The Towerlight (October 9, 2018)

Towson’s campus and community news source

TheTowerlight.com

October 9, 2018

TU theatre puts on “Fuente Ovejuna” to cast a light on corruption and power imbalances, pg.10

Photo by Brittany Whitham , Photo Illustration by Victoria Nicholson/The Towerlight

JACKIE MARTIT NEZ STUDEN

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October 9, 2018

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October 9, 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 Editors Muhammad Waheed Jordan Kendall Staff Writers Alex Helms Deb Greengold Jessica Ricks Meg Hudson Keri Luise Anthony Petro Sophia Bates Glenn Kaplan Albert Ivory Timothy Klapac John Hack

Photo Editor Brendan Felch

Staff Photographers Simon Enagonio Lacey Wall Brittany Whitham Isaiah Freeman Lexi Thompson Nikki Hewins Owen DiDonna Tiffany Deboer

OCTOBER

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TALK LIKE TED: DESIGNING AND DELIVERING A DYNAMIC PRESENTATION

Circulation Staff Scott Halerz Dom Capparuccini Elssa Kenfack

Carmine Gallo argues that there are three essential components for an inspiring presentation: connect with the audience; teach them something new; and present information in a memorable way. Join the Public Communication Center and learn how to implement these strategies in your own presentation.

Van Bokkelen, Room 203

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EMPOWERING AND DEFENDING OUR VOICES: A CAMPUS CONVERSATION WITH USJID HAMEED

University Union, Chesapeake Ballroom II

LECTURE | CURATOR RAFAEL DAMAST

Art Lecture Hall, CA 2032

General Manager Mike Raymond

Webmaster

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9-13 CALENDAR.

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Art Director Victoria Nicholson

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Towson University is partnering with Reginald MARYLAND DAY TO SERVE F. Lewis High School for the 2018 Maryland

Day to Serve. Volunteers will be painting, decorating bulletin boards and greeting students.

Administration Building, Room 224

TOWSON FOOTBALL VS. COLLEGE OF WILLIAM & MARY

TOWSON

Towson football takes on William & Mary at 4 p.m. at Johnny Unitas Stadium for 2018 Family Weekend! First 1,500 fans will receive a free rally towel!

MORE EVENTS CAN BE FOUND AT

TRENDING.

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Please Recycle!

The Office of Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility and the Center for Student Diversity are excited to welcome TU alumnus Usjid Hameed back to campus! Less than a week after graduating, he moved to Columbus, Ohio to serve as a Public Affairs Coordinator with the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Columbus Chapter.

Damast, who will speak in conjunction with Isla: Regarding Paradise, is the exhibition’s program manager, and curates Taller Puertorriqueño, the gateway to Latin@ Philadelphia, which promotes and develops Latin@ culture through public exhibitions, youth education programs and extensive outreach programs at schools and community centers.

Johnny Unitas Stadium

8000 York Road University Union Room 309 Towson, MD 21252 (410) 704-5153 editor@thetowerlight.com thetowerlight.com

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@kbergy4 Towson doesn’t suck at football anymore!! It’s amazing

@Name__me__King Y’all gotta start supporting Towson Football

#

EVENTS.TOWSON.EDU

FOOTBALL WINS

@passion_prosper

Towson Football consists of fighters this year. I’m excited to see it go down this season.

@foreverAshja Towson football this year >>

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Opinion

October 9, 2018

Start with subtitles Republican reliance on rule change GOP looks to maintain power in each branch of government

CONNOR McNAIRN Columnist

On Saturday Oct. 6, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court. Kavanaugh, who dismissed the accusations of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick as a Democratic ploy to ruin his reputation and get revenge for the Clintons, just barely squeezed through the nomination process with a 50-48 vote. President Trump nominated Kavanaugh to the Court in early July, and in the three months following, the country has been embroiled in yet another partisan fight rooted in deep differences of principle.

Though bitter partisan conflicts are in no short supply, the story of our current political predicament – one rooted in the continuous circumventing of political norms and procedures by a Republican Congress – stems from a decision the GOP made a decade ago.

Following the election of our nation’s first Black President, then-Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell indicated that the Republicans’ top priority was to limit President Obama to one term. To explicitly promise congressional obstruction to a president at any cost was unprecedented. Since McConnell’s remarks, the Republican Party has relied on this type of scorched earth politics to sustain itself and its increasingly radical base.

While McConnell failed to render Obama a one-term president, his party did do everything in its power to grossly obstruct the political processes set forth by our Constitution.

Many may recall, for example, that shortly after taking office, President Obama was set to deliver his stimulus package to the House of Representatives when, before even viewing the bill, House Republicans largely opposed it. Such was the trend for Barack Obama’s entire presidential tenure.

Republicans have won big in the ten years since Obama’s presidential victory, securing the House in 2010, the Senate in 2014, and the White House in 2016. But their petty political maneuverings, anchored in cynicism and disregard for congressional process, have remained at the nucleus of their strategy.

The Republican tax bill, which drastically reduced taxes on corporations and the rich, remains the only legislative achievement for the Republican Party under Trump. Rather than passing cloture and receiving 60 votes of support, as was outlined in the Senate’s 1975 voting rule, the bill only received 51 “yeas.” This was made possible by the GOP’s reliance on the budget reconciliation process.

With regard to Supreme Court confirmations, which is just about the only other category of success the Republicans in Congress can tout, Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh were illegitimately confirmed through procedural norms.

In 2017, McConnell, now the Senate Majority Leader, changed Senate voting rules regarding cloture to confirm high court justices with simple majority support; this move was necessary for Republicans to confirm any Supreme Court nominees given their meager one-seat majority.

While it is true that Senate Democrats first changed cloture rules in 2013 in order to appoint low court judges under Obama in the face of rampant Republican obstruction, high court nominees, such as those chosen for the United States Supreme Court, still required a threefifths (or 60-vote) majority in order to pass cloture and invoke a floor vote.

But following McConnell’s change of the rules to simple majority confirmation, even for high court nominees, President Trump has been able to ram through Justices Gorsuch (54-45) and Kavanaugh (50-48). It is worth noting that President Obama’s Supreme Court nominees – Justices Elena Kagan (63-37) and Sonia Sotomayor (68-31) – were both con-

firmed through proper cloture and consequent floor vote norms.

Kavanaugh’s nomination is yet another victory for the Republican Party and, by extension, for the undermining of democratic norms.

Indeed, the party that so often invokes the virtues of originalist constitutional interpretation has succeeded only in the circumventing of the founding text’s limitations.

The American experiment is built on a foundation of democratic participation and republican representation. It was launched with the presumption of tripartite accountability in the form of checks and balances. Yet the GOP, as it maintains power within each of the three branches, has cyclically undermined the principles upon which the nation was founded.

A president absent of the political knowledge to govern has drastically limited the scope of global American leadership and effectively surrendered the decorum that heretofore accompanied presidential administrations. The Congress, tasked by the founders to operate as the president’s principal check on power, has proven itself impotent in capability and servile in action. And the Supreme Court, perhaps the only institution in American government that has for so long maintained legitimacy and national respect has been reduced to political chicanery.

The goals of the Republican Party, currently dangerous to our democracy, are rooted in bitterness, anger and desperately cling to the comforts of a repressive history. Demographics in America are trending toward more progressive political platforms and, as a consequence, will not require the cynical leadership styles of the current GOP. In essence, the current Republican Party is only as strong as the number of institutional norms it is able to circumvent. Its shelf life is ephemeral, and voters possess the opportunity to expose this reality in November. Vote.

SAMUEL SMITH Columnist

Subtitles, or closed captioning, are a great invention. Whether you’re hard of hearing, learned English as a second (or third) language, have sensory processing disorder, or you simply learn better reading, subtitles are amazing. Why aren’t they used more often?

Think about glasses, a fairly recent invention. Before glasses and contacts, many people struggled in day to day life. If you live with glasses, imagine living without them, and all the things you’d be unable to do. Nowadays though, the world is accommodated for people with glasses. Glasses have become fashionable, sometimes even a statement piece.

But subtitles only become apparent when a student in the room is registered with Disability Support Services (DSS) and is considered in need of subtitles. While registering with DSS isn’t difficult, it still takes time.

Here’s an idea: use subtitles in class, automatically. Subtitles and closed captioning should be automatically used in every video a class is using. Not only will this assist students with disabilities, it will assist others too.

Imagine a world where subtitles are considered normal. Where movie theaters, schools, and offices use subtitles automatically. Imagine if all videos shown in class included subtitles. Imagine how great that would be for subtitles to be normalized.

Now imagine this for every disability. Imagine there being ramps where there are stairs everywhere, spaces large enough to accommodate wheelchairs or medical devices, more access to celiac-friendly food, or spaces for neurodivergent people to decompress if overstimulated. Imagine how much better of a world it’d be. You may not notice a difference, but to those of us with disabilities, it makes all the difference in the world. But let’s start with something simple and easy to implement - subtitles.

Twitter’s new policy DYLAN BRENNAN Columnist

By the time this article is out, Twitter will have done the deed. A few weeks back, they proposed, based on the words of sociologists and the like, to ban ‘dehumanizing language.’

While I admittedly am impressed how well-defined said policy is on what constitutes as ‘dehumanizing,’ I nevertheless cannot get out of my head how Orwellian this all is.

Who is Twitter to construct a verboten list? Dehumanizing language is one of the most integral parts of satire, jokes, and literature. As horrible as it may sound, dehumanizing language is important to language itself.

How many of you have called people, especially politicians, snakes, lap dogs, and so on? We’re not living in some sort of 1940s dark age of depicting Imperial Japanese soldiers as rats to be exterminated or early 20th century businessmen as fat in need of slaughtering. We are in an era

of discussion, ideas, and information. To do that, we need the arts to convey our messages. And without analogy, what art is there to writing?

I know for a fact that I have called Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a turtle countless times.

I am certainly not the only one.

Would such a silly and harmless jab at a politician, who I guarantee has been called far worse, be on Twitter’s no-no list? What about calling an ISIS terrorist a monster?

Would calling a horrible, murderous person an inhuman thing be a crime in Twitter’s eyes?

But enough about hypotheticals: what bothers me is not the rule itself, but the eventual enforcement of said rule. I know without a shadow of a doubt that Twitter won’t enforce this rule equally. They’ve tried to put a lid on the toxic culture on their site, and yet they seem to have both hands on the right side of the lid.

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

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October 9, 2018

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News

October 9, 2018

Representatives come to Towson

Pelosi and Ruppersberger talk bipartisan politics ANTHONY PETRO Staff Writer @1Tonythe_Tiger

Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and U.S. Representative for Maryland’s 2nd Congressional District, Dutch Ruppersberger, spoke to a full auditorium in Van Bokkelen Hall on Thursday afternoon.

Rhetoric and Communication professor Richard Vatz invited the politicians to speak to and take questions from students.

Pelosi had strong opinions regarding the political issues circulating the nation. She implored the student audience to get out and vote, saying voting is the way to make their voice as strong as possible.

“Millennials will be the biggest voting group,” Pelosi said. “Go in with your apprehensions, fears, and ideas; and make sure who you vote for is aligned with your ideals.

Make sure whoever you vote for is working for you and listening to you.”

Before the floor was opened to student questions, Pelosi expressed how impressed with Towson’s diversity she was.

“I love seeing all the diversity in this room,” Pelosi said. “That is our strength and unifying factor.

We have a responsibility to our founding fathers to find a common ground and reassert bipartisanship politics in Washington.”

The first question asked by the student audience was about gun control.

“We need to work in a bipartisan way to get background checks for gun purchases,” Pelosi said. “The mass shootings are terrible, but passing this bill will subdue the gun violence in our cities by not allowing people to buy guns who shouldn’t have them. More lives are saved by keeping guns out of the hands of those that shouldn’t have them than by listing guns that shouldn’t be for sale.”

After answering questions about the deficit, she and Ruppersberger had a few closing remarks.

“Your authenticity is everything,” Pelosi said. “Shape your values for your success and for the people you care about and want to support.”

“Treat others how you want to be treated,” Ruppersberger said.

“That’s the golden rule. We are working toward meeting at a middle ground in Washington.

Everyone needs to practice civility, even if you disagree with someone’s views.”

After sending the students back to class, Pelosi and Ruppersberger answered questions from local

Anthony Petro/ The Towerlight

Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi spoke to local news outlets following a speech in Professor Richard Vatz’s Rhetoric and Communications class. news stations about the Brett Kavanaugh situation, and their thoughts about the question and answer session with the students.

Kavanaugh, who is still facing allegations of sexual misconduct from Christine Blasey Ford, Julie Swetnick, and Deborah Ramirez, has since been confirmed to the Supreme Court.

Anthony Petro/ The Towerlight

Pelosi talked to students last Thursday about her belief that members of the government need to find common ground and reassert bipartisan politics in Washington.

“We have to question the integbeing at Towson and answering rity of the Supreme Court and well-informed questions from everyone involved ,” Pelosi said. the students.

“Kavanaugh says Trump is above “The students asked wonderful all and that’s not fair, not equal. questions, a full range,” Pelosi said.

I, as a woman, “They were realknow many are ly informed.” affected by this Vatz said and many feel he, too, was their voice is proud of the diminished and students. mocked by our “The stupresident.” dents asked Ruppersberger excellent quesagreed that the tions,” Vatz issue is concernsaid. “Dutch ing, and hopes and Nancy has that the different extraordinary parties can come presentations, together to find a and this was solution. a wonderful “This is a opportunity major issue,” for Towson and R u p p e r s b e r ge r the students.” said. “The presJ a k e DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER Representative of Maryland’s Goodman, a ident should 2nd Congessional District want an investipolitical scigation. There are allegations on ence major with a minor in geoloboth sides and Kavanaugh having gy, took a picture with Pelosi after drunk a lot when he was younger the event. may not remember events correctly.

“I found out about this from my The court needs to be bipartisan. congress class and decided to sit in Kavanaugh’s statements about the on the guest speaker,” Goodman Clintons show his partisanship.” said. “It’s not everyday you get to Before departing, Pelosi and meet Nancy Pelosi. She was very Ruppersberger said they enjoyed insightful and informative.”

“

We are working toward meeting at a middle ground in Washington.

Everyone needs to practice civility, even if you disagree with someone’s views.

News

October 9, 2018

Recruiters scout students MARCUS WHITMAN Contributing Writer

This past Friday, the Accounting Open House and CBE Career Ready Day took place in the West Village Commons ballrooms.

These events were held with the intent to recruit graduating seniors into open positions within their fields, and juniors looked for internship positions for the late spring and summer.

Chidubem Oparaoji, a senior and finance major at Towson, said he stopped by the events because of his major, and said that he looks at “finance and accounting as brother and sister.”

“I am hoping to gain an internship that will hopefully lead to a full time job upon graduation,” Oparaoji said.

Northwestern Mutual’s Amber Clontz, the Director of Development and talent acquisition, discussed what she looks for in potential candidates.

“We look for people with leadership qualities, ambitious, and hardworking,” Clontz said. “As well as those who are self-motivating.”

Clontz also discussed the different ways Northwestern Mutual finds the candidates they pick, including using sites like LinkedIn, and being involved with schools “and career fairs, as well as referrals.”

Clontz then shared why Towson University is a place of interest.

“Our offices are close to Towson University, and Towson has a great student body that encompasses

what we are looking for,” Clontz said. “Towson does a great job focusing on the needs of the students. It does a great job helping them meet their needs.”

TEKsystems representatives also gave insight into finding candidates. Casey Woodburn, a Digital Development Recruiter, Sara Ratti, a technical recruiter, and Shannon Harney, a government IT recruiter, said that what they look for in a candidate varies upon the requirements of the position they’re hiring for.

“Sales and marketing experience, and leadership ability, extracurriculars and well-rounded candidates,” they said. “We go to career fairs like this, Universities, and Colleges.

Referrals by people on the inside, and we have internal recruiters.”

The three representatives said that they came to Towson University for recruiting because they use a lot “of alumni to help recruit because of how familiar we are with the area, and we can relate better to students.”

While at the events, some of the firms shared more insight into why they like to use Towson University for recruiting, and why they admire the school. Many agreed that education is important, but not the biggest part recruitment. It also depends on intangible abilities, like communication, soft skills and leadership.

They also like how well rounded the students can be from clubs, sports and other extracurricular activities as well as how students can learn things not just in class but outside of it too.

Meghan Behm, a Coordinator of Academic and Career Services in the College of Business and Economics, discussed exactly what it takes to plan events like these.

“The main thing is to reach out to the recruiters,” Behm said. “Finding out who among employers wants to come. Logistics of getting word out to students of CBE. Getting food and parking logistics for employers.”

Behm also said that events such as the Accounting Open House and CBE Career Ready Day are planned out about one year in advance to allow for “booking rooms and sending out save the dates, six months in advance book employers.”

“Normally [we] try and separate out the events, but because the Union is under construction, we had limited space,” said Behm. “So, for the Accounting Fair, we got employers focused on accounting majors. Mostly public accounting firms. As well those who prepare individuals for [the Certified Public Accountant] exam.”

Behm also explained how they pick locations.

“Usually depends on how many people are expected. We coordinate with Events and Conference Services E.C.S. To find the right locations and try and stick with the same locations for similar events.”

Oparaoji described the event as successful.

“It was good overall,” Oparaoji said. “And successful to speak with many different employers even though my major was quite different from what many were looking for.”

Oct. 7: A student trespassed into a room to retrieve personal property in Glen Complex Tower C. Oct. 7: A resident student was the victim of a checking fraud scheme in Residence Tower.

Oct. 6: Found property resulted in a non-affiliate cited for marijuana under 10 grams at Johnny Unitas Stadium.

Oct. 5: A student made a social media threat against the university in the Public Safety Building.

Oct. 5: A commuter student was followed and threatened by another student at the Osler Drive Bridge.

Oct. 4: Two students were issued civil citations for possession of marijuana in Clara Barton House.

Oct. 3: A resident student reported a harassment and an incident of stalking in Thurgood Marshall Hall.

Oct. 3: A resident student reported an incident of stalking at Thurgood Marshall Hall.

Oct. 3: A campus security authority reported a sexual offense classified as a rape at Frederick Douglass House.

Oct. 2: A student reported unattended sunglasses stolen from Cook Library.

Oct. 1: Two visiting players reported money stolen from personal belongings from the Field House.

Oct. 1: Found property resulted in a resident student cited for false identification on Newell Avenue.

Oct. 1: A video game system, with a game, was stolen from an unattended backpack in the Center for the Arts.

Oct. 1: A faculty member received a threatening email from a student in Stephens Hall.

Sept. 30: TUPD is investigating a possible burglary in Frederick Douglass House.

Sept. 30: A resident student reported the theft of a broom in Millennium Hall.

Sept. 30: A resident student received unwanted messages in Millennium Hall.

Sept. 30: A couple became involved in an assault as a result of a text message at Thurgood Marshall Hall.

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.

Courtesy of Gorfine, Shiller, and Gardyn, P.A. Gorfine, Shiller, and Gardyn, P.A. was one of the companies that spoke to students at Towson’s Accounting Open House Friday, Oct. 5, along with Northwestern Mutual and TEKsystems.

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Arts & Life

TU theatre department calls out corruption MEGHAN HUDSON Staff Writer

In wake of both the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, Towson University’s latest production, “Fuente Ovejuna,” aims to cast a light on corruption and power imbalances, two topics that weigh heavily within these movements.

Written during the Spanish Golden Age by the infamous Spanish playwright Lope de Vega, this play tells the story of an incident that reportedly happened in the village of Fuente Ovejuna in 1476.

According to Director and Towson University Professor Robyn Quick, the village was under the command of Fernán Gómez, a military officer who committed numerous crimes against the people of the village.

“He stole their lands,” Quick said. “And according to the translation of the Spanish history that I read, ‘took by force their wives and their daughters.’ So the commander committed these egregious acts against the villagers. One day in April 1476, the historic record tells us that the villagers rose up against him.”

Though there are many records that contain information regarding the commanders, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, and about the incident from the governing party’s point of view, the records do not explore what the villagers were subject to at this time. De Vega is the only one to tell the story from the villagers point of view. He explores how these events shaped theirs lives, how these events lead to their uprising against their commander and how these people were treated post-uprising.

Quick shared how her studies from her time in graduate school made power imbalances all the more apparent to her.

“We had to study a list of 100 plays that we were given,” Quicks said. “Out of those 100 plays, two were written by women. My friend Mary and I secretly called it the senatorial list, because at the time, there were two women in the U.S. senate.”

Quick shared that this imbalance, as well as her own experience as a young woman, was very much on her mind as she studied for her exam, and remained in her thought process when deciding on “Fuente Ovejuna” for this year’s production.

The relevancy of this play stems from its unexpected balance of empowerment.

“I think there’s something also to be said about basic empowerment and trust in women’s voices in speaking out,” said Griffin DeLisle, a TU student playing the Commander, the antagonist of this play. “Especially with the given case of Anita Hill whom was an inspiration [for Robyn] for this play, but also with the Kavanaugh case that’s going on right now.”

DeLisle highlighted that this play speaks volumes in terms of calling out timely and relevant topics in the news today, especially surrounding gender inequality.

“Women are believed on a base level in this play,” DeLisle added.

“Any time they’d bring up an issue, it is believed by the community and brought to full attention. I think that is a really potent idea right now.”

Hill inspired Quick’s decision on directing this play, but more so by the frightening parallels Hill’s case draws with many cases occurring today.

“Right after I took my comps and read about “Fuente Ovejuna,” I saw on television some senate hearings, and there was a young African American woman in a suit testifying before the senate,” Quick said. “That’s not something you saw every day. It attracted my attention and I listened to her story, and I believed her story. As for the men in the room, it didn’t seem to impact them in the way it impacted me.”

Quick noted how Hill’s decision to speak up fed Quick’s own sense of empowerment, but how the amount of #MeToo stories within the past year have served as a haunting reminder that changes still need to be made.

“After Anita Hill’s testimony we had the year of the woman, and very soon we had more than two women in the senate,” Quick added. “As a

young woman I was very bolstered by that and very strengthened and encouraged. And then in January 2018, of this year, it occurred to me in a very painful way that history wasn’t finished setting things right and it might be time to look to Lope de Vega again.”

Inspired by the power of De Vega’s words, the Department of Theatre Arts and Quick decided that “Fuente Ovejuna” would be most appropriate for this time and this audience.

One unique component of “Fuente Ovejuna” is its group protagonist, the people of the town.

A common challenge amongst the cast was bearing the deep emotions and interconnectedness of their respective characters within the village.

“This play is the story of the villagers, and their experience under this commander,” Quick said. “In this play, they try absolutely everything they can to survive and thrive under this man. But his violence against the people, their bodies, their town, their honor, their sense of community, his transgressions are so absolute that they recognize that the only way to survive is to come together to protect each other and protect their village. These feelings of sadness, desperation, happiness, and anger, resonated so strongly past just being words within a script, and deep within each cast member.”

For some student actors in the show, the emotions of the production run deep.

“Something I have been dealing with is how much it hurts, because it hurts a lot, and it hurts hard,” said Isaiah Harvey, a student playing the role of Frondoso. “But then, there are moments of joy, and you really feel that joy. And sometimes they happen with in the same scene, so it’s an emotional roller coaster, to use that cliché. This show has been one of the most emotionally connected I’ve been to the story, and that in itself is a challenge.”

TU student Jake Schwartz, who plays Barrildo in the play, agreed in the moving powers of the show’s story.

“There are moments I am genuinely laughing along with the characters, and there is a very specific moment I can think of where I am crying on stage because something happened to someone I care about,” Schwartz said.

As a group protagonist, the deep rooted and genuine connections the cast have made with one another, and their own characters, became a driving force of authenticity and realism for this play. In a similar way, these feelings rung true for the antagonist, DeLisle.

“As playing the abuser in this situation, and I’d love to quote one of my colleagues who is not involved in the show, ‘these are roles that need to be played,’” DeLisle said. “As much it is their story as a community that needs to be heard, the evil in this world needs to be played authentically to give power and perspective to the ends and abuse that the community is brought to, and that’s rough.

It’s hard taking that on, it’s part of our whole conversation.”

According to Quick, both her and the rest of the cast and crew are working to perform the production in an honest and accurate manor.

“I can hope that someone would be watching the production, but then realize they could almost be watching themselves, and that they

have the power to stand up against whatever horrible thing is dragging them down, may it be a commander, or may it just be some stress in their life” said Schwartz.

Aryamar Colon-Pappaterra, who is playing Laurencia in the play, hopes that the audience members can truly connect emotionally to the story, and see what is capable when a community truly feels for and supports one another.

“When people have true empathy, when they stand together, and they aren’t worried whether something directly affects them, when they truly are a community, each other’s pain, each other’s burden, they carry it together,” Colon-Pappaterra said. “[They see] what [is] capable in the face of whatever tyranny or oppression, or whatever hate they are facing.”

“Fuente Ovejuna” is set begin showing on Oct. 18 at the Mainstage Theatre, located within the Center for the Arts. Tickets can be purchased online on Towson University’s box office website, or at the box office. Students can purchase tickets at a discounted amount of $8. Senior citizens, teachers and staff, alumni and TURFA members are also subject to discounts. Tickets sell for a regular price of $10.

Brittany Whitham/ The Towerlight

“Fuente Ovejuna” takes a look at gender imbalances and power dynamics through the story of a Spanish village set in 1476.

Arts & Life

October 9, 2018

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Weezy’s last album ABYAN NERY Contributing Writer

Viewers go “Gaga” over new film MATT MCDONALD Columnist

“A Star Is Born” (2018) is the second remake of the classic story of two artists, one already famous and one to-be-discovered, and how their respective fame tests their relationship. Jackson Maine and Ally, played

by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, undergo many trials as a couple and in their own lives, such as jealousy, fulfillment, substance abuse and the timeless struggle between the flashy world of fame and the authentic need to have one’s voice heard.

Going into this movie, I was expecting a standard “country boy meets country girl and they have some struggles, but ultimately their love overcomes it all” type of scenario. In a way this is true, but it is definitely not that kind of movie.

It is much heavier and emotionally tiring than anticipated, yet very com-

pelling. You want to root for these characters, you want them to figure it out, even with some mistakes being made. And it blew me away.

90 percent of this goes to Cooper’s incredible debut directing style. I’ve never seen the other versions of this movie, but I want to because I’m sure they differ greatly. Cooper has taken what should’ve been a fun musical story and brought it down to one of the most realistic, grounded films I’ve ever seen. Keeping mostly with handheld shots and close-ups, the movie can feel almost claustrophobic at times, and though some of the edits can be a little off and the shots can wander a bit, I found it all is just to serve the greater artistic purpose of making the movie extremely natural and real.

Besides the wonderful direction, I believe this is Cooper’s best performance by far. While he was very good in “American Sniper” and “Silver Linings Playbook,” two of his more serious roles, this performance for

me takes the cake, as you never quite know what his character is thinking, and sometimes you both empathize with and pity him while being wary of his actions. His quiet mysteriousness combined with his genuine likability make him a great character.

Additionally, I was floored by Gaga’s performance. She was able to play someone who is timid and in need of confidence yet can take control of the relationship. She plays her emotions beautifully as the person who ends up taking care of her own life and Jackson’s.

My only critiques? Sometimes it can feel a little generic, but only what I call “filler scenes,” or scenes that are in almost every movie for the purpose of connecting the more original scenes. Also, sometimes the characters motivations change, and they might do something that they might not have done a few minutes ago.

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

I know many didn’t believe this moment would come, but ladies and gentlemen, it is really happening. The Avatar has woken up and left the iceberg after his prolonged sleep. “Tha Carter V” has finally been released.

There is no way to talk about this album without first mentioning the hurdles legendary rapper Lil Wayne had to first overcome. This album was worked on from 2012 through 2018, and was teased for release from 2013 until a few months ago when a tumultuous lawsuit between him and Cash Money CEO Birdman was settled that gave him full control of his future musically. As such, this album has a very unique sound, as each song is essentially a time capsule of a different era musically for Wayne.

Some songs sound as if they were added to the album a few months before release, having contemporary production and lyrics, while others sound as if they were made long ago in 2012, serving as sonic throwbacks to a simpler time in rap. For example, some of the best features on this album come from Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott, but have their earlier sounds on songs like “Mona Lisa” and “Let It Fly,”respectively. With such a patchwork of different songs recorded at very different times in

Wayne’s life and career, this album serves as a reflection of his near 27 years in the rap music industry.

A common criticism I have heard about this album is that there is no single track that can truly be called a banger in the style of earlier hits in Wayne’s career. However, that is the point of “Carter V.” Wayne has said multiple times that “Carter V” would be his last album, and that is something that is very clearly seen on this album. Wayne is at his most personal on this album, not afraid to peel back the layers of the persona he’s created; he paints us a picture of a man who can’t stand the fame and lifestyle he is in but at the same time, can’t live without it. He put it best when he says “I ruined relationships before I ruin my image.”

This album has a long runtime of nearly 90 minutes and in that time, the listener is able to finally understand a man who most of us have grown up listening to. It is almost impossible to write about Wayne and not talk about his legacy, as there is not a single rapper in the game that was not influenced by him in some form. His DNA is forever ingrained in Hip Hop. However, unlike the other entries in the Carter series of albums, “Carter V” is different.The “greatest rapper alive” has given the world his curtain call. All we can do now is clap.

Pop-rock duo returns to music TIMOTHY COFFMAN Columnist

If you’ve been listening to any radio station over the past three years, you know who Twenty One Pilots is. Ever since the pop-rock-electronic duo’s mainstream breakthrough, “Blurryface,” TOP has been on the road with fellow pop-rock acts like Panic! at the Disco and Fall Out Boy. After a few months of laying low, the band has resurfaced with the much-anticipated, “Trench.” This album marks an aesthetic change for the band and one that can be dangerous if not executed correctly. So will this record be a bold new artistic direction or an excuse to latch onto modern trends?

Luckily, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun have played to their strengths on this

record with lead singles “Jumpsuit” and “Nico and the Niners.” These songs sound extraordinary in terms of building a mood and plotting the duo’s new direction. The album is a concept of sorts like “Blurryface,” focused on the life of a man named Clancy trying to escape this prison known as Dema.

While I feel that the concept could have been executed a tad better, the music puts the listener in this prison environment perfectly. Each song feels slightly twisted like you have been transported to a post nuclear world on songs such as “Morph” and “Neon Gravestones.” There is a continuation of the story online if any TOP fan wants to explore further into the narrative behind the songs.

Besides the story, the lyrics cover intense messages concerning depression and suicide, while also staying true to its mythical world. While 0 messages are fantastic, the place-

ment of them leaves little opening for interpretation on some songs.

Despite this, the album is paced fantastically well and impeccably performed from the one-two punch of “Jumpsuit” and “Levitate,” all the way to “Leave the City.”

While this album is a change of pace, this is a successful transition into new musical territory for the duo.

Many of these songs seem to take the heaviness that is heard on their hit single “Heathens” and turn it up to 10.

For standard TOP fans, this album is a must-buy, and I would recommend those skeptical of the pop duo’s music to give this one a shot. This band has shown the world that they are growing as musicians and artists, all without losing their drive or integrity in the process. Twenty One Pilots is a band that is going to be around for a long time if they keeping making albums that are this consistently enjoyable.

Courtesy of trace.tv

After six years of work and teasing, Lil Wayne has finally released his alleged “last” studio album, “The Carter V,” this season.

9, 2018 12 October 9, 2018 12October

Puzzles Puzzles

Crossword Sudoku

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Puzzles

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Sports

October 9, 2018

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PATRIOTS EYE PLAYOFFS TIMOTHY KLAPAC Staff Writer

There are yearly traditions for NFL fans when the season closes its first quarter mark. Teams’ playoff chances are scrutinized based on their early-season performances and some have already begun looking toward next season.

We also have gone through the annual week of wondering if this is the end of the New England Patriots reign over the AFC. Once again, the Patriots struggled out of the gate, losing two of their first three games and analysts began questioning whether they still have the right pieces to continue their nearly two-decade long string of success.

Those doubts were weakened

when they throttled the division rival Miami Dolphins 38-7 in week 4 and followed that up with a victory over the Indianapolis Colts 38-24 on Thursday.

After scoring a combined 30 points in their 2 losses, New England’s offense has come to life.

Quarterback Tom Brady has completed 72 percent of his passes for 615 yards and six touchdowns over the last two wins.

But the offensive improvement can be credited with the improved running game, thanks to running back Sony Michel who has emerged as the Patriots new lead back following a season-ending injury to running back Rex Burkhead.

Michel has taken advantage of his new starting role, amassing 210 rushing yards and two

touchdowns.

A slow start to the season has become synonymous with Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick, who has answered the same doubts from the media with his classic monotone attitude.

His players have learned to never panic about a mediocre start because Belichick boasts a 13-4 record in the month of December since 2014.

Nevertheless, pundits debated whether 2018 was the end of the Patriots dynasty.

The truth is, as long as Belichick is running the show and Brady is lining up under center, New England will continue to be the most reliable team in the NFL. If you find yourself wondering if their time has finally come, it hasn’t.

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14 October 9, 2018

Sports

tigers webbed GLENN KAPLAN Staff Writer

Solutions for

Puzzles on page 12

The Tigers were dominated against the Richmond Spiders 5-1 on Sunday afternoon on the road.

“We need to stick to our game plan when other teams put pressure on us,” said Head Coach E.A. Jackson.

Freshman defender/midfielder Steffie Bongers scored a goal for the Spiders (4-9, 1-2 CAA) with 10:49 remaining in the first half. Freshman

THE COUNSELING CENTER PRESENTS

THE HEALTH AND COUNSELING CENTERS LAWN

defender Jessica Hendry scored a goal for Richmond 2:49 later in the first half. Bongers scored her second goal of the game with 3:33 remaining in the first half.

“We are seeing a pattern of struggling to adjust to the speed of the game and passing style when transitioning from the infill surface [we train on] to playing on the water-based carpets that every other team trains and plays on,” Jackson said. “Our new field can’t be finished up soon enough. We are very eager to start training on the appropriate surface.”

Sophomore forward Abra Granger scored a goal for the Spiders 13:34 into the second half.

Senior midfielder Katie McNeel scored on a penalty stroke goal for the Tigers (1-11,0-3 CAA) with 12:24 remaining in regulation.

Sophomore forward Cadera Smith scored a goal for Richmond with 1:48 remaining in regulation.

The Tigers were outshot 24-2.

Towson only had three penalty corners compared to Richmond’s 13.

Freshman goalkeeper MacKenzie Peacock made five saves for the Tigers and redshirt junior Emily Braunewell made one save for the Spiders.

Towson was dominated against conference foe William & Mary (6-6, 3-0 CAA) in 6-0 on Friday night at Busch Field.

Senior midfielder/forward Jenny McCann scored a goal 13:42 into the game for the Tribe. Junior midfielder Christie van de Kamp scored a goal with 14:22 remaining in the first half for William & Mary. Senior midfielder/defenseman Jenna Cutilli scored a goal 4:18 later.

Junior forward Woodward Hooper scored all three goals in the second half for the Tribe.

The Tigers were outshot 32-1 and senior midfielder Katie McNeel took the only shot of the game for Towson.

The William & Mary Tribe had 12 penalty corners and the Tigers only had one penalty corner.

Peacock had an impressive performance, racking up 15 saves for the Tigers.

“Mackenzie makes a number of very difficult saves every game,” Jackson said. “We are very proud of the effort she puts forth every day.”

Up next for the Towson Tigers are road games against American on Friday Oct. 12 with game time set for 3 p.m. and Georgetown on Sunday Oct. 14 with game time set for 1 p.m.

nhl Suspends wilson GLENN KAPLAN Staff Writer

Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson was suspended 20 games by the NHL on Wednesday afternoon, just hours before they opened the season against the Boston Bruins. He is suspended for an illegal check to the head on St. Louis Blues centerman Oskar Sundqvist, during a preseason game on Sunday September 30.

Wilson has had a history of illegal hits towards other players. He was suspended three games during the Eastern Conference semifinals last season against the Pittsburgh Penguins because of an illegal hit to Zach Aston-Reese’s head and he suffered a broken jaw and a concussion.

This is the fourth suspension Wilson has been through dating back to last September. This suspension should be a wakeup call to him.

At just 24-years-old, he already has had a reputation of dirty hits to opposing players. Dirty hits have no place in the NHL anymore.

The NHL today is a game of speed and skill and not illegal hits. Wilson will have a lot to think about during his 20-game suspension. The first game he is eligible to return is on Wednesday, Nov. 21 at home against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Wilson’s game improved during the 2017-2018 season. In 78 games played, he scored 14 goals and recorded 21 assists. His plus/minus was 10.

Wilson did play on the first line with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin during the Stanley Cup Championship run last season.

Brett Connolly took Wilson’s spot on the first line in the first game.

What happens if the Washington Capitals start the season 16-4? Will they even decide to put Wilson into the lineup?

He signed a six-year $31 million extension this past offseason. The NHL Players Association has filed an appeal on behalf of Wilson. He will remain suspended during the appeal process.

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

Sports

October 9, 2018

tigers earn their stripes TU dons pink gear for breast cancer awareness in their weekend win

Shane Simpson Football

Redshirt junior running back sparked an early lead in Towson’s 52-28 victory against No. 13 Stony Brook with a 96-yard return for a touchdown on the opening kickoff. Simpson also recorded a rushing touchdown in the first quarter, giving the Tigers a healthy lead early.

Alexis Brown/ The Towerlight

Redshirt junior running back Shane Simpson runs up the middle of the defense. Simpson played a key role in No. 23 Towson’s 52-28 win over No. 13 Stony Brook Saturday afternoon at Johnny Unitas Stadium.

JORDAN KENDALL Assistant Sports Editor

Donning pink-striped and pink socks, the No. 23 Tigers in the nation, entered Johnny Unitas Stadium .

Towson took on the No. 13 Stony Brook of Stony Brook and started the game hot. Redshirt junior running back Shane Simpson scored twice in the first quarter, 96 yards on the opening kickoff and on a short touchdown run. Redshirt junior quarterback Tom Flacco also found redshirt sophomore tight end Chris Clark for a score in the quarter to put the Tigers up 21-0 early.

Head Coach Rob Ambrose emphasized getting off to a hot start to keep Stony Brook off balance early.

“As long as we’re scoring points it puts the other team out of their comfort zone,” Ambrose said.

In the second quarter, junior kicker Aiden O’Neill missed a 33-yard field goal, sparking a Seawolves comeback.

Senior quarterback Joe Carbone connected with wide receiver

Marshall Ellick to put the Seawolves on the board. On the ensuing drive, sophomore running back Kobe Young fumbled and Stony Brook capitalized with a touchdown to make it a one possession game.

After two unproductive possessions from both teams, Simpson returned a punt near the red zone to give the Tigers another scoring chance midway through the period.

Flacco found Clark for a second touchdown, and hit redshirt junior wide receiver Brent Richardson on a 30-yard strike to give Towson a 35-14 lead going into halftime.

Towson remained aggressive to start the second half, forcing a fumble on the opening kickoff to give Flacco the ball near the red zone.

The Tigers were held to a field goal, increasing their lead to 38-14.

They forced another fumble after senior linebacker Diondre Wallace made a play on the ball. Junior running back Yeedee Thaenrat took advantage of the turnover with a 10-yard touchdown run, extending Towson’s lead to 45-14. This is the first time the Tigers have scored 40 or more points in three straight games in program history.

Stony Brook finally responded with a touchdown as senior running back Jordan Gowins found the end zone, but Towson was able to hold on for the win.

"I'm very proud of our players coming off a physical game last week,” Ambrose said. “Stony Brook is a great football team, there is a reason they are ranked as high as they are. I'm very proud of our guys, coaches, support staff, this is bigger than just the guys in the locker room. This is everybody.

This is a big win.”

15

16 October 9, 2018

Sports

Tigers look to tame the Tribe

File photo by Alexis Brown/ The Towerlight

Redshirt senior defensive back Monty Fenner walks out pregame in a 2017 contest. The Tigers will take on Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) rival William & Mary Saturday afternoon at Johnny Unitas Stadium. The team is coming off a convincing 52-28 win over No. 13 Stony Brook and aims to remain nationally ranked. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.

JORDAN KENDALL Assistant Sports Editor

Coming off two wins against top 15 opponents, the Tigers impressed many by scoring 52 points against the number 13 ranked Seawolves of Stony Brook.

The Tigers began the game on a 21-0 run, including redshirt junior running back Shane Simpson returning the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. Redshirt quarterback Tom Flacco continued his impressive start to the season with four touchdowns. Redshirt sophomore tight end Chris Clark had a breakout game , hauling in two touchdowns.

Redshirt junior wide receiver Shane Leatherbury also contributed to the passing game with nine catches for 129 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, redshirt junior linebacker Robert Heyward led the unit with 10 tackles, and redshirt senior defensive back Monty Fenner

contributed seven tackles and two pass breakups.

Towson now moves on to preparing for the Tribe of William and Mary. Last week, the Tribe won a close game against Albany 25-22. They came back from being down 12 after sophomore quarterback Shon Mitchell scored with 50 seconds left. Senior wide receiver Isaiah Kinder caught a two point conversion to give his team a three point lead.

Mitchell threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns on the day. He also scrambled for the game-winning touchdown run in the final minute of play. Senior wide receiver DeVonte Dedmon led the Tribe in receiving with seven catches

for 138 yards and two scores. The Tribe outgained Albany 396-301, but were stymied on the ground only gaining 38 yards in rushing. Senior defensive back Raeshawn Smith led the defense with eight tackles, and redshirt freshman defensive end Carl Fowler contributed two sacks.

Last time the Tigers faced the Tribe, Towson won 26-14.

Towson celebrates family weekend on Saturday, and Head Coach Rob Ambrose said he wants the entire Towson family to come out to the game.

“Our family has a goal, and it’s something special,” Ambrose said. “This is a team effort, not just the players and coaches but the fans. Everyone involved with this program is a part of the team.”

Kickoff against William & Mary at Johnny Unitas Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 13 is set for 4 p.m.

File photo by Brendan Felch/ The Towerlight

Senior linebacker Diondre Wallace warms up before a 2018 contest.