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TheTowerlight.com
October 29, 2019
PAVING OVER PAST Towson University history students research and identify bodies now covered by a shopping center paking lot, pg.6
TH JASON SMI ENT STUD
d r a c e n o
Photo by Brendan Felch, Illustration by Victoria Nicholson/ The Towerlight
on campus off campus
ing use it for evowersyotnh.edu/onecard t
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October 29, 2019
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October 29, 2019
Editor-in-Chief Bailey Hendricks Senior Editor Tim Klapac
News Editor Keri Luise Asst. News Editor Sophia Bates
Arts & Life Editor Meg Hudson Asst. Arts & Life Editor Grace Coughlan
Sports Editor
TOWSON
TRENDING.
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN
@86753099jenny All my friends at Towson love Halloween! I feel so blessed I’m so pumpeddd
Asst. Sports Editors Jordan Kendall Muhammad Waheed
Senior Staff Writer Mary-Ellen Davis
Staff Writers Alex Best John Hack Grace Hebron Lauren Heyl Suzanne Stuller Aaron Thomas Brooks Warren
@Cassiebabyy77 So who’s coming to towson Thursday night and Friday night to party for Halloween
Kayla Wellage Marcus Whitman
PHOTO OF TH
E WEEK
Photo Editor Brendan Felch
Staff Photographers Amanda Bosse Owen DiDonna Nikki Hewins Ryan Moriarty Karl Reimer Lacey Wall
@lca_b Was in Towson the other night. Every single girl was dressed up as something slutty. Not single chick did anything scary OR funny/ original. High key disappointed and dissatisfied.
@0819Lexi Since I can’t go to Towson for Halloween I guess that means I have to throw my own costume party with all 6 of my friends
Production Staff
Towson students participated in the fifth annual hosted by the TU Great Pumpkin Presidential Am Smash at Tiger bassadors. Photo Plaza last week by Mary-Ellen , Davis/ The Tow erlight
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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.
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OCT-NOV WEEKLY
29-2 CALENDAR. 1 30 31 29
CHILLS AND HALLOWEEN 5TH ANNUAL THRILLS CHAL- GREAT PUMPKIN NIGHT UPTOWN SMASH LENGE COURSE Join Campus Recreation and Student Affairs for FREE Halloween-themed event on the Glen Challenge Course! Candy and s’mores await all brave souls who dare embark upon this night of spooky chills and spine-tingling thrills.
Halloween evokes the spooky and the terrifying. Join the Public Communication Center for a Halloween-themed workshop on overcoming stage fright.
Glen Arboretum, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Stephens Hall Room 310, 6 p.m.
NANOWRIMO COME WRITE IN!
November is National Novel Spooky Season! All you can Writing Month (NaNoWriMo); drink for $15. Venmo @towsonparticipate in the challenge turtle ahead of time because at Cook Library! Grab a cup the price may increase at the of hot tea or coffee and use door. our computers, WiFi, or power outlets to work toward your 50,000 word goal.
Greene Turtle Towson, 9:30 p.m. to close
Cook Library Room 512, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Follow us @TheTowerlight!
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FOOTBALL VS. DELAWARE The No. 22 Tigers host the rival Blue Hens. Towson is looking for its first conference win since Sept. 14. Parking lots open at 10 a.m. for tailgating.
Unitas Stadium, 2 p.m.
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Opinion
October 29, 2019
The spooky factor of socialism
New Joker movie may be disturbing for some KAYLA HUNT Columnist
Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons
Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has been campaigning on a platform of “Medicare for All.” Her stances have been linked to socialistic ideas, which has led to criticism from moderates.
SAM JONES Columnist @SamJones1776
As Halloween approaches, and the goblins and ghouls come out to play, another monstrous creature lurks in the shadows, ready to strike on its gullible prey. Through its lies of morality, and a better future, popular support for socialism is sweeping across the country like the plague. The left claims a major difference between “lovely democratic socialism” and the socialism of the past that has never actually been successful. Though, what socialism actually is largely depends on who you’re talking to. Socialism is universally defined as “a system of social organization in which private property and the distribution of income are subject to social control.” Presidential candidates such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have brought socialist policies to the forefront of the American political debate. Universal healthcare and education at little to no cost to the general public are among the promises that socialist leaders bring. However, my fear of socialism does not come from the talking points. It comes from the execution of said policies. Universal healthcare, leftists have claimed, will decrease the cost of healthcare for middle-class
families. However, when presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren is asked how this will affect tax rates, she side steps the question every time. Even Late Night Show host Stephen Colbert was unable to get a direct answer when he asked Warren how her healthcare plan would affect taxes. However, it is obvious that doctors will still need to be paid, and the medical field will still need to produce large amounts of income to be able to continue operating. Additionally, most universal healthcare plans would abolish the option of private healthcare. Instead of mandating healthcare through the government, many critics have suggested perfecting a public option, while still allowing those with private insurance to keep their current plans. I would be far more likely to accept this plan, as it would offer an option to those who need better coverage through public insurance, while allowing the freedom to choose private insurance if it is the preferred option for individual citizens. To my progressive friends and readers -- while it is possible that we have reached some common ground on the healthcare debate above, we will not reach any agreement on the debate over free education. My two roommates decided that college was not for them, and decided to go into blue-collar trade work. They started out making
little to nothing, but after several semesters of training and trade school, their salaries have grown exponentially. The main point here is, college is not for everyone. If the government allows anyone to come to Towson University for free, the level of academia could decrease. Think about some of your friends who did not choose college. Would they perform as well as someone who, throughout their whole high school education, worked hard and planned on attending college? Additionally, the cost of education, which is extremely high, will not decrease. Between 1958 and 2005, the cost of a college education rose faster than the general inflation rate. This will continue, especially if the government claims they will front the cost. However, they won’t front the cost. Taxpayers will pay their entire lives for others education, instead of paying once for their own. There are countless routes that one can take to find success in this country, and attending college is only one of them. Mastering a trade, like my roommates did, is a great alternative to a college education that can put you in a financially stable situation. You can always go to college once you have that stability. The best solution to the college tuition crisis is to know if you can afford it, and if you can’t, consider alternatives to a college education.
The debate of whether violence displayed in the media, such as movies, music, and video games incite real-world violence has been in the public eye for a long time. On Oct. 4th, the film “Joker” was released and has received mixed reviews from audiences. “Joker” is placed in Gotham City and is about how a mentally-ill comedian is disregarded by society and portrays his downward spiral that brings him face to face with his alter-ego: the Joker. The film contains violence, disturbing behavior and language, which has caused an uproar among critics and viewers. Scott Feinberg, a columnist for the Hollywood Reporter, tweeted: “JOKER is very well made and Joaquin Phoenix is incredible - yes, Oscar worthy - but I must say that the film is also deeply disturbing and, I fear, could incite real-world problems. Gun violence, mental illness and random senseless killings don’t play like they used to at the movies.” Other critics viewed the movie as a continuation of what previous Batman movies have strived to accomplish. “A grim, shallow, distractingly derivative homage to 1970s movies at their grittiest, ‘Joker’ continues the dubious darker-is-deeper tradition that Christoper Nolan helped codify with his ‘Batman’ films,” wrote Ann Hornaday in her review of the Joker in The Washington Post. In response to the critical acclaims, director Todd Phillips said that the movie should be celebrated for its desire to have a conversation about violence, as opposed to being criticized for it. Phillips said that while the movie is complicated, that should be viewed as a good thing. According to the CNN article, “’Joker’ is the latest case of commerce masquerading as art,” senior writer Brian Lowry contends
that it is arrogant to use that defense for disturbing films such as “Joker.” Lowry explains that no individual would be able to resonate with the message that is disseminated in the film. “Falling back on the “Hey, it’s art” defense also ignores why people felt uncomfortable - namely, past associations that particularly pertain to this franchise, including the 2012 theater shooting in Aurora, Col.,” wrote Lowry. Lowry also discusses in his article how media has been blamed for violence, and how senseless killings haven’t been heavily portrayed in media in light of the frequent mass shootings. He feels as though sometimes that argument has been used to divert attention from other causes of violence such as guns. However, he also believes that creators should not use the defense of “it is art” to cover up the senseless work that they do produce because it doesn’t help the cause. Art can be complicated and messy, but if it lacks any social value and disturbs a large audience, should it still be considered art? While the answer to that question may be up in the air for now, we certainly shouldn’t dismiss the concerns and feelings of a broad audience just because it is art. I think that producers should be more cautious of how violence is portrayed in films, especially in light of the increase in mass shootings that have occurred in recent years. My brother works at a movie theater and he recounts individuals leaving the theater mid-showing because they said the graphics in Joker were too much for them. I think that because so many felt disturbed by the film, there should be some kind of acknowledgment for that, instead of just saying that art is complicated. I don’t think that because it is unlikely that any individual would actually emulate what was shown in the Joker that the violence should be disregarded; art is expected to be resonated with and emulated. I think there should be consideration of a large audience’s emotional disturbance during a time where violence is a very sensitive issue.
Opinion
October 29, 2019
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No one should be fired for being transgender Make the most of your Halloween JASPER GRISWOLD Columnist
Two of your coworkers come to work on Monday. They both married their partner over the weekend, and both of them married men. The female coworker gets congratulated by your boss, who sets up a “congratulations” card for everyone to sign. The male coworker gets fired. That can’t be legal, can it? That has to be discrimination based on gender or sex, as the only thing different in the two situations was the gender of the coworkers. But presently, it is legal in many states. In fact, in many states it is legal to fire people due to them being in the LGBTQ community. How can that be legal? In Maryland and 21 other states it is not legal to discriminate in employment based on sexual orientation, and even more have protections for public employees (and Maryland and several other states also have protections against discrimination based on gender identity). But these protections mostly do not exist in much of the South, the Midwest, and the Great Plains. Federally, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids employment discrimination based on “sex”, but the question remains – does it forbit discrimination based on sexuality or gender identity? That question is currently being debated by the Supreme Court. The House passed the Equality Act in May as an amendment to the Civil Rights Act and to prohibit discrimination based on “sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy [or] childbirth.” But this is stalling in the Senate. Many of the judges are arguing semantics, such as arguing that “sex” is meant to refer to cisgender men and women. If the majority agrees, this
could make for a big loss in the queer community. Jobs are a problem for trans people in general. Transgender people are twice as likely to be unemployed as the general public, and transgender people of color are four times as likely to be unemployed. Getting a job can be difficult as a transgender person. Many places may refuse to hire you simply because you’re trans. Even if they’re not actively transphobic, discrimination could lead them to believe you are less qualified in some way and cause them to choose someone else. I don’t know a single trans person my age that has told a potential employer they are trans during a job interview. All of us – myself included – have waited until after we were hired. And after the hiring process is complete, we are lucky enough to be in a state where we can’t be fired for our gender identity due to the Fairness for All Marylanders Act of 2014. However, if we lived in any one of the multitudes of states without specific gender identity protections, we could then be fired simply due to being trans and we would have to decide whether or not to let our employers know we are trans. Weigh potentially losing a job against dealing with constant misgendering and deadnaming. It’s stressful and unfair. Hopefully the case is ruled in our favor and all of America is granted these protections. This should help the low transgender employment statistic, but it won’t help problems with the hiring process. I wish for a day when a person can leave for vacation living as a “man” and come back as a woman and the only reaction is people asking for her pronouns and commenting on her new look, but that day will be a long time away. But I will be satisfied for now if she will at least be able to keep her job.
MIRANDA MOWREY Columnist @mirandamowrey
The other day, I took a quick trip to Walmart to pick up pumpkin carving supplies when I was disturbed by the army of fake Christmas trees towering over me in aisle nine. Seriously, Christmas already? I have not even begun to brainstorm possible answers to questions like, “What are you going to do after you graduate?” that will inevitably come from one of my family members at Thanksgiving dinner. As October comes to a close, let’s make an effort to soak up the rest of the spooky season. There are so many fun, unique, fall-y things to do before Halloween fades out. Here are just a couple things you could check off your fall bucket list: Bake some cookies! Well, specifically the ready-tobake, pre-cut, pumpkin Pillsbury cookies. I put this one first for a reason: it simply is not fall unless you ingest at least a dozen of these
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cookies and absolutely hate yourself afterwards. Swap out “The Office” or “Friends” for a scary movie. As you probably know, Netflix offers a bunch of different horror movie choices. Cable channels, such as AMC, have Halloween movie marathons that premier scary movies up until Nov. 1. Get watching! Candles, candles, candles. Whether you are attempting to mask the mystery smell seeping out of your living room’s shag carpet, or the smell of the burnt Pillsbury cookies from earlier, candles always do the trick. Especially fall-scented candles really set the spooky season vibes. Remember, there is no such thing as buying too many candles. Visit a local pumpkin patch. There are a couple of local pumpkin patches near campus you can visit, including my personal favorite, Weber’s Cider Mill Farm. Saddle
up for a hayride, take a bite of one of those apple cider donuts that everyone is posting about, or buy a pumpkin to carve and decorate. If you choose to carve a pumpkin, try baking the pumpkin seeds and flavoring them with salt, cinnamon, and for us Marylanders, Old Bay! Pick a costume that you’re excited about. P e r u s e through Pinterest or the hundreds of people that already Instagrammed their Halloween costumes for ideas; but try to find something original, comfortable, and something that won’t kill your bank account. When Halloween is over and November brings the promise of Thanksgiving, I will be sure to help with possible responses to your family nagging you about your future. But for now, stop worrying about what is to come and appreciate the Halloween season while you still can.
CLIMATE C RNER
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The damage being done to autumn HUMZA YAQOOB Columnist
Data collected through longterm remote sensing shows us that the responses from plants to seasonal changes have been occurring two to three days earlier in the spring and 0.3 to 1.6 days later in the fall per decade for the past 30 to 80 years. This change has resulted in an extension of the growing season and increased productivity in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Year-to-year variability is still highly variable, but the overall change in seasonal trends for plants will ultimately reshape ecosystems. While the increased productivity and longer growing season
might sound good at face-value, these changes come at a cost. Although northern latitudes will have a higher potential for crop production, increased warmth in already warm areas may cause a slight decrease in crop yields. The fast rate of climate change won’t allow trees to adapt to new conditions — different tree species may adapt differently, altering inter-species competition, and the latitudinal range of some species may occur at the expense of restricting the range of others. The rapid disruption of ecosystems can increase vulnerability to invasive species and cause the decoupling of pollination relationships. Although the advancement of spring represents a larger change, the delaying of fall has some significant implications.
Chlorophyll does not break down as well during extended periods of warmth without cold night times, causing the color of leaves to be relatively dulled when the transition to fall does occur. Increased likelihood of wind and precipitation associated with climate change has increased the potential for leaves to be removed before they change color. As atmospheric carbon dioxide levels rise, trees stay green longer as they use that carbon dioxide to continue photosynthetic production. In doing so, they delay the setting of buds to prepare for winter. Too long of a delay would increase plants’ vulnerability to frost and other winter weather events. Fall is not just happening later than it has been over time, it is starting to look different as plants respond to this change.
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News
October 29, 2019
History students uncover buried identities MARY-ELLEN DAVIS Senior Staff Writer @Mel_Davis_1998
With thousands of remains f rom t he or ig i na l Lau rel Cemetery still buried beneath the grounds of the Belair Edison Crossing Shopping Center, one Towson University class has taken it upon itself to learn more about the people who were paved over. Laurel Cemeter y, which origi na l ly opened i n 1852, was Greenmount Cemeter y’s equivalent for the African-American Com mu n it y, s a id Pat r ic i a A nderson, t he Towson pro fessor who teaches the Public Histor y class that has taken on
the project. In its early years, the cemetery had been advertised as a place where loved ones could rest peacefully for eternity. However, this promise didn’t stay intact as the Cemetery fell into disrepair and the city began to expand. “I n t he early years of the 20th centur y the cemeter y b e c a me q u ite neglected,” A nder son s a id . “W hat it lead to was that it was neglected to the point were there were a lot of people who… wanted to buy [the] property and build on it. What we end up with is a lot of developers going
after this property.” People living in houses surrounded the cemetery begun to complain about state of the grounds, and it
that had the was
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Further tests were done which, al lowing groups work ing on phase to see that there were more intact graves underneath of the parking lot. Phase t wo i s mea nt to help ex pand on t he biog raph ies of bot h t hose who were bu r ied at the site, and those w ho appr o v e d t he des t r uc t ion PATRICIA ANDERSON of t he or ig i na l TU Public History Professor Laurel Cemeter y. Bringing a project like this into tained lots took action against the classroom, Anderson said, the ruling, but there were few allows students in the class to laws in place to protect cemeact as working historians for teries from development. the semester. In an attempt to appease the lot “One of the things that, I holders, the city told them that think, is just appalling the more all the remains from the origiwe learn about this project and nal Laurel Cemetery had been even what happened to the cemmoved to a new Laurel Cemetery etery is that this would never in Carroll County. have happened to Greenmount “The estimate served five to or any other predominantly 7,000 people had been buried white cemetery,” Anderson said. there, that all those remains had The class is broken into groups been moved,” Anderson said. to study different aspects of “Apparently, from what they were the history of Laurel Cemetery, able to determine, maybe 200 including corruption, those max were reinterred and the rest who were buried at the site, and of them are still in that ground expanding the biographies of the that was at Laurel Cemetery.” colored troops who were buried Ground that has since been at Laurel. built over. Student Efrem Evans, who is The project to tell the story of part of the group studying the the Cemetery is being done in corruption behind the demolition two phases, the first of which has of the site, said that when looking already been mostly completed. at things like these he tries to look “Basically, the cemetery projthrough a multicolored lense, but ect started with [Coppin State can often find that difficult. University and the University “It’s one of those things where... of Baltimore], the Baltimore I’m looking through all the stuff, A f r ican-A mer ican Geneolog y I’m like ‘Jesus Christ, this is all and History Group, and they’re terrible, how do you people get ver y i nterested,” A nderson away with this,’” Evans said. said. “Some of them have peoJake Brown, another student ple, family members, who are in the class, feels as though buried at Laurel.” many people don’t associate hisPhase one, Anderson said, was tory with something that could the archaeological and anthrostill be fairly recent. pological portion of the project. “This happened in the 1950s so Ronald Castanzo, an archaeolthat’s very recent,” Brown said. ogist and assistant dean at the “So when I tell my friends about University of Baltimore, began this project and they’re just like efforts to excavate on an unpaved “oh when did that happen” and I portion of the site in 2015 with a say less than one hundred years group of students. ago and they’re really caught off T he excavat ion revea led guard by it.” bones and pieces of caskets. to have it condemned, and the state approved, and developers began to buy and develop on the land. Those who held onto the ver y few remaining main-
One of the things that, I think, is just appalling the more we learn about this project is that this would never happen to Greenmount or any other predominantly white cemetery. often difficult to tell that it had once been a cemetery at all, Anderson added. Wit h complai nts about t he cemeter y ’s cond it ion sur facing, the city drew up a petition
Brendan Felch/ The Towerlight
The Belair Edison Crossing Shopping Center is located on top of what used to be Laurel Cemetary. Today, there are still thousands of remains from African-American people after the cemetary was paved over.
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News
October 29, 2019
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Deafblind Harvard Peace prayer connects faiths grad talks diversity ALEX BEST
Staff Writer
Marcus Whitman/ The Towerlight
Girma met attendees, including Mahnoor Ahmed, TU’s associate director for student diversity and development, at her book signing. MARCUS WHITMAN Staff Writer
Disability rights lawyer, author, speaker and the first deafblind woman to graduate from Harvard Law School, Haben Girma presented her talk, “People with Disabilities Drive Innovation,” Oct. 24. Vice President for Inclusion and Intuitional Equity Leah Cox opened the event, emphasizing its importance to the Towson community. “I’m very excited to hear Ms. Girma and learn about her truth in experiencing inclusive and sometimes un-inclusive spaces, diverse and sometimes not very diverse, and equitable or not equitable spaces,” Cox said. Susan Willemin, the director of Accessibility & Disability Services, introduced Girma to the audience, pointing out her accomplishments, and highlighting stories from her book “Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law.” “There’s no question that the sky is the limit for Haben Girma,” Willemin said. “Haben is the first deafblind graduate from Harvard Law School and she has made it her mission to advocate for equal opportunities for people with disabilities.” In her talk, Girma highlighted the diversity that is present in the deaf and deafblind communities, indicating that there are “lots of different types of vision and hearing, and communication solutions.” Girma worked through many obstacles in her life to find solutions. “All my life I’ve been seeking solutions for how to connect with people,” Girma said. “All of us are social, all of us want friendships, and relationships, and conversations with family.”
Throughout her talk, Girma emphasized how some differently abled peoples’ environments often challenge them. She said that everyone needs to be aware of their environment and learn to advocate for those who can’t do so themselves. Deaf Studies clinical faculty member and program director, Justin Malone, attended the talk and and was interested in meeting Girma. “[I enjoyed] when Haben was talking about innovations occurring due to society’s barriers towards people with disability,” Malone said. “So many innovations were developed to create a universal design. Her presentation was spot on addressing this. I also enjoyed the Q&A session with her to get to know her on a personal level.” TU junior Barnabas Afley attended the event after seeing it advertised in the library. “I definitely felt that is was important for me to come because I wanted to learn and just really hear what she had to say,” Afley said. “And I can apply it in my own life, like for instance standing up for what you believe in. Even if society say[s] you have this disadvantage [and] can’t do anything with it, you should stand up for yourself.” According to Willemin, she wanted to bring Girman to campus to have a campus conversation about diversity and inclusion in relation to being differently abled. “I want students to see people with disabilities as someone like them and rather than a stereotype person with disability,” Willemin said. “And so, she is a very diverse individual, not at all one dimensional. She’s extraordinary so that’s part of the reason why I wanted to bring her.”
Spiritual music set the tone at Paws Pavilion Oct. 21 for an evening of prayer and celebration during the Student Government Association’s Prayer for Peace event. The evening began with a series of prayers, each one led and recited by a representative from a different faith. The four prayers included a prayer for peace on Towson University’s campus, a prayer for the mental health of students, a prayer for greater Baltimore, and a prayer for unity. Leora Match, a Program Director for Towson Hillel, led the prayer for unity through the Jewish hymn “Hinei Ma Tov,” roughly translating to “How good and how pleasant it is that brothers dwell together.” “These words express the importance of coming together across boundaries as one people,” Match said. “When we come together to
share a meal, ritual experience, or to be in one another’s presence… there’s power in that.” Following the prayer, attendees had the opportunity to visit various tabling stations where they could learn more information about faith based organizations on campus. Senior computer science major Steven Pugh attended the event on behalf of Cru, a Christian based organization that strives to lead individuals into a lifelong adventure with Christ. “I believe that Cru has in fact captured my heart with the gospel, changed my life, and launched me in a pursuit for Christ alongside a genuine community of other believers,” Pugh said. “It was important to me that Cru was present today because it helps us extend that same invitation for those who are lost and are searching for an answer, just like I was at one point.” Representatives from the counseling center were also at the event to educate attendees on
additional resources such as the meditation rooms at the counseling center that can be used for silent prayer and reflection. The event was the first in a series of events being organized and spearheaded by SGA Pro-Temp Jordan DeVeaux under the larger umbrella SGA initiative, Faith@ TU. DeVeaux cited recent violent acts and hatred on campus as one of the considerations behind the event’s planning. “I felt a responsibility to take advantage of having all of our faith-based organizations together in one space,” DeVeaux said. According to DeVeaux, the event was an effort for the Faith@TU initiative to have a more tailored focus than last year, with more emphasis on opportunities for interfaith connection. She said she hopes these connections encourages people to learn more about the different faiths and experiences around them. - To read the rest of this article online, visit thetowerlight.com.
Activism through imagery GRACE HEBRON Staff Writer
TU graphic design lecturer Ryan Shelley facilitated this semester’s fourth New York Times talk, entitled “Student Activism: Do’s and Don’ts,” which centered on various instances of effective imagery used in activism Oct. 24. “The discussion was just a spin off things that students have asked about in various classes that I felt might be relevant to others,” said Shelley, who teaches graphic design at TU. He said that many of his students have chosen to incorporate the topics of social change and activism into their thesis projects, and cited his own experience as an undergraduate student as having shaped his idea of what makes an effective message. A good hook, he said, is the first step. “Find a hook, yes, but use whatever tool or idea or process that will interrupt people where they’re at and force them to pay attention,” Shelley said. Shelley talked about his favorite hooks and how impactful they can be. “My favorite hook comes from the #cocksnotglocks campaign at University of Texas, where stu-
dents juxtaposed the absurdity of allowing guns on campus while carrying sex toys was apparently forbidden,” he added. Images of the Texas protest were among the visuals presented throughout the talk, each with their own intent to captivate audiences. Photographs of a German exhibit called Freeze! revisited, where guests consumed popsicles shaped like handguns were presented, followed by a Peta advertisement featuring images of the Holocaust juxtaposed with ones from factory farms. Shelley mentioned that he was always particularly struck by images of Israeli and Palestinian children throwing rocks at tanks, which he also shared during the talk. “Chuck Palahniuk hit it square in Fight Club -- it’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything,” he said. “The point is, in every instance of tank versus kid, the kid loses, but the kid also has nothing to lose, which means if the right people are watching, there’s the potential to gain.” Psychology graduate student LaDena Eames, agreed that doing something is better than nothing. “There are many people in the general population who could
be doing more, and I think that our attention should be geared towards what we can do on a micro-level to create continuous change,” said Eames. Eames’ role as a graduate assistant for Political Engagement and Community Outreach for the Office of Civic Engagement & Social Responsibility includes organizing the New York Times Talks, as well as other events that bring light to social issues. Sophomore political science major Joan Maingi, who has attended the talks since last year, said she doesn’t consider herself an activist, although she currently phonebanks and canvases for the Democratic party and describes herself as someone invested in the political process. “I don’t think I’m constant enough,” said Maingi,” who described the process of social change as “really slow and tedious.” While she said she doesn’t feel that activism holds the same power that it once did, Maingi believes the process could be improved. “Knowing what the goal is and how we are going to achieve [it], I really thinks helps activism out,” she said, adding that activism seems to be more effective at a local level.
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Arts & Life
TU Alum is an Author Academy Award nominee
Courtesy of Robyn Evans
Robyn Evans, a 1999 Towson Alum became a top 10 finalist to win an Author Academy Award in the religion category with her book, “One Hope at a Time: The Prisoner of Hope Letters.” Evans attended the award show last Friday, where she presented the synopsis of her book to the judges, and was able to connect with other authors.
MEGHAN HUDSON Arts & Life Editor
Robyn Evans, a 1999 Towson alum, was recently nominated for an Author Academy Award in the Religion category. Her book, “One Hope at a Time: The Prisoner of Hope Letters,” was published in 2015, and placed in the top 10. “I didn’t really plan to write a book,” said Evans. “My father who has since passed away, he always used to tell me that I should write a book and I never really knew what I wanted to write about.” Since Evans was young, she always had a passion for writing. “I’ve always loved writing,” said Evans. “There’s never been a time that I remember not loving it. My mom told me I used to make up stories when I was a toddler, so it’s always been there.” While in college at Towson, Evans interned for the Baltimore Sun, and was a member of The Towerlight. “I landed my first job the November after I graduated in ‘99 at the Carroll County Times,” said Evans. “I pretty much started out as a feature reporter there, and did a little bit of work with the news desk, but feature [writing]
was always more of my love.” Though she enjoyed working for the Carroll County Times, Evans eventually decided she was ready to move on and explore other types of writing. “My career has taken me all over with writing,” she said. “I’ve done everything from being a feature reporter to being a technical writer, marketing writer -- you name it, I’ve probably done that.” In 2001, Evans shared that her mother found a book titled “Passing by Samaria” by Sharon Ewell Foster, and encouraged Evans to read it. It was a fiction novel, and according to Evans, she immediately fell in love with it. “I decided I was going to become a fiction writer,” said Evans. Deciding to become a fiction writer, however, turned out to be easier said than done. Evans found herself becoming very contemplative about writing her first book. “I struggled with myself with that, so [the book] just sat for the longest time,” she said. “A friend of mine told me I should really take time to explore that, and not let that go just because it seems hard. It was so much easier to just write stuff for other people.” Evans ended up moving on from this first attempt at a fiction
novel, a project she hopes to finish one day. Despite fiction writing not going as planned, it seems as though life had a funny way of redirecting Evans. “This particular book which I placed in the top 10 in the author awards contest with, [“One Hope at a Time: The Prisoner of Hope Letters,”] really started out as a private project,” said Evans. “I had no intention of publishing this. I was going through a difficult season in life just kind of questioning a lot of things and just feeling the state of the world and generally feeling down.” Evans began writing letters to herself, and shared that after a while of writing herself these letters consistently, she ended up having hundreds. “One day I was at work and I shared this with my coworker, and she said ‘you know, I think you should compile all of those and do a book,’” said Evans. Not yet convinced that publishing her letters was the best idea, Evans set up an email newsletter people could subscribe to. In these emails, Evans wrote subscribers a letter and inspirational messages. Still, continuing to write herself letters, they continued to pile up. “One day I was doing a book signing for the first book that
I ever was published in, which is an anthology, and there was a lady at the book signing who said, ‘This is really a nice project, but when are you going to put out something of your own?’” said Robyn. “I asked her to sign up for my email. When I told her what [the emails are] about, she looked at me and said ‘that’s your next book.’” Towson University senior and English major, Kayla Wittman, felt encouraged by Evans’ bravery in publishing such a personal story. “For her to be able to do such deep introspection and then publish her inner thoughts and feelings on a very personal matter is incredible,” said Wittman. “It’s really encouraging, seeing someone from Towson not only doing well in the field that I work in, but also to find the strength within herself to be able to share a piece of herself through her work. I know how difficult that can be but I also know that’s the true strength of a good writer. According to Evans, this is what got the ball rolling for her. She soon decided to compile some of her letters into a book titled “One Hope at a Time: The Prisoner of Hope Letters.” “[After publishing the book] I really felt a sigh of relief, because you put your baby out
there, and you wonder if someone’s gonna say ‘your baby’s ugly,’” said Evans. “When I put it out there and I started getting positive feedback, and reviews on Amazon from people I didn’t even know, I really felt validated that I should continue doing this. The book that’s up for the award is the first of three.” The Author Academy Awards took place on Oct. 25. Though Evans didn’t win her category, she shared that she still had fun connecting with the other authors at the event. To students figuring out their own paths, Evans shared that she can relate not knowing exactly what you want to do with your passions. “We know what we enjoy doing and what we have a natural talent in but we’re not exactly sure,” said Evans. “Be open to finding what your thing is. If for whatever reason you are to graduate with a degree in marine biology or whatever it was that you initially went to school for, take heart and realize that all it takes is for one person to believe in you and open a door, and you can be anyone you want and do anything you want.” Evans’ book, “One Hope at a Time: The Prisoner of Hope Letters,” is available on Amazon in paperback and for Kindles.
Arts & Life
October 29, 2019
Towerlight
NETFLIX & CHILLS These flicks are chilling
Netflix movies and TV shows fitting for Halloween VICTORIA NICHOLSON Art Director
It’s that time of the year again, where all you want to do is light some fall scented candles, throw on a cozy sweater, and stay in bed. Not only is the fall season here, but so is spooky season! It’s time to get frightened in the comfort of your own home. Invite over that new person you’re crushing on, pop some popcorn, and get ready for some Netflix and Chills. Here are some spooky movies and TV shows on Netflix to check out this Halloween. “Santa Clarita Diet:” Let’s be honest, anything that stars Drew Barrymore is a hit. This Netflix horror-comedy original series follows a modern day family. Well, besides the fact that the mom developed a flesh-eating bacteria that causes her to eat humans. If you get queasy by the sight of blood, I do not recommend… it gets messy at times. “Carrie:” Yes, I mean the older version. Imagine being in highschool and getting your period and thinking you’re dying because your mother never taught you about your body. So instead of helping the girl out, the girls in the locker room threw tampons at her. Oh, and that’s just the beginning scene, wait till you see the end. “Cam:” This modern day psychological thriller features a successful cam girl until her channel got hacked, by a person who looks exactly like her. This technology driven, sex-positive, alternate dimension movie
is everything you need to get brainwashed and contemplate covering your web-cam on your computer. “In the Tall Grass:” A Stephen King novel, that recently got turned into a new film for the horror genre, brings you to an open field of literally tall grass. After hearing a cry in the middle of a field, a brother and sister duo fled into the maze of grass that they then find themselves lost in. This movie definitely won’t let me look at fields the same again… including corn mazes at the pumpkin patch. “Sinister:” You know those creepy houses you pass on the road that you just know someone died a horrific death in… yeah, this is one of those incidents. Imagine finding tapes in the attic of your new home and discovering that they’re videos of past families that died in the house. Do you like having nightmares and screaming out loud during movies? This is for you. “Hush:” I don’t think I’ve ever watched a movie, let alone a thriller, that is based around having no sound. A deaf woman, who lives in the middle of the woods alone, gets an uninvited visitor one night who preys around her house. This movie will leave you screaming at the TV “turn around!” to try and help the poor girl out. “Black Mirror:” Not really into scary movies or shows? Black Mirror offers so much more but stills brings on some chills. This modern day twist on the show “The Twilight Zone” gives viewers everything from drama, suspense, and science fiction. Each episode feeds you with new actors and stories and
each ending can make you feel ridiculously open-minded and like you’ve seen a glimpse of the future. “The Conjuring:” Horror movies that are based off of true stories already terrify me. Paranormal investigators provide help to a family that has been experiencing demonic spirits inside of their farmhouse. Little did the family know that they’d just be adding fuel to the fire by bringing investigators into their house. Be prepared for many, many jumpscares. Oh, did I mention that there are jumpscares already? “Scream:” Alright, so this one is a duo choice providing both a movie and TV show to check out. First and foremost, you have the classic movie series “Scream” and also Netflix’s new original TV series called “Scream.” This movie introduced my favorite horror villain and provided us with four sequels! No murderer can compete with the simplisticity of a black cloth robe. “Scream” the TV series ties together everything that the movies did as well but brings more of a modern vibe to it, and what’s better than watching Bella Thorne get killed off in the opening scene. “American Horror Story:” I saved the best for last… even though I am completely biased because I have followed this series for years now. The series introduces a new concept to TV: same actors but different characters and stories for each new season. Not only will you get attached to Evan Peters, but with how each season is made so perfectly, with the right amount of twists and turns. Hands down my favorite season is “Coven.”
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Arts & Life
October 29, 2019
IT’S
13
LIT
Spirited spooky songs Scary reads for this Halloween ZAC SOPER Columnist
Fall is upon us and the cold weather is perfect for staying inside with a book, preferably a scary one for this time of year. I’ve compiled a short list of spooky reads across a few genres: “Darkling:” “Darkling” by K.M. Rice is the perfect atmospherically spooky read for this time of year. This is a great read for fantasy fans. The town of Midsummer no longer recieves any sunlight, and the people live in permanent darkness. In their attempts to save their people, they sacrifice a young girl named Willow to the dark creature that haunts them. In her sacrifice, Willow is led through a dark past of cursed lovers and is left to uncover the secret of the creature and bring light back to her people. This chilling story is filled with grotesque imagery and ghosts of all kinds. “The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein:” Kiersten White, an author notorious for her historical fiction/ feminist spin-offs, is no stranger to the scary season. In her book “The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein,” White puts a spin on the story of the morally gray doctor. Instead of following Victor, we follow Elizabeth, who is left behind while Victor pursues his knowledge of life. But of course, Elizabeth was not as naïve as she was made out to be, and much more aware of what was happening around her. Elizabeth travels the same routes Victor did, and in her search for him she meets the monster as well and begins to take matters into her own hands. White fills Elizabeth’s narrative gaps where we don’t see her in “Frankenstein.” Following its source material this book is
filled with late night adventures through the woods during thunderstorms and the fear of the unknown. “The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer:” Following a more contemporary, but not less thrilling story is Michelle Hodkin’s Mara Dyer trilogy. The first installment, “The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer” is a great entry into paranormal thriller. There is the usual amount of high school drama and romance that most young adult fiction will bring you, with some added horror factors. Mara Dyer thinks she cursed, her two best friends died the night they all snuck into an abandoned hospital, and she survived. Mara moves to a new school and begins to hear the voices of her dead friends and see the haunting image of her friends’ older brother, who assaulted her right before the hospital ceiling came down and killed him. Is Mara experiencing post-traumatic stress? Or is her paranoia justified? Could she really have caused the hospital to collapse? She meets her new school’s bad boy, Noah Shaw, and they come to discover that they are haunted in similar ways. They dive into the investigation of their pasts and open some doors that maybe should’ve stayed closed. “Stalking Jack the Ripper:” If you’re into true crime, check out Kerri Maniscalco’s “Stalking Jack the Ripper.” Like Kiersten White, Maniscalco takes a feminist perspective into history. We follow forensic scientist Audrey Rose as she works with her uncle to uncover the face behind the Ripper murders. There is no shortage of entrails on cobblestone streets or mutilated bodies in Audrey Rose’s life. This murder mystery, infused with chilling metaphors and imagery is no disappointing read. This series follows the solving of a few serial killers throughout history, so if you’re into that sort of thing this series is perfect.
MARY-ELLEN DAVIS Senior Staff Writer @Mel_Davis_1998
With the 2019 spooky season about to come to an end, it’s time to throw on your best creepy tunes before packing up the spiderwebs and sending your resident ghost back to where it came from. With so many Halloween bangers to choose from, it makes sense if you’re having trouble picking the best line-up. Luckily for you, I’m going to let you take a peek at the list of some of my favorite tunes. “This is Halloween” - The Citizens of Halloween: If this song is familiar to you, that’s probably because you’ve at least
heard of Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” The song is featured in this ultimate Halloween/ Christmas movie, and is a great opener to any halloween playlist. “Thriller” - Michael Jackson: This song is a classic. It belongs on every Halloween playlist. Not to mention it comes with some pretty sweet dance moves. Extra points go to anyone at the party who can do all of the choreography. ”Ghostbusters“ - Ray Parker Jr.: If you aren’t calling the Ghostbusters on Halloween, is it really Halloween? Everyone will be able to sing along. Just make sure they don’t make any ghosts explode. “Monster Mash” - Bobby Pickett: This is another classic song. It’ll take you back to that elementary
school Halloween parade, and gets anyone hyped up. “A Nightmare on my Street” - DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince: Does anyone else remember when Will Smith was a musician? This Halloween song by him and DJ Jazzy Jeff is a fun little tune that will get people laughing. It’s similarities to Nightmare on Elm Street will have you excited to get spooked all evening. ”Time Warp” - Rocky Horror Picture Show: Last but not least, a little bit of Rocky Horror. Halloween isn’t complete without a jump to the left, and then a step to the right. After listening to this one, you’ll want to go up to the lab to see what’s cooking, and hopefully it’s some sweet treats.
ROARING REVIEWS Thriller turned comedy TYRONE BARROZO Columnist
Are you looking for a film to laugh at with some buddies as you pass out candy to children on Halloween night? Then Netflix’s “Rattlesnake” might be the film for you. “Rattlesnake” is an interesting film for the wrong reasons. The story’s premise centers on Katrina Ridgeway, a single mother, and her daughter, Clara who are on a road trip to Oklahoma. On the way, Katrina’s daughter is bitten by a rattlesnake and accepts help from a mysterious woman in order to save her. However, for the price of her daughter’s life, Katrina must repay her debt to the stranger who saved her child by sundown—a soul for a soul by any means necessary. This film’s plot is spread so thin to the point of tearing and for that, the
film is somewhat entertaining. The events of the film spread out over the course of a few hours, but the writing of the film manages to slow down time and visually bore the viewer. Given the stakes of the film, one would think that the writer responsible for this story might want to maintain tension by moving briskly from scene to scene and translate a bit of anxiety and whatever frantic emotions that the protagonist might feel during those moments. That does not happen though. Instead, the film allocates time to redundant storytelling and poor attempts at character development. Speaking of poor attempts at character development, Katrina is a bit of a dunce in this film. Excluding the fact that she let her daughter run around in the desert far enough from her sight that she managed to get bit by a rattlesnake, Katrina is best characterized as a person who does not apply logic to high-pressure situations. For instance, when trying to find a possible person to kill, Katrina
set her sights on an elderly man on life support, already on the brink of death, in the same hospital that her daughter is staying. Instead of waiting for the man’s daughter and son-in-law to leave his room, Katrina befriends the old man’s daughter. That’s not even the best part. Like I said before, this movie felt scripted to be an unintentional comedy, and it managed to do that perfectly when Katrina tried to smother the old man, chickened out and hid in the restroom, and then returned to the man’s room only moments before he flatlined near his loved ones. I could go on with all of the dumb decisions that Katrina made throughout the film—and there are a lot of them—but the reasoning for pointing them all out is the same. “Rattlesnake” wanted to be a serious, character-driven horror thriller but fell flat on its butt due its protagonist’s lack of personality and impaired logic. With all of that said, all of those dumb decisions make for good inebriated fun.
Sports
14 October 29, 2019
Sports
Sports Club Spotlight Field Hockey ISAAC DONSKY Contributing Writer Towson’s club field hockey team made it look easy Saturday night at Burdick Field, shutting out the Georgetown Hoyas 3-0 in a defensive showcase. In their final home game of the season, the Tigers allowed Georgetown to enter their territory a grand total of six times the entire evening. During those six trips, the Hoyas only managed to get off a single shot. “We had a really solid defensive line tonight,” said senior Paige Zaleppa. “We really stepped up when the ball came through and our midfield would come back and help too.” Zaleppa was responsible for Towson’s first goal, midway through the first half of play. The Tigers refused to let up from there, getting off several more shots before halfway, including a penalty stroke that Georgetown blocked. Despite leading at the half, the Tigers were frustrated as they had had numerous chances to score, yet only had a single goal to show for it. Senior Jillian Rowlands, the club’s president and team captain, attributed this to the growing darkness on the field.
“It’s definitely hard to see the ball when it’s dark out,” she said. Sophomore Caroline Keniston said that the combination of that darkness and the speed of field hockey can create tough situations for offensive players. “It’s a fast paced game,” she said. “It takes a lot of finesse and skill to pass so when you can’t see, it’s a problem.” Following a brief delay at the half to turn on the Burdick Field lights, the Tigers quickly picked up where they had left off. Keniston scored just a few minutes into the second half as the Tigers refused to let up. From there, the Tigers coasted to the win. Rowlands scored the clinching goal with just minutes left in the second half, giving Towson an insurmountable 3-0 lead. For Rowland, scoring the final goal of the game was extra special, as she had missed several shots throughout the night, including the lone penalty stroke. “I usually play defense and this is my last game,” Rowlands said. “I just really wanted to score so that’s why I played forward tonight. I really tried up there.” For more information on the Towson Field Hockey club, visit their Instagram page @towsonfhclub.
Darnold seeing ghosts as Jets keep losing JORDAN KENDALL Asst. Sports Editor @jordankendall54 As Halloween is a few days away, its that time of the year to think spooky and scary thoughts. Unfortunately for New York Jets fans, these thoughts last long after Oct. 31. In the spirit of the holiday, quarterback Sam Darnold said he saw ghosts during the game vs the New England Patriots. Whether he thought a linebacker was rushing left and went right, or he saw actual ghosts remains a mystery. But even ghosts are the least of the nightmares for New York. The offense continues to crash So far Darnold has missed three games due to injury, but the Jets aren’t doing much no matter who is under center. New York is last in total yards and average yards per game and has just over 1,000 passing yards through seven games. Every other
blockers and 31st best run blockers through week seven. They have given up the most sacks and are among the worst at preventing quarterback hits. Somehow, the Jets defeated the Dallas Cowboys 24-22, but I have doubts on whether they can win another game. The defense is the treat to the offense’s trick If the offense is the person who gives out toothpaste to trick or treaters, the defense is the one who gives full-size candy bars. New York has a top ten run defense allowing under 100 yards per game. So far, only Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott has rushed for over 100 yards against the Jets. This is a positive sign for a defense that can only get better and will be intriguing to watch going forward. The pass defense isn’t as strong, but also isn’t horrible. New York has an average pass defense, sitting at 14th in the leagues. - To read the rest of this column online, visit thetowerlight.com.
NBA featuring monster mashes for Halloween JALON DIXON Columnist
Brendan Felch/ The Towerlight
team has at least 1,150 passing yards so far, looking at the stats are more terrifying than a werewolf. The run game isn’t much better and is currently second-worst in the NFL. The Jets signed running back Le’Veon Bell in the offseason, despite being arguably the best back a few years ago it appears he left his abilities in Pittsburgh. He has rushed for 349 yards and one touchdown through seven games. Bell made headlines for sitting out last season for a contract extension, it’s starting to look like he made the wrong decision. He had arguably the best offensive line in the NFL along with wide receivers Antonio Brown and Juju Smith-Schuster to take the pressure off him. I can’t remember a player of Bell’s caliber who signed with the Jets and had success. Arguably the most terrifying aspect of New York is the offensive line. Football Outsiders ranks their offensive line as the 30th best pass
While for most, Halloween is about pumpkin carving, candy collecting, and scary costumes, the NBA looks to bring something even more spooky with three monster matchups where any player could go off for a terrifying performance. The first game of the night starts off with an Eastern Conference matchup between the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks at 7 p.m. The Heat will be bringing their costumes on the road as they look to have a big night in Phillips Arena and maybe even play a few tricks in the process. Two players for the Heat to watch out for in this game are guards Justise Winslow and Tyler Herro. For Winslow, he has been the result of a Frankenstein experiment ever since last year, playing mostly point guard despite being listed as a small/power forward coming out of Duke in 2015. At 6’ 6”, Winslow will be tower-
ing over opposing point guard Trae Young and could pose problems for him defensively. In the case of Herro, he has been in a “Veteran NBA Player” costume since being drafted. The man has not looked like a rookie at all so far this season and has brought a new edge to this Heat team with his ability to shoot the ball at a high clip. Both players look to get a treat of their own with a win against a potential playoff team. On the other side is Young and the Atlanta Hawks. Young did his best Stephen Curry impersonation posting a stat line of 38 points and nine assists in the season opener against the Detroit Pistons. Young looks to bring the Curry back out as he faces a long, aggressive Heat team that could be his worst nightmare when it comes to the defensive side of the ball. Two other players to highlight for the Hawks are the twin towers in small forward Jabari Parker and power forward John Collins. You can expect at least one of these two to provide us with some Hulk smash-type dunks with their over the top athleticism above the rim.
This should be a good game between two contrasting teams. The second matchup takes us over to the West where the Denver Nuggets will take on the New Orleans Pelicans at 9:30 p.m. In this matchup, there is only one person you really need to watch out for. That is center Nikola Jokic aka Joker who might just paint his face and bring the tricks as the Nuggets look to steal a game on the road. As a double-double machine at the center position, Jokic is already an anomaly in the league just off of his ability to facilitate so well despite being a big man. He gave the Nuggets a treat vs the Phoenix Suns recording a triple-double with 23 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists. Look for Jokic to have a big game as the Pelicans do not really have any great defenders at the center position between Jahlil Okafor and Jaxson Hayes. For New Orleans, this is an early test in their schedule against a veteran-heavy Denver team that is in the championship conversation. - To read the rest of this column online, visit thetowerlight.com.
October 29, 2019
15
Sports photos of the week
Annemarie Schnoor Women’s Swimming Amanda Bosse/ The Towerlight
The Towson Men’s Swimming and Diving team lost to William & Mary 154-139 on Oct. 26 at Burdick Hall.
Senior Annemarie Schnoor finished first in a pair of races as Towson defeated William & Mary on Saturday. Schnoor was victorious in the 100-yard freestyle and the 200-yard freestyle as well as helping the Tigers finish second in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
Brendan Felch/ The Towerlight
The men’s rugby club team defeated West Virginia 66-17 on Saturday in their final home game of the fall.
File photo by Brendan Felch/ The Towerlight
The women’s soccer team lost to the Delaware Blue Hens 1-0 in a rainy, double-overtime contest on Oct. 20.
16 October 29, 2019
Sports
FOOTBALL GAME DAY PREVIEW Turnovers doom Towson in road loss to Dukes
This week’s opponent: Delaware Blue Hens
Kickoff at 2 p.m. at Unitas Stadium
File photo by Amanda Bosse/ The Towerlight
Redshirt senior quarterback Tom Flacco (center) heads into Saturday’s game against Delaware having surpassed 5,000 passing yards in his career. Flacco is the seventh TU quarterback to reach that mark. JORDAN KENDALL Asst. Sports Editor @jordankendall54
Towson had opportunities to gain some early momentum, but as they failed to capitalize, the Dukes took advantage, defeating the Tigers 27-10. No. 2 James Madison (8-1, 5-0 CAA) scored the final 20 points of the game to give No. 16 Towson (4-4, 1-3 CAA) their fourth loss in five games. “We made too many mistakes to beat a team of this caliber,” head coach Rob Ambrose said. “I’m sure they’ll get a chance to play long into the playoffs and we’ll get a chance to see them again.” Midway through the fourth quarter, redshirt senior wide receiver Shane Leatherbury was involved in a violent collision with a defender and left the game after his helmet was jarred off. He did not return to the game. The Tigers drove down to the Dukes 30 yardline, but senior kicker Aiden O’Neill missed a field goal. James Madison ran out the clock to secure their eighth victory of the season. Towson faked a punt on fourth down but did not convert; however, a sack by redshirt senior linebacker Malik Tyne forced a punt on the Dukes next drive. Towson’s defense forced James Madison to kick field goals after
driving down inside the Tigers 5-yard line twice. These red-zone stops gave Towson’s offense chances to get back into the game. “It’s a momentum changer, it’s a point changer,” Ambrose said. “The goal was to try and get these guys into the fourth quarter without making mistakes and make them play a whole 60-minute football game. We could not turn the ball over and could not give up big plays. When we didn’t do that, it was a back-andforth boxing match.” The Tigers’ offensive line struggled in pass protection. They gave up seven sacks and forced Flacco to extend plays by himself which rarely resulted in positive gains. James Madison has one of the top defensive lines in the FCS, and Ambrose knew the challenge they presented. “They are extremely talented, they’re big, they’re physical, they’re strong and they’re fast,” Ambrose said. “Put all those things together and it makes a really good defense. This is not one of the better defenses in the league or the country, this is right now one of the better defenses to ever play in this league and in the country.” In the second quarter, redshirt junior wide receiver Caleb Smith caught a 38-yard pass inside the Dukes 40-yard line, setting up Towson’s first touchdown of the
game to redshirt junior tight end Jason Epps. The Tigers held a 10-7 lead, their only lead of the game. The Dukes would retake the lead on the following drive, a lead they would not relinquish. Following a field goal by O’Neill in the first half, the Tigers lost redshirt senior linebacker Robert Heyward as he was ejected on the ensuing kickoff. Heyward attempted to tackle the returner but lowered his helmet towards the returner’s neck and immediately a flag was thrown. On James Madison’s second drive, junior defensive back Coby Tippett intercepted a pass, and Flacco found redshirt sophomore wide receiver Darian Street for a 28-yard reception inside the Dukes 25. A few plays later, however, Flacco overthrew his receiver and was intercepted. James Madison gained 37 yards the following play and scored a touchdown four plays later. The Tigers return home to Johnny Unitas Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 2 against the Delaware Blue Hens. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. “We just spent the last two weeks to get right,” Ambrose said. “How we practice, how we work for each other. I told them last week we were building something for the rest of the year. It’s gonna give us a chance to keep playing football, that’s why we’re here.”
averages 231 yards per game. Redshirt freshman running TIM KLAPAC back Will Knight is currently fifth Senior Editor in the conference with 547 yards. @pacofkla Delaware’s leading receiver is redshirt sophomore wide receiver Thyrick Pitts with 363 yards. JORDAN KENDALL They do a lot on offense,” AmAsst. Sports Editor brose said. “Have found a way @jordankendall54 to spread the ball, which makes them hard to defend." On defense, sophomore defenNo. 22 Towson begins a crucial sive back Kedrick Whitehead is four-game stretch with its biggest third in the conference with 76 rival, the Delaware Blue Hens. tackles. He is the only Blue Hens Both teams are coming off lossdefender in the top ten of any maes, as Delaware (4-4, 2-2 CAA) has jor defensive statistics in the CAA. dropped three of their last four The last time Towson faced Delagames, while the Tigers (4-4, 1-3 ware was last season when the Blue CAA) have lost four of their last Hens won 40-36. The Tigers failed to five contests. find the endzone late in the fourth Despite a top-25 national rankquarter, despite three chances from ing, Delaware is near the bottom inside the 20-yard line. of the Colonial Athletic AssociDespite last year’s loss, Towson ation (CAA) in total offense and has beaten Delaware in three of defense. Despite their numbers, the last five games, dating back Tigers head coach to 2014. The last Rob Ambrose isn’t two games of this expecting an easy rivalry have been day for the ofdecided by four The goal is to get points or fewer. fense. They’ve always into November with a It’s going to been a good dethe next snap chance and hopefully be fense,” he said. from here on you can play your out,” said Am“They’re sound, they’re tough, and brose. “The goal best football. they’re Delaware.” is to get into NoThis year’s riROB AMBROSE vember with a Head Coach chance and hopevalry game has an added layer to it fully you can play as Ambrose’s brother, Jared, is your best football in November the offensive coordinator for the and moving forward. Blue Hens. Jared Ambrose was The Tigers are looking for their on Towson’s football staff from first conference win since Sept. 2009-2018. 14 against Maine. With the calenAlthough there is knowledge dar turning to November, these of his team’s offense on the other wins a crucial for making the FCS side, Rob Ambrose isn’t concerned playoffs. However, Rob Ambrose with that heading into the game. wants his team focused on what’s It happens all the time all in front of them. across the country,” he said. “You gotta win the next play and “There’s football knowledge that stack them up as best as you can,” people have all over. There’s he said. “We’re building someknowledge on both staffs of both thing for the rest of the season.” staffs philosophically Kickoff for this rivalry game Redshirt senior quarterback is scheduled for 2 p.m. The Pat Kehoe has 921 yards and nine game can be streamed on Flotouchdowns this season. He avfootball.com and will be broaderages 130 yards per game comcasted on CBS Sports Radio pared to the Tigers redshirt se1300 with Spiro Morekas and nior quarterback Tom Flacco who Gordy Combs on the call.
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