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March 1, 2016
The Towerlight spoke with several Muslims at Towson about what Islam means to them, pgs. 15-16. Photo by Chris Simms/Photo illustration by Kara Bucaro & Chris Simms/The Towerlight
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March 1, 2016
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for a chance to win Beats ®1 By Dr. Dre ! Now through March 11, use your PNC-linked TU ID card at any ATM for a chance to win2! Or visit the PNC Towson Branch on campus to enter3. Enter as many times as you wish. Winner will be announced March 17.
Towson University 1 BEATS® is a registered trademark of Beats Electronics, LLC. Beats Electronics, LLC is not a participant, endorser or sponsor of this promotion or of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates. No purchase or transaction necessary to participate. A purchase or transaction will not increase your chances of winning. Contest begins March 1 and ends at 5 p.m on March 11, 2016. Prizes will be awarded the week of March 21, 2016. Winners will be selected based upon a random drawing, and contacted by phone or mail if not available in person. If prize(s) is not claimed in 10 days, it will be forfeited and an alternate winner will be selected. Odds of winning are determined by the number of entries received. Number of winners may vary. The prize will be BEATS® by Dre and generally has a cash value of $150. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. The sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. See official sweepstakes rules located at 8000 York Road, Towson, MD 21252. 2 Enter to win by using your PNC TU ID card at any ATM location. 3 Alternate entry forms to win are available at the PNC Bank’s Towson University branch located at 8000 York Road, Towson, MD 21252. Entries will be accepted at the PNC Towson University branch starting on March 1 and end at 5 p.m. on March 11, 2016. Participant need not be a PNC customer in order to enter and/or win. Being a PNC customer will not increase your chance or odds of winning. ©2016 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved. PNC Bank, National Association. Member FDIC
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March 1, 2016
TOWSON TRENDING Week of 2/24 - 2/29
Towson lost its final basketball game before tournament play with a score of 74-68 against UNC Wimington, Saturday. Students reacted to the 88th annual Oscars, Sunday night. Congrats Leo!
MEN’S BASKETBALL
First Towson Basketball Drumline performance in the books! And we didn’t fall flat on our faces
@billyowens174
I LOVE this Towson basketball squad
@PatSpringa
That Towson basketball game was pretty good. I should have went to more during the season.
@KingKluch
OSCARS
I would sell my family just so I’d never have to hear “Earned It� ever again. #Oscars
@_cyd_ney_
PHARREL NOT IN A HAT WHAT IS THIS #Oscars
@zoeeeeeeee28
Chris Rock has his kids selling their girl scout cookies at the Oscars đ&#x;˜‚ Very smart move.
@hulede_dogsout
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Opinion
March 1, 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
Why I’m a little scared this Super Tuesday
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 Staff Videographers Tyisha Henderson Proofreaders Sarah Rowan Kayla Baines Alaina Tepper Chris Pretrides
By the time most of you read this, it will be Super Tuesday—a day in the primary season where a dozen states will vote in Republican contests and 11 states will vote for Democrats. Maryland will vote in April. Super Tuesday will be really, really important for both parties. There’s a real chance that, when the results are all announced tomorrow, we’ll have our nominees for the Democrats and the Republicans. And, I mean, I’m not a pundit or anything, so I’m hardly an expert, but I’m beginning to be more and more worried that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee. Don’t get me wrong. I’ll admit that, yeah, watching Trump say ridiculous things on TV is entertaining, in a “I-love-to-hate-this-guy” kind of way. But it’s reached a point where it’s scary. Somewhere along the course of the
campaign, Trump stopped being a joke candidate, stopped being the reality TV candidate and became a real, bona fide, contender for the presidency. I’m scared of Super Tuesday. I’m scared that voters or caucusgoers in a dozen states will say that they want Donald J. Trump to be the next president of the United States. I’m scared of what that will mean for our country, politically. And I’m scared of what it will mean for our national identity. I don’t give a damn about political correctness. Be PC if you want, be considered rude by polite society if you don’t want to. Fine. To each their own. So don’t talk to me about political correctness. Donald Trump doesn’t represent an anti-political correctness agenda. He’s not “just straight-talking.” He’s spewing hate. He’s someone who’s made racist comments, bigoted comments, has a history of sexist comments and who has shown, on the campaign trail, that he doesn’t have the strongest grasp of policy.
I can’t tell you if Trump will win the nomination, or if he’ll win the general election if he’s the candidate. I can tell you that my friend and colleague Matt Teitelbaum, of the SGA, thinks I should be more cautiously optimistic than I am absolutely terrified. If Trump wins the primaries, there’s a real chance it will tear the Republican Party apart and leave conservatives scrambling to reform something new. There’s a chance it will cause an even wider split between the moderate conservative wing of the party and the Tea Party. And there’s also a chance that there will be a brokered convention—meaning, you know, there’s no clear winner going in and a candidate will be chosen on the floor. That opens the window for people not currently running to get the nomination. So, like, that’d make for some great television. As a journalist/generalobserver-of-news, it’d be exciting to see that kind of political drama. We don’t get big fights like that very often.
But I’m not willing to sacrifice national security for political drama. I’m not willing to risk electing a president who denies the science of climate change. I’m not willing to risk electing someone who thinks all Muslims should be denied entry to our country and that we should build up a giant wall on our southern border. One of our greatest national prides should be that we’ve become a diverse society and that so many cultures can find a home in America. We should be proud that people looking for a better life flee their countries to come here. People are angry, I get it. Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are both popular because people are angry with the establishment. Fine. Be angry. But please, for the love of all things holy. Do not, do not cast your ballot for a man who would close our country off and make us an international embarrassment. We can overcome the issues facing our country and plaguing our globe by coming together, not by ripping ourselves apart.
General Manager Mike Raymond Art Director Kara Bucaro Production Assistants Daniel Andrews Christine Kim Webmaster Hafiz Aina Circulation Staff Jasmine Edwards Nilo Exar Shawn Halerz
8000 York Road University Union Room 309 Towson, MD 21252 business: (410) 704-5153 editorial: (410) 704-5141 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!
Differences in gender, sex and sexuality Gender, sex and sexuallity are three terms used to help define a person’s identity, but what are they, specifically? Let’s start with sex. No, not that kind of sex. I mean the sex that determines if someone is male or female based on their genitalia. This one’s relatively simple: if you have a penis, your sex is male and if you have a vagina, your sex is female. Now, there is such a thing as ambiguous genitalia. It’s pretty self explanatory. This occurs when a person’s genitalia is indistinguishable or, in other words, it can’t be categorized as male or female. Moving into slightly more complicated ground, let’s talk about sexual-
ity. Sexuality is who you are attracted to. You could be a lesbian, meaning a woman who is attracted to other women. Or, you could be a straight woman who is attracted to men, a gay man who is attracted to men, or a straight man who is attracted to women. But wait, there’s more! You could be asexual, and not feel any form of sexual desire toward anyone, you could be pansexual and be attracted to anyone regardless of sex or gender, you could be bisexual and be attracted to men and women, or you could be a happy combination of anything. Sexuality is just which type of people you’re into, and it certainly doesn’t have to be rigidly defined. Now for the big one: gender. Gender is who you identify as, regardless of biological sex or sexuality. To be a
cis woman or man means you identify with the societally assumed gender of your biological sex. For example, you’re biologically female (you have a vagina) and you identify as a woman. To be transgender means you do not identify with the assumed gender of your biological sex. For example, a transgender man is a person who was assigned the biological sex of female at birth, but identifies as a man. A transgender woman is a person who was assigned the biological sex of male at birth, but identifies as a woman. Basically, your external, physical body appears one way, but internally you feel another way. You may have male genitalia externally, but internally you identify as a woman. It is also highly possible to be genderqueer, in which case you don’t strongly identify with
either gender, or you identify with both, or any range in between. I know this may all be new and confusing, so let me try to break it down a little. Your sex is assigned to you by other people at birth, while only you can determine your sexuality and gender. Your sexuality is based on who you go to bed with, and your gender is based on who you go to bed as. Your sex is the only thing broken down into rigid categories. You either have a vagina, a penis, or it’s ambiguous. The others, sexuality and gender, don’t have to be categorized. Some people find ease in being able to identify with a particular category, others don’t like the pressure that comes with it. Both are okay! To read the rest of this column online, visit www.thetowerlight. com.
Opinion
March 1, 2016
Uplift your creativity
SEY ELEMO Columnist
Being black, and if I speak specifically for myself, being a firstgeneration American, and being a creative is certainly a challenge. There’s so much pressure from our elders to become doctors, lawyers, engineers and such the like. To many older black people, entering into the field of STEM is the only viable way of financial security, and in turn, fulfillment. So if you’re a Nigerian kid who loves to write poetry and passes out at the site of blood (totally talking about myself here), you may be the family joke. **shrugs** ‘Tis life. I’ve struggled, and continue to struggle, with this over the course of my entire life. As an artist, feeling under-, or unappreciated can take a toll on your creativity and your confidence in your artistry. But I’m not going to drone on about the woes of feeling unrecognized by the ones you respect the most.Instead, I’m going to use this space to talk about the three most important things I’ve learned in this last year that have kept me going when I felt like I should just pack up all of my stationary and change my major to biology (or something like that): 1. Surround yourself with a network of dedicated artists. Not to sound corny but iron, does in fact, sharpen iron. Being a creative, and surrounding yourself with artists just as passionate and dedicated to their crafts, whether or not they’re in the same discipline as you, will encourage you to get down in the trenches and grind for your goals. It’s also good to be around people who experience the same challenges that you do; it makes it easier for you all to navigate through them. 2. You are your art, but you are not. Anyone who has battled with writer’s block has had to come to terms with this concept. You are going to run into ruts where we feel as though you can’t produce. The words aren’t flowing, the brush strokes aren’t arranging themselves together the way you want them to, you just can’t seem to capture moments with the right angle. It makes you question if
you were ever talented or if you simply got lucky with that one project. STOP. That’s not how this works. Production, for most, comes in waves. It is just a phase. Artistic troughs happen. But then they go away. Stick it out. 3. Your success is independent of what “they” think. Your mom, your dad, your friends, your enemies, your haters, they’re all very opinionated. They may think that you’re “wasting your time,” or that you’re better off doing something more nine to five oriented. They are not right. You are not wasting your time. Your art is necessary. Period. Take these three things with you and take them seriously. I promise it makes all of the the difference. To those that don’t identify as artists, SUPPORT YOUR ARTIST FRIENDS. It’s so important to do so. We need to know that we’re worth it and that we’re believed in. Donate to our GoFundMe pages and Kickstarters. Repost our new video link. Spread the good word of our art to your various networks. Being shown love is one of the greatest motivations. Below I’m going to highlight a couple of DMV-based artists that have impacted my artistic experience. Please support and uplift them. I don’t know anyone more deserving. Yours in Blackness, A Ratchet Revolutionary. • Kassim aka K.O. – rapper Twitter and Instagram: @kassim20nvr Website: kassimmusic.com • Bilphena Yahwon – writer/poet/activist Twitter and Instagram: @goldwomyn Website: goldwomyn.com • O-Slice – rapper Twitter: @O_slice Instagram: @ flowsnice Website: soundcloud.com/o-slice • Gabe Flood – rapper Twitter and Instagram: ClrConscience Website: soundcloud.com/clrconscience • Cat Mayes – photographer Instagram: @catsgotyourtongue Website: thirdthingphotography. com • Neptune Lyric Instagram and Twitter: @ NeptuneSpeaks
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Say “yes” to a new life chapter ANNIE SRAGNER Arts & Life Editor @AnnieSragner
In a culture that values schedules and deadlines over spontaneity, we seldom grant ourselves the freedom to indulge in life's little adventures. Many consider adventure to be a special occasion that one has to carve into his or her schedule. It's often something that we’ll eventually get around to, but it’s just not the right time yet. When persistent todo lists feel a mile long, it can be difficult to fully immerse oneself in the present moment and not drift away toward thoughts of the future. Frequent “whatif” scenarios can hiccup to the front of the mind and steal our ability to devote full attention to the opportunities that come our way. If we're not aware of when an opportunity is calling us, we miss the chance to see
the possibilities that accompany it. This is why it’s important to say “yes” to the opportunities that feel right, even if they feel like an unexpected change from the original plan. Plot twists are what make the story of one's life interesting because it wouldn’t be an exciting story if we knew exactly how the storyline unfolds. A friend of mine has a great life motto that I admire: whenever she is presented with an opportunity, even if it’s something mundane, she will resist the immediate urge to say “no.” Instead of hesitating and contemplating all of the countless reasons to decline, she will often say “yes” unless she has a legitimate obligation holding her back. There’s a certain level of discomfort with this mindset because it requires sacrifice of your control over the situation.
People love being in the driver’s seat of their journey, but adventure is about admitting that we’re actually in the passenger’s seat and the destination is unknown. As long as safety is prioritized and gut instincts are followed, making decisions that align with authentic desires is the best way to create a satisfying journey. It's easy to get caught up in the meaning of each plot development, but doing this stops us from both watching the story that’s occurring right now, and seeing how our experience ties into the collective human story. When looking to the past brings longing nostalgia, and looking to the future creates anxious nerves, slow down and focus on the memories you're creating in this moment. It's never too late to start a new chapter when the story starts to feel a little stale.
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March 1, 2016
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March 1, 2016
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Cost of housing, parking set to increase Incoming resident freshmen will not be allowed to park on campus
Students could pay more for room, board and parking next year, while incoming resident freshmen won’t be able to park on-campus at all, according to University administrators. “It is really unusual to have a year when fees don’t increase,” Vice President for Student Affairs Deb Moriarty said. “And we always try to keep it as low as possible.” Moriarty and Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services Dan Slattery, who explained these changes at an open forum Feb. 23, said that freshman commuters will not be affected by the parking prohibition, and freshmen residents who rely on the use of their car for income or other unique circumstance have the option of appealing the decision. For the rest of the student population, Moriarty said that the cost of parking on campus would increase 3 percent, from $330 to $340. If the fees are approved by the University System of Maryland, the revenue generated from the parking increase will go toward projects like garage upkeep and updating the aging shuttle fleet, according to Slattery. Moriarty said that the revenue generated from housing fee increases goes toward areas like the University’s mandatory cost
increases and managing bond debt. Every time a new building is “brought online,” the bond debt increases, according to Moriarty, and Towson has two new buildings coming online in the coming year. Carroll and Marshall Halls, the two apartmentstyle residences that will open in time to house students in the fall, will run students upward of $9000. Twobedroom units will cost each student $10,100, while four-bedroom units will cost each student $9,900. Excluding Towson Run’s four-bedroom option, the cost of living anywhere else on campus will increase 4 percent next year, if approved. Double rooms in “traditional,” or non-apartment-style residence halls, will increase by $260. Single room rates will go from $7,632 to $7,936, a margin of $304. Rooms in “premium housing” options, Barton and Douglass halls, will also go up by $304. “The 4 percent provides us with a cushion to be able to start to pay off those two new buildings that are coming online and keeping that rate modest,” Moriarty said. The four-bedroom Towson Run increase was kept low, just 2.4 percent, to account for students that might be forced out of traditional-style residence halls and into apartment-style living when Residence Tower closes for renovation in fall 2016. Next year, the cost of a four-bedroom unit in Towson Run will be equal that of a two-person
traditional room, $6,748. Temporarily closing Residence Tower robs campus of around 500 beds. According to the University’s master plan, Marshall and Carroll halls will provide 700 beds. After Residence Tower is completed, Moriarty said Prettyman and Scarborough are “next on the list” to be renovated. For the University to pursue building new structures, Slattery said that administration has to see student demand. “So, in the case of housing or residence life, you want to make sure that you have enough bodies to the fit the beds that you build,” he said. “If you don’t, you’re really going to be up the creek if you wind up opening that building with empty beds.” According to Slattery, there are anywhere from 400-700 empty parking spaces catalogued on campus at any given time. A safe number is 500, he said, and typically they are located in South Campus near SECU Arena or Johnny Unitas Stadium, disconnected from campus’ core. All meal plan options will also increase by around 3 percent in the coming year, if the fees are approved by the USM Board of Regents. The flexible 19-meal plan with $100 annual food points, as well as the unlimited meal plan with the same amount of food points, will both increase by $202 yearly.
Photos by Chris Simms and Sam Shelton/ The Towerlight (Above) The Carroll and Marshall residence halls are scheduled to open for next semester. University administrators Deb Moriarty and Dan Slattery present fee increases at a Feb. 23 student forum in the Union (below).
USA Swimming bans former Towson diving coach Former Towson diving coach Maureen Mead, 43, has been banned for life from USA Swimming, the governing body of the sport, effective Feb. 16. “It’s what we were hoping for and expecting,” a member of the swim team said. According to the organization's website, Mead was found in violation of three sections of USA Swimming’s code of conduct. One, an athlete protection policy, explicitly prohibits the use of cell phone cameras and other audio or visual recording equipment in
changing areas. Mead pleaded guilty to misdemeanor video surveillance and altering physical evidence charges Feb. 10. A plea deal had been reached between Mead and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s office, and the judge sentenced Mead to three years’ probation before judgment. Mead’s job at the University ended Nov. 24, one day after she was formally indicted. As part of her probation, Mead was ordered by the judge to have no contact with the team, to stay away from campus and to not coach swimming or diving in any capacity. The charges against Mead were connected to an October incident wherein several members of the
“
swimming and diving team noticed a cellphone that was recording in the women’s locker room.
[The ban is] what we were hoping for and expected. SWIM TEAM MEMBER Student, Towson University
According to Lisa Dever, the prosecutor in the case, the girls on the team noticed the phone because of the light coming from the screen, which was reflecting
off the back of the locker, which is painted black. The phone was hidden behind a knit hat and propped up against a shampoo bottle. None of the women, Dever said, believed that Mead was trying to record the team members while they were undressing, but instead that she was trying to eavesdrop on conversations. When she picked up the phone, 19-year-old Kendall Krumenaker saw that it was recording and had captured at least two women in the act of changing. When other women on the team informed Assistant Coach Adrienne Phillips of the device, Phillips returned the phone to Maureen Mead, who acted
as if she had lost it. Team member Hannah Snyder later consulted former Head Swim Coach Pat Mead, Maureen Mead’s husband, who downplayed the incident and attempted to assure her that nothing was recorded, according to Dever’s account. The coaches “didn’t understand why the girls were making such a big deal,” Dever said. Nobody on the coaching staff contacted police. It was not until a team member’s parent called the University that Towson University Police were made aware of the incident—almost four hours later. Phillips and Pat Mead quietly resigned in December.
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News
March 1, 2016
New nursing dept. Encouraging women in STEM chair outlines goals TU holds 15th Women in Science Forum Hayley Mark aims to stabilize exam pass rates
Sarah Rowan/ The Towerlight Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine physiology professor Rajini Rao speaks about the gender gap in STEM fields during the 15th annual Women in Science Forum on Feb. 27. File photo by Chris Simms/ The Towerlight Facilities for the College of Health Professions are currently scattered between six buildings on campus, including Burdick Hall.
Towson’s new nursing department chairperson, former Johns Hopkins faculty member Hayley Mark, says she aims to improve exam pass rates and grow clinical partnerships over the course of her time at TU. “I’m really glad to be here,” she said. “I think it’s a really vibrant place with a lot of new things happening.” Mark’s goals include stabilizing NCLEX pass rates. The NCLEX is the exam students must take in order to become a registered nurse. According to Mark, Towson has had inconsistent pass rates in the past years. By strengthening partnerships with local hospitals and, potentially, public health agencies, Mark said students might better find work or internships at these firms and then have jobs there after graduation. “It’s really kind of a win-win because students have this almost guaranteed job, and then the hospitals have these people who have worked in their organizations for some time,” Mark said. “ [Towson has] those programs now but there is no real structure for it, which I think we could really form something much more significant.” Mark, who started in her new
position Feb. 16, comes to Towson after 12 years with Johns Hopkins’ School of Nursing, where she most recently acted as director of the school’s baccalaureate program. “This was a great opportunity to learn more leadership skills, which when I started to be the administrator for the baccalaureate program at Hopkins I just loved that, so this was an opportunity to kind of grow those skills even more,” Mark said. Mark also said that she was interested in working within a different system, with different students, at an institution that can provide its students with a more affordable education. She wanted to be at a university that was committed to helping the state, like Towson, which has the second-largest bachelor’s nursing program in the University System of Maryland. “One of the reasons I was really excited to come here was to produce nurses for the state of Maryland,” Mark said. While she is not teaching this semester, Mark said she is looking forward to returning to the classroom in the coming semesters. Mark said she has really enjoyed her new position at Towson. She said at Hopkins, she was surrounded by “graduate students and nurses and physicians,” but here she really gets “the feel of a campus,” which she’s “really enjoying.”
The Fisher College of Science and Mathematics welcomed over 100 Towson-area students and educators to campus Saturday for the 15th annual Women in Science Forum, where speakers used their experiences as female scientists to encourage young women to pursue careers in STEM. Fisher College Associate Dean Gail Gasparich said the goal of the event is always to integrate gender equality issues into scientific curriculum. “We’re trying to pull more women into the undergraduate majors, particularly computer science and math,” Gasparich said. “I think that’s where there’s a weakness.” The forum featured presentations from three prominent women in various scientific and mathematical fields. Major General Linda Singh, the adjutant general of Maryland for the Maryland Military Department, spoke about, “A Different View: Living Through Adversity.” While Singh has a background in business, she works in systems engineering and logistics within the National Guard. According to Gasparich, she will be working with Towson computer science faculty within the field of cybersecurity to spearhead and develop a cybersecurity center in Baltimore. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine physiology professor Rajini Rao spoke on “Nature v. Nurture: Addressing the Gender Gap in STEM.” Rao is committed to mentoring
women and minorities, and co-founded a blog called “STEM Women” to break down some of the stereotypes associated with women scientists. “We need to educate people about stereotype threat and its negative consequences,” Rao said. University of Delaware associate professor and Environmental Science and Studies Director Dana Veron spoke on “The Climate is Changing… Now What?” Veron spoke on her career as an expert in climate control and climate change. She has worked on a grant with MADE CLEAR, the Maryland and Delaware Climate Change Education Assessment and Research, which aims to build partnerships and communication among research universities within the subject of climate change. “If you think about your career, whether you’re applying to be a doctor…and even if you’re a business major, you need to expand your horizons,” Singh said. “Step into the world of STEM and don’t be afraid. Young ladies, there’s not enough of us in the field.” The forum also cited labor statistics to show the gender inequity within STEM fields. According to a slide presenting data from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, while women held 48 percent of all jobs in 2009, they only held 24 percent of STEM jobs. According to data collected by Towson University, there were over 300 more women enrolled than men enrolled in the Fisher College of Science and Mathematics in 2015. The 2015 numbers offer a stark contrast to
the numbers from 2001, when 951 men were enrolled compared to 761 women. In addition, a 2009 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) report that analyzed over one million students over the past 100 years showed that female students outperform male students in all school subjects. The speakers described a need for women in science in order to increase diversity of thought within STEM fields. “Without the diversity of thought and diversity of input, we really cannot move our overall agenda forward,” Singh said. “We can’t move forward as a nation. So, it is critical that we have more of you at a younger age getting into STEM fields.” According to Gasparich, the forum has been beneficial for women representation within Towson faculty. “We have a lot of women faculty now, but we’re trying to focus in on underrepresented minorities, because we don’t have a lot of faculty from a diverse group,” she said. The event will continue next year, but will be taken over by faculty within the biology department, as Gasparich is moving on to a deanship at Salem State University in Massachusetts. During the forum, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Timothy Chandler said that, “It’s still not easy for women in science.” “We have to do everything we can at institutions like this to try to make it possible for women to live a full life, to be scientists and researchers and to be supportive of those efforts,” Chandler said.
March 1, 2016
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Former sergeant finds footing along the picket line Police whistleblower and retired Sgt. Michael Wood delved into his history with the Baltimore Police Department and his future as a proponent for a new era of policing Wednesday, during a Q&A-style discussion in West Village. During the talk, Wood compared the differences in training methods between the Marines, which he said he joined for “discipline,” and local law enforcement. In the Marines, Wood said that he had been trained not shoot unless someone had shot at him first. A sense of brotherhood and sisterhood among the troops was encouraged, he said. However, when Wood later began training with the Baltimore Police Department, he was shocked at how the tactics used to teach officers-intraining greatly differed from that of military training. “Immediately it’s us versus them,” Wood said. “You’re taught that you’re separate from society.” In the Marines, if Wood had brushed another person with the butt of his
weapon, he would have been kicked out, according to Wood. The Baltimore Police Department was different. “The legal standard is fear,” Wood said. “So, they don’t care how you go to fear, but that you’re there.” According to Wood, in the police academy “you don’t learn anything about the law.” The Baltimore City Police Department did not respond to a request for comment in time for The Towerlight’s print deadline. When Wood first started with the Baltimore Police Department, he was put on foot patrol in Gilmor Homes. Wood said his ability to get promotions and move up the ranks was solely based on his ability to put people in jail cells, at the expense of black bodies. Wood recalled doing drug busts in the Park Heights neighborhood and thinking he was making a real difference. Years later, he realized the change he wanted to make was in another direction. Wood described days in a blackedout van with cameras in different spots of a neighborhood, surveying for drug activity before the sun came up. But the more he did this, he began to
become accustomed to the sights and sounds of a neighborhood just waking up – people making breakfast, heading to work and greeting each other. “I saw for the first time, it wasn’t us and them,” Wood said. “They were brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles.” Wood was lauded in the department for the arrests he made and was promoted through the ranks until he found himself teaching other officers the ropes. Wood said the moment he knew he had to make a change in the department was when a room of officers that he was training did not know what a legal arrest was. However, when he began to alter his style of training to be more sensitive to the people of Baltimore, he was blackballed by the police department. After tearing his shoulder out in the streets, he retired and found himself “on the other side of the badge” for the first time in years. “When I joined the police department and the Marines, I was pursuing justice,” Wood said. Later, Wood found that he could best pursue justice on a different type of front line – the picket line.
Alex Best/ The Towerlight Police whistleblower and retired Sgt. Michael Wood speaks to students about his views on police reform during a Feb. 24. Q&A on campus. Wood stressed that police officers must integrate into the community they patrol, because they vow to “protect and serve” that community. Wood extended an invitation to students in attendance and students everywhere to get involved and jump in on a picket line. “All I ask is that you reserve your fear, look in the mirror and show up
because that’s what we need,” Wood said. Political science major Briana Jones, who attended the Q&A, said that Wood encouraged her to consider protesting. “He was very open and very knowledgeable and I wish more police officers thought like him or protested because black lives do matter… I would definitely protest now,” Jones said.
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LOOKING FOR A FUN JOB?? HotPots, a Paint Your Own Pottery Studio in Timonium is hiring FT/ PT staff. Flexible schedules, great coworkers and fun environment. Email hotspots@comcast.net, stop by or call the studio for an application. 410-561-3035 PART TIME HOSTS WANTED Mt. Washington Tavern. Day & Evening Shifts avail -No minimum hours. Send interest to mtwashingtontavern@comcast.net or call. 410 367-6903
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Friends don’t let friends suffer
Counselors talk eating disorder awareness
Towson Coordinator of Eating Disorder Services Jamie Kaplan and pre-doctoral intern Ashley Wood advised that students learn to recognize and offer help to peers struggling with eating disorders Tuesday, as a part of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week Feb. 21-27. According to the National Eating Disorder Association website, approximately 30 million Americans suffer from a “clinically significant eating disorder” within their lifetime. At least 10 million of those people are male, according to the site. "You don't choose to have an eating disorder,” Wood said. Wood talked about actress Kat Dennings, who was famously quoted saying, "I tried to be anorexic for four hours and then I was like, ‘I need some bagels.’" Wood said that quotes like these
are especially harmful because they glamorize eating disorders by normalizing them. Warnings signs that someone might have an eating disorder include rapid weight loss in a short amount of time, isolation and lack of participation, food rituals, frequent trips to the bathroom, feeding others but never themselves. The goal of the discussion, entitled “Friends Don’t Let Friends Fat Talk,” was to "educate people on what eating disorders look like... That they're not something to normalize and glamorize," Kaplan said. They also wanted to give people the knowledge to correctly and effectively help friends who are struggling with eating disorders. According to Kaplan, the main thing students can do to raise awareness is educate themselves about why people develop and struggle with such disorders. "You can also be a model by promoting positive body acceptance and not talking about yourself [and others] in way that are degrading and [judgmen-
Put your ad he
tal]," Wood said. To start helping a friend, Kaplan and Wood recommend setting aside time to talk about concerns. They said talking to one’s friend can be most effective with “I” statements rather than “You” statements, to prevent one’s language from becoming accusatory. You can "support your friend even if you don't support their situation,” Wood said. Often, the person struggling is not looking for a solution from someone else, according to Wood. Totoplace “They just want knowyour you'rea there,” she said. go toshould Students attempting to help also make sure that they have their TheTowerlight.c own support system as well. The Counseling Center at TU is click p.m. on open weekdays from & 8 a.m.-5 There is no cost for most services and “Classifieds” Counseling Center facilities are located on the second floor of the Health Center at Ward and West. Students can call 410-704-2512 with questions more informati or to make anFor appointment.
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Towson student groups looking to secure an outdoor space for their events and gatherings will soon be able to make use of a pavilion right outside the University Union. “It’s for any student activities,” Director of Operations and Maintenance Warren Reifner said. “We decided that a permanent structure would be more efficient and save money in the long run.” According to Reifner, it cost around $100,000 for the pavilion, landscaping and drainage work. The new work that was done underground will keep the Union Garage from flooding. The pavilion is being constructed by a contracted group, not facilities management employees. Instead of renting tents and dragging tables out on the lawn between the Union Garage and Paws, student groups will be able to reserve the space for their events. Students can reserve the space through Event Conference Services without paying a fee. Once completed, the structure will have lighting, electric, recycled picnic tables and a permanent propane grill.
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Chris Simms/ The Towerlight Student groups will be able to use the pavilion outside the Union to host events, once it is completed.
While all the furniture might not be installed yet, facilities is hopeful that students will be able to make use of the space after spring break ends. Reifner said that the “floor” of the pavilion will be made of a tampeddown stone dust, which is as hard as concrete but easier to clean and is still a permeable surface, which will prevent runoff. The ground surrounding the pavilion, which is, currently, covered in mud and dirt from the land-grading, will be spruced up with plants and mulch, Reifner said.
Collections of boulders sit around the pavilion, adding to the atmosphere and adding sitting space. Those boulders came from a project last summer, when facilities had to repair a storm pipe that had collapsed up near Towson Center. And of course, even though the pavilion will be an “event space,” there’s nothing stopping students, or anyone, from enjoying the area when it’s not in use. “We want folks to use it whenever they want to use it,” Riefner said.
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Hoke Smith actively promoted Towson internationally — He even received an honorary doctorate from San Kyun Kwan University in South Korea
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teaching, research, teaching improvements and publications. Towson’s growth and expansion paid off in more ways than one. National publications began recognizing Towson as a leader in higher
Increasing graduate programming while maintaining smaller class sizes helped grow Towson’s reputation in the 1980s and 1990s
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Conversations with Muslims at Towson In attempt to join the national conversation about race, religion and identity, The Towerlight interviewed a handful of Towson University Muslims to share their stories, identities and perspectives on what their religion means to them. This article is not intended to be comprehensive, but rather a sampling of experiences from students and faculty on campus. We are limited by space, by time, and we know that the issues and personal stories mentioned in this article are, like so many stories, deserving of more space than we are able to give. CARLEY MILLIGAN Editor-in-Chief @CarleyMilligan
debates with her friends, some Christian, like she was, and others Muslim. One night a friend raised a question that she felt the Bible could not provide a satisfactory answer to. Salsabeel Abdelhamid wears a hijab and is a “Of course no one has all of the answers but Muslim, Palestinian-American woman. She is this is something that we believe in, this is a complex individual comprising many parts. something that is our faith, this is something “No one is purely one culture. Every Muslim that we go by, our morals and our values our is not going to be a cardboard cutout of principles our everything,” Harris said. “So why what you think a Muslim is going to be,” can’t you answer this question for me that I am Abdelhamid, a senior and sociology major, said. yearning for?” Abdelhamid said that the media too often Harris began researching Islam on her own defines what a “Muslim” is, without accurately and with the help of friend’s uncle, an imam. representing what Islam means to those who She wondered whether she could be Muslim practice it. as both a woman and someone of mixed race. “If you give a group an ambiguous title, then Her pre-existing belief, she said, was that to be people can construct their views about you Muslim you had to be a male very easily because you are some Arab. foreign, some unknown person “If this is something I am or group,” she said. “They are going to use for the rest of my seeing this group as a group I just wish people life, Islam, I need to make sure instead of a whole bunch of individuals.” would ask me more that I can be Muslim being black and as a woman,” she Abdelhamid displays her because then I said. “So the first two things I faith and relationship with God can give them looked up was race equality and through her personal choice woman equality.” to publicly wear her hijab, her the version of my She found several quotes headscarf, daily. experience and from Muhammad, the Muslim “I want to preserve my modwhat the hijab or prophet widely regarded as the esty and kind of make sure that founder of the faith, and versmy mind is put out first and the head scarf es within the Quran that disforemost than my physical beaumeans to me. proved her preexisting beliefs. ty, and so covering is my reflecHarris said that this made her tion of that,” she said. SALSABEEL ABDELHAMID Student feel both empowered and sad at When Abdelhamid began the same time. attending high school in Prince “The fact that I thought those things, it tells George’s County, Maryland, she said she me what I was being taught subconsciously, to received a lot of questions from students about what it really is,” she said. her hijab. When she was 15, Harris officially converted “I just wish people would ask me more to Islam. because then I can give them the version of my Harris said that becoming Muslim has made experience and what the hijab or the head scarf her more open-minded. She now teaches people means to me,” Abdelhamid said. about Islam to help them understand the reliAbdelhamid said that, while some people ask gion, and stresses that anyone, regardless of questions with an honest desire to lean, she is their cultural background, can be a Muslim. just as often faced with malice. “When it comes to Islam, going to the “When I walk to school sometimes there Mosque, you see white, black, Asian, Hispanic, are people who yell from their cars. I’ve gotten Arab, Pakistani, you see many different kinds that,” she said. “I’m used to it unfortunately. I of people,” Harris said. “It’s a different atmoshouldn’t be used to it, but it’s just something sphere than when I was growing up and going I am okay with at this point.” to church.”
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When freshman Lyric Harris was in high school she would often engage in small friendly
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When he came to Towson, junior Amr Rawi
enjoyed the opportunity to connect with other Muslim students in Towson’s Muslim Student Association (MSA), an organization that his high school did not offer him. “The great thing about Towson is that they provide us the opportunity to have clubs that really belong to what you are involved in,” Rawi said. “I can find people that I can relate to. I can pray with someone, which is cool.” This semester, Rawi was elected President of Towson’s MSA, and with that role he hopes to continue to spread understanding and awareness of what Islam is to Towson’s campus. “We want to create an open dialogue with Towson,” Rawi said. “We can have an open dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims. That way we can just understand each other a little bit better.” Rawi knows that it may be difficult to reach everyone, but by interacting with small groups he hopes that the message of what Islam and who the MSA are will begin to
permeate campus. “We are always looking at the media and what is being portrayed by someone else, so we really want to show our history by ourselves and not have someone else show us our history,” Rawi said. Rawi said that students and faculty are welcome to attend or observe MSA meetings, events, or Jummah (weekly Friday prayer).
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When Sanaullah Kirmani came to Towson over 20 years ago, he began searching for a place to pray on Fridays. He soon joined a small, unofficial group of four or five Muslims who prayed in the University Union. “Slowly, I found myself somehow leading the prayer,” Kirmani said. “I hadn’t planned to do anything like that.”
Story continues on next page.
Courtesy of Saalika Khan Saleaha Pirzada at the MSA Potluck event, Feb. 26 in the Center for Student Diversity.
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Today, Kirmani is the advisor for Towson MSA and leads a group of over 100 students in weekly Friday prayer, still in the Union, in a much larger space. MSA was formed with about 8-10 students and is now in its sixteenth year. Finding a place to pray, however, continues to be an issue for Muslim students Kirmani said. Traditionally, Muslims pray five times daily. One is in the early morning, one in the afternoon, one in the late afternoon, one in the evening and one at night. Several of those times fall during class and work hours, when students are on campus. “It’s been a real problem for them to find a place to pray,” Kirmani said. “I know students, they sometimes pray in-between library stacks. Some pray on landings of stairs.” Involving and teaching students about Islam regardless of religion has always been a part of MSA’s goals. This became especially important, Kirmani said, after the tragedy of 9/11. “The local people became really aware suddenly of Muslim presence, and not in the best way,” he said. Towson students, he said, were understanding of the Muslim students on campus. Kirmani said that in his two decades at TU he has always known the campus to be a laid back, accommodating and friendly space. However, the environment offcampus made life difficult and sometimes scary for Muslim students. “For the students, and for all of us, it was a difficult time because the students felt that they got blamed for something they were not
responsible for,” Kirmani said.
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Hameed said. “I’m kind of used to it, as bad as that sounds. … It makes me angry or upset or at least it did, but now I think that in terms of how we need to respond it needs to be Muslims standing up and doing something about it.”
she was taught while growing up. But has found that sometimes when she describes herself as an Islamic feminist, that she receives responses of doubt or confusion. “That’s when I say well, Islam says I have the choice, and it has given me examples of feminism acted by men and women,” Khan said. She specifically referred to two Islamic stories in which Muhammad asks men to turn their gaze away from women. Khan said that in these stories, the women are not perceived to be at fault for their femininity, beauty or clothing. Instead, the men are asked to hold themselves accountable and use their own will to
not objectify or sexualize the women. “This whole reprimanding women thing didn’t exist in these Islamic stories that I grew up with,” Khan said. “And when I heard these two specific stories I was like, Prophet Muhammed was a feminist, oh my gosh.” She has spent time considering what feminism means to her and how both feminism and Islam have taught her to treat others with equality, and find and stomp out inequality. “Feminism and Islam go hand in hand for me,” Khan said. “I will never stop being a woman or a Muslim. Those two identities have shaped my life since birth.”
Junior and political science major Usjid Hameed has been carefully following the presidential election, and he’s said he’s frustrated. Hameed hopes to one day go into a career in international diplomacy on behalf of the United States. For that reason and others, he’s concerned about the radical statements some presidential candidates have made about Muslims and American Muslims. He believes that rather than contribute to Islamaphobia, the county should instead be using American Muslims to their advantage. This is because the center of gravity for radical terrorists, Hameed said, relies on hatred of the west based on perceptions of western treatment of and attitude toward Muslims. “The best way to beat ISIS is through using our Muslims here to spread a positive message,” Hameed said. “If we as America are being very open-armed and caring for Muslims and integrating them and wanting them to get involved in their communities,” Hameed said, the terrorist organization would lost some legitimacy in its recruiting pitch. Many people came by to talk to Hameed at a tabling event in the Union last semester, to learn about Islam and sign a poster promising to take a stand against Islamaphobia, something that Hameed and other Muslims have to face on a daily basis. “Obviously it sucks. My mom has been called a terrorist to her face,”
Courtesy of Towson’s Muslim Student Association Towson’s Muslim Student Association at their Potluck event, Feb. 26 in the Center for Student Diversity.
To help those of you who didn’t feel the need to watch The Oscar’s or who already forgot, here are the top three things from the night that you need to know. 1. “Mad Max: Fury Road.” This movie was a real game-changer when it left the evening with six Oscars, receiving the most of the night. It was pitted against “The Revenant” in most categories, but “Mad Max: Fury Road” came out victorious and I believe that it has a real opportunity to teach, lead and change the film industry. As a female-dominated movie that isn’t about sororities, boys, or a summer camp, it was something unlike we have ever seen. Tough women, women who represent so many people, being the fuel behind the success of the movie made critics and audiences question the rarity of its occurrence and, in
turn, supporting the feminist movement. 2. Lady Gaga and Joe Biden. When Vice President Joe Biden initially walked onto The Oscar stage, my roommates and I looked at each other in utter confusion. It only took seconds for us to realize the importance of what was about to happen. Biden spoke about the “It’s On Us” campaign to stop sexual assault of both men and women on college campuses, and used his time on stage as a platform to spread awareness and to present Lady Gaga who sang her Oscarnominated song “Til It Happens To You” from the movie “The Hunting
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Senior Saalika Khan’s identity as an Islamic feminist has helped her to discover who she is. “Feminism and Islam help me find my strengths and weaknesses as a person and an artist,” Khan said. When she was introduced to feminism in college, Khan felt that it closely mirrored the Islamic values
Star-studded recap of Academy Award Show CAITLIN MOYNIHAN Columnist @cmmoynihan
To be honest, I had no idea what to expect from The 88th Academy Awards Sunday. I knew that there was going to be a lot of amazing (and horrible) outfits on the red carpet, controversial commentary by host Chris Rock, awkward jokes being teleprompted to presenters and a whole lot of speculation on whether or not Leonardo DiCaprio would finally win after being nominated for the sixth time for his powerful performance in “The Revenant.” For a majority of the show, I was quite bored. Rock’s jokes were predictable, all the winners were expected and there was a lack of mess-ups that I thrive on when it comes to live television.
Ground.” Gaga, a sexual abuse survivor, was obviously emotional within the first verse of the song and used her power and influence yet again to send a message. By the end of the performance, the stage was full of men and women, all survivors, bearing the words “Not Your Fault” and “Survivor” on their arms. I was a weepy mess by the end of the performance, and as a student who needs two hands to count the amount of friends who have been sexually assaulted during my three years in college, this hit close to the heart. 3. Leonardo DiCaprio and Oscar. He finally did it. After six
nominations over the course of 22 years, DiCaprio will no longer be titled “Oscar Nominee” but now “Oscar Winner.” The moment his name was read, our apartment filled with cheers and screeches and I may or may not have started a chant in DiCaprio’s honor. I had high hopes for his acceptance speech that he has had so long to perfect, and he did not disappoint. From thanking his family, cast and crew to the indigenous people whom he worked with, DiCaprio couldn’t help but use his time to discuss one of his passions: the environment and global warming advocacy. He was eloquent, descriptive and emotional, creating the perfect storm. I also have to say that there are few things I want more in life than for Dicaprio and Kate Winslet to get married and live happily ever after.
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Taming the food fight CHRISTINE LAFRANCESCA Staff Writer @LaFrancesca27
As aromas of granola, baked apples, squash soup and fresh vegan bread permeated the air, students filled Patuxent Bistro in the University Union last Wednesday to discuss the importance of sustainable food with the Real Food Challenge campaign. Arranged by the senior environmental studies major Judith Rosenberg and junior biology major Hayley Molnar, students were given the opportunity to ask a panel of environmentally sound professionals and local business owners about how to improve TU’s food quality and health consciousness. “We are trying to be as transparent as we can in order to provide information about the quality of Towson’s food to students,” Rosenberg said. “Our current project is to work with Chartwells and figure out our real food percentage. The goal is to have 20 percent real food by 2020. I know it doesn’t sound like a lot, but most colleges and universities land around less than ten percent, usually around five percent. We want students to know what’s in their food and what they are putting in their bodies.” While the multinational contract food service company Chartwells may currently monopolize our dining halls, owner and founder of Atwater’s, Ned Atwater, suggested bringing in community vendors to stimulate the local economy and encourage competition. “It may be a long shot considering Towson’s contract with Chartwells is so exclusive,” Atwater said. “Maybe one day we can get some local Baltimore vendors in here. It would create some healthy opposition.” The panelists consisted of coordinator for the Farm Alliance in Baltimore City Allison Boyd, owner of Atwater’s Ned Atwater, Towson English professor and advisor to Towson’s Urban Farm Ben Warner, CEO and CoFounder of Hungry Harvest Evan Lutz and student and member of Johns Hopkins Real Food Challenge Campaign Clarissa Chen. “Trying to bring real food to campuses won’t be easy,” Chen said. “Changing the food means not only bringing in healthier options, but also changing the written policies. You can’t hold your university accountable unless your
Annie Sragner/ The Towerlight
Junior economics major and Director of Leadership and Development for Eco Reps Kevin Barahona poses with Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services Daniel Slattery for the panel discussion last Wednesday. system is changed on paper.” Farm Alliance, a network which plans to increase urban farming in Baltimore City, pushes to educate Baltimoreans on the importance of locally sourced produce and its positive effect on the climate, economy and rising obesity concerns. “You can definitely impact the kind and quality of food you receive by having discussions like these about your concerns,” Boyd said. “You have the ability to make shifts in supply by making shifts in demand.” Hungry Harvest, featured on ABC’s Shark Tank, takes recovered produce and sells it using a tiered subscription system. For each box of fresh produce sold, another is donated to a local shelter in need. “The mission is to fight food waste and implement practices that are environmentally just,” Lutz said. “We believe that healthy eating is a right.” Located behind the Administration building, the Urban Farm is an approximately 100 square foot sustainable vegetable garden, tended to by students and Warner, their advisor. The garden provides students
with hands-on gardening practice and encourages community outreach through primary and secondary school involvement programs. “Many people aren’t aware that we have our own urban farm here on campus,” Warner said. “Our goal is to get students interested in sustainability and composting. We need students to be aware of the resources around them in order to bring more real food to campus.” The Real Food Challenge is dedicated to providing Towson with more ethically responsible food, but peaking the interest of students is vital for the successful implementation of policy change. “We just want students to be mindful and aware of what they put in their bodies and where it came from,” Molnar said. “The influence an entire university can have on its local economy is vast. We want Towson to realize the power of their voice.”
For more information on how to get involved with the Real Food Challenge, email president Judith Rosenberg at jrosen51@ students.towson.edu
Education about love KEBRON TESFAYE Contributing Writer
To examine the aspects of love in healthy relationships, the SGA Department of Health and Wellness hosted the discussion-oriented event “How to Love” Feb. 25. “We feel that especially in college, it can be a confusing time with a lot of changes,” senior biology major and sexual assault peer educator (SAPE) Zachary Furfari said. “It is really important to make sure that you’re in a healthy relationship and to see the signs of an unhealthy relationship.” Sponsored by the Sexual Assault Peer Counselling Center, the Department of Health and Wellness was asked to present on the darker side of love and what healthy relationships look like. Discussion topics included myths and facts about rape, definitions of sexual and relationship violence and the understanding of healthy relationships. “It’s also important that maybe this is the first time you’re on your own in college, and so maybe you don’t know what a healthy relationship looks like,” Kora Rea said, leader of SAPE’s presentations and workshops. “Those are the most important things you know while
you’re going to college.” While presenting, SAPE members not only provided students with statistics about unhealthy relationships, but also shared personal stories, gave tips on healthy and balanced relationships and debunked myths about rape and sexual assault. They also played a game where audience members would vote on whether they would break up, talk it out or do nothing in response to various hypothetical situations. The major purpose of the presentation was to put a positive light on the topic of sex when it is usually considered a taboo in public. Through the endorsement of sex positivity, the SGA Department of Health and Wellness hopes to provide a comfortable environment for students to talk about all kinds of relationships. “I would hope that they would take a look at all their relationships, not just romantic, but all the relationships in their life and maybe some of it needs work and maybe they’ll know what to look for,” SAPE member Zoe Kolker said. For more events from the SGA Department of Health and Wellness and SAPE, check out their “Let’s Talk about Sex Night” at PAWS, April 1, at 7 p.m.
Support swells from fans KRISTIN HELF Columnist @kristinelise_
Celebrities and Kesha fans from all over the world have come together in support of the electropop singer, and it’s a beautiful thing. On the off chance you’re unfamiliar, Kesha Rose Sebert filed a lawsuit against her producer, Dr. Luke, in 2014, claiming he sexually assaulted and emotionally manipulated her throughout the ten years they’d been working together. The lawsuit sought to release Kesha from her contract with her alleged abuser, under which she’d be required to release six more albums produced by Dr. Luke under the Sony label. The response from the court judge in charge of the case is a little disturbing. While Dr. Luke denies all of the abuse that Kesha claims, the possibility that Kesha has been working with and silenced by her accused rapist for over 10 years is not even mentioned in the judge’s ruling. According to this judge, the amount of money that Dr.
Luke invested in the singer’s career takes priority over her mental health, including the psychological and sexual abuse allegedly inflicted upon her— which, among other things, resulted in Kesha checking into rehab in 2014 for an eating disorder after, court documents say, verbal abuse from Dr. Luke. But don’t lose all hope for the “TikTok” singer just yet. In addition to fans protesting outside of the courtroom and popularizing the hashtag “#FreeKesha,” many highprofile celebrities are also voicing their support. Actresses Reese Witherspoon and Anne Hathaway are the latest, among Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande, Lorde, Lily Allen, Halsey, HAIM, Best Coas and even rapper Wale. Taylor Swift donated $250,000 to the cause to show of support and to help with any of Kesha’s financial needs during this trying time. Musician and producer Jack Antonoff even offered to produce music with Kesha. - To read the rest of the column, visit thetowerlight.com.
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March 1, 2016
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● The numbers within the heavily
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● Freebies: Fill in single-box cages
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Tigers remain winless 9-10-14
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Towson swept by Presbyterian on the road CHRIS WELLS Staff Writer @cgwells00
The Tigers (0-6) fell to the Presbyterian Blue Hose (4-2) 11-5 Sunday at the PC Baseball Complex in Clinton, South Carolina. At the end of the third inning, Presbyterian led 7-0. Despite late game efforts with three runs scored in the eighth and ninth innings, the hole proved to be too big for Towson to dig out of. “We need to hit better,” Head Coach Mike Gottlieb said. “We need to pitch better.” Despite freshman Brian Palacios and sophomore Colin Gimblet scoring runs in the fifth inning, a fourrun sixth inning sealed victory for the Blue Hose with two hits, three stolen bases and an error which scored their runs. Junior Brady Policelli had a solid day going 2-3 at bat with one run, a double and an RBI. Junior
pitcher Kevin Ross (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing seven runs, four earned, on eight hits in three innings of action. “Our pitching is capable of better,” Gottlieb said. “It hasn’t translated and no question we have to hit better.” With a totality of 10 hits Friday, the Tigers only registered six hits both Saturday and Sunday. “Last weekend our hitting progressed from Friday to Sunday but not this weekend,” Gottlieb said. “A lot of young guys are learning how to play, consistency isn’t there yet.” Freshman Richie Miller started his collegiate career in impressive fashion Friday despite Towson’s 7-5 defeat. Miller went 3-5 at bat, scored one run and one RBI. The Tigers didn’t fare much better Saturday, losing 6-2. “Policelli had a good weekend and Miller had a good day,” Gottlieb said. “Grunberg and Chris Henze were out and last week we
had no Richie Miller.” Towson went into the weekend without two of their arguably best hitters. The 2016 Preseason AllCAA First Team junior Chris Henze has yet to take the field this year and sophomore standout Mark Grunberg was out with an injury. Towson will look to get its first win of the season as they compete in the Wake Forest Invitational Friday against the host March 4, at 6 p.m. The Tigers will then compete against Richmond March 5, at 6 p.m. and Harvard on March 6, at 10 a.m. After taking on Wake Forest, Richmond and Harvard in Winston Salem, North Carolina at the Wake Forest Invitational, the Tigers will return home to take on University of Maryland, Baltimore County at Schuerholz Park Tuesday, March 8. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. “We won’t change much in practice,” Gottlieb said. “There may be changes in the lineup.”
TU Cruises to victory SARAH VAN WIE Contributing Writer @SarahVdubs
Towson improved its record to 10-3 after defeating Appalachian State University Sunday in the Winthrop Adidas Invitational in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The Tigers got out to a fast start as sophomore catcher Shelby Stracher hit a two-run home run in the top of the first inning. Despite an early two-run lead, Appalachian State scored three runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 3-2 lead over Towson. “It was very nerve racking,” pitcher Blakely Thrower said. “But coming out with a win was a great feeling I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.” In the bottom of the second inning, Appalachian State extended its lead to 4-2 but the Tigers cut into the deficit in the top of the third thanks to an RBI single from
Brook Miko. In the top half of the fifth, Towson blew the game open with a 4-run inning. Junior Holiday Cahill kicked off the scoring spree with an RBI single to center that tied the game 4-4. Cahill later came around to score on a fielding error to regain the lead for the Tigers. Later in the fifth, sophomore outfielder Kendyl Scott hit a single to left field which scored Johnson and gave Towson a 7-4 lead. In the seventh inning, Towson added five more runs. Highlighting the inning was a pair of home runs from senior utility Courtney Johnson and sophomore infielder Daria Edwards. Towson went on to earn a 12-9 win after collecting 12 runs on 17 hits. “It felt really good to get my first hit and get the opportunity to be in the lineup,” Jarvis said. “We have so much talent in our line-up that
just to be in it was an honor.” The Tigers concluded the Winthrop Adidas Invitational with a 4-1 record. The team will be back in action at home Tuesday against University of Maryland, Baltimore County before hosting the Tiger Clash which features Morgan State, Bowling Green and Virginia.
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Sports
March 1, 2016
Towson earns third straight win
The Tigers defeat Georgetown at Johnny Unitas Stadium, 10-7 TYLER BEARD Assistant Sports Editor @tylerbeard2
Junior attackman Ryan Drenner’s four goals and three assists helped keep No. 11 Towson undefeated in a 10-7 win against No. 17 Georgetown Saturday. “I’m happy to see the strong week of practice we put in as a team come through with a really strong team effort out there on the field,” Head Coach Shawn Nadelen said. “We knew Georgetown was going to come in hungry. They played a tough Notre Dame team the week before and we knew how important this game was to both teams.” Towson’s (3-0) defense forced 14 turnovers in the game and redshirt senior goalie Tyler White finished with 11 saves. “We came out hot right away and got a turnover on the first face-off and we just build off that,” senior defenseman Mike Lowe said. “We just used everyone’s energy and gave it 110 percent for all of our plays and that turned into them making a couple of mistakes and us capitalizing on them.” The Tigers’ offense worked quickly against the Hoyas (0-2) in the first quarter, as Drenner scored his first goal in the first two minutes of the game.
The Hoyas tied the game a few minutes later, but freshman midfielder Jon Mazza’ first career goal put the Tigers back on top. Drenner added two more goals, which gave the junior a hat-trick in the first quarter and extended Towson’s lead to 4-1. “I think a lot of teams are expecting me to be more of the feeder now after last year and I think defenses are looking for me to pass first and shoot second,” Drenner said. “This year, I’m just trying to be as aggressive as I can while still looking to feed.” Drenner now leads the Tigers with 13 points, eight goals and five assists on the season. It was more offense for Towson in the second quarter, as redshirt freshman attackman Ian Kirby scored his fourth goal of the season on an extraman possession. All of Kirby’s goals this season have come off of extra-man possessions. Georgetown’s offense picked up at the end of the second quarter, with three straight goals in the last four minutes of the first half. The run cut Towson’s lead to 6-4 at halftime. Both teams traded a pair of goals in the beginning of the third quarter, but two man-up goals from junior attackman Joe Seider and Kirby pushed the Tigers ahead 9-5 with 14 minutes left
Joe Noyes/ The Towerlight
Junior attacker Ryan Drenner runs around the goal in Towson’s game Saturday against Georgetown at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Drenner scored four goals and had three assists in the Tigers 10-7 victory. in the game. Seider added his second goal of the game 10 minutes later, which helped put the game away for Towson. The Tigers now have the third best scoring defense in the nation, averaging 4.67 goals per-game. “We believe in what we do offen-
sively, defensively, at the face-off and our specialty areas,” Nadelen said. “We know that they can put us in the position to be successful and win. If we don’t do those things well, then we know we’re going to struggle. Fortunately we’ve been able to earn wins over tough teams, especially in
this last game.” Towson finished off its three-game home stand and will face the No. 7 Loyola Greyhounds (3-0) in a road matchup. Loyola defeated Johns Hopkins and Virginia this season, both Top-10 teams. The game is Wednesday at 4 p.m.
second half drought hurts TU DESMOND BOYLE Staff Writer
A poor scoring display in the second half doomed Towson in an 81-63 loss to Northeastern on Sunday. Both teams found offensive success early on, Towson attacked from all angles as five different players scored their first five converted attempts from the field. Northeastern attacked the perimeter scoring 12 of their first 14 points from beyond the arc. “Communication has to be better,
Northeastern is very good at spacing the floor,” Head coach Nikki Geckeler said. “So we made some adjustments in how we switched and moved defensively.” Huskies senior forward Samantha DeFreese gave her team a 16-13 lead before senior guard Dominique Johnson hit two three pointers in a row to give Towson a 3-point edge with only 3 minutes to play in the first quarter. A layup from freshman guard Sianni Martin gave the Tigers a 23-18 lead going into the second. The scoring continued as both teams managed to shoot over 50 per-
cent from the field as Towson held a slight lead throughout the second quarter. Johnson hit two more 3-point attempts while junior guard Raven Bankston scored nine of her game high 25 points in the quarter. The Tigers took the largest lead of the game when they lead by 7 points three times throughout the second but only managed to take a 44-40 lead going into the half. “It was a game of two halves,” Geckeler said. “It’s happened all year, where we talk about these 8-minute lapses in games where we lose focus, and you can’t do that.”
The Tigers could not find any way to score in the opening 8 minutes of the second half. Northeastern started the quarter on a 10 point run and held Towson scoreless for the opening 5 minutes of the half. Raven Bankston then hit a layup while getting fouled and converted the foul shot to end the quarter with the Huskies in front 61-51. Towson was out scored 7-21 in that quarter and could not generate enough offense to mount a comeback in the fourth. Towson struggled defensively in the fourth as well as Northeastern almost
shot 80 percent from the field while Towson only converted on four shots from the field. The Huskies played very patiently on offense to open up uncontested shots which helped them finish off the 81-63 victory. “I think our defense needs to set up our offense and today we just couldn’t get stops on defense to help our offense out,” Geckeler said. Despite the loss, two Tigers managed to score over twenty points as Johnson added 20 to Bankston’s 25. Towson will end its regular season Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Drexel.
Sports
March 1, 2016
23
Towson takes third CHRIS WELLS Staff Writer @cgwells00
Towson concluded the Colonial Athletic Association Swimming Championship with both teams finishing third-place overall. “It was definitely successful,” Acting Head Coach Jake Shrum said. “It was a lot of our team’s first year competing at the meet and that experience will be invaluable in the coming years.” On the men’s side, the weekend was highlighted by 10 school records, 13 medals and four NCAA-B Cut times. The men finished with 533 points trailing only William & Mary (969.50) and Drexel (572). Junior Nick Breschi set a school record and earned bronze in the 100yard backstroke event with an NCAA-B Cut time of 47.66. Breschi didn’t stop there, as he continued his hardware filled weekend winning silver in the 200-yard backstroke event with an NCAA-B Cut time of 1:45.48. The youthfulness of the Tigers was on display as freshman Jack Saunderson finished the 100-yard butterfly in 48.03, good enough to earn bronze in the event with an NCAA-B Cut time. His preliminary time was 47.60 which set a school and freshman record. His strong debut continued with a
victory in the 200-yard butterfly event. His NCAA-B Cut time of 1:45.02 was good enough to set a CAA Meet record, a school record and a freshman record. Previous school and freshman record holder senior Matt Mckenney finished in fifth place (1:48.22). Continuing an impressive trend for Tigers was freshman Will Dougherty, who finished fourth in the 1650-yard freestyle event setting a freshman school record with a time of 15:29.86. Sophomore Matt Sieffert, who set the freshman school record last year, finished in sixth (15:49.05). Senior Joel Todd won bronze in the 100-yard breaststroke (55.69). Relays have been a strong point for the team all season, a trend that continued in the championship rounds. The team of senior Matt Hans, Breschi, Saunderson and Todd earned a secondplace finish and set a school record with a time of 3:16.48. I talked with the guy’s team a number of times about putting a little bit more emphasis on being successful in relays,” Shrum said. “Both teams had great splits on all the relays, a testament to them swimming for the team.” Senior Brech teamed with Hans, Breschi and McKenney to finish fourth-place in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a school record time of 3:00.29. On the women’s side, the Tigers weekend was highlighted with two
school records, 17 medals and six NCAA-B Cut times. The women finished with 515.50 points only trailing William & Mary (731.50) and James Madison (681.50). “That was about the number of cuts I expected,” Shrum said. “Jenna Van Camp is going to be very close to qualifying for the NCAA Championship. We will find out about that in the next couple of days.” Senior Hannah Snyder won gold in the 400-yard individual medley with an NCAA-B Cut time of 4:16.94 with fellow senior Christine Hammond following in a close second (4:19.84). The weekend started strong for Towson as the team of Jenna Van Camp, Jacy Icard, Olivia Evans and Caitlin finished the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:41.51 to earn bronze. Relay success continued as Snyder, Melissa Toy, Charlotte Holz and Kara Powell finished third with a time of 7:20.53 in the 800-yard freestyle event. Van Camp won silver in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:00.82 good enough for an NCAA-B Cut time. She earned silver again in the 200-yard breaststroke finals with an NCAA-B Cut time of 2:13.11. The 1650-yard freestyle was a strong event for the Tigers as Synder finished in second place (16:44.14) and freshman Ashley Illenye followed in third (16:46.98).
File photo by Sarah Hugel/ The Towerlight
A Towson swimmer competes in a meet at Burdick Pool in Towson. The team finished third in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament this weekend with 533 points in Richmond, Virginia.
Kaitlyn Montalbano
Women’s Lacrosse Sophomore midfielder Kaitlyn Montalbano scored two goals on six shots, recorded one assist and registered three points in Towson’s 9-5 victory over Loyola on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers are now 4-0 and are ranked No. 20 in the nation.
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Sports
March 1, 2016
Tigers get the
third seed
Joe Noyes/ The Towerlight
Senior forward Timajh Parker-Rivera goes up for a dunk against James Madison Thursday night at SECU Arena. The Tigers went on to win the game by a score of 69-67 (Above). Towson will take on Northeastern Saturday at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore at 8:30 p.m. Below is the bracket of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament. TYLER BEARD Assistant Sports Editor @tylerbeard2
Towson ended its regular season with a 74-68 road loss against the UNC Wilmington Seahawks Saturday. “I’m really proud of our guys, especially since we had one of the toughest schedules in the conference,” Head Coach Pat Skerry said. “I think we had to play eight out of our nine weekends on the road. But everyone is this league is good and we need to come out prepared to play.” The loss cemented the Tigers’ (2011, 11-7 CAA) third-place finish in the CAA standings, which matches them up with the six-seed Northeastern Huskies (17-14, 9-9 CAA) in the CAA Tournament this weekend. The Tigers led early against the Seahawks (22-7, 14-4 CAA), after a jumper from senior forward Timajh Parker-Rivera put the team ahead 7-3 in the first few minutes of the game. Both teams battled until UNC Wilmington put together a 11-0 run in the last few minutes of the first half, which gave the team a 37-26 lead. However, the Tigers ended the half on a 7-0 run and a 3-pointer from red-
shirt freshman guard Jordan McNeil cut the lead to 37-33 at halftime. Towson struggled from beyond the arc at 3-of-8 in the first half and finished the game 5-of-16. The second half opened with a jumper from sophomore guard Mike Morsell and layup from junior guard Byron Hawkins, which tied the game at 37-37. The lead changed throughout the second half until the Seahawks had a 14-2 run near the last three minutes of the game, which gave the team a game-high 13-point lead. A jumper from Hawkins cut the lead to 8 points with less than a minute left, but the Tigers missed four 3-pointers after and couldn’t complete a comeback. Junior forward John Davis finished with a double-double, 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Hawkins finished with 15 points and two assists. “This is a committed group that was unhappy with last year’s performance,” Skerry said. “This year, they really responded and it’s fun to watch.” The Tigers beat the Huskies 79-72 on the road in their first matchup, while the Huskies beat the Tigers 47-44 at home in the second game. “We’re going to take this game by
game,” Skerry said about the CAA Tournament. “We need to be consistent. We have good players and they know what they need to do. We’re
going to have to try and find some good fortune.” Towson’s game against Northeastern in the CAA Tournament
-- the third matchup between the teams this year -- is Saturday at 8:30 p.m. at Royal Farms Arena. The winner will play Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
#8Elon Winner G1 Winner G3 #9 Drexel Winner G7
#4 James Madison
Winner G4 #7 Charleston
Winner G2 March Madness
Winner G5 #10 Delaware
#2 UNCW #3 Towson
Winner G8
Winner G6 #8 Northeastern
Champ