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TheTowerlight.com
April 19, 2016
Our recap of the two-day Tigerfest, including a last-minute change in artists, pg. 15 Photos by Alex Best and Maggie Friedman/Photo illustration by Kara Bucaro/The Towerlight
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April 19, 2016
Hey Tigers!
Earn your stripes— and some extra credits
Montgomery College Summer Session 2016 is now open Summer 1 classes begin May 31 Summer 2 classes begin July 11 montgomerycollege.edu/whymc Facebook.com/montgomerycollege 240-567-1090
Montgomery College is an academic institution committed to equal opportunity.
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April 19, 2016
TOWSON TRENDING Week of 4/12 - 4/18
Tigerfest weekend came and went, leaving students to reminisce on all the good times. Presidential candidate and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz came to Towson Monday to campaign.
TIGERFEST
Rip to my wallet and dignity, both of which were lost due to tigerfest weekend
@BUNK_bedz
The main thing Tigerfest taught me is that I am not built for this lifestyle lmao. Idk how y’all do it. I’m dead tired.
@_asdfgerlie
Tigerfest over, it’s all downhill from here
@MikeaveliTheDon
Ted Cruz in Towson
this just in: came face to face with the zodiac killer (ted cruz) today at Towson
Guy: You’ve reached 911. What is the nature of your emergMe: TED CRUZ IS IN MY HOMETOWN RIGHT NOW
Ted cruz is in towson today and i’m taking precautions by not leaving my house for at least 24 hours before and after the eventđ&#x;˜‚đ&#x;˜‚
#Towson
@ktmatzdorf
@_a_littl
@kcvuyk
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Opinion
April 19, 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
Covering the SGA “coronation”
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 Alaina Tepper Alex Ziolkowski Bhavisha Dave Billy Owens Theresa Schempp Nick Mason
Student Government Association candidate packets were due Friday and let me tell you guys, the field looks a little bleak. Let me be clear—that’s not a swipe at any of the candidates, but the fact that there are so few. There is one candidate for each position on the Executive Board. There are
15 students running for 18 senate seats. Entirely uncontested. You know what is contested? The judicial board. I’ll be honest—I don’t know what student justices do. The senate, though, controls how student fee money is spent, ultimately, because they approve the budget. I’m really, really disappointed that the elections are (essentially) 100 percent uncontested this year. Contested elections are good for everyone running, because they
challenge the candidates to really think about what they’re running on. What happened this year to make the SGA elections so close to uncontested? Not hypothetical. Anyone know? I want to know. We’re going to cover the “elections,” but I won’t lie—they’ll be boring this year. Last year was a real, contested election between two clashing tickets. This year there’s a handful of people “run-
ning” for positions that they’re guaranteed. Except, I guess, the judicial board. I have full confidence in a lot of the candidates—especially Taylor James, who’s running for president. I’ve worked with her this year and I know she’ll do a great job as president. But no representative governing body, like the SGA, should ever have coronations in place of elections.
Photo Editor Chris Simms Staff Photographers Cody Boteler Adrilenzo Cassoma Sam Shelton Carley Milligan Video Producer Sarah Chmieloweic Assist. Video Producer Stacey Coles Staff Videographers Tyisha Henderson Proofreaders Sarah Rowan Kayla Baines Alaina Tepper General Manager Mike Raymond Art Director Kara Bucaro Production Assistant Daniel Andrews 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!
BSU calls for action Tough love for TU BLACK STUDENT UNION Student Organization
We, the Black Student Union of Towson University, were recently made aware of an incident of clear racist intent that occurred on the campus of Towson University in the College of Liberal Arts Cafe on April 5th, 2016. This incident involved a white male Towson University student and black women who are Chartwells employees of the Liberal Arts Cafe. This altercation is not a first, as the student has a history of not only harassing employees but other students on this campus. A year ago he “chest bumped” and poked his finger into the chest of one of the male employees, then called the workers “ni**ers.” He disappeared for a period of time shortly afterwards. It’s not clear if official actions were taken against him or if he stopped coming to the Café on his own accord during this time. On Tuesday April 5th, 2016 he returned to the cafe to order a venti size cup. The woman at the counter could not hear him correctly over the loud machinery and repeated what she thought was his order. He responded angrily saying “your kind of people don’t listen” and repeated his order. When he was given his order, he threw his change at the cashier. When he returned the following day, the cashier refused to serve him because of his previous behavior. He grew angry and made additional comments about “their kind not having common sense” as well as about his
status as a student and how this means he cannot be refused service. The women behind the counter called the police twice during the encounter. The student threatened to come across the counter and take the cup he ordered. He also said he “had something for them” and dug around in his backpack. Once TUPD arrived, they escorted him away. They also confirmed with the women that the identity of the student was correct. This incident has not been reported in the TUPD Crime Log because according to TUPD, the student did not commit any crimes. The women who were involved in this incident, consistently reiterate how unsafe they feel and express concerns about whether or not Towson will protect them. While the university has increased police presence in the building, the women are still required to serve the student and provide him with anything he requests free of charge. As the Black Student Union of Towson University, a part of our mission is to create safe space, provide a voice, and to educate Towson’s black community. We are truly disheartened by the lack of communication and transparency of the administration concerning this incident. While we understand that the university has procedures in place, this incident must be taken seriously. The lack of policy reinforcement conceals the larger issue of this incident, leaving us to question the actual safety and protection of this campus. To read the rest of this letter, visit www.thetowerlight.com
SEY ELEMO Columnist
Towson, I must now give you some tough love, in the way that friends do sometimes. I am about to read you for all of your coins. Do you want me to tell you why you are largely ineffective in making this campus an anti-racist one? (I’m going to tell you anyway so just say yes). Yes, you say? Well here it is: You allow racist things to occur on your campus and then you either ignore it, cover it up, or find some way to placate us “rabble-rousers,” and repeat. You don’t take ownership of your mistakes. You really just want us to be quiet. In other words, you’re all about the image. You’d rather have us silenced than actually work towards fixing the problem. As we speak, there is a male student that roams campus harassing black students, faculty and staff. He has told black students that he “has dreams of hurting people like you.” This man, OVER THE LAST YEAR, has and continues to harass the employees of the CLA Café and has even put hands on an employee. He’s called them “n-ggers.” He has thrown change at the workers. He has threatened them, saying that he “has something for them” and then proceeded to dig around in his bag. To put it simply he has TERRORIZED these employees. In response, you’ve not only allowed him to be here at Towson, you refuse
to acknowledge his harassment as a problem to be taken seriously. Towson…WHY AREN’T YOU PROTECTING THESE WORKERS AND THESE STUDENTS THAT ARE BEING HARSSED? Instead of addressing this crime with swift action and repercussions for this man, you have shucked AND jived around the situation with your logistics and your technicalities. “Well…technically they’re not Towson employees, they’re contracted by Chartwells…” But do they not, physically, work on this campus? Do they not, physically, serve the Towson campus community? “This isn’t really a crime...it’s more of an incident…” Allow me to turn your attention to MerriamWebster’s definition of battery: “an offensive touching or use of force on a person without the person's consent.” So….I don’t quite understand what you mean by this isn’t a crime. What you mean to say is that the protection of this white man’s identity and rights as a student, WHICH HE IS USING TO HARRASS OTHER MEMBERS OF THE TOWSON COMMUNITY, is more important than the physical and emotional safety of these employees and other students. Towson, are you waiting until this man seriously injures or kills someone before you take real action? To read the rest of this column, visit www.thetowerlight.com
Opinion
April 19, 2016
A conversation on menstruation
I don’t know how you’re all feeling, but personally, I don’t think we’re talking about our periods as much as we should be. I mean, they’re kind of fascinating, right? Not to mention uncomfortable and brutal and reassuring and annoying. The only arguably “good” thing about menstruating is knowing that everything’s working the way it should be. So, in hopes of sparking some more period-talk, here are some fun facts about what half the population recognizes as the least-fun time of the month. 1) According to RandomHistory. com, the average biological female will spend approximately 3,500 days menstruating in their lifetime. That’s a about nine years. Nine crampy, bloated, eating-Nutella-out-of-the-jar years. U
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s d
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, ? e
e n e s
. e
H R
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That’s one humorless uterus. 2) Surprisingly, most people only lose about 2-3 tablespoons to a halfcup of blood during each period. Apparently it doesn’t take much to make it seem like there’s been a Friday the 13th level massacre in your pants. 3) Dudes get periods, too! Well, sort of. Men have a monthly hormonal cycle in which they experience different moods and hormonal changes. The name for these man-struations? Irritable Male Syndrome. Turns out we all get the monthly grumpies. 4) Despite what the media may have led you to believe, periods do not consist of leaking blue Gatorade. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out any sanitary pad ad. They’ll prove its absorbency by pouring blue liquid on the pad they want you to buy. Apparently red dye would be too graphic, but realistic cartoon fungus toes used when selling anti-fungal creams and powders are just fine.
5) According to the Huffington Post, about 70 percent of women use tampons, and over the course of a lifetime tampon costs add up to about $1,500$2,000. And that’s JUST tampons. Add in money spent on pads, Midol, new underwear and necessary comfort food (or wine), and your Aunt Flo turns out to be one costly lady. I know periods suck. Trust me, I know. Between feeling like you got hit in the stomach with a wrecking ball to constantly worrying if you’re going to bleed through those super cute white pants you just bought, it’s a pretty rough time. But they’re also really cool. I mean, periods prove that you’re capable of growing life within your own body. They're a monthly reminder that you’re healthy and strong. They’re synced with the moons and the tides, reminding us that we all have a little bit of mother nature storming inside of us. It just doesn’t get more empowering than that.
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Experiencing gender Throughout my existence in a female identity, I find myself frequently reminded of gender time and time again. Gender is not one overarching, universal concept; it is many cumulative experiences that build upon each other. Through my experience, I have found that womanhood is not about having two X chromosomes, being an emotional caregiver or having feminine energy, it is the contrast that makes our collective experience unique. I am reminded of gender every time I walk around city streets at night and realize that I can’t wear headphones because I have to be aware of my surroundings, or that I have to look over my shoulder to make sure no one is following me. I am reminded of gender every time I think about how expensive it is to be a woman. Each time I stroll
down the “Women’s” aisle, I cringe at the exorbitant price tags on the pads and tampons that I have no choice but to buy. This same experience reoccurs when I go over to the razor aisle and I see that pink razors cost significantly more than blue ones, in spite of the fact that they serve the same purpose. Even though white women still only make $0.78 for each dollar a man makes–and the disparity for minority women is even more severe—we are still required to pay more for these gendered products. The gender wage gap and the pink tax are very real trends that people of all genders need realize. I am reminded of gender every time I have to reassure myself of my autonomy when I walk past a construction zone and have to ignore a bunch of hollering dudes who are trying to get my attention. To read the rest of this column, visit www.thetowerlight.com
Student Award Winners
Towson University Department of History 2016 Mary Catherine Kahl Prize Mr. Gregory Dembeck Arnold Blumberg Prize for Outstanding Achievement in European History Ms. Amanda Dotterer Disabled American Veterans Prize Mr. Gregory Dembeck Dr. Garry Van Osdell Award Mr. Joshua Anderson Mr. Efrem Evans Ms. Maria Zlotescu
s
Awards are open to History majors. The competition for awards next year will begin soon. Visit http://www.towson.edu/cla/departments/history/ for more information.
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Advertising
April 19, 2016
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Tiger women’s lacrosse, CAA champions in six of the last eleven seasons.
Towson Tigers Athletics
experienced widespread growth and success in the new millennium. In 2002, Minnegan Stadium, which opened originally in 1978, underwent a $32 million expansion and was renamed Johnny Unitas® Stadium in honor of the Baltimore Colts’ Hall of Fame quarterback.
The Tiger dance team, winners of 17 straight NDA National Championships
Towson athletics took home multiple CAA championships throughout the 2000s. The Tigers’ lacrosse program being the most successful, with men’s championships in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2013, and 2015 and women’s championships in 2005, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, and 2014. The women’s swimming and diving team took home CAA Championships for four straight years from 2008-2011 and again in 2013 and 2014. The Towson Tigers football team won CAA Championships in 2011 and 2012. The 2012 championship team advanced to the Division I (FCS) National Championship game, where they lost to North Dakota State 35-7 in Frisco, Texas.
SECU Arena, opened in 2015, is home to Tiger men’s basketball and women’s basketball, volleyball and gymnastics.
While not an NCAA sport, the Towson University team with the most championships during the 2000s has been the Towson University Dance Team, winners of 17 straight national championships in the National Dance Allegiance. The NDA is the largest college cheer and dance competition in the world. In 2011, Towson broke ground for a new, 5,200 seat arena. The Arena opened in fall 2013 and would be named by the State Employee Credit Union (SECU) in 2015. SECU Arena is home to the Tigers men’s basketball team, women’s basketball team, volleyball and gymnastics. It is also the site for Towson’s spring and fall commencements and many other university and community events.
To be continued…
Johnny Unitas® Stadium, expanded in 2002, is home to Tiger football, lacrosse, field hockey and track & field.
Share your memory: TU150.towson.edu
April 19, 2016
News
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Bias language reported
SGA votes to Incident in CLA not considered crime revise constitution
An April 6 TUPD police report confirms that an incident involving bias language between a white male student and black female workers at the Liberal Arts Cafe took place April 5 and 6, but the incident is not recorded on TUPD’s crime log. According to Deputy Chief of Police Joe Herring, the TUPD investigation concluded that no crime had been committed. “Based on what was reported to us, what occurred did not amount to a violation of law,” Herring said. “It wasn’t a crime, so we didn’t classify it as a crime. Had it rose to the level of a classification of a crime, we would have reported it as a crime and it would have been in the crime log.” According to worker statements obtained by The Towerlight, the student came to the cafe counter at around 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 5. When the worker did not correctly hear the student’s order and repeated it back to him, he became angry and responded with, “Your people don’t know how to listen,” according to the worker’s account. When the worker placed the cup on the counter, the student threw his money at her and walked away. According to the statements, which also reported past encounters between the student and the workers in which he used the “N-word” and other racial slurs, the workers were instructed by their supervisor not to serve him anymore. According to the police reports, the student returned to the counter the next morning. When the workers told him that they wouldn’t serve him, he said that they had to because he is a student. A cafe employee called the police while others began to serve other customers in line. The student then threatened to come across the counter and take a cup himself and told the workers that he “had something for them” and began to dig through his backpack before walking away, according to the statement. One worker statement described him “[going] in his bag like he had a weapon.” One of the workers called the police a second time, this time
telling them that they needed to come soon. According to the police report, when TUPD arrived, the student denied using any offensive language to the cafe staff on both April 5 or 6 and left the scene without further incident. The workers all reported feeling threatened and unsafe. One worker described that she now “finds [herself] looking over [her] shoulder when trying to perform [her] work duty.” Another worker described feeling “scared for [her] life.” In her statement, she said that if nothing is done about the incident, she will resign from Towson and relocate to another facility or business. Herring said that TUPD has added additional patrols to the Liberal Arts Building. “We always alter our visible presence based on incidents that have been reported to us,” Herring said.
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Based on what was reported to us, what occurred did not aount to a violation of law. It wasn’t a crime, so we didn’t classify it as a crime. JOE HERRING Deputy Chief of Police, TUPD
According to the police report, the student has been involved in several related incidents on campus. On April 13, Cook Library personnel notified TUPD that a student, identified as the same student from the CLA incident, had been abusive toward library staff and students. The report documents claims that the student had three separate interactions with a student assistant. During the third interaction, he made a statement that she paraphrased as “You know, I have dreams of hurting you people. I have a taser and every time someone says something stupid, I just tase you.” Similar incidents took place March 23 at Cook Library, Dec. 9 at Newell Den and Sept. 28 at Cook Library. When an incident is reported, an investigation is launched. In most
cases, TUPD is the first point of contact in an investigation to determine whether a crime has been committed. After TUPD determines if the conduct involves any applicable criminal laws, the complaint is sent to the appropriate office for review and adjudication. In this case, the accused was a student, so the complaint was sent to the Office of Student Conduct and Civility Education (OSCCE). OSCCE will review the police report and any related information to determine whether any violations of the Code of Student Conduct were committed. OSCCE will then issue a charge letter to the student to inform them of the charges against them and of their expected meeting with a conduct officer. An email from the faculty-led Social Justice Collective to its members alleged that the student may have met with OSCCE. It also stated that if this meeting occurred, none of the LA Cafe staff were invited to participate in this meeting. Director of OSCCE Regina Curran said that she could not confirm that this meeting had taken place due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protects the privacy of student education records. All students are afforded due process. The timetable for meeting with the student, determining responsibility and issuing a sanction can take from three days to a week, depending on the severity and complexity of the complaint. The sanction can range anywhere from a no-contact order with the complainant to probation and possible suspension from the university. According to Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice assistant professor Elyshia Aseltine, different campus groups have been working on letters to administration proposing changes to how these incidents are handled. “We’re recognizing solidarity with the women and showing that students and faculty support them, but also advocating for better institutional responses,” Aseltine said. “We are proposing specific changes to the way hate and bias crimes are dealt with on campus.” --Cody Boteler contributed to this article.
Upcoming SGA election will be nearly uncontested The Towson University student government voted unanimously in favor of revising their constitution April 12, during a weekly general assembly meeting, after the legislation was tabled the week prior. Drafted by the Student Government Association Senate Rules Committee, President Pro Tempore Omnia Shedid, and later reviewed by the Senate, the document includes responsibilities for a student representing the University’s satellite campus at TU Northeast, the formation of a freshman council, student membership options and the involvement of the Council of Diverse Student Organizations in appointing the SGA’s director of diversity outreach, among other alterations. “The diversity outreach position is the most controversial and the most important change to the constitution. There are a lot of others, but this is the pivotal one,” Shedid said. If affirmed by the student body, the constitution will dictate the means by which the position will be filled. The process will begin with a forum held by the CDSO, where groups of diverse and minority background students will be able to voice concerns, opinions and desired qualifications for the director. Once students apply for the position, the CDSO will work through and interview candidates alongside designated SGA representatives. Once interviews are completed, the CDSO will nominate a minimum of two top choices. The SGA president will then appoint whichever they deem best for the position, according to Shedid. “We felt as though we gave a lot of voice to the students of diverse and minority backgrounds without taking a lot of power from the process of SGA,” Shedid said. “It’s not just about the power, but it’s about the dynamics and the structure of it. We felt as though we wouldn’t be breaking the system of ‘government.’”
At the April 5 SGA general assembly meeting, the proposed revisions were tabled after an extensive debate, during which some members of SGA voiced problems with the treatment of the director of diversity outreach position. Shedid described the situation as “overwhelming.” We had to realize as a Rules Committee that it was not on us, it was one reaching a consensus for the SGA,” Shedid said. “For me, I had to take a step back and realize that yes, it got tabled, but this is only for the better and only to get the best document we can present to the student body.” The student body must ratify the revisions before they can go into effect. The option to vote on the constitutional revisions will appear with candidates names on election material for the upcoming SGA elections April 27-28. Students can vote on the constitution using the same ballot they use to vote on their representation. The legislative and executive election is fully uncontested, only four students are running for the four elected executive board positions while 15 are running for the 18 available senatorial positions, according to a list provided by Coordinator for Student Organizations Chris Rindosh, who manages the elections. According to the list, the judicial race will be contested, with eight students in the running for five justice positions. On March 22, the SGA voted 14-4 with one abstention to approve revisions to the organization’s Election Policy. Under the revised policy, senators and judicial candidates are prohibited from campaigning, advertising and running together as part of a joint movement, but they can endorse each other through their personal social media. Election results will be announced April 28 at 5 p.m. in Paws. Look for continuing election coverage and a full story on the results of the election and status of the constitutional revisions in coming editions of The Towerlight.
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News
April 19, 2016
Students visit nearby communities for day of service
Photos by Sam Shelton/ The Towerlight Students help local homeowners clear branches and other debris from community areas off Burke Avenue Saturday, April 16 as part of annual service day The Big Event.
Phi Sigma Sigma members Melanie Ossi and Jenna DellaRatta snap fallen branches from overgrown trees along the border of Burkleigh Square Community Park April 16. On the opposite side of the park, which sits just off Burke Avenue near campus, another group of students rake leaves alongside area residents. They chat idly as they work. Ossi and DellaRatta participated in Towson University’s annual community service day, The Big Event, which sees TU students travel off campus and into the Greater Towson community to
help residents with household repairs and cleanup. “Being in college, I don’t think we exactly realize that actual people who aren’t college students live here, too,” DellaRatta said. “And I know that there are times when they get upset with some of the things that we do. So, it’s a good way to get back to them and show that we actually do appreciate that they live here and keep that part of the community nice for us.” This year, over 2,500 students, faculty and alumni registered to volunteer as part of The Big Event, and about 1,900 actually participated, according to Drew Voigt, director of The Big Event. These participants serviced nearly 200 homeowners and nonprofits
throughout the day, according to Voigt. Voigt said that the day went well, but that he wasn’t able to get as far out into the community as he would’ve like. Instead, he and his fellow organizers stayed at base camp in the Glen Garage, where groups checked in earlier that morning. He said his day was spent problemsolving and accounting for groups that didn’t show up. “I think at the end of the day we had a really good turnout, really good showing. Everyone seemed positive and excited and ready to help serve the community,” Voigt said. Burkleigh-area resident Linda Hiss has lived just outside campus for more than a decade. Her house sits along an
Members of Towson University’s Muslim Student Association encouraged interfaith communication and interaction last week, April 11-15, in order to educate people about the true meaning of Islam and to break down stereotypes perpetuated in the media. “This is an important initiative for us to show people, because if we don’t show people, there’s no way they’re going to know what Islam is really about,” MSA fundraising chair Osama Hassan said. “If they see the TV and it’s telling you that this is what Muslims are, and there’s no voice on campus… They’re just going to believe what they see.” The week, Towson’s Islamic Awareness Week, consisted of five different events surrounding various topics in Islam. On Monday, MSA hosted a Halaqah, a gathering to study Islam, in which guest speaker Sheikh Taha Khan spoke about the Quran. Audience members were invited to ask questions during a
Q&A session after his speech. Tuesday was “Hug a Muslim Day,” hosted in Freedom Square. MSA student members hugged random people walking by and invited them to interact and ask questions. “The whole purpose of the event was to have face-to-face interactions with the students on campus and their fellow Muslim peers,” Hassan said. With “My Jihad Is: The Struggle Within,” hosted on Wednesday, the MSA sought to teach audience members the true meaning of the word “jihad” in Islam. According to Hassan and MSA Secretary Aisha Marfani, the word “jihad” in the media has been taken out of context to mean “holy war.” In the Quran, there is no word that translates to holy war. The word “jihad” means “struggle.” “That was basically the purpose of the event, it was just to teach us that this is what jihad is,” Hassan said. “It’s a struggle within yourself and within your environment, and the word was taken out of context.” Marfani stressed that while Islam is often portrayed as a religion of war, it
is actually a religion of peace. “It just gave light to the actual meaning of [jihad],” Marfani said. The event was interfaith, and included speeches from MSA Advisor Sanaullah Kirmani, Newman Center Chaplain Father Matt Buening and Rabbi Paul Schneider, as well as discussions with current Muslim students. Each speaker reflected on struggles that they have faced within their own religions, and participated in a Q&A session in which audience members could submit anonymous questions to the panel. On Thursday, MSA hosted a Multicultural Night banquet in the West Village Commons Ballrooms that featured live performances, food, music and prayer. Marfani described it as a “fun” way to allow people to see MSA as a club on campus. MSA Public Relations Coordinator Lyric Harris saw the event as an opportunity to showcase the many different cultures that Islam represents. “You don’t have to be a certain race or gender...to be welcomed into Islam,” Harris said. “I learned that through my experience in researching Islam that
alley littered with fallen branches and debris. She said that Towson students from The Big Event have been helping clean up her neighborhood for years. “Some of the Towson kids kind of contribute to the trash around here, so they clean up our alleys and clean up our community park,” Hiss said. “It’s helpful because we’re in charge [of park upkeep], so it’s a lot to keep up with.” “They’ve been very beneficial, very helpful,” Hiss said. Ossi has participated in The Big Event multiple times during her time at Towson. “I feel like we kind of take our community for granted a little bit, so I think it’s nice to give back,” Ossi said.
“I think it’s just really important to come and help and be supportive and friendly and stuff like that.” Voigt has been involved with planning the Big Event for the past four years, he said that he looks forward to seeing the program grow. He cited this year’s partnership with the University’s satellite campus at TU Northeast, or TUNE, as an example of the program’s growth. He said that around 36 students, faculty and alumni worked to improve the area surrounding that campus in Harford County, rather the neighborhoods near the main campus. Sponsors for The Big Event included both University organizations and outside businesses.
Islamic Awareness Week promotes interfaith acceptance
Chris Simms/ The Towerlight MSA members draw raffle tickets at Thursday’s Multicultural Night, hosted as part of Towson’s Islamic Awareness Week. you can be anything. It doesn’t matter. You can always be Muslim.” On Friday, MSA held an open Jummah prayer in the Chesapeake Ballrooms. MSA has prayer every Friday, but for Islamic Awareness Week, they invited the whole campus
to learn about the prayer and to watch over it while it happened. According to Hassan, the goal of opening prayer to campus was to show people that Jummah prayer teaches peace, tolerance and respect for other people.
News
April 19, 2016
Retired faculty work to reconnect with TU The Towson University Retired Faculty Association, a group aimed at fostering relationships between retired faculty and the University, is turning a year old this Spring. TURFA President and professor emeritus Donald Forester, a former biology professor, said that when retiring, it can be common to feel as though you are forgotten. “When you’re here 40 to 50 years, this is your life and you do bleed black and gold. You want to stay with this university,” Forester said. Forester is the group’s first president, with Annette Chappell currently sitting as president-elect. Forester and other founding members of TURFA approached Provost Timothy Chandler about creating the association when they discovered there was not a group for retired faculty on campus. Forester said that Chandler was immediately supportive of the idea.
One of the group’s main goals is to “provide service to the university, primarily through our departments,” according to Forester. “We feel that we provide a historic service and have been here for 30-50 years,” he said. He and other members of TURFA want to remain connected to the University and continue to help students. The group would like to create an annual spring event to “recognize and honor upcoming retirees” and establish closer relations with the Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education and the American Council on Education. Forester has been with TU since 1974 and works under contract since retiring. He, and many other TURFA members have the rank of emeritus, or emeriti, which Forester described as an academic rank and honorary degree. -- To read the rest of this article online, visit thetowerlight.com.
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CLASSIFIEDS help wanted LIVING ASSISTANT LIFE COACH Are you looking for a job near your home that is fun and rewarding? Are you personable, dependable, trustworthy, and do you have good communication skills? Richcroft, Inc., a non-profit agency, is seeking to fill two vacancies: Positions #1: Part time in Carroll County ñ Westminster area working with a woman with a physical disability who requires personal care. Pay is up to $12.73 per hour based upon experience. Looking for help Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays 3p-10p. Ref #: 600-617. Positon #2: in the Harford County/ Bel Air area we are seeking a CNA or highly dependable and punctual person to assist an incomplete quadriplegic man. He needs some assistance with activities of daily living as well as assistance with at home rehabilitation therapy. This is a perfect position for an OT or PT student or someone looking to make a difference in a person’s life. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays 5:00p-10p or Saturdays 9a-6p and Sundays 10a-3p with some level of flexibility. Flexibility and good communication skills are important. Experience working with power Hoyer lift system a plus $12.73 to $14.42 per hour based upon experience. You must have reliable transportation and a valid driver’s license w/less than 3 pts. If interested, please apply at www. Richcroft.com Richcroft is an equal opportunity employer. NANNY NEEDED A summer nanny is needed for two kids aged two and four years. Part-time, two days a week. Windsor Mill area. If interested, please email ygosnell@gmail.com.
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Student organization Spotlight
PR Group hosts career fair
Put your ad he Students from Towson University’s mass communication and communication studies programs met with local media professionals Wednesday, April 13, for the department’s annual Spring Networking Fair, hosted by the TU PR Group. The fair included representatives from public relations, advertising, journalism, communications and marketing industries. Attending companies included public relations firms Abel Communications and Maroon PR, as well as media outlets like Tote Magazine, an online lifestyle magazine that focuses on college women, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Fox 45 News. “When an employer can see a student’s face, they make that personal connection to them and they usually are more likely to go and seek them as a candidate,” Career Center Internship Coordinator Emily Tipton said. “I really think that it gives them the opportunity to make a connection with an employer in a way that they can’t if they are just applying for a job online.” Tipton and Career Center Associate Director Glenda Henkel, who both attended the fair, stressed the value of networking with employees to make professional connections and land both internships and paid jobs. “It’s really important to have internships so you have that experience when you go to apply for a job and you can show them, ‘I’ve already worked in this
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Sarah Rowan/ The Towerlight Students and faculty participate in the Mass Communication go toand Communication Studies Department’s annual Spring Networking Fair April 13. TheTowerlight. position,’” TU PR Group Vice President of Networking Emma Forrester said. “You kind of have that leg up.” According to Forrester, organizers wanted their fair to be more laid back and less overwhelming than larger career fairs, allowing students to be more confident about networking with potential employers. “With this being a smaller event more targeted toward what they want to do, it’s easier for people to find companies that they might be interested in and to really get a feel for what they want to do,” Forrester said. Students were advised to dress in business casual attire, bring a few copies of their resumes and prepare an “elevator speech” to present to employ-
ers. According to Forrester, the event & click on received a good turnout with over 100 people attending throughout the day. “Classifieds TU PR Group president Leanne Haggerty said that the group was “really pleased” with the event as a whole. According Haggerty, they Fortomore informa received a lot of support from professors in planning thedisplay event throughout ads, em the semester. The TU PR ads@thetowerligh Group meets every Tuesday at 5 p.m. in Van Bokkelen Hall, Room 204. At their meetings, they do resume workshops and host different guest speakers. “We try to reach out to other places,” Forrester said. “It helps them get involved too, which I think is really important.”
The Towerlig
Commentary: Reporting on bias For this issue, I (along with some help from Senior Editor Cody Boteler) worked on a story surrounding a bias incident that took place between April 5 and 6 at the LA Café. Not to give too much away in this commentary, but basically what happened was that a white, male student racially harassed and threatened the African American women working behind the counter. During the incident, the student used phrases such as “your kind of people” and other insults while addressing the women. The workers reported previous encounters with the same student in which he used the “N-word” toward them.
On April 6, the student threatened to come across the counter and began to dig through his backpack. One of the workers described that he was “going into his bag like he had a weapon.” The incident was not classified as a crime and therefore, was not reported in the crime log. The same student has had multiple previous encounters on campus since September, in which similar incidents have occurred. And this guy’s actions that have openly racially discriminated against African American contract workers on campus, and threatened violence against the workers for six months, will not be recognized as a crime in the crime log. Nice. I’m angry. However, please understand that while I’m angry, it’s my job as a journalist to report objectively on
the facts. We’ve spent the past week working on this story and it’s infuriating to think of the perpetuation of racial discrimination on this campus, in what is a social epidemic plaguing this entire country. In my opinion, this only proves that society is locked in the past, a past that built walls of hatred and discrimination in order to divide people with racial boundaries. I say all of this knowing full well that as a white female, I will never in my life experience the same amount of prejudice that my minority peers experience on a daily basis. To my minority friends and peers: I’m sorry. I’m so, truly sorry that you have to live through this constantly. It’s not fair. It’s disgustingly unfair. But I promise, I’m standing with you.
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April 11: In the University Union, a resident student threatened to assault a commuter student. April 11: At Paca House, a resident student had several items taken from her shared bathroom. April 11: In the Liberal Arts Building, a staff member found damage to a printer screen. April 9: A Douglass House resident assaulted another resident student off-campus and is currently sending harassing emails. April 9: At the Media Center, a vending machine was damaged near the coin mechanism. April 6: In Stephens Hall, a commuter student received unwanted and annoying text messages April 6: At Tubman House, a resident student was referred to OSCCE for CDS possession. April 5: In Barton House, two resident students were arrested for robbery. April 2: At Residence Tower, a resident student received unwanted email/text messages from an unknown person. April 2: In the TU Marriot Conference Hotel, a resident student had money taken from his wallet. April 1: At Cook Library, a non-affiliate was arrested for exposing himself. March 31: In Tower B, five resident students were referred to OSCCE for alcohol violations. March 30: At Scarborough Hall, four resident students were referred to OSCCE for CDS violation. March 30: In the Union Garage, a contract employee is a suspect in several unwanted phone calls. March 29: In front of Richmond Hall, an unknown person stole a bicycle. March 29: At 7800 York Road, an unknown person stole the keys of a commuter student. March 29: In West Village, an unknown person stole copper fittings from a construction trailer. March 27: At Newell Ave. & Stephens Ave., two resident students were referred to OSCCE for theft of a traffic sign. 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.
April 19, 2016
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April 19, 2016
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Arts
April 19, 2016
ANNIE SRAGNER Arts & Life Editor @anniesragner
After an outdoor concert in Lot 26, day two of Tigerfest drew over 3,000 fans to SECU Arena for live performances from electronic DJ GRiZ and hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd. “[Rae Sremmurd] were super lit,” freshman English major Denelle Joynes said. “They were jumping out in the crowd and throwing stuff so they really pumped everybody up. The DJ was pretty cool, but people were just standing there and it wasn’t that crazy. But as soon as they came out it got super wild.” The original lineup featured hip-hop artist DJ Mustard as the opening act for Rae Sremmurd, but a delayed flight following his Coachella performance prevented Mustard from traveling to Towson in time for the concert. “After that it was about finding someone nearby and available,” director of CAB Ayana Bowman said. “You can’t really be picky when you have less than 24 hours to find someone else and a 300 mile radius.” When choosing the artists for this year’s Tigerfest concert, CAB drew influence from the student survey conducted before winter break. The top genres chosen by students included hiphop in first place, pop in second place and electronic dance music in third place. “We were just trying to get a good mix of genres,” Bowman said. “That’s why we had 3OH!3 on Friday, which is different than DJ Mustard and Rae Sremmurd.” Tigerfest weekend kicked off with an American-themed block party festival that featured games, food and live entertainment for students to come together and celebrate the conclusion of the semester. One of the main attractions of day one included a free performance by Colorado electronic/rap duo 3OH!3, best known for their hits, “Don’t Trust Me,” “My First Kiss,” “I’m Not Your Boyfriend Baby,” “Starstrukk” and “Touchin’ on My.” “We stood up in the front for two hours,” sophomore psychology major Dani Slebzak said. “We’ve been listening to them since middle school. When we heard they were going to be here and that it was a free concert, we were like ‘why the hell not?’” The event featured opening artists DJ G Holden, Stone Age Rhapsody and Tigerer that provided the soundtrack for the festival before 3OH!3 took the stage.
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HANDS UP FOR TIGERFEST 2016
Alex Best/ The Towerlight
Rae Sremmurd performs at SECU Arena Saturday for Tigerfest day two after opener DJ GRiZ. “We had people there the whole time from 5:30 to 9 when we ended, so that was really great,” Bowman said. Aside from the live music, students walked through the many attractions including face paint booths, henna tattoo stands, palm reading tables, photo booths and caricature artists. For the more thrill-seeking students, day one also featured inflatable games and a zip line. “I’ve never been zip lining before because I’m so afraid of heights,” freshman business management major Margaret Keele said. “But it was a lot of fun. I was super nervous and once I went through with it I was like, ‘why am I afraid of heights?’” Students could also visit the various food trucks to purchase food from vendors such as Dizzy Cow Pizzeria, Upslidedown Dave and Bistro Lunch Box. “I ate lunch today using my meals, so I’m not going to spend
Mark Dragon/ The Towerlight
Colorado electonic/rap duo 3OH!3 performs in Lot 26 by the Glen Garage Friday for Tigerfest day one.
$13 on pizza,” Keele said. “I’ll just wait for dinner in my room.” This year is the first year CAB opted to host day one of Tigerfest on Lot 26, located between the Towers and Glen Garage. “We originally were going to use the CLA field, but then the administration had some concerns about using that field so they suggested we use Lot 26,” Bowman said. The transition to an outdoor venue pleased many students who appreciated how the openness contributed to the atmosphere of the event. “This is my fifth Tigerfest and this is better than last year because it’s outside,” senior Emmanuel Duru said. “They’re too paranoid about the rain. My freshman year it was outside and I had the best time of my life. They should have it outside every year.” Many of those in attendance appreciated how the sense of unity set the tone for the first day of Tigerfest. “We all come together here and have a good time,” freshman occupational therapy major Tony Rodriguez said. “It’s not about fighting or like, ‘oh I’m a freshman,’ or ‘I’m a senior,’ it’s not about that. It’s about having a good time. Everyone I saw had a good time.” Saturday night, during the concert, Rae Sremmurd heavily incorporated audience interaction into their Tigerfest set by inviting students onto the stage to dance with them as well as giving the audience a chance to rap along with them. “It was the best time I ever had at Towson,” junior accounting major Jamal Mohamed said. “They gave me the mic and when they gave me the mic, I knew it was good. He waved it like he was going to throw it to me and I caught it. It made me like them a lot more and this kind of event brings a lot more spirit.” Many students appreciated having a well-known headliner for this year’s Tigerfest concert because of the inclusivity that comes with having a popular artist. “It brings more diversity I definitely think,” sophomore international business major Cita Iyesi said. “Stuff like this makes minorities want to transfer here or come here when they graduate high school, so I think it’s so cool.” Once the concert came to a close, many students left the SECU Arena having enjoyed the evening regardless of the lineup change. “It doesn’t really matter as long as the artist has good music,” sophomore athletic training major Vince Motley said. “If he has good music, everyone is going to like it.”
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Arts
April 19, 2016
“Detroit ‘67” runs until April 28 Center Stage draws parallels to Baltimore KRISTIN HELF Staff Writer @kristinelise_
Until April 28, the Mainstage Theater in the Center for the Arts is more than a stage with speakers and lighting rigs—it’s a Detroit basement 50 years in the past, a home to Lank and Chelle and an after-hours nightclub in the heart of Motor City. “Detroit ‘67” tells the story of a brother and sister set against the backdrop of the 1967 Detroit riots. The play was chosen for Center Stage in part because of its relevancy to the unrest in Baltimore last year. Gavin Witt, the play’s associate director of dramaturgy, noticed the parallels between life in Detroit and life in Baltimore. “We felt that there was a kindred spirit in [the characters’] experience,” Witt said. “The choice of this playwright to write a trilogy of plays
offering a more positive representation of a city that’s often negatively portrayed…That’s really a truth for Baltimore, that it suffers from a negative presentation in the media.” “Detroit ‘67” covers issues such as race and class through the storyline of Lank, his friend Sly and a battered white woman they rescue off the street—as the production’s summary describes it, “relationships between black and white, brother and sister, friend and stranger begin to shift.” The play previewed last weekend, and while the plot was intense, the backdrop of the riots really resonated with much of the audience. During scene changes, video clips of 1960s Detroit were projected onstage. Toward the end of the play, coverage of the Baltimore uprisings was juxtaposed with scenes from the Detroit riots almost 50 years ago—the only discernable difference between the two being “Black Lives Matter” signs carried by protestors
in Baltimore. To production dramaturg Lauren Imwold, performances with themes of political and social justice can have a major impact. “We’re actually kind of at the forefront of a new era of regional theater, doing this kind of work and allowing it to be important,” Imwold said. Despite their entertainment factor, plays like “Detroit ‘67” can have a lasting effect on the audiences. Witt joked that Center Stage employees aren’t in the business of reassurance. “We’re not there to make our audiences feel comfortable, at all,” he said. “This play, to me, it’s delightful, it’s delicious, it’s funny, there’s wonderful characters, there’s so much hope in it—but at the same time, it’s not there to make you feel comfortable at the end. I think you should feel deeply uncomfortable.” Despite the discomforting message of “Detroit ‘67,” there are plenty of cheerful moments that are especially
Courtesy of Cassandra Miller
lively when played against Motown Music, from Marvin Gaye to The Supremes. The program includes an interview with “Detroit ‘67” playwright Dominique Morisseau where she states, “The only narrator for Detroit tends to be the media, and that’s a sloppy, inaccurate, usually biased narrator.” Morisseau has been hesitant to take her play to her hometown of Detroit and wants to be sure it’s done at the right time and in the right way.
But now, with the current cast performing the production, Morisseau feels that the right team has been assembled. After their performances in Towson, cast and crew will head to Detroit to inaugurate a small theater in its first season. “Detroit ‘67” will be performed in the Mainstage Theatre until April 28 and Center Stage theatre until May 8, but tickets are limited. For discounted tickets, students can use the code “16TOWSONU.”
Arts
April 19, 2016
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Healthier choices for a healthier environment NOELLE HARADA Columnist
April 22 is Earth Day. Celebrate Earth Day by evaluating what you are eating, because what you eat has a major impact on the environment. A simple way to help save the environment is to go meatless at least once a week. Meatless Monday is an initiative to help protect the planet that started during World Wars I and II to reduce consumption of key staples like meat in order to aid the war effort. The initiative was reintroduced in 2003 by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for a Livable Future. One of the many benefits of cutting back on meat is improving your overall diet. Eating beans, peas, fruits, vegetables and whole grains
in place of meat lowers your intake of saturated and total fat, and also increases your intake of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Taking this step will reduce your risk for heart disease and cancer and may also help with weight control. Eating less meat will also help if you need to watch your penn i e s —a l te r n a t i v e sources of protein like beans are significantly cheaper than meat. Additionally, going meatless reduces your carbon footprint, lowers water usage and reduces fuel dependence. It takes an estimated 1800-2500 gallons of water to produce 1 pound
of beef, while it only takes 220 gallons of water to produce a pound of soy tofu in California. Eating one less burger a week over the course of a year is equivalent to taking your car off the road for 320 miles, and could save enough energy to charge an iPhone for 4.5 years. If the world gave up meat once per week by participating in Meatless Monday, it would have the same impact on greenhouse gas emissions as taking 240 million cars off the road. And don’t worry about not getting in enough protein. You can get protein from a variety of plant-based sources including grains like quinoa,
pumpkin seeds, beans, lentils, peas, sunflower seeds, nuts and even vegetables like broccoli. Towson dining has many meatless options on campus. Here are a few: Patuxent room has whole wheat pasta, a fresh salad bar and a fruit and yogurt bar. Susquehanna offers vegetable sushi rolls with brown rice, edamame, made to order salads, a fruit and yogurt bar, veggie burgers, fruit and vegetable smoothies and a brown rice-and-veggie burger called the Green Burger. Glen Dining Hall has a fresh salad bar and the T-Vegan station, while the Pure Café offers a grilled vegetable sandwich and a vegan Caesar salad. Even Paws has salads, veggie burgers, fruit, oatmeal and yogurt. Towson’s T-Veggie program allows you to make any meat offering veg-
etarian. With T-Veggie, you can substitute any meat option for a soybased chicken or beef alternative. There’s also a T-Veggie Your Way Cookbook. This cookbook holds recipes that can be made in Glen Marketplace, Newell Dining Hall and West Village Commons. The recipes allow students to create their own meals using different ingredients, sauces, herbs, spices and cooking methods. The cookbook is available in each dining hall and can also be found at dining.towson.edu. Trying to minimize your carbon footprint shouldn’t be just a one-day event. It should be a lifelong effort to help protect the environment. Visit www.MeatlessMonday.com or www.earthday.org for more information, or contact campus dietician Kerry Ballek at kballek@towson.edu.
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Arts
April 19, 2016
Skate club rolls onto campus NICOLE SHAKHNAZAROVA Contributing Writer
The new skateboarding club on campus, the Glider Alliance, is a student organization composed of predominantly longboarders, but skaters and riders of all disciplines are welcome. They currently have roughly 30 members. Conceptualized by Towson alumnus James Ficklin in 2013, the group has a key mission of uniting skaters. “[Ficklin] wanted to get a group together and share the love of skating and make a family out of it,” president of the Glider Alliance Lucas La Vista said. Varying in proficiencies, the organization encourages students of all skating abilities to join and find support. “Glider Alliance has people who are semi-pros, beginners, sponsored skaters, a couple of people who can handle speeds of 30 mph downhill,”
La Vista said. “No matter how much or how little experience they have, we encourage beginners to skate, even if standing on a board is all they can do.” The club has open meetings Mondays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. in room 17 of Hawkins Hall, and the time after the meetings is usually used to skate. “The meetings we hold include teaching newbies the basics of skateboarding, and the practice after is used to put the things they learn in the meetings to use,” La Vista said. In addition to practicing their skills and teaching beginners to accumulate theirs, the Glider Alliance also competes on a national level. “The Mid Atlantic Freestyle hosted by WheelRZ and Faceplant Boardriders is a very important tournament on our calendar, and we all travel to Delaware as a group and compete,” La Vista said.
Expanding the organization is definitely an objective that is on La Vista’s goals for the upcoming semester of Fall 2016. “Many of us are from out of state, so when we’re home for the summers and winters we are going to keep trying to expand the group by inviting out of state skaters to join,” La Vista added.
think media and television and what we see on TV can affect a lot about how we think and how we see things,” freshman art education major Patricia Elia said. “It’s a really easy medium for conveying different perspectives.” With screening blocks ranging from kid-friendly films to films about system failure and social justice, WAMMfest allowed filmmakers from around the world to tell their stories regardless of the subject matter. “It brings an incredible selection of successful short filmmakers to the campus to be able to talk about film making and to talk about diversity,” Lankford said. According to Lankford, filmmakers from over 20 different countries around the world were represented at this year’s WAMMfest to create an international community based in Towson. Although the festival centered on diversity in media, it was also about learning from these cultural aspects as well. “It brings new perspectives and the chance to experience diversity,”
Elia said. “I actually didn’t know as much about Ferguson and the whole thing that happened there until I saw the film. I still have questions and I think it was really important for me to be able to see that and to understand.” The last day of the event included a full day of screenings, a master class on filmmaking and a filmmaker panel where the attending creators discussed their work and lives as filmmakers. During the filmmaker panel, professional filmmakers shared tips and tricks on navigating the media world, and gave advice to the next generation of filmmakers. “My advice for young filmmakers would be just to create,” featured filmmaker Brendan Bradley said. “It can start as simple as you and some friends on an iPhone just learning how to tell your story with the tools that you have.” WAMMfest continues to aim to bring new perspectives to Towson as well as to provide an opportunity to learn not just about the media industry, but also about the world itself.
Courtesy of Lucas La Vista
Members of the Glider Alliance skate around Van Bokkelen Hall to practice their skating skills. La Vista also stated that Glider Alliance “is looking to shift back the practice times to during the day next semester instead of in the evening as everyone seems to enjoy skating in the sun.” Glider Alliance invites students to join them April 28 at 8 p.m. in room 17 of Hawkins Hall, where sponsored skater Jarrid Lopez will teach
students how to become more proficient at skating and talk about his experiences as a sponsored skater. The following day, Glider Alliance will be skating all day on campus behind Smith Hall. “This is also open to everyone and we encourage as many people as possible to come out and try skating,” La Vista said.
New voices take the screen Netflix series delivers ALAINA TEPPER Staff Writer
In celebration of women and minority creators in the electronic media field, the ninth annual international Woman and Minorities in Media festival, or WAMMfest, was held last week in Van Bokkelen Hall. WAMMfest featured a variety of panels and film screenings April 14-16, and allowed creators to share their work and students to experience the world of electronic media. “The reason we started it was to celebrate and encourage the diversity within the department of electronic media and film,” festival director Elsa Lankford said. “Many women and minorities are at a disadvantage in the mostly male-dominated film world, but this festival helps bring diversity and different stories to light. Towson’s Electronic Media and Film department established WAMMfest in 2008 and has held the event every year for the past nine years. “It’s very important because I
“Kimmy Schmidt” season 2 bigger, funnier than ever CAITLIN MOYNIHAN Columnist @cmmoynihan
This weekend I binge-watched season two of “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” on Netflix. When the show debuted last year, I was definitely peer pressured into watching it and questioned myself multiple times throughout the early episodes wondering if it would be worth it in the end. Thankfully, it was, and I have been anxiously awaiting the new season ever since. I had extremely high expectations for this season; I wanted it to be bigger, funnier and hopefully give me a little less second-hand embarrassment. In my opinion, the second
season gave me all that and more. It’s always been obvious that the show is Tina Fey produced because of the jokes and overall theme, but Fey brought a whole new kind of funny to season two. Not only were there amazing guest appearances that contributed to the storyline like Anna Camp, Ice-T and Amy Sedaris, but Fey herself finally interceded. Playing Kimmy Schmidt’s new psychiatrist, Fey’s character helps the audience understand that life in the bunker isn’t the only thing Kimmy is trying to keep buried. Just like the first season, season two has multiple storylines and plots happening at once. --Read the rest of this column online at www.thetowerlight.com
Puzzles
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April 19, 2016
Crossword Sudoku
?
Puzzles
?
9-3-14
● 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
& e tor
S
! N I W
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. KenKen® is a registered trademark of Nextoy, LLC. ©2014 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved. Dist. by Universal Uclick for UFS. www.kenken.com
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Turn to page 21 for answers to today’s
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Sports
April 19, 2016
tigers drop home game
Mark Dragon/ The Towerlight
Junior attackman Ryan Drenner carries the ball against Delaware Saturday afternoon at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Drenner finished the game with two goals and one assist. TYLER BEARD Assistant Sports Editor @tylerbeard2
No. 7 Towson suffered its first home loss of the season as the team fell to the Delaware Blue Hens 10-7 Saturday. “[The Blue Hens] came out ready to play and that was evident,” Head Coach Shawn Nadelen said “They came out with a quick face-off goal, which started off awful play from us and it continued for the next 59 minutes. Awful game by us and that starts with me and we’ll take care of that moving forward.” It was also Towson’s (10-2, 2-1 CAA) first Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) loss of the season, as the offense had 38 shots but only 18 shots were on-goal. “I just think today we didn’t burry our shots,” junior attackman Ryan Drenner, who finished with two goals, said. “We didn’t have a lot of focus on the offensive end. I know, personally, I had a lot of turnovers that they ended up capitalizing on and really took the air out of us. All in all, we just have to finish our shots better and pay more attention to the game.” Delaware (5-8, 2-1 CAA) won the opening face-off and scored in the first six seconds of the game. The team
took advantage of the momentum and two more goals from attackman Paul Major extended the team’s lead to 3-0 within the first three minutes of the game. The Tigers responded a minute later with a man-up goal from redshirt freshman attackman Ian Kirby, but the teams continued to trade goals into the second quarter. Towson trailed 6-2 in the second quarter, until goals from freshman attackman Jon Mazza and junior midfielder Mike Lynch cut the lead to 6-4 before the half. However, Towson’s offense struggled in the second half and Delaware scored the first three goals, which gave the team a 9-4 lead in the beginning of the fourth quarter. Drenner scored two straight goals after the Blue Hens’ run in a late comeback attempt, but a goal from midfielder Steve DeLargy in the last six minutes of the game shut the door on the Tigers. The loss dropped Towson into a three-way tie for second place in the CAA standings with two games remaining in the regular season. “We just have to understand that if we want, we can have a lot of lacrosse ahead of us,” Nadelen said. “The biggest focus is getting back to work on
Monday, getting a good practice underneath us, being able to bring that competitive fire and focus and execution every day and to be able to do so on Saturday because Fairfield will come in ready to go.”
Towson’s final home game is a matchup against the Fairfield Stags (7-6, 3-0 CAA) Saturday for Senior Day at noon. Following the Tigers senior day game against the Stags at Johnny
Unitas Stadium, the team will conclude its season at James M. Shuart Stadium in Hofstra, New York, against CAA rival Hofstra on Saturday, April 30. The Pride currently hold an 8-2 record including a win against Ohio State.
Mark Dragon/ The Towerlight
Junior attackman Tyler Konen looks up the field against Delaware Saturday afternoon at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Konen finished the game with one assists and one point in Towson’s first home loss.
Sports
April 19, 2016
Tigers Fall on road CHRIS WELLS Staff Writer @cgwells00
Towson lost its final game of the series against Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) rival Elon (15-21, 7-7 CAA) 5-2 Sunday. Through two innings the Tigers (14-23, 5-4 CAA) were in a hole, down 4-0 the slow start proved to be too much to overcome. “Three of those losses in a row came down to one play,” Head Coach Mike Gottlieb said. “One swing, one pitch we could have won those games.” Junior Kevin Ross (2-4) gave up five runs on six hits in 5.1 innings and registered seven strikeouts in the loss. Sophomore David Marriggi retired eight batters and four strikeouts. The loss marked the Tigers fifth loss in a row. “Our top four guys rival just about anyone’s in the conference,” Gottlieb said. “We could use better hitting from the bottom of the lineup. We’ve seen flashes from them, there are moments the guys look good, but we’re not as consistent.” Freshman Richie Palacios recorded his third homerun of the year in Saturday’s 7-6 defeat. Despite the loss, Towson had strong showing at the plate. Palacios went 4-for-5 with two runs and two
RBIs. Junior standout Chris Henze went 3-for-3 with two RBIs. Freshman Dean Stramara (1-3) took the loss after giving up one run in two hits in 3.2 innings. Towson lost 9-8 in devastating fashion on Friday in the series opener after allowing Elon to score four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
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Three of those losses in a row came down to one play. One swing, one pitch we could have won those game. MIKE GOTTLIEB Head Coach
The Tigers weren’t able to hold on to their early 5-0 lead. After one inning of play, Lee Lawler (2-2) suffered a loss giving up four runs, three walks and a hit. Junior A.J. Gallo went 3-for-4 at bat with two runs scored. Palacios added to his impressive rookie campaign as he went 2-for-4, two runs scored, one RBI and he stole three bases. Freshman Cuinn Mullins went 3-for-4 at bat with two doubles and two RBIs.
9-4-14
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This series marked the continuation of the Tigers road woes but with five series against CAA rivals looming in the future it’s prepared the team to take on tougher competition. “Virtually everyone in the country is better at home,” Gottlieb said. “It’s astonishing really, but it prepares you. You got to be able to play on the road.” Towson will look to get back in the win column Tuesday at George Washington with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. “All season the story has been we need to be better defensively,” Gottlieb said. “We’re not as consistent there as we need to be.” Following its game against George Washington, Towson will travel to Wilmington, North Carolina, to take on CAA rival UNC Wilmington in a three game series at Brooks Field. The serises will begin Friday, April 22 with first pitch slated for 6 p.m.
JUNE 3 + 4
JUNE 17
JULY 15
AUGUST 21
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Sports
April 19, 2016
tigers defeat Bucknell BILLY OWENS Staff Writer @billyowens174
Towson finished its regular season with a hard-fought 5-2 win over Bucknell at the Towson Center Courts Sunday morning. The Tigers came into the match riding a four-match winning streak having posted wins over Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) rivals Drexel and Delaware and over local opponents University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, and Coppin State. “We had a good, strong finish,” Head Coach Doug Neagle said. “This is our fifth win in a row, so we’re going to take confidence from that.” The Tigers swept all three doubles matches to take an early 1-0 lead over the Bison. Number one doubles Nicole Shakhnazarova (a Towerlight contributor) and Barbora Vasilkova defeated Maria Cioffi and Michele
Urbinati 6-3. Number two doubles Jane Shusterman and Lucy Williams defeated Emilie Bush and Stephanie Pino 6-1, and number three doubles Renate van Oorschodt and Lucy Gloninger defeated Mishi Papich and Melissa Parks 6-3.
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We had a good, strong finish. This is our fifth win in a row, so we’re going to take confidence from that.
DOUG NEAGLE Head Coach
“The doubles was critical today,” Neagle said. “It really set the tone.” The Tigers stayed strong in singles, earning four tough wins to clinch the overall victory. Number three Vasilkova defeated
Urbinati 6-4, 6-2, number four A.J. Gomer defeated Madeline Melch 6-1, 6-2, and number five Sophie Lesage defeated Papich 6-1, 1-6, 6-2. Number one Shakhnazarova came back from a set down to defeat Cioffi 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2), closing out a very close final set in a deciding tiebreak. Bucknell posted two match wins after Towson had clinched the match, as Lisa Jouravleva defeated number two Williams 6-4, 6-2, while Pino defeated number six van Oorschodt 6-4, 4-6, 6-0. The Tigers ended their regular season with a 13-8 record which included a 3-4 record over CAA opponents. Towson heads to Elon, North Carolina, for the 2016 CAA Women’s Tennis Championship, hosted at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center on the campus of Elon University from Thursday to Sunday. Seeded sixth, the Tigers face third seed James Madison in a quarterfinal matchup. Friday at 1 p.m.
Finishing strong
Mark Dragon/ The Towerlight
Towson hosted Tiger Bowl VI Saturday afternoon at Johnny Unitas Stadium. The Tiger Bowl marked the team’s final spring practice of the year. The Tigers will be back in action in August for training camp before heading to South Florida for their season opener.
Senior Day! First 250 fans receive rally towels! SATURDAY, APRIL 23 · 12 P.M. VS. STUDENT TICKETS ARE FREE WITH YOUR ONECARD!
Sports
April 19, 2016
winning on the road TU defeats Hofstra and Drexel away from home JORDAN COPE Associate Sports Editor @jordancope26
No. 18 Towson extended its winning streak to five games after defeating Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) rivals Drexel and Hofstra this week. The Tigers (11-2, 4-0 CAA) defeated the Dragons (9-5, 2-2 CAA) 13-6 at Vidas Field in Philadelphia Sunday. “We talk about coming out hard and establishing tempo,” Head Coach Sonia LaMonica said. “I think we did a good job of that today and working for good opportunities.” Drexel took an early 1-0 lead over Towson thanks to a goal from junior midfielder Lacey Aghazarian. However, the Tigers responded less than two minutes after the Dragons goal and went on a 4-0 run to take a 4-1 lead. Following Towson’s 4-0 run, Drexel scored to make the game 4-2. However, Towson scored twice before the end of the first half to take a 6-2 lead into halftime. In the second half the Tigers struck first on a man up to take a 7-2 lead, but the Dragons answered to
keep it a four goal game. Both teams went back and forth for most of the second half, but a late 4-0 run that put Towson ahead 12-5 with 2:46 remaining in the second half, proved to be the difference in the game. Each team scored once more before the final whistle, but the Tigers came out with a 13-6 victory. Freshman goalkeeper Angie Benson made five saves on the afternoon and recorded win number 10 of the season. “[Benson] is making some pointblank saves and playing very consistently which is important,” LaMonica said. “She has a great zone in front of her and it is just a team effort. Everyone is carrying the rope and they all have each other’s backs.” Friday, the Tigers defeated the Pride (3-9, 1-2 CAA) 9-3 at James M. Shuart Stadium in Hofstra, New York, for their fourth straight victory. “We are just taking it one game at a time,” LaMonica said. “We talk about teams being ready to come hard at us and that we have to be ready to match the intensity. We are quietly doing well this year and I am proud of how this team has pushed through.” Junior midfielder Samantha
Brookhart gave Towson a 1-0 lead with 20:52 remaining in the first half. Sophomore attacker Jenna Kerr followed Brookhart’s goal to give Towson a 2-0 lead. The Tigers went into the half with a 2-0 lead over the Pride. In the second half, Hofstra freshman attacker Lexi Lenaghan cut Towson’s lead to 2-1 following a goal at 17:16. However, the Tigers responded and took a 4-1 lead thanks to a pair of goals from freshman midfielder Natalie Sulmonte and sophomore midfielder Kaitlyn Montalbano. Following a goal from Hofstra graduate attacker Lindsay Scott, Towson went on a 4-0 run to take a 7-2 lead with 3:41 seconds remaining in the game. During the 4-0 run, Montalbano added a pair of goals along with Sulmonte and redshirt junior attacker Alyssa Ferro. Hofstra scored a goal late in the game to pull within five goals, but sophomore midfielder Emily Gillingham scored the final goal of the game to secure Towson a 9-3 win. Towson will return home this week to conclude CAA play against William & Mary Friday and James Madison Sunday.
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Ashleigh Stallings
Track & Field Senior Ashleigh Stallings set a school record and finished first in the discus event with a throw of 45.57-meters in Saturday’s Johns Hopkins and Loyola Track and Field Invitational.
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Sports
April 19, 2016
order of the phoenix Chris Simms/ The Towerlight
Towson left fielder Olivia Yarbrough awaits a pitch at the TU Softball Complex in a weekend series with CAA rival Elon. The Tigers earned a series win over the Phoenix (above). Towson catcher Shelby Stracher awaits a pitch in a weekend series with CAA rival Elon. Stacher finished the series with four hits and her 14th home run of the season (below). SARAH VAN WIE Staff Writer @SarahVdubs
Towson earned a series win against Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) rival Elon this weekend at the TU Softball Complex. “This was a big series to win,” freshman third baseman Daria Edwards said. “But we still need to keep taking series from teams to be where we want to be.” Sunday, the Tigers (29-11, 6-5 CAA) defeated the Phoenix (23-19, 7-5 CAA) 8-3 to secure a series win. Elon took an early 2-0 lead over Towson in the first inning after an error allowed sophomore centerfielder Kara Shutt and senior right fielder Emily Cameron to score. However, the Tigers scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 3-2 lead over the Phoenix. In the bottom of the third inning, Towson took a 5-2 lead over Elon on a two-RBI single from freshman designated hitter Nicole Stockinger. The Phoenix battled back and cut the Tigers lead to 5-3 on a solo home run from sophomore shortstop
Hannah Olson in the top of the fourth inning. A half inning later, sophomore shortstop Brook Miko hit a three-run home run and secured Towson an 8-3 victory in the series finale. The Tigers split a doubleheader with the Phoenix falling in game one 3-2 but winning in game two 7-3 Saturday. In game one of the doubleheader, Elon took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on a solo home run from Olson. In the fifth the Tigers tied the game 1-1 on an RBI double to left field from Stracher but the Phoenix answered in the seventh with a two-RBI double. Miko singled in the bottom of the seventh to pull within one of Elon, but Towson ultimately fell 3-2. Dejter was tagged with her seventh loss of the season despite throwing a complete seven innings and allowing just three runs on five hits. In game two of the doubleheader, Towson jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a two-run home run from sophomore catcher Shelby Stracher. “We just got back to playing our game,” junior first baseman Holiday
Cahill said. “We played loosely and with a lot more intensity.” The Tigers extended their lead in the third inning thanks to a sacrificefly from sophomore center fielder Kendyl Scott. In the fifth, Elon battled back and cut Towson’s lead to 3-2 following an RBI single from Shutt and a fielder’s choice that allowed junior catcher Carey Million to score. However, the Tigers had a big fifth inning of their own and scored four runs to take a 7-2 lead over the Phoenix. Miko kicked off the inning with an RBI double to right field followed by a sacrifice-fly from senior right fielder Courtney Johnson and a twoRBI single from Scott. Elon scored once more in the top of the seventh inning, but Towson came away with the 7-3 victory. Hickman earned her 10 win of the season after pitching a complete seven innings and allowing only two earned runs on nine hits. Towson will continue CAA play this weekend in Charleston, South Carolina, in a two-game series against the College of Charleston.