The Towerlight (February 20, 2018) by The Towerlight

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February 20, 2018

A look at the season ahead. pgs. 16, 17, 18 Photo by Brendan Felch, Photo Illustration by Victoria Nicholson /The Towerlight

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February 20, 2018

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Social

February 20, 2018

Editor-in-Chief Marcus Dieterle Senior Editor Jordan Cope News Editor Bailey Hendricks Asst. News Editor Mary-Ellen Davis Assoc. Arts & Life Editor Kerry Ingram Asst. Arts & Life Editor McKenna Graham Sports Editor Karuga Koinange Asst. Sports Editor Billy Owens

Senior Staff Writer Sarah Rowan

SEX IN THE DARK

Leah Volpe Keri Luise Rohan Mattu Muhammad Waheed Deb Greengold Sophia Bates

Assoc. Photo Editor Brendan Felch

Noon, Center for Student Diversity, University Union, Room 313.

Marcus Dieterle Brittany Whitham Joe Noyes

General Manager Mike Raymond Art Director Victoria Nicholson Webmaster

This Bike Safety training seminar will go over the some of the tips and tricks that will help Towson University Students start off on the right foot.

BEING BLACK WHILE Want to learn about what being black while abroad in other countries could be like? Come ABROAD

David Fisher Simon Enagonio

Sarah Rowan

BIKE SAFETY TRAINING

Noon, University Union, 0204 Loch Raven Room.

Staff Photographers Jordan Cope

Proofreaders Alex Best

Stay anonymous in this lights-off event while professional “sexperts” answer your deepest, darkest questions.

8 p.m., West Village Commons, Ballroom A.

Jill Gattens Jessica Ricks

Meg Hudson

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Staff Writers Desmond Boyle

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FEBRUARY

hear from and later chat with black TU students’ study abroad experiences and how race was perceived in their overseas destinations. Learn different note taking styles so that you can succeed in all of your courses this semester.

NOTE TAKING STRATEGIES

11 a.m., Cook Library, Room 513.

BLACK COMIC BOOK MINI-FEST

11 a.m., College of Liberal Arts, Second Floor.

The Black Comic Book Mini-Fest features a panel of comic book professionals, hands-on workshops for all ages, exhibits, a marketplace, cosplay and special surprises.

Circulation Staff Shawn Halerz Dom Capparuccini Elssa Kenfack

TOWSON

TRENDING. 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. ©2017 by The Towerlight, 8000 York Rd, Towson, MD 21252. All rights reserved.

Please Recycle!

MORE EVENTS CAN BE FOUND AT

EVENTS.TOWSON.EDU

TOWSON PARKING

@ vtende17

@GimmeMORT New Olympic sport: getting out of the Towson Dunkin parking lot alive

@ Trizzy_Trezz Towson needs to open these teachers parking spots up to the students

Worked out this morning, ate breakfast and happened to find parking at Towson

@ denisesarap the parking situation in towson is a mess like it really shouldn’t take me half an hour to find a spot

Opinion

February 20, 2018

Skepticism about trigger warnings in class

Why some Towson University professors want to omit them in their classrooms JENNIFER BALLENGEE University Senate Chair, TU English Professor

The Towerlight published an article titled "SGA updates student body on progress of platform promises," in its Feb. 6 issue. The article included a quote from SGA President James Mileo who said, "If we get [the trigger warning initiative] passed, it shows the faculty are acknowledging mental health on campus and that mental health affects education." There are a couple of things about this statement that I want to tease out.

First, if some faculty are resistant to the trigger warning initiative, this does not necessarily mean they don’t care about student health. In fact, in some ways, some faculty may feel they are acting in students’ best health interests in affording them the opportunity to deal with challenging ideas in the safe space of the classroom -- and thus coming to some greater understanding of these serious issues within a supportive community, rather than when they are suddenly and violently sprung on one in “real life.” Many have argued, and

a number of studies confirm, that the kind of hypothetical “thinking in an emergency” that can happen in a classroom makes people better equipped to deal with such traumatic incidents when they occur in one’s life. In addition, the trigger warning reflects upon faculty curriculum in a way that some faculty feel strongly about—and in some cases for good reason. We are in a supportive university environment at Towson, but you can see the kind of nationalist, even fascist, fervor that’s happening around the world (and in

some respects in our own nation), and in some places in our world even now there are governmental controls over what can and can’t be taught. I think that the direction our country has seemed headed in recently may remind us that it is not impossible that that sort of censorship could happen even in our own country. The fear of that is one of the main reasons for academic freedom, and the reason that some faculty are protective of their syllabi. I’m not saying that either of these positions are my own viewpoint, but I want to suggest

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Photo by Jordan Cope/ The Towerlight Senior Editor Jordan Cope visited the Newseum in Washington, D.C. The Newseum is an interactive museum on Pennsylvania Avenue where visitors can experience past and present news events through the eyes of the media.

that they are legitimate viewpoints, and that neither is reflective upon a general attitude about the importance of student health. Second, the problem as I see it isn’t that faculty don’t acknowledge mental health or its effect on education. I’m not sure where this idea is coming from. Every faculty member I know at TU recognizes quite clearly how mental health impacts education, and feels strongly that they want the best mental health support possible for students at TU. Indeed, most faculty I know— including myself—have found themselves needing to negotiate students’ mental health inside and outside of the classroom, whether simply in providing support and understanding or in managing violent outbursts that may come from traumatized or otherwise suffering students. So we care about mental health for students. The problem is that more resources at TU need to be devoted to supporting mental health needs here. This is the reason we are short of counselors, and other mental health facilities and support mechanisms. This is a budget question, one that the TU administration determines. In my opinion, that should be our first concern: building the resources that our growing student body needs for mental health (which is necessary for academic success) before we sink millions into a fancy gym and athletic complex, for example. Physical health is also very important, of course; but in my opinion, mental health should come first. I wish I could help the student body see that faculty at TU are on the side of students. If the faculty members here didn’t care about teaching and students, many of us would have chosen different (more lucrative) career paths. We are here because we care deeply about students and about the value of education, for everyone. - To submit your own letter to the editor, please email senior@ thetowerlight.com

Opinion

February 20, 2018

CALLING ON CONGRESS To ensure safety, Americans need reform

A desperate call to U.S. citizens to make change within the Republican Party RYAN KIRBY Columnist CONNOR McNAIRN Columnist

During the sweltering summer of 1787, 55 men descended upon Philadelphia with the goal of revising the previously installed Articles of Confederation – a document that, in short, failed to institute responsible means of tax collection and allotted far too much power to the individual states. After a monthslong campaign filled with debating and strategizing, and only after the statesmen drank their fill of Madeira, whiskey and beer, 39 delegates signed the new Constitution on September 17, 1787. Widely regarded as a key Federalist victory, the Constitution designed a system of government that thoughtfully separated the legislative, executive and judicial branches. But according to James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, George Mason and the rest of the Antifederalists, the document failed to include the necessary inalienable liberties that, to these men, must be explicitly protected. The Second Amendment expounds upon one of the most contentious of the aforesaid liberties. The entire Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads as follows: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Through a contemporary lens, the ardent defender of gun ownership will often cite the latter clauses – “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed” – in defense of liberal, and sometimes unfettered, rights to own firearms. But in the pursuit of intellectual honesty and, frankly, a safer place to live, we deem it necessary to reconsider the original intent and context of the Second Amendment as written. During the Constitutional

Convention, the Federalists supported a federally-controlled army and navy, as they saw this structure most effective in defending the infant nation. Contrariwise, the Antifederalists viewed a government-controlled military with skepticism and fear, and therefore supported state militias as a means of national defense. As Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution indicates, the Federalists won this debate, and the power to regulate matters concerning military function were granted to the legislature. So, how did the Antifederalists respond? With the creation of the Second Amendment, the Antifederalists ensured the protection of state militias through a guarantee of the right to bear arms. Objectively, this provision added to the Constitution in 1791 stood to defend the states against a potentially tyrannical government that might use its military powers to effectively render the states powerless. It is clear, however, that over the past two centuries, the same fears shared by the authors of the Second Amendment are no longer present. When the Second Amendment was ratified, the average citizen feared not of being shot by his own neighbor, but rather, through the ubiquitously shared “Spirit of ’76,” the idea of British resurgence, tyrannical government, and defenselessness. Moreover, the weapons widely circulated in the late eighteenth century consisted of muskets, long rifles, sabers and cannons. In stark contrast, the modern American fears being shot in an elementary school classroom and a movie theater screening “Batman.” Regularly, American media outlets tell of “breaking news” that is all too often neither novel nor shocking. Clearly, it is no longer 1791. The gun violence epidemic in this country continues to take the lives of thousands of Americans each year (more than 33,000 per year, according to the CDC), and last Wednesday, it claimed the lives of 17 children and staff at Marjory

Stoneman Douglas High School. The usual Republican response was to offer thoughts and prayers, condemn the evil human being who did this, and deflect any blame from the very weapon that made this tragedy possible. In the wake of any other tragedy claiming so many innocent lives, the proper response is to mourn the lost loved ones and take action to ensure it does not happen again; unless, of course, that tragedy is a mass shooting. The latest NRA/GOP talking point has been to blame mental illnesses. We absolutely agree that the U.S. needs to do something to more adequately address the mental health needs of our citizens. That said, let's check the track record of the GOP on mental health. President Donald Trump repealed a rule created by the Obama administration that helped keep guns out of the hands of those with mental illnesses. Every health care plan put forward by the Republicans and the Trump administration gutted Medicaid, and would have taken mental healthcare away from millions of Americans who need it most. The GOP is lying straight to your face when they say they care about mental health; we know this because by every measure and at every turn, the party has done literally nothing to address the issue. The next NRA/GOP talking point is that the solution to gun violence in schools is to arm teachers. The logic of, “if bad guys have a gun, then we need one too to defend ourselves too,” sounds like quite an effective way to sell guns. Somehow, the party that refuses to pay for pencils for students is now attempting to allocate funds to give teachers guns. Not only is this approach quixotic, but it just makes society less safe. It has been consistently proven that in areas with more guns, there are more gun deaths, homicides and suicides. It is also important to mention that Marjory Stoneman Douglas High had an armed resource officer and 17 people died. Armed guards are not the solution, as they do not deter people who have no regard for

the lives of others, much less their own. The Texas Church Shooting last November had a good guy with a gun, and 26 people lost their lives. The solution is clear. We don't need a good guy with a gun, but instead, we need to make it so the bad guy doesn’t have the chance to obtain one. Republicans at every level of government have valued campaign contributions over the lives of children. After each shooting, Democrats have put forward legislation that is supported by the vast majority of Americans, but blocked by the GOP-controlled Congress. Instead of arming everyone to the teeth, we need to enact common sense gun control now. The only way to prevent the mass shooting of tomor-

row is to enact common sense gun control today. We have absolutely no faith in any member of the Republican Party to do the right thing when it comes to truly protecting American citizens from gun violence. Republicans will continue to deflect blame onto mental health issues, which they do not care about, or they will say the solution is to have everyone attend prison-like school campuses. The only way to get true reform is to vote the Republican Party out of existence and elect candidates who will put the safety of American children before campaign contributions. After all, our right to live most assuredly outweighs your right to own a military-grade assault weapon.

Asia's Healing Arts FEB. 15 thru

MAY 19 Monday - Saturday 11am - 4pm Asian Arts Gallery Center for the Arts Closed Mar. 18-25

ASIAN ARTS & CULTURE CENTER SPRING 2018

towson.edu/asianarts

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News

February 20, 2018

Trigger warnings could be required MARCUS DIETERLE Editor-in-Chief @marcusdieterle GRAYSON TUMMINGS Contributing Writer

FLORIDA SHOOTING SURVIVORS TELL TRUMP TO “COME TO US” PARKLAND, FLORIDA

President Donald Trump declined an invitation to speak at an upcoming town hall on gun violence following Wednesday’s shooting rampage that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The White House has since announced a “listening session” with students, though it is unclear whether students from the school will attend the session, saying that it is a way for Trump to avoid angry survivors. Florida Gov. Rick Scott has also allegedly declined an invitation to speak at the town hall meeting.

BRONX TEACHER “ENLISTS” SCHOOL KIDS TO HELP PREPARE EXPLOSIVES THE BRONX, NEW YORK New York police and federal agents recently investigated the apartment of teacher Christian Toro where they discovered a jar of black powder, which was found to be iron oxide, among other chemicals that can be highly explosive when combined. The investigation into Toro’s apartment began after a teen girl, who had earlier been arrested for calling in a bomb threat at Toro’s suggestion, forgot to tell investigators that the teacher had allegedly paid her and a friend to empty black powder from fireworks. During the investigation, authorities found a backpack that contained the makings of a Boston Marathon-type bomb, thermite, and metal spheres, along with a note reading “under the full moon the small ones will know terror.” Toro and his twin brother, Tyler Toro, were arrested and arraigned in Manhattan federal court last week. The two were charged with unlawfully manufacturing a destructive device.

GIANT TRUMP CHICKEN DESCENDS ON ALCATRAZ SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

A group of protesters set off from Fisherman’s Wharf in a boat Saturday with a 33-foot inflatable chicken attached to it. The chicken, which resembled President Donald Trump, was outfitted in giant prison clothes. The boat made its way towards Alcatraz, with a banner on the side that read “Transporting Prisoner 00045,” and circled the island twice at five miles per hour before sailing back towards the San Francisco coast to show the bird off to weekend crowds. The idea for the inflatable bird was originally conceived when a right-wing rally was scheduled to take place in San Francisco last August. Other chickens have popped up in various U.S. cities like Vista, California, and Washington, D.C.

-- Stories compiled by Mary-Ellen Davis. Stories from The Daily Beast.

Towson University’s Student Government Association is advocating for the University Senate to pass legislation that would require professors to provide trigger warnings to alert students about lessons that contain potentially distressing material. SGA is urging the University to require professors to either mention sensitive subjects in their syllabi, or notify students at least 48 hours in advance of the class that will be covering the potentially triggering content. The University Senate was set to discuss the trigger warning initiative on Feb. 19. The meeting did not occur in time for The Towerlight’s print deadline, but we will continue to provide updates. If the University Senate votes and passes the trigger warning legislation, it will then go to TU President Kim Schatzel who will be able to approve or veto the policy. Jennifer Ballengee, the chair of the University Senate and an English professor, said that while she understands SGA’s desire for trigger warnings, she also sees the value in exploring uncomfortable topics. “I think that we can learn from discomfort, so I worry that trigger warnings coddle all of us into blocking out terrible things,” Ballengee said. “As a professor who teaches literature—even ancient works like the ‘Iliad’ contain scenes of terrible violence and references to rape—I see the classroom as a safe and supportive environment in which we can confront those difficult, even traumatic, events and work through them together.” SGA President James Mileo acknowledged that discomfort can elevate classroom discussions, but he wants to make sure the University is “no longer conflating trauma with discomfort.” “The difference between discomfort and trauma is that there is a physiological response to trauma which does not allow for students to learn,” Mileo said. “It disrupts the learning process, whereas discomfort enhances the learning process and encourages learning.” Without trigger warnings, Mileo said students who have experienced traumatic events may be unprepared to participate in those discussions and can actually be forced to relive their trauma. Students like freshman forensic chemistry major Dyllon Collier believe that it is important that Towson works to take care of the mental health of their students. “There are a lot of people who

undergo a lot of stress in college,” Collier said, “This isn’t high school. It’s not always easy. As suicide is becoming more common in universities, offering help to students would be a very good thing to do.” Similarly, freshman marketing major Cameron Williams believes that because of the amount of stress that comes with being a college student, it is crucial that colleges take care of their students through things like the trigger warning initiative. “In college, when people are always stressed about things and going through a lot all the time, it will definitely be good for them to know that there is always someone to talk to and that people on campus care about what they’re going through,” Williams said. Collier said that by passing this initiative, it would also be a good way for Towson to attract potential students who want to go to school in an inclusive environment. “If certain people are looking for programs and people that care about their students’ well-being, it will give them a positive boost,” Collier said. Richard Vatz, a member of the University Senate and a rhetoric and communication professor, believes trigger warnings could hinder academic freedom at Towson. Vatz said he doesn’t have an issue with making students aware of certain topics, but that making trigger warnings mandatory goes too far. “I have often let my classes know when a troubling topic will come up, but when I do, I often fear that I create a self-fulfilling prophecy of bad reactions,” he said. “There is no case in which a university should make trigger warnings mandatory. Part of our mission as professors is to prepare students for life after graduation. Who is going to trigger warn graduates in the rough workaday world about uncomfortable topics coming up?” Ballengee said she also worries the sentiment behind the SGA’s motion will be lost in their word choice of instituting mandatory trigger warnings. “To ‘require’ faculty to put something on a syllabus potentially violates academic freedom,” she said. “If the motion were ‘encouraging’ or even ‘urging’ faculty to include warnings on syllabi, some of the resistance that some faculty have to the notion would probably diminish.” On Feb. 15, the day after a gunman shot and killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Vatz discussed the shooting with his advanced communication classes.

“There is often no time to warn students of discussion topics,” Vatz said. “There was no problem, as my students are adults and can and must be able to handle difficult issues in a university classroom.” But freshman pre-nursing major Sabrina Mohabir said she recognizes the effect that viewing potentially triggering media can have on one’s mental health. “If someone has gone through something that they recognize as a traumatic event, it can definitely affect them,” Mohabir said. “Mental health not only affects someone’s mental well-being, but also their actions as well.” While Mohabir believes many students would benefit from having the trigger warning initiative in place, she also said students who experience difficulties with their mental health often go to their friends for support rather than a professor or a counselor. “When my roommate has a mental breakdown, she realizes that she can find comfort in her friends and family,” Mohabir said. Vatz said he wishes more TU community members were aware of the trigger warning issue that is currently in front of the University Senate. “The lack of student and faculty and administrative and staff awareness that the Senate will be voting on such a contentious material issue is an abrogation of responsibility of the Senate and the Student Government Association.” Ballengee also said she wishes there were more conversations between faculty and students about the trigger warning issue. “I worry that the motion may cut off that conversation before it has really begun,” Ballengee said. “It is too easy for people to ‘take sides’ over issues like this, hewing to ideological principles rather than listening and learning and hopefully coming to a consensus.” Ballengee commended the SGA leaders for their commitment to creating an inclusive campus, but she worries they and other students do not realize that faculty share that commitment. “The current SGA leadership has an admirable commitment to social justice and diversity, which often produces lively dialogue in the Senate,” Ballengee said. “However, sometimes I wish that they recognized that most faculty are also deeply committed to working on the same issues, pushing for justice and inclusiveness with just as much passion. I think we could all learn from talking and listening more to each other on the Senate and on the TU campus as a whole.”

News

February 20, 2018

Sexual health vending machines Tigers give back

to greater Baltimore ALBERT IVORY Contributing Writer

Brendan Felch/ The Towerlight

Vending machines across campus would give students access to sexual health items like pregnancy tests, condoms, and other contraceptives. Free condoms are also currently available in most dorms.

SOPHIA BATES Staff Writer @sbrookebates

The Student Government Association is working on an initiative to launch vending machines around campus that would offer multiple sexual health and reproductive health products, ranging from menstrual products to Plan B, according to SGA Director of Health and Wellness Airial Turner. “The idea came from President [James] Mileo,” Turner said. “He basically told me that we wanted to see a lot of things, like pregnancy tests, menstrual cups, pads, tampons, condoms and Plan B. Basically the machine is just another cost-effective way for students to be able to get the products at a certain time.” According to Turner, the SGA is hoping to install three vending machines around campus: one in the 24-hour room in Cook Library, one in the Union and one in the West Village Commons. However, there is no official launch date yet. Sexual Violence Prevention Educator Kailah Carden noted the importance of easier access for students to items that these machines would provide. “I think access to reproductive and sexual health items and needs are really important for everyone, including college students,” Carden said. “In terms of menstrual products, that’s

obviously something people may al, but periods are not.” need 24 hours a day, not just In terms of cost, the SGA is still when they have easy access to working on what the machines a store. The same goes for sexwill be able to provide for free and what items will require stuual health. If you don’t plan ahead, you may need access to dents to pay for them. that when a store is not open, One of the items in the and you don’t machines will have a conbe the emervenient locagency contraI think access to tion to get ceptive, Plan B. reproductive and what you may This is an oversexual health items need.” the-counter pill According that is used to and needs are really to freshdecrease the important for everychance of pregman Jaline one, including Vasquez, mennancy if taken within 72 hours strual health college students of unprotected items are an sex or birth item she looks control failure. for ward to Plan B is also being able to KAILAH CARDEN available in the obtain easier. Sexual Violence Prevention Educator Health Center, “As women, according to we don’t have Carden. a choice in “In terms of Plan B, there needing feminine products, so will be the regular kind and it feels good that the University there will also be Ella, which would be helping us obtain and is another brand,” Turner said. afford these products,” Vasquez “This is due to the fact that said. there is a weight requirement Freshman Alexa Biddle agreed, for Plan B.” citing that access to condoms Mileo said the SGA’s vision on campus is abundant and that behind creating the vending access to feminine hygiene prodmachines was to maintain a safe ucts should be as well. and equitable environment for “Although there are some students. places on campus to find free “The idea behind this is not menstrual health products, they only to increase conversations are usually out of the way and about sexual health and actually only offer a limited supply, while normalize it by putting it out condoms are offered at every resthere, but also to provide equitaidence hall in an unlimited supply,” Biddle said. “Sex is optionble access to it,” Mileo said.

“

Towson University students volunteered at the Maryland Food Bank on Feb. 15, where they froze and packaged meals as part of TU Serves, a community service-based student organization on campus. TU Serves volunteers at a different organization every month around the greater Baltimore region. Next month, the organization will volunteer at the Believe in Tomorrow House, an organization that provides accommodations to families of children receiving treatment at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. Lisa Hill, the Office of Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility’s coordinator of community service, decided this month’s TU Serves students would volunteer at Maryland Food Bank because the organization advocates for issues that often get little attention. “It’s a great place that provides opportunities and job skills for students,” Hill said. “They advocate for many issues that don’t get too much attention, such as food insecurity. Also, it feels great to give food to those in need.” The Maryland Food Bank is a nonprofit hunger-relief organization whose mission is to lead the movement to end hunger throughout the state. With facilities in Baltimore, Salisbury and Hagerstown, the organization distributes over 100,000 meals per day and more than 37 million meals annually. Their network spans soup kitchens, pantries and schools which distribute food throughout 21 counties and Baltimore city. In Maryland, 682,280 people -- or

one in nine Maryland residents -experience food insecurity, according to the Maryland Food Bank. Even though Maryland is one of the wealthiest states in the country, some communities are still facing challenges with the cost of living and struggle to put food on the table. Thirty-three percent of people who are in the service-area of the food bank earn more than what the federal and state relief calls for eligibility. Thousands of Marylanders depend on food banks and other hunger-relief organizations to acquire basic necessities. Hill also noted that First Fridays, which was a monthly community service event for Towson students, gained so much interest and popularity among students that OCESR expanded the program into TU Serves to make those volunteer opportunities possible on other days of the week. Freshman Mikayla McCall has been involved in community service in the Towson community since she enrolled at TU. “I participated in First Fridays and love community service,” McCall said. “It also gives me the chance to meet new people and make friends since we share a common interest. I just love it.” Bethany Williams, also a freshman, believes food insecurity is an under-addressed topic and she feels passionate about community service. “Community service is something that I’ve always been passionate about,” Williams said. “I’m a part of Tigers Serving Others, so I always enjoy it. Food insecurity is a topic that I don’t feel gets addressed enough, so I felt obligated to come here.”

Courtesy of the Office of Civic Engagement & Social Responsibility

TU Serves volunteered at the Maryland Food Bank Feb. 15 to help package and freeze meals in an effort to combat food insecurity.

News

February 20, 2018

How to protect against deadly flu On Friday it was reported that last week, 1 in every 13 visits to the doctor were for flu-like symptoms. This is the highest level it has been in a decade, according to Time Magazine. For the first time in 13 years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that as of Jan. 6, every part of the continental U.S. showed “widespread” flu activity, according to Time Magazine. The flu has taken 22 children’s lives between Feb. 10 and Feb. 17. The number of flu-related pediatric deaths this reported is now at least 84 in America since Oct. 1, 2017, according to the latest report from the CDC. Director of the Health Center Matthias Goldstein and Health Center medical staff member Dr. Rocela Lopez answered some questions to give advice to students on how to stay healthy during the flu season. What exactly is the flu? How can students determine if they have it or not? Influenza, well known as the “flu,” is an acute respiratory illness caused by viruses. Typical symptoms are abrupt in onset and include fever (defined as temperature elevation 100 degrees or above) combined with either cough or sore throat, or both these symptoms are present. Other symptoms that might occur but not necessarily present are headaches, body aches, nasal stuffiness and fatigue. Flu season occurs during the colder months. Exactly how bad is the flu this year for students? The academic calendar is always helpful to us because campus is closed as flu spreads across the country in late December and through January. That said, we always have an upswing in flu cases in February and early March. Fortunately, we are not seeing as many flu cases [at Towson] as being reported across the country. Are students more likely to get the flu/ more highly prone when on campus? How so? We have a “natural” level of protection due to students being off campus until late January. Anytime a large number of people lives in close quarters, there is a risk for flu spread. What should students do to pre-

vent the flu/ protect themselves from it? Get the flu shot each year; try to avoid close contact with sick people, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze; wash your hands often with soap and water (if soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub); avoid touching your eyes; nose and mouth, clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu; and while sick, limit contact with others as

Courtesy of Kenston Schools

much as possible to keep from infecting them. If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. Your fever should be gone for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medicine. Can you get vaccinated and still get the flu? Why/ why not? Yes, each year health experts predict what flu viruses will be spreading that year. They are not always 100 percent correct. This year, the flu shot is only about 1/3 completely effective. If you do get the flu after getting the flu shot, the hope is that you won’t get it as badly. Flu vaccines are primarily given prior to the onset of the flu season before around October. After that time, the CDC still recommends anyone over the age of 6 months to get the flu shot up until there are none left, or the flu season is over. Its officially not too late but availability might be an issue. What are the benefits of flu vaccination? Flu shots help your body learn how to fight the flu so that when it hits, you can then fight it off. The flu vaccine exposes your body to a “killed” form of the projected flu

virus for the upcoming season. Your body’s immune system then builds up immunity (meaning it trains itself how to fight it off). Then when the real flu hits, your body is ready to fight it off. Even when the flu shot is not completely effective as is the case this year, it still makes the flu cases less severe if you get it. What vaccines are recommended? What are the differences between them? Recommended Flu Vaccines: Trivalent (3 compound vaccine) and Quadrivalent (4 component Vaccines). There is a standard trivalent flu shot (inactivated influenza virus) and another one that is a high dose trivalent shot for older people above age 65 years old. There is the egg free recombinant trivalent shot and another one that has an adjuvant (added ingredient that helps create a stronger immune response in the patient’s body for those who are 65 years and older). There are also quadrivalent shots available that covers two types of Influenza A and 2 types of Influenza B. When does the flu season usually peak? Why? The timing of flu is very unpredictable and can vary in different parts of the country and from season to season. Seasonal flu viruses can be detected year-round; however, seasonal flu activity often begins as early as October and November and can continue to occur as late as May. Flu activity most commonly peaks in the United States between December and February. The flu dies out when there is no one else to spread it to, either people protect themselves or built up immunity from the vaccine or after being exposed. What are emergency warning signs of the flu? In adults: difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion, severe or persistent vomiting, and flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worse cough. Anything else you’d like to add? Any more general care advice? The treatment for flu is generally supportive care, meaning: rest, keep hydrated, and taking Tylenol or Motrin for fever. Antibiotics do not help with the flu and antivirals are generally not needed. For high risk individuals, such as those with asthma, diabetes or heart disease, antivirals may be indicated. - Compiled by Keri Luise

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12 February 20, 2018

Arts & Life

TU hosts vintage gaming night Marriage doesn’t Students reminisce on retro games just mean romance DEB GREENGOLD Staff Writer

As the semester gains momentum, having weekend plans can take some stress off of college studies. One way to spend a weekend on campus? A renovated vintage-style game night, like the one held by Weekends@TU Friday. Weekends@TU held its regular Vintage Arcade Game Night Feb. 16, in the West Village Commons. The event was planned as a way to bring students together to enjoy some nostalgic games and socialize with fellow gamers. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 20 percent of student gamers felt “moderately or strongly” that gaming helped their social lives. Some students, like freshman Jeremy Andreas, became aware of the event through their friends. “[I found out about this event] through my friend Danny,” Andreas said. “I usually go to sporting events, but Danny convinced me [otherwise].” Andreas said he hopes to come back next year and recommend his friends to come out. “Yes, I actually texted a bunch of them to come,” he said. At the arcade night, there were multiple games that TU students could play including,”Aliens Armagedon,” “Sno Cross,” “Street Fighter 2” and “Pac Man.”

MCKENNA GRAHAM Assistant Arts & Life Editor

Deb Greengold/ The Towerlight

Weekends@TU holds its vintage game night for students to destress, wind down, and get social while spending weekends on campus. Students with varying tastes in videogames had an opportunity to try out other types of games for the night. Weekends@TU, whose sole purpose is to create events for students to participate in on campus during weekends, promoted the event on social media. The organization caught freshman Ayotide Bello’s interest through a tweet. “I believe I found out about [the event] through Twitter,” Bello said. “I was looking for something to do this weekend so, I searched up Towson and this popped up.” Bello later told her friend, Remi Ajani, about the gaming night, and the two came out for the experience, showcasing the “social domino effect” a throwback-style

arcade night can have. They noted that their two favorite games of the night were “Aliens Armagedo” and “Sno Cross”, and that they hope to see more modern games like “Just Dance” and “Mario Kart” at future Weekends@TU gaming events. The Vintage Arcade Game Night is just one of the many events that Weekends@TU has to offer. Graduate student Rachel Gorenstein and staff member Craig Scott, who were leading the night, welcomed anyone to come out to future events. Scott recommended students to follow the organization on social media. Students can stop by Room 217 in the University Union to sign up for Weekends@TU’s newsletter and stay updated on future events.

Deb Greengold/ The Towerlight

Students get together to enjoy a vintage version of the classic game “Pacman” in West Village Commons.

Believe it or not, this is not just a book about marriage, and it certainly isn’t a love story in the generally conceived sense. Tayari Jones is more clever than that. This is not a story about a man and a woman falling in love, or about a love triangle, or about a love that endures the test of time, although all of these elements are incorporated. So if this is not a love story, what is it? The answer is, it’s a story about love, in the most general form. Love between couples, love between parents and children, the love of a life you’ve cultivated for yourself, and the love of a life you’ll never have again. Jones has crafted a story about the modern American South and what it means to have, to hold, and to lose the American Dream. Celestial and Roy are the two driving forces of the story. They’ve been married for a bit over a year when Roy is falsely accused and found guilty of a devastating crime that sends him to jail for a twelve-year sentence. For the two of them, this is too intense a test too early into their marriage. Their relationship, which has always been marked by passionate arguments, begins to strain under the weight of such a life-crushing situation. Celestial turns to a childhood friend, Andre, for help and comfort in dealing with such a rough time, while Roy finds himself cultivating a friendship of sorts with his cellmate. All the while, their lawyer is hard at work to get him out from behind bars, but especially in the deep South, when a black man is convicted of a crime, the outlook turns bleak. Five years pass; the lawyer comes through; Roy is released from prison. He’s lost his promising career, his beautiful wardrobe of suits, and seems to have lost his wife. Their shared dream of owning a shop for Celestial’s hand-crafted dolls has taken off without him. Roy, a man who based his worth on what he had to offer the world,

is left behind by his own dream. I reassert that this is not a story about marriage, whatever the title may lead you to think. Sure, the book incorporates several different marital relationships in order to teach Roy and Celestial each about what it means to be legally joined to someone else, but to name this book “An American Marriage” based solely on Roy’s and Celestial’s relationship makes several unfounded implications about what it means to be married in today’s society. This is a story about what you value, respect, and love. You are following Roy as he readjusts to life after prison, following Celestial as she navigates her relationships with her husband, her dearest friend, and her passion, and following everyone else’s negotiations with the reality of today’s legal and moral systems. Jones’s artistic capabilities are strong in the sense that she endeavors not simply to tell the story of these characters, but to flesh them out so that you, as a reader, can get to know them, understand their strengths and shortcomings, and rethink your own moral positions. Some of the decisions Roy makes are unimaginable to me, except when I read them from his perspective, and likewise with the other characters. The truth is that Jones is writing about characters in their late twenties to early thirties, and their decisions reflect this. Roy misses out on five years of development within his life and thus comes out of prison stunted somehow, but everyone else seems to mature in their own ways as they come into their own definitions of adulthood. The reason this book got four out of five stars is because it was a good read, but I don’t feel like I really got anything out of it. It gave me the chance to peer into another life, one I’ll never know, but Jones didn’t tell me anything about it. This was a snapshot of life with no caption; I was supposed to make of it what I wanted, but I didn’t feel that the writing was strong enough for me to do anything other than say, “That was an interesting picture.”

Arts & Life

February 20, 2018

Getting fit, minus the dieting NOELLE HARADA Columnist

Couresty of filminquiry.com

Wes Anderson, a Texas native, is known for his directorial styles shown in movies like “Rushmore” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox”.

The musical world of Wes Anderson CHLOË WILLIAMS Columnist

Wes Anderson is an American film director best-known for his witty, artistic movies filled with colorfully told adventures in distant lands. However, these films would be incomplete if not for the unique soundtracks that help to tell the stories. Each movie has its own aesthetic, cultivated in part by the music present. Below is a selection from each of Wes Anderson’s movies that will take you to the highly symmetrical worlds of weird and wonderful people (and foxes). “RUSHMORE” “Making Time” by The Creation is the audience’s introduction to Max Fischer, a student at Rushmore preparatory school who has a foot in every club on campus and his eyes on the new first-grade teacher Rosemary Cross. “Making Time” is used to convey how important Rushmore is to Max, as he spends countless hours directing plays, leading the fencing team, and beekeeping. Come for the mischievous misadventures of Max as he tries to install an aquarium on campus grounds; stay for the upbeat garage instrumentals and driving, catchy lyrics of The Creation! “THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS” “Judy Is A Punk” by the Ramones is the tune that plays as Margot Tenenbaum, a spunky and apathetic woman deemed a child-genius playwright, recounts every instance in which she had cheated on her husband. The fast-paced chaos of “Judy Is A Punk” matched with the wild spirit of Margot truly describes the high levels of dysfunction present in

the Tenenbaum family throughout the entire film. Even so, after watching the scene you can’t help but think Margot is a little bit awesome. “THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU” David Bowie’s music is a constant presence in this film about Steve Zissou, a sea-explorer on the search for an aquatic beast no one believes really exists. “Life On Mars?” by David Bowie makes the smaller moments heavier in The Life Aquatic. The use of this song suggests a comparison between the largely unexplored areas of space and sea, and is played as Zissou discovers that he has a long-lost son. The ship’s acoustic singer, Pelé dos Santos, also performs a cover of the song in Portuguese. “Life On Mars?” follows the characters, especially Zissou, throughout the film. The song emulates the broken relationships, the bad relationship with fame, and the longing to find something more that are all at war inside the lonely captain Steve Zissou. “THE DARJEELING LIMITED” “Powerman” by The Kinks is the promise of further travels for three brothers who long to reconnect, but can never seem to escape trouble. This song brings the audience back to where its story began – on a train headed far away. However, in this tune the quirky family is not on an unexpected trip to a convent in the Himalayas, but instead running in slow motion trying to jump onto a moving train. The groovy rock beat makes for an epic ending to one journey, and the excitement of knowing there are far more voyages to come for the reunited characters. - To read the rest of this article online, visit thetowerlight.com.

It is two months into 2018, and it is the turning point of whether you will keep your health-based New Year’s resolutions or fall back into the same bad habits as last year. Life gets busy, and it can be difficult to keep up the motivation to achieve your goals. If you feel yourself already giving up on your “new year, new you” plans, it’s not too late to tweak your habits and eat toward a happier and healthier you. One mistake that can be detrimental to living a healthier life is drastically changing your diet overnight. Being healthier does not require restrictions, and a set ‘diet’ to achieve your goals. When taking steps to improve your health, it is important to remember sustainability. The goal should be to improve your health, not only for 2018, but for the rest of your life. This requires

a lifestyle change. It is unrealistic to simply cut out desserts and all the other delicious things you enjoy eating. What happens when it’s your birthday and you want a slice of cake? Or when your crush asks you on an ice cream date and you have to casually decline? There are no “bad” foods, only bad overall patterns of eating. Diets are appealing because they guide decision-making - they are structured plans and typically provide you a list of things you “can” and “cannot” eat. However, diets are not sustainable because they do not fit into real life. The way you eat should be a reflection of your lifestyle and your goals. As a busy college student, it is unlikely that you will be able to sit down and eat three balanced homemade meals a day. The best “diet” is the one that you will actually follow, and there’s more than one way to achieve success, but the underlying approaches are the same:

1. Understand which foods are healthy to eat—fill up on fruits and vegetables first, limit fried foods, be wary of foods with lots of extra sugars and sauces, etc. Towson provides many opportunities to learn, including free nutritional counseling (email kballek@towson.edu for more information) and healthier options in all dining areas on campus. 2. Understand what works for you— find your balance between healthful foods for nutrition and fun foods for the mind and taste buds. 3. Be mindful of what you are eating—do not just eat to eat; enjoy the flavors, textures, people around you, and experience of eating. Stop when you are full. 4. Be patient and stay committed - Remember that one late-night pizza does not equal failure. - To read the rest of this article online, visit thetowerlight.com.

He referenced this idea as the main problem with education these days. “Though some schooling raises productivity, a lot is just hoop jumping to show off your IQ, work ethic and conformity,” Caplan said. According to Caplan, the normal view on education is that education is a great thing and something we need more of. However, Caplan views the reality of education as being made up of classes that don’t teach job skills; “just a bunch of fluff that you won’t use in your day to day life.” “You’re coming to school and you’re dipped in skills or skills are poured on you,” Caplan said. To solve the current state of education, Caplan said we need a major educational reform, starting with drastically cutting education spending. He also pushed for a change in how we approach education. Instead of having students learn skills they may not use, Caplan said education should be vocational, starting at a middle or high school level where students can begin working for their careers and getting started earlier. To Caplan, this method would be

better for students and for taxpayers. In theory, students wouldn’t be required to attend college, they could choose a career sooner, and the market wouldn’t be flooded with college degrees that cause more competition for jobs. Junior Kurt Waldron agreed with Caplan in a lot of ways. Already an enthusiast on the subject of educational reform, Waldron said we should eliminate public education entirely. “No parent would send their kids to a failing school so failing schools would go out of business,” he said. “We need to experiment and try different things. I agree with vocational education.” After Caplan’s talk, Melissa Groves, an associate economics professor at Towson, took a few minutes to share her response. She agreed that vocational education would be a good solution, but disagreed with Caplan’s approach. She said it would cause disparities in people who could afford the education and would create an even larger gap in social class. - To read the rest of this article, visit the towerlight.com

Prof. calls for education reform A case for alternative schooling JESSICA RICKS Staff Writer

George Mason University professor Bryan Caplan advocated for vocational education to solve the problems he sees in the current education system when he visited Towson University on Feb. 13. Caplan, who works in George Mason’s economics department, spoke to a room of about 50 TU students and faculty. He discussed points from his recently published third book, “The Case Against Education” that revolved around the flaws of our educational system. Have you ever sat in a core class that has nothing to do with your major and wondered when you were ever going to use this information? Have you wondered why you have to pay so much money for higher education? Do you worry more about passing classes than actually learning the material? If so, Caplan said you’re exhibiting symptoms of “signaling,” which he defined as showing off many skills and degrees that are not necessarily useful to an individual or society.

14 February 20, 2018

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February 2018 February 20,20, 2018

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16 February 20, 2018

Spring Sports Preview

captains chasE championship run

Brendan Felch/ The Towerlight

Seniors Emily Gillingham, Tianna Wallpher and Kaitlyn Montalbano were named team captains for the spring 2018 campaign. The three veterans look to lead the Tigers deep into the postseason after getting bounced in the first round last year. Towson faces tough opponents in non-conference play, including No. 2 Stony Brook and No. 4 Florida.

KARUGA KOINANGE Sports Editor

Towson women’s lacrosse made another postseason appearance last year, but were bounced in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Despite the team’s early exit, Head Coach Sonia LaMonica knows that they can go much further this season. “Based on what we’ve seen so far from our group, from a work ethic standpoint and a talent standpoint, I think the sky’s the limit,” LaMonica said. “I think we expect to make an exciting run in the tournament. That’s certainly what we’re shooting for. We want to be competing on Memorial [Day] Weekend, and this group believes in that.” Seniors Tianna Wallpher, Emily Gillingham and Kaitlyn Montalbano were named team captains for the 2018 season. The three veterans look to pass along their knowledge to the younger players on the team.

“The trio is doing a great job,” LaMonica said. “They have really bought in to what we’re trying to do, and I think they’re doing a great job of holding themselves and their teammates accountable to the work we need to put in every day.” The Tigers will need that veteran leadership, as LaMonica has a young crop of recruits who look to contribute in future seasons. “I think we’ve got a great freshman class,” LaMonica said. “That can be a rarity for a freshman to come in and move into a starting role right out of the gate. They’re working hard [and] challenging their teammates, so I think they’re a great group. They’re going to leave their mark on our program, no question.” The impact of the team’s freshman class is showing early, as attacker Kaitlin Thornton has already secured a starting spot. Thornton recorded her first career goal Saturday, Feb. 10, when the Tigers defeated No. 15 Penn State 14-13 at Johnny Unitas Stadium.

“She’s very talented, and she’s got a niche role that she’s starting to develop,” LaMonica said. “We’re seeing great stuff from her [and are] really excited about her future and the opportunity that she has so early in her career.”

The team will need its youth to continue to be productive as they will face No. 2 Stony Brook and No. 4 Florida in consecutive weeks during mid-March non-conference competition. Towson also faces conference

opponent Elon, and crosstown rivals Johns Hopkins and Loyola later in the season. Competition will be difficult as all two of these three opponents are receiving votes in the Inside Lacrosse Poll rankings.

Brendan Felch/ The Towerlight

Montalbano slices through the defense in the team’s 21-13 win against Georgetown Sunday afternoon.

Spring Sports Preview

February 20, 2018

tu seeking fourth straight caa title KARUGA KOINANGE Sports Editor

Towson men’s lacrosse enters the 2018 season looking to secure its fourth consecutive Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship. “It’s always going to be a battle,” Head Coach Shawn Nadelen said. “Our conference is extremely tough, so it’s going to be challenging. We will be going into conference games with guys on the field that may not have played, so that’ll be a new experience for them. They have to learn how to compete in those environments and be successful in those environments, so that’ll be a new wrinkle for us in the program.” The Tigers return an experi-

enced defense with junior Chad Patterson and senior Sid Ewell on the back line. Last season, Patterson was named to the CAA All-Tournament Team, while Ewell was named Second Team All-CAA and recorded 12 turnovers. Though the defense remains intact, the team had to replace its main attackers during the offseason. The progression of the young offense will be a key component in building success. “I think the biggest thing for any offense is how quickly you can form chemistry and continuity,” Nadelen said. “They’re trying to figure out what we want to accomplish offensively, and how they fit into that. It’s a work in progress and something we hope to have improve as the year goes on.” The team will need to develop

a good rapport quickly in order to perform well in non-conference play. Towson will face a myriad of tough teams in late March with matches against Ohio State, Duke and Denver. “It’s a good challenge for our guys the way our schedule shakes out, and we’re looking forward to those opportunities,” Nadelen said. Despite an unproven roster with just eight seniors, Nadelen looks at the difficult schedule as a growing opportunity for the crop of young players. “Part of the reason that we have a tough schedule overall is we want our players to understand they have to be at their best every day,” Nadelen said. “We preach that, and we try to bring that out of our players in practice.”

Brendan Felch/ The Towerlight

Junior attacker Brendan Sunday runs past a Mountaineers defender.

tigers aim to improve under tyner JILL GATTENS Staff Writer

Under the new leadership of Head Coach Matt Tyner, Towson looks to improve in all areas of the game as another season begins. The team is looking to better its record from last year’s 20-34 campaign. Towson would also like to win more conference games this season. Last year, the team finished just 6-18 in CAA play. The Tigers opened their 2018 season with a three-game road series at New Mexico State Feb. 17-18. The road team came away with one win in that series. Towson also faces Virginia; University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and University of Maryland, College Park on the road this season. The Tigers host Delaware, Hofstra, College of Charleston and

James Madison in CAA play at John B. Schuerholz Park later in the year. During the offseason, the team emphasized endurance and power with the help of Strength and Conditioning Coach Justin Houng. “It’s the backbone of anybody’s program in today’s baseball environment,” Tyner said. “We’ve gained size, gained strength and we feel that will help us prevent injury and certainly help us perform better on the field.” The Tigers are an upperclassmen-dominated squad. The team returns senior pitcher Michael Adams, redshirt junior pitcher Alex Cuas, junior shortstop Richie Palacios and redshirt junior outfielder Mark Grunberg. Palacios was named an Honorable Mention Preseason All-Colonial Athletic Association selection earlier this month. Although the Tigers are gunning to win as many games as they can this season, the team is ultimately

looking to work on its fundamentals. “For us to be successful this year, I’m not sure we’re going after x-number of wins verses x-number of losses,” Tyner said. “More so, we want to learn how to take care of the small things that make baseball teams successful in the long run.”

File photo by Joe Noyes/ The Towerlight

Redshirt junior pitcher Kevin Ross winds up in a spring 2016 game.

18 February 20, 2018

Spring Sports Preview

swinging for a successful season BILLY OWENS Assistant Sports Editor

Second-year Head Coach Jamie Peterson worked with his team to come up with two goals for the 2018 spring season: Win 18 matches, and get to the final round of the Conference Championships in April. “It’s a high goal, but it’s an attainable goal,” Peterson said. “We went 13-12 last year and lost five 4-3 matches, so [winning those and getting to 18 wins] would put us in position for a top-five seed at the Conference Championships.” Peterson, who served as Interim Head Coach last season, said he is much more comfortable coaching this year since he already has an idea of what to expect throughout the spring. “I’ve [already] been through that experience and adjusted my coaching style a little bit,” Peterson said.

“I’m at that same point with the girls; I give them a structure and discipline, but at the same time I try and make things as comfortable and less stressful as possible.” Some of the changes that Peterson has made since the fall include doing more video work with the use of GoPro cameras to record and watch matches, as well as helping the team understand how nutrition and other things off the court directly impact their performance. The team also now works with strength and conditioning coach Joe Alexander. “[Joe] gets some credit, the girls really like him and he’s been working them hard,” Peterson said. With five of the team’s nine players being seniors, Peterson has mostly finished the recruiting process for the fall to bring in four new players to fill the upcoming vacancies. Picking the match lineups this season, though, is tough enough, which he credits to the team’s depth. “This year, we’re deeper than we’ve ever been,” Peterson said. “I

think it’s a bigger challenge this year to make the line-up, since the top three players are established, and with four through nine it’s a bit more mucky.” The team has already played five matches this spring and currently holds a 3-2 record, but its toughest tests are ahead of them. One notable match is March 2, against CAA rival James Madison. “James Madison has had our number every year, and the girls seem to get a little overwhelmed by them, but if they can mentally overcome that, it’d just be huge,” Peterson said. Another big matchup is April 7, at William & Mary, one of the best teams in the CAA. “We’ll really look forward to playing William & Mary,” Peterson said. “This is the first time they’ve put us on our schedule, which is a big step for Towson University, since they’re a perennial top-40 team in the country.” - To read the rest of this article, visit the towerlight.com

File photo by Jordan Cope/ The Towerlight

Senior A.J. Gomer prepares for a serve in a match in spring 2016.

jackson looking for jump in ranks MUHAMMAD WAHEED Staff Writer

Towson track and field will transition from indoor to outdoor March 15, at the 49er Classic in Charlotte, North Carolina, as the team looks to build upon its success from last year. Head Coach Mike Jackson was pleased with his team’s accomplishments from last season, and wants to see his team continue to excel this spring. “Last year was a great year for us highlighted by winning a Conference Championship for the first time in our school history, and then having a great performance at the ECAC Championships,” Jackson said. So [we’re] looking to try to see if we can put out a good effort to win conference again, and move up in the ranks nationally.”

Junior Lauren Coleman ranked in the top-10 among the entire CAA for her shot put and hammer throw. Senior Ksenia Safonova also qualified as a hammer thrower. The Tigers will rely on veterans like Coleman and Safonova to lead by sharing their wealth of experience. “I think many of them remember how it felt to be able to have such success,” Jackson said. “Just recognizing the possibilities and opportunities should be something to help them stay motivated, but the other thing is a lot of the people who are on that team are not here anymore, and we have a lot of new talent so [we’re] just getting them to understand the process and really focus on the task at hand.” Along with being physically prepared, the Tigers will have to be mentally focused in order to main-

tain last year’s results. “I think trying to repeat is a tough thing, and that’s not our mindset,” Jackson said. “Our mindset is to

do well during Championship season this year, and then from there if we’re able to win I think that would be outstanding. If not, then

that means that someone was better than us, but I think that we’re going to put out a great effort and be proud of what we do.”

Courtesy of towsontigers.com

Freshman Ivonna Hoskins sprints in an indoor event this year. The Tigers will move outdoors in March.

Sports

February 20, 2018

leaving making waves Their TU takes third in its final team event MUHAMMAD WAHEED Staff Writer

Junior Lauren Coleman set a new school record of 51-9.75 in the shot put at the Penn State Tune-Up at the Ashenfelter III Indoor Track in University Park, Pennsylvania, Saturday. Coleman broke her previously held school record of 51-3, which she set earlier this season at the Navy Lid Lifter on Dec. 5. “She’s come a long way,” Head Coach Mike Jackson said. “She’s a great athlete, and she has a great coach, and they work well together and that’s why we see great products with them.” Junior Phontavia Sawyer placed second in the shot put with a throw of 48-8.25. Senior Ksenia Safonova placed fourth, while freshman Jessica Manuel finished sixth. Three Tigers placed in the topthree in the weight throw event. Junior Taylor Giles had a first place throw of 56-6, which was followed by Coleman’s second-place toss of 53-3.75. Safonova placed third with a throw of 54-4.5. “They’ve been working for this all year long,” Jackson said. “It’s just showing in their performances, so I know they expect a lot from themselves.” Four Tigers qualified for the finals in the 60-meter hurdles. Sophomore Victoria JonesAlleyne won her heat with a mark of 8.73 seconds, and sophomore Helnsarah Penda won her heat with a time of 8.78 seconds. Sophomore Britney Nguetta took fifth, and junior Naja McAdam placed sixth. Jones-Alleyne and Penda finished in the top two spots of the 60-meter hurdles finals, while Nguetta and McAdam placed fifth and sixth, respectively. - To read the rest of this story online, visit thetowerlight.com

Towson men’s and women’s swimming and diving both placed third at the 2018 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championships at the Christiansburg Aquatic Center in Christiansburg, Virginia, this weekend. The men’s final score for the fourday meet was 566 points, behind now two-time defending champion William & Mary (946 points) and second-place Drexel (703 points). The women’s final score was 562.5 points, behind first-place James Madison (656 points) and second-place William & Mary (583 points). Head Coach Jake Shrum was impressed with his team’s performances at the competition, as several players set personal best records at the biggest competition of the season. “Last year we only had one guy and one girl make [NCAA] B cut [times],” Shrum said. “We had four this year.” On the men’s side, Jack Saunderson won three CAA gold medals, adding to the three career he had attained before this year’s Championships. He was named Men’s Swimmer of the Meet.

Saunderson broke Towson University and CAA records in the 100 and 200-yard butterfly finals, finishing with times of 45.75 and 1:41.69, respectively. Saunderson also broke the school and CAA record in the 200 individual medley final with a time of 1:45.76, one of three NCAA B cut times he posted individually. Saunderson also earned a pair of silver medals as part of two relay teams, as he joined Owen Robinson, Ryan O’Leary and Matt Essing to finish second in the 200 medley with a time of 1:29.00 and later joined O’Leary, Erek Nelson and Nick Essing to finish second in the 400 medley with a time of 3:13.56. Three more Tigers won individual medals at the Championships, as Colin Roddy blitzed the school record in the 400 individual medley in both prelims, and in the final to earn silver with a time of 3:53.04. Zach Bishop took bronze in the 200 backstroke final with a time of 1:46.16, and Will Canny won bronze in the 3-meter diving final with a score of 290.35 points. “Honestly, we had so many guys swim so well this past weekend,” Shrum said. - To read the rest of this article, visit the towerlight.com

Solutions

for Puzzles on page 15

● Each row and each column must

contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating.

● The numbers within the heavily

8-25-16

outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.

mark

BILLY OWENS Assistant Sports Editor

Jack Saunderson Men’s Swimming

Jack Saunderson won three gold medals in the CAA Championship Tournament this weekend. On the way to his three medals, Saunderson broke both Towson University, and CAA records in the 100 and 200-yard butterfly finals.

20 February 20, 2018

Sports

Tigers prevent Mountaineers from climbing back Brendan Felch/ The Towerlight

Junior midfielder Grant Maloof jukes a Mount St. Mary’s defender. Maloof recorded two goals on the day. Several other Tigers had impressive days, as junior midfielder Jon Mazza and junior attacker Brendan Sunday both contributed three goals. The team looks to build upon this victory as they host Georgetown Saturday at Johnny Unitas Stadium.

KARUGA KOINANGE Sports Editor

Towson men’s lacrosse picked up a 15-13 victory in a high-scoring matchup against Mount St. Mary’s Saturday afternoon at Johnny Unitas Stadium. The Tigers (1-1) looked focused to begin the game, putting constant pressure on the Mountaineers (0-2) defense and playing disciplined on both sides of the ball. Junior attacker Brendan Sunday took over the game in the first quarter. He scored three goals in the period alone, recording his first career hat trick and leading his team to a 5-4 lead entering the second quarter. The Tigers remained aggressive in the second quarter, playing selfless lacrosse as they moved the

ball well and got several players involved. “I thought we shared the ball well offensively,” Head Coach Shawn Nadelen said. “I thought we got some really nice looks, and some of our guys really came into their own.” Freshman attacker Phil Wiles, junior attacker Timmy Monahan, sophomore attacker Brody McLean and redshirt junior attacker Dylan Kinnear all registered their first goals of the season in the second stanza. Junior midfielder Jon Mazza also had an impressive quarter, picking up two assists and a goal as the Tigers took a comfortable 12-5 advantage heading into halftime. “When the offense got the ball, they were spinning it,” Nadelen said. “It was good to see us share the ball, and to be able to get good looks and bury them.”

Mount St. Mary’s fought back hard to begin the third quarter, taking control of the pace of the game and capitalizing on scoring chances. The road team cut the deficit to four midway through the period, but Mazza responded with a goal late in the stanza to give his team a 13-8 lead heading into the fourth. Both teams went back and forth to start the final quarter of play. The Mountaineers scored the first two goals of the period, but the Tigers responded with three consecutive goals to take a five-point advantage. Mount St. Mary’s sophomore attacker Brendan McCarthy got loose for an unassisted goal, cutting the deficit back down to four as the road team looked to rally in the final five minutes of play. Freshman midfielder Luke Frankeny scored two consecutive

goals for the Mountaineers to put the road team within two with two minutes left to go. On Frankeny’s second goal, the Tigers were playing with a man down as senior defenseman Sid Ewell was handed a one-minute penalty for slashing. “I thought defensively we settled in a bit,” Nadelen said. “That’ll get a team going if you give them a few goals in that quarter. We didn’t do a great job at either end whether it was not cashing in [on offense] or not defending.” Despite the comeback attempt, junior midfielder Alex Woodall got possession of the final ground ball and Towson ran out the clock. “It’s always good to win the first few faceoffs,” Woodall said. “[That] gets us going and allows us to play our game. We did a good job of scouting their faceoff guy. He’s more of a scrapper than a technical guy so we just had to put the ball

in the right place. I think we need to win the turnovers after the face, but other than that we just need to keep working to get better.” Towson looks to continue its winning ways when the team hosts Georgetown Saturday, Feb. 24, at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Game time is set for noon.