THE RETRIEVER UMBC’s Student Newspaper INSIDE Volume 39, Issue 16 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 February 8, 2005 Student organization space gets facelift from SGA News 02 UMBC aids women entrepeneurs, tea time, and soda prices. Opinion 08 Valentine’s Day, Social Security num- bers and other cool stuff. Check it out. Joe Regier [Retriever Staff] A New Beginning: SGA President Dom Cirincione and President Hrabowski cele- GRACE M. LO PORTO brate the grand opening of the new student organization space on the second floor Features 12 Retriever Staff Writer of the Commons last Friday, February 4. When students entered the newly renovated student organization space were being distributed. House member Ross Dixon said that he was “really on the second floor of the Commons last Friday, they found free food, huge impressed at how many students showed up.” Dixon also pointed out that black ottomans, long meeting tables, and cushy chairs that—as student Jay a few students were already having small group meetings in the area, which Lagorio noticed—had arms wide enough to sit on. The new furniture con- was at the time officially only thirty-four minutes old. trasts drastically with the old haphazard table and chairs setup, and the little- SGA members were mixed in with non-members in the crowd, and used cubicles from a year ago. Dom Cirincione, SGA president, called the were noticeable only because a number of them were wearing black and gold. changes the culmination of “a long and worthwhile effort,” and the grand The new tradition (black and gold Fridays) originated over the summer in MC Chris rocks out, opening was a success by almost any standard. Even President Hrabowski the Leadershape program, which many members of the SGA attended; a SEB movies are showed up. number of them took the opportunity to attempt to subtly influence non- coming back, and Despite House member Ben Ring’s prediction that few would come, the members. Even if they wore no distinct colors, however, many SGA mem- Catonsville dodgeball. area was quite packed for the majority of free hour. Students talked, gorged, and admired their new area, sometimes tossing around the event leaflets that see SPACE, page 5 Sports 19 UMBC parents “pretty upset” over recent tuition increase GRACE M. LO PORTO dents per year. Tuition for the spring port the amendment because it Colles Price wishes he knew “what Retriever Staff Writer semester at UMBC is currently would have involved asking the gov- the increase was for.” He asked, “Are $4,010, or $8,020 per year (accord- ernor for even more money. we getting more professors? I know As most UMBC students know, ing to the Registrar’s office). Thus, Reactions to the increase from we’re into building a new building the Maryland Board of Regents next fall, in-state UMBC students UMBC students seem to be some- soon or something, but are we recently raised tuition for Maryland will have to pay about $500 more what ambiguous, but never positive. increasing the funding of some state universities again. Fortunately, than they currently do. When asked to comment, many, like clubs?” UMBC’s Men’s the increase for the 2005-2006 UMBC currently has the high- Jacqueline O’Hare, asked, “Don’t SGA President Dominic swim; dive team school year averages out to only est tuition of any Maryland state col- they increase it every year?” The Cirincione said, “In terms of posi- sets a school record 5.8%, as opposed to nearly 30% in lege, and the Baltimore Sun’s January word “sucks” was used a number of tion, we would like to see tuition stay with an undefeated the past two years. In those years, 26 article by Jason Song stated that times. Student Ryan Jordan said that as flat-lined as possible; we don’t season. the university system received no the university system in Maryland is his parents were “pretty upset.” “I want to see it rise any more than it increase in funding from the state; “among the most expensive in the don’t pay my own tuition, so it does- needs to.” He continued to say that, this year, Maryland Governor Robert country.” n’t affect me as much as it would, “however, we’re aware of the fact that L. Ehrlich Jr. allocated an extra $43 According to the article, Regent because I’m not writing the checks. without money, we cannot survive as million to the state university system. James C. Rosapepe wanted an But since my curriculum’s probably a school, and without sufficient ALSO: According to a recent Baltimore amendment to cap tuition increases going to have me here five years funds we cannot hire the appropriate Sun article, tuition at UMBC will be over the next three years at 5%, but instead of four, that’s going to make college news 02 increased to $8,520 for in-state stu- other regents were reluctant to sup- it all that much harder,” he said. see TUITION, page 7 world news 05 Four Day trw.umbc.edu classifieds 22 410.455.1260 Forecast tues: 50/39o wed: 56/32o thu: 43/27o fri: 44/26o 2 News February 8, 2005 THE RETRIEVER BehindtheScenes College News The Tea Empire takes over at UMBC In-State Tuition SUN “We have a very diverse group of gave a demonstration of a traditional Retriever Staff Writer friends,” Colin replied. Chinese tea ceremony with authentic Going Up at It was this diverse mix that led the silverware. The Empire provides snacks Originally run October 12, 2004. two to explore the tea drinking rituals in that usually accompany a country’s tea Maryland’s Public other cultures. Since their birth last time presentation. Last week’s tea feature was Irish tea. semester- the group has done a Chinese The club has come a long way. Universities It was not green much to one mem- tea, Russian tea and Kashmiri tea rituals “We used to meet in the ber’s dismay, but it should be noted that to name a few. The group plans future Chesapeake lobby last semester,” Ng ADELPHI, Md. (AP) - The Ireland’s national color is not green, but tea parties and is looking into Moroccan remembers dismally. But her face University System of Maryland’s govern- BLUE. Go brag about that to your par- and Japanese tea ceremonies. brightens, “But now look where we are.” ing board voted Wednesday to raise in- ents, boys and girls. The Tea Empire’s The meetings are well-structured The Tea Empire meets in the state tuition by an average of 5.8 percent secret mission is to educate one about and organized, most definitely a compo- Harbor Café. It was fate that the club next fall at the state’s public universities, cultures that span the globe, while nent to the research done before the and that room come together; it holds but rejected a proposal that would have drinking everyone’s favorite beverage: meeting. the perfect ambient atmosphere. Also, it capped rates at 5 percent over the next tea. “This would be impractically hard provides enough room for all its mem- three years. “The whole world drinks tea, each without the Internet,” admits bers. By a 13-3 vote, the Board of country developed their own culture McGuigan. “The membership has ballooned,” Regents approved the new tuition rates with tea, incorporating it into their Ng and McGuigan research the tea notes McGuigan. and student fees for Maryland’s 11 cam- own tradition,” explains co-founder ceremony thoroughly and open up the “When you talk to people, they puses. The relatively low increase comes and president Claire Ng. meeting with history and tea trivia. For always come up with varieties of tea cer- after the board passed tuition hikes of “We wanted to share that insight instance, did you know that Ireland has emonies other cultures do,” Ng adds. more than 30 percent in recent years with a broader group,” added co- the highest per capita consumption of The list sounds endless. If you want because of deep cuts in higher education founder and vice president Colin tea in the world? to divulge in some tea culture and meet funding by the state. McGuigan. In the background of the meeting some intelligent personalities, come to Ehrlich promised earlier this month The Tea Empire was brewed after plays traditional Irish music while the the next Tea Empire meeting on to increase funding for the system by 4.8 informal nightly sessions at Ng’s place, method of the ceremony is described. October 21 for the British tea ceremony percent to $798.2 million for the 2006 where she and friends would drink tea For the Irish ceremony founders told at the Harbor Café. fiscal year. University officials, who had and hang out. Ng and McGuigan decid- members that Irish people put milk and lobbied the governor heavily for more ed to combine their common loves and sugar into their cups before placing the Sun is a writer for The Retriever’s money, hailed it as a turning point that excitement over tea and share it with tea in. Weekly. She may be reached for com- allowed them to keep tuition rates low. the rest of the campus. During the focus on Chinese tea, Ng ment at [email protected]. “We feel this is a good starting point in the reinvestment in higher edu- cation,” said system Chancellor William Kirwan. “We think this is a break- through.” The new rates mean in-state under- graduates at the flagship University of Maryland, College Park, will pay $7,821 in tuition and fees next year, compared to a cost of $7,410 this year.