The University of Maryland’s Independent Student Newspaper
W E D N E S DAY, N O V E M B E R 19 , 2 01 4
Cambridge Hall to see renovation
U begins assault training
$15.1 million project is first major change in building’s history
Deadline to complete mandatory consent program is Dec. 10
By Rokia Hassanein @rokiahass Staff writer
By Ellie Silverman @esilverman11 Senior staff writer
The 53-year-old Cambridge Hall will undergo a $15.1 million renovation th is upcom i ng summer — the first major change in its history, Facilities Management officials said. Construction will begin in June 2015 and is projected to be completed in June 2016. The dorm should be ready for occupancy again in August 2016, said Bill Olen, capital projects director. Olen said this renovation would mark the first in the high-rise community to result in a yearlong closure, rather than the typical renovation plan, which spans three summers. This project is part of Residential Facilities’ phased renovation of housing units on the campus, Olen said, adding that the full renovation will include new air conditioning systems, life safety systems, new bathrooms and a study space. “The renovated building will be more sustainable than it is today,” Olen said. “It will have new energy-efficient windows and mechanical systems.” Amy Martin, Department of Resident Life associate director, said the closing of Cambridge Hall for a year will not cause a shortage of dorms due to the recent construction of Prince Frederick Hall and because Cambridge only holds about 200 students. But whether or not the cost of living after the renovation will increase is a question that has yet to be answered due to the differentiated rates proposal in progress, Martin said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to implement some of our ideas for the housing plans, such as study areas and upgraded bathrooms,” she said. See cambridge, Page 2
potentially provide that for us.” Though it might seem like one giant space rock, Richardson said, there is reason to believe an asteroid is actually a collection of much smaller rocks, loosely bound by gravity and rocketing through space together. A st ronomers h ave obser ved a strange phenomenon by which near-Earth asteroids appear to be less weathered by space travel tha n thei r more d ista nt cou nterpa rts, wh ich m ig ht suggest that the planet’s gravity causes a shuffle among the asteroid rocks. Old, weathered rocks slide and turn over in the gravitational pull, which might make the asteroids appear “fresher,” Richardson said.
Jane Lyons walked through Hornbake Plaza two weeks ago and saw T-shirts, each with a different story about rape and sexual violence. This scene was the Clothesline Project, a biannual event sponsored by CARE to Stop Violence, which aims to raise awareness of sexual misconduct. Lyons said the new sexual misconduct online training program, which university President Wallace Loh sent to the university community on Nov. 14, would “bring to light” the issues students don’t hear about on the campus. “Rape and sexual misconduct does happen here, even if people don’t think it does,” said Lyons, a freshman economics major who completed the mandated training this week. This training program comes about a month after Loh approved this university’s new interim sexual misconduct policy and procedures. The previous sexual a ssau lt prevent ion t ra i n i n g program, Haven, was part of the university’s existing alcohol educational program, Alcohol.Edu. The Haven program “made it seem like sexual assault was all about alcohol consumption,” which is not true, said Catherine Carroll, this university’s Title IX coordinator. Carroll said she has been working to create a training program since she was hired last spring. “At a bare minimum, people need to know that we have this policy and where to go for help and where the resources are,” Carroll said. T he hou rlong tra i n i ng i ncludes a trigger warning before each section, along with a list of resources for survivors. There are videos featuring university students and their thoughts on
See asteroid, Page 2
See training, Page 3
Asteroid models sit on astronomy professor Derek Richardson’s desk. Richardson co-authored a study that found the Apophis asteroid will fly close enough to Earth in 2029 that scientists could be able to study its surface and gain valuable insight into asteroid makeup and pressures. rachel george/the diamondback
a Stone’s throw Asteroid’s rare near-miss of Earth could offer research opportunity for scientists
T
here’s a good reason why the Apophis asteroid is named after the Egyptian god of chaos, Apep the Uncreator, a cosmic snake who could supposedly devour the Earth. If this asteroid, which is longer than three football fields, struck this planet, the destruction would be considerable. It’s not big enough to cause a mass extinction event, but it would create tidal waves and terror across whole continents, and it might even change the world’s climate for years. Apophis won’t hit Earth, but it will have a near-miss in 2029. University researchers said its proximity could give scientists a chance to study asteroids up close, which might provide insight into preventing future asteroid collisions.
By Joe Zimmermann @JoeMacZim Staff writer
In fact, in a study published this month in the astronomy journal Icarus, astronomers found the most destructive effect of Apophis’ approach will probably be landslides on the surface of the asteroid itself. And even those, they found, could offer an opportunity for further study. “If an asteroid happens to fly by a planet, we can measure what happens to it, and we can understand more about the structure of these asteroids,” said Derek Richardson, a university astronomy professor and co-author of the study. “Apophis will
‘This is a major wakeup call’ State of Black Leadership panel tackles Ferguson
and the event’s moderator. This year’s event, “Together We Stand, Divided We Fall,” presented a two-hour discussion to more than 100 people in Stamp Student By Erin Serpico Union’s Hoff Theater about issues @erin_serpico surrounding family, violence, inSenior staff writer timate relationships, politics and education in the black community. When Moriah Ray heard about In light of the events and prothe death of Michael Brown and the tests in Ferguson, Missouri, panelprotests that followed, she thought ists were asked what they thought it might serve as a catalyst for her of the deaths of young black men generation to take action. like Brown and Trayvon Martin, “I was very upset that it happened, and what can be done to prevent but nonetheless, certain things have similar incidents. to happen to wake our generation up,” Cu rtis Va lenti ne, a Pri nce said Ray, a senior government and Taurean Brown speaks at the NAACP State of Black Leadership panel yesterday. rachel george/the diamondback George’s County Board of Edupolitics major and the vice president of this university’s NAACP chapter. night’s State of Black Leadership cation member and panelist, said “This is a major wakeup call, and it event, sponsored by this univer- these kinds of issues hit “close to home” for him as a member of definitely made more people want to sity’s chapter of the NAACP. get involved in social activism and The fifth annual panel aimed the education board, and also as real issues in the black community.” to start a “lively discussion sur- a father. “The idea of what we can do, to R ay’s response to a question rounding some of the biggest issues me, it’s about exposure,” Valensurrounding the black community about what can be done to stop the death of young black males sparked across America,” said senior soci- tine said. “The idea that we can conversation between the six pan- ology major Colin Byrd, the chair- get law enforcement to be more elists about prominent issues in man of national membership for the black community during last this university’s NAACP chapter See NAACP, Page 3
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a biker rides past a speed meter on Route 1. The SHA plans to install marked bike lanes. file photo/the diamondback
SHA Route 1 renovation plan to include marked bike lanes City officials question safety of planned lanes By Lexie Schapitl @lexieschapitl Staff writer The Maryland State Highway Administration is moving forward with plans to redesign Route 1 and create bike lanes on each side of the road, but some said the project should also
include safety protections for cyclists. The proposed plan would create a 4-foot bike line with a 1-foot offset along Route 1 between College Avenue and University Boulevard, SHA spokeswoman Kellie Boulware said. “It would certainly be beneficial,” Boulware said, “and of course it would benefit all the students at the university. We do anticipate that it would be used.” See bikes, Page 3
SPORTS
OPINION
WOMEN’S HOOPS HOSTS BULLS
STAFF EDITORIAL: Campus Creek restoration
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DIVERSIONS
FOO FIGHTERS, FLEET FOXES, A FINE FRENZY The secret to successful bands may be in “F” alliterations P. 6