November 26, 2013

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The University of Maryland’s Independent Student Newspaper

T U E S D AY, N O V E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 3

Lawmakers aim to address accreditation reform Ceding control of process from federal to state level could alter colleges’ access to financial aid By Jim Bach @thedbk Senior staff writer Whether Congress will come together before the end of the year to reauthorize the Higher Education Act is yet to be seen, but policymakers on both sides are beginning to show

signs of compromise that have higher education lobbyists optimistic about meaningful reform. As President Obama looks for approval for his plan to tie school performance metrics to federal aid, Republicans have their sights set on higher education reform through accreditation policy.

In early November, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) unveiled a plan to reform the channels through which universities become accredited, a process that ultimately helps a college access financial aid. Under the current system, educational institutions are divided into six regions and seek out accreditation status from independent organizations. In this state, the regional accreditor is the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Under Lee’s proposal, this system

would not change, but states could opt to set up their own accreditation organizations, ceding what is generally a regional, private responsibility to state authority. New York already follows this model. “Today, the federal government restricts access to higher education and inflates its cost, inuring unfairly to the advantage of special interests at the expense of students, teachers and taxpayers,” Lee said in an address to the conservative Heritage Founda-

tion in October. “The federal government does this through its control over college accreditation. Because eligibility for federal student loans is tied to the federal accreditation regime, we shut out students who want to learn, teachers who want to teach, transformative technologies and cost-saving innovations.” It’s good to facilitate conversation on this topic, said Anne Neal, See reform, Page 3

City farmers market will see updates for spring

ALL YOU CAN FREEZE

Some vendors, market master leave this season By Teddy Amenabar @TeddyAmen Senior staff writer

toppings on display at Tutti Frutti, the city’s newest frozen yogurt venue and the first store to open under Domain at College Park. The restaurant offers gluten- and dairy-free foods. sung-min kim/the diamondback

Tutti Frutti frozen yogurt shop opens under Domain College Park By Holly Cuozzo @emperorcuozzco Staff writer Nestled under College Park’s newest apartment complex near the business and architecture schools, frozen yogurt shop Tutti Frutti is catering to the glutenand dairy-free crowds. The shop, located under Domain at College Park, offers more than

50 flavors of frozen yogurt, all of which are gluten-free, general manager Isabel Kim said. Every day, at least one dairy-free option is also available. T utti Frutti, wh ich opened earlier this month, is the newest of several frozen yogurt venues in the city. Yogiberry on Route 1, located next to Ratsie’s Pizza, has been open since 2009, and Sweetgreen opened in 2012 under the

University View. Tutti Frutti is the first store to open under Domain and will be joined by Subway and Casey’s Coffee. Tutti Frutti is part of a chain of individually owned stores, Kim said. Owners work with one another to compare ideas for enhancing the quality of the frozen yogurt options. The College Park location plans to use customer input to make menu changes, Kim

said. Customers can make flavor requests on the store’s Facebook page or by contacting Kim. Staple flavors include chocolate, vanilla and coffee, but a rotating menu includes options such as cheesecake, salted caramel and watermelon sorbet. Soy peanut butter, Kim said, is one of the most popular choices among customers. See TUTTI, Page 2

As winter temperatures started rolling in, the Downtown College Park Farmers Market closed for the season. City officials saw an increase in sales and traffic this year, but they’re making plans to reorganize the market after several vendors left and the contracted market master stepped down. Virginia-based KSM Marketing and Events signed a $28,000 contract with the city in February to improve the market. But company officials told city leaders KSM would leave at the end of the 2013 season, said Michael Stiefvater, city economic development coordinator. The farmers market, which ended Nov. 17, drew more vendors and customers than in the 2012 season. See FARMERS, Page 2

International student task force finishes Officials implement 11 work group initiatives

Push for Native American studies minor set to resume Advisers seek greater enrollment in courses By Madeleine List @madeleine_list Staff writer Plans to establish a Native American studies minor, a project that has been in development for more than four years, have once again been put on hold as students and faculty plan to resume efforts next semester. During the 2010-11 academic year, the Native Studies Working Group gained support from former Provost Nariman Farvardin, who pledged to help institute more Native American courses at this university and approve plans to create a minor. But when Provost Mary Ann Rankin replaced Farvardin in 2012, efforts to implement the minor slowed while the work group focused on garner-

ing student interest in the Native America n cou rses already being offered, said Dottie Chicquelo, Ameri c a n I n d i a n DOTTIE CHICQUELO Student Union American Indian Student Union adviser adviser. The university offers 16 courses that have at least 25 percent of their content focused on Native American issues as of the fall 2012 semester, according to the Native American Studies Program website. Demonstrating student interest and enthusiasm about enrolling in these courses is the most critical step in establishing an official minor or concentration in the subject, Chicquelo said. Thirty-five undergraduate students, less than 1 percent of the un-

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BY THE NUMBERS

<1 percent Proportion of fall 2012 university undergraduate students who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native

16 courses Offered by the university with content focused on Native American issues

29.1 percent 2012 proportion of American Indians and Alaska Natives in poverty dergraduate student population at this university, identified as American Indian or Alaska Native in the fall 2012 semester, according to the 2013 Cultural Diversity Report. However, Chicquelo said many more people might have Native American roots but don’t know it.

By Dustin Levy @dustinblevy Staff writer

Learning about Native American history is extremely important, even for those who don’t have ethnic ties to the culture, said Aaron McKay, AISU co-president. “Knowing the history of your country and the other people around you makes you a more well-rounded person,” the senior management major said. “You never know when you’re going to come i nto contact w it h a Native American. You need to be knowledgeable.” Native Americans have played a major role in U.S. history, so devoting a program to the group is especially helpful, said Lisa Warren, a graduate assistant who is teaching CMLT 285: American Indians in Literature and Film: Perspectives North and South this semester.

After two years of research, a university work group dedicated to improving the lives of international students has concluded, leaving the university with 11 new initiatives and more in the works. Officials launched the International Undergraduate Student Task Force in 2011 after university President Wallace Loh called for an increase in the number of international students. The group spent a year researching and developing a list of 21 recommendations, released in 2012, and an additional year developing them. The group’s final meeting was in October, but officials are optimistic about the 11 initiatives they’ve implemented so far, calling the group a success for the university and its population of international students. “We know that undergraduate international students are a smaller

See american, Page 2

See FORCE, Page 3

SPORTS

OPINION

DIVERSIONS

TERPS WIN PARADISE JAM TITLE, 56-52

THE SIDEWALK COMMANDMENTS

NOT ALL REMAKES ARE TERRIBLE

Men’s basketball holds off Providence’s furious comeback in the Virgin Islands to capture its third win in four days, the tournament championship P. 8

Dave Stroh: Sidewalks are a pain to navigate on the campus because no one follows simple rules for pedestrian conduct P. 4

Ocean’s Eleven, Let Me In and other modern remakes prove film updates can be more than merely passable, and even great P. 6


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