The Towerlight (May 2, 2017)

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Towson’s campus and community news source

Men’s and women’s lacrosse both had strong showings this weekend, pgs. 18 & 20

TheTowerlight.com

May 2, 2017

TIGERFEST 2017 ALSO INSIDE: THE SGA ELECTION, PG. 8–9

Photo by Mark Dragon, Photo Illustration by Jordan Stephenson /The Towerlight


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May 2, 2017

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Week of 5/2-5/6

WEEKLY

Editor-in-Chief Cody Boteler Senior Editor Sam Shelton

CALENDAR

News Editor Sarah Rowan Asst. News Editors Marcus Dieterle Bailey Hendricks Assoc. Arts Editors Taylor DeVille Kristin Helf Asst. Arts Editor McKenna Graham Sports Editor Jordan Cope Asst. Sports Editor Karuga Koinange Staff Writers Desmond Boyle Jesse L. Baird Natalie Bland

May

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Lauren Cosca Amanda Carroll Mary-Ellen Davis Sydney Douglas Jill Gattens Sydney Engelhardt Billy Owens Nick Koski

Preparing for Finals Cook Library 513, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Feeling stressed about your upcoming final exams? Stop by Cook Library to get tips and advice on how to stay prepared and ace those dreaded finals.

Nicole Shakhnazarova Rohan Mattu Kevin McGuire Jessica Ricks Muhammad Waheed Keri Luise Sarah Van Wie Sierra Underdue Photo Editor Alex Best

May

3

Staff Photographers Matthew Awoyera

May Day with Campus Recreation Celebrate 80 years of Campus Recreation with bootcamp, disk golf, relay, cornhole, can jam, and much more!

Cody Boteler Jordan Cope

Joseph Hockey Joseph Noyes Stephanie Ranque Sam Shelton William Strang-Moya Brittany Whitham

Paws, 7:00 to 11:00 p.m.

Join The Baltimore Improv Group as well as Towson’s ImprompTU for a night of fun and laughs.

May

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Free Comic Book Day Cook Library 3rd Foor, 12:00 to 8:00 p.m.

May

4

Video Producer Stacey Coles

5

Burdick Field, 3:15 to 4:35 p.m.

Mark Dragon Simon Enagonio Maggie Friedman Brooke Glenn

May

The Big Improv Night

May The Fourth Be With You

Check out awesome comic book displays and take home a free comic book.

Union Second Floor Lobby, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Come to the dark side. . . we have candy, free lightsabers and Star Wars themed crafts.

Proofreaders Kayla Baines Stephanie Ranque

TOWSON

General Manager Mike Raymond Art Director Jordan Stephenson

TRENDING

Webmaster Lola Akinleye Circulation Staff Shawn Halerz Nilo Exar Abubakary Kaba Alicia DePasquale

TIGERFEST

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. ©2017 by The Towerlight, 8000 York Rd, Towson, MD 21252. All rights reserved.

Please Recycle!

@towsonCSA, @TowsonBSU & @NAACPTowson started Tigerfest off toooooo right bruh. Cookouts of the szn. @OhItsShell_

Well now that tigerfest is over I can focus on my 2 tests this week and my 8 page paper also due this week @ShaunyceDrenee_

in need of a full body cleanse after tigerfest

@fcknrad

honestly i feel as though classes should be cancelled the day after tigerfest cuz we need to rest & recuperate from the weekend @Jadore__Dior_


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Opinion

May 2, 2017

Our legacy as a PWI

Care for the people, not just the product

And the responsibility of white folks Be cognizant of personal THE SOCIAL JUSTICE COLLECTIVE Campus organization

The article “No, SGA Candidates Aren’t Racist” from April 28, 2017 — and campus climate in general — invites white people to think more deeply about Towson University’s own “legacy.” So let’s examine it! Our legacy is that this campus supported legal segregation until after Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. No Black students were allowed to enroll before then. Our legacy is that our campus used to be in the Harlem Park neighborhood in West Baltimore until anti-black racism drove the white administration to re-locate to the suburbs. Our legacy has protected and continues to protect white interests. Let’s commit as a campus to changing this. White people at Towson and beyond should study our history, educate themselves, and understand critical race theory’s valuable tools, which can help us to think critically about this history. Another lesson is in how we

conceive racism versus discrimination — it’s common knowledge that black people can’t be “racist” because racism by definition means you aren’t of the same identity as the race that holds institutional and social power. “Discriminatory,” “prejudiced” or “biased” would be more accurate. But SGA vice presidential candidate Breya Johnson is not any of those things. Ultimately, white feelings shouldn’t matter when it comes to working to end racism. So it has little import whether Johnson was arguing that white feelings shouldn’t matter “right now” or even later. As anti-racism advocates, we ask white people to educate themselves -- not on political correctness -- but on the tradition of white allyship in the anti-racism movements. There are educated white people who are learning to listen deeply, who are prioritizing foregrounding students of color and faculty of color voices and creating an updated legacy that is not about color blindness, not about ignoring or forgetting this history and not about

obscuring our racist past. As a collective of faculty, staff and students, we would like to see the SGA reflect a new vision for the university -- a vision that advocates for the centering of voices and ideas of students, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds. We support the growth of an SGA that challenges folks on campus to address their own privilege, to confront privilege and racism through critical discussions about race on and off campus, and to link the present moment to historic and structural issues of inequality in greater Baltimore. This difficult work will allow us to bridge the educational and racial divides so we can heal and transform. We challenge the campus (administration, faculty, staff, students, contract workers and our incoming student government leadership) to learn this history and to step up to deeply engage in respectful dialogues about race and racism. (The Social Justice Collective is a collaboration of faculty, staff, and students committed to working for social and racial justice on and off campus.)

spaces and struggles

I found it really insightful listening Tyler Oakley’s podcast,“PsychoBabble,” where he spoke about straight people attending Pride and treating I was having a conversation with it like the party of the week without my brother the other day about rap realizing its significance. While both concerts. He told me about the last he and co-host Korey Kuhl agreed time he saw J. Cole live and how that there are many LGBTQ+ people the crowd was mostly teens and a who simply view Pride as a block party lot of white people. as well, there are responsibilities that That’s not surprising considering come along with entering their space. that hip hop’s biggest consumers are white, suburban men. Nevertheless, They’re completely right. I can’t it’s especially odd, considering imagine someone who is homophothe themes in J. bic wanting to Cole’s music. It’s spend their day kind of like invitat Pride; howeving yourself to the er, just because If you listen to black birthday party of music or use any of our you aren’t blasomeone who you tantly against a intellectual property, know talks mad group of a peoshit about you. Or it would be nice if you ple doesn’t mean maybe you don’t you’re an ally to cared about black know, but everythem. An exampeople, too, and not just ple of this would one else does. That scenar- the fun stuff we offer to be having gay io reminded me friends and going the world. of the time I was to gay bars, but in Chicago on St. allowing somePatrick’s Day last one to use the “f” year, where hundreds of inebriated word around you without correcting 20-somethings were running around them. Millennium Park and puking on sideIf you listen to black music or walks. I was waiting to cross the street use any of our intellectual property, when a black guy blasting Kendrick’s it would be nice if you cared about “Alright,” a song about police brutality, black people, too, and not just the from his stereo was joined by a dancing fun stuff we offer to the world. group of white girls - assumably drunk Unfortunately, you’ll find that this - who rapped every word. dynamic occurs in all relationships It grossed me out in a way that between marginalized groups and I couldn’t explain to the people those with privilege. There will always around me without sounding like be people in our lives who choose neua whiny millennial with too many trality over advocacy, no matter how feelings, but the memory still leaves close we are to them or how indulged a bad taste in my mouth. they are in our culture. The thing is, music, slang and This doesn’t just fall on white hairstyles are all public domain, people. Whatever community you whether you like it or not. I’m not come from, we can all fall victim to mad at white people for enjoying misappropriating cultural entities rap music if that’s what they like. for our own pleasure, without advoAlthough, a group of white frat cating for the communities behind boys blasting Migos from their car them in our own lives. Treating will always receive an eyeroll from sacred environments with respect me. At the end of the day, you like and not just forms of entertainwhat you like - but if you want to ment, in our own spaces and othjoin our party, there are terms and ers, is a step we can all take this conditions that apply. summer as a festivals, concerts, KYNDALL CUNNINGHAM Columnist

I don’t consent to being catcalled @MeganFemmily

I was at Target the other day (far from an unusual occurrence for me -it’s kind of my happy place). But when I was passing through the candle aisle, an older dude, probably around 45 years old, told me, “Smile, babe. You’re beautiful” as he walked by. A few weeks ago, while in the bread aisle of the grocery store picking out the perfect loaf, a man came up behind me and told me he wished they could clone me so that he could stare at women like me “all day.” I was so unsettled that I picked up Italian instead of my usual Honey Wheat. It threw my whole week off. Not the comment. The bread. About a month ago, when I was

walking downtown, a man got way too close to me and said, “You’re beautiful, you know that?” They never expect you to say yes to that question, and that turned me from “beautiful" to “a bitch” real quick. I could go on. Unfortunately, like my Target sprees, men yelling dumb sh*t at women is also far from an unusual occurrence. I’m not some celebrity-status beauty queen (not that that would justify anything); this is just the experience shared by women who have the audacity, the nerve, the sheer audacity to leave their houses. Let me be clear, these unwanted comments are not compliments: They’re harassment. They’re reminders that we live in a society that gives men the power to just approach whoever they want

whenever they want. Can’t a girl just sniff some candles, pick up some bread, walk on the sidewalk, and go to class without having her time wasted by an interaction that she didn’t ask for? Apparently not. In all seriousness, catcalling can go from annoying to straight up dangerous really quickly. It’s a stark reminder of the patriarchal power still residing in our society. Every time I’m approached and every time I have to stop what I’m doing to listen to some guy give me his opinion without my consent, my attention has been demanded, not earned. I wish I could be firm and adamant in my response. I wish I could ignore them until they leave. -- Read the rest of this column online at thetowerlight.com


Opinion

May 2, 2017

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Senior editorials

Photos by Towerlight Staff. Photo illustration by Stephanie Ranque/ The Towerlight

Towerlighters new and old pose together in some of the most recent group photos of the current editorial board, give or take a few members. Every year, the editorial board changes, thanks to the loss of graduating seniors and the addition of rising undergraduate students. Students interested in joining The Towerlight team can fill out an application in the University Union, Room 309.

A final ‘thank you’ Geniuses/jokesters What a ridiculous four years it’s been. I came to Towson reluctantly, a little disappointed to be moving to the campus that had been my “safety school” when all the other schools I applied to turned out to be too expensive. I’m leaving Towson a proud soon-to-be graduate with a two and a half year-long tenure in the senior leadership of The Towerlight. Thinking about how I got to this point is kind of overwhelming. There have been a lot of steps in the path that go me to a point where I was glad to be at TU and proud to be graduating from here. First and foremost, I have to thank Allison McCartney, who was my first year advisor in the Honors College. She was one of the first people who had a real, thorough conversation with me about staying at TU when I was thinking about transferring my freshman year. As she recently told me, labels are hollow and, ultimately, it’s what you do while you’re earning those labels that actually matter. I think this is one of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my undergrad so, again – thank you, Dr. McCartney. Because she helped convince me to stay here, I’ve been able to do some incredible things at Towson. I’ve reported on off-campus hazing and on-campus protests; I’ve investigated students fees, salaries and an incident where a coach was eavesdropping on her team in the locker room. I’ve met United States congressmen, collaborated with a reporter from the Baltimore Sun and traveled to Flint, Michigan, to report on the water crisis. I can’t imagine I would have gotten to do any of these things on any other campus, with any other publication. So thank you, Towson.

A big thank you, as well, to Carley Milligan and Jon Munshaw, the previous editors-inchief I worked with my freshman, sophomore and junior years. Carley, thank you for helping The Towerlight to re-establish a brand and getting me to think about what the paper could be, not just what it is. Munch, thanks for setting a, frankly, intimidatingly high standard. Brandi Bottalico, thank you for being an amazing mentor three years ago when I walked into the Towerlight office and started clinging to the news desk. I learned so much from watching you work. And, most of all, to the amazing team I’ve had the honor of working with this year: Sam, Sarah, Kristin, Taylor, Jordan, Jordan, Marcus and Bailey, Alex and Chris, Mike, McKenna and Karuga – thank you for the long hours, tireless work and countless laughs. As clichéd as that sounds, I mean it. I love all y’all. I’m confident in the future of The Towerlight. I hope the print edition can continue each week, but I’m not naïve to the fact that, one day, that might change. I know our web presence will continue to grow, and I hope that the future leadership of The Towerlight can keep working to make our social media and newsletters big drivers of traffic. But, seriously guys. Maybe pick up the print edition. Not only does it help us pay rent (and our staff), but it’s a lot of work. The Towerlight team doesn’t just hit a couple of buttons and the paper falls together – we spend hours each week proofreading, fact-checking and designing so that we can put out a polished product. There are issues that I’ve been really proud of and there are issues I wish I could forget. But I’ll always be proud of my four years at The Towerlight, my four years at Towson and all the people I’ve met and stories I’ve been able to tell on the way. Thanks for it all, Towson. Let’s stay in touch.

A Towerlight family portrait

I’ve been a part of The Towerlight since the very first second of my very first day on campus. Four years later, I’ve worked with dozens of different people, and I’ve watched them all I’m shoveling P-Tux pasta into my mouth go without feeling the way I’m feeling now. as I sit typing this -- which is good, because This current staff, this amazing group of weirI’d definitely be crying otherwise. Ah, the dos and morons and geniuses and jokesters, amazing curative powers of food. is the only staff that’s felt this much like It’s difficult to describe just why leaving The family to me. Some people have work husTowerlight is so devastating to me. I didn’t bands or wives -- people they bond with create The Towerlight. I didn’t raise the people and trust wholeheartedly while around the who will continue on working here after I’ve office. I don’t. Instead, I’ve got a work boyleft and graduated and hopefully gotten a job friend (my actual boyfriend), a work brother, somewhere. I’m not, like, actually dying. three(?) work lovers and a handful of other And yet, I feel as if all of amazing work siblings -those things are true. all of whom fit under the I feel like I was raised umbrella of an amazing, with these weirdos, and yet amazing work family. I’ve got a work somehow The Towerlight is I love you guys, and it boyfriend (my actual simultaneously my baby (aka breaks my heart to have to boyfriend), a work this stupid, squishy thing leave you. that could fail at any sec(To briefly interject this brother, three(?) work ond because people hate the sad, anxiety-ridden loveflovers and a handful media and people suck and est: I’ve finished my P-Tux, of other amazing work which means that the flood oh-god-what-if-I-drop-it). I know that I’m not dying siblings -- all of whom fit gates are creaking open and -- even though that’s how under the umbrella of an a few traitorous tears are my dark sense of humor threatening to sneak through amazing, amazing likes to help me cope -- but -- meaning that I’ve really I know that I am just bad gotta start wrapping this up, work family. enough at keeping in touch because if the crying starts, with people that I’m worit’s just not gonna stop.) ried this will in fact be the So here we go. last time I see some of them. That kills me, To all my lovely Towerlighters, thank you and I know it’s something I am capable of for stopping by trusty old UU 309 and being fixing and forcing not to happen, but it scares brave and taking all the stress in stride, me nonetheless. What if we don’t have any- because I don’t know where the paper would thing in common anymore? What if we don’t be right now without such an amazing team stay friends because you losers aren’t forced to prop it up and give it heart and make it so to spend ten straight hours a week locked in much better every single day. I don’t know where I’d be. an office with me? SAM SHELTON Senior Editor @sam_tweets_now


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Opinion

May 2, 2017

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Update on ‘intolerance’ in Berkeley DYLAN BRENNAN Columnist

I talked in February about how Berkeley, California, was perhaps the headquarters of American intolerance. Now it has become the Broadway headliner for American intolerance. I cannot see Berkeley as anything other than a dilapidated show stage of the First Amendment, which is now the fighting grounds for communist thugs and anyone who dares disagree with them. And don’t think that this is just a

bunch of Soviets that came out of the woodwork thinking the Cold War is still going on. These are highly organized young men and women, who ride under the banner of anti-fascism. Antifa, as they shorten their name to (although many translate it to anti-First Amendment), are practically a domestic terror organization, and I do truly mean that in the dictionary definition -people who threaten and or perpetrate violence wherever there is a political opinion they disagree with. These are the people who destroyed Berkeley two months ago. These are the people who

would’ve destroyed Berkeley this week, had they not cancelled Ann Coulter’s speech. And do not think that these are not common. Antifa has strong-armed parades and speeches all over the country. They certainly did a number in Berkeley this month during the “Free Speech Rally,” which became an allout melee staged with burning trash cans and smoke grenades. Where have we gone in America to be at a point where the next generation is maiming its political adversaries? -- Read the rest of this column online at thetowerlight.com.


News

May 2, 2017

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Press obstruction is nothing new, journalist says Journalists and their credibility have been under constant fire since President Donald Trump’s political involvement began, but the assault on a free and independent press is nothing new, says National Press Club President Jeff Ballou. “We’ve been kicked out of so many countries, we’ve lost count,” Ballou said. “We’ve been jailed. We’ve been beaten. We’ve been killed.” During an April 27 speech delivered as TU Journalism Day’s keynote lecture, Ballou, a journalist with Al Jazeera English and NPC’s first black male president, recounted some of the ways journalists have been treated unfairly under the current administration and even further in the past. He said images like that of a Trump supporter wearing a T-shirt that read, “Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some assembly required,” at a rally last November are indicative of the threats that journalists have and continue to face. Ballou said that Trump “likes being in front of the camera” and tactically uses the press to his advantage. While Trump has publicly tried to discredit news sources by crying “fake news” for example, Ballou said the president has also tipped off

reporters to key information. “Something is either fact or it’s not,” Ballou said. “Calling something ‘fake news’ is frankly an oxymoron. It’s either news or it’s not.” While journalists do occasionally make mistakes, Ballou said those errors have been amplified in a way that is used to blanketly discredit the press. “If you make a mess, clean it up, apologize and do better,” he said. Ballou urged journalists to combat the idea of “fake news” by simply referring to their First Amendment rights as members of the press. “This is a copy of the Constitution,” he said, pointing to his personal, pocket-size copy. “Your job description is in here.” Ballou also encouraged journalists to join a press freedom organization, such as NPC, where they can find like-minded people who understand what it means to be a member of the press. For journalists like junior mass communication major Watta Camara, Ballou’s speech put the opposition that journalists face in perspective. “It made me think of aspects of journalism that I’d never really thought of before,” Camara said. “I always thought of the pressures that come with the job, that comes with going up to people and asking questions. But I never really thought about the pressure that comes from opposition – people who don’t want

Marcus Dieterle/ The Towerlight National Press Club President Jeff Ballou gives the keynote speech at TU Journalism Day April 27. Ballou, who works with Al Jazeera English, spoke about independent, free press and media obstruction. you to complete your job.” Camara believes that the current political climate is not a whole lot different than it has been historically. She said journalists today probably have even more power now than in the past. “The climate’s probably going to be around this same type as it’s

always been,” she said. “Journalists always get opposition from somewhere. It’s just not as visible in other administrations as it is right now.” From exposing the lead contamination in the water in Flint, Michigan, to celebrating the work of first responders, Ballou said he’s still confident in the current state of

journalism. “I am an optimist,” he said. “I’m going to say ‘truth is not dead. Far from it.’ Because I see great journalism everyday.” But, he said, journalists should brace themselves for the next four years. “Get ready,” he said. “It’s going to be a heck of a ride.”

Facebook post alleging racism disrupts SGA election A series of racially-charged Facebook posts and comments have derailed an election where the two Student Government Association executive board tickets have nearly identical platforms. Breya Johnson, who’s running for vice president on the “URTU” ticket, was the subject of a Facebook post from Andrew Zephir, a Towson student who said he is “involved in greeklife.” Zephir, in his intial post, said that Johnson “openly express[ed] racist remarks” and “does not care for the opinions of our white students.” He also referenced a video on Campus Reform, a publishing platform that’s funded by The Leadership Institute, which is a group that says it “increases the

number and effectiveness of conservative activists and leaders in the public policy process.” What Zephir was referencing was the “anti-Trump” walkout that was organized by the Social Justice Collective last semester. During the walkout, Johnson said, “I don’t care about white feelings right now.” But, Johnson told The Towerlight in an interview, the social media posts targeting her were ignoring the “right now” part of her statement. She said that she was tired

of white students at the rally “apologizing” and wanted to hear actionable plans or conversations about how to move forward. “We didn’t want [white allies] to apologize,” Johnson said in an interview. “We wanted to talk about what happened.” Since this article was initially published, Zephir made a statement to The Towerlight: “I did not make the post with any sort of hateful or racial intent, I was criticizing a candidate’s previous statements.”

He continued, “I have since been informed and talked to about the comment, and have changed my position. I understand her position and what she said now, and I apologized for taking her words out of context. The issue has already been resolved,” Zephir wrote. Current SGA President Taylor James said she was “disappointed” in students who were indulging in racially-charged discussions about the election. “It is frustrating to see that we still do have a ton of work to do

The thought that we’d use it for personal gain, especially when I’ve worked with Breya all year, [is] incredibly hurtful.

MISSY RONAN Legacy Vice Presidential Candidate

in terms of working together as a campus to treat each other with civility and respect,” James told The Towerlight. Missy Ronan, who’s running on the “Legacy” ticket as vice president, denied the rumors that she and the rest of her ticket were trying to take advantage of the social media posts. “The thought we’d use it for personal gain, especially when I’ve worked with Breya all year, [is] incredibly hurtful,” Ronan said in an interview. Ronan and Johnson have previously worked together as director and assistant directors of health and wellness in the SGA. “That’s not what we’re to do,” Pat Mascio, the “Legacy” presidential candidate said in an interview. “Bottom line, if you support hateful ideology founded on ignorance, I don’t want your support.”


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News

May 2, 2017

SGA Elections 2017 URTU, Legacy tickets define platform priorities

After one week of intense campaigning between Student Government Association executive tickets URTU and Legacy, both sides are highly anticipating the elections on May 3 and 4. In the past week, both the Black Student Union and Latin American Student Organization have endorsed the URTU ticket in the race on their separate Twitter accounts, the first time in Towerlight institutional memory that either group has endorsed an SGA ticket. URTU vice presidential candidate and current Director of Diversity Outreach Breya Johnson welcomes these endorsements.

“I think that just speaks to the fact that those of us on this ticket really do deliver to the student groups that are endorsing us,” Johnson said. “We have a long history of working with them, and they know us, and they trust us.” Legacy presidential candidate and current SGA Attorney General Pat Mascio remains confident in his ticket. “When people say BSU is supporting URTU, that’s assuming that every single person in the Black Student Union thinks the exact same [and] feels the exact same about these issues,” Mascio said. “That’s just not true. I know people in the BSU who are supporting us.” In addition to Johnson, the URTU ticket also includes current SGA Vice President James Mileo for president, BSU Treasurer and

former SGA Deputy Solicitor General Makdes Hailu for treasurer and former Director of Diversity Outreach Rishell Chambers for attorney general.

I’m excited to just talk about these issues and what our vision for Towson is. PAT MASCIO Legacy presidential candidate

It also includes University Residence Government President Wayne Nichols, who will be appointed chief of staff should the ticket win. Aside from Mascio, the Legacy

ticket includes Director of Health and Wellness Missy Ronan for vice president, Director of Student Organizations Cristiana Saballos for treasurer, Senator Arianna Anderson-Melton for attorney general and Director of Marketing and Communications Helen Grafton, who will be appointed chief of staff should Legacy win. The tickets have nearly identical platforms based on better connecting with students and organizations, continuing to create a more inclusive campus, improving students’ academic environment and enhancing civic engagement. But their priorities differ in a few ways, too. While both URTU and Legacy admit that there will be some give and take, both tickets are confident that their initiatives will be realistic

enough to warrant attention from University administration. “In the past, we’ve been pretty accomplished in working with administration on our initiatives.” Mileo said. “I really don’t see an issue with getting a lot of things done. It might be difficult, but I definitely think that they’ll be responsive to it.” SGA hosted a candidate debate Monday May 1 between the two tickets. The debate did not meet The Towerlight’s print deadline; however, this story will be updated online afterwards. “That’s our last chance to get out there and put our platform up against their platform,” Mascio said. “I’m excited to just talk about these issues and what our vision for Towson is.”

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Current SGA Vice President James Mileo is running for SGA president on the URTU ticket this year. Mileo and Mascio ran together on last year’s Forward ticket.


News

May 2, 2017

Legacy

URTU URTU introduced an interactive form on its website that allows students to directly contribute to the ticket’s platform. The platform itself consists of five themes: academic success, accessibility, civic engagement, diversity and inclusion, and student organization support, with multiple initiatives within each theme. To their ticket, an important initiative is combating food insecurity on campus. Through this initiative, URTU would create a meal donation program to allow students to donate extra meals at the end of the week, and would expand TU Urban Farm and other community gardens. URTU also hopes to improve connection between administration and students in every area of student life, from parking to diversity issues. “We feel there has been a disconnect between what the students want and what administration does,” Chambers said. “We’re hoping that we can sort of be the bridge for that. Obviously, that’s what SGA is for, but we’re really hoping to make that change.” In addition, the URTU ticket has prioritized improving the connection between SGA and student organizations.

Part of this priority will include developing an SGA collaboration fund, which will allow student groups to host events using SGA funding and volunteers. “I think that’s personally important because I don’t think SGA has necessarily been too collaborative with other groups in the past,” Hailu said. “I think we need to make that connection better.” The URTU candidates emphasized that, should they win, they will work to support and enhance the efforts of other student leaders making an impact on campus and in the community. According to Mileo, the interactive platform showed URTU what students want from the new SGA administration. Many of the priorities on their platform involve initiatives that have already been introduced, such as the #NotAtTU campaign, which members of the URTU ticket have spent time working on, according to Chambers. “We are aware that the other ticket could not possibly have the connections in some of the areas we do, because of knowing who’s been working on these projects,” Chambers said.

The Legacy platform also includes five themes with multiple initiatives under each one. The group’s five main themes include empowering student organizations, embracing Baltimore, creating an inclusive campus, transforming Towson and reforming the SGA. The Legacy candidates emphasized that two of their main priorities include starting a roadmap to make Towson a “powerhouse institution” and SGA reform. Mascio and Ronan agreed that part of creating a bigger name for Towson is using and improving the resources that already exist on campus in order to increase Towson pride among students. One of their initiatives is to reform policies that currently heavily restrict on-campus tailgating for athletic events. To Mascio, this change will have to involve a new level of trust from administration toward students. The Legacy ticket also hopes to reform on-campus parking by introducing parking guidance systems and a tiered parking permit system that will make parking spaces located farther away less expensive than those located directly on main campus. “What we’re focused on is making reforms within the current system to make parking more accessible to students and overall make it a less

painstaking process to even find parking spots,” Mascio said. Legacy also emphasized an expansion of uptown culture that will improve student safety and student mobility. “I think that right now, the administration has this connotation of ‘Don’t see uptown, don’t hear uptown, don’t think uptown,’ but students are going uptown, and I think the university administration needs to be more accommodating in terms of student safety,” Ronan said. Part of this will include both advocacy for a 24/7 weekend shuttle service and an expansion of Its On Us into the uptown area with a program called “Safe Bars.” The program will help bartenders and managers recognize unsafe situations and learn bystander intervention techniques. In terms of SGA reform, the Legacy candidates hope to dismantle the culture of SGA being “all-powerful” on campus, according to Grafton. One plan will be to decrease material benefits for SGA members, benefits that the Legacy ticket deems as unecessary. “What we really need to do is bring back the student aspect of student government,” Mascio said. “SGA, while it’s very important, is not the be-all and end-all on this campus.”

HOW DO I

PRINT ON CAMPUS? Cloud

Access your Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, Office 365 or OneDrive account at any wepa print station to print your files.

Web

Login at wepanow.com/webupload , select your documents and “send to wepa.”

Traditional

One-time download to your personal computer: wepanow.com/printapp Ope your document, choose “file>print” and select your preferred wepa printer.

Email

Using your school email account, email your documents to print@wepanow.com.

Mobile

Download the “wepa Print” app and follow the instructions.

UPLOAD AND PRINT! 1. Upload your documents to the wepa print cloud using your school username and password. 2. Login at any wepa print station with your OneCard. 3. Print your documents.

Courtesy of TU Legacy

Current SGA Attorney General Pat Mascio is running for SGA President on the Legacy ticket this year. Mascio and Mileo ran together on last year’s Forward ticket.

9

Visit: www.towson.edu/wepa

USB

Insert your USB drive at any wepa print station.

$

SAVE

Use your OneCard retail points instead of credit cards and avoid the $0.40 per transaction fee. All banks/credit card companies charge this fee.


10 May 2, 2017

News

Cook Library unveils new 24/7 study space ROHAN MATTU Staff Writer

Just in time for finals, students can now study around the clock at Cook Library’s new 24/7 study room, which opened April 26. Starting in 2006, Dean of University Libraries Deborah Nolan and her colleagues worked continuously for a space in which students could work at any time. Success came in stages: first by expanding weeknight hours until 2 a.m., then by staying open 24/7 during finals week, to finally having a space that could be open all of the time for students to work. “The 21st century library, with a central focus on student learning, requires learning spaces to support differing learning styles and discovery methods,” Nolan said. “Our 24/7 space offers spaces and furnishings for quiet individual work and for conversational small group work, with and without technology.” Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs Timothy Chandler spoke about how libraries have become more technologically accessible since

his days of studying, when books were students’ primary resource for gathering information. “We’re living in a 24/7 world, and this part of the library is an attempt to enable students to live in that kind of world,” Chandler said. “I believe this is part of the 21st century education that all students need. They’re places where they can work individually. They can work in groups. They can have access to the materials they need anytime of the day or night.” The study room replaces the former office spaces that were located behind the newly-renovated Starbucks on the main floor of the library. The room includes large work tables for group work and futuristic, private Brody WorkLounge chairs by Steelcase, designed to maximize productivity. Along with space to work, there is also a row of Mac desktops on one side of the room. A bar-style tabletop, outfitted with electrical outlets for students working with personal laptops, lines another side. The room also has its own portable white boards. “People like to work differently so we balanced it out,” facilities planner Kerry Spence said. “We’re offering a space where you can use the computers

Rohan Mattu/ The Towerlight Towson University administration members, along with A-LIST students, partake in the ribbon cutting of Cook Library’s new 24/7 study space. The space is located behind the newly-renovated Starbucks. that have software that might not be on your own laptop, but we also provide a place where you can just plug in your laptop and work.” The room is made to be primarily self-sustaining, with little personnel needed. After hours, students get into

the main entrance of the library by swiping their OneCard, and the only room open to students will be the study room. Following the ribbon cutting, students, staff and visitors were invited to enjoy drinks and refreshments, as well

as partake in some of the many activities set out by three student library leaders who are part of the Albert S. Cook Library Leadership Institute for Students, known as A-LIST students. --To read the rest of this article online, visit thetowerlight.com.


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14 May 2, 2017

INTRODUCING COMMUNITY-BASED EDUCATION & LEADERSHIP Stevenson University’s School of Graduate and Professional Studies is introducing a new online master’s degree and post-baccalaureate certificate in Community-Based Education & Leadership. Developed to meet the growing demand for highly-qualified professionals to teach, lead, and manage in non-formal and informal education settings, this program benefits a variety of positions within this expanding educational sector. Practicing professionals will gain the knowledge and skills to become effective educators and change leaders in their organizations. Upon completion of the master’s program, graduates will have the ability to meet the needs of diverse populations of learners, build transformative learning communities, and foster collaborative partnerships within their field. Visit stevenson.edu/CBEL for more information.

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Arts & Life

May 2, 2017

15

2 Chainz, Dreezy roar at Tigerfest

Alex Best, Mark Dragon/ The Towerlight

Clockwise: 2 Chainz, Dreezy and Chase Bryant spread good vibes at Tigerfest’s 2017 festival.

SARAH VAN WIE Staff Writer

After an outdoor concert festival in Lot 26, day two of Tigerfest drew over 1,000 people for live performances by Dreezy and 2 Chainz. “I’m so happy Towson is finally on the map because of how big an artist 2 Chainz [is],” junior Ben Del Rosario said. “People are talking about us now.” The lineup for the concert featured DJ Hoop Dreams and Dreezy, DJ East Sun and 2 Chainz. “We base our decision about the lineup based off of the artist students chose through the Tigerfest survey,” Campus Activities Board Marketing Chair and sophomore Benjamin Soulignavong said. “There were not challenges getting 2 Chainz to perform.”

Tigerfest weekend kicked off with a block party on Friday complete with carnival rides, food trucks, games and a beer garden for students 21 years old and over. The theme for this year’s fun was “#goodvibesonly.” Students had the chance to enjoy performances by their friends and peers. Student groups, including the Le Belle and Allure dance teams as well as Phi Beta Sigma, performed between the main musical acts. “It was really nice to perform,” sophomore and Phi Beta Sigma member Kalin Hicks said. “Hopefully everyone enjoyed it as much as we did.” CAB’s Battle of the Bands winners DJ Gurf, Thunder Club and King Zell and Tay Harper also performed before Friday’s headliner, country singer Chase Bryant, took the stage. Bryant sang some of his best known songs, “Little Bit of You” and “Take it

on Back.” “I don’t really listen to country music,” sophomore Khadean Coombs said. “[But] he did a cover of the song ‘Superstition’ by Stevie Wonder and other songs that made it a lot of fun.” “I ate a really great burger,” sophomore Taylor Del Valle said. “The photo booth was nice and fun. I am going to hang the pictures in my room.” Saturday night, Dreezy and DJ Hoop Dreams stirred up the energy in the arena with her freestyle during the opening performance. 2 Chainz rekindled the hype when he took the stage by letting the crowd sing to him and getting them to scream out to his comments and questions. “The floor was so lit this year,” senior Veronica Twigg said. “This was by far the best time I have had at the Tigerfest concert.”


16 May 2, 2017

Arts & Life

Before you hit the beach ...

consider hitting the books.

Summer classes begin May 30th. harford.edu Commencement is coming soon...

You are what you smell like KERRY INGRAM Staff Writer

The summer season is among us, which means plenty of sunshine, sweat and stink (cue upside-down smiling emoji). When it comes to beauty, most people tend to overlook fragrance as a vital part of their routine. It seems too simple to think about – you just spritz on some random, 90 percent alcohol body spray (or drench yourself in Axe if you’re truly obnoxious…don’t be that person, please) and go about your day, right? Wrong. Your scent leaves just as much of a lasting impression on people as a quality handshake or a well-executed conversation. There are so many different fragrances out there that it can be overwhelming to choose from the never-ending list of options, and let’s not forget the fact that we’re all college students who would rather not spend a pretty penny on “fancy water.” Luckily, I’ve discovered some pretty awesome

programs and deals that will allow you to smell as fresh as daisy without breaking the bank. DEAL 1: Scentbird For only $15 a month, you’ll be able to choose from over 450 different fragrance options and receive a deluxe size travel spray of your chosen scent that will last you well beyond 30 days. This option is great if you’re not sure of which scent you want to try or if you want to own multiple fragrances without going broke. DEAL 2: FrangranceX.com This site offers coupons for a large array of popular fragrances. It’s like the Groupon of the fragrance world. DEAL 3: The mall Have you ever tried any of the fragrances sold at the counter of your favorite clothing stores? I’ve come to find that these scents actually last just as long (sometimes even longer) than their pricier counterparts. Stores like Rue21, Forever21 and Charlotte Russe have both male and female fragrances that are super affordable and small enough to try

out several without the guilt. DEAL 4: TJMAXX This store is like the thrift store of beauty outlets. They have a large beauty section, where many top selling products are priced at nearly half off of the original retail value. Their fragrance section includes a lot of designer scents at drugstore prices, so this is a really great alternative to buying full price. DEAL 5: Sephora I know this may come as a surprise to you, but even Sephora currently has different ways to hook you up with fragrances. The first way is easy: just ask for samples. Sephora’s policy is not unlimited samples (some Facebook-circulated articles say otherwise), but you can ask for three different fragrance samples per day to try out in order to find something you love. The second option at Sephora is to buy one of their fragrance sampler sets. These sets consist of up to 10 different fragrance samples and a voucher. --Read the rest of this column online at www.thetowerlight.com

Experiencing global hunger JESSICA RICKS Staff Writer

Bring a friend & you'll BOTH receive 10% OFF your total!

The number of hungry people in the world outmatches the combined populations of Canada, the U.S. and the European Union. It’s not necessarily visible in middle -class America, but Towson students got to see and experience the direct impact of it during Tuesday’s Hunger Banquet. About 25 students participated in a simulation dinner sponsored by the Office of Civic Engagement. The banquet was part of National Volunteer week, which had events running from Monday through Thursday. According to Aleah Disney, service leader for Civic Engagement and one of the banquet organizers, the Hunger Banquet was created by Oxfam International, a charity organization striving to end world poverty. The Office of Civic Engagement puts on the event in both the spring and fall semesters during National Hunger and

Homelessness Awareness Week. Students were greeted in front of Patuxent Lounge and given a piece of paper with a description of a person on it, including their annual income. This determined where the student would sit and what they would eat during the banquet. Students who were placed in the “high income” group sat at a table with ceramic dishes and were served drinks, ravioli and salad. The “middle income” group were seated at more humble tables with plastic dishes and served themselves chicken and broccoli. And finally, the “low income” group was asked to sit on the floor where they had to serve themselves only a cup of plain rice, with no flatware. After the banquet, students were invited to make sandwiches to be donated to the Baltimore-based non-profit Beans and Bread. Breonna Myers, a junior attendee, said she comes from a place where hunger is a real issue, yet she found the banquet to be an eye-opener.

“I learned there are a lot of existing problems we don’t pay attention to,” she said. “We have so many resources but they’re not being utilized as well as they should be. The banquet put a lot of things into perspective.” The most surprising thing about the banquet, she said, was how many students in the high and middle income groups were willing to share their food with the low income participants. Emma Adomako, a junior and Civic Engagement leader, has participated in four hunger banquets and found this year’s banquet to be more interactive. “This is the first time I’ve seen people from different groups share and interact,” she said. “I think with so many things going on in the world, it’s making us more unified.” All students were encouraged to get involved with ending world hunger and make a difference by volunteering at nearby shelters like Maryland Hunger Solutions and Our Daily Bread.


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May 2, 2017

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18 May 2, 2017

Arts & Life

House of Ruth offers support Maybe don’t dive right in on this one KRISTIN HELF Associate Arts & Life Editor @kristinelise_

Approximately 43 percent of dating college women report experiencing abusive behaviors from their partner. Over 13 percent of women in college have been stalked. Statistics vary, but according to some research, as many as one in four women are sexually assaulted during their undergraduate tenures. Of course, it’s hard to know the exact number of women who have been abused or sexually assaulted in college, because many cases go unreported. These and other staggering statistics were presented on Wednesday in the Center for Student Diversity’s Lunch n’ Learn with Brittany Taylor, a community organizer from Baltimore’s intimate partner violence shelter House of Ruth. Taylor’s presentation educated the attending students and faculty members on what intimate partner violence, or IPV, is: A pattern of coercively controlling behavior used by a current or previous partner to gain or maintain power and control over the other partner. House of Ruth differentiates IPV from the term “domestic violence,” because not all partners live together -- especially when the partners in question are college students. While IPV knows no boundaries in terms of age, race, class or sexual orientation, statistics show that col-

lege-aged women are especially at risk. “Students are in the vulnerability stage,” Taylor said. “We have students who, psychology-wise, their prefrontal cortex is still in development, so decision-making [is hindered].” She handed out slips of paper to audience members that gave examples of varying types of intimate partner violence. Audience members took turns reading the scenarios aloud, and the rest of the crowd tried to pinpoint the type of IPV each scenario illustrated. In one scenario, based on a real situation that Taylor dealt with during her time counseling at House of Ruth, a boyfriend destroyed his girlfriend’s makeup because he didn’t like her wearing it to class. Audience members volunteered different types of IPV this might be -- economic abuse, emotional abuse, male privilege -- all of which were true. “It’s different for everyone,” Taylor said, and different kinds of abuse can fall under different categories. However, no matter what category the abuse falls under, all types of intimate partner violence have one thing in common: the utilization of power and control. “To be honest, abuse looks the same across genders, across social class, across age,” said Patricia Abduragimova, a graduate assistant at the Center for Student Diversity and an intern at House of Ruth. “Abuse looks the same. Unfortunately it’s all

about power and control, which is something new that I learned [working] at the House of Ruth.” For male and female college students who might be experiencing IPV, Taylor recommended a variety of onand off-campus resources. “If you’re looking within the university, definitely take a look at the Office of Student Conduct. It has Title IX information. If you feel comfortable talking to a professor or staff, you can, and you also have the counseling center,” Taylor said. “Outside of the university, you also have two providers. One is TurnAround, they deal with sex trafficking, and that’s what at House of Ruth we don’t have yet. You also have us, as far as the House of Ruth Maryland, and we have a 24-hour hotline. If you need [help with] legal issues, counseling, even if there’s an abuser trying to get help, we have those types of resources as well.” Abduragimova recommended that female students seeking help and support come to House of Ruth’s IPV support group at noon on Tuesdays. “I would personally recommend House of Ruth, because we specialize in Intimate Partner Violence,” Abduragimova said. “And not all counseling centers are going to specialize in that. I would recommend going somewhere where they are up-to-date on the research and up-to-date on the issue, and they specialize in it. You’ll find a community there, because everyone there has gone through that.”

Kristin Helf/ The Towerlight

Brittany Taylor presents information about intimate partner violence and and offers resources for those who have survived it.

MCKENNA GRAHAM Assistant Arts & Life Editor

Title: “Blue Field” Author: Elise Levine Rating: Three stars Genre: Suspense, drama Going into this book, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Usually, I choose the books I review based on my own interests and what I think will interest a majority of the university population. This time, an advanced reader copy was sent to the Towerlight office for review. I was apprehensive. “Blue Field” follows the story of a woman, Marilyn, who takes up scuba diving as a hobby, marries her instructor and goes on dives with him and her best friend. Marilyn pushes herself to keep up with her far more experienced husband, Rand, endangering herself and earning the decree that she is no longer allowed to go diving. Rand and Marilyn’s best friend, Jane, continue to dive. One day, Jane dies during a diving excursion. To honor her, Marilyn takes the hobby up again, for better or worse. This is mostly information you can glean from the back cover of the novel. I share it with you partly because I don’t want to spoil anything the synopsis doesn’t already tell you and partly because, to be honest, this is the information the author deemed important, but not the information I got the sense was important while reading the novel. The story feels less like a dive into Marilyn’s complex relationships with her husband and friend and more like being drowned in her inner turmoil. Both her parents are dead at present, and, while it’s never made clear (at least, not to me) why, she is forever mentioning them and thinking about them. Her best friend seems kind of terrible as a human being, to be honest, and everyone in the novel treats Marilyn horribly—ignoring her, bullying her, patronizing her—and she seems slightly deranged simply in her reactions:

she doesn’t stand up for herself but doesn’t disregard the slight, either. Instead, she reacts by trying to get back at them by doing things just to spite them. She just seems incapable of responding in a healthy way. We never get the sense that she’s eating right, or making healthy decisions, or breathing normally, or thinking about anything but her parents or husband or best friend or best friend’s demented older sister. Seriously, that girl has some issues. I just couldn’t get a sense of what Levine was trying to do with this story—was it a story about diving, about friendship, love, and loss, about guilt, about near-death experiences, or what? There were so many plotlines that felt halfbaked and never really went anywhere. This book’s saving grace was simultaneously its downfall: the writing was beautiful at times, but other times, it was detrimental to the plot. I loved the prose (when I could understand what was happening), but I feel like the excessive figurative language and flowery composition got in the way of my comprehension. I wonder how much more I would’ve liked this book if the writing was toned down a bit. I feel like I would’ve understood more, would’ve sympathized more with the character, and would’ve felt more attached to what was going on. The whole thing felt dreamlike and distant—I’m almost positive this is intentional, because we don’t get Marilyn’s name until 34 pages in, and none of the dialogue is in quotations, which generally gives the entire story a more detached feeling—but I wish it hadn’t been so distanced. All in all, this book deserves three stars because it was partly beautifully written and kept my attention, but the main character was forgettable and felt so unrealistic. The plot was, quite frankly, disappointing. Levine’s prose is mostly wonderful, except when it’s not, and I’m curious to see what else she does, but I was not too impressed by this. All in all, I’d say this one is not a must-read.


Puzzles Puzzles

19 19

2, 2017 MayMay 2, 2017

Crossword Sudoku

Puzzles

?

9-14-16

● Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating.

outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.

Please support independent student journalism @ TU ● The numbers within the heavily

● Freebies: Fill in single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. KenKen® is a registered trademark of Nextoy, LLC. ©2016 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved. Dist. by Universal Uclick for UFS. www.kenken.com

? ?

See page 20 for answers to today’s

We bring you The Towerlight every Tuesday for free. But we ask for your support as we continue our mission of giving the next generation of student journalists their first real-world experience in reporting, editing, photography, and design.

To make a donation, please go to TheTowerlight.com/youcanhelp/ Or mail a check to Baltimore Student Media, 8000 York Rd., Towson, MD 21252. We are a non-profit corporation, so your donation is tax-deductible. And we will gladly provide a receipt. Thank you for your support!


20 May 2, 2017

Sports

advantage towson Tigers defeat Blue Jays in regular season finale

@thetowerlight @thetowerlight

The Towerlight The Towerlight

TAP INTO WHAT’S HAPPENING ON CAMPUS AND BEYOND. TAP INTO WHAT’S HAPPENING ON CAMPUS Download The Buzz:AND TowsonBEYOND. University and keep tabs on

Joseph Hockey/ The Towerlight

Sophomore attacker/midfielder Natalie Sulmonte takes a draw in the face-off dot Saturday at Unitas.

national headlines, local news and events around campus. Download The Buzz: Towson University and keep tabs on national headlines, local news and events around campus. KARUGA KOINANGE Assistant Sports Editor

Towson earned an 18-5 victory over Johns Hopkins in its regular season finale at Johnny Unitas Stadium Sunday afternoon. The Tigers wasted no time getting on the board as sophomore attacker Carly Tellekamp put in a goal off a feed from fellow sophomore attacker Natalie Sulmonte just 36 seconds into the game. That goal sparked a 6-0 run for Towson and was capped off by a second goal from Tellekamp at 13:34. Senior attacker Samantha Brookhart picked up one of her four assists on the day during that run.

Solutions ● Each row and each column must

contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating.

● The numbers within the heavily

9-15-16

outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.

● Freebies: Fill in single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. KenKen® is a registered trademark of Nextoy, LLC. ©2016 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved. Dist. by Universal Uclick for UFS. www.kenken.com

for Puzzles on page 19

“[Brookhart] is one of the leading passers in the country, and that’s because she works hard at her game and has a great skillset,” Head Coach Sonia LaMonica said. In the first 10 minutes of the game, Towson’s defense held Johns Hopkins to just four shots. Sophomore goalkeeper Angie Benson made some difficult stops during that stretch. “Those saves that Angie made were definitely clutch,” LaMonica said. “She found the ball and was ready to see some early shots.” The Tigers scored the final four goals of the half and took an 11-1 lead at the break. During that run to close out the half, both Montalbano and Tellekamp recorded hat tricks. In the second half, Johns Hopkins

scored two of the first three goals to make it a 12-3 game, but Towson responded with a 5-0 run to take a 17-3 lead with just over 10 minutes left to play. The Tigers scored once more on a goal from senior midfielder Michaela Duranti and secured an 18-5 victory over the Blue Jays. “We were able to come out and really keep the foot down and have a very convincing win here today,” LaMonica said. The Tigers return to action in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament semifinals Friday, May 5, at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Towson, as the defending champion and number two seed, will host No. 3 Elon at 6:30 p.m.

Brookhart is one of the leading passers in the country, and that’s because she works hard at her game and has a great skillset.

SONIA LaMONICA Head Coach


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22 May 2, 2017

Sports

big assister Senior attacker Samantha Brookhart takes pride in mentoring her teammates and lending a helping hand.

File photo by Jordan Cope/ The Towerlight

Senior attacker Samantha Brookhart runs the Towson offense against Oregon. Brookhart recorded two goals, two assists and four points in Towson’s 10-7 victory at Johnny Unitas Stadium. She has the chance to break the school record for most assists in Towson’s CAA semifinals matchup against Elon Friday. Face-off is set for 6:30 p.m.

JORDAN COPE Sports Editor @jordancope26

Samantha Brookhart takes pride in being the quarterback of the 29th most efficient offense (at The Towerlight’s press deadline) in the country. The Towson senior attacker broke the single-season assist mark of 43 by recording four helpers in the team’s 18-5 win over Johns Hopkins Sunday. In Towson’s Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) semifinals game against Elon Friday, May 5, Brookhart has the opportunity to shatter the school record for career assists. She is just two helpers shy of breaking the

91-mark plateau. “I’ve always considered myself more of a giver than a receiver,” Brookhart said. “I just love seeing the joy of giving an assist to my teammate who scores, especially when you’re giving an assist to a first-time goal scorer. It’s the most amazing feeling you could ever have.” Brookhart’s journey to Towson began at Mount Hebron High School in Ellicott City, Maryland. She was a four-year varsity starter and tallied 132 goals, 103 assists and 211 draw controls throughout her career. The numbers throughout Brookhart’s time at Hebron earned her U.S. Lacrosse and Under Armour All-American honors and team MVP honors in her junior and senior

years, respectively. Lacrosse wasn’t the only sport that Brookhart excelled at, however. She also played basketball and field hockey. In field hockey, Brookhart was a twotime all-county selection and earned team MVP honors in her senior year. Despite Brookhart’s extensive athletic career in high school she followed lacrosse, joined Towson’s program in 2014 and received a start in the team’s first game

I’ve always considered myself more of a giver than a receiver. I just love seeing the joy of giving an assist to my teammate who scores, especially a first time goal scorer. It’s the most amazing feeling you could ever have. Samantha Brookhart Senior Attacker

as a true freshman. “My high school coach pulled me into her office and said, ‘I don’t know if you’ve been thinking about college recently,’ meanwhile my club coaches made us do a list of schools,” Brookhart said. “Towson was on my list, after visiting the university there was so much potential I just wanted to be a part of that.” In Brookhart’s first season in black and gold, she appeared in all 19 games, helped lead the team to a conference championship and made the CAA All-Rookie Team. A year later, Brookhart crushed the myth of the sophomore slump. In her second year with the team she appeared in every game and finished second on the team in points and assists with 30 and 19, respectively. Last season, Brookhart played a key role in Towson’s run to another CAA Championship and a win in the NCAA Tournament. In the team’s postsea-

son run she recorded 10 points, seven

assists and three goals. While Brookhart’s career at Towson coming to a close, she wants to help her teammates find the will to win another Conference Championship and make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. “The mindset of a college athlete is wanting to win rather than needing to win,” Brookhart said. “We have a ton of great players on our team both offensively, defensively and our midfield. This talent can take us very far into the NCAAs and I’m really looking forward to that happening.”


Sports

May 2, 2017

major league problem JORDAN COPE Sports Editor @jordancope26

One of my favorite memories of my time at Towson has been inviting friends over on weeknights, popping open a few ice-cold beers and watching an Orioles game. However, this particular evening I’m a little bit frustrated -- not at my friends and not at the fact that the $10 sixpack I bought was skunk, but at the inconsistent strike zone of the home plate umpire. Don’t get me wrong, this has been a problem in Major League Baseball since I was a kid, but it seems that the problem has developed into a disaster within the past five years. As the game progresses, former Orioles great and team color commentator Jim Palmer mentions how a pitch that was thrown off the outside corner of the plate has been called a strike all night by James Hoye. Palmer, as he does best in his analyses, states the obvious and says that

hitters will have to make a mental note of the strike zone and make adjustments in their next at-bats. But why should hitters have to be subjected to swinging at pitches that aren’t strikes? And why should pitchers have to adjust their pitches if they are being pinched? It is time that MLB umpires are held accountable for their actions. There are many more Minor League baseball teams than there are Major League teams in the United States, so the number of MILB umpires outweighs the number of MLB umpires. That said, Major League Baseball has a huge pool to choose from in Minor League Baseball if they want to start holding their umpires accountable. If Major League Baseball does not want to do that, which, let’s be honest,

looks to be the case, then the league needs to implement technology that will make the right calls. Any baseball fan has probably watched a game broadcasted on ESPN, and what do we see every game on every pitch? An electronic tracker that shows fans where the ball fell in the classic letters to knees strike zone. If we have the technology to call a ball or a strike to the T, why is Major League Baseball not taking advantage of it? I love the game of baseball. I always have, and I always will, but it is time that Major League Baseball gives the players -- especially the players -- and the fans what they want, an accurate strike zone. Whether it be disciplining current umpires for missed calls or implementing the technology that we have, it is time to make a change.

Billy Lennox Baseball

Junior second baseman Billy Lennox went 3-for-5 and drove in three runs in Towson’s victory over William & Mary Saturday at John B. Schuerholz Baseball Complex.

23


24 May 2, 2017

Sports

defending the den

Jordan Cope/ The Towerlight

Senior attacker Joe Seider drives to the cage in Saturday’s matchup against CAA rival Hofstra at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Seider finished the contest with three goals (Above). Redshirt sophomore long-stick midfielder Liam Blohm (left) and senior midfielder Tyler Young (right) await a faceoff in Towson’s 10-8 victory over rival Hofstra (Below).

JORDAN COPE Sports Editor @jordancope26

A 4-0 third-quarter Saturday clinched Towson home field advantage in the 2017 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament and a 10-8 victory over rival Hofstra in the regular season finale. “I’m excited for our program and especially our seniors to finish out the regular season by earning the regular season championship for the CAA,” Head Coach Shawn Nadelen said. “I’ve been emphasizing to these guys all week how important it was to come out engaged and aggressive. They responded.” In the first quarter, the Pride (11-2, 3-2 CAA) scored the game's first goal, but the Tigers (8-4, 4-1 CAA) responded less than a minute later to even the score going into the second. Just minutes into the second quarter, Hofstra jumped out to a 3-1 lead. Junior attacker Brendan Kavanaugh and freshman attacker Ryan Tierney found the back of the net for the team. Following Hofstra’s fast start in the second quarter, Towson respond-

ed with two goals of its own to tie the game 3-3. During that run, senior attacker Joe Seider and senior midfielder Tyler Young scored for the team. The Pride broke the Tigers’ run and scored with 9:59 left in the second, but Towson senior attacker Ryan Drenner ripped a shot into the goal with five seconds left in the half to tie game 5-5. “In a game like this where it’s obviously tightly contested, to get that one late in the half to send you into halftime with momentum was awesome,” Nadelen said. “I don’t know if that propelled us into the third quarter with that momentum, but I think our guys were definitely excited to execute that.” In the third, Towson shut down Hofstra’s attack while scoring four goals to take an 8-4 lead into the final stanza. Young and Seider netted two goals each during the run. “Towson-Hofstra games, it’s just a slug fest,” Hofstra Head Coach Seth Tierney said. “It got away from us in the third quarter.” In the fourth quarter, junior midfielder Dylan Alderman scored two goals to pull the Pride within two goals of the Tigers with 9:17 left in the game. Towson and Hofstra exchanged goals for the rest of the game, until

time ran out on Hofstra and Towson held on for the win. “We just got the defense moving. We weren’t settling for the first shot,” Young said. “We were just being patient with the ball and their defense kind of opened up. Drenner was doing a great job of finding the shooters, and the shooters were able to finish today.”

Towson will host Drexel in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament Thursday at 5 p.m. at Johnny Unitas Stadium. This marks the fifth straight year that Towson will be playing Drexel in the semifinals. In the previous four semifinal meetings with the Dragons, the Tigers have won three games, with their only loss

coming in 2014. In one meeting with Drexel this season, Towson came away with an 8-7 road win in Philadelphia at Vidas Field. “When you get to this point in the season everyone is dangerous,” Nadelen said. “It’s a great opponent, a great challenge. They are a very capable team”


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