The Towerlight (February 27, 2018)

Towson’s campus and community news source

TheTowerlight.com

February 27, 2018

Entrepreneurs learn how to go from the drawing board to the board room pg.7

A look at the season ahead. pgs. 16, 17, 18 Photo by Natalie Jeffery, Photo Illustration by Victoria Nicholson /The Towerlight

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February 27, 2018

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Social

February 27, 2018

Editor-in-Chief Marcus Dieterle Senior Editor Jordan Cope News Editor Bailey Hendricks Asst. News Editor Mary-Ellen Davis Assoc. Arts & Life Editor Kerry Ingram Asst. Arts & Life Editor McKenna Graham Sports Editor Karuga Koinange Asst. Sports Editor Billy Owens

Senior Staff Writer Sarah Rowan

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POSTING RESPONSIBILITY

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Leah Volpe Keri Luise Rohan Mattu Muhammad Waheed Deb Greengold Sophia Bates

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1 p.m., Cook Library, Room 401.

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UNDERSTANDING SIGNIFICANT FIGURES

David Fisher Simon Enagonio Marcus Dieterle Brittany Whitham Joe Noyes Proofreaders Alex Best Sarah Rowan General Manager Mike Raymond Art Director Victoria Nicholson Webmaster

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Tired of losing points when you get the right answer because of your sig figs? Learn how to identify what numbers are significant and apply this to successfully compute problems or write lab reports.

NEW YORK TIMES TALK

Noon - 1:30 p.m., University Union, Loch Raven Room.

FAMILY ARTS DAY

Noon, Center for the Arts Atrium.

Circulation Staff Shawn Halerz

Bring your lunch and hear from guest speakers talking about entrepreneurship. Evelyn Atieno will be discussing Networking 101 on Feb. 28.

LUNCH & LAUNCH

5 p.m. - 6 p.m., Smith Hall, Room 289.

Staff Photographers Jordan Cope

Social media can be a toxic place. Stop by to learn the do’s and don’ts of posting to social media responsibly.

Help promote an inclusive, body-positive online climate.

11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Burdick Hall.

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Senior Staff Photographer Alex Best

FEB. - MARCH

Experience the joy of being an artist at TU’s Community Art Center’s Family Arts Day. Drop in for a day of interactive art activities, dance workshops and gallery tours all inspired by current art exhibitions.

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TOWSON

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Opinion

February 27, 2018

The dangers of Something fishy in SGA arming teachers PATRICK MASCIO Towson University Senior and former SGA presidential candidate

On Feb. 6, The Towerlight published an article titled “SGA updates student body on progress of platform promises.”This article was intended to update the student body on the progress, or lack thereof, of the promises that this SGA administration made during the election last spring. However, the article served to raise more questions about the conduct of the current administration rather than provide answers.

This administration is marred in unconstitutional practices and a culture of elitism that appears to start at the top, and these concerns require a swift and transparent explanation.

The first and most important role of any new SGA administration is creating the annual budget. Every full-time student enrolled at Towson University pays $90 per year to the SGA. These “student fees” add up to around $2 million, and the SGA must decide how best to allocate this money. As students, we should know where our money is going – all $2 million of it. Why, then, has the SGA not publicly released its budget for this academic year? Why don’t we know how or where our student fees are being spent? The Student Government Association’s Constitution mandates that the Treasurer must release a “Treasurer’s Report” on the first Tuesday of every month detailing their spending, yet there has not been a single report released by this administration, with the most recent report listed on the SGA website being from over a year ago [Editor’s note: The SGA Constitution requires the Treasurer to release a Treasurer’s Report to the student body on the first Tuesday of every month, but it does not specify how that report must be released. The SGA is not constitutionally required to post Treasurer’s Reports on their website.

That said, the SGA website has been under construction and therefore has not featured Treasurer’s Reports for the 2017-2018 academic year. However, Treasurer’s Reports are available upon request. According to SGA Director of Communications Kaitlyn McClanahan, the website should be updated with these reports by mid-March. The Towerlight will publish these reports to our website.] The facts are troubling, and they beg the question: Why has this administration been keeping their

spending a secret? Why has no one in this administration held its Treasurer accountable for not carrying out their constitutional duty? Maybe it’s because this administration does not want to report that they have used student fee money to pay for a dinner for all of its members at Fogo de Chão. [Editor’s note: The SGA ate at Fogo de Chão during their winter retreat. According to McClanahan, the dinner was paid for via the SGA Retreat line item and cost $4,161.36. This line item is reserved to pay for SGA retreat expenses including meals and housing. “Since over half of our organization is unpaid, we took this time to reward our members for their hard work this past semester,” McClanahan said.] Let that sink in for a second. We, as students, are mandated to pay this organization a fee and they used hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to treat themselves to an exquisite steak dinner. The SGA either has no regard for the pockets of the students they take its money from, or they have no regard for the documents that govern their organization. Perhaps they have no regard for either.

Equally concerning is the lack of transparency from this administration as a whole. The SGA website severely lacks pertinent information, especially when compared to other USM schools like the University of Maryland, College Park or the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The group photo pictured on the homepage of the website is of last year’s administration, and, as previously stated by The Towerlight, there are no photos or office hours listed for any current members of the organization. Additionally, there are no voting records listed for any of the Student Senate meetings that have been held since September, or any meetings whatsoever. These voting records and meeting minutes are supposed to be posted by the Director of Communications, per the Student Government Association’s Constitution.

The Director of Communications is also constitutionally mandated to coordinate the production and release of weekly wrap-up videos, but not a single one of these videos appear on the organization’s website. [Editor’s note: The SGA constitution does require the Director of Communications to coordinate the production and release of weekly wrapup videos, but it does not specify that those videos must be posted to the SGA

website. The SGA posted September, October and fall semester wrap-up videos on their social media accounts last semester. These videos were, of course, monthly and semesterly wrap-up videos, rather than the weekly wrap-up videos that are specified in the SGA Constitution. No weekly wrap-up videos have been posted for the spring semester on SGA social media or for the 2017-2018 academic year on the SGA website. However, McClanahan said the SGA will post a February wrap-up video in March, including updates on Tiger Pride Day which will occur on Feb. 28.]

Again the question is raised: Why have duties that are constitutionally mandated gone unperformed? Why are simple tasks, such as updating the group picture on the website, not completed?

Why is there a blatant lack of transparency from this SGA administration?

As a senior and former member of the SGA’s executive board, I can confidently say that this is the most careless and incompetent SGA administration I have experienced in my four years at Towson. This administration has repeatedly ignored its governing documents, ones that are in place to enforce ethical and productive behavior. The actions of this administration are nothing short of unconstitutional, and its apparent disregard for these wrongdoings demonstrates a shocking culture of elitism that this administration promised to combat.

There is an old expression used to explain this type of organizational demise: A fish rots from the head down.

President James Mileo needs to be held accountable for the gross incompetence displayed by his administration. Does he not care about the lack of transparency of his administration? Does he not care that multiple constitutional duties across numerous paid positions are consistently ignored? Does he not care about being accountable to the students that pay him? Mileo, who is compensated $12,000 in student fee money and a VIP parking pass (among other perks), needs to answer for the rotting fish that is this SGA administration. [Editor’s note: According to McClanahan, the SGA president is paid $13.00 per hour for up to 20 hours per week. McClanahan said “the SGA president works an average of 35 hours per week meaning he is doing about 15 hours a week of unpaid work.” The SGA president also receives a Board of Visitors parking pass to attend meetings around campus.]

DYLAN BRENNAN Columnist

One day, I hope to be a history teacher. I also hope that when that day comes, I don’t have to be armed in school.

The debates keep springing up after the Parkland school shooting and have included many things from banning or limiting certain firearms -the cause for this shooting -- to whether we should arm teachers to prevent another massacre.

I can’t say it’s the stupidest solution I’ve ever heard, but it certainly isn’t the wisest. First and foremost, if I wanted to have a gun on me and be trained to shoot, I’d be a hunter or a soldier instead of a teacher. I want to be a teacher because I know attaining and spreading knowledge of the world to everyone I meet makes for a more informed and better future. Security guards and resource officers are there for the purpose of safety, but even they aren’t the solution. The presence of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School resource officer didn’t deter the shooter, and the resource officer himself did nothing to intervene.

That brings me to another point: What if the teachers choke up? If someone was coming to shoot up the school, I’d be wearing a sweater vest, not a Kevlar vest. I’d definitely not be prepared to fight off an assault

rifle with a dinky handgun, which I’m assuming these people are proposing. More importantly, I would be completely defenseless against these new and improved tactics by school shooters -- such as smoke grenades -- which more active and wannabe shooters likely intend to use.

Schools are not battlefields. We do not go into school every day preparing for an attack. They are places of learning and preparing for the future. We cannot afford -- both morally and financially -- to have these places be turned into fortresses with armed guards at all times. Handing teachers taxpayer-funded firearms, requiring them to undergo mandatory weapons training, and expecting them to be soldiers on top of their regular duties as educators -- like grading assignments, preparing lesson plans, and in many cases buying their own classroom supplies to supplement their under-funded school -- would be too taxing on teachers.

I’m not saying that this cannot work at all; many schools have proven that it can. In fact a Texas school district has been arming its teachers with firearms for years now. Nevertheless, making it nationwide and mandatory, even if it’s incentivized by the government as President Donald Trump suggested, would not be in the interests of teachers or our students.

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Schools are not battlefields. We do not go into school every day preparing for an attack. They are places of learning and preparing for the future.

DYLAN BRENNAN Columnist

Opinion

February 27, 2018

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uninterrupted

Some must-listen-to podcasts Women speaking out against assault

KYNDALL CUNNINGHAM Columnist

As a columnist and aspiring culture writer, I am constantly consuming hard news, op-eds, celebrity gossip and even silly human interest stories to keep my finger on the zeitgeist. While the accounts I follow on Twitter have created a perfect algorithm of articles on my timeline, I often need a break from straining my eyes to read words on a tiny, lit screen. Podcasts aren’t necessarily new, but they’re definitely something I’ve taken advantage of in the Trump era where breaking news occurs every five seconds.

And their popularity is booming.

Most of the podcasts I listen to focus on social issues, pop culture and politics. Being informed is crucial to forming opinions on social issues and ultimately taking action. And just a quick side note – many podcasts, unless they are categorized as strictly news, should be treated as secondary sources.

Depending on the podcast, many hosts tend to insert their own bias, make jokes, etc. Always factcheck with reputable sources like The New York Times, Politico and The Washington Post. Here are my

favorites at the moment: 1. “Pod Save America” Pod Save America is one of my favorite podcasts right now from Crooked Media. It’s hosted by Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer and Tommy Vietor, who have all worked for the Obama administration - Favreau and Lovett were speechwriters, Pfeiffer was a senior advisor to the president and Vietor was the national security council spokesperson. They release at least one show every week and break down political news in a casual, conversational and digestible way. The group is very funny (Jon Lovett is a comedian) and have this sort of bro-mantic chemistry that is very entertaining. Crooked Media also produces other podcasts that aren’t hosted by straight, white guys including “Pod Save The People,” “Keep it,” and “With Friends Like These.”

2. “Code Switch” This podcast comes from NPR and focuses on race and identity politics in the United States. Each episode is written and produced by a journalist of color and provides education and insight into the lives of marginalized groups and how

prejudice, politics, family, education and work affect their lives.

I love that Code Switch explores unique and niche narratives that are not always shown in mainstream media. It’s added so much historical and cultural context to my beliefs and how I view racial inequality and politics.

3. “Rough Translation” Here’s another podcast from NPR. The podcast“Rough Translation” tells the stories of different cultures around the world from the perspective of a single person of a community as a whole. One episode discussed the race relations and racial identities in Brazil and the hierarchy it creates among its people. Another episode tells the story of a Syrian refugee who has fled to Germany and struggles to find love. As the conversation around immigration reform intensifies under the Trump administration, it’s important to educate yourself on international cultures to gain a better understanding of how people outside of the United States live and experience.

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

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

The need for society to listen, and believe these stories of abuse

KAYLA HUNT Columnist

Most Americans have heard the fable "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" at least once in their childhood. In the fable, a shepherd boy cried to the villagers on multiple occasions that there was a wolf, when in fact there was not. When a wolf actually did come to the village, nobody believed him.

The moral of the story was this: Liars are not believed, even when they tell the truth.

I feel as though this fable needs to be revised to a more modern version, because it seems those who tell the truth are not believed.

According to RAINN, one out of every six American women has been the victim of an attempted rape or completed rape in her lifetime. Many of these women have summoned the courage to tell their stories, which can now be seen through the ongoing movement of #MeToo. However, it seems as though people try to find holes in women's stories to debunk their allegations, or even try to blame

the assault on the victim, especially when the assault has been committed by a public figure.

Women are NOT the only victims of sexual assault. Any person of any gender is subjected to being a victim of sexual assault.

However, it seems to be that it has become "normalized" in society for girls to grow up with the fear of being sexually assaulted. Women have to go about t h e i r everyday lives with caution, the thought of possibly being sexually assaulted at any time tucked in the back of their minds.

Courageous women are speaking out to share their abuse, even the women who have not spoken up are courageous for just having to live in this harsh truth.

Women are howling out their truth, and it is time that we drop "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" spectacle and not only believe but take action, because the wolves are here.

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Women are howling out their truth, and it is time that we drop “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” spectacle and not only believe but take action, because the wolves are here.

Jordan Cope/ The Towerlight Senior Editor Jordan Cope watched the Washington Capitals defeat the Buffalo Sabres 5-1 this weekend. The Capitals are currently in first place in the Metropolitan Division.

KAYLA HUNT Columnist

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February 27, 2018

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News

February 27, 2018

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Tigers earn their stripes in entrepreneurship MARY-ELLEN DAVIS Assistant News Editor @Mel_Davis_1998 BAILEY HENDRICKS News Editor @imsimplybailey

Mike Cooke, CEO and co-founder of Sterling Forever, recently found his jewelry company thrust into the spotlight after his business was featured on Good Morning America’s “Deals and Steals” segment.

Cooke, a Towson alum, said that being featured on the segment “was a huge success, there was an abundance of sales in just 48 hours,” and he is working with the show on what could be two more segments.

“It’s just going to be some of our best sellers,” Cooke said. “They put them on TV and they talk about the company and they discount them for like, a 48-hour period, kind of like a flash sale. It is a flash sale. But the volume that exposure produces is immediate and long lasting.”

Cooke co-founded Sterling Forever while he was still a student at Towson. Now, Towson University is helping current TU students flesh out their business ideas.

The Student Launch Pad, located on the fourth floor of Cook Library, is a hub for student entrepreneurs to help them improve new ideas and gain inspiration.

The Launch Pad holds events like Creative Mondays, Lunch and Launch, and an Entrepreneurship Unplugged series in which local entrepreneurs come to campus to talk about their experiences.

For Cooke, it’s never too early to start thinking about a new business idea. He got his start in the jewelry business long before Sterling Forever came to fruition. Cooke started to sell jewelry on eBay when he was 15, after his mother decided she was done with some of hers and gave it to him to sell.

“I sold the jewelry on eBay, and overnight I made a few hundred bucks because it was Tiffany jewelry, so then that worked and I continued,” he said.

Cooke began to import jewelry from China to sell on eBay until he built his first e-commerce website, Overstock Silver. Though the busi-

ness was successful, Cooke admitted to making mistakes.

“I continued to import jewelry and sell it and market it, and that was kind of the beginning of ecommerce, and had a somewhat successful business,” he said. “But because I was very distracted in high school and trying to get good grades, I pretty much made every mistake in the book. I was just young and didn’t know and continued to fail, but still made money.”

According to Cooke, the company lasted throughout his high school career, spilling into his first couple years of college. It wasn’t until his sophomore year that Sterling Forever would originate and push him to where he is now.

“I continued to operate Overstock Silver at the beginning of college, and then sophomore year of college I was in Los Angeles for business, and one of my competitor’s marketing directors just left,” Cooke said. “I followed her on LinkedIn and saw that she had just left, and I messaged her and scheduled a meeting with her and asked her if she would start a new business with me.”

Since the company started in 2012, it has only continued to grow. Lisa Simmons, a lecturer in the College of Business and Economics and one of Cooke’s former professors, finds Sterling Forever’s success exciting.

“As a teacher, nothing makes me happier than seeing students thrive,” Simmons said. “Mike’s success makes me beam with pride.”

Sterling Forever has seen a lot of success recently, including opening a sales showroom in Cooper Design Space located in Los Angeles, getting into Urban Outfitters, and creating a deal with ABC. Sterling Forever has also made its way into Nordstrom, which Cooke said is “one of our biggest accounts, and continues to be a great account for us.”

Cooke said Simmons was the professor who showed him the dual track in business administration and human resource management that would become his course of study during his time here at TU. “If we would have had an entrepreneurship major in 2012, I would have directed him towards that major,” Simmons said. “Since we didn’t, I recommended human resource man-

agement based on his interests.”

Simmons advises aspiring entrepreneurs to make sure they staff their business with three specific employees, who each fulfill an integral role.

“Make sure you have three people on your payroll, either directly or outsourced: an accountant to protect your money, an attorney to protect your ideas, and an HR person to protect your business,” she said.

Some current Towson students share Cooke’s passion for entrepreneurship.

The Student Launch Pad staff is made up of mostly student associates, including Evelyn Atieno, Matthew Lowinger and Folakemi Awe. “If you have an idea, you can work one-on-one with the associates there to bring your idea to fruition,” Atieno said. “We work with you starting with your first idea till the final product is finished…. We are more than just about having already successful student entrepreneurs. We welcome people without any ideas and we work with them to develop some.”

Atieno, an international studies major, has been an entrepreneur since she was 14 when she realized her blog was making her money.

“I gained over 30,000 followers and I was able to make money from ads on it,” she said. “As I grew old, I realized that I can buy expensive clothes really cheap and make five times more, so I did that throughout high school.”

Atieno also started her own magazine, Affinity Magazine, when she was 16 years old after she realized there was a lack of publications that were “written exclusively for teens by teens.”

Atieno said her magazine, which has gotten press from Huffington Post, Teen Vogue, and the Baltimore Sun, “rapidly grew in the past year.”

“We introduced our one minute videos last month and so far they average over 100,000 views,” Atieno said. “I’m now just working on getting some seed capital and expanding it more and doing original programming.”

As an associate for Towson’s Student Launch Pad, Atieno works on marketing the program. She also runs the Launch Pad’s social media.

“We are now starting to create video content to really highlight student entrepreneurs on campus,” she said.

Atieno likes working for the Launch Pad because she gets to talk to other students about entrepreneurship and has fun doing it.

“I would recommend it because it’s really flexible and a fun experience,” she said. “I get a lot of joy from just talking to students. Usually there’s an application open every semester for Launch Pad ambassadors.”

Atieno said her best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs would be to “focus on your path.”

“In life, we look to other people to be our blueprints, but the reality is we all move at different paces and shouldn’t compare ourselves to others,” she said.

Lowinger, who is an economics major and entrepreneurship minor, started off his entrepreneurship experience in wealth management by interning at places like Merrill Lynch, a wealth management firm.

He then switched his focus towards startups and innovation, and started working at Towson University’s Incubator, a program which supports startup ventures.

Lowinger then met Jan Baum, director of the entrepreneurship minor at Towson, and started working at the Launch Pad. “I’ve consulted a lot of entrepreneurs and people and they are life changing,” he said. “I love meeting the brightest minds behind the innovations.”

Awe, a graphic design major, became interested in entrepreneurship when she decided she wanted to own a graphic design business at some point in her career.

“I started freelancing a couple of years ago to gain experience while still in school,” she said. “As a result, I learned more about the basics of starting and growing a business. I believe that we are all learners and teachers.”

Awe is currently working on rebranding the Launch Pad “to better represent our innovative aesthetic and creative workspace.”

“I am excited about this project because I get to apply my skills and passion for brand design,” she said.

Before transitioning into academia, Towson University President Kim Schatzel started her career journey in the business world where she eventually became the president and COO -- and later CEO -- of a multina-

tional industrial firm.

Schatzel urges entrepreneurs to foster relationships early on in their business endeavors.

“When there’s a mistake or something goes wrong, that’s when you wish you had the relationship with whoever you’re working with or somebody that’s a client,” she said.

“Well, that’s not the time to build a relationship, when everything’s going south. You build relationships before you need them and hopefully you don’t have to ask for support or forgiveness over something.”

Schatzel said being an entrepreneur can be lonely, but that it doesn’t have to be. She told young entrepreneurs to find mentors who can help guide them, and select employees who they can trust and depend on for areas they aren’t as strong in.

“I got used to leading organizations towards an organizational goal, as well as building relationships with both my employees as well as different partners that I had to develop,” she said. “In business there’s a phrase that ‘going alone is faster; going with others is farther.’”

Cooke also offered advice to young entrepreneurs, in which he stressed the importance of never giving up.

“The biggest thing [is] that I failed so many times, and most people would just stop, and I did not,” Cooke said. “Even if you fail, because I think it’s inevitable, I laugh at some of the things that happened to me and some of the things I did, and most people would have just stopped. You have to be very disciplined.”

To Awe, entrepreneurship is a mindset to create, build, and grow.

She recognizes the obstacles that many entrepreneurs face, but sees the benefits of taking risks.

“Entrepreneurs are able to recognize opportunities everywhere in order to make lives and experiences better,” she said. “Successful entrepreneurs take risks and encounter failure; however, they persevere.”

Awe said entrepreneurs should always ask questions and seek out opportunities and resources.

“Also, be patient with yourself and your journey,” she said. “Rome was not built in a day.”

- Marcus Dieterle contributed to this article.

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News

February 27, 2018

Preparing for active shooter ALBERT IVORY Contributing Writer

Feb. 22: A resident student was issued a citation for marijuana in Glen Complex Tower B. Feb. 21: A commuter student reported the theft of shoes from a gym in Burdick Hall.

Feb. 21: An unknown person damaged an exit sign in Glen Garage.

Feb. 21: A resident student reported the theft of a wallet in Lecture Hall.

Feb. 20: A resident student was cited for false ID and alcohol possession in Frederick Douglass House.

Feb. 19: TUPD is investigating property missing from a storage room in the Liberal Arts Building.

Feb. 19: TUPD is investigating an assault reported by a resident student in the Liberal Arts Building.

Feb. 19: A commuter student reported a jacket stolen from a bathroom in the Liberal Arts Building.

Feb. 17: A resident student was cited for CDS and alcohol possession in Glen Complex Tower B. Feb. 17: TUPD is investigating a theft of clothing in Glen Complex Tower B. Feb. 16: A resident student was cited for CDS violaiton in William Paca House.

Feb. 15: Money donations for a student group left unattended inside a room were reported stolen from the University Union.

Feb. 15: A resident student was cited for CDS violation in William Paca House.

Feb. 13: A faculty member report an Iphone stolen from a bathroom in Stephens Hall.

In the wake of the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida, Towson University community members are processing how to deal with tragedy and wondering how they might react in a similar situation.

Towson University President Kim Schatzel mourned the 17 people who were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, and highlighted the need for gun control reform.

“It’s of course incredibly tragic,” Schatzel said. “We need to take a look at changes in gun control. There’s too many guns and there’s access to guns that are very dangerous guns.”

Schatzel commended the MSD students who are leading the #NeverAgain movement to stop similar mass shootings from occurring.

“The fact that those students have taken it upon themselves to begin a movement to be able to say they will be the last mass shooting, I am inspired by them.”

Still, some community members are asking: what if this happens here?

Sophomore David Milord said he copes with the thought of an active shooter event by “keeping the faith.”

“This is an issue that can’t ever be resolved, you can only keep your eyes and ears open and be as safe as you can be,” he said. “There’s some strong [paranoia] from never knowing when or where these events occur, but I only deal with it by praying and keeping faith.”

Towson University’s Office of Public Safety is continuing to prepare community members for active shooter situations.

The office offers an hour-long Civilian Response to Active Shooter

Events (CRASE) course to give participants strategies, guidance and a plan to to survive in the event of an active shooter. The course is built on a “avoid, deny and defend” strategy created by Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT).

Daytime classes are held in the Administration Building Room 120, while evening classes are held in the Public Safety Building Room 102.

People can sign up for the CRASE course through the “TU Emergency Preparedness” page on Towson’s website.

Associate Vice President of the Office of Public Safety and Chief of Police Bernard Gerst indicated that he hopes people who receive training on what to do if a potential shooter situation arises could revert back to what they learned in the training. “[The] idea is that in times of great stress, our cognitive thinking ability is not as effective as it is in times of low stress or no stress,” Gerst said. “If we train people ahead of time and they think through what to do ahead of time, then if the situation would arise, they will hopefully revert to their training. It is based on something called mental scripting and practice.”

Towson University President Kim Schatzel said that the training can be applied not just to TU’s campus, but to active shooter situations off campus as well.

“It’s not just for if we’re on the campus,” Schatzel said. “It’s the fact that we can be trained -- god forbid we’re in a movie theatre or just someplace else.”

Gerst also noted that something people can do to stay safe is know where exits are.

“Another simple thing everyone should do is know where the exits

are,” he said. “No matter where you are -- be it a shopping mall, place of worship, school, etc. -- a simple thing like knowing how to exit the building or the area is vital in the event of any emergency, not just an active shooter event. You can’t always leave the same way you entered. This principle applies to fire safety and other emergencies.”

Schatzel emphasized that it is imperative for people to sign up for the RAVE alert system to receive text messages in the event of an emergency situation.

If students have headphones on or cannot hear that an emergency is happening around them, text messages from the RAVE system can help alert them to the situation, Schatzel said.

“It’s in everybody’s best interest,” she said. “And it’s not just for [active shooter situations.] It’s for things like weather, all sorts of reasons for why you should have it that in case there’s some type of concern about the campus that we can communicate very quickly with that.”

Senior Director of Communications and Media Relations Ray Feldmann said Towson University has placed orange stickers with a black lock symbol on the frames of doors that can lock on campus.

“If a student hears or sees something and they’re running down the hall, they can look for doors that have stickers on them and they know ‘that door locks so I’m going to run in that room because I can lock the door behind me,’” Feldmann said.

The Office of Public Safety also provides a follow-up course called -- Marcus Dieterle contributed to this story.

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

Feb. 12: Two commuter students were involved in an altercation in the University Union.

Feb. 11: TUPD is investigating a burglary of a staff office in the Psycology Building.

Feb. 11: BCPD and TUPD are investigating a sexual assault in Newell Hall.

Feb. 11: A resident student is receiving unwanted messages from a known person in Scarborough Hall.

Feb. 10: A non-affiliate was issued a criminal citation for damage to a window at Glen Complex Tower D. 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 Towson University

Towson University’s Office of Public Safety offers different courses, including CRASE and MAKE IT, in order to help prepare and teach community members about what to do in active shooter situations.

News

February 27, 2018

9

Univ. Senate postpones vote on trigger warning SOPHIA BATES Staff Writer @sbrookebates

The University Senate debated and discussed the Student Government Association’s proposal to mandate the usage of trigger warnings on Feb. 19.

The mandate would require professors to notify their students about sensitive material covered in class, whether by email or in the syllabus.

The Senate’s vote was as follows: 10 senators voted in favor of postponing the issue, 10 senators voted against postponing the issue. One member abstained from voting, and due to the tie, Senate Chair Jennifer Ballengee voted to postpone the motion until the March meeting.

The discussion within the session started with SGA President James Mileo introducing the proposal, the goals of the initiative and the ideas behind it.

“As you all have read the motion, it is to have faculty members provide trigger warnings to flag potentially graphic material that may distress students that have previously experienced trauma,” Mileo said. “This comes out of our belief that students

who experience mental health issues, such as PTSD, panic disorders and any acute stress disorders, or students who have faced traumatic experiences are deserving of a warning that a lecturer or guest speaker may aggravate those issues or experiences.”

Mileo added that this is not a way to excuse students from learning content, but a flag so students can mentally prepare themselves to be able to retain the information from the lecture.

Patrick Herbert, a representative for the health science department, opened the discussion, questioning if these mandated warnings would be needed too much in the field of health majors and classes.

“I look at the classes, especially Health 101, nutrition, violence prevention, disease classes and I think that some of these classes could be an entire trigger warning,” Herbert said. “There are topics on the list as well, that are not covered, that I think could be potentially triggering.

Who gets to choose which topics don’t need warnings, and who’s to say where the limit is?”

Mileo responded, noting that the motion says professors could blan-

ket the trigger warnings within the class syllabus, allowing students a mental warning for every session in that class.

Desiree Rowe, a representative for the mass communication and communication studies department, addressed the hesitations of faculty members and students within her college. Rowe acknowledged the 48-hour window of breaking news within communications and political courses.

“If I, especially as a junior tenure faculty track member, am not allowed to discuss breaking news in the classroom without fear of administrative reprimand because I did not give 48 hours notice, my teaching and the experience of my students is compromised,” Rowe said.

Rowe continued that she agreed with the spirit of the motion yet would vote no since resources for students should be a part of the culture, yet warnings should not be mandated.

Rowe also quoted scholar Roxanne Gay’s New York Times editorial piece, in which she stated “Rather than using trigger warnings, I try to provide students with the context they will need to engage productively in

complicated discussions.”

Art and Design, Art History and Art Education representative Amanda Burnham agreed, noting that she gives trigger warnings to provide context for students to have these discussions. On the other hand, Burnham said there is trouble with the idea of having a consequence of not providing trigger warnings.

Joanna Maxwell, a representative for the nursing department, questioned student responsibility within the usage of trigger warnings.

“For example, if you were to give a trigger warning within the classroom and the students hearing it, if some were to walk out, what if the material were discussed on the exam,” Maxwell said. “They would be missing out on important, essential material.”

Maxwell added the idea of encouraging University-wide awareness on this issue, rather than mandating trigger warnings.

Cole Reilly, a representative for the elementary education department, also encouraged more understanding on this issue throughout the University.

“I want to encourage that as the possibility of something really

great,” Reilly said. “I don’t know that everybody would be ready to have it nex t year, to know how to do it if they don’t fully understand it. I would really like something like that to develop.”

Multiple students from the SGA came to represent the proposal, including Director of Marketing Stephanie Brown, who sought to provide a student perspective.

“This teaches us [students] how to go into difficult situations and have those conversations,” Brown said.

Brown also addressed the cognitive effects of PTSD, including impaired concentration, impaired decision-making abilities, memory impairment and how these would affect students within the classroom setting.

Doug Ross, a representative for the management department, addressed the University as being a safe space for students and faculty, and the duty that faculty members have to students.

“As a faculty member, do I help students hide [from certain topics and material] or do I try to find a way for them to adapt?” Ross said.

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

10 February 27, 2018

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12 February 27, 2018

Arts & Life

Towson celebrates diverse films

Showcases films by women, minorities MEG HUDSON Staff Writer

BRITTANY CRISSMAN Contributing Writer

From Feb. 23 to 24, Towson University hosted WAMMFest, the Women and Minorities in Media Festival for its 11th year running. The festival was open to community members for just $5, and free to Towson University students.

The festival showcased over 50 short films over the span of two days in Towson University’s Van Bokkelen Hall, throughout the second floor.

WAMMFest was founded in 2008 by Towson University’s electronic media and film department. The mission of this event each year is to celebrate films, media, and filmmakers who are, and/or who celebrate, women and minorities. The festival featured filmmakers from local areas like Towson and Baltimore, as well as from different countries around the world.

Friday, February 23 WAMMFest 2018 opened for business at noon in Van Bokkelen Hall. The afternoon began with the Mid-Atlantic Emerging block that celebrated and encouraged upcoming filmmakers from the Mid-Atlantic area. This featured 10 short films, four of which were curated

by Towson University undergraduates.

From commentaries like “Inside She Is Real” by TU undergraduate Valerie Genzano, to student animations like “Mustard Quest” by Savannah College of Art and Design undergraduate Kara Robson, this collection of short films reeled in enough community members to pack full the auditorium.

One volunteer for the event, Omosalewa Adebusuyi, a freshman at Towson, said that she believes events like these are important to the community because it highlights minorities as creators, which is especially necessary in areas such as film. Adebusuyi also shared that she decided to volunteer for this festival thanks to her own passion for film.

“I [look up to] Viola Davis.”

Adebusuyi said. “I admire all of the work that she’s done -- she’s only been recognized really within the past five years, but she has been doing so much for a couple decades. She represents a lot of women in the industry.”

Up next was Block A, which brought back the popular VR (virtual reality) block, where viewers can watch and experience 360 degree videos from around the world. Locations included gardens in China, a coffee farm in Kenya, and so many more.

“I had never watched a virtual reality

film before coming here, it was so cool,” freshman Jessica Stewart said. “I honestly came because my friend, who is a film major, wanted to, but I ended up really enjoying it. I’m coming out of it with a new point of view on the film industry!”

Friday’s schedule came to a close with screening Block B: Late Night at WAMM. Starting at 10 p.m., WAMM presented 12 fresh shorts to end the night just as it should have- watching films.

“I’ll be back tomorrow!” Stewart said.

Saturday, February 24 The last night of the WAMMfest, there was a screening called “Election Day 2016.” Located in Rochester, NY, 10,000 people from all kinds of different backgrounds, age, race, gender and class came to pay tribute to Susan B. Anthony’s grave the day after the presidential campaign. The short film showed smiling faces amongst all people who united and celebrated creating a kindred spirit.

Jamie Taylor, who is a senior interested in planning events in film after graduating from Towson, was very excited about this film to be added to the festival.

“The very beginning is the most inspiring thing because you see all these women supporting the women activists who got us this far,” Taylor said. “It was very emotional after the next day.”

The director/producer of this film is Linda Moroney, who came down from Rochester with one of her collaborators, Lorraine Woerner. They shared why they started this movement, their feelings when hearing the results after the election and their advice to women and minorities facing adversity today.

Moroney started a group in 2012, called the ‘Rochester Documentary in Film Makers’, where members meet once a month to share works of progress, resources and give feedback. “Election Day 2016” was their first collaborative project.

“I was the one who plowed through all the footage the first round so for me I felt like I had this project to do while the world felt like it was crumbling a bit,” Moroney said. “I had something that was creative; I had something tactile to work on, so for me, it was great to have this and be like ‘okay hopefully this brings a light to some. It was a great vehicle to be creative and try to make sense of the situation.”

There were some people who were involved with the project that had to step away, according to Moroney, since it was just too much to focus on.

Woerner said she understood how hard it was to focus on the project at times with so many things going on in the world, but shared how she stuck with it through it all.

“Well, when you put it out and asked if anyone could go, I was in my pajamas on the sofa and I’m thinking ‘[the election of Donald Trump] really sucks,’” Woerner said. “But I mean what else am I going to do? Otherwise I’m just going to be depressed all day which is why I went back.”

Moroney and Woerner said that an intention of an inspiring film is usually to be the celebration of change, however the motive for this film was to serve as a tool to build onto transformation; more specifically, to encourage people to register to vote who aren’t registered yet.

With WAMMfest being based on women and minorities, the one solid piece of advice agreed upon the filmmakers on how women and minorities can come together was simple: collaboration.

“I think that there is power in numbers,” Woerner said. “What is nice about our group is we all are producers and photographers. We all share a skill but we also all come at it from a different perspective and I think that collaborating made this film stronger. I think women need to work together. Sometimes you just don’t get that collaboration which is what was so nice about this project…. We all just came together to do it. There was a common purpose.”

This group was not paid to produce this film; their dedication was soley because of their passion. However, with the popularity of the film earning a profit, they took a portion of the money to create an annual grant for a Rochesterbased documentary filmmaker.

Moroney and Woerner shared a message that they want all women and minorities facing adversity to hear: “Register to vote; get out into your community, get your neighbors to register and if you are registered, find three people who aren’t,” Moroney said.

“If there are people who aren’t registered yet, help them get registered and do not let them off the hook,” Woerner said. “Help people like elders and young moms who need childcare and drive them to the polls. If your state requires you to register within a couple weeks ahead of time, be proactive and get people who aren’t registered online or to a ballot, because the excuse ‘my vote doesn’t matter’ is not true.”

The duo are prime examples of women in film who create what viewers call an inspiring message, not just through their film, but through their dedication and work they do for their community.

This weekend’s WAMMFest celebrated the notion that transformation is happening, and projected the idea that it is up to everyone to continue to speak up and be proactive.

Meg Hudson / The Towerlight

Artist Shawn Alleyne displays his work at TU’s third-annual BCBF.

TU hosts black comic book fest MEG HUDSON Staff Writer

In recent times, events that focus on celebrating and empowering minority groups have become more prevalent.

On Feb. 24, Towson University and the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention (ECBACC) hosted one of those events: TU’s third-annual Black Comic Book Festival.

Attendees heading through the doors of Towson’s College of Liberal Arts Building were immediately greeted by an array of artwork, workshops, vintage comics and comics original to the showcased professionals. Free of charge, community members of all ages gathered to flip through books of artwork, find some new comics, and participate in age-specific workshops.

Walking from table to table, each artist brought their own personal twist to their work. Shawn Alleyne, one of the featured artists, was born and raised in Barbados, and moved to America to ultimately pursue a career in the arts in 1993. He currently owns his own business, Pyroglyphics, where he sells his hand-drawn and digitally enhanced original comic books, as well as comics from other artists in Barbados.

“From young, I always loved art, I always loved drawing, I was always a big comic book head,” Alleyne said.

“I love everybody. I love all conventions, but there’s something about it saying the ‘black comic book festival’.

What tends to happen in this industry is that minorities get overlooked.

Conventions like this give us an outlet, give us a chance to showcase our work. It gives someone like me a chance to shine.”

Alleyne shared that he believes the smaller size of this festival, as compared to New York Comic Con,

becomes a much bigger world for black artists personally, as they have more people to interact with and a larger spotlight, as opposed to getting lost in a sea of artists at larger conventions.

Within many of Alleyne’s art pieces, his cultural influence was outstanding.

Pieces incorporated various elements of Barbadian culture, from folklore to representations of the national flag.

Various other artists at the festival incorporated their own cultures into their artwork as well. One professional drew realistic portraits of women in Aso Oke, traditional Nigerian clothing. Others placed the setting of their original comics to be that of where they were born, or where their culture stems from.

Students and community members of all cultural backgrounds gathered together in appreciation of these elaborate works of art. One student who attended the event was Towson freshman Samantha Hernandez.

“It’s refreshing to see such a diverse crowd here, it makes me feel comfortable that I am in an inclusive community,” Hernandez said. “I’m also happy that these artists are getting celebrated as well, and not only that, but as minorities they are the spotlight of this whole festival.”

ECBACC 2018, the full ECBACC festival, will be celebrating its seventeenth anniversary on May 19. Organizers encourage attendees to bring their own costumes, artwork, and ideas to the convention at the TECH Freire Charter School in Philadelphia. The festival is still accepting artist registrations, as well as volunteer registrations.

“I just hope that people recognize the plethora of art we have here,” Alleyne said. “There is so much good talent here, so I hope this gives people a greater understanding of all of the amazing art that is out there.”

Arts & Life

February 27, 2018

Marvel makes hero history

Produces first black-led superhero film LUKE PARKER Columnist

As the copious Marvel dynasty continues to expand going into 2018, and as I reflect on the universe it has built and the varying heroes who protect it – from mutants to raccoons, soldiers to mercenaries, and Gods to robots – the MCU has created guardians out of people and creatures of all kinds, to the point where it seems ludicrous and rude that it has taken this long for them to star a black superhero on screen. But it seems that good things come to those who wait, as “Black Panther,” with its memorable cast, radiant sights and collection of spirited action sequences, is the company’s greatest investment to date.

It is also its most momentous – for even in a film that features armored rhinos and hidden utopias, director Ryan Coogler’s (“Creed”) phenomenon brings an entirely different level of actuality and sophistication to the crime fighting genre. “Black Panther” speaks as confidently on issues like racism, political discourse and global selflessness as a Spike Lee production, while still managing to provide the fun and lightheartedness we have come to expect from these Marvel movies.

Chadwick Boseman stars as T’Challa, who is crowned king of the African nation of Wakanda after the death of his father – which occurred during the character’s last appearance in “Captain America: Civil War.” Wakanda is

known to the rest of the world as nothing more than a struggling state, but really, thanks to its secret wonder, vibranium, a meteorite-bred metal of immense power (best known, until now, as the substance which makes up Captain America’s trademark shield), it is a breeding ground for incredible technological innovations. It is actually decades ahead of everybody else.

T’Challa, who now carries the burden of harboring this undisclosed possession, also must keep it away from those few who not only know about it, but who want to take it: the first is arms dealer Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis), who is still on the run after pulling off a successful heist years ago, and the other is Michael B Jordan’s vicious mercenary Erik Killmonger, whose body is stippled with scars representing his kill count.

Killmonger and his vengeful agenda, which includes a takeover of the Wakandan throne, are perhaps the most grounded and questionably well-intentioned actions of any superhero villain to ever hit the screen. Just as his father before him (Sterling K. Brown), Killmonger interprets Wakanda’s discreet possessiveness of vibranium as sinfully selfish, and that the powerful metal should be used to help those struggling “that look like [them].”

While T’Challa grew up in the luxuries Wakanda bathes in, Erik grew up alone in Oakland, a setting which Coogler as a director is no stranger to, and one that adds the emotional and political depth that puts this comic book film ahead of its many predecessors.

Jordan is sensational as this misguided activist, and is the headliner of

an incredible supporting cast which includes Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, a savior of the poor and T’Challa’s love interest (“I never freeze,” he says before freezing at the sight of her), Letitia Wright as Shuri, the young king’s hip sister and the Q to his Bond, and Danai Gurira as Okoye, one of Wakanda’s bravest and most dedicated protectors. These three ladies dominate the film’s energy throughout, even when Boseman is onscreen with them, and this is all without mentioning Daniel Kaluuya (“Get Out”), Martin Freeman, or Forest Whitaker – whose recent string of subservient roles indicates that he is enjoying these hefty Marvel and “Star Wars” paychecks.

“Black Panther” is also incredible to look at, with its most impressive sight being the metropolis of Wakanda itself. Hiding beneath the camouflage of a forest, the city, which hosts a floating railroad system that winds around great stone towers, manages to be both ancient and futuristic simultaneously.

The site acts as a mine, a kingdom, and a battleground, and is possibly a hint at what we have in store for us in the future (hopefully!).

“Black Panther”, in the ways it addresses themes of race, identity, and gender, will be just as, if not more culturally significant than “Wonder Woman” was last year, especially for those who have been historically marginalized in society. And given how easy it is to watch and the established platform it has in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it will have no problems distributing those messages to people of all races, creeds and colors.

Courtesy of digitalspy.com

Chadwick Boseman takes the lead role in Marvel’s “Black Panther” film, out now for viewing in theatres.

13

Band innovates music dynamics SUZANNE STULLER Contributing Writer

Red lipstick, glitter and dresses are all a part of the attire for Pow Pow Family Band’s lead singer Miles Robbins. His theatrical nature comes as no surprise when the very essence of showmanship runs in his blood -- he is the son of actors Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon.

Despite his childhood exposure to the art of acting, it was music that caught Robbins’ attention, and after spending years writing songs since the age of 11 he eventually founded what came to be known as Pow Pow Family Band.

Pow Pow Family Band is a psychedelic pop band who ties its roots to New York City, despite its members all being brought up in various other cities like Boston and Chicago, and other countries like Brazil and Korea.

Their music and name is influenced by the band LCD Soundsystem’s song “Pow Pow,” helping to form a synth pop sound the group is now known for.

The band is also known for its unique sense of membership.

Rather than having a small group of regulars, Pow Pow members are, in theory, unlimited.

“We call it the ‘Family Band’ because we are a constantly changing band with sometimes 10 people on stage, two people on stage, and it kind of constantly changes,” Robbins said. “What’s fun about it for us is that it’s completely different.”

This specific tour will consist of four people, including a bass guitarist, drum player, trumpet player and a musician playing synthesizers.

In addition to acting as the lead singer and guitarist, Robbins writes the lyrics and connects with his members to grab a better sense of their lives and feelings.

“They normally come to me during periods of really profound depression or happiness,” Robbins said. “It has to be a really significant moment, and then I lock myself up in my room for a while and write. It comes from a little bit of everywhere but I kind of have always felt that the process of writing is something that can’t be forced.”

Zack Segel, who is currently serving as the Pow Pow drummer, shared how the band attempts to balance work and fun. He explained that what makes the music great is not just putting in the work and practice, but also remembering to let loose

every once in a while.

“Though we take the music seriously, we try not to take ourselves too seriously,” Segel said. “We’re focused on stage, but we’re not up there just brooding for the sake of brooding.

That’s not fun for us; it’s not fun for the audience.”

Pow Pow Family Band’s first album, “All Right,” debuted in early February, with its collection of songs setting the tone for what the band has to offer to the pop scene. “All Right” looks to address hardships in a new light, using warm tones to enlighten its listeners.

“This album has mostly been a reflection on loss being a positive influence on someone’s life,” Robbins said. “We grow with each loss and everything we lose teaches us something and gives us a new perspective on life. Nothing really goes away, they just change.”

Robbins expressed that his goal is to continue to make his band unique.

“I was raised on folk music so I was raised to think that you play some chords and tell a story and that’s a song,” Robbins said. “But then I also loved LCD Soundsystem a lot. I took these structures and stories and then we were interested in trying to find ways to make them more musically exciting and more adventurous in terms of the production and landscape. What happens often is that we have a very psychedelic, surreal and ambient landscape. We have horns, and robot children, and all sorts of friends helping to make these stories a little more exciting.”

The band’s main motto for its song writing, performances, and overall career is to “live in the moment and not look too far ahead.”

“I think it’s always best to focus on the present and what kind of feelings I’m having now, Robins said. “I have feelings of wanting to go into the world right now.”

For now, Pow Pow Family Band is looking to continue to entertain their audiences while increasing the size of their turnouts. Their goal is to stay on a path of continued growth.

“First and foremost, we just want people to listen to the album and come to our shows,” Segel said. “I just hope that we will have gotten a couple orders of magnitude bigger by then.”

The band performed at The Crown in Baltimore on Feb. 21. Their next show will be Feb. 26, at The Saint in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

14 February 27, 2018

Arts & Life

Five albums worth hearing TIMOTHY COFFMAN Columnist

Currently, albums tend to be a collection of singles rather than a solitary experience. People started to show little regard for the importance of albums after the turn of the millennium. However, there are still artists who not only work to produce albums, but also create modern works of art that can compete with the greatest albums of the past decades.

Adele, “21” (2011) -- I know it may seem as a bit of a cop-out to put this on the list, but the songs speak for themselves. Adele has a certain soul to her voice which hasn’t been seen since the late Amy Winehouse, and no other performer in the past few years can boast such a strong lineup of classics like “Rolling in the Deep,” “Rumour Has It,” and “Set Fire to the Rain.” There is also a truly captivating version of the Cure’s

“Lovesong” which shows Adele’s reverence to the pop sensibilities of the ‘80s. I’d say buy it, but chances are you’ve probably already heard them.

It’s that good.

The Killers, “Hot Fuss” (2004) -- While every rock fan was focused on being either pop punk or nu metal, the Killers came in with a synth-heavy approach to rock with the heartland spirit of the mid’80s. They were Duran Duran by way of R.E.M. and Tom Petty, and the songs were revolutionary. While most people know “Mr. Brightside” or “Somebody Told Me,” other tracks like the romantic “Change Your Mind” and the mammoth showstopper “All These Things That I’ve Done” show the band’s range and are a testament to why the songs hold up more than a decade later.

Gorillaz, “Demon Days” (2005) -- Although it may be considered cheating to put a virtual band on the list, this album is one of the spectacular oddities of the millennium thus

far. While “Feel Good Inc.” is the upbeat single everyone remembers, the album has a dark apocalyptic vibe but never lacks the danceable spirit provided by producer Danger Mouse. Songwriter Damon Albarn showed his prowess for dreary music while still being incredibly captivating on tracks “Dirty Harry,” “DARE,” and the lonesome “November Has Come.”

Kendrick Lamar, “To Pimp a Butterfly” (2015) -- I don’t typically talk about a ton of hip hop albums, but this album sets the benchmark of what all other rappers to come must aspire to be. Although Lamar proved himself on his previous effort “Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City,” this album was where he took his songwriting to a new level. While not a concept album in the same sense as “M.A.A.D City,” this album has Lamar’s most biting lyrics and arguably the best instrumentation ever put on a rap album in the last decade. Standouts include “u,” “Wesley’s Theory,” and “How

Courtesy of amazon.com

Adele’s “21” earned her a Grammy for “album of the year” in 2012.

Much a Dollar Cost,” but my advice is to hear the album in full because listening to the individual tracks does not do justice to the excellence of Kendrick Lamar.

Green Day, “American Idiot” (2003) -- When everyone was tense in the early 2000s after 9/11 and the beginning of the war in Iraq, Green Day released a scathing rock opera bashing the politics of the time through characters St. Jimmy,

Whatsername, and Jesus of Suburbia.

While the group had not had a breakout success since “Dookie,” “American Idiot” turned their career around with the most heartfelt songs they have ever written, like the title track, “Holiday,” “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and “Wake Me Up When September Ends.” With two grandiose nine-minute songs to bookend the story, this album is mandatory listening for any modern rock fan.

TU HOSTS “SEX IN THE DARK”

Photos by Amanda Jean Thomas/ The Towerlight

The Sex in the Dark event on Feb. 20 allowed students to ask sex experts questions while maintaining their anonymity in the dark of the West Village Commons ballroom.

15 15

Puzzles Puzzles

February27, 27,2018 2018 February

Crossword Sudoku

Puzzles

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8-25-16

● 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

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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

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See page 16 for answers to this week’s

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16 February 27, 2018

Sports

ecac bound TU FALLS IN FINAL TWO MUHAMMAD WAHEED Staff Writer

Two Tigers qualified for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships during the Fasttrack Last Chance Invite at the Ocean Breeze Track and Field Athletic Complex in Staten Island, New York, Saturday.

Senior Emily Johnson qualified for the ECAC Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships by winning the 3,000-meter run, setting a new school record time of 9:48.93.

“She’s had a great season,” Head Coach Mike Jackson said. “She’s been running outstanding and she’s been training well and staying healthy. She competes hard, and [I’m] excited about what she’s done and looking forward to her continuing to improve throughout the season.”

Junior Jaina McLean also qualified for the ECAC Championships by winning the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.69 seconds.

McLean’s finish tied her for the second-fastest in school history along with former Tigers Ashley Adams and Zanae Freeland. “[McLean] was great,” Jackson said. “She won her race just like Emily did and these last two weeks she’s been really hitting things in

stride. She was really pleasantly surprised with how fast she ran, and she’s been working hard.”

Junior Shelby Bobbie placed second in the 1,000-meter run with a time of 2:59.86, which was the fifth-fastest time in school history.

Redshirt senior Amanda Famularo also impressed, finishing third in the 800-meter run with a personal best time of 2:16.89.

“We felt like it was a worthwhile trip, and [we’re] just excited that they got the opportunity,” Jackson said.

Towson’s ECAC qualifiers will spend this week training for the upcoming Championships, which begin Friday.

“We’re going to have some good practices these first few days and then prepare to leave on Friday,” Jackson said. “Just getting them physically prepared the first few days and then mentally prepare the days after, and just have some conversations as we approach this next meet.”

The ECAC Championships run Friday, March 2, through Sunday, March 4, at the Boston University Track and Tennis Center.

“My expectation is for each student-athlete to work towards scoring points for the team,” Jackson said. “I’m confident that we have an opportunity to do so.”

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

● The numbers within the heavily

8-26-16

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 15

● Each row and each column must

KARUGA KOINANGE Sports Editor

Towson men’s basketball closed out its regular season with backto-back losses in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play.

“We competed, but we didn’t get over the hump,” Head Coach Pat Skerry said. “We know that we can, but it was two tough teams on the road and one or two possession games.”

The Tigers (18-13, 8-10 CAA) dropped their season finale 91-86 against the Hofstra Pride (19-11, 12-6 CAA) Saturday afternoon at the Mack Sports Complex.

The score was tight in the first half of the contest, as neither team gained a double-digit lead in the period. The Tigers held a seven-point advantage early on, but the Pride fought back and kept the game close.

Sophomore guard Zane Martin scored 14 points in the first half and finished with a career-high 36.

Most of his points in the first half came from beyond the arc as he knocked down four long range shots in the period, but Hofstra took a 41-37 lead heading into halftime. “[Martin] has been a monster for us all year,” Skerry said. “I really like how he’s bounced back.”

Hofstra seized control of the game early in the second half, increasing its lead to 13 just two minutes into the stanza.

Senior guard Eddie Keith II drained four free throws to narrow the deficit to two for the Tigers, but Hofstra scored eight of the next 10 points to seal the victory and spoil Martin’s performance.

Towson also fell 80-75 against Northeastern Thursday night at Matthews Arena in Boston.

The Huskies (21-9, 14-4 CAA) spoiled another impressive performance by a Tiger. Sophomore forward Justin Gorham’s 28 points and 12 rebounds were not enough to secure a win for the road team.

“Justin obviously was a monster,” Skerry said. “[He’s] playing at a really high level right now so I like that competitiveness.”

Northeastern captured an 11-point advantage midway through the first, but Towson clawed its way back and took a 31-30 lead heading into halftime.

The Huskies responded with a strong second half performance as they seemed in total control of the game throughout the period. Just when the Tigers fought their way back into the game, the Huskies converted on demoralizing three-pointers to extend their lead.

Northeastern held a 65-54 advantage with just under eight

minutes left to play, but Gorham took dominion over the paint and led Towson back into the game with a flurry of tough layups. He recorded 17 points in the second half alone, 11 of them coming in the final eight minutes.

The Tigers cut the deficit to four with under two minutes left to play, but the Huskies hit a late shot beyond the arc to put the visitors out of reach.

“It was a difficult conference war,” Skerry said. “[I] didn’t think we had a great start in the second half. We fouled too much. We certainly had opportunities to win the ball game. That’s been typical of this season. It’s going to come down to a one or two possession game.”

Towson looks to return to winning ways as the team begins competition in the CAA Tournament against William & Mary Sunday, Mar. 4, at the North Charleston Coliseum. Tipoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. “[They’re] a terrific offensive ball club,” Skerry said. “We’ve had great battles with them over the years. For our seniors this next weekend is a crucial weekend. It will cement their legacy as a Towson men’s basketball player. That’s a tremendous opportunity for them.

It comes down to three wins in three days. Mentally we’ve got to be there as well as physically.”

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18 February 27, 2018

Sports

TIGERS take SECOND AT RUTGERS MEET BILLY OWENS Assistant Sports Editor

DESMOND BOYLE Staff Writer

Powered by a season-high score of 48.875 on the bars, Towson finished second at a quad meet this weekend at the Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscataway, New Jersey.

The Tigers posted their third-highest team score of the season with 194.450 points, just 0.350 behind Rutgers’ 194.800.

Towson topped fellow meet participants Western Michigan (192.650) and Ursinus (188.125) on the way to its second-place finish.

The meet started on the bars with Towson posting the highest score of the event. Senior Tyra McKellar led the team with a third-place finish and a score of 9.850. Junior Mary Elle Arduino scored a career-high 9.775 points, the same as senior Cortni Baker. Both athletes tied for sixth place, while senior Katie McGrady finished in ninth with 9.750 points “The girls did a really great job of coming out and starting on the first event really strong,” Head Coach

Vicki May said. “We were able to add a new routine into our lineup that had some more difficulty so I think that really helped and made it really exciting.”

Arduino, McKellar and senior Lauren Cahalan helped Towson to a second-place finish on the beam. All three athletes had a score of 9.700 and tied for seventh place to help Towson score a 48.400 in the event.

On the floor, Baker scored a 9.825 during the third rotation to tie for third place. Cahalan finished seventh with a 9.750, and senior Gabriella Yarussi scored a 9.700 to place ninth.

Baker and Yarussi each tied their

career highs on the vault to finish first and second, respectively, with Baker scoring a 9.850 and Yarussi scoring a 9.825.

“They both have been very consistent for us this year,” May said.

“Cortni has added a new vault with some higher difficulty. That was that one event that she wasn’t quite able to put together, [but] she’s done a phenomenal job with it this year.”

Two other Tigers placed in the top-10 on the vault, as junior Erin Tucker tied for fourth with a 9.775 and McKellar scored a 9.700 to tie for 10th.

In the all-around, Arduino fin-

ished second with a 38.550 and just .050 points behind Rutgers’ firstplace Belle Huang.

The Tigers get another shot against the Scarlet Knights Friday as they host a tri-meet at SECU Arena against Rutgers and EAGL rival George Washington. The meet is the team’s annual pink meet in show of breast cancer awareness and is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

“It’s something that as a collegiate sport of gymnastics we have embraced,” May said. “We go to a couple [pink meets] throughout the season so it’ll be nice to have one here at home this year and just be able to raise some awareness.”

Sports

February 27, 2018

19

spun in the spider web Towson falls to 1-5 following its losses to Richmond

Emily Johnson Indoor Track & Field

Senior Emily Johnson qualified for the ECAC Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships by winning the 3,000-meter run, setting a new school record time of 9:48.93.

File photo by Jasmine Williams/ The Towerlight

Pitcher Kevin Ross winds up for a pitch in a competition in the spring 2016 campaign. The Tigers struggled this weekend against Richmond, losing by at least four runs in each of the three contests.

JILL GATTENS Staff Writer

Towson was swept in a threegame series by non-conference opponent Richmond at Pitt Field in Richmond, Virginia, this weekend.

“We came out and competed,” Head Coach Matt Tyner said. “It’s a step in the right direction. We put ourselves in a position to win, even though we lost a couple of tough games.”

In Sunday’s series finale, the Spiders (5-2) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead over the Tigers (1-5) after a first inning home run and a passed ball. The Tigers answered back in the second, as sophomore outfielder Bo Plagge blasted a home run to cut the lead in half.

Down 3-1 In the third inning, junior infielder Richie Palacios plated another run on an RBI double to again bring Towson within one run.

Senior infielder Charlie Watters gave the Tigers their first lead of the ballgame in the fourth on a two-run home run, but the Spiders regained their lead in the fifth inning after scoring three runs.

Towson added another run in the

eighth inning, but Richmond 10-5 held on and completed the threegame sweep.

Senior pitcher Michael Adams (0-2) finished the day allowing six runs on eight hits through five innings of work.

In Saturday’s game, the Tigers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead thanks to a Palacios home run in the fourth inning.

Towson followed up with two more runs in the fifth to take a 3-0 lead, as senior catcher Tristan Howerton doubled to score senior infielder Billy Lennox and redshirt freshman infielder Dirk Masters followed with an RBI single to score Howerton.

Richmond got back into the game in the sixth inning by scoring two runs. The home team’s two-run inning made it a 3-2 game heading into the seventh.

In the seventh, the Spiders knotted the score up on a single and pulled ahead 7-3 after a bases-loaded walk. The Spiders added two more runs in the eighth to finish off the Tigers 9-3.

Freshman pitcher Jake Pecilunas (0-1) took the loss after giving up three runs on three hits through two-thirds of an inning.

“I need pitchers to throw strikes and play with confidence,” Tyner said.

On Friday, the Spiders took an early 7-0 lead after plating a run in the first and second inning followed by a five run third.

In the fifth inning, redshirt junior outfielder Mark Grunberg and Palacios put Towson on the board with back-to-back RBI doubles.

Junior infielder Richard Miller hit a sacrifice fly later in the inning, and senior outfielder Colin Gimblet scored on a dropped third-strike to cut Richmond’s lead to three.

However, Richmond added two runs in both the fifth and eighth innings to extend their lead to 11-4.

The team held on to win 11-5 and take the series-opener.

Junior pitcher Gavin Weyman (0-1) took the loss after allowing five runs on four hits in 2.1 innings of work.

“I’m looking for consistency,” Tyner said. “I’m looking for guys to string two to three good games in a row.”

Towson will host Albany in its first home series of the season March 2 through March 4. First pitch of the series-opener at Schuerholz Park is set for 2 p.m.

20 February 27, 2018

Sports

Hoyas hold on, topple Tigers at Johnny Unitas Isaiah Freeman/ The Towerlight

A Georgetown player hustles for a ground ball. The Tigers played up-and-down in their matchup this weekend against the Hoyas at Johnny Unitas Stadium. The home team got off to a solid start before giving up a 5-0 run early in the game. From then on it was a game of runs as both teams traded several goals, but Georgetown ulitmately won the game.

KARUGA KOINANGE Sports Editor

Towson men’s lacrosse suffered a 12-10 loss against Georgetown Saturday afternoon at Johnny Unitas Stadium.

The Hoyas (3-0) notched the first goal of the game on their first possession, but the Tigers (1-2) responded quickly as freshman attacker Phil Wies scored off a feed from junior attacker Brendan Sunday.

Georgetown took back the momentum when sophomore attacker Jake Carraway ripped a shot from well beyond the cage to record his 10th goal of the season.

Georgetown scored on its next possession as well to take a 3-1 lead.

“Very uncharacteristic of a Towson defense,” Head Coach Shawn Nadelen said. We’re not play-

ing good team defense. We’re not staying disciplined and fundamental on ball. We’re not doing a great job of reading when we need to support [and] when we don’t. We’re just not on the same page, and that’s something we’ve got to continue to work with and figure out.”

Towson finished the period on a 4-0 run sparked by an unassisted goal from Wies with just over five minutes left in the period. Wies scored twice during that run to record his first career hat trick as the team took a 5-3 advantage going into the second quarter.

The Hoyas answered with a 5-0 run as they regained control of the game. Junior attacker Daniel Bucaro registered three goals and one assist during that run, giving the road team a three-score lead with just over four minutes left to play in the period.

“In the first half, we just weren’t being ourselves,” junior defender

Chad Patterson said. “We knew what they were doing. We knew the game plan. We just didn’t execute.”

Despite the impressive play from the road team, junior midfielders Grant Maloof and Jon Mazza helped Towson fight back before halftime. Maloof registered an assist to Sunday, and Mazza scored an unassisted goal to make it an 8-7 going into the break.

Mazza continued his strong play with another unassisted goal to tie the game early in the third.

Georgetown regained the lead with a score midway through the period, but Mazza knotted up the score again with his third goal of the day.

The Tigers switched to a zone defense to open the fourth, but the Hoyas still managed to break the tie with a goal from senior midfielder Craig Berge early in the period.

Carraway recorded his second goal of the day just three minutes later to give the Hoyas an 11-9 advantage

with 10 minutes left to play.

The home team responded with a tough goal as junior attacker Timmy Monahan sprinted around the opposing cage and hit a shot fading away with a defender on his back, cutting the deficit to one.

Georgetown refused to let Towson complete the comeback as Bucaro added another goal to give his team a 12-10 lead with three minutes left to go.

“We just need to keep working as a team to try to get that consistency all the way through the game,” junior midfielder Zach Goodrich said.

The Tigers burned themselves in the final minutes with two late turnovers, one of them unforced, as the Hoyas held on for the win.

Towson looks to bounce back when the team travels to the Ridley Athletic Complex for a matchup against Loyola Wednesday afternoon. Game time is set for 4 p.m.

“I really have no idea with how we’ll respond,” Nadelen said. “Every game has been a little bit of a mystery going into it seeing how we play at this point. I’m confident in these guys [that] we’ll get on track. With a quick turnaround against a very talented and dangerous team like Loyola, it takes all your attention.”