The Towerlight (Feb. 23, 2016)

Towson’s campus and community news source

TheTowerlight.com

Feb. 23, 2016

MEET THE MINDS BEHIND THE 17TH ANNUAL TIGER PRIDE DAY, PGS. 7&8

Photo by Cody Boteler, photo illustration by Kara Bucaro/The Towerlight

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February 23, 2016

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February 23, 2016

TOWSON TRENDING Week of 2/17 - 2/22

Towson had some of the best weather so far this semester and students took time to relax and soak up the sun. Men’s basketball won their Autism Awareness game against James Madison University Saturday, 67-56.

Warm Weather

This weather is perfect and I feel like doing something outside now.

@KingKluch

Winter your days are numbered. Spring is coming #Towson!

I am LOVING this weather y’all

@TU_TSO

@Vivalakiraa

Autism Awareness

Towson sporting that baby blue! I see you #autism #GoTigers

@mikehed88

Look who we spotted! And check out those shirts! #AutismHoops

@Path_For_Autism

Towson doing the literal arm’s length thing to Elon. And those autism awareness jerseys are sharp. #CAAHoops

@defiantlydutch

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Opinion

February 23, 2016

Editor-in-Chief Carley Milligan Senior Editor Cody Boteler News Editor Sam Shelton Assist. News Editors Nilo Exar Sarah Rowan Arts & Life Editor Annie Sragner

Top ten sexist quotes from Donald Trump

Sports Editor Assoc. Sports Editors Jordan Cope Assist. Sports Editor Tyler Beard Staff Writers Tim Anderson Kati Day Lauren Cosca Kristin Helf Ryan Permison Hailey Miller Tyler Young Christine LaFrancesca Caitlin Wolfarth Photo Editor Assoc. Photo Editor Chris Simms Staff Photographers Cody Boteler Adrilenzo Cassoma Nilo Exar Carley Milligan Allen Stewart Video Producer Sarah Chmieloweic Assist. Video Producer Stacey Coles

We all know him.

The man, the myth, the toupee: Donald Trump. Over the course of several debates, he’s made some pretty wild statements in regard to how he sees the U.S. and what his plans may be for it.

However, over the course of, well, his whole life, he’s made some pretty poignant statements on how he views women. While there are hundreds of ridiculous claims made by him per each debate, tweet, and interview he takes on, here’s the top ten most sexist claims made by Donald Trump.

1) “[Women:] You have to treat 'em like sh*t.” -New York Magazine, 1992 Oh. Well, that’s pretty straightforward.

2) “I've said if Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I'd be dating her.”-The View, 2006.

Trump made this claim when he was discussing his daughter’s beauty, and whether or not he thought she’d ever be a part of Playboy. He didn’t think she’d do it, but he does think she’d date him if he weren’t her dad! She probably wouldn’t, and also, ew.

3) "All of the women on The Apprentice flirted with me — consciously or unconsciously. That's to be expected.” -The Daily News, 2004

I mean, how could they resist that pale/pink face, those deep wrinkles? *shivers* 4) “26,000 unreported sexual assaults in the military-only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men & women together?” Twitter, 2013 Well, I mean, I don’t know for sure, but one could argue that maybe they expected that, you know, no one would rape anybody.

5) “Look at that face. Would anybody vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?!

I mean, she's a woman, and I'm not s'posedta say bad things, but really, folks, come on. Are we serious?”

Trump’s analysis of Carly Fiorina, stating that she was too ugly to

be president. It’s as if the irony of that statement went swiftly over his bright yellow toupee.

6) "I mean, we could say politically correct that look doesn't matter, but the look obviously matters," Trump said to a female reporter in a clip featured on "Last Week Tonight." "Like you wouldn't have your job if you weren't beautiful.”

Who needs skills or qualifications, amiright? (No, not right.)

7) "It's certainly not groundbreaking news that the early victories by the women on 'The Apprentice' were, to a very large extent, dependent on their sex appeal." -How to Get Rich, 2004.

To read the rest of this column online, visit www.thetowerlight.com

Staff Videographers Tyisha Henderson Proofreaders Sarah Rowan Kayla Baines Alaina Tepper Chris Pretrides General Manager Mike Raymond Art Director Kara Bucaro

Advice for pledges A part of one world ALI HINMAN Columnist

Production Assistants Daniel Andrews Christine Kim Webmaster Hafiz Aina Circulation Staff Jasmine Edwards Nilo Exar Shawn Halerz

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Please Recycle!

To everyone who just joined a Greek organization, welcome to the best decision of your life. From now on you will be a part of something that is bigger than yourself, which is a concept that is impossible to completely comprehend until people start telling you their neighbors or cousins or friends from home are in the same chapter as you. You have been handed a bid, and it is your responsibility to make the most of it.

Besides just putting it in a pretty frame, you have the opportunity to make your college years truly amazing.

Here are some things to keep in mind while you are navigating your new Greek world.

It Makes Campus Smaller: You know that guy you always pass on your way to class? You’ll see him at the next Greek-wide event. And that girl you gave a stank face when she said hi to your boyfriend uptown?

She’ll be there too.

Along with her entire pledge class who knows that you looked at her funny. Towson’s Greek life is a small percentage of the population, which

makes it easy to learn everyone’s names, as well as all of their personal business.

But You Always Have Someone New to Meet: Because it’s so easy to meet everyone, take advantage. Networking is one of the biggest perks of Greek life, and being on campus makes it no different. I always know at least one person in all of my classes, and I have to leave my apartment early when I walk anywhere because I stop to talk to so many people.

Learn About Your Soon-to-Be Brothers/Sisters: The most important people to meet are those in your chapter. You all share the same values and morals, which is ultimately why you are in the same place. While you are learning what your letters represent, learn about who represents them.

Go to Events: As new members, you will be expected to represent your chapter at all on-campus events. As annoying as it may be, and as many shows on Netflix that you need to catch up on, go with a positive attitude.

To read the rest of this column online, visit www.thetowerlight.com

ANNIE SRAGNER Arts & Life Editor @AnnieSragner

As we continue to evolve in an increasingly-intricate civilized society that is very far-removed from the wild, it is often difficult for humans to remember that we are just one species living among the 8.7 million other species that currently inhabit this earth.

People have developed a disconnect from the natural world through the increased usage of unnatural practices.

Take our methods of food production, for example. Humans exploit livestock and farming resources with sophisticated technology in order to feed a population that has been exponentially skyrocketing since the Industrial Revolution.

We have also managed to drive out all of our natural predators, landing us a comfy spot on the top of the food chain. One reason we domesticated dogs is because they could have easily hunted us if allowed to flourish freely as wolves in the wild.

Since so many “easy living” aspects of civilized society have been implemented over time, people don’t need to regularly maintain and craft the

skills formerly needed to survive in nature – but this trend can have severe consequences.

For example, when an animal encounters a stressful situation in nature, there are two possible responses: fight or flight. It can either stick around to duke it out, or flee the scene in hopes of escaping possible danger.

In either scenario, the encounter with stress is short-lived.

On the other hand, humans often deal with stress for extended periods of time. Take the lifestyle of a college student, for example.

During the semester, a student must find ways to combat approximately four straight months of constant stress accompanied by large quantities of assignments and assessments. Even when a task is finally complete, there is always more work waiting to be tended to.

Since society normalizes and encourages high-stress lifestyles, it’s no wonder why most major causes of death are stress-related, and why the abundance of anti-anxiety and antidepression medications continues to propagate in the US. To read the rest of this column online, visit www.thetowerlight.com

Opinion

February 23, 2016

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To be Unapologetically Black and African at a PWI BILPHENA YAHWON Student

To Be Unapologetically Black, Unapologetically African and Unapologetically Outspoken at a PWI My name is Bilphena Yahwon.

You’ve probably heard this name before. Your local student activist always stirring up ‘trouble’ here at Towson. The girl who is flamboyantly African and can be found eating rice and cassava leaf in Susq.

The one always sitting in the front of class ready to correct a professor when they make a culturally insensitive statement. The loud girl in the union, who you’ve probably heard screaming something like “power to the people” or switching between English and Pidgin.

Yes, that’s me. Now that I’ve introduced myself, let’s talk. Let’s talk about what it feels like to be an unapologetically Black, unapologetically African and unapologetically outspoken student here at Towson University. Let’s talk about what it feels like to constantly be demonized because I refuse to stay silent in and out of classrooms. Let's talk about the stares and the mumbles I get, every time I open my mouth in class and dare to challenge the white curriculum I am fed every day. Before I begin, it is important I clarify what being unapologetically Black and African means. It goes beyond just having pride in my culture and my history. It goes beyond just loving and appreciating my africanness and blackness.

To be unapologetically Black and African is to refuse to apologize for what you may perceive of me as a result of my blackness and/or africanness. It is to refuse to silence parts of myself in order to fit into white spaces. It is to say “I will not tone down my identities to make you comfortable.” To be unapologetically outspoken, in the context of this piece, is to refuse to sit by and watch the oppressive nature of this primarily white institution (PWI) on my various identities and stay silent.

It is to speak up about the systemic issues within this PWI and never apologize for doing so.

I remember the time I had to sit in a class as my professor played a video with the same old played out message of “help the poor Africans.” I struggled to sit in my seat, shifting right and then left, completely uncomfortable by what I was watching.

But the video was not the worst part, no. The worst part was sitting in a classroom of majority white students and hearing them label the place I call home with words like “backwards” and “uncivilized.”

The worst part was having a professor not only agree with these students but use his PhD as an armor around his ignorance. After a few minutes of having a conversation with myself and deciding whether I would check these students and my professor or stay silent, my unapologetically outspoken self said “nah” to staying silent, so I checked them all, one by one. And once I was done, I proudly opened my tupperware of jollof rice and ate it right there. But it doesn’t stop there.

During the Baltimore Uprising, I sat in classrooms where white students in all of their white privilege, criminalized the actions of protestors and the Black Lives Matter movement. Their statements usually began with “I’m not racist but” and ended with “all lives matter.”

The same students who claimed that Fetty Wap was their favorite rapper. The same students who walk around saying “bye Felicia.” The same students who claimed to be down with Tupac and Biggie. These were the same students now bashing the very same people and culture they indulged in everyday. Bashing their Black rage. I listened as racism spilled out of my classmate’s mouths all protected under freedom of speech.

And once again, I had a conversation with myself to decide whether I would check them or stay silent.

As you would expect, my unapologetically outspoken self said “nah” to staying silent. So I checked them all, one by one. And once I was done, I

placed my headphones in and played Beyonce’s “Flawless.”

I have been at the forefront of many protests, rallies and the most recent #occupytowson sit-in, here at Towson. I have publicly and privately expressed my frustration with this university, with my SGA and my fellow students in regards to the conditions of students of color, specifically black students. I have spoken out about systemic issues such as the lack of cultural competency in students and faculty and the lack of black representation within tenured professors. I have yelled. I have cried.

I have gone hoarse screaming “black students matter.”

But there are consequences. I have been called everything from an angry

black woman, to ghetto to too aggressive. I have had positions that I deserve taken from me under the guise of “she’s too black.” I have had my professors tear apart my writings because they do not understand why I write the way I do. To be unapologetically Black and unapologetically African and unapologetically outspoken at this PWI sometimes means carrying a red target on my forehead.

It means knowing that I will never be accepted or invited into certain spaces. To be unapologetically Black and unapologetically African and unapologetically outspoken is to have white faces question my audacity to love myself this much. How dare I be this Black, this African and still love myself. How dare I not comply with

whiteness and hush my identities.

See at this university, we pride ourselves on diversity. On creating spaces where we can express all of our identities and still be safe. But what happens when my identity challenges the entire structure of this university? When my identity says, “no, I will no longer comply with your white standards?” What happens then? Am I still safe? Not just safe physically, but mentally and emotionally?

My name is Bilphena Yahwon.

The unapologetically Black, unapologetically African and unapologetically outspoken student at Towson University.

And if you think that I make you uncomfortable, imagine what attending this PWI is like for me.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Video Editor Sarah Chmielowiec poses with Never Shout Never at the Fillmore in Silver Spring before a concert Friday Interested in submitting a picture for photo of the week? Email your picture, your name, major and a brief description of the image to senior@thetowerlight.com.

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February 23, 2016

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Dr. Hoke L. Smith became the 10th President of Towson University in 1979. Early in Smith’s presidency, he focused on making Towson more inclusive and widespread as the university began to identify itself as a “comprehensive university” due to its curriculum spanning far beyond the College of Education.

President Smith oversaw the creation of six colleges in 1981; the college of liberal arts, college of science and mathematics, college of business and economics, college of health sciences, college of education, and the college of fine arts and communications. These colleges grew substantially, resulting in many other changes within the campus community.

Hoke L. Smith president, 1978–2001 The Glen residence complex under construction in 1983 President Smith with actor Charles Dutton and Maravene Loeschke

The number of employed faculty members grew to 500 and the administrative staff also expanded. This was quite a departure from the smaller, more intimate version Towson had been known for. Nevertheless, Towson prided itself on offering the programs and opportunities of a large university while maintaining the small-school atmosphere.

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To be continued…

Share your memory: TU150.towson.edu

Behind the scenes: Tiger Pride Day

State Senator Jim Brochin walks quickly into his Annapolis office.

He’s had a busy morning on the senate floor and in meetings.

But now, Wednesday, Feb. 17, he’s making time for some Towson students.

Two students sit down with Brochin in his simply decorated office.

There’s some Towson memorabilia behind his desk. The three talk briefly about some University faculty before it’s time to get down to business.

Matt Teitelbaum and Bryce Anderson are here to lobby Brochin on five different topics that were developed and approved by the Student Government Association.

Brochin is personable, and listens intently as the students talk about keeping college tuition affordable, sustaining a workforce of University System of Maryland graduates, advancing transgender rights and securing the operating budget and money for capital improvement projects.

Brochin has seen the campus master plan, which the students talk about, and he’s happy with it, for the most part. He just has one favor to ask of Teitelbaum and Anderson when they talk to Towson administrators.

“I have a request for you now,” Brochin says. “I think it’d be great if you cajoled them to make that campus as green as possible.”

This kind of communication is all a part of SGA’s annual Tiger Pride Day, wherein dozens of Towson students travel to Annapolis to spend the day lobbying legislators about concerns that affect the entire school.

This year, the 17th annual Tiger Pride Day, saw 129 student registrations (only 48 of whom were members of the SGA). Close to 100 students actually traveled to Annapolis to lobby.

Brochin, who was once a TU professor and whose district includes Towson University, was the one who introduced a resolution on the senate floor to recognize Towson University, an annual part of Tiger Pride Day. Over two dozen legislators and other officials showed up to the Tiger Pride Day reception, including Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, State Secretary of Commerce Mike Gill, Secretary of Higher Education James Fielder and members of Gov. Larry Hogan’s office, among others.

Tiger Pride Day came together this year largely because of the work put in

by SGA Director of Legislative Affairs Pierce Jaffri and assistant director Pat Mascio.

The two of them had to coordinate catering, transportation, room reserva-

tions, scheduling, agendas and more to pull off this year’s event. Jaffri said he booked the banquet room back in September, around the same time he started emailing legislators to book meeting times.

A week before the event, he called each legislator’s office again to confirm the meeting times were still okay.

When possible, students who signed up for Tiger Pride Day were matched with their own representatives in the house or the senate.

Mascio did the actual job of matching students to legislators.

“That’s a very hands-on task,” Jaffri said. “That down in the trenches, gritty work of matching? Pat did that for hours.”

--After navigating the underground tunnels that connected the buildings in the State House complex, Towson students were split between the House and Senate balconies to watch members of the SGA executive board receive resolutions recognizing the university.

“To see them enjoy that and get honored on the 150th year, as the 95th administration, was really cool to see, and I’m really glad they got to do that,” Jaffri said.

Traditionally, the director of legislative affairs would stand on the floor to receive the resolution, but the house and senate both changed their

protocol, and only three members of the SGA could be on either floor, according to Jaffri.

“The highlight of the day was definitely seeing all the students walking around and taking pictures all around the State House and the Senate Office Building,” Jaffri said. “It really made me excited that they were happy to be there, and that they weren’t bored.

I think in our generation it’s hard to see someone excited to be somewhere political and they really enjoyed it.”

--Jaffri said that the most challenging part of Tiger Pride Day happened during the closing reception, when unscheduled speakers followed addresses by Towson President Kim Schatzel and SGA President Kurt Anderson.

“I was surprised and overwhelmed by how many dignitaries wanted to come speak,” Jaffri said.

Jaffri had to move back and forth between introducing new speakers— including Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and members of Gov. Hogan’s office—and asking new arrivals if they wanted to speak.

Despite the hectic nature of lining up reception speakers, Jaffri said that

this Tiger Pride Day, his second as director of legislative affairs, was easier than the first one he planned last year.

“I was pretty overwhelmed,” Jaffri said. “I had just moved to Maryland, so I didn’t have much experience with the state government. I had to learn about it pretty quickly.”

Jaffri said that, last year, he didn’t start planning for Tiger Pride Day until January—much later than the five-and-a-half months he and his team spent planning this year.

During the remarks he gave toward the end of the reception, Jaffri announced that he will not be returning to the role of director of legislative affairs in the SGA. “It was a tough decision, I thought about it for a long time,” Jaffri said. “I think I’ve done my job. I’ve completed my task that I was put there to do. I think that, as director of legislative affairs, I’m definitely done.”

“I really care about this position though, so I’ll be around to help the next director a lot,” Jaffri said.

--Just after midnight on Feb. 19, two days after Tiger Pride Day, student activist John Gillespie posted a statement on Facebook decrying the SGA’s lobbying.

Story continues on Page 8.

Banner image by Kanji Takeno. Photos by Cody Boteler/ The Towerlight Towson students and legislators including Senator Jim Brochin and Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz participate in the 17th annual Tiger Pride Day Feb. 17.

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February 23, 2016

Story continued from Page 7.

“In all honesty, Tiger Pride Day did nothing but exemplify the fact that the black student population at Towson University continue to maintain a marginal position in the vision of Towson University's future,” the post said.

Over the next day, Jaffri and Gillespie, along with SGA President Kurt Anderson, SGA Senator Korey Johnson and student activist Bilphena Yahwon engaged in a back-and-forth on social media.

Later that day, Gillespie made a blog post reiterating his concerns with the agenda—not that there was anything wrong with it, but that it did not specifically mention the list of demands from #OccupyTowson or any of the issues related to it.

Jaffri defended the Tiger Pride Day agenda while Gillespie, Johnson and Yahwon argued that it was an “all lives matter” agenda.

Neither Gillespie, Johnson nor Yahwon participated in Tiger Pride Day. “We had a list of concerns that were not even articulated at all,” Gillespie said. “I think that it just goes to show that these demands are not a pivotal part of the concerns of the SGA.” “While all of the initiatives present

were great, the decision to not include an initiative specific to the needs of black students is what I have a problem with,” Yahwon said in an email.

Yahwon said that she did not know what Tiger Pride Day was, or that students outside of the SGA could attend.

“I pay my SGA to represent and advocate for me even when I am not present,” Yahwon’s email said. “I do not need to be present and pulling the arms of my SGA in order for my voice to be heard.”

Johnson did not respond to a request for comment.

On Facebook, Kurt Anderson replied to some of the posts, listing a number of ways that some of the demands were being addressed. Kurt Anderson mentioned, among other concerns, getting diversity chairs on Greek councils and the expansion of a race relations course at TU. According to Matt Lenno, director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, all the Greek organizations are working to meet the objective of having a diversity chair.

“They all want to get on board,” Lenno said.

Lenno said that his office is asking

all individual chapters on campus and every Greek Council on campus to have a leadership position connected to diversity outreach.

And, according to the Office of the Provost, the University “began a review” of core classes, and “All possible curricular mechanisms to address dialogues on race relations and the development of inclusive communities are being considered in this review.”

Initially in an interview, Gillespie wasn’t sure about what specifically he’d like to have seen on the agenda, but when asked again said that he would’ve wanted to see some mention of the demand to stop using and purchasing material produced in the Maryland State Prison system.

That particular demand was not addressed at Tiger Pride Day but is being addressed by the University System of Maryland Student Council and the SGA. The Tiger Pride Day Legislative Agenda was approved by the SGA by an all-but-unanimous vote at their retreat.

SGA senators Donald Finley and Korey Johnson were not at the retreat to vote on the agenda. Blaire Ferry, another SGA senator, was unable to vote on the agenda. The agenda received 22 votes for approval.

Gillespie also said that he would

Nilo Exar/ The Towerlight Student activist John Gillespie and a group of concerned black students stage a sit-in protest during a Nov. 17 SGA meeting. have liked to have been approached.

He would have liked members of the SGA to come and speak with him to show that they take him seriously.

“I’m not coming to you,” Gillespie said.

Despite the public criticism, Jaffri has remained confident in his legislative agenda.

“I truly believe that every initiative that we have on the legislative agenda benefits all students on campus regardless of color and I stand for what I believe in, and that’s truly what I

believe in, regardless of what anyone has to say about that,” Jaffri said.

Jaffri said that, even with the controversy that came in the days after Tiger Pride, he’s glad to have been a part of the lobbying effort during Towson’s 150th anniversary—and that he’s looking toward the future.

“I really hope that one day I can come back to Tiger Pride Day as an alum,” Jaffri said. “Just come downstairs [from an office in the Senate Building] and be like, ‘Hey guys, I’m here!’”

Open Forum on Student Self-Support Rates for FY17 Are you interested in learning about the process for determining proposed self-support rates increases?

Are you interested in learning about the self-support rates students pay for parking, dining and housing?

Join University and Student Government Leaders on Tuesday, February 23rd from 4 - 5 pm in the Loch Raven Room in the University Union.

This forum will provide an opportunity to share information on institutional needs to support student services for the 2016-2017 fiscal year.

Refreshments will be provided.

February 23, 2016

News

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U.S. Senate Republican debate moves to Goucher Four Republican candidates for Maryland’s open seat in the U.S. Senate met at Goucher College Thursday for a debate that was originally supposed to be held on Towson’s campus.

Megan Poniatowski, a Towson College Republican member, described the change in location as a “huge miscommunication” between Towson College Republicans Club President Courtney Carr and the two other cosponsoring clubs.

The event was sponsored in part by the Goucher College Republicans Club, the Baltimore County Republican Party and the Greater Towson Republican Club.

Carr described the change as a last minute PR move.

“Essentially, they were undermining our role in having it on campus,” Carr said. “They were trying to eliminate us from the decision making process, which is something I wasn’t going to stand for.”

The rest of the club was not made aware of the decision to move the event

to Goucher until last-minute.

According to Towson College Republicans Club Vice President Emma Middleton, there were emails sent between Carr and the co-sponsoring clubs, and both parties “felt offended” before the decision was made.

“It all happened so quickly that it really wasn’t a decision that we could reverse,” Middleton said. “I think all of us agree that if it could have been held at Towson, we would have loved it. But at the point when the decision was made so quickly, really there was no turning back from there.”

Despite the location change, Goucher still invited the Towson College Republicans Club to participate in the event on their campus.

Prior to the debate, both Middleton and Goucher College Republicans Club President Peter Cost spoke and introduced the candidates. Towson political science professor Tony Campbell emceed the event.

According to organizer Maria Pycha, first vice chair of the Baltimore County Republican Party, Towson College Republicans club members were also invited to sell refreshments as a fundraiser for the club.

“I think it was an awesome move on Goucher’s part to have us still come and participate, because we absolutely wanted to be here,” Poniatowski said.

“There was nothing that was done intentionally to harm our club, it was just a giant miscommunication.”

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There was nothing that was done intentionally to harm our club, it was just a giant miscommunication.

MEGAN PONIATOWSKI Member, Towson College Republican Club

The four GOP candidates are running for Sen. Barbara Mikulski’s seat in the U.S. Senate. In March, Mikulski announced that she would not seek reelection in 2016.

Former Pentagon official Richard Douglas, former state attorney Chrys Kefalas, businessman Joseph Hooe and businessman Dave Wallace took part in the debate. Candidates Greg Holmes, who is the director of legislative affairs for the Maryland

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Transit Administration and House of Delegates Minority Whip Kathy Szeliga, who were scheduled to appear, were not present.

According to The Baltimore Sun, Szeliga had previously committed to support former Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich Jr. at the Governor’s Ball, which took place on the same night.

The debate lasted approximately two hours, and candidates discussed hot-button issues such as the Second Amendment, drug decriminalization, the Affordable Care Act and the Syrian refugee crisis.

One of the more prominent subjects discussed was illegal immigration, and all four candidates offered their plan for handling the issue.

“You build a wall,” Wallace said.

“You build a great wall. If the Chinese could do it with hand tools, we can do it with mechanization. You build that wall, and you secure that wall, and you make it so that no one can get through unless they come through a door.”

Other candidates offered their own opinions on how to handle the issue.

Hooe advocated for both an immigrant work program and a mandatory mili-

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tary border patrol force for students graduating from high school.

According to Hooe, an immigrant work program would require both undocumented immigrants and their employers to purchase an annual $1000 blanket hiring permit. The mandatory military border patrol force would require students to serve eight months protecting U.S. borders, however students enrolled in college would be exempt.

Kefalas and Douglas agreed that the issue of undocumented immigration begins in Washington, which, according to Kefalas, “does not have the political backbone to solve the problem.”

“We have a problem in the United States Congress,” Douglas said. “There is a complete lack of seriousness, a complete lack of understanding, and a complete lack of courage about what to do with immigration. The problem starts in Washington, D.C.” The winning GOP candidate is expected to compete with either Chris Van Hollen or Donna Edwards, the presumed Democratic frontrunners, for the Senate seat.

The Maryland primaries will be held Tuesday, April 26, 2016.

5pm, Thursday, March 10, 2016

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February 23, 2016

Q&A with former Director of Student Activities Dirron Allen leaves TU after 10 years Towson’s Student Government Association passed a resolution Feb. 2 honoring the dedicated time and service of Director of Student Activities and Student Government Association Advisor Dirron Allen. Allen served in this position for over 10 years, and will be moving to work as the Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Activities at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

Why did you start working at the Towson in the first place?

Oh, good question. You know I started working there at Towson because of all the possibilities. I thought Towson was headed in the right direction, and they were doing the right thing, it was a growing school with the right people here at the time I came to Towson University.

What was your favorite memory at Towson while you were here?

Oh, man. My favorite memory. Of all the memories, I would say my favorite memory is probably Tigerfest with Steve Aoki and I got on stage and I threatened the students that I would cancel the concert if they didn’t go back to their seats.

Long story short, before Steve Aoki came on the stage, Juicy J just stopped performing and so I was thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, all these students can’t be on the floor,’ because of all the risks that are associated with it. And then I remember going to the stage and threatening the students, saying ‘I’ll cancel the concert if you don’t go back to your seats in seven minutes’ and people joked with me later on saying, ‘Why seven minutes?’ It was just because five minutes seemed too short, ten minutes seemed too long, but seven minutes seemed like the perfect number. So, that was my only time ever on stage at Tigerfest.

What were you thinking when SGA presented you with the resolution in your honor?

I was flattered. I was emotional. I was sad, and I was just grateful that our students thought that I was worth any sort of recognition. You do this job for our student body and you see people grow and develop, and they chose the words they wanted to choose, and they took the time to put that together. It was very heartwarming. I regret not staying there and hugging everybody, I’m thinking my emotions got the best of me and I was just busting out in tears. I came down crying all over the place, only because of the kind of emotion and what that meant to me. I’m really grateful, unbelievably grateful.

Courtesy of Towson SGA Former Director of Student Activities Dirron Allen poses with a resolution honoring him for his 10 years of work at Towson during a Feb. 2 SGA general assembly meeting.

How do you think working at the University of Virginia will be different than working at Towson?

You know, I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know that I’ll miss people like Terry Hall [and] Deb Moriarty. I’ll miss staff members like Grady Sheffield, Matt Lenno, Beth Steiner. You know, I’m going to miss these folks, and to think of the people I won’t have with me when I go down there.

- Compiled by Sarah Rowan

Assistant prof. talks cultural awareness in schools Jessica Shiller, an assistant professor of education for instructional leadership in the College of Education, spoke in Cook Library Wednesday about her new book, “The New Reality for Suburban Schools: How Suburban Schools Are Struggling with Low-Income Students and Students of Color in Their Schools.”

In her research, Shiller focused on three schools in suburban areas. Each school had a varying degree of success in teaching their students of color and lowincome students.

One school, which Shiller referred to as “Lanfield,” had a principal who recognized that

there was a problem with students of color not being able to showcase their culture in a curriculum geared towards white students in a traditional classroom setting.

However, in this school, the principal said that there was no room in the curriculum to focus on those students’ cultures, a view that many teachers echo because of the lack of time to teach a mandated curriculum and how squeezed teachers’ lesson plans are.

Shiller called on local teachers to be brave and step outside the box and try to prove that teachers can incorporate more culturally-aware lessons in the plans.

“It’s such a great idea and theory, but it has to start so high up in the state and county level that it would be a while before there were any changes, especially in the suburban schools,” Department of Elementary Education

adjunct Mandy Dishon said. “I don’t think they feel the need to change as much as an urban school would.”

“I’m not trying to encourage anyone to lose their job, but we need more advocates out there,” Shiller said.

Shiller said that there is a disconnect between teachers and families.

She said that if teachers knew the families whose children they were teaching, they would better understand the family’s situation and background and the lesson plan would fall into place.

The racial divide also comes into play here, as Lanfield is a school with a more homogenous teaching staff and more racially heterogeneous student body, Shiller said.

“Oakwood,” a school Shiller called “culturally responsive,” had a community atmosphere that was not present in Lanfield. Teachers did not act as if they were policing

students, reprimanding their every wrong action, but rather were, as Shiller called it, “warm demanders.”

To the students, Shiller described this as teachers who “care enough about me to believe and expect the best of me,” not just teachers who expect high marks on standardized tests.

In the “Oakwood,” school, the teaching staff also better represented and reflected the student body, which helped students better connect with their teachers. Shiller used the example of an African-American teacher being able to work real-life examples and experiences into lectures to engage African-American students in a way that a white teacher could not do.

Shiller provided the example of the Urban Academy, a school in New York where students lead classroom discussions and where teach-

ers entrust them much of the responsibilities that are traditionally given to teachers. Shiller said this type of “outside the box” thinking is required in order to bring about the change that her talk was centered around.

Shiller said Towson students looking to go into the education field should look at “alternative school models… and to be an advocate for kids and get into the profession because they care about students and not for some other reason.”

“If Towson graduates go out there and advocate for schools that meet the needs of lowincome kids and kids of color, then we’re doing great,” Shiller said. “That’s a whole group of people pushing back on school systems in Maryland.”

10

Jobs

Career Center aids job search Towson students preparing to join the job market or looking for a summer internship will have plenty of opportunities over the next month.

The Career Center has several events with employers and recruiters lined up for February and March.

Feb. 23, students can meet with the Morgan Stanley Operations Division in the Career Center to learn about opportunities for employment and internships.

Morgan Stanley will return to campus in March to interview for an operations analyst position.

“You will also have the chance to meet some of the people who are creating change at Morgan Stanley and hear first-hand why they believe our culture is the real differentiator,” the Hire@TU website says.

March 1, Maxim Healthcare

Services will have an on-campus recruitment table in the Union outside of the Susquehanna dining hall. The event page says Maxim is recruiting for “various positions.”

Students looking for a bit more adventure after they graduate can meet one-on-one with Towson’s Peace Corps representative March 2 in the Career Center.

The representative will be able to answer questions and to help students through the application process.

If, however, none of those options sound like the future you have planned, you can attend the Mega Job & Internship Fair March 23.

The fair will include over 200 employers and is being held, for the first time, in SECU Arena.

To prepare, Director of the Career Center Lorie Logan-Bennett recommends that students practice their “elevator pitch.”

“It would be important for every student to think through what their brand is, or what their value position is,” Logan-Bennett said.

This way, students will know

what to say when an employer asks why they should hire that student.

Consequently, Logan-Bennett said that the biggest mistake she sees students make when they’re coming to these sorts of events is not preparing enough.

She says that students need to know not only what their pitch is, but who their audience is.

She recommends researching potential employers, and finding out why they’re looking for new recruits or learning something about the company to talk about with a recruiter.

“That’s what will really set you apart from other candidates,” Logan-Bennett said.

In addition to bringing an elevator pitch and several copies of their resumes, Logan-Bennett said that students should also dress professionally.

To help students avoid breaking the bank, the Career Center is giving away donated, gently-used suits the weekend of March 4.

Students can register for a time to go in and receive a suit on the Hire@TU page.

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Feb. 10: At Tower A, TUPD and Baltimore County are investigating a possible rape on campus involving two students.

Feb. 11: In the University Union, bias writing was reported and removed from a bathroom stall.

Feb 11: In Tower B, TUPD is investigating a resident student found with possession of a ECD (electronic control device).

Feb. 12: In 7800 York Road, a commuter student had their cell phone taken after leavving it unattended.

Feb. 13: In Millenium Hall, a resident was assaulted by another resident student.

Feb. 13: In Tower A, several students were charged were alcohol possession and their false IDs were confiscated.

Feb. 15: In Residence Tower, a resident student had their wallet taken from her room.

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Feb. 16: In Linthicum Hall, a staff member had items taken from their locked bathroom.

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Feb. 17: In the West Village Garage, a commuter student had their car magents taken.

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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.

14

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Arts

February 23, 2016

15

Nutritious choices made easy Risky business deal Healthy vending machines debut around campus

NOELLE HARADA Columnist

Are you looking for something healthy to consume during a busy day or right after an intense workout in Burdick Hall? Have no fear, the new enr.G vending machines are here. You can find these machines in Burdick hall, the University Union, the CLA building and the CFA building.

These vending machines are not your mundane, junk food-filled outdated machines that get you into a wrestling match when they steal your dollar.

These enr.G machines run on the latest vending technology and are designed with sustainability in mind. They use LED lighting, motion sensor dimmers and source locally produced products when available.

Yes, it can be hard to set aside the time to eat healthy, especially during the semester when we all have so much to accomplish. But healthy snacking can provide vital nutrients like carbohydrates, protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to maintain high energy levels throughout the day. The enr.G machines contain snacks filled with these nutrients.

These snacks are an alternative to the high-fat, high-sugar and highsodium snacks in regular vending machines, and harmful trans fats are not allowed. Also, there are all natural, organic, vegan, gluten free, kosher and non-GMO products available.

Many of the selections can help to achieve personal health and well-

ness goals, and the majority of the items contain less than 250 calories, 10 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 230 milligrams of sodium and 20 grams of sugar, which help to maintain energy throughout the day. For example, the Lightly Salted Edamame contains 14 grams of protein in just one-quarter cup. This snack is also low in saturated fat and is a good source of fiber. Mrs. May’s Naturals Classic Crunches contain healthy fats, protein, fiber and antioxidants and are preservative free, gluten free and Kosher.

For those with a sweet tooth, you can find Barbara’s Snackimals Oatmeal Cookies. While regular cookies are high in saturated fat, these Snackimals have no saturated fat and are made with whole grains.

If you are a “bar” person there are KIND bars, Nature Valley bars and NuGo Fiber d’Lish bars. Fiber d’lish bars contain nearly 12 grams of fiber,

are vegan and low in fat, saturated fatfree and made with whole grains.

Do not be fooled by the products that claim to be healthy for you. Read the labels and know what you are eating. Just because it’s surrounded by healthy does not mean it is healthy.

For example, many people love Clif Builder’s Protein Bars, which contain 20 grams of protein. But the Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor also 25 percent of your daily value of saturated fat.

And why aren’t Welch’s Fruit Snacks in there? Just because it says made with real fruit on the packaging does not mean it should take the place of a piece of fruit. Eating actual fruit is much healthier because it contains fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, no added sugar and no artificial anything. So if you have a hectic schedule and need a quick bite to help build and repair muscle, sustain your workout or just need some extra energy to get through your day, don’t forget that the enr.G vending machines are a new option on campus.

For more info, contact TU dietician Kerry Ballek at kballek@towson.edu.

KRISTIN HELF Columnist @kristinelise_

Annie Sragner/ The Towerlight

Kanye West tweeted, “My album will never never never be on Apple.

And it will never be for sale… You can only get it on Tidal,” Feb. 15.

Judging by the number of times Kanye’s new album “The Life of Pablo” has already been pirated, and the ever-dwindling number of new subscribers to music-streaming service Tidal, this decision could end up costing Kanye millions.

Fans of Kanye and Rihanna, whose album “Anti” also recently debuted, have been doing what one can only expect of broke teens and young adults: subscribing to Tidal, streaming those two new Tidalexclusive albums, and unsubscribing before they can be charged. There’s either that or trading the Tidal registration all together for the much more convenient option of pirating the albums.

According to the popular musicpirating website TorrentFreak, “The Life of Pablo” has already been illegally downloaded over 500,000 times.

On another website, The Pirate Bay, Kanye’s album is currently the mostshared torrent, seconded by Rihanna’s “Anti,” which, of course, are only otherwise accessible through Tidal.

This month, Kanye also tweeted that he’s $53 million in debt. So, maybe a Tidal-exclusive deal wasn’t the best decision. Time estimates that

Although profit is one aspect of the app, the main goal is to help college students.

“We want to help people that haven’t found their place on campus,” Schultz said. “Not only will individual students benefit, [but] clubs, Greek organizations and interest groups will now have the ability to post events and information in a place where people want the information.”

With many platforms to find out about ways to get involved, the cofounders believe that cell phone use is an underutilized method.

“What we want to do is take all the information that’s available on campus and put it all in one spot, on

the cell phone, because that’s where most people our age have their eyes,” Schultz said.

Dukehart and Schultz believe once the app is launched and running, it will become self-sustaining.

“Every new year that there’s a new class [of students] coming in, we want them to download the app and have access to that network of people,” Schultz said.

In the future, they hope to make the app more personalized for each school as well as create a feature to involve alumni so they can keep up to date with their old groups.

Look for the “Campus” app available to download on March 7.

this album alone could cost West up to 1.5 million in album sales income.

Yet another mistake Kanye made was charging his fans $20 for album download codes before its release. He then changed his mind, deciding that “Pablo” will never be available for download, only streaming, and supposedly refunded the 20 dollars back to everyone who paid for it. Supposedly.

One Twitter user, @gilovesjanedoe, tweeted, “I unsubscribed from @TIDALHiFi cause you didn’t refund my money.

Imma now download the new @ kanyewest album ILLEGALLY. Thank you.”

Of course, if fans suddenly have a change of heart and end up subscribing to Tidal in large numbers, Kanye would be considered an economic genius.

From his stock in Tidal, he would make an exorbitant amount of money through the $10 or $20 users pay per month, which well exceeds the price of a one-time buy of an album. But from the way things are looking like right now, this outcome is unlikely.

If Kanye wants my advice (and why wouldn’t he want the advice from a 20-year-old undergrad who knows little about the economics of the music industry), he should bite the bullet and sell “Pablo” at large-scale retailers, including Apple, and dig his way out of that $53 million debt.

As a bonus, those of us who don’t pirate music or subscribe to Tidal will be able to witness the art he cares about so much.

New app offers social recruitment for on-campus clubs ALAINA TEPPER Contributing Writer

After struggling to get connected with campus clubs, seniors Nick Schultz and Ellis Dukehart of York College of Pennsylvania came up with the idea for an app called “Campus.”

The app connects students to clubs and organizations at their college and allows groups to post about upcoming events. The app is especially helpful for recruiting new members as well as helping groups raise money for their philanthropies.

According to the co-founders, “Campus” has been in development since December and will launch at the beginning of March. Schultz and

Dukehart have begun collaboration with York College, McDaniel College and Towson University, so these schools will be the first to receive access to the app.

“We think it’s going to overall make a more tight-knit community,” Schultz said.

Schultz and Dukehart also plan to give 50 cents to organizations and clubs any time a member downloads an app advertised in the “Campus” app. While it may not seem like much up front, it can definitely add up. “[For] example, a club with 50 people [who all] download two advertised applications a week will make $200 a month,” Schultz said.

Courtesy of Nick Schultz

16

Arts

February 23, 2016

OSCARS PREVIE KYLE CASEY Staff Writer

Following a year filled with plenty of hit films and memorable performances, The Oscars 2016 have finally arrived. The 88th Academy Awards, hosted by Chris Rock, will air Sunday, Feb 28.

Key story lines to follow include the competitive three-movie race for Best Picture, and whether or not Leonardo DiCaprio will finally win an Oscar.

Will Win: “The Big Short” – This is the biggest crapshoot of any category. The decision for The Academy comes down to “The Big Short,” “Spotlight” and “The Revenant.”

All three have scooped up a fair share of awards leading up to the Oscars, making it nearly impossibly to predict which film will earn the most prestigious Academy Award.

Based on the timeliness of The Big Short (a depiction of a fraudulent American economy), its artistic feel and the Grade-A acting, it feels like a good bet to win.

Should Win: “Spotlight” – The most well constructed film of the year, Spotlight is a gripping journalistic thriller that keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat thanks to suspenseful storytelling and perfectly-executed acting from an ensemble led by Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton and Rachel McAdams.

This was the most complete film to hit theaters in the past year, and is worthy of the Best Picture title.

Should Have Been Here: “Inside Out” – The best animated film since “Toy Story 3,” “Inside Out” excelled at appealing to both young and old viewers. With incredible writing, wit and a high level of seriousness to complement the comedy, this animated feature deserved to be one of the eight films nominated for Best Picture.

Will Win: Leonard DiCaprio, “The Revenant” – A virtual lock, it would be one of

the biggest surprises in recent memory at the Academy Awards if DiCaprio does not hoist his first Oscar. No other lead actor even challenged him in this category prior to the Oscars.

Should Win: Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant” – Was this his best performance of his career? Probably not.

Was it Oscar worthy? Of course. The sheer devotion and feeling that DiCaprio engulfed himself in for this role makes him an easy choice.

Should Have Been Here: Johnny Depp, “Black Mass” – Depp’s portrayal of Whitey Bulger was chilling and uncomfortable, and his ability to make each scene unsettling should have netted him an Oscar nomination.

Will Win: Brie Larson, “Room” – Like DiCaprio, Larson was largely unchallenged in this category prior to the Oscars. Her emotional and dedicated performance promises to earn her the award, but keep an eye out for “Brooklyn’s” Saoirse Ronan.

Should Win: Brie Larson, “Room” – Both Larson and Ronan delivered Oscar-worthy performances, but Larson’s felt more genuine and grasped the viewer more than Ronan’s. Her on-screen camaraderie with fellow “Room” star Jacob Tremblay made for a lasting film.

Should Have Been Here: Daisy Ridley, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” – The Academy did a fairly good job at choosing the best five actresses for this category, but Ridley’s ability to steal the show in the newest Star Wars film made for one of the most memorable female performances of the year.

Will Win: Sylvester Stallone, “Creed” – One of the hardest categories to predict as all five actors can legitimately make a case for the award.

But, will The Academy really pass up the opportunity to have the 69 year-old Stallone hoist an Oscar for the first time?

Should Win: Mark Rylance, “Bridge of Spies” – In the supporting category, the award should go to an actor who can find a way to steal the show in a supporting role.

No actor did a better job at this than Rylance, whose performance as a Russian spy was superb.

Should Have Been Here: Idris Elba, “Beasts of No Nation” – Not only should Elba have been nominated, but he arguably should win the award.

His representation of an African warlord was one of the year’s best performances, and he would have been the only nominated actor of color.

Will Win: Alicia Vikander, “The Danish Girl” – This is a classic tossup between Vikander and Kate Winslet for her role in “Steve Jobs.”

With no clear frontrunner, the sheer hope that the better performance (Vikander) will win out puts her in the lead.

Should Win: Alicia Vikander, “The Danish Girl” – Her ability to seemingly overshadow the performance of Eddie Redmayne was Oscar worthy.

Should Have Been Here: None – No category accurately depicts the best five performances of the year quite like this one.

Will Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu, “The Revenant” – Back-to-back wins for the “Birdman” director? It appears so as Iñárritu directed a cinematic masterpiece with plenty of realistic action scenes.

Should Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu, “The Revenant” – A simple choice as Iñárritu’s ability to capture a breathtaking view of nature and combine it with premier acting portrayals made for the best directing job of the year.

Should Have Been Here: Ridley Scott, “The Martian” – A surprising omission, as Scott’s film was nominated for Best Picture and provides wonderful scenery.

Arts

EW Will Win: “Inside Out” – This one is etched in stone.

Should Win: “Inside Out” – The best animated film of the past five years, which makes for an easy choice.

Should Have Been Here: “The Peanuts Movie” – This was a funny, heartwarming adaption of the Charles M. Schulz childhood favorite.

Will Win: “Spotlight” – The main reason why this journalism film transforms into an edge-of-your seat thriller is the superb writing and flow of a screenplay that figures to win this award.

Should Win: “Ex Machina” – The sheer intricacies of each line in this film make the viewer think on a philosophical level. It is quite an advanced script that takes multiple viewings of the film to comprehend, but is wildly rewarding.

Should Have Been Here: None: The five screenplays for this category were undoubtedly the best choices.

Will Win: “The Big Short” – This is an easy choice. The ability of the writing team to make the collapse of the housing market even somewhat understandable for the average viewer is enough for this movie to win the award.

Should Win: “The Big Short” – Crafty, funny, informative and a screenplay that takes a confusing topic and does its best to dumb it down for the average person.

Should Have Been Here: “Steve Jobs” – How did this happen? It was the one of the most extensive and riveting screenplays of the year.

February 23, 2016

17

18

Arts

February 23, 2016

Have a heart

Campus celebrates Painter finds her inspiration Heart Health Month JESSICA RICKS Staff Writer

Senior art and design major MarieCharlotte Amegah says she began her journey to become an artist in the eighth grade when she took her first art class.

“It was the first art class where I actually liked the assignments and what I was doing, so I just started taking it more seriously from that point on,” Amegah said.

Since then, Amegah has taken many art classes throughout high school and into her college education at Towson including painting, digital art, drawing and illustration.

With a passion for color, her favorite mediums are acrylic and oil paint.

Although Amegah found success in a variety of academic subjects, there was something about art that captured her interest a lot more than math or English.

“Art was the thing I really cared about and I really wanted to push,” Amegah said. “Even though I’m good at other subjects, I can’t imagine studying them for hours.”

Although Amegah finds her major very demanding with four-hour studio classes and at least six hours of work outside the classroom each week, this practice has helped her grow as an artist. She said that classroom critiques and the opinions

SHANDA KERSEY Contributing Writer

Courtesy of Marie-Charlotte Amegah

of other students have helped her to see her work in a different way, and approach it from an angle she would not have thought of before.

After graduating, Amegah is interested in pursuing museum work or education.

She also plans to produce paintings after college, but the personal aspect of her work inhibits her from wanting to be a full-time fine artist.

“I make art for myself primarily,” Amegah said. “When I’m making art, I’m not thinking ‘what’s going to sell?’ or ‘what is someone else going to like?’”

Because of this rooted authenticity, Amegah does not want to dictate what other people think of her work.

Since her art typically varies between

being very abstract and realistic, Amegah wants people to be able to form their own opinions on it.

Amegah finds inspiration for her art mainly from her own ideas and personal experiences.

Her West African heritage is also the muse for a lot of her color choices and visual inspirations. Through this connection to her background and personal surroundings, Amegah finds persistent meaning that she translates into art.

“Art is important to me because it’s just everything that I do, everything that I think about and something that I’m always willing to explore,” Amegah said. “I’m thinking about it all the time and doing it all the time.

John Green novels and wished for a film adaption of my favorite Green book, “Looking for Alaska.”

This obviously brought out the reporter in me and I began to research the possibility of this wish, which led me to instant devastation. Just this week, Green let his true feelings be known through his Twitter account--though the tweets have since been deleted.

According to Green, Paramount has stopped all communication with him and he is no longer involved in the project in any way. Cue tears. After

the huge success of the first two movies, it was a no-brainer for “Looking for Alaska” to follow suit. Not only is it the most emotional book, but it is the fan favorite as well.

Unlike the prior movies, “Looking for Alaska” is owned by Paramount Pictures instead of Fox. At first, the movie looked as if it was well on its way to success when Green teamed up with Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber once again to write the screenplay last February.

- To read the rest of the column, visit thetowerlight.com.

Trouble with ‘Alaska’ movie CAITLIN MOYNIHAN Columnist @cmmoynihan

Some weekends I am really productive. I study for all upcoming exams, outline papers and actually look at my planner to see what I have to get done for the next week. I am going to be honest: this past weekend was the complete opposite.

I visited my parents, ate my weight in queso at Blue Agave in Federal Hill and the most effort I exerted went into making buffalo chicken dip. While I was wasting hours on YouTube, I stumbled upon a bunch of behindthe-scenes videos from “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Paper Towns,” which reminded me of how much I loved

The Heart Health and Fitness Fair, hosted Feb. 17, wasn’t just about heart health—it was about mind, body and soul.

“I wanted to do a Heart Health Fair because February is National Heart Health Month,” assistant Director of Health Education and Promotion Kirsten Roller said.

This health fair was mainly held to bring awareness to Towson students about heart health, but there were also many other tables there.

“The adult coloring station is one of my favorites,” senior exercise science major Kiera Harley said. “I have two books at home that I have yet to fill, so when I saw that I was happy because it’s a really good stress reliever.”

The adult coloring station was not the only stress-relieving table there.

There was also a table from a chiropractor, offering students free back massages, information about what they do in the office and free consultations with the doctor.

In addition, Campus Recreation was also present at the health fair to inform students of all that the group offers on campus.

“We are here to represent Campus Rec and to let people know that we offer all sorts of physical fitness – not just the gym and throwing a football or playing soccer,” Campus Rec Promotions Assistant and senior Austin Davis said. “We offer various aquatic activities and exercises ranging from CPR and lifeguarding to swim lessons. There’s also group fitness, so things like yoga, barre,

Zumba and intramural and competitive sports.”

In addition to all of the information about health and fitness, there were also tables providing information on the nutritional aspects of health and wellness.

There was a make-your-own trail mix cart with snacks ranging from Cheerios and almonds, to chocolate chips and sunflower seeds.

“When you know better, you do better,” Yolanda Taylor, a registered nurse who works at the Health Center, said. “Knowledge is power.”

Taylor informed students about the various forms of cholesterol and how to prevent ascension to a heart attack or stroke.

“The best thing to do is to get screened. Proper screening is going to be the key,” Taylor said. “Talk to your primary care provider, have your lipid panel drawn and that lipid panel is going to check for cholesterol and give you all of your cholesterol readings. It’s those numbers that will let you know what changes you need to make.”

Aside from physical health, some of the tables focused primarily on mental health. The Student Government Association table offered a quick quiz on a tablet for students to analyze their mental health.

“We had to think of a topic that appeals to our campus because a lot of people here at Towson don’t realize that mental health is a big problem on our campus,” junior nursing major and Mental Health Coordinator Pamela Shotikare said.

“A lot of people have anxiety and stress-related issues here at Towson.”

Annie Sragner/ The Towerlight

Junior exercise science major Will Knight demonstrates how to perform hands-on CPR at the health fair last Wednesday.

Puzzles

19

February 23, 2016

Crossword Sudoku

?

Puzzles

?

9-10-14

● 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

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20

Sports

February 23, 2016

tigers down phoenix 9-11-14

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

● The numbers within the heavily

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DESMOND BOYLE Staff Writer

The Tigers came up with a hard fought and emotional 67-56 win over Elon during Autism Awareness week this past Saturday.

“I mean, it means a lot,” Head Coach Pat Skerry said, after the win. Skerry’s son has autism. “My players see it because I talk about it, every family has trials and tribulations. For me it's important to raise awareness.”

Towson got off to a fast start to the game as junior guard John Davis hit a three pointer to give Towson an 8-2 lead just three minutes into the game.

“We know how much this means to coach,” Davis said. “Actually I have an autistic aunt, so I know what it means and just to bring more awareness to people who don't know about it, it definitely gives more firepower to go out and play hard for our coach who battles for us every day.”

Good perimeter shooting from several Phoenix players allowed Elon to score 10 points in a row, freshman forward Tyler Seibring had five of those points during the run.

Elon then built a 5-point lead after freshman guard Steven Santa Ana hit a three pointer with 12 minutes to go in the half.

Then sophomore guard Eddie Keith II capped off a 7-2 run for the Tigers with a three pointer from the corner with 9 minutes left in the half.

Later, with 6 minutes left and the game locked at 22-22 Towson scored 11 of the final 15 points in the half.

Solid defense and smart passing enabled the Tigers to finish the half on such a strong run and lead Elon 33-26 at halftime.

“We didn’t guard the way we wanted to on Thursday night [in an 84-82 loss to Hofstra],” Skerry said.

“But we got back to playing Towson basketball today, challenging them defensively, and challenging them on the glass.”

Elon only shot 27 percent from the field in the first half while the Tigers managed to pull down 12

more boards than Elon. Towson’s half time lead would again prove decisive as the Tigers are now 18-0 this season when leading at halftime.

Throughout the opening 8 minutes of the first half Towson held around a 10-point lead, until poor shot selection and sloppy defense allowed Elon to close the gap to 46-41 with 12 minutes left.

After a timeout, Towson came back composed as senior forward Timajh Parker-Rivera would score five of the next 10 points for the

Tigers to help them gain a 13-point lead with 5 minutes to go.

Towson was able to close out the game with more consistent defense and solid shooting from the line.

The Tigers finished the 67-56 victory with seven more second chance points then Elon and twelve more rebounds.

“It was a hard fought win, great win and a great day,” Skerry said.

“Autism awareness, it means a lot to me. I see the guys in the blue uniform [for autism awareness] every year it means a little bit more.”

File Photo by Abby Murphy/ The Towerlight

Towson forward Timajh Parker-Rivera goes up for a dunk last year in the CAA Tournament at Royal Farms Arena against Elon.

Sports

February 23, 2016

BATEMAN’S HAPPY HOUR

TU VICTORIOUS BILLY OWENS Contributing Writer @billyowens174

Towson earned a decisive victory over Mount St. Mary’s at the Bare Hills Racquet and Fitness Club in Baltimore Friday.

Coming into the match with a 4-2 record after a tough win against George Washington Feb. 12, the team was poised to keep the momentum going.

“We didn’t want to have that cliché famous letdown,” Head Coach Doug Neagle said. “They took care of business.”

Towson won all three matches of the doubles competition to go ahead 1-0 before singles action began later that evening.

The number one doubles team of Lucy Williams and Lucy Gloninger defeated Kelly Smith and Erin Benefiel 6-2. The No. 2 doubles team of A.J. Gomer and Renate van Oorschodt defeated Brittany Poje and Sruthi Kamprath 6-1.

Rounding out the doubles win was the number three doubles team of Sophie Lesage and Yevgeniya Shusterman who beat Isabella Draper and Emma Blake 6-1.

The Tigers continued their emphatic performance against the Mount in the singles competition, with all six matches going Towson’s way in straight sets.

Towson’s number one Barbora Vasilkova defeated Smith 6-3, 6-2, while number two Lesage defeated Poje 6-4, 6-2. Number three Gomer and number four van Oorschodt, both posted victories as well, beating Kamprath 6-3, 6-1 and Benefiel 6-2, 6-3, respectively.

Number five Gloninger won 6-1, 6-0 against Blake, and number six Shusterman won 6-0, 6-1 against Draper.

“They trust each other and push each other,” Neagle said. “It’s helping the girls get results they want right now.”

With the win, Towson stands at 5-2 for the season. Its next match is at Navy (7-5) this Sunday, Feb. 28.

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21

22

Sports

February 23, 2016

towson drops road decision to madison The Tigers fell to James Madison Sunday at the JMU Convocation Center DESMOND BOYLE Staff Writer

A slow start offensively doomed the Tigers this Sunday in a 61-45 loss at James Madison University.

Towson continuously missed contested jump shots and struggled to spread the floor against the Duke’s defense.

The Tigers did not get on the board until halfway through the first quarter, following a foul shot from junior forward Brianna Bush that made it 7-1.

Ashley Perez connected on a three pointer extending JMU’s lead to

12-3 with 3 minutes to go in the first. Three foul shots from senior guard Dominique Johnson, who had five of Towson’s six first quarter points, helped the Tigers close the gap to 14-6 at the end of the first quarter.

“I think we just didn’t have that focus or intensity coming out of the gate,” Head Coach Nikki Geckeler said. “And when you play in this conference, especially against James Madison, you can’t come out like we did.”

The second quarter was more of the same as Towson only scored four points in the opening 9 minutes of the quarter. Fouls also cost the Tigers as James Madison earned

“

each of their final 10 points at the line, which helped the Dukes carry a 26-14 lead into the half.

When you play in this conference, especially against James Madison, you can’t come out like we did.

NIKKI GECKELER Head Coach

“Throughout that whole half we just struggled to spread the floor

and move the ball around,” Geckeler said, “Defensively we just gotta be smarter and more patient so we don’t foul as much.”

Towson was outscored 15 to nine in the first half as the Tigers continued to struggle offensively. Three pointers from Perez and Jazmon Gwathmey enabled the Dukes to build a 41-23 lead going into the final quarter. The fourth quarter saw a scoring explosion from the Tigers as they nearly doubled their point total for the entire game in the final ten minutes.

Johnson and junior guard Raven Bankston scored each of the first 18 points the Tigers scored in the fourth. Both players were the only

Tigers to finish with double-digit points as Johnson scored 13 while Bankston scored 11.

The potent scoring in the fourth quarter was not enough to complete the major comeback as the Dukes would score seven of the games last 10 points to close out their 61-45 victory.

“I’m happy with the way we played later on, we didn’t give up and eventually we started creating space and making shots,” Geckeler said, “Now our focus is our final conference games and we just want to end the year on as strong a note as possible.”

Towson’s next game will be at William & Mary this Friday at 7 p.m.

TIGERS win local battle against UMBC JORDAN COPE Associate Sports Editor @jordancope26

Towson extended its winning streak to three games Wednesday, defeating University of Maryland, Baltimore County 14-4 at Johnny Unitas Stadium.

“We were more aggressive,” Head Coach Sonia LaMonica said. “We attacked the cage more and had thirty plus shots. That is the range that we want. It was nice to break the game open and never relinquish the lead.”

Freshman attacker Carly Tellekamp opened the game against the Retrievers with a goal less than two minutes into the first half and scored her second goal 10 minutes later, which gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead.

“Carly brings a strong presence for us,” LaMonica said. “She is gaining more confidence and she will only get more dangerous.”

After Tellekamp’s second goal, Towson went on to score four unanswered goals to extend its lead to 6-1.

With just over four minutes

remaining in the first half, UMBC stopped the bleeding on a goal with a man up from freshman midfielder Laura Osborne.

However, Towson scored the final goal of the first half less than two minutes later thanks to redshirt junior Michelle Gildea with a man up and took a 7-2 lead into halftime.

In the second half, the Tigers continued their scoring spree less than two minutes in when sophomore midfielder Kaitlyn Montalbano scored an unassisted goal.

After Motalbano’s goal, UMBC sophomore attacker Carolyn Jamison struck for the Retrievers to cut the Tigers lead to 8-3. This was just the first of two goals Jamison tallied in the game.

However, the Tigers went on to score six unanswered goals, including Motalbano’s second goal of the game, to take a 14-3 lead.

UMBC’s Jamison scored the final goal of the game with just under 6:30 to play, but Towson cruised to a 14-4 victory.

In the cage, freshman goalkeeper Angie Benson saw the majority of the action for the Tigers and made three saves and recorded her third

win of the season.

Senior goalkeeper Alyssa Saxon, who relieved Benson of her duties late in the game, recorded one save.

The Tigers will go for their fourth straight win Sunday, Feb. 28 against crosstown rival Loyola in Baltimore at the Ridley Athletic Complex.

“We intend to win each game that we play,” LaMonica said. “It will be a tough match, a local rival with lots of talent. It will be nice to give the team a rest, be focused and get better for next week.”

NEXT AT HOME Sat. 3/5 File Photo by Symone Garvett/ The Towerlight

Towson senior attacker Michaela Duranti looks upfield in a game at Johnny Unitas Stadium in the 2014 season.

Sports

February 23, 2016

23

tigers move on to caa finals Arceri, Szopo, Wilson qualified for the Tigers CHRIS WELLS Staff Writer @cgwells00

Towson University concluded its first postseason event at the twoday Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Diving Championship.

“We’ve qualified a group of girls for the NCAA Regional championship in Annapolis in two weeks,” Acting Head Coach Jake Shrum said. “Tim [Perkins] did a great job getting our divers ready to compete.”

The Tigers were lead by freshman Emily Wilson who qualified for the three-meter event finals with a preliminary score of 242.25. She finished sixth-place overall in the finals with a score of 238.15.

Senior Nataliee Szopo qualified for the three-meter event finals as well with a preliminary score of 239.95. She followed behind Wilson in the finals in seventhplace (230.75).

Only the top eight place finishers from preliminaries advance to the event finals.

“They had a really solid meet,” Shrum said. “Ninth and tenth places in prelims are always tough

to swallow since you can’t move up past ninth in consolation finals, and our girls did that on both boards. They’re an inevitable part of championship meets, you just hope to keep them at a minimum.”

Senior Molly Arceri finished strong winning the consolation finals with a score of 250.25.

Fellow senior Hannah Ostrem placed fourth in the consolation finals (237.95), which was good for 12th-overall.

Freshman Victoria Zozzaro placed fifth in the consolation finals (13th-overall) with a score of 228.75.

Towson’s only male diver, freshman Jake Casey, had a strong showing in his first CAA Championship action. He finished third in the one-meter event consolation finals (11th-overall) with a score of 124.70.

“Molly Arceri did a great job holding her ninth place on the three-meter and then came back and made the A Final for the first time of her career on,” Shrum said.

“Our highest performance was Emily Wilson’s sixth place finish on the three-meter, a tremendous accomplishment for a freshman.

Jake Casey had a really solid outing for his first CAA Championships as well.”

On day two of the event, Casey once again earned third-place in the three-meter consolation finals (11th-overall) with a score of 160.80.

In the women’s one-meter event Saturday, only Arceri qualified for the finals with a preliminary score of 235.60. She finished eighth overall (224.25).

Third through sixth-place (11th14th overall) in the consolation finals belonged to Towson as Ostrem led the way with a score of 236.00, followed by Zozzaro (220.50), Szopo (213.70) and Wilson rounding out the event for the lady Tigers (210.30).

Next up for Towson is a fourday trip to the Collegiate School Aquatics Center in Richmond, Virginia for the CAA Swimming Championship starting Wednesday, Feb. 24 and concluding Saturday, Feb. 28.

“I couldn’t be more excited for the swimming to start on Wednesday,” Shrum said. “The team has looked better every day and we’re itching to compete.”

File Photo by Patrick Burke/ The Towerlight

Towson swimmers compete in a meet at Burdick Pool in Towson. The team qualified three divers over the weekend at the CAA Diving Championships for the diving finals on Wednesday in Richmond.

Ryan Drenner Men’s Lacrosse Junior attacker Ryan Drenner scored three goal on seven shots, recorded one assist and tallied four points in the Tigers 9-5 win over Mount St. Mary’s Saturday afternoon at Johnny Unitas Stadium. The Tigers are currently ranked 15th in the nation.

24

Sports

February 23, 2016

Tigers earn second straight win

Chris Simms/ The Towerlight

Senior midfielder Ben McCarty plays in the game Saturday at Johnny Unitas Stadium against Mount St. Mary’s. He recorded two assists and two points in the Tigers 9-5 victory.

TYLER BEARD Assistant Sports Editor @tylerbeard2

No. 15 Towson improved 2-0 for the first time since 2007 after the team’s 9-5 win against Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday.

“I’m excited to get our second win of the year,” Head Coach Shawn Nadelen said. “We knew Mount was going to come in here with a lot of excitement and a lot of energy. I knew our guys were focused and prepared after putting in a pretty strong week of practice. It was something for us to come out here and be able to handle some of the adversity we faced.”

Both teams struggled to get on the board until junior midfielder Mike Lynch scored the first goal of the game midway through the first quarter. However, Mount St. Mary’s (1-1) responded with a goal before the quarter ended and both teams remained deadlocked at 1-1.

Towson had 11 shots in the first quarter, but had a tough time against goalie Matt Vierheller, who finished with a game-high 15 saves.

Things clicked for the Tigers in the second quarter as the team went on a 4-0 run and took a 5-1 lead with three minutes left in the half. The

run started with a fake pass from sophomore attackman Ryan Drenner, who then put the ball into the back of the net.

Drenner finished with a game-high three goals and is now tied with fellow junior attackman Joe Seider with a team-high four goals on the season.

“I just think a lot of our key things on offense is shots on volume and this year we’re focused on making sure those shots count,” Drenner said.

Towson came out in the second with a 5-3 lead and went ahead 6-3 after a man-up goal from redshirt freshman attackman Ian Kirby. Kirby is the Tigers extra-man specialist who comes in to the game when the team is up a man.

“I kind of like the job,” Kirby said.

“It’s fun putting that in my repertoire.”

Mount St. Mary’s attempted its comeback in the fourth quarter after a goal from Ryan Lamon cut Towson’s lead to 7-5 with 13 minutes left in the game.

The Tigers held on though, as senior midfielder Ben McCarty found Lynch in front of the goal, who put the ball in the net for his second goal of the game.

Drenner finished off the game with an unassisted goal for the hat-trick in

the last minute of the fourth quarter.

Towson’s defense played its role in the team’s win, after it forced 15 turnovers from Mount St. Mary’s and only allowed the team to have a 13-of19 clear-rate.

“It’s kind of how we’re planning to play all year,” redshirt senior goalie Tyler White, who finished with eight saves, said. “Everyone is comfortable out there, people are flying around and we want to be able to fly around

the field, cause turnovers, get the ball and get out of there.”

The Tigers finish off their threegame home stand on Saturday against the Georgetown Hoyas (0-1) at noon.

Chris Simms/ The Towerlight

Junior attacker Joe Seider chases a Mount St. Mary’s player Saturday afternoon at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Sieder recorded one goal on six shots in the Tigers 9-5 victory over the Mountaineers.