THOSE GUYS
GOT MILK?
Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg deliver the laughs in one of the summer’s best comedies
MacMath, White lead U.S. to Milk Cup title in Northern Ireland SPORTS | PAGE 12
Thursday, August 5, 2010
DIVERSIONS | PAGE 9
THE DIAMONDBACK THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Our 100TH Year, No. 150
Student Ethnic eateries hope to buck trend protections lacking in new lending law Owners say unique dishes will keep them in business BY SARON YITBAREK Staff writer
Despite reforms, lenders like Sallie Mae get a pass BY SOHAYL VAFAI Staff writer
A sweeping financial reform bill signed into law by President Barack Obama last month has created new protections for borrowers, but critics say it doesn’t focus enough on regulating student loans. Although the new law is being hailed as the most comprehensive overhaul of financial regulations since the 1930s — creating a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to oversee lending institutions — some critics say still more should be done, especially with regard to protecting students from predatory lenders. For instance, some large banks fall under a “community bank” exemption under the new law — including a subsidiary of Sallie Mae, the largest provider of student loans. Although the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will regulate Sallie Mae, its private student loans are not subject to the agency’s oversight because the company finances its loans through a subsidiary with less than $10 billion
see LOANS, page 8
In a town where small, independently owned restaurants often fall by the wayside in favor of franchises, two new establishments are trying to shake up the dynamics of College Park business by providing students with more ethnic options on the Route 1 food market. Geltopia and Street Tacos will face off against such nationally recognized names as Starbucks and California Tortilla. And even some of the chains have struggled; despite its popular latenight delivery, the local Wing Zone franchise in the Campus Village shopping center closed in April, offering up a piece of the city business pie to these new restaurants. But the owners of the new restaurants are confident they’ll carve out a successful niche in College Park.
see RESTAURANTS, page 3
College Park’s high rents and low foot traffic pose a challenge to even popular establishments like Wing Zone, which closed in April. MATTHEW CREGER/THE DIAMONDBACK/
OVER
COMPENSATING? After two decades of student housing shortfalls and waitlists, a glut of new projects may exceed demand BY ALICIA MCCARTY Staff writer
At a traffic stop, two campus officers accepted Red Bull after issuing a warning, violating department policy even if the cases weren’t a bribe. BRADY HOLT/THE DIAMONDBACK
Officers face discipline over gift of Red Bull Driver offered cases after receiving a written warning BY BRADY HOLT Senior staff writer
Two University Police officers who took five or six cases of energy drinks from a Red Bull delivery car after a traffic stop last week will be disciplined for violating department gift policies but did not receive the drinks as a bribe, police said. The officers, in two cars, stopped a Red Bull Mini Cooper on Preinkert Drive last Thursday night after believing the driver was not wearing a seat belt, police said. The three cars pulled up outside South Campus Commons Building 5 and the officers approached opposite windows of the Red Bull Mini. When the officers returned to their patrol cars, one leaned
see RED BULL, page 2 TOMORROW’S WEATHER:
When Ilya Zusin decided to buy 2.6 acres of downtown College Park to build housing for 600 to 700 students, he said was trying to fill a need left by the university’s housing crunch. But Zusin’s planned project — a high-rise building at the site of the Maryland Book Exchange — is just one of many new student apartment buildings that have recently opened or are already under construction in College Park, leaving some developers and city officials wondering how much new housing the area really needs. The University View just opened its second building and is working on a third. Nearby on Route 1, the Varsity at College Park and Starview Plaza are starting to go up. The university’s Oakland Hall dorm is coming along steadily. Mazza Grandmarc is now leasing its apart-
ments a little farther north. Combined, these projects and Zusin’s will bring nearly 6,000 student beds to the area. The student housing shortfall has its roots in the early 1990s, said Mike Glowacki, assistant to the director of the Resident Life Department. That was when waitlists for on-campus housing first developed. Since that time, a housing lottery for upperclassmen has forced many students off the campus, and until recently, off-campus housing options were largely limited to aging apartments or rented single-family homes. But is the influx of new housing over-correcting for the shortage? “That’s the question of the moment,” College Park planning director Terry Schum said. Student housing “used to be a sure bet when
see HOUSING, page 2
Mazza Grandmarc on Route 1, which is now leasing apartments, is one of several student housing projects that leave some questioning just how many the city needs. MATTHEW CREGER/THE DIAMONDBACK
Successful farmers’ market will return to campus twice in the fall Organizers aim to teach students the importance of eating locally grown produce BY ALICIA MCCARTY Staff writer
After hosting a popular farmers’ market at the university in April, a healthy living advocacy group plans to hold at least two more market days during the fall semester, working toward a goal of holding the markets every week, university officials said. The events are scheduled for Tuesdays Sept. 28 and Oct. 19, according to Shirlene Chase, the assistant director for Dining Services who is coordinating the markets with the university Wellness Coalition and students. Although organizers haven’t yet picked a loca-
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tion for the fall, Chase said students can expect the events to be similar to April’s, which was held in honor of Earth Day on Hornbake Plaza. At that market, 15 vendors gave cooking demonstrations and sold plants, crafts and food. Organizers received positive feedback from both students and vendors, and much of the market’s inventory was gone by 2 p.m. The location at the center of the campus, organizers said, was key to the market’s success, and they hope to hold the fall markets in a convenient and central location on the campus. Also, because April’s market was held in the spring before farming season, the market lacked
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fresh produce, something organizers are looking forward to including in the fall markets. Tracy Zeeger, co-chair of the Wellness Coalition, said one of the main goals of holding a farmers’ market is making healthy foods and fresh produce accessible to students. “The market is also a great educational opportunity,” she said. “We can teach students about the importance of eating locally grown foods, as well as offer tips and ideas on what to do with the foods purchased at the market in their own kitchens.” Senior environmental science and technology
see MARKET, page 7 www.diamondbackonline.com