The Towerlight (Feb. 2, 2016) by The Towerlight

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February 2, 2016

ELIZABETH MILLER STUDENT

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February 2, 2016

TOWSON TRENDING Week of 1/26 - 2/1

After cancelling his previous concert scheduled for Nov. 6, Fetty Wap finally made an appearence at Towson in the SECU Arena Thursday, Jan. 28.

FETTY WAP CONCERT

The Fetty Wap Concert was actually one of the best experiences at Towson University...

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Opinion

February 2, 2016

Editor-in-Chief Carley Milligan Senior Editor Cody Boteler News Editor Sam Shelton Assist. News Editors Nilo Exar Sarah Rowan Arts & Life Editor Annie Sragner

Sports Editor

No student should be OK with Bill 90-15 DANTE BARBOY Student

Assist. Sports Editors Jordan Cope Tyler Beard Staff Writers Tim Anderson Kati Day Helen Grafton Kristin Helf Ryan Permison Hailey Miller Tyler Young Christine LaFrancesca Caitlin Wolfarth Photo Editor Assit. Photo Editor Chris Simms Staff Photographers Cody Boteler Adrilenzo Cassoma Nilo Exar Carley Milligan Allen Stewart Video Producer Sarah Chmieloweic Assit. Video Producer Stacey Coles Staff Videographers Tyisha Henderson

There has been a lot of talk within the Towson University community lately about Bill 90-15 sponsored by Baltimore County Councilman David Marks regarding “unruly social gatherings” and how that might affect TU students and the area around campus. I believe that the penalties that David Marks proposes for complaints made by residents of the area (six neighborhoods in East Towson will be used to test the program) are unreasonable and harsh. And no, I’m not just saying this because of the $500 charge that will be issued as punishment to party hosts.

First off, I would like to point out that the whole issue of complaints for gatherings that are out of control or disruptive is subjective. In townhouse neighborhoods, one can hear just about anything within one’s block that is just a bit loud. With this being said, there is a pretty strong possibility of there being complaints for parties that aren’t even all that loud and completely in control, just because one might think of a little bit of noise as disruptive. What one might consider out of control and bad behavior might not be the same for somebody else. This bill would allow residents to complain for situations that aren’t

serious whatsoever. Another problem with this is that landlords will be affected by the possibility of a decrease in the demand for housing from students that will look to avoid these situations. At the same time, they won’t look to students as tenants when renting, if harsh sanctions will be applied on them. And of course one can’t forget how rebellious many of us young people tend to be. We don’t want people limiting our freedoms, that goes without saying. I understand the position that neighbors are in, and I am considerate toward it. I also get that the town and the school are growing

at a very rapid pace. However, as a community, we have to face the reality that Towson is very quickly becoming a college town, if it isn’t that already. You can’t live around college students and expect them to not have their fun. I am not condoning chaotic gatherings, but I am conscious of the fact that partying for students is a natural behavior. In conclusion, I hope that we as students can work together with neighbors and public officials to come to a different solution regarding this matter, or at least work to revise the bill, to make the sanctions applicable to extreme misconduct only.

Proofreaders Desmond Boyle Kayla Baines Kira McCall Chris Pretrides General Manager Mike Raymond Art Director Kara Bucaro Production Assistants Daniel Andrews Christine Kim Webmaster Hafiz Aina

Make a difference by educating yourself

Circulation Staff Jasmine Edwards Nilo Exar Shawn Halerz

8000 York Road University Union Room 309 Towson, MD 21252 business: (410) 704-5153 editorial: (410) 704-5141 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. Cllassifieds appear onlline 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. ©2016 by The Towerlight, 8000 York Rd, Towson, MD 21252. All rights reserved.

Please Recycle!

As the presidential election creeps closer and closer, a lot of us young adults are being bombarded with information about the candidates and suggestions on who to vote for. We look at Hillary and think that it’s totally and completely awesome that a woman could potentially be our next president, that feel we should applaud her for making it this far past the glass ceiling. We see Bernie and think that all of our friends seem to really like him, and we kind of collectively wish he was our grandpa. Then we see “the Donald” and think there’s no way that human cheese puff could ever become the next president of the United States. Well, here’s what’s wrong with all of

that. Yes, it’s amazing that a woman is a serious presidential candidate when we only got the right to vote 97 years ago (shout out to our strong female ancestors). But that shouldn’t be the only reason you vote for her. Yes, everyone on Twitter is constantly telling you to feel the Bern, which, by the way, is just about the dopest slogan possible. But that shouldn’t be the only reason you vote for him. And yes, Donald Trump is an offensive, extreme piece of garbage. But that shouldn’t make you think he can’t win. Our generation takes our right to vote for granted. We don’t care. It’s too much effort to register, and then we have to wait in line, and in between then we have to, what, you mean, educate ourselves? Yes. That’s exactly what we have to do. Everything I just said is what the generations before us believe about us.

They think we’re too lazy to go out and make an educated vote. They discount us. But dudes, there are so many of us. We are the future, dammit, so let’s act like it. What if you vote for Hillary just because she’s a powerful woman, and you don’t like a policy she puts into action? What if you vote for Bernie just because all of your friends did, and you don’t like a policy he puts into action? What if you don’t vote at all, and Donald Trump wins? Trust me, you won’t like any of the policies he puts into action. I know debates are long. I know they can be a little dry sometimes. But actually, once it starts getting down to crunch time, which it is, these people throw shade like nobody’s business. If you tune in, you might be, dare I say it, entertained (and informed). The next president of the United States

will directly and personally affect you. They will affect your education, your job, your wages, your children, your environment, your rights as a human. Don’t even get me started on how much the next president will impact the rights of women. (To be honest, I already got started on it, and you’ll be reading a lot about it this semester.) The point is, your vote matters. Let me put it this way: Donald Trump has been quoted saying that if his daughter weren’t well, his daughter, perhaps he’d date her. His ex-wife accused him of rape throughout their marriage. A video of him speaking was used in a terrorist recruitment video. If you don’t vote, that could be your president. So, please, educate yourself on the candidates, hit “no” when Netflix asks you if you’re still watching and vote. You really will make a difference.

Opinion

Process of unnatural selection ANNIE SRAGNER Arts & Life Editor @AnnieSragner

s When you're in college, there is e an ever-increasing amount of pressure y to figure out “the plan” as graduat tion approaches. This process requires analysis of who we are on an individual - level. Although there are counselors e and other people around to talk to about the everyday things with, the - big decisions must come from you. e This process may feel a little unnata ural, because it is. As man-made industry grows around us, this decisions making becomes more relevant to our h lives and turns into a higher priority. o And we managed to make a pretty - sweet situation for ourselves. We’ve o created a convenience-based society - where we produce labor, goods or services in exchange for security and the ability to easily satiate our basic needs.

But through this development, we installed middle men that distance us from the source of our production. Most people are so far removed from practical practices that we don't consider where our food comes from or who is filtering our water. Generally, these processes are given to us and we usually just accept them blindly. We know that food comes from farms, but we’re not interested in what happens between the farm and our kitchens. It’s no wonder that the concept of nature or environmental maintenance seems sometimes irrelevant because we’ve lost that connection to where it all starts. The more we try to figure out our contribution to society, the more complex the world begins to appear. This passion for production often induces tunneled vision that makes it difficult to connect to the natural world around us. It’s easy to forget that humans are just animals that managed to milk the system more

Towson ABROAD

than other species. Over time, money became our means of survival. If you obtain enough money, you don't have to worry about producing things yourself. Lost is the need to craft endurance skills if we can use money to trade. Especially after the pocket-draining experience of college, the temptation to find a job that offers big kid money becomes inviting. It's nearly impossible to know what the simple solution is in such a complex world when we continuously choose convenience over the harder options that may be better in the long run. We're facing a turning point in our environment where we find ourselves stuck between choosing another quick fix or figuring out something sustainable. As we dig deeper into our decisions, we all have the choice to either go with the flow or find an alternate path. Consider the longevity of your investments and don't be afraid to challenge what you don't believe in.

The best worst time ALI HINMAN Columnist

Did you know that you can sweat from almost anywhere on your body? I found that out as I was standing in a room full of beautiful strangers, asking me what my hopes and dreams are as beads of sweat barreled down my entire being. My makeup, that I had crafted at 6 a.m. that day, was no match for the amount of body heat that had accumulated in the room. I had a sweat mustache, nay, goatee, and even my calves and eyelids were sweating. Going through recruitment is a complete whirlwind, but I do remember the toll it took on my body, not just physically (standing and scream talking for eight hours a day is not healthy), but mentally as well. I would consider myself a very self-confident person, even erring on the side of arrogant, but I have never felt more unsure of

StudyABROAD

myself in my entire life. I had to prove my self worth in a matter of minutes while competing with the rest of the potential new members in the room with me. How was I going to make myself stand out in a sea of 600+ girls? We all had to wear the same t-shirt with jeans, so the only thing we were allowed to wear differently was accessories and a name tag we decorated ourselves. I drew a big clown face on my name tag. My dad went to clown college, and I was a class clown in high school, so I felt like it suited me. Well, it did the trick, because halfway through the first weekend, girls would come up to me and say, “Oh my God you’re clown girl! I have heard so much about you!” The problem was, I was so focused on getting them to like me that I didn’t think about if I liked them. To read the rest of this column online, visit www.thetowerlight. com

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News

February 2, 2016

Students Helping Honduras builds during break SHH club members promote education to prevent gang violence

Photos courtesy of Victoria Damico Members of Towson University’s chapter of Students Helping Honduras work on leveling out a field, extending a school and other projects while in Honduras from Jan. 10-17.

Nearly 60 students involved in Towson’s chapter of Students Helping Honduras traveled to Honduras during winter break to work on various building projects within the Honduran community. Students Helping Honduras is a nonprofit student group with chapters at dozens of schools both in the United States, and internationally, that dedicates itself to ending gang violence and poverty in Honduras through education and youth empowerment. “We want to provide more education opportunities for women and children,” Towson Students Helping Honduras Vice President Theresa Schempp (editor’s note, Schempp is a past Towerlight contributor) said. “We want children to think of school as a safe place away from gang violence.” Honduras has the worst gang violence in the world, according to the Students Helping Honduras website. According to the site, Honduras is the second poorest nation in the western hemisphere, with 66.2 percent of its population living in poverty. The country’s government has been rendered practically useless because of the gang violence that has permeated the neighborhoods. Gangs use public schools as a

source for recruiting new members, making school unsafe for children. During their time in Honduras, from Jan. 10-17, the Towson chapter worked on an extension of a school to create a middle school for children and leveled out a field to provide extracurricular activities. According to a post from Towson University Admissions, the group also worked on a library, a multipurpose room for the bilingual school and a children’s transitional home. The group fundraised through the fall semester to fund the project, with various projects such as the thrift shop, cupcake sales and tabling at different on-campus events. Fundraising will continue through the spring, with the goal of raising $30,000 for another project chosen by the group. “Any way we can help Towson and also help us is what we like to do,” Schempp said. Junior Scott Turner traveled to Honduras with the chapter and recognized the importance of the work they did. “For me, it was important because there’s a different kind of need that exists outside the United States,” Turner said. “We have a lot of social services here, where even if you are down on your luck or in a poor economic situation, there’s still a minimum of some services that are available. Those services just can’t be provided by some governments in other countries.”

According to Schempp, all of the on-the-ground staff members are Honduran, ensuring local empowerment for Honduran natives. The organization also aims to create jobs for Honduran employees, and allows them to work with volun-

teers to help the projects to succeed. Schempp recognized the need for international community service within the student community. “It takes not only local service, but expands it to international service,” Schempp said. “You’re not

only helping people here, but you’re able to actually travel to the country to get a different perspective and an open mind about different parts of the world. Students can expand on what they know and become more well-rounded individuals.”

Photos courtesy of Victoria Damico Students Helping Honduras members work on a myriad of constuction tasks during their trip to Honduras in January. The group hopes to raise $30,000 this spring to fund future projects.

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News

Off-campus housing site launches Resources include apartment, roommate search Towson University launched its new mobile-friendly, off-campus housing website Jan. 20 to create an easier way for students to plan to live off-campus. “We’re kind of stepping into the 21st century when it comes to how students obtain and share information,” Coordinator of Off-Campus Student Services Joyce Herold said. The website, which requires a university ID and password, includes apartment listings, a collection of roommate profiles and a buy/sell tab that allows users to post and purchase items for sale. Users can search for and choose to organize potential residences by price range, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, building type and various other amenities. The site also offers links to YouTube videos related to off-campus housing and safety, as well as an off campus living guide. The

resource guide includes things to know before renting, like desired kind of unit, size, privacy and price. The guide also provides information for after move-in pertaining to inspection, additional security, insurance, community relations and transportation.

“

We’re kind of stepping into the 21st century when it comes to how students obtain and share information.

JOYCE HEROLD Coordinator, Off-Campus Student Services

There is a section devoted to tips for living in a neighborhood, which include becoming acquainted with neighbors, keeping an apartment clean, taking care of pets and becom-

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ing involved with the community. Herold said that the idea for the site began shortly after she joined the university in 2013. “I started working with student government, [University Residence Government], and my student leaders that I work with in student activities to see if this was something they were interested,” Herold said. “And they were. So in about 2014, we did a demonstration here on campus with students. To Weplace included yourhousing ad, and residence life, student programs, student activities and few other departgoa to ments just to see how colleagues and studentsTheTowerlight.com felt about the tool.” So far the website has thousands of & click on profiles clicks, with over 100 roommate already made, according to Herold. “Classifieds” “It has everything for a Towson student at the click of a button, as opposed to you going to several different websites, guessing [which properties] will take stuFor more information on dents... That’s one of the easiest things you can do, just goads, online and use the display email resource we have online for Towson students,”ads@thetowerlight.com Herold said.

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February 2, 2016

Snowstorm interrupts first week of semester Snowzilla—January’s blizzard, “was probably the biggest thing we’ve ever taken on,” Associate Vice President of Facilities Management Kevin Petersen said. Over 60 employees, both from TU and outside contracts, worked for over 7,000 hours to move over 30 inches of snow from all around campus and to lay 40 tons of salt, 850 gallons of brine and about 20 pallets of magnesium chloride on the ground to prevent ice from forming. According to Accuweather, Baltimore saw over 29 inches of snow from the blizzard, delaying public schools in Baltimore County and pushing move-in at Towson back from the weekend to last Wednesday. On-campus students who weren’t living in Millennium Hall or Towson Run only had the Wednesday before classes started on Thursday to move in. “There were just more cars, and all of the traffic coming in and out, with the snow you couldn’t move around quite as easily,” Douglass House resident Cassidy Sell said. “So, it was hard getting all the way up.” Petersen said that a lot of the credit for getting campus cleared up should go to Bob Keenan, who’s in charge of grounds at Towson. Petersen said that Keenan was on campus from FridayFriday, making sure the cleanup effort worked. “He was kind of like the snow master,” Petersen said. “He did just an amazing job.” Parking was another big concern for commuter students looking to make it back to campus for classes on Thursday. Parking on campus is, at times, so limited for students that they spill into the community rather than pay for a parking pass or drive around looking for a spot. However, according to Director of Parking and Transportation Pam Mooney, everything but the roofs of some of the parking garages were ready to go on Thursday, when classes began. Mooney said that she wasn’t comfortable opening the rooftop of the garages in the morning, because the conditions weren’t wholly safe just yet. “On Thursday, we were able to open up the vast majority of the union garage roof by midday-ish,” Mooney said. “You have to get the snow off, and then they have to treat the ice layer, which in essence melts the ice.”

Mooney also pointed out that more parking was – and almost always is – available up in the parking lots near Towson Center. Another complication for commuter students: The off-campus shuttles. Some of the shuttle routes, because of conditions of the roads and apartment complexes that they travel through, had to operate on adjusted routes. “The problem is that a lot of the places we go into are apartment complexes, and they can be difficult for the shuttles, even on the best days,” Mooney said. As of noon Monday, Mooney said that the only routes that weren’t back to normal were the stops near The Fairways, on the Goucher route and The Quarters, on the Kenilworth route. “Everything else is back to normal, and we basically play it by ear,” Mooney said. “The drivers can generally get a little bit of an idea of how things are going on, and if they can’t then we send a supervisor through.” Petersen said that, because there were around 500 students on campus—including athletes, Housing and Residence Life employees and international students—they had to treat the snow situation like it happened when campus was at full capacity. “The first thing to do is open campus for emergency vehicles,” he said. After that, it was clearing spaces for food delivery trucks and food preparation to get in, and then opening up the interior of campus. “What we did this year, which we haven’t done before, is we helped the state out with York Road,” Petersen said. He said that facilities management noticed a few days after the storm that York Road “was a mess” and that it’d be difficult for students to get across. Petersen said that he doesn’t like using sodium chloride and prefers to use magnesium chloride, “because it’s a lot safer for the interior of buildings.” Sodium chloride has been shown to exacerbate the corrosion of bridges, steel reinforcements in concrete and even the undersides of cars. When salt runs off into water, it can harm aquatic life and end up in drinking water. Any students, faculty or staff who find areas of campus that still need clearing are encouraged to report that information to the Work Control Line at 410-704-2481. --Sarah Rowan contributed to this article.

The Division for Student Affairs offers the

Student LIFE Line

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 responsed to on the next business day. You can also contact us with your questions via e-mail at studentaffairs@towson.edu.

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

News

February 2, 2016

OBAMA PROPOSES $1B FOR CANCER “MOONSHOT” WASHINGTON D.C. Over the next two years, the White House will ask Congress for close to $1 billion to fight cancer, the No. 2 killer in the United States. The “moonshot” plan was announced during last month’s State of the Union address. Obama will request $755 million for fiscal year 2017 and will attempt to spend $195 million during fiscal year 2016. Vice President Joe Biden, who is in charge of the program, said in a blog post, “Ultimately, as the federal government, our job is to break down silos and bring people together who are doing the most cutting-edge work.” The funding will focus mainly on the National Institute of Health’s efforts toward early detection and cancer treatment. Other areas of focus will include cancer vaccine development and pediatric cancer. The budget will also cover more funding for the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

CHIPOTLE E. COLI OUTBREAK OVER DENVER, CO

On Monday, the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention announced that the E. coli outbreak at Chipotle Mexican Grill has ended. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Safety Inspection Service investigated two outbreaks of the bacteria. The first outbreak infected at least 55 different people residing in 11 different states, and twenty-one of those infected were hospitalized. The second outbreak was smaller, infecting five people residing in three states, and only one person infected was hospitalized. There were no deaths in either outbreak. In a statement, Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold said, “Over the past few months we have taken significant steps to improve the safety of all the food we serve, and we are confident that the changes we have made mean that every item on our menu is delicious and safe.”

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WHO: ZIKA VIRUS NOW INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY GENEVA, SWITZERLAND On Monday, the World Health Organization official declared that the spread of the mosquito-borne Zika Virus in the Americas is an “international emergency.” The virus’s 2015 arrival in Brazil caused a spike in birth defects such as microcephaly, causing babies to be born with abnormally small heads. The virus has spread northward throughout the year, and experts predict as many as 4 million cases within the Americas in 2016. WHO DirectorGeneral Dr. Margaret Chan acknowledged Thursday that “the level of alarm is extremely high.” The last public health emergency was declared for the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which killed 11,000 people.

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February 2, 2016

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Dr. James L. Fisher was born in Illinois. He completed his undergraduate degree in History at Illinois State University. By the age of 38, he accepted the position to be president at Towson University. As president, Fisher succeeded at expanding the campus by adding eleven new buildings. In effect, enrollment rates rose from 600 students to 15,000 students. During his presidency from 1969 to 1978, Fisher met with students to listen to their views in order to make Towson University a safer campus. In 1970, members of the Black Student Union marched to the Administration Building and presented a list of demands to the president regarding integration. In 1976, Fisher worked on changing the name of the college from Towson State College to Towson State University. Fisher was successful in changing the name after meeting specific guidelines differentiating a university from a college. By 1978, Fisher resigned to become the president of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education located in Washington, D.C.

In the early 1970s, commencement ceremonies were held at the Baltimore Civic Center

1974-75 Black Student Union officers: Darryl Wright, Morris Campbell and Shelia Culberson James L. Fisher, President 1969â&#x20AC;&#x201C;78

Commemorating the name change in 1976

2000

2010

To be continuedâ&#x20AC;Ś

Share your memory: TU150.towson.edu

February 2, 2016

Towson’s Best

Best Class: THEA 101 Acting I received the most votes for best class on Towson’s campus—and with good reason. This class, which fulfills the “Creativity and Creative Development” core is a lot of fun, and a great way to build lasting friendships between students. Acting I is a great way to gain confidence not only speaking in front of groups, but in not being afraid to express yourself.

Best Professor: No winner Well, what can we say? Another year, another Towson’s Best where students couldn’t agree on one professor that rose above all the others. This year, there were a handful of professors that got two or three votes, but nobody broke out. To us, that’s great news—it means that there is a great supply of high-quality professors on Towson’s campus. Maybe it’s got something to do with the 17:1 student-to-professor ratio? Small class sizes make for meaningful and impactful relationships, both between students and between students and their professors.

Best Bathrooms: CLA In order to find the very best of Towson, The Towerlight conducted an online survey to discover the favorite places, people and things on campus and in the community. The winners are below.

What can we really say about a bathroom? The CLA’s are large, wellmaintained and accessible. Wherever you are in the building, you’re never far from a restroom, and the CLA is large enough that none of the bathrooms are ever that crowded.

Best Study Spot: CLA Every Towson student knows that when finals crunch time comes around, there’s no place better to study than the Center for Liberal Arts. Cook Library, while full of wonderful resources, has limited and crowded seating, especially if you need to use a computer. The CLA, meanwhile, has comfy little study spots around every corner. Not to mention if you make friends with your professor, they might be able to secure you an empty classroom for you and your friends to study in. The quiet room on the fourth floor is also a nice place to get some reading done, and looks especially beautiful when the sun peeks through the large glass window and fills the room with light. File Photo by Cody Boteler/ The Towerlight

Best Construction Project: Pedestrian bridge After months of anticipation, construction and road closings, the West Village Pedestrian Bridge opened August 2014, just in time for the new semester. The bridge makes walking from West Village to the main part of campus safer, quicker and easier--and it looks nice, too. However, nothing gold can stay, it would seem. The bridge has been closed since early in the fall semester because of the expansion work that's being done at Burdick. It was nice while it lasted, pedestrian bridge. Maybe we'll see you another time.

Best Upcoming Construction Project: Burdick gym While this project is certainly exciting, we’ve got some more waiting to do. The 94,000 square foot expansion to Burdick is slated for completion by next summer, in time to open for the fall 2017 semester. While the underclassmen will get to enjoy all the new features Burdick will offer, this means the current juniors and seniors are unfortunately kind of out of luck. The $34 million expansion will add multi-activity courts for intramurals and other athletic activities, a center for outdoor activities, a functional fitness course and an elevated sprint hill among other new features.

Best “I need three credits to graduate” Class: Computer Science 109 If it’s your last semester and you’re in need of three credits to graduate, COSC 109 - Computers and Creativity comes through in the clutch. Don’t let the word “computers” scare you away, for little to no technical skills are required. If you can use a computer, you can succeed in COSC 109. As far as the “creativity” aspect goes, that is totally up to you. A set of projects is laid out at the start of the semester and you simply work at your own pace. The creative component is very much subjective to your skills and interests. That is what makes this course so convenient. COSC 109 is easily a go-to for any senior seeking those last three credits for graduation.

Towson’s Best

February 2, 2016

Best Pizza: Seasons Pizza For the second year in a row, Seasons was voted best pizza. With a great location just up York Road from campus, late night hours and daily specials, it’s no surprise. Other places, like Pasta Mista, gave Seasons a run for its money this year, but the votes were clear: when the pizza from Susquehanna or The Den isn’t cutting it anymore, Seasons is the place to order from.

Chris Simms/ The Towerlight

Best Coffee: Starbucks Towerlight readers agreed that the best local spot for coffee is Starbucks. The popular spot has two local locations for students, on campus in Cook Library and the corner of York and Bosley. Customers rarely buy a plain coffee drink when headed to the local shop - Starbucks’ strong astringent brews pair well with lattes, cappuccinos and many other drinks sold. Convenience and consistency with drinks are just two of the main reason why Starbucks continues to be a repeat contender through previous editions of Towson’s Best. Chris Simms/ The Towerlight

Best Administrator: Chandler Towson University Provost Tim Chandler has just finished his 16-month long stint as Towson’s Interim President and is ready to resume his position as Provost and get back to the work he says is most meaningful to him. Towson students have to give a huge thank you to Chandler for stepping up at a difficult time for the Towson community, and for working hard to give students and TU the things that it needs most. Notably, Chandler worked alongside a group of concerned black students during a ninehour sit in last semester to revise and sign a list of demands, setting a precedent of teamwork for colleges around the country and worked in Annapolis to help secure funding for a new science building, a project that is waiting on votes before it can become a reality. Ultimately, we are excited to see what else he has in store for Towson!

Best Parking: Off-campus or “Nowhere”

When we asked this question, we expected people to give answers like “Lot 14” or “a faculty spot after 5 p.m.” Instead, we got a lot of votes saying that the best spot to park was off-campus, or that there was nowhere to park. One person even asked: “is this question a joke?” Towson University is growing, and that’s great for past, present and future students—but it may be growing, at times, too fast, and leaving too many students circling the garages helplessly.

Best Dining Hall: P-tux It’s delicious, it can be nutritious and it’s only open around lunchtime. That’s right - this year’s Towson’s Best dining award goes to the one and only P-tux. Patuxent offers an array of options and is easily one of the most customizable dining locations on campus, which might contribute to its popularity. It’s usually crowded, so get there as soon as it opens or you’ll get caught in a line longer than the textbook you still haven’t started reading.

Best Housing: Douglass

If you love living in Douglass House, do you have a Doug addiction? Douglass, in West Village, is not only home to the nicest style of dorms on campus, but to some of Towson’s more scholarly-types—it’s the Honors College housing. Its charm comes mainly from the students inside, who definitely embody a “work hard, play hard” mentality. Douglass is one of the closest knit communities on campus, and that’s mainly in part to the open, friendly atmosphere that the Resident Assistants create. With the ever capable Resident Life Coordinator Chris Ferraro, the Doug is in the best hands on campus.

Best Hangover Cure: THB

After a fun night out, Towson Hot Bagels (16 Allegheny Ave.) is the perfect breakfast spot to sooth the vicious pounding in your head. THB is the epitome of the morning-after-the-party place where everyone gathers in their sweats and yoga pants to recap the wild adventures and epic stories from the night before. Not sure what to order? Their Taylor ham is the perfect addition to any egg and cheese bagel sandwich. Just be sure to have someone save a table for your group, because seating is extremely limited on weekend mornings.

Best Ice Cream: Cold Stone Creamery File Photo by Cody Boteler/ The Towerlight

Cold Stone Creamery - because ice cream with toppings on top just wasn’t good enough. We owe an extra big thank you to Cold Stone for doing the work for us and mixing nuts, chocolate fudge, caramel, fruits, candy bars, sprinkles, gummy bears and basically anything else your heart desires into your frozen dessert. Luckily for Towson, we have a store conveniently located in the Towson Town Center, just a short trip from campus. If you are dying to get creative and pig out on ice cream, why go anywhere other than Cold Stone?

Towson’s Best

February 2, 2016

Best Bar: The Green Turtle If you are going uptown with your friends – and you’re actually over the age of 21 – you are probably going to have a conversation that goes something like this; “Where should we go first?” “I don’t know, let’s just go to Turtle and then decide from there.” The Greene Turtle is basically everyone’s first stop when going uptown, and a great place to meet up with your crew before you are all too drunk to find each other. Their upstairs bar is a pain to get to with all those stairs, but totally worth it for the dance floor. Not to mention the outdoor patio complete with fire pits and a great view of York Road.

Chris Simms/ The Towerlight

Best Club: Torrent Lounge Torrent Night Club, a recent addition to uptown Towson’s nightlife scene, has been quickly growing in popularity since it replaced Recher Theater in 2014. It has attracted talented and local DJ’s to the area, and keeps things interesting with occasional theme parties advertised on their Facebook and other social media sites. If you’re looking for louder music, brighter lights, more dancing and heavier bass than what you might find at other bars in the area, then Torrent is where you need to be. Chris Simms/ The Towerlight

Best Grocery Store: Trader Joe’s

Best Place for a First Date: Cheesecake Factory

Trader Joe’s (1 E. Joppa Rd) has successfully turned the chore of grocery shopping into a fun experience. Their creative food selection has something delicious for everyone, even the pickiest of eaters. Trader Joe’s always has awesome free samples in the back and the cheerful staff is always happy to help you find what you need. The frozen meal section is also perfect for the culinary-challenged college student who needs to eat on a budget. Plus, you can’t beat their 19-cent bananas.

Hey, everyone—just a heads up, Valentine’s Day is really, really soon. So, if you’re planning on making a big move and asking that special someone out for a first date on Valentine’s Day, consider the Cheesecake Factory in the Towson Town Center. With an almost too big menu, featuring salads, pizzas, pastas, steak and over 24 types of cheesecake, there’s something for everyone - and it’s pretty affordable. Add in great service and the ambient lighting, and you’ve got yourself a killer first date.

Best Delivery: Order-Up Is this really a surprise? OrderUp took campus by storm last year when it launched in Towson. Soon, students were able to get Chipote, Fractured Prune, Towson Hot Bagels and other restaurants delivered to their dorm. Add in the killer marketing and weekly specials, it’s no wonder that TU is still crazy for OrderUp.

Best Place to Print: WEPA

Turns out Towson students think the best place to print is pretty much everywhere: The Liberal Arts Building, the Union and Cook Library, to name just a few. The WEPA printing kiosks stationed around campus let you send documents from your room, your house, right down the hall or miles away via the cloud, email and similar systems. Or, if you’re old school, you can print from right off a thumb drive. The point is, it’s quick and easy and you hardly ever have to wait in line.

Best Under-21 Fun: B-Lounge

Towson’s best ‘Under 21’ fun goes to the infamous B Lounge. Sushi restaurant by day and nightclub by night, this bar never fails to make for a great time. (It should be noted that the B Lounge is not, officially, an under-21 establishment. But, with the “proper” identification…our voters seemed to think it merited enough votes to win.)

Best Late-night Eats: Pizans Where else can you go until 1:30 a.m. to get either a sub, wrap or fresh pizza? Pizans has been the hot spot for late-night eats for years and brings in a huge crowd after the bars close. It’s also known for its fast delivery and they even sell alcohol. Pizans continues to be a student-favorite at Towson and is in easy walking distance for those that live in the dorms. Chris Simms/ The Towerlight

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February 2, 2016

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Towson’s Best

February 2, 2016

Best Sports & Concert Venue: SECU Arena Johnny Unitas Stadium was a close second, but it’s hard to beat the appeal of the still-relatively-new SECU Arena. Not only is it a great place for the big name concerts that CAB brings to campus, but it’s a great place to watch a basketball or volleyball game with a bunch of your friends. Nothing beats the thrill of sitting in the student section when Towson’s basketball teams are doing well.

Best Men’s Team: Football Towson’s football program rebounded from a 4-8 season in 2014 with a 7-4 record in 2015. The team’s younger players from 2014 stepped up and helped the Tigers get home wins against Villanova and Delaware. Towson barely missed the playoffs but completely turned the tide from its previous season. The team will return most of its starters next year in order to make another playoff run.

Best Women’s Team: Soccer Towson concluded its season with a 7-8-4 record. Despite missing the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, the team strung together a six game winning streak in the beginning of the season. Junior forward Natalia Pinkney led the Tigers with 15 points and seven goals. Junior goalkeeper Taylor Sebolao recorded seven shutouts in the season.

Best Coach: Rob Ambrose Head Coach Rob Ambrose led the Tigers to a 7-4 record in 2015, and now has a 43-41 record as the coach for the Tigers. He has been the pivotal factor in turning the Towson’s football program around. Ambrose was able to take a young team from 2014 and almost flip the team’s record around. Ambrose will be back at the helm next season, as the team will look to top its sevenwin total.

Chris Simms/ The Towerlight

Best Female Athlete: Dominique Johnson

Johnson is averaging 13.8 points per game this season and is also shooting 88 percent from the free-throw line. The senior guard averages 2.2 assists per game and leads the Tigers with 39 made-3-pointers this season. Johnson has been one of the go-to players for Towson, as the team will try and win the CAA Conference Tournament.

Best Male Athlete: Darius Victor Victor battled injuries throughout the 2015 season and still managed to rush for 1,021 yards and 15 touchdowns. The junior averaged 4.9 yards per carry and was the backbone of Towson’s offense. Victor now has 2,955 rushing yards for his career and will have the chance next season to move into second on the career-rushing yard list behind Terrence West.

Chris Simms/ The Towerlight

Best Place to Catch the Game on TV: Bill Bateman’s Bistro Bateman’s is literally amazing. First of all, it is actually attached to campus. It’s part of the 7800 building, which means it’s the ideal place to grab a drink after that excruciating calculus final. Second, their happy hour includes both great drink prices and a food menu where everything from their incredible wings to a pound of mussels is only $5. And, this happy hour not only takes place Monday through Friday from 3 p.m.-7 p.m., but then comes back again every single day for late-night happy hour from 10 p.m.- close. To top it all off, the bar and restaurant is decked out in TU merch creating a cozy university feel that can sometimes be hard to come by in the very residential city of Towson.

File photo by Patrick Burke/ The Towerlight

February 2, 2016

Arts

hey, what’s up, hello

Towson. Photos by Allen Stewart/ The Towerlight

Fetty Wap headlines Jan. Jam in SECU Arena ANNIE SRAGNER Arts & Life Editor @anniesragner

On Thursday night, students and fans gathered in SECU Arena for an explosive performance from Fetty Wap, and opening acts Omen, Cozz and Bas. “I was so into it,” freshman nursing major Carly Howes said. “He is so energetic and his interaction with the audience was amazing.” Although many describe Fetty Wap’s music as a mix between rap, hip-hop and R&B, his sound is unique in that he breaks the mold between singing and rapping. “I think he’s versatile,” junior exercise science major Michelle Copeland said. “He appeals to all of the different demographics – young people and old people. I even hear my mom singing Fetty Wap sometimes. Old people want to sing it too because it’s catchy.” Fetty Wap rose to fame after facing many challenges growing up. Coming from a rough background in Paterson, New Jersey, he lost his right eye to a battle with glaucoma as a child. “I think the fact that he has a missing eye isn’t important and no one really pays attention to that,” mar-

keting graduate Chris Hancock said. “They just care that he makes good music. He has enough money to get surgery and fix his eye, but he is very humble, which a lot of people like.” The rapper drew a crowd of nearly 4,000 people to SECU Arena. While CAB usually sells tickets through the box office in the University Union, this year they decided to opt for online sales through Ticketmaster. “We decided to use Ticketmaster because volume-wise, Ticketmaster can handle a lot more,” Assistant Director of Programming for CAB Ayana Bowman said. “I think the ticket office can do about 200 tickets an hour, so imagine that the floor has 800 tickets – it would take four hours to sell out the floor.” Many students agreed that the switch to online sales made the process of obtaining tickets much smoother. “I think it was the best way,” junior occupational therapy major Kiera Cupid said. “I know for some events you have to get your tickets at the box office in the Union, which causes you to possibly miss out a lot. Doing it this way allowed me to come. It’s much better than everyone rushing to the box office. There was less traffic doing it online.”

As Fetty Wap is a relatively new artist with only one album released so far, some of those in attendance felt as though his performance was over before they knew what hit them. “I honestly felt like he ended it too short,” senior computer science major Darius White said. “I felt like we needed more from Fetty Wap. I was waiting for his latest song called ‘Jimmy Choo,’ but he never played it. That’s what I came here for, honestly.” Overall, most of the audience left the arena in good spirits as they kicked off a new semester with a night of fun. “I think it was great, it makes me really excited for Tigerfest,” Bowman said. “Hopefully we will get a lot of good things worked out with that. We set the stakes high for ourselves and we’re looking to top it. We have good thoughts and good vibes going toward the future.”

One that they want CAITLIN MOYNIHAN Columnist @cmmoynihan

As an avid Broadway enthusiast and someone who truly appreciates live theater along with all the technicalities that go into creating a production, I had high hopes for Grease. Instead of relying on big names like “Sound of Music: LIVE!” did with Carrie Underwood, the production team created an equal balance by using stars who have experience with live theater. Aaron Tveit (Danny Zuko), Keke Palmer (Marty), Vanessa Hudgens (Rizzo) and Carly Rae Jepsen (Frenchy) are all Broadway alumni who made the program feel more like I was sitting in a theater instead of a couch in my apartment. While the acting and dancing were phenomenal, it was the production that made Grease become the champion of live television. The director, Thomas Kail, is another Broadway alum who is most known for directing the outrageously popular new American musical, “Hamilton.” Kail was able to bring the magic of Broadway to the screen in a way that has never been done before. It is hard to surprise an audience while doing a revival of a classic, but with amazing camera angles, beautiful sets and hundreds of behind-the-scene workers I was excited for each scene. I cheered when Marty’s blue nightgown suddenly transformed into a red ball gown, and was in awe during the street race scene. I cheered along with

Illustration by Daniel Andrews/ The Towerlight

AN ALL-DAY OPEN TABLE EVENT, ONLY ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH

the live audience and truly felt like I was there watching it in person. If you’ve ever seen a show at a theatre before, then you can understand how important of a role the audience can play: if no one claps enthusiastically or laughs at the appropriate times then it negatively affects the actors on stage. But in turn, an amazing audience can drastically change the attitude of the show. This is another way that Kail used his Broadway background to his advantage: Kail had an actual live studio audience at every studio for every scene. Their applause was infectious and it really drew out the best in the actors, especially noted in Juliane Hough’s (Sandy) ballad. Not only did it create a high-energy set that translated to the home audiences, but it also made everything more believable and emotional. Just hours before the show aired, Hudgens Tweeted out that her father had died the night before due to stage-four cancer and that she would continue on in doing the show in his honor. During her solo, where Rizzo is reflecting on the fact that she may be pregnant, you could truly feel her emotion. She delivered a phenomenal performance that rivaled her time on Broadway in “Gigi,” which I was able to see during its limited run. “Grease: LIVE!” is something that only happens when live musical broadcasts are treated like theater instead of a television program. “Grease:LIVE!” has set the bar and I am excited to see what comes next!

Courtesy of Variety

Puzzles

February 2, 2016

Crossword Sudoku

Turn to page 22 for answers to todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Puzzles

9-11-14

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

â&#x2014;? Each row and each column must

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

â&#x2014;? Freebies: Fill in single-box cages

â&#x2014;? The numbers within the heavily

with the number in the top-left corner.

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Sports

February 2, 2016

Tigers bit by cougars 9-12-14

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

● The numbers within the heavily

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

● Freebies: Fill in single-box cages

with the number in the top-left corner.

Solutions to Puzzles appearing on page 19. 21

Look for the Spring Sports Preview... Coming February 16th!

● Each row and each column must

Towson drops road battle to Cougars 67-55 DESMOND BOYLE Staff Writer

Towson dug itself into a hole it could not get out of in a tough 67-55 loss to the College of Charleston. The Cougars jump started the game and in just four minutes had an 11-0 lead over the Tigers. Towson kept some composure and managed a 6-2 run to end the quarter 13-6. “We just missed some wide open shots,” Towson Head Coach Nikki Geckeler said of the slow start. “We created scoring chances but missed some uncontested jump shots and lay ups.” Charleston regained a double digit lead in the second quarter after the Cougars scored eight of the opening 13 points in the second to earn a 21-11 lead. The Tigers then had their first significant run of the game, going on a 10-2 run to trail by just two with 1:39

left in the half. The Cougars then scored three points before the buzzer for halftime sounded to take a 26-21 lead into the break. The third quarter featured more consistent scoring from both teams as Charleston held onto a single digit lead most of the quarter. Strong shooting from senior guard Dominique Johnson and Raven Bankston, Towson’s only players to score double digits in the game, helped the Tigers stay with the Cougars. Freshman forward Brittany Tarr made a jump shot with seconds remaining in the quarter to make it a 45-38 lead for Charleston going into the fourth. Towson quickly made it 45-40 to start the fourth but that five point gap would the closest the Tigers would come to completing the comeback. The Cougars hit 13 of 17 free throw attempts and played solid defense to close out the 67-55

victory. “I think that this is a young team,” Geckeler said. “These are things that young players go through when playing in a tough conference like the CAA.” Towson’s next game will be Friday at the SECU arena against University of Delaware at 7 p.m.

NEXT @ HOME FEB.

5th

sSports

February 2, 2016

towson takes second ALEX TORIBIO Contributing Writer @xoxo_Alexxandra

Blizzard Jonas had no effect on the Towson Gymnastics talent this past Saturday at the Michigan State Quad Meet. “It was a tough week in the gym, having lost two practice days and our first home meet to the snow,” Head Coach Vicki Chliszczyk said. The gymnastics team was supposed to kick off their first home meet of the season on Sunday, Jan. 24, but was canceled due to the snow. “With only having two and a half days of workouts, the girls pulled in this competition confidently,” Chliszczyk said. The Tigers traveled to Jenison Field House in East Lansing, Michigan, where they competed against Pittsburgh, Rutgers and

Michigan State. The team won second place with an overall score of 193.800, only .125 shy under Michigan State’s first-place score. At the Quad meet, Towson scored a season-high with a 48.475 on vault and 48.625 on floor. On floor, Tyra McKellar finished in a fourth-place tie with a seasonbest score of 9.825. Noelle Harada scored 9.775 and Lauren Cahalan scored 9.600, making their season’s highest scores on floor. Four of the Tigers, Mary Elle Arduino, Noelle Harada, Cortni Baker and Tyra McKellar, scored 9.700 on vault, all finishing in a tie for tenth place. McKellar led the team with some of the highest scores. She won the uneven bars with a 9.850 and was runner-up on the balance beam, scoring a season’s and career-best of 9.825, but her team-

mates weren’t far behind. Both Lauren Cahalan and Bridget Steffen scored 9.800 with a tie in third place on the balance beam. Brittany Ranti scored a 9.625 on uneven bars, while Cortni Baker received a 9.425. In the all-around, Tyra McKellar received second place with a score of 39.225 and Noelle Harada came in fifth place with a score of 38.225. Chliszcyck said she was pleased with the team’s routine. “They started off really clean and focused on mental cues and holding landings, which paid off in their performances,” she said. The team will head to New Hampshire for a quad meet against Bridgeport and Brown Sunday, Feb. 7, at 1 p.m. The Tigers will go against Pittsburgh, Ursinus and Penn State, in their first home meet of the season on Friday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. at the SECU Arena.

capital opportunity JORDAN COPE Assistant Sports Editor @jordancope26

At the All-Star Break, the unofficial midway point of the National Hockey League regular season, the Washington Capitals have the best record in the league at 38-5-4. If the Capitals continue to win games at this pace, the team will be contenders for the Presidents’ Trophy, which is given to the team with the best regular season record. This story is all too familiar for Washington fans, as the team won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2009-10 only to exit the playoffs in the first round. The Capitals also broke the hearts of its fans in 2007-08, 200809, and 2010-11 when the team was crowned Southeast Division Champions only to see a brief postseason. So, why will this year be any different? Why will this be the year that the Capitals make noise in the playoffs and make a serious run at the Stanley Cup? The answer to this question is simple, goaltender Braden Holtby. Holtby has been playing marvelous

hockey for the Capitals all season and shows no signs of stopping. The 26-year-old netminder is 30-5-3 this season with an astounding 2.07 goals against average and a .929 save percent age. Holtby is really coming into his own in this league, and now with three years of postseason play has the skills and experience to take the Capitals to the promise land. However, it will be important for head coach Barry Trotz and goaltender coach Mitch Korn to monitor Holtby’s action so that he doesn’t fatigue as the season continues to progress. Another key that will help the Capitals make a postseason run is the depth of the team. With the offseason acquisition of centerman T.J. Oshie and the recent free agent signing of centerman Mike Richards, the Capitals have no holes in any of its line combinations. Winger Justin Williams, another offseason acquisition by Capitals

general manager Brian MacLellan, will also help Washington come spring. Williams has been playing in the NHL for 14 years and has hoisted two Stanley Cups when he was a member of the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014. And would it really be Capitals hockey without discussing the captain Alex Ovechkin? Ovechkin has 28 goals, 14 assists and 42 points this season. The 30-year-old winger also became the first Russian-born NHL player to score 500 career goals. If Washington is going to compete for a Stanley Cup this season then their captain, superstar and $124 million man will need to lead the team. Over the past decade, the Capitals have broken their fans’ hearts time and time again with postseason disappointments. However, with all of the right pieces falling into place this could be the year that Washington hoists its first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Tyra McKellar Gymnastics Sophomore Tyra McKellar won the uneven bar event with a score of 9.850, tying her season-best. McKellar also posted a season-best 9.700 on vaults. The Tigers finished second with a season-best score of 193.800 at the Michigan State Quad Meet on Saturday.

Sports

February 2, 2016

tigers give delaware the blues DESMOND BOYLE Staff Writer

Towson escaped with a 101-97 win in a thrilling overtime barn-burner against the University of Delaware Saturday. The game opened with the Tigers firing from the perimeter, as Towson went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and jumped out to an 11-3 lead in the first four minutes. Sophomore guard Byron Hawkins hit two of his three first half 3-pointers in that stretch. The Tigers then traded buckets with the Blue Hens, as sophomore guard Mike Morsell, junior forward John Davis and Hawkins all hit 3-pointers to expand Towson’s lead to 23-11. Towson then held a lead around 10 points for most of the second half behind strong shooting from Morsell and Hawkins. The Blue Hens stayed in the game by converting on their free throws, making 15-of-19 shots from the charity stripe, and closed the gap on Towson trailing 38-35 going into halftime.

The teams then played a much slower tempo half as the referees influenced the game by calling fouls tightly. There were a total of 59 fouls called. Delaware battled back and grabbed its largest lead of the game, by six with 5:45 remaining in the game. Davis then quickly pulled the Tigers back even with two straight 3-pointers.

“

We’ve done some good

things offensively the past

week and a half. I’m proud

of how my team responded down the stretch. PAT SKERRY Head Coach

Davis put on a shooting display for the Tigers in the second half, scoring 18 of his season-high 21 points after the break. Davis also posted a career high by making five 3-pointers in the contest. “Today my shot was just going in

so I kept going to it,” Davis said of his shooting display. Both teams then battled mostly from the line and eventually regulation ended with the score locked at 83-83. Delaware’s leading scorer in the game, sophomore guard Kory Holden, put up a shot at the buzzer that was short and the teams headed for overtime. Towson didn’t look back from that point on, hitting 13-of-17 foul shots in the five-minute overtime. Morsell then clinched the game with 38 seconds left by banking a three pointer to give Towson a 94-91 lead. Several foul shots later the time expired and Towson had clinched a 101-97 victory. “We’ve done some good things offensively the past week and a half,” Head Coach Pat Skerry said. “I’m proud of how my team responded down the stretch.” The win was bittersweet, however, as Hawkins went down with an ankle injury in the second half and had X-Rays done on Saturday. The Tigers next game is at the College of Charleston Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Chris Simms/ The Towerlight

Sophomore guard Eddie Keith takes a shot at SECU (above). Freshman forward Alex Thomas goes up for a dunk (below).