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August 21, 2018
Towson Survival Guide d r a c e on
Welcome, Class of 2022 Photo Illustration by Bailey Hendricks/The Towerlight
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s u p m a c f f o s u p m on ca
MER STEPHANIE KRA T STUDEN
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August 21, 2018
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Freshman Move-in Schedule Brought to you by New Student Programs.
Thursday, Aug. 23 Noon p.m. - 4 p.m. Library Welcome Carnival Albert S. Cook Library Come check out the library and play some fun carnival games! 11:00 a.m. - 5 p.m. Family Send Off Dining Halls Hey Tiger Families! After you help your student move in, come join us in any of our three dining locations for a farewell meal and special giveways! 6 p.m.- 8 p.m. Residence Hall Community Meetings Residence Halls Meeting times will vary. Check in with your RA! 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Freshman Off-Campus Student Kickback University Union, PAWS Get to know other freshman off-campus students and enjoy a cookout with the Office of Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility! 8 p.m - 10 p.m. TU Photo and Playfair Burdick Field Join the entire freshman class for a large group photo and fun on Burdick Field! 10 p.m. - Midnight Late Night Breakfast Glen Dining Hall, Newell Dining Hall, West Village Commons Dining Hall Hang out with your new friends in the dining hall in your housing area for free food! Students will be asked to swipe to enter but no meal will be charged.
Friday, Aug. 24 10 a.m. - 11 a.m New Student Convocation SECU Arena The official academic beginning to your Towson University journey! 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Lunch University Union - 2nd and 3rd floors Boxed lunches will be provided for all students.
1 p.m. - 4 p.m. FYE/FTP Classes Academic Buildings Meet with your FYE advisor to get prepared for the fall semester. To find where your class is meeting check our student schedule under ORIE. 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. First Look: Get Involved SECU Arena New Student Programs is hosting a special involvement fair just for our new students. Come meet some of our 250+ clubs and organizationsthere is something for everyone! 8 p.m. - 9 p.m. Roar Rally SECU Arena There is no better way to celebrate the beginning of your Towson University experience than with music, dancing, fun activities and giveaways! 9 p.m. - 11 p.m. TU Takeover University Union TU Takeover welcomes incoming freshman into the Towson community as well as providse fun activities, giveaways, and entertainment for new students after a long day of W2TU programming! Activities include SILENT HEADPHONE DISCO, SKATING RINK, COMEDIAN, FREE FOOD, GIVEAWAYS, RAFFLE DRAWING for $500 University Gift Card, Apple TV, and MORE!
Saturday, Aug. 25 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Success Starts Here RotationsDiversity Chesapeake Rooms, University Union Students will learn more about their identity and what it means to be in a diverse, inclusive community at TU. 9 p.m.-11 p.m. Success Starts Here Rotations- Safety West Village Commons Students will learn about campus safety as well as policies in the Code of Student Conduct.
11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Transfer Success Workshop West Village Commons/Univ. Union Career/StrengthsQuest; Taking Care
10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Success Starts Here Rotations- Hot Topics Stephens Hall Students will learn about bystander intervention, reporting incidents on campus, and understanding the alco-
of Business
hol policies on campus.
7:45 p.m. - 11:00p.m. Movie Night: Avengers Infinity War WVC Lawn/Rain WVC 4th Floor Ballrooms Come watch Avengers Infinity War on a large blow up screen! Bring your own blanket or lawn chair. Snacks, mocktails, and more! Movie begins at 8:00pm so come early to get your seat! 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. TU Later Burdick Hall Stop by Burdick Hall for an evening of fun and active Campus Rec programming. Try the climbing wall, participate in glow Zumba and experience many other activities during our Fall 2018 opening celebration! Learn about all Campus Recreation has to offer. Be sure to find the FREE t-shirt station within the facility. 8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Arrow Tag Burdick Field Grab a few friends and follow the lights to Burdick Field to play a high energy game of Arrow Tag. Not familiar with the game? Just “Google it” and you’ll want to play! 8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Beep Baseball Showcase Burdick Field Learn & Play! Stop by Burdick Field as we showcase Beep Baseball, a sport designed for visually impaired athletes. Everyone is encouraged to learn and experience what it’s like to hit a ball blindfolded and run the bases in a safe and fun environment. 8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Sport Club Demos & Info Fair Burdick Field & Paws Patio Come learn about TU’s 30+ Sport Clubs on Burdick Field & Paws Patio. Stop by information tables to ask questions, meet the teams and even try out the sports! Sport Clubs are a great way to meet new friends, learn a new sport, build existing sport skills and compete against other universities! 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. Let the Games Begin- Homecoming Committee Event Tiger Plaza Join the 2018 Homecoming Committee and Welcome to TU staff as we “Let the Games Begin”! Grab a
friend and meet other new students at oversized inflatable games, food and fun!! Learn more about being involved with Towson University’s Homecoming committee. 9:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. Open Mic and Coffee House University Union, PAWS Showcase your hidden talents while meeting other new students with similar interests. All are welcome to come and enjoy some coffee house snacks!
Orientation Leaders will be available to help you find your classrooms in preparation for your first day of school! 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m Residence Hall Community Meetings Residence Halls Meeting times will vary, check in with your RA!
Monday, Aug. 27
Noon - 4 p.m. Got Questions? Meet the Academic Advising Center Lecture Hall Have a quick advising question before classes begin? Not sure who your advisor is? The Academic Advising Center is here to help. Stop by our advising table underneath the Lecture Hall on August 26 anytime between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to get your questions answered!
11 a.m. - 4 p.m Monday Sundaes at the Career Center Career Center Have questions about the Part-Time & On-Campus Job Fair happening on Wednesday? Want to learn how the Career Center can help you? Get connected, get ahead, and get answers! Attend Monday Sundaes at the Career Center on Monday, August 27 from 11:00-4:00 p.m. at the Career Center (7800 York Road, Suite 206Right above Bill Batemans!) and you can: Get your resume reviewed on the spot; Print your resume for free (in preparation for Wednesdays Job Fair); Enjoy ice cream sundaes! Then youll be ready to meet with local and on-campus employers at the Part-Time and On-Campus Job Fair Wednesday August 29th from 11-2 p.m.. in the University Union, Chesapeake Rooms!
5 p.m. - 8 p.m. Hot Air Balloon Ride Tiger Plaza Great food, giveaways, and amazing company as we set off the semester!
6 p.m - 8 p.m. Taste of TU WVC Lawn (WVC Ballroom - Rain Location) Come get a taste of TU food!
5 p.m. - 8 p.m Set It Off! Tiger Plaza
8 p.m - 11 p.m. Target Shopping Target
Sunday, Aug. 26 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Dude, Where’s My Class? Freedom Square Orientation Leaders will be around to help you find your classes, meet them in Freedom Square for the tour!
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Social
August 21, 2018
Editor-in-Chief Karuga Koinange Senior Editor Bailey Hendricks News Editor Mary-Ellen Davis Arts & Life Editor Kerry Ingram Asst. Arts & Life Editor Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor
Senior Staff Writers Sarah Rowan
AUGUST
WEEKLY
23-27 CALENDAR.
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Get your key and move in to your residence hall.
RESIDENCE Times vary by last name, see your HRL email for HALLS MOVE IN more information.
Residence Halls Staff Writers Desmond Boyle Jill Gattens Alex Helms Leah Volpe Jessica Ricks Rohan Mattu Keri Luise Deb Greengold Muhammad Waheed Meg Hudson Sophia Bates Anthony Petro Albert Ivory Mia Williams Photo Editor Brendan Felch
Senior Staff Photographer Alex Best
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LET THE GAMES BE- Join the 2018 Homecoming Committee and Welcome to TU staff GIN- HOMECOMING as they “Let the Games Begin.” Grab a friend and meet other new COMMITTEE EVENT students at oversized inflatable games, food and fun. Learn more about
Tiger Plaza
David Fisher Brittany Whitham Lacey Wall Joe Noyes David Kirchner Tiffany Deboer Isaiah Freeman Lexi Thompson Amanda Jean Thomas Katerina Duerr Isabelle Bartolomeo Proofreaders Alex Best Sarah Rowan General Manager Mike Raymond Art Director Victoria Nicholson Webmaster Circulation Staff Shawn Halerz Dom Capparuccini Elssa Kenfack
8000 York Road University Union Room 309 Towson, MD 21252 (410) 704-5153 editor@thetowerlight.com thetowerlight.com The Towerlight print edition is published by students of Towson University on Tuesdays. The Towerlight is owned by nonprofit Baltimore Student Media Inc., BaltimoreStudentMedia.com. The Towerlight’s advertising deadlines are firm: Wednesday noon for space; Friday noon for art. Classifieds appear online and in print and are self-service at TheTowerlight.com/classifieds. We encourage letters to the editor and online feedback. Commentaries, letters to the editor, editorial cartoons and other editorials express the opinions of their authors and not necessarily the views of the newspaper. The Towerlight does not discriminate based on age, color, condition of handicap, marital status, national origin, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. ©2018 by The Towerlight, 8000 York Rd, Towson, MD 21252. All rights reserved.
Please Recycle!
to your Towson University journey.
SECU Arena
Staff Photographers Simon Enagonio
NEW STUDENT CONVOCATION Convocation marks the official academic beginning
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being involved with Towson University’s Homecoming Committee.
DUDE, WHERE’S MY CLASS?
Orientation Leaders will be around to help you find your classes, meet them in Freedom Sqaure for the tour.
Freedom Square
FULL SEMESTER & 1ST 7-WEEK COURSES CLASSES & CHANGE OF SCHEDULE PERIOD BEGINS
Full semester and first seven week courses start Aug. 27.
MORE EVENTS CAN BE FOUND AT
Towson Campus
TOWSON
TRENDING. @qveen_dessyy
It’s about that time again... who goes to Towson and wants to be friends? :)
@dayjaelaineeee in all honesty , i just want more friends who go to towson. that’s all !
#
EVENTS.TOWSON.EDU
MAKING FRIENDS
@lordnaeski__ I really do want more Towson friends
@Antaveli you can get on the tl at any given time and see a towson student tweeting about wanting friends
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TU’s Homecoming Committee announces ‘Game On’ theme HUSBAND ARRESTED FOR KILLING HIS FAMILY AND AFTER PLEADING FOR HELP FINDING THEM ON TV Courtesy of Towson Homecoming Facebook page
The 2018 Homecoming Committee recently announced that the theme for this year will be “Game On.” Homecoming week is Oct. 27 to Nov. 2 and will feature several game-themed events and activities. ANTHONY PETRO Staff Writer
The nearly 35 student members of Towson’s Homecoming Committee gathered and deliberated for over three weeks and decided on 2018’s homecoming theme: “Game On.” “Deciding on a theme is always the most fun yet one of the most difficult decisions we have to make as a committee,” Homecoming Chair Makensey Schuchart said. “The entire weeks structure stems from the theme, so we take our time to carefully decide which themes have potential to be amazing and which themes do not.” The Homecoming Committee brainstormed ideas and gradually narrowed them down to their final three picks. Schuchart, a senior double majoring in healthcare management and business administration, said the process was slow, but in the end, she thinks the right theme was chosen. “It doesn’t seem like the process should take as long as it does, but it is a huge decision and we do not take it lightly,” Schuchart said. “We want to explore all theme options and choose the one that we think the Towson community will love the most.” Schuchart wasn’t all-in on the “Game On” theme until the committee started coming up with ideas for each day’s festivities. “I won’t lie, when the theme was first brought up in the early stages, I was hesitant about it because I didn’t see the potential for it to transfer to a week-long of events,” Schuchart said. “One day we had a breakthrough, and ideas just came flowing out, and my hesitation vanished.” This year’s “Game On” theme is centered around different types of games including board games,
card games and game shows among others. Schuchart said this year’s events will focus on the sense of unity that people feel when playing these games. Senior Tiffany Barrett said the theme creates a sense of community. “‘Game On’ is an exciting theme that can bring students from different social groups together to show off their competitiveness and have a great time,” Barrett said. Schuchart gave a preview to what the events during homecoming week might have in store. “Just like past years, we have a super fun week of events planned,” Schuchart said. “You can expect to see traditional, crowd favorite events like the talent show, petting zoo, homecoming court pageant, as well as the beloved block party.” Schuchart said the Homecoming Committee has exciting ways to tie the “Game On” theme into these traditional events. New events throughout the week,
such as a live game show like “Survey Says” can be expected too. “I’m excited to see what events there are because it gives something to look forward to in the middle of the semester, especially going to the homecoming game,” said junior Gabi Castillo. Last year’s theme was “Back to the 90s,” the 2016 theme was “TU Road Trip” and the 2015 theme celebrated Towson’s 150th anniversary. “We intentionally try to make each year’s theme different from previous years and try to bring something new to the table that we think students will enjoy and remember forever,” Schuchart said. “We want everyone to feel a connection to the theme in some way and changing the theme each year allows us to better accomplish that goal.” Homecoming week is Oct. 27 to Nov. 2, and Schuchart says, “You won’t be disappointed in the week we have planned, so get your game faces on because it’s going to be jam packed with competition and fun.”
FREDERICK, COLORADO Husband and father Chris Lee Watts was charged with murder after being arrested August 15 in connection with the death of his pregnant wife Shanann Watts and their two daughters, Celeste and Bella Watts. The three were reported missing Aug. 13, after Shannan’s friend could not reach her, and then found them missing from their home. Watts told the police that Shannan had gotten home from a business trip around 2 a.m., and that she had been home when he left for work a little later that morning. Police were reportedly suspicious of Watts from the start, as he had been very cavalier in interviews about the situation. Watts has allegedly confessed to killing Shannan and their daughters. He is facing three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of tampering with evidence.
MASTERPIECE CAKESHOP BAKER REFUSES TO MAKE TRANS-THEMED CAKE LAKEWOOD, COLORADO Jack Phillips, a Christian baker at Masterpiece Cakeshop, is back in the spotlight for refusing to make a birthday cake that also celebrated the transitioning of transgender lawyer, Autumn Scardina. Last December, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Phillips in the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case. The case started after Phillips refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple due to his religious beliefs. The Colorado Civil Rights Commision found the bakery discriminated against the couple and issued orders for the bakery to follow. The case ended up in the Supreme Court, where judges ruled that the Commission did not employ religious neutrality when issuing the requirements, violating Phillips right to free exercise. Phillips is now facing another lawsuit after the Alliance Defending Freedom filed one on his behalf against Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and the Colorado Civil Rights Commission after the bakery was found to have violated the non-discrimination act by refusing to make Scardina’s birthday cake. The baker is claiming that he does not deny service to specific people, just to those looking for cakes that support causes that go against his religious beliefs.
U.S. IMMIGRATION AGENCY CHIEF SPOKE AT ANTI-IMMIGRANT EVENT WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Lee Francis Cissna spoke at the annual “Immigration Newsmakers” event held at the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) August 15. Founded by John Tanton,a member of a white nationalist movement, CIS has an agenda that focuses on reducing legal immigration. The center is also a supporter of increased detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants. The organization has also been deemed a ‘hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center. When prompted to discuss the increasing enforcement of current immigration restrictions, Cissna said that “our authority on enforcement has not been fully exercised in the past,” but that now they will be. File photo by Deb Greengold/ The Towerlight Students celebrate at last year’s Royally Rad Pageant. The 2017 homecoming theme was “Back to the 90s.”
-- Stories compiled by Mary-Ellen Davis. Stories from The Daily Beast.
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News
August 21, 2018
Q&A with SR Education group Vans Warped Tour communications manager makes final run MARY-ELLEN DAVIS News Editor
Towson University was recently ranked as one of the best online colleges in Maryland by the SR Education group. According to the group's website, their mission is to help students find accurate information about schools they are contemplating in order to help them make the best decision for them. Kelsey D’Ewart, the marketing and communications manager for the group, spoke with The Towerlight to provide more information on the University’s online ranking. How specifically are the schools ranked? What factors play into it? These rankings are based on value. We take into account both academic strength and manually researched tuition rates to put together a list of schools committed to providing both academic excellence as well as affordability to their students.
How long has this ranking been happening? How many years has this happened? Has Towson been ranked before? The Best Online Colleges in Maryland ranking is new this year. However, Towson University has ranked in several of our rankings. How is this beneficial to students? This helps prospective students see that Towson is committed to providing an excellent and affordable education to students. How is this beneficial for the ranked schools? GuideToOnlineSchools.com gets a lot of traffic. This allows Towson to be viewed by many prospective students who are potentially looking to further their education with an online degree. Are there other programs that do similar rankings to this? Why is this ranking reliable? That's a great question. Our team manually researches tuitions of each individual school and cites it on our rankings, and our sources
for these can be seen by hovering over the tuition of a school. Additionally, we use government data from the National Center for Education Statistics. What else does this education group provide/ do? Can you explain a bit? SR Education Group is an education research publisher founded in 2004. Our goal is to provide resources that will help people get the education they need to be successful. We do a variety of different rankings including by program (for example best online schools for degrees in English), or student support rankings such as best online college for LGBTQ students, students with disabilities, military friendly schools, etc. Additionally, we run OnlineU. org, a website committed to ranking schools solely on affordability. SR Education Group also gives out various scholarships throughout the year. If you would like to learn more about our company, you can visit our corporate site: https://www. sreducationgroup.org/
MARY-ELLEN DAVIS News Editor
Summer after summer for 24 years Vans Warped Tour made its way across the country, drawing in crowds and providing music lovers a chance to see some of their favorite bands. This summer marked the end of the tradition, and for many an era, as the festival made its final cross-country run. Last November founder Kevin Lyman issued an official statement, announcing the end of the “punk-rock summer camp.” In his statement, Lyman thanked the bands that had played along with the near 11 million fans who had attended and shown their support for the festival over the years. The festival, which began in 1995, had become a summer concert staple for many people. Mariah McCloskey, 20, had been attending the festival for five years. “When I saw the statement, I really couldn’t believe it. I had to read it a
few times before it really sunk in, and even now it doesn’t feel like it’s actually ending,” McCloskey said. John Christianson, the trumpet player for ska punk band Reel Big Fish, feels that the end of the tour was both good and bad. “This tour is so unique because this is the only traveling festival that’ll travel for six weeks straight and come to your hometown so you don’t have to, you know, buy a plane ticket, go to the airport fly to Ontario, California and then drive to Coachella to see this festival.” Josh Brozzesi, drummer for the Australian band With Confidence, pointed out that the end of Warped Tour is also going to affect how bands tour in the future. “I think every band kind of expected that we would get to do this every two years forever,” Brozzesi said. “It is honestly a big factor in how all American touring is run basically, because no one wants to go up against Warped Tour.” - To read the rest of this article online, visit thetowerlight.com
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August 21, 2018
MEAL PLAN
101
2 PARTS TO EVERY MEAL PLAN
DINING POINTS
MEALS Use Meals at our All-You-Care-To-Eat Dining Halls: • Newell Dining Hall • Glen Marketplace • West Village Commons
Meals can be used at participating a-la-carte locations for a cash allowance of $6. • Please note: Unlimited meal plan users are allotted 1 meal per day to exchange - these meals do not roll over.
• Points are a declining balance that come in handy when you want something small – usually items costing less than $5. Using a full meal towards an item so small would not be the best use of your meals. •
Purchases made with Dining Points are not charged sales tax – a 6% savings!
•
Plans come with $50 or $75 in Dining Points and carry over as long as you’re enrolled at TU. You can add at any time at onecard.towson.edu
• For more information and a list of all participating locations, check out our website!
TOWSON.EDU/DINING @tudining
QUICK FACTS • 18 dining locations across campus • Late night options – Paws stays open until 2AM, Monday-Friday! • Weekly specials in the dining halls • Options for vegetarian/vegan, kosher, halal, gluten and allergy-friendly diets • Access to our Registered Dietitian • Mobile ordering through the Tapingo app /tudining
@towsondining
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Survival Guide
Towson Survival Guide
Advice for incoming students from The Towerlight’s editorial team Compiled by Karuga Koinange, Bailey Hendricks, Mary-Ellen Davis, Kerry Ingram, Brendan Felch and Keri Luise
How do I balance a social life in college and make friends? Everything in life revolves around a balance. School and socializing are no different from anything else. Time management skills come in key here. If you plan out your time wisely you’ll be able to keep those grades up, and still do all those fun extracurriculars you were excited about when you applied to campus. Keeping a planner will help you keep track of when assignments are due so that you know if you can go to that concert Saturday night, or if your time would be better spent studying for that huge test on Sunday. If you need friends to go to that concert with, joining a club is a good way to start
meeting new people. Clubs will provide you with an opportunity to make friends with similar interests as you, and they can introduce you to other people who may also become new friends. If clubs don’t s e e m ideal, you could also go to a fun event or program that Towson offers, which you can find on the events calendar of the University’s web page. Long story short, use the time management skills you’ve been developing over the last few years to find times to go to events or join clubs. These events and clubs will allow you to meet people and make new friends.
How do I add and drop my classes How do I stay safe on campus? using PeopleSoft? It’s usually a scary sight when you first log in to PeopleSoft, but once you become acclimated with the program it will be a huge help throughout your tenure at Towson. When you log into your account using MyTU, you’re greeted by a small menu on the left side of your screen. Primarily, you’ll want to click “Self Service” and “Student Center” to access most of what you’ll be using PeopleSoft for. The Student Center page provides you with several drop down menus and buttons. At the top of the page your schedule for the semester is listed along with deadlines for changing your schedule. The “My Academics” button will take you to a page where you can search/add/drop/swap/plan classes and monitor your progress on completing your academic requirements. At Towson, it is required that you earn at least 120 credits (32 of which must be upper level courses), complete at least one course pertaining to each of the 14 cores and fulfill the requirements for
your major in order to earn a Bachelor’s degree in your program. In your freshman year, your Freshman Year Experience (FYE) advisor will assist you in staying on track with all of those requirements. After your freshman year and once you’ve picked a major, you will be assigned a major-specific advisor who will be the one assisting you. Your advisor’s name is listed on the right-hand side of the Student Center page. If you ever have any questions or concerns about your academic requirements or navigating PeopleSoft, you can always email them questions or communicate with them to set up an advising appointment. PeopleSoft also shows you significant information about your finances (account balance, financial aid, etc.), academic holds, enrollment dates and much more. If you have some free time, it would behoove you to go on PeopleSoft and toy around with different buttons in order to familiarize yourself with where certain information is located.
Safety is important. Towson offers many tools to help you stay safe, including the blue emergency lights, security guards at the community centers in each dorm, and the TU Police Department. There are several ways that you can help keep yourself safe as well. Start by making sure that when you go out, let someone know where you’re going and make sure they know that they’re your emergency contact for the night. Then, should something happen, you have someone you know you can call and who’s expecting you home. There’s also always safety in numbers. Going out in groups can help keep you, and those you’re with, safer. Finally, you should have the Towson Police Department’s number set as an emergency contact (410-704-4444). They are a great resource to have on call and are always willing to lend a helping hand should you need one.
I’m interested in joining The Towerlight this semester. How do I get started? Looking to stay in-the-know on everything going on at Towson? Look no further than The Towerlight, Towson University’s independent, student-run news organization. On newsstands every Tuesday, The Towerlight provides the Towson community with the latest news updates, arts and life content, sports recaps and more. For daily updates, our Towerlight Today daily email newsletter can keep you in the loop on everything you need to know, while The Towerlight’s Twitter and Instagram handles (@TheTowerlight for both) keep students informed in real time.
This year, The Towerlight’s YouTube channel will be making its return, giving TU students BuzzFeedesque content that’s relevant to campus life and the Baltimore area. Interested in writing or creating content for The Towerlight? Our team is always accepting new writers and creators; feel free to visit the staff in The Towerlight office, located in Room 309 of the University Union, or send an email inquiry to editor@thetowerlight.com. You can also attend the Towerlight’s open house on Monday, Sept. 10 to meet the editors and learn more about the paper.
Bailey Hendricks / The Towerlight
The Towerlight editorial team works to produce the paper. The editorial staff meets each Monday throughout the semester to be able to have it on newsstands throughout Towson on Tuesdays.
Survival Guide
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How do I find my classes around campus? Finding your classes during the first week of college can be challenging, especially when you have a limited amount of time between to travel from one to the next. In order to make your l i fe easi e r, y o u c a n w a l k around different buildings the day before classes start. If you can figure out where all the buildings are, you can create a quick path that will get you from class to class with a bit of time to spare. You may also be
able to walk around the buildings to find your specific classrooms, though many are locked on the weekends. In this case, you won’t be able to find your c l a s s rooms t h e d a y before s o make sure t o leave a little early during the day of, and for the first week of classes, to give you a little extra time. If you get to class early enough, you might just be able to get that prime seat at the front (or back) of the class.
How do I choose a major?
p Choosing a major can be an , intimidating task - we’ve been e taught to believe that what we - major in will determine the rest of t our lives. However, what you major in isn’t the end-all, be-all. A major e can help you to obtain your dream o jobs and aspirations, but it doesn’t u define you. If you’ve known since your birth that you wanted to be a pediatrician for children who live in a small town in the Western part of Wyoming, have at it. Choose your major accordingly and follow your studies to your heart’s content. On the flip side, if you’ve known since
birth that you have no idea what you want to major in, that’s okay too. Just try to think about the different topics and activities that you truly enjoy; think of the hobbies you have that you don’t mind doing and see what careers may tie in to what you like. From there, begin to explore your major options and narrow down your list until you decide on your favorite one. Enjoy your studies, put your all into your work (remember: college isn’t free), and if push comes to shove, change your major until you find what works best for you.
File Photo by Cody Boteler/ The Towerlight
The Academic Advising Center is located in the Lecture Hall. Talking to an academic advisor may help you decide on your major.
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How do I get along with my roommate? So you have to share a room, but you don’t know the person you’re about to spend the next nine months with and you have no idea how to make sure it goes well. It’s not as hard as it seems. The first step to building a good roommate relationship is getting to know one another. Find out the basics about your roommate, like when their birthday
is, what times they like to study, and their favorite activities. This will give you some idea of what they are like, and how you two will best be able to navigate the relationship. Step two is to come up with some ground rules. The dorm should give you a roommate agreement sheet but come mid-semester, you won’t remember what you wrote. You
should come up wit h a list of ground r ules t hat you can tape to your wall or hide in a draw er somewhere. Finally, do things together. It’s good to have other friends, but spending one on one time with your roommate is important. It gives you an opportunity to bond as well as a chance to talk about and resolve any issues should they occur.
File Photo by Sarah Hugel/ The Towerlight
Students living in dorms fill out a roommate agreement upon entering the dorms to avoid tension.
How do I stay healthy in college and avoid the dreaded freshman 15? Gaining weight in college is normal. You are in a new environment, probably eating all new things you aren’t used to before and are most likely stressed. It’s normal to gain a little weight in college, so if you do, don’t beat yourself up about it. However, it is important to balance your health with your academic and social life too. In order to do this, some would recommend making the best possible meal choices you can in dining halls. Don’t view dining
halls as an all-you-can-eat buffet. Be sure to keep in mindortions even though you can take anything you want. Focusing on healthy proteins like chicken, turkey, and beans along with whole, natural foods like fruits and vegetables will keep you energized and full for a longer period of time. Try to have packaged, processed foods and greasy pizza in moderation only, not every time you go to the dining hall. With being in class most of the
day, it’s also important that you don’t skip meals. When you go to the dining hall, take a banana and some nuts with you to fuel yourself in between classes. Another thing that could help you cut down the pounds is staying active. If going to Burdick Hall after class to go on the elliptical for a half an hour seems intimidating to you, grab a friend to work out with. You could also try simply taking a walk around campus or taking the long way to class.
How do I do laundry in the dorms? Doing laundr y in the dorms is just like doing laundr y at home, except now there are a few key differences. The first being that you have to pay for it. To do that, you have to swipe your OneCard at the pay stations or use quarters. Lu c k i ly, l a u n d r y i n t h e dorms is only $1.50 per load but that’s still more expensive t han doing your laundr y at home, so make sure you save t hose quar ters when you go out and spend cash. They’re handy to have around. The second biggest challenge is
timing. Finding a time that’s convenient for you is important, but sometimes t hose convenient moments turn out not to be. Often there are no washers or dr yers open, which is obviously an issue. Late night study
sessions or early mornings are good times to run laundr y, as are Friday and Saturday nights. The laundr y rooms tend to be less crowded at those times. To help keep the f low going, be sure to switch your laundr y around as soon as it’s done.
For more Survival Guide tips, visit www.thetowerlight.com, and subscribe to our daily newsletter, Towerlight Today!
14 August 21, 2018
Survival Guide
The Division for Student Affairs offers the
Student LIFE Line
How do I stay organized and remember to do my homework? Freshman year of college can be stressful as you’re dealing with a lot of adjustments. Having freedom for the first time away from home can cause you to slip up in your studi e s . Don’t l e t t h a t happen to you. Make sure you always do your homework. You need to make sure you keep your grades up and turn in all of your assignments. Staying organized is key in helping make sure you do so. Using an academic planner to plan your upcoming assignments,
due dates, club meetings, and whatever else you have going on will be a big help. Having a planner will allow you to see exactly what you n e e d to get done a n d will make y o u f e e l l i k e y o u r workload is more consumable now that you have it all laid out in front of you. Calendars will be vital in making sure youhave all of your future assignments and meetings set up in an organized fashion.
What should I wear to class?
This telephone line assists students with any question they may have about the University. LIFE Line is staffed and ready to assist callers Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. After these hours, a voice mail message can be left and will be responded to on the next business day. You can also contact us with your questions via e-mail at studentaffairs@towson.edu.
410-704-LIFE (54 (5433) 33) E-mail: studentaffairs@towson.edu
Collegiate fashion is like a fairly simple mat h equation: practicality + trendiness = dressing stylishly wit h ease. Wearing layers that you can easily put on or remove will allow you to deal with var ying temperatures in classrooms. Dressing in loose clothing, as well as sticking to f lat-bottomed shoes, allows for comfo r t t h ro u g h o u t y o u r d ay. However, avoid making sweats your daily outfit; although they are ideal for days t hat you have little time to get ready or
are in need of extra comfort, putting a little effort towards your outfits can help you to mentally prepare for the day ahead of you. If you want to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and affordable finds, be sure to check out Trendy Tiger, The Towerlight’s weekly fashion and beauty column. From quick tips on dressing in college, to guides on student-friendly places to shop wit hout breaking t he bank, Trendy Tiger will keep you in style all semester long.
How do I use Towson’s shuttles? Towson offers shuttle services on and off campus so if you can’t drive or simply live too far to commute every day, you can use the shuttle system to get where you need to go. On-campus shuttles operate during the fall and spring semester, while off-campus shuttles run during the fall and spring semesters, along with during winter, spring and summer breaks. Both the on and off-campus shuttles offer routes in Goucher, Kenilwor t h, Loch R aven, Rodgers-Forge, Uptown Towson,
and Timonium. They also offer Black Express and Gold routes, which provide shuttles to travel around campus. With traffic, unpredictable weather and construction each causing delays, you can stay up to date with shuttle information by going online to TUTigerRide. Towson also offers Paratransit, SafeRide (for late evening rides) and charter bus services so if you’re struggling to get to campus or get home you have a large variety of choices at your disposal.
Survival Guide
August 21, 2018
How do I join a club and get involved on campus? Towson University has countless opportunities for students to get involved in a wide range of activities. There are academic groups, arts clubs, fraternity and sorority life, political clubs, religious clubs, service groups, sports clubs and more. Towson’s vibrant campus life revolves around t hese clubs
and organizations so that students can explore new interests, meet new people, connect with new ideas and just have a great time. With more than 300 groups to choose from you are sure to find one that’s right for you. Even if you don’t see the club that you are searching for, you can start a new one yourself.
File Photo by Amanda Carroll/ The Towerlight
Pictured is Towson’s Undergraduate Reseach Club. Towson has a variety of clubs of different intrerests for you to join.
How do navigate all of this construction around campus? Over t he next few years, To w s o n ’ s campus will be undergoing
re n o vations t hat make will navigating tricky even if the renovations will be good in the long run. To help, make sure you walk around campus before classes start. This will let you get a feel for what areas are closed so that you know where not to walk. Leaving early for classes and activities is also helpful. Things change constantly, so your normal
pathway to the gym might be temporarily closed, or there could be a little m o r e t ra f f i c t han
norm a l getting to your class. Leaving early will allow you to adapt to any of these changes without causing you more stress than necessar y. You should also keep an eye on The Towerlight. We repor t on massive changes going on around campus, so if a new project starts you’ll know how to adjust your route before tr ying to get to that evening spin class.
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What if I forgot to print out my homework at home and need to print something on campus? Yo u s h o u l d p r i n t o u t y o u r assignments at your dorm o r a t h o m e b e fo re h e a d i n g to c l a s s . B u t s o m e times you’re in a pickle and need t o ge t a p a p e r p r i n te d m i n u te s before class starts. It happ e n s to a l l o f u s . To w s o n h a s W E PA printing stations all a ro u n d c a mp u s fo r t h i s e x a c t c i rc u m s t a n c e . There are six W E PA printing kiosks in Cook Librar y, one on t he second f loor of t he Center for t he Ar ts, one in t he Glen Dining Hall, one on t he f irst f loor of Hawkins H a l l , t h re e i n t h e L i b e ra l Arts building, one in the University Union, and ot hers
scattered around campus too. You can eit her upload your f ile to t he cloud and select your f ile on t he kiosk or use
a f lash drive to print. Singlesided black and white pages are only 10 cents per page, while single-sided color pages are 59 cents per p a ge . U s i n g y o u r OneCard, you can eit her use retail points to pay for your documents or use a credit card. The W E PA stations are e a s y to u s e a n d c a n b e y o u r l i fe s av e r i f y o u d i d n ’ t h av e t i m e to p r i n t y o u r h o m e w o r k f ro m home. Utilize them last minu te b e fo re y o u r c l a s s i n s te a d of not turning in your homework. I would just recommend going to t he kiosk s o o n e r t h a n l a te r to av o i d the line.
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16 August 21, 2018
Survival Guide
How do I make my dorm room feel like home? C o l l e ge i s t h e f i r s t t i m e many students are tr uly independent and on t heir own. D o r m ro o m s a re t h e f i r s t s te p i n to t h i s self-determining c o l l e ge l i fe . Yo u will be living on your own. That’s why you need to make your dorm a comfortable place that feels like home. First, prioritize your bed. You’ll be wanting a good night’s sleep, so make sure to have a comfor table mattress pad, soft sheets and pillows to cozy up t hose old dorm mattresses. Also, make your dorm more comfor table and homey with additional lighting. Add a bedside
l a mp o r a desk light to lighten up t he ro o m . To t r u ly m a ke y o u r
dorm feel like home, bring a piece of home to your dorm. Whet her it’s pictures of family and friends or just a mug or s o m e ro o m decoration that was in your house, a piece f r o m h o m e will connect you to warm past memories. Combat homesickness a n d m a ke y o u r room a new home. Even t hough you may not realize it, your dorm room can play a huge role in y o u r c o l l e ge e x p e r i e n c e , s o make it how you want it.
How do I get my textbooks? Textbook prices can add up. Fast. In order to make sure you’re fully prepared for the semester while staying within budget, use Towson’s textbook calculator to find your exact required materials and the different pricing options you have available. Towson’s U-Store, t he on-campus retailer t hat provides textbooks, supplies and more for TU students, is a reliable source that is guaranteed to have any textbook you need for class. Buying straight from the U-Store is the most expensive option; however, so explore other online retailers to see what prices they offer before making final decisions on where to buy. Buying used
How do I park on campus? Parking is hands-down one of the most popular complaints you will hear about during your time at Towson. Luckily, if you play your cards right, you’ll have very little to worry about. Having early-morning or late-night classes isn’t all bad; both allow you the best time slots for finding good parking. Parking before 9 a.m. will be a breeze, and parking or
leaving the parking garages from 6 p.m. or later will be just as easy. If you have to park around campus between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., it’s easier to find spaces in the West Village Parking Garage or the arena parking lot than trying to park closer (bonus recommendation: parking in the arena lots aren’t that bad; you can cut through the Center for the Arts
building to get to campus faster.) If you’re looking into buying a parking permit, the annual permits will save you the most money in the long run. Buying an overflow parking permit will also save you some money, although you won’t be able to park in the Union or Glen spaces until later in the day, so keep your class times in mind when choosing your permit.
File Photo by Brendan Felch/ The Towerlight
The Glen Garage is one of Towson’s main parking garages. The Glen Garage is closest to the math building.
How do I study abroad? College is the time to tr y new things and make memories through amazing experiences. Study abroad is one of the best ways to broaden your horizons and go outside of your comfort zone. From Australia to Spain and more, studying abroad can help you enhance your degree and broaden your world views. Even if you are not up to the idea of studying abroad right now, keep your options open.
Attend study abroad meetings and ask questions to help you
develop the skills you need to succeed in today’s global community.
Courtesy of Amanda Jean Thomas
Students can attend interest meetings throughout the school year to get more information on how to study abraod.
books or renting will help to decrease the cost and look into locating textbooks within the Cook Librar y database to avoid paying altogether. Utilize your social media skills to reach out to other students who are in your major or who have taken courses you’re planning on taking to see if you can borrow or purchase books at a discount from them. The key here is to search for the cheapest option that will allow you to get ever y thing you need without getting over whelmed. As each semester goes by, this will become easier for you as you get more acquainted with your favorite retailers and methods.
Courtesy of Towson University
Towson’s UStore is one option for where students can buy their textbooks.
How do survive being a commuter on campus? The life of a commuter is an interesting one, indeed. Here are the essential things you need to know in order to survive your alternative c o l l e ge lifestyle: A l w a y s leave your h o u s e with at least 3 0 extra m i n utes to spare, in t he event that you get stuck in traffic. You will need that extra time on more than one occasion. -Keep an umbrella in your car, as well as an extra jacket. -Try to avoid highways like 695 during the rush-hour times. If you can’t avoid heavy traffic times, make a commuting
play list that will keep you positive and jamming out during your rides. -Find a few podcasts you like to listen to, for the days when you don’t feel like listening to t he s a m e songs. I t ’ l l h e l p y o u r c o m mute go by quicker. -Join a club or organization. Since you won’t be living on campus, it’ll take a little more effort from your end in order to feel involved on campus. -Enjoy your freedom. Even though commuting might seem like a lot, it’s great not being confined to one place. Remember that.
Survival Guide
August 21, 2018
What’s all the fuss about sporting events? After a long week full of classes, homework and stress, you can always look forward to the weekend to provide you with an entertaining sporting event including one of Towson’s 19 Division I athletic teams. Any Towson student can attend sporting events for free, but it is wise to bring your OneCard in case verification is needed. On Saturday afternoons during the fall, you can go with a group of friends to Johnny Unitas Stadium to cheer on the football team. The Tigers finished with a 5-6 record last season, but with several key players returning from injury the team looks to bounce back for a strong 2018 campaign. The volleyball team is also looking to entice more audience members as they are coming off a 2017 season in which they secured their first postseason win in program history. After kicking off the season with a historic
16-game winning streak, Towson put together an impressive 27-6 record on the year and looks to build on that momentum this season. In the winter, students can pack in to SECU Arena to watch the men’s
and women’s basketball teams. Last season, the men’s team finished 18-14 while the women’s team concluded with a 9-21 record. With young talent fostering on both rosters, both teams are seeking vast improvement this year. As spring begins, you can return to Johnny Unitas Stadium to support the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams. In 2017, the women’s team finished 16-5 and made it to the second round of the NCAA Championships. With plenty of compelling storylines to follow, you’ll have a myriad of opportunities to come out and root for the Tigers.
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reports or resumés. Transitioning from writing a few papers during the school year to writing at least one paper each month can be difficult, but the Writing Center can be a valuable resource to help you adjust.
cloud printing
n t e r n
. t Courtesy of Towson University t Towson’s Writing Center, located in the Liberal Arts Building, offers
students help with a variety of writing assignments.
towson.edu/wepa
!
@THETOWERLIGHT
How do I use the Writing Center?
One of Towson’s best kept secrets is a resource available to students of all kinds of majors and programs. The Writing Center, located in room 5330 of the Liberal - Arts Building, provides writing g guidance for the Towson community including students, faculty s and staff members. n This resource is not limited to s just papers for an english course u l g e e . l p r o
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18 August 21, 2018
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Arts & Life
Now trending: the “glow up” KERRY INGRAM Arts & Life Editor @Glaminista08
WELCOME BACK TU TIGERS!!!! It is finally the start of fall semester (as I’m writing this, I’m in awe because I don’t know where the heck the first half of the year has gone to), which means change and newness is upon us. For TU freshmen, it’s the start of the next chapter of your lives. You are now living on your own for the first time, with more freedom than a bald eagle and with the world at your fingertips. For returning Towson students, this semester marks the resuming of your school-life and a fresh attempt at “adulting” while working towards your degree. For all of us, fall 2018 represents the opportunity to participate in one of the latest and greatest trends of our time: The “Glow Up.” The idea of “glowing up” has always been looked at as a trendy thing in our society. From classic and cliché movie scenes where nerds evolve into mega-attractive superstars, to throwback pictures of celebrity yearbook photos being collaged and compared to pictures of them in their current state, to you giving a compliment to your best friend about leaving her bangs in ‘09 - “glowing up” is what
everyone wants and aspires. Sounds like the definition of a trend to me. However, this semester isn’t just for glowing up physically. Although this column is based on beauty and fashion, two very visible and materialistic topics on the surface, the true “glow up” I want to focus on is one that’s internal (cue audience “awww”s in the background.) I don’t want to get cheesy on you here, but I do want to be honest. As college students, we are in a place in our lives that’s extremely pivotal. We’re discovering more and more about ourselves, still growing as individuals, while also taking on a boatload of responsibilities and changes. Some of the decisions we make at this point will determine our paths for the rest of our lives. That can be overwhelming, to say the least, and really freaking scary, to say the most. It’s really easy to forget to live in the moment at our age. Take it from me. I have always been a good student, have managed to make it to my senior year of college despite working multiple jobs, blogging, and interning ON TOP OF an 18-credit per semester schedule, and although I have accomplished a lot, I have also felt as though I haven’t lived the past three years of my life. Don’t get me wrong - I’ve been alive
by literal definition, and I have made many friends and memories in these years in which I’m forever thankful for, but I haven’t been truly living. I’ve allowed my age and responsibilities to keep me stressed, busy, closed-off and unobservant of the moments that have surrounded me each semester. When it finally sunk in that this year would be my senior year, I became the real-life version of the Mr. Krabs meme. I was dazed, confused, and unsettled that the first three years of college was spent with me running at constant speed, never taking the time to stop and smell the roses because my mind was stuck in race-mode. But that stops now. As of right now, I am choosing to live on purpose. Does that change my youthful uncertainty, workload, or responsibilities? No. But that changes my outlook. I am choosing to live each moment with appreciation, humor, and excitement. I am choosing to finish off my college career strong, with confidence in myself and my capabilities despite whatever obstacles I may face. In short, I am choosing to “glow up.” And I advise you do the same. An internal makeover is going to look different for everyone. For some people, they are already at ease with life and never stress (if you’re one of
Making music a little sweeter
these people, let’s be friends.) For others, they may be really good at practicing self-care and self-confidence. What we need to work on will differ, but here are the basic things I think everyone should remember in order to practice this trend successfully: 1. Stop wanting change. Start making it happen. We often wish and dream about things as if that is our only way of obtaining them. As long as what you want is morally responsible and legal, I say go for it. You can’t expect for your life to change unless you change what you’re currently doing first. 2. Be open. In college, there are A LOT of new things and people you’ll be exposed to. Keep an open mind and heart, and don’t judge what you don’t know. 3. Be positive. At the risk of sounding like every motivational speaker out there, when you think positively, you receive positivity. Ever wonder why when one bad thing sets you in a mood, more bad things seem to happen? It isn’t always life that’s out to get you; sometimes it is a “you problem.” If you don’t believe this will work, I challenge you to spend the rest of your day thinking on the bright side of things and keep track of how many good things end up happening because of it. You’ll thank me later. 4. Believe that anything is possible. The moment you carry doubt is the moment your possibilities become limited. Truly have faith in yourself, enough to know that what you want it available to you (guys, I’m really starting to sound like I belong on a TEDTalk, I’m proud.) People who dream big aren’t naive; those are the people who end up with brilliant lives.
Just look at Oprah. She’s inspiring enough. 5. Say goodbye to fears and comfort zones. Honestly, what is the point of living in fear? I recently read the book “You Are a Badass” by Jen Sincero, in which she spoke on the fact that fears are irrelevant. Why? Because to fear is to have strong emotions over something that hasn’t even happened yet. I read that and was shook because it’s so true. I’m not saying to go crazy at college and to jump off of bridges and party like it’s 1999. Just branch out. Stop fearing the unknown and embrace it. Try new things. And have fun while you’re at it. 6. Appreciate everything. Be thankful for the good, the bad, and the ugly. Life’s ups are worth remembering because they’re the awesome moments you’ll cherish forever, and life’s downs are worth remembering because they serve as lessons learned. So start being thankful, y’all. Thanksgiving may be months away, but our gratefulness shouldn’t be. 7. Love yourself to your fullest extent. There’s only ever going to be one you and life is definitely a lot easier when you decide to love who you are, flaws and all. What you feel towards yourself is what’s most important, so make sure it’s genuine love. This school year is going to be different. It’s new, it’s fresh, and it’s time for everyone to “glow up” and make the world a little brighter. We can never have too much self-growth and happiness, so if you are to choose one trend to follow throughout this entire semester, I highly suggest it be this one. I promise: it’ll be lit (I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
“Sweetener” gives pop music new taste TIMOTHY COFFMAN Columnist
Ariana Grande is one of the premier pop voices to come out in the past five years and her new release, “Sweetener,” is her latest record following the massively successful “Dangerous Woman” back in 2016. This is my first go around with a full album by Grande; that isn’t to say that I haven’t heard most of her songs constantly on the radio and Spotify. The one thing which has remained consistent throughout each of her albums is her voice, which is a standard pop voice but with the power of old school divas like Mariah Carey
and the late Aretha Franklin. The album starts off with the snippet “raindrops (an angel cried),”which is acapella to show that her trademark vocals have not gone anywhere. The rest of the album follows with some standout tracks such as “blazed,” with great assistance from Pharrell, as well as the single “God is a woman,” which has one of the stronger choruses on the entire album. Many listeners will also note some more adult themes on the record, showing how Grande has come a long way since her beginnings on Nickelodeon. However, that does not mean that the traditional pop balladry has gone anywhere, with some of the best cuts coming at the end of the record with “better off,” “goodnight n go,” and “get well soon.”Also the single
“no tears left to cry” holds up as the standout single from the record, while also being the only track on the album without the explicit warning advisory. While I found myself enjoying a lot about this record, some songs left me with a lot to be desired. While I enjoyed Nicki Minaj’s guest verse on “the light is coming,” the rest of the song comes off rather uninspired. I feel that the times the album falls short are due to production choices. Luckily, in those cases, Ariana’s voices is still able to give the song a leg to stand on. Another drawback is some of the lyrics, which can get a bit trite by pop standards, with innuendos that are a little too obvious. - To read the rest of this column online, visit thetowerlight.com.
Courtesy of Republic Records
“Sweetener” brings out a new side of Grande’s life for listeners.
Arts & Life
August 21, 2018
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Shows to “fall” for this season
. g
New releases for the small screen
e d ALEX HELMS n Columnist t
r “The Fall.” It’s not just the title of d a Netflix serial killer series, mind you. e It’s also a meteorological event that y affects millions around the world. So s while the Northern Hemisphere of the h planet begins to cool off this semester, d why not also take a break and ring in e a new season with another: the fall television season. These cold autumn e nights will be growing longer every , day, but there’s no better way to h replace the waning daylight than with - the glowing screen light of your TV , set. Be sure to stay warm and check - out some of these new and returning s shows that you won’t want to miss . this fall. , Available from streaming on Amazon on August 31 is “Jack t Ryan,” an action thriller series e starring John Krasinski (“A Quiet r Place”) and the latest adaptation of , Tom Clancy’s novel series. Created s by former “LOST” showrunner o Carlton Cuse, the show will explore
r e r d -
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the titular character’s origins in a contemporary setting, as he leaves his former desk jockey life behind to eventually become the spy that inspired an entire franchise. Making his return to television, Jim Carrey stars in “Kidding,” Showtime’s new comedy-drama series premiering on Sept. 9 at 10 p.m. Carrey reunites with “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” director Michel Gondry for the series’ surreal take on the story of a children’s television show host, who finds his calm Mr. Rogers-esque persona at odds with his sanity as his personal life falls apart around him. Netflix’s latest venture in animation, “The Dragon Prince,” begins streaming on Sept. 14. The animated series by Aaron Ehasz, head writer of the classic Nickelodeon series “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” will follow yet another trio of unlikely heroes hoping to bring peace to a war-torn world, but unlike its predecessor, the setting of “Dragon Prince” will take more from classic
fantasy literature than the Asian art and mythology that inspired “Avatar.” Streaming on Sept. 21 is Netflix’s “Maniac,” an American remake of a Norwegian dark comedy series of the same name. Jonah Hill and Emma Stone star in their first project together since “Superbad” (2007) as two psychologically unsound strangers undergoing an experimental drug trial that allows their joint exploration into each other’s imaginations. Directed by Emmy-winning “True Detective” director Cary Fukunaga, “Maniac” promises incredible visuals for its fittingly insane premise. Returning for its third season on Sept. 27 at 8 p.m. on NBC is “The Good Place.” The high-concept comedy series by “Parks & Recreation” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” co-creator Michael Schur follows Kristen Bell as a morally bankrupt woman who realizes she was mistakenly put in a heaven-like afterlife and attempts to study moral philosophy in order
Courtesy of deadline.com
Jonah Hill and Emma Stone co-star in “Maniac,” a remake of a Norwegian TV series available for streaming Sept. 21 on Netflix. to become a person deserving of the afterlife she’s been assigned. There are plot twists around every corner, so avoid spoilers and catch up on the first two seasons, available for streaming on Netflix now and on Aug. 28, respectively.
Diving into the fall television season can be a daunting task, but even if you don’t keep any of these shows on your radar, there are still plenty of new shows to discover while the Earth above the equator inescapably transitions into winter.
22 August 21, 2018
Sports
USTORE
tu gears up for msu
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Megan Collins Soccer
In her debut as a Tiger, senior goalkeeper Megan Collins recorded four saves in Towson’s 2-1 overtime loss at the University of South Florida Thursday night. She went on to notch two more saves in Towson’s 2-1 loss at Stetson University Sunday afternoon.
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Karuga Koinange/ The Towerlight
From left to right, Towson Athletic Director Tim Leonard and Head Football Coach Rob Ambrose pose with Morgan State Interim Head Football Coach Ernest T. Jones and Athletic Director Edward Scott.
KARUGA KOINANGE Editor-In-Chief
Towson University Athletic Director Tim Leonard and Head Football Coach Rob Ambrose attended the Battle for Greater Baltimore Press Conference Thursday afternoon at the Glory Day’s Grill restaurant to hype up Towson’s annual season-opening matchup against Morgan State. Morgan State’s Athletic Director Edward Scott and interim Head Football Coach Ernest T. Jones were also in attendance to build up excitement for the contest, which will take place Saturday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. at Hughes Stadium. Though these two teams have shared a home in the Greater Baltimore area for nearly 40 years, this is just the 25th meeting between them. “We’ve had two Division I teams that have lived here, played here for ages; we are going on year 50,” Ambrose said. “As a kid growing up, I wondered, ‘How are these teams not playing, this is our region, this is our town, this is our city. Why wouldn’t we put all of the fans in the state of Maryland in the same place as many times as humanly possible?’ Now that we are [playing], it is about time. I want this to continue for eternity." This season, players from both
teams will participate in a variety of planned events in the week leading up to the game. Ambrose and Jones said that their players were looking forward to giving back to the community. Towson and Morgan State players will hand out backpacks in a joint community service event at the YMCA of Central Maryland and Special Olympics Maryland Aug. 25 at 3 p.m. There will also be a Towson Alumni tailgate at Morgan State on gameday. With community service activities and media attention increasing from last season’s game, Leonard said he hopes that this matchup can eventually be moved to a larger venue. He stressed that the only way to achieve that goal is to sell out tickets as much as possible and emphasized that the storied history between Towson and Morgan State should entice fans to come out. “There’s tremendous history [in Morgan State] both athletically and institutionally,” Leonard said. “I get nostalgic all the time thinking that hall of famers walked through here. I hope that the Greater Baltimore community [and] our players understand this game because it’s unique and really special.” Scott added that elevating marketing efforts should be a priority as well, but ultimately the success of this local rivalry will come down to whether the matchup is compelling and entertain-
ing enough for fans to want to come back each year. “We have to put a good enough product on the field that the fans want to be here,” Scott said. “We have to have more demand than we have supply of tickets. It’s our job to build an event that folks want to be a part of.” This game is not just impactful on the community, though. Jones argued that this rivalry could heavily affect recruiting efforts. He asserted that this could be a good platform for players to showcase their talents and earn more than just local recognition. “You can’t all go to Alabama,” Jones said. “You can’t all go to Virginia, but you can go to Towson and you can go to Morgan. Once a year you’ll be able to play on a big stage in front of the city of Baltimore.” In last season’s Battle for Greater Baltimore contest, the Tigers defeated the Bears 10-0 at Johnny Unitas Stadium in front of over 6,500 fans. Both teams are looking to not only do their respective schools proud, but to give the Greater Baltimore area as a whole something worth cheering for as well. “It’s a statement game,” Jones said. “Both universities and administrations are saying to the community that this is your game. It’s important that we give a game back to the city [and] back to the community.”
Sports
August 21, 2018
nba mvp race KARUGA KOINANGE Editor-In-Chief
This summer, many pundits and talking heads have stressed that the NBA offseason is significantly more exhilarating and compelling than the regular season when games are actually being played, and I think I’m starting to be convinced. LeBron James made the decision to move over to the already loaded western conference by signing with the Los Angeles Lakers after many months of speculation about where he would end up. Paul George surprisingly decided to sign an extension to remain with the Oklahoma City Thunder, despite suffering a first round exit in the 2018 NBA Playoffs due to an incohesive big three compiled of George, Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony. The Toronto Raptors made the most shocking move of the offseason by acquiring former Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs in a blockbuster trade, but with the dust settled from free agency and the 2018 NBA Draft it is prime time to start discussing predictions for next season. I’m not afraid to admit it; the NBA MVP has become a bit of a season-long pageantry. With that said, I’m shamelessly going to contribute to this drawn out popularity contest by looking at three players who realistically could win MVP this coming 2018 regular season: 1. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers As the best player in the world, James will always be in the conversation for league MVP barring injury or father time catching up to him. After dragging the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals just three months ago, and dropping 51 points against the Golden State Warriors in their arena in game one, it would be unwise to think that James will suddenly decline. His move to join the stacked western conference will allow him to face talented competition on a more frequent basis, so if he can repeat or build upon his 2017-18 season averages of 27.5 points to go along with 9.1 assists then he has a
strong chance of bringing home the MVP trophy. Eliminating the Warriors in the playoffs would be a massive cherry on top, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. 2. Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans After the New Orleans Pelicans lost superstar center Demarcus Cousins to an achilles injury in January, many people counted them out. Without one of their two all-star frontcourt players, they were expected to crumble quickly and fade out of playoff contention, but Anthony Davis would have none of that. Davis went on a tear to carry his team to the postseason. At one point late in the season, he averaged 33.9 points, 13.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 2.6 blocks. With Cousins deciding to sign with the Warriors in July, Davis could put up monster numbers once again because he just might have to do so in order to reach the playoffs once again. 3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks In August of 2017, Kobe Bryant issued several different challenges to active NBA players as a part of his Mamba Mentality promotion with Nike. Bryant, arguably the second greatest shooting guard of all time, challenged Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo to win Kia NBA MVP. Antetokounmpo didn’t accomplish this challenge last season, but he certainly put up a commendable effort. In the 2016-17 season, he went on to average 22.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists while becoming the first player since James in 2008-09 to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks for an entire season. Last season, he improved upon those numbers as he bumped up his scoring and rebounding while displaying better defensive awareness than in previous years. Antetokounmpo’s length and size allows him to bully defenders and get to the paint whenever he wants. The only flaw in his game is his limited shooting range, but if he enters this season with a respectable three-point shot then he could terrorize defenders all the way to an MVP award.
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Sports
ravens rookies show out
Courtesy of baltimoreravens.com
Quarterback Lamar Jackson fights off two defenders in Baltimore’s 17-16 win over the Chicago Bears in the Hall of Fame Game Thursday, Aug. 8 at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. Jackson, the final pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, notched 33 passing yards and a touchdown through the air on the night.
KARUGA KOINANGE Editor-In-Chief
Ravens vs Bears Just four months after putting together an offensive-focused 2018 draft class, highlighted by first round rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens showcased their young talent in the league’s annual Hall of Fame Game with a 17-16 victory over the Chicago Bears Thursday, Aug. 8 at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. Last season, Baltimore led the NFL in takeaways with 34 and the team picked up where they left off in that category on the first drive of the game as safety Chuck Clark snagged an interception in the red zone off a deflected pass. Robert Griffin III started at quarterback for the Ravens and the offense got off to a shaky start following the forced turnover. On Baltimore’s initial third down of the game, Griffin III delivered a strike over the middle to wide receiver Breshad Perriman, but Perriman couldn’t reel in the ball and Bears safety Deandre Houston-Carson notched an interception off the mishandled catch. Perriman, a first round selection in the 2015 NFL Draft, has made little impact in his time with the
Ravens and is looking for a breakout campaign this season, but his inconsistency in route running and making routine catches is a concern. Chicago found the endzone just six plays after the turnover, but Griffin III responded with a touchdown drive of his own as he connected with tight end Maxx Williams near the goal line for a score. Baltimore’s defense stepped up once again on its next possession as linebacker Kamalei Correa recorded an interception on a pass over the middle to put the Ravens in good scoring position. Correa has also had a disappointing career so far, but looked impressive on the night finishing with three sacks and a forced fumble to go along with his interception. With the Ravens planning on using more odd man fronts this season, Correa could find a role on the team as a pass rusher or a coverage linebacker. Following the takeaway, Baltimore scored a short field goal to take a 10-7 advantage heading into the second quarter. Quarterback Josh Woodrum took some snaps in the period, but he could not replicate his breakout performance from last preseason as the team took their three-point lead into halftime. The Ravens opened the second half with their coveted first round picks as Jackson and rookie tight end
Hayden Hurst made their debuts. Jackson looked out of sorts at first, but showed the impressive speed and elusiveness that helped him win the Heisman Trophy in 2016. Baltimore’s defense gifted Jackson with a short field after recovering a forced fumble on their first possession of the game. Jackson capitalized on the opportunity as he marched the team into the red zone and found Hurst near the sideline for an 8-yard touchdown pass, giving the Ravens a 17-7 lead.
Though Jackson flashed at times, the largest concern with his play is that he didn’t slide whenever he scrambled. Since Jackson relies on his athleticism so much, it is important that he learns how to protect himself when he’s out of the pocket. Despite a comeback attempt by the Bears, Baltimore held on for the win with a signature defensive stand late in the game. Ravens vs Rams Quarterback Joe Flacco made an impressive preseason debut in
a 33-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams Thursday, Aug. 9 at M&T Bank Stadium. Flacco only played the first drive of the game, but he looked more mobile than he did at any point during the 2017 regular season in which he was coming off an offseason back injury. He finished 5-of-7 for 71 yards and closed out the drive with a six-yard touchdown toss to fullback Patrick Ricard. - To read the rest of this article online, visit thetowerlight.com
Courtesy of baltimoreravens.com
Tight end Hayden Hurst catches a touchdown. Hurst was selected with the 25th pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.