The Towerlight (October 1, 2019)

Towson’s campus and community news source

TheTowerlight.com

October 1, 2019

Towson’s current bike share program is threatened following multiple cases of vandalism and theft, pg. 6.

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October 1, 2019

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October 1, 2019

Editor-in-Chief Bailey Hendricks Senior Editor Tim Klapac

News Editor Keri Luise Asst. News Editor Sophia Bates

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Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editors Jordan Kendall Muhammad Waheed

Senior Staff Writer Mary-Ellen Davis

Staff Writers Alex Best Grace Coughlan Jalon Dixon John Hack Lurene Heyl

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SEXUAL TRENDING. # ASSAULT

TOWSON

@knyadwny Is Towson unsafer than we’re used to now or are they finally notifying students more about the stuff that goes on than they have in the past? Either way, yall need to keep. yall. hands. to. your. selves. @lindsey12rose i’ve gotten at least one email a day about some kind of armed robbery or sexual assault from towson #lovemyschool #tupd

@Chief_Eph Sexual assault & rape are too prevalent on Towson’s campus, us Towson men must do a better job in eliminating the trend. Please let us know in what ways we can better help & protect y’all. Fellas, it’s on us to check ourselves & our friends, & make sure this NEVER happens again

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Please Recycle!

@VlCES_VlRTUES The incidents at Towson are the reason why I’m so uncomfortable on campus tbh. The walk from the stadium to the cla sucks because I always think of how someone could rob me or sexually assault me. No one should have to worry about this shit while trying to get an education.

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John Sivey, Associate ProfesThe typical Christmas tradiWe will consider permutation sor in Towson University’s tions for Ed and his happy fampatterns and their various Department of Chemistry, ily of three adult sons take a applications and generalwill provide context for different turn when his eldest izations, look at the sets of the 2019 One Maryland son, Drew, returns home for permutations with various One Book, What the Eyes the Holiday season with some forbidden patterns, their carDon’t See: A Story of Crisis, controversial ideas. More dates dinalities, rates of growth, etc.

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Opinion

October 1, 2019

Trans man in England What the impeachment inquiry means not considered a dad TIM KLAPAC Senior Editor @pacofkla

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump on Sept. 24. While there has been discussion to impeach the president since he took office in 2017, this is an important step that needs explanation.

Pelosi is accusing the president of violating the Constitution by pressuring Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, in a phone conversation that took place in July.

Upon the release of the transcript of this conversation, D e m ocrats h a v e c a l l e d for an impeachment while Republicans maintain that Trump did not present a “quid pro quo” to Zelensky and did nothing wrong.

This is the moment Democrats have been waiting for since they gained the majority of the House of Representatives following the 2018 midterm elections. Every week, it feels like a new moment in the history of Trump’s presidency occurs and is grounds for impeachment, but the first shoe has finally dropped. The question is, will the other shoe drop as well?

As previously mentioned, Democrats have been calling for Trump to be impeached since his administration began, which can make this impeachment announcement feel stale. However, this is the first formal step in the impeachment process.

According to Article I, Section

3 of the United States Constitution, the process of impeaching the U.S. president begins when a lower house of legislature (in this case, the House of Representatives) brings charges against a civil officer (the president) for treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. The terms “high crimes and misdemeanors” can be viewed different ways, which makes impeachment difficult.

If the House of Representatives votes in favor, which only requires a simple majority, the president would be considered “impeached” and the proceedings would head to the Senate for a trial.

Conviction of these crimes would require a two-thirds vote in the Senate, which is where Pelosi would run into problems.

That would mean that if every Democratic senator voted in favor, 22 Repbulican senators would have to jump party lines and vote in favor as well.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ken.) has already stated that the Senate would “have no choice” but to take up impeachment proceedings if the House voted to, but that is probably because McConnell knows a conviction is unlikely in today’s heavily divided political landscape. So why would Pelosi even bother with this?

Historically, impeachments have not resulted in the president being removed from office.

The House has voted in favor of impeachment before, including Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998.

However, both were acquitted by the Senate and finished out their terms. Richard Nixon resigned from office in 1974 before an impeachment vote could be-

gin in the House.

Pelosi was feeling pressure from those within the Democratic Party to launch the impeachment inquiry and if she refused to do so, it could have created a split within the party which could take moderate votes away from Democratic candidates.

However, knowing this inquiry will not result in the president’s removal from office, Pelosi has given the president ammo to use in his re-election campaign.

Trump has never been one to shy away from his opponents and Pelosi has been near the top of the list. Trump has often accused Democrats of “PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT” and this impeachment inquiry only reinforces that.

What many democrats are celebrating as an overdue wake-up call for President Trump, could become the very thing needed to ensure him a second term.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) accused Democrats of “trying to reverse the results of the 2016 election since President Trump took office.”

Impeachment proceedings will be looked at as another attempt to attack the president simply because Democrats don’t like him, which will rally the Republican party’s base and strengthen the president’s influence in the red states.

Given the timing of this announcement, it seems clear that Pelosi’s hand was forced from within her own party. Notable Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Rep. Adam Schiff of California, who is the head of the House Intelligence Committee, have previously called for Pelosi to begin the impeachment process.

If more details of Trump’s conversation with Zelensky emerge or something worse occurs within the administration, the chances of a successful impeachment may increase. But at this point, don’t expect Trump to leave office until he loses in 2020 or his second term ends in January 2025.

Correction: In the Sept. 24 Towerlight article “Constructing a community partnership,” Karen Nuttle’s last name was misspelled as Nutter.

JASPER GRISWOLD Columnist

Freddy McConnell is a seahorse dad. In nature, male seahorses carry the babies in their womb, and McConnell did the same to his child.

McConnell is a trans man, and is legally recognized as a man in his home country of England. But even though he is a man in every sense of the word, he will be listed as the mother on his child’s birth certificate.

McConnell gave birth to his child in 2018, and when he went to register his child’s birth he was told by the registry office that he could only register as the child’s mother. He chose to pursue legal action.

His primary claim was that the law is being misrepresented, and he has the right to be registered as the child’s father or parent, being that he is a legal male.

But the judge ruled against him on Sept. 25. While McConnell’s team said that children have the right to have their parent’s gender “appropriately identified” on their birth certificate and that the parent has the right to be identified properly, barristers representing ministers and registrars argued against this and claimed the verdict would not breach McConnell’s human rights. The judge claimed “Whilst that person’s gender is ‘male,’ their parental status, which derives from their biological role in giving birth, is that of ‘mother,’ ” This ruling has implications for trans people everywhere.

This sets a dangerous precedent.

Had McConnell won, it would have been a victory for trans-inclusivity and been a push towards gender-neutral birth certificates. These would reflect the growing diversity in UK families.

And this could have pushed for gender-neutral birth certifi-

cates in other countries as well (though trans men can be listed as the father in the USA already).

This could also be a victory for same-sex parents, who also face inaccurate and unequal representation on birth certificates in the UK (in the USA, married same-sex parents can be listed equally on birth certificates).

How is it right that in some places a trans person can be legally represented as their gender, and other places they can’t? This makes several official matters confusing and difficult for trans people.

If he has the right to change his gender on his own birth certificate - and has changed the gender on his birth certificate - why can’t he change his gender on his child’s?

His child’s birth certificate will be incorrect in the eyes of the law, as it has a legal man listed as the mother. Not to mention it is incredibly uncomfortable and dysphoria-inducing to have the title “mother” forced on you as a transgender man. Anyone calling me by a feminine makes me feel terrible and small, and it’s already hard enough for me to still be legally “female.”

I can’t imagine if after I went through the lengthy process to be legally a man I became legally listed as a woman somewhere else. Another issue is that this is making “mother” defined as “the one that gives birth.”

This excludes women who adopt and reduces women to Von Neumann machines, just something that can replicate itself.

Motherhood isn’t about giving birth, it’s about caring for a child.

Trans people deserve to be listed as their gender on all legal documentation. McConnell is considering appealing the verdict, and hopefully this time he will win.

To learn more about McConnell’s pregnancy, check out the BBC documentary “Seahorse.”

Opinion

October 1, 2019

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Stop worrying about what you can’t control Addressing the myths about guns MIRANDA MOWREY Columnist @mirandamowrey

Friends can be late. Significant others can hurt your feelings without intending to. Even your mom can forget that you’re deathly allergic to cinnamon and make snickerdoodle cookies on your birthday.

The problem with depending on people, places, things, you name it, to make you happy is that it is impossible for these things to always meet your expectations.

Granted, family, friends, your favorite band, or the venti caramel macchiato from Starbucks all make life better most of the time. But the truth is, the world is imperfect and unpredictable.

When things that we expect to give us satisfaction inevitably don’t go the way we had hoped, our mood changes for the worst.

It is so important to stop wasting our valuable time and energy on trying to control the uncontrollables.

Even though X, Y and Z were complete busts, accepting that you cannot control X, Y and Z, but can control your reaction to them is key.

Remember that your emotions do not need to be determined by externalities, and instead should be determined by your response to the externalities.

You could have had the worst day. The construction on York Road made you late to class, you forgot your phone charger at home, and you got called into work last minute.

You can’t control the construction, so why not jam out to the song you have been listening to non-stop one more time as you sit in traffic?

Let your phone die and spark a conversation with your professor before class instead.

Stop groaning about work and think about how the extra cash will fund your Rex Orange County concert ticket.

Consciously choosing to react in a positive, beneficial way to life’s curveballs, big or small, is the key to living a happy and peaceful life.

SAM JONES Columnist @SamJones1776

Increasingly, the left attempts to discover new methods of gun confiscation in attempts to reduce gun violence in America. While gun violence affects thousands of people a year, the facts show that most gun control does not reduce the amount of gun ownership or violence.

David Muir, a moderator of the September democratic primary debate, asked Democratic Presidential Candidate Beto O'Rourke “Are you proposing taking away their guns?”

O'Rourke shouted without hesitation, “Hell, yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.”

O’Rourke claimed that any weapon designed to kill on the battlefield would be banned from the general public during his presidency.

This came only a month after a gunman took the lives of 22 people at a Walmart in O’Rourke’s hometown of El Paso, Texas.

The desperate presidential candidate’s campaign swiftly made gun control a top priority an in attempt to increase support and donations. O’Ro-

urke has shown heavy support for a federal buyback program, where the government would force law-abiding citizens’ to “sell” their guns to the government.

Australia attempted a mandatory buyback system in 1996, and it has yet to show any progress of reducing the gun homicide rate. Crime Prevention Research Center President John Lott found that the homicide rate was not impacted by this policy.

“Prior to 1996, there was already a clear downward [trend] in firearm homicides, and this pattern continued after the buyback,” Lott said.

“The trend in non-firearms homicides shows a much larger decline between the pre- and post-buyback periods.

This suggests that crime has been falling for other reasons.”

The statistics surrounding mass shootings are tricky because it is difficult to define what a mass shooting is.

According to Gun Violence Archive, a mass shooting is “one in which at least four people are injured or killed in one location, not including the suspect.”

However, there is often a debate about whether gun-related deaths that are linked to gang violence should be considered a mass shooting, creating confusion.

The reason is clear: the deranged

killers want to put themselves in a position where they can murder as many as possible without facing armed resistance. In a country where there are, according to O’Rourke, over 390 million guns in America, these perpetrators flock to places where they will have the only lethal weapon.

With an average police response time of 18 minutes, civilian gun owners often find themselves defending the lives of total strangers. ‘Good guys’ with a gun have stopped a deranged lunatic with their firearm in the past, saving countless lives.

Americans should hope that if, God-forbid, they find themselves in the midst of a shooter, that there is a fellow citizen that stands ready to defend the lives of the innocent.

Hell no, Mr. O’Rourke. You will not be taking the guns of law-abiding citizens that have the constitutional right to keep and bear arms. If harm were to ever come to O’Rourke, his armed guards would jump to action, neutralizing the threat if necessary.

He should expect the same from a single mother protecting her children from a home intruder, or a bystander saving several lives in a public shooting because he happens to be concealed carrying. Guns don't kill people. People kill people.

The misadventures of Towson: Day dreaming

Comic by Nyasha Marufu/ The Towerlight

6

News

October 1, 2019

Program could be facing collapse following multiple cases of on-campus vandalism and theft SOPHIA BATES Asst. News Editor @sophiabates23

Towson University’s current bike share program could be facing collapse after multiple cases of vandalism and theft have been reported on campus.

Gotcha, the bike share system partnered with Towson University, has been taking the damaged bikes off campus, according to Towson Gotcha Operations Manager Jeff Lindner.

“This level of rampant and unchecked criminal behavior will collapse any ride share system,” Lindner said.

Towson previously had a different bike share system with the company SPIN. According to Matthew Palmer, TU’s Director of Media Relations and News, the switch to the Gotcha bikes happened as SPIN began to deemphasize the company’s pedal bikes and trend towards electric scooters.

According to Lindner, a TU alum, when the semester started, there were 26 of the electric teal bikes located around campus.

Now there are only 16.

Lindner’s vandalism report includes 12 different types of

damages, all that fall into categories including accidental/vandalism, vandalism, crashing/vandal-

also been reported missing.

Additionally, another bike’s GPS system was disabled and lost

ism and criminal act.

“I understand that on a college campus, things are going to be goofy and things are going to break,” Lindner said.

But according to Lindner, the vandalism rates at Towson University are exceeding that of the entire cities of Syracuse with 200 bikes, and Baton Rouge with 500 bikes. Lindner said that at Towson there are “similar instances of destruction but greater rate.”

Towson freshman and philosophy major James Ronald said he feels the bikes are beneficial to have on campus, but that students need to use them responsibly.

“As college students we are all poverty stricken, and gas is expensive,” Ronald said. “So that, combined with potentially lessening environmental impact of driving around on campus, makes it a beneficial idea.”

The vandalism report included that five bikes have broken seats and 10 baskets have been cracked, broken, or smashed. The report also showed that bikes had broken kickstands, smashed headlights, stolen batteries, and smashed or broken wheels. Some bikes have

due to theft on Thursday.

“I am also searching for another bike that last sent a GPS signal from the garage at Liberal Arts,” Lindner said. “I suspect this bike was stolen as well.”

According to Lindner, the vandalism rates at Towson University are exceeding that of the entire cities of Syracuse with 200 bikes, and Baton Rouge with 500 bikes.

Lindner said that at Towson there are “similar instances of destruction but greater rate.”

As a student, Ronald said that students should, inherently, be responsible to handle and take care of the bikes in the program.

Yet despite this, the vandalism does not surprise him.

“People in the age group of 18 to 22 can do stupid things,” he said.

“That doesn’t invalidate the fact that the potential of us to use a bike share is still there. I’d find it hard to believe that the majority of these students that come in contact with the bikes are going to vandalise them.”

Palmer said that there are currently police investigations on this issue.

“The Towson University Police Department is investigating instanc-

Brendan Felch/ The Towerlight

There were 26 Gotcha bikes introduced on Towson University’s campus in the beginning of the semester after previously having SPIN bikes. SPIN bikes left TU to focus on their line of electric scooters.

Courtesy of Jeff Lindner

There have been three reports of broken or smashed wheels on the electric bikes on campus, among 12 different kinds of damages. es of vandalism of Gotcha bikes on campus,” he said. “Two of the bikes [that are being investigated] are no longer usable, while other bikes have sustained minor damage.”

According to Lindner, there was a bike that was thrown off Osler bridge that sustained damages.

“Despite having the clear evidence that at least one of the suspects is the culprit of throwing a bike off of the bridge, nothing will be done,” Lindner said.

He added that the suspect is denying using the bike, despite proof from the bike share system’s servers.

“The individual was caught in a blatant lie to the Towson security, they are not pursuing the issue,” Lindner said. “The cameras were either pointed in the wrong directions and/or could not clearly pick up anything.”

According to Lindner, the Gotcha bike share system partnered with Towson University to provide sustainable transportation.

“Towson University wants to be a community leader in establishing alternative transportation for the campus and greater Towson community,” Lindner said.

Ronald said that he feels vandalism is typically done by a minority of individuals.

“That might mean we could implement some sort of anti-tampering device [on the bikes] or have cameras on the docking sta-

tions or bike racks,” Ronald said.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean we need to get rid of them.”

Palmer added that Towson is committed to providing alternative methods of transportation both to campus and on it.

“Malicious damage of the bikes is a challenge to that commitment,” Palmer said. “But not one that will deter us.”

Ronald said he appreciated the University’s commitment to providing alternative transportation, but asks that his fellow classmates be careful with the bikes.

“People need to watch where they’re going because I almost got run over by a guy on a bike the other day,” Ronald said.

Minor mechanical issues for the bikes on campus can be reported via the Gotcha app’s “report a maintenance issue” tab. Riders will need to enter the bikes’ ID, upload photos, and describe the issue.

Students and faculty who notice any damaged property on campus should report it to TUPD, Palmer added.

TUPD is located in the Public Safet y Bui lding and patrols campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Students and faculty who see damaged property can call their non-emergency number at (410) 704- 2134 or emai l pol ice@towson.edu to report damaged bikes.

News

October 1, 2019

7

Towson responds to alleged on-campus rape Forum announced, Schatzel postpones presidential address BAILEY HENDRICKS Editor-in-Chief @imsimplybailey

A Towson student was arrested Sept. 22 after allegedly raping another student in Marshall Hall, according to Baltimore County Police officials.

Onyekachukwu Chukwuebuk Igwilo, 20, a resident of Marshall Hall, was detained by the Towson University Police Department at the scene Sept. 22 until Baltimore County Police arrived to further investigate. Baltimore County Police made an immediate arrest of Igwilo after investigating.

The victim, also a student of Towson University, told police she went to Igwilo’s apartment around 3:30 p.m. Sunday to watch TV. The victim declined when Igwilo began making sexual advances toward her.

However, he held the victim down and raped her. The victim told Igwilo “stop” and “no” during the interaction multiple times. During the incident, the victim believed Igwilo may have been filming or photographing the incident. Igwilo’s phone was taken by police to use as evidence.

Igwilo blocked the victim from leaving the apartment after the victim attempted to leave several times, but eventually let her leave.

After she left the apartment, the victim told her friend about what happened. The friend reported the incident to the police.

The victim had a large bruise on her throat and was transferred to a local hospital for treatment and evidence collection. She also showed other signs of sexual trauma.

Igwilo is charged with first degree

rape, attempted first degree rape, false imprisonment, and first and second degree assault. He is being held at Baltimore County Detention Center. Igwilo was denied bail at his bail review hearing Sept. 24.

Igwilo will appear in court for a preliminary hearing at the District Court of Maryland for Baltimore County on Oct. 18 at 8:30 a.m.

Towson University sent out a campus-wide email Sept. 23 to advise the campus of the incident.

In the email, the University said that Igwilo is “is no longer permitted on the TU campus and there is no ongoing threat to campus.”

“We are offering our services and support to anyone in our community affected by this matter and asking the BCPD to continue to maintain complete confidentiality,” the campus-wide email read.

In the email, Towson University also encouraged the campus to report experiences with misconduct, harassment or assault to TUPD by calling 410-704-4444, emailing police@towson.edu, or by contacting the Office of Inclusion and Institutional Equity in the Administration Building Suite 214, at 410-704-0203 or titleix@towson.edu.

“Support services are available to all students, faculty and staff through the Counseling Center, 410-704-2512,” the email read.

On the afternoon of Sept. 30, Schatzel sent out a campus-wide email to “to reaffirm that any and all forms of violence, sexual misconduct, sexual assault, harassment or intimidation will not be tolerated at Towson University.”

Tim Klapac/ The Towerlight

Following the alleged rape on campus, this sign was posted on a light post near the intersection of York Road and Aigburth Road.

Schatzel said despite the university’s values, instances of sexual assault have recently occured.

“However, despite that commitment, incidents of sexual assault against members of our university community have occurred during this past month,” the email read.

Schatzel summarized the incidents of sexual assault against members of the university community that occured this past month, including the alleged Sept.

23 rape and a report of a male who “grabbed a woman’s breast in the University Union” around 8:43 p.m. Sept. 29. A campus-wide email was sent out about this sexual assault incident Sept. 29.

In Schatzel’s email, she also made the campus aware of her discussing the sexual assults during an SGA meeting Sept. 24, the day after the campus was made aware of the alleged rape.

“There, I shared my serious concern regarding the assault reported on September 23, as well as my great respect for the courage of the survivor in reporting it,” Schatzel’s email read. “I assured those gathered that the university was providing every means of support to the survivor and cooperating fully with investigators.”

During the Sept. 24 SGA meeting, Schatzel emphasized that the University wants to make sure everyone feels safe on campus.

“Our relentless goal is to have a campus where everyone is inclusive of all their identities,” she said. “I won’t stop until we can assure everyone of the fact that they are safe.”

Schatzel pointed out the courage it took for the victim to report the sexual assault. She said now the focus is supporting the victim.

“It is important that we support the survivor in terms of how they proceed in terms of dealing with this most most violent act that hurt and we are going to support them finding their path forward to be able to do this,” she said. “It’s within Title IX as well.”

Schatzel described the incidents as “violent and life-threatening” and not in alignment with the University’s policies or values.

“It’s not what we as a community stand for,” she said. “And it’s not something that I as president am going to stand by and allow to continue so you have my assurance of the fact that it has my attention as well as

Courtesy of Baltimore County Police Department

Onyekachukwu Chukwuebuk Igwilo, a TU student, is being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center without bail after his arrest. the attention of the administration.”

Schatzel expressed her gratitude toward the SGA for giving students a voice and for sharing the concerns of the students with her and University administrators.

“I also am grateful to all our students, faculty and staff for standing together against all forms of violence, sexual assault, sexual misconduct, harassment, discrimination and hate,” Schatzel expressed in her email. “We are working together as a community to support the survivors and each other.”

In response to the recent sexual assault incidents, the University and the SGA will be “holding a campus forum where our community can come together, listen, discuss, and support each other,” according to Schatzel’s email.

The forum will be held Oct. 1 in the University Union’s Chesapeake Rooms from 6 to 7 p.m. During the forum, students and members of the University community will be able to ask questions. People can submit a question in advance of the event by emailing the Office of Inclusion and Institutional Equity at OIIE@towson.edu.

“Student and university leaders — including myself — will be part of this community gathering,” Schatzel said in her email. “Please attend, share your thoughts, support each other, and ensure our entire TU community stands together against violence and hate.”

Because of the forum happening Tuesday, Schatzel is postponing her Presidential Address, originally scheduled for Oct. 3. The new date of the address is not yet known.

In her email, Schatzel said the address is postponed “to ensure my

focus is there [at the forum], on Tuesday and the steps that come afterward.”

Responses from students and student organizations were seen on social media. Towson Freedom School released a statement on Twitter, praising the victim of the alleged rape for coming forward and calling for the University to react accordingly.

“These acts of sexual violence are appalling, disgusting, and unacceptable,” the statement said.

“Towson University’s campus should be safe and free from the threat of violence of any kind.”

Signs and messages could be seen on campus in response to the assault, including numerous messages written on the chalkboards at TU’s Freedom Square. A large sticker was posted on a lamp post along York Road in front of the campus that read “CASTRATE RAPISTS.” Students expressed concern and frustration online, demanding Towson University do more to protect students on campus.

“Towson Uni students, if y’all are just as fed up with TU as I am, please show your support and email Student Affairs,” said @ meighanschmidt.

Since the #NotatTU SGA campaign was relaunched in 2017, students have criticized the SGA and University for not committing to it.

“Instead of saying #NotatTU, @ TowsonU needs to be honest about the stats,” said @ittybittytrinii.

“The rape culture is so prominent that people are questioning the victims instead of the rapists. It’s disgusting #HereatTU.” - Mary-Ellen Davis, Tim Klapac, and Marcus Whitman contributed to this article.

10 October 1, 2019

Arts & Life

TU alum takes on Nashville MEGHAN HUDSON Arts & Life Editor

Born and raised in Kent Island, Maryland, Jennifer Crim, a TU alum, had quite the whirlwind experience trying to navigate both major and career. Today, she runs an award-winning music blog, heirwaves, with one of her best friends.

After graduating high school in 2012, Crim shared that she had no clue what she wanted to do.

She ended up enrolling at Anne Arundel Community College, where she pursued film.

“I kind of had this period of time where I loved movies and TV and thought that that was going to be the industry I was going to work in,” said Crim. “I’m lucky enough that I’ve had opportunities to work on several big movies and TV shows.”

While she was able to get the inside scoop on how the film industry worked, Crim began to realize why the industry wouldn’t be realistic for her.

“Their lifestyle, it was so grueling,” she said. “I mean I was traveling all up and down the east coast

to be in movies and TV shows, I was just like, this long-term is not where I see myself, as great as that experience was.”

In high school, Crim happened to have taken a graphic design course, and was on a marketing street team in New York City, both which circled back into her life as she searched for a new college, and a new career path.

“I really didn’t want to go to Towson,” said Crim. “My whole family had gone there, my mom, both my aunts, and it was so close I thought I didn’t want to go there.

It ended up being the best decision I ever made, so I’m glad some part of my brain had that figured out.”

With her high school experiences in mind, Crim enrolled at Towson University with a major in graphic design and a minor in marketing.

“It was my first time away from home, living up at Towson,” said Crim. “It was a huge culture shock for me especially since I’m from Kent Island and that’s such a small town, and I was living with three other random girls that I’d never met.”

Despite the initial shock moving to Towson, Crim shared that she quickly became best friends with her new roommates, and dived headfirst into her program.

Courtesy of Brooke Michelle Photography

Jennifer Crim graduated from Towson University in 2017. She now helps administrate the blog “heirwaves,” as their senior Nashville correspondent.

“I did all of these internships,” she said. “I finished college with seven internships. I managed to get a ton of experience.”

Through the mentorship of her professors, and the thought-provoking nature of her courses, Crim was able to realize, “I can be a designer in a different realm that I maybe had never thought about before.”

According to Crim, if you would have known her at Towson, you would have known that her one goal after college was to move straight to Nashville. However, her post-grad plan didn’t play out like she planned.

“After graduation I took a small solo road trip and came to Nashville and thought, this is it for me,” she said.

However, after moving back home from college, Crim shared that it took a while for her to get settled from the whirlwind of college.

“It took me about a year, and then I was like alright its time to make the move,” said Crim. “That was downright terrifying. I didn’t know anyone here. I was applying for jobs and getting rejected like seven times a day, and I was like, but I did all these internships! Why am I getting rejected? But it ended up just working out.”

Remember that aforementioned high school street marketing job Crim mentioned having? As it turns out, she became really good friends with another girl from the gig. That girl, Abigail Courtland, ended up starting a music blog called heirwaves, for which she wanted Crim to be a part of.

“We are putting all of our energy into doing that, which is such a full circle moment for me because its taken every aspect of everything I’ve learned and everything I’ve done,” said Crim.

Heirwaves is a New York City based music blog. The blog was founded in 2013 by Courtland.

“The basis of the blog is kind of journalism with integrity, and thought provoking pieces,” said Crim. “We focus on the music industry as a whole. With her being in New York City she focuses on a lot of pop and indie artists, and since I’m here in Nashville I focus obviously on the country artists. My main focus has been women and independent artists. We want to push the envelope and dig deeper.”

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

A strong ending for “Three Dark Crowns” ZAC SOPER Columnist

The “Three Dark Crowns” series by Kendare Blake has been in the hearts of many readers for years and has finally come to an end. For those who don’t know, the “Three Dark Crowns” series takes place on a mystical island that is run by a matriarchy. Each queen gives birth to triplets, and each daughter is gifted with a different ability.

After 16 years of being groomed and trained, the three queens are tasked with killing one another and the survivor becomes the reigning queen.

In the fourth and final book of this series, we are back on the island of Fennbirn (after a quick stint to the mainland in book three). The dark and twisted island becomes a character itself with the protective (and sometimes dangerous) mist that surrounds its coasts, the low magic that exists in the very soil itself, and the generations of sisters turned murderers hang in the air.

Along with the island, this series is filled with so many characters that are so easy to love, even with their bad side. Every single character in this series has committed some heinous act against their own morality and it becomes hard to decide who the “good guys” are because really, no one is.

The series had led to a war, and since you don’t know which characters to root for, you don’t really know which side of the bat-

tle to root for either. The dynamic that is created between these sisters and their counterparts are nothing like Young Adult fantasy has ever seen before and was extremely unpredictable, there was a large amount of plot twists just in this book, let alone the other three.

While this series is obviously character heavy, that is not to say the plot is lacking. Though there is really one main plotline-one sister must take the throne- the intricate subplots guide these dynamic characters through the story at an even pace.

The religious aspect of this world takes a lot of leadership in creating the subplots. Like every character, the temple is no stranger to corruption, and this becomes very apparent as the queens delve into the past of the kingdom. Having an island ruled by corrupt queens and a corrupt foundation of religion keeps the readers on their toes and keeps the pages turning.

I feel, for the first time in a while, that I received a realistic ending. There were some deaths, some survivors, and ultimately closure of the growing tensions in the series. It takes a great writer to end a series well, and Kendare Blake did not disappoint. The ending was left fairly open and I wonder if this is really the last we will see of Fennbirn and its queens. Many negative reviews for this series claim it to be too slow moving but I enjoyed the world building that was needed to set up this long running and well executed plot.

Once you start getting attached to these characters there’s no putting these books down.

Arts & Life

October 1, 2019

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“Better than Ezra” bassist hints at new album BAILEY HENDRICKS Editor-In-Chief @ImSimplyBailey

As their summer tour came to a close, Tom Drummond, bassist, backup vocalist, and a founding member of the band “Better than Ezra” sat down with The Towerlight to talk about touring, band secrets, and even new music on the horizon.

“Better than Ezra,” founded in 1988, most known for their 90s hits “Good” and “Desperately Wanting” is an alternative rock group with mostly up-beat tunes and an easy-listening feel.

Drummond said after 31 years of playing and touring with his bandmates that it “feels like a marriage.” He said he loves touring to be able to see so many different cities and try a variety

of different foods.

“Better than Ezra’s” summer tour consisted of stops in various cities – including Baltimore Soundstage in mid-July. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the show along with my boyfriend – and it was great. I highly recommend seeing “Better than Ezra” live, whether you only know their hits or are a die-hard fan.

Me being a “Better than Ezra” fan already and being able to sing along to all of their songs live at the concert was a wonderful experience (minus the drunk girl

“

who slapped my glasses across my face, onto the ground and left a scratch on my glasses lens.

Shout-out to whoever you are).

My boyfriend, though, who was only somewhat familiar with their music from me playing them around the house, still had an awesome time hearing them live. “Brett Newski & the No Tomorrow” opened for them this night, and was also an entertaining act. Brett Newski, the lead singer of the band even got off stage and went into the crowd and jumped around with us just a couple feet away from him.

Kevin Griffin, the lead singer of “Better than Ezra,” was also amazing live. “He’s one of the funniest people you’ll ever meet,” Drummond said of Griffin. Not only did Griffin’s voice sound exactly like it does on their albums, but he was also very funny – something Drummond also mentioned during the interview – that Griffin is really funny and always has the band laughing too. Griffin talked in funny voices and cracked jokes making the whole audience laugh the whole show in between songs.

Griffin also recently released

We enjoy the hell out of what we do. And we like having fun. I think that’s another reason we’re still around.

Student

a three-song solo EP called “Someone Tonight” with chill, relaxing songs that feature his talented, notable voice even more than his “Better than Ezra” hits. If you’re a fan of “Better than Ezra,” you should definitely check out this EP. Those of you who are familiar with “Better than Ezra” and have played out “Good” too much, have no fear. Drummond told The Towerlight that the band is anticipating a new album next year. He said fans can anticipate the new album being a different sound than what they’re known for – that the new album will have a more pop-feel. And those of you who missed their summer tour – you also have no fear – Drummond says they will be doing more shows this fall.

“We enjoy what we do,” Drummond said. “We enjoy the hell out of what we do. And we like having fun. I think that’s another

”

TOM DRUMMOND Bassist

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model: @sarah_elaineh

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model: @sarah_elaineh

“I started doing photo when I was in eighth grade, I had a digitial camera, and I would just take pictures of my friends and make those stupid iMovie movies of us dancing. I’ve always loved taking photos and I wanted to be the subject for a while, but I could never get my vision through explaining it to someone else. That was kinda when I started taking pictures myself.”

Jasmine Kerbel

“As a woman, there’s not a big space for me in this industry. I think the career path I would like to go down is being a photo editor.”

Insta: @JasmineKerbel

Want to be featured here next week?

Email arts@thetowerlight.com

Check out The Towerlight on Youtube to watch our video interview with Jasmine Kerbel, out now!

Year: Senior

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Sports

October 1, 2019

Tigers shutout in the swamp Florida routs Towson 38-0 for TU's second consecutive loss JORDAN KENDALL Asst. Sports Editor @jordankendall54

In the first-ever matchup between the Tigers and the Florida Gators (5-0, 2-0 SEC), Florida shut out Towson 38-0. This was the first time the Tigers have been shutout since 2014 vs West Virginia.

“I’m extremely proud of our guys, there’s no quit in them,” Ambrose said.

The Gators quickly moved the ball downfield and in eight plays had a first and goal at the ten. Redshirt junior quarterback Kyle Trask found sophomore tight end Kyle Pitts for a touchdown four plays later. Towson (3-2, 1-1 CAA) made some positive plays on their first drive before a fumble by redshirt senior quarterback Tom Flacco ended it.

“On the first drive that’s on me, I dropped the ball,” Flacco said. “We moved the ball pretty well like we expected.”

On Florida’s ensuing drive senior wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland caught a 32-yard pass to the Towson 29. To end the quarter, a fumble was forced by redshirt sophomore linebacker Christian Dixon but recovered by a Gators lineman.

To begin the second quarter, Florida kicked a 42-yard field goal off the upright. Flacco responded finding redshirt senior wide receiver Shane Leatherbury for 23 yards inside midfield. Four plays later, senior running back Yeedee Thaenrat picked up two first downs advancing the ball to the 25. Flacco nearly threw an interception but the drop led to a miss from senior kicker Aiden O’Neill from 32 yards.

Three straight completions put the Gators inside Towson territory.

Pierce ran left for 31- yards to the 13. A pass interference call on the Tigers set up first and goal. Trask took advantage of it two plays later, rushing for a 1-yard touchdown giving Florida a 17-0 lead.

“We made too many mistakes to

be able to win a ballgame against a quality opponent like this,” Ambrose said. "We learned a lot about ourselves and I think it tells us who we can be for the rest of the season.”

The Tigers reached the Florida 45 but Flacco was sacked on third down. After a punt, junior defensive lineman Tibo Debaillie sacked Trask for a loss of three to end the half. At halftime, Trask completed all 13 of his passes. For Towson, 13 of their 19 offensive plays were in Florida territory.

A bad snap to start the second half cost the Tigers 13 yards. Flacco lobbed a ball downfield that was intercepted. Towson’s defense responded with their third sack from redshirt junior linebacker Bryce Carter leading to a punt. A batted pass from Flacco was intercepted and returned to the six.

Two plays later Pitts caught his second touchdown of the game to increase Florida’s lead to 24-0. On the Gators next drive sophomore running back Dameon Pierce ran down the sideline 37-yards for a touchdown.

Flacco found Leatherbury for 25-yards inside Florida territory.

Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Darian Street caught a low ball as he was lying down for a first down.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Flacco was sacked losing 16 yards. O’Neill’s second field goal was blocked as the Gators continued to shut out Towson.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Emory Jones came in at quarterback for Florida and hit Cleveland to the Tigers 36. Jones ran for 29-yards setting up another Gators touchdown.

“Thought we had a good plan, thought we played hard and played smart,” Ambrose said. “We got overmatched a couple times here and there and didn’t recover correctly.

This is a great measuring stick for our kids, they understand who and what they can be the rest of the year based on playing a great team like Florida.”

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

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Washington Capitals 2019-20 season preview ANDY PALM Columnist

It’s finally here. The NHL regular season is upon us, and for a Redskins fan like myself, this could not have come soon enough. This is truly the best time of the year. Every fan base is full of hope, players are healthy and ready to get going and excitement is felt all around.

Every season is full of surprises, who will be a surprise contender?

Which player will dominate this season? Is Tom Wilson the best player to ever set foot on ice?

The Washington Capitals are set to have a fun and competitive 201920 season. A lot of familiar faces, and some new ones as well, are gearing up to take the ice. So what does this season have in store for the Caps?

Here are some of my bold predictions for the 2019-20 Capitals season.

Jakub Vrana: 30 goal scorer Left winger Jakub Vrana has now had two full seasons with the Caps and has progressed in each of those seasons. He has scored 13 goals in 73 games 2 years ago, and following it up with 24 goals last season -- not to mention playing a pivotal role in the 2018 Stanley Cup run. Washington obviously believes in Vrana, giving him a two-year contract extension over the summer. This is the year he takes another big leap, this sea-

son he becomes a star. Vrana will score 30 goals this season. The Czech forward has elite speed and his ability to control the puck at full speed keeps getting better.

Towards the end of last season and even a little bit in the preseason, he has shown to have increased velocity on both his slap shot and wrist shot. Mix that with the fact that he will either be playing on the same line as center Evgeny Kuznetsov or center Nick Backstrom, who are both elite when it comes to puck distribution, 30 goals are easily attainable for Vrana. Some may even say it is necessary that Vrana be more productive in order for the Caps to stay competitive.

Kuznetsov will return to the AllStar game Kuznetsov is having a peculiar start to the new season. He will have to serve a three-game suspension to start the season, due to testing positive for cocaine over the summer. There was also a controversial video that came out months ago that shows the Russian forward in the presence of cocaine. Kuznetsov originally denied that he consumed the drug, but later backtracked and apologized for his actions.

Kuznetsov is a great player and I believe he will be able to put this controversy in the rearview mirror fairly quickly. Nothing makes people forget about your flaws like success, which is exactly what Kuzy will do. Kuznetsov had a good but

Sports Club Spotlight

somewhat disappointing 2018-19 campaign, especially after having such an electric 2018 playoff performance. Kuznetsov had 51 assists last year, which is good. This season, Kuznetsov will contend for the league leader in helpers with about 70. Also, look for Kuznetsov to be more of a menace in scoring as well.

He has shown over the past few seasons he has the ability to be a sneaky sniper. His superb talent to pass makes defenders weary and has them overplay other forwards, this gives Kuzy a lot of open looks at the goal. Unlike past years, Kuznetsov will get off to a hot start. His production in the first half of the season will be good enough to earn him his second all-star game appearance. I believe he, along with the rest of the Caps team, will have a little extra fire in their play this season.

Caps: 2020 Stanley Cup champs The Capitals have one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the league. Last year, there were definitely signs of fatigue as the season went on and into the playoffs. It definitely became visible in the double-overtime elimination loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. This year is different, they’ve had plenty of time to rest and they’re determined to prove they weren’t a one year fluke. Left winger and captain Alex Ovechkin isn’t getting any younger, his window of opportunity is closing; this Washington team has a great chance of helping him add to his legacy.

Men's Rugby The Towson Men's Rugby sport club's A-team lost to Temple University 22-17 on Saturday, Sept.

28 at Burdick Field.

The Tigers (2-2) next game is against Rowan University on Saturday, Oct. 5 at Burdick Field.

- Compiled by Jason Hensley For more information on Men's Rugby, visit towsonrugby.org

Brendan Felch/ The Towerlight

14 October 1, 2019

Sports

Another tough weekend Staying red hot Offense sputters as Tigers lose to Rider and on the court Bucknell; Trip to Houston up next for Towson

TU starts conference play with pair of wins, streak now at six KAYLA WELLAGE Contributing Writer

Amanda Bosse/ The Towerlight

Freshman attacker Samantha Aljets fires a shot on goal during Towson's 3-0 to the Bucknell Bison on Sunday, Sept. 29. Aljets recorded two shots on goal in the loss and is the team leader in points this season.

BROOKS WARREN Staff Writer @Broookksss

Towson faced off against the Rider Broncs and Bucknell Bison this weekend, but lost both games.

“The win-loss record, if that’s what you’re using to measure success certainly shows an area where we can grow,” head coach E.A. Jackson said. “The level of sophistication with which they’re starting to play and understand our system of play is really promising.”

The second game of the weekend for the Tigers (1-8, 0-0 CAA) was a 3-0 loss to Bucknell (5-4). The Bison were coming off a conference after winning their previous two games.

Freshman attack Emily Doyle led the way with two goals, sophomore forward Kaelyn Long followed up with a goal as well.

“Obviously the 3-0 loss is, on paper, it looks discouraging but the reality is they’ve come so far from where we were three years ago and I’m excited about the future.” Coach Jackson said.

Coach Jackson said that film study prepared them for the platoon style that Bucknell plays. They were pre-

pared and neutralized for 30 minutes allowing just one goal to get past Okkerse, but the second half was a different story.

“It was a tough game,” freshman goalie Tess Okkerse said, “But I think we’re making a lot of improvements but we just gotta get the details right.”

The Bison scored late in the first period taking a 1-0 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter, Bucknell was able to overwhelm and dominate offensively. The Bison held the advantage in several ways, creating five penalty corners including backto-back opportunities late in the third frame, and shooting five shots.

Bucknell also scored two goals in the third quarter, while shutting the door down on any comebacks defensively and dominating the ball.

“We’re improving and I think we can achieve much if we also get the details right,” Okkerse said, “The energy was so good, it was better than all the games before that’s what coach also said.

The fourth was more of the same, but the Tigers recovered enough to mount some offense with two shots.

However, it was a case of too little too late, but Coach Jackson was pleased with her young teams to effort nonetheless.

“That’s a moment where we show our age, our youth,” Jackson said, “ We got it back together the fourth quarter and I was happy with the performance we were able to string together a corner opportunity. It showed me that they fought the whole time and they didn’t give up.”

Towson fell to Rider 4-1 (6-2) on Friday. Sophomore forward Carly Brosious led the Broncs with a hat-trick and was supported by sophomore midfielder Julia Divorra. Freshman attack Georgia Beachley scored the only Tigers goal of the game.

The Tigers only took three shots in the game, two of which at goal. Rider, however, took 18 shots including 12 at goal. In the first quarter, the Broncs poured in three shots and scored two goals past Okkerse.

In the second half Rider scored two goals both coming off assists. The Broncs took 12 shots in the second half compared to two by Towson. Despite trailing and Rider taking more shots, Okkerse saved five shots in the second half and eight in the game.

The Tigers travel to Houston, Texas on Thursday, Oct. 3 vs Miami of Ohio at 7 p.m. Towson finishes off the week with a home match against the Davidson Wildcats on Sunday, Oct. 6 at 2 p.m.

The Tigers are off to a strong start this season. Towson has won their last six games, including their first two in the CAA. On Sunday, the Tigers defeated the James Madison Dukes 3-1.

“All members of our team are just as strong as the others and we each have a role that we have been able to execute as best we can so far,” Senior outside hitter Emily Jarome said.

The beginning of the first set was rough as the Dukes (8-5, 2-1 CAA) were leading after multiple errors from Towson (12-2, 2-0 CAA).

However, the Tigers quickly bounced back and took the lead scoring eight unanswered points.

James Madison attempted to come back, but Towson won the first set 25-19 after multiple errors from JMU and a few kills from Jarome.

The second set saw the Tigers and Dukes scored back and forth throughout the set.

The Tigers and James Madison were tied 23-23 but the Tigers lost the second set 25-23 due to a service error and an attack error at the end of the set.

Towson bounced back in the third set after five kills from Jarome and three combined kills from senior outside hitters Olivia Finckel and Annie Ertz.

There were two aces in this set coming from junior defensive specialist Camryn Allen and senior middle blocker Silvia Grassini.

The Tigers won the third set 25-16 off a 9-3 run.

The fourth set included 11 combined errors and one ace for each team. Jarome served an ace in the beginning of the set, but she made a reception error which resulted in an ace by James Madison sophomore setter Rebecca Frye.

Towson won the fourth set as Finckel made the final kill to end the game.

“Seeing the team play at a high level early on during conference play,” head coach Don Metil said about what he liked in his team’s performance.

On Friday the Tigers won their first conference game of the season by defeating the University of Delaware Blue Hens (9-4, 1-1 CAA) 3-0.

Towson started strong in the first set after nine errors from the Blue Hens.

Delaware took an early lead, but the Tigers began to increase their kills and the Blue Hens continued to make service errors. Delaware took their first timeout after losing their lead and returned with a kill

by Blue Hens freshman setter Ezgi Basaranlar.

Despite a five point unanswered comeback, Towson won the first set 25-20.

Delaware took an early 3-0 lead in the second set, but nine errors allowed the Tigers to come back.

The Blue Hens came back in the middle of the set, but Towson quickly broke the 18-18 tie and won the set 25-19 on an Ertz ace.

In the third set, The Tigers scored five points in the first few minutes of the set due to two Delaware errors and two kills by Finckel.

Towson never trailed in the set.

The Blue Hens tried to catch up towards the end of the set, but the Tigers won the final set 25-21.

The Tigers finished the game with a total of 41 kills, led by Finckel and freshman middle blocker Lydia Wiers with nine and eight respectively. Towson had less than half as many errors as the Blue Hens.

“Our defense has been strong and scrappy, our setter Marissa Wonders sets up a great offense, and each hitter on the team is of equal importance,” Jarome said.

The Tigers host the Northeastern Huskies Friday Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. and the Hofstra Pride on Sunday Oct. 6 at noon at SECU Arena.

“These are two key road wins and now we have to defend SECU Arena in the coming week,” Metil said.

Sports

October 1, 2019

USTORE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Lydia Wiers Volleyball Freshman middle blocker Lydia Wiers helped guide the Tigers to victories over Delaware and James Madison over the weekend. Wiers recorded 20 kills and was named the CAA's Rookie of the Week.

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