the retrIever UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER weekly . 11.06.07 VOLUME 42 ISSUE 11 retrieverweekly com Fiscal UMBC helps Wake Up plan advisor Tour: A call conference Samantha Purcell for action STAFF WRITER Andrea Thomson Academic advising stretches be- STAFF WRITER yond the borders of the UMBC com- munity at least once a year. Each “When you look ahead, it doesn’t year the National Academic Advis- take a crystal ball to see that we have ing Association (NACADA) holds some problems on the horizon,” warned a national conference in a different Robert Bixby, one of the speakers at last preselected city. According to Karen week’s Fiscal Wake Up Tour. The Tour Lewis-Law, “It is for advisors from is a bipartisan group of four speakers all over the U.S. and Canada.” Not who have traveled around the country only did advisors from UMBC at- giving presentations concerning what tend the sessions that were held at they claim is the American government’s this conference, but three of UMBC’s impending economic doom. UMBC was own were involved in organizing this the tour’s only stop in Maryland. The year’s conference held in Baltimore. men spoke to a full house in Lecture The planning for the 2007 con- Hall 5, and many students were forced ference began over a year ago, and to stand outside and listen to the forum each member of the committee was through speakers. assigned a specific activity for the The speakers explained how America’s ANNE VERGHESE — TRW upcoming conference. From UMBC, > Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley spoke amongst students and university leaders about his proposal to use rising health care costs – due in part to advisor Karen Lewis-Law helped higher corporate taxes to create a dedicated stream of funding for higher education. aging baby boomers who are “ushering with choosing the presentations, a permanent shift to an older population and Bethany Spore and Paula Ashby and a permanent rise in the cost of Social were responsible for finding volun- Security, Medicare and Medicaid” and A rally with Governor Martin teers and making sure things ran low rate of national savings – will lead to smoothly at the conference. an economic crisis if policymakers and Ashby stated, “It really demon- politicians refuse to address the issue and O’Malley for higher education strated the value of teamwork be- settle upon a solution. cause it was so much work that we Dr. Virginia McConnell, an economics Anne Verghese came to show their support for the but that we keep faith with you couldn’t have done it without team- professor in attendance remarked, “They STAFF WRITER budget solutions. and in this proposal for the first work.” Not only did that commit- pointed out a very important point. U.S. “The lieutenant governor and I time in our history we are propos- tee organize everything, they also savings are very low: we’re saving 1 per- Governor Martin O’Malley and were elected to lead and we were ing a dedicated stream of funding decided to raise money for the Bea cent and consuming 99 percent. We’re Lieutenant Governor Anthony elected on your behalf to lead,” for higher education and more af- Gaddy Foundation. In order to raise being bailed out by foreigners. Foreign Brown joined students and univer- O’Malley said to an enthusiastic fordable college.” money for this foundation, commit- investors are investing heavily in the U.S. sity leaders in a rally at Lawyers crowd who proudly represented Effective January 1, 2008, the Tax tee member Bill Elliott dressed as a If that ever turned around we’d be in big Square in Annapolis last week to their colleges with spirited attire, Reform Act of 2007 would increase pirate and posed for pictures with trouble.” support the Governor’s budget “We have to put forward a plan the taxes of corporate companies people. In return for the photos, The speakers also brought to light the proposals for higher education. and proposal to make sure that not unsettling fact that “with conservative Students from all over Maryland only do we keep faith with the past > see RALLY [3] > see CONFERENCE [5] assumption, the Congressional Budget Offi ce has predicted that under current law the federal defi cit will increase from today’s 3.3 percent of GDP to about 20 CWIT to host ten African entrepreneurs percent in 2050. This increase would Cara Salvatore associations, and the World Trade Cen- South Africa, the Department of State is or future potential as successful technol- cripple America’s economy, especially STAFF WRITER ter institute,” according to Bria McElroy, in on the act as well. Its Offi ce of Citizen ogy entrepreneurs,” said McElroy. The when coupled with the growing cost of Director of International Relations for Exchanges in the Bureau of Educational program will focus special attention on ‘big three’ entitlements. By 2050 - the The Center for Women in Informa- the Center for Women in Information and Cultural Affairs provided the grant “women who would not otherwise have year during which the college graduates tion Technology is gearing up for a Technology (CWIT). that makes this exchange possible. the opportunity to travel to the United of today would reach retirement - Medi- groundbreaking visit by ten South Af- Program designers are hoping that Some of the attendees will be arriv- States.” The ultimate aim is to see that care, Medicaid, and Social Security will rican entrepreneurs. The ten women the visit will serve to inculcate advanced ing with plans already in mind, and the participants develop concrete goals also make up 20 percent of America‘s will participate in three weeks of entre- business knowledge in the women, as some will craft business ideas based on to take back with them so that their GDP.” preneurship training, including daily well as foster entrepreneurial creativity. what they learn during their stay in the respective technology startups can be- Among the speakers was the United seminars at UMBC, job shadowing with Because the program is well suited to do Baltimore area. The fi nal selection of gin blossoming in earnest. As McElroy mentors, and “site visits to Baltimore- not only these things but also promote participants, in December, will be done explained, CWIT wants to “make sure > see TOUR [4] area incubators, local businesswomen’s good relations between the U.S. and “on the basis of their past record and/ that the women enjoy their time in Bal- timore and return to South Africa pre- NEWS 01 OPINION 06 ARTS 14 SPORTS 23 pared with a business plan.” CWIT got involved with the project when they were contacted by Meridian UMBC gives Fred Phelps is Guitar Hero III has Volleyball falls out of International Center in Washington, generously to offensive to everyone peoppeoplele bbeggingegging forfor playoff contention. D.C., which “promotes international the Maryland in this country. a sixth fi ngernger.. Charity Campaign. understanding through the exchange of people, ideas and the arts.” Another key player is the Maxum Business Incuba- InsIde > see ENTREPRENEURS [5] 2 News 11.06.07 The RetrIever Weekly foreign desk Feeling sick in Saint Petersburg Randi Leyshon whether here or at home, it is still Now you may think I am deliri- I miss being able to walk out of my the Neva River in St. Petersburg, FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT miserable. ous with whatever sickness I have, room and to knock on any dozen Russia. And I want my family and I am already feeling better, largely but I tell you, it’s true! It is not that of my friends’ doors, wake them up friends to be here, too. Is that too The only foreign thing I’ve seen due to the previously mentioned un- I don’t want to be here in amazing and insist that they watch reruns of much to ask? I want my two worlds lately is the substance my host known substances my host mother St. Petersburg, Russia. It is just that That 70’s Show with me. to meet each other. mother keeps walking into my feeds me and plenty of rest. I almost I miss the familiarity of things at I want to be right here--living room with and making me gargle. feel that if I walk outside I will be in home. I miss the vegetarian pizzas ten minutes from the Premors- I skipped school today to spend it the courtyard of Harbor and on my at Sandellas. I miss meeting people kaya Metro on the western side of Randi Leyshon can be reached for huddled underneath my covers, way to the Commons. This is obvi- at the spot at four in the morning. Vasilyevsky Island at the mouth of comment at [email protected]. coming out only to use the bath- ously not true; if I walk outside my room or to try to explain to my host apartment I will be immediately hit mother why I was playing hooky. by traffi c, but my point being that Besides noting that I am not usu- sometimes I actually want to be at ally this bored while being sick (be- UMBC. Yes, I realize that that is a cause I have the Internet or movies foreign concept to most of you stu- at home), for the day, I have almost dents, but it’s something I’ve come forgotten that I am in a foreign to terms with now, having lived country. Being sick is universal, and away from the security of the Loop. RANDI LEYSHON —TRW > UMBC students Sara Osman and Randi Leyshon obscure the beautiful view of St.