The Towerlight (March 8, 2016)

Towson’s campus and community news source

TheTowerlight.com

March 8, 2016

FOUR INTERNATIONAL ATHLETES SHARE THEIR STORIES, PG. 24 Photo by Chris Simms/Photo illustration by Kara Bucaro/The Towerlight

2

Advertisement

March 8, 2016

15% OFF SWIM

MARCH 9-28

south moon under

H A R B O R E A S T | S H O P S AT K E N I LW O R T H | S O U T H M O O N U N D E R . C O M | # S O U T H M O O N U N D E R HARBOR EAST | SHOPS AT KENILWORTH | SOUTHMOONUNDER.COM | #SOUTHMOONUNDER

Social Media

March 8, 2016

TOWSON TRENDING Week of 3/1 - 3/7

Towson students danced for 12 straight hours at TigerTHON in the SECU area in support of The Childrens Miracle Network, Friday night. The students riased a total of over $201,000 for Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore. The men’s basketball team lost to Northeastern at the Royal Farms Arena during the CAA tournament with a final score of 71-60, Saturday.

TigerTHON FOR THE KIDS #TigerTHON #FTK Tigerthon was a great experience. So happy to have been a part.

@Thejackieset

@faithhfully

We’re over 5 hours in @TigerTHON and the party is just getting started! #FortheKids

@TU_Ambassadors

Men’ s Basketball

Tough break for @Towson_MBB tonight, hard to win when the refs are against you. Get em next season

@whiteasian116

Good season for @Towson_MBB but came up just short tonight. Thank you Gentlemen for all your hard work. #TowsonTigers

@TLeeG

Congratulations to @Towson_MBB and @CoachPatSkerry on a terrific 20-win season. Tough way to go out and we wish Northeastern well tomorrow.

@rayfeldmann0523

3

4

Opinion

March 8, 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 Assoc. Sports Editors Jordan Cope Assist. Sports Editor Tyler Beard Staff Writers Tim Anderson Kati Day Lauren Cosca Kristin Helf Ryan Permison

An open letter to President Schatzel

Columnist calls for TU to be anti-racist SEY ELEMO Columnist

Hailey Miller Tyler Young Christine LaFrancesca Caitlin Wolfarth Bhavisha Dave Photo Editor Assoc. Photo Editor Chris Simms Staff Photographers Cody Boteler Adrilenzo Cassoma Nilo Exar Carley Milligan Allen Stewart Video Producer Sarah Chmieloweic Assist. Video Producer Stacey Coles Staff Videographers Tyisha Henderson Proofreaders Sarah Rowan Kayla Baines Alaina Tepper Chris Pretrides General Manager Mike Raymond Art Director Kara Bucaro Production Assistants Daniel Andrews Christine Kim Webmaster Hafiz Aina 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!

Dear President Schatzel (and all other faculty and staff of Towson University), With all due respect, I am going to tell you my truth, and the truth of many black students (and students of colour in general). Our voices are generally drowned out by excuses made by administration for closeted, and microaggressive people on this campus. I refuse to be silenced any longer.

President Schatzel, I am a junior.

When committing to Towson nearly three years ago, one of the main reasons I did so was because of the endless barrage of pamphlets that were sent to my house boasting of the “diversity” at Towson University. What I didn’t know then, is that “diversity” simply means that there’s a lot of different stuff here; this stuff being people of varying cultural and racial backgrounds. What Towson hoped we’d never realize, because its so “diverse,” is that while people of varying cultural and racial backgrounds are present, WE ARE LARGELY UNDERREPRESENTED AND UNSPOKEN FOR. President Schatzel, I am confidently telling you now, that as a black woman on this campus, my mental health is constantly under attack. Being a college student is hard enough. Balancing jobs, student organizations and classes is a difficult task as it is! But just for a second, one second, can you imagine what it’s like to live with all of those pressures and then attend classes where my professor is attempting to justify colonization? Can you imagine what it’s like to live with all of those pressures and then sit in a classroom with students that tell me to my face that “black people in this country are the ones who make race a problem, and that if we be quiet it will go away?”

Can you imagine what it’s like to live with all of those pressures and then sit in a classroom where my classmates are telling me that reverse-racism is real and negating my lived experience?

Can you imagine what it’s like to live

with all of those pressures and then trying to put on events that appeal to multi-cultural interests, only to have those events be over-policed?

President Schatzel, it is time that this university STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND TAKE BETTER CARE OF STUDENTS OF COLOUR. I pay tuition just like everyone else and I deserve to feel safe in the classes that I pay for.

My colleagues and I have been advocating for equal representation at this university, and frankly we are sick of administration using Band-Aids to cover up our stab wounds.

I, as well as many of my colleagues are sick of the task forces, advisory boards, and whatever other tools of procrastination that have been used to placate us. They are not doing any-

thing! President Schatzel, my good friend, SGA President Kurt Anderson, has asked me for tangible ideas to implement in advocating for the mental health of black students.

While I am actively doing so, I think it is important to note that the responsibility of ending racism on this campus, and in the world should not fall solely on people of colour. I, as well as other students of colour, are working HARD to make tangible changes on this campus.

The administration should be working JUST AS HARD, IF NOT TWICE AS HARD as we are (And when I say administration I mean administration outside of the Center for Student Diversity, it is not solely their responsibility, either).

President Schatzel, I am not anti-

Towson. I participate in SEVERAL clubs and organizations, I’ve held multiple jobs on this campus and I am even the current reigning homecoming queen of this University.

I believe that Towson has the capacity for change, which is why I am so heavily involved.

I am deeply, and madly in love with Towson University’s potential for change.

But it is time that administration join us down in the trenches and fight for us just as hard was we are fighting for ourselves.

President Schatzel, I am calling for Towson University to be more than just diverse, or multicultural. I am calling for Towson to be OPENLY anti-racist.

Yours in Blackness, A Ratchet Revolutionary.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Photo Editor Chris Simms took this photo in front of Hip-Hop Fish and Chicken on Reisterstown Road, as “Wheelie Wayne” (@wheeliewayne) of the 12 O’Clock Boys pops a wheelie on his ATV, Sunday, March 6.

Opinion

March 8, 2016

Reverse racism does not exist

Reverse racism is a term I’ve been hearing a lot lately, despite L the numerous articles that have - already emerged saying it doesn’t m exist. So, I will say it again. Reverse g racism does not exist.

Here’s the thing. White people - have never, and will never, face the o same systematic oppression that people of color (P.O.C.) have faced e for years upon years and still face r today. In order to say that a potentially prejudice statement or action n against a white person is “reverse t racism,” you must be willing to say g that whatever was said or done is as offensive as slavery and institur tionalized oppression again P.O.C. t When you say reverse racism, you g are comparing whatever you just faced as an individual to a process of hate which has been instilled against mass numbers of people for centuries.

When you break it down like that, you see how ridiculous and insensitive the term you’re using actually is.

Let’s go a little deeper and discuss what systematic oppression is.

Here are some examples. Number one: according to the NAACP’s

website, African Americans are incarcerated at six times the rate at which white people are incarcerated. Number two: people of color, men and women, earn between 54% and 75% what a white man earns in the workforce, according to the 2014 Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. Number three: in Flint, Michigan, where children have been poisoned by lead in their water supply, the population is predominantly African American.

Similarly, a few years back it was discovered that 25 percent of children living in Harlem, New York, a predominately African-American community, had asthma.

These are just some examples.

There are, unfortunately, many, many more.

These issues are systematic because they occur within the system by which the United States is run.

The number of incarcerated African Americans is based on our legal system, the wage discrepancy between white men and P.O.C. is based on our economic system, and the health concerns within predominantly African American communities are based on our health and environmental systems.

In other words, these issues go beyond an individual experi-

ence. They are happening to entire communities. They are happening because the system by which our country is run is letting them happen.

It isn’t easy or comfortable to talk about power dynamics and oppression, but we must talk about them.

When a person says something arguably prejudice against a person or group of people who systematically hold power over them, try to imagine the experience of the oppressed before you react.

You don’t have to agree with what they say, you don’t have to like it, but don’t take it personally.

Take it as a response to a system that has and continues to hurt them in ways that you never have to experience.

Take the discomfort and offense you originally had toward that individual when you said “reverse racism” and direct it toward the larger issue of systematic oppression.

When we focus on individual conflicts, we form a stalemate in which no one makes any progress.

When we expand our view to that of a society or a nation, we begin to see things more clearly, and that’s when we begin to create the necessary change that leads us to equality.

Van Bokkelen is the actual worst ALI HINMAN Columnist

Towson has become my home away from home. Going to school out of state was something that I was determined to do, but I never really considered the impact it would have on my life. Luckily, it was a positive one. That is, until my became Van Bokkelen, a building with a name that is just as frustrating to spell as it is to be in.

From the outside, VB has an archaic aesthetic. It matches with

Stephens, the building that sits royally on the front of campus as a symbol of established values and education.

Stephens Hall has large archways and hallways that could accommodate for the amount of students that attended Towson when that was one of the only building present. It has stood the test of time and has sween many trials and tribulations. This makes me think that the architect who designed VB was so blinded by the beauty of Stephens that he/she completely forgot to pay attention to what he/she was doing.

You open the doors to a ledge that is a little too high with a lip that it a little too far out, which weeds out the newbies from the veteran VB students.

You are immediately dumped into a staircase that is one and a half people wide, followed by a hallway that is about two and a half people wide.

A hall that is already congested by entire classes of people waiting for their professors to unlock the door to the classroom.

To read the rest of this column online, visit www.thetowerlight.com

5

Plant relationships ANNIE SRAGNER Arts & Life Editor @AnnieSragner

Although few people may consider themselves farmers or agriculturists, we all depend on plants. The interaction between humans and plants is tightly interwoven – so much so that some argue that humans are domesticated by plants. This claim may seem nonsensical at first, but there is evidence to support it.

When one hears the word “domestication,” the idea of domesticated house pets may first come to mind. Our relationship with domesticated animals is founded upon mutualism – we provide them with food and shelter, they provide us with protection and companionship. This symbiotic relationship teaches the two benefiting parties to remain in close proximity throughout the duration of the relationship.

Likewise, people and plants have also developed a very similar mutualistic relationship with each other over time. Most plants can essentially grow anywhere with suitable conditions, but humans stay in close proximity of their propagation because we depend on them for food, shelter and oxygen.

They provide us with natural resources, we expand their populations.

This process is only limited by the quality of the relationship. For example, most neighborhood homes have both a front lawn and back yard

filled with grass that has little purpose beyond decoration.

Imagine how much more people would benefit if we used all of this lawn space to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs instead of unusable grass.

If gardening practices became more common beyond rural areas, we could significantly decrease the amount we spend on food and groceries.

And history validates the success of this philosophy. During World War II, the U.S. government encouraged civilians to grow “Victory Gardens” to increase food production in support of the war. When individuals took it upon themselves to maintain their own personal gardens, the country produced 7,949,000 tons of vegetables, or 42% of the nation’s vegetable production.

That is truly impressive, but the main point is that the sustainability of plants directly correlates with the sustainability of humans because we both depend on each other for survival.

This relationship can only progress as much as we decide to participate in it.

The easiest way to get started is to plant some of your favorite vegetables on your balcony or near a big window in your home.

Or if maintaining a garden doesn’t seem personally realistic, buy produce from farmer’s markets that support local agriculture.

To read the rest of this column, visit www.thetowerlight.com.

6

Advertisement

March 8, 2016

1860

1870 1880

1890 1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990 2000

2010

Major changes were taking

place in Maryland higher education during the late 1980s. In 1988, Towson, along with other Maryland schools, merged to form the University System of Maryland (USM), which was headed by a Board of Regents and Chancellor. The University System of Maryland was instrumental in leading to an improvement in funding for Maryland’s Universities, but Hoke Smith was concerned with the perceived inconsistencies of funding within the system and from the state, as well as concerns about degree programs that were not available to Towson because of fears of competition with other universities in the system.

The lack of funding and need for a clearer recognition of Towson’s mission were key factors in Smith’s mission to remove “State” from the name of the school. In 1997, Smith succeeded in changing Towson State University to Towson University. Smith argued that the name change would elevate the university’s perception and more clearly reflect the decline in financial support from the state. It allowed the university to develop its own identity while remaining in the University System of Maryland.

Mark Perkins President, July 2001–April 2002 Hoke L. Smith c. 2001

President Hoke Smith retired in 2001. After his retirement, Smith was named President Emeritus. He continued his involvement in Maryland education at Towson by participating in special projects in the College of Education.

Smith was succeeded by Mark Perkins.

To be continued…

Share your memory: TU150.towson.edu

March 8, 2016

News

7

Lawmakers renew push to merge UMDCP, UMB Univ. system chancellor expresses concerns

A new push is underway in the Maryland State Legislature to combine University of Maryland, College Park and University of Maryland, Baltimore in what supporters are calling a “strategic partnership.”

Senate Bill 1052, put forward by State Sen. Bill Ferguson, would join the two universities and give the University System of Maryland Board of Regents the power to appoint just one president for both campuses if one of the two positions becomes vacant.

Ferguson could not be reached for comment in time for The Towerlight’s print deadline. This story will be updated online after an interview later in the week.

The bill also proposes moving the headquarters of the USM from Adelphi, Maryland, to Baltimore.

UMB President Jay Perman testified in support of the intent behind the bill, but expressed concern over potential consequences.

According to the UMB website, Perman said that he was reminded of his oath as a physician to “do no harm.”

“And so I ask that this bill be amended to avoid any unintended consequences that could, in fact, cause harm,” Perman’s testimony reads. “Both UMB and our sister university in College Park need retained autonomy to carry out our missions with fidelity and authority.”

Perman expressed concern that merging of the campuses could take some clout, authority and power away from the Baltimore campus.

“UMB has to be able to act in the best interests of Baltimore City, and our autonomy in this regard can’t be compromised,” Perman said.

One source of support for the bill comes from the idea that, by merging the two campuses into one institution, the new University of Maryland would instantly climb up national rankings in research spending. However, according to testimony given by USM Chancellor Bob Caret, that may not be the case.

Caret said that USM staff

reached out to the National Science Foundation, and that they distinguish between universities with one president or chancellor and that with “dual presidency” would “not qualify under current rules” and that the two campuses would continue to be counted as two institutions.

According to Mike Lurie, a spokesman for the USM, Caret is not speaking with the media about this issue. In a statement, Caret said that the USM is “generally supportive” of the concepts of the bill.

In his testimony on the senate floor, Caret said there are “serious concerns” with how the bill is currently written.

Caret asked for 12 months for the regents to work on those concerns.

USM Student Council President Gayon Sampson, a Towson student, said that there’s a “validity” to merging the campuses, but that he wants it “to be done the right way.”

“I’m OK with any school becoming better, but we can’t become better at the cost of other schools,” Sampson said.

Sampson called this weekend’s meeting of the USMSC “contentious”

Courtesy of University of Maryland Facebook Senate Bill 1052 would join two University of Maryland campuses. when it came to discussing the proposed bill. Ultimately, the council voted to not release just one stance on the issue, and that each institution’s student government could propose a stance on their own.

Sampson said he was concerned with what the merging of the campuses would mean for other schools in the system, especially when it comes to funding.

Towson Student Government Association President Kurt Anderson

said that, for the most part, he doesn’t see any reason for Towson students to be worried about the bill. He said that the bill will be good for the state, but that he doesn’t see it benefitting TU. Anderson and Sampson both said they were in support of moving the USM headquarters to Baltimore.

Towson University President Kim Schatzel declined to comment on the proposed legislation.

The Towerlight will continue to cover this story and provide updates.

Local activist encourages challenging of institutions Kwame Rose delivers keynote at celebration of black excellence Local activist Kwame Rose talked about local and national issues related to the Black Lives Matter movement Saturday as a part of Martin Luther King Jr. celebration and black excellence showcase “New Black City: A Different World.”

Rose, 21, began his keynote speech by focusing on the importance of claiming black space and how, “Space is one of the most limited commodities for black people.”

He encouraged the claiming of space through social media and on campuses, and reminded young people to continue to constantly challenge institutions and the status quo to make change happen.

“Once we start educating young people on challenging the system and using your voice and realizing that you are an individual that has a power inside of that individualism, I think we will change tomorrow way quicker than we ever could by retrenching the cycle, and keep trying to change the

infected system that keeps oppressing people,” Rose said.

Event coordinator for Towson’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Jasmine Gillispie, said that organizers wanted Rose to speak because, as a young voice in the community, he can convey to the audience that age isn’t a factor when advocating for what you know to be right.

“He is not just protesting for the hype,” Gillispie said. “He is protesting and writing and speaking to evoke change.”

Towson University’s chapter of the NAACP hosted the event, which has been in the planning stages since October, in collaboration with the Center for Student Diversity and the Mu Rho chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. “We wanted the audience to thoroughly enjoy themselves but leave with something to encourage them to continue to thrive in their black heritage and culture,” Gillispie said.

This was the second annual New Black City on Towson’s campus, and President of the Alphas, Brandon

Edwards, said that they wanted to bring the event back again as a black history showcase for Towson’s black students.

“It builds memories, community, and it's a good experience to have fun,” senior Edwards said.

Between the performances, a cast of students acted in a series of short skits based off of 90s television show “A Different World.” Gillispie and Towson’s NAACP President, Cambria Conley, produced the script together and both took part in acting it out on stage with six other students.

“In terms of the vision of the skits, we covered many topics such as hookup culture, racism and sexism all while giving the audience a nostalgic presentation,” Edwards, who also performed in the skits, said.

The evening also featured vocal performances both a cappella and accompanied, a trumpet piece and performances by Towson dance majors and the Killa Motionz dance team. There were two spoken word artists, a video presentation on South African uprisings from the 1970s and step performances by the Lambda Beta Chapter

of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., and the Alphas.

The Alpha’s step performance was a step that all brothers of the fraternity must learn called “Oh Why” and was chosen to show unity and brotherhood.

“I also wanted to perform "Oh Why" to page homage to my father who graduated from Towson University, and also is a brother of this chapter,” Edwards

said. “Unfortunately, he passed away in 2014 so every time I put of that sweater of his, I perform my hardest for him.”

Rose said speaking at Towson was like having his life come full circle because Towson was his first choice for college out of high school, however he was not admitted.

“I see this as my acceptance into Towson University,” he said.

Courtesy of Malachi Sheppard Local activist Kwame Rose delivers the keynote at the “New Black City: A Different World” event March 5.

8

News

March 8, 2016

Students, prof. develop “Cards Against Anthropology”

Courtesy of Lauren Castellana Students and faculty from the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice celebrate World Anthropology Day Feb. 19 by playing Cards Against Anthropology.

Associate anthropology professor Matthew Durington keeps a small stack of gently-used, student-produced board game prototypes on a shelf in his office, and a pile of black and white paper cards on his desk. He’s interested in the gamification of learning, the combination of fun and curriculum.

“I think all of us play games, or we played games at one point in our lives,” he said. “Playing games sometimes includes very simple, logical steps, but it can become much more complex.”

Durington debuted “Cards Against Anthropology” during a presentation at the annual American Anthropology Association meeting in November.

A shameless rip-off of popular party

game Cards Against Humanity, according to Durington’s website, Cards Against Anthropology follows the same rules and play-style as its predecessor, but with an anthropological twist.

The game was developed in part by students during an honors class Durington taught in spring 2014. It answered his calls for students to design something that would explore the ethical challenges of anthropological field work.

Black prompt cards challenge players with scenarios like being pressured into taking drugs, being attacked by a drug cartel or wanting to help the population being studied.

White answer cards range from “Seduce” and “Smoke it,” to “Back away slowly.”

“Painting a really complex, messy picture of field work is more appropri-

ate, because culture is messy and complex,” Durington said. “Too often, it’s delivered as clear, efficient, linear and simple, and that’s not the case.”

Maya Mehta was a member of the group who proposed the game in 2014, before she graduated from Towson later that year. She said that her group started brainstorming by just talking about how much they enjoyed playing Cards Against Humanity.

“I think we realized that the structure of the game was the best way to teach students about the ethical dilemmas that anthropologists have to deal with because it actually requires the player to act autonomously when making decisions throughout the game,” Mehta said in an email.

Durington’s “Anthropology Games” assignment is a regular part of his curriculum. This semester, he challenged

one of his classes to develop games that would help students better understand and recognize the influence of key anthropological theorists.

“A lot of it for me is trying to get students to have as much ownership over the curriculum and learning process as possible, and this just seemed like one more way to do that,” Durington said.

“It brings in another type of pedagogy, or teaching, into the classroom.”

Since graduating, Mehta has spent time teaching high school sex education, English and math in a small village in Fiji. She’s currently volunteering on permaculture farms in Costa Rica to learn more about sustainable development and wants to pursue a master’s degree in international affairs next.

Taking a creative approach to education, she says, is absolutely essential.

“While I was teaching in Fiji, I found

that students were much more eager to learn and engaged when they were taught in a way that was different and more fun [than] a traditional lecture,” Mehta said.

Because Cards Against Humanity operates under a Creative Commons license, Durington was able to put his version online at anthropologygames. com, which he hopes will become a repository for any other games he and his students develop. In an ideal world, he’d like to see future projects extend to a mobile app format, where users can accumulate things like points and high scores while studying.

“Anything that smacks of innovation, people will latch onto and want to try out,” Durington said. “We’re practitioners of the field for a reason. We’re passionate about it. And we want that to translate to [students], too.”

Muslim Student Association works to feed homeless In order to pack food and hygiene product donations for distribution to the homeless population of Baltimore City, Towson’s Muslim Student Association hosted “Feeding Our Neighbors” Friday.

According to MSA Programming Director Kanwal Rehman, one of the goals of the event was to bring the Towson community together for a common purpose.

“In Islam, you’re told that you need to do community service and you’re told that you need to give to charity,” Rehman said. “So it’s very important to us as the MSA, but it’s also something that we want the entire campus to be able to come together for and to work

together for a common goal.”

Feeding Our Neighbors was founded by former MSA members Aayesha Aijaz, Mohamed Mansour and current MSA Vice President Salsabeel Abdelhamid. Towson MSA has had an active role in the organization since its founding, holding events at least once a year and packaging food on a monthto-month basis, according to MSA Interim President Amr Rawi.

“Here at Towson we’re all about giving back, so we want to make sure that the people who are capable of giving are giving back to the community,” Rawi said. “We really want to give a helping hand and help those who need it the most.”

At Friday’s event, students gathered in the Center for Student Diversity to create care packages and then left campus to deliver them to homeless people

throughout the city.

In previous years, MSA and Feeding our Neighbors have coordinated events that sent groups of students out to spend the night in Baltimore City in order to demonstrate and experience homelessness in the winter.

Towson University President Kim Schatzel, who attended the event, described being in college as a privilege that grants a greater degree of responsibility to participate in community service.

“It’s a very small planet, and we need to be able to help each other every chance that we can,” Schatzel said during a short speech.

According to Rehman, MSA hopes that the event continues and becomes something that happens more frequently.

“There’s a lot of homelessness in Baltimore and all across the U.S.,”

Courtesy of Kanji Takeno Members of the Towson’s Muslim Student Association package food and other supplies for Baltimore’s homeless Friday during a “Feeding Our Neighbors” event.

Rehman said. “It seems very small, because us doing this is on a very small scale, but even if it’s just one

person, you end up making their day. It’s really important that this work continues.”

March 8, 2016

News

9

Writer, activist talks America’s changing racial demographics The Towson University Center for Student Diversity welcomed author and nationally-renowned racial justice activist Deepa Iyer to campus Wednesday for a conversation about the changing racial demographics in the United States. These changes are further discussed in her new book, “We Too Sing America: South Asian, Arab, Muslim and Sikh Immigrants Shape Our Multiracial Future.”

“I’m hoping that this book will encourage everyone, regardless of their faith or religious background, to actually engage in more conversations about race in America, especially because the landscape of our country is shifting in terms of the demographics themselves,” Iyer said.

Iyer is an activist, writer and lawyer with a strong commitment to intersectional, community-based racial justice issues within the United States, according to her website. She is the former executive director of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) and is now the senior fellow

at the Center for Social Inclusion based in New York City.

She has authored opinion editorials on issues like the post-9/11 backlash against Muslims, immigration reform and anti-black racism that have been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian and Al-Jazeera America.

Iyer began her presentation by discussing post-9/11 America, and how forces of Islamophobia, xenophobia and racial anxiety have created an atmosphere of fear and suspicion within the United States.

She described a process of “doublegrieving” for members of South Asian, Arab, Muslim and Sikh communities.

In this process, community members not only grieved for the devastation that occurred on 9/11, but also for what their communities have endured as a result of scapegoating during the domestic war on terror.

Iyer continued by discussing the racism, bias and discrimination that come from not only individual members of society, but from corporations and institutions as well.

“It’s structural in nature,” Iyer said.

“What this means is that national security has become a blanket justifi-

cation to target and profile particular communities. We have this combination of hate violence and discrimination, along with state and government policies… to create a situation where many of our community members feel like we are being under target, scrutiny and threat in our own country.”

One example of hate violence and racial discrimination that Iyer cited was the case of Balbir Singh Sodhi.

Sodhi, a Sikh, was fatally shot outside of a gas station in Mesa, Arizona just a few days after the attacks on 9/11.

She ended her presentation by describing the future of America’s racial demographics, and said that by 2043, people of color will comprise the majority population in the United States. She urged people to talk more about race and diversity as intersectional identities.

“Diversity just by itself isn’t going to mean enough if we don’t actually have inclusion and justice as well,” Iyer said.

The presentation was followed by the reflections of two youth activists, University of Maryland, College Park graduate Shani Banks and University of Maryland, Baltimore

Sarah Rowan/ The Towerlight Activist Deepa Iyer speaks on the changing racial demographics in the U.S. and reads from her book “We Too Sing America” March 2. student Yves Gomes.

Banks, an advocate of minorityfocused social justice action, entered into social activism as vice president of the Muslim Student Association at UMD, where she opposed a screening of the movie “American Sniper” on campus. The movie has notably

led to an increase in sentiments of Islamophobia within the United States.

Gomes, an undocumented immigrant from India, reflected on his experience going through the deportation process.

--To read the full article online, visit thetowerlight.com.

10

News

March 8, 2016

TU hosts Model U.N. conference Annual event draws local BCPS students

Faced with the daunting task of combating global terrorism, delegates from Switzerland and Australia stood before the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday aiming to pass a resolution to protect natural resources.

When the resolution passed by one vote, the Chesapeake Ballroom erupted in applause.

“It feels pretty good,” tenth-grader Jimmy Coleman said. “I’m actually pretty happy. It makes me proud.”

Coleman, from Owings Mills High School, was one of two students who represented Switzerland and this year’s Model U.N. Conference, co-sponsored

by Towson University and Baltimore County Public Schools.

The first conference at Towson happened March 2003. Alison McCartney, a political science professor and faculty director for the Honors College, has played an integral role in organizing the conference since then.

“Towson students who are part of my Civic Engagement and International Affairs class every fall spend substantial time in and outside of class learning about international issues and their global/local connections and developing workshops on these subjects for

the high schoolers for the fall Training Day,” McCartney said in an email.

Towson students volunteer personal and class time to prepare for the conference. McCartney said that the graduate assistant for the political science department, Michele Calderon, “should get a superhero cape” for the work she put in to help set up the conference.

This was Coleman’s first year at the conference, and he said that he’s already excited to come back. Coleman thought it was a valuable experience— both for the public speaking skills and for the imaginative work behind it.

“You have to see things from different perspectives,” Coleman said.

Students at the conference are supposed to behave like delegates from the countries that they are representing, even if those views do not line up with their own. Over 250 high school students participated in the conference—at little personal cost.

McCartney said that the conference has its origins in a 2002 meeting between herself and a social studies teacher at Woodlawn High School who was looking to provide a Model U.N. conference for low-income students.

“In the wake of 9/11, he felt that these kids deserved the opportunity to learn about international issues, just as those with money could,” McCartney

Cody Boteler/ The Towerlight Tenth-grader Jimmy Coleman represents Owings Mill High School at this year’s Model U.N. Conference, held in the Chesapeake Ballrooms March 5. said. “He was inspired to become a high school social studies teacher because of his participation in Model UN when he was a teenager.”

The yearly conference has four fundamental components to its mission, including eliminating socio-economic limitations and meaningful participation by all students.

The participating schools pay $225 for a dozen students and one teacher and contribute an additional $20 for any more participants. The school system provides the transportation, the Honors College provides prizes and awards for students and the political science department, international studies program and the College of

Liberal arts “pay for the rest,” including printing, tech support, breakfasts and room rentals.

This year, the TU Student Government Association paid for one of the breakfasts. Students or their families pay for their lunches in the Glen Dining Hall, which, McCartney said, was only $6 a day this year.

“I do not get paid extra for this work,” McCartney said. “I see it as part of my teaching and my service to the University, my students, and my community. But I could never do it without the support and hard work of my colleagues, my students, and the department TA.” Savannah Wilhelm, a Towson stu-

dent who helped out at the conference, said she was “blown away” by how the weekend went.

“My favorite moments are when delegates ask myself and other Towson students such thoughtful questions we have to take a step back and really think,” she said in an email.

Wilhelm said it was an “unforgettable experience” and that she can’t wait for next year.

“When students become interested in issues our world faces now, I like to think it stays with them,” Wilhelm said. “That when they turn 18 they'll be voting on some of these issues, that this experience will stay with them and encourage them to be active citizens.”

Russian students visit campus

Hire@TU Hire TU Free, online job and internship database

offering 1,000s of opportunities for TU students Log in with your NetID at

www.towson.edu/careercenter

A group of students from Russia’s Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University spoke about their experiences with their university’s student government during a presentation at Thursday’s International Student Association meeting.

The students, who have been visiting Towson as part of a two-week trip, touched on subjects including the political parties in Russia, the Student Coordination Council, the history of their labor unions and what it’s like to be an average college student at their school.

"There is a lot of propaganda on

both sides," International Initiatives Program Coordinator Jeremy Sanders said. "In the U.S., what we hear about Russia, and what I've heard from them -- what they hear about the U.S. -- sometimes isn't accurate. So this was a chance for there to be a people to people diplomacy."

Student Union Chairman Dmitrii Fedosov and Vice Chairman Evgenii Solovev led the presentation.

The main point of the presentation was to speak about the student council and student unions, which act as representative bodies similar to the American Student Government Association. The SCC consists of members of student unions from public universities all across Russia.

It unites 400,000 students and 308 student trade union organizations, according to a PowerPoint slide included in the presentation.

The representatives are from the district Student Council delegated to each SCC. The main SCC office is located in Moscow. Every year, the SCC puts on a competition for student trade union organizations’ student leaders. It is comparable to the American leadership camp in which they compete in knowledge, law, public statement and debate.

The competition is held near the Baltic Sea. --To read the full article online, visit thetowerlight.com.

Jobs

March 8, 2016

TU Investment Group hosts panel

Chris Simms/ The Towerlight Students engage in discussion with real-world professionals about investment ideas and career advice during a March 1 panel hosted by the Towson University Investment Group in Stephens Hall. The panel was part of the 8th Annual International Market Summit.

help wanted GOOD FOOD & GREAT MONEY Now Accepting Applications for Servers, Barbacks and Host/esses Little Havana is now accepting applications.

We are celebrating our 19th year! We must be doing something right!

We are looking for people that have good experience and a great attitude.

We are hiring Servers for Lunch and Dinner shifts. Weekend availability is a MUST. APPLY IN PERSON ONLY! ***Emailed resumes & applications WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.*** Little Havana is a fun, fast-paced environment and a team oriented setting.

You must be able to work in a team environment. Most employees stick around for an average of 3-5 years.

Enjoy working in a restaurant again!

Full and Part Time positions are available.

Please come in, fill out an application and drop off a resume (if you have one).

Check the websites to find current hours - you can come in anytime to fill out an application.

We suggest you avoid peak times.

We will contact you to schedule an interview.

Towerlight

11

Your ad in print & online - $15

CLASSIFIEDS PART TIME HOSTS WANTED Mt. Washington Tavern. Day & Evening Shifts avail -No minimum hours. Send interest to mtwashingtontavern@comcast.net or call. 410 367-6903

AFTER SCHOOL HOMEWORK HELPER Timonium- Part time, Mon, Wed and Thurs. afternoon help for middle school student. Preferably education major. $12/hr. email jbarbosa0330@gmail.com

CAREGIVER/TEACHERS AIDE Work with children with Autism P/T Owings Mills Call 410-902-2427

services

FRONT DESK/DOCTORS ASSISTANT Seeking a responsible, team player to join our practice. Will train.

Part-time. Good salary and flexible hours. Email drbailes@comcast.net or fax 410-252-7774 your resume.

252-7770 252-7770

DJ SERVICES Book Wizard Entertainment Productions, LLC for University Functions & Graduation Parties. 20% off with TOWSON U ID... Catch us live at #DCBEERFEST (4/16/16) @ Nationals Park.

SUMMER LIFEGUARD Hiring Summer Lifeguard Manager for pool located in Cockeysville. Pool Operator Certified is a plus. Will need Lifeguard Training, CPR/AED, and 1st-Aid certifications. Contact Dan Miller 410-666-3400

To place your ad, go to TheTowerlight.com and click on “Classifieds”

PREGNANT? Free confidential pregnancy testing & caring counseling help: www.optionline.org Text “HELPLINE” to 313131.

SECONDS COUNT CPR Seconds Count CPR and First Aid Instructors are Authorized Providers of CPR and First Aid certification courses through the American Heart Association. Call now for class schedule and prices. 443-425-4093 www.secondscountcpr.info

FULL-TIME, PART-TIME, INTERNSHIPS & SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERY MAJOR!

Don’t miss your chance to meet 1-on-1 with 200+ employers!

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, NOON–3 P.M. · SECU ARENA towson.edu/careercenter

Register by March 11 in Hire@TU and attend the job fair for a chance to win an iPad Mini.

14

Advertisement

March 8, 2016

sign up for

to get the Towson news you need to know delivered to your inbox Monday-Thursday

scan!

Arts

March 8, 2016

15

Towson alum aims to create movie magic KRISTIN HELF Staff Writer @kristinelise_

Towson graduate Max Radbill has been an aspiring filmmaker since kindergarten, when he would act out movie scenes with his toys.

Now, with the electronic media and film degree he received in May 2015, Radbill is about to undertake producing his first feature film.

“When I started looking for colleges, I looked for a film school in Maryland, and at the time, Towson was the only one that had a real film program,” Radbill said.

During his time at Towson, Radbill was in film fraternity LKT, where he served as social chair for one semester, and coproduction chair for two.

Radbill’s upcoming film, “The Sisterhood of Girls Who Won’t Date Me,” draws heavily from movies like the 1989 dark comedy “Heathers” and, his favorite, “Mean Girls.”

“I want to make something like that, that’s funny and quotable and you can connect to it,” he said.

Radbill says he’s grateful for the immense support he’s received so far from the Towson University com-

munity—from former classmates and LKT members to professors he had during his time at Towson.

“Professor Angelella, who’s the chair of the film department right now, he’s been helping me,” Radbill said. “He’s been very supportive ever since I had him my junior year, when I started writing the script.”

Radbill said that Joseph Kraemer, another film professor, has been helping him set up a Kickstarter campaign in addition to providing other advice. Radbill’s fraternity has pledged $1,000 to his project from money raised through LKT members’ dues. Radbill noted that LKT’s support was especially important to him during this process.

“We’re always looking for cool things to use [our] money for,” Radbill said. “And hey, this is a feature-length film, if you guys put your name on it and pledge some money to it, that’s the foundation of something bigger and I think that’s a good direction for LKT to be going in.”

Radbill’s money-raising goal on Kickstarter is $25,000—which he has until March 18 to raise in full, or he won’t see any of the donated

money, per Kickstarter’s policy.

At time of writing $15,605 have been pledged to the project.

“It’s kind of slow to happen,” Radbill said, “But what’s cool about Kickstarter is like, you have to get all the money by the end of the campaign or you don’t get any of it, so that adds a layer of suspense.”

To encourage potential donors, incentives are listed alongside different amounts of money that can be donated. For example, a pledge of $1,000 rewards donors with a walk-on role in the film, and for $5,000, you can win a date with Radbill himself. Even just a $10 pledge earns contributors a digital copy of the pop song being recorded especially for the film.

The story of “Sisterhood” revolves around a boy in high school who’s discovered that every girl in his school has taken a secret oath to not date him, as the title suggests. Radbill describes it on his Kickstarter page as, “A film about discovering who you are, what you want, and who will date you.”

Senior EMF major Leonardo Brito serves as the film’s assistant director, and is one of four associate producers.

“If anyone else told me they were making a feature film right out of college, I would probably just say, ‘yeah, okay, good luck with that,’” Brito said. “But knowing that it is Max, I’ve never seen someone

with the drive and dedication and need. Not a want, but a need to make a film. I know that just that passion alone is going to make it.

This film’s going to get made no matter what.”

Courtesy of Max Radbill

Towson alum Max Radbill (right) directs a scene of “The Sisterhood of Girls Who Won’t Date Me,” featuring actor Matt Iannone (left).

All-nighter for charity

New addition to the airwaves SYDNEY ENGELHARDT Staff Writer

Towson University Podcast group is a Towson affiliated podcast formed to discuss campus life and the college experience.

President of Towson University Podcast, Keanu Jordan-Stovall, founded the group in November with a few of his friends and has since been developing the group.

“At first we were joking around about starting a podcast,” JordanStovall said. “Then I was like ‘wait a minute, why couldn’t we do that?’”

The podcast currently focuses on discussing pop culture events such as Valentine’s Day, the Oscars and movies. However, the group wants to start focusing more on topics related to Towson.

“We are hoping to start talking about events, things that are

happening on campus,” Stovall said. “Hopefully start working with other clubs when they have events coming up.”

Member Kevina Waller became involved in the podcast because she thought it would be a great opportunity and the podcast format would allow her to speak her mind without being seen.

“My favorite part of being involved is honestly the topics for the podcasts and how the group goes about doing them,” Waller said. “It’s really just like a conversation that we have with each other.”

Even if the listener doesn’t gain anything from the podcast, the group hopes that the audience at least finds it as a source of entertainment.

“I really just hope that the listeners enjoy it and can laugh and feel

like they’re part of the conversation,” Waller said. “It’d be nice if they can get insight into what we go through and we also try to relate to everyone else as well, we don’t want it to just be about us, we want it to be for everyone and hopefully anyone who’s listening.”

The group is looking for anyone that is interested in joining, no matter what major or experience.

“It’s not really about us working toward a goal, it’s about us being social, we are looking for anyone especially people with different opinions,” Jordan-Stovall said.

You can listen to Towson University Podcast by going to iTunes or SoundCloud and searching the group name.

For more information on how to get involved with Towson University Podcast, visit their page on Involved@TU.

LAUREN COSCA Staff Writer

For a girl who hates dancing, a 12-hour dance marathon is like pulling teeth. This past Friday, I participated in the 13th annual TigerTHON from 6 p.m.-6 a.m. in SECU arena.

Together, all of the participating teams raised over $201 thousand for the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

Being a part of something so rewarding and intense was definitely a brand new challenge for me, but I attempted to come in with a positive attitude.

Arriving at 5:15 p.m., I was already beginning to feel uneasy. I have always been a terrible dancer, and the thought of having to actually stand and dance in front of hundreds of my peers was like an impending doom. I could begin to feel an ache in my feet about 30 minutes in.

Being surrounded by people all in the same situation as you, just trying to make a difference, puts this event in a whole new perspective. It definitely gave me a complete new level of respect for kids at schools

like Penn State, who do this for 46 straight hours.

As I lay in bed, after finishing the dance marathon and barely able to feel my legs, I remember the stories of all the children saved by Johns Hopkins and it almost brings tears to my eyes and really makes it all worth it. The event coordinators created several videos throughout the night to show all the participants just the type of kids whose lives they were helping to save.

The goal for this year’s Tigerthon was $250 thousand. Even though we did not get exactly how much we all wanted, the amount that we did raise is going to make such an immense impact on so many children who were not born as fortunate as many of us.

The coordinators kept saying that the kids would love to be with us, and the fact that we get to stand for 12 hours makes us so lucky. I honestly wish that I could have gotten to meet all the over 40 kids that were in the pediatric intensive care unit that night and congratulate them on being a braver person that I will probably ever be in my entire life.

16

Arts

March 8, 2016

National Nutrition Month encourages healthy living NOELLE HARADA Columnist

If the impending Spring Break isn’t enough to motivate you to eat better after the drag of winter, maybe celebrating National Nutrition Month will be.

In 1980, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics dubbed March as National Nutrition Month. It is a month-long initiative to raise public awareness on the importance of good nutrition.

This year’s theme is “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right,” according to eatright.org.

This theme reminds us that the process of eating right does not have to be boring.

We need to enjoy the experience of eating and love our bodies enough to fuel them with flavorful and healthy foods.

This month, the Towson University Nutrition Club will be hosting a series of events to celebrate good nutrition on campus.

Stop by the Union to look around the Nutrition Fair, and that evening, make your way to West

Village Commons to participate in a unique fruit/vegetable tasting challenge March 23.

Both of these events present great opportunities to expand nutrition knowledge, eat free food and win some prizes.

The Nutrition Club will be the Guest Chef at Newell Dining Hall and will be helping to prepare a healthy recipe March 30. This will be a fun way to expand your cooking repertoire.

You can celebrate National Nutrition Month every day this month: try new foods, host a potluck dinner for your friends or plant a vegetable garden.

The possibilities to celebrate National Nutrition Month both on and off campus are endless.

Did you know that the U.S. Dietary Guidelines must be changed every five years to reflect the needs of the nation?

These guidelines, which are set by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and of Agriculture (USDA), were recently changed at the end of 2015.

Knowing and understanding

these guidelines is a good way to kick off your nutritional knowledge this month. According to health.gov, the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines offer five overarching instructions:

1) Follow a healthy eating pattern across the lifespan.

2) Focus on variety, nutrient density and amount.

3) Limit calories from added sugars and saturated fats, and reduce sodium intake.

4) Shift to healthier food and beverage choices.

5) Support healthy eating patterns for all.

Guidelines one through three

!

L L A T KNOW I

Sun The Baltimore m to n o ti p ri c s d town fro E digital sub pening aroun p a Get your FRE h s t’ a h w d more w ent, sports an and you’ll kno m in a rt te n e local news,

focus on “healthy eating patterns.”

A healthy eating pattern includes eating a variety of vegetables, fruits (especially whole fruits), grains (half of which are whole grains), fat-free or low-fat dairy, a variety of protein foods and oils. Eating these foods in balance and within an appropriate calorie level (taking into account age and activity level) ensure a healthy eating pattern.

Just as you should eat healthier foods frequently, other foods should be limited.

By limiting your intake of saturated fats, trans fats and sodium, you are making choices that will benefit your health in the long run.

The first three guidelines need to be taken into consideration along with physical activity.

A healthy eating pattern along with adequate physical activity help people maintain a healthy body weight, promote health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

Guideline number four focuses on “shifts” and making healthy substitutions in your diet.

For example, making the shift from soda to water or from fruit

juice to whole fruit.

Rule number five emphasizes that the eating patterns of the nation are influenced by society as a whole.

Everybody plays a role in creating healthy eating patterns nationwide. From school, to work, to personal choices at the grocery store, each community helps to contribute to the overall health of our nation.

National Nutrition Month is a great way to begin thinking about eating wholesome, flavorful foods, but the Dietary Guidelines are in place to ensure a lifelong journey of wellness and health. Starting this month, challenge yourself to make at least one healthy change in your habits. This change could lead to a lifetime of wellness.

For more information, contact Campus Dietician Kerry Ballek at kballek@towson.edu.

Towson University is partnering with The Baltimore Sun to provide students with free unlimited access to baltimoresun.com

Activate your FREE subscription and be entered to win an Apple Watch

Baltimoresun.com/towsondigital Subscription valid through August 16, 2016

Arts

March 8, 2016

Stand for change Purposeful performance in “The Vagina Monologues”

“There’s an alarming amount of sexual assault today and female genital mutilation is horrible,” president of The Feminist Collective and codirector Emily Walsh said. “The pur“The Vagina Monologues” propose of the vagina monologues is to vides an opportunity for people to demystify it.” come together to stand up for womIn society, it’s almost taboo to en’s rights through a series of monotalk about these topics so openly, logues, highlighting issues women and “The Vagina Monologues” takes of all ages, across the world, face what might be uncomfortable to talk every day. about and translates it in a relatable “We believe in ending violence, and sometimes funny way. and women shouldn’t be afraid to “I think in today’s society, women talk about these things and men don’t have a voice and Vagina shouldn’t be afraid to listen,” coMonologues is an opportunity for director Claire Fremuth said. that,” performer Vanessa Egbe said.

“The Vagina Monologues” took “It gives us the abilplace on March 3-4 ity to talk about in the Potomac things like this.”

Lounge. The Feminist All of the proceeds Collective and the No one really talks from “The Vagina Center for Student about women’s Monologues” go to Diversity hosted the issues a lot, so I charity, most toward event, and young women eager to supthink this was a step women’s shelters in Baltimore such as port the cause behind in the right direction.

House of Ruth and the show performed Turn Around, and the monologues.

ALY LEATHERY Senior a small portion will Originally written also go to the V-Day

by Eve Ensler, “The Movement.

Vagina Monologues” was first perAt the end of the show, everyone formed in 1996. who was either a survivor of sexual It consists of monologues about assault or knew a victim of sexual female experiences like sex and assault was asked to stand. Most childbirth, and issues such as female people in the audience stood, proving genital mutilation and sexual assault. that these are problems that affect Several monologues also consisted many people. of facts such as how one in four “No one really talks about womwomen have been victim of rape on a en’s issues a lot, so I think this was college campus, 1.3 million girls in 23 a step in the right direction,” senior countries are victims of genital mutiand international studies major Aly lation and the clitoris has twice the Leathery said. amount of nerve endings of a penis.

JESSICA RICKS Staff Writer

“

Caroline Cunningham/ The Towerlight

Student performers Arpa Hartoni (left) and Rachel Waltemeyer (right) act out a monologue entitled, “My Vagina Was My Village.”

17

18

Arts

March 8, 2016

Professor’s play raises awareness Coffee and canvases CHRISTINE LAFRANCESCA Staff Writer @LaFrancesca27

As you glance across a fog-layered room, the dystopian world of “Dance on Bones” is cryptic and vacant.

“Jazz is Not Dead” is plastered on the sign above the stage that’s cluttered with an old piece of scaffolding, trash, old dolls, half a wooden horse and a plethora of old instruments.

Last Thursday, on the Mainstage Theatre in the Center for the Arts, “Dance on Bones” conveyed an important message about the universal language of jazz and the need for environmental responsibility.

Associate professor, and writer of “Dance on Bones,” Dave White, wanted to create a piece that would draw attention to climate change while also incorporating his love of music.

“I wanted to get across the possible outcome of what could happen to this world if we don’t take care of it,” White said. “I also wanted something that would tell that story in a bit of a scattered and multidimensional way.”

White drew inspiration from events that happened in Russia over 50 years ago.

“During the 1950s, there was a ban on records in Russia,” White said. “Music brought people together and the USSR didn’t want that. The Russians wanted a way to listen to music despite the ban and so ‘bone music’ evolved.”

Bone music, White said, is when

ALEX BEST Contributing Writer

Chris Simms/ The Towerlight

bootleg recordings of music would get pressed on discarded X-rays.

Students came out to watch this multi-media piece for any one of it’s art, dance, music and film components, while feeling the heaviness of underlying issues in a universe struck by Armageddon.

“I came out because I had to for one of my theatre classes, but I’m actually really glad I did because this wasn’t what I thought it was going to be, at all,” junior elementary education major Megan Siebeneichen said.

“The dancing was awesome and I like how it had sections of video.”

White’s writing style for “Dance on Bones” was meant to give the actors creative liberty and do with the piece as they please. It was important that the performers be able to see the piece as what it means to them.

“Giving these students the ability to see this piece as they interpret it has been amazing,” White said. “It

has turned this show into more than something abstract. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to show students how important it is to just be mindful. Pick up after yourself. Care about your neighbor. Keep music alive.”

Written in multiple parts, the slight disconnect between scenes was no accident and added to the intensity of the message.

“I wrote this on my grandmother’s type writer,” White said. “I was hoping to show the stop and go of writing of a machine like that. Type writers make you lose temporary focus and I wanted that thought process to come through in my writing.”

As the fog faded, students left the theater in an excited and moved murmur.

“I think what made it so interesting was that the singing was haunting,” junior nursing major Sara Van Jones said. “The hesitance between lines added a lot.”

Inspired by the increasingly popular events held in the Baltimore club and bar scene, participants at “Sip ‘N Paint” followed along as a student instructor guided them through painting a steaming mug of coffee, Saturday in the Patuxent Room.

The event, hosted by Towson Housing and Residence Life was an event featuring instructed canvas painting served with light refreshments.

While an instructor was present, students were encouraged to make their own interpretations as they let their creativity flow.

“We weren’t expecting so many people to come,” senior art major and member of the HRL event planning team Nicole Cathom said. “We were expecting to get about a hundred or so, but so many more came out. We actually had to turn some people

away, which was a little disappointing, but now we know we have room to plan even bigger things for the future.”

Among those who attended, the general reception to the event was overwhelmingly positive.

“I really thought that Sip ‘N Paint was a nice idea and it was something different than what you usually see around here on the weekends,” freshman law and American civilization major Tiara Brown said. “It was cool to see how they took this fun bar event and scaled it down to make it work in a college setting.”

“Sip ‘N Paint” was the first of many events hosted by the Housing and Residence Life as a part of their new “HRL Weekends.”

Some of the future events ideas that are in the works by the group range from Olympic Games to a murder mystery night.

- To read the rest of this article, visit thetowerlight.com.

Campaign jams: Review of candidates’ rally playlists

Caroline Cunningham/ The Towerlight

KRISTIN HELF Columnist @kristinelise_

With the 2016 election ahead of us, it’s impossible to ignore the heated political debates, smack-talk and rally cries that have lately served as background noise to our everyday lives.

Turn on any news channel and it’s more than likely that some talking head will be discussing political strategy—and in American politics, even the most seemingly insignificant aspects of a campaign are meticulously arranged.

Take music, for example. At every campaign event, a hyper-curated playlist sounds while the candidate’s audience waits for them to take the stage, and likewise follows them off.

Music has the power to seep into

our unconscious and send certain messages to our brains, even when we’re not actively listening. It’s no surprise that most politicians take advantage of this. After all, they are in the business of using anything that will give them an advantage in the polls.

Today, potential nominees for the upcoming election use the songs on their playlists to give voters insight as to what their values are and what they stand for. Eight years ago, president Obama used will.i.am’s “Yes We Can” during his candidacy. Former president Bill Clinton liked to walk onstage to Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop.”

So what kind of music are our candi-

dates today having us jam out to?

Hillary Clinton’s playlist is personally my least favorite, but it does its job in conveying Clinton to be the strong woman that she is. She marches to pseudo-inspirational pop songs including Sara Bareilles’ commercial hit “Brave” (literally, that song must be in every car commercial on television), Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger” and “Roar”

by Katy Perry.

The music of Bernie Sander’s campaign reflects his unregimented revolutionary outlook, with songs like “Power to the People” by John Lennon, “Talkin ‘Bout a Revolution” by Tracy Chapman and “The Revolution Starts Now” by

Steve Earle. Reportedly, following the death of David Bowie, Sanders also took to playing Bowie’s “Starman.”

As for the republicans, Ted Cruz, good Christian boy that he is, likes to play country music and Christian rock.

Marco Rubio has a similar affinity for country music and additionally, according to the Guardian’s Amber Jamieson, “[his] beats reflect a young Latino man who grew up in Miami more than they do a conservative Republican, with Flo Rida, the Black Eyed Peas and Calvin Harris all on regular rotation.”

As for Donald Trump, his song choices are just as unpredictable as the words that come out of his mouth.

From the Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar” to the Hulk Hogan Theme Song, to an Italian-sung “Nessun Dorma,” which the Guardian’s Dan

Roberts calls “unrepentantly fascist,” and compares to the ambience one would expect at a Benito Mussolini rally. Interesting.

Overall, the music choices could tell us more about our presidential candidates than we think. After all, despite all of the campaign directors that nitpick every aspect of their candidate’s appearance, the musical tastes of these competitors could say a lot about their values and personality.

If the sole embodiment of a candidate lay within their taste in music, I’d (still) be Sanders all the way: I’m all for the hippie 60s tunes and, of course, the David Bowie. Donald Trump would probably confuse me the most but that, too, isn’t much different than what the typical college student’s reaction to him already is.

Puzzles

19

March 8, 2016

Crossword Sudoku

?

Puzzles

?

9-6-14

● 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

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.

KenKen® is a registered trademark of Nextoy, LLC. ©2014 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved. Dist. by Universal Uclick for UFS. www.kenken.com

?

Turn to page 20 for answers to today’s

TAP INTO WHAT’S HAPPENING ON CAMPUS AND BEYOND. Download The Buzz: Towson University and keep tabs on national headlines, local news and events around campus.

Sports

March 8, 2016

towson takes second 9-8-14

● 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

Solutions to Puzzles appearing on page 19.

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.

KenKen® is a registered trademark of Nextoy, LLC. ©2014 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved. Dist. by Universal Uclick for UFS. www.kenken.com

20

Check out Towerlight’s most recent news sections!

ALEX TORIBIO Staff Writer @xoxo_Alexxandra

Towson placed second with a score of 192.775 points in its last road quad meet of the season, falling behind host Rutgers (195.050), but finishing ahead of Southern Connecticut (190.725) and West Chester (188.475).

The Tigers scored a total of 47.825 points on vault with freshman Cortni Baker finishing in eighth-place and junior Bayleigh Fobes placing fifth.

On uneven bars the Tigers totaled 47.725 points. Freshman Mary Elle Arduino and junior Bridget Steffen tied for sixth-place, while Noelle Harada finished in fourth-place.

Arduino won her third consecutive title on the balance beam with

a score of 9.850. Sophomore Tyra McKellar followed in fourth-place while Lauren Cahalan and Aysia Sharif tied for 10th-place as the team won with a score of 48.150.

For the last performance of the night, the Tigers received a total score of 49.075 on floor exercises.

Four of the Tigers placed on this event. Sophomore Katie McGrady tied for ninth-place with a 9.775.

Baker finished with a 9.825 for fifthplace, while Sharif and McKellar were runner-ups.

The team dealt with consecutive mistakes during warm-ups, leading to last-minute changes to the lineup.

“We did not have a very good warm-up,” Head Coach Vicki Chliszczyk said. “The people that we did put in the lineup to replace the ones we took out did a great job.”

The dynamic of starting the meet with precise and poised warm-ups

has been a reoccurring goal of the team’s success this whole season.

Chliszczyk believes the foundation of the meet starts with the warmups and this week the girls just weren’t up to her normal standards.

“We weren’t as tight of a unit as we needed to be or should’ve been,” Chliszczyk said. “It’s frustrating because I believe that they are better than what they are doing right now.”

The team will have to train hard this week to show their coaches their determination of achieving their best results for the upcoming meet against George Washington.

The next home meet will begin Sunday, March 13, in the SECU Arena at 4 p.m. This will be the last regular season home meet for senior gymnasts Lydia Thompson and Vicki Vesecky as Towson hosts its Senior Day.

tigers defeat bears in

SARAH VAN WIE Contributing Writer @SarahVdubs

Towson fell to Bowling Green State Sunday after defeating Morgan State Saturday in its first home non-conference tournament of the season.

“It’s nice to host our own tournament because it’s good to have the home field advantage,” sophomore catcher Shelby Stracher said. “Last year, a lot of our home tournaments were canceled because of weather, so it was nice to be able to have this one.”

Towson fell to Bowling Green State by a final score of 7-3.

The Tigers tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the second inning when junior first baseman Holiday Cahill scored a run off of sophomore shortstop Brook Miko's RBI double.

Later in the inning, sophomore centerfielder Kendyl Scott came to the plate and made it to first base on an error which allowed Miko and freshman right fielder Nicole Stockinger to score, giving Towson

a 3-1 lead.

However, the Tigers were held scoreless for the rest of the game while Bowling Green State scored another six runs to secure a 7-3 victory.

“It was a tough loss at home because that doesn’t happen very often,” sophomore pitcher Megan Dejter said. “We will learn from what we did wrong during this game and be ready to get after it again during spring break.”

Saturday, Towson opened its tournament with a 17-4 win against Morgan State.

The Tigers took an early 1-0 lead after left fielder Olivia Yarbrough scored on an RBI single from Stracher in the bottom of the first inning. Later in the inning, Scott smacked a two-run home run, which highlighted an eight run first inning for Towson.

The Tigers extended their lead 11-2 in the second inning when freshman second baseman Bailey Boyd hit an RBI single and senior left fielder Olivia Yarbrough hit a two-RBI single.

Towson went on to post a five

run fourth inning later in the game to secure a 17-4 win against the Bears.

The Tigers will conclude their four game homestand Tuesday when the team takes on Virginia.

First pitch is set for 2 p.m.

Towson will then play in its next tournament in Moraga, California, next weekend, which will feature opponents Manhattan, St. Mary’s College of California and Portland State.

NEXT

AT HOME MARCH 18

Sports

March 8, 2016

21

tigers take early exit in CAA Tournament JORDAN COPE Associate Sports Editor @jordancope26

Towson saw its season come to an end Saturday night at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore after falling to Northeastern in the quarter-finals of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament 71-60.

“Obviously it’s a tough loss,” Head Coach Pat Skerry said. “Anytime you lose a game in the conference tournament it’s a tough loss. Credit to Northeastern, we just got out of sorts defensively in the second half.”

The Tigers (20-12,11-8 CAA) trailed the Huskies (18-14, 10-9 CAA) early after senior guard Caleb Donnelly and freshman forward Jeremy Miller hit a pair of 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions.

However, two quick buckets from junior forward William Adala Moto and sophomore guard Mike Morsell pulled the Tigers within two.

Senior forward Timajh Parker-

Rivera later tied the game 6-6 on a dunk in transition for Towson.

Following a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Eddie Keith II, the Huskies went on a 5-0 run to take an 11-9 lead over the Tigers.

At the midway point of the first half, Towson and Northeastern were deadlocked 13-13 after sophomore guard Byron Hawkins put in a layup.

The teams went back and forth at the end of the first half and Keith II hit a layup with 1:57 left to put the Tigers ahead 32-29 after the first twenty minutes.

Towson shot 45 percent from the field in the first half, including seven points from Keith II and six points apiece from Moto and Parker-Rivera.

“In the first half I thought they [Towson] really did a nice job of getting on the glass and creating some extra opportunities for themselves,” Northeastern Head Coach Bill Coen said.

In the early stages of the second half, both teams battled back and

forth until Northeastern went on a 7-0 run to take a 47-40 lead. The Huskies capitalized on two Tiger turnovers and a foul on junior forward John Davis to extend their lead.

Midway through the second half, the Huskies continued to hound the Tigers and took a 53-46 lead.

Northeastern shot 61 percent from the floor in the second half and clamped down defensively allowing them to outscore Towson by 14 points.

“We just didn’t guard well enough to win,” Skerry said. “We made to many errors defensively, and we obviously couldn’t get to the foul line for whatever reason.”

Towson will wait to see what postseason tournament it will play in as the rest of conference championships conclude, but Skerry is anxious for the team to make a run at the NCAA Tournament next season with 12 players returning. “[Next year] The goal is to win the championship and go to the tourna-

ment,” Skerry said. “Obviously we’re going to play in something this year, we just have to wait and see how things shake out. We’ve got a good

core coming back [next year] and that’s exciting, but I’d like to see with so many guys coming back if we can get into something else.”

Joe Noyes/ The Towerlight

Sophomore guard Mike Morsell drives to the hoop Saturday in Towson’s 71-60 loss to Northeastern in the CAA Tournament.

22

Sports

March 8, 2016

Tigers earn fifth straight victory JORDAN COPE Associate Sports Editor @jordancope26

Towson is 5-0 for the first time since 2005 after defeating Georgetown 8-7 Saturday at Johnny Unitas Stadium.

“We’re very pumped about this win today,” Head Coach Sonia LaMonica said. “Without being disrespectful to any opponents prior to this game, Georgetown was the best team that we’ve played so far this season.”

Less than two minutes into the game, the Hoyas (0-4) led the Tigers (5-0) 2-0 thanks to goals from graduate attacker Morgan Rubin and senior midfielder Kristen Bandos.

“I thought they came out firing on all cylinders,” LaMonica said.

“They were having an easier time with our zone out of the gate and they just continued to work hard. I thought they played really well and gave us a tough battle.”

Towson responded later in the half to tie the game 2-2 on goals from sophomore midfielder Kaitlyn

Montalbano and junior attacker Michaela Duranti.The Tigers and Hoyas continued to trade goals throughout the rest of the first half as the teams went into the locker room tied 5-5.

Towson senior midfielder Brenna Hamm gave the Tigers a 6-5 lead in the second half. However, the Hoyas responded with a pair of goals to take a 7-5 lead at the 18:02 mark.

Later in the half, Towson sophomore midfielder Emily Gillingham tied the game 7-7 after scoring her ninth goal of the season.

With just 24 seconds left in the game, a foul on Bandos allotted Towson freshman attacker Carly Tellekamp a free position shot.

Tellekamp stepped forward and ripped a low shot past Georgetown senior goalkeeper Megan McDonald to win the game for the Tigers.

“I’m just saying finish girl finish,” redshirt junior Michelle Gildea said of Tellekamp’s goal. “No pressure but you got to finish it. So that was an exciting moment.”

Senior Alyssa Saxon was the goalkeeper of record for the Tigers.

Saxon earned her first win of the

season and recorded one save after relieving freshman Angie Benson of her duties in the second half.

Benson finished the game allowing seven goals and recording just

one save. Towson will play its next game Friday at Stetson in Deland, Florida. Game time is set for 6 p.m.

“We’re always looking to just better ourselves,” LaMonica said.

“I think we learned a lot about ourselves in today’s game. We will just look to continue to get better and maybe adjust a little faster than we did today moving forward.”

Alex Best/ The Towerlight

Senior midfielder Breanna Hamm runs down the field in Towson’s 8-7 victory over Georgetown on Saturday at Johnny Unitas Stadium. The Tigers are now 5-0 for the first time since the 2005 season.

towson continues winning ways TYLER BEARD Assistant Sports Editor @tylerbeard2

No. 5 Towson continued its undefeated season after a 14-6 win at home against the UMBC Retrievers on Saturday.

Head Coach Shawn Nadelen said he was proud of how the team performed.

“I thought we approached this game in a manner that we expect as a program, coming aggressive out of the gate, trying to set the tone and trying to establish our basic play,” Nadelen said.

The Tigers’ (5-0) offense took control of the game early, with a 12-0 run that wasn’t broken up until five minutes into the third quarter.

Towson’s run began with a goal within the first minute of the game

from junior midfielder Tyler Young.

The next five goals from the team came from five different players, as the Tigers finished the game with 10 different goal scorers.

“I think the scout really helps the regular quad,” senior midfielder Ben McCarty said. “They didn’t show us anything we really didn’t expect and that’s really key going into a game.”

McCarty finished with a gamehigh three goals, including the last goal of the Towson’s 12-0 run.

UMBC (0-3) ended the run with a goal from Max Maxwell, which helped the team go on a 4-0 run and cut Towson’s lead to 12-4 with six minutes left in the third quarter.

“I told the guys after the game that we’re not as sharp as we’re strung to be, especially in the middle of the field,” Nadelen said. “I didn’t think we were as sharp as we

needed to be, but obviously it didn’t hurt us today.”

The Tigers ended any attempt of a comeback though, with McCarty’s third goal of the game in the last two seconds of the third quarter and a goal from senior attackman Spencer Parks in the middle of the fourth quarter.

Towson’s lead allowed for the freshmen to play in the last five minutes of the game.

The Tigers outshot the Retrievers 48-19 and junior midfielder Alec Burckley won 14-of-21 face-offs.

The 5-0 start for Towson has the team rising in the polls, but the players aren’t focused on the rankings.

“I think team wide, everyone on the team isn’t worried about the polls or where we end up after each week,” junior attackman Ryan Drenner, who finished with two

goals, said. “We know this is a big week for us, but we’re just focused on winning each game and playing our best.”

Towson will move onto another in-state matchup against No. 13

Johns Hopkins.

The Tigers upset the Blue Jays in a 7-5 win last season and will go on the road for a rematch Saturday at 2 p.m.

Mark Dragon/ The Towerlight

Freshman attacker Ian Kirby takes a shot in Towson’s 14-6 win against UMBC Saturday at Johnny Unitas Stadium.

Sports

March 8, 2016

TU Earns pair of wins CHRIS WELLS Staff Writer @cgwells00

Towson (2-7) capped off the Wake Forest Invitational with two straight victories including a 6-5 win against Harvard (2-2) Sunday at Couch Ballpark.

After Towson allowed four runs in the second inning, junior Kyle Stricke brought in relief and allowed just one hit and no runs in 6.2 innings of work.

“Stricker pitched so well to help us come from behind and win,” Head Coach Mike Gottlieb said.

“It’s good to have a well pitching performance but we allowed three walks in one inning. You can’t do that often and win.”

Three Tigers had a multi-hit game as junior Brady Policelli led the way going 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Freshman Richie Palacios recorded two hits and two RBIs while fellow freshman Cuinn Mullins went 2-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored. Saturday, Towson earned a

3-2 victory against Richmond (9-3).

Junior Chris Henze’s return to the lineup couldn’t have come at a better time. Henze stepped up to plate and delivered a walk-off single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to give the Tigers a win.

“He’s a valuable piece,” Gottlieb said. “But at any one time nine plus guys play and have to keep it up.

Our pitching was better.”

Henze finished the night going 1-for-4 at the plate but his timely RBI won the game.

Palacios continued to impress in his rookie campaign recording two hits and scoring two runs.

Senior Austin Clark kept Towson in the game as he allowed just two hits, recorded five strikeouts and surrendered only one unearned run in five innings.

Senior Lee Lawler (1-1) was credited with the victory after surrendering three hits over 1.2 shutout innings.

The weekend didn’t start off the way Towson would have liked as they fell in defeat to host school

Wake Forest (9-3) 8-4 Friday.

Junior Colin Dyer’s lone hit was a homerun, his second of the season.

Freshman Richard Miller recorded two hits, with Palacios adding two hits of his own and one run scored.

Henze delivered two hits and one RBI in his first game of the season.

Sophomore pitcher David Marriggi allowed just one unearned run over 4.1 innings.

Junior Matt Golczewski (0-1) struggled in defeat as he gave up seven runs, three earned, on four hits in 3.2 innings.

“We need to consistently play team defense,” Gottlieb said. “Too many mistakes in most of our losses, these things come back to haunt us.”

Towson will look to extend its win streak to three against UMBC, Tuesday March 8. The game was originally scheduled to be played at Schuerholz Park but will instead be played at UMBC due to construction issues on campus.

First pitch against the Retrievers is now scheduled for 6 p.m.

BATEMAN’S HAPPY HOUR

USTORE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Brady Policelli

Baseball Junior third baseman Brady Policelli went 3-for-5 with two RBI in Towson’s 6-5 victory over the Harvard Crimson Sunday in the Wake Forest Invitational. The Tigers are currently riding a two-game winning streak into their game against UMBC Tuesday.

Want to know where you can reach us?

7 Days a Week

Mon - Fri 3-7 & Everyday 10 to Close

TOW SO NUSTO R E.CO M

/TOWSONUNIVERSITYSTORE

USTORETWEETS 2 Daily Beer Specials $ 5 Bar Menu $ 50 2 Domestic Pints & Bottles $ 50 3 Imports & Microbrews $ 50 3 Margaritas $ 3 You Call It Pinnacle Shots

@TUSTORE

$

ON CAMPUS

York Rd & Cross Campus Dr

Buy One Get One FREE

Any One Item From the $5 Bar Menu After 10pm Bar Area Only.

One Per coupon. Expires 4/2/16.

410-296-2737

23

24

Sports

March 8, 2016

me, she said.”

In her freshman year at Towson, Lesage had a team best 16-5 singles record and led the team with 10 wins in doubles play.

A year later, Lesage won 12 singles matches and three doubles matches.

“I am proud to say that I go to Towson,” Lesage said. “I look forward to coming back in twenty years after I graduate because I see this school improving on different levels.”

***

home

is where the game is Chris Simms/ The Towerlight

Four of Towson’s International athletes. From left to right, Sophie Lesage, Emily Gillingham, Darius Victor and Nicole Shakhnazarova.

JORDAN COPE Associate Sports Editor @jordancope26

As Towson University grows, so does its reach. Students have traveled from across the country and further for Towson’s academics, student programs and athletics.

The Towerlight interviewed some of Towson’s international student athletesin order to tell the story of what it is like attending a school hundreds of miles from home.

***

Winter Storm Jonas was no big deal for sophomore Emily Gillingham. Her hometown of Kitchener, Ontario gets, on average, five feet of snow every year.

“I remember the first time we got snow [here] and no one was driving and everything got canceled,” Gillingham said. “Meanwhile I am just like, ‘this is flurries compared to back home.’”

In fall 2014, Gillingham left Kitchener to play lacrosse at Towson after a childhood filled with ice hockey.

She first transitioned from hockey to men’s box lacrosse, the version of the sport more popular in Canada, and men’s field lacrosse with her older brother because there were no women’s team available.

“I definitely started with ice hockey like every Canadian does,” Gillingham said. “But from there I just followed

my brother. I’ve been playing the game of lacrosse since I was six or seven years old, but I’ve only been playing women’s field lacrosse for about five years now.”

Gillingham misses the physicality that the men’s game brings, but she has made sure to keep aggression in her repertoire at Towson.

“The boys were so hard hitting,” Gillingham said. “I miss that stuff.”

At Towson, Gillingham is over 450 miles away from her family and home.

Gillingham said she misses her family but has been grateful for the support of her friends, teammates and teammate’s families.

“For those of us who can’t go home, we all got together and had a big Thanksgiving together,” she said.

“It’s pretty much, they’re my replacement family.”

Kitchener has learned to embrace the Towson area in the past two years and can even see herself living here after graduation.

“I love it here,” Gillingham said.

“This is where my life is now and I am happy about that.”

***

The North Atlantic Ocean and 3,623 miles separate sophomore Nicole Shakhnazarova from her family in London.

She said that it hasn’t been easy, but since arriving at Towson in the fall of 2014 to play collegiate tennis, Shakhnazarova has been enjoying her

time as an international athlete.

“I have a little sister so I miss her a lot,” she said. “I miss my friends, it’s very difficult. But I am having the best time here. I know I miss out on some things sometimes but it’s just part of the package.”

Whether it’s traveling, shopping or enjoying American holidays, Shakhnazarova and has found some advantages to living abroad.

“Before I went back for Christmas break I saw a movie and it wasn’t even out yet at home,” she said. “I found that pretty cool.”

The tennis team has four other international athletes, which has helped Shakhnazarova make the transition.

“Whenever I feel down or miss home I can turn to any of my teammates, my coach, my assistant coach and my other friends who are non-athletes,” Shakhnazarova said. “I feel like everyone understands what it’s like even if they haven’t experienced it.”

In 2014, Shakhnazarova set a school record as the first Towson freshman to win 23 singles matches.

Shakhnazarova was also named to the second team All-CAA (Colonial Athletic Association) in 2014 becoming just the second player in program history to win postseason honors.

“I love my classes and my major here,” Shakhnazarova said. “I just think the whole college experience is something that everyone should try out.”

***

On her first day of school at Towson, Sophie Lesage used a map and tried her best to get from class to class.

“Every little thing was a challenge,” Lesage said.

Now Lesage is in her junior year at Towson and since moving from France to play collegiate tennis, she has mastered the art of finding her way around campus. Coming to the U.S. was not her first international move. Lesage lived in Argentina before moving to Paris. Despite moving across the globe on more than one occasion, Lesage considers Paris her home.

“I have lived most of my life in Paris,” Lesage said. “It’s my favorite city in the world.”

Lesage has enjoyed her time in the United States, but living in the country came with challenges early on.

“It took me like two or three weeks to be comfortable with English,” Lesage said. “It’s obviously different to talk in an English classroom than in real life.”

Despite the early struggles that Lesage faced, she has fully embraced living in the U.S..

“I didn’t know that many things about D.C. before and I actually love it,” Lesage said.

When she was young, Lesage played both soccer and tennis, but ultimately chose to focus on tennis.

“I picked tennis because I thought it was a pretty sport, pretty feminine, so I thought it would be a good sport for

When junior running back Darius Victor steps onto the field Saturday afternoons at Johnny Unitas Stadium he always counts his blessings.

“I play for God first of all because I am blessed,” Victor said. “He gives me the abilities and I am just doing the fun part.”

Victor was born in Liberia, Africa, in 1994. When Victor was young, his family relocated to the U.S.. Victor said he doesn’t remember much about his home country.

“There was a war going on,” Victor said. “I am just fortunate that I made it out, that my family made it out because I know that most people didn’t.”

Living in the United States didn’t come without hardships for Victor as his brother was shot and killed just steps away from his home in Hyattsville.

“It’s like, ‘wow we made it out of a warzone’ and still my brother got shot,” Victor said. “Some things you just can’t escape.”

Despite losing his brother, Victor feels that having lived in Hyattsville helped mold the man that he is today—including his volunteer work with the Boys and Girls Club.

“I just want to be an example for all the kids,” Victor said. “Not just the kids in Liberia but kids from low income communities like I was in Hyattsville. That’s all I want to do is give back. That’s how I want to spend my days.”

As a freshman, Victor was named 2013 CAA Rookie of the year after appearing in 14 games and rushing for 629 yards and seven touchdowns.

In his sophomore year, Victor ranked 17th in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) with 1,305 rushing yards and tied second in the CAA with 12 rushing touchdowns.

Despite dealing with a nagging foot injury in 2015, Victor averaged 4.9 yards per-carry and finished the season with 1,021 rushing yards and a career best 15 rushing touchdowns.

“I know I am blessed and nobody can stop God’s plans,” Victor said. “I am just doing what I have to do, taking it one day at a time and not focusing too far into the future.”