The Towerlight (October 22, 2019)

Towson’s campus and community news source

TheTowerlight.com

October 22, 2019

Illustration by Victoria Nicholson/ The Towerlight

POST OFFICE SERVICES UNIVERSITY UNION, 117

M - F, 9AM - 4PM • 410.704.2260

TOWSON.EDU/MAIL

2

October 22, 2019

Advertising

Social

October 22, 2019

Editor-in-Chief Bailey Hendricks Senior Editor Tim Klapac

News Editor Keri Luise Asst. News Editor Sophia Bates

TOWSON

TRENDING.

#

TOWSON HOMECOMING

@Prince_Jasonnn

Arts & Life Editor Meg Hudson

Today really showed me how much love I have within Towson. i love y’all and I love this school. So thankful to be crowned your Homecoming King! And shoutout to the Queen

Asst. Arts & Life Editor Grace Coughlan

Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editors Jordan Kendall Muhammad Waheed

3

@JustBmoss It was really good to see everyone this past weekend.

Towson homecoming was cool. Good energy .

Senior Staff Writer Mary-Ellen Davis

@RastaBeauty_ Towson’s homecoming was this weekend and I had no idea b/c I’m that kind of alumni.

Staff Writers Alex Best Ashley de Sampaio Ferraz Jalon Dixon John Hack Lurene Heyl Suzanne Stuller Brooks Warren Aaron Thomas Marcus Whitman

UPCOMING TO WERLIGHT EV

Photo Editor Brendan Felch

Staff Photographers Amanda Bosse Owen DiDonna Nikki Hewins Ryan Moriarty Karl Reimer Lacey Wall

@Eminor7b5 Kinda feel like EVERYBODY was sporting the denim jacket wit the fur at Towson homecoming

BE SURE TO TWEET AT US USING #HALLOWEEN AND SEE IF YOU MAKE IT INTO NEXT WEEK’S EDITION OF TOWSON TRENDING!

ENTS:

PICK UP A NEW SPAPER FROM A TOWER LIGHT STAFF M EMBER AT TOW SON’S U PCOMIN G HOM FOOTB E ALL GA ME NOV. 2 @ 2 P.M .

YOU CAN NOW APPLY TO JOIN THE TOWERLI ONLINE: https: GHT //forms.gle/NG 9TQ7d14Dmhi DrA6

Production Staff

Proofreaders

General Manager Mike Raymond

Art Director Victoria Nicholson

Webmaster

Circulation Staff Jack Baker Anthony Capparuccini Scott Halerz Kirsten Tildon

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

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

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

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.

Please Recycle!

OCT

WEEKLY

22-26 CALENDAR. 22

23

I STAND WITH 5TH ANNUAL IMMIGRANTS GREAT PUMPKIN SMASH DAY OF ACTION

24

MARIO KART KLASSIC III

Join the Center for Student Diversity, along with other campuses across the country in showcasing your support for immigrants!

Join the Presidential Ambassadors for a good time!

Donate $5 to the Student Emergency and Food Insecurity Fund and and you’re guaranteed a pumpkin to smash while supporting your fellow Tigers in times of emergency!

Who will take the crown for our third annual Mario Kart Klassic? Register to compete by emailing weekends@towson.edu.

Freedom Square, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Tiger Plaza, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Paws Cafe, 7 p.m.

25

BENEFITS FAIR The Benefits Fair gives you the opportunity to meet with state insurance representatives, vendors and campus departments to learn about the wide variety of health, wellness and supplemental benefits offerings available to TU faculty and staff.

Chespeake Rooms, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Follow us @TheTowerlight!

26 HRL WEEKENDS: BINGO NIGHT Come out this Saturday for a chance to win big prizes with our costume contest, endless rounds of BINGO, free candy, donuts, and more sweet treats!

Marshall Hall, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

4

Opinion

October 22, 2019

News outlets need to focus on all candidates TYRONE BARROZO Columnist

Last Tuesday, the fourth Democratic primary debate took place in Ohio and featured 12 of the remaining candidates. However, most people might not have known that because, again, news outlets like CNN are pretty lazy when it comes to events that wouldn’t garner much attention on name recognition alone. Just take a look at the post-debate coverage and you’ll manage to find much of the same nonsense peddled from the last debate: quips, one-liners, and yelling matches parading as debate skirmishes.

Keep in mind that this is not the first time that I’ve covered the DNC debates and lambasted the so-called “coverage” that took place for the event when it happened. In short, I think that it’s been so bad that I suggested that a comedian ought to be the moderator future debates—but only for the final presidential debates to get the most soundbites for the internet.

But, this time around, I wanted to briefly focus on why the DNC debate coverage from the very beginning was absolute trash and how we, as voting American citizens, ought to care and push for better coverage.

Now, to me, the argument is pretty clear: most, if not all, cable news networks have been covering these “debates” like they were sporting events. As a matter of fact, they’ve been doing even worse than that because with sports analysis, you have experts referencing statistics and a little bit more brain power put into measuring players’ strengths and weaknesses on the field.

And because of this type of approach taken by these media outlets, it seems to me that the politicians have done nothing but obliged them lest they lose any crucial coverage for their campaigns.

You can see this now in the rather noticeable lack of mention of the only Asian-American candidate, Andrew Yang, who arguably dictated crucial parts of last Tuesday’s debate. Yang brought up topics that none of the candidates were even mentioning until their campaign teams suggested it. Don’t worry if you still haven’t heard of him because, again, most mainstream media outlets have conveniently

neglected to mention him. Most of the time, Yang isn’t even questioned in what seems to be an attempt to make him look like a fool or a token minority character on Fox’s latest hack sitcom coming next summer, and has left netizens to fill in the missing parts of a large dialogue.

While I’m on the topic of the internet’s involvement in spreading this crucial bit of news, blatant unapologetic click-baiting has taken place despite the chaos to the American political landscape over the last four years. The release of the Panama Papers, the DNC hacking scandal, Russia’s involvement and assistance to the GOP to get our current doofus in office. It’s really disheartening to see that American news outlets haven’t learned a thing since then and have sold out for a quick few bucks at the expense of society’s access to the truth and, ultimately, their privilege to speak out on such petty hackery.

If CNN wants to push Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, then they ought to tell it straight to the people. But to continue on and try to continue business as usual—much like the whole debacle with trying to throw Bernie Sanders under the bus against Hillary Clinton back in 2016—is just spitting in the face of those who are wary of the malicious shenanigans taking place.

How to get the perfect class schedule MIRANDA MOWREY Columnist @mirandamowrey

As midterm season finally comes to a close, some of you go-getters are probably starting to think about the classes you will take in the spring.

To be honest, I find building my class schedule so satisfying, that I already have my class shopping cart locked, loaded, and ready for enrollment in November.

Even though the best part is over, I still find pleasure in admiring the way my week looks: only Tuesday and Thursday classes that begin at 11 a.m. and don’t go a hair past 4 pm. It’s just so beautiful!

Anyways, for a scheduling pro like myself, I decided to do something really nice and give free, expert advice on how to build the schedule of your dreams.

Find out the days and times that you can enroll.

I’ve encountered some students that put off signing up for classes until the last possible minute because they were too stressed to deal with the inevitable (No Chad, you will not graduate on time if you keep dropping Geology 101).

Don’t be a Chad. Check your Towson Peoplesoft account for the date and time you will need to enroll. The

longer you wait to enroll, the less selection you will have. Registration begins in early November, so get cracking on your search for classes.

Use RateMyProffesors.com, but take everything with a grain of salt.

While you shouldn’t entirely rely on this website, I have found it to be an extremely useful tool over the course of my five semesters at Towson.

Not only does RateMyProfessors. com offer personal student reviews of many professors, but it also provides information about whether attendance is mandatory or if the “required” textbook is even used.

Obviously, some salty students are biased in their reviews and can skew results, but overall, this website is a good resource during scheduling season.

Understand your strengths and weaknesses as a student.

Are you some sort of wizard who can snooze the piercing cry of your alarm clock until quarter-to-eight and still arrive to class at 8 a.m. sharp?

If you have this magical power, enrolling in morning classes is a great choice because then you will have the rest of the day to press “continue watching” on Netflix as you mindlessly scroll through all platforms of social media. If you have not yet mastered the art of getting up before noon, don’t kid yourself and just enroll in evening classes.

Online classes are great if you

think you have the self-control and responsibility to teach information to yourself and meet deadlines. If your bank account or recent texts to your ex show your lack of self-control, it may be best to stick to on-campus classes.

You can decide whether you would rather get a class over with all in one three-hour chunk, or if you would rather attend shorter classes multiple times a week.

Each student has varying preferences and learns differently, so take time to think about what personally works for you.

Find a balance between the challenging and simple classes.

It might sound great to stack all 100-level classes into one semester and spend your time doing more enjoyable things besides warming up the seats in Cook Library.

However, you’re going to be very mad at yourself later in your college career when you’re forced to cram all of your major requirements into one semester. Create the Goldilocks of class schedules by balancing the harder, more demanding classes with the easier, less rigorous classes.

If you have any questions about your schedule or whether or not you’re on track for graduation (I’m looking at you, Chad), reach out to your academic advisor sooner rather than later to straighten things out.

Happy scheduling!

The Misadventures of Towson: Test corrections

Comic by Nyasha Marufu/ The Towerlight

Opinion

October 22, 2019

The mental effects of gender dysphoria JASPER GRISWOLD Columnist

Think of your body. If you look down, you know how far your chest juts out, if at all. If you were to look in the mirror, you know the softness of your face and the sharpness of your jawline. But what if you didn’t?

What if, in your mind, you looked quite different? What if one day you looked down and saw breasts where you feel there shouldn’t be, or didn’t see them where you felt they should be, and were shocked back to the reality that your body looks different than you want it to – that your body looks wrong? Imagine how painful that would feel, how disconnected you would feel to your body.

This feeling that some trans people deal with is called dysphoria, and it causes a lot of negative emotions.

Gender dysphoria is the negative feelings due to a person’s assigned

gender being different with their actual gender. However, a lot of people put too much annunciation on it.

For one thing, not every trans person experiences gender dysphoria. While some may feel physical or social dysphoria, or both, some don’t feel any at all. Gender dysphoria isn’t necessary to be trans. That pathologizes being transgender, and being trans is not psychologically abnormal or unhealthy. It gatekeeps the community and refuses some trans people admittance into their own community. Even now, gender dysphoria is a part of the Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, making it a diagnosis and not just a feeling. If someone doesn’t experience gender dysphoria, they may feel “less” transgender because the American Psychological Association decided dysphoria is a mental issue related to being trans.

Another thing is dysphoria doesn’t really serve a point. Being dysphoric isn’t what made me realize I was trans. It just made me feel

uncomfortable, ashamed, and confused. What made me realize I was trans was the polar opposite - gender euphoria. Gender euphoria is the positive feeling when something gender-affirming happens, such as when someone uses the correct name or pronouns on you.

Feeling giddy when someone called me a boy is what told me I was trans, because I knew no cis person would do that. The pain I felt when someone called me a girl, a type of social dysphoria, just made me feel like I was weird or maybe even misogynistic.

All in all, dysphoria is just pain felt when there is an incongruence with our bodies and our ideal bodies, or the way we are called and the way we want to be called. It isn’t necessary to be trans. It doesn’t make one person “more trans” than anyone else. It doesn’t help to define being transgender. It just causes pain and sometimes depression. And I’d never want anyone to have to go through that.

He�v� me���s li�� ni���l, ti�, & le��

Nic����e

Fla����n�� li�� di����y� Can��� ca����g c�e��c��� (li���d to va���u� lu�� di����es) Vol����e Ul��a fi�� or����c pa���c��� co����n��

Do you know what's in your vape?

5

6

News

October 22, 2019

Bust unveiling celebrates TU’s diversity Alumni and campus leadership honor Chapman’s legacy KERI LUISE News Editor @keri_luise

Julius Chapman, Towson University’s first dean of minority affairs, was surprised with a bronze bust of himself and an announcement of a new park quad dedicated to him on campus Saturday.

The bust, funded by the brothers of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, was unveiled outside of the Media Center, next to a bench that was also dedicated to Chapman on last year’s Homecoming weekend.

President Schatzel said that Stephen’s Annex across from the new bust of Chapman will be torn down in the coming year.

According to Schatzel, the new park quad will be dedicated to Chapman as the Dr. Chapman Quad.

“So forever and ever, we’re going to have students hanging out, sitting, enjoying, learning, talking, being friends, enjoying a gorgeous day like today and they will be in the Dr. Chapman Quad,” Schatzel said.

Zanes Cypress Jr., an Omega Psi Phi fraternity brother expressed why he thought the bust was important.

“By unveiling the bust of Dr. Julius Chapman, financed by the Omega Psi Phi fraternity…we hereby immortalize the foundation of diversity and inclusion of the African American diaspora at Towson University,” said Cypress Jr. “The brothers of our epsilon chapter are indebted to brother Dr. Julius Chapman for his guidance, mentorship and friendship which is truly essential to us all.”

Chapman was also the father of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity’s TU chapter, Iota Epsilon in which he dedicated his time to a brotherhood for African-American male students. “[This] celebration is both a celebration of the organization and…organizations for African Americans period,” said Terris Andre King, an Omega Phi Psi brother. “And it’s a celebration of all of us…and the achievement of all those organizations.”

Chapman also helped to estab-

lish the Black Student Union, the Black Faculty and Administrators Association, and the Black Cultural Center on TU’s campus all while being an important mentor to African American students.

“Dean Chapman is my heart,” said Jennifer Allen, a class of ’81 graduate and past employee in affairs with Chapman. “He’s got a lot of us through Towson back in the 70s and 80s. I would do anything, anything for Dean Chapman.”

According to King, the bust was unveiled not only to celebrate Chapman, but to “encourage African-American alumni to be committed to this university” as it has widely developed in diversity.

“Towson has become more diverse than what is was when I was at Towson,” Allen said. “Back in the day when there weren’t a lot of minorities at Towson…

[Chapman] was so instrumental of getting more minorities at Towson and making it so that we could graduate.”

TU Vice President of Inclusion

Brendan Felch/ The Towerlight

Julius “Dean” Chapman was surprised with a bust of himself this Homecoming weekend. On last year’s Homecoming, alumni and campus leadership surprised him with a bench dedication.

Brendan Felch/ The Towerlight

The 9-by-12-inch bronze bust of Chapman recognizes his legacy at Towson when he served as dean of minority affairs from 1969-1981. and Equity Leah Cox spoke at the bust unveiling about Chapman’s achievements and how “the programs that [he] created for black students actually benefited all students…and now TU seeks to follow [his] lead in its quest to become a more inclusive and equitable institution.”

“The recognition of Dr. Chapman is an acknowledgment of someone who has shaped the campus in many ways that has created the diverse and inclusive campus we are experiencing today,” said Cox. “To have created a space and programs that allowed students to feel welcome in an environment that was not always welcoming is tremendous.”

According to Cox, Towson also now celebrates a zero percent achievement gap for minority students on campus, meaning that “they enjoy the same academic success and graduation rates as the entire campus.”

“This is the story of how Towson State College grew from a segregated, traditional white institution, to the culturally diverse, multiethnic, comprehensive Towson University,” Cypress, Jr. said.

According to King, the bust for Chapman has been in the works for about a year, since last Homecoming. King was one

of the primary organizers, alongside TU’s Alison Armstrong and Brian DeFilippis. King thanked TU President Kim Schatzel for being a “transformative leader” to Towson University and its diversity. “[This is] the perfect triangulation of three of us, the ideal person to honor, great leadership team to pull it off, but the perfect leader of this university to make it happen,” King said. “There was a time in my lifetime where this day would have never happened on this university…but because of you [Schatzel]… we’re standing here today. You are a cultural change at this time.”

Schatzel also spoke at the bust unveiling, thanking Chapman for the foundation he built and the legacy he has left in Towson’s community for a more diverse future.

“At this campus, all students thrive inclusively, all students succeed inclusively, that’s what Towson University’s all about,” Schatzel said.

Chapman thanked all at the event for the recognition that was given to him.

“I am just honored that you have honored me, and I hope that the time that I spent with you tremendously at Towson was one that was motivating to help you achieve your goals, not mine, but yours.”

Chapman said.

News

October 22, 2019

7

yWorkshop teaches TU proper pronoun use SOPHIA BATES Asst. News Editor @sophiabates23

Towson’s Center for Student Diversity hosted a Cultural Competency 101 Workshop Series Oct. 16 where students and faculty participated in partner activities and discussions to enhance awareness and participation in pronoun usage on campus.

The event was held for International Pronoun Awareness Day and led by Angela Wu, the Associate Director of Cultural Competency.

“This presentation came about because I run the Cultural Competency Workshop series,” Wu said. “That is an ongoing workshop series that runs throughout the entire academic year. That is open to all members of the TU community and really outside members are invited to come.”

Participants at the workshop were involved in activities including personal introductions with pronouns, describing someone else in the room to a partner utilizing they/them pronouns and practicing the elimination of gendered language in everyday terms.

Audiology graduate student Madeline Campbell felt that the workshop bettered her under-

standing of pronoun usage, which could ultimately help her career too.

“Going into this I didn’t have a ton of knowledge of different pronouns people would identify themselves with so I was really looking forward to that,” Campbell said. “So in my profession, when dealing with patients or working with patients, it’s important to not make them feel uncomfortable and making a comfortable space for them to identify their pronouns is very important.”

Wu added that the workshop was meant to help everyone on campus feel more comfortable with pronoun usage.

“I just wanted to give folks a chance to practice using some of these pronouns because I think a lot of folks, one of the barriers they have, is the feeling of being afraid to make a mistake around pronouns or showing hesitancy around it,” Wu said. “I think it just helps everyone, including folks who haven’t used these pronouns but want to be inclusive.”

During the presentation, Wu added that pronoun usage is steering away from the term “preferred pronouns,” but there is an exception to this.

“Someone’s pronouns aren’t preferred, they are just their pronouns,” Wu said. “The excep-

tions are if someone has multiple pronouns that are acceptable but they prefer some over others. For example, if I use she/ her or they/them pronouns but I prefer they/them...that would be a preferred pronoun.”

After the first activity, where participants introduced themselves along with their pronouns, Wu emphasized that as pronoun usage is normalized, people will make mistakes.

“It’s important to make the effort to correct yourself, but then move on,” Wu said. “There’s no need for a long, drawn out apology.”

At the end of the presentation, Wu offered more ways for people to acknowledge pronouns, including pronoun pins and pronoun name badges.

The workshop also offered pronoun pins, a gender pronoun fact sheet and an article entitled “Being Nonbinary Has Nothing To Do With Looking Nonbinary.” Assistant Director of LGBTQ+ Student Development and Diversity Erin Rook spoke on the article’s relation to the workshop.

“What it talks about is how when you are talking about nonbinary identities, that does not necessarily mean a person is going to use they/ them pronouns, it’s really up to that person,” Rook said.

According to Wu, the work-

shop’s intentions was to enhance awareness around the importance of pronoun usage.

“We thought it was a good idea to use this as a workshop because

we thought ‘Well, this is going to be something that people may or may not be familiar with but it’s something that’s important to know,’” Wu said.

Bailey Hendricks/ The Towerlight

TU provided pronoun pins to enhance awareness and participation in pronoun usage emphasizing that “pronouns matter.”

Chosen name initiative emphasizes inclusion GRACE HEBRON Contributing Writer

Towson’s Office of Inclusion and Institutional Equity has introduced new resources for the use of chosen and preferred names. The Chosen/Preferred Name Change Form is an initiative that allows Towson University students, faculty and staff to request their chosen or preferred name to appear in university systems.

According to TU’s Office of Inclusion and Institutional Equity, a Chosen/Preferred Name is “the name that an individual identifies themselves as for general use, other than their ‘legal name.’” The initiative began this year as part of President Kim Schatzel’s priority to make Towson University a more diverse and inclusive campus.

“Every member of the TU community deserves to be recognized by their gender-affirming name,” Schatzel said. “The Chosen Name initiative is another step toward making all members of our community feel safer and supported at Towson University.”

The new initiative currently applies to University systems that do not require a legal name such as Blackboard, the OneCard system and Peoplesoft. According to the Office of Inclusion and Institutional Equity’s website, the initiative is later expected to include applications and systems such as Handshake and the TU Mobile App/Mobile Experience.

According to Matt Palmer, TU’s director of Media Relations and News, within the first two weeks of its Sept. 30 introduction, about 60 members of the Towson University

community have already taken advantage of the initiative.

TU Vice President of Inclusion and Equity Dr. Leah Cox called this initiative “another step in our work toward building a better, more inclusive TU.” “Enabling our students, faculty and staff to determine their own identity only makes our campus community more inclusive,” Cox said.

Additionally, the initiative seeks to facilitate an improved educational environment for students, faculty and staff on campus.

“In the classroom, both students and faculty must feel comfortable in order to create an environment where students can fully engage, grow, and most importantly be challenged to learn to their full potential,” said Melanie Perrault, TU’s provost and executive vice president of academic affairs.

“This initiative is an important part of our continued efforts to promote academic success.”

Recent TU graduate Taylor Stuckey was excited to learn about the initiative’s role on campus in serving members of the LGBT community like her.

“A person’s name is a large part of their identity and everyone is entitled to shape themselves into who they want to be,” Stuckey said.

“Being called a name you don’t identify with can be one of the most dehumanizing and invasive things ever, at least in my experience as a trans person.”

Stuckey also said that feeling respected as a student plays an important part in generally feeling safe on campus.

“For LGBT students in particular, many of them have dysphoria that triggers a great deal of crippling

anxiety as a result of their gender identity, who they really are [and] not being respected,” she said.

According to Stuckey, the initiative sends a much-needed message of support to members of the Towson University Community.

“Towson [is] saying to all students, faculty and the community, that it stands for the ideals of freedom of expression, and that the school is a place where people can feel comfortable discovering and living as who they really are,” she said.

Once a Chosen/Preferred Name Change Form is submitted, requests are considered for approval by the Office of Inclusion and Institutional Equity. Requestors are notified of a decision via their TU email address within three to five business days and approved requests are integrated into university systems within 48 hours of notification.

10 October 22, 2019

Arts & Life

CSD hosts queer TU’s second Latinx Pride Dinner lecture series

GRACE HEBRON

Contributing Writer

Students and staff were invited to bring their lunch to room 313 in the University Union, where graduate clinical psychology student Louis Lindley presented a qualitative investigation of non-binary individuals’ sexuality.

The lecture was hosted by the Center for Student Diversity, as part of the second installation of its three-part “Lunch & Learn” lecture series, “Full Spectrum,” Oct. 10.

“Sexual Fa n t a s y Ac r o s s Gender Identity: A Qualitative Investigation of Differences Between Cisgender and NonBinary Peoples’ Imagery,” is the name of the study conducted by Lindley, M. Paz Galupo, a professor of psychology at Towson University, and researchers Annalisa Zan and Antonio Prunas from The University of Milan.

The study, which uses a mixed methodology to explore the topic of sexual fantasy through the intersections of sexual orientation and gender identity, is the only one of its kind to explore the sexual fantasies of non-binary individuals, whose experiences, Lindley said, are often assumed in research to be the same as those of transgender individuals.

“What’s most important is that non-binary people have a critical rejection of the normal binary system and binary expectancies,” Lindley said, adding that there is a need for increased focus on non-binary-specific experiences in research “A limitation is that often times in research, we are lumping [those experiences] into one category, so we are studying the transgender experience but we are really talking about a plethora of different types of experiences,” Lindley said. “We’re really trying to close that gap in that dearth of research that exists about non-binary individuals and their sexual engagement,” he added.

The study asked how non-binary and cisgender individu-

als differ in terms of descriptions of sexual fantasies, and results translated from Italian to English revealed that many of the fantasies of non-binary individuals were marked by the effects of societal transphobia.

“Society devalues trans people and non-binary individuals and devalues relationships which involve those individuals,” Lindley said, noting that Italian society tends to hold more binary views in terms of gender.

According to Lindley, the tendancy of cingener individuals to fetishise transgender and nonbinary individuals, led to participants being less likely to view themselves as desirable.

While it revealed some adverse effects of societal views on sexuality, the study, Lindley said, ultimately aims “...to increase the knowledge of what a healthy trans and non-binary sexuality can look like.”

Lindley, who identifies as a queer, trans, man, added that a cis-normative sex-education fails to provide, queer, trans, and non-binary individuals with a healthy understanding of sex. The study, he said, is “... the first step in doing that line of work.”

Sophomore pre-electronic media and film major Marah Williams appreciated Lindley’s effort to bring a seldom-discussed topic to the table at Towson University.

“I do identify as a queer individual,” said Williams. “Even though I’m not non-binary, I think it’s important to talk about non-binary individuals and their experiences with sexual fantasies, because it’s something that’s not talked about at all in any studies.”

Trevor Pitts, a first-year graduate student in Towson University’s experimental psychology concentration shared that he is glad that research is being done on the sexual fantasies of non-binary people.

“Everyone has different relationships with their gender and sexual orientation so i think that it’s our job as researchers to understand it better,” said Pitts.

“Full Spectrum, A Queer Lecture Series,” continues Nov. 6.

Courtesy of Briseyda Barrientos-Ariza

On Oct. 15., the Center for Student Diversity and the Multicultural Greek Council hosted their second Latinx Pride Dinner. This community gathering allowed students to celebrate Latin heritage.

NORMA SORTO Contributing Writer

The second Latinx Pride Dinner, a community gathering for Latinx students, was held in the Union’s Chesapeake Rooms on Oct. 15.

The event was hosted by the Center for Student Diversity and Multicultural Greek Council. Students were given the opportunity to come together and celebrate their Latinx pride as a community. There was free food and performances from various groups including Pasión, Towson’s Latinx dance group, Lambda Theta Phi L at i n Frat e rni t y Delta Rho Chapter, and Hermandad de Sigma Lota Alpha from the University of Maryland.

Steve Cevallos, a junior at Towson University and the president of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity Delta Rho Chapter, came to support the event.

“I think it’s really beneficial not only for communities and individuals that attend

but everyone around it,” said Cevallos. “And see what’s going on and kinda makes them aware of different things that are happening on campus and different communities and the diversity that Towson has.”

The Latinx Pride Dinner represents the Laitnx community in Towson University.

Daniela Lepe, a freshman at

Towson University, was happy to see the community come together and celebrate their Latinx Pride.

“I think it’s a good way for the campus to show that they

are welcoming to all types of cultures and diversity,” said Lepe. “My favorite part of the event was all the performers because it was very entertaining to watch and fun.”

Members of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maryland, a non-profit organization in Baltimore, came to talk about the struggles that the Latinx community face and promote different Latinx organizations located in Maryland.

The organization helps support communities of color whose civil rights are threatened.

B r i s e y d a Barrientos-Ariza, a s o pho m o r e and the public relations chair for the Latin American Student Organization (L.A.S.O.) at Towson University, was proud to see Towson supporting the Latinx community.

“I’m really happy,” said Barrientos-Ariza. “I know it’s difficult considering [TU] is a PWI, but it’s really important that Towson is stepping up and providing spaces like this for Students of Color, specifically Latinx students.”

Arts & Life

October 22, 2019

Professor confronts trauma

Bailey Hendricks/ The Towerlight

Towson University assistant professor and Grub Street faculty advisor, Jeannie Vanasco, released her second memoir, “Things We Didn’t Talk About When I Was a Girl,” on Oct. 1.

GRACE COUGHLAN Staff Writer

ZAC SOPER Contributing Writer

Jeannie Vanasco, an assistant professor of English, and the faculty advisor for Grub Street, the Towson University literary magazine, released her second memoir “Things We Didn’t Talk About When I Was a Girl” on Oct. 1.

Since its release, Vanasco has appeared in Believer Magazine, The New York Times, and many more. She has also been featured in The Cut, Time Magazine, and on “the Tamron Hall Show.”

“Things We Didn’t Talk About When I Was a Girl” documents Vanasco’s recount of her sexual assaults and how they have come to affect her today, as well as confronting one of her rapists, once a friend, referred to in the book as Mark. The memoir’s main focus is Vanasco’s experience after her former friend Mark raped her during her sophomore year of college when she was at a party. Vanasco discusses the details about their relationship before and after the assault, and what made her want to talk to him fourteen years later.

Towson University’s English

Department hosted a reading by Vanasco, who read excerpts from her new memoir on the 3rd floor of the Liberal Arts Building on Oct. 15.

There was a large turn out of both Towson students and staff.

After reading her excerpts, she talked about why she decided to write this book, and about how she wanted to take the scrutiny away from herself.

“The book was kind of like an armour,” Vanasco said. “I got obsessed with the book. I never wanted to stop because it interested me intellectually. There have been other projects that I’ve wanted to put down, but not this one.”

When preparing to tell her friends about her plans to confront Mark, Vanasco shared that “It didn’t feel brave. I didn’t feel scared.” She felt more driven by her need for answers.

Vanasco discussed how, in a way, the book gave her a reason to confront her rapist and launch a myriad of awkward, personal questions. The questions she asked allowed her to be the prosecutor in the situation.

“She addressed some serious stuff in her book but she did it in an empowering way,” said Brenna Ebner, a senior and English major at TU. “It seemed like a story of owning what’s happened to you and any tragedies that you face and learning how to deal with them in a healthy [way].”

Vanasco touched on the idea of true forgiveness. She discussed

how she’s forgiven Mark and how honesty plays a huge role in taking a step toward forgiveness. Vanasco said she was more interested in moral accountability rather than legal accountability.

“I feel like that’s a huge way in how I see her now, in how she’s so forgiving,” said Katherine Rogers, a current student of Vanasco’s.

The Q&A was interactive, with questions varying from Vanasco’s personal experience to her writing process.

“What surprised me was seeing how the legal definition of rape changed,” Vanasco said. “Also that Mark acknowledged that what he did was wrong. The fact that he had only been on one date since. And the fact that I felt bad for him.”

Many of Vanasco’s current students showed up to the reading to support their professor.

“It’s hard to associate my professor [with] those events having gone on in her life, so I wanted to see how she handles being a professor versues diving into [the] super personal [topic of] rape,” said Rogers.

“The tension was so high.”

In this memoir Vansasco mentions some of her previous students that have written about their own rape experiences in her writing non-fiction class, and that part of the reason she wrote this book was to get these uncomfortable conversations started.

“Things We Didn’t Talk About When I Was a Girl” can be found in Towson University’s UStore and on Amazon.

11

12 October 22, 2019

Homecoming

HOMECOMING TAILGATE

Photo by Amanda Bosse

Photo by Amanda Bosse

By: Tim Klapac, Senior Editor The parking lots outside of Johnny Unitas Stadium were flooded with Tiger fans in anticipation of Towson football’s 4 p.m. game against the Bucknell Bison. While the usual tailgating existed, with cookouts, cornhole, music and more, events specifically for homecoming took place to get fans excited for the game.

The Tiger Zone Tailgate, which opens two hours prior to kickoff in Lot 13, offered food and beverages for students, as well as free pink pom poms.

Other student groups, including the TU Dance Team, set up tailgates for every student to enjoy.

“We’re all in a group chat and we talk about what food we’re bringing and who is going to get there early to lock down our spot,” said Teresa Burdette, one of the supporters of the TU Dance Team.

The Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity also had a large tailgate gathering, as they grilled food and had plenty of space for visitors.

Although tailgates can be seen at every home game, the homecoming game provides an atmosphere unlike any other week.

The tailgating scene was a sign of a good day for Towson as the football team rolled to a 56-7 victory over Bucknell.

Photo by Amanda Bosse

Photo by Amanda Bosse

Photo by Tim Klapac

Photo by Tim Klapac

TIGER TROT 5K By: Tim Klapac, Senior Editor On the morning of Oct. 19, students, alumni and more gathered to run the fifth-annual Tiger Trot Homecoming 5k. Participants ran a course through campus, beginning outside of Burdick Hall, then around West Village before turning around and heading back toward Burdick. The runners then ran through the heart of campus before crossing outside of Burdick Hall for the final time.

“That hill by the Union, right up to Freedom Square, was tough,” said sophomore Ryan Armstrong.

The runners were greeted by the TU Pom Squad as the passed Burdick and a DJ played music to keep participants motivated.

“It was fun, a good course, easy to get through because it was on campus,” said sophomore Seth Cushman.

Upon completion, runners were given water and plenty of time to relax before getting ready for the rest of the homecoming festivities. Despite the chilly weather, Cushman enjoys the Tiger Trot and expects to compete again next year.

“We’ll be back,” he said. “We’re regulars.”

Photo by Tim Klapac

Photo by Tim Klapac

Homecoming

October 22, 2019

13

DANCE THE MADNESS

Photo by Amanda Bosse

Courtesy of Phi Mu

By: Meghan Hudson, Arts & Life Editor Dance the Madness is a homecoming week tradition here at TU. Every year, students and staff have the opportunity to watch some of Greek Life’s most (and least) rhythmic members compete in a dance competition. As always, competitors are asked to incorporate the homecoming theme into their dance numbers.

The night kicked off with Phi Mu and Pi Kappa Epsilon showing off “who rules the universe.”

Phi Sigma Kappa and Alpha Omicron Pi amped up the competitive nature with their theme of “aliens vs. humans.”

The alien theme proved to be a popular take on this year’s theme amongst competitors, with “alien abduction,” and “martian landing” also making their way across the stage.

Other groups nailed the intergalactic theme on the head, such as Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Kappa Delta’s “space race,” and Kappa Delta Rho and Delta Phi Epsilon’s “guide through the galaxy.”

Of course, we can’t forget the pop culture references made by Phi Kappa Psi and Fusion Dance with “Star Wars,” Kappa Sigma and Alpha Xi Delta’s “Astroworld,” and Sigma Chi and Alpha Gamma Delta’s “area 51 raid.”

The winner of the night was Zeta Beta Tau and Delta Delta Delta with their theme, “NASA.” This was ZBT’s second win for the year, as they also placed first in last semesters Greek Sing.

Photo by Brendan Felch

A MOVIE UNDER THE STARS

Photo by Brendan Felch

By: Nyasha Marufu, Contributing Writer After a stressful week of midterms, Towson students managed to relax under the night sky with friends at the “Movie Under the Stars” event for homecoming week.

At Speakers Circle, students were welcome to come over and watch a marvel movie classic “Guardians of the Galaxy,” while eating popcorn and relaxing on the grassy hill. The outdoor movie was relaxing to many students, and even if there were some minor technical difficulties, it didn’t ruin the night at all.

Homecoming chair member, Abigail Amoah, from the class of 2020, was excited about this year’s homecoming events.

“For freshman, sophomore, juniors, and seniors, coming down for the movie is great time to just wind down, especially this time of the month with midterms,” said Amoah. “Midterms are stressful and I understand as a full-time student that it is important to wind down with some friends outside of your dorm, and with the rest of the [TU] community.”

RETURN OF THE TIGERS BLOCK PARTY By: Ashley de Sampaio Ferraz, Staff Writer Students gathered in Burdick Hall on Friday evening for the “Return of the Tigers Space Block Party,” an annual homecoming event organized by Towson’s homecoming committee to help students celebrate the night before the big game.

The event provided plenty of fun activities for all including two blow up laser tag arenas and an escape room. Students were also given free “Into the Galaxy” homecoming gear to show off the theme of this year’s festivities.

“I liked the laser tag, we went in and it was for five minutes but it was really fun,” said Emerald Carter, a TU junior.

Abigail Bauman, a sophomore, and the director of events for this year’s homecoming, explained how events like this block party help bring Towson students together.

“It’s a way for a lot of people to come together.” Bauman said. “you tend to get caught up in your own crowd and this is a way to kind of realize, yes, I’m in a fraternity or sorority, or yes, I’m in this club or another, but really, I’m a Towson Tiger.”

Photo by Brendan Felch

Photo by Amanda Bosse

Photo by Amanda Bosse

14 October 22, 2019

Sports

Homecoming rout for tu Towson opens Flacco, Leatherbury set records in 56-7 win season strong Men’s and women’s teams both place second at Navy EVAN COFFREN Contributing Writer

Amanda Bosse/ The Towerlight

Redshirt senior wide receiver Shane Leatherbury tied Andrae Brown’s 2005 record with five receiving touchdowns in Towson’s victory over Bucknell on Saturday. Leatherbury now has eight touchdowns this season.

JORDAN KENDALL Asst. Sports Editor @jordankendall54

From the moment the No. 18 Tigers forced a punt on the first drive of the game, it was clear that Towson was going to be the better team.

In a historic game where multiple school records were either tied or broken, Towson (4-3, 1-2 CAA) defeated the Bucknell Bison 56-7.

“I congratulate my team on winning, it feels a lot better,” head coach Rob Ambrose said. “There used to be a time when we lined up against Bucknell and took a butt whooping. And then on occasion, we’d find a way to beat them, but this a little bit better.”

Redshirt senior quarterback Tom Flacco broke the school record for touchdown passes in a game with six, all of them coming in the first half. Flacco moved into fifth place on the school’s all-time passing touchdown list and was recognized as the CAA Offensive Player of the Week for the first time this season.

Redshirt senior wide receiver Shane Leatherbury tied the school record by catching five of Flacco’s touchdowns. The record was originally set by Andrae Brown in 2005.

“It’s crazy, it’s amazing, coach Ambrose set me up in the red zone,”

Leatherbury said. “Tom (Flacco) put it on the money every time, I didn’t have to do much.”

Towson already had the momentum and energy heading into the second half, and it continued during the opening kickoff. Sophomore wide receiver D’Ago Hunter returned the kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown.

In the second half, the Tigers began inserting multiple backups, including redshirt junior running back Aaron Speight. A transfer from Division-III Susquehanna, Speight scored his first Division-I touchdown late in the third quarter.

To end the game, redshirt sophomore linebacker Marcel Allen intercepted a pass returned for 34 yards.

“These games are fun, I’m honestly most excited about that Marcel Allen pick at the end of the game,” Flacco said. “I’ve seen that a couple of times on scout team he catches the ball on me it’s pretty aggravating so it’s pretty cool to see him do that in a game.”

The Tigers held Bucknell (1-6, 1-1 Patriot League) to 161 total yards of offense and forced two turnovers.

The first was a forced fumble by redshirt junior linebacker Bryce Carter and recovered by redshirt senior linebacker Malik Tyne. The recovery led to Leatherbury’s second touchdown of the quarter.

Towson controlled the game on

the ground. Senior running back Yeedee Thaenrat and redshirt sophomore running back Adrian Feliz-Platt ran for 112 and 101 yards, respectively.

This was the first time since 2012 that the Tigers had multiple running backs eclipse 100 yards. This was a contrast to Towson’s previous two games in which the team was held under 95 total yards in each game.

“This is the game we needed,” Ambrose said. “We needed to practice hurt and still succeed we needed to play hurt and succeed. Our guys decided our goals and our team was more important than our own discomfort.”

The Bison had their only big play with a 52-yard pass, setting up a touchdown run for their only points of the game, “They kinda ran their base stuff which you got to respect,” Flacco said. “They came in here and said we’re gonna do what we’re good at as a defense and we were prepared for that.”

The Tigers return to conference play this week as they travel to Harrisonburg, Virginia to face No. 2 James Madison on Saturday, Oct. 26.

Kickoff from Bridgeforth Stadium is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

The next home game for Towson will be on Nov. 2 when the Tigers host the Delaware Blue Hens at Johnny Unitas Stadium at 2 p.m.

The women’s swimming and diving team competed Saturday and lost 175.5-124.5 in a head to head match vs James Madison.

Multiple swimmers had success for the Tigers (3-3), including senior Megan Cowan, who won the 200-yard butterfly and tied for second in the 200-yard individual medley. Freshman freestyle Andrea Ducar won the 100-yard butterfly and helped the 400-yard medley relay team win in 3:50:77.

Senior breaststroke Jacki Schoening was victorious in the 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke and was part of the winning 400yard medley relay team.

The only significant diving accomplishment came from senior Sara DiGateaneo who finished sixth in the 1m dive with a 246.60 score.

“The girls had a tough task in traveling and competing against JMU today but really displayed their toughness and character,” head coach Jake Shrum said. “I couldn’t be happier with where we are right now.”

In the first event of the year for the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams, Towson competed at the Navy Invitational. Both teams traveled to the Naval Academy with the men competing in a quad meet against Navy, George Washington, and Johns Hopkins.

The men’s team (2-2) went 2-1 as they beat the Blue Jays and Colonials. They beat Johns Hopkins 191-95, George Washington 165-133 and lost to the Midshipmen 207-80.

Navy won out at home but the Tigers had a strong performance

as senior backstroke Owen Robinson placed second in the 100-yard backstroke and third alongside senior breaststroke Ryan O’Leary, junior fly Nick McClure, and senior freestyle Matt Essing in the 200-yard relay. McClure placed third in the 100-yard butterfly and fifth in the 200-yard butterfly.

Freshman driver Ajani Dorner scored 237.95 in the one-meter dive, good for sixth place while junior diver Will Canny scored 235.80 to finish seventh.

“I’m very proud of our team’s effort and attitude this past weekend,” Schrum said. “These teams have been a lot of fun to coach the first two months of the season, and their that’d training us showing with fast in-season swimming.

The women’s team went up against four other opponents at Navy and also performed well going 3-1. They beat Miami 167-126, Johns Hopkins 168-125, George Washington 164135, however, lost to Navy 218-81.

In the 200-yard medley relay senior freestyle Meghan Jones, JAKE SHRUM Schoening, senior Head Coach fly Maddi Mangum, and senior freestyle Annemarie Schnoor finished second.

Schoening had another strong meet as she placed first in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:03.36. Schoening also placed second in the 200-yard breaststroke. Cowan finished seventh in the 200-yard butterfly and Schnoor placed second in the 100yard freestyle DiGaetano scored 213.5 in the 1m dive finishing fourth while junior Fiona McIlmail finished fifth.

Both team’s next event is their home opener against William and Mary on Saturday, Oct. 26. The diving begins at 10 a.m. while the swimming begins at 1 p.m. at Burdick Hall.

“

I’m very proud of our team’s effort and attitude this past weekend.

Sports

October 22, 2019

15

Tigers prevail in the rain Victory over Temple in final non-conference game Shane Leatherbury Football

Redshirt senior wide receiver Shane Leatherbury had a historic performance in Towson’s 56-7 victory over Bucknell on Saturday. Leatherbury tied the school record with five receiving touchdowns in one game. All five were in the first half.

Amanda Bosse/ The Towerlight

The Tigers defeated Temple 1-0 on a rain-soaked Sunday afternoon at the TU Field Hockey Complex.

Towson travels to Drexel and Hofstra this weekend in search of their first conference win of the season.

BROOKS WARREN Staff Writer @Broookksss The Tigers went 1-1 this past weekend, falling to Delaware 2-1 but prevailed over Temple 1-0.

Towson (3-12, 0-2 CAA) has struggled to pick up wins this season, but has slowly improved.

Head coach E.A. Jackson wants a team that can be held accountable and believes this team is heading in that direction.

“No one’s going to get better, I think, if you just talk about the things that we need to work on,” Jackson said, “It really drives the point home when we watch film and we’re able to watch with a critical eye and if we can have athletes who watch film collectively together and lose the ego.”

After a quick turnaround after the Delaware contest, the Tigers shutout Temple (5-8, 1-4 Big East) for a 1-0 win. This was Towson’s first shutout since 2011 versus Northwestern.

The win ensured this was their first campaign with at least three

wins since going 10-10 in 2011.

“It shows a lot of growth with this team,” Jackson said, “I think today was not necessarily the prettiest brand of hockey we can play.

We can connect better. We have connected better in the past. It still counts as a win so we’ll take it and celebrate it.”

The Tiger’s lone goal by junior attack Bierra Ho off a corner opportunity was just enough to maintain the win. The play was set up by junior attack Jessica Von Schmidt-Pauli putting the ball into play, sophomore defender Gretchen Alderfer stopped the ball and passed it to Ho who shot right passed the Owls.

Freshman goalie Tess Okkerse was a key factor behind the net against the Owls, stopping the three shots on goal she faced.

“I’m super happy,” Okkerse said, “I’m really proud. [The] last couple games I had to make a lot of saves but this game was about all the defense and the defenders.”

The stats were practically equal for both teams; however, the Ti-

gers one extra shot on goal made the difference.

The first game against Delaware (9-3, 2-0 CAA) went the Blue Hens way 2-1. Delaware scored both of their goals in the third quarter. Delaware was aggressive throughout the afternoon, but in the third quarter, they shot seven times. The Blue Hens took three consecutive shots including two saved by Okkerse.

The third shot, however, found the net for the first goal of the day.

A few minutes later Delaware scored off an assist with about 15 minutes left in the period. The Tigers cut the deficit to one when freshman attack Mackenzie Tillman fed freshman attack Samantha Aljets for a goal in the fourth quarter.

Towson did not attempt a shot the remainder of the game and took the loss. Aljets lead the team with four shots including three on goal. Okkerse had another strong game in goal saving 13 shots.

The Tigers go on their final road trip of the season against Drexel on Friday, Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. and Hofstra on Sunday, Oct. 27 at noon.

16 October 22, 2019

Sports

Tigers extend win streak to 12 Brendan Felch/ The Towerlight

Senior outside hitter Annie Ertz recorded 11 kills in Towson’s 3-1 win over UNC Wilmington on Friday, her sixth consecutive game with double-digit kills. Ertz is averaging more than three kills per set as the Tigers remained undefeated in conference play. Towson will travel to Northeastern and Hofstra this weekend, two teams TU swept earlier this year.

KAYLA WELLAGE Contributing Writer

Towson won their eighth consecutive conference game after defeating the Charleston Cougars 3-0.

The Tigers (18-2 8-0 CAA) were determined to protect SECU Arena on Sunday and got off to a strong start in the first set.

“We’ve really been working on our mental game,” Allen said. “[We’re working on] staying tough under pressure and being able to work through tough situations.”

The Cougars (4-15, 1-6 CAA) scored the first two points, however, did not hold on to their lead for long.

The Tigers scored three consecutive kills by senior outside hitter Olivia Finckel, freshman middle blocker Lydia Wiers, and senior middle blocker Silvia Grassini.

Towson went on a 7-1 run and proved why they’re the top team in the CAA.

Charleston took advantage of an opportunity to catch up and cut the Tigers lead to three points, including two from Towson attack errors.

The Cougars kept it competitive for a while, keeping the deficit within four.

The Tigers scored three consecutive points to increase the lead to seven, but Charleston responded and the final ten points were evenly split. The final point came off a kill by Wiers as Towson won the first set 25-18.

Just like the first set, the Cougars scored the first two points of the set, and took an early 3-1 lead.

The Tigers responded but could not take a lead for the first half of the set. With a 9-8 deficit Towson scored four consecutive points to take the lead 12-9 off of four straight Charleston errors.

The Tigers made four errors throughout the rest of the set that threatened their lead from slipping away.

“We just need to continue to work on taking care of the ball when it’s on our side,” head coach Don Metil

said. “We need to make sure that we’re executing at the highest level that we know that we can do.”

The Cougars kept it close and were only trailing by two points towards the end of the set.

Finckel made two consecutive kills that increased Towson’s lead to four which they kept for the remainder of the set winning 25-21.

For the first time in the game, Towson scored to open the third set scoring three unanswered. Two of the three points came off junior defensive specialist Camryn Allen aces.

Charleston responded and trailed by two a few points later, but a 6-2 run by the Tigers increased their lead to 15-8. Four of these points came from Cougars errors.

Charleston coaches called a timeout after Camryn Allen made her third ace of the set.

The Tigers won the set 25-16 after a block by Ertz and Grassini.

On Friday Oct. 18, Towson defeated the UNCW Seahawks 3-1 at SECU Arena.

The Tigers took the first set thanks to a pair of runs of four or more points, while the Seahawks (11-6, 1-6 CAA) never scored more than two consecutive points.

Most of the points that Towson had made were from kills by Jarome, Wonders, senior outside hitter Annie Ertz, and sophomore outside hitter Fay Bakodimou.

“Annie Ertz’s back row play is something that sparks us,” Metil said.

The final kill of the set was from Finckel after a Seahawk block error.

The Tigers won the set 25-15.

Towson jumped out to an early lead in the second set, opening with a 6-1 run. UNCW made an attempt to catch up after attack errors from Finckel and kills by freshman setter Katie Lanz.

The Tigers responded with three consecutive kills from Wiers, Grassini, and Ertz. “[The goal] is to do our best and play our hardest,” Wiers said. “We know we can do it in practice.”

Towson led by as many as 14

points en route to a 25-11 set win.

The Seahawks fought back in the third set, with kills from six different players. A 7-2 run closed out the set for UNCW, just the Tigers third lost set in conference play.

In the fourth set, Towson had an answer for nearly every Seahawk point, only allowing consecutive scores one time.

Grassini and Wiers combined for seven of the Tigers 19 kills with the assistance of senior setter Marrisa Wonders. Wonders had recorded 15 of her 51 assists in the match-clinching fourth set.

“I like to see our middle stay engaged and our younger players being contributors on the court at such an early spot in their career,” Metil said.

Towson will travel to Boston on Friday Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. to face Northeastern at Cabot Center and will also be facing Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York at the David S. Mack Physical Education Center on Sunday Oct. 27 at 3 p.m.