritan policy. But for some reason, the senate enforce the new rule by training volunteers to educate smokers on the new parameter, but somehow decided removing the environmentally just keeps coming back to one issue: Smoking on the campus.

Three years and numerous debates after the issue was first raised, sen- friendly ash trays was the solution.

So it’s no surprise that months later, students are ators still can’t quite seem to come up with an effeccomplaining of an excess of cigarette butts on the tive answer and the problem has only gotten worse. campus due to the lack of a proper receptacles. The The debates began in 2009 when one concerned student asked the senate to consider banning smokIf the University Senate is amount of cigarette litter on the campus is disgusting and embarrassing. And because this university’s ing on the campus. going to instate stricter smoking policy has no specific guidelines for smokers It wasn’t a novel decision; over the past few years, to deal with their cigarette waste, they can’t be held the American College Health Association has been smoking policies, it needs accountable for their actions. While it’s obviously the pushing ever y college and university campus in the to make sure those smokers’ job to dispose of their used cigarettes, the U.S. to ban smoking, which more than 500 campuses of litter has increased because the University have now done. restrictions are enforced. amount Senate didn’t think through its decision.

While senators deemed the issue worthy of debate, Facilities Management Building and Landscape Serthey couldn’t seem to come to a consensus on what to As it stands, the senate vices Director Harry Teabout said employees will once do. A bill to ban smoking cycled through the Senate wasted a lot of time and again place receptacles for cigarette butts in areas at Executive Committee and the entire body a number least 25 feet from building entrances after officials of times, until the body finally came to an agreement hasn’t solved anything. identify places with serious littering problems. But last semester: Instead of banning smoking, smokers what’s taken so long? The receptacles were removed now had to stand 25 feet away from campus buildings to light up — a 10-foot extension from the original policy. Senators ulti- months ago after the senate’s vote. It seems that both the senate and Facilmately decided the university would be overstepping its boundaries by ities Management dropped the ball on this one and, as a result, the campus telling smokers not to do what they’re legally permitted and instead isn’t looking so pretty.

And to the senate, what was the point of extending the smoking paramdecided to enforce smoking rules more strictly.

Students weren’t so crazy about the decision. The Student Government eter if you didn’t make sure it would be properly enforced? There’s been Association voted against the measure, stating that since the university too much time wasted on this issue already; years of debates have led to nothing more than extra litter on the campus and smokers still smoking can barely enforce the 15-foot rule, extending it would be pointless.

But it passed, and apparently the university decided the best way to wherever they want. Smokers: 1, University Senate: 0.

Our View

Editorial cartoon: Kevin Brooks

The Chipotle burrito: A way of life

Y

ou start off with a big, flour tortilla — a realm of possibility. This flat expanse of bread, which gives you ultimate control, is the source of all that is good in that moment. It’s like birth, a time where you have the whole world before you and have not tarnished it yet with bad decisions and regretful choices.

You head down the line of your local Chipotle. Next comes the decision of whether or not you want to include cilantro-lime rice. Now, rarely does one skip the rice — the decision’s almost already made for you. But it’s filling, so you let it slide; you already have control over so much. What’s the harm in one measly decision being made for you?

It’s like your parents deciding what religion you will practice.

You’re a baby — you can’t decide for yourself. But you get used to it, like the rice, and accept it as somewhat inevitable. Maybe one time

MARIA ROMAS you ate bad rice and the thought of it now makes you gag — that’s when you decide to change the rice and believe in a different ingredient.

Now you’re warming up, getting excited. Do you want pinto or vegetarian black beans or vegetables?

This decision will decide the nature of the taste of your burrito. If you choose beans but are really a vegetable person, you could be incredibly dissatisfied with one of the most defining choices.

These are like your hobbies — the things that make up your personality. If you play sports but don’t have an athlete’s build or nature, you’re most likely going to be

unhappy with the decision to dabble in athletics. If you love playing football, a lot of that makes up who you are and how you act. Your favorite hobby is like your peppers: It makes things interesting and spicy and greatly influences the whole product.

The time has come to decide what kind of meat you want. Will you go with the braised carnitas? Or perhaps barbacoa, adobo-marinated and grilled chicken or steak? Maybe a combination of two? Or no meat at all? This is the largest factor of the whole — the taste, texture and volume all depends on this decision. In life, your job, relationships and interests are the meat.

These defining components are the essence of your being — the choices you’ve made that determine what happens in your daily life. If the meat is not cooked enough or has gone bad, the whole thing is ruined — as your life would be if you hated

your job, spouse or house.

The last stop before checkout is the toppings. Do you want salsa or guacamole? Lettuce? Cheese? Sour cream? These components are what make life fun: The nights you go out with friends, the holidays, the vacations. They add that little something that makes ever ything go from bland to delicious.

The burrito is one of the most popular choices at Chipotle, the restaurant that occupies a storefront on Route 1 and our minds. The store leads many students to forget their diets and eat the biggest meal they can manage. What someone orders can really say a lot about who a person is.

Life is a lot like a Chipotle burrito — confusing, mildly overwhelming but always delicious.

Maria Romas is a sophomore English and journalism major. She can be reached at romas@umdbk.com.

The ethics behind free speech

L

ast week, a Diamondback opinion cartoonist submitted a piece for Good Friday.

The cartoon depicted two adjacent scenarios of Jesus Christ’s resurrection. On one side, it shows the resurrection, as it took place 2,000 years ago. On the other, a modern-day gunman mistook the risen Jesus Christ as a zombie and shot him in the head. (You can see the cartoon online on Campus Drive, The Diamondback’s news blog.)

Admittedly, the concept wasn’t exactly original — it comes from the zombie Jesus caricature in popular culture. But the cartoon was still controversial. After some discussion, the members of the editorial board decided not to publish it.

According to the post on Campus Drive, they felt they had “ever y right” to publish the cartoon because it was running on the opinion page. Yet they chose not to do so because “part of a journalist’s duty is to ‘do no harm.’”

Ultimately, I agreed with the editorial board’s decision, though I disagree with its justification. I am not a journalist, but from my view, this wasn’t really an issue of journalistic ethics — for the ver y reason the board had “ever y right” to publish the cartoon. Reporters and writers are expected to respect journalistic standards while doing their job. The idea that a journalist should “do no harm” refers to the reporting process; journalists must use discretion when deciding whether or not to report ever ything they learn. For example, news articles often omit the names of juvenile suspects or victims of sex crimes.

What is written and depicted on this opinion page is, by definition, not reporting and therefore should not be not held to those standards.

Deciding whether or not to publish that cartoon, or any other offensive media, is not about free speech versus journalistic ethics — it is about

OSAMA ESHERA free speech versus human ethics.

We often get so caught up in a slightly self-righteous defense of our human right to free speech that we forget the people on the receiving end of our work are human too.

I am sure the cartoonist had something meaningful to say about Good Friday or Easter, but the insensitive nature of his cartoon undermined his message. I think delivering a controversial message is perfectly acceptable, but to be crude in the process detracts from the key purpose of free speech.

In the context of an opinion page, free speech allows writers and readers to express their thoughts and foster a fruitful conversation.

But when offensive material is published in the name of free speech, it fails to live up to its own objective.

Instead of prompting a conversation on that relevant topic, the author sparks an argument about whether or not the piece was appropriate. In this way, controversial media should not be published just because free speech allows it to be — it directly contradicts its motive.

It is certainly possible for a writer or cartoonist to offer an opinion on a sensitive issue without being hurtful or making his or her readers angr y. To do so is not easy.

But it is the author’s responsibility to understand his audience and appeal to them effectively. Insulting readers simply because you can is not the point of free speech — remember, your readers are human, too.

Osama Eshera is a junior bioengineering major. He can be reached at eshera@umdbk.com.

T

here is a lot to be learned from Tom Bradtke’s Monday column, “No one should care about Obamacare.” I don’t expect anyone to be surprised by the rampant collusion between big money interests and our government, nor do I think it’s news to anyone who pays for his or her own health care that this year, as last, we’re paying more for less. And it is not news to anyone the law is deeply flawed; it’s not single-payer. But I do think the language Bradtke used is important.

Extending guardian’s coverage to age 26 is “definitely a good thing.” I agree, but it’s interesting a provision in the law that directly benefits Bradtke is the only one he mentioned. What really set off my alarm was this phrase: “or one of the lucky few in the very specific circumstances where it benefits you as a consumer.” It is true, this law does not give a huge helping hand to the very well off. Nor does it immediately give a huge helping hand to the very healthy. It’s not meant to. The people it does help aren’t lucky, nor do I think of them as consumers.

There are people who work full time jobs and then some and give as much of their lives to work as the rest of us, but don’t have much to show for it. They live above the poverty line, but aren’t worth enough to their employers to, you know, keep alive. For cancer patients in that gap between crushing poverty and middle-class life, this bill has quite literally given them the right to live. Being a 35year-old mother of two denied lifesaving chemotherapy and referred to a hospice sucks a whole lot more than being a healthy 23-year-old with another bill to pay.

There are also people with permanent disabilities. For us, the Affordable Care Act is freedom.

When it’s fully up and running, I could choose to work for a small company, or to be self employed.

Those aren’t options right now, and wouldn’t have been in my lifetime.

To afford my insulin, right now I either have to be rich, work for a huge employer (which can negotiate for good health coverage) or be deep enough in poverty to qualify for Medicaid. If I were one of the unfortunate many who continue working in low-paying service jobs for the rest of my life, a future without this bill would mean a short, sickly life spent grasping at whatever substandard care is available. I can’t think of anything quite as anticorporate as something that frees a class of wage slaves from the fear of crushing deadly poverty that goes hand-in-hand with being ill and life on the economic margins.

Ignorance or apathy, I don’t care. If our countr y is going to be a reasonable place to live — a truly moral countr y — we must judge ourselves by how we treat the least of us. When the health care bill passed, I believed, for the first time in my life, that it was possible to cobble together something out of this corrupt political system that could actually help people. You know, something other than wars and expansions of the security state. I saw evidence of something objectively morally good in this government.

But, I suppose, you have to care about the people this bill helps to think it’s good.

Matthew Reed is a graduate student in physics. He can be reached at deconite@hotmail.com.

OPINION EDITOR WANTED The Diamondback is seeking an opinion editor for the Fall 2012 semester. Ideal candidates have an understanding of university, state and national issues, a familiarity with journalistic writing, strong managerial skills and the ability to meet deadlines.

Opinion editors typically work 30 to 35 hours per week. The position is paid. For more information on the position or how to apply, please contact opinion editors Christopher Haxel and Maria Romas at opinion@umdbk.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.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012 | THE DIAMONDBACK

5

Features HOROSCOPESTELLA WILDER

CROSSWORD 29 Sweater style (hyph.)

30 Ms. Massey of old films 31 Black-eyed — 32 Gets the news 35 Auto pioneer

Ransom — Olds 38 Execs’ degrees 41 Leanest 43 Fritz’s three 44 Funny Coca 46 Attorney’s deg.

48 51 52 53 54 55

Start a paragraph “Aeneid,” e.g.

Lawless role Footed vases Contemptible She, in Seville

ACROSS 54 Greenish patina 1 Gymnastics move 60 Dijon dad 61 Actor Cornel — 5 LaBelle or 62 Per LuPone 63 Room offerers 10 Ages upon ages 64 Detective 14 Queue — Pinkerton 15 From the top 65 Winged Victory 16 Lie adjacent 66 Autograph site 17 Medea sailed 67 Baker’s buy on her 68 “Paint the Sky 18 Reflects on with Stars” singer deeply 19 Night attire DOWN 20 Stays even 1 Strong opposition (2 wds.)

2 Trevi Fountain 22 Take forcibly coins 23 Open meadow 3 “Picnic” penner 24 — alai 25 Blunt an appetite 4 Inhabited 5 Gaucho’s land 29 Wood protector 6 Water, in Baja 33 Listens to 7 Soapstone 34 Patch 8 Mah-jongg piece 36 Envelope sealer 9 Those elected 37 PCB regulator 10 Hoop or stud 38 Skirmish 11 Woodwind 39 She bear, in 12 Short pencils Madrid 13 Dele’s undoing 40 Sets a price 21 Mermaids’ 42 — -a-brac domains 43 Kuwaiti cash 22 Clash of arms 45 Exhibit 24 Sculpture 47 Some Persian medium rugs 49 Pacino and Unser 25 In the lead 26 7-Up rival 50 Recent (pref.)

27 Maxes out 51 Commuter’s 28 Coarse corundum home

© 2012 UNITED FEATURES SYNDICATE

Previous Day’s Puzzle Solved:

TODAY’S CROSSWORD SPONSORED BY:

56 57 58 59

Vitamin amts.

Wet forecast Yucky One-time Queens ballpark 61 — cool!

orn today, you never like to take no for an answer, and while you may sulk and stamp your feet when, as a child, you are denied something you want, as an adult, you will have learned to bear disappointment with a becoming grace. It is this confident and optimistic spirit that sees you through, for you cannot accept the fact that a defeat may be anything more than a temporary setback.

B

You maintain your beliefs and convictions even when they are challenged by those in authority.

You are always willing to grant that someone may know more than you, but you never give way when it comes to belief, faith and attitude; these are your own and unshakable, no matter what anyone else might say.

Also born on this date are: Joss Stone, singer; Vincent Gallo, actor and director; Meshach Taylor, actor; Louise Lasser, actress; Joel Grey, actor; Ethel Kennedy, wife of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy; Oleg Cassini, fashion designer.

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.

others rise to the occasion today, and springboard everyone into a more creative, productive place.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) — You may not be able to claim a definitive victory today, but you’ll be at least two or three steps closer to your intended goal.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — Are you sure you are not simply fantasizing when you make plans that seem to have no solid foundation? You must begin with something real.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Accuracy is the key today; you’ll want to complete a job in a way that has the powers-thatbe wanting you back. You can claim certain dividends.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — You are too busy today trying to accommodate another, while your own needs are being neglected. The balance has to shift somewhat.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — The ends do not necessarily justify the means — and today

you’ll realize you may have been going at something the wrong way.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — The responsibilities you bear at this time are actually more important than even you had originally supposed. You mustn’t falter!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — You can do much to help another turn a bad situation into something good — and you won’t have to give up too much of your own independence.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Your critics may cite many instances in which you are doing things in a way that is unorthodox or unwanted — but you’re on the right track.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) — Keep your promises and all will be well today; only by breaking your word and turning your back on a friend will you be courting disaster.

COPYRIGHT 2012 UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.

TODAY’S HOROSCOPE SPONSORED BY:

THURSDAY,APRIL 12 ARIES (March 21-April 19) — You have anticipated with remarkable accuracy what is required of you today — but there may still be some improvisation necessary.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — The more creative your approach to a current problem, the more permanent the solution you are likely to devise.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — Your positive attitude will help

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6

THE DIAMONDBACK | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

Diversions

REEL NEWS: ENDER’S GAME PUSHED BACK EIGHT MONTHS The film adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s seminal young adult sci-fi novel Ender’s Game has been pushed back almost a year and will now come out Nov. 1, 2013.

The movie stars Asa Butterfield (Hugo, right), Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) and Ben Kingsley. In other news, there’s an Ender’s Game movie coming out.

arts. music. living. movies. weekend.

SPOTLIGHT | RAJNA AND ANJNA SWAMINATHAN

DUAL HARMONY Indian sisters combine heritage with modern music to produce new works

BY MARY CLARE FISCHER Staff writer

Rajna and Anjna Swaminathan are not prodigies. They were not born with instruments in their hands, as their mother used to say. Their success did not come without effort, by any means. But when you look at them, you can tell.

The sisters wear no labels marking them as students of the most highly regarded South

Indian gurus in their respective crafts. Few know that they both performed solo concerts in India. They do not brag that they spent last week in Georgia as part of a 25-city tour in collaboration with the Ragamala Dance Company. Yet from their mahogany eyes, talent shines, along with knowledge of the responsibility that comes with great skill.

Of the two, Rajna, a junior anthropology and French major, is the drum: Sometimes reser ved and quiet but intently tapping out a rhythm in the background to provide pace for herself and those around her.

Having immersed herself in the art of the mridangam — a drum with two heads that looks like a conga drum turned on its side when played — since the age of 5, she is now, at 21, one of the youngest and one of the only female players in the world.

Anjna, in contrast, has the flair of a violin, animated and graceful, with the playful spirit that seems to be consistently set aside for the youngest child within a family. A sophomore theater major, she

sees herself as less focused on music as a career and more on how it can be combined with other creative disciplines.

As children, Rajna and Anjna started in the same place. Now that they are young adults, their paths are running parallel, brought together through tragedy and their mutual search for who they really are.

YOUTH: AMERICA After they married in 1979, P.K. and Lalitha Swaminathan filled their house with art and music. Their children, Rajna and Anjna, would dance to old Indian music while their parents videotaped their performances.

“It was very much like this little bubble that we lived in,” Anjna said.

One day, Rajna was sitting in her father’s lap and started playing with the mridangam.

Although the mridangam was traditionally seen as a forceful male instrument, the parents decided to see if their older daughter could learn the art of percussion.

In typical sibling fashion, Anjna wanted to play an instrument once Rajna started. She preferred a melodic instrument and settled on the violin.

The Swaminathans thought it was necessary to expose their children to both American and South Indian classical, or Carnatic, music. Anjna began first, with western violin lessons.

P.K. Swaminathan’s idol was Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, a well-respected mridangam player. He decided to call this man and ask him to come to America to pass some of his skills on to him. The guru, however, refused to teach students except in his own house — it was the only way these things were done.

After a few lessons in India, though, Sivaraman’s parents convinced him to go to America and

MOVIE THEATER REVIEW: REGAL MAJESTIC 20 & IMAX THEATRE The Regal Majestic Stadium 20 & IMAX is definitely the largest multiplex accessible by shuttle service. In fact, it’s probably one of the largest in the whole metropolitan Washington area. But what does size really lend to a movie theater?

The obvious answer is an improved selection of movies. Indeed, the Majestic 20 does offer an impressive assortment of first-run and slightly older movies. If there’s ever a movie you wanted

to see but didn’t manage to catch in its opening weeks, there’s a good chance you’ll find it still playing here.

Yet the massive number of screens doesn’t really expand the type of films shown at the Majestic 20. Most of the screenings here are of Hollywood movies or smash-hit indie films (e.g. The King’s Speech). Unlike Georgetown 14, there’s not much variety to the marquee.

teach P.K. Swaminathan, the most passionate apprentice they had ever seen. In 1999, the legend came to the Swaminathan house for the first time.

Lalitha went even further, trying to persuade Sivaraman to teach 8-year-old Rajna as well. One night, the parents took Anjna along to a rehearsal, leaving Rajna in the care of the guru. When the three returned home, Sivaraman was standing at the door of the garage.

“Lalitha, I’ve accepted your daughter as my student,” he said in an enthusiastic Indian accent. “She’s playing everything I tell her to play.”

Rajna simply remembers him challenging her to play different things and deciding she was good enough to merit his teaching.

“I guess I’m really lucky I decided to practice that day,” she said.

She had never experienced such intense training and was frequently close to tears after as much as three hours of class and four hours of independent practice.

“Outside of class, he was like a grandfather figure, but when it came to music, I got no special treatment for being a little girl,” she said.

Motivated by the greatness of her teacher, she persevered.

Now that Lalitha Swaminathan had set one daughter on a track to fame, she turned to the other. So she called H.K. Narasimhamurthy, a student of her idol. He said he was too busy but might have more time once he retired at 60.

Lalitha found others to train Anjna but never forgot May 4, 2004 — his 60th birthday.

When that day arrived, she called him again.

“You told me,” she said. “I’ve applied for your visa, and we’re sponsoring you to come here.”

In the fall, he became the second legend to come to

the Swaminathan house.

ADOLESCENCE: INDIA Meanwhile, Rajna’s training had progressed enough for her to go to India for lessons. In 2002 and 2003, she traveled to Chennai, the center of the Carnatic music scene. Two years later, Rajna was ready for her debut concert, an Indian tradition in which one is presented to the community as a legitimate musician.

“In India, everyone in the audience is a critic,” Rajna said.

“They know every detail of what you’re playing and how you compare to your teacher and your peers. It’s quite intimidating, actually.”

The following year, Rajna began to participate in Chennai’s festival season,

which spans the whole month of December. Indian musicians flock to Chennai — India’s version of Broadway — to put on impromptu concerts together.

As many as 500 to 1,000 concerts occur simultaneously, with many performers meeting on stage for the first time, sometimes in the corner of a small temple, sometimes in a massive concert hall.

“It feels like the whole city is

see SISTERS, page 3

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANJNA AND RAJNA SWAMINATHAN

Admittedly, the Majestic 20 is within spitting distance of the strictly arthouse AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, but it’s still a little disheartening to see The Hunger Games take up a quarter of the screens while something like The Raid: Redemption is not even playing in the immediate region.

The screens themselves are nothing spectacular. The Majestic 20 hasn’t fully switched over to all digital projectors, so some of the smaller auditoriums are still using adequately handled celluloid.

Quality is about average for a mass market theater, though the digital IMAX installation is quite nice and big (if far too loud).

Concessions, too, are average — the popcorn’s probably a bit stale, ridiculously priced and ridiculously sized. The Majestic 20 does have the benefit of being in downtown Silver Spring, so dinner options are plentiful, especially if you like ethnic cuisine.

At end of it, I suppose there’s not much to be said about the Majestic 20. The theater’s only noteworthy for its size and its IMAX screen, but it doesn’t really put the former to good use. What’s the bloody point when you can catch the same movie much closer to the campus?

— Warren Zhang

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012 | SPORTS | THE DIAMONDBACK

7

TIGERS from page 8

Sophomore wide receiver Marcus Leak has struggled with inconsistency in his young career, but he currently sits atop the Terps’ depth chart at spring practice. JEREMY KIM/THE DIAMONDBACK

FOOTBALL from page 8

heighten the battle for touches.

For now, though, the competition is between Ross and Pickett, who rushed for 274 yards and a touchdown last season. Pickett is listed atop the depth chart.

“Justus is probably a little shiftier. Brandon is faster,” Edsall said. “We’re trying to get Brandon to be a little bit more powerful. I thought Justus really did some good things.

You can see the difference, you can see where Justus has that experience, and Brandon just doesn’t have that experience right now.”

LEAK INCONSISTENT

Sophomore Marcus Leak surprised many last season when he charged to the top of the Terps’ depth chart before their Oct. 22 game against Florida State.

What brought the 6-foot wideout to that spot is the same thing that now frustrates Edsall: his potential.

Leak showed flashes of promise last season — most notably on his late-game touchdown against the Semi-

noles — but finished the season with just 12 catches, including zero in four of the Terps’ final five games.

This spring, he again finds himself on top of the team’s depth chart. Yet he’s also struggling with inconsistency — again.

“I’ve kind of seen the same thing, where he’s up and down,” Edsall said. “He’ll have a couple good plays then he won’t have good plays and then, same thing, he’ll come out and have a good practice then a notso-good practice.

“We just stress with him it’s about doing it every day that you come out here. He’s getting better, but he’s got a lot of potential. That’s that word that you hate to say: potential. But we’ve got to get him to really understand that he has to work hard every play.”

Devin Burns is currently slotted opposite Leak at wideout.

The two are backed up by Nigel King and Regis Whittington.

But with the arrival of fivestar recruit Stefon Diggs in the fall and senior receiver Kevin Dorsey’s continued recover y from injur y, that order remains quite tentatiave five months before the start of the season.

MISSING FACES The Terps’ injury woes of 2011 haven’t completely gone away as they prepare for the 2012 season. The team will be without defensive end Joe Vellano and linebacker Darin Drakeford for the remainder of the spring, and wide receiver Kerry Boykins likely won’t return, either.

Vellano was shelved by a foot injur y last week, while a hard hit in Saturday’s scrimmage has kept Boykins off the field.

Drakeford’s absence, Edsall explained in a YouTube video yesterday, is the result of an academic issue.

With so much time left until the Terps kick off against William & Mary on Sept. 1, Edsall’s not worried about the absences. Instead, he sees them as an opportunity for backups to prove their mettle.

“I don’t worry about that in the spring,” Edsall said. “You’re not looking to have your final product by April 21. I’m grateful that it gives other guys reps and those guys aren’t seriously injured and they’ll be back with us in the fall.” cwalsh@umdbk.com

need to tighten up on and do differently. I think it’s what we needed to propel us into the rest of our season.”

The defensive side of the ball, which has remained a constant crutch for the Terps in their wins this season, has been an area of concern in recent contests. The Tar Heels made 60 percent of their shots in the first half and won 17 of 25 groundballs in the game, giving themselves extra scoring chances.

“That’s not the way we normally play,” goalie Brittany Dipper said. “Not coming out on fire like we normally do and the way we need to cost us.”

After just four goals on eight shots in the first half, the Terps did improve their attack after halftime, totaling 15 shots. But even a 5-1 secondhalf run wasn’t enough to overcome North Carolina in the end.

“We didn’t play very good one-on-one defense, and we didn’t help each other out,” Reese said. “We needed to step up and be a bit tougher, and we didn’t do that in the

Defender Iliana Sanza, left, and the No. 5 Terps will travel to face Princeton tonight. CHARLIE DEBOYACE/THE DIAMONDBACK

first half. We made adjustments at halftime … but it was a little too much, too late. We just couldn’t get it done.”

Barring a miracle tonight in New Jersey or at home this weekend, the Terps should come out on top against their two upcoming, unranked opponents. What lies ahead for them in the ACC Tournament will be a much more uncertain path. The Terps won’t receive a first-round bye if they stay in the No. 3 hole, meaning they’ll have to win three games if they are to

repeat as league champions.

For Reese and her team, it’s unfamiliar territory.

“I’ve never been in a play-in game here at Maryland,” Reese said, referencing the structure of the tournament that gives the top two seeds a bye from the quarterfinal round. “It is what it is — the ACC is such a competitive conference and any game can go any way at any time. It will be really exciting to see how everything plays out.” munson@umdbk.com

After an ACC series win against N.C. State last weekend, first baseman Tim Kiene and the Terps have another crucial game today against West Virginia. JEREMY KIM/THE DIAMONDBACK

BASEBALL from page 8 over his last 30 games of 2011 and 10 home runs in the New England Collegiate Baseball Leagues. One of Kiene’s greatest traits over that period was consistency, and that’s what he’s looking to reacquire.

“I’m glad that he’s been able to change the game with one swing — that’s why we recruited him,” said coach Erik Bakich. “But I also am more focused on the amount of quality at-bats more than anything else.”

MOVING ON UP While Bakich has had to shuffle the Terps’ starting rotation with the emergence of left-hander Jimmy Reed and the return to form of righthander Brett Harman, he’s confident right-hander David Carroll will thrive in the Sunday starter role.

Despite being up and down at times during the year in his role as a Saturday starter, Carroll has turned in quality outings for the Terps in three of his past four starts. In his two most recent outings against Boston College and N.C.

State, Carroll has thrown 15 innings, allowed four runs (two earned) on 15 hits and, perhaps most importantly, issued no walks.

“I think everybody has a lot of confidence when he pitches, period,” Bakich said.

“A day like today and many times throughout the season, when he’s throwing strikes, he lets our defense play.”

As he left his March 24 start at Miami after allowing three runs in only 1.2 innings of work due to stiffness in his neck and shoulder, Carroll’s near-future seemed in doubt.

He wasn’t even listed as a probable starter for the Terps’ series at Boston College. But when the team needed a big win the final game of the series in Chestnut Hill, Mass., Carroll came through.

“I think I’ve been feeling pretty good for two weeks now and that kind of correlated into the game,” he said.

“Boston College was the same thing. I was locating my fastball really well and all my other pitches kind of feed off that. That’s kind of been the big key for me.”

HALFWAY HOME After Virginia polished off a

three-game sweep of Wake Forest on Monday night, three teams besides the Terps were left tied for eighth place at the halfway mark of the conference schedule with identical 5-10 ACC records.

The top eight teams qualify for the postseason tournament, something the Terps haven’t done since the league’s 2005 expansion.

Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and Duke are fighting the Terps for the final spot in the ACC Tournament, and two of the team’s next three series are against the Blue Devils and Hokies.

As has been the theme all season, Bakich is keeping his team’s focus on the immediate future. He said he’s not thinking about what’s happening around the rest of the league.

“To be honest, I’m really just worried about today, and that’s going to be the standard answer,” Bakich said yesterday.

“Focusing on today and just taking the approach that we need to get better today — not thinking two weeks out, one week out. Thinking about getting better in practice today, and then playing our best against West Virginia tomorrow.” dgallen@umdbk.com

8

THE DIAMONDBACK | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

Sports

Report: Smotrycz to visit Ex-Michigan forward Evan Smotrycz will take an official visit to see the Terps, CBS Sports reported. For more, go to TerrapinTrail.com.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

FOOTBALL | NOTEBOOK

EARLY

20122013

RISERS The NCAA’s early-entry deadline came and went yesterday, meaning most ACC coaches know what they’ll have to work with next season. Almost a half-year away from Maryland Madness, the Terps appear to be climbing.

N.C. STATE

NORTH CAROLINA

2011-12 RECORD: 24-13 (NCAA, Sweet 16) KEY DEPARTURES: G C.J. Williams, G Alex Johnson PLAYERS TO WATCH: G Lorenzo Brown, F C.J. Leslie, F Richard Howell, F Scott Wood, G Rodney Purvis* (recruit) OVERALL: With a top-five recruiting class and five of his top six players returning, Wolfpack coach Mark Gottfried has a real chance to win the conference in just his second season. If Leslie returns for his junior season, N.C. State should be the favorite in the ACC. Leslie, a second-team All-ACC selection, gets most of the attention, but Brown makes this team run.

Their play, coupled with Purvis’ arrival, should give N.C. State one of the best backcourts in the conference.

2011-12 RECORD: 32-6 (NCAA, Elite Eight) KEY DEPARTURES: F Tyler Zeller, G Kendall Marshall, F John Henson, F Harrison Barnes PLAYERS TO WATCH: G Dexter Strickland, G Reggie Bullock, F James McAdoo, G Marcus Paige* OVERALL: Despite losing ACC Player of the Year Zeller to graduation and Marshall, Henson and Barnes to the NBA Draft, the Tar Heels are still loaded. McAdoo, who came on strong in the NCAA Tournament, will have freedom to score, and coach Roy Williams still has experience in his backcourt with Bullock, Strickland and Leslie McDonald all returning. Paige could be the best incoming point guard in the country.

FLORIDA STATE

DUKE

2011-12 RECORD: 25-10 (NCAA, Second Round) KEY DEPARTURES: G Luke Loucks, G Deividas Dulkys, F Bernard James, F/C Xavier Gibson PLAYERS TO WATCH: G Michael Snaer, F Okaro White, G Ian Miller, F Antwan Space OVERALL: Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton will wave goodbye to six seniors from this year’s ACC Tournament champion team, but he still has one of the best defenders in the country in second-team All-ACC guard Snaer and two potential stars in Miller and White. Miller’s increased scoring production should outweigh the loss of Loucks and Dulkys, while White can still man the post well, even without James.

2011-12 RECORD: 27-7 (NCAA, First Round) KEY DEPARTURES: G Austin Rivers, F Miles Plumlee PLAYERS TO WATCH: F Mason Plumlee, G Seth Curry, F Ryan Kelly, F Marshall Plumlee, G Rasheed Sulaimon* OVERALL: Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski received great news yesterday when Mason Plumlee announced he would return for his senior season, in part to pair with his younger brother Marshall. Kelly, meanwhile, should be healthy again, while Curry will have two years of experience leading the team. Sulaimon, one of the nation’s finest incoming shooting guards, should provide a valuable contribution off the bench or in the starting lineup.

TERPS

MIAMI

1 3 5 7 9 11

2 4 6 8 10 12

2011-12 RECORD: 17-15 KEY DEPARTURES: G Sean Mosley, C Berend Weijs, G Mychal Parker PLAYERS TO WATCH: G Terrell Stoglin, G Nick Faust, C Alex Len, C Shaquille Cleare*, F Jake Layman* OVERALL: With the arrival of a top-25 recruiting class, coach Mark Turgeon is beginning to mold the Terps as he sees fit.

Top-100 freshmen Cleare and Layman will both play crucial roles in the rotation, while Len and Faust are expected to make important leaps forward. Turgeon will still have the ACC’s leading scorer in Stoglin, who opted not to leave for the NBA, and Howard, who is recovering from an ACL injury.

2011-12 RECORD: 20-12 (NIT) KEY DEPARTURES: G Malcolm Grant, G/F DeQuan Jones PLAYERS TO WATCH: G Durand Scott, G Shane Larkin, F/C Kenny Kadji, C Reggie Johnson OVERALL: Kadji and Johnson, who made up arguably the most imposing frontcourt in the ACC behind North Carolina last season, will both return for coach Jim Larranaga’s second season. The losses of Grant and Jones will hurt, but Scott and Larkin are both talented enough to lead the Hurricanes’ backcourt. Miami should have the starting talent to compete with anyone, but will they? That’s always the most compelling question in Coral Gables.

VIRGINIA

VIRGINIA TECH

2011-12 RECORD: 22-9 (NCAA, First Round) KEY DEPARTURES: G Sammy Zeglinski, F Mike Scott, C Assane Sene PLAYERS TO WATCH: G Jontel Evans, G Joe Harris, G/F Justin Anderson*, F Evan Nolte* OVERALL: Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett will lose the heart and soul of last year’s team with first-team All-ACC selection Scott departing, along with sharpshooter Zeglinski. Still, Harris and Evans, the ACC’s best perimeter defender and a capable antidote to the conference’s most prolific scorers, are both returning. Anderson, a swingman who originally committed to the Terps, should play quality minutes for the Cavaliers, who will struggle to return to the NCAA Tournament.

2011-12 RECORD: 16-17 KEY DEPARTURES: G Dorenzo Hudson, F Victor Davila, G Joey Racer PLAYERS TO WATCH: G Erick Green, G/F Jarell Eddie, F Dorian Finney-Smith, G Robert Brown OVERALL: Without Green this past season, Virginia Tech would have been lucky to win more than 10 games. With him back, Hokies coach Seth Greenberg has a solid veteran scorer to pair with several key underclassmen (Finney-Smith and Brown) who played extensively this past season. Expect the Hokies to win some quality games, make a run at the postseason, but falter at the end — as most Greenbergcoached teams have in Blacksburg.

CLEMSON

BOSTON COLLEGE

2011-12 RECORD: 16-15 KEY DEPARTURES: G Tanner Smith, G Andre Young, F Bryan Narcisse PLAYERS TO WATCH: F Devin Booker, F Milton Jennings, G T.J. Sapp, G Jaron Blossomgame* OVERALL: The Tigers were in the middle of the ACC pack this year. It doesn’t look like things will get all that much better next year. Their two leaders in points and assists, Smith and Young, are gone. Booker’s back as a strong rebounding presence, but their recruiting class boasts only one of ESPN’s top 100 prospects (Blossomgame).

2011-12 RECORD: 9-22 KEY DEPARTURES: None PLAYERS TO WATCH: F Ryan Anderson, G Matt Humphrey, C Dennis Clifford OVERALL: The good news for the Eagles? Anderson, their leading scorer and rebounder, will be back. Same for Humphrey, who scored 10.3 points a game last year. The bad news? The team those two players led won only nine games. A lackluster two-man recruiting class won’t help much, either. Boston College will spend 2012-13 in the same place it spent last season: the ACC basement.

GEORGIA TECH

WAKE FOREST

2011-12 RECORD: 11-20 KEY DEPARTURES: G Glen Rice Jr., G Nick Foreman, G Pierre Jordan PLAYERS TO WATCH: G Mfon Udofia, F Kammeon Holsey, C Daniel Miller, F Robert Carter* OVERALL: Last season wasn’t pretty for the Yellow Jackets, who won only four ACC contests. The loss of Rice, who was dismissed from the team after being involved in a shooting, stings just as bad — he was their leading scorer and rebounder. Fortunately, reinforcements on the way. Carter is one of the best power forward recruits in the country, and Marcus Hunt has the potential to be a very good small forward.

2011-12 RECORD: 13-18 KEY DEPARTURES: G Tony Chennault, F Nikita Mescheriakov, C Ty Walker, C Carson Desrosiers PLAYERS TO WATCH: G C.J. Harris, F Travis McKie, G Codi Miller-McIntyre* OVERALL: The days of Wake Forest being a factor in the ACC are long gone. The cellar-dwelling, to be certain, will continue next year. Harris will team with McKie to form a solid scoring tandem, but coach Jeff Bzdelik and the Demon Deacons just don’t have the talent to compete in the ACC. — Compiled by Chris Eckard and Jeremy Schneider

Pickett, Ross in backfield battle Vellano out for spring with injury

BY CONOR WALSH Senior staff writer

The Terrapins football team knew well in advance it would have to replace eversteady running back Davin Meggett as it prepared for this season.

But if reproducing the production of a four-year contributor weren’t difficult enough, the Terps’ offseason also brought with it added challenges — and departures. Following the transfers of running backs D.J. Adams (Portland State) and Jeremiah Wilson (James Madison), freshman Justus Pickett was the lone experienced running back on the roster.

That doesn’t mean he’s a shoo-in starter. Spring practice has so far featured an emerging competition in the back-

field between Pickett and burly running back Brandon Ross, who redshirted last season.

“That’s been a good battle,” coach Randy Edsall said yesterday. “They’ve been switching off with the [first team].

Brandon’s been running real tough and Justus has been running very strong. I thought [Ross] really hit some things up there in the short yardage today and ran a little bit more powerful today.

“They know that they’re competing and they’re competing for repetitions and that’s good. That’s what you want; you want to have that kind of competition at every position.”

The duo will be joined in the fall by highly touted running backs Wes Brown and Albert Reid, whose arrivals will only

see FOOTBALL, page 7

Freshman Justus Pickett, who saw action for the Terps last season, is the only running back on the team’s roster with significant in-game experience. JEREMY KIM/THE DIAMONDBACK

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

After Tar Heels loss, Terps in unique spot As team preps for Tigers, a No. 3 seed in ACC Tourney may await

BY NICHOLAS MUNSON Staff writer

The Terrapins women’s lacrosse program is steeped in tradition. One of the country’s most reputable programs, it has long stood as a perennial threat to not just win the ACC but the national championship each and every season.

Which makes it all the more surprising that its high ranking in the ACC might just vanish this year.

The No. 5 Terps’ (11-3) loss to No. 3 North Carolina last weekend did more than just extinguish hopes of taking the ACC regular-season title and nabbing the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.

With No. 14 Virginia’s surprising overtime loss to Virginia Tech, the Terps’ loss

also put them even further back in the conference standings, sitting in third place behind No. 8 Duke.

Even though the squad still has two games left in the regular season — one at Princeton (6-4) tonight and one final ACC matchup against Virginia Tech this weekend — the Blue Devils have already clinched the No. 2 seed in the ACC Tournament. Duke beat the Terps, 10-9, in Durham, N.C., on Feb. 25.

Coach Cathy Reese, however, is looking on the bright side after the loss to the Tar Heels.

“I’m kind of excited about where we are right now,” she said. “Coming through that game, we learned a lot about ourselves and the things we

see TIGERS, page 7

BASEBALL | NOTEBOOK

First baseman Tim Kiene has hit three home runs in his past five games for the Terps. JEREMY KIM/THE DIAMONDBACK

Now healthy, Kiene showing his full strength Terps will rely on big-swinging first baseman tonight vs. West Virginia

BY DANIEL GALLEN Staff writer

With the Terrapins baseball team nursing a one-run lead in the sixth inning Friday night, first baseman Tim Kiene stepped to the plate with two men on base and the opportunity to put the game out of reach.

The 6-foot-4 Kiene worked

three straight balls and fouled off the next pitch. On the fifth offering from N.C. State’s Ethan Ogburn, he launched a shot over the wall in right field and deep onto the football practice field. The Terps took a 4-0 lead, which proved more than enough in victory.

After suffering a shoulder injury March 4, Kiene’s bat had been quiet. With three

home runs in his past five contests after a 24-game homerless drought, however, it appears Kiene’s power stroke is returning as the Terps (21-13) take on West Virginia (14-19) tonight at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium.

“The league knows how to pitch me, per se, but I’m just getting some mistake pitches and putting some swings on

the ball,” Kiene said, “and they’ve been flying.”

Kiene knows he still has work to do as the season moves on. Since his injury, his average has dropped from .382 to .240, and his on-base percentage sits at .307.

Kiene’s prodigous power and ability is there, as he hit .371

see BASEBALL, page 7