The Towerlight (July 1, 2014)

The Towerlight Towson’s campus and community news source

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The Towerlight

July 1, 2014

The Towerlight Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Munshaw Senior Editor Devorah Roberts News Editor Cody Boteler Assoc. News Editor Sam Shelton Arts & Life Editor Carley Milligan Assoc. Arts & Life Editor Daryllee Hale Sports Editor Matt Hamilton Staff Writers Payam Agha-Ghassem Tyler Beard Lindsay Boyle Kati Day

Nicole Gould Jay Greene Stephanie G-Munguia Thomas Martinson Paige Sudol

Photo Editor Sarah Hugel Assoc. Photo Editor Abby Murphy Assist. Photo Editor Rachel Candela Symone Garvett Daryllee Hale Harrison Hart Mandi Marcus

SUMMER 2014

Staff Videographers Rachel Krogman Tristan Baboolal Gabby Slocum Ashley Beall Proofreaders Ashley Beall Laura Antonucci Abby Murphy General Manager Mike Raymond Art Director Danielle Frater Assoc. Art Director Sydney Adamson Production Staff Brooke Basta Alison Requa Kate Rodman Webmaster Kurt Karolenko Circulation Manager Josh Joannidas Circulation Staff Christopher George Mark Burchick Ian McIntyre

8000 York Road University Union Room 309 Towson, MD 21252 business: (410) 704-5153 editorial: (410) 704-5141 fax: (410) 704-3862 editor@thetowerlight.com thetowerlight.com The Towerlight print edition is published by students of Towson University every Monday and Thursday when classes are in session during the fall and spring and once during the summer.

The Towerlight is owned by nonprofit Baltimore Student Media Inc., BaltimoreStudentMedia.com.

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Please Recycle!

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JUNE: Ron Cubbison Returning Award Winners Alumni Exhibition 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. • Holtzman MFA Art Gallery • CA 2040 View work done by the winners of the late Ron Cubbison’s travel fellowship award.

The exhibit will run through June 28.

JULY: Towson Area Fourth of July Parade

10 a.m. • Schuerholz Park

C AM PUS CALENDAR

Start the weekend off with a baseball tournament at TU. The tournament will resume on Saturday, June 21.

AUGUST: Welcome to Towson Freshman Orientation

10 a.m. • University Union • Paws Help represent TU in the annual parade. Registered participants will get a complimentary breakfast, as well as a T-shirt and other patriotic accessories.

See the full schedule at events.towson.edu.

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JUNE: Dynamic Baseball

Get acclimated to campus life with information sessions and activities including advising and a “Choose Your Own Adventure” day.

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July 1, 2014

Assist. Video Producer Danielle Gibson

Patrick Burke/ The Towerlight

FEATURED EVENT: Under Armour All-American Lacrosse Classic on Saturday, July 12 at 5 p.m. in Johnny Unitas Stadium. See the top 44 senior boys and girls compete in Under Armour’s ninth classic. Doors open at 4 p.m. and full team rosters can be found at http://www. underarmourlacrosse.com/.

The Towerlight

Staff Photographers Elizabeth Bonica Patrick Burke Amanda Ferrarese Jasmine Williams

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OPINION From The Editor’s Desk Everyone’s ‘must’ rules for Twitter Twitter is full of contradictions. Try to give personal tweets, but don’t be too personal, people are Jonathan Munshaw following you Editor-in-Chief for a reason. @jon_munshaw Try to be funny and liven things up, but don’t upset your followers and get off track.

I started to think about these contradictions after I took part in an allinterns session on social media at The Baltimore Sun, where I’m working at this summer. We were discussing, as journalists, how we should utilize our followers. Presumably, people are following us for news. In my case, I have quite a diverse range of followers (although I still can’t seem to break 300). Some people want to follow me for Wizards news, while most of my Towson followers want Towson news from The Towerlight, for obvi-

ous reasons.

Lost in all of this, though, is the key word in social media: “social.” When I first created my Twitter account my sophomore year at Towson, I was mainly using it to interact with friends. Since then, we all know what Twitter has grown into. It’s so much more about your personal brand.

Forget adding your email to a resume, what’s your Twitter handle?

Over the summer, I’m using my account so much more for sports than Towson news, considering hardly any-

thing happens at Towson over the summer. In the sporting world, everyone expects you to have an opinion.

Because of shows such as “First Take” and “Pardon the Interruption,” it’s assumed that you just have an opinion on everything from the idea of Carmelo Anthony joining the Miami Heat to how many floating swans Johnny Manziel can be photographed on in one summer. As editor of The Towerlight, the expectations are the same. Along with the Student Government Association, The Towerlight is the most influential organization on campus. And being head of that organization usually means I, along with the rest of the editorial board, need to be the voice of the students and either voice displeasure or support for whatever the hot topic or problem is on campus at that time.

Enjoy finding mistakes in The Towerlight?

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July 1, 2014

Help us out!

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Apply online at the Towerlight.com Or

Stop By University Union, room 309

That brings me back to the intern social media session at The Sun. At the paper, along with many other media outlets today, writers can be reprimanded if they go too overboard on giving their opinion on a story. As a journalist, it is the expectation that a writer is objective on the subject they’re covering.

But remember, journalists are people too. I can be as objective as possible when writing a story on samesex marriage, even though when I’m not writing, I’m a proponent of it. It’s time to start seriously thinking about breaking down these contradictions on social media.

I’d like to see a conversation take place not just with journalists, with from everyone, about what social media should be used for.

I’m not going to go out and be one of those people who posts pictures of how much beer I drank over the weekend, but users of social media shouldn’t have to spend 30 minutes scanning over each tweet they compose before they send it. Social media is an amazing tool.

It has helped me spread my sports writing work to readers and I take my image on social media (but mainly Twitter) very seriously. But let’s start thinking about what people should start coming under fire for. If any writer posts an opinion on a topic they’re covering, let’s not jump all over them for not being objective. It then defeats the purpose of Twitter.

When writers get afraid to react to topics, Twitter becomes nothing more than a RSS feed. As Towerlight editor, I usually am expected to react to stories to give a voice to students, but nine times out of 10, I’m also the one writing those stories (ex. the cheer team’s suspension and the White Student Union).

With Twitter, the lines are beginning to blur between those who deliver opinions and those who are writing the objective stories.

Believe it or not, it’s actually OK to have an opinion on something and still write a straight news story on it. People have been doing it in American journalism for decades now.

Only now, social media has allowed opinions to seep through.

I don’t have an answer immediately to any of the questions I’ve posed. I have no idea how many tweets per day I should send out with links to my stories. I still have the tendency to tweet about Pokemon just because I’m really excited about Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, even though most people watching the NBA Finals don’t care.

But next time you’re on Twitter, see if you can actually come up with concrete things you want to see from each of the people or accounts you follow. Do they tweet too much for you?

Not enough? Are they too “boring”?

Users of social media don’t have all that good of an idea of how to balance it, and we probably never will.

So let’s stop pretending that there are “must-follow” rules for social media, because everyone is going to have their own set.

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OPINION PHOTO OF THE WEEK

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WORD ON THE STREET What are you doing for a summer vacation?

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“Working at Disney World”

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Ashley Mears and Jae-Woo Baik walk through the woods in an outtake shot from the cover shoot for the summer edition of The Towerlight.

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“Taking a cross country roadtrip with my best friends before we graduate! #caliherewecome”

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The Towerlight

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July 1, 2014

“Endless relaxing days on the beach....wait, did I say beach? I meant couch.”

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July 1, 2014

NEWS

The Towerlight

July 1, 2014

Spring 2014 Commencement Ceremonies

Photos by Jonathan Munshaw/ The Towerlight

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NEWS Beyond UNITED STATES

FAA allows Puma drone over U.S. soil On June 10, the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, announced its permission for the first commercial drone flights over land. However, the first flight has already taken place just days earlier. On Sunday, the FAA allowed BP and AeroVironment to pilot their Puma drone over Prudhoe Bay, Alaska for surveying purposes.

Originally designed for military use, the Puma drone is small, hand-launched and has a nine-foot wingspan. The device is less than five feet long.

Countries like the United Kingdom and France have permitted commercial drone use for years; however, in the U.S. the FAA is still writing the safety guidelines that must be presented to the White House and the Department of Transportation.

OREGON

Student killed during school shooting Following reports of an active shooter on campus, students were evacuated from Reynolds High School in Troutdale, Oregon on the morning of June 10. Local police were called to the scene around 8 a.m. and were shortly followed by SWAT and FBI agents. The ordeal was resolved about an hour later by 9:15 a.m., at which time the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office reported that the situation had been stabilized and that the gunman, who had earlier opened fire inside the school, was dead. At time of writing, the injury count is unclear; however, one student casualty has been reported

AFGHANISTAN

Six killed in friendly fire accident Five United States Special Operations and one Afghan soldier were killed the night of June 9 in what was reported as an accidental case of friendly fire in the Zabul province of southern Afghanistan.

According to American and Afghan officials, Afghan troops were conducting security processes when they were ambushed by Taliban forces. The troops subsequently called for air support, only for the United States Air Force B-1 bomber to accidently strike the location of friendly forces instead of that of the Taliban.

According to the New York Times, “there have been more than a dozen cases in which airstrikes mistakenly killed allies, or when gunfights erupted between coalition troops unaware they were firing on one another.”

TEXAS

The Towerlight

July 1, 2014

Woman sues GM for $75,000

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On June 9, Candice Anderson filed a lawsuit against General Motors pertaining to the 2004 car crash that killed her fiancé, Gene Mikale Erikson, and left her with both severe injuries and a criminal record. When Anderson’s Saturn Ion veered off the road and failed to leave skid marks, she was blamed for the accident and charged with “negligent homicide” for her fiancé’s death. According to ABC News, “the lawsuit alleges that a faulty GM ignition switch was the real cause of the crash. It contends the switch slipped out of the run position, knocking out power steering and brakes and disabling the air bags. GM, the lawsuit alleges, knew about the bad switches but failed to disclose the problem even though Anderson was pleading guilty.”

At this time, General Motors has failed to comment on the case.

Anderson is suing the company for $75,000 as well as other damages.

She hopes the case will clear her criminal record.

101 York project postponedT Councilman expects completion by 2017 PAIGE SUDOL Staff Writer @PaigeSudol

The housing project on 101 York Road has been postponed due to recent outcry from the Towson community.

Baltimore County Councilman David Marks delayed the vote on PUD Resolution 40-14 that was supposed to take place in late May. Passage of this resolution is one of the many steps necessary for construction on the housing project to begin, that has faced opposition from groups in the community since the plan was introduced last year.

This project was first introduced in April 2013 by DMS Development.

“The developer's goal is to improve the look of a derelict part of York Road, and bring students closer to Towson University instead of being spread in rentals throughout Baltimore County,” Marks said.

Despite the developer’s good intentions, about 80 people gathered to protest at the project site on Thursday, May 15. Several of the protesters were members of the American Legion Post 22 in Towson, which is located next to the site.

Members such as Fred Hofferbert, the First Vice Commander at Post 22, said he believes that 101 York Road is not a suitable location for this 13-story building.

“Two years ago, the county council voted on not allowing town center zoning. This project violates [this agreement] because of the size of the building and the way they’re handling it,” Hofferbert said.

Hofferbert said he is concerned

the student housing project will worsen the already slow traffic at the intersection between York Road and Bosley Avenue. He also is worried that there will not be enough parking for students and their guests, despite the 20 percent increase in on-site parking requested by Marks.

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Anyone who says we don’t need dormitories, either on campus or as close to campus as possible, doesn’t seem to realize the effect that student rentals have done to many neighborhoods...

DAVID MARKS Baltimore County

“We think this is a very bad project for that particular location,” Hofferbert said.

The building is also much larger than zoning regulations allow for.

The building should be 100 feet in the front and 40 feet on the sides and rear, but the developer is trying to make the building 150 feet all-around. The building also goes right up to the sidewalk, when it should have a setback of 27.5 feet, according to Hofferbert.

“The lot just isn’t big enough to hold what the developer wants to put on it, so he’s asking for all these exceptions to the rule,” Hofferbert said.

Hofferbert said members of Post 22 plan to attend upcoming meetings of the Baltimore County Council to voice their concerns. In late June or early July, the council will vote on PUD Resolution 40-14.

Post 22 hopes that the resolution will fail. If it is passed, then the housing project will be able to move forward.

“If it is approved, the American Legion will have to go to court to stop [the housing project],” Hofferbert said.

Marks claims that he respects the right of the protesters to voice their opinions but wishes that more valid alternatives to the project would be proposed. Like Hofferbert, Marks said that building non-student housing would cause even more parking and traffic problems. However, he refuted the idea that more student housing is unnecessary.

“Anyone who says we don't need dormitories, either on campus or as close to campus as possible, doesn't seem to realize the effect that student rentals have done to many neighborhoods. By scattering rentals haphazardly around the area, we are destabilizing communities and worsening traffic, since many students drive to campus,” Marks said.

Marks expects that the project will move forward and construction will be completed by 2017.

But Hofferbert claims that the American Legion will hold more protests in late June or early July if necessary.

“As the process goes on, more people will become more aware of the situation,” Hofferbert said.

Do you have an opinion

and want to share it with the rest of campus?

The Towerlight is looking for 2 opinion columnists for the fall semester.

INTERESTED? Send in a writing sample and a potential name for your column to

editor@thetowerlight.com

Stories compiled by Sam Shelton Stories from The Daily Beast

NEWS

Towson mall adds new stores New venues to include Sperry, Tommy Bahama JAY GREENE Staff Writer @loggedinwithjay

Patrons of the Towson Town Center will have new venues to check out this summer.

In a May 29 press release, mall officials announced that the venue will be opening four new stores during the course of the summer. These new openings include Tommy Bahama, Microsoft and Sperry.

The fourth addition to the venue, Lululemon Athletica, stylized “lululemon athletica,” an athletic apparel company for men and women, opened May 30 on the fourth level in the Macy’s wing.

Along with lululemon athletica, Tommy Bahama, will also open its third location in Maryland on the fourth level, in the Macy’s wing on June 14.

Shoe and clothing retailer Sperry plans to open its second Maryland location on the fourth floor in the Macy’s wing.

Mall officials also announced that a Microsoft Specialty Store is scheduled to open on the venue’s second level.

According to the issued press release, the Microsoft Specialty Store will provide shoppers with “a curated selection of best-in-class Microsoft products, including Windows 8.1 PCs, tablets, Windows phones, Xbox One, Microsoft Office 365 and more.”

Customers will also receive service on all of their Microsoft products, make recommendations and help with PC setups and other services.

Annie Wildasin, senior marketing manager for the Towson Town Center, said that the stores were selected using several methods.

“When evaluating prospective merchants, we always

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When evaluating prospective merchants, we always consider customer input, local demographics, regional competition, along with the correct size and location within our center.

ANNIE WILDASIN Senior Marketing Manager for Towson Towson Center

consider customer input, local demographics, regional competition, along with the correct size and location within our center,” she said.

Some of these stores are only opening for the second or third time in-state, so the mall is bringing these relatively new selections to students, Wildasin said.

“Part of the value of our center is the ability to offer these specialized and niche retailers that students can't find anywhere else,” she said.

Towson Town Center considers every student’s needs, Wildasin said, from a beginning freshman’s to a graduating senior’s.

“Towson University's student population changes and Towson Town Center recognizes that different students have different needs,” she said. “The ability to choose from hundreds of stores, from basics to high fashion, active wear, accessories, home décor and technology, offers Towson University students the opportunity to find and create their own personal style.”

Towson Square nears completion

BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY Assault perpretrator only warned In January, rising Brandeis senior Joseph Babeu reported the involvement of a male student in a sexual assault incident.

The list of charges faced by the accused, as reported to the Huffington Post, included “sexual assault, taking advantage of one's incapacitation, sexual harassment, physical harm and invasion of personal privacy.” Five months later, just before Brandeis’s finals week, University officials found the student responsible of all charges.

On May 27, they punished him with sensitivity training and a warning.

"Honestly, I thought it was a joke," Babeu said. "Did they send me the wrong letter? I read the charges and almost nothing was happening -- just a slap on the wrist."

Though she declined to comment about the case, University spokeswoman Ellen de Graffenreid said that the information given

by Babeu to the Huffington Post contained “factual errors.”

In April, activist group UltraViolet cited Brandeis as one of many colleges with a “rape problem.”

STANFORD UNIVERSITY Questions raised on appropriate punishment In early 2014, Stanford University senior Leah Francis was sexually assaulted by a male student at his house during Winter Break.

A week later, Francis reported the incident to area police. Upon her return to campus, Francis also reported her assault to Stanford University officials and the Alternative Review Process, a board of students and staff which is responsible for addressing cases of sexual assault.

On April 24, the male student Francis reported was found responsible for sexual misconduct and assault using force. In early May, the student was punished with community service, a required class about sexual assault and a five-quarter suspension, effective following spring commencement in June.

As the accused will have received his diploma at the ceremony, the suspension will merely delay his admittance to Stanford’s graduate school. Leah Francis will graduate late due to the course load reduction that occurred as a result of the anxiety triggered by the experience of her assault.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

Sarah Hugel/ The Towerlight The Towson Square project is still set to open at the end of the summer, starting with the Cinemark movie theater. Baltimore County Councilman David Marks and Director of the Towson Chamber of Commerce Nancy Hafford both could not be reached for comment on an exact opening date for the project. When it is open, students will be able to finally go to the movies again in Towson. Towson Square will also hold several restaurants behind the movie theater including Bonefish Grill and Nando’s Peri-Peri.

The Towerlight

Dartmouth alum Shonda Rhimes, writer and producer of television shows “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal,” spoke at the college’s commencement ceremonies on June 8, during which she stressed the importance of real-world activism over the culture that has formed online.

“Hashtags are very pretty on twitter. I love them. I will hashtag myself into next week. But a hashtag is not a movement. A hashtag does not make you Dr. King. A hashtag does not change anything.

It’s a hashtag. It’s you, sitting on your butt, typing into your computer and then going back to binge watching your favorite show,” she said in her speech. “For me, it’s Game of Thrones.”

Rhimes also rounded out her address with a bit of candid advice for the graduating class.

“Some people suggest that [volunteering] will increase your sense of well-being. Some say it’s just good karma. I say that it will allow you to remember that, whether you are a legacy or the first in your family to go to college, the air you are breathing right now is rare air.

Appreciate it. And don’t be an asshole,” she said.

July 1, 2014

TV producer gives advice at graduation

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NEWS May 21: A staff member reported several items stolen from her purse.

May 21: A male commuter student and a non-affiliate were witnessed fighting over a girl. Neither decided to press charges.

May 23: In the Liberal Arts Building, an unidentified substance was found spilled in a men’s restroom. The substance was later deemed nonhazardous.

May 27: At SECU Arena, two non-affiliates were arrested for assault.

June 2: At SECU Arena, a TU staff member was taken to the hospital.

June 4: In Landscaping Services, two employees were witnessed having an argument.

June 5: At the Center for the Arts, TUPD investigated a suspicious vehicle.

June 9: In Cook Library, an elevator malfunction was reported.

June 9: In the University Union, a TU staff member reported missing state keys during an audit.

June 9: Off campus, TUPD was asked to locate and check the status of a student.

June 10: At Newell Dining Hall, a non-affiliate was escorted to a bus stop.

June 10: In the Glen Woods, a guest injured her knee while participating in school activities.

The Towerlight’s “Police Blotter” is a representative sample of crimes occurring on and off campus. The blotter is not intended to be all inclusive.

For a list of all crime reports, visit www.towson.edu/police.

Towson area commended Named 10th most exciting place in Maryland SAM SHELTON Associate News Editor @sam_tweets_now

The growth of the Towson area is starting to gain notice not just in the Baltimore area, but nationally.

On May 28, in conjunction with the Amerigroup Foundation, the American College of Sports Medicine, or ACSM, released its 2014 American Fitness Index report entitled the “Health and Community Fitness Status of the 50 Largest Metropolitan Areas.”

In that index, the BaltimoreTowson area ranked 25th out of 50 metropolitan areas included n the study.

Determined through the calculation and consideration of variables including local health problems, health behaviors and athletic recreational facilities, the AFI report “is a snapshot of the state of health in the community and an evaluation of the infrastructure, community assets and policies that encourage healthy and fit lifestyles,” according to AFI Advisory Board chairman Walter Thompson.

In a press release sent out May 28, Thompson also said the AFI report boils down to an annual community check-up pertaining to general health and fitness.

“These measures directly affect

quality of life in our country’s urban areas,” he said.

According to the released data, the full extent of which can be viewed at AmericanFitnessIndex. org, the Baltimore-Towson area excelled in the community/environmental indicators category and, in many cases, surpassed target goals. The area earned a community health score of 60 and a community health rank of 13 out of 50.

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As far as events go, [TU] puts on a yearly spring festival that offers music, food, games, and more.

If you’re looking for more wild parties and events, you might be able to ask students ...

LAURA ALLAN Movoto

In terms of health though, the community fell short, achieving a personal health score of just 41, which ranked 33rd among the included metropolitan areas.

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W O N K S U T E L

Richmond, Seattle, Los Angeles and Minneapolis-St. Paul were some of the areas that ranked the highest.

The Washington, D.C. metro area ranked the highest with an overall score of 77.3.

Later in May, the Towson area was also named one of Movoto Real Estate’s 50 Most Exciting Places in Maryland. Ranked at No. 10 on the list, Towson placed lower than Parkville, Gaithersburg, Baltimore and Silver Spring. Annapolis claimed the top spot.

Despite this, Towson received high marks from the online real estate brokerage for its inclusion of the arts, active life and local nightlife.

The ranking also took notice of Towson University’s influence on the community. The University was credited with providing a chunk of the local population, a third of which falls between the ages of 18 and 34, and “party options.”

“As far as events go, [Towson University] puts on a yearly spring festival that offers music, food games, and more,” Movoto contributor Laura Allan wrote in her outline of the ranking. “If you’re looking for more wild parties and events, you might be able to ask the students about Tigerfest, which is arguably their biggest event.”

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ARTS&LIFE Chesapeake Crab & Beer For the first time the Chesapeake Crab & Beer Festival, previously offered only at National Harbor in Prince George’s County, will be taking place in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

This all-you-can-eat crab feast complete with over 20,000 crabs, also offers attendees steamed corn-onthe-cob, coleslaw, watermelon, UTZ potato chips and all Courtesy of nikoretro you care to taste specialty beer and wine.

Arts & crafts, music from an onsite DJ and family friendly entertainment will also be provided.

Tickets can be purchase for one or both of the offered two sessions, the first taking place from noon till 4 p.m. and the second from 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.

Though tickets are expensive for college students, discounted tickets are available for designated drivers and children, which in this case, includes anyone under the legal drinking age of 21.

When: June 21 Where: Inner Harbor Cost: $79 - $89

Otakon

Now that summer boredom is starting to sink in, festival season is here to save your weekend. Baltimore has many day and weekend-long events that showcase the area’s many cultures and interests. Here are just a few of the upcoming festivals to keep you busy between vacations, work or summer classes.

One Caribbean Carnival The fastest growing Carnival in North America is traveling from D.C. this summer to share their yearly celebration with Baltimore. Representatives from every Caribbean country as well as up to 300,000 spectators will take part in this celebration of Caribbean culture. A parade traveling from 900 E 33rd street to St. Lo drive kicks off the two days of celebration, followed by a festival complete with entertainment, food and craft vendors. Enjoy the performances and sounds of calypso, soca, reggae, African, Haitian, Latin and steelband music, while you experience this lively and entertaining festival.

When: July 12-13 Where: Lake Clifton Park Cost: Saturday: $10 & Sunday: $15

For fans of Japanese pop culture and media, Otakon is the event of the year. Whether you’re into anime, manga, video games or just want to show off your most recent cosplays, you won’t want to miss this convention right in the heart of Baltimore.

In its 21st year, Otakon’s guest lineup includes prominent voice actors, manga-ka and directors with many more guests still to be announced. The event will also include panels, fan meet-ups, a costume contest, LARPing, a maid café, a dance and much more.

And, as always, the convention will host dealers and artists with plenty of merchandise to add to your collection.

If you’re interested in attending, you can register at otakon.com/registration.asp.

Courtesy of Plaubel Makina

Artscape America’s largest free arts festival, Artscape is a dream come true for musicians, performers, artists and more. Taking place over three days and 13 city blocks, it features 175 vendor and artist tents, four stages and 200 exhibitors spread out over 4,000,000 sq. feet of exhibit space. Roughly 350,000 attendees arrive in Baltimore each year for a completely individual and unique experience.

The event also includes food and drink vendors who offer a variety of international menu options as well as the more traditional, such as funnel cake, burgers, pizza and more. Attendees will be provided with the opportunity to view and purchase jewelry, clothes and art in hundreds of fashions.

When: August 8-10 Where: Baltimore Convention Center Cost: $80 for a three-day pass

Courtesy of Carley Milligan

When: July 18-20 Where: Mount Royal Avenue, Cathedral Street, Charles Street and Bolton Hill.

Cost: Free

African American Festival

Two popular, annual Baltimore festivals, HonFest and Baltimore Pride Festival, have already come and gone. Be sure to look out for them next summer!

When: June 21-22 Where: Camden Yards Sports Complex on Lots B and C between Oriole Park at Camden Yards and M&T Bank stadium Cost: Free

July 1, 2014

Looking Ahead

The Towerlight

Abby Murphy/ The Towerlight

The African American festival celebrates the life, music and culture of African Americans across the nation. Presented by Black Enterprise, this festival is a family-oriented experience complete with 150 vending booths and attractions, cultural exhibits, contests, health screenings and education and financial empowerment activities. The two stages will host a number of celebrity artists and entertainers such as Mint Condition, Brandy, Johnny Gill, Monifa and more. Hosting roughly 350,000 attendees annually, you won’t want to miss these two days of education and fun.

Courtesy of Rashida Simmons

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ARTS&LIFE Local venue goes green When in Rome CARLEY MILLIGAN Arts and Life Editor

When rising junior Jessica Lampron and her friend Sydney Zester arrived at the Jack Johnson concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion with reusable water bottles in hand, they didn’t know yet that this was just one step in a much greater plan.

On June 5 it was confirmed during a news conference at Merriweather Post Pavilion, that the venue would be undergoing a $19 million dollar renovation.

The focus of the construction is not only to upgrade the pavilion’s facilities, but also to make it a more environmentally friendly concert venue.

“I think it’s great that Merriweather is going green in such a big way,” Lampron said. “I think that Merriweather is a great concert venue.

I’ve had a lot of great experiences there, so I hope that the concert experience won’t be affected too much by the green measures the venue takes.”

The construction is expected to take five years but will be performed in stages during the “offseason,” in order to keep the site open during the concert season.

The project is to be funded by both the county and the owner of the pavilion, The Howard Hughes Corporation. The Howard County Council approved $9.5 million to be matched by the Corporation.

“I have stood on those grounds with the most jaded industry veterans on tour, who gaze around and say this really is a wonderful place,” Seth

Hurwitz, I.M.P. Productions chairman and operator of Merriweather said in a news release. “It will be a challenge to make it even better, but it’s going to be a lot of fun working on it.”

Among those involved is musician and environmentalist Jack Johnson who performed at Merriweather on the day of the news conference.

Johnson supports 140 non-profit organizations through his “All At Once” community, which works to conserve energy and reduce waste globally, as well as more specifically, at concert venues.

“I hadn’t really heard about Jack Johnson’s ‘All at Once’ community until I got to the concert, but I definitely like and respect him more for using his fame and visibility to have a positive effect on the world,”

Lampron said. Johnson was a driving force behind the instigation of the project, as much of the renovations will be to improve the venue’s environmental sustainability.

“Leading up to every concert, we work closely with each venue to encourage improvements that will save energy and reduce waste, and our hope is that they will continue these practices for all of their shows,” Johnson said in the release.

Merriweather is already ahead of most venues in their environmentally friendly efforts, as they are the only amphitheater with a bio-diesel fueling station for tour buses and trucks.

Composting facilities and LEED standard concession stands and restrooms have also recently been added, due to Johnson’s encouragements.

Courtesy of Leslie Furlong

Musician and enviromentalist Jack Johnson checks out the new solar panels at Merriweather Post Pavilion’s amphitheater.

JAKE ULICK Contributing Writer

While some students use their summers to escape studying, senior Becky Wiacek decided to use hers to study something completely new.

“I wanted to go to a country that did not speak primarily English, so I could be fully immersed in a new cultural experience that was completely different than what I am used to in the states,” Wiacek, the Student Government Association Vice President, said via Facebook while on a train to visit Florence and Venice.

The city of Rome offered Wiacek the chance for cultural immersion, as well as being “a city filled with so much history and life, it seemed like the perfect fit,” she said. Going abroad has always been a goal of hers, she said, and the summer seemed like the perfect time to accomplish that.

“I’m very interested in seeing what else the world has to offer, and studying abroad is a great way to explore and be adventurous,” Wiacek said.

Although she’s a speech-pathology and audiology major at Towson, Wiacek is studying archaeology and food and culture at The American University of Rome. The university is located atop one of Rome’s highest hills, Janiculum, which overlooks the city. The location is also home to diplomatic residences and other international schools, according to the university’s website. Rome also happens to be a very convenient location from which to travel to neighboring countries and other historic cities.

And Wiacek is taking full advantage

of these opportunities.

“I’ve been to Nice and Eze in the French Riviera, Monaco and the Monte Carlo casino and next week I’ll be going to the Amalfi Coast (Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri),” she said. “I also went with a few friends to a family friend’s house out in the country of Rome for a home cooked Roman dinner.”

No trip to Rome would be complete of course without “all things touristy,” Wiacek said of her other outings and activities, like visiting the Roman Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon, as well as tasting the sweeter side of Rome—gelato. Wiacek currently lives with five other female Towson students in a neighborhood near the university, in a three-bedroom apartment. Wiacek and the other Towson students are the only students in the complex among many Italian families. This level of cultural immersion, coupled with the freedom for spontaneous excursions around Italy and Europe, creates a stimulating educational experience that Wiacek claims she will never forget.

“This experience has made me realize how unique of an opportunity traveling to a foreign country is. I am extremely grateful to have the ability through Towson, to be educated abroad and see another piece of the world,” said Wiacek. “Living in Rome, I have gained more confidence and independence through communicating, navigating and adjusting to the Italian lifestyle. Each day presents various and multiple challenges that test your ability to adjust accordingly.”

“Great Strides” to save kids, students, adults DARYLLEE HALE Associate Arts and Life Editor @darylleehale

The Towerlight

July 1, 2014

When 2013 alum Katelin McMullin turned 25 years old in June of last year, she wanted something specific for her birthday.

But it wasn’t a trip to the beach and it wasn’t the newest iPad. McMullin wanted to raise $25,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, an organization dedicated to researching a cure for the progressive disease, which affected McMullin since birth.

She died from complications due to the disease last November.

“Katelin got to 25 years because she was able to take advantage of some of the things that were out there because of money, because of the research that’s done,” Melinda McMullin, Katelin’s mother, said.

And in hopes of improving the lives of others with cystic fibrosis, Katelin McMullin’s family and friends have decided to continue working toward her goal of raising $25,000.

“The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation doesn’t get any funding,” Melinda McMullin said. “Fundraising is up to people like us, parents, family 16 members, friends, who have seen the

devastation of this disease.”

Cystic fibrosis affects about 30,000 people nationwide. It is a recessive gene carried by one in 30 Caucasians and affects many organs in the body due to the production of thick mucus that clogs the lungs and obstructs the pancreas.

“There’s no cure for it, but research and the development of new drugs and treatments has extended the life of people who have [cystic fibrosis],” Melinda McMullin said. “10 years ago, there were no young adults with Cystic Fibrosis. And now there’s so many more young adults, and there are actually young adult and adult clinics that have opened up…. and eventually, there will be no need for any of the clinics and that’s what we’re hoping for.”

Last month, Melinda McMullin and a team of 55 of the McMullin’s family and friends participated in Great Strides, a walk hosted by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in Washington D.C.. By fundraising for the event, the team, titled Team K.E.R.M.I.T., which stands for “Katelin Elizabeth River McMullin Is Terrific,” rose $14, 607.

“The Great Strides walk was the

culminating event for her whole fundraising activity so at the last minute we decided to do it and so it’s been exciting and really breathtaking,” Melinda McMullin said.

To fundraise, Melinda McMullin reached out to her family via email and Facebook. Katelin McMullin’s best friend, 2012 Towson alum Myia Smith, was also a part of Team K.E.R.M.I.T..

“I’m pretty sure that she wanted nobody else to have to suffer because an individual doesn’t get cystic fibrosis, a whole family does, a community does,” Smith said. “It’s really important that we raise awareness because it’s an awful disease and it’s important for people to know.”

But despite the disease’s progressive nature, Melinda McMullin said that Katelin lived her life to the fullest every day.

“Katelin was a pretty awesome human being,” Melinda McMullin said. “This is just something that these people deal with from birth.

And their character, their tenacity, their determination is just amazing.

You would never know that they were sick and they don’t want to be defined by their disease.”

During her time at Towson, up to it and was like, ‘well you know Katelin McMullin was a theatre what, I have this and I’m going to do major and held multiple roles in all I can to make things better for me Towson’s plays. It was her dream and for other people.’” to become an actress, Smith said. “[She] was this incredibly charismatic person,” Smith said.

“She changed my life so I’m definitely going to do whatever I can to help the lives of other people with cystic fibrosis.”

Melinda McMullin said that she hopes that others will want to get involved for this cause, following the lead of Katelin McMullin herself.

“She lived a lot in her 25 years, so we are doing this for her,” Melinda McMullin said. “And she finally owned cystic fibroAlec Pugliese/ The Towerlight sis…She did not want 2013 alum Katelin McMullin performs in to spend any of her Towson Theatre Department’s produclife being defined by tion of “Last Chance: Tales from a Broken it. She finally owned Heartland” in November 2012.

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ARTS&LIFE Summer 2014 Movie Reviews

Silver screen standouts Ryan Permison

not be any higher. As someone who has been a fan since the mid 90’s, I am proud to say that “X-Men: Days of Future Past” is by far the best X-Men movie yet. From the acting, to the story, to the action, this film delivered on all fronts. Everyone in the cast brought their “X-Men: Days of A-game and then some.

Future Past” This is what I call a In the last few years, masterpiece. The introducFOX’s X-Men franchise tion of new mutants like has had its ups and Blink, Sunspot, and Bishop downs. From spin-offs, were great. new direcThe action tors and sequences continuity were fasterrors, it has paced and not worked out emotionally for the better. gripping.

But in 2011, T h e r e the franwere still chise was few re i n v i g o Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures a unanrated with the swered questions toward the end prequel “X-Men: First Class” that of the movie, but overall, this is introduced us to new mutants, one my favorite films of the year. as well as the history of Charles I give “X-Men: Days of Future Xavier and Magneto. For the first Past” nine out of 10. time ever, FOX decided to bring together the cast of “First Class” “Maleficent” and the original “X-Men” trilogy.

Classic fairytales getting liveThat brings us to “X-Men: Days of action movie treatments has not Future Past.” Set in the year 2023, always worked out. “Sleeping mutants are on the edge of extincBeauty” is about Princess Aurora tion. Robotic policemen known as being awakened by true love’s first Sentinels are targeting mutants kiss and Maleficent is on a quest and the humans that help them. to destroy any chance of happiA small team of X-men led by ness she may have. But, according Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) to this origin story, that’s not the and Magneto (Ian McKellen) whole truth. “Maleficent” takes decide the only way to end this us back to a time where humans genocide is to go back in time and the Moors, creatures of all and stop the war from happening. shapes and sizes, lived in peace.

Wolverine (Hugh Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) has Jackman) is sent a chance encounter with Stefan back to 1973 to (Sharlto Copley) when they were help younger veryoung and became friends. She sions of Xavier believes they are destined to be (James McAvoy) together, until a shocking betrayal and Magneto fills her with hate and anger. ( M i c h a e l She decides to put a curse on Fassbender) work Stefan’s daughter, Aurora (Elle together to preFanning), that on her 16th birthvent the coming day, she will prick her finger on the tragedy by stopspindle of a spinning wheel and ping Mystique fall into a deep sleep, until true ( J e n n i f e r love’s first kiss awakens her. Jolie Lawrence) from does a great job playing the titular killing the creator character and the visuals are great of the Sentinels, as well.

Bolivar Trask However, the script and overall (Peter Dinklage). execution of the film could have With the biggest been better. Some supporting charcast ever assemacters become very dull early on, bled for a comand the rest of the supporting cast ic-book movie, is one-dimensional and wooden. along with the I can see why Disney went this return of Bryan route, and why it got a PG rating.

Singer, the origiYet, it could have benefited from nal director of the a darker story and different ratfirst two films, ing. I give “Maleficent” five out of the expectations Courtesy of Warner Bros Pictures for this film could 10.

“Godzilla” The summer movie season continues with the King of Monsters making his return to the big screen. “Godzilla” is a new take on the classic character that pays homage to his silver screen origins from Japan. The film begins in the Philippines in 1999 where seismic activity causes the destruction of a nuclear plant and supervisor Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston) loses his wife to the tragedy. In present day, Brody is not convinced that it was an earthquake that caused the destruction and gets arrested while trespassing on the site of the plant. He discovers a monster known as a MUTO, Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism, which can fly and has been accidentally unleashed upon the world. In order to destroy this monster they need Godzilla’s help.

Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) attempts to help with the rescue effort, by trying to get back home to San Francisco and reunite with his wife Elle (Elizabeth Olsen).

In the midst of all this chaos, the final showdown between Godzilla and Muto begins. While one character was not in the film for very long and another character had a deer-in-the-headlights look on his face for most of it, the visuals are incredible. This film delivered on a number of levels and the big reveal with Godzilla was timed really well.

I was never a fan of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, but after seeing this film, it seems he does have some dramatic acting chops. The fight scenes with Godzilla and his

The Towerlight

July 1, 2014

Columnist

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immortal roar are worth it alone.

Hopefully in the upcoming sequel, we see more Godzilla and more fight scenes. This is certainly one of my favorite films of the summer.

I give “Godzilla” eight out of 10.

Culture, community CARLEY MILLIGAN Arts and Life Editor

After more than 25 years, founder and director of the Asian Arts & Culture Center Suewhei Shieh has retired, leaving behind her a pair of large and important shoes to fill.

The department began under Shieh’s direction in 1971 and has continued to educate both Towson University and its community on the culture and history of the Asian arts.

The department hoped to find a new director who could carry on this directive.

Joanna Pecore, newly appointed director of the College of Fine Arts and Communication’s Asian Arts & Culture Center, hopes to not only continue the work of Shieh, but also bring new and exciting ideas to the Towson community.

“I am so thrilled to be here,” Pecore said. “I love brainstorming, considering new ideas and exploring all kinds of connections.”

Pecore will be coming to Towson from her previous position as the senior education specialist at the Freer Gallery of Art & Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, of the Smithsonian Institution. As an expert in education programming and learning as well as East and Southeast Asian studies, she believes that her new position will open up many opportunities for her to achieve her goals as an educator of Asian arts and culture.

“I have many ideas that I hope can benefit students and the com-

munity, such as artist residencies, programs for schools and teachers and opportunities to engage with Asian arts and culture through digital media,” Pecore said.

She said that when considering taking the position at Towson, the history and location of the center on a university campus was exciting to her.

“I know that the Center has presented world-class Asian exhibitions and performances in the center of a campus filled with creative students, faculty and communities,” Pecore said. “What a wonderful environment for introducing and experiencing all aspects of Asian arts and culture.”

Pecore said that she is most looking forward to working in a highenergy environment that is full of education, creativity and culture and urges both faculty and students to contact her with any ideas regarding the center.

However, her work does not stop on Towson’s campus. Pecore is hoping to reach out to the surrounding community as well. She said she aspires to make Towson a place where everyone can learn about Asian art forms, which benefits not only students but also local Asian artistic communities.

“I think it is important to create bridges across communities — Asian and non-Asian and on and off campus,” Pecore said. “There are so many rich Asian cultural resources in our communities that the Towson University community can enjoy and appreciate.”

More movie magic The summer of 2014 is off to a great start with such films as “Godzilla” and “X-Men: Days of Future Past” but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Another anticipated films for me includes “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” which brings together a new cast led by Mark Wahlberg, and the voice of Peter Cullen returning as Optimus Prime, to fight a new enemy. Giant robots causing destruction — what more can anyone ask for?

A sequel that I hope will make an impact this summer is “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.” Set 10 years after the events of the first film, it stars Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke and Keri Russell among others. The humans try to work with the apes in order to share this world, but it may not go according to plan. I enjoyed the first film and can’t wait to see where they take the war between the apes and the humans.

Next, the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues its reign at the box office by introducing a new team of heroes, with “Guardians of the Galaxy” starring Chris Pratt

Ryan Permison Columnist

and Zoe Saldana, along with the voices of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper. This is the riskiest project for Marvel since most, if not all, moviegoers have never heard of this team. Not quite sure how I feel about this one, but I am certainly curious to see how it all turns out.

A classic franchise gets a reboot with “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” starring Megan Fox and William Fichtner. Produced by Michael Bay, the trailers may not be great, but since it’s a fresh take with a new cast and crew, I am willing to give it a chance.

Toward the end of the summer, a prequel that has been nine years in the making finally arrives with “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” starring Mickey Rourke, Josh Brolin, Jessica Alba, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It is set sometime before the events of the first film and centers on four different stories. I really enjoyed the first “Sin City” because it was filmed in black and white, and the stories were intertwined. Not to mention, the action sequences were electrifying. I think these four films will be worth the wait.

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Spanish or Russian Teacher

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CLAS SI FIEDS

***Must be a native Spanish or Russian speaker*** Play creative games and read books with two-year-old in Lutherville, MD 21093.

help wanted DATA ENTRY PERSON NEEDED!! 20-30 hours a week, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and some Saturday mornings.

Basic Computer skills needed.

Contact Danielle (410)258 8676 for more details or questions.

3:30-6:30 PM and some mornings if you want. $12 per hour.

HELPER for summer and fall.

Lawn, possible painting, cleaning, odds ends. Start ASAP. Flexible part time hours, good wages. 410321-0746.

Email towsonteacher@gmail.com***

HOSTESS Assistance in Marketing, a market reseach company in Towson, is looking for part-time hostesses. Position involves interacting with clients and general office duties. Flexible schedule, M-F, with day and evening hours available. Applicants should email resumes to jcimino@aimbalt.com

Doctor’s Office Help needed in Medical Dermatology Office. PT. Hours available are Mondays, Tuesdays, & Thursdays.

Lutherville office is 10 minutes from campus.

JEWELRY SALES HELP WANTED Part time jewelry sales help. Flexible hours please call 666-5556

Duties will be assisting with patient care.

PATIENT COMMUNICATOR NW Baltimore Chiropractic Wellness Clinic needs assistance in contacting previous patients to update our files, find out how they are doing and if additional care is needed. Also serves as Community Relations Rep during health fairs and Doctor Lectures.

Submit Letter of interest to getadjusted1@msn.com

Perfect for preMed, pre Physician Assistant or pre Nursing students.

Please reply with contact information.

Reply to tereserobinson@gmail.com or 410 812-7863

SALES ASSOCIATE Part Time Sales Associate needed for busy lingerie shop in Kenilworth. Must be an energetic multi-tasker. All shifts available.

Some evenings and weekends required. Retail experience preferred. Will train. This is a YEAR ROUND position. 296-8808 WAITSTAFF Waitstaff Firehouse Tavern 2800 E. Joppa Rd. Parkville Md. 21234 Must be 21

hw - childcare RU ORGANIZED? Errands/help mom of older girls and cat. $13, + gas $, average up. Your parents’ home located Baltimore/Howard County so you are nearby yearround. Located 695X22.

Leave message 410-336-9515.

EARLY MORNING CHILDCARE NEEDED Morning childcare for two older children (13 and 9) and transport to camp.

530am ñ 830am, Mon-Fri. All nearby TU. Occassional afternoon pickup. Can continue into fall.

Email for details.

SUMMER CHILDCARE NEEDED Need childcare for 2 older children. Occasional mornings transport to camp; occasional afternoons/evenings pick up & watch after camp. Could continue in fall. Email for details.

APPLY NOW for FALL semester Routes are on and off campus on Tuesdays and take approximately 2 hours to complete.

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housing & for sale TOWSON CONDO - Owner Sale 2 bedroom 1 bath condo complete rehab with stainless steel appliances, new counter tops W/D, HVAC , carpet and paint condo fee $125 month $125,000.00 419-371-0344

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Excellent Condition. Can help with delivery. 410-905-1913.

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HELP WITH TWO SCHOOLAGED KIDS We’re looking for help picking up our two schoolaged kids and supervising homework, reading, etc. Lots of success with Towson students in the past.

Occasional afternoons. $15/hr.

Car and license and refs needed.

Email: hmsbmc-four@yahoo.com.

Come to UU 309 and fill out an application or email mike@baltimorestudentmedia.com

SPORTS

NBA Finals: Spurs the better team JONATHAN MUNSHAW Editor-In-Chief @jon_munshaw

All season in the NBA, fans have waited for the rematch of the San Antonio Spurs against the Miami Heat.

Ever since Game 7 ended last season and Tim Duncan missed that layup over Shane Battier, the wait was on for these two teams to face off again.

Through four games, it looks like NBA fans BANK have held their collective breath for a little too long. I’m writing this the Saturday before Game 5, so the Heat could easily come back and force seven games all of a sudden, but it doesn’t look like the Spurs are going to lose this series.

The Heat have the best player in the world, but it simply isn’t enough for the Heat to win three championships in a row.

Although last year’s series was so competitive, there’s two main reasons why San Antonio has dominated this series: control of the paint and the mileage the Heat have put on over the course of the past four

years when they’ve made a trip to the Finals in every season.

Down low, the Spurs just outclass Miami. Chris Bosh is more of a stretch-four now more than a dominant center, and Chris Andersen’s impact on the game has really been limited.

Tiago Splitter, who has averaged 22 minutes per game in the playoffs, is holding opponents to just 47.8 percent shooting and Tim Duncan is holdSHOTS ing them to 50 percent shooting in the postseason.

Even small forward Kawhi Leonard is dominant in the paint, wearing down LeBron James in the Finals. Boris Diaw has also been effective at covering Dwyane Wade, who is already having issues with his vertical because of his aging knees.

Diaw is holding opponents to just two field goals per game in the playoffs, and Wade shot just 3-for-13 from the floor and 8-for-18 in Game 1 of the series.

Bosh can make some shots from the perimeter, but in the Game 3 blowout, he only attempted four shots. In Game 4, he took one three-

pointer and missed it.

In the regular season, a huge part of Miami’s success was with James driving to the basket and either kicking it out to Bosh or drawing a foul. The Spurs simply aren’t letting him do that.

Part of that dominance near the basket is the stress the Heat players have put on their bodies the last four seasons.

En route to their four-consecutive Finals appearances, they’ve been worn down.

Even for someone like James in the prime of his career, it’s taxing on any NBA player to have to play that many games.

In his four seasons with Miami,

James has played a total of 380 games, and Wade has appeared in 333.

The NBA tracking stats show that in the regular season, James traveled a total of 185.3 miles while on the floor, equal to three miles per 48 minutes of action.

San Antonio had the luxury of its bench this season so Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan didn’t have to play in nearly as many games or minutes.

The player for the Spurs that traveled the most miles this season was actually three-point specialist Marco Belinelli, who traveled just under 150 miles this year. Out of the Spurs’ big three, Duncan had

the most ‘mileage’ this year, going for 138.6 miles.

Even in the Game 3 blowout, Eric Spoelstra had Wade in for 40 minutes.

Miami is just worn out. In today’s NBA, it’s so difficult to win three consecutive NBA championships.

Even in the regular season, teams at the bottom of their conferences are gunning for you.

The Heat don’t have a bench to fall back on in the regular season.

There’s no Danny Green or Patty Mills so that James can have a few nights off. All season, Greg Popovich was preparing for this series, and the Spurs are just better equipped to get the championship.

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Benimon eyeing NBA Former forward works out for teams before June 26 draft JESSE JONES Senior Writer @thejjones

While most graduated college basketball players look to start their careers off the court, former forward Jerrelle Benimon is among a small group of players looking to begin his career on it. The two-time Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year has been traveling across the country, working out for several NBA teams, hoping to be selected in this month’s draft or signing with a team as an undrafted free agent.

As of June 14, Benimon has worked out for the Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets and his hometown team, the Washington Wizards.

If Benimon were to sign with or be drafted by the Wizards, it would be the second time in his career that he would call the Verizon Center home.

Benimon spent his first two collegiate seasons playing under John Thompson III as a Georgetown Hoya, where he averaged 1.4 points per game over two years in a limited role.

Benimon, a 6-foot-8 power forward, would make an interest-

ing prospect for the Wizards. The team already has proven players at the power forward position with Nene and Trevor Booker, but could move him to small forward because of his size and ability to handle the ball.

Former starter Trevor Ariza is set to become a free agent, and last year’s No. 3 draft pick Otto Porter, who played at Georgetown with Benimon, saw very limited playing time last season. Head Coach Randy Wittman used Martell Webster as a small forward at times, but he fits better as a shooting guard.

Benimon has shown throughout the past two years that he can shoot 3-pointers while carrying the ball and playing outside of the paint.

Benimon averaged 18 points per game over his two-year career at Towson, and ranked second in the nation in rebounds per game (11.2) last season and third in double-doubles (21).

He ranked in the CAA’s top five in scoring, rebounding, assists, blocks and field-goal percentage.

He also set a new Towson singleseason rebounding record with 404 rebounds, which also ranked as the second most boards by

any player in CAA history behind just NBA Hall-of-Famer David Robinson.

He became only the fifth Tiger to reach 1,000 career points in just two seasons, and he finished his career with 1,203 points, ranking him 16th all-time at Towson.

Benimon also recorded the first triple-double in school history on December 10, 2013 against Central Penn College and was a Lou Henson All-American his junior season at Towson.

Benimon will continue to work out with NBA teams before the 2014 NBA Draft.

The draft will take place June 26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

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May 20: Jazz May 30: 76ers

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June 3: Bulls June 12: Wizards June 13: Nuggets File photo by Abby Murphy/ The Towerlight

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Banes signs with Boston Breakers

Record-breaking Alumna joins reserve team, will get a shot at playing professionally setting 2014 season in which she scored 30 goals and 77 points, Banes will trade in her black-and-gold jersey for a blue-and-white one, as she was added to the roster of the reserve team for the Boston Breakers of the National Women’s Soccer League.

“It had been my dream since I was a little kid to play professional soccer and the fact that I am here is the most amazing thing,” she said. “It

The Towerlight

July 1, 2014

With every young athlete comes the dream to one day play professionally. For Towson alumna Emily Banes, that dream quickly became a reality.

Banes left Towson as the first Tiger to earn a spot on the National Soccer Coaches of America Association (NSCAA)/Continental Tire Mid-Atlantic second team.

After playing her way to a record-

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File photo by Sarah Hugel/ The Towerlight

blows my mind everyday.”

The process to play professionally was a little different compared to what she was used to when being recruited to play in college. In order to play professionally, Banes had to put her name into a draft, but she also took it upon herself to reach out to the teams by sending them her soccer resume.

“I contacted eight out of nine teams in the league just to broaden my chances of getting an opportunity,” she said.

Banes was invited to six tryouts with Portland, New York, Boston, Kansas City, Chicago, and New Jersey.

Originally from New York, Banes made the trip to all three of the tryouts. Each tryout lasted two days and included two sessions a day.

“I was so nervous of course,” she said. “You initially have two sessions to show what you got and if you don’t perform or stick out then they send you home.”

Chicago and Portland required Banes to attend their preseason workouts, but Boston immediately

offered her a spot on their reserve team.

During this time, Banes’ father, one of her biggest fans, traveled with her to each tryout. Once the forward chose the Breakers, her mother traveled with her to Boston to help her settle in with her host family.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better support system,” she said. “They have been amazing.”

While being a professional athlete can be a struggle trying to balance everyday life, Banes says she had already been through the ropes as a college athlete.

Now, her day-to-day schedule consists of practice every morning from 9:30 a.m until noon and then she coaches soccer clinics from 3:30 p.m until 6 p.m.

“It kind of sounds like a lot, but I am enjoying every second of it,” she said. “But believe me, I am exhausted at the end of the day.”

Since she is no longer a studentathlete, Banes has seen a tremendous difference playing professionally than plying for Towson.

“Playing with these players at this

level is such a big step from college,” she said. “The speed of play is faster and the level of skills are higher. I feel like I have already grown as a player since I’ve been here.”

Banes even says that she loves the game of soccer even more than she did in college and being at the professional level has motivated her to improve.

“Everyone is all here for the same reason and it is solely for the love of the game,” she said. “Not saying that it’s not like that in college, but in college you have school and a social life to worry about, but here everyone’s number one priority is soccer. Everything else comes second.”

Banes’ advice to anyone looking to take that next step is to work hard and keep up your skills and fitness.

“Don’t give up,” she said. “I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s true. If it is truly what you want to do, then go after it and give it all you have because you will get there. But it was because I believed in myself and never gave up, even when it got hard.

Keep pushing, you will get there.”

SPORTS Cheer hazing details released Team members blindfolded, wore diapers at “team night”

File photo by Abby Murphy/ The Towerlight

The cheer team was placed on social probation for the fall semester after appealing the original suspension.

July 1, 2014

After months of silence from the University, details of Towson’s cheerleading team’s suspension from last year have finally emerged.

The information was obtained after The Baltimore Sun sent several public records requests to the University.

The documents obtained by The Sun state that the team violated several provisions of the student code of conduct, including serving alcohol to those under 21.

In the report, details of the night in question that led to social probation for the fall 2013 semester came out, as well.

During the night in question, members of the team showed up at what the cheerleaders referred to as “team night.” When members of the team showed up at the apartment, they were informed that they could decline to do anything they were asked to do that night.

The new cheerleaders were then given the choice to either funnel a beer or take a shot of alcohol.

All of the women agreed to this, according to the documents. They were then taken into a room of the apartment where they were blindfolded and given adult diapers to wear over their shorts.

Afterward, they were brought back out into the living room, where the blindfolds were removed and the new cheerleaders performed an individual dance.

Early in the night, the new team members were also told they had a choice between doing cocaine or heroin. However, this was only a test from other members of the team to gauge

the new members’ understanding of team rules.

According to The Sun, investigators wrote in the documents that, "Although no drugs were provided, this was done to let the new members on the team know that the team was drug free.”

During the investigation, members of the team told the University that this was a yearly event, and the new members of the team paid $5 to participate. Members of the coaching staff were not aware of this night, and Head Coach Edy Pratt has yet to comment on the issue, either to The Towerlight or The Sun. The night in question was reported to the University from an anonymous source in August, which launched the initial investigation. The team was initially suspended for the entire academic year.

However, after the team appealed to a student appeals committee, the penalty was lessened to social probation for one semester.

This meant that the team could practice, but it could not represent Towson at any events, including athletic games.

The pom squad filled in for the cheerleading team at most football games this year.

According to Vice President for Student Affairs Deb Moriarty, the suspension was modified because the cheerleading team did not have adequate education on the hazing policy.

“We educate student groups, greek groups, sports clubs and other organizations [on the hazing policy],” Moriarty said at the time. “The cheerleaders seem to have fallen through the cracks.”

The Towerlight

JONATHAN MUNSHAW Editor-In-Chief @jon_munshaw

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SPORTS Reaching New Heights Former Towson gymnast makes history on hit TV competition MATT HAMILTON Sports Editor @MattHamiltonTU

The Towerlight

July 1, 2014

The horn sounds and Kacy Catanzaro leaps on to the first Quintuple step, takes three small steps and continues that routine for the next three steps. She then runs up to the Log Roll, locks her hands and feet around the structure and slides down the obstacle, enduring two drops along the way.

Three obstacles to go.

Catanzaro stares down the red titling tables and sprints across, slipping as she exits, eliciting a gasp from the crowd. She secures herself, standing up, on the swing jump and leaps toward the cargo net, grabs it and pulls herself to the next obstacle.

One more obstacle.

She takes a deep breath and grabs hold on the two red rings, pulling herself through the ring toss and its 15 pegs. She makes it to the 14th pegs and decides to dismount; a perfect landing that makes the crowd roar.

She made it to the Warped Wall, a 14-foot ramp that no woman had ever conquered. The crowd chants “beat that wall” as Kacy sprints up the wall, leaps and just misses the top. Two more attempts.

Catanzaro shakes her tired arms and tries again, pushing off with her legs once, twice and a third time before reaching the bar at the top of the wall. She pushes herself up and smacks the button at the top of the wall begins to jump up and down.

History.

Catanzaro, a former Towson gymnast, became the first woman in six seasons of American Ninja Warrior to complete all six stages of a qualifying course when she made it up the Warped Wall in Dallas, Texas in April.

Her run aired on NBC on June 2 and she became a household name.

“It’s such a dream and I’ve worked so hard,” Catanzaro told American Ninja Warrior’s Jenn Brown. “I wanted to do it for all the ladies out there.

We can do it, too. Don’t ever be discouraged; get out there and go hard.”

So how did a 5-foot, 2-inch gymnast from Towson make history on one of the country’s most popular shows?

Catanzaro, a 2012 graduate, had been competing in gymnastics since she was 5 years old and came to Towson to continue her passion.

She finished her senior year as the East Coast Athletic Conference and Southeast Regional Gymnast of the Year. After a successful college career, 24 Catanzaro still had the drive to keep

competing athletically. She searched for something that could keep her going and American Ninja Warrior piqued her interest.

“I needed something new to put all my focus and energy into because gymnastics has been my athletic life before this,” Catanzaro told the show. “I needed something great and American Ninja Warrior … has been this big new thing that has given me that rush that I need that I’ve missed so much.”

Catanzaro began looking into the competition and speaking with people who could help her train. During this process, she met Brent Steffenson, an American Ninja Warrior legend who made it the farthest of any American on Mount Midoriyama, the show’s final obstacle course.

Steffenson and Catanzaro formed a friendship, trained together and, eventually, became involved romantically.

The two athletes competed together in the Alpha Warrior obstacle course series.

“Dating Brent Steffenson definitely gives me an advantage in life and on the course,” Catanzaro told the show.

“It’s really nice to have his input on things, whether it’s training in the gym or obstacles. I’m always learning from him.”

In 2013, Catanzaro decided to try out American Ninja Warrior backed

by Steffenson. She competed in Venice Beach, California, but fell on the fifth obstacle, failing to qualify for the next round.

She trained throughout 2013 and early 2014, competing in Alpha Warrior and working on a makeshift Warped Wall. When it came time to try out for America Ninja Warrior this year, Catanzaro had made it up the Warped Wall many times in training, After watching the first qualification round in Venice Beach, it was Catanzaro’s turn to make history in Dallas. She was one of the last competitors to run that night, but finished in 5 minutes, 26.18 seconds.

She even outdid Steffenson, who fell during the ring toss obstacle.

“She’s better than I am,” Steffenson told the show. “She can fly through obstacles like crazy. It’s really impressive. She’s lighter than me but just as strong.”

Not a bad compliment from one of America Ninja Warrior’s all-time best. In just two years time, Catanzaro has become one of the sports icons, appearing on national television numerous times promoting the show.

It’s safe to say she’s found a new passion in American Ninja Warrior.

File photo by Christopher Curry/ The Towerlight