The Towerlight (Oct. 4, 2016)

Towson’s campus and community news source

Til ti ng the B a la n c e

TheTowerlight.com

October 4, 2016

Meet the man behind the mysterious rock sculptures on campus, pg.13 Photo By Cody Boteler, Photo Illustration by Jordan Stephenson /The Towerlight

2

October 4 , 2016

Advertising

Social

October 4, 2016

Week of 10/4 - 10/8

WEEKLY

Editor-in-Chief Cody Boteler Senior Editor Sam Shelton

CALENDAR

News Editor Sarah Rowan Arts & Life Editor Assit. Arts Editors Taylor Deville Kristin Helf Sports Editor Jordan Cope

OCT Staff Writers Lauren Cosca Nick Mason Sydney Douglass Desmond Boyle Alaina Tepper

4

Bailey Hendricks Theresa Schempp Mary-Ellen Davis Jessica Ricks Sarah Van Wie Amanda Carrol

Cephalopods of the Atlantic Canyons Smith 359, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Join Elizabeth Shea from the Delaware Museum of Natural History to discuss and learn about the biodiversity of deep-sea creatures that live in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean.

Kayaking Clinic

Burdick Pool, 8:30-10:30 p.m.

Nicole Shakhnazarova

OCT Senior Staff Writer Nilo Exar Photo Editor Chris Simms

6

Assist. Photo Editor Alex Best Staff Photographers Cody Boteler Mark Dragon Sam Shelton Stephanie Ranque Video Producer Stacey Coles

OCT

8

Proofreaders Tyisha Henderson Kayla Baines Sarah Rowan Alaina Tepper

I <3 Female Orgasm

Learn the fundamentals of river kayaking in the controlled environment of a pool. Participants must bring their own bathing suit and towel, but registration is not required.

OCT

5

Stephens Hall Theatre 7 p.m-9p.m.

Sex educators Rachel Dart and Marshall Miller promise laughs and learning as they discuss the female orgasm. Get there early for a free T-shirt. Also on Oct. 5 at the same time and place.

Open Forum with Kim Schatzel Union, Chesapeake Rooms 10-11:30 a.m.

Fall Career and Internship Fair SECU Arena noon-3 p.m.

Students and alumni from all majors can come and meet over 200 employers for networking, internship and career opportunities. For help getting ready, you can email careercenter@ towson.edu.

OCT

7

Students, families and guests will have the chance to meet and chat with Kim Schatzel, Towson’s fourteenth president. RSVP online.

General Manager Mike Raymond

TOWSON

Art Director Jordan Stephenson

TRENDING

Webmaster Lola Akinleye Circulation Staff Shawn Halerz Nilo Exar Abubakary Kaba Alicia DePasquale

Thinking about the election...

8000 York Road University Union Room 309 Towson, MD 21252 (410) 704-5153 editor@thetowerlight.com thetowerlight.com The Towerlight print edition is published by students of Towson University on Tuesdays.

The Towerlight is owned by nonprofit Baltimore Student Media Inc., BaltimoreStudentMedia.com.

The Towerlight’s advertising deadlines are firm: Wednesday noon for space; Friday noon for art.

Cllassifieds appear onlline and in print and are self-service at TheTowerlight.com/classifieds.

We encourage letters to the editor and online feedback.

Commentaries, letters to the editor, editorial cartoons and other editorials express the opinions of their authors and not necessarily the views of the newspaper.

The Towerlight does not discriminate based on age, color, condition of handicap, marital status, national origin, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. ©2016 by The Towerlight, 8000 York Rd, Towson, MD 21252. All rights reserved.

Please Recycle!

HEY TOWSON COME REGISTER TO VOTE TODAY!!!

@BethanyMcGlyn_

Remember to get registered to vote & tune in with us to the next 2 debates!

@HerCampusTowson

In 2008, 6 million Americans didn’t vote because they missed a registration deadline or didn’t know how to register. #NVRD

@NAACPTowson

Hotdog man out Towson said he was voting for trump and people got out of line @_TreyTribble

3

4

Opinion

October 4, 2016

What makes a winner?

Towerlight columnists weigh in on the Sept. 26 presidential debate MATT TEITELBAUM Columnist

Sept. 26 was a good day for Hillary Clinton.

She played a sort of low risk, preventative defense in her first bout with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

With a few exceptions, she never went for Trump’s jugular with a zinger. Instead, she tried to look dismissive of him, at times even visibly joyful at his testiness. Testy Trump is what Clinton and her team wanted, and it’s exactly what they got on debate night.

Clinton also appealed to key voting blocs with an impassioned defense of a Latina beauty contestant whom Trump allegedly referred to as “Miss Piggy” and “Miss Housekeeping.” This was her strongest moment, and it was one of the few where she stepped out from an otherwise measured demeanor.

Many observers had wondered if Trump might trot out a sort of Trump 2.0 at the first debate. After all, it was to be the first time many Americans would fully come to terms with the fact that one of these two individuals will be elected the next leader of the free world.

Whether he was even attempting to do so or not, Trump failed to look presidential. He looked like the same Trump who verbally attacked his opponents in the Republican primaries and

referenced the size of his genitals in previous televised debates.

It wasn’t a knockout blow, as Trump was attentive and aggressive enough to prevent the debate from becoming a true embarrassment to his campaign. However, his clear and decisive defeat by Clinton before a massive television audience is likely to blunt the momentum he had going into it.

Clinton saw her lead from the summer depleted to a dead heat with Trump in recent weeks. Now, the polls will likely shift back in her direction. If she wins the remaining presidential debates on Oct. 9 and 19, it’s hard to see how Trump could cobble together enough votes to win the election.

There is also a vice presidential debate between Sen. Tim Kaine and Gov, Mike Pence on Oct. 4. History shows this debate is unlikely to significantly sway the electorate.

Put frankly, if the race is tied before the debates and one candidate decisively wins all three, they’re all but certain to win the election.

This is rarely the case, however.

President Barack Obama clearly lost his first presidential general election debate to Republican Mitt Romney. He went on to rebound in later debates and win the election.

Trump will need to demonstrate a similar ability to bounce back from a sub-par performance, if he wants to win.

DYLAN BRENNAN Columnist

The debates last week didn’t help me decide who to vote for president next month at all. Clinton was her usual smarmy self, acting all calm and collected, but still leaving her sincerity at the door.

Trump was his usual self, acting boisterous and rude, and still acting like he was the victim.

I’ll even eat my words from my last article by stating that Trump looked sicker than Clinton, with his constant water-drinking and sniffling.

All that the news is covering after the debates is the years-old scandals and controversies that have nothing to do with the presidential position at all. Neither of these should take up the airwaves when we have so many problems at hand in 2016.

If you are like me and could care less about who they are as people, but rather who they are as leaders, then let us go to the small portion of the debate where they actually discussed important things. These issues were the economy, race relations and national security.

The one that the American public usually cares about the most is the economy, and thankfully that was before the mud started to fling. Clinton kept her ‘everything is great’ stance, while Trump kept his ‘everything is terrible’ stance, so you can wager who I think won that argument. With a national debt expected to be over 20 trillion by year’s end, how could anyone say things aren’t terrible?

The race relations debate was pathetic to me.

Clinton kept going off on weightless soundbites that everyone has heard before, while Trump proposed new and unwise police tactics, specifically stop & frisk. Stop & frisk was used in New York City but was later dropped when the courts deemed it unconstitutional due to the high percentage of minorities that were targeted.

One of the rare points in the debate that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton actually agreed upon was on improving the relationship between police departments and the communities they serve.

Reinstituting Stop & Frisk would further polarize the two sides and lead to more distrust.

The third topic was barely addressed at all. By then, an hour had gone by, and Trump’s thin veil of patience had long been cast away. The last half hour was basically a verbal food fight, where no productive conversation was discussed.

To keep it short, I’ll just say that the debate was practically pointless, and you didn’t miss anything worthwhile if you didn’t see it. All we got was more reason to despise either candidate more. If you think that Clinton was more calm and collected and didn’t go on tirades, so she should be president, fine.

If you think that Trump brought up very good points and is likely more fit to fix the economy and possibly defense, and therefore should be president, fine. But I would honestly base your choices for voting on nearly anything but this debate.

Why having a sorority twin is the best thing ever When I joined a sorority, I knew that I would get a big and that I might eventually get a little, but I had no idea that I would also get a twin.

It was big/little week when I first learned that I had a twin. This girl I had never seen before walked up to me and whispered, “Hey. I think we might

be twins.”

I was totally baffled. I had no idea who this person was, and I was kind of freaked out by the idea that I had to share my big with someone else.

I asked this random girl (somewhat defensively, I’ll admit) why she thought that we were twins. She told me that we had gotten all the same gifts so far, and our rooms had been decorated similarly. Well, crap, I thought. A few

minutes later we were delivered matching canvases that read: “Sisters are forever, Twins are even better.” I was officially stuck with a twin.

Luckily, we were able to get to know each other a bit more that day. I liked my future twin instantly, but it took me a while to be sold on the actual concept of having a twin. Yet, as we were making small talk, it came out that we had the same obscure favorite

animal: manatees.

From there, we realized that we had a lot more in common than just our shared loved for manatees. We were both into the arts, were terrible at talking to boys, had the same major (and even previous major), and now we were in the same sorority and sharing the same big.

Fast forward to now, about six months later. My twin is now one of

my best friends. We do everything together. I mean, seriously. Everything.

We have sleepovers, complain about our lives to each other, share clothes, force our big to make us late-night mac ‘n cheese. You get the idea. She is undoubtedly one of my favorite people (even if she does steal my clothes and drives me crazy sometimes). And y’know what? I wouldn’t trade having a twin for anything in the world.

Opinion

October 4, 2016

5

Get talking and get tested Lay off Hillary Do you <3 female orgasms? Of course you do. And you’re in luck, because this Wednesday, Oct. 5, and Thursday, Oct. 6, the I <3 Female Orgasm presentation is coming to Stephens Hall at 7 p.m.

It’s hosted by sex educators Rachel Dart and Marshall Miller, who just want to talk to you about female sexuality in all of its wonderful, intricate aspects. The program is super informative and hilarious, and I can’t recommend it enough!

Now that I’ve got you all thinking about sexuality, let’s talk about expressing your own sexuality in a way that keeps you and your partner(s) safe.

First of all, ANYONE can get an STI. Statistically speaking, 1 in 3 people will be affected by HPV, the most common STI, in their lifetimes.

We need to stop treating these infections like the plague. They’re so, so common! Having a sexually transmitted infection doesn’t mean you’re dirty, and you shouldn’t feel ashamed.

While the nasty stigma on STIs needs to be shattered, the infections themselves are still unpleas-

ant to deal with. So how do you keep yourself STI-free?

First of all, get yourself tested regularly. If you’re monogamous, you should go once a year. If you’re not, a good rule of thumb is to go when you become sexually active with a new partner. If you have a new partner once a month (get it, bae), get yourself tested once a month.

Secondly, use protection! Birth control pills, patches, rings, IUDs, etc., will help prevent against pregnancy but they do not prevent STIs. Only condoms and dental dams can do that.

Don’t forget that you can get STIs from oral sex, too.

Third, talk to your partner about their sexual history. I know it seems really awkward, especially if you don’t know them that well, but honestly that’s when you really need to talk to them.

Which is worse: taking a second to ask about when they were last tested and if they’ve had other partners since then, or potentially dealing with the physical discomfort and medical awkwardness of getting an STI? If you’re seeing the person outside of just the bedroom, talk to them when you’re in a super casual setting.

Talk to them about it while you’re waiting for Netflix to load or while

you’re getting coffee.

Another good way to bring it up if you don’t feel comfortable straight up asking is to offer to get tested together.

Then you’ll know you’re healthy and that your partner is healthy. Win-win.

The way I see it, if you’re comfortable and confident enough to do the do with this person, you should be comfortable and confident enough to just say, “Hey, I know this sounds awkward, but when were you last tested?”

Don’t be worried about ruining the chemistry, because nothing ruins the chemistry quite like herpes. If the person is too offended to respond or refuses, then they’re immature or hiding something, and you just stopped yourself from making a mistake.

Unfortunately, not everyone is honest. Just talking isn’t going to keep you 100 percent safe all of the time. That’s why getting yourself tested and using protection is important. It’s so important that I can’t even think of a word that properly expresses just how important it is. It’s supercalifradulisticexpealimportant.

Talk to your partner(s), check out I <3 Female Orgasm this week, and go (safely) express that sexuality like you’ve never expressed it before.

Illustration by Daniel Andrews/ The Towerlight

Clinton’s health AYANA BOWMAN Student

Hillary Clinton has been in the public eye since 1992, but you could argue that she has been a prominent figure in society for far longer than that. Throughout her time as a public figure she has collected an overwhelming amount of achievements. Yes, she has not been without controversy, and I cannot say I agree with every position she has taken.

However, I believe in growth, and that someone can genuinely change their position on a topic. I can understand a thoughtful discussion on Clinton’s platform, or even a discussion of Clinton’s past positions. What I cannot stand is reading another sexist article masked under a thin veil of conservatism.

“Talking about the candidate’s condition: Towerlight columnist skeptical about Hillary Clinton’s health” is another article in the bastion of articles that subject Clinton to a ridiculous level of scrutiny simply because she is a woman and because she represents the Democratic Party. This column cites as evidence of Clinton’s poor health the supposed fact that she has fallen down five times in the past eight years. I, a 21-year-old woman of excellent health, have too fallen more than five times in the past eight years. A quick survey of the other women I know reveals that they too have fallen down at least five times in the past eight years. The only reason there are no articles citing how many times I have fallen down in the past eight years is because I am not subjected to constant media attention.

If there was a Towerlight reporter following me around 24/7, there would be at least one article a week citing my impending death because I tripped in front of the CLA, again.

In the past eight years, I have been sick several times. In fact, during the spring of 2015, I went to Patient First five times. Why? Because I was sick with a cough. Why did I have a cough?

Because in the winter people get sick.

Do I believe that I am facing death or am in some other way unfit to attend class or continue existing? No. People get sick. They get better. We all continue going about with our day.

My favorite medical issue cited in this piece are those of Clinton’s supposed “seizures.” I am all too familiar

with the idea of Clinton’s “seizures.”

However, I have seen them used as evidence that the Illuminati exists and replaces prominent politicians and celebrities with clones. When these “seizures” occur, the clone is glitching.

So, what you have cited as evidence of more medical issues, has also been cited by tinfoil skeptics of the illuminati. If this sounds wacky to you, then I invite you to watch “The Secret Society of the Illuminati” by Buzzfeed. Fun fact: Beyoncé has also been filmed zoning out and nodding her head in the same manner. Yet, no one is claiming that Beyoncé suffers from poor health.

Your confidence in your own medical ability is interesting, however completely without any medical background.

This response is not meant in a partisan manner, in fact, I am challenging you, Mr. Brennan, to stop wasting time analyzing articles to count how many times Clinton has fallen, coughed, or appeared to zone out, and instead write a piece about Clinton’s policy.

As a young woman, articles such as this not only drive me mad, they truly make me sad. I want to believe that we live in a world where men and women are treated equally. Yet, daily I am reminded that this is not true.

I would love to turn this letter into a tirade about feminism and the personal scrutiny myself and many other women I know have faced. I would love to rant about how absolutely and utterly violating being cat-called makes a woman feel. I would love to rant about the double standards in the workplace. I would love to discuss the way men and women are socialized as children and how that contributes to the perpetuation of sexism. However, there is simply not enough time in the day to discuss all of those things, plus The Towerlgiht has Deep Fried Feminism to delve into those issues.

Finally, although the author of this piece many not have meant for it to have such a sexist tone, it still contributes to the overwhelming scrutiny women are subjected to on a daily basis.

I thoroughly look forward to using his article, as well as the 2008 Washington Post article about Hillary Clinton’s cleavage, as kindling next time I am making a bonfire.

--To read the rest of this letter online, visit thetowerlight.com

6

Advertising

October 4 , 2016

EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO DO events.towson.edu

News

October 4, 2016

7

TU confirms investigation of bias incident Towson University officials reaffirmed Monday that the “investigation into last week’s incident is continuing, as part of the university’s improved hate-bias reporting process.”

This comes after Towson University officials confirmed Friday that there is an ongoing investigation into an incident in an on-campus garage that was posted about on Twitter.

A Towson student under the Twitter handle @Cattt_may, who The Towerlight has identified as Catrina Williams, said another student called her a racial slur and yelled other obscenities at her over a parking spot.

According to Williams’ Twitter, the other student, “got out of her car to approach mine screaming” obscenities after Williams had asked her to back up.

Williams tagged Towson University in the tweet and someone monitoring the account responded, saying Williams could report the incident if she felt it was warranted.

“We are concerned about what was posted on social media and we want to determine the facts as quickly as

possible,” Towson University Senior Director of Communications Ray Feldmann said in an email.

Williams did not respond to a request for comment.

The Towerlight reached out to the student who was accused of using a racial slur on Twitter after she was identified by other users of the site.

The woman said she did not want to be named or to have any information about her discussed.

According to Williams, the woman who used the slur approached Williams’ vehicle “acting innocent on camera” after the incident.

President of the Black Student Union, Sey Elemo (also a former Towerlight contributor), said that the BSU reported the videos of the incident on Twitter to Associate Vice President of Campus Life Teri Hall and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs & Diversity Santiago Solis and will follow up to make sure that there is an investigation.

The TU chapter of the NAACP also reached out to Williams on Twitter to offer help.

Feldmann said that it is not necessarily a prerequisite for a report to be filed before the University starts an investigation into hate/bias incidents, but that every situation is different.

Screenshot via @Cattt_may

Towson student Catrina Williams tags Towson University in a tweet saying that another student called her a racial slur and yelled other obscenities during a confrontation over a parking spot.

Educator, activist challenges oppression CSD diversity speaker presents Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes exercise

Lecturer and activist Jane Elliott presented “The Anatomy of Prejudice,” a discussion on challenging societal systems of oppression, Sept. 28 in SECU arena.

Elliot is a former third-grade teacher, as well as an anti-racist educator, feminist and LGBTQ+ activist.

In the presentation, Elliott discussed her most notable exercise – the “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes” exercise.

She created the exercise after the death of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. “I was furious,” Elliott said. “I was instantly furious.”

The day after King’s death,

Elliott wanted to make her thirdgrade students feel what it felt like to be discriminated against for a physical characteristic over which they had no control.

“I had to try to explain to my third graders why MLK Jr. was in the street and how it would feel to be treated the way we treated black people at that time. And the way we’re still treating black people at this time,” Elliott said.

According to Elliott, the exercise created a “microcosm of society” that represented the way many people in the United States treat minorities as a whole.

Elliott described this as a “nationwide experiment.”

“If what I do in that short two hours with adults is an experiment, and it’s a microcosm of society, then what we have been doing in this country for 400 years is an experiment,” Elliott said.

“

For the first part of the experiment, blue-eyed children were treated better than brown-eyed ones.

Some people prefer ignorance. You can’t solve their problems.

The way you behave today is going to determine how you’re treated in the future.

JANE ELLIOTT Lecturer and activist

Blue-eyed students got to go to lunch first, got more recess time and could drink from the water fountain without using a cup.

Brown-eyed students went to lunch after blue-eyed students, had

less recess time and could only use the water fountain with a cup.

The blue-eyed students discriminated against the brown-eyed students during the first week of the experiment.

For the second part of the experiment, the roles switched.

Elliott was surprised when the brown-eyed people didn’t try to seek revenge.

She said it was because the brown-eyed students didn’t want to make the blue-eyed students feel the way they made them feel.

After she introduced the event, Elliott and her family experienced backlash from the community when her parents lost their business and her children were severely bullied by other members of their class.

“There are lots of people who grow older in this country, but not many who grow up,” Elliott said.

Elliot also discussed issues of

sexism, ageism, homophobia and ethnocentrism during the event.

“These differences are important,” Elliott said. “See them.

Recognize them. Enjoy them.”

Students were expected to stay for the whole duration of the event and were not allowed to get up to use the bathroom during the event.

“It was totally worth it, I just was really needing to pee by the end,” senior Dan Bowley said. “But it was perfect.”

Elliott also encouraged students to vote during this year’s presidential election.

She said that this election will not only determine what happens over the next four years, but will affect what happens hundreds of years from now, and that some people don’t realize this.

“Some people prefer ignorance.

You can’t solve their problems,” Elliott said.

8Advertising October 4 , 2016

News February 17, 2015

11

Towerlight TheTowerlight.com/classifieds

CLASSIFIEDS help wanted INTERNSHIPADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS Our company has been steadily growing in Towson for the past 29 years. We have a department within our company that is a data entry level position that consists of: •Logging in legal court papers from the District Court, Circuit Court and Federal Courts level •Memorandums to be meticulously written and forwarded to our clients/law firms •Internet investigative research, contact with the defendants/ witnesses and written reports on non-served cases For more information, please contact us. David Kopel 410-823-4444 ext 118 David@legalpapers.net DOCTOR’S OFFICE Assist doctor with patient care in busy Lutherville practice.

Perfect for pre-Physician Assistant or pre-nursing student.

Hours needed are Monday afternoons, Tuesdays AM or PM and Thursdays AM or PM daytime hours.

Contact tereserobinson@gmail. com or 410 812-7863.

GET PAID To Try Our Toothpaste www.product-study.com

hw-childcare ARE YOU ORGANIZED? Mom of older girls and cat needs help with childcare and some errands. $14/hr + gas $.

This is a year-round position, so looking for local person.

We are near Beltway exit 22, Pikesville.

Call 410-336-9515 and leave a message if I can’t pick up.

Thanks!

housing 902 DARTMOUTH ROAD 4 BR House for rent near TU. Garage & off-street parking. Pet friendly. Family room/living room Washer/ dryer $1,700 + Utilities Kyra: 410-532-2395 404 LYMAN AVE Duplex 3 BR (two story apartment) Living room/ dining room Outdoor deck Off street parking. 1 bath Washer/ dryer/ dish washer.

Back yard $1,200 + Utilities Kyra: 410-532-2395

Prof. co-founds representation org In an effort to increase media inclusivity and representation for disabled people, Towson journalism professor Beth Haller and two associates have co-founded the Global Alliance for Disability in Media and Entertainment.

“People with disabilities should be telling their own stories,” Haller said.

“There should be actors with disabilities, directors with disabilities, journalists with disabilities.”

According to Haller, the portrayal of people with disabilities by able-bodied actors is what the disability community calls “cripping up.”

According to a 2015 report by GLAAD, less than one percent of characters on television during the 2015-2016 season had a disability.

According to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2010, 19 percent of the U.S. population had a disability.

Of the characters with disabilities who are represented, only five percent of those characters with disabilities are played by actors with disabilities,

according to a July study by Ruderman White Paper.

In 1989, Haller attended University of Maryland for her master’s degree and wrote her thesis on the media coverage of the Deaf President Now movement that occurred at Gallaudet University in 1988. Together with co-founders Patricia Almeida and Cátia Malaquias, Haller hopes to use GADIM to expand the conversation about people with disabilities worldwide.

“There was finally a lot of talk about groups that weren’t covered very well by the media like the African American community or the Hispanic community or women,” Haller said.

“And I was like, ‘well, where’s the studies looking at how people with different disabilities are covered?’ There hardly were any, so I liked doing things that nobody else did.”

Almeida, whose 12-year-old daughter Amanda has Down Syndrome, was disappointed by the virtually nonexistent representation of people with disabilities in media.

“I quickly realized that the disability was in society, not in my daughter,” Almeida said in an email.

Prior to creating GADIM, Almeida

collaborated with two other mothers of children with Down Syndrome to create the Metasocial Institute to promote media inclusivity for people with disabilities in Brazil.

MetaSocial Institute was an advisor for popular Brazilian soap opera “Paginas da Vida.” The show featured a storyline about a baby with Down Syndrome who was adopted by a nurse at the hospital where she was born.

Almeida, who is a journalist, said the character—who went on to be played by a child actor with Down Syndrome—was well-received by viewers and positively influenced the perception of people with Down Syndrome in Brazil.

“Most people don't have anything against people with disabilities,” Almeida said. “They just are not used to being around them.”

Malaquias, an Australian lawyer, had a similar reaction as Almeida did after noticing the lack of representation of people with disabilities in advertising. She reached out to the Australian clothing brand eeni meeni miini moh to express her concerns.

-To read the rest of this article online, visit thetowerlight.com.

Black Minds Matter launches

Hire@TU Hire TU Free, online job and internship database

offering 1,000s of opportunities for TU students Log in with your NetID at

www.towson.edu/careercenter

Matt Awoyera/ The Towerlight The Black Minds Matter campaign launches at a resource fair Sept. 29 on the second floor of the University Union. Organizations such as the Black Student Union, Sisterhood, Brotherhood, the Counseling Center and the SGA departments of Health and Wellness and Diversity Outreach volunteered. The purpose of the fair was to educate and challenge students on the different mental health issues and stigmas that black college students face, according to the event page. It also showcased various health resources available to students on campus.

News

October 4, 2016

9

Office works toward Women leaders discuss success inclusion and equity

s

h

a d Dan Leonard was named as assisntant president of institutional equity in eDecember, and the division had a new office suite built for them over the sumdmer in the Administration Building.

Now, according to division officials, they’re working to stay ahead of the curve.

“We’re able to hone in and tarnget what we need to do to advance Towson in compliance,” Assistant gDirector of Institutional Equity ”Michelle Disson said. d The Office of Inclusion and Institutional Equity is charged with ,ensuring Towson complies with equal dopportunity law and investigating -discrimination and sexual harassnment complaints.’The office is hosteing sexual misconduct training for faciulty and staff, to help them understand Title IX, how to be a good resource eand report incidents appropriately, on Oct. 11 and Nov. 4. Both trainings

will include open sessions for participants to ask questions. Deputy ADA Coordinator Crystal Tenan said that the OIE has gotten a lot of support from Towson President Kim Schatzel.

Tenan’s job means she works to ensure Towson is up to standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act so that campus is accessible. For Tenan and Towson, she said, that means both physical and digital accessibility.

Digital accessibility being websites and software that have ways for people who are differently-abled to be able to use them—be that larger text, a high contrast function or a program that can read text out loud.

Tenan said that, while Towson’s website is up to snuff with digital accessibility, every department has different programs that they use for instruction, which can make it difficult to make sure everything is accessible.

So far, Tenan said, the University has been pretty productive with addressing ableness.

-To read the rest of this article online, visit thetowerlight.com.

A group of local businesswomen advocated for working hard and always looking for new opportunities Monday, Sept. 26, during a College of Business and Economics panel celebrating women in leadership.

Hosted in Stephens Hall, the discussion was led by Director of Student Academic and Career Services Lisa Michocki and focused on personal branding methods and roads toward finding success.

Williams Adley Audit Manager Jessica Stewart said that she “lives by the motto of, ‘Great things never come from comfort zones.’”

“I’ve learned when I’m comfortable, I’m not learning and I’m not growing,” Stewart said. “I’ve definitely learned that when you’re being challenged, when you have to think outside the box, that’s how you learn and grow.”

Chief Product Officer for Sylvan Learning Sasha Shultz noted that risk-taking has been crucial to her career path.

“It’s manifested itself in a number of different ways,” Shultz said. “I’ve made path changes in industries, or even role changes and went into roles that didn’t even exist.”

Shultz also pointed out that leveraging networks was beneficial to her, especially the networks she created in her graduate and undergraduate years in college.

“

I’ve definitely learned that when you’re being challenged, when you have to think outside the box, that’s how you learn and grow.

JESSICA STEWART Audit Manager, Williams Adley

Panelists also answered questions about what traits and behaviors they had seen that often derailed good leaders.

President and CEO of EMD Sales Elda Devarie said that being “too com-

fortable in your position and whatever it is you’re doing after a year…[is] probably one of the biggest mistakes anyone can make.”

Devarie also advised students to work every day “like it’s the last day to show how good you are.”

Executive Vice President of The Harbor Bank of Maryland Carla Nealy added that there are certain traits that people need in order to be good leaders, including the ability to communicate and to empower people on staff.

“Sometimes as a leader you close yourself off in your office and people don’t feel like they can come talking to you,” Nealy said.

Panelists also spoke on what their respective organizations look for in new employees. Vice President of Human Resources from TEKsystems Faith Johnson said that open communication is an important factor.

“Being able to take feedback and just as important give feedback is critical in our organization,” Johnson said.

“The ability to take that feedback in the beginning, and give that feedback as you move up in the company, and still take it as you move up in the company, is critical.”

FULL-TIME AND INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERY MAJOR!

FALL CAREER &

Register by September 30 in Hire@TU and attend the job fair for a chance to win an iPad Mini.

INTERNSHIP . NOON–3 P.M. . SECU ARENA FRI., OCTOBER 7 FAIR towson.edu/careercenter

12

News

October 4 , 2016

Presidential challenge kicks off

Schatzel promotes culture of philanthropy Towson President Kim Schatzel recently introduced a Presidential Challenge as an incentive to promote participation in developing a culture of philanthropy within the university community.

For every 50 faculty or staff members who donate to Towson’s annual fund, Schatzel herself will donate $1,000, and up to $10,000 in total.

The challenge has become one of her eight presidential priorities, according to the website.

Regional, public campuses like Towson do not have a history of strong philanthropic cultures “largely because most of our funding came from the state,” Schatzel said.

Now, she says, changes in Towson’s funding have shifted so that 80 percent of the university’s funding comes from tuition and private support, not the state.

With only 20 percent of funding

coming from the state, Towson operates like a state school one out of every five business days.

Director of the Annual Campaign Brittany Shaff notes that Schatzel is the “first TU President ever to give such a challenge,” and that this really showcases the president’s commitment to philanthropy on campus.

Schatzel said that the monetary amount of a gift is secondary in importance to the act of giving itself.

“Whether $5, $50 or $500, just give something and participate in the campaign,” Schatzel said.

She said that each donation collectively adds up and builds momentum toward a greater investment in Towson students and Towson’s future.

Schatzel also said that she cannot imagine how faculty and staff would “not be able to find something [to donate to], especially since we work here and are part of the community.”

There are funds designated for every college, every academic department, scholarships, study abroad and

other funds that affect all aspects of the student experience. Both Schatzel and Shaff emphasized that all donors should focus on giving to the fund that is most meaningful to them.

Schatzel also noted that high rates of donor participation can “make a compelling case for other benefactors to support us,” which further strengthens the culture of philanthropy.

Shaff said that last year’s faculty and staff participation rate in donating to the annual fund was 24 percent.

This is a 7 percent increase from the previous year’s participation rate.

This year’s goal is for 800 faculty and staff to give, which would put the rate around 35 percent participating.

Schatzel said that she is grateful for everyone who has and will be participating in the Presidential Challenge and future philanthropic initiatives.

Their gifts and support “will make Towson a better place,” Schatzel said.

Sept. 30: In Douglass House, Baltimore County Police investigated a possible rape and determined the incident to be unfounded.

Sept. 28: At Cook Library, an unknown person damaged a computer screen.

Sept. 27: At Towson Center, a late report of an assault on an employee that happened in the spring was taken after the suspect came back to campus.

Sept. 26: At Carroll Hall, a resident student send unwanted/ threatening electronic pictures/videos to another resident student.

Sept. 24: At Towson Run, four resident students were referred to OSCCE for Alcohol Violation.

Sept. 23: At Tower B, a resident student was cited for a CDS violation.

Sept. 23: At the 7800 Building, a commuter student had his property taken after leaving it unattended. ept. 16: At West Village Garage, a staff member had several magnets taken from her vehicle.

Sept. 15: At West Village Commons, a resident student was assaulted by an unknown person.

Sept. 14: At Cross Campus Drive, two non-affiliates were seen assaulting each other.

Sept. 14: At the University Union, an unknown person used a stolen credit card to purchase books from the bookstore.

Sept. 14: At Marshall Hall, further investigation revealed that a broken window broke due to a defect.

Sept. 13: At Burdick Hall, a juvenile non-affiliate was charged with destruction of property.

TAP INTO WHAT’S HAPPENING ON CAMPUS AND BEYOND. Download The Buzz: Towson University and keep tabs on national headlines, local news and events around campus.

Sept. 13: At the Liberal Arts Building, a resident student and a juvenile were charged with destruction of property.

Sept. 12: At Tower D, one resident student was cited for CDS violation and three others were referred to OSCCE. Sept. 12: At Cross Campus Drive, a resident student was arrested for numerous destruction of properties on campus.

Sept. 12: At Union Garage, a resident student was arrested for numerous destruction of properties on campus.

The Towerlight’s “Police Blotter” is a representative sample of crimes occurring on and off campus. The blotter is not intended to be all inclusive.

For a list of all crime reports, visit www.towson.edu/police.

Arts

October 4, 2016

13

Finding peace through balance KRISTIN HELF Assistant Arts & Life Editor @kristinelise_

Sometimes you can catch the artist in the act, while other times they appear overnight, perched atop the ledge of the fountain outside of Towson’s University Union: stones that seem to defy gravity.

Senior early education major Tyler Bohn, who often does his building after late-night study sessions in the Center for the Arts, finds it calming.

“I’ve found it as an outlet for my ADHD,” he said. “A way to calm me down on an everyday basis, to be able to think clearly.”

Human-made piles of stones, used for centuries as landmarks, trail markers, for burial monuments and ceremonial purposes, among other things, are traditionally referred to as “cairns.”

Bohn simply calls what he does “rock balancing.” He began practicing the art two years ago, after a co-worker at Trader Joe’s told him about the cairn culture in Ellicott City.

“I found out the river in Ellicott City is dedicated to her father and they hold events annually,” Bohn said.

Ellicott City’s annual Patapsco River Rock Building event pays homage to local artisan Teddy Betts, who created sculptures like Bohn’s and was passionate about the upkeep of the Patapsco River watershed before his death in 2010.

“People from all around come and rock balance and make sculptures and do what I do to the best of their ability,” Bohn said. “I gave it a try one year and

found out I was really good at it, and I’ve been hooked ever since.”

For Bohn, the art form serves as a kind of meditation. He doesn’t think about anything while he’s stacking, aside from how he’ll perfectly line up his tripods, which are the large indentations in some rocks that allow others to stand upright.

The only frustration that Bohn feels when he’s at work is when a rock won’t balance.

“But it’s a good stress, not a bad stress,” he said. “And by the time I’m ready to balance that top rock, I usually layer and do one or two balances.

My mind is pretty at ease.”

Bohn says that rock balancing helps him focus and get through the day, which is essential when his days consist of eight or nine hours of homework.

He enjoys getting outside and seeing people's reactions.

“People that walk by think it’s cool and they ask me questions all the time, ask me how I do it,” he said. “But I kind of just do it as a self-calming thing.”

Bohn tends to attract a crowd whenever he stacks during high-traffic Union hours.

To Helen Bell, a senior art and design major, Bohn’s sculptures are reminiscent of the work of Andy Goldsworthy, another artist who builds from natural materials and is the subject of the documentary “Rivers and Tides.” “[Goldsworthy] does the same thing with ice and rocks,” Bell said. “He’ll mold the rocks and ice and make an installation out of it. He’ll go out in the

morning and film it throughout the day as it falls apart. It looks like ‘rock guy’ is taking inspiration from him.”

Bohn has been the subject of mass communication student assignments and Electronic Media and Film Department documentaries alike, but he said he doesn’t have plans to continue stacking after this semester.

After he graduates he plans to teach.

“I’m trying to get to my career,” Bohn said. “This is just a process to get there, and this helps me through school. When I’m no longer in school there won’t be a real need for it.”

Still, Bohn is interested in having a designated space in the CFA where students can clear their minds by balancing rocks between class periods. All he needs is the space, the rocks and the tools to landscape, although he’s too busy with schoolwork to write the paper required by the CFA before he can get access to funds and the location.

“I had a vision where people can just come and do this,” he said. “Now I’m trying to work with [the CFA] to just give them my idea verbally instead.”

Until that idea becomes a reality, this is the last semester that intricate cairn creations will be seen around campus, unless another student steps in to fill Bohn’s shoes.

Rock sculpting takes practice, but for anyone looking to experiment with balancing, Bohn offers that, “Any rock can be balanced. It doesn’t matter what shape or size they are.

If they’re tripods, you’ll put them all together and it works.”

Cody Boteler/ The Towerlight

Senior early education major Tyler Bohn can often be spotted during daylight hours outside of the Union, where he balances rocks into intricate cairn creations. “Any rock can be balanced,” Bohn said. Banner image by Towerlight Photo Editor Chris Simms.

14

Arts

October 4 , 2016

Alums write, direct indie comedy film TAYLOR DEVILLE Assistant Arts & Life Editor @artvandelady

Chris D’Elia, Skylar Astin, Eric Andre and more star in the belated coming-of-age, bro-mantic comedy “Flock of Dudes,” written by Towson alumni Bob Castrone and Brian Levin, along with Jason Zumwalt, and directed by Castrone.

The movie revolves around Adam (D’Elia), a manchild who has a wake up call when his girlfriend (Jamie Chung) leaves him because of his fratboy-inspired antics. Adam decides to break up with his rowdy gang of 30-something-year-old bros in order to finally grow up and woo co-worker/romantic interest, Beth (Hannah Simone).

Castrone moved to New York to perform stand-up comedy shortly after graduating from Towson.

He’s worked for MTV and was an associate producer on VH1’s “Best Week Ever,” while Levin attended graduate school at American University. The two started the sketch comedy website “The Post Show” with comedian and co-writ-

er Zumwalt. By 2007, they had moved to LA and started writing “Flock of Dudes.”

The script is loosely based on Castrone and Levin’s own experiences.

“So many moments are either things we or our friends have said, or things we’ve experienced, or feelings we had,” Castrone said.

Unbeknownst to the writers, they would spend the next nine years working to bring the movie to life, running into obstacles at every turn. Imagine and Lionsgate studios would spend years developing the movie before Imagine pulls out and Lionsgate’s option expires, then take months to negotiate a payout.

Things started to look up when Starz bought the movie, but distributors were evasive and, during the movie’s premiere at the LA Film Festival, the movie reel skipped minutes worth of scenes and lines.

“You think something is definitely going to happen and then it doesn’t. So many times I thought [the film] was completely dead,” said Castrone. “It was this project that we just wanted to fight for and were passionate about.”

“Flock of Dudes” is Castrone’s

Courtesy of @flockofdudes/Instagram

(From left to right) Bryan Greenberg, Chris D’Elia, Brett Gelman and Eric Andre pose in front of a green screen during production of “Flock of Dudes.” directorial debut. During production, he worked 18 hours a day while also writing for Comedy Central’s “The Burn With Jeff Ross.”

“People prepare you for [directing] to be difficult… but it was more difficult [than expected],” Castone said.

The supporting cast includes up-and-coming comedians Hannibal Buress, Marc Maron, Bryan Greenberg, Brett Gelman, Kumail Nanjiani and Eric Andre, who

Castrone became friends with during his time performing stand up.

“Once we got Eric on board, other people just wanted to be involved, like Hannibal,” said Castrone.

Hillary Duff and Ray Liotta also make appearances in the movie.

Castrone is the head writer of Comedy Central’s “Not Safe With Nikki Glaser.” He and Levin have written a few feature movies and are waiting “to see what happens next.”

As for advice to aspiring filmmakers at Towson? “Pay your parking tickets,” said Castrone.

He added more seriously, “Just keep [making movies]. Don’t keep talking about it, just do it. It’s easy to get stuck in a holding pattern when you can just be doing and get better at it.”

“Flock of Dudes” is available now on iTunes and will be available on VOD Oct. 7.

Visiting poet explores Latinx identity, issues LAUREN MCMILLAN Contributing Writer

Students explored topics of race, immigration and Latino identity through poetry and social media last week during a program called “Hashtag Latinidades” in the Liberal Arts Building.

Poet and New York University professor Urayoãn Noel led the Sept. 28 part-lecture, part-performance event, and his poetry analyzed social issues and constructs relating to minorities, focusing on the Latino and Latina community.

“I think I’m looking at the ways in which Latino identity is produced in the age of social media,” Noel said.

“And I think my point is that it’s produced from above and from below, in other words we have identities that we claim and that others impose on us.”

Noel illustrated this thought through an improvisational piece that referenced his own background.

“Forgive me if I start out with an improvisation, but I come from a nation called Puerto Rico, so our nations are improvised,” he said, singing his words.

Noel used a PowerPoint to guide the lecture portion of the night and showed videos from YouTube and Twitter memes. One meme featured Drake coming out of the water with a caption written in Spanish that translated to, “Drake looks like a Dominican uncle.”

The meme was used to illustrate how “Dominican Twitter,” like “Black Twitter,” is often used to poke fun at racial stereotypes and cultural norms but can also be used to connect to different social movements.

On a more serious note, Noel also showed a video titled “For Colored Boys Who Speak Softly.” The video featured spoken word poetry by queer Latino poet and activist Yosimar Reyes.

Reyes’ poem responded to colonialism and ideals of masculinity

Pocholo Itona/ The Towerlight

Urayoan Noel performs poetry while his phone plays rhythmic sound through a synthesizer app. enforced by western society. (“they burned our villages, nuestros pueblos/implemented homophobia, sexism, and machismo/in las cabezas de nuestros abuelos/brainwashed our ancestors into believing that boys like us are a manifestation of the devil”).

Noel performed an original poem from one of his books that was inspired by his mom talking to her smartphone.

“My mom has an accent, so she will try to talk to her phone, and it will hear it with an accent and misunderstand,” Noel said. “I thought, ‘Wow, that’s a cool idea for some poetry.’”

Noel read a sonnet by 17th century Mexican writer Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. His phone then incorrectly translated the sonnet to English. While he performed, Noel switched between two microphones to emphasize the differ-

ence between the line from the sonnet and the phone’s translation of the line.

The poem garnered audience laughter as the translation of the Spanish sentences created English sentences like, “In Tennessee, you phone book, use me sucks.”

Cook Library sponsored “Hashtag Latinidades” as part of “Latino Americans: 500 Years of History” grant series.

Arts

October 4, 2016

Book Review: Everything, Everything

Nicola Yoon novel starts OK, falls flat

“Everything, Everything” earns just two stars MCKENNA GRAHAM Columnist

Book: Everything, Everything Author: Nicola Yoon Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance Rating: Two Stars Warnings for book: n/a “Everything, Everything” is a YA contemporary by Nicola Yoon that follows the development of Madeline, an Afro-Asian teenager who lives with a life-threatening allergy that can be triggered by anything outside the confines of her bedroom. Her mother is a doctor. Her best friend is her nurse, and these are the only two people she really knows, because she hasn’t been outside their apartment in years.

And then: a moving truck pulls up next door. And then a boy her age jumps out. And then the story loses any hope of really being good.

Olly—her new next-door neighbor—is everything Augustus Waters is: conventionally handsome, charismatic, determined to break down the mental and emotional walls of the sick girl. But he lacks the quality of Augustus which I’ve labeled as “too wise for his age.” If you’ve read “The Fault in Our Stars,” and you’re looking for another book about love from the perspective of an ill girl, try “Everything, Everything.”

It has all the sympathy for the plight of the star-crossed lovers, and all the insta-love, and bonus: you don’t form an emotional attachment to any of the characters because they’re all underdeveloped and unrealistic, so there’s no need to worry for their safety.

I didn’t hate this book. It does well in its attempt to present diverse characters, unusual situations, and complicated family dynamics.

The problem is that, not only did it not focus on any of these, but it actually renders them almost entirely inconsequential. That’s not to say that the family dynamics

and the unusual situation aren’t important, it’s just to say that they don’t feel as if they have too much of an impact on the story at all. The novel presents you with an intriguing situation—girl is a voluntary Rapunzel—and then ruins it with what feels like the most insignificant and bland characters. I didn’t get the sense that any of these characters were real, or that this was anything but an attempt by a new author to break into the YA world with a new and exciting concept.

What I’m saying is, even though it sounds interesting at first glance, it’s all been done before. Yes, the plot is a slight variation, but the characters are cookie-cut from other stories and reading them feels flimsy and insubstantial. Olly is described in such a way that he sounds like the most stereotypical emo kid ever, wearing all black clothing and an unapologetic attwitude. And, of course, Madeline is instantly enamored.

She and Olly develop a relationship as well as they can. Her mother disapproves. His father is an alcoholic. Her nurse drops little nuggets of Spanish wisdom. A plan develops. Have we not seen all of this before?

I was so disappointed in this book because it presented such a unique situation. It had so much promise—how will this girl overcome adversity without ever having left or ever leaving her home?—and then promptly ruined it with a cliché love story and something else I don’t want to spoil for you. But let me just say this: it wasn’t real. I hadn’t made up my mind until a very specific point in the plot, almost at the very end (which is why I won’t spoil anything), and at that point I had to put down the book for a bit because I was so exasperated.

Not only did I kind of see this plot twist coming, but it totally negated the entire premise, cheated me out of an overcoming-adversity story and resolved pretty much every problem perfectly.

15

16 4 , 4, 2016 16 October October 2016

Puzzles Puzzles

Crossword Sudoku

? ?

Turn to page 18 for answers to today’s

8-12-16

● Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating.

● The numbers within the heavily

outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.

● Freebies: Fill in single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.

Please support independent student journalism @ TU

KenKen® is a registered trademark of Nextoy, LLC. ©2016 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved. Dist. by Universal Uclick for UFS. www.kenken.com

Puzzles

?

We bring you The Towerlight every Tuesday for free. But we ask for your support as we continue our mission of giving the next generation of student journalists their first real-world experience in reporting, editing, photography, and design.

To make a donation, please go to TheTowerlight.com/youcanhelp/ Or mail a check to Baltimore Student Media, 8000 York Rd., Towson, MD 21252.

We are a non-profit corporation, so your donation is tax-deductible.

And we will gladly provide a receipt. Thank you for your support!

Sports

October 4, 2016

17

towson splits weekend set Stephanie Ranque/ The Towerlight

Freshman forward Nikki Logan fends off a Drexel defender Sunday at the Tiger Soccer Complex. Logan played 28 minutes in the match in Towson’s 2-0 loss to CAA rival Drexel.

DESMOND BOYLE Staff Writer

Towson split a pair of matches this weekend falling to Drexel 2-0 Sunday, but earning its first win against Delaware in seven years with a 1-0 shutout Friday.

Sunday, the Tigers (5-8-1, 2-2-0 CAA) fell to the Dragons (7-5-1, 3-1-0 CAA) at the Tiger Soccer Complex.

Drexel scored two early goals to put Towson on its back foot for the entire game. Junior midfielder Madison Dunn gave the Dragons the lead with the first shot of the game.

Senior goalkeeper Taylor Sebolao punched a cross away, but Dunn collected the ball and fired it into the net.

Sophomore forward Vanessa Kara doubled Drexel’s lead 26 minutes in as she weaved past three Towson defenders before shooting past Sebolao.

“I told the team at halftime we acted like we were surprised this

was a contact sport,” Head Coach Greg Paynter said.

Towson created more chances and freshman forward Elizabeth Coletti hit the crossbar with 10 minutes left in the match, but the Tigers could not find the net and lost 2-0.

On Friday, Towson defeated rival Delaware for the first time in seven years. The Tigers constantly pressured the Blue Hens (3-9-0, 2-1-0 CAA) by exploiting space on the flanks as the Blue Hens were content to stay narrow.

After earning two corner kicks and two shots, Towson took the lead just over 11 minutes into the game.

Senior midfielder Emily Marshall collected the ball after a possession from Delaware and lifted a pass to senior attacker Natalia Pinkney.

Pinkney then sprinted pass two defenders, before shooting past redshirt junior goalkeeper Kailyn Rekos who came off her line but could not smother the ball.

“To get a win against Delaware who was ranked number one in our

conference coming into this game feels great,” Pinkney said.

The Blue Hens improved as the first half went on and took 10 shots, four of which were saved by Sebolao.

In the second half, the Tigers

defense thwarted the Blue Hens at almost every turn. They held Delaware without a shot for the first 34 minutes of the half.

Despite a shot on goal from Blue Hen freshman forward Jillian

Vassallo, the Tigers held on for the 1-0 win with relative ease.

Towson resumes conference play Friday at home against rival James Madison. The match is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Stephanie Ranque/ The Towerlight

Sophomore forward Evelyn Neidert carries the ball up the field Sunday against CAA rival Drexel.

18

Sports

October 4 , 2016

no hate for kevin durant Why NBA fans should still cheer for the strong forward BRANDON LOFTIN Contributing Writer

“Sell out,” “traitor,” and “no heart,” were just a few of the phrases and tweets used to describe Kevin Durant after his July 4 announcement that he will be joining the Golden State Warriors.

The once-beloved NBA player is now one of the most hated. I’m here to say that despite all the jersey-burning videos, hate-fueled tweets and frustration that NBA 2K17 will bring me, I still love you, KD. My admiration for Durant came long before I started watching basketball. I was at a friend’s house

and Texas was playing Kansas in Oklahoma City.

I was not the slightest bit interested. Then I saw him: 6’9” and pulling up behind the three-point line to finesse himself into the paint for an effortless 37 points.

Thus it was born, my interest in basketball and a showcase of what would make him NBA Rookie of the Year.

Upon entering the NBA, Durant and his humble, laid back demeanor garnered a reputation of NBA sweetheart.

His close relationship with his mother, whom he fervently spoke of to the point of tears in his viral MVP speech, also won him many hearts.

His shy first words uttered at his

speech were, “I come from a small county outside Washington, D.C., called Prince George’s County.”

His being from the area made our love and admiration for KD grow with his allegiance to the city (Which made it worse when he didn’t choose to come here, but we’ll get to that later).

After his first words, the tears started to roll for him and his mother and the millions watching.

This was the definitive off-the-court moment in his career. He won the hearts of mothers, sons and people who had previously never heard of the lanky baller from Prince George’s County.

Nine years and one NBA Finals appearance later, the wave of free agency took Kevin Durant.

After losing a 3-1 lead to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, there was some speculation of him leaving Oklahoma City.

Some said KD would sign a new deal with the Thunder, while others said he would fit perfectly in Boston. Last but not least, men, women and mothers all across Prince George’s county thought he would come home to the beloved Washington Wizards.

However, on July 4, it was reported and later confirmed that Durant would join the Golden State Warriors.

After the decision was made, the hate tweets started rolling in from fans, players and analysts alike. I was pissed for a little as well, but then I sat back and thought about it.

If I’m Kevin Durant, I’ve been in the league for nine years and never smelled a championship.

People love me, but why? Because I’m some skinny mama’s boy from D.C.? I’m not even from D.C. I’m not mad anymore, Kevin. It hurt, but coming home to all your friends would have been the biggest distraction you’ve ever had to face.

And to the Oklahoma City fans burning his jersey, he’s not even from there. He was drafted by you, meaning he basically had no choice.

Will he win it all? Will he fail?

Will he regret his decision?

We’re not getting any younger, and the game’s not getting any easier. Go out there and get it, KD. Be the bad guy and live with no regrets.

Football Darius Victor rushed for a career-high four TDs in Towson’s 31-28 loss to No. 6 Richmond on Saturday.

Field Hockey Junior goalkeeper made 13 saves in Towson’s 12-0 loss to James Madison Saturday.

Women’s Golf Towson finished 10th out of 18 teams at the Lady Pirate Invitational Tuesday.

Men’s Golf Towson finished tied for second place on day one of the Matthews Invitational in Binghamton, New York.

Volleyball Towson defeated CAA rival UNC Wilmington Saturday at SECU Arena.

Solutions contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating.

● The numbers within the heavily

Courtesy of USA Today

Kevin Durant announces signing with the Golden State Warriors on July 4. Durant had played with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the past eight years before diving into the free agent market.

8-13-16

outlined boxes, called cages, mu combine using the given operati (in any order) to produce the tar numbers in the top-left corners.

● Freebies: Fill in single-box cages

the number in the top-left corner

KenKen® is a registered trademark of

for Puzzles on page 16

● Each row and each column must

Sports

October 4, 2016

19

a sprint to the end TU places 26th in Paul Short Invitational ANNETTE ARCENEAUX Contributing Writer

Towson placed 26th out of 45 teams Saturday at the 43rd annual Paul Short Run hosted by Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

In the College Women’s Gold 6K event, sophomore runner Allison Marella led the Tigers with a time of 21:31. Following Marella, sophomore Hannah Walter finished with a time of 21:32.

“When a runner went down it was juniors Colleen Cook and Emily Johnson who really stepped up,” Head Coach Mike Jackson said. “That really helped us have a better day.”

Cook came in with a time of 22:17 and Johnson finished with a time of 22:22.

Senior Megan Knoblock recorded a time of 21:40, and sophomore Abby Gauthier finished with a time of 22:40.

Sophomore runner Shelby

Bobbie finished TU’s set with a time of 22:13, leaving the Tigers with an overall time of 1:49:22.

“This is one of the bigger races in the country,” Jackson said. “As a team, we did really well.”

“

When a runner went down it was juniors Colleen Cook and Emily Johnson who really stepped up.

That really helped us have a better day.

MIKE JACKSON Head Coach

In the Open Women’s 6K Event, the Tigers were led by sophomore Megan Lindstrom. Lindstrom finished the run with a time of 23:31.

Behind Lindstrom were junior

Kara Mueser and freshman Kaylee Ryan, who finished with times of 24:35 and 24:39, respectively.

Sophomore runner Jenna Donohue and freshman runner Melissa Graham rounded out the event for the Tigers finishing with a time of 25:08 and 29:09, respectively.

Jackson attributes the Tigers’ success to good training and good health. Their training regime focuses on increasing mileage and pace.

“When you have athletes who are doing well, you get an opportunity to continue to improve,” Jackson said. “Then you are also able to gain some confidence. I think that the team is really coming together in that regard.”

Towson will run at Penn State Nationals on Friday, Oct. 14, where Jackson will look for the top eight athletes to run in the Mid-Atlantic Regionals on Nov. 11.

“We’re excited about the next opportunity,” Jackson said.

CALCULATE YOUR CHOICES ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN TWO TICKETS TO SEE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6TH AT CINEMARK TOWSON 7:00PM TO ENTER, PLEASE VISIT WBTICKETS.COM AND ENTER THE CODE TOWSONACCOUNTANT

TO DOWNLOAD YOUR COMPLIMENTARY PASSES! RATED R FOR STRONG VIOLENCE AND LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT. Please note: Passes are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. No phone calls, please. Limit one pass per person. Each pass admits two. Seating is not guaranteed. Arrive early. Theater is not responsible for overbooking. This screening will be monitored for unauthorized recording. By attending, you agree not to bring any audio or video recording device into the theater (audio recording devices for credentialed press excepted) and consent to a physical search of your belongings and person. Any attempted use of recording devices will result in immediate removal from the theater, forfeiture, and may subject you to criminal and civil liability. Please allow additional time for heightened security. You can assist us by leaving all nonessential bags at home or in your vehicle.

IN THEATERS OCTOBER 14

Soundtrack Available Now

AccountantMovie.com #TheAccountant

Carola Biver

Volleyball

Sophomore outside hitter Carola Biver tallied 15 kills over the span of her last two matches.

Biver tallied 10 kills in Towson’s most recent win over Colonial Athletic Association rival UNC Wilmington Saturday at SECU Arena.

20

Sports

October 4 , 2016

tigers take down seahawks Jordan Cope/ The Towerlight

Towson huddles after scoring a point against VCU at SECU Arena earlier this year. Towson defeated UNCW Saturday at SECU Arena for its 14th victory of the season (above).

Towson celebrates after defeating VCU at SECU Arena. Jessica Lewis led Towson to victory over UNC Wilmington Saturday at SECU Arena with 14 kills and one assist (below).

JORDAN COPE Sports Editor @jordancope26

Towson split a pair of matches this weekend at SECU Arena, defeating UNC Wilmington Saturday, but falling to College of Charleston Friday.

Saturday, the Tigers (14-3, 2-1 CAA) defeated the Seahawks (12-4, 2-2 CAA) 3-1.

In the first set, both teams battled back and forth and were tied early 7-7. However, UNC Wilmington took a 13-9 lead, forcing Head Coach Don Metil to call a timeout.

“We lost that first set because we had way too many errors,” sophomore outside hitter Carola Biver said. “So what coach told us was just to take care of the ball, and we will be the team that succeeds. That is exactly what we did, and that is exactly why we won tonight.”

After the pause, the Tigers began to chip away at the deficit and drew even with the Seahawks 17-17, but ultimately dropped the set 25-23.

Towson took the second set 25-18, despite a late run by UNC Wilmington, and went into the intermission tied 1-1.

The Tigers extended their lead in the match 2-1 after running away with the third set, defeating the Seahawks 25-14.

In the fourth set, Towson and UNC

Wilmington were locked in another close battle, tied early 6-6. However, Towson extended its lead over UNC Wilmington 19-11 later in the match.

Despite a late rally from the Seahawks, the Tigers clinched the set 25-22 and won the match 3-1 after a kill from sophomore right side hitter Jocelyn Kuilan.

“It got a little bit close at the end,” Metil said. “We had to do a little bit with our serve receive. We knew we had an advantage on the right side, and for us to get Jocelyn the ball and have her end on a kill was very nice for us.”

Friday, the Tigers fell to the Cougars (10-5, 2-0 CAA) 3-2, despite forcing a decisive fifth set after being down 2-0.

In the first set, College of Charleston took advantage of seven Towson errors and jumped out to an early 7-3 lead.

Following a timeout called by Metil, Towson clawed its way back into the set and drew even at 9-9 after going on a 6-2 run.

Despite the Tigers run, the Cougars settled down and both teams traded points up until the end of the set.

However, it was College of Charleston that came away victorious after a pair of attack errors from Towson proved to be the difference.

The second set was another tight battle that saw both teams deadlocked 9-9. However, the Cougars

took an 18-13 lead over the Tigers as the set progressed and eventually clinched a 25-20 win despite a late run by the Tigers.

In the third set, Towson earned its first victory of the match with a 25-20 win over College of Charleston.

Towson got out to a fast start and took a 15-7 lead into the middle of the set.

The Cougars pulled within three points of the Tigers late in the set, but an attack error from freshman middle blocker Peyton Eisnaugle and a

kill from senior outside hitter Jessica Lewis clinched the Tigers’ victory.

The fourth set was a much closer battle in the beginning stages. The score was tied 5-5 early and both teams continued to fight into the middle of the set with the score deadlocked at 15-15.

However, Towson went on a 4-0 run to take a 19-15 lead and eventually earned a 25-17 win after a kill from redshirt senior middle blocker Candace Steadman forced a

decisive fifth set.

In the fifth set, the Tigers and Cougars were tied 8-8. However, the Cougars went on a 3-0 run to take an 11-8 lead and later went on another 3-0 run to take a 13-9 lead over the Tigers before sealing the set and the match on a kill from sophomore outside hitter Devon Rachel.

Following Monday’s game against Elon, Towson will hit the road to take on Hofstra Thursday and Northeastern on Saturday.