Etriever Weekly Staff Writer
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Newsroom.........(410) 455 1260 E Advertising........(410) 455 1261 Editor in Chief....(410) 455 1262 ETRIEVER Business fax.......(410) 455 1265 Web site...............trw.umbc.edu H [email protected] T W E E K LY “A newspaperR is a mirror reflecting the public, a mirror more or less defective, but still a mirror.” -Arthur Brisbane Volumelume ?,38, Number Number ? 6 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 SeptemberMonth Day 30,, 2003Year Inside UMBC Prof. Staff Senate News..........page 1 Comic books, Discusses Model UN, and the ghosts of Old Ellicott City. Campus Concerns JESSICA LYNCH Retriever Weekly Staff Writer The Professional Staff Senate Opinion.....page 8 of UMBC convened Thursday in the If you’re registered Commons Cabaret for a meet and to vote on the pri- greet in which those involved had a mary, you’re one chance to enjoy refreshments, and step ahead of hear the points of view of other rep- LaRouche. resentatives on different issues. The meeting was hosted by Jim Citro, President of both the Professional Staff Senate and the Steering Committee; and Joe Hill, File photo Vice President of the Professional Fall Comes to Campus: Temperatures dropped in the area this week as the seasons began to Staff Senate and President of change. The Commons, shown here in an undated photo, provided warm respite from the chill. Council of University Systems Staff Features.....page 14 (CUSS). Playboy gears up The Professional Staff Senate for their 50th (PSS) has been instrumental in anniversary, ensuring the rights of not only the movies and music Blue Lights Ensure Campus Safety staff at UMBC, but the faculty, stu- reviews abound. PATRICK TYLER how often are these resources a normal call as being informa- dents, and campus itself, as well. The PSS, which consists of five indi- Retriever Weekly Staff Writer used? tional with callers requesting According to police bus information or campus vidual senates, tackles “community Blue lights are one of those records, in 2002 there were phone numbers. There are also concerns on a campus and adminis- campus staples that many stu- roughly 100 calls made from more serious calls for motorist trative level,” explained Joe Hill. dents don’t notice, like ciga- blue light phones. Jennifer assistance. At times phones The group is part of CUSS, rette receptacles and over- Dattoli, a dispatcher for the malfunction, causing a call sig- which includes 13 University of Sports........page 22 stocked bulletin boards. For UMBC Police Department, said nal to be sent without anyone Maryland system institutions and the system office. Volleyball wins nearly 20 years, 78 blue light that she receives “a couple of pressing the call button. Prank The main goal of the PSS is to two at the phones have been on campus in calls a week” from the blue calls are also a problem. Autumn Classic the event of an emergency – but light phones. Dattoli described see BLUE LIGHT, page 4 see SENATE, page 7 and Adam Driscoll is AOTW. Redefining “Fast” Food How quickly can you grab lunch on Also check out: college news........page 2 campus? The Retriever investigates... world news..........page 3 JOE MAHER has timed how long it takes to classifieds.............page 27 plow through these dreadful Retriever Weekly Staff Writer Commons food lines, so that you know where to go for your time four day forecast Retrievers generally don’t complain about the quality of cam- crunched schedule. Tuesday: mostly sunny, low If its 12:50 and you’re hoping 48, high 66 pus food, we’ve got a broad selec- tion of decent fast food joints to to sneak in a quick bite before your Wednesday: chance of one o’clock class you can stop by a evening showers, low 43, high satisfy our constant hunger. Not to 64 mention that we have plenty of “grab and go” station, where you time to build up an appetite wait- can get in an out in three minutes Thursday: partly cloudy, low or less. In just a minute or two you 43, high 61 ing for the food to be prepared. So, maybe your not so thrilled can use the Market Fresh mini- Friday: partly cloudy, low 46, mart to pick up a pre-made salad, high 58 about the long waits and unforgiv- ing lunchtime lines that you face sandwich or, California roll. Anita Fields / Retriever Weekly Staff when you buy food from the Second on the list is Jazzman’s In case of emergency: Blue lights and the associated call boxes Commons. To help you get past café, where in three minutes you help to make UMBC a safer place for students to walk at night. this problem, the Retriever Weekly see FOOD LINES page 3 Page 2 THE RETRIEVER WEEKLY NEWS September 30, 2003 BehindtheScenes College News Behind the Scenes with Dr. LaCourse Harry Potter, the college course SHIRA HELETZ another. “Family was and is very impor- Retriever Weekly Staff Writer tant to me. My daughter is the center of FROSTBURG (AP) — Harry Potter is my world and that’s how it should be.” in college — as a subject, not a student. If you think that eggs, star wars, To Dr. LaCourse his initial interest in “The Science of Harry Potter,” a three-cred- and peanut butter and jelly have nothing chemistry didn’t stem from a class, but it honors seminar new this fall at Frostburg to do with Chemistry class, then you from building boats with his father. State University, offers fans of J.K. obviously haven’t had a class with Dr. While working outside and building with Rowling’s popular fantasy novels an oppor- William LaCourse. Dr. LaCourse teach- his own hands, he gained an appreciation es Chemistry 101 this semester, a tunity to study the links between magic and for tools and how things worked and fit Cutline / Cutline science. course that many science and non-sci- together. To Dr. LaCourse, chemistry is Caption Head: Caption goes here. Can antigravity research produce a fly- ence most likely end up taking. His just an amplification of that. Chemistry And here. ing broomstick? Can Fluffy, the three-head- quirky stories and odd connections explains how everyday events occur. His ed dog, be explained by genetic engineer- between real life and chemistry theories work with tools inspired a need to make a matter of laziness.” When he hears ing? make his class memorable. Dr. “better tools that helped people and made students complain about their course Those are some of the questions LaCourse started teaching at UMBC in their lives better.” As a result, the path of load, although he understands, he physics professor George R. Plitnik is 1992. UMBC was attractive to him not an analytical chemist, who researches knows that it could be much worse. exploring with 15 students, mostly juniors only because of the new analytical different chemical methods and tools, Although he enjoyed his work at and seniors. He says the class is not all fun chemistry program that was just starting seemed the most right for him. Phizer, not teaching wasn’t an option. and games, despite his penchant for dressing out but also because it was a great envi- Because of his financial situation and Dr. LaCourse genuine concern and up as Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of ronment, “President Hrabrowski talks the cost of education, Dr. LaCourse took interest in his students understanding is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and about how this is a home for nerds, and a less than conventional path to work obvious, “I have a true desire to help Wizardry. I’m a nerd. So I knew that I would fit in towards his PhD. After graduating from people. It’s what fulfills me. People “This is not something where you just well here.” the top 10% of his high school, he always say ‘do it for yourself’. Well, I show up and talk about Harry Potter books Dr. LaCourse grew up in Noridge, worked towards his associate degree at can do a lot more for others than I can and get a grade,” Plitnik said before donning Connecticut which you can tell because Kennedy College, a college that puts do for myself.” his black wizard’s hat and robe for a recent of his northeastern accent. He grew up most of its effort into training more tech- session. “This is a college-level class.” with a large family of two brothers and nicians. He then attended University of Frostburg State, a public school in three sisters. “My dad liked it even. He Connecticut but dropped out after a year Quick Questions western Maryland with average annual liked the symmetry of it with the three because of the financial strain it put on undergraduate enrollment of 4,300, isn’t the girls and three boys”. His father was a himself and his family. He found a job at If you could be any cartoon only institution of higher education offering natural philosopher, “He taught me les- Phizer Pharmaceutical company. character who would you be? a scholarly take on the Potter phenomenon. sons. Taught me that if I didn’t use my Although he enjoyed his work there Pinky and the Brain. Pinky seems The books were featured in a “Literature for head I had no chance to get farther and because he got a chance to see his work pretty happy. Young Adults” course at Kent State achieve.” end up in a finished, tangible product, he University in Ohio, and Cerritos College, in Dr. LaCourse and his family grew still wanted to work towards his PhD.