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TIME OF THE SEASON

DETAILS FOR GOALS Women’s soccer looking to straighten out offense

Awards, flicks and blockbusters clash in fall movie preview

SPORTS | PAGE 14

DIVERSIONS | PAGE 7

THE DIAMONDBACK THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2008

City officials divided over downtown hotel plan

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

99TH YEAR | ISSUE NO. 3

Turner regains starting position

Supporters say hotel could help downtown compete with East Campus project BY BRADY HOLT Senior staff writer

The City of College Park’s plan to redevelop its downtown City Hall property into a luxury hotel may be threatened by dissent among city officials and a lack of developer interest. City officials hope to have a full-service luxury hotel downtown — a Hilton or similar — that would be used by dignitaries visiting the university and may help revitalize the downtown area. Although the 38-acre East Campus development is just a few blocks north of the City Hall site and will likely include a hotel, East Campus developers support a downtown hotel. Local support for East Campus had been contingent on keeping the existing downtown area competitive rather than allowing all business activity to move up the road. Under its plan, the city would sell its property and arrange for a new developer to buy out several storefronts that separate the city property from Route 1, between Lehigh and Knox Roads, including Subway and Smoothie King. But city officials disagree on several aspects of the project. City Planning Director Terry Schum clashed sharply with Mayor Stephen Brayman at a recent council meeting when the mayor asked her to narrow down seven “expressions of interest” the city received from developers about the possible project.

Please See HOTEL, Page 2

2008 FOOTBALL

Steffy fractured thumb, out indefinitely BY ERIC DETWEILER Senior staff writer

Student fees now cover CRS fitness classes

When Terrapin quarterback Jordan Steffy told Chris Turner to warm up because he’d injured his thumb early in the third quarter of Saturday’s game against Delaware, the backup was skeptical. Turner expected to play at some point this season, but he didn’t think it would be so soon. “I said, ‘All right. I’ll start warming up, but keep rolling. Keep going. You’re

Change aims to make gym services fair for both sexes BY ALYSSA ZELEZNIK Staff writer

All group fitness classes will be offered for free beginning this semester as part of a decision Campus Recreation Services made in May 2007. Group fitness classes, such as aerobics, yoga and kick-boxing, traditionally cost about $1 per class. Now, instead of charging students for the classes, gym membership fees will increase by $1.50, Brent Flynn, assistant director of business for CRS, said. Though CRS has been planning this policy since 2007, this is the first semester students can participate in these classes for free, said Miranda Giossi, coordinator of fitness programs. The issue arose when some staff voiced concerns that usually male-dominated intramural sports are offered for free while mostly female fitness classes were charged, Flynn said. To make things more equitable between the genders, CRS proposed group fitness classes be free as well. Staff then

Univ. gives some students iPhones, iPods BY CHRIS YU Staff writer

The university gave away free mobile Internet devices to select students in an effort to see if such tools can enhance the learning experiences of its users, a school official said. Called the Mobility Initiative,

Please See IPOD, Page 3

Please See FITNESS, Page 3

TOMORROW’S WEATHER:

Sunny/80s

INDEX

being tough,’” Turner said. “[Steffy] did a good job. He was hurt most of the third quarter.” Wednesday, coach Ralph Friedgen named Turner, who started the Terps’ final eight games last season but lost his spot to Steffy in a preseason competition, as the starting quarterback for Saturday’s game at Middle Tennessee State. He also revealed Steffy will be out indefinitely with a fractured right thumb. The injury will require surgery after

Please See TURNER, Page 8

BY THE NUMBERS

Summer car thefts, burglaries increase BY KYLE GOON Staff writer

Police spokesman Paul Dillon remembers how summer crime went in College Park 20 years ago. “Ghost town,” he said. “There was hardly anything going on at all.” Nowadays, the university is more active year-round and has more programs during the summer months. As a result, although summer is quieter than spring and fall, crime no longer disappears with the students. University Police crime statistics showed increases in burglaries and motor vehicle thefts this summer compared to recent years. A crime blotter shows 20 cases of burglary during August, the most cases in one summer

NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 OPINION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

FEATURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 CLASSIFIED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

month since June 2006. Five motor vehicle thefts were reported each in June and July. However, the most common crime at the university, theft, fell for the second summer in a row. Dillon said this year’s crime totals are roughly comparable to the numbers at this time of year in 2007, when on-campus crime reached a 10-year low. “We are hopeful that the numbers stay down and we have another year similar to 2007,” Dillon said. Theft between January and August dropped from 264 cases last year to 232 this year. Despite 10 stolen vehicles this June and July, motor vehicle thefts so far in 2008

Please See STATS, Page 3 DIVERSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . .7 SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

232 Thefts reported between Jan. and Aug. 2008

264 Thefts reported between Jan. and Aug. 2007

368 Property crimes reported between Jan. and Aug. 2008

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