With every new school year comes changes that students either anticipate or dread, whether it’s different shuttle routes, a new dorm, the opening of an all you can eat buffet or new athletic coaches. The 2012-2013 school year is not going to be any different.

Safety first.

The campus senate took up the issue of scooter safety and passed a resolution that was signed by President Wallace Loh, saying that scooter riders would be required to wear a helmet or face a $15 fine starting fall 2012, according to David Allen, director of transportation services.

Allen said that DOTS will enforce this through photos of license plates, and mailing the tickets.

Sophomore government and politics major Ben Chang was not aware of the new policy and thinks it will take time to catch on.

“I don’t think people will wear them until they are fined,” he said.

A more academic change is the implementation of the plus/minus grading system starting Fall 2012, despite student leaders’ efforts to petition the process.

In Fall 2005, the University Senate voted to adopt the grading policy, which was approved by the president; however, it was never implemented because the provost office decided that it wasn’t the appropriate time, according to Reka Montfort, director of the Senate Office.

The original policy allowed students to be awarded with an additional .3 points for a plus and .3 fewer for a minus. Although the new policy maintains the original’s guidelines, a slight revision changed the value of an A+ from a 4.3 to a 4.0.

“I think the benefit is for the students that earn pluses,” said Montford. “It rewards the students for working hard and getting a B+ as opposed to a B.”

Any grades from here on out will be on the weighted scale, and any previous grades won’t be changed, she said.

Junior journalism major Jasmine Egbiremolen understands that students will be rewarded for pluses, but notes that minuses can sting your GPA.

She is more annoyed at the fact that students’ opinions weren’t taken into consideration. “I don’t think it’s fair because without students the school wouldn’t be around,” she said.

Shifting away from academics, it is no doubt that students are already used to hearing the bang and buzz of construction around campus, whether it’s the new physics complex or President Loh’s new mansion, and can look forward to more next year come the construction of Prince Frederick Hall, a $66 million dormitory.

The new dorm would replace three aging North Hill dorms, Carroll Hall, Wicomico Hall, and Caroline Hall, as well as affect two parking lots near the business school.

Facilities Management officials declared that the rooms in the three buildings no longer met the standards of other dorms on campus, which include newly-opened Oakland Hall and the renovated Denton and Easton Halls.

Sophomore accounting and finance major Regina Revinzon, a current resident of Caroline Hall, believes that the three dorms are “some of the worst dorms on campus” because of the lack of air conditioning and tiny rooms, but thinks they stand at a convenient location.

“It makes sense to knock them down and make a new dorm with better living conditions,” she said.

Construction on Prince Frederick Hall – which will house more than 400 residents – will begin immediately south of Caroline Hall in fall 2012, affecting the surrounding dorms, the business school and Commons 5.

“I think it’s going to be a little annoying for residents living near the construction,” said Revinzon. “But it’s worth it in the long run.”

In the downtown area, students are looking forward to frequenting the vacant building that once held the infamous Santa Fe Café by Fall 2012.

Mohammad Afshar and daughters Salomeh and Yasmine, who were granted a liquor license by the Prince George’s County Board of License Commissioners, are eager to open their new restaurant and bar, Terrapin Turf, which will include a 50/50 alcohol to food ratio, outdoor seating, an efficient identification scanning system and live entertainment.

Salomeh Afshar, 33, and a University of Maryland alumna, is eager to channel her family’s expertise towards creating something unique in College Park, after having experienced the bar as a student.

“Aesthetically, you can’t beat the space,” she said.

Afshar, among students, believes that the opening – after undergoing estimated renovations of $800,000 – would bring more exciting nightlife to College Park.

“I think the new bar will definitely bring back more life to Route 1,” said Michelle Lopez-Mullins, senior psychology major.

1. New Athletic Coaches

Both the football team and men’s basketball teams gained new head coaches in Randy Edsall and Mark Turgeon, respectively.  Edsall, who formerly worked as the head coach at UConn, lead the team to a dismal 2-10 record, while Turgeon, former Texas A&M coach, was more successful with a 17-15 overall record.

2. Eight Sports Teams Cut

Due to the athletic department’s $83 million debt, President Loh approved a recommendation by the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics to cut eight varsity sports teams; men’s indoor track, men’s outdoor track, men’s cross country, men’s tennis, men’s swimming and diving, women’s water polo, women’s swimming and diving, and women’s acrobatics and tumbling.   In order to remain a sport, each team must raise enough money to fund the team for eight years by June 30.

3. New plus/minus Grading

The University Senate voted in favor of a plus/minus grading policy, which will go into effect during the Fall 2012 semester.  The policy states that grade point averages are calculated using plus and minus grades rather than just letter grades.  Under the new policy, an additional .3 points are given for a plus grade, while .3 points are deducted for a minus grade.  Despite an almost 2,000 signature petition administered by the SGA stating that students did not have enough input in the decision, the 49 to 26 vote was not overturned.

4. UMD Student Threatens Campus

On March 11, sophomore Alexander Song posted statements threatening a shooting rampage on McKeldin Mall online.  Police found Song the next morning outside Cumberland Hall, unarmed, and placed him in psychiatric care.  On April 3, after the conclusion of his psychiatric evaluation, Song was charged with eight crimes including disturbing the peace and false statement to a public official.  Song is suspended indefinitely from university grounds, and is subject to arrest if he returns to campus without authorization, according to the Prince George’s County state attorney’s office.

5. SEE brings big name acts

SEE brought big names such as Mac Miller, Aziz Ansari and Seth Myers to campus this year.  Miller performed in the Grand Ballroom in September 2011 to a small, yet sold out, crowd.  Ansari served as the headliner for SEE’s fall comedy show in October 2011 while Meyers performed at the spring comedy show in March 2011.

It hits you straight in the gut within minutes of the opening sequence.

A free screening of “The Invisible War,” a Sundance Audience Award-winning documentary about violent sexual assault within the U.S. military, drew dozens of guests to Stamp Student Union’s Hoff Theater on April 25. By the end of the film, some were brought to tears, and all were silenced.

“I was expecting a lot of personal horror stories from women,” said graduate student Sidra Montgomery. “It’s hard to talk about, it’s good they brought the movie here as a platform.”

The 90-minute movie opened with vintage footage decreeing women’s new privilege to serve in the U.S. armed forces and recruitment ads from the decades that followed. The clips of proud women marching in uniform were followed by interviews of the women talking about their love of service and their country. These women, who were from all different sects of the U.S. military, expressed how they had  joined with high hopes, but ended up getting raped, often brutally, by fellow soldiers.

The phenomenon has been going on for decades but has garnered minimal attention from the American public.

“Before I took a class that discussed sexual assault, I had no idea,” said Montgomery about the issue. “I was shocked.”

One of the women in the documentary, former Lt. Ariana Klay, spoke at the screening with her husband. Klay was a merit scholar and an honors graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. She served in Iraq and was stationed at the prestigious Marine Corps barracks in Washington. And on American soil, she was raped by her senior commanding officer and his friend.

When women report rape in the military, they are often scolded or discharged without benefits. But Klay chose to report her case. It was briefly investigated with inconclusive results, and the Marine Corps allegedly lost her rape kit. Her accused assaulters received no punishment.

When she and seven other victims filed a lawsuit against the U.S. military for its toleration for sexual assault, as documented in the film, the case went to court-martial. However, nothing stuck, and the women were not given the justice they believed they deserved. They also did not receive compensation for their trauma or injuries.

“Less than two percent [of rape cases] even go to court-martial, so I was told that I was lucky it went that far,” said Klay. “I did not feel lucky.”

“The Invisible War” reports that 30 percent of women in the military are sexually assaulted during their enlistment. According to the film, a woman in Iraq or Afghanistan is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by an enemy.

“I didn’t know [about the issue] until I found out about the screening,” said freshman Ashli Haggard, a community health major. “Most people haven’t even heard about this.”

The screening at Hoff was hosted in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month by the University Health Center Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Program, AXO, and the Student Government Association.

Talks of Sweetlife Festival have been buzzing around campus for weeks. On April 28, the long anticipated festival had finally arrived.

At 11:40 a.m the D.C. Rock & Roll Bus left the Maryland Book Exchange and took excited students to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md.

What were students so excited about? Artists like Avicii, Kid Cudi, The Shins, and A$AP Rocky were all under one roof.

Energy had taken over Merriweather Post Pavilion on Saturday. As students awaited the performances of their favorite artist, they kept busy with activities like face and body painting and a game of Twister.

Sophomore communications and business double major, Kaylee Hillard, arrived at Merriweather Post excited to meet other students and partake in the festivities.

“We tailgated next to some really awesome people, which set a fun tone for the rest of the night,” Hillard said.

But, for the majority of broke college students, were the $75 admission tickets a bit too pricey?

“The ticket prices were expensive but it was well worth it. It was the most fun I have had in a while,” said  junior kinesiology major Chad Simmons, who had driven down to Columbia in a car full of friends.

Simmons was first attracted to the idea of attending Sweetlife Festival after hearing Avicii was going to perform. He said it was the best part of the evening.

Other students were excited to see the array of different artists.

“The fact that I had seen Avicii for almost the exact same price last semester sold me on it because instead of just seeing just Avicii and whoever opened for him, I was seeing Avicii and like 15 other artists for the same price,” said junior criminology and criminal justice major, Matt Matera.

Matera and Simmons agreed that, although the festival was an overall success, they had hoped for better weather.

“The only thing that was a disappointment was the weather, which was rainy and got pretty cold,” said Matera.

Matera also said that the worst performance was A$AP Rocky, who showed up very late and only performed for 20 minutes.

The festival took over the social networking world. During the event, videos and pictures of the artists and the performances were being uploaded by the second. There was even a live feed on the Sweetlife Festival website.

And people were still tweeting about #Sweetlife two days after the event.

The second ever Sweetlife Festival was made possible by the founders of the Sweetgreen restaurant chai, which was. founded in 2007 by three college students with a love for healthy food and good music.

With a background in good food, the festival had many different caterers. All the food was served with biodegradable plates, utensils, and napkins, keeping Sweetlife an environmentally friendly event.

27 sports, 1 team.  We’ve seen the motto all over campus. It’s a source of pride for the university and its athletic teams.  And it is in danger.

Nine teams are at risk for being cut due to a lack of funding, as the athletics department can no longer afford to keep funding all 27.  The teams at risk are Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving, Men’s Tennis, Men’s Track & Field (Cross Country, Indoor Track and Outdoor Track), Women’s Acrobatics & Tumbling, and Water Polo.

The teams will be cut June 30 unless they can raise funds necessary to keep the programs running for eight years, so the department can guarantee recruited athletes that their sports team and scholarship will not be cut while they attend.  Altogether, the teams need to raise $29 million by the end of June to stay functioning.  Only $2.6 million has been raised thus far.

Because of the unlikelihood the teams will be able to raise $29 million in a few months, the athletic department has established benchmarks for some teams, such as swimming and diving.  The benchmarks demand the teams raise money in increments over time, and can keep functioning as long as they reach the stated goal for each.

Both the athletics department and the individual teams have been hard at work trying to raise the money.  Cheryl Harrison, Senior Associate Director for the Department of Stewardship and Community Relations, said that the athletics department has been in touch with donors and alumni. Alumni groups such as the M Club are also working hard to contribute necessary funds.

When the news broke that the teams could be getting cut, it caused an uproar across campus.  Various groups and fundraising charities were formed to raise the necessary money to keep the teams afloat.  Special fundraising events were held, which drew large crowds.

It has been months since the announcement was made, and the plight of the sports teams has faded away into an afterthought.  Many students forgot that the nine teams were going to be cut.  Other students knew about the problem when it was announced, but forgot about it as time moved on.

“I really haven’t been following the situation all that much lately,” said sophomore computer engineering major Edward Jenner.

Students who have remembered aren’t sure if the teams will be able to raise the money in time. Junior mechanical engineering major Josh Barrett believes that the swim teams and water polo will be able to raise the money, as they have had the most prominent and spirited fundraising efforts.  Unfortunately, he does not believe the other seven teams will raise enough.

“I don’t think the other sports teams could get the money unless some mysterious rich donor came along,” Barrett said.

Other students believe that the sports teams will be able to raise the money they need in time, especially the larger teams.

“The swim team is so big, if each of the members did some fundraising and pulled their weight, they could do it,” sophomore finance major Amanda Mayamoto said.

After missing out on the postseason for two consecutive seasons, things are looking up for Maryland’s men’s basketball team with an exciting first official class for head coach Mark Turgeon.

With several three- and four-star high school prospects officially signed to play for the Terrapins, as well as an impact transfer, Turgeon has made significant strides to infuse the roster with talent.

After the departure of Gary Williams after the 2010-11 season, many fans expected a rough transition period for the new coach build up program. Sophomore center Jordan Williams left school early to pursue an NBA career, several other players departed, and two recruits de-committed, leaving Williams’ successor with a gutted roster.

A year later, the Terps seem to have a strong mix of skill and depth at several key positions, and have regained the enthusiasm of the student body.

“Considering the situation the Turgeon inherited as far as the lack of proven personnel and the difficulties of replacing a coach like [Williams], I was impressed with not only how Turgeon was able to improve the team, but also with how he has galvanized the fan base and built an aura of excitement around the program,” said sophomore business major Jeff Kraft. “I am very impressed with the recruiting class that the Terps have coming in next year.”

The biggest addition, in terms of both talent and physical attributes, is Shaquille Cleare, a 6-foot-9, 270-pound center who ESPN ranked as the No. 30 overall recruit in the class. Two other players, 6-foot-8 power forward Jake Layman and 6-foot-7 power forward Charles Mitchell, are also highly touted, with Rivals.com placing them in their list of the top 100 prospects in the nation. The class is rounded out by 6-foot-1 shooting guard Seth Allen and 6-foot-9 center Damonte Dodd, who has yet to sign a formal letter of intent, but has verbally committed.

“I think Coach Turgeon has really done a good job recruiting players for Maryland,” freshman journalism major Mia Simon said. “It was good to see [Turgeon] recruit big men to replace the guys that are leaving.”

In mid-April, Turgeon landed Evan Smotrycz, a 6-foot-9 small forward transferring from Michigan, where he averaged 7.7 points and 4.9 rebounds last season. Smotrycz has to sit out the upcoming season due to NCAA regulations, but will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Meanwhile, sophomore guard and second team all-ACC player Terrell Stoglin, freshman guard Nick Faust and freshman center Alex Len are just a few of the pieces that are still at Maryland and will benefit from the added talent.

“I think [Faust] is going to turn a lot of heads this season,” Kraft said. “He has good size, is incredibly fast and is poised under pressure.”

However, before expecting a national championship run from the team next year, it should be noted that the Terps are not the only ACC team to make strides this past year. In fact, Rivals.com ranked Maryland’s recruiting class only the seventh best in the ACC. That doesn’t even include Syracuse and Pittsburgh, both of whom will join the ACC for the 2013-14 season and both had top-15 recruiting classes this season.

After missing out on the NCAA tournament or even an NIT berth the last two seasons, one of Turgeon’s more difficult tasks is to re-energize the fan base, something he seems well on his way to doing.

“It’s important to recognize that the team will still be relatively young, but I think they will be substantially better than this past season,” Kraft said. “Terp nation is behind this team and ready to bring Maryland basketball back to a point of national relevance.”

It all started with a picture.

The morning of Jan. 26, Maryland basketball manager Zachary Lederer — heavily medicated and only a few hours after undergoing intensive brain surgery — looked straight ahead and flexed his biceps with chords and wires dangling from his arms, and asked his dad, John Lederer, to snap a photo.

His father posted the picture on Facebook, and a few hours later saw a post from Lederer’s cousins lifting their arms in the same pose in support of Zach, who already battled cancer in 2004, when he was just in the sixth grade.

And just like that, everyone stopped “Tebowing,” and started “Zaching.”

Basketball teams across the nation, students across the world and even celebrities such rapper Lil’ Wayne and comedian Dane Cook have showed their support by striking the pose. There is also a Tumblr page where people can send in their “Zaching” photos.

Lederer, a freshman broadcast journalism major, has the support of the entire Maryland community, especially the basketball team, being one of the nine student managers.

At halftime of the Boston College game on Feb. 16, Lederer took his place at center court and struck the pose while everyone in the crowd reciprocated. For the final regular game of the season, students in attendance all received “Zaching for Cancer,” T-shirts.

“I never realized how strong ‘Terp Nation’ really is,” said Lederer. “To turn around at Comcast and see everyone ‘Zaching’ is such a great feeling.”

Sophomore biology major Jaclyn Weisz thinks Lederer’s story is “incredible” and “unique,” and thinks the movement is a great way to raise awareness for cancer in general.

“Coming from a family of cancer survivors and deaths from cancer, it means a lot to me that this movement has spread all over the world,” said Weisz, who proudly owns a shirt.

There is no doubt that Lederer is selfless and strong while going through this tough situation, but he made it clear that he wants the “Zaching” movement not to be about him, but about all cancer patients.

“We all need your support,” Lederer said. “Don’t limit your support to one person.”

Three days after his brain surgery, Lederer shocked the team by showing up at 9 a.m. the day of a game, when no one was expecting his arrival.

“I was in shock that this kid that had brain surgery three days before was coming to practice like normal, not wanting to give up any of his responsibility to the team,” said Kevin Owens, fellow basketball manager and sophomore computer science major. “If what’s he’s doing can help somebody else, that’s all he’s worried about.”

Lederer said after being surrounded by cancer for seven years, he has realized how much better off people are when they have a positive attitude.

“I’ve been back and forth all the time, blood counts high or low or whatever,” he said. “As a patient I don’t have too much control. All I can personally control is how hard I work and my attitude.”

Owens said that Lederer has been upbeat and happy during his battle with cancer, despite the many obstacles he has had to overcome.

“He’s the happiest kid I’ve ever met,” Owens said. “I know the first day after his surgery I talked to him and I’ve never heard him sound so bad physically, but be so happy.”

There seems to be a great consensus that Lederer is handling the situation calmly and blissfully.

“If that was me I wouldn’t be able to handle it like he’s handled it,” said Ricardo Rush, fellow basketball manager and junior sociology major.

Terps forward James Padgett said that the team keeps in touch with him via Twitter and text messaging to see how he’s doing.

“What Zach has done has amazed people all around the world,” Padgett said.

After recently finishing up with chemotherapy, Lederer is ready to get back to College Park and resume his life.

“I just want everyone to know I’m feeling really good,” said Lederer.