UMBC unveils new Asian Studies major and minor - The Retriever ...

volume 45 issue 22 TuesDAY APRil 12, 2011
Molly Bradtke
contributing writer
This fall, students will have the oppor-
tunity to explore otherwise uncharted ter-
ritory with the new Asian Studies major,
minor, and certificate program. Specifically
designed to take an interdisciplinary
glimpse into the Asian world, students
will focus on art, history, politics, and
literature among other pillars of Asian
culture.
Taking up the reigns as the Asian Studies
director, Dr. Constantine Vaporis, professor
of Japanese and East Asian History,
says, “This is a dream becoming reality.”
Vaporis has been working since 1993 to
establish this curriculum. For him, it is
important and appropriate that UMBC
have an Asian Studies program.
“The large and growing population of
Asian students here is reflective of how
the world has turned from a Eurocentric
view,” he remarks. “It doesn’t make sense
to ignore it!”
UMBC is the only public university in
Maryland to house a full and adequate
Asian Studies major. College Park provides
a certificate, and while Johns Hopkins
and St. Mary’s offer the major, they
lack representation of certain cultures.
Currently, Asian Studies is a freestanding
major without a supporting department.
New classes have been created
specifically for the program, such as a
100-level introduction course, Introduction
to Asian Studies (listed as ASIA 100).
News 01 opiNioN 06 arts 11 sports 17
marvel or DC Heroes:
Which is better?
However, most required courses are preexisting
ones from various disciplines,
accentuating the interdisciplinary aspect
of the new program. They are organized
together to give students a comprehensive
view of the part Asian culture plays in the
world.
The major requires 37 credits. The creators
designed the program to be light on
credits in order to encourage students to
double-major and study other disciplines
that complement Asian Studies, and vice
versa. There is a language component as
well, requiring an Asian language through
the 202-level. Again displaying the interdisciplinary
nature of this major, three of
the five required electives should be taken
from different disciplines.
Sophomore Katharine Sprando has
Rams Head is alive with A
sound of Thunder
anxiously awaited the arrival of the major.
She was an Interdisciplinary Studies
major, having created her own program
with the same focus as the Asian Studies
major. She immediately switched to the
new program after its creation, and has
found her niche: “I am very happy that
there is a growing community of people
with similar interests,” she states. “An opportunity
to share this with others is very
exciting to me.”
Another new Asian Studies major and a
leader in creating the Asian Studies Council
of Majors is senior Thomas Springer.
Springer is particularly looking forward
to the interdisciplinary nature of the program.
“I’ve been looking forward to this
class more than any I’ve taken so far,” he
says of the introductory ASIA 100 course.
Parkinson sets yet
another school record
retrieverweekly.com
Three faculty offices broken into in fifteen days
Cases “under investigation”; police refuse to offer details
TRW News Staff
On March 15, UMBC police received
a call about a theft in a faculty office on
the first floor of the Chemistry building.
On March 23, police answered a
call reporting an office ransacking in
the Ancient Studies Department. On
March 30, another Ancient Studies faculty
member reported an office theft.
The thief stole personal papers from
the office in the Chemistry building. In
the office ransacking case, the thief (or
thieves) damaged a computer monitor
and overturned books and papers. The
damage totaled $100.00. In the theft
on March 30, the thief stole a blank
exam as well as several class handouts
related to the exam. Both offices were
locked.
According to Deputy Chief Paul Dillion,
the two crimes in Fine Arts did
not occur in the same office, and none
of the three cases are believed to be related.
The police have no suspects in
any of the cases; the criminals’ motives
are “under investigation.” The time
during which these crimes occurred
(during the work day, after hours) is
“under investigation” as well.
“We are not sure of the exact timeframe
of either incident,” said Dillion.
Police have refused to offer any more
information.
However, according to a student
currently affiliated with the Ancient
Studies Department, a liquid was
poured into the vents of the computer
(not monitor), files were thrown everywhere,
and the office overall was completely
trashed.
Ancient Studies Department Chair
Marilyn Goldberg confirmed this: “The
two thefts were in two different offices.
One was really destructive, with papers
pulled out and tossed everywhere, liquids
spilled on papers and on the computer...We
have had the locks changed
in all our offices.”
Apparently, items were missing as
well. The professor who was targeted
has personally offered a $500.00 reward
to anyone who comes forward
with information.
“The level of harm that was done to
the work of a professor who had years
and years of work in his office is immeasurable.
We would very much like
to think that the perpetrator was not a
UMBC student, although we have no
way of knowing this person's identity,”
said Goldberg.
In a phone conversation last week,
Lt. Ernest Howe mentioned to The
Retriever Weekly that the Department
is on the verge of suspending one of
the cases, but he did not specify which
one.
Additional reporting by Alethea
Paul.
Comments can be sent to
news@retrieverweekly.com.
courtesy alethea paul
During UMBC’s Arbor Day celebrations, President Freeman Hrabowski accepted the highest degree of award given by the Landscape Stewardship Committee, the Green Accreditation of the People Loving
And Nurturing Trees (P.L.A.N.T.) Award. Moments after, Hrabowski posed with members of UMBC’s Daejayon club who assisted students in planting trees with their names on them that day.
UMBC unveils new Asian Studies major and minor
uRCAD Preview:
Diverse 2011 projects
“A combination of histories, cultures, and
languages in Asia is very exciting.”
Both Sprando and Springer have played
important roles in promoting the program,
speaking to prospective students
and their parents on April 2 at “Just for
Juniors,” and again at New Student Day.
Students do not have to wait until next
semester to become involved in the program;
they can declare the major at any
time. Currently, advising is running out of
Dr. Vaporis’ office in the History Department,
but he hopes that there will eventually
be a space at UMBC for international
studies, including Asian Studies.
Comments may be sent to
bmolly1@umbc.edu.
Berret & m.Tennis
holds off Temple

2 News APRil 12, 2011
The ReTRieveR Weekly
When in doubt, padlock your love to the gazebo
Courtney Ring
editorial Staff
Sunday evening checking into the hostel
was bad. The hostel itself wasn’t the problem
(it was actually nicer than the hotel in which
we stayed earlier). But I had caught some
sort of bug, and I was lying in my bunk with
a hacking cough, fever, and chills. Probably
the loneliest part of my whole trip abroad
was right after I hung up with my family
that night and realized that I was by myself
in a strange city with little to no support
system behind me. Between my panic and
the difficulty of breathing, sleeping wasn’t
fun that night.
Surely, though, I’m being overdramatic,
right? Just go down to the local drug store
and pick up a bottle of NyQuil, Delsym,
or your other flu and cough medicine of
choice. After all, even in big cities, there’s an
apteka (drug store) on every other corner.
Problem solved. In Russia, though, they
don't regulate the pharmaceutical products,
so you have to know exactly what to buy in
order to make sure it's not sugar pills, or expired.
and official packaging of name brand
products is no guarantee. Someone later
told us that many people in St. Petersburg
will make the short journey across the bay
to Finland in order to pick up cosmetics,
toiletries, and the like.
After a bad night, things looked a little
more cheerful in the morning. I had some
Ibuprofen with me and, determined to
tough it out, I doped myself up and limped
in the direction of Red Square. A ten-minute
walk brought me to St. Basil’s Cathedral.
Whatever else one has to say about Russian
administration in general, I’ve gotta say that
the way they do museums is genius. Admission
itself is pretty cheap (as long as they
don’t realize you’re from abroad), but you
can also purchase a pass that allows you to
take pictures once inside the museum. So,
for about $6-$8, you not only have the run
of the museum, but also the liberty to snap
photos. Almost all museums do this, and St.
Basil’s was no different.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the
Cathedral is that it contains not just one
chapel, but eight. Each of its famous domes
houses a separate iconostasis, and each is
decorated differently. On the first level, an
elaborately carved and painted wooden
iconostasis stands. A narrow flight of stairs
leads to a much more elaborate and larger
chapel just above. From there, halls lead in
and out of the different chapels, some containing
simple stone, others highly polished
wood, and some intricate gold filigree. All
the stone walls are decorated either with
frescoes or geometric patterns. Color and
design are in such abundance that the
thought that kept running through my head
was, “There’s no way this should work. This
should look absolutely horrible.” And yet,
somehow, maybe because it was just so incredibly
flamboyant and crazy, it did work.
Then again, I was on a lot of pain medicine,
too.
Cold by that point, I wandered back
down Red Square in the direction of the
State Historical Museum and spent several
hours wandering from room to room. For
some reason, the rooms I remember most
were the ones at the beginning, which are
filled with all kinds of natural and prehistoric
artifacts. I remember thinking it was
very incongruous to have a building so filled
with boars teeth and bear heads in the midst
of a place so saturated with political and religious
history.
By this time, the fever was reasserting itself,
so I retreated to the hostel and collapsed
once more in my bunk. This time, I was seriously
worried. Apparently, I wasn’t going to
be able to just grit my teeth and get through
it, and I couldn’t remember hacking so badly
since the last time I had had pneumonia
almost ten years earlier. The door opened
just then, making me jump. The hostel in
which I was staying had a girls and a boys
dormitory, with bunk beds ranged around
the walls, and enough lockers for all occupants
taking up the rest of the wall space.
The newcomer was a girl from Samara, ar-
rived in Moscow to see her boyfriend. In the
midst of our conversation that afternoon,
she recommended several legitimate Russian
drugs that would cure whatever bug I
had (to this day, I still have that paper in case
I ever need it again). Later that evening, she
even brought back the medicine I needed
after venturing out to meet her boyfriend.
She then kept me company as I recuperated
over the next 36 hours. The fever and chills
ebbed while she gave me a window into
her life as a young, Russian woman trying
to make good in a society that still retains
many of the bitter attitudes of Soviet cronyism
and male chauvinism. For example, she
holds an advanced degree in linguistics and
languages from a university, yet because she
finished up early, most people assumed she
had slept with the professor. In addition, she
mentioned at one point that she could have
gotten a good job as a translator. “I could
have gone to St. Petersburg and Moscow. I
could have left my town and made a good
living as a translator for a businessman. But,
in order for me to get the job, I would have
had to provide him certain services, if you
know what I mean.” In a weird way, then,
even sickness became an unexpected opportunity
as an unlooked-for friendship
developed.
On Wednesday morning, I said goodbye
to her and the hostel, and made my way to
the station where I was supposed to meet
my tour group to the Golden Ring. Before I
go further, I should probably explain what
checking in, checking out, and traveling
mean in Russia. In the United States, we are
used to simply going where we please, when
we please. You can’t just do that in Russia because
everyone has to register their address
with the local government. This is partly a
hold-over from the old Soviet system (to this
day, Russians still have two passportsan internal
and an international one) that restricted
citizens movements and kept them from
moving freely from city to city. It also has to
do with the draft and making sure that all
able-bodied men are available for conscription.
When you go anywhere, even if youre
only traveling for a few days, you have to
un-register, and get a slip of paper with your
new registered address. So, when I checked
out of the hotel in Moscow, I received a slip
of paper that said I was no longer registered
at the hotel. When I arrived at the hostel, I
handed them that registration and they gave
me another piece of paper, officially registering
me at their address. When I left the hostel,
I had to unregister again. A real hassle,
but necessary, if you get caught by the police
without proper registration, you had better
have a good bribe handy, or a really good
explanation.
It was on the bus that I realized that I was
the only foreigner in the middle of a group
of about 25 Russians. There were lots of
young couples, a few well-dressed middleaged
people who looked like they were
treating themselves to a well-earned rest
for a few days, and a lively group of three
elderly women, who I mentally dubbed the
Three Sisters. They were childhood friends,
and getting away together for a few days. I
wondered at first if people would look at me
as an intruder, but I needn’t have worried.
No one thought it odd that a stranger would
want to take a look at some of their most historic
cities, and they patiently answered my
questions, asking their own in turn, never
losing patience with my frequent stutters.
Our first destination was the Troitsky-
Sergius Lavra just outside of Moscow, in the
suburb of Sergiev-Posad. A lavra is kind of
like a monastery 2.0. A lavra is even more
prestigious and more holy than just your
regular, run-of-the-mill monastery. In fact,
while there are lots of monasteries in Russia,
there are only two lavras, the Troitsky-
Sergius Lavra, and the Alexander Nevsky
Lavra in St. Petersburg. This particular lavra
is named after St. Sergius, who established
hundreds of monasteries in Russia, and reportedly
told Dmitrii Donskoi that he would
defeat the Mongols and throw off their yoke.
As a matter of fact, the Russians did win
that fight, allowing them to re-unify as a
sovereign state. Inside the walls of the lavra,
which resemble those of a fortress more
than a spiritual retreat, stand the mate to St.
Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square (the church
in Sergiev-Posad is far less flamboyant), the
oldest remaining church in Russia, as well as
a carillon built over a pool of holy water. In
the summer, thousands of pilgrims come to
this lavra to pray and to collect water from
the fountain.
That night, we stayed in the sketchiest
hotel I have ever seen. A rabbit’s warren of
bare concrete walls led to our rooms, which,
surprisingly enough, turned out to be snug,
clean, and very comfortable. Those next
several days were a whirlwind as we raced
through nine towns in four days, visiting
more monasteries and churches than I can
even remember. We visited Pereslavl, the
town where Peter the Great spent his boyhood
summers. One summer, he discovered
an English sail boat and taught himself to
sail on the lake nearby. This would serve
as the inspiration for Peter’s later develop-
courtesy courtney ring
ment of the navy, and in honor of that original
botik, the Russians built a small boat
house to preserve that original sail boat.
In Yaroslavl, I saw the Volga River for the
first time. Inky and sluggish, and so huge
that it often resembles a bay or a small lake
than a river, it is not a particularly uplifting
sight on a drab day. On the high bank overlooking
the river, however, there was also
a small gazebo with a wrought-iron railing
festooned by a large quantity of padlocks.
Almost every Russian city seems to have
one of these places usually, it’s a bridge
where young couples will come and leave
a padlock, symbolizing the endurance and
eternality of their love. One couple had
even graffitied on the rail, Anya + Seryozh
= Love.
Also in that town, in the monastery, we
were taken through an exhibit of icons and
taught to distinguish the different characteristics
of icon-painting. Many icons are almost
completely covered in a finely-wrought metal
encasing. Also included in the exhibit was
a rare crucifix carved from wood. These used
to be fairly common in Orthodox churches,
but most were destroyed when the church
decided that they were idolatrous (based on
the Exodus 10 command to not make any
graven image).
One of the highlights of the trip came on
the very last day at one of the monasteries,
where we heard them play the bells. Carillons
in Russian monasteries are large, standalone
structures with a large quantity of bells
attached by thin strings. Rather than one or
two big ropes, one person can play all of
the bells, from the largest to the smallest, by
using hands and feet to pull the ropes. The
result is far more musical than a regular bell
tower, almost resembling a bell choir.
On Sunday night, a group of us boarded
the train back to Moscow, exhausted and
happy. We left close to midnight, and were
still well outside of Petersburg the next
morning at around 7 a.m. It had snowed
the night before, transforming a sullen landscape,
hiding the dirt and the mud amid
the bracken. When we stepped off the train
in Petersburg, a rare sun was putting in a
weak and watery appearance over the city,
catching the mist that was rising from the
damp streets and sidewalks, and gilding the
handsome facades on Nevsky Prospect. It
was like coming home.
Comments may be sent to
me@retrieverweekly.com.

The ReTRieveR Weekly
Snake venom & teen mothers
Students plan to present a variety of topics at
URCAD 2011
CoUrTeSy UMBC.eDU
UMBC will host its 15th annual URCAD on April 27. It will feature over 200 presentations in the University Center.
Olivia Ignacio
Senior Staff writer
In two weeks, students will
present on what it is like to teach
English in El Salvador, the protein
in rattlesnake venom, and measles
outbreaks in America, among other
themes.
In a combination of performances,
film, art exhibits, oral presentations,
and poster sessions, this year’s UR-
CAD will feature over 200 examples
of student work. Aside from learning
about the different projects, students
who attend may also obtain
extra credit from willing professors.
“URCAD is one of the best academic
events of the UMBC year
because it reflects the strength of
our academic program...and talent
in the creative arts on our campus,”
says President Freeman Hrabowski.
One featured session by Ross
Pokorny will describe how he designed
and implemented a system to
automatically collect tweets matching
a user-specified query, allowing
social media researchers to rapidly
discover and react to new information
from a promising new data
source.
Maria Viterty will discuss how
crotamine, a protein found in the
venom of the South American rattlesnake,
binds to DNA and may be a
potential candidate for drug transport
within human bodies. Salma
Warshanna’s project on the memoir
as a literary form (based on her trips
to Egypt and the United Kingdom)
explains how the past is always present
in our identity.
Some of the other presentations
include Christina Briscoe’s Adolescent
Mothers in Quilombo Community,
Emily Kimak’s dance performance
on Moving to Water, and
Daniet Moges’ The Role of Economic
Disparity in Human Rights Abuses.
More information on these exhibits
and many others, as well as a
detailed schedule, can be found on
the official URCAD website.
“I think it is a great opportunity
for students to showcase their hard
work,” remarks junior Biology major
Irene Namata. “I love checking
out the really cool things UMBC-ers
are doing.”
Last year boasted more than 2,000
attendees. However, the university
hopes that the diversity and appeal
of this year’s projects will attract
even more spectators on April 27,
UMBC’s Fifteenth Annual URCAD.
Additional reporting by editorial
staff.
Comments can be sent to
oliviai1@umbc.edu.
After UMBC Police repeatedly assured The Retriever
Weekly’s Editorial Staff that the police log would be
made available to the public as mandated by The
Cleary Act, the log was not put up on the police website
in time for TRW’s publication. The police log, just
like case files, is public record, yet is not accessible at
this time. Hopefully, a full log of unlawful incidents
on campus will be present on the Police Department’s
website in due time: www.umbc.edu/police/
55.0%
15.0%
13.3%
11.7%
5.00%
APRil 12, 2011 News 3
Which part of Quadmania’s
music line-up are you
looking forward to most?
The Stilletos
The Mama’s Boys
Snoop Dogg
DJ Earworm
Adam Taylor
Vote in next week’s poll at retrieverweekly.com
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during free hour in
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4 News APRIL 12, 2011
The ReTRieveR Weekly
UMBC to construct a new 24/7 study space
Richard Blissett
sga correspondent
As soon as finals end, UMBC will
begin constructing the Retriever
Learning Center (RLC). Scheduled
to open in Fall 2011, the 24-hour,
7-day facility will allow students to
study and hold meetings after the
library closes.
The Center will be located on
the first floor of the library, replacing
the stacks. Separated from the
rest of the first floor of the library,
Alethea Paul
senior staff writer
True Grit’s dining hall shut down for
nearly an hour-and-a-half Wednesday,
April 6 because of a gas leak that occurred
outside the dining hall.
According to Chris Gunther, the Assistant
Director of Residential Facilities,
sometime around 11:45a.m., the wind
began to blow gas into the dining hall after
a contractor skimmed the top of a gas
pipe with heavy equipment. Gunther,
along with other Residential Life, Facilities
Management, and Dining Services
members assisted during the time of the
incident. UMBC Police and Maintenance
Assistants assisted in rerouting students
away from True Grit’s. BGE also came onsight
and spliced in a new pipe to repair
the damage.
The Resident District Manager for
Chartwells, Tom DeLuca, stated that
when the gas leak was first detected inside
of the building, it was reported to
Facilities Management. When the building
became filled with the scent, DeLuca
SGA NEWS
Hookahs top Marlboro...in carbon monoxide poisoning
Emily Jackson
health correspondent
If you have ever felt bereft of ideas
for Friday night activities, you may
have planned to spend that night
at the nearest hookah bar with your
friends.
Some of you may have even reasoned,
“Hey, at least it’s not as bad as
cigarettes!”
In a survey of eight different universities,
40% of students claimed to
be regular hookah smokers, while 47%
preferred smoking cigarettes. 22% of
the reported hookah smokers, however,
revealed that they had never had
a cigarette, preferring hookah because
it made the effects of the tobacco less
harsh.
You’re right. It’s not as bad as ciga-
it will require swipe-access to enter
through the existing student study
space off of the lobby of the library.
The Math and Writing centers
will also be located here. The RLC
will feature a sectioned-off meeting
area with a television and projector
for computer presentations. It is undetermined
whether this space may
be reserved in advance.
Financial Economics major Meha
Anand, says, “I honestly feel that it's
a good idea. Especially during finals
week, you don't have a 24-hour
and his managers made the decision to
evacuate the building. He estimated that
there were 150 students and 30 staff
members at the time of the evacuation
around noon.
Megan Powell, a freshman Psychology
and Sociology Major, was in True Grit’s
when the evacuation occurred. Powell
explained that between finishing her
meal and leaving, she began to smell
something. Moments later a member of
the dining staff opened a door near her
and her friends, explaining the situation
of the gas leak and that he wanted to
air out the building. Less than a minute
later, the entire dining hall was up and
proceeding towards the exits.
“It was kind of surreal and weird because
everyone was getting up and leaving
at the same time, and we didn't know
what was going on for a second,” says
Powell.
The staff member, realizing they were
evacuating the building, told Powell and
her companions to exit the building.
Powell seemed surprised at the ease of
the evacuation: “It didn’t seem too disorganized;
everyone was getting up and
rettes. It’s actually worse. Here’s why:
Because of the effects of the water
cooling, people inhale the smoke more
deeply. This smoke contains tar, traces
of heavy metal, and other carcinogens.
The water in the chamber does nothing
to lessen the harshness of these
chemicals. While hookah and cigarette
smoke contain the same amount of
nicotine, hookah smokers are exposed
to greater levels of carbon monoxide.
This is because of the large volume
of smoke they inhale in one smoking
session, which can last as long as 60
minutes. (How many of you smoke a
cigarette for 60 minutes?)
Still think it’s safe?
Smoking hookah also leads to lung
and mouth cancers, high blood pressure,
and heart disease. Secondhand
smoke from a hookah poses just as
space, and sometimes you need quiet
and you really just need a place to
study throughout the night.”
The construction of this Center is
a culmination of almost three years
of conversation, much of which was
a result of issues related to funding.
Unable to receive funding from the
State, the project depends on donations
from other colleges and departments
on campus.
As a result, the original $2.1 million
proposal had to be scaled down
to $500,000. $200,000 comes from
leaving at once and they seemed to get
out fairly quickly.”
Students who had spent their meal
at True Grit’s might have worried about
getting a meal, but according to DeLuca,
these students were given tickets to receive
a meal from The Commons.
When the dining hall reopened
around 1:30p.m., it only provided a cold
lunch with plans for dinner that were
still pending.
DeLuca said, “Our concern for dinner
was making sure that we had our plan in
place in case we did not have any gas.”
Most cooking in True Grit’s requires
gas, and the gas was restored and the
dining staff were able to serve some of
their planned dinner.
Gunther commented that from what
he saw, “students were very cooperative,”
and is thankful that the wind helped disperse
the gas.
Comments may be sent to
alethea1@umbc.edu.
much of a threat as secondhand cigarette
smoke.
So, should you continue to go to
hookah bars on Friday nights? If you
want, sure, it’s your life. But don’t try
to convince yourself and others that
smoking hookah is not as unhealthy as
smoking cigarettes.
Because it is. It’s actually worse than
cigarettes. Not that you should switch
to Marlboro, of course. Those little
poison-tubes kill people, too.
Comments can be sent to
emjacks1@umbc.edu.
the facilities budget and the remaining
$300,000 is from contributions
from departments.
On April 4, the SGA Senate voted
to approve a donation of $30,000
from the general ledger to support
this project. The Finance Board
sanctioned this allotment the next
day. The money will go toward the
purchase of furniture. However,
since the money comes from student
fees, a collection of surveys
will permit students to recommend
their choice of furniture.
More information can be found at
http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/spaces/rlcac.
php.
“It would be good if we could
have a coffee shop that's open 24/7
too,” mentions Biology major Anitha
James.
Comments can be sent to
am32283@umbc.edu.
True Grit’s shuts down temporarily due to gas leak
Not that you should switch to Marlboro, of course
the hookahs are just as bad as the Marlboro
you carry around in your pocket.
courtesy alethea paul
courtesy tobacconews.net

The ReTRieveR Weekly
APRil 12, 2011 News 5
ABNeT SHiFerAw— Trw
Arbor Day activities, which were held this past Wednesday, April 6th, allowed students an opportunity to participate in making UMBC even more environmentally friendly, as they planted trees near
the Commons Garage.
ABNeT SHiFerAw — Trw
UMBC green thumbs (and root beer enthusiasts) get back to their sassy roots. Sinuous sassafrass saplings shaded student servants Saturday as said saplings slipped softly back beneath the soil
and into Mother Nature’s bosom from whence they spritely sprouted.

6 APRIL 12, 2011
TRW
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The ReTRieveR Weekly
opinion
Do not stifle university student press
The university has long proudly
laid claim to its heritage of freedom:
intellectual freedom, freedom of
expression, and freedom of information.
Academia is supposed to
be all about free discussion and dissemination
of facts and ideas. Yet, as
the school newspaper tries to report
on issues important to the student
body, we often find ourselves repeatedly
stonewalled by the university
in matters that should be and in fact
are public record.
The Retriever Weekly welcomes your comments. Letters to the editor must be submitted before 5 p.m. Friday via e-mail to eic@retrieverweekly.com
or delivered to The Retriever Weekly office, UC 214. Please limit letters to 300 words and include your full name, year and major. The Retriever Weeky
retains the right to edit submissions for content and length.
To the Editor:
Since it was announced that UMBC’s undergraduate commencement speaker for the upcoming ceremony will be Jeff Immelt, CEO of General Electric
and President Obama’s pick to chair the Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, I have been waiting for some kind of comment from the student body on
this interesting (and in my personal opinion, annoying) choice. My friends and I initially joked about having to listen to “the real life Don Geiss” (for 30
Rock fans), but only later did it become even more that why Immelt is a very poor candidate both to address this year’s graduating class, and especially to
receive an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree.
I’m referring to, of course, the fact that GE has recently come under fire for its practice of finding corporate tax loopholes that reportedly allowed it to
skirt income taxes and provided them with over $3 billion in “tax benefits.” (This story has been widely reported, but initially came to light in The New York
Times at the end of March). There has been much dispute over the term “tax benefit” and whether or not GE did in fact pay taxes on its income in 2010.
Major news outlets have tried to clear this up. Vocal organizations like MoveOn.org and Progressives United have piggybacked on the work of The New
York Times and countless bloggers and have circulated a petition demanding that Immelt step down from his post with the Obama administration through
their efforts. A greater debate on corporate tax reform has been generated. And yet, nothing from the UMBC student’s news outlet, The Retriever Weekly.
Say what you will about the political apathy of the average UMBC student, the student body deserves to hear about controversial issues like this - especially
when a public figure like Immelt is involved, and due to receive a high honor from our school. It pains me that so many students will be sitting at
1st Mariner Arena on May 23, and will listen to Mr. Immelt without any clue about the allegations against him and his company. Honestly, most of them
will just be bored. (What will he tell our graduating seniors, anyway? That if you work hard enough, you too can hire people to help keep you from paying
your taxes!)
At any other university, I’d be willing to bet there’d be some form of protest against Mr. Immelt and his company’s policies. But when our students, let
alone our student newspaper, can’t bring themselves to care, no lesson will be learned. If Retriever staff members don’t find fault with Immelt and GE, that
is fine. Not everyone can be an angry liberal like I am. However, it’s still worth contributing some page space to the cause of informing our students about
who is addressing our graduating seniors, what values he holds, and why he was chosen. And certainly, I look forward to reading that article or opinion
piece before I have to listen to Immelt’s drivel at the end of next month.
Sincerely,
Dinah Douglas
For instance, in the case of the
library arson, information was withheld
by the Police Department.
While we understand the need to
conduct an investigation, is there
really a problem with releasing the
titles of the damaged volumes? Or,
in just the last week, three different
professors have had their offices ransacked,
yet again basic information
is withheld on the case.
This is not meant to be an attack
on the university, but may we suggest
that perhaps the university would
benefit by allowing the paper to
investigate issues more freely. A surprising
amount of information flows
underneath the official radar among
the student body, a source that a
newspaper run by and for students
is more likely able to tap into. Again,
as the Police Department continues
to investigate the library arson, signs
requesting information plaster the
walls around campus. Yet, in order
to receive information, one also has
to be willing to divulge it.
By allowing the student newspaper
to fully investigate real issues
on campus as they unfold, it seems
to us possible that everyone would
benefit; students would be better
informed and more aware of important
events on campus, and the university
may just find more sources
of helpful information as it seeks to
deal with sticky issues like crime on
campus.
Please don't kick me out of the library
Josh Palmer
Senior Staff Writer
It’s dark. It’s spooky. The hallways
echo with a history forgotten. The
rooms are stained with tears and
nervous sweat. Shadows form angry
villains, haunting visitors and beckoning
them to leave immediately. A
voice from the wall demands their
departure. They are not welcome here
anymore.
You might think this is something
out of a movie. Maybe it’s that place
in the woods, or where you imagine
your evil professor lives. But, alas, it is
not so. It’s actually right on campus, or
your backyard, if you live here. It’s the
library after midnight, the hour when
the school interrupts your thought
processes and homework to send you
home for the night.
Now, if you’re like me, who spends
seven hours a day there, this deadline
can be a bit ridiculous. We, who receive
massive amounts of work to do
in too little time, dread when the loud-
speakers turn on, informing us of our
obligation to get up, drop everything,
and move to the crowded atrium. Or
home, where most people go.
When I came to this school, the
words Honors University were touted
about with much enthusiasm. How-
> see libarary [9]
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. Editors can be reached at (410) 455-1260 during normal business hours or at University Center 214;
1000 Hilltop Circle; UMBC; Baltimore, MD 21250. The Retriever Weekly is an equal opportunity employer.

The ReTRieveR Weekly
APRIL 12, 2011 opinion 7
Spiderman, X-Men, Iron Man... need I say more?
courtesy of www.ironman2.net
Even diehard DC fans have to admit that iron Man is just plain awesome.
You can't compete with Batman and Superman
Ryanne Milani
editorial Staff
Until I entered high school, I
knew very little about comic books.
I didn’t know the difference between
DC and Marvel, and superheroes
were the characters that other
people liked. Then, one day, I was
introduced to the first X-Men movie.
It was entertaining, action-packed,
and funny, and I anxiously awaited
the next installment of the series.
Much to my disappointment, it
completely fell flat. Recent movie series
based on Marvel comics have a
very obnoxious trend: the first movies
are decent, and then the sequels
are barely watchable. I enjoyed the
first Spiderman as much as the next
teenager, but I struggled to care
about the second and third installments.
The first Iron Man was great,
but the second one felt long and occasionally
directionless. As for the
Fantastic Four, the only reason I sat
through the first few minutes of the
first film was because I had a friend
that was in love with Jessica Alba.
Here’s the problem: Marvel characters
are too emotional and adolescent.
Let’s take Spiderman, who
whines his way through both the
comics and movies despite the fact
that he has super powers, a decent
job, and hot women falling for him
left and right. Batman doesn’t whine;
he intimidates people with his deep,
scary voice and gets the job done.
I don’t want a real-life story with
real people feeling real emotions in
real places. If I’m reading a comic or
watching a superhero movie, I want
to escape from reality, not worry
about what Peter Parker is upset
about today.
I think the reason that DC characters
are better is because they’ve
been around longer. When you ask
the majority of people in the world
about what they think of when they
hear the word superhero, they’ll
probably say Superman, DC’s iconic
otherworldly force of good. DC’s Action
Comics #1 is the most valuable
comic ever for a reason: it introduced
the quality and adventure we
all associate with a really well done
comic.
Then, of course, there’s Batman.
Beyond being my personal favorite
superhero, the newest Batman movies,
starring Christian Bale as the
caped crusader, have delighted fans
worldwide and are among some of
the best action films of all time. The
Chris McKinney
editorial Staff
In the age-old debate between
which universe has the better and
just overall cooler super heroes,
there is no gray area: Marvel tops
DC in any way, shape, or idea.
I think it best to begin with the
distinction between the two comic
book super hero realms. To start,
the superior Marvel Comics publishing
company has Spider-Man
(ignore the second movie, it was
kinda lame), X-Men (umm, awesome,
much?), Iron Man (anything
with Gwyneth Paltrow nowadays
seems to be amazing, except maybe
her performance with Cee Lo at the
Grammys), and the Fantastic Four.
Need I elaborate anymore?
Sure, DC has Superman, Wonder
Woman, the Flash (lame), Catwoman,
and Batman (okay, he tops
the DC list), but DC’s best simply
can’t compare. What team of heroes
in the DC universe compares to the
Fantastic Four? Can any of their
superheroes become invisible, extend
any part of his body, become a
human torch or even Hulk-smash?
Nope, didn’t think so.
Though the most recent sequel
to Spider-Man could not top the
batman is obviously the coolest superhero ever.
chilling villains, including Heath
Ledger’s legendary performance as
The Joker, are memorable and crazy
enough to create the perfect superhero
movies.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not
a Marvel hater. I’ve always loved the
first or second ones in 2002 and
2004 (Tobey Mcguire is just really
awkward, like James Franco at
the Oscars, though thankfully, his
performance with Kirsten Dunst is
more admirable), the comics were
pretty great. While the storyline of
the films are fantastic, the acting in
the last installment to the trilogy left
a bit to be desired. The first and second,
however, are superb.
Though I find it repetitive to continue
tilting the already-slanted tables
in favor of Marvel, one still has
to consider X-Men. Whether it’s the
comics or movies, the mutant hit the
mark on all media outlets. Not only
are the past three films excellent
(Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian
McKellen, James Marsden, and Halle
Berry were phenomenal), but the
next X-Men movie to hit the screens,
First Class, will act as the prequel to
the three previous films, kinda like
how Star Wars worked out
Due the beginning of May, yet another
comic-turned-movie hits the
screen: The Avengers. Starring Robert
Downey, Jr. as none other than Iron
Man, and Scarlett Johansson as the
Black Widow, no doubt this movie
should hit the screens running.
While Halle Berry played an excellent
Catwoman (and I hope Anne
X-Men, and the Avengers will continue
to hold a special place in my
heart, but in terms of quality in both
the movies and the comics, I’m going
to have to support DC. I am, first
and foremost, a Batman fan, and
nothing that Marvel has ever put out
Hathaway will), and as I said, the
Batman films have been fantastic,
any other comic-turned-film is inferior.
Movies based upon Marvel
comics include Daredevil, Men in
Black, and as lame as it might have
been, Kick-Ass. DC? Batman (including
Begins, Dark Knight, and the next
one, The Dark Knight Rises. Couldnt
get a more creative name? Well, this
is DC.), Catwoman, and a few other
bad movies (The Return of the Swamp
King, anyone?), and the upcoming
Green Lantern with Ryan Reynolds
which with any luck, won’t suck.
As though any more proof is needed,
Marvel Comics (the publishing
company) is owned by Marvel Entertainment,
Inc. (I wonder where
they got the name for the publishing
company), which is a subsidiary of
Walt Disney. Now really, who can argue
that something from Disney isn’t
excellent?!?
While I may be no comic connoisseur,
the difference in superiority is
evident: Marvel tops DC. End of
story.
Comments can be sent
to cmck1@umbc.edu.
courtesy of www.wallpaperswide.com
could ever compete with my favorite
wealthy, undercover superhero.
Comments can be sent to
milani1@umbc.edu.

8 opinion APRIL 12, 2011
The ReTRieveR Weekly
Best Friends Forever: what does it mean in college?
Yasmin Radbod
Senior Staff Writer
You party with them, you laugh
with them, you spill your guts to
them, and you make fun of them.
Friends. A college student, I think
everyone reading this would agree,
relies on their friends to an extreme
degree. Friendship means everything
in college; without a social
life, or someone to just chat to every
once in a while, college would be
hell, dismal at best. I experienced
something similar in high school,
and it was awful. That’s one reason
why I’m so grateful for the friends
I have today. If you know me, you
know I often say that my friends are
my family. It’s true. I’m fiercely loyal
to my friends because they mean so
much to me. A friend of mine told
me last night, coincidentally, that
everything humans do is out of selfishness.
So maybe my attempt to go
above and beyond for the friends
I hold close is because of my selfish
desire to construct a family of
friends, a support network I know I
can always have. I’m sure we all do
this to a certain extent.
Anyway, I’d like you to mull over
in your mind your entire day (as of
yet). How many times just today
did you interact with a friend? How
many times did you text a friend, say
hello to a friend in passing, or bear
hug your significant other? Probably
many, many times. Now, out of all
those people you talked to today,
how many do you envision staying
close with after your undergraduate
career? I’m guessing the number
dwindled. Lastly, picture yourself in
ten years. How many of your friends
today will remain your friends in a
decade? Most likely we’re down to a
staggeringly small number.
Here’s my dilemma: I consider my
friends my family, but of this family
I’ve made, how many of them
are going to stay significant in my
life in a few years? And my more
immediate concern is in the next
two years, who will still be there?
I am supposed to study abroad at
Nanjing University in China all next
year. Many of my friends will graduate
next year, and I won’t be there
to watch them throw up their caps.
When they move on, will we grow
apart? We’re taught that that is life:
everyone moves on after college, and
people pursue their self interests at
the expense of having to redevelop
new friendships and networks wherever
they may go. But is it worth it
for me to go to China and be so far
away from the people I care about
most in my life? Is it worth it for any
UMBC student to make UMBC their
home, and have to find a new home
down the road?
Of course, looking at my own
predicament, I know I won’t be
completely alone in China. I’ll make
friends because I have to; I’ll find
people with similar interests, and
maybe I’ll even find some human
rights activists clandestinely (wink,
wink). But it’s hard to let go of the
comfortable, of the safe and the secure,
and release into the unknown.
It’s like the whole wide world is
just there, staring at me in the face,
and I’m just a naive, bubbly college
student afraid to open my squinted
eyes and step into the expanse. If
you were me, what would you do?
Comments can be sent to
radbod1@umbc.edu.
A few words in regards to the upcoming SGA election
Do the right thing, guys: vote in the SGa elections.
Collin Wojciechowski
editorial Staff
What's the one thing that my column
always stresses? Well, there is
courtesy of www.1greengeneration.elementsintime.com
no one actual thing and theres often
a lot of rambling, so if you answered
nothing you’re technically correct.
But the one theme that I revisit more
than anything else is the importance
of civic engagement via the ballot
box, otherwise known as voting.
You can call it your duty, your responsibility
or simply a cool way to
get stickers; but regardless of labels
and terminology, voting, and being
a part of the democratic process, is
Will our college friendships last even after we all graduate?
essential. It gives you a stake in the
game, a say in the outcome and free
rights to complain about what the
other guy does in office.
However, this time I compel you
not to head to an elementary school
or fire hall to punch an electronic
screen on a windy November day;
instead all I ask is that sometime
between April 18th and April 20th
you log on to a computer, travel to
myUMBC and cast your vote in a
different kind of election, the SGA
election. Now although this decision
is not to install the Commander-in-
Chief of the world’s most powerful
military or that orange guy who
hangs out on capitol hill, that doesn’t
make it any less important. Ensuring
quality leadership, in any capacity,
is something that should be taken
seriously and sincerely, an act seen
as a responsibility, not a burden.
As this issue will appear at the
heart of campaign week, you will
probably be approached by more
students asking for your vote than
you even knew attended our fine
institution of higher education. My
advice: seize this opportunity. Talk
to them, question them, ask about
their platforms and goals; said another
way, be an informed voter.
Don’t get caught up in the midst of
flyers and buttons or candies and tshirts
(although some of the graphic
designing would rival that of a state
wide campaign). Look past this and
at the real issues.
You, the students, are the election.
You’re the voting populous.
This election is about, are you seeing
where this is going, you. Air
courtesy of www.worldnewsheardnow.com
your hopes, concerns, grievances,
wants and needs, be as big a part of
this election as the candidates. The
student government is in place to
represent students and once a year
we get to be the determining factor
in who is our representation. Take
the chance to ensure that your views
will be represented next year.
With all that being said, I have
one final thought to leave you with.
I’ve done my research, read myself
up, and as a columnist who’s writing
one of his final pieces, have no
problem making my views known.
And so, I have an endorsement.
Let the record stand that my views
in no way represent that of The Retriever
Weekly, they are simply my
own. I’ve been around the SGA for a
while and seen some of UMBC’s best
and brightest step up to the plate
and serve. Students, who are here
with ideas, plans to see those ideas
through, and a real concern for the
betterment of this campus and its
students. It is in the tradition, that
I look to the future and see these
qualities once more. And it is with
that in mind that I give my full endorsement
to Catie Collins and Dylan
Cook for SGA President and Vice
President, when I think of those two
the term, the right stuff just always
seems to come to mind.
What can I say, it’s never really
been a secret that ‘I’m with CoCo.’
Comments can be sent
to cwoj1@umbc.edu.

The ReTRieveR Weekly
APRIL 12, 2011 opinion 9
An appeal for some normal library hours at UMBC
> from library [6]
ever, I cannot help but wonder why
the library, a haven for many to study
and do homework, closes so early and
for so long. This is especially true on
the weekend, when the library closes
as early as 6:00 P.M.
These short hours force me, as well
as several classmates of mine, to abandon
our efforts to complete homework
and studying to seek new refuge. More
often than not, that refuge is the next
day after classes, which wastes several
hours I could have been doing my
time-intensive work. In light of this,
I must ask if there is a better method,
perhaps, that allows for a longer time
for the library to be open?
I feel like this is not an extreme
request. Even Towson University
acknowledges the importance of extended
library hours, with its library
being open until 2 A.M on weekdays
and two hours later than us on weekends
(although, in fairness, it actually
has students who are there on the
Warning: what follows is politically incorrect.
You might get offended. You might get
pissed off and write lots of hateful messages.
This article is not for you. Save your time
and energy and avert your eyes. I hear the
Sudoku puzzle this week is especially entertaining
and challenging.
Our culture is a tricky thing. It encourages
trying to walk on eggshells while insisting it’s
not necessary. This, I believe, is better known
as political correctness. Don’t say the wrong
thing. Don’t look the wrong way. Don’t have
that opinion. Don’t put that in a newspaper.
Someone might get the wrong impression.
Someone might get feelings hurt.
In the risk of reopening some wounds, I
would like to recall a certain comic published
in this paper a couple weeks ago. The angry
response from the large group the comic’s
humor targeted shocked and surprised, I
believe, a large number of UMBC students.
However, this is not the first published work
from this paper that has prompted hostility.
(if you don’t believe me, Google UMBC
Students 4 Fair Media Coverage for one example).
The culture demands a delicate dance
when expressing opinions. People are supposed
to have one but not express it the
wrong way or place. It’s a complicated step,
really, for us who are tasked to give an opinion,
even if it is in a seemingly-barely-read
newspaper (however, after a couple weeks
ago, that seems no longer the case). And
heaven forbid that group or society gets
mentioned or that nerve gets pressed. That’s
when people’s feet get stepped on. That’s
weekends). The fact that Towson surpasses
us in this area, with us being
a so-called Honors University, is a bit
troubling.
Of course, I am sure this issue has
been brought up at countless SGA
and faculty meetings. I am also sure
that the issue has been debated and
settled (partially) several times with
all the poise SGA offers (I’m looking at
you, my SGA homies). But, as someone
who is not privy to budgets and
meetings that regard this, I wouldn’t
mind knowing the reasoning behind
the restricted hours. I also know that
several issues (staffing, utilities, etc.)
go into extending the library’s hours.
However, I believe even a couple
hours would make a world of difference
to students such as myself.
It might even help surviving my last
year at this Honor’s University just a
little more tolerable.
Comments can be sent
to jpa1@umbc.edu.
Commons’ Sense By: Anonymous
when the sparks start to fly. Step left, right,
forward, left, right, right, left.
But is this really the right response? Are
angry words and judgmental attitudes really
the way to resolve differences in thought? Of
course everyone has opinions, and by definition,
some people will have differing ones
than your own. This presents, I believe, the
opportunity for civil discussion and debate
and, if applicable, a peaceful resolve. Step to
the right, and step to the left.
I think this is a problem especially at this
school. A place that thrives on diversity
comes with a plethora of varying viewpoints
and opinions that will often clash. Look at
the myUMBC discussion boards as an example,
where arguments get heated and hateful,
sometimes even violent, because of opposing
opinions or questionable wording.
This message is simply an appeal to some
of you, especially those hiding behind the
semi-anonymous security of myUMBC and
the Internet to express anger: calm down.
Relax. Catch your breath. Remember, no
one is always right: not you and definitely
not me. Now, despite its many problems, the
discussion boards do offer good examples
of this from a couple of its users. Diamonds
in the rough, I would say, who would rather
engage in civil debate than getting upset.
This is the proper way to engage conflicting
opinions, and something I hope everyone,
myself included, can learn from. Step left,
right, left, right.
Sorry about your feet.
courtesy of www.collegeprowler.com
although the library’s atrium may be a great place to have coffee with friends, it’s not the best place for studying.
Do you have an opinion about something
going on in the world, on campus, in your
home or in your bathroom? Do you have
questions, comments, concerns, thoughts,
proverbs, citations, quotations, dreams,
hopes, or other adjectives on your mind?
Have something you wrote in class, on a
bus, on the back of a cocktail napkin, or
on someone’s back? Have remotely interesting
thoughts that your positive would
make the world a better place if other people
knew them? Have really not interesting
thoughts that few people would really care
about? Have a pulse and the ability to form
sentences?
If you answered yes to any of the above
questions or just bothered reading that
whole paragraph: Send Us Your Opinions.
Email your thoughts to opinion@retrieverweekly.com
and they may just appear in
Commons’ Sense!
It will make you friends! It looks great on
a resume! Its what all the cool kids are doing!

10 ADVertisement APRIL 12, 2011
The ReTRieveR Weekly
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The ReTRieveR Weekly
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APRIL 12, 2011 Arts 11
JOSH SINN — TRW
From left to right: Deanna Earle, Diandre Jacob-Sampson, Alecia Thomas, Durand Richards, and Nicole Simon attended Carnival this past Saturday on Erickson field. Carnival, sponsered by UMBC’s
Caribbean Student Council (CSC), brought Carribean music and food to the field. Many danced to the thumping bass that came from the DJ’s tent and many waved their flags with pride.
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12 APRIL 12, 2011
The ReTRieveR Weekly
ARTS
Your Highness pays comedic tribute to medival genre
COuRTeSy uNIveRSal PICTuReS
Portman, McBride, Franco, and Deschanel defend their honor and also the right to make crude jokes.
Daniel Supanick
sEnior staff WritEr
It's hard to make a silly movie
these days. When you do make a
film with the intention of it being
Rams Head Live! hosts metal group A Sound of Thunder
Ingrid Garcia
Editorial staff
Rams Head Live! shines in the
dizzy storm of lights in downtown
Baltimore's Power Plant Live! This
collection of bars, restaurants and
entertainment venues is known notoriously
by college kids as the place
to go if over 21 on Thirsty Thursdays
and the weekends. A limo pulls up
right next to the entrance and two
bouncers sporting bright yellow raincoats
leer at pair after pair of tanned,
skinny girls who clumsily emerge.
Their high heels click and clack towards
the entrance, the cold night
apparently having no consequence on
their attire (little black dresses).
Music from the Havana Club lingers
in the air as we round the corner
to go through the entrance of Rams
Head Live!. Tonight, the venue will
be hosting A Sound of Thunder, a
metal band from the D.C. area. The
dim lighting suits the music that is
currently playing onstage. A group
of young teenagers render an almost
Green Day feel to the small mosh pit
below. Teenagers and adults alike
wear black pants with heavy chains.
Dean Page, a courageous 40-something
gentleman wearing a kilt, isn't
familiar with A Sound of Thunder,
but is an avid metal fan: “No I don't
really know anyone that's playing tonight
but that's not the point. I just
am crazy about metal.” He does a
silly, many write it off as being useless
and base, leading others to reject
it outright. This happens even if
the film is actually pretty good. This
is what's happening to Your Highness,
a tribute to medieval fantasy
head bang to prove his point. As the
opening bands continue to play on
stage, the older folk hang around the
bar, beer spilling consistently to the
ground. Tonight, about 250 people
fill the music venue's spacious interior.
Conversation is interrupted by another
teenage band getting on stage
and screaming incoherent vulturelike
noises into the microphone. The
mosh-pit has increased in size, but
the adults are still comfortably ordering
more and more beer. Cassandra's
Syndrome takes the stage, and
a woman wearing what seems to be
just a bra but really is a see-through
black bra top with see-through black
fabric covering her abdomen screams
to the crowd, "Pay us in beer!" The
crowd applauds and hoots, and then
adults finally creep out of the bar and
stand in front of the stage.
A Sound of Thunder performs next.
Nina Osegueda with her long brown
hair takes on all the attention for the
evening, running sideways along the
stage, jumping energetically and just
rocking out on stage. The crowd reacts
positively, jumping up and down
on some songs, dancing and screaming
their support. In fact, the crowd
was so enthusiastic that I was deaf the
whole next day.
A Sound of Thunder was initially
started by drummer, Chris Haren and
guitarist, Josh Shwartz. The vocalist
Nina Osegueda joined in late 2009.
adventure movies from the 1980's
that is actually a funny, entertaining
comedy that is also very silly, and is
aware of that.
In Your Highness, we follow two
brothers, Fabious (James Franco)
The band explains that they have been
influenced by a variety of sounds,
ranging from Black Sabbath to Aretha
Franklin. Nina remarks that usually
the guitarist, Shwartz, will write an
entire song and then send it to the
rest of the band members who fight
and Thadious (Danny McBride),
both princes of a grand kingdom.
Fabious is noble and chivalrous, and
Thadious is crude and lazy. After
Fabious's love (Zooey Deschanel) is
kidnapped by an evil wizard (Justin
Theroux) with the intent of deflowering
her, Fabious takes Thadious
on a quest to save her.
Your Highness brings together
most of the same creative team behind
Pineapple Express and the television
show Eastbound & Down, so
it carries with it much of the same
crudeness and impludence that
those works display very successfully
within their humor. Your Highness
is able to use these same traits
to its advantage, even if it isn't quite
as successful as this team's past efforts.
It understands how ridiculous
its premise is, so it allows its actors
to don bad British accents, swear
profusely, and make childish scatological
jokes. That's fine, too, if it
works, and it does here.
One of the things that also works
in the film's favor is that it is a fairly
legitimate entry in the genre it pays
tribute to. (It's much less of a spoof
than a homage of sorts.) It has well
done action sequences, and a work-
over who gets to write the lyrics.
“There's a great metal community
in Virginia, but it's another thing entirely
when we travel all the way out
to Baltimore, and people come to
see us. That sort of appreciation for
our music is really spectacular, and
able mythology to boot. Even if it's
only to set up the film's humor, one
could see this film working well on
its own if it wanted to be a straight
fantasy adventure.
In the end, Your Highness works,
and achieves exactly what it set out
to do. It is a tribute to medieval fantasies
that is both true to the atmosphere
of the genre and also works
as a comedy. Yes, it's silly, but a comedy
is allowed to be silly. Scatological
humor is fine, as long as its done
creatively, and in a way that isn't too
easy. Actors can ham it up if the tone
calls for it, and the visual style can
be cheesy if that's called for as well.
Many movies before Your Highness
have tried silly. It isn't wrong to be
silly. While Your Highness isn't close
to being perfect, it still hits its target
and is a good time. Yes, it's ridiculous,
but in the end, that's what it
wanted to be. Shouldn't that be ok?
Comments may be sent
to daniels7@umbc.edu
we can't thank our fans, friends, and
family enough for it," remarks Nina.
Another good night in Baltimore for
lovers of beer and metal.
Comments may be sent
to ing1@umbc.edu
COuRTeSy NINa OSegueda
Left to bottom: Jesse Keen (bass), Chris Haren (Drums). Josh Schartz (guitar), and Nina Osegueda (vocal), mske up
A Sound of Thunder, a metal band that hails from the D.C. Area.

The ReTRieveR Weekly
The Company Men deals with the
loss of luxury after downsizing
COuRTeSy THe WeINSTeIN COmPaNy
Bobby Walker (Affleck) and Gene McClary (Jones) ponder corporate downsizing.
Morey Rosner
staff WritEr
In 1977, director Ted Kotcheff premiered
his celebrated film Fun with Dick
and Jane. In this comedy, George Segal
and Jane Fonda portray Dick and Jane
Harper, an upper-middle-class couple
who face corporate downsizing. Upon
losing their jobs, they plummet in
American society, ultimately turning to
thievery to recover from their financial
losses.
In 2005, director Dean Parisot revived
this classic with a remake, casting
Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni. In both of
these films, the protagonists face a difficult
issue: recovering from bankruptcy.
With such a daunting concept, Kotcheff
and Parisot overcome such domestic
problems through comedy. By turning
a previously upstanding and wealthy
couple into robbers, Fun with Dick and
Jane offers comedy to combat a very
serious subject.
However, not all films rely on humor
to understand the difficulty of domestic
struggle due to corporate downsizing.
This past year, John Wells produced
and directed a new sort of film. Unlike
Kotcheff's and Parisot's comedies, Wells'
The Company Men offers a new perspective
on corporate downsizing. The film
stars Ben Affleck as Bobby Walker,
Tommy Lee Jones as Gene McClary,
and Chris Cooper as Phil Woodward,
all employees of a sinking corporation
named GTX. Walker is the primary
protagonist, who is among the first of
the employees to lose his job. With a
son and a caring wife, Walker is forced
to change how he lives his life, turning
to his wife's brother Jack Dolan, played
by Kevin Costner, for a blue-collar job.
Like Walker, Woodward is soon fired
as well. With a stern and apathetic wife,
Woodward's pathos is much different
than Walker’s, lacking familial support.
Lastly, McClary is higher up in the
executive hierarchy, having worked at
GTX when it was still a small company
called General Transportation Systems.
Queries for Christie
Dear Christie,
After dating for about five months, I met my girlfriend's parents,
and they seemed to like me. We went for dinner at her house, and
though I was a nervous wreck, everything went smoothly. Now I am
faced with another tough situation: having her meet my parents.
They are very conservative, and they don't want me to date anyone
who is not of our religion. They won't even hear of someone who
doesn't have our same beliefs. I'm afraid that they will tell me to
end the relationship, or if they agree to meet her, make her feel
uncomfortable. What if they make me choose? I don't want to be
put in the middle, and I don't want to make her feel unimportant.
What do I do?
-Scared in Scranton
McClary is a man of the past, who
struggles with the growing failings of
GTX. His greatest source of devastation
is born out of the employees that are
fired all around him.
Ben Affleck's performance is truly
praiseworthy throughout the film.
While still an employee of GTX, Affleck
successfully portrays Walker as a cocky
and egocentric man. However, upon
being let go, he quickly becomes stubborn
and displays absolute denial.
Another excellent performance to
commend is that of Rosemarie Dewitt,
who plays Walker's wife, Maggie. She
guides him out of his state of denial,
and helps him face the problems before
them. In an emotional scene between
the two of them, Maggie professes that
although they have lost their finances,
he will always have her. She eventually
urges him to get a job from her brother
Jack. It is here that Kevin Costner displays
his usual talent as a skilled actor.
Costner portrays a diligent low-paid
builder, whose wit and honest work
Dear Scared in Scranton,
APRIL 12, 2011 Arts 13
BY DANIEL SUPANICK
Rio [PG]
Jesse Eisenberg voices a bird that learns to fly. Don’t care. George
Lopez is also in it. He’s awful. Anne Hathaway, too. She’s going to
be Catwoman in the next Batman movie. Cool, but I still don’t care
about Rio.
ScReAm 4 [R]
Neve Campbell returns in the latest sequel in Wes Craven’s selfreferential,
satirical horror series. The Ghostface Killer returns to
Woodsboro on the anniversary of the killings in the original film.
Looks cool enough, but still not an exciting prospect to me.
awaken Walker from his stubborn and
proud attitude.
Another strong relationship in the
film is the friendship that Woodward
shares with McClary. In the first half of
The Company Men, Chris Cooper portrays
Phil Woodward as an aging yet
relaxed employee of GTX. Upon being
fired, he is devastated and his will slowly
crumbles. Much can be understood
from the lack of interaction between
him and his wife. Both Cooper and
Jones excellently act when Woodward
professes to McClary that his wife still
forces him to carry his briefcase out the
door. Unlike Walker who has a strong
and supportive wife, Woodward has a
family that not only fails to guide him,
but also accentuates his despair. In a
wholly silent scene in the film, Cooper
excellently acts as a broken and defeated
man, electing suicide over a life
of denial.
Probably the greatest actor in this
film is Tommy Lee Jones. Although not
given as much screen time as Affleck,
Jones' character, McClary, represents
a denizen of old business idealism.
Although corporate downsizing does
not harm his lifestyle, his pain upon
seeing fellow employees losing their
jobs is highly apparent. Although living
a life of luxury, Jones portrays a man
who does not want the grandeur put in
front of him. In one scene, he objects
to the funds and space allotted for his
new office, which he admits could be
used to keep other employees hired.
However, with growing pressure from
his superiors, paired with the wants of
his upper class peers, McClary is forced
to make a decision in the end about
where he stands. Jones was brilliantly
cast for evoking such conflict within an
individual.
Ultimately, The Company Men presents
a new way of understanding corporate
downsizing. Instead of laughing
at or minimizing these problems, Wells
forces the audience to confront such issues
at face value. With a magnificently
assembled team of actors, the viewer
relates with the pathos and conflict of
these three men, understanding the
true nature of bankruptcy and the cost
of living.
Comments may be sent
to morey1@umbc.edu
While it is understandable that parents don't want their kids to date
outside their race or religion, they must also understand that it's tough
to find someone that fits our criteria, let alone theirs. Try preparing your
parents before they meet her, and warn them that she does not practice
the same religion, and that fact doesn't make her a bad person.
Let them know how special she is to you, and how much you want her
in your life, and that you would hate to have to choose. And, remember,
keep calm. They're your parents and they only want what's best for you.
They try to make the best decisions they can when it comes to you, and
keep in mind that whatever they say to do is not because they want to
hurt you.
(I should do this for a living!)
Christie
Questions can be sent to arts@retrieverweekly.com

14 Arts APRIL 12, 2011
The ReTRieveR Weekly
The Terror of Living, not so terrifying, but a page turner
Michelle Sumpter
contributing WritEr
Over Spring Break I took a vacation
to Seattle. While there, I stumbled
into a bookstore (as I do in any
city), looking for a new release to
review. I found a book called The
Terror of Living, which takes place
in Washington State, so obviously
I was interested. I spent the night
in my family's hotel room, and the
whole next day in the car on the way
to Portland reading a book that was
reviewed by the likes of Stephen
King as "a hell of a good novel...,"
and as "a supercharged suspenseful
thriller...," by Joseph Wambaugh.
Having started it with high hopes, I
ended it mildly disappointed.
In the story, an older man named
Phil Hunt is trying to make ends
meet by running drugs. On one of
his runs, things go terribly wrong.
Police officer Bobby Drake finds an
abandoned car on the side of the
road and decides to follow his instinct
on his day off and scout the
woods to find the owner. What he
finds is Phil Hunt and an enormous
amount of cocaine. Drake attempts
to catch and arrest Hunt, but Hunt
gets away. When the man arranging
the drug deal finds out the cocaine
didn't make it to the buyer, he hires
a hit man, Grady Fisher, to kill
Hunt.
Now, Hunt has two men after
him, one who intends to arrest h
sim and one to kill him. He gets
another shot to deliver a new batch
of drugs, which come in the body
of a young Vietnamese girl, but
this chance is rigged and he is not
meant to live through it. Hunt and
his wife Nora are betrayed by those
they thought they could trust. Having
fully realized the danger of the
situation, Hunt and Nora part ways
so that she's not in harm's way; unfortunately,
this backfires. Grady
finds Nora and kidnaps her. Hunt’s
mission has now switched from
running from the murderer to finding
him and saving his wife. Drake,
throughout the novel, learns more
and more about Hunt and grows
sympathetic to his situation. The
novel ends with the necessary fight
scene and happy, yet realistic, ending.
This novel was definitely enough
to keep me reading, although that
could have just been the fact that I
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needed to review something. Overall,
it was a fine novel. I was greatly
misled, however, by the praise on
the back cover. The characters were
pretty well drawn; I liked those I
was supposed to like and disliked
those I wasn't. I must admit, Grady
was a sick and twisted bad guy, and
probably the best character in the
story, followed by Drake who is
not perfect; but is sympathetic and
likeable. There were exciting parts
and the book moved fast. Too fast.
If I'm remembering correctly, the
time span of the story is only a few
days, which can be done and has
been done well, but this book felt
like it was all a blur. If you're looking
for a relatively easy read and
one that I'm sure will keep some at
the edge of their seats, then look no
further. What can I say? I enjoyed
myself somewhat, but remain unimpressed.
Comments may be sent
to miche2@umbc.edu
Yep, okay Stephen King, you’re right: it is a good novel, but unfortunately far
from terrifying.
At Cecil College you’re more than just a face in a crowd.
Summer courses at Cecil o�er small class sizes, which means you enjoy
individual attention from highly quali�ed faculty who know you well.
This summer you can maximize your learning opportunities at an
a�ordable cost and transfer your credits.
For more information, go to
www.cecil.edu/summerstudies or call 410-287-1000.
| CECIL COLLEGE | North East, MD | Elkton, MD
REAL STUDENTS. REAL SUCCESS.
COuRTeSy lITTle, BROWN aNd COmPaNy

Tower of Babel
MATH/PSYCH
Birdland
I’m bored.
There is never
anything going
on here.
Tuesday, april 12
Exhile Shanghai
LH3. 6p.m. Part of the film series:
Where do we migrate to?
Dodgeball Tournament
RAC. 9p.m.-11p.m. Form a team of
6-10 people. 6 people will actually
be on the court, the registration fee
is $5 per person, and prizes will be
awarded to the winners!
UMBC Faculty Poets
Library Gallery. 4p.m. UMBC Faculty
will present readings of their
original poetry. Refreshments to
follow the poetry readings.
Wednesday, april 13
Quadmania Pep Rally
Mainstreet. Noon. It’s almost
here! Quadmania! Free food+ free
t-shirts and silk screening. Come
and win some Snoop Dogg tickets.
UMBC Talks
Commons 2B23. Noon. Join the
Mosaic Center in their weekly
discussions. This week’s topic:
“Islamophobia in 2011.” Groups
of 10+ please RSVP via mosaic@
umbc.edu
Print vs. Digital
ENGR 023. 12:00p.m.-1:30p.m.
Join the MSC Council of Majors as
they present on the transformation
of print to digital media.
If only there was
something to do
on campus.
The ReTRieveR Weekly
International Food Tasting
Commons Main Street. 5p.m.-
7p.m. Yummm, international food
will be provided along with global
music. Donations such as canned
goods, school supplies and lightly
worn clothes are appreciated.
Thursday, april 14
Rap Battle
Sportszone. 8p.m. Bring your best
rap, if you think you can stand the
heat.
MAGIC Night
Gameroom. 7p.m. We assume
there will be some sort of magic?
Friday, april 15
DJ Earworm
Quad. 7:30p.m. Creator of yearly
“The United States of Pop,” remix
master of beats DJ Earworm will
be on our Quad! Free glowsticks,
absolutely free. Two hour rave on
the quad!
You got
any ideas?
No. You?
APRIL 12, 2011 arts 15
Abnet shiferAw— trw
Patrick Ropisan, 21, a financial economics major, performed at
Pistahan 2011: Maging Isa this past Saturday. The event, sponsored
by UMBC’s Filipino-American Student Association, was a
celebration of Filipino culture, dance and food.
I think I am going
to go back to the
dorm and make
EasyMac®
Timb Mantegna
I’m going
to sleep.
man3@umbc.com
Dave Iden
dave.iden@gmail.com

16 Arts APRIL 12, 2011
The ReTRieveR Weekly
cRoSSWoRd
AcRoSS
1. Not Papa
5. Colorful parrot
10. Be compelled
14. Excretory opening
15. Insect stage
16. Not deceived by
17. Not a win
18. Emancipation
20. Flavorless
22. Ninepin
23. Take to court
doWn
1. Anagram of “Mail”
2. Auth. unknown
3. Rumple
4. Helped
5. Setting
6. In the center of
7. Taxi
8. Matures
9. Toil
10. Slogan
11. Components
12. Robbed
SudoKu
24. Drugged
25. Informative
32. Cowboy movie
33. Enraged
34. Fall behind
37. Fastened
38. Wish granter
39. Breathing organ for
fish
40. Any high mountain
41. Wampum
13. Strengthened
19. Helped
21. Happy cat sound
25. Bit
26. Wood fastener
27. Stair
28. Traction aid
29. Bit of color
30. Climbing vines
31. Compete
34. 53 in Roman
numerals
42. A series of connected
rooms
43. Testimony
45. Cut of beef
49. Computer key
50. Put into service
53. Bearing a title
signifying nobility
57. Recurring at regular
intervals
59. Praise enthusiasti-
35. Countertenor
36. Secluded valley
38. Obtain
39. Articulated in the
throat
41. Place for a barbecue
42. Sodium chloride
44. Seamster
45. Speedy
46. Classical music
theatre
47. Cooking bib
Crossword puzzle
for April 11, 2011
aBNeT SHIfeRaW — TRW
Stevo Karolenko, 20, a visual arts major, paricipated in a silkscreen demonstration this past Monday as part of Art Week 2011. The event, sponsored by The Commons Arts Program, offered free Art
Week t-shirts to UMBC students.
cRoSSWoRd
SudoKu
Last modified: April 3, 2011
Copyright 2011 Mirroreyes Internet Services Corporation.
mirroreyes.com/crossword
ACROSS
1. Not Papa cally
60. Press laundry
5. Colorful parrot
61. Convex molding
10. Be compelled 62. Dwarf buffalo
14. Excretory 63. Musty opening
15. Insect 64. stage Almost 40 inches
65. Driven by lust
16. Not deceived by
17. Not a win
18. Emancipation
20. Flavorless
22. Ninepin
23. Take to 48. court Move furtively
51. Ancient Biblical
24. Drugged
kingdom
25. Informative 52. Plunge
32. Cowboy 53. movie Story
33. Enraged 54. Alley
55. Affirm
34. Fall behind 56. Absorb written mate-
37. Fastened rial
38. Wish granter 58. Camp bed
39. Breathing organ for fish
40. Any high mountain
41. Wampum
Solution SoluTionS for Crossword DOWN TO Puzzle LAST WEEK’S of April 4, PUZZLES 2011
42. A series of connected
krazydad.com/sudoku 1. Anagram of "Mail" 21. Happy cat sound 42. Sodium chloride
rooms
2. Auth. unknown 25. Bit
44. Seamster
43. Testimony
WhAT To do:
3. Rumple
26. Wood fastener 45. Speedy
45. Cut of beef
4. Helped
27. Stair
46. Classical music
49. Computer Fill all key empty squares
5. Setting
28. Traction aid theatre
50. Put into so service that the numbers
53. Bearing 1 to a 9 title appear once in 6. In the center of 29. Bit of color 47. Cooking bib
each row, column and 7. Taxi
30. Climbing vines 48. Move furtively
signifying nobility
3x3 box. You might 8. Matures
31. Compete 51. Ancient Biblical
57. Recurring want at to regular use a pencil! 9. Toil
34. 53 in Roman kingdom
intervals
10. Slogan
numerals
52. Plunge
59. Praise enthusiastically
11. Components 35. Countertenor 53. Story
60. Press laundry
12. Robbed
36. Secluded valley 54. Alley
61. Convex molding
13. Strengthened 38. Obtain
55. Affirm
62. Dwarf buffalo
19. Helped
39. Articulated in the 56. Absorb written
63. Musty
Back to the puzzle.

17 APRIL 12, 2011
Corey Johns
Editorial Staff
How good is senior long-distance
runner Sara Parkinson? As good as
five all-time records say you are.
Since walking onto the cross contry
team in 2008, Parkinson has put
her name down with some of the best
runners in school history, and by the
time she leaves she may be considered
as the top long-distance runner
the school has ever had, as she owns
the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter
run records for the indoor track
and field team and the 1,500-meter,
3,000-meter, and 5,000-meter run
records for the outdoor track and
field team.
Two weeks ago Parkinson opened
up the 2011 outdoor track and field
season by breaking a 26-year-old
record set by Karin Wagner in the
5,000-meter run. Last weekend, at
the Maryland Invitational, she broke
another record, breaking Wagner's
27-year-old record in the 3,000-meter
run as the women's track and
field team claimed second in the
meet, one spot behind the men's
team, which won the Maryland Invite
in a landslide.
Records are not something she
looks at, however, because she feels
that every time she tries to break a
record, she will not get it like the
1-mile run, her favorite event because
it is over in four laps. The
school record in the 1-mile run is
4:55, and the last three years she has
been only a few tenths of a seconds
slower than that.
“If I want a record it's less likely
I am going to get it, so if I just run
usually they just come,” Parkinson
said. “I seem to be able to break the
really hard records,” She mentioned
the 5K and 3K events for the indoor
track and field season, both of which
were previously set by Alex Hyland.
“They were two of the fastest records
on the indoor team but somehow
I managed to get them,” she
said. “I don't keep track of them but
if they're within my reach it's extra
motivation to run fast.”
But even with so much success
and so many records on the track,
Parkinson still finds it "weird" when
people say she is one of the best runners
the school has ever had.
“I never considered myself to be a
good runner,” she said. “I wouldn't
consider myself one of the top runners
[in school history], but when
you look at the records it looks like
I am. I don't really think about that.
I just love competing and running
Now they’re
rollin’, pg. 19
and if that is what comes along with
it, then great.”
Instead of a runner, Parkinson
considers herself to be a netballer.
Before Parkinson came to UMBC in
2008 as part of a foreign exchange
program with Loughborough University
in her native England, she
played netball for two years and was
not a runner. But when the geography
major got to UMBC, she wanted
to find some sort of athletic team to
take part and since the school does
not have netball, which is a mixture
between basketball and ultimate
Frisbee, and the women's soccer
team tryouts were already over, she
emailed then first-year coach Matt
Gitterman, went to a few practices,
and was “thrown in” her first race,
which was the Towson Invitational,
and happened to win it.
That moment was when UMBC
realized they had a special talent.
On little training, Parkinson won
the event by a full second, and since
then has been named to an All-Conference
team five times in eight athletic
seasons between cross country,
indoor track and field, and outdoor
track and field. The latter two seasons
she prefers because with run-
The ReTRieveR Weekly
ning the same course she can see
herself improving her performancce,
while in cross country each course is
different.
“I don't like cross country because
it's in the mud and there are hills in
the way,” she said. “It's a lot more
enduring; it's harder on your body.
I really like running fast, as fast as
I can.”
When Parkinson got to UMBC
with her foreign exchange program
she only intended on spending
one academic year in America, but
decided to stay at UMBC until she
graduated, not for running, but because
she “wanted to be a student
here.”
“To stay for running wasn't really
a deciding factor, it was more so having
the change to study and live in
America,” she said. “I weighed all my
options and some people thought I
was silly because my degree doesn't
mean as much [in England] because
it's not from there but I took it as an
experience as a whole.”
The reason running was not a
deciding factor for her staying was
not because she did not like being
on the team, it was because Loughborough
University, is the “Mecca
Aiming for the
top seed, pg. 19
THE RECORD-BREAKER
In three years Sara Parkinson has set record after record at UMBC, totalling five
in nine seasons, between cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field
Courtesy uMBC AthletiC CoMMuniCAtions
Sara Parkinson may be the best long-distance runner the UMBC track and field and cross country teams have ever had.
for running,” she said. “It's like
the [University of] Oregon here.”
However, she is glad she stayed in
America, not only because she enjoys
living here but because she
thinks that with a return to England
she would have simply gone back to
playing netball because that is what
her friends did.
“I would have probably not cared
about running and not achieved
so much,” she said. “So I'm glad I
stayed.”
When Parkinson was growing up
she played whatever sport she could,
whether it be football [soccer], tennis,
or netball, but not so much running,
at least not until she was in
high school, which ends at the age
of 16 in England. There she tried a
race, won it, and her teacher told
her to join a running club, which
most competition is based around
England whereas American competition
is based around Universities.
At first the running club that Parkinson
joined was a bit too much for
her to handle.
“Girls could run a 4-flat in a
1,500-meter run, which is guys’
pace,” she said. “Some of these girls
are really fast and would compete in
the commonwealth games, so I went
down to practice with them and if
you train with people that are really
good you actually get good yourself.
By the end of the year I could keep
up with them.”
That training really paid dividends
for her and now, for the last three
years, she has been one of UMBC's
top overall female athletes, an award
she was given during the 2009 end
of the year athletics banquet.
In order to be such a successful
runner, Parkinson has had to integrate
the sport into her lifestyle.
During the summer she runs 80
miles, then goes right into the cross
country season, then goes right into
the indoor track and field season,
and then the outdoor track and field
season, she had very few days off in
between seasons and even on those
days she had to run for 30-90 minutes
as her recovery run.
“I'm ready for a break,” she said.
“When I go back home I'll take a
break for a month. Maybe I'll go on
holiday, because every time I've gone
on holiday I have to run; maybe I
can now go on holiday and not have
to run. I can actually just lie on the
beach and not have to run on it.”
But those plans will not come for a
least another couple of weeks before
her collegiate career of competitive
running is finished, and until then
she still has a few things left to do
that she wants to cross off.
“I really want to get to regionals in
the 5K,” she said. The event requires
runners to compete it with a time of
16:30 or better. “I definitely think
I'm in the shape to do it but it's not
just what shape you're in, it's your
mental attitude and how things go
in the race.”
Parkinson also said that despite
breaking a 26-year-old record in
the event at the Colonial Relays, she
was far from happy with her time of
17:04.
“I got tripped up and it knocks
off your stride and it knocks you
mentally and I declined from there,”
she said. “I still have a lot to learn
in terms of racing strategy because
I haven't been running that long in
competition...Three years probably
isn't enough time to learn it all.”
She hopes that comes in the near
future when she returns to England
and continues her running career
with a club.
Comments can be sent to
cjohns2@umbc.edu.

18 sports APRIL 12, 2011
The ReTRieveR Weekly
courtesy athletic communications
Athlete of the week:
SArA PArkinSon
Corey Johns
Editorial Staff
One week after senior long-distance runner Sara Parkinson broke Karin Wagner’s
26-year-old record in the outdoor track and field 5,000-meter run with a
time of 17:04.22, she broke Wagner’s 27-year-old record in the 3,000-meter run,
smashing the previous record by more than 16 seconds with a time of 9:44.93,
leading the women’s track and field team to a second-place finish at the Maryland
Invitational, a meet that featured 10 of the top teams in the Mid-Atlantic region.
That record was Parkinson’s fifth in her career between indoor and outdoor track
and field. The third sport she competes in, cross country, does not keep records of
time. This weekend at the Bucknell Invitational, Parkinson will be taking part in
the 1,500-meter run, an event she already holds a record in.
Comments can be sent to cjohns2@umbc.edu.
Chattin’ With: Amanda Pappas
Coming into her senior season, Amanda Pappas had
already developed the reputation of a high-scoring
midfielder after scoring 73 goals in her first three collegiate
campaigns. After scoring a career-high 34 goals
as a junior, Pappas
helped
lead the
women's
l a c ro s s e
team to
their first
ever America
East conference
championship game
after the team’s threeyear
postseason drought.
This year, the goal for the team
is not to just get to the championship
game, but to win. Through 13
games, in which the team has gone
9-4 in, Pappas has scored 28 goals
(giving her over 100 in her career),
and is once again leading a highscoring
offensive attack that this
year is vying for the top seed in
the conference tournament.
The Retriever Weekly: You recently
joined the 100 career goals club. How
does that feel?
Amanda Pappas: I think it's a
great thing. For me, my job is to
score goals, and to get honored for
doing something I'm supposed to do
is awesome. It's a double bonus.
TRW: After back-to-back wins,
the team is in good position to fight
for the top seed in the tournament.
What's the key down the stretch to get
there?
AP: Every day our goal is to improve
and to work on the things we need to
do. It's more about us right now, it's
not about other teams. And if we
are at our best, I think we will be
the top seeded team.
TRW: You had a stretch of games
where you scored 17 goals in four
games. What was the secret to
your success?
AP: I don't think there was
a secret. I was feeling it at
that time and was doing really
well. Now it's the same
thing for Alicia [Krause, who has scored nine goals in
the team's last two games]. She's been doing awesome
the last couple of games, and maybe next time it will be
someone else. I think our team does well at knowing
who is doing well and getting them the ball and being
confident with each other.
TRW: Your first two seasons
at UMBC you didn't get to
the tournament, but now
you're on track to get
to your second-straight
conference tournament.
What's been the big thing
that has gotten the team
there?
AP: I think it's
the heart and the
will to want to
win from our
teammates and
our coaching
staff. It's been
a huge change
the last two
years with new
coaches, and
it's been working,
and they're great
coaches, and they've
taught us so much. The
combination of the changes
have really, really improved our
program.
TRW: How much more confidence
does it give you to get
to the conference championship
game knowing you were
there last year?
AP: I think it gives us everything
that we needed. We played
Boston a couple of games ago and
we lost, and now it's just the drive
to want to be there and want to win so
bad—to prove to everyone that it wasn't a fluke
last yea, and that we really are good. It's our main
goal and it's very, very reachable.
Interview conducted by Corey Johns
hArish trivedi — trW
LAST WEEK’S RESULTS
Baseball
Georgetown 12,UMBC 2 - The Hoyas scored eight runs in the eighth inning off
junior Matt Siggins to give them the win and drop UMBC to 4-17 on the year.
Binghamton 5, UMBC 2 - Sophomore Mike Mitchell pitched the complete game,
allowing five runs on thirteen hits while striking out four.
Binghamton 6, UMBC 1 - Bearcats starter Mike Augliera pitched eight innings,
allowing one run, while striking out seven Retrievers to earn his fourth win of the
year.
Binghamton 5, UMBC 4 - Austin Drewyer pitched his third complete game of
the season, but the Bearcats rallied for two runs in the ninth to grab the series
sweep.
M. Lacrosse
UMBC 10,Towson 9 - Rob Grimm tied a career high five points as he netted three
goals with two assists to help UMBC beat their cross-town rival for the fourth time
in the last five meetings.
UMBC 8,Binghamton 6 - UMBC used six second half goals (three from sophomore
Dave Brown) to win back-to-back games for the first time this season.
W. Lacrosse
UMBC 10,Stony Brook 8 - Amanda Pappas scored her 100th career goal at
UMBC as Alicia Krause added five goals to propel the Retrievers to their second
conference win.
UMBC 14, Vermont 13 - Junior Alicia Krause scored four goals in the first sixteen
minutes of play and added an assist to be named America East Player of the
Game.
Softball
UMBC 6, Towson 3 - After trailing 2-1 through three innings. the Retrievers
scored five runs in the fourth and fifth innings before closing out for the victory.
Ashley Scroggin hit a solo home run in the fourth inning. and Angela Yannone
went 3-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs.
Boston U 8, UMBC 2 - Four errors allowed four unearned runs against Heather
Brown as the Terriers took a six-run lead after five innings. Jessica Warner hit a
two-run home run in the second inning for UMBCs lone scores.
UMBC 5, Boston U 1 - Stephanie Weigman went the distance and struck out
five batters while allowing only one unearned run in game two of the series. Jessica
Warner led UMBC from the plate going 3-for-3 with one run and one RBI while
Katie Ferguson hit a home run.
Boston U 5, UMBC 3 - Boston scored the deciding runs in extra innings while
Jessica Warner went 2-for-4 with a run and Katie Ferguson hit a solo home run.
M. Tennis
UMBC 7, Norfolk State 0 - The Retrievers lost only one set in the win, highlighted
by an 8-0 doubles shutout at the No. 3 slot by sophomores Gaulthier Berret
and Adam Duprat.
UMBC 4, Temple 3 - Gaulthier Berret saved five match points and clinched a
three set win in the deciding match of their contest.
W. Tennis
Binghamton 7, UMBC 0 - The Retrievers were only able to pick up one set
win in the match as they fell to 1-1 against America East opponents.
M. Track and Field
Maryland Invitational, 1st Place 184 Points - Aaron Brooks won the men's
discus throw with a throw of 49.01m in the finals.
W. Track and Field
Maryland Invitational, 2nd Place 132 Points - Sara Parkinson broke the
UMBC school record in the 3,000 meter run where she finished in first place.
THIS WEEK IN SPORTS
Tuesday 04/12
Baseball vs. George Mason - 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday 04/13
W. Lacrosse vs. Johns Hopkins - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday 04/14
Softball at Mount St. Marys - 2:30 p.m.
Saturday 04/16
M. Track and Field at Bucknell Invitational - All Day
W. Track and Field at Bucknell Invitational - All Day
Baseball at Stony Brook - 12:00 p.m. (DH)
M. Tennis vs. Georgetown - 1:00 p.m.
Softball vs. Binghamton - 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Sunday 04/17
Softball vs. Binghamton - 12:00 p.m.
Baseball at Stony Brook - 12:00 p.m.
W. Lacrosse vs. Binghamton - 1:00 p.m.

Corey Johns
Editorial Editor
With a 2-5 record, the men's lacrosse
team was in a very tough situation. They
had just lost their conference opener to
Stony Brook; 16-5, a game that through
three quarters they trailed 14-0.
But things can change very quickly
in sports, and now, after back-to-back
wins over Towson and conference foe
Binghamton, the men's lacrosse team,
which was previously down after a loss
that junior attack Rob Grimm called
“embarrassing,” is now soaring with
confidence.
It started midweek against Towson,
when the Retrievers won 10-9, helped
by three goals and two assists by
Grimm, and two more goals from Scott
Jones and Jamie Kimbles, a senior that
played his first few games this year at
attack but moved down to his natural
midfield position midseason.
“I'm definitely more comfortable in
the midfield,” Kimbles said. “I'm able
to see the field from the top. It's a lot
easier to be a leader out there too in a
position that I'm more comfortable in.
It's definitely better for me.”
With Kimbles back in his position,
Phil Poe moving into lead face-off role
where he went 13-8 with eight ground
balls, and the many other moves Head
Coach Don Zimmerman made throughout
the year, the Retrievers clicked and
scored the game’s first three goals, doing
enough to get past the Tigers with a
win despite a late run.
“The team needed a win and a good,
hard-fought win, and that's what they
got,” Zimmerman said. “Now we can
build confidence from there and move
forward.”
His confidence indeed rolled into
their next game, which was an 8-6 victory
over conference rival Binghamton,
improving their overall record to 4-5,
and their conference record to 1-1.
In that game, sophomore midfielder-
Dave Brown scored three goals and had
an assist while Jones and Zach Linkous
each scored two goals in the game.
But as much offensive production
The ReTRieveR Weekly
as Brown, Jones, and Linkous had in
that game, the defense led to a season
low six goals. The defense allowed only
two goals in the second half, so that
the team's six-goal effort in the second
quarter was enough to carry them to a
victory despite scoring only one goal in
the second half.
“We play every possession like it's
sudden death,” freshman short-stick
midfielder Brian Patton said. “We just
do what we're supposed to do, don't do
anything fancy, and lock it down.”
“I think that we're starting to play
to our ability, and we're starting to be
more comfortable out there, and the
younger guys have gotten a half of a
seasons experience,” Zimmerman said.
“These young guys are really learning
under fire, and I think it comes down
to our character, and these guys work
hard and we’re starting to see the fruits
of our labor.”
Comments can be sent to
cjohns2@umbc.edu.
APRIL 12, 2011 sports 19
Men's lacrosse is soaring after back-to-back victories
As tournament nears, women's lax has eye on top seed
Corey Johns
Editorial Editor
When the women's lacrosse team
lost on the road to Boston University,
the team that beat them in the conference
championship game, second-year
Head Coach Kelly Berger was not very
happy with her team. She was disappointed
that her team could not execute
the things they have done so often. But
two conference victories later, that 13-9
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loss to the Terriers is a distant memory,
and the women's lacrosse team is on the
brink of clinching their second-straight
conference tournament berth.
“It's always a good feeling [to win],”
Berger said. “I think with this staff and
this team [making it to the conference
tournament] is our goal every single
year, and if we fall short of that then it's
unacceptable in our books.”
With a 9-4 overall record and 3-1
conference record, the women's lacrosse
team is in the midst of one of their most
Open House:
Thursday, April 14, 6–7:30 p.m.
CUA’s Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center
Brookland/CUA Metro stop
R.s.v.p. and for more information:
202-319-5017 • http://newmasters.cua.edu
To request accommodations for a disability, please contact us.
successful seasons ever, which is largely
because the team has so many offensive
weapons. Coming into the year, the
women's lacrosse team returned five 20plus
goal scorers, four of whom scored
more than 30 goals in 2010.
While the team has not been scoring
as much this year (only 11.46 per game
compared to 12.34 last season, which
Berger has partially attributed to the
team putting a bull's-eye on their backs
since they made it to the championship
game in 2010) she also said that
it says a lot about
what kind of team
she has that they
can still win even
when they have
poor shooting
hArish trivedi — trW
Junior attack Rob Grimm scored three goals with two assists against Towson.
days.
But it is also nice as a coach to have
so many players around whom she can
plan the games. Early in the season it
was Erika Braerman as the team's top
offensive player, then after a few games,
it was Amanda Pappas who took the
reigns as the team's top offensive player.
Now it is Alicia Krause, who scored a
combined nine goals and had two assists
in victories over Stony Brook and
Vermont and now leads the team with
43 points off 29 goals and 14 assists.
“I think that's what a good team is,”
Berger said. “When you have so many
weapons, and when you aren't selfish,
and when you're able to pass the ball up
to somebody else if somebody is having
a bad day or getting shut down and
maybe are not having a good shooting
day.”
With three games left on the schedule,
two of which are conference games,
the women's lacrosse team is still in contention
for the overall top seed in the
conference tournament. But in order to
do that, Berger said the key is “playing a
full 60 minutes, putting end-to-end together,
not just playing defense, not just
playing offense, doing both at the same
time, having both good offensive days,
and good defensive days and making
sure those top scorers come out and do
their jobs, but then that everyone else is
doing their job as well.”
Comments can be sent to
cjohns2@umbc.edu.
hArish trivedi — trW
Alicia Krause powered UMBC to two conference wins by scoring nine goals with two assists in two games.

The ReTRieveR Weekly
April 12, 2011 sports 20
HERE WE GO
hArish trivedi — trW
Men’s lacrosse is
making a late
season surge
see page 19
17 The record-breaker
21 W. lax gets back on track
WEB Softball takes one