March 2015 – The Sting

April 2015 Issue

It’s a bittersweet moment as the Spring semester ends. Many are graduating and continuing on to their paths of success. As some of you may know (or not know), there will be a major change to our staff for the Fall semester. Our Production Manager, Robert Summerville, Editor in Chief, Jessica Greenstein, Business Manager Keiya West and Managing Editor, Andrew Klein will all be graduating! We wish them the best of success going forward in their career. You will get to meet the new staff in the Fall. This is our last issue for the Spring semester. Happy Spring and Summer!

Check out our April 2015 issue below. This is issue is on stands now. Pick up your copy!

UB Post April Issue

Battle of the Boxes

Challenge accepted!

I recently heard from some students that they find box subscriptions too expensive, so this month—my last month writing this column—I’ve decided to bring you one of the most affordable subscriptions available. The second box, while not one of the most expensive subscriptions, is not cheap by any means, but it is my most favorite subscription, so I saved the best for last. This month the two boxes are the Walmart Beauty Sample Box and the PopSugar Must Have Box.

Walmart Beauty Sample

Walmart Beauty Sample Box is a quarterly box of health and beauty products that are either new or otherwise being featured for sale at Walmart. The products included are usually deluxe and sample sizes with coupons to buy the full-sized product versions at Walmart. The coupons usually don’t expire for a good amount of time, which gives you plenty of time to try the sample and then redeem the coupon. The best part about this subscription is the price: it’s FREE—all you pay is $5.00 for shipping & handling! Because this subscription comes out seasonally, it often caters to what’s needed during that season: deep moisturizers in the winter, sunscreen products in the summer, etc.

Once you sign up for the box, no need to monitor your subscription; they’ll send you an email notifying you they’re charging your card for the next box when that season rolls around. Everyone gets the same items although color and scent variations may exist depending on what they’ve curated for that season’s boxes. An information card isn’t included, so the values are calculated using Walmart’s website.

Inside my box:

• Rimmel London Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara (Full

size $7.97)
• Dove Body Wash Mandarin &

• Tiare Flower Scent (Sample; Full size $5.47)

• Neutrogena Healthy Skin Boosters Facial Cleanser (Sample; Full size $7.47)

• Lady Gaga Fame (Sample; Full size $30.88)

• Schwarzkopf Essence Ultime Omega Repair and Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner (Samples; Full size $13.94)

• Maybelline FITme Matte + Poweless Foundation (Sample pack; Full size $5.94)

• Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion (Sample pack; Full size $5.92)

• Garnier Ultra-Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream (Sample pack; Full size $11.50)

Coupons:
• $2.00 off Schwarzkopf Essence

• Ultime Hair Care Product or Styling Product (exp. 12/31/15)

• $3.00 off Schwarzkopf Color Ultime or Keratin Color Hair Coloring Product (exp. 12/31/15)

• $2.00 off Fit Me or any Maybelline New York face product (exp. 12/31/15)

• $1.00 off Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion (exp. 8/1/2015)

• $2.00 off any Garnier Moisturizer (10/15/15)

• $2.00 off any L’Oreal Paris Cosmetic Product (exp. 4/30/15)

• $2.00 off one CoverGirl + Olay Simply Ageless Foundation Product (exp. 6/30/15)

I love that this box has so much variety. While the samples are usually smaller, there’s always plenty to choose from. I’m excited to try the shampoo and conditioner and you can never have too much body wash andfacecleanser!Ialsolovethatthey sent a newly release full-size mascara!

Walmart Beauty Sample

Cost: FREE/per quarter. Just pay $5.00 shipping and handling! Renews automatically
Website: www.walmart.com

Search: Sample Boxes (they have baby boxes too)

Introductory Offer: None

PopSugar Must Have

PopSugar Must Have is a monthly lifestyle subscription box for women and usually includes home, beauty, health, fashion, and food items. This month’s theme was Renewal, Citrus, Fresh, and Traveling. The cost is $39.95/month with free shipping and they promise various full-sized products hand selected by the editors of PopSugar.com. The values of the boxes seem to be high and their website promises that it will be at least $100. Boxes are always themed and well curated around said theme. Subscriptions are available on a month to month basis or in three or six month increments and the prices go down the longer the subscription you select. Each box comes with an info card explaining why the items were selected and their values.

PopSugar also does limited- edition boxes. They usually release quarterly and sometimes they have gender specific specialty boxes. The Resort box was released recently and sold out quickly, so if you’re interested in them, grab them while you can!

Inside my box:

• Bliss Micromagic Microdermabrasion Treatment (Full size $48.00)

• Greenmarket Purveying Co. The Archivist Lemon + Cucumber Reed Diffuser Kit (Full size $20.00)

• Samudra Pink Piñk Zip Pouch (Full size $40.00)

• Knock Knock What to Pack Pad (Full size $7.00)

• Wet Brush The Squirt (Full size $4.99)

• Halfpops Halfpopped Popcord (Snack size $1.69)

• Benef it Cosmetics Roller Last Mascara (sample; Full size $24.00) • Benefit Porefessional (sample; Full size $31.00)

I am most excited about the Benefit Roller Lash Mascara. I received this in another box this month, but haven’t had a chance to use it, but my favorite mascara of all times is by Benefit, so I’m definitely looking forward to this one. I also loved the reed diffuser; the scent was absolutely incredible and I couldn’t wait to unpack it and use it; it smells AHMAAAAZING. Other favorites are the Bliss Micromagic Microdermabrasion Treatment and Wet brush. The absolute best part about this box was the value, by my estimates because of the two samples, it’s about $140 worth of awesomeness.

PopSugar Must Have

Cost: $39.95/every month, less with 3 or 6 month subscription. FREE SHIPPING!
Website: www.musthave.popsugar.com

Introductory Offer: MUSTHAVE5 saves your 5.00 off your first box; occasionally they have better deals

All photos courtesy of Jessica Greenstein.

Free agency leaves Ravens with more questions than answers

Free agency in the NFL got off to a busy start when it began on March 10. As a result, the Baltimore Ravens have lost several popular players who’ve been keys to their success over the last several seasons, providing several players from last year’s draft class with an opportunity to play a bigger role in 2015.

Just before free agency began, the Ravens released receiver/kickreturner Jacoby Jones. Jones had been a game- changer with his ability to make big plays in the kick return game. He was also on the receiving end of“The Mile-High Miracle,” catching Joe Flacco’s 70-yard touchdown pass to tie the game in the 2013 AFC Divisional Round at Denver, which the Ravens won in double overtime. However, Jones struggled with catching the ball in the passing game, and as a returner muffed several kicks. Jones signed a two-year contract with San Diego.

Wide receiver Torrey Smith, a 2011 graduate from the University of Maryland, has also left the Ravens as an unrestricted free agent. He signed a four-year, $32 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers, where he’ll join another former Raven in Anquan Boldin. Last year with the Ravens, Smith caught 49 passes for 767 yards, and was 10th in the NFL with 11 touchdown catches. However, he’s been knocked for his perceived inability to run more complex routes. Baltimore is also down a tight end after Owen Daniels joined former Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak by signing with Denver. Free safety Darian Stewart also signed with the Broncos.

DefensivetackleHalotiNgatawas scheduled to make $16 million this season, and was going to count for $8.5 million against the salary cap. On March 11, the Ravens traded Ngata to Detroit for the Lions’ fourth and fifth-round picks in this year’s draft. Ngata thanked the Ravens and their fans with a full-page ad in the March 15 edition of The Baltimore Sun. He ended the letter with the Samoan phrase “Ofa Lahi Atu,” which means “Love you.” The Ravens also released defensive tackle Terrence “Mount Cody,” who’s been charged with animal cruelty in Baltimore County. Meanwhile, linebacker Terrell Suggs did agree to restructure his contract to give the team some space under the salary cap, and cornerback Lardarius Webb took a pay cut to re-sign with the Ravens. Cornerback Anthony Levine has also re-signed with Baltimore, and defensive end Chris Canty has signed a new two-year, $4.65 million contract with the team after being released in late February.

In the backfield, running back Justin Forsett agreed to terms on a three-year, $9 million contract to stay in Baltimore. Baltimore will be looking for a new backup quarterback after Tyrod Taylor signed with the Buffalo Bills.

The Ravens are once again dealing with players who’ve had run-ins with the law. Running back Bernard Pierce was pulled over by Baltimore County Police for speeding after allegedly being clocked going 55 mph in a 30 mph zone near the Beltway on St. Patrick’s Day. He reportedly failed a field sobriety test. Pierce has been charged with DUI and exceeding maximum speed, among other charges, and has since been released by the team. He’s the second Raven to be released after being arrested for DUI this offseason, joining cornerback Victor Hampton.

The laws of cooking

Peruvian Lomo Saltado Stir-fry with Potatoes and Mexican Hot Chocolate Pudding

Editorial Note

As sung in my favorite movie “The Sound of Music,” I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye, the time has come for me to say goodbye. I’ve been writing this column now for two years and I love it and hate it at the same time. I love expressing myself through the written word and sharing my love of cooking with all of you, but at the same time I feel so much pressure to outdo the column before and to write or make the perfect recipes that will be loved by all of our readers. I know this is an impossible feat, and yet, every single month, I do the same thing. It is literally insanity. Well, I’m getting off the crazy train, graduating with my B.A. in Jurisprudence, and if all goes as planned, heading to law school in the fall—destination unknown. But, that means that if someone out there has a flair for writing and loves to cook, and is a student at UB, of course, I will gladly bequeath my column in your capable hands.

Okay, let’s get into the reason that you’re actually reading my column in the first place—the food! This month, as promised last month, I am reviewing Plated. Plated is a meal box subscription that sends weekly meals, you can skip whatever weeks you want for any reason in your personal dashboard. Ordering is easy—simply review the menu for the upcoming weeks (usually they have four weeks available) and make your selections. Once added to your cart, you check out and pay, and just wait for your box to arrive. Two of the best things about Plated is their fantastic customer service and the fact that they offer desserts.

The few times I have had to contact customer service, they have been expeditious, helpful, and have more than made up for any issue that I might have had. I walked away with the unfortunately rare nowadays positive customer service experience feeling like, “yeah, I am the customer and I’m always right,” but without the arrogance and entitlement that often goes along with it.

When checking out, you must spend $50.00 in order to get free shipping (shipping is $6.00 otherwise). That’s not a hard task. They have fantastic menu items and lots of choices. Each menu item has to be ordered for a minimum of two plates and cost $12.00 per plate (yeah, they’re a little pricier than some of the others). They also offer two specialty meals that are usually between $18.00 and $30.00 per plate and include items like scallops or lamb chops. So, if you order two regular menu items ($12.00 each) x two people, you end up at $48.00, press checkout and BAM, you’re taken to the checkout screen which offers…desserts! Desserts run $4.00 per plate with a minimum of two plates per item. There’s your free shipping.

This month, I figured since UB Denit Honors students went to Nicaragua, we would have a Latin American flair in our menu. We are making Lomo Saltado, a Peruvian steak stir-fry dish and Mexican Hot Chocolate Pudding.

*Note: It’s important to mention that Plated reached out to its customers this week to notify us that the soy sauce which was included in our box was intended to be gluten free, but in fact, the wrong soy sauce was included and it is not gluten free. For those of you like me who do not have Celiac’s Disease, or not gluten intolerant, or simply not “off” gluten, this is not an issue.

Bon Appétit!

Peruvian Lomo Saltado Stir-fry with Potatoes

Makes 2 servings
Roughly 530 calories per serving

Ingredients

8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes

10 ounces inside round steak

1 packet spice mix

11⁄2 teaspoons ground cumin

1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander

11⁄2 teaspoons ají amarillo

1 red onion

1 green bell pepper

2 plum tomatoes

1/6 bunch cilantro

2 cloves garlic

1⁄4 cup red wine
1 packet soy sauce (gluten-free)

*See note above
3 tablespoons canola oil Kosher salt
Black pepper

Method

Boil Potatoes:

Cut potatoes into 1⁄2-inch pieces. Place in a medium pot and cover with cold water. Add a generous pinch salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until mostly tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Marinate Steak:

While potatoes boil, rinse steak and pat dry with paper towel. Cut against the grain into 1⁄4-inch slices. Season with spice mix and ají amarillo and set aside to marinate at room temperature for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Prepare Ingredients:

While steak marinates, peel onion, halve, and thinly slice. Rinse bell pepper, halve lengthwise, and discard seeds. Cut into 1⁄4-inch slices. Rinse tomatoes and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces. Pick cilantro leaves, discarding stems. Smash garlic using the flat side of a knife.

Cook steak:

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large pan over medium-heat. Season steak on both sides with salt and pepper. When oil is shimmering, add steak in a single layer and cook until browned, about 1 minute per side. Remove from pan and set aside.

Sauté Vegetables:

Add 2 tablespoons canola oil to pan from steak over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add potato, onion, bell pepper, and garlic.

Sauté until bell pepper and onion are softening and potato is beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomato and cook until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes more. Return steak to pan and stir to combine.

Plate Stir-Fry:

Add red wine and soy sauce to pan with steak, scraping up any browned bits from bottom. Simmer until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Divide stir-fry evenly between 2 plates, garnish with cilantro, and serve.

: Lomo saltado, ready to eat.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Pudding

Makes 2 Servings (actually made a lot more for me)
About 240 calories per serving

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract ( I used my own that I picked up in Mexico in January of this year)

2 tablespoons flour
1 packet spice mix
1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate

chips
1 egg yolk

Method

Make Pudding Base:

Add milk and 1 egg yolk to a small pot over medium heat. Whisk continuously until milk begins to thicken, 2-3 minutes.

Cook Pudding:

Add granulated sugar, vanilla extract, flour, spice mix, and a pinch of salt to pot with milk and whisk to combine. Continue whisking until pudding is bubbling, about 5 minutes more.

Melt Chocolate:

Remove pot from heat and add chocolate chips. Stir until melted.

Plate Pudding:

Divide pudding evenly between 2 bowls or glasses and serve warm.

All photos courtesy of Jessica Greenstein.

UB student nominated for University Systems of Maryland Board of Regents

The University of Baltimore may soon be well represented on the state University System’s executive board.

Student Government Association President, Sydney Comitz Photo courtesy of Sydney Comitz for the UB Post

Sydney Comitz, a senior in the Merrick School of Business and an early-entry student in the School of Law, has been nominated by Gov. Larry Hogan to be the student representative on the Board of Regents for the University System of Maryland.

The University announced Comitz’s nomination on Feb. 26. Comitz will be graduating in May with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, and is planning to complete her Juris Doctorate in the School of Law in 2017. She’s also the President of the Student Government Association. Comitz said that if she’s confirmed by the full Maryland State Senate, it means she’d be representing all college students in Maryland, not just those of the University of Baltimore.

“Technically, this means that I’m going to be representing 100,000 students in the state of Maryland,”

Comitz said. “Personally, it means that I’m going to have to extend my work beyond UB to encompass all of the other students and remember the diverse student populations within our entire state, and not just the school that I love.”

Comitz said that on a professional level, this opportunity would give her a chance to strengthen the student voice on a statewide platform, including being a voice for first-time and first-generation college students. She feels that often times, those students who lack the most resources are the last ones to get a chance to say what they need.

Comitz had to go through an extensive process to become a nominee for Student Representative on the Board of Regents, starting with the University System’s Student Council.

“You meet with the students, and there’s a student representative from each of the 14 institutions on the council. They do a round of interviews, and they rank the candidates, one through three,” Comitz explained.

She was the top student pick, and then got a chance to interview for the nomination with University System Chancellor Brit Kirwan. Chancellor Kirwan then recommended Comitz to Gov. Hogan, who then made his choice based on who got the Student Council’s vote and the Chancellor’s recommendation.

“He’s really trusting the student voice, in this case,” Comitz said.

She feels that she fits the bill for representing a diverse group of students, and giving a voice to graduate students.

“Sometimes we often feel that graduate students are pushed to the side and not favored over undergraduate students. I feel like I am so many different categories that I would do a great job of being representative for all of these populations,” Comitz said.

She wants to advocate for additional protections for interns from sexual harassment, and free textbooks for students.

“So far, we’ve done a pilot program which uses open-source textbooks, and we’ll have saved by December 2015 students over $1 million in textbook costs,” Comitz said.

She explained that open-source textbooks are textbooks that are online and can be edited by professors to provide the most up-to- date information. That distinguishes the textbooks from Wikipedia, where posts can be edited by anyone, and often have inaccurate information in them. Comitz says students at some universities, such as Towson, can then print off the books and get them bound in the library for a nominal charge.

The State Senate’s Executive Nominations Committee reported favorably on Comitz’s nomination in its March 5th report. As of press time, it’s unknown when the Senate will vote on Gov. Hogan’s nominations for the Board of Regents.

MD women get #1 seed, men #4 seed in NCAA tournaments

The Maryland women’s basketball team continues to get attention on the national scene for their strong play over the last several seasons, while the men’s team has finally made it to the tournament for the first time under its current head coach.

The fourth-ranked women’s team was selected as the top seed in the Spokane, Washington (West) Region of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament on March 16. Maryland finished the season 30-2, ending on a 24-game winning streak that included going undefeated during the Big Ten regular season and conference tournament. This is the fourth time Maryland has been selected as a regional top seed in the tournament, and the third time under Head Coach Brenda Frese, who was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Interior view of the Xfinity Center, home of Maryland basketball, prior to joining the Big 10. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia user Wlaw422, under a Creative Commons License — Interior view of the Xfinity Center, home of Maryland basketball, prior to joining the Big 10.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia user Wlaw422, under a Creative Commons License

Sophomore guards Lexie Brown and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough were named to the All-Big Ten Conference First Team by the league’s media, while senior guard Laurin Mincy was named to the Second Team, and sophomore center Brionna Jones was named to the First Team by the coaches and the Second Team by the media. The Lady Terrapins pulled away for a 75-57 win over #16 seed New Mexico State at Xfinity Center on March 21. Jones had 22 points and 12 rebounds to lead three Terps players in double-figure scoring. On March 23, Maryland beat #8 seed and previously undefeated Princeton 85-70 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight year. Mincy went six of seven from three- point range on her way to a game- high 27 points and seven assists. Four other Terps scored in double figures as Maryland shot 56 percent from the floor in the second half, including seven of eight from beyond the arc.

Leading 42-38 at halftime, Maryland went on a 20-4 run in the first seven minutes of the second half to jump out to a 20-point lead, and led by as much as 24. The Terps (33-2) successfully defeated former ACC rival Duke on March 28, 65-55 and will advance to play Tennesee in the Elite Eight on March 30 at 9 p.m. If they win, they will head to the Final Four in Tampa Bay, Florida to face the winner of the Albany Region’s Connecticut vs. Dayton face off. The Maryland men made it into the tournament for the first time under Head Coach Mark Turgeon.

The Terrapins were selected as the fourth seed in the Midwest Region, which also has undefeated and top overall seed Kentucky. Maryland went 26-5 overall and 14-4 in the Big Ten during the regular season, and won eight of their last nine games. The Terrapins beat Indiana 75-69 in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals in Chicago on March 13, but lost to Michigan State 62-58 the following day in the semifinals. Michigan State would eventually lose to Wisconsin 80-69 in overtime in the tournament championship game. Senior forward/ guard Dez Wells was named to the All-Big Ten First Team by the league’s coaches and to the Second Team by the media. Junior forward Jake Layman was named to the Third Team by the media, while freshman point guard Melo Trimble was named to the First Team by the media and the Second Team by the coaches. Turgeon was named Big Ten Coach of the Year by the media.

Maryland began the tournament by holding off the upset-minded Valparaiso Crusaders, the 13th seed in the Midwest Region, on March 20 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Wells and Trimble each scored 14 points to lead the Terps, but it was a strip by senior guard Varun Ram of Clarksville in the final seconds that sealed the win. Wells provided the margin of victory by scoring while getting fouled on an offensive rebound, and then making the free throw with 1:44 left. Two days later, Maryland struggled with #5 seed West Virginia’s harassing press and frenetic pace, committing 23 turnovers in a 69-59 loss to the Mountaineers. Trimble had 15 points and seven rebounds, but left midway through the second half after appearing to get kneed in the back of the head by teammate Damonte Dodd. Trimble, who’s said he’ll be back for his sophomore year, was later diagnosed with a concussion. Maryland finished the season with a record of 28-7, and will return three starters next season—Trimble, Layman and Dodd.