The Towerlight (March 12, 2019) by The Towerlight

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March 12, 2019

SGA recently voted to bring straws back to campus. Learn what else SGA has been up to this academic year. pg. 6

Photo by Brendan Felch, Illustration by Victoria Nicholson/ The Towerlight

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March 12, 2019

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March 12, 2019

Editor-in-Chief Karuga Koinange Senior Editor Bailey Hendricks News Editor Mary-Ellen Davis Asst. News Editor Keri Luise Sophia Bates Arts & Life Editor Kerry Ingram Asst. Arts & Life Editor Alex Helms Sports Editor Tim Klapac Asst. Sports Editors Muhammad Waheed Jordan Kendall Staff Writers Jessica Ricks

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Join us during RecycleMania to learn how to maintain your stuff instead of tossing it out! Let’s reduce our carbon footprint and save some money by fixing more and wasting less!

University Union, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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BALTIMORE ORIOLES INFORMATION TABLE

The Baltimore Orioles will be conducting an information table. Stop by, and learn about the various positions available for the upcoming baseball season.

University Union, 2nd floor, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

TEATIME GAME TIME

Join Cook Library for a cup of tea and a round of board games while learning about the Library’s collection of board games that are available for check-out.

Cook Library, 3rd floor lobby, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

THE MOON — PLANETARIUM SHOW

This year, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, the first time human beings stood on another celestial object.

Smith Hall, Room 521, 8 p.m.

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EXHIBITION | PERPETAL BY MARIFEL BERMUDEZ

Join Marifel Bermudez, an undergraduate student at Towson University, on a self evaluation. A free spirit living a routine in a perpetual environment - her childhood home. More dates are avalible through March 16.

TRENDING. 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. Classifieds appear online 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. ©2019 by The Towerlight, 8000 York Rd, Towson, MD 21252. All rights reserved.

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Opinion

March 12, 2019

Omar comments draw criticism CONNOR MCNAIRN Columnist

Representative Ilhan Omar, a freshman congresswoman from Minnesota, has dominated headlines in recent weeks. Following a string of Omar’s controversial tweets and statements, which seemed to feature anti-Semitic tropes, Democrats and Republicans have sparred over an appropriate response. Omar, a Somali-American and one of the first Muslim woman elected to Congress (Rep. Tlaib is the other), has a relatively long track record of making controversial statements regarding Israel. In 2012, for example, Rep. Omar tweeted that Israel has “hypnotized the world.”. Omar also publicly supports Boycott, Divest, Sanctions (BDS), a movement which seeks to apply economic pressure to Israel for its behavior toward Palestinians. More recently, Omar tweeted that the motivations behind American lawmakers’ support for Israel are “all about the Benjamins;” such a tweet echoes a decades-long anti-Semitic claim that attempts to misrepresent Jewish participation in politics. When pushed to clarify her tweet, Omar blamed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC),

which is a large pro-Israel lobbying group. Most recently, while at a coffee shop, Omar questioned “allegiances” for Israel maintained by lawmakers and lobbyists, which once again echoes an anti-Semitic trope concerning dual-loyalty of Jewish Americans. First and foremost, American lawmakers have an obligation to use their platforms responsibly. There is no doubt that Omar’s criticisms were lazily crafted and insensitive to historical prejudices against Jewish individuals. That said, the response to Omar’s tweets from Republicans was grossly hypocritical and also rooted in prejudice, namely Islamophobia. Prominent Republicans, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, took aim at Omar and accused her of anti-Semitism following her remarks; ironically, McCarthy launched his own anti-Semitic attacks against Jewish Democratic donors last fall, arguing that they were attempting to buy the election. President Donald Trump also directly accused a room of Jewish donors of trying to “control [their] politicians” with money during the 2016 presidential campaign. Following Omar’s controversial statements, lawmakers grappled over

appropriate procedural responses. Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney charged Omar with embodying “vile, hate-filled, anti-Semitic, anti-Israel bigotry,” pushing Democrats to remove Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, while publicly opposed to Omar’s remarks, came to the congresswoman’s defense, arguing that she did not believe Omar harbored anti-Semitic views of any kind. At any rate, the House did pass a bipartisan anti-hate bill, which condemned broad forms of bigotry, including both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. For many lawmakers, namely Republicans, the legislation did not go far enough. For others, including members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the rate at which Republicans have moved to criticize Omar, a SomaliAmerican, represents both racism and Islamophobia. Regardless of how lawmakers try to frame it, anti-Semitism, unfortunately, has long existed and still exists on both sides of the political aisle. It is the responsibility of Americans to condemn anti-Semitism when they see it, as ethical political practices free of prejudice ought to dominate America’s political dialogue.

Endometriosis doesn’t just need awareness SAMUEL SMITH Columnist

Endometriosis - The presence of tissue that normally grows inside the uterus (womb) in an abnormal anatomical location. It affects about 1 in 10 afab (assigned female at birth) people. Diagnosis is usually between the ages of 25-30, most likely because that’s when people begin trying for children, and endometriosis can cause infertility. Yet it feels like that’s all it’s ever treated for. March is Endometriosis

Awareness Month. With all the PSA’s on TV and online nowadays advising young folks to see their doctors, I feel like awareness is slowly gaining traction. Which is great! But why don’t more people know about it? Endometriosis can cause a myriad of symptoms. It’s not just infertility. It’s also pain, fatigue and bloating, especially around your period, but can be at any point in your cycle. Painful periods are not normal. Your periods should have some cramping, but not so much that you’re sick or that it’s interfering with your day-to-day life. You should be able

to exercise, do daily chores and go to class when on your period. It’s great! It’s fun! Anecdotally, many doctors ignore it. I for one, know this issue too well - I was begging doctors from the time I was 12 years old to figure out what was wrong with me and why I was in so much pain. Instead, they prescribed me Ibuprofen (which could never even touch the pain) and sent me home. It wasn’t until I was 18 years old - 6 years later! - that I finally got the diagnosis of endometriosis. - To read the rest of this column online, visit thetowerlight.com.

Recycling woes PORTIA BHARATH Columnist

When we recycle our cans, bottles and cardboard, we can only hope that it all goes to a facility where the materials are, well, recycled. But are they? More importantly: is recycling merely a feel-good practice that isn’t actually beneficial? Surprisingly, there is a rather convincing case against recycling. America is producing more waste than ever, but most of our recycled waste has been shipped to China for processing since 1992, because it is economically more efficient for us to send it overseas than it is for us to process it ourselves. But China has recently become highly selective about the waste they import from the U.S. due to concern for the health of its people (and rightfully so). However, this increases the cost for U.S. cities to recycle, which gives local municipalities two choices: pay more to collect and prepare the materials (a 63 percent price increase for one Virginia city) or simply send them to landfill, which costs half as much. In particularly poverty-stricken cities, the decision is a no-brainer, especially since nobody is ever prepared for a tax upsurge. Now that the “market” for recyclables is diminishing, those materials are either being siphoned off to landfills or redirected to the incinerator. Critics argue that recycling has never had any economic benefit, and now even more so. Aluminum is the most profitable resource to recycling companies, which receive nearly four times as much money for a ton of recycled aluminum than for a ton of PET plastic – and for production companies which save 92 percent of the energy it would take to make a new beverage can. Plastics are not as profitable, costing only a few cents more than new plastic, but small amounts add up when manufacturing companies are churning out millions of units every day. Lack of knowledge about what can and can’t be recycled costs recycling companies extra time and money, because the machinery is sensitive to things like plastic bags that should not have ended up at the facility. The workers must hand-pick contaminating items like Styrofoam cups and batteries from the piles to send them to the

landfill. The argument also exists that landfills really aren’t that big of an issue, and the U.S. has enough land to support the current production rate of trash for the next 1,000 years, not to mention that many cities stand to make a lot of money from stockpiling the country’s waste. After a landfill is properly conditioned, it may even be able to support something like a stadium so that the plot of land is not rendered entirely useless after its life as a garbage dump. As hard as it is to ignore the cost-benefit analysis of recycling, eliminating the viewpoint that recycling needs to be profitable can open one’s eyes as to why it might not be such a bad practice. Recycling may not garner the support of the limitless profit-seeking world of business – but for me, it comes down to the principle of the matter: why throw something away forever when it could serve a second or even limitless purpose? The slogan “reduce, reuse, recycle” – although trite – truly encompasses what our disposable-driven society should aim for. I am uncomfortable with the idea that every initiative should be looked at strictly from an economic perspective because it disregards the potential humanitarian benefits, and the tunnel vision effect blocks out any genuine concern for our environmental future. I would also like to point out that landfills are one of the biggest sources of soil pollution from leachate, and those toxic pollutants often find their way into the groundwater. They are also large emitters of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Yes, we may have ample space for garbage heaps, but that doesn’t mean we should necessarily start mindlessly tossing all our waste into them – physical space is not the only issue we need to consider. Another factor is that many large landfills are not close in proximity to the country’s most dense cities – it’s becoming more expensive to truck all that waste back and forth across the country, in addition to the amount of carbon dioxide pollution it will produce. Instead of spending more money to permanently trash our waste, we could channel that same amount of time and energy into improving our recycling practices. Perhaps if we focused more intensely on educating people about how to properly recycle, the whole system would become more efficient and we wouldn’t need to rely on landfills so much. We should not underestimate people’s willingness to help out in a situation as long as they know how best to proceed.

Opinion

March 12, 2019

Unpacking CPAC, Trump’s speech BRIAN SMITH Columnist

As the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) drew to a close on March 2, it left behind some very memorable moments. Among these was enduring chants of “build that wall,” a speaker being kicked out after harassing journalists and the president promising to sign an executive order for freedom of speech. In his long two-hour speech, President Donald Trump even went off script to go after the looming Mueller report on Russian collusion. So, with all of these developments, and many false claims, let’s unpack this year’s CPAC. Before getting to President

Yes

Trump’s speech, let’s first cover some other major highlights from the CPAC. For starters, journalists like Laura Ingraham and Mark Levin from Fox News were among their keynote speakers. This media outlet has long criticized biased reporting from other networks, but at the same time was recently caught intentionally killing the Stormy Daniels story to help Trump win the 2016 election. Next, was Penny Nance from Concerned Women for America who stated that Trump is “the most pro-life president in my lifetime,” which is ironic given that Trump was once a big supporter of abortion rights. Next came judge Jeanine Pirro who said Trump was “the one to put on his big boy pants” about the border wall issue. However, the reality is Trump simply refused

to negotiate, shutdown the government and is now having members of his own party vote for a motion to shoot down his attempt to bypass Congress. Lastly, CPAC members and speakers alike seemed to be thrown into hysteria about the notion that the Green New Deal was going to be sending the government after their cows and hamburgers. Not only is this baseless and ridiculous, but Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. even went so far as to threaten to shoot Alexandria Ocasio Cortez if she ever showed up to take his cattle. Let’s now transition to President Trump’s speech filled with lies, misleading information and a very odd moment of off scripted ranting. - To read the rest of this column online, visit thetowerlight.com.

Spring safety KAYLA HUNT Columnist

March Madness is branded as the annual NCAA college basketball tournament that occurs throughout the month of March; however, it’s not just the game that makes March such a frenzy. For students, March can be a chaotic month due to the anxiety of midterms, the anticipation of warm weather and the desire for the commencement of spring break. Although spring break is the time when people relax and take a break from their stress-induced routine, there are some warning hazards for young adults. During spring break festivities, 11 percent of people excessively drink to the point of blacking or passing out,

according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), someone is killed every 31 minutes as a result of a drunk driving accident, and during spring break, those numbers increase by 23 percent. Death toll in traffic accidents have also increased by 9.1 percent among drivers who are under the age of 25. The CDC provides tips to assure safety for spring break travels: 1. Limit alcohol. Drinking alcohol can impair your judgement and actions. If drinking is apart of your vacation, do it in moderation. Also, remind yourself and others of the importance of refraining from driving while under the influence. - To read the rest of this column online, visit thetowerlight.com.

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visit www.towson.edu/housing to apply for housing

News

March 12, 2019

SGA passes budget and legislation MARY-ELLEN DAVIS News Editor @Mel_Davis_1998

While students and staff go about their day-to-day activities, members of Towson University’s Student Government Association (SGA) work to pass new legislation, schedule events and do what they can to improve campus life. When the school year kicked off, SGA members were thrown a financial curveball while they were trying to set the 2018- 2019 budget. According to Vice President for Student Affairs Deb Moriarty, the group was left to work from a deficit by the previous administration. “They worked tirelessly to address the issue with the priority to continue to provide sufficient funding for student organizations and the SGA administration,” Moriarty said. SGA President Russhell Ford said that now, however, everything is all cleared up, and the financial status of the SGA is in good standing. “There were concerns because the SGA funding policy is very complicated as a whole,” Ford said. “Students were mainly concerned that the SGA was in debt, but that was never the case.” Ford added that students felt that the current administration was doing something wrong, when the administration was trying to change how the SGA’s money was allocated. “Students believed that we were spending too much or asking for too much, but students don’t realize that a good portion of the money that SGA spends, is not actually spent by the SGA,” Ford said. “For example, just under $400,000 of our budget goes to Sports Club Organizations [and] Campus Rec, an additional $200,000+ funds regular student organizations.” Despite this, the SGA managed to get a budget passed in early fall, according to Moriarty. While this was happening, Towson University’s Dining

Services made a move to go green by removing straws from dining halls across campus. Students were then required to ask for a straw if they decided they wanted one. On Feb. 26, the SGA voted them back onto campus. “We never wanted to remove straws,” Ford said. “We got a ton of student concerns asking us to do something about paper straws that dining service began giving out this year.” Ford said that because some students weren’t happy with the paper straws that Dining Services gave out, the administration wanted to urge TU to provide other alternatives. “We believe Towson should be a green campus; however, we should have better alternatives than something that dissolves in soda,” Ford said. “Instead, we are urging the campus to continue the implementation of straws that are biodegradable.” Ezihe Chikwere, the SGA attorney general, said the administration also passed a policy that would ensure the maintenance and accessibility of food places on campus before the semester started. The initiative prevented Dining Services from changing the meal plan policy in a way that would stop dining areas like Au Bon Pain and the Administration Building from accepting meals. “It was our first success, as this was a pressing student concern,” Chikwere said. Ford also mentioned that the administration recently passed legislation advocating for an Animal Relief Area on campus for students with service animals, along with legislation that added money back into their scholarship funds. “We just passed legislation that added money back into our scholarships funds, and created about eight different awards that many students can win, as there are multiple awards for each scholarship,” Ford said. “We are also looking to create more, and they

will be advertised on our website, once we get everything settled.” According to Vice President Alex Best, the administration is also working on a resolution that addresses the need for increased communication with students about construction updates, as well as increased signage and updated accessibility maps. “Differently abled students should not have to discover they cannot make it to their class on time because an accessible route that was open yesterday is no longer open due to detours,” Best said. Moriarty said that working with the administration is always great as she can watch the evolution of their agenda, the development of their leadership skills, “as well as to support their work in continuously enhancing campus climate and the student experience.” One of the things she feels the administration has implemented well recently was Tiger Pride Day. “The executive team has been very involved in helping us establish guidelines for the growing desire to hold outdoor events and well as to clarify their financial policies and guidelines,” Moriarty said. “They have student representatives on a wide variety of university committees which impact policy and decision making through the year.” Chief of Staff Rachel Veslany said that Tiger Pride Day was a huge success with many students signed up from both main campus and Towson University Northeastern (TUNE). “Each student had the ability to meet with legislators or their direct staff to talk about the five bills we lobbied for,” Veslany said. “Students also had the chance to sit in on General Assembly meetings and take part in a formal luncheon with legislatures.” Coming up, Veslany said students should look out for events like It’s On Us, Know Your Rights, Tigerfest, Safety Day and the second annual Pride Week. “These are some of our major

Courtesy of SGA

SGA began the year facing a deficit and have since passed legislation about straws, meal plans and an animal relief station. recurring initiatives that we look forward to every year,” Veslany said. “Also, we will be having a release party for our finished website and new SGA logo that is currently in the works.” Another thing that comes with the end of the semester is the SGA election season, Moriarty added. “I would strongly encourage students to pay attention to thezzzzzz election season as the elected officers and senators have a very strong and significant voice across campus representing the student body,” Moriarty said. Chikwere said that along with herself, Ford will be graduating in May, and that Best will be gradu-

ating in December, but feels that the future of the administration is still going to be in great hands. “The 98th administration has set a strong and resilient foundation for current members and future members to succeed,” Chikwere said. Ford, however, still feels there is work to be done by the current SGA administration. “We are looking to advocate for new bills we have passed that could benefit many students, and we are working now to settle some ongoing student concerns we’ve gotten revolving mental health, and event policies,” Ford said.

News

March 12, 2019

Towson highlights Tigers talk workplace success “Dream Chasers” Speakers explain soft and hard skills MARCUS WHITMAN Staff Writer

The Center for Student Diversity hosted the Black Student Leadership Conference in the West Village Commons from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. This years theme, “Dream Chasers,” focused on highlighting community members who have followed their passions despite challenges they have faced and allowed them to share their experiences with Towson students. Keynote speaker Krystal Garner, the general manager for Trap Music Museum, was the first to speak. She talked about where she growing up in Staten Island and the effects it had on her character. “I grew up in one of the worst neighborhoods, and I grew up with the circumstances that most Black families in underprivileged neighborhoods go through,” Garner said. Garner welcomed the opportunity to share her experiences with students at the conference, and at any Black leadership conference she speaks at. “I feel it is my responsibility… being a Black woman executive in the entertainment industry,” Garner said. After Garner’s talk and a brief intermission for lunch, guests were invited to attend breakout sessions hosted by other guest speakers. Jamie Mercer, the resident director at Bowie State University, shared her experience trying to find the right job while also searching for the right people in life to support her and her dreams. Through this, she found that she enjoys doing something that helps others. “I feel like I can be the person I needed when I was a student leader,” Mercer

said. “Then, I feel that I can help someone coming in behind me, and it is greater than my own self servicing purpose.” Amazon Human Resources Strategic Consultant Cierra Parks shared that she felt mentoring and coaching were a natural part of her profession. “Definitely a lot of time you are helping other leaders and so there is a major overlap,” Parks said. Katelyn Peterson, TU student and intern for The Small Business Resource Center, and James Peterson, the Outreach Coordinator, were vendors at the event and felt attending would be good for the company’s community relations. “When I heard about the Dream Chasers event, I asked my supervisors if they were interested in coming to share their resources with entrepreneurs that may be here,” Katelyn Peterson said. Anee Korme, Associate Director of Student Diversity, said that a committee began planning the event sometime around September and October. “The Center for Student Diversity partners with the Career Center and other campus partners like the Office of Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility to come up with a theme, keynote speakers, vendors and awesome breakout sessions for the student attendees,” Korme said. Korme hopes students walked away feeling empowered to pursue their dreams and that they learned how to navigate some of the challenges they may come across. “I hope attendees in some way were able to find community,” Korme said. “I hope they were able to connect with other young, ambitious, student leaders that they can have be a part of their journey.”

Courtesy of Towson’s Black Student Leadership Conference

Krystal Garner was one of many to speak to students about chasing her dream at the Black Student Leadership Conference last week.

Albert Ivory/ The Towerlight

Students who attended “Skills to Pay the Bills” last Wednesday had the opportunity to learn about various soft and hard skills that speakers like Bob Graham believe are important in the workplace. ALBERT IVORY Staff Writer @Intellectu_Al

The Young Alumni Advisory Council presented “Skills To Pay The Bills” at Stephens Hall Wednesday night to offer students the chance to engage in workshops that covered essential skills that are needed in the workplace. It kicked off with an introductory address by Bob Graham from Serious Soft Skills, a business education service that he created with TU’s Department Chair of E-business and Technology Management, Tobin Porterfield, to “empower employees, team members, managers, leaders and their organizations to better leverage their soft skills, in conjunction with their technical skills, to advance their careers and organizational success.” According to Graham, studies conducted by Harvard University, the Stanford Research Center, and the Carnegie Foundation show that 85 percent of your career success is based on soft skills while the remaining 15 percent is based on your technical skills. Graham explained that the difference between soft skills and technical skills is that soft skills are developed through interactions with others, whereas technical skills are developed through theories, grammar and making excel spreadsheets. Soft skills range from empathy and time management to setting priorities and being able to collab-

orate, among others. “The world is changing in profound ways; we’re more competitive than we’ve ever been,” Graham said. He also told the audience to think of three critical areas. The first is storytelling; how to articulate information that you have gained and make it profound and memorable to gather the attention of potential employers. The second is experience; using moments from the past to form your future, such as acknowledging your weaknesses. The third and final is attunement; being conscious of what others may need and find a way to assist them. “To be successful with soft skills, you have to do self-reflection, looking inside yourself, holding the mirror up, and take mentoring,” Graham said. “People who have very good soft skills do not get laid off, do not get fired, and do not get transferred to crappy jobs...they move up the ladder.” He encouraged the audience to challenge themselves and get used to being uncomfortable. The audience then broke out in different sessions facilitated by Towson alumni. The sessions included “Communication Skills” led by Patrick St. Clair (2016), “Emotional Intelligence” led by Tanyea Jordan (2014) and “Teamwork and Problem Solving” led by Frank DeSantis (1999). In St. Clair’s session, he encouraged audiences to take control of their narratives and be more proactive in challenges.

“Respond to criticism to find misunderstandings and avoid assumptions when giving feedback,” St. Clair said. Jordan’s “Emotional Intelligence” session had audiences take a personality test to see which “color” they were. The colors a participant could be included orange, green, blue and gold, with each symbolizing different traits a person could have. Participants that had blue were characterized as enthusiastic, sympathetic and accepting while green stood for qualities like analytical, strategic, and global. Gold meant that the person was loyal, faithful, and dependable. “Each color depends on the circumstances and environment, and they may change,” Jordan said. “It’s about what you and others bring to the table.” DeSantis’ Teamwork and Problem Solving session involved the audience interacting with one another to complete certain tasks. The purpose was to show employers that an applicant is willing to collaborate and capable of developing ideas and strategies to make an organization thrive. “I found the event to be really good,” sophomore Anh Tran said. “I needed to work on communication skills because I would definitely need them for future careers.” Graham closed the event emphasizing the importance of marketing oneself. “Today is the day to start the network. It builds over time,” Graham said.

10 March 12, 2019

Arts & Life

“To Pimp a Butterfly” shows Lamar’s metamorphosis Honoring the four-year anniversary of Kendrick’s legendary album KARUGA KOINANGE Editor-in-Chief

Courtesy of nme.com

Kendrick Lamar’s notable “To Pimp a Butterfly” was an authentic album of his life’s most trying hardships and revelations.

With the four-year anniversary of Kendrick Lamar’s iconic 2015 album, “To Pimp a Butterfly,” coming up, I decided to hop on This Week’s Spin to remind all my Hip-Hop heads just how amazing this project is. I could write an entire thesis about this record since it’s so layered, but I’ll stick to naming my top three tracks instead (highkey, all the tracks are fire though). “Alright”- Fam. If you have even an ounce of soul inside you, you can’t help but vibe with this track. Lamar begins the track with a spirited cry about the hardships he has faced. Lamar guarantees that no matter what he’s been through, he will be alright. It’s a simple message, but a powerful one. Throughout the track, Lamar highlights the prejudices that Black people in America face every day. His raw, brash delivery combined with the drums and horns in the chorus pack an inspirational punch. You’re going to face people/systems that seek to keep you down, but you should never lose your will to push on. Nothing makes me want to conquer the day like sys-

temic racism. Thank you for helping me realize that, K-Dot. “How Much a Dollar Cost”- This track is one of the slowest paced songs on the record, but it’s like that for a reason. There is a lot to process in this track. Lamar tells a story about a homeless man who begs him for money while he’s trying to get gas. Lamar immediately denies the request and looks to go about his day, but he notices that the homeless man is staring at him as he pumps his car. Lamar enters his car, and the vagabond is still glaring at him. This infuriates Lamar to the point that he gets out of the car and confronts the man. The beggar asks Lamar if he has read Exodus 14 (story of Moses parting the Red Sea), implying that Lamar should use his power to lead by example. This causes Lamar to go back and forth between feeling guilty about not helping the homeless man and making excuses as to why he shouldn’t give the man a handout. Ultimately, Lamar decides not to give him even a single dollar. The homeless man reveals himself to be God in disguise and tells Lamar that he has lost his spot in Heaven due to his selfishness. To the homeless man, a dollar is everything, whereas a dollar is nothing to Kendrick, but like many, he’s unwilling to give to

the homeless man because he’s trapped in greed. This is an extremely captivating tale that demonstrates Lamar’s elite storytelling prowess and wordplay. “u”- This track shows Lamar at his most vulnerable. He admitted that even with his fame and wealth, he battled depression. This was especially due to so many people looking up to him. Throughout this song, Lamar lays all of his insecurities out. He blames himself for his teenage sister getting pregnant and one of his close friends from Compton dying while Lamar was overseas. Lamar also doubts his standing in the Hip-Hop community, despite several west coast rap legends anointing him as the next west coast king. It’s clear that Lamar feels incredible guilt and doubt on this track, amplified by the sounds of liquor bottles clanging and Lamar slurring his words in the final two verses. Sounwave, who produced the track, said there was no shortage of tears during the recording session. Lamar stayed in the booth for three hours with the lights off during the studio session. That such a high profile artist endures the same mental health issues that plague so many people around the world isn’t surprising, but Lamar’s honesty about his insecurity is what makes this track so compelling.

Five rock albums to help you get in the spring mood TIMOTHY COFFMAN Columnist

With spring break right around the corner, you’re going to need some music to get you into the spirit of the season. Spring albums help put you in a laid-back vibe as the weather starts getting warmer. This could be through the band’s ease of recording or the laid-back nature of the songs therein. Here are some picks for ideal spring albums to enjoy throughout spring break. Blurryface (Twenty One Pilots)TOP have just released their latest album “Trench” this past year, but this record really has a springtime quality, with its breezy singles like “Tear in My Heart” and “Stressed Out.” But this album also runs the gamut with emotional songs like the album closer “Goner” along with

darker compositions like “Doubt” and the album opener “Heavydirtysoul.” Joshua Tree (U2) - This pick is a throwback to the glory days of the 80s-pop landscape. While it’s easy to spot the dated production techniques, frontman Bono’s voice absolutely soars across these tunes, including acoustic cuts like “Red Hill Mining Town” and effects-laden pastiches like the arena anthem “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” Nimrod (Green Day) - This band was not necessarily known for their laid-back material when they recorded this record back in 1997. But after two prior albums of doing pure pop-punk, “Nimrod” shows the band experimenting with different sounds and getting weirdly awesome in the process. While songs like “Uptight” and “Nice Guys Finish Last” display Green Day’s strengths, the band touches on many genres like screamo (“Take Back”), classic rock (“Redundant”), instrumental (“Last Ride In”) and

graduation fodder (“Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”). There is Nothing Left To Lose (Foo Fighters) - After a troubled recording process with their previous album and losing two band members while on tour, Dave Grohl and company regrouped at his house in Virginia and made an album of chill rock music. While the album does have its fair share of harsh moments such as album opener “Stacked Actors,” much of the album brings a care-free attitude to anyone within earshot. You can tell that the band are just having fun in the studio while recording these tracks, evident in the smash hit “Learn to Fly” along with great album cuts like “Next Year” and the talk-box showcase “Generator.” Murmur (R.E.M) - This album helped to invent the term “college rock” amongst the musical mainstream. This album never veers to far off the rails, but that does not necessarily detract from the album’s

momentum. These songs have some of the most impassioned vocals from Michael Stipe and Peter Buck’s guitars are mixed just right to cascade across your eardrums with precision and tenderness. Songs like “Laughing” and

the trance-like “Perfect Circle” are ideal for your spring playlist, along with the album’s main rocker “Radio Free Europe.” If you’re looking for an album that’ll define your spring break, this album is a pretty safe bet.

Courtesy of last.fm

Columnist Timothy Coffman believes that “Blurryface,” by Twenty One Pilots, should be added to your playlist for spring.

Arts & Life

March 12, 2019

Courtesy of runningerins.co

Legendary Rootz is a clothing brand dedicated to supporting Black women. Their famous “brown sugar babe” merch helped grow the brand, and they now have over 47,000 followers on Instagram.

Best Black/female-owned brands KERRY INGRAM Arts & Life Editor @Glaminista08

I would like to take this time to thank you all for coming to my very Trendy Ted Talk (or I guess I should call this a “Trendy Tiger Talk,” that seems more fitting). Last week marked the end of Black History Month, and March began the celebratory Women’s History Month. As a Black woman, you can appropriately assume I’m pretty content with the months of February and March (also shout out to Sept. 15 - Oct. 15 for my fellow Hispanics!), but I would like to take this time to express the frustration that comes with this time of year. Yes, I love that more people guide their attention to important causes. Black people matter. Women matter. However, this time of year is also full of a lot of tension and ignorant statements from people who don’t “believe” in things like systemic and institutionalized racism or gender gaps. These people scream to the mountain tops about how “unfair” it is that Black people have a month, or how “sensitive” women are being for trying to protest and fight for their rights. Here’s my take on this issue: When it comes to Black History Month, yes it should exist. Why? Because whenever you celebrate something, it’s usually because it’s a milestone, a track of something you have overcome in life. Well, I hate to break it to you, but Black people have been overcoming things since the moment someone realized we have more melanin in our complexions. We have a history of being oppressed, shunned,

abused, neglected, limited etc. and although we still have a long way to go, we have overcome A LOT. So yes, Black people get a month, to celebrate all that we’ve had to go through. If you have no history of being oppressed, but rather being part of the majority oppressive group, you shouldn't have a month. Not because you’re less than anyone else, but because you would literally be celebrating negativity. HUGE DISCLAIMER HERE: just because Black History Month is a thing, doesn’t mean that Black lives don’t matter the other months of the year. They still do. When it comes to Women’s History Month, yes it should exist? Why? Because women have gone through hell and highwater to carry the world within our wombs and still can’t manage to get paid the same as men. We deserve a month for people to emphasize what they should be supporting all 365 days of the year all genders are created equal. HUGE DISCLAIMER HERE: just beecause Women’s History Month is a thing, doesn’t mean that the lives of women don’t matter the other months of the year. They still do. ANOTHER REALLY IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: Coachella/Festival season is approaching, and I want to just straight up say, if something doesn’t belong to your culture, or if you don’t understand a concept, don’t claim it as your own. If you’re not Black, I highly discourage wearing cornrows or dreadlocks and calling it a “new trend” just because it’s now on someone of a lighter complexion. And if you’re supportive of some women (but not all), or hate men, please don’t dawn any Feminist labels. You’re messing up the experience for everyone.

For this Trendy Tiger, I want to merge my strong emotions of some great groups of people with my love of beauty and fashion, so I bring you my list of top black and female owned brands. Because black is beautiful and being a woman is absolutely wonderful. The Lip Bar: Founder Melissa Butler left her job on Wall Street to start this beauty empire. Now known for its cruelty-free and vegan formulas, The Lip Bar offers consumers a variety of lip products perfect for any skin tone or lifestyle. Beauty Bakerie: I’ve definitely talked about this brand on Trendy Tiger before, and for good reason. Beauty Bakerie, founded by Cashmere Nicole, was a passion project that came after Nicole’s run-in with breast cancer. She decided to fight not only for her life, but for her dreams, and ended up building a beauty brand that is just as sweet as it looks. Pat McGrath Labs: Auntie Pat is really out here having our backs! McGrath is hands down my favorite makeup artist of all time (if you have never seen her work and are a lover of either editorial makeup or art in general, I highly recommend Google searching her). Although her line is pricey, she is one of the few names in the business who honestly should earn every penny. Taliah Waajid Hair Care: Imma let you finish, but Taliah Waajid has the best hair masks of all time (especially if you’re a fellow curly-girl). This line is all about giving consumers natural products with grade-A results, and it definitely shows. - To read the rest of this article online, visit thetowerlight.com.

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Have a Safe and Fun Spring Break, Towson! The Towerlight print edition will return Tuesday, March 26.

Sports

March 12, 2019

Seeing Red: Cornell hands TU first loss File photo by Liam Beard/ The Towerlight

Towson Men’s Lacrosse captains Alex Woodall and Jimmie Wilkerson move upfield in an earlier season game against Loyola. The Tigers dropped to No. 5 in the rankings following their 18-11 loss to Cornell in the finale of The Crowne Lacrosse Event in Charlotte, North Carolina. Woodall was selected first overall in the 2019 MLL Draft on Saturday.

JOHN HACK Staff Writer @johnhack10

A five-game winning streak was snapped Sunday afternoon when No. 1 Towson endured its first loss of the season in an 18-11 defeat at the hands of No. 2 Cornell at The Crown Lacrosse Event in Charlotte, North Carolina. Coming into Sunday’s game as the top ranked team, the Tigers (5-1) had to recuperate quickly after having to grind out a hard-fought win amid torrential downpour against Jacksonville University less than 48 hours prior. “I think the tournament helped us learn and grow in a hopefully positive direction as a team,” said Head Coach Shawn Nadelen. “We had to play against a tough, scrappy team from Jacksonville and they

exposed us in certain ways and took us to the wire.” Sunday’s game against the Big Red (4-1) got off to a good start for Towson. Despite ending the first quarter holding a 5-3 lead, Towson’s momentum was soon squashed as Cornell outplayed the visitors in the second quarter. In addition to forcing turnovers on both offensive zone opportunities and clearing attempts, the Big Red outshot the Tigers 11-4 during that time, and were able to find success in clearing the ball in their defensive zone. Cornell ended up outscoring Towson in that quarter 9-1 to take a 12-6 lead into halftime. Nevertheless, Towson was persistent and looked to make amends in the second half. They chalked up 15 shots in the third quarter and only allowed six while forcing four penalties. But they were only able

to capitalize once on the extra man opportunities and entered the final frame of play down 15-8. Cornell’s man-down defense was strong, holding Towson on all three of its extra man chances in the fourth quarter to secure the win. “We came out hot, but when Cornell turned up the heat, we just couldn’t stop the bleeding,” Nadelen said, “We just weren’t as clean in the clearing game and were careless at some key points. Cornell came back and capitalized.” Even though they suffered their first loss of the season, Nadelen sees this as a crucial learning experience for the team. “You’re never as good as you think you are, and you’re never as bad as you think you are and I think as bad as the loss feels to Cornell today, we can be better and we can be improved from that,” Nadelen said. In their Friday night game against

Jacksonville (1-6), which was intermittently stopped due to some rainy conditions, Towson leaped to a strong start thanks to sophomore attackman Luke Fromert. He tallied two of his team’s first three goals. Towson’s defensive effort performed just as well in the first quarter. Junior goalie Tyler Canto posted five saves in the period, holding the Dolphins to just one goal in that quarter. With the offensive support of junior attack Brody McLean, senior midfielder Grant Maloof and senior attack Brendan Sunday, the Tigers built a 6-1 lead over the Dolphins with 13:47 remaining in the second quarter. Despite consecutive Jacksonville strikes around the middle of the second quarter, Towson bounced back 36 seconds later when McLean notched his second goal of the evening. The Tigers took an 8-5 advantage into halftime.

In the third quarter, the Tigers outscored the Dolphins 5-2 with sophomore long stick midfielder Koby Smith and junior midfielder Jake McLean adding their names to the score sheet. However, a fourth quarter in which the Tigers turned the ball over 10 times and were outshot 13-6 gave Jacksonville a chance to cut into the deficit, but Towson held on for the win. McLean led all scorers with five goals on the evening, while Maloof stepped up scoring a season-high four goals. Canto made six saves in the contest. Next Saturday, the Tigers will head back to North Carolina as they travel to No. 2 Duke in what should prove to be a huge test for the squad. “We gotta focus and continue to work,” Nadelen said. “When Tuesday comes, that’s gotta be our best practice of the year.”

14 March 12, 2019

Sports

Former TU linebacker Diondre Wallace should be getting more draft consideration JORDAN KENDALL Assistant Sports Editor @jordankendall54

Former Towson linebacker Diondre Wallace has entered the 2019 NFL Draft. Last season, Wallace helped the Tigers return to the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2013. He has been the leader of Towson’s defense since 2015 and has played in at least 10 games all four seasons. As he prepares for an opportunity at the next level, here are a few reasons why he deserves a shot. Wallace improved his number of tackles each of his first three seasons, going from 45 his freshman season to 90 two years later. Last season, he finished with 89 tackles including a career best 4.5

tackles for loss. Against Power Five opponents South Florida and Wake Forest, he set and beat his career best tackles with 14 and 16 tackles respectively. To set your career best against FBS Power Five schools is a great statement of the type of player Wallace is. Playing in the FCS, you don’t get many opportunities to play the best of the best, so to take advantage of the few opportunities you have is a sign that he can play with the best. Despite defense being the Tigers’ area of weakness, their defense finished last in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) last season and eighth in 2017, Wallace stepped up to provide the leadership and reliability needed. Wallace has the seventh most

tackles in Towson history with 290, the highest total in over a decade. Wallace gave his all to Towson, and in an interview with the Baltimore Sun, teammate Chris Tedder said “his voice makes a difference on defense, and his leadership, too, without that, we wouldn’t be who we are out there.” In that same interview, Linebackers coach Lyndon Johnson said of Wallace that “his size is hard to find — guys that can run and still have the girth that you need at the point of attack, it’s a tough combination, especially now in this day and age when the game has changed where everybody is running the spread or hurry-up play.” Towson has sent 14 players to the NFL in its 50-year history, impressive for a program who has compet-

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ed at each level of NCAA Football. Towson may not have the prestige or history compared to programs such as Alabama or Ohio State, but it can produce talent and has done so over multiple decades. Four former Tigers are currently on NFL rosters including New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod. Bushrod has made two Pro Bowls and won Super Bowl XLIV, leading the NFL in snaps played in 2011 with 1,177. He was a third-team All-Atlantic 10 his final two seasons at Towson and started 38 consecutive games. Running back Terrance West dominated at Towson, rushing for a Towson record 1,294 yards and 29 touchdowns as a freshman, leading to a CAA Offensive Rookie of the Year selection. Two years later, he led Towson to the FCS National Championship with 2,509 yards and 41 touchdowns, which are Towson and FCS records. West led the Cleveland Browns in rushing in 2014 with 673 yards and four touchdowns and led the Baltimore Ravens in rushing in 2016 with 774 yards and five scores. Wallace is a special player who

can rally a team towards a common goal. He runs sideline to sideline and can track and get to the ball quickly. Last season, it seemed as if when Towson needed a stop, he was the one to get it. Although he will likely go undrafted since he is not currently on any major draft coverage’s list of prospects, I believe he has shown the promise and potential to earn a spot in an NFL camp. Last fall, multiple NFL teams, including the New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots sent scouts to Towson. I think Wallace would be a great addition to any team, but especially the Patriots. With Head Coach Bill Belichick’s roots in Maryland from growing up in Annapolis while his father coached at Navy and his ability to find lesser-known players and use their strengths to the team’s advantage, Wallace is the perfect type of player for New England. He is unselfish and is all about the team, just what the Patriots strive for. Wallace will forever be remembered here at Towson, and hopefully will be remembered in the NFL as well.

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Sports

March 12, 2019

woeful trip west Tigers suffer four-game sweep in Sacramento TIM KLAPAC Sports Editor @pacofkla

A difficult weekend out west has Towson looking forward to finally playing some home games. The four-game series with the Sacramento State Hornets was played over the course of two double-headers on Friday and Saturday due to impending inclement weather in the area. “Flying out west and then the schedule changes in an effort to beat the weather, I’m not sure there’s many college programs that can go through that without a toll being taken,” said Head Coach Matt Tyner. “We played 36 innings in less than 36 hours, that’s a lot of baseball in a short period of time.” The Saturday finale had the makings of another close fight with the Tigers (1-10) trailing 3-2 entering the seventh inning. However, in the seventh, the Hornets (8-7) cleared the bases on a throwing error that extended their lead to 7-2. A five-run eighth inning put the game away with a final score of 12-2. “What we need to do is take a look at our mental toughness and turn on that focus button,” Tyner said. “Stay as engaged in sixth, seventh and eighth

innings as we were in the first, second and third innings. Those are the growing pains of a young team and this team’s gonna have to experience losing first before they start winning.” Saturday began in a very different manner than Friday as neither team wasted much time getting on the scoreboard. Senior infielder Richard Miller got his first home run of the season on a solo shot to right-center to give Towson an early 2-0 lead. “Baseball is funny, when you don’t start the year off the way you left it in the fall, you sometimes have a tendency to get into a mental funk and it started to wear on him a little bit,” Tyner said. “Kudos to him for staying tall and working on some things. He got a good pitch, drove it, and he crushed that ball.” That lead didn’t last long as Sacramento State responded with seven runs in the third inning, including three consecutive bases-loaded walks. After infielder Dirk Masters and catcher Trey Martinez registered RBIs in the fourth and fifth innings, the Hornets added six runs to get the 13-4 win. While Saturday’s games were a hitting display, Friday was a different story

as pitching dominated both games. On Friday night, senior Gavin Weyman pitched seven innings, allowing one run on five hits. “It was a stellar performance but we didn’t give him any run support,” Tyner said. “We’ll look to give him 45 runs of support next time out.” Unfortunately, Sacramento State got productive pitching from its staff as three pitchers combined to shut out the Tigers. Towson may have out hit the Hornets 6-5, but the Tigers failed to bring any runs across, falling 1-0. In the series opener, the Towson bats were silent most of the game, registering only three hits. Sacramento State raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and would add two insurance runs later in the contest, winning 5-0. Sophomore Josh Seils turned in a solid pitching performance, allowing five runs on four hits over six innings. However, Seils walked six batters in the game. The Tigers will travel to George Washington on Tuesday, March 12 in Arlington, Virginia at 3 p.m. before they finally get to play at home. Towson will play host to Fordham and Cornell at John B. Schuerholz Park between Friday, March 15 and Sunday, March 17.

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Julia SmithHarrington Softball Junior pitcher Julia Smith-Harrington produced both offensively and defensively in the UNCG Tournament. She hit a combined 4-for-10 with two home runs and seven RBIs throughout the weekend. Smith-Harrington struck out 11 and improved her pitching record to 3-0 with the win over UNCG.

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