VISIT LOCAL ART
EXHIBITS DURING
MARCH MUSEUM
MONTH» PAGE 16
Sophomore
remembered
after death
ALISSA KATZ
Associate News Editor
Sophomore Coleatha Wilson was a friend, active
resident and dedicated member of several groups on
campus. Those who knew her will remember "Coley"
for her allegiance and other qualities as they cope
with her unexpected death.
According to Marina Cooper, assistant to the presi¬
dent for external relations and communications, a
9-1-1 call was made at 12:31 p.m. Thursday. The call
reported Wilson was experiencing seizure-like condi¬
tions in front of Richmond Hall. She was transported
via ambulance to St. Joseph Medical Center and was
pronounced dead less than two hours later.
"It appears to have been a medical condition, but
the hospital isn’t releasing any information because
[determining the cause of] the death is the job of the
state medical examiner," Deb Moriarty, vice president
for student affairs, said.
Wilson, a Residence Tower resident, worked at
the Newell Hall community center desk and was a
member of the Black Student Union and the Student
Achieve Goals through Education program.
BSU president, senior and friend Deverick Murray
met Wilson last year through SAGE. The last time he
saw her was Wednesday night at a BSU meeting.
"She was just saying things that were smart, and it
made me feel like she really developed and matured as
a person from when I first met her last year, to now,"
he said. "[She was] actually ... speaking with a loud
voice at BSU. I remembered she used to be a little
quiet and shy. It made me feel like she was coming
out of her shell."
Sophomore community center co-worker Jarvis
Julien had known Wilson since the beginning of the
fall 2009 semester.
“She was a very nice girl, all around very sweet,"
he said. "She put a smile on many of the residents’
faces because she was always smiling, and laughing
and talking to the residents."
See WILSON, page 10
Courtesy of facebook.com
Sophomore Coleatha Wilson was a member of
the Student Achieve Goals through Education
program at Towson University.
THE
BURDEN
OF DEBT
$b0i000 IN
RED
TU STUDENT
VALID FROM EXPIRES END
□3/1D-D3/74
Photo illustration by Ben Exler/ The Towerlight
Cost of college education keeps students
working longer, paying more for loans
ALISSA KATZ
Associate News Editor
In his last year of college, senior
mass communication and electronic
media and film major Josh Flynn is
living off more than ramen noodles.
Federal aid and private loans have put
Flynn about $60,000 in the red.
"It’s pretty tough to swallow coming
out of college," he said.
Students around the country are
tied to a frustrating catch-22. Although
many of them are going to college to
earn a degree in their desired field,
they’ll be working a portion of their
professional life to pay off the money
they used to get there.
"My parents can’t pay for any of my
schooling," Flynn said. "They help me
out a little bit by paying my cell phone
bill and car insurance, but other than
that, I’m on my own."
In comparison to other states nation¬
wide, the average Maryland student
debt runs about $18,647, making it the
37th state with the highest amount of
debt, according to projectionstudent-
debt.org.
Flynn’s loans, some of which come
from the largest private student lender
Sallie Mae, are deferred until after
graduation, he said, but some have
been accruing interest.
"I’m definitely apprehensive about
[paying off debt],” he said. "It’s a
pretty confusing process considering
how many different lenders I’ve had to
use. I’m not looking forward to getting
together all that paperwork and finding
out how much money I actually owe
those people."
The Bursar's Office had transferred
329 student accounts that had debt
from the Fall 2009 semester to the
Central Collection Unit of the State
of Maryland as of Tuesday, March 2,
Thom Ruby, director of the Bursar’s
Office said.
“It’s a pretty confus¬
ing process consider¬
ing how many different
lenders I’ve had to use.
I’m not looking forward
to getting together all
that paperwork and
finding out how much
money I actually owe
those people.”
JOSH FLYNN
Senior , mass communication,
electronic media and film
On May 22, 2009, President
Barack Obama signed the Credit Card
Accountability Responsibility and
Disclosure Act, which went into effect
Feb. 22. It’s primarily designed to cut
fees associated with credit cards, but
it had a specific provision to decrease
debt among college students.
"The act contains new protections
for college students and young adults,
including a requirement that card issu¬
ers and universities disclose agree¬
ments with respect to the marketing
or distribution of credit cards to stu¬
dents," according to a White House
official press statement released May
22, 2009.
One particular area of the CARD Act
directly affects students who are under
21 years old.
"The new law prevents creditors from
providing a credit card to anyone under
21 years of age who cannot show they
earn enough to pay off a credit card
balance," Nancy Stark, community out¬
reach representative for the Consumer
Credit Counseling Service of Maryland
and Delaware, Inc., said.
If students can’t prove this, they will
need a co-signer. The co-signer is then
attached to the credit card for as long
as the student possesses it.. Any time
the credit card holder wants to raise
the credit limit, the co-signer has to
approve of the increase, too.
Credit card companies now have to
give students a breakdown on their
bills, showing how long it will take to
pay off if a student chooses only to pay
the minimum as well.
Deanna Booker, quality improvement
See DEBT, page 8
