Volume 47, Issue 24 - The Retriever

THE
Retriever Weekly
university of maryland, baltimore county’s student newspaper
4.09.13 volume 47 issue 24 RETRIEVERWEEKLY.COM
The Student Fee
Review Board
Fee transparency issue yields positive results
Chris mckinney — trw
The Fee Forums were hosted on Wednesday, March 27 and Friday, March 29. Attendees heard presentations from Fee
Owners on five of the six mandatory fees: Athletics, Auxiliary Facilities, The Commons, Technology and Transportation.
By Chris Mckinney
Editor-in-Chief
As part of a larger transparency initiative at
UMBC and in the University System of Maryland,
the Student Government Association sponsored the
Student Fee Advisory Board this semester as part
of their dedication to fee increase transparency.
During his term as the student representative
to the Board of Regents last academic year, Collin
Wojciechowski advocated for a policy to implement
this Student Fee Advisory Board.
Wojciechowski, a senior political science major,
wrote in a BreakingGround blog post, “... my
goal was to make students an active part of the
conversation by making sure they understood their
bill each semester and had a say in what was on it.”
As Student Regent, Wojciechowski worked
during his term to amend the Board of Regents’
policy on student fees to ensure universities have a
body like the Fee Advisory Board. Wojciechowski’s
work culminated in the passage of an amendment
to the Regents’ policy in June 2012.
The initiative took hold at UMBC when SGA
Senator Ganesh Mysore took the reigns of the
formation of the Student Fee Advisory Board for
undergraduates. Mysore, sophomore chemical
engineering and political science double major,
brought together six other students from within
and outside SGA to pilot this new initiative.
Mysore said of the Board’s composition, “The
Board was conceived as a body meant to be
representative of all UMBC students, so I sought
to assemble an accurate cross-section of UMBC
students to serve on the Board.”
Future changes to UMBC’s campus
By Lauren Brandon
Contributing Writer
Outlined in the UMBC Facilities Master Plan Update
2009-2019 are a number of proposed projects that
new and current students can look forward to,
some of which are currently in different stages of
development.
One such project, Phase One of the Performing Arts
and Humanities Building (PAHB), was completed
SEE FEE ADVISORY BOARD [5]
in Fall 2012. Construction has been underway on
Phase Two, “whose primary occupants will be Music
and Dance,” said Rusty Postlewate, Assistant Vice
President for Facilities Management. According to
Postlewate, Phase Two is expected to be completed in
the summer of 2014.
“[Phase Two] also includes the storm management
project at the pond for improvement of storm water
retention and control” said Postlewate. This phase is
scheduled for completion in Fall of 2014.
Beginning in the Fall 2013 semester, the UMBC
This week, UMBC’s
conference committee returned
to Annapolis, MD to continue in
the legislative process for the
new state budget. For the first
time in five years, Governor
O’Malley is increasing budget
funds for the University System
of Maryland (USM) to support
enrollment growth and college
completion.
“Higher education is so
important, and keeping
tuition low gives students
more incentive to finish their
degrees,” said Director of the
SGA Office of Community and
Governmental Affairs Meghan
Carpenter. Carpenter recently
interned for Maryland Senator
Richard S. Madaleno, one of
many advocates for the USM
budget increase.
“A lot of students are selfsufficient,
and if they can spend
less time working to pay for
tuition...it will definitely be
beneficial,” Carpenter said.
UMBC will potentially receive
$7.1 million in increased
financial support from the
The Retriever Weekly Index: News....1 Opinions....6 Features....10 Technology...14 Sports...17
New MD state
budget will greatly
benefit UMBC
O’Malley’s 2014 Fiscal Year budget
for USM will advance UMBC campus
By ashley edokpayi
Senior Staff Writer
state if the proposed budget
is approved by the legislature.
In addition, $3 million in
supplementary tuition revenue
will be allotted.
The budget will enable the
USM Board of Regents to hold
in-state undergraduate tuition
increases at three percent,
keeping Maryland’s leading
position in minimizing growth
in college costs.
Since 2008, Maryland college
tuition has only increased by
two percent, leaving the state
as the nation’s forerunner
in keeping higher education
costs as low as possible. Public
funding plays a pivotal role in
low tuition, especially within
the USM system.
“I think it’s great that the
governor is trying to keep
Maryland tuition down,” said
junior pre-nursing major Ria
Smith. Smith plans on continuing
her education at the University
of Maryland, Baltimore after
graduating from UMBC, and
will be paying out-of-pocket
for tuition and fees. “Keeping
tuition reasonable takes away
stress from students,” she said.
SEE BUDGET [3]
campus will also see new and renovated Residential
buildings opening, such as the Terrace and Hillside
Apartments and the new Community Center.
Rusty Postlewate, Assistant Vice President for
Facilities Management, said that the apartment
renovations are in “the last phase of this three-phase
project.” Postlewate also said that the renovations to
Terrace and Hillside are scheduled for completion in
Summer of 2013.
In addition to renovating the apartments themselves,
a Community Center for apartment residents is also
projected for completion in Fall 2013.
SEE CONSTRUCTION [5]
Five offices to visit
UMBC has many offices
and organizations to aid
students, many of which
may be of particular interest
to incoming freshmen.
U Made the Best Choice
The Retriever Weekly staff
reflect on why they chose to
attend UMBC and why any
student should be proud to
attend it.

2
TIMELINE
The Week
in Review
03.31.13 - 04.06.13
mar. 31-
An Exxon Mobil pipeline leaked “a few
thousand” barrels of crude oil near
Mayflower, Arkansas. As a result, 22
homes were evacuated, and further
concerns were raised about the
Keystone XL pipeline that is currently
awaiting approval by the State
Department.
Apr. 1 -
The Obama administration has begun
the search for a new FBI director.
Among the leading contenders is Lisa
Monaco, who would be the first woman
to hold the position of FBI Director.
Apr. 2 -
President Obama officially announced
a new effort to map the human brain
in extreme detail as a step toward
finding better, more efficient ways of
treating conditions such as Alzheimer’s,
autism, strokes and traumatic
brain injuries. The project will cost
about $100 million.
apr. 3 -
Heavily armed Taliban insurgents raid
the Afghan city of Farah, killing at
least 48 people and leaving more than
90 injured. Police say that all nine of
the attackers died in the fighting as a
result of gunfire or suicide vests they
were wearing.
apr. 4 -
Facebook announces that beginning
on April 12, Android users will be able
to download its new Facebook Home
software, which will place Facebook
notifications and status updates as
the central hub of the mobile device.
apr. 5 -
The death toll for victims of a news
strain of bird flu rose to six in China,
making it the first time the H7N9 virus
has been detected in humans. There
is no evidence that this strain can be
transmitted from human to human.
apr. 6-
After investigation, the Pentagon has
concluded that three Army generals
committed misconduct. The cases
have raised further concerns about
the ethics and behavior of senior
military officers.
In the past academic year, UMBC
has recognized about 30 new student
organizations, from College Libertarians to
Global Medical Brigades to the British TV
Appreciation Club. While creating a new
student organization is a detailed process, it
only requires five determined members and
an idea.
Potential student organizations first fill out
an application through the Office of Student
Life (OSL). They also create a constitution
that is generated by an online questionnaire.
Then, the organizations are reviewed by
the Student Organization Committee (SOC),
made up of Student Government Association
representatives and OSL staff members.
“Our Student Organization Committee
meets on a weekly basis to recognize
organizations and discuss other pertinent
issues related to organizations throughout
the fall and spring semesters,” said Sara
Leidner, the Coordinator of Student
Organizations and Involvement in the Office
of Student Life.
“All current recognized student orgs are
The Math Gym, hosted by the Department
of Mathematics, is a program where students
who are experiencing trouble in classes
with concepts in mathematics can go to get
tailored assistance.
Dr. Nagaraj Neerchal, the chair of the
mathematics department, explained that
the idea came from what faculty in the
department were already doing.
Neerchal explained that Bonny Tighe,
senior lecturer in the math department, has
a Friday session in CASTLE where “all of her
students are welcome to come and work on
problems. And students come, and they find
it very useful!” he said.
listed on the OSL website,” Leidner said.
“However, it is not up to date because we
are in the middle of transitioning to a new
OSL website and all current org contact
information is on that site that will be
launched shortly. We also have a hard copy of
this list in the Student Involvement.”
Senior psychology and dance double major
Michelle Kuah also sits on the SOC because
she is the SGA Vice President for Student
Organizations. Her other duties as VPSO
include service for the SGA Finance Board and
Club Sports Committee, as well as managing
the Student Organizations Support Team.
“In short, I mainly serve as a resource and
help student organization members and
leaders understanding various processes and
guidelines,” said Kuah. “The SOC reviews the
majority of student organization applications
and Constitution amendments. The process
at UMBC is much shorter than it was before,
given the role the SOC has taken in helping
streamline a previously outdated system.”
The nature of the SOC made the new
organization process much easier for
sophomore modern languages and
linguistics major Shelby Gallow. Along with
sophomore psychology and photography
Other faculty in the department
implemented the Quiz Zero program about
five years ago. Neerchal said, “students take
a Quiz Zero before the class starts which is
personalized to the class they are enrolled. If
a student gets a particular problem wrong,
we know what skill they will need help with.”
Dr. Lizabeth Stanwyck, a statistics lecturer
in the mathematics department, had the idea
to take quiz zero and write down additional
questions based off the skills tested in Quiz
Zero. After students complete Quiz Zero, they
would do the additional problems for the
questions which they answered incorrectly.
“So the Math Gym is a combination of these
two ideas in a scaled up way,” Neerchal said.
The Math Gym was brought to fruition
through the Hrabowski Fund for Innovation.
Tuesday,
Apr. 09, 2013
NEWS
Thirty new student organizations
on campus this year
Students are encouraged to create their own campus organizations
By Sayre Posey
Senior Staff Writer
Math Department sponsors
Math Gym to help students
By Chris McKinney
Editor-in-Chief
COURTESY- UMBC DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS
The Math Gym, hosted by the Department of Mathematics, will provide assistance for students having
trouble with concepts in their math classes.
double major Chelsea Baxter and sophomore
health administration and public policy
major Emily Bordenski, Gallow helped found
UMBC’s Circle K club that focuses around
community service.
“We wanted to start something and be
involved, and Chelsea loved Key Club in
high school, which is a part of Kiwanas
International,” said Gallow. “Circle K is the
college Kiwanas organization. In September
we started going through the process and
submitted our proposal through students
orgs. It was approved at the end of last
semester.”
Gallow explained that she had not realized
how challenging the process was, but it
became easier with the help of Leidner
as the group figured details out. Student
organizations are tasked with finding
meeting spaces, meeting times, general
members, fundraisers and a chartstring
number for budgeting and working with SGA
funds.
Students who are interested in forming a
new organization on campus should visit the
Office of Student Life on the third floor of The
Commons.
sayre1@umbc.edu
The Mathematics Department submitted
a proposal for funding last semester after
Neerchal spoke with several of the math
instructors to gauge support. Neerchal was
informed at the end of last semester that the
project had been picked up and to have it up
and running this semester.
Since the Gym opened on February 18, it
has seen an “overwhelming response” from
students, according to Neerchal and Dr. Chris
Harris, the Math Gym manager. “We have had
close to 400 students go through already, and
we are targeting 600,” Neerchal said.
During this first semester, the targeted
audience for the Math Gym was a select
sampling of the almost 1,800 students who
take Quiz Zero. Neerchal explained that
the Gym is, right now, targeting students
in the MATH 150, 151, 152 and 155. The
six instructors for those four classes work
with Dr. Harris as “his board of directors to
provide feedback,” Neerchal said.
Harris said that the Gym has seen
attendance increase since its opening. “On a
slower day, attendance is maybe between 20
and 40 students throughout the four hours.
We’re often in the 70s, and one day we have
had 91 students come to the Gym,” Harris
said.
Harris also explained that the Math Gym
is open for all students who need assistance
with mathematics. “In the case of [students
in other math classes], we can put together a
packet for them or look at their most recent
exam and make up problems like those.”
In closing, Neerchal said, “The Math Gym
is catching on; it’s not just a remediation
place, it’s a place to work out -- to work out
problems. And that’s the best way to learn
math!”
The Math Gym is open on Sunday through
Thursdays from 4 to 9 p.m. and on Fridays
from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Department of
Mathematics on the fourth floor of the Math/
Psychology Building.
cmck1@umbc.edu

NEWS
Tuesday,
Apr. 09, 2013
A historical night in Rome
The election of a new pope brings people together
The official announcement of Pope Francesco as the new pope took place in St. Peter’s suqare, where
citizens and tourists, including Gagan Singh, flocked to witness the historic event.
By Gagan singh
Foreign Correspondant
The day started off as any other. I woke up
for class, caught the 44 bus to get to school,
but barely made it in time because the 44 can
never be trusted. I got through classes and
planned on studying through the night for
my two midterms the next day. Planned is
the key word here.
Pope Benedict resigned his position as
leader of the Catholic church on February 28,
2013, the first pope to resign in 600 years. As
you can imagine, this left Rome in an unusual
position; no religious leader, and no political
leader due to the three-way tie from the
elections.
This past month has been a very interesting
time to be in Rome, from observing how the
youth reacted to the elections, to how the
locals felt about the resignation of the pope,
to tourists and pilgrims flooding St. Peter's
Square. Cardinals from around the world
arrived at the Sistine Chapel on Monday,
March 11 to begin conclave, or the papal vote.
Like all of the other students in Rome, I had
one eye glued to the news concerning the
papal vote, and the other on my Italian notes
for my midterm the next day.
Studying with a friend from my class, we
decided to keep the live streaming of the vote
through CNN on our laptops to see either the
gagan singh — trw
black or white smoke rise from the chimney
in the Sistine Chapel. But no way it would be
white smoke so soon, it was only the third
day of voting- right? Or so we thought.
Around 7 p.m. Wednesday night, we
saw smoke come out of the Sistine Chapel
chimney through our laptops. After a few
frantic minutes of trying to decipher the
color of the smoke (you would think it would
have been more obvious, but honestly, it
looked more gray than white) the view of the
camera panned across the people standing
and celebrating in St. Peter's Square. There
was no doubt it was officially white smoke,
and they were celebrating the decision about
the new pope.
Screaming throughout the apartment
a new pope had been elected, everyone
grabbed their jackets, boots and cameras
and ran out of the door. Midterms would
have to wait. Never before this moment have
I seen a whole city so invested in a moment.
Once we reached city center, we knew we
had to walk -- no, run -- down to St. Peter's
Square instead of taking any sort of public
transportation.
Despite the rain and cold, most of Rome
seemed to be thinking the same thing. Just
about twenty minutes earlier, I was sitting
in a friend's apartment studying indefinite
and definite articles in Italian, and now I was
running down Corso Vittorio Emmanuele II
to get to St. Peter's Square.
After getting through security and weaving
through the crowd, we finally found a spot
to stand and wait for the new pope's first
appearance. This was different than any
other crowd I've been a part of before.
No one was pushing to get closer or pressed
up against one another or even yelling;
instead, people were patiently waiting. Some
were praying, others were waving flags from
their respective countries, everyone as one
unit waiting for the new pope to come out.
The announcement was made declaring
who the new pope was, and the name he
had chosen -- Francesco, the first to choose
this name and the first South American to be
chosen. In anticipation for his debut, people
began to shout, “Fran-ces-co! Fran-ces-co!”
Finally, Argentina's cardinal Bergoglio
waved to the crowd as Pope Francesco. He
began his speech and a hush fell over the
crowd. Even though I could not understand
his speech in Italian, the energy of the
moment was surreal. We cheered with the
people around us, not knowing exactly what
was being said, but still celebrating with
them.
gagans1@umbc.edu
gagan singh — trw
Gagan Singh poses in St. Peter’s square, where
she witnessed the bringing together of cultures,
languages and religions in light of the new pope.
Increased USM budget funds will support
enrollment growth and college completion
Nation
and
World
By dianna brittian
Staff Writer
Korean
Peninsula
3
North
Korea’s
threats
have
become
more
worrisome
as they
warn the
United
States of
potential
missile strikes.
China, South Korea and
the United States have
been gradually building
up their defense.
Brazil
An
American
tourist
became a victim of
sexual violence while her
boyfriend was forced to
watch. This latest crime
is another example of
the weak spot in Rio’s
supposedly increased
security.
China
FROM BUDGET [1]
The capital budget proposal also
includes $35.2 million to complete the
Phase 2 construction of the Performing
Arts and Humanities Building, advances
to the Interdisciplinary Life Studies
Building fund for 2016 and $2 million
to better design and reconstruct the
campus’ entrance adjacent to the
Administration building.
Enhancement funding is also a
major part of the suggested budget.
The governor aims to make lectures
more modern in terms of materials,
further developments for STEM majors
and improve connections between
“Higher education is so
important and keeping
tuition low gives students
more incentive to finish
their degrees.”
-Meghan Carpenter
University of Maryland campuses,
particularly at the Baltimore and College
Park locations.
“Our school is always advancing and
wanting to grow more, so having this
additional support is very rewarding,”
said junior psychology major Jasmine
Williams. UMBC’s legislative testimony
for the budget places advancing the
university as top priority and continuing
the increasing trend of degrees awarded
to UMBC students.
“Here at UMBC it is important for us to
offer affordable education, and this will
help support that,” said Carpenter.
aedo1@umbc.edu
A new strain of Avian Flu
has emerged in China
for unknown reasons.
Scientists in the country
are in the process of
investigating its origins.
For the full stories, visit our
website at:
www.retrieverweekly.com
britti1@umbc.edu

4
UMBC departments
not to miss
Tuesday,
Apr. 09, 2013
The Shriver Center
NEWS
By Lauren O’connell
Contributing Writer
New students can hardly be faulted for their unfamiliarity with some of
UMBC’s most valuable student resources. In no particular order, here are
five organizations and offices that freshman, and all students, should take
advantage of:
Study Abroad Office
The UMBC Study Abroad Office exists to help students plan semester-long
or year-long study experiences in many different countries all over the world.
Although most people do not go abroad during their freshman year, it is
never too early to begin planning an excursion. With a knowledgeable and
fully qualified staff, there are few resources on campus more qualified to send
students around the globe.
According to Dr. Brian Souders, the Director of the Study Abroad Office, “The
incoming UMBC Class of 2017 will live in an increasingly interdependent,
globalized society – one where the ability to work in different languages,
in different cultures and in different social norms in everyday life is highly
valued.”
Internships, co-ops, research, jobs and volunteer work can all be obtained
at the Shriver Center. “The Center's internship, co-op and research programs
help students apply their academic background and skills, expose them
to professional opportunities in the working world, and give employers
the chance to evaluate potential new employers,” said Christine Routzahn,
Director of Professional Practice.appointment on any day of the school week.
Students can call or stop by their office in the Public Policy building to
schedule an appointment any day during the school week.
Career Services Center
Sam manas - TRW
Daniel mcmaster - TRW
MICHAEL LOFTHUS - TRW
Special Collections
Located through the Albin O. Kuhn gallery, UMBC's Special Collections
contains documents and books for those interested in browsing history.
Caroline Paper, a freshman ancient studies major, said, “The documents and
books in Special Collections can add a unique element to any assignment.”
Moreover, the Collections’ vast array of materials pertain to most conceivable
topics of research. “Take advantage of having the materials right here at your
fingertips – nothing beats handling primary sources in person,” said a Special
Collections representative.
The Career Services Center may be geared towards upperclassman, but all
students should be considering their lives after graduation. The Center is
ideal for getting help related to career planning, networking and resume
building.
The Career Services Center is located across from the University Center
on the second floor of the Math and Psychology building. Caroline Baker,
Assistant Vice President for Careers and Corporate Partnerships, said, “Our
staff will help you articulate your skills and strengths so that you can meet
your goals for life after college.”
University Health Services
SAM MANas - TRW
Kaitlyn Hakenson - TRW
University Health Services (UHS) is one of the most important resources
for those trying to stay healthy and safe on campus. Many freshmen are more
vulnerable to illness than upperclass students because of their inexperience
with living in close quarters with others, and UHS provides tips, allergy shots,
sexual aids and other tools for students who are concerned for their overall
well being.
Freshman media and communication studies major Kelvin Thompson
visited its Erickson Hall location earlier this year. “I used UHS's services
because they are the closest and most reliable [doctor’s office in the area].”
b96@umbc.edu

NEWS
Tuesday,
Apr. 09, 2013
Fee Board created to address proposed mandatory
FROM FEE ADVISORY BOARD [1]
Mysore also said he looked for a curious disposition
and a willingness to learn about the university’s budget
among other attributes when considering Board
members.
The Board’s first step was a marathon meeting with
the ‘Fee Owners’ for each mandatory fee: the individual
directors and vice presidents who supervise departments
and divisions who utilize fee revenue to support their
departments.
The presenters to the Board were Dr. Charles Brown,
Director of Athletics; Jack Suess, Vice President for
Information Technology; Joe Regier, Executive Director
of The Commons; Mark Sparks, Chief of Police; and
Ben Lowenthal, Associate Vice President for Financial
Services.
Each administrator had a template to present to the
Board to convey the same general information: how
much the mandatory fee is proposed to increase and
what the increased revenue will go towards.
Mysore said the first meeting, “I was very impressed
with the level of detail in all the documents presented to
us by Fee Owners. Charlene [Uhl, Director of Budget and
Resource Analysis] worked closely with the Fee Owners
to provide the Board with expenditures, revenues,
proposed increases and reserve funds connected to each
mandatory fee.”
Mysore continued, “The level of detail in each of those
documents was impressive, and provided the Board with
sufficient information to ask pointed questions about
proposed increases. Overall, I was very pleased with the
structure and content of the initial meeting.”
After digesting the information presented and asking
further questions of the Fee Owners in a follow-up
meeting, the Fee Advisory Board moved into its second
stage: outreach.
“The primary goal of the outreach segment... was to
understand and quantify student opinion on the proposed
increases to better inform our recommendations to the
Vice President,” Mysore said. He said the Board sought to
reach at least 600 students, roughly five percent of the
undergraduate population, and they succeeded.
Mysore also said, “Our main method of outreach
was the Fee Review Survey, which I designed to be an
unbiased tool for soliciting student input on each fee.”
Mysore lead the Board members to put together a
comprehensive survey to ask undergraduate students
their opinions about each mandatory fee and the
proposed increases.
Construction is underway
on projects to be
completed for Fall 2013
FROM CONSTRUCTION [1]
Also included in the Master Plan
are a number of projects that are on
the horizon. Postlewate said that one
of the major projects to start in the
future is the “Campus Traffic Safety
and Circulation Improvements at the
‘front’ of the campus,” meaning Hilltop
Circle and UMBC Boulevard.
These changes involving access and
circulation to campus will begin in
the summer of 2013. Construction is
predicted to be completed in the fall of
2015. The Master Plan states that the
planned modification to Hilltop Circle
would “alter the character of the
roadway and reduce vehicular speed.”
The University also intends to
fee increases, make recommendations
The Board marketed the survey through UMBC charter
organizations -- SGA, (seb) and The Retriever Weekly
-- and through many other means, relying heavily upon
social media and myUMBC to spread the word not only
about proposed fee increases, but about the survey.
The Fee Board members in general agreed that
advertising for the survey was successful.
“The level of detail in each
of those documents was
impressive, and provided the
Board with sufficient information
to ask pointed questions about
proposed increases. Overall, I was
very pleased with the structure
and content of the initial
meeting.”
Ganesh Mysore
Kevin Williams, the Resident Student Association
representative to the Board, said “I was very impressed
with the amount of responses received, but of course
more would have been better. With the amount of
students that responded, I felt that it really showed how
many students care deeply... about what the fee revenue
goes towards.”
Saqib Ashraf, the National Residential Hall honorary
representative to the Board, agreed. “However,
advertising through the use student org list proc could
have been used more effectively. Additionally, more
outreach to academic departments and advisors would
have been a nice way to increase our numbers.”
The work of the Fee Advisory Board ultimately came
down to and concluded with the Fee Forums held on
Wednesday, March 27 and Friday, March 29.
The first forum on March 27 was canceled due to lack
of attendance. Ashraf, senior chemical engineering major,
said “I think that the first forum lacked in attendance
because it represented the second day back from spring
break. The closing due to weather did not help in physical
renovate all of the original academic
buildings, including Sondheim Hall,
Math/Psychology Building, Biological
Sciences Building and Academic
IV Building. There will also be
renovations to the Fine Arts building,
which will commence in the fall of
2014.
Incoming and returning students
in the fall can expect to see the
completion of the Terrace and Hillside
Apartments, and the Community
Center, as well as the construction
on academic buildings and roadways
during their time as students.
b96@umbc.edu
*additonal fee for 3d
*not applicable to the
first two weeks of select
features
$5.00*
Tuesdays!
Hollywood Movies 4
5509 Oregon Ave. Arbutus, MD
21227
410-242-1188 — rctheatres.com
advertising and word of mouth.”
The forum on Friday, March 29 had a greater turnout.
After reviewing the results from the survey, the
Student Fee Advisory Board compiled the responses and
composed a report for the Office of the Vice President for
Administration and Finance.
The Board provided recommendations for five of the
six mandatory fees: Athletics, Auxiliary Facilities, The
Commons, Technology and Transportation. The sixth fee,
Student Activity, was not discussed by the Board because
of confusion that arose regarding the fee.
Every year, the Student Activity Fee Review Board
(SAFRB) is convened by Dr. Nancy Young, Vice President
for Student Affairs, and Joe Regier, Executive Director of
The Commons. The SAFRB hears budgeting presentations
from the SGA and the two charter organizations, the
Student Events Board and The Retriever Weekly.
The Board then votes to approve the proposed
expenditure of the Student Activity fee, or to request that
changes be made.
At the first SAFRB meeting, Dr. Nancy Young said
that there is a distinct difference between the roles
of the SAFRB and the Fee Review Board. “The SAFRB
exists to approve the expenditures of the student fee,”
Dr. Young said, whereas the Fee Review Board exists to
provide recommendations on the proposed increases to
mandatory fees.
Dr. Young said that the Student Activity fee should have
been discussed and presented during the Fee Review
Board activities and during the Fee Forums because of
this difference in purpose of the Boards.
On the whole, however, members of the Board
expressed pleasure with the process. Williams,
sophomore sociology major, said, “I feel as though this
process is a fantastic example of the shared governance
that we are so fortunate to be able to participate in at this
school.”
Mysore expressed similar sentiments. “I feel honored
to have led this team in its pilot year... I feel confident that
in the future iterations of the Board, both the SGA and
the administration will maintain their commitment to
shared governance in terms of giving students more say
in the annual fee review process.”
The recommendation report composed by the
Board, results from the Board’s survey and PowerPoint
presentation used at the Fee Forums may be found online
at: www.retrieverweekly.com/
cmck1@umbc.edu
Theatre Features:
• All Digital Projection
• All Digital Sound
• High Back Rocking Chair Seats
• Large Wall To Wall Screens
5
• Plenty Of Street Parking As
Well As A Parking Lot Behind
The Theatre

6
Tuesday,
Apr. 09, 2013
Opinions
The Retriever Weekly
Editor-in-Chief
Chris McKinney
cmck1@umbc.edu
Managing Editor
Shawn Linman
slinman1@umbc.edu
Faculty Advisor
Chris Corbett
corbett@umbc.edu
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Production Manager
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Editorial Staff
News Editor
Kaitlyn Hakenson
kaitlyn4@umbc.edu
Opinions Editor
Vanessa Rueda
vanessa5@umbc.edu
Technology Editor
Emily Scheerer
semily1@umbc.edu
Features Editor
Julia Celtnieks
julicel1@umbc.edu
Sports Editor
Dan Levin
daniel23@umbc.edu
Staff Editorial
UMBC: You made a good choice
Let’s be honest; everyone has heard the ways in which UMBC is
criticized. Making up different phrases that UMBC could stand for,
such as “U Must Be a Commuter,” is a popular pastime.
For a lot of new students, these nicknames are discouraging.
However, there are reasons that UMBC consistently wins awards
in U.S. News and World Report’s rankings for universities; reasons
that President Hrabowski has been asked to speak at a TED conference
not once, but twice, and reasons that any students should be
proud to call themselves “Retriever alums.”
First, being ranked among the top for undergraduate education
is an amazing commendation. UMBC professors are there for the
students, and are dedicated to providing unique education to each
student.
According to the official U.S. News rankings and ratings, 50.5 percent
of UMBC classes have 20-50 students and 36.4 percent have
fewer than 20 students. The official student to faculty ratio is 20:1.
These numbers allow students to have the personal attention of
a small college even while attending a public university with over
10,000 undergraduates.
UMBC students give good reviews of their professors, as UMBC
faculty earns a 3.71 overall on the popular site RateMyProfessors.
com.
Some sample professor ratings say: “She is very passionate and
really knows her stuff,” (about Dr. Michelle Osherow, English). “Excellent
professor, very engaging, and loves questions and making
sure everyone understands,” (about Dr. Tim Oates, Computer Science
and Electrical Engineering). “The class is hard, but she really
knows what she’s talking about and how to teach effectively,”
(about Dr. Tara Carpenter, Chemistry and Biochemistry).
In addition to having professors who are popular and dedicated
to undergraduate education, UMBC is well known for the unusual
number of its undergraduates involved in research.
URCAD (Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement
FILE PHOTO
Day) highlights undergraduate research projects, and the UMBC
Review has published 13 volumes of undergraduate research papers.
Research is a unique educational experience that is not usually
popular among or accessible to undergraduates. Whether or
not you have a particular research interest, the accessibility of research
for undergraduate students shows UMBC’s dedication to
undergraduate education.
One of the most popular derogatory jokes about UMBC points
out the UMBC has been “Up-and-Coming” for four years but has yet
to “get there.” This joke misses the value of the recognition.
Being “Up-and-Coming” doesn’t signify a need to “arrive,” but
rather that, as a relatively young university, we have quickly become
a school to watch. Being “Up-And-Coming” means UMBC is a
national leader in innovation and education.
One of the best examples of UMBC’s innovative nature is the
Hrabowski Fund for Innovation. Grants from this fund are awarded
to faculty who redesign approaches to education.
Six projects were funded this year. One example is the ACTIVE
lab (Active Computer Teaching and InnoVation Environment), a
new laptop-based computer science classroom to encourage collaborative
learning.
While many students believe that UMBC “has no school spirit” or
“needs a football team to have school spirit,” they are missing the
bigger picture. The difference between UMBC and other universities
is that school spirit here is not centered on attending sporting
events where students yell profanities at the opposing team.
We take pride not in a football team, but in a nationally ranked
chess team. When you come to tour our campus, we won’t show
you a fancy football field, but a beautiful library with a 24-hour
learning center. At UMBC, students recognize and take pride in the
fact that we are an honors university and that, for us, academics
come first.
Online Editors
Dasia Robinson & Mashhood Wani
dasiar1@umbc.edu, mashw1@umbc.edu
Copy Manager
Dorothy Stachowiak
dstacho1@umbc.edu
Technology Staff
Technology Manager
Brandon Williams
bwilli2@umbc.edu
Assistant Technology Manager
Christopher Ly
lychris1@umbc.edu
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Business Manager
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Advertising Manager
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The Retriever Weekly staff
editorials reflect the views of the
editorial board; signed columns
and advertisements represent the
opinions of the individual writers
and advertisers, respectively, and do
not necessarily reflect those of The
Retriever Weekly or the University of
Maryland, Baltimore County.
The Retriever Weekly publishes
weekly on Tuesdays during the
regular school year. The Retriever
Weekly is an equal opportunity
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delivered to The Retriever Weekly office, UC 214. Please limit letters to 300 words and include your full name, year, and major. The Retriever Weekly retains
the right to edit submissions for content and length.

Opinions
Tuesday,
Apr. 09, 2013 7
Getting involved and
meeting new people
UMBC is blessed with a blend of cultures
to help students find their niche
Political Column
Fisher v. Texas
brings up difficult
question of race
and admissions
There is still value in using race
as a factor for college decisions
BY BEn Garmoe
Political Columnist
BY YASMIN RADBOD
Senior Staff Writer
UMBC has several unique
and interesting avenues for
students to explore. The
campus is blessed with a
variety of student organizations,
informal clubs, events
and great staff and faculty
support for new ideas. This
means, though, that in order
to find the best fit, each student
needs to be proactive
and seek out these groups.
UMBC is not usually the
kind of school where friends
plop into your lap out of the
blue unless you live in a really
rambunctious dorm freshman
year. For everyone else,
it takes more effort to get to
know people. Joining and attending
events of different
student organizations is a
great way to meet new people.
The cultural events held
almost every week at UMBC
are a fantastic way to not
only meet people, but also to
get involved in a culture that
may or may not be familiar to
all students. They are a great
way to bridge differences between
people, and are never
boring.
Of course, being a wallflower
at the African Student Association’s
(ASA) Jambo Nite,
for instance, is not a guarantee
that a student is going
to get involved in dancing,
meeting African students and
learning about their culture.
However, a student who introduces
themselves, takes a
chance to sit at a table with
strangers and expresses interest
in the cultural performances
certainly will make
friends and most likely have
a great time.
Sometimes that is really
all it takes to start a friendship.
Besides cultural activities,
UMBC also has several
singing, dancing, artistic and
musical groups, all of which
are friendly and encourage
new recruitment. Musically
talented people are generally
quite open and outgoing.
It is easy to get exposed to
these organizations if students
know where to look
and have connections to active
members. A great way
to get a foot in the door is to
MAXX GAIGLER - trw
Anyone can bond over free music. (seb) hosts Free Music Fridays, where students can mingle and make new friends while
listening to an underdog band.
attend Involvement Fest in
the fall and Quadmania in the
spring. These events showcase
student organizations,
all of which are eagerly interested
in recruiting new members.
Another great way to get involved
is to visit the Office of
Student Life’s website or stop
by their office in The Commons.
A student can walk in,
talk to a staff member and
discuss their interests, and
find a group that seems like
a good fit. Usually the Office
can connect a student with
the organization’s leadership.
Lastly, myUMBC discussions,
news and events are a
great way to find people with
similar interests, share ideas
and find out what is going on
around campus. There is no
need to be shy or unfriendly
when it comes to meeting
new people and taking that
first step to get involved.
There is always a lot going on
at UMBC if students look for
it.
yasminradbod1@gmail.com
The Supreme Court appears poised to overrule a landmark
decision and rule that race may not be considered in the college
admission process. The topic is naturally controversial, but there
does not exist sufficient evidence to say that race should never be
considered when making admissions decisions.
The Supreme Court heard arguments on October 10, 2012 in
Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin. Abigail Fisher, a white woman,
was denied entrance to UT-Austin. Some individuals with lower
scores and grades than Fisher were admitted to the institution.
Fisher is challenging the constitutionality of the school’s admittance
policies, which consider race as one factor in deciding who
is accepted. This practice is commonly known as “affirmative action.”
The Court held in Grutter v. Bollinger (2002), generally considered
a historical decision, that colleges can use race as a factor in
admissions. The reasoning was that it “serves a compelling interest
in achieving diversity among [the] student body.”
Essentially, the Court said that schools could consider race in
admissions to help attain a diverse student population, which has
been shown to be beneficial to students’ education.
Much of the controversy in Fisher centers on a concept called
“critical mass” as it relates to diversity. In this context, the term is
referring to the argument made initially by Michigan Law School
in Grutter and now by UT-Austin.
The schools are arguing that they must continue this policy of
considering race in admissions until they reach a so-called critical
mass of underrepresented minorities. In Grutter, the court allowed
for this concept to stand and did not feel it represented a
“quota” of diversity.
Conditions on the Court have changed since this issue was first
examined, however, and the Justices appear likely to alter the
stance they took in Grutter. This prospect is unfortunate.
As the Court noted in Grutter, diversity serves a significant benefit
to an educational environment. As members of the community
at UMBC, we are particularly aware of this benefit. Approximately
42 percent of our undergraduate student body in 2012 identified
as Asian, Black or Hispanic.
Diversity on campus allows each of us to encounter divergent
perspectives, upbringings and religious beliefs, which in turn
makes us more aware of global values and traditions.
Pursuing diversity until a school finds the right balance is not,
in fact, a quota as this Court may seem to believe, but, is rather, a
fluid standard that will change from year to year and vary based
on different regions.
As the United States argued, on behalf of UT-Austin, there were
over a dozen different factors that went into the University’s decision
not to admit Fisher. Race was not the deciding factor, but it
can play a role in helping to construct a diverse student body.
Naturally, issues surrounding race will always bring controversy,
and factoring racial background into admissions decisions is
going to seem unfair to many who disagree with the core concept
behind such actions.
However, it is beyond dispute that diversity is valuable for education.
When the right mass of diversity cannot be attained
through other means, schools should be able to consider race in
admissions decisions to help build the most effective environment
for higher learning.
ben.garmoe@gmail.com

8
Tuesday,
Apr. 09, 2013
Opinions
UMBC greets new students with
“Welcome Week”
Students can form new friendships on the common ground of Welcome Week
BY TAHSIN KHAN
Contributing Writer
Starting college is a new and unique experience
that every student goes through. UMBC attempts to
make this transition easier by incorporating several
events during Welcome Week at the beginning of
the fall and spring semesters.
The events of Welcome Week provide a safe and
social environment for both old and new students
to interact with one another and to become better
accustomed to the university.
Students tend to narrow themselves into groups
and friendships with other students of the same
major. When students of the same major only interact
with each other, they do not have much time to
establish friendship with students of different majors
and interests. These groupings cause students
to have an incomplete experience of college life.
They do not gain as much knowledge as they could.
Welcome Week tries to prevent this phenomenon.
By taking the first week of each semester to
throw all the students together and have them mix
with each other, students take the first steps to developing
friendships outside the classroom.
Welcome Week is obviously not the only way that
students interact with each other outside of class,
but it does allow students to have an environment
in which to initiate conversations and socialize.
The choice to take this polite socialization to the
next level of friendship is entirely up to the students,
but in order for them to have this choice, the
opportunity has to present itself.
Many of the students at UMBC come from the
neighboring counties in Maryland. As a result,
these students enter their new university with
at least a few students from their high schools or
community colleges.
However, that does not mean there isn’t a significant
number of students who come to college completely
alone. Out of state students rarely come in
knowing someone, something that also applies to
many in-state students. The majority of the time,
even in-state college students do not attend the
same universities as their close friends from high
school.
The Welcome Week events allow these students
to become comfortable with the new college environment
and find other students with whom they
can establish long-term friendships.
These events also tend to be very enjoyable and
entertaining. Some events include Open Mic Night,
Free Music Night, Movie Night and a comedy show.
These events give students the fun-loving and
relaxing atmosphere to get loose and meet new
people. Since people have an open attitude during
those events, they try to include everyone and rarely
does anyone feel left out.
Adjusting to college life is difficult for new, old
and transfer students. UMBC tries to alleviate this
stress and quicken the process by planning the
many events of Welcome Week.
tkhan3@umbc.edu
MAXX GAIGLER - trw
Welcome Week, alongside many other opportunities, allows students to cut loose and get to know each other. Some students need to
broaden their horizons and reach out to people they would not usually come in contact with.
When to declare your major
How introductory courses may change your mind
BY BRITTNEY ALLEN
Staff Writer
When freshmen venture into the
college world, they have to adapt
to the variety of classes they will be
taking to meet general education requirements.
Their new class schedule
may include early morning or evening
classes.
UMBC offers a large selection of
introductory classes for general education
requirements. These classes
allow students to learn the broad
concept of many different subjects, a
reason why freshmen should wait until
after their first year to declare their
major.
The first year of college should be a
learning experience for students not
only when it comes to new clubs and
new friends, but new classes as well.
There are many different subjects to
explore and try.
Intro-level classes are the perfect
way for students to try different fields
and get an idea of what they enjoy
and what they don’t. When a student
jumps right into one subject their first
year, they miss the opportunity to try
other subjects.
A freshman may think that they
are going to be an English major, and
sign up for two or three English classes
their first year. Toward the end of
all of those classes, however, there is
the possibility that those topics are
not for them; then those classes have
been wasted. Switching majors could
lead to an extra semester in the long
run, which results in spending more
tuition money.
Aside from trying different 100-level
classes freshman year, students
should also take advantage of career
services and different professors in
fields they may be interested in. Taking
the time to speak to people can be
a valuable component in choosing the
right major.
Freshman students may favor the
idea of choosing a major that has
prospect for a financially stable job
once they graduate. This might sound
like a good idea, but students should
be aware that choosing any major is
a commitment and will take up time
out of one’s schedule, so the student
should be passionate and interested
in it. Students don’t want to end up in
a major that is boring, bland and holds
no appeal or excitement for them.
It is important to consider that the
major a student decides on will impact
future jobs and graduate school.
If a student is planning on going to
medical school but decides to major
in philosophy, odds are they will not
be accepted into a medical school.
Whatever major a student decides on
needs to be a well-thought-out decision
after exploring different areas
during the first year.
allen13@umbc.edu

Opinions
Tuesday,
Apr. 09, 2013
9
To shine or not to shine
The pros and cons of standing out as a scholar student
BY VANESSA RUEDA
Opinions Editor
The first thing you hear about UMBC is what a
tight little community we are. The “tight” springs
from the “little.” While our size allows us to form
closer bonds with faculty and other students, UMBC
has other tighter and littler communities that bond
even more.
These communities would be the honors programs.
These programs, like everything else in our
Gagan Singh - trw
Sophomore Humanities scholars are required to go on an excursion
to D.C. or Baltimore. This gives them a chance to spend time with
their cohort, and prepare them for their semester abroad.
beloved institution, have their pros and their cons.
The biggest con is the fact that anyone interested
in any of the honors programs can only apply
during their senior year of high school. The CWIT
scholars and the Sherman Teacher STEM programs,
however, give current students the opportunity to
apply at any time.
With no scholarship money to accompany the
prestigious name, the affiliate program still offers
connections and networking opportunities to anyone
in any of the technology and STEM fields.
Of course, there are reasons to join the program
as a freshman and continue throughout the undergraduate
career. The fact that the scholars meet and
interact with each other their freshman years and
are practically stuck with each other for four years
is what creates memories, connections and a community.
This is not to say the affiliates will feel excluded.
Allowing a current student to join says a lot about
the program being generous to those who made the
decision too late.
Besides the smaller communities, a pro of an honors
program is the exclusivity, especially when it
comes to trips or guest speakers. Humanities scholars
benefit from meeting with speakers of the Humanities
Forums throughout the year every year.
Facilitated by the Dresher Center for the Humanities,
these forums are lectures in a variety of topics
on everything from Judaic studies to writing. Even
Hurricane Sandy didn’t stop Junot Diaz from stopping
by earlier this year.
These forums are open to anyone on campus, and
they are advertised accordingly. What is not advertised
is the opportunity for some students to have
dinner with the speaker after a lecture.
A fancy dinner occurs, nonetheless, in the president’s
conference room on the seventh floor of the
library. These dinners provide the opportunity to
have a more intimate conversation with the speaker
in a less formal setting.
If humanities scholars snooze on these opportunities,
their seats at the dinner table are up for
grabs to the students in the Honors College.
Honors programs are not the only way to have
extraordinary experiences on campus. Granted, not
everyone will get the chance to say they had dinner
with Junot Diaz, but the fact that his talk was open
to every student no matter what their interest is
makes the experience outstanding.
The honors programs merit a much longer written
piece, but being a part of any one of them is an
experience that sets any of its students apart. Don’t
fret, non-honors-program students.
Some honors programs kids still do not know
what they plan to do after graduation, and some
pride themselves on blending in as much as possible.
No need to look far; just look at the byline of
this article.
vanessa5@umbc.edu
upcoming events in
the arts & humanities
humanities forum
visual arts
“Medicalization,
Justice, and the
Definition of Health”
Rebecca Kukla, Kennedy Institute
of Ethics and Department
of Philosophy, Georgetown
University
Wednesday, April 10, 4 p.m.
Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery
A New Context:
Photographs from
The Baltimore Sun
Revisited
Monday, April 8 – Friday, May 31
Monday – Friday, Noon – 4 p.m.,
on Thursday until 8 pm;
Saturday and Sunday 1 – 5 p.m.
Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery
For more information about
these and other events, visit
www.umbc.edu/engage

14
The Cell Phone
celebrates its
40th birthday
Tuesday,
Apr. 09, 2013
Technology
Internet currency zips
past the dollar in value
In 40 years, the cell phone
has changed dramatically
COURTESY ABCNEWS.COM
COURTESY OF GIZMODO
Bitcoins have become one of the most profitable investments, but this internet based currency is inherently risky.
The celebration of the Cell Phone’s 40th birthday is a small window into the
rapid changes in technology from the past century.
By SAMANATHA ANDROSKY
Senior Staff Writer
Imagine having to carry a
two-pound weight in your
pocket everywhere you went.
It’s a clunky piece of machinery,
10 inches long and as thick
as a brick, and just holding it
up to your ear feels like a workout.
But, 40 years ago, it was
the cutting edge technology of
the time – the cell phone.
The first call from a mobile
phone was made on April 3,
1973 by Martin Cooper, an inventor
working for Motorola.
The first person Cooper dialed
was Joel Engel, one of the many
engineers who Cooper was
competing against in the hopes
of being the first to create the
mobile phone.
“Joel, this is Marty. I’m calling
you from a cell phone, a real,
handheld, portable cellphone,”
Cooper said in his call, according
to The Verge. His call was
met with Engel’s stunned silence
on the other end.
As a burgeoning technology,
the mobile phone was first
developed as an extension of
business car phones, according
to The Guardian. But it wasn’t
until ten years after Cooper
had filed a patent for it that
the mobile phone went up for
sale on the consumer market in
1983.
The first consumer mobile
phone was called the DynaTAC,
known as the “brick phone.”
It weighs 40 ounces, 10 inches
long, had a battery life of
35 minutes and retailed for
$3,995.
In comparison, today’s 64 GB
iPhone 5 weighs 3.95 ounces, is
4.87 inches long and .3 inches
thick. The iPhone has a standby
life of 225 hours and costs
$849.00 without a mobile plan.
Over time, cellphones started
getting smaller ,and their
battery lives grew. Popular
phones, such as Nokia phones
and Motorola’s StarTAC line,
grew in popularity in the ‘90s.
By the late ‘90s, StarTac was
the smallest flip phone on the
market, weighing only 3 oz. It
had a 50-hour standby battery
life.
The early 2000s brought the
introduction of the Blackberry
and a new era of “smart”
cellphones. Now, more people
were using their phones to
text, and in 2000, people were
sending an average of 35 text
messages a month per person
as opposed to the 0.4 texts in
1995, according to Mashable.
However, 40 years after that
first call in 1973, Cooper still
believes that cellphones have
more room to develop.
“Technology has to be invisible,”
Cooper told CBS News.
“Transparent. Just simple. A
modern cell phone in general
has an instruction book that’s
bigger and heavier than the cell
phone. That’s not right.”
In 2013, over six billion people
use cellphones, and every
day, the number of smartphone
users is rising. Forty years later,
cellphones have become
an integral part of day-to-day
life. Imagining a world without
them is a lot like imagining
carrying a two-pound phone in
your pocket — too weird to be
true.
andr2@umbc.edu
By EMILY SCHEERER
Technology Editor
Everyone has heard some
variation on the joke that “one
day, the internet will take over
the world.” That day may be arriving
sooner than we realize, as
internet money and drug dealing
has risen in popularity.
The “Bitcoin,” a new kind of internet
currency, has reached a 1
to 105 dollar exchange rate with
US dollars.
Bitcoins are the next level of
online payment after PayPal.
They have only been around for
three years, and are not an official
form of currency, but on the
internet, they are worth more
than gold.
The central idea behind Bitcoins
is the belief that there
should not need to be a third
party involved in a transaction.
Currently, internet spending is
primarily centered on credit
cards, where a credit card company
acts as the intermediary
between the client and the business
owner.
Bitcoins are designed to eliminate
the need for a third party
by generating a string of unique
characters that track every
transaction.
As a new Bitcoin user, you
install a virtual wallet on your
computer or mobile phone. This
virtual wallet has no name associated
with it, but has a unique
address.
You can share this address
with users so they can pay you.
It is recommended that Bitcoin
users use several different addresses
on a hidden computer
network so they cannot be
tracked, because Bitcoin transactions
are not anonymous.
Anyone can see the balance
and transactions from any Bitcoin
address, so to protect your
finances, many addresses are
recommended.
Despite the fact that Bitcoins
are supposed to eliminate third
party facilitators, corporations
have begun to use the internet
currency and facilitate transactions.
Mt. Gox, a Tokyo-based
currency exchange, controls
about 80 percent of the Bitcoin
market.
Although the idea of a Bitcoin
is technologically innovative, it
will be awhile before Bitcoins
become a recognized form of
currency.
In the meantime, Bitcoins
have been embraced by the underground
black market. One
notable Bitcoins use is the Silk
Road, an online black market
accessed through a Tor hidden
service.
The Silk Road was launched
in 2011, and in one year has
risen to a monthly sales rate of
over 1.2 million dollars. National
Public Radio (NPR) describes
the Silk Road as “the Amazon.
com of illegal drugs.”
The site sells drugs, pornography
and other contraband items.
Critics say that the rise in Bitcoin
value comes only from the popularity
of the illegal Silk Road
sales.
Bitcoin users are warned that
the value of a Bitcoin only comes
from what clients are willing to
pay for it and are discouraged
from investing too much money
into the changeable currency.
Like any investment, the investor
has to be willing to take the
risk.
This week in science...
By TALMO PEREIRA
Science Columnist
COURTESY ABCNEWS.COM
… a study authored by CDC
researcher presents strong evidence
against a link between
autism and vaccination.
COURTESY duke university
… a study of the evolution of
HIV-resistant antibodies may
hold key insights into HIV vaccine.
talmo.pereira@umbc.edu
semily1@umbc.edu
COURTESY USNEWS.COM
For full stories, visit our website at: www.retrieverweekly.com
… President Obama announces
the BRAIN initiative, committing
$100 million to neuroscience
research aimed at tackling
the big problems in the field of
study of the brain.

Technology Tuesday,
Apr. 09, 2013 15
Monte Carlo Simulations
of Photon Transport in
Three Dimensional Clouds
Brent McBride researches the scattering
of photons with MATLAB
TECH FOR TOMORROW
Computing in
the Classroom
Tablets are changing the
way students take notes
By ALEC PULIANAS
Tech. for Tomorrow Columnist
By IFEMAYOWA AWORANTI
Staff Writer
Physics is the natural science
which studies time, energy,
force and matter -and
its motion through space. It
helps us understand how the
universe behaves. As such, it
is an exciting, challenging and
rewarding field of research.
At UMBC, Brent McBride,
a senior Physics Major, researches
Atmospheric physics.
His project is titled
“Monte Carlo Simulations of
Photon Transport in Three
Dimensional Clouds.”
According to quantum theory,
light moves through the
atmosphere in packets of energy
called photons. When
the light coming from space
enters the atmosphere, the
photons either get reflected
back into space, bounce
around in the atmosphere
until they run out of energy
or occasionally get absorbed
by the earth’s surface. This
bouncing around is called
scattering.
In this project, McBride
aimed to simulate the scattering
of photons in the
earth’s atmosphere by using
the matrix algebra software
MATLAB. Inside the software,
he used the Monte Carlo simulation
model to model ideal
and realistic cloud systems
in one, two and three dimensions.
Along with his mentor, Dr.
Zhang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
of Physics at UMBC,
McBride studied photon
transfer in simplified one-dimensional
cloud structures.
He later compared data gathered
from this one-dimensional
scattering process to
data from the two-dimensional
scattering process -observing
how the data varied
with an added dimension.
McBride cites an enduring
passion for the atmosphere. In
his elementary school years,
he dreamed of becoming an
astronomer or weather man.
This initial desire evolved
into a deep interest in the
science behind the workings
of the atmosphere. Astronomers
study stars through
the light that they give off in
space; it is no surprise that
McBride’s current research is
into how light particles enter
the atmosphere.
McBride came into the research
armed with prior MAT-
LAB skills. Nevertheless, his
work was challenging, as it
required him to gain and utilize
a whole new theoretical
perspective. To this end, his
mentor used creative analogies
of pinballs and soccer to
assist him in visualizing the
scattering of protons in the
atmosphere. He combined
this with his experience in
IFEMAYOWA AWORANTI - TRW
Brent McBride works out mathematical formulas to simulate photon scatter in MATLAB. He will present this research at
this year’s URCAD.
previous programming classes
and was ultimately able to
see his work to fruition.
McBride began his research
in September 2011 and was
able to complete it in August
of 2012. Since then, he has
been getting ready to present
his work at URCAD.
McBride aims to obtain his
Ph.D. in Atmospheric Physics.
His current research is a
great foundation to the kinds
of physics research he hopes
to conduct in the future. He
looks up to the whole UMBC
physics faculty as a model
of the success he hopes to
achieve in the field. McBride
is inspired by many people,
including his family, friends
and fellow physics majors.
He will present the results
of his research at URCAD.
Furthermore, he will be interning
at Hampton University
this summer, where he will
be conducting mentored research
into the use of remote
sensing in examining the
structure and composition of
the atmosphere.
This work was partly funded
through an Undergraduate
Research Assistantship Support
(URAS) Award from the
UMBC Office of Research Administration
and the UMBC
Department of Physics.
ifemayo1@umbc.edu
Technology has had a hard time entering the classroom, but
over the last few years, technology in education has been on
the rise. Students and universities both are trying to figure
out the best ways to use technology in an educational setting.
Each year, the students at UMBC are more digitally native
than ever before, since high tech devices have been integrated
into their lives for a longer time. With that comes an increasing
expectation to have technology in the classroom.
Students have been typing notes on their laptops for years,
but unfortunately, professors are sometimes worried that students
are messaging friends instead of taking notes. In fact,
some professors don’t allow laptops in the classroom for that
reason. But with the increasing presence of tablets, students
have begun to move over to the tablet for their note-taking
needs.
With tablets like the iPad, students are able to take better
notes than ever before. By blending the ease of drawing diagrams
and typing text, the iPad allows for fully digital notes
with all of the benefits of pencil and paper.
App developers see that note taking is a huge market, so
there are several great apps for taking notes. Notability, created
by Ginger Labs, is a full-featured note taking app for the
iPad.
Notability allows students to write notes like they normally
would with pen and paper, but also allows them to record the
lecture so they can listen back on what the professor was saying
while they wrote their notes.
Students can blend in typing with their handwritten notes
as well. To top it off, students can use the iPad’s camera to
take a photo of the board and seamlessly integrate the image
into their notes.
With Dropbox integration, all notes are backed up in the
cloud, so students never have to worry about losing their
notebook again. Notability can be purchased for $1.99. Penultimate
is another note-taking option for those who want a
more barebones experience. When opening Penultimate, users
are greeted with a familiar notebook interface.
Users can make multiple notebooks and write on the pages
of the book. With intelligent palm rejection technology, users
can write on the iPad just like a piece of paper.
Similar to Notablility, notebooks are synced and backed up
with the cloud using Evernote. Penultimate is free.
Because of these trends, UMBC is looking at ways to optimize
the classroom for these technologies. Next semester, a
new classroom in the Engineering building that is focused on
working in teams and using each student’s laptop will open.
This classroom will be utilized by both introductory courses
like Computer Science 104Y and upper level courses like
Computer Engineering’s Senior Design Project.
Rather than building a computer lab, which requires purchasing
and maintaining computers, the University is encouraging
students to use the laptops they are already carrying in
their bag. Laptops are far less bulky and can move with ease
making it easier to collaborate with group members.
As time passes, it will become increasingly important to figure
out the best ways to use technology in education. Known
as an up and coming university focused on innovation in education,
UMBC will continue to explore and develop different
initiatives, allowing technology to revolutionize the learning
experience.
apul1@umbc.edu

16
Tuesday,
Apr. 09, 2013
Technology
Women in STEM at UMBC: A look at
the Center for Women in Technology
It is a fact that there are fewer women in STEM, but CWIT aims to change that
By tabitha havercamp
Guest Writer
In recent years, UMBC has
been highly regarded as a university
with a major focus in
the fields of science, technology
and engineering. Careers
and research opportunities
are growing on a larger scale
each year, but there is still a
major underrepresentation of
women in these fields worldwide.
Courses in these disciplines
are often male-dominated,
which can be alienating to
some female students, creating
challenges that can be
difficult to overcome. However,
as time progresses and
these situations are acknowledged,
various universities
and workplaces around the
world have created programs
to support and encourage
women to pursue their STEM
education and careers.
At UMBC, The Center for
Women in Technology program,
often referred to as
CWIT, was established in July
1998 with a mission to promote
female participation in
information technology (IT)
and engineering. CWIT is
multifaceted in the program’s
approaches to creating a support
system for female STEM
students using a combination
of communities.
Most well known of these
communities is the CWIT
Scholars program, which is
offered to high school students
in their senior year who
have decided to study IT or
engineering in college.
A similar program for transfer
students was recently created
in March 2012, named
the “Transfer Scholars in IT
and Engineering” (TSITE)
program, which is a needbased
scholarship program
funded by the National Science
Foundation (NSF).
While the Scholars programs
have specific enrollment
dates, there is a community
that is open to all
students at UMBC who are
interested in supporting the
CWIT mission, named the
CWIT Affiliates program.
The Affiliates program was
completely revamped in 2010
when Associate Director, Susan
Martin, joined the CWIT
staff. The Affiliates program
holds various meetings and
events each month, often in
combination with the Scholars
programs, to connect
students in the College of
Engineering and IT (COEIT)
community and create relationships
with industry professionals
who sponsor and
support UMBC.
Throughout the semester,
students can register for the
Affiliates program through
the CWIT website (cwit.umbc.
COURTESY CWIT.UMBC.EDU
CWIT Scholars, Affiliates, and other COEIT students celebrate C-What Day. C-What Day is an annual event that introduces UMBC to CWIT and all it has to offer.
edu) and view calendars for
Affiliates events such as pizza
lunches, social events with
faculty and staff, and networking
workshops.
In addition to these types of
events, there is a peer mentoring
program where students
can volunteer as a mentor or
enroll as a mentee to discuss
classes, internship opportunities
and more. These connections
are not only noticed
in the classroom — students
can also apply to live in the
CWIT Living Learning Community
(LLC) in the on campus
residential dorms, where
students can live with peers
involved in CWIT.
The informal meeting style
of the Affiliates program fosters
the creation of lifelong
relationships with other students,
staff and professors
within the university. The
opportunities available from
CWIT provide both women
and men with resources necessary
to succeed and excel in
STEM fields at UMBC.
Upcoming CWIT events include
the third annual “Spring
into Leadership” event, which
will be held on Thursday,
April 11 from 6:30 p.m. on the
third floor of the University
Center building on campus.
More details can be found at
cwit.umbc.edu.
tabitha3@umbc.edu
So you want to be a scientist?
By TALMO PEREIRA
Science Columnist
Science seems to be ubiquitous
at every level of our
society. Some people devote
their lives to it, some refuse to
believe anything but what it
proves empirically. But what
does it really mean to be a scientist?
As an undergraduate, you
quickly learn about the different
majors, tracks and requirements,
many of which require
an early commitment if
you plan on graduating in four
years. For example, obtaining
a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry
requires 78 credits,
whereas the Mechanical Engineering
B.S. degree requires a
whopping 98 credits, not including
GEPs.
So maybe you’ve chosen a
Science futures are bright, but take hard work
general field of study that you
might be interested in, but really,
what does a scientist do?
To give you an idea, below is
a breakdown of some of the
more popular career fields
that STEM majors are able to
pursue after obtaining an undergraduate
degree.
RESEARCH
UMBC has a strong reputation
for research, particularly
in making it accessible to
undergraduates. However, if
you want to build a career in
research, you will need to pursue
another degree program
after undergrad.
Options include a Master of
Science (M.S.; two years), Doctor
of Philosophy (Ph.D.; four
to seven years) or a combined
M.D./Ph.D. (four to ten years).
A common route is to find a
postdoctoral job, followed by
a tenure track position in a
university (academia) or entrance
into the private sector
(industry). Keep in mind that
entering academia generally
comes with the dual responsibility
of teaching.
Median salaries for Ph.D.
graduates range from $51,594
in the biomedicinal fields to
$72,992 for engineers, but go
up to $123,959 and $133,292
respectively over the span of a
career in a tenure track position.
MEDICINE
Pursuing a M.D. is a long
and arduous road, but many
feel that it is worth it in the
long run. Although median
salaries range from $212,840
to $384,467 for primary and
specialty care physicians respectively,
the median debt
once the M.D. is completed is
$130,000.
Keep in mind that the admissions
process to medical
school is notoriously competitive
and following the fouryear
degree is another three
to seven years of residency
and potentially four more for
a fellowship.
EDUCATION
Teaching is often called the
noblest profession, and as
students, we can all appreciate
that. If you want to become
a K-12 science teacher,
the most common route after
undergrad is to pursue a Masters
of Education, whereas a
full-time teaching position at
the university level generally
requires a Ph.D. The median
national salary for a K-12
STEM teacher is $40,879 and
$82,556 for a university professor.
OTHERS
Someone entering the workforce
with a science degree
is highly valued due to their
critical thinking skills. Pursuing
further graduate degrees
such as an M.B.A. (Business)
or M.P.H. (Public Health) is
also a good way to use your
scientific background in a
tangentially related field.
No matter what you want to
pursue, one thing defines it
all: preparation.
talmo.pereira@umbc.edu

10
Tuesday,
Apr. 09, 2013
Some of the best-kept secrets on campus
Features
ALL PHOTOS BY KEVIN SAMPLE - trw
A quick quide
to residential
preparation
By Scott Yardumian-Grubb
Contributing Artist
When moving to a dormitory,
one of the main concerns is what
to bring. Living in a dorm for the
first time can be a startling experience,
but keeping a few essentials
on hand should make the
transition smoother.
First and foremost, get in
touch with your roommates/
suitemates. Their names and
contact information should be
posted along with your room assignment.
Not only will it be easier
to know what to bring, but it
is also a good way to determine
what other supplies might be
needed.
As students in the 21st century,
make sure you have all your
wires. Bring your chargers, your
co-axial cables for your TV (if
you have one) and anything that
came with the latest technology
you bought with you. Keep
in mind, though, that space —
meaning outlets — is limited.
Think of your room as a giant
game of Tetris. The more stuff
you have, the harder it is to find
a place for it. Minimalism is key.
Items that you use on a weekly
or daily basis take priority over
that one pair of boots you may
wear someday or that cool lava
lamp that you barely have time
to watch.
This is not to say you cannot
personalize your room, but keep
in mind that you have to clean all
of this up at the end of the year
and cart it all home.
UMBC offers printing and
copying services, but having
your own printer can be useful
— especially when you finish a
paper half an hour before class
starts. Most fit on the top shelf of
a standard dorm desk.
You want to be social and
spread yourself out, but when
you share a space with someone
else, you don’t want your stuff
to spread out as well. The desks
have drawers, but an extra set
of drawers or something that
can fit beneath the dorm beds
can keep clutter out from under
your feet. This will also help you
keep track of things.
If you are nervous about losing
things, you can buy a small safe
or a container that can close and
lock. However, so long as you
keep your door locked when you
are not in your room, that should
suffice.
Finally, keep in mind that you
do not have to bring everything
at once. There are opportunities
to swap out things as the seasons
change, you can take home your
lighter clothes to make room
for your winter wardrobe and
vice-versa. Besides, the bookstore
has most of the things you
will need for classes, and there
is a free UMBC Transit line that
goes to the Arundel Mills Mall.
College is a new experience,
and it is important to be prepared.
As you begin this journey,
be prepared, have fun and good
luck.
scouty1@umbc.edu
Top: The rock garden, located next to the Commons garage, offers a serene place to relax on those strenuous days.
Bottom-left: The amphitheatre can be found behind the Fine Arts Building, and offers a wonderful space to study
during the Spring and Summer.
Bottom-center: This picnic area is located by the soccer stadium, can be used for cookouts or just to get out of your
dorm room and enjoy the day.
Bottom-right: Not to be mistaken with the pond next to the AOK Library, this pond is located between the main
campus and the technology park and is more pleasing to the eye.
Corey Taylor unleashed
Stone Sour finally channels their frontman
By Max robison
Contributing Writer
Stone Sour is often believed to be singer Corey
Taylor’s side project to the masked, world-touring
metal act Slipknot. It is often forgotten that
Taylor formed Stone Sour three years prior to
Slipknot’s conception.
Leading two bands has given Taylor a dual
musical personality; in Slipknot he is the head
of a mob, and with Stone Sour, he is free to unravel
his own musical shadow.
Stone Sour and its listeners have slowly grown
to accept the powerful force Taylor exerts over
the band’s very image. The band’s most recent
effort “House of Gold and Bones, Pt. II” is a dark
and aggressive collection of music that oozes
Taylor’s presence.
Past records have, even on the heavier songs,
felt like a team effort — focusing on accessibility
rather than message restrained the band
from their potential.
If his days in Slipknot are any evidence, Taylor
is a man with axes to grind. He is finally allowed
to bare them all through this album. This is the
second half of a two album arc, and with this,
Taylor is given room for his own expression.
“The bell has rung on the titans, everybody
give us some room, your so-called set of fake
morals, I can't tell the difference...” Taylor exclaims
in “Do Me A Favor.” This line and many
others are the pillars of the album’s tone. It’s the
soundtrack of personal battles relayed without
compromise.
There are moments of intimacy found within
the album, particularly in “Blue Smoke.” Taylor
turns the looking glass on himself and the road
he’s taken over the years, singing “I've killed ... a
thousand better choices.”
While themes of inner/external demons
are nothing new to the genre, Taylor leads the
group to a new level with two albums devoted
to one man’s frustration with injustice and apathy,
even if self-afflicted.
The stylistic choices and production of the album
only enhance its enjoyability and accentuate
its tone. Drummer Roy Mayroga utilizes the
snare drum with masterful control. The drums,
mixed with the guitars and battle cry vocals of
Taylor, bless the record with an intense sound
that matches the band’s intentions.
Through his other band, Taylor has made his
goals very clear. He is bitter towards everyone’s
mistakes, including his own.
This is the fuel the “House Of Gold and Bones”
albums feed on. Exemplary songs are the epic
and slightly masochistic “Sadist," the softly bitter
“The Conflagration” and the crushing “Gravesend.”
This album lands on disgruntled rockers
everywhere April 9.
maxrob1@umbc.edu
Courtesy WIKIPEDIA
Stone Sour's latest release is "dark and aggressive."

Features
College is an exciting milestone
in many people’s lives. To make
their experience enjoyable, students
should get involved in social
campus activities and invest
time in planning their courses.
Tuesday,
Apr. 09, 2013
The 10 in 4
10 professors you MUST take a
class with before you graduate
By Huyen bui
Contributing Writer
Holly Sneeringer, English
An enthusiastic, engaged professor
can make all the difference.
The following professors, listed
in no particular order, are
among the many distinguished
and highly-rated educators designated
by selected UMBC students
and anonymous reviews
from RateMyProfessor.com.
One reviewer said that she provides “some engaging readings and tries
to get everyone involved in class discussions" in her ENGL 100 course.
Jim Thomas, Philosophy
Professor Thomas has an overwhelming number of good reviews on
RateMyProfessor.com. One student’s review says that Professor Thomas
“keeps the class entertained through his humorous nature and is very
knowledgeable.”
James Grubb, History
Whether he is teaching a course on Western Civilization or the Renaissance,
he “allows the students to take their own approach into history
… all he does is clarify it for you,” according to an anonymous reviewer.
Henry Emurian, Information Systems
Professor Emurian teaches several information systems courses.. Julian
Beh, a sophomore information systems major, says "[Emurian] has a
good personality, is friendly, and is easy to talk to,” Beh says. “He doesn’t
teach unnecessary work and his lectures are straightforward.”
Meryl Damasiewicz, Sociology
Sophomore HAPP major Upinder Dhaliwal says Professor Damasiewicz
made SOCY 101 nteresting and instructed good discussions. Her class is
a “great general education course” for students who still need to meet
a requirement.
Tiffany Gierasch, Chemistry
A former student of Professor Gierasch’s posted an anonymous review
claiming that she “is a force of nature” who is “full of energy.” In her
organic chemistry class, a course feared by many science majors, “she
presents the material in a way that’s easy to process.”
Robert Anderson, Psychology
Professor Anderson “is a phenomenal teacher” and is “highly recommended,”
according to one student review. He makes psychology interesting
and is fair when it comes to the assessments and grades.
Regan Lake, Biology
For students who need a general science course, Professor Lake’s Introduction
to Biology course comes highly recommended. She is “a great
lecturer” who explains the course material clearly and tests straight from
class slides.
Jeanette Jeffrey, Health
Administration and Policy
Professor Jeffrey has taught at UMBC for 14 years. One recent student
said that Professor Jeffrey is “very passionate about what she teaches”
and “the lectures are never boring.” When asked what she loves most
about teaching, Professor Jeffrey said, “My students are amazing ... they
keep me constantly motivated and give me optimism for the future.”
Brian Dean, Mathematics
Professor Dean primarily teaches Calculus II. His course material and
assessments are “straightforward” and “very clear and easy to understand,”
says one of his former students. He is also “very helpful
during office hours.”
It comes as no surprise that I have always loved
movies. Whether it is sharing my thoughts every
week on a new release or ranting for hours
to friends, movies have always had a place in my
heart.
When I was younger, this really was no different.
I would search newspapers and media for reviews
of movies coming out in theaters, and there was always
one man that I trusted for reviews of movies
that I should have seen in theaters.
I shared Roger Ebert’s enthusiasm for talking
about cinema and films. He was my inspiration for
every rant, every conversation and every review I
have.
Ebert was a man who wasn’t afraid to hate a
movie (and let everyone know, especially in his review
of North), to appreciate the details or to love
the adventures. For 45 years, he charted the ups
and downs of cinema, crafted some of the greatest
reviews and won a Pulitzer for his work. There
was no other man who understood Hollywood
and the pure escapism each film represented.
I was first introduced to Ebert as the man who
rated movies with his thumbs. All during my childhood,
movie posters would proclaim “Two Thumbs
Up!” as the best review they could achieve.
He redefined reviewing and rating movies, all
through the usage of his thumbs. His frequent collaborator,
Richard Roeper, contributed to this tradition
on their television show "At the Movies."
Ebert’s reviews were always filled with the same
sense of joy or disgust through the years. I remember,
in the time of dial-up, reading his review of Jurassic
Park III and laughing at the puns and jokes
he scattered throughout. He was honest and, even
during the last months of his career, still carried
the same excitement for every film.
Hollywood loved Ebert, as he established many
famous friends and was the first critic to earn a
star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
My love for movies doesn’t come from the attraction
of movie stars or directors. While they
certainly are factors, the main attraction is the
magical adventure and escape they represent. As a
teenager, I loved the moments he enjoyed in films.
One of my favorite moments was during 2010,
in his review of Jennifer's Body. A film that I deeply
treasure was described by Ebert as “Twilight for
boys,” having “a certain edge, a kind of gleeful relish,
that’s uncompromising.”
While the film received strong backlash, I, like
Ebert, loved Diablo Cody’s smart dialogue, Megan
Fox’s lead performance and agreed it is better than
any Twilight.
11
Remembering Roger Ebert
Two thumbs up for the iconic legend
By Sean Leavy
Film Critic
I admit, Jennifer’s Body is far from perfect and
far from art, but it is better than it could have been.
Ebert saw its potential and praised it.
He could have criticised Fox, the direction or any
other aspect that has been countlessly scrutinized
since the film’s release in 2009, but he didn’t. He
praised it, awarding it three stars out of four. To
me, that represents everything he stands for.
Ebert spent his lifetime in the theater, sitting in
the dark for 45 years. He watched countless actors
and directors.
He reminded me to think about movies and to
ponder what they could mean (Inception), instead
of just viewing a movie as a movie. He taught me
that if I don’t like a movie that garners almost universal
acclaim, that it is okay.
His reviews changed how people saw movies
and how I saw movies. They inspired me to continue
to love film.
His last two reviews, The Host and From Up on
Poppy Hill, contain the same humor and honesty
that built his career. The Host, which was a box office
bomb, found a warm spot with Ebert, showing
he could find a silver lining in even the lowest Hollywood
fair.
Ebert posted a prolonged announcement on
his blog Tuesday, promising great things to come
and much upcoming work. While I and everyone
else will never see that day come, his inspiration
of critics, journalist and movie lovers everywhere
will continue.
Every pun and joke that lies within my reviews
were inspired by his, and his love of the movies.
He was the world’s Peter Pan, retaining the childhood
love of the magical worlds that movies have
to offer.
I love movies and writing about movies, but I
will never love them like Ebert, nor will I be able to
appreciate them like he did. He was incredible —
one-of-a-kind and truly inspirational.
Even during his extensive battle with cancer,
he continued to work and see the world through
movies. People everywhere trusted his opinion
and his perspectives. I trusted him, and while we
had moments of disagreement, I always loved his
work.
I miss him, the world misses him and the movies
miss him. “Letter of Presence,” his last published
work, closes with Ebert reflecting upon his career
and his future. He concludes his letter by saying
“thank you all for going on this journey with me.
I’ll see you at the movies.”
I’ll be there Roger, just promise me one thing ‘till
then: save me a seat?
leavy1@umbc.edu
Roger Ebert was a man who built his
life at the movies. He inspired and
captivated the world with his words.
Courtesy rogerebert.suntimes.com
hb5@umbc.edu

12
Crossword
Tuesday,
Apr. 09, 2013
Features
Puzzles
brendanemmettquigley.com
Across
1. Brunch order
6. Brunch order
12. Bought flowers for the wife,
perhaps
14. Colt's sound
15. Dental buildup
16. Result of a bad bike crash
17. Bring to life
18. Arctic bird
19. Money put up front
20. Move by lifting one's finger?
22. "Paradise Lost" setting
Down
1. Celtic Sanders in the Basketball
Hall of Fame
2. Breakout systems
3. "Get Back" girl
4. Stomach relief
5. Tight holds
6. World-shaking?
7. "Sein ___ Zeit" (Heidegger)
8. Haaretz employee,
31. Ballet Russe dancer Léonide
32. Back from the dead
33. Off base, say
Sudoku
23. Holes in one's hands
24. Seal the deal
25. Lost at sea
26. They may be guarded in soccer
27. ___ d'Yeu, France
28. Tool's partner
29. Extremely anxious
32. Paced back and forth over
35. Hummus accompaniment
36. Ireland, in poems
38. Midwestern city with the motto
"Smart Choice"
34. Active from dawn to probably
9. Moët's partner dusk
10. Party girl?
11. Fruit-ripening gas
13. In a preoccupied way
14. Wine-tasting treat
16. "Good Man, Good Woman" singer
21. "Life of Pi" actor Spall
24. Damson or mirabelle alternative
26. Web page directories
28. It's often acquired with a new
house
39. "Figures!"
41. Reception rentals
42. Cheer after an olímpico goal
43. Quick glance
44. Debate team stance
46. Expect to happen
47. Big-league
48. "American Pie" actress Mena
49. Give some slack
50. Gin runs
29. Sports talk radio host whose
show is affectionately called "The
Jungle"
30. Scoop, say
35. Distressed individual
36. Tati's Monsieur
37. Diplomatic compromise
39. Dope sheet's covering?
40. Mila of "Oz the Great and Powerful"
45. #209 on Rolling Stones' "500
Greatest Albums of All Time"
krazydad.com
Solutions to this week’s puzzles...
can be found at our website:
www.retrieverweekly.com
INSTRUCTIONS:
A sudoku puzzle consists
of a 9 × 9–square grid
subdivided into nine 3
× 3 boxes. Some of the
squares contain numbers.
The object is to fill in
the remaining squares
so that every row, every
column, and every 3 ×
3 box contains each of
the numbers from 1 to 9
exactly once.
Solving a Sudoku puzzle
involves pure logic. No
guesswork is needed—or
even desirable.
This week's featured comic
by Michelle Seu
Aquarius (Jan. 21 - Feb. 19):
This week, you are
going to inherit an
island. One that is
off the coast of Costa Rica, but
be careful. Something has survived,
and it is not extinct.
Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22):
Decorate yourself this
week. Add a touch of
some diamonds and amber
this week. Nothing
like wearing some jewlery with a
fossilized mosquito. Who knows
what DNA if holds?
The Slum Starry Horoscope
Pisces (Feb. 20 - Mar. 20):
The weather is looking
great this week, so make
sure to dress appropriately.
Just don't wonder off along
the beach, or you might find yourself
in a sandy situation.
Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sept. 23):
Spend time outside and
look at the nature that
surrounds UMBC. Take a
walk or sit on the Quad, but trust
us by the end of the week: you'll
never look at birds the same way.
Aries (Mar. 21 - Apr. 20):
Stock up on food this week,
since there is a chance of a
power outage. The last thing
you will want to be is breaking out
and wanting to eat everyone. Or
was that a T-Rex?
Libra (Sept. 24 - Oct. 23):
Order a cold drink and
kick back on Thrusday.
One of your professors
will approach you on Friday; all
you have to do is visit an island,
and get your tution compensated
for a further three years.
Taurus (Apr. 21 - May 21):
Sometimes addictions
don't need to be fixed.
Sometimes, they can
enhance your life. As long as they
aren't illegal or abusive, but then
again what is obessive shopping?
Scorpio (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22):
Look down where you
are right now. See that
money, it is for you. But
remeber, if your friends try to
get you to spend it on them, just
tell them: Don't get cheap on me,
Dodson.
Gemini (May 22 - June 21):
This week, life has found a
way. So before you decide
to go out and do that fun
and crazy thing, stop and
think if you should instead of if you
could.
Sagittarius (Nov. 23 - Dec. 21 ):
So you don't like your
roommate. Well for your
party that you wanna host
this weekend, just introduce your
apartment with one simple phrase.
Welcome to Jurassic Park.
Cancer (June 22 - July 22):
This week, you will
discover the secret to
cloning. But, instead of
cloning something useful, such
as condors, you're gonna go for
broke: dinosaurs.
Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 20):
You getting your
exam back tomorrow.
As you watch
classmates read their scores,
you will hear lots of "Ohhs" and
"Ahhs. Trust us, then comes the
running and screaming.

The world saw a typical college student,
pressed for time and money.
CCBC saw a problem solver,
doing college the smart way.
“ Taking a course during the summer was less
stressful, and it was online, so I was able to work
around my schedule!”
Kassandra Sandacz, Junior, UMBC
CCBC summer student
When UMBC junior Kassandra Sandacz realized she needed
to pick up a Spanish class, she thought of CCBC. Our summer
courses offer a fast, convenient and affordable way for students
enrolled at other colleges to accelerate their futures.
For Kassandra, that meant taking an online class, on her own
schedule, for just five weeks. And the best part? Her CCBC class
cost about 70 percent less than similar classes at UMBC.
ENROLL NOW FOR SUMMER SESSIONS!
• June 3 (5, 6, 10 week sessions) • June 17 (7 week session)
• July 8 (5 week session) • July 15 (6 week session)
Get started today. Visit www.ccbcmd.edu
or call 443-840-CCBC.
The incredible value of education.
www.ccbcmd.edu
Cost comparison based on Fall 2012 per credit tuition cost for part-time students.

SPORTS Tuesday,
17
Apr. 09, 2013
Men’s lax crushes Vermont
Historic days from senior Scott Jones and junior Phil Poe lead UMBC to a 19-6 victory
By Ryan Harrison
Assistant Sports Editor
The men’s lacrosse team
earned a convincing win over
America East foe Vermont this
weekend when the Retrievers
downed the Catamounts 19-6
at UMBC Stadium. Senior attackman
Scott Jones became
the 30th Retriever to reach
the 100 career points mark
on a six goal, one assist effort.
Junior faceoff specialist Phil
Poe set a school record by
taking 23 of 29 draws. UMBC
is now 1-1 in conference with
four games remaining.
With the loss, Vermont falls
to 0-2 in conference and 3-8
overall. The Catamounts currently
sit at the bottom of
the America East, while Albany
holds the top spot with
a 2-0 conference record. The
remaining four
spots are currently
undecided, as the
rest of the conference
comes in at
1-1.
“Very pleased
with the way the
guys played today.
We asked the team
to come out right
from the start and
be all over these
guys,” Head Coach
Ryan Harrison - trw
Senior attackman Scott Jones became just the 30 th player
in UMBC history to reach the 100 point mark as he
scored six times and added an assist against Vermont.
Don Zimmerman
said. “Phil controlled
the faceoffs,
our offense
was efficient, our
defense did a great
job and we just
kept rolling along.”
Poe was nearly
perfect at the
draw, losing only
six faceoffs all day
and going 9-9 in
the third quarter. The junior
has won .572 percent of his
faceoffs and leads the America
East in faceoff win percentage.
“We were talking really
well between our two wing
guys. We tried out Joe Impallaria
and Will Fejes, both of
them played really well with
me,” Poe said. “[I] didn’t try
to push it forward a lot, that
kind of hurt us at Hartford.
The ball would end up just
staying there, so sinking in
my stick, pull it behind either
to a wing guy or myself. We
just had to get the ball and
get possession and I think
that’s why we got up on them
early.”
The offense took a season
high 45 shots and hit on nearly
half, finishing with a .422
shooting percentage.
“I think it’s been the same
all year, just today we finally
capitalized on our opportunities,”
Jones said.
He added that unselfish ball
movement, players moving
off ball and timing cuts well
helped up the Retrievers’
production.
Senior attackman Matt
Gregoire scored four goals to
bring his season total to 18
and freshman Pat Young finished
with five points off two
goals and three assists.
Ryan Harrison - trw
Junior faceoff specialist Phil Poe won a school record 23
of 29 draws against the Catamounts and currently leads
the America East, winning 57 percent of his faceoffs.
Nate Lewnes,
Joe Lustgarten,
Dave Brown, Scott
Hopmann, Nick
Doub, Zack Linkous
and David
Campbell put in
one goal each in
the win. Lustgarten
brought his
point total to four
by dishing out
three helpers and
Hopmann added
two assists.
Sophomore
goalkeeper Wes
DiRito allowed
only four goals
throughout three
quarters and finished
with six
saves. DiRito
is fourth in the
America East in
goals against average
and save percentage. The
sophomore has shown promise
since taking over goaltending
duties for the Retrievers
early last month.
The Retriever’s man-down
defense had a stellar day but
spent a lot of time on the
field. UMBC was penalized
ten times in the contest, but
the defense gave up only a
single man-down goal.
On the flip side, the Retrievers
went 3-5 on man-up opportunities
and are tied with
Albany for the most man-up
goals this season. On average,
UMBC is scoring 1.50 man-up
goals per game, which is just
slightly better than the Great
Danes’ 1.36.
The Retrievers will not see
action until Saturday, when
they travel to Stony Brook to
move one step closer to the
America East Tournament.
rhar1@umbc.edu
SCORE BOARD
This Week in sports
Baseball @
UMES
Baseball @
UMES
Baseball @
UMES
Baseball @
UMES
M. Lacrosse
v. Vermont
3-1
3-8
2-3
1-6
19-6
W. Lacrosse v.
Stony Brook
M. Tennis @
Howard
Softball @
Binghamton
Softball @
Binghamton
Softball @
Binghamton
W. Lacrosse v.
Binghamton
9-15
6-1
2-3
1-14
0-5
17-9
Tuesday 4/9
Baseball v. Delaware
6 p.m.
Wednesday 4/10
M. Tennis @ Georgetown
2 p.m.
W. Tennis @ Georgetown
2 p.m.
Softball v. Towson
3 p.m.
Sunday 4/14
Baseball v. Maine
12 p.m.
Softball @ Boston U
12 p.m.
Saturday 4/13
M. Tennis v. Binghamton
10 a.m.
M. T&F @
Mason Spring Invitational
11 a.m.
W. T&F @
Mason Spring Invitational
11 a.m.
Baseball v. Maine
12 p.m.
W. Lacrosse@ Albany
1 p.m.
Softball @ Boston U
1 p.m.
W. Tennis v. Binghamton
2 p.m.
M. Lacrosse v. Stony Brook
4 p.m.
Men’s soccer v. Georgetown
Kicks for Chase Benefit
7 p.m.

Tuesday,
18
Apr. 09, 2013 SPORTS
Alyssa Semones leading young women’s lax team
By Ryan Harrison
Assistant Sports Editor
After senior midfielder Lindsay
Cox went down with a season
ending injury in early March,
the Retrievers found themselves
in need of someone to step up as
UMBC’s leading offensive presence.
Enter Alyssa Semones,
a sophomore midfielder and
transfer from Penn State who
has begun to fill that role.
Semones is the younger of two
girls, both division one lacrosse
players. Kristin Semones is a senior
defender for Virginia Tech.
The pair played two seasons
together at Westminster High
School, including a trip to the
Maryland State Finals in 2009.
“We were always kind of trying
to outdo the other one. But in
lacrosse, it was kind of different
because she’s a defender and I’m
a middie so we played different
positions so there was never really
too much competitiveness,”
Semones said.
In high school, Semones was
a three-sport athlete and a fouryear
starter on the lacrosse field
for Westminster. The standout
athlete lettered in soccer
and basketball in addition to
lacrosse, and was named First
Team All-Conference all four
years of her basketball career.
Despite her success on the court,
Semones always saw herself on
the lacrosse field in college.
“I never really thought about
basketball until my senior year
after I had already committed,”
Semones said. “[I never thought]
that I could even try to play basketball.
Lacrosse has always
been the goal.”
In her senior year Semones
committed to Penn State, a top
ten program that won two National
Championships in the late
80’s. Semones recorded one assist,
one groundball, one draw
control and three shots on goal
in her freshman campaign. The
Nittany Lions went 12-7 and fell
to the Florida Gators in the second
round of the NCAA Tournament
that season.
Semones was in the unique
position of being a student-athlete
during the nationally covered
Jerry Sandusky scandal at
Penn State.
“It was interesting. All the riots
and stuff were interesting,”
Semones said. “It was kind of
neat though to see how everyone,
the athletes, came together
and really tried to support each
other that much more during
Baseball returns home
By Nick wells
Senior Staff Writer
When you play baseball, you
need to have a short memory.
Don’t worry about that groundball
you botched. Don’t let your
three hits on the day make
you cocky. Forget that you, the
pitcher, just gave up your first hit
in the sixth inning. At the end of
the day, all that matters are the
runs on the board, where you
are in the standings and what
you need to do to get better.
The UMBC baseball team
started out 3-1 in the America
East. Their third win was a walk
off 4-3 victory against Albany
who is currently in second
place in conference standings.
Momentum was high. The top
of the leader board belonged
to UMBC. In many other sports,
that typically means you’re on
the road to having a solid season.
On the other hand, that’s an
incredibly small sample size in
the long season of baseball.
That walk off win came in
game one of a doubleheader on
March 23. The second game that
day resulted in 13-1 loss. From
that loss on, the Retrievers went
1-7 against America East opponents
as of the conclusion of the
games on April 7.
One of those losses was an 8-0
shutout against Stony Brook.
Another one was a 3-2 loss to
Hartford in 16 innings. Some
players have had great games.
In the 16 inning loss to Hartford,
UMBC pitchers combined to
strike out a total of 19 batters.
Freshman Kevin LeChance is on
a nine-game hitting streak and is
hitting .405 during that stretch.
But in the end, the Retrievers
have hit a cold spell and need to
find a way to break out of it.
This is another beauty of
baseball. There is still plenty of
season left with 26 games and
16 of them are being played at
home. Things look dull now,
courtesy athletic communications
Freshman Kevin LeChance is
currently on a nine game hitting
streak, with a batting average of
.405 during the streak.
but that can easily be changed
with the answer being relatively
simple.
The Retrievers are just not
hitting well as a team. Yes, some
players are having fantastic
individual seasons, but unlike
all other sports, individual
performances really don’t mean
anything if you want to win. The
team is hitting .205, slugging
.252 with an on-base-percentage
of .283, all of which are
conference lows in addition to
various other offensive statistics.
To point out the obvious,
that does not win ball games by
any means.
In previous seasons, UMBC
has been on the upper end of
stat lines offensively. Last season
UMBC hit for a team average
of .275 and was third in the
conference in home runs. A
good portion of that came from
the now graduated power bats
of Max Himmelstein and Brian
Klukowicz. However, with a
team ERA of 9.01 in 2012 with
an opponent batting average of
.367 the bats could not come
close to getting the Retrievers
some wins.
But now thanks to a lot of
young pitchers, that team ERA is
down to 4.64 with the Retriever
closer Mike Gomez doubling
the save total from last season.
The errors on defense are also
significantly down as well. The
pieces are still there, it is just a
matter of putting it all together
at once.
Baseball is a weird sport,
and things could change very
easily. With a big series against
the conference-leading Maine
Black Bears who also lead the
stat boards in various offensive
categories, we’ll see if the UMBC
pitching staff can keep the runs
to a minimum and get some
help from the bats.
nwells2@umbc.edu
Ryan Harrison - trw
Sophomore Alyssa Semones leads UMBC with 40
points this season, scoring 29 goals along with 11
assists. She had a goal and an assist in their last game.
that time because we had all that
bad publicity.”
With her freshman season
behind her, Semones decided to
make a change.
“I really love
[co-Head
Coach] Tony
[Giro] and [co-
Head Coach]
Amy [Appelt] as
a coaching staff,
and I really liked
being closer to
home,” Semones
said. “There’s
great lacrosse
here and a
great program.
I really like the
campus and the
team and all the
coaches.”
In her first
season with
UMBC Semones
has emerged as
the Retrievers’
top offensive
producer with 29 goals and 11
assists. She also leads the team
in draw controls with 39. The
sophomore is in the top ten in
the America East in goals per
game, points per game, shots
per game and draw controls per
game.
Semones has stepped into the
role after Cox suffered a season-ending
injury March 9th
versus Drexel. In four games Cox
Scott Jones
is this week’s Athlete of the Week
By Dan Levin
Sports Editor
Senior Scott Jones set a new
career high with six goals and
one assist Saturday against
Vermont as the Retrievers
defeated the Catamounts
19-6. The attackman earned
the America East co-Player
of the Week award for his
performance.
With his third goal of the
day, after already recording
an assist, Jones became the
30th UMBC men’s lacrosse
player in school history to
reach the 100-point mark
on his 16th game with three
or more goals. He now has
104 career points for UMBC
and is currently fourth in
the conference and 20th
in the nation in goals per
game. The senior is sixth in
the conference in points per
game.
Jones scored most of his
goals early against Vermont,
netting five of his goals and
his assist in the first half,
netted ten goals and added three
assists. The senior still ranks in
the top ten in goals per game,
points per game and is second
in shots per game in the America
East.
“It was definitely a huge blow
to our team. She was a huge part
on the offensive end and the defensive
end so it was a huge loss
for our team,” Semones said.
“But I think that it’s made our
team kind of know we had to
step up that much more. Everyone’s
been stepping into their
roles, [Kristen] Bilney’s been
playing great, Abby [Wilson]
has been stepping up, Shannon
[Harkey] has been stepping up,
and the defense is stepping up
that much more.”
The Retrievers dropped a
tough game versus 11th ranked
Stony Brook this Saturday and
are tied for second place in the
conference with Albany.
Outside of lacrosse, Semones
does her best to stay committed
to school and her goals off the
field.
“I’m a bio major so I happen to
do a lot of studying these days,”
Semones said. “I’m always bringing
books and stuff on our traveling
trips, and everyone laughs at
me. I’m doing pre-physical therapy
as the bio major so I hope to
become a physical therapist or
some sort of a sports trainer.”
rhar1@umbc.edu
courtesy athletic communications
helping UMBC lead 12-1 at
the break. Jones opened the
scoring in the first quarter
for UMBC, scoring a man
down goal just 2:45 into the
game. He added an assist to
Matt Gregoire in the quarter
as well.
He now has 86 career goals
along with 18 assists.
daniel23@umbc.edu

SPORTS Tuesday,
Apr. 09, 2013
Good CAll
@ danlevin91
Stern Stays
Women’s bball coach Phil Stern stays at
UMBC instead of leaving for Seton Hall
Chattin’ With...
Kayla Martinez
Softball
Interview conducted by Dan Levin
19
By DAN LEVIN
Sports Editor
Just about a week after deciding
to leave UMBC for Seton
Hall, women’s basketball
coach Phil Stern has changed
his mind and decided to remain
at UMBC. Set to become
the associate head coach at
Seton Hall under his best
friend and the Pirates new
head coach Tony Bozzella,
Stern will now remain the
head coach for the Retrievers
through the 2016-17 season.
“It’s obviously a difficult decision,
I’ve been here a long
time, I love it here,” Stern said.
“I think I wanted to continue
to grow this program and take
it to another level.”
Moving from UMBC to Seton
Hall, Stern would not have
been the head coach of a program
for the first time since
becoming a college coach.
Stern would have run the Pirates
offense but will now remain
the head man for UMBC.
A former America East
Coach of the Year, Stern signed
a six year contract extension
with UMBC following the
2011-12 season in which the
Retrievers won the AEC regular
season title.
Stern will enter his 12th
year as the UMBC head coach
next season, following a year
in which his team went 6-10 in
the America East, earning the
third seed in the conference
tournament before falling in
the first round to Vermont.
“If this would have been
my last year, it’s not the way I
would have wanted to go out,”
Stern said. “I want to keep putting
us in the position to win
championships.”
After originally informing
his players and the department
he would be departing,
Stern changed his mind, saying
he believed he made a mistake.
“Coach Stern’s decision is a
testament to the strong community
at UMBC, and we are
pleased he has decided to
continue as head coach here,”
UMBC Athletic Director Dr.
Charles Brown said in a press
release. “He has shown his
support for the Retrievers and
commitment to our student
athletes in numerous ways
over the years. We look forward
to many successful seasons
with Coach Stern at the
file photo
After making the decision to leave UMBC
for the associate head coach position at
Seton Hall, women’s basketball coach
Phil Stern felt that he made a “mistake”
and will return to UMBC.
helm of the program.”
Returning with Stern next
year will be four of the five
freshman from this season, excluding
Kayla Seymour, while
junior Dana Lewis returns for
her senior season. Stern and
UMBC have also gotten letters
of intent from Taylor McCarley,
Emily Russo and Sara Terbert.
The Retrievers graduated
four seniors in Brittany Crowell,
Kim Browning, Kristin
Coles and Raven Harris. The
four accounted for 55 percent
of UMBC’s scoring this past
season with Harris getting an
All-Conference Second team
nod.
UMBC will also be without
Lauren Chase who transferred
to George Washington University
and Bria White who is expected
to transfer. Sophomore
Ashley Lambert is also no longer
listed on the roster.
daniel23@umbc.edu
TRW: How do feel
about your team’s performance
this far this
season?
We’re really young. We
just need to learn how
to minimize the mistakes
and play with our heart.
TRW: How do you feel
you’ve performed
individually?
I’ve been really hurt, I’ve
been like a ticking time
bomb. I actually got a fractured
knee and I couldn’t
play for four weeks and
then I got strep throat.
Other then that I’ve been
hitting the ball and not
doing so well pitching but
I’ve been playing the outfield.
I feel like I’m doing
well in the outfield.
TRW: Isn’t it nice to
have some warmer
weather finally?
It’s awesome. It makes a
difference when you play
from the cold to the hot.
Softball is a spring sport
so you’re used to hitting
the ball when it’s 70, 80
degrees. When it’s colder,
it’s harder to swing the
bat.
TRW: Are you or your
team superstitious?
I jam out to I guess the
Top 40 right now. We
actually have a playlist, we
usually warm up to “The
Bellas”from Pitch Perfect.
TRW: Do you have
any pregame rituals
or music you like to
listen too?
I jam out to I guess the
Top 40 right now. We actually
have a playlist, we
usually warm up to “The
Bellas”from Pitch Perfect.
TRW: Who’s your favorite
musical artist?
I’m into everything, a lot
of old school rock, a lot of
old school country. I like
the Top 40, I don’t really
have a favorite?
TRW: Who’s your
favorite pro athlete?
I love Kobe Bryant.
TRW: Lakers fan?
I am a Lakers fan.
TRW: Why are you a
Lakers fan?
I’m from New Mexico so
they usually show a lot of
the Lakers games.
TRW: Without any pro
sports teams in New
Mexico, did you go to a
lot of college events?
courtesy athletic communications
I’m actually from the
home of the New Mexico
State Aggies. It’s a huge
college town, we’re not
very good at football but I
used to watch the softball
girls play
TRW: Is there a softball
player you model
yourself after?
I guess the typical Jennie
Finch. She’s just an idol
especially when I was
growing up.
TRW:Are you looking
forward to interning
with the Athletic
Department next
semester?
I’m very excited, I’m an
MCS major and I want to
do sports broadcasting. I
want to do college football.
I’m big into football
but I like college more
than the NFL.
TRW:Do you want to
do play -by- play or
sideline reporting?
A sideline reporter, I’ve
been looking for internships
with the Baltimore
Orioles and Baltimore
Ravens.

Ryan Harrison - TRW
Battle for
New York
After dismantling
Vermont, men’s lacrosse
plays at conference foes
Albany and Stony Brook
in their next two games