The Towerlight (Summer 2021) by The Towerlight

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Summer 2021

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Summer 2021

#WordOnTheWeb Editor-in-Chief Meghan Hudson

What do you think of the vaccine mandate for TU?

Senior Editor Grace Coughlan

Associate Editors Caitlyn Freeman Jacob Shindel

Asst. Editor

Senior Staff Writer Jordan Kendall

Staff Writers Cory Kefauver Isaac Donsky John Mabilangan Anna Hovet Norma Sorto

Photo Editor Macy Dowla

Staff Photographer Brendan Felch

Video Editor

Production Staff

General Manager Mike Raymond

Marketing Manager Victoria Nicholson

Word on the Web compiles online submissions and responses to questions or topics posted by The Towerlight via social media. Circulation Staff

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8000 York Road Enrollment Services Room 117 Towson, MD 21252 (410) 704-5153 editor@thetowerlight.com thetowerlight.com The Towerlight print edition is published by students of Towson University. The Towerlight is owned by nonprofit Baltimore Student Media Inc., BaltimoreStudentMedia.com. The Towerlight’s advertising deadlines are firm: Wednesday noon for space; Friday noon for art. Classifieds appear online and in print and are self-service at TheTowerlight.com/classifieds. We encourage letters to the editor and online feedback. Commentaries, letters to the editor, editorial cartoons and other editorials express the opinions of their authors and not necessarily the views of the newspaper. The Towerlight does not discriminate based on age, color, condition of handicap, marital status, national origin, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. ©2019 by The Towerlight, 8000 York Rd, Towson, MD 21252. All rights reserved.

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Opinion

Summer 2021

MARISSA SISON Contributing Writer

the electoral college votes continued later that night, and Joe Biden was declared the winner on Jan. 7 at 3:41am.

On Jan. 6, an insurrection, which volting against civil authority or an established government, took place at the U.S. Capitol. This event was unexpected and shocking. While

votes that declared President Joe Trump-supporting protesters that were protesting against the election results began to riot and broke into the Capitol building.

as the insurrection was broadcasted in real-time. Reporters originally al college votes, which is typically only a standard procedure that ended up covering the break-in. People watched protesters turn into rioters and then the rioters turn into insurrectionists. -

ple who broke into the Capitol were. Was it solely because they believed into question who the people that attempted to stop the election re-

claimed to have won the election -

are people that live in our country, our communities and our neighborhoods. They threatened our democracy by breaking into the Capitol building and attempting to stop the

to see our election victory stolen by

Since the events on Jan. 6, over

media. That’s what they’ve done and what they’re doing. We will never give up, we will never concede.”

insurrectionists and arrests continues to investigate. The insurrec-

support his claim that the election

which is what they’re doing,” Trump

His

speech

included

phrases

because no one stopped the attack hell, you’re not going to have a

groups or ideas.

the speech were used as evidence in the impeachment trial to prove that Trump incited the insurrection. Equating President Biden taking to not having a country anymore was irresponsible and created a nonsensical ultimatum that peolieve the nonsensical ultimatums Trump created throughout his groups with extremist or violent views and made them want to support him. Trump has constantly used ‘othering’ to persuade people to support him throughout his tial election, his entire presidency, dential election. - To read the rest of this column online, visit thetowerlight.com

Misadventures of Towson: New attraction on campus tours

Illustration by Nyasha Marufu/ The Towerlight

Opinion

Summer 2021

The Division for Student Affairs offers the

Returning to campus after one year for graduation ISAAC DONSKY Staff Writer

Student LIFE Line

For one thing, group projects were a living nightmare. You would think that a bunch of presentation over the internet. Instead, I found group projects to

In about a week, I’ll hopefully be walking across the stage to get my diploma. It’s hard to time I’ve stepped foot on Towson University’s (TU) campus since March 2020. In a world completely changed by the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve spent the entirety of my senior year online. And now I have to ask: was it worth it? Did I actually learn anything during this dreadful year? Well, the best answer I could find is that online learning was both a blessing and a curse. It was a challenge like none I’ve ever faced before, and, as far as I can tell, it put a strain on my mental health that I’ve never seen before. Let’s start with the positives. Not having to wake up super early for classes was I could set my minutes before class and get a full eight hours of sleep (if my schedule allowed it). If I was feeling sick, I could just stay in bed and not miss any class tire life, I didn’t miss a single day of school. Learning also took on a new form. Many of my professors simply published all the materials for each week on Monday and let us students work at our own pace. This actually helped me in a way since I could more evenly spread out my school work without being overwhelmed. Plus, it allowed me when I didn’t have to be in a synchronous class. That’s honestly where the pros end for me. Don’t get me wrong; my experience was mostly positive, but there were a lot of negatives that came with online learning that I feel I need to get off my chest.

even get started. I feel as if it’s safe to say that without that in-person element, there’s not as much motivation to get to work. I also found that some courses that were designed for in-person learning didn’t translate well to the online world. I give my professors the utmost praise for trying their best to make things smooth for us. Without their support, I don’t think I would have made it to graduation, but man, the amount of stress I had during some classes is still haunting me to this day. pet peeves than actual complaints. I feel as though most of us at TU were aware that things were going to be very different online, so we fully expected those kinds of issues to arise. What I didn’t expect was the impact on my mental health. Safe to say that I’ve missed being on campus more than anything else during this last year and a half. I’ve missed walking to class during the fall on the ground in the morning. I’ve missed Uptown and all the crazy shenanigans my friends and I used to get into there. I’ve missed attending sporting events, eating at Paws (I don’t care if it’s called Los Fuegos anymore, it will always be Paws to me!), and the long nights roommates. It’s that lonely feeling that has made online learning seem more of a curse to me. The lack of social interactions has made these last three semesters seem almost like a bad dream. Which may explain why I expect to be emotionstage. It won’t just be due to me graduating, but because I’ll be returning to TU and all the things I’ve missed one last time.

This telephone line assists students with any question they may have about the University. LIFE Line is staffed and ready to assist callers Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. After these hours, a voice mail message can be left and will be responded to on the next business day. You can also contact us with your questions via e-mail at studentaffairs@towson.edu.

(5433) 410-704-LIFE (54 33) E-mail: studentaffairs@towson.edu

News

Summer 2021

MEGHAN HUDSON Editor-in-Chief

After a postponement of one year, 2020 graduates returned to Towson University to attend in-person commencement ceremonies alongside the class of graduates walked the stage outdoors at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Last year, 2020 commencements were suspended and rescheduled for October. Due to an announcement by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan that the capacity cap for outdoor events would be choice but to once again suspend commencement ceremonies. With no indications as to how the state of the pandemic would proceed, officials began weighing their option of hosting an online ceremony. “Class of 2020, in the coming days we will be reaching out to each of you individually via email to ask if your preference is to have an in-person on-campus commencement when state

and local guidelines allow it or, instead, would you prefer we hold a virtual commencement to celebrate you, the Class of 2020,” the University emailed graduates Sept 9. Results of this poll led to the decision to hold out for an in-person gathering. “Based on the overwhelming results from surveying these graduates, TU will be moving forward with plans for commencement in Spring 2021 for 2020 graduates,” Provost Melanie Perreault said. President Kim Schatzel expressed her commitment to ensuring the class of 2020 is celebrated. “We’re going to make that happen,” Schatzel said. “We are not going to do virtual commencement. We are going to bring you back to campus.” With COVID-19 regulations and attendee comfortability in mind, the Commencement committee, COVID-19 Response Leadership team, TU Medical Advisory Committee and the Baltimore County Department of Health decided on Johnny Unitas Stadium as this year’s commencement venue. Being open-air with enough space to

distance graduates and families, the stadium served as a safer alternative to the University’s typical venue, SECU arena. Graduates were spaced six feet apart on the field, while guests were placed in stadium seating. In addition, the commencements were live streamed for graduates and family members who could not be there in-person. Graduates were also limited the number of tickets they were given, from a usual six tickets to four. The University also reduced the stage party size to increase physical distancing and decrease density of participants. After the events of this past year, graduates expressed how reaching graduation holds a newfound meaning. “This graduation means everything to me,” 2021 graduate Kathleen Hohweiler said. “Having the opportunity to be together with my family, friends, advisors and professors for the first time in over a year makes me feel on top of the world.” Hohweiler added that she has been inspired by the accomplishments and sacrifices made by classmates. “I had no idea just how many TU

students were working as nurses during the pandemic, teaching in Baltimore schools during online learning or working as essential workers,” she said. “With some normalcy just on the horizon, it feels like the perfect time to really celebrate the outstanding students in this class.” 2021 graduate Brooke Foundas was thankful to have her family supporting her in-person. “It’s important to find a way to allow college graduates to have a ceremony due to the amount of hard work we put in these past four years or so,” Foundas said. “I much rather have an in-person graduation over a virtual one because it gives me the chance to see everyone I’ve met through my major one last time, and it makes it feel very real.” Like many graduates of the past year, Foundas has struggled accepting this as the end of her college career. “This past year has been extremely hard and throwing virtual school on top of it didn’t make it any easier,” she said. “My friends and I feel as if we lost almost a whole year together. We’ve been trying to make the most of it these past few

months and cherishing every moment we have together because once we walk across that stage, we are all heading in different directions.” Caroline Floyd, a 2020 graduate, is excited to have the opportunity to bookend her college experience. “Finishing college in my bedroom back in December was so underwhelming,” Floyd said. “All of a sudden, this thing I’d been just over and I had to be okay with that. I was so proud and overjoyed of course, but there was no closure.” Floyd added that part of her excitement stems from the opportunity of getting to be a senior for one more day. “We never got to scream and shout and cause a raucous, and I desperately wanted that,” she said. “Graduating today was such a monumental and impactful moment. After such a hard year we finally got to celebrate ourselves without having to think about all the other things going on in the world. It’s amazing to be a senior for one more day, even though tomorrow I’ll go back to being an adult.”

Photos by Meghan Hudson/ The Towerlight

News

Summer 2021

Students mixed reactions to pandemic schooling ALISHA HANCOCK Staff Writer

This year’s spring semester is coming to a close, and Towson University residential students have voiced mixed opinions on their experiences and look ahead to the fall 2021 semester. Freshman Isis Barnes says that while campus was quiet due to the lack of people living on-campus this semester, she enjoyed the experience. “I think it’s harder to meet new people because for me there’s not a lot of people in my residence hall,” Barnes said. In contrast, freshman Natasha Chisaka says that she enjoyed the quieter atmosphere on campus. “I kind of like the fact that not everyone is here because it is not busy,” Chisaka said. “I just like also having that new sense of independence that I didn’t really have before and just being able to walk around and just have everything near me and accessible to me.” Freshman Patrick O’Toole says that this past semester was better than the previous. “It’s kind of annoying getting kicked off because I set everything up and hung my posters up and then they kicked me out two weeks later,” O’Toole said. “I’m pretty glad that we’ve been able to get through the whole semester.” Similarly to Barnes, sophomore Brandon Richards says he enjoyed his time on-campus this semester. “I mean for me, what I lacked at home is being on campus and having that mindset that kept me focused on my work,” Richards said. “I think that was good about living on campus.” While the majority of instruction was online, several lab and clinical courses were held in a hybrid model. Sophomore Summer Salyer had four hybrid courses, one being a ballet course that included studio time. “I feel good about it,” Salyer said. “I think it was really helpful and beneficial because last semester doing dance classes online was really stressful.” Junior Maria Puglese shared a similar sentiment. “Yeah, I definitely enjoy having the hybrid rather than straight up

online,” Puglese said. “Now I would prefer 100% in person but I’ll take the hybrid versus online anytime.” While hybrid classes were seen as a positive by some, others such as sophomore Rayner Johnson pointed out some downsides. “It was okay,” said Johnson. “They had all the Zoom class up, but it felt dead sometimes because it was really only like you and a couple other people in the class.” In addition to abiding by campus COVID-19 protocols, residents were required to participate in sentinel testing through the semester. Half of students, staff and faculty on campus for more than four hours per week were randomly selected to participate in once weekly PCR testing, while the other half were required to participate in twice weekly rapid testing. These two groups switched midway through the semester. “Getting tested twice a week, that was annoying,” Salyer said. “It’s mandatory, which I understand, but I think it just felt a little inconvenient sometimes.” The dining halls on campus also adopted new carry out options for meals in response to the pandemic. During the semester, dining halls operated under 25% capacity for indoor seating. Several cafes including the LA and Enactus cafe were also closed. “It’s also good for health as well because you don’t want a lot of people in the dining room congregating themselves so taking out is also a really good thing,” Richards said. Salyer says she hopes the takeout dining option will remain in place next semester. “[Last semester], they wouldn’t let you carry food out, you’d have to eat inside the dining hall,” Salyer said. “I feel like that was always kind of annoying because what if I just want to grab food and go? I like how this year we got to take out because now we can also eat outside and stuff and that’s nice.” Freshman Jenna Orebaugh criticized the lack of diversity in food choices. “I do wish there was more options for Glen Dining,” Orebaugh said. “It does get a little boring after like two weeks of eating the same thing.” - To read the rest of this article online, visit thetowerlight.com.

News

Summer 2021

COVID-19 vaccine required for in-person returnees GRACE COUGHLAN Senior Editor

Macy Dowla/ The Towerlight

President Kim Schatzel organized a committee to review the names of Carroll Hall and Paca House in 2020. One year later, Schatzel reports the committee has not made a decision on the renaming.

Dorm renaming process reaches standstill MEGHAN HUDSON Editor-in-Chief

One year after being assembled, Towson University’s committee tasked with reviewing the names of Carroll Hall and Paca House, has not decided whether or not the buildings should be renamed. The buildings are named after slave owners and Declaration of Independence signatories William Paca and Charles Carroll. For the past few years, students have urged the University to reconsider these building names. As previously reported by The Towerlight, in Sept. of 2016 student Bilphena Yahwon, a member of Towson’s Organized Network of Student Resistance, urged officials at a Maryland regents meeting to diversify these “insensitively-named” University buildings. At that time, one year following the #OccupyTowson presidential creased diversity and inclusion on campus, the University hired a new president, Kim Schatzel. In 2017, following a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Schatzel announced plans to implement a new naming policy process “for transparency and inclusive consideration of a building name,” as quoted in a previous Towerlight article. Last spring, student group Tigers for Justice created a petition calling on the University to rename Carroll Hall and Paca House, garnering over 8,500 signatures. After the Student Government Association (SGA) heard

of this petition, they submitted a formal request to Schatzel asking for a committee be formed to review the names, in accordance with the re-naming policy. Schatzel announced the creation of this committee almost a year ago, and Vice President of Student Affairs Vernon Hurte was named the chair. In August of last year, Schatzel reported to The Towerlight that the committee would present her their recommendation on whether or not the building should be renamed mid-semester. Nearing the end of this spring semester, Schatzel reports that a recommendation has not been reached. “We’re still managing that process,” Schatzel said. “There’s no deadline within the policy to be able to do that but we’re moving as promptly and as expeditiously as possible and I very, very much appreciate the committee’s work to be able to support that request by SGA to be able to consider the renaming.” She added that the pandemic is a factor in the progress of the committee. “We want to be as expeditious as possible, but what’s far more important is that we do it well,” she said. “We’ve never done this before as a University. I’ve got a great committee together to be able to do it, Dr. Hurte is chairing it so I am very, very confident of the work that is progressing well.” Student Sarah Fishkind believes there is enough evidence through history to prove the building names to be harmful. “It is really bothersome to see the University that claims to celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion, but is still struggling to decide on whether or not they

should rename building names that were named after slave owners,” she said. Jordan Smith, who is also a student at TU, hopes the renaming is not prolonged until students forget, or until students leading the initiative graduate. “I hope that Towson doesn’t think that we’re going to forget about this because this is something that is important,” he said. Smith suggests the University provide progress updates on a semesterly basis or more, even if no or little progress has been made. “If Towson doesn’t change this name soon it’ll actually show how much they care about their Black students, and if they decide not to change the name, it’ll really show that Towson doesn’t care about their Black students except for the fact that their race is a demographic that will make them look better for their institution, not that they care about their students,” Smith said. Fishkind added that this renaming is the first step of many toward diversity and inclusion on campus. “Towson must also systematically change its ways in order to ensure all students are welcomed on campus,” she said. For Delano Powell, a student at TU, his perspective is that the renaming seems to no longer be a priority, noting a disconnect between the University’s pride for its diversity, and the time it has taken to review the names. “Although many things can require deliberation, a decision to change the name of these buildings from slave owners should take moments, not years,” Powell said. “This is not a new issue, and it’s long overdue.”

Towson University President Kim Schatzel announced that the University System of Maryland (USM) will require all eligible students, faculty and staff who plan to be on campus in the fall to receive a COVID-19 vaccine by Aug. 9. “With this important action, we are one giant step closer to the full campus experience we all long for this fall,” Schatzel said. “This requirement will apply to those students, faculty and staff regularly on campus - including those teaching a class or taking a class on campus - prior to the start of the fall semester.” Individuals are exempt from the vaccination requirement if they have medical conditions or religious beliefs that interfere with the COVID-19 vaccination. “If you request a medical or religious exemption from vaccination, you may submit your request on a designated form through a secure online process available on or before June 1,” Provost Melanie Perreault said. TU remains partnered with the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP) tion process. “TU will utilize the state’s CRISP

system to access and verify existing vaccination documentation for anyone who has received a vaccine in Maryland and has signed this waiver. All TU students, faculty and staff are encouraged to sign the waiver,” Perreault said. Otherwise, students will have uments online by May 7. For now, TU will remain a “mask-on” campus, requiring all students, faculty and staff to wear masks when they are on-campus. “We’ll continue to listen to our community and will do all we can to address concerns and questions as they arise,” Perreault said. “Please submit questions you have for our COVID Response Leadership Team via AskTU@ Towson.edu and we’ll do our best not only to answer them directly, but also to provide updated information to all Tigers through Towson.edu/Coronavirus.” TU has encouraged the campus community to pre-register for the vaccination at a state-run mass vaccination center or by registering with the Baltimore County Health Department. “The requirement of the vaccine for our students, faculty and staff is yet another layer of protection against the introduction and/or spread of the virus that causes COVID-19,” Schatzel said. “Now, more than ever, we have an opportunity to be leaders for the public good.”

Macy Dowla/ The Towerlight

Towson University opened two COVID-19 testing stations on-campus. One conducts rapid testing and the other conducts PCR testing.

Arts & Life

Summer 2021

ROARING REVIEWS

Student groups battle demotivation CAITLYN FREEMAN Associate Editor

Streaming platforms replace movie theaters TYRONE BARROZO Contributing Writer

Rewind the clock to the start of 2020 and gaze upon what would’ve been displayed across the silver screen: the new James Bond film would be out in April, Marvel’s “Black Widow” in May ushering a new era of superhero films and Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” would be out in July. However, none of that happened. Here comes the release date delays, the uncertainties about the long-reigning recession-proof entertainment industry, and the eventual but necessary restrictions placed on movie theaters. And it’s a shame too because based on the film market in 2019, the first year of the new decade looked promising enough for some to declare “There’s no way one can say that theatrical is dead.” Cut to March 13-15 of that year with North American box offices seeing its lowest box office weekend since 1998, only ranking in a little more than $55 million USD, according to a Deadline article. This was a fraction of China’s cumulative loss of $2 billion USD since closing more than 70,000 theaters back in January. It was quite a time to be someone working within the film industry. Also keep in mind that it took a global plague of biblical proportions to get the suits in Hollywood and the theater owners that they conduct business with to ease up on their old practices, lest they tread down an even more bearish path. According to Variety, before 2020, new films had to be played exclusively at an AMC, a Cinemark or your local indie cinema for 90 days before it could be released for home entertainment purposes. For obvious reasons, that sort of practice was quickly amended. Granted, it was already a long and tenuous relationship between theater owners and film studios due to saving money on marketing costs

by streamlining the business. Of course, the name-brand theater chains haven’t gone down in this ongoing scramble, opting for private limited screenings and showing classic films in order to bring more variety to viewers (if local government permits). But those theater chains aren’t salvaging the financial situation, all of that is thanks to the rise of streaming services. From Netflix and Chill to Hulu and “Woo-hoo,” streaming services became the digital saviors to many peoples’ quarantine boredom and isolation. Why worry about being touch-starved when “The Queen’s Gambit” and “The Last Dance” are ready for binge-watching? With the ability to endlessly scroll and browse through numerous online catalogs growing stronger in customers’ hands, the theater industry was feeling an undeniable heat. Thus came the high-profile experiments like HBO Max premiering blockbusters in theaters simultaneously with the streaming platform and Disney+ making once slated theatrical releases into digital exclusives behind a $30 price tag (before shifting to a similar model akin to the aforementioned HBO Max but worse by maintaining the additional charges). By then, every sane person had adjusted to living in a pandemic world and theaters had to realize that they were not as strong as they were before. Why risk literally dying from a then undefendable pathogen to waste 90 minutes when that could be done easier, quicker, and cheaper at home? It isn’t just summer popcorn flicks that have made successful transitions to streaming, notable and respected auteurs from the likes of Spike Lee to Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher seemed to be fine putting their projects out on Netflix. So what is there to worry about concerning this matter? Why should people care? - To read the rest of this column online, visit thetowerlight.com.

As Towson University (TU) prepares to fully reopen its campus for the Fall 2021 semester, clubs and organizations look ahead for what’s to come, and reflect on the challenges they’ve faced with a primarily online modality. As with the Fall 2020 semester, this past spring semester saw several clubs and organizations on-campus switch to a fully online modality. At the beginning of the semester, the Office of Student Activities held a virtual involvement fair that included over 100 organizations, as explained in a February press release. “So we really had to rethink how we do our student organization support this year,” said Chris Rindosh, a student organizations coordinator at TU. “A lot of our effort has been focused on trying to make sure we’re getting student organizations the correct information, and the training to best adapt to a virtual environment.” He also explained that the pandemic has taken a toll on student engagement as well. He said that in a “normal year,“ he’d receive approximately 40 requests for a new club and organization, but this year he has seen a decline in applications. “So, some of these things, are the nature of the situation, the students aren’t here, they’re consumed with things in their own lives,” Rindosh said. “And that makes it a little bit more challenging for them to want to stay connected and stay engaged.” Similarly, another challenge Rindosh cites is the retention and recruitment struggles clubs and organizations have faced as well. He attributes this to the struggles students have with digital learning. “I mean, if you’ve been on Zoom for, you know, four hours of classes during the day, do you want to log in for an extra hour at night to do a student group meeting on top of it? Rindosh said. “Like, Zoom fatigue’s real, right?” Mikenna Rogowsky, outgoing president of Cru, a christian-based student organization, said the group has utilized Zoom to host weekly meetings, bible studies and other events. “We have really been miss-

ing face to face interactions and in-person community,” Rogowsky said. “Some members decided to stop attending events until we had in-person opportunities again.” She estimates that about half of the group’s previous membership has not returned during their time online.

Rindosh said that while TU’s plan for an in-person fall modality is “good news” for student organizations, he still anticipates challenges in the fall in terms of COVID-19 safety guidelines. “We want to bring people back, but we want to do it in a safe manner,” Rindosh said. Another struggle Rindosh antici-

Jeff Keenan, assistant director of competitive sports at TU, said that TU’s sports clubs have also seen a decline in participation over this last year. He said that typically, the organization would have approximately 1,500 participants across their over 30 clubs, but this semester they had around 500 participants total. Keenan said that while some sports clubs chose not to participate this year, others did and were able to practice two to three times per week. However, he said the inability of the teams to compete against others this year influenced some athletes and their decision not to participate. While the lack of competitions attributed, Keenan said the “strict” COVID-19 protocols had a significant impact on participation as well. “People join a Sport Club to participate in sport and to participate in competition,” Keenan said. “And when you can’t do that, that’s a big barrier, for participation and for our clubs.” In terms of what’s to come for the upcoming fall semester, both Keenan and Rindosh are looking forward to returning to in-person activities.

pates is that of student leaders within clubs and organizations who’ve never run an in-person club meeting or done in-person recruitment before. He said that’s something they’ll have to train them for. In terms of student involvement that was lost during the online modality, Rindosh added that there may be a struggle to reignite the flame due to how students have become “demotivated” during the pandemic. “So like students, they may be coming back to campus, they might be excited, but this idea of doing extracurricular activities, you know, they might need a little bit of incentive or push to like, be like, ‘yeah, it’s gonna be worth like, you know, pulling myself out of my room and having the motivation to go to this meeting,’” Rindosh said. Rogowsky said while discussions are still happening, the group is intending to host in-person events and activities next semester. “There are exciting things ahead for Cru, and we can’t wait to welcome both new and old members back onto campus,” Rogowsky said. - To read the rest of this article online, visit thetowerlight.com.

Photo Courtesy of Victoria Nicholson

Members of Towson Rocks participate in their tabling fundraiser titled “blind date with a book,” during this past spring semester.

Arts & Life

Summer 2021

TU students aid vaccination efforts MARISSA SISON Contributing Writer

Towson University has partnered with the Baltimore County Health Department, Helping Up Mission and the Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC) to create a vaccination program for students. Through this program nursing students from two of Towson’s campuses help to administer the COVID-19 vaccine throughout Maryland. According to Mary Lashley, a professor in the Department of Nursing and a clinical instructor aiding the distribution effort, the Health Department supplies the vaccines, GBMC provides storage of the vaccines and medical staff, and TU offers surge capacity staffing, allowing the state to vaccinate a larger number of people. “It was really through that partnership, of these organizations working together, that we

were able to effectively provide always afforded the same health this service to a very needy popcare coverage that a lot of us are, ulation,” Lashley said. so it was a good experience,” Carl About 87 students are participatErtle, a nursing student at TU’s ing in the vaccination promain campus, said. gram, with 70 stuPrior to administering dents from TU’s the vaccines, Lashmain camley says students pus and 16 learn about students and discuss from the commuHagernicable stown diseases c a m and epidep u s . miology, Hayley which is Mark, a branch t h e of medical chairperscience that son for the deals with the Department incidence, distriof Nursing debution and control of scribes this opportudisease in a population. nity as a “win-win.” Students learned Photo Courtesy of Towson University The students from about COVID-19, how to TU’s main campus are mitigate the spread of it, working at Helping Up Mission, how the vaccine works, how the which is a faith-based organizavaccine is distributed, how to adtion in Baltimore that serves peominister the vaccine and the role ple experiencing homelessness, the vaccine plays in mitigating the poverty, or addiction. spread of the virus. “It was a great opportunity to “This is really the living classhelp out a population that’s not room, and they have an opportunity to care for a very marginalized and vulnerable population and help to protect them from infection,” Lashley said. Vaccine distribution includes preparing the vaccine, administering it, and documenting who received it. Then, students enter that information as an electronic health record, which then goes to the state of Maryland to keep count of how many people have been vaccinated. “Being able to give injections and prepare injections is a very important nursing responsibility,” Mark said. “And then of course, the area clinics really need people who can give the vaccines.” Students were also asked to educate themselves on the specifics of the vaccine they were giving, which was the Moderna vaccine. “Preparation was mostly review for us,” Ertle said. “It was a review on proper injection administration, sterile technique, and things like that.” Megan Baile, a nursing student that participated at Helping Up perience delivering an intramuscular injection. “We’re doing something so big for the pandemic,” Baile said. According to the Maryland Department of Health, over 2 million people in Maryland are fully vaccinated, and thousands of people in Maryland have been receiving the vaccine each day.

History indicates radical, glamorous fashion trends GRACE COUGHLAN Senior Editor

It’s been a little over a year since our lives were turned upside down from the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s been a little over a year since most of us have worn more than what’s in our sweatpants drawer. With 30% of the United States being fully vaccinated, and Towson University returning to face-to-face instruction in the fall, it’s time to face the reintroduction to social gatherings, to reflect on what we’ve worn this past year and what trends will dictate our closet choices moving forward. As many others can attest, last spring was a time spent wearing nothing but oversized sweatshirts and sweatpants. Those two weeks in March when TU closed, which soon turned into many long months, proved to be the tipping point for fashion trends. Without classes, work and gatherings, there was no reason for us to dress our best. The shift from going to work and hanging out with friends to doing it all from the comfort of your home caused a major shift in the fashion industry. People didn’t have to fuss over what they were going to wear or what fancy attire to pick out for their weekly friends night, because we didn’t actually go anywhere. As I predicted last summer, fashion trends have shifted toward comfortability over style even as we start to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. Fashion markets like desk-todinner outfits and commuter styles make it easier for people to travel through their busy schedules in a cozy style. The creation of the capsule wardrobe by Caroline Rector is another market that allows individuals to create a limited wardrobe that operates on functionality. Rector recom-

mends selecting a set number of clothing pieces for your closet that can be changed each season to maintain a light, practical wardrobe. While there’s a lot of speculation of comfortability over style, I can’t help but wonder if people are finally tired of putting on the same outfit day-in and day-out. Although the possibility of wearing jeans is slightly terrifying, there’s a part of me that feels a spark of excitement when I think about being able to wear a new pair of jeans to class in the fall and I’m curious as to whether or not others are feeling the same. According to Elizabeth Segran, a writer for Fast Company, multiple designers believe loungewear will be tossed away in favor of more trendy and glamorous clothing items post-pandemic. In connection with a major change, designers have acknowledged that a lot of major fashion changes have come with the major world events, like wars and crisis’, and that it’s normal for there to be drastic shifts. “During World War II, for instance, women wore jeans and overalls as they took over men’s jobs,” Segran said. “Then, in 1947, Christian Dior unveiled his debut collection, which featured figure-hugging jackets, fitted waists, and A-line skirts. It was a radically feminine look that repudiated the utilitarian, masculinized garments of the previous years—and that was the point.” It’s really interesting to look back at fashion associated with past world events and compare them to what we’re all experiencing now. These radical shifts are natural responses that people may be having after experiencing such big change. “During moments of crisis, fashion pivots to meet the needs of the moment, but it tends to draw from trends that already existed,” Segran said. - To read the rest of this column online, visit thetowerlight.com.

eArts & Life

Summer 2021

Virtual concerts reshape the music industry NORMA SORTO Staff Writer

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the music industry in ways no one expected. Concerts were always a time for artists to connect with their fans. You’d see your favorite singer on stage and the feeling becomes a memory you’d never forget. In the past year, live shows were canceled until further notice. Musicians had their fans without performing live. Many music venues also have gone under business due to the uncertainty of the pandemic. In Washington, D.C, U Street Music Hall, owned by Will Eastman, closed its doors last year. As someone who has gone to many concerts at U Street Music Hall, I became to close down. Another concert venue, Rams Head Live, in Baltimore, MD, also closed down temporarily in May 2020. The National Independent Venue Association, a group of independent venues from across the nation, started the Save Our Stages movement. cial aid for independent venues, promoters, producers and artists. Musicians are now reinventing virtual concerts to perform again for their fans. Most live performances are streamed across various platforms such as Tik Tok, Instagram, My Music Taste, Youtube and Fortnite. Live streaming concerts provides a safe platform for artists and fans to reconnect. Many musicians are also using the platform to raise In August of last year, The Weeknd streamed his concert, known as “The Weeknd Experience” concert through Tik Tok. More than 2 million people streamed the live performance, and the event raised $350,000 for the Equal Justice Initiamitted to ending mass incarceration in the U.S. Travis Scott, an American rapper, year. The concert was only 15 minutes long, but the virtual experience is something you can’t experience in real life. The graphics and aesthetic of the concert were visually stunning. BTS is another excellent example

of how artists are taking advantage of virtual concerts. Their world tour was postponed last year due to the pandemic. Many fans were devastated by the sudden cancelation. However, BTS did a two-day concert event called “Map of the Soul ON:E,” in Seoul, South Korea, in October 2020. They sold over 993,000 tickets, and fans from all over the world got to see BTS perform. I was fortunate enough to see the live performances online. The production and set design were well put together. Toward the end of the concert, you could see every fan holding signs and singing along with the members. Even though I was not there in person, it was still a moment I will never forget. In the U.S., millions of people are getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, predicts that concerts can come back in fall 2021, depending on how many people are vaccinated by then. According to an article by Self, Dr. Fauci says that at least 75% to 85% of people need to be vaccinated for in-person concerts to be considered safe. Many artists like Bad Bunny and The Weeknd have already planned their tour for the following year. Live Nation, an entertainment company, predicts to have concerts back by summer 2021, according to Despite this, music festivals are a different story. This year, South by Southwest, a music festival in Austin, Texas, was held online. Coachella, another famous music festival, was canceled and pushed back for 2022. Music festivals are a bit hard to manage since thousands of people are known to attend. There’s still a long way to go for music festivals to take place. The real question is, will virtual concerts continue? The answer is yes. In-person concerts still have a long way to go. We’re not sure whether it is safe to have a large group gathering, especially in a concert venue. Even though people are starting to get vaccinated, there’s not enough evidence to support the idea of people going to concerts. If live concerts were to continue in person, people still need to follow social distancing and wearing masks. Although the music industry needs to have in-person shows, it’s crucial to protect people’s health.

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Sports

Summer 2021

ATHLETES REGAIN CONFIDENCE Teams bring home titles after year without play GRACE COUGHLAN Senior Editor

JORDAN KENDALL Senior Staff Writer @jordankendall54

Despite the challenges of competing during the COVID-19 pandemic, Towson University’s (TU) Athletic Program has found success through their teams and their players, including two Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championships from the Men’s Swimming and Diving team and Women’s Volleyball team. A total of 17 sports teams played during the spring 2021 season, after facing season postponements due to COVID-19. While spring sports teams were able to play during their regular season, several fall sports teams including volleyball, soccer, field hockey, and swimming and diving adjusted their seasons to this spring. Despite facing an oddly timed season, the Men’s Swimming and Diving team won their first CAA championship, and their first conference title since 1982. “Whenever you win the first one in conference history it means a lot,” Men’s Swimming and Diving Head Coach Jake Shrum said. “It

means a lot to our alumni, we got a lot of feedback from recent and past alumni. It makes you feel good as a coach and makes you feel good to have that level of support from alumni.” One challenge the Men’s Swimming and Diving team faced was training. Shrum says when they started there could only be one person in a lane. Eventually roommates were able to swim together, then finally swimmers were permitted on opposite ends of the pool. “The biggest challenge of any season, especially this year, was getting as much as you could of the workouts,” Shrum said. “Everyone was dealing with so much every day, our kids did a great job of using the pool as a getaway and just focus on swimming and not worrying about how [COVID-19] was impacting them.” Freshman swimmer Brian Benzing, who was recognized as the Most Outstanding Performer in the CAA Championship, also said the lack of time in the pool was a challenge. He also mentioned the difficulty of having positive COVID-19 cases on the team early in the season. “We had a rough start but once we buckled down and made sure no one was seeing anybody our cases stopped occurring and we were able to get consistent pool time and training time in,’’ Benzing said. In the CAA Championship

Benzing set two records, in the 100yard breaststroke in the preliminary round and final round. He also led off the 400-yard freestyle that the Tigers won by more than four seconds. The Tigers went 3-1 on the season, with their loss coming against Navy 188-100. They won their final three regular season meets against Loyola University, Mount St. Mary’s University and the University of Delaware. “Being able to say we had a successful year means more this year than in prior years,” Shrum said. TU’s Women’s Track and Field found success after the cancellation of their 2020 season. During their season opener at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) Invitational, the Tigers won seven individual events. The team went on to win the Towson Invitational with 79 points. The Tigers proved that COVID-19 would not stop them, with multiple players earning CAA Honors. Track and field junior Hayley Horvath was named CAA Women’s Field Athlete of the Week twice this season. Alongside her, freshman Kayla Thorpe also earned CAA Women’s Field Athlete of the Week. Junior Crystal Johnson received CAA Women’s Track Athlete of the Week for two weeks in a row this season. - To read the rest of this article online, visit thetowerlight.com.

File photo by Brendan Felch / The Towerlight

Due to COVID-19, tight restrictions were placed on pool use this past year. Nonetheless, the Men’s Swimming and Diving team won their first CAA Championship and first conference title since 1982.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ISOLATED BY TRAVEL BANS Pandemic border closings prompt tough decisions for some athletes ISAAC DONSKY Staff Writer

Many of Towson University’s international student-athletes have had their academic and athletic career affected by COVID-19, limiting their travel plans, ability to see family and having to endure different class schedules. Sophomore volleyball player Danielle Gravina hails from Burlington, Ontario. When TU switched to online learning in March 2020,

“I was initially excited to get two weeks off of school,” Gravina said. “Once I realized it would be a long time away from school and volleyball, I was frustrated.” According to Gravina, the pandemic has changed many aspects of her day-to-day life. “Things have changed a lot since the pandemic,” said Gravina. “We get tested for COVID[-19] very often, have to wear masks when we play and have to be mindful of who we are seeing outside of our team.” Due to the proximity of Canada, Gravina has been able to visit her family in Burlington several times since the pandemic began. Whethabide by Canada’s two-week quarantine requirement upon entering the country. “I miss my friends, family, and pets back home a lot,” Gravina said. “But now I am used to not seeing them for a few months at a time.” Unlike Gravina, freshman gymnast Amanda Pedicelli, who is from Quebec, has not been able to see her family since arriving on campus. “I wasn’t sure if I was even going to be able to drive down with all my dorm things,” Pedicelli said. “We had to call the borders multiple times to get an answer fore leaving.” Since joining TU’s Gymnastics Team, Pedicelli says she has had a busy schedule, but has been enjoying her time at TU. “Honestly, I thought I would be

more homesick since it has been so long, but I’ve been having such a fun time at college and I am always super busy so I never have much time to be missing home,” Pedicelli said. Pedicelli says that she’s kept up with her family by calling them almost every day. She also considers her teammates and coaches her family away from home. “Three of my teammates are my roommates, and we are basically sisters now,” Pedicelli said. “The older girls on the team always try to act as moms for us and take care of us when we need help. And the coaches always provide resources if we ever need to talk.” On the contrary, junior tennis player Themis Haliou believes nothing can replace the feeling of being among family and friends back home. “I miss how simple life is back home,” Haliou, a native of the island nation of Cyprus, said. “Cyprus is tiny, so there is never trafYou can be at the beach, and in less than an hour, you can be in the mountains.” Haliou says she initially stayed in the U.S. until the end of April of last year, until the Cypriot embassy could get her a plane back home. Upon arrival, she was quarantined by the Cypriot military for two weeks in a hotel. “I couldn’t leave the room or see my family,” Haliou said. “I would talk with them daily over text and video call around three times a week.” When her quarantine ended, Haliou remained in Cyprus for the rest of the spring semester and the entirety of the fall semester. She seven-hour time difference led to her taking her Zoom classes at 2 a.m. Cyprus time. “My professors understood that I had to be up so early,” Haliou said. “They would usually let me out earlier and always asked how I was. My coach was very understanding and supportive, and he would always have a weekly meeting where we would catch up on things so I wouldn’t feel left out of team activities.” - To read the rest of this article online, visit thetowerlight.com.

Sports

Summer 2021

BRINGING FANS BACK INTO THE STANDS Towson Athletics to allow full capacity attendance this fall JACOB SHINDEL Associate Editor

are the unknowns. “My staff is operating as if things will be back to normal in the Fall, but with an understanding that everything is still very

Brendan Felch/ The Towerlight

Towson Women’s Field Hockey participated in a postponed season this past spring semester due to the pandemic. The team will spend the summer training online and in-person for a second season this fall.

TIGERS FACE THE TEST OF TIME Fall teams prepare for upcoming second season CORY KEFAUVER Staff Writer

Many fall sports teams at Towson University (TU) found their seasons postponed in Fall 2020 and rescheduled for an abridged spring season. Teams that would normally play in the fall like women’s soccer, volleyball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, and field hockey all played in the spring. With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, the Tiger’s fall athletics teams that competed in the spring still managed to find success. These teams have recently wrapped up their seasons and are now preparing to play again in the fall. The Women’s Soccer head coach, Catherine Vettori, says she’s looking forward to the upcoming fall semester. “I think that the student athletes are in a really good place fitness wise,” Vettori said. “Hopefully we’ll go home and, and get a little downtime, but then get back to work. And hopefully, we can be more fit than we’ve ever been before coming in with the shorter turnaround.” Field Hockey Head Coach E.A. Jackson is excited about the upcoming fall season as well, particularly because the team has had consistent training since the beginning of the fall. She also cit-

ed having almost all the starting lineup from last year returning as a reason to be excited. “I think the advantage is we’ve been able to train all fall and all spring without any fits and stops.” Jackson said. According to TU Field Hockey junior defenseman Kasey Bubel, her and her teammates are focusing on rest in preparation for next season. “I think noticing that a little relaxation will actually help you in the long run,” Bubel said. “We’ve been on the go since last March, whether it be on zoom or in person. So giving ourselves a little break for muscles, to heal up mentally, relax during finals, get the academic side done. And then starting in mid May, we’ll start up our summer packets and start conditioning and getting back into shape for next season.” Bubel shared her excitement with returning to play in the fall, along with continuing the team’s momentum from last season. “Honestly, I’m pretty excited,” Bubel said. “And knowing that we have a lot of the starters and girls coming back from this past spring to the fall. We can kind of just keep running where we left off, and hopefully keep on building like we were the spring.” Recruiting has taken a hit during the pandemic. Vettori said that a dead period was imposed in March 2020. During a dead period, college coaches are not

allowed to have any face-to-face contact with potential college student-athletes or their parents and cannot watch athletes play or visit their high schools. “We’ve had to be creative,” Vettori said. “We’ve had to watch a lot of video. You know, I’ve done a lot of facetiming with recruits. It’s just a different way of recruiting without having to get them on campus for unofficial or official visits.” Coach Jackson has also taken a different approach to recruiting during the pandemic. She felt that a lot of recruits are being pushed to commit to programs without being able to take visits. Jackson said she cannot offer roster spots for players who have not met the team or even been to campus. “I have been very intentional about pausing our recruiting process, the only athletes we have been in constant contact with are athletes that we knew before,” Jackson said. While the recruitment process has been different, Jackson isn’t concerned about the rapidly approaching season. “Ultimately, for the first time since I’ve been here in four years, we have our entire starting lineup returning with one potential, we’re waiting to see in one pivotal spot, but it’s a really nice place to be to have our entire starting line,” Jackson said. - To read the rest of this article online, visit thetowerlight.com.

In line with their decision to in-person instruction in the fall, Towson University (TU) is planning to allow full capacity at all sporting events next season. The Athletics Department has already been given the opportunity to do a trial run for what full capacity might be like next year. On March 10, Gov. Larry Hogan announced that large outdoor venues could reopen to the public at 50% capacity. TU followed these guidelines, allowing 50% at outdoor sporting events. Men’s Lacrosse allowed for the largest fan capacity cap this past season at 5,000 people in Johnny Unitas Stadium, while Women’s Lacrosse at Tiger Field held 300 fans. Baseball and softball could each hold 200 fans at John B. Schuerholz Park and the Tiger Softball Stadium, respectively. According to Emily Costello, a fan development assistant for TU Athletics, while the University continues to plan for a return to campus next fall, TU will continue to follow local and CDC guidelines, which could mean changing fan capacity rules at any time during the seasons. “So we are hoping that if it’s outside or inside our full capacity, obviously, we have to follow the guidelines of what [Gov. Hogan] says,” Costello said. “And then again, what university wants, but we’re hoping that it’s going to be full capacity.” TU freshman Danny Florenzo says that he is excited to have the opportunity to attend games. that,” Florenzo said. “Especially since this year, as a freshman, I didn’t get the whole experience. for sure be a lot more fun.” Travis Fuller, assistant athletic director for game day experience at TU, said the hardest part about planning for the upcoming season

This year, student-athletes had tight restrictions on physical interactions with non-team members. Costello hopes these restrictions will ease or no longer be in place this fall. “We’re just hoping to interact with our fans, hoping to create the experience for both our Towson community and our Towson student-athletes, and also having parents to be able to talk to their players after a game,” Costello said. There have yet to be any protocols established regarding the vaccination status of non-fan attendees of sporting events. Costello said that the expectation is that all fans, whether they may be students, faculty, staff, or outside members, must be fully vaccinated, but nothing is concrete yet. TU is looking to increase fan engagement by bringing back incentives for students. Costello says they hope halftime shows and activities are able to make a comeback next season, in the form of possible pee wee football games, or TU groups performing. Costello also wants to see giveaways come back during timeouts. “We hope to be able to give out t-shirts, give out water bottles, and all that we haven’t been able to do this year,” said Costello. Fuller hopes that the return of fans in sporting events will already draw fans back to the games, but they are also implementing programs to boost and promote fan attendance at games. “We’re hoping that with the kind of lack of events and lack of entertainment that people have had over these past 14-15 months, that once the fall rolls around, people will be anxious to come to some of our Towson events,” Fuller said. - To read the rest of this article online, visit thetowerlight.com.

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