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The Towerlight
Thursday
www.thetowerlight.com
Published by Baltimore Student Media for the Towson University Community
FREE
Nov. 20, 2008
Tigerfest: Who will headline?
COMMENTARY
CAB, campus
begin process
toward spring
festival lineup
Dashboard debacle
demonstrates need
for students to let
distaste be known
Who do you absolutely
not want to see in spring?
Students given opportunity
to help pick from array of
popular, opening acts
Pete Lorenz
Sports Editor
With Tigerfest on the horizon and the Campus
Activities Board desperately trying to make it
right, we as students have once again been given
the opportunity to vote for the headline artist at
the annual concert. We have the responsibility
to tell the administration who we want to see.
Last year it worked out; many students enjoyed
The Roots.
However, the 2006 fiasco was not so kind
to students. Dashboard Confessional may have
been deemed the most popular band by the
votes, but campus reaction to the news that the
wholly depressing four-piece group was playing
Tigerfest was unfavorable to say the least.
Why? If the students said they wanted
Dashboard, why did they get upset when the
band was signed?
It’s because there were at least as many
students who absolutely loathed Dashboard as
those who loved them.
The online poll asks you to name which artist
you would most like to see perform, but it has
no regard for which “artist” you would least like
to see perform.
So how do we solve that problem? Who could
possibly figure out which bands are hated on
such a massive scale that they should not be
brought onto University property?
I could.
Why? I am just a regular student, like you,
who is going to attend Tigerfest for the sake of
enjoying myself. As the sports editor I will not
have to cover the event, so I would definitely
like to see a band that I do not despise. Like
many of you, I am not familiar with every single
band on the ballot CAB has put together. I don’t
know exactly which band did which songs.
But I know enough. I know that I really, really
hate Fall Out Boy. They sound whiny and cliché
to me, and when I hear two of their songs in succession, they sound the same to my ears.
I can’t express that on CAB’s ballot. All
I can do is vote for a different band. All the
Fall Out Boy haters will be spread out among
the other bands, while the Fall Out Boy lovers
concentrate their votes on getting “Sugar We’re
Going Down” to Burdick Field or Johnny Unitas
Stadium if the event is moved there.
Not to say that Fall Out Boy definitely
shouldn’t come. I might be the only person who
See HATE, page 16
Now on TheTowerlight.com:
Carrie Wood
Arts Editor
you
choose
The Campus Activities Board brought the pain –
T-Pain, anyway – to this year’s Homecoming concert.
Now, they’re giving students a chance to choose who
they want to see at Tigerfest in the spring.
Among the bands and artists listed in the online
survey are the Foo Fighters, Daughtry, Counting
Crows, Lenny Kravitz, All American Rejects, Fall Out
Boy, Pink, Weezer and Taylor Swift.
CAB has been running the online poll to see
who students want
to see for the last few
Headliner candidates
years. The survey will
clockwise
from top right
have a “huge impact”
on which bands are
Lenny Kravitz
selected, according to
CAB president Tiffany
All American
Sutherland.
Rejects
“We go and pick our
Foo Fighters
top five from the percentages and we start
Daughtry
with number one and
Pink
work down until we get
someone to come to
Taylor Swift
Tigerfest,” Sutherland
Counting Crows
said.
The poll format difFall Out Boy
fers from last year’s–
Weezer
instead of having students pick their first
and second choice they
will be choosing a headliner and an opening act.
Openers include Jason Mraz, Rooney, Paramore, Boys
Like Girls and Metro Station.
“Last year we had the same list twice, so you could
pick your first and then your second choice. It got
super confusing to choose who you want to see,”
Sutherland said. “So we did a main act and then
someone who you’d like to see opening, so if we end
up with lots of people from the opening list that have
high percentages we’ll know to maybe get two openers instead of an opener and a headliner.
“It’s just to make our job a little easier, to see how
people would like it split up, if they want one really
big one or two kind-of-big ones,” Sutherland added.
Another big question on this year’s Tigerfest poll is
whether or not to move the event from its traditional
See FEST, page 16
View Video Word on the Street and let your voice me heard about this year’s Tigerfest...
DO YOU BLEED BLACK
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OUT
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Saturday, Nov. 22nd, 2008
TOWSON BASKETBALL
SEASON OPENER
If you attend all three games you will double
up on Doc’s Army Points
Total of 35 points
Towson
vs. Navy
TU
Football
vs JAMES MADISON
2008
SFriday,
ATURDAYNov.
, NOV14,
. 22,
2008
7
p.m.
@
Towson
Center
1 p.m. @ “THE U“
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OINTSPoints
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students
receive Performance
free Towson
black Beenie Winter Hat
TU MEN’S BASKETBALL vs HAMPTON
SATURDAY, NOV. 22, 2008
5 p.m. @ TOWSON CENTER ARENA
5 DOC’S ARMY POINTS
TU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs DAVIDSON
SATURDAY, NOV. 22, 2008
7:30 p.m. @ TOWSON CENTER ARENA
7 DOC’S ARMY POINTS
Home Opener!
WEAR BLACK TO THE GAMES!
DOC’SARMY.COM
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Towson is participating in the
Campus Votes Challenge, an initiative to determine undergraduate student voter turnout
rates in the
2008 Presidential Election.
Tell us if you did or did not vote in the
2008 elections and become eligible to
win one of 3 Flip Ultras.
The survey takes approximately 2 minutes.
Lnko^rP^[lbm^3
The Towerlight
November 20, 2008
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THIS WEEKEND @ TU
campus calendar
www. the towe r ligh t . c o m / c alendar
THURSDAY, NOV. 20
FRIDAY, NOV. 21
Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco
Masquerade Ball
7 – 10 p.m. • Paws • University Union
8 - 11 p.m.• Potomac Lounge • University Union
Campus Activities Board presents the comedic styling’s of
Sebastian Maniscalo. Towson graduate Will Carey will open
the show.
The International Student Association is hosting a semiformal masked dance. Ticket prices in advance are $6 for TU
students and $8 for general admission, while prices at the
event are $8 for TU students and $10 for general admission.
7:32 – A New Musical
Wintry Mix Dance Concert
8 p.m. • Ruth Marder Theatre • Center for the Arts
8 p.m.• Theatre • Stephens Hall
Based on the true events of the Ashtabula Train Disaster,
7:32 explores the collapse of a bridge and the collapse of a
man in 1876 America. Tickets: $12 general admission; $7
seniors and students.
A Wintry Mix dance concert features works by visiting
guest artist Rungiao Du, of the Washington Ballet. Tickets
cost $20 for general admission and $10 for seniors and
students.
The Towerlight
Editor in Chief Kiel McLaughlin
Senior Editor Nick DiMarco
Assoc. News Editor Ashley Rabe
Asst. News Editor Daniel Gross
Arts Editor Carrie Wood
Assoc. Editor Tyler Waldman
Sports Editor Pete Lorenz
Assoc. Editor Kevin Hess
Asst. Editor Daniel Abraham
Staff Writers Samantha Buckley
Andrew Constant
Karen Hoobler
Alissa Katz
Kara Manos
Olivia Obineme
Matt Shea
Lauren Slavin
Joe Whiting
Paul Williams
Photo Editor Kristofer Marsh
Asst. Photo Editor Blake Savadow
Video Editor Eric Gazzillo
Video Staff Gina Garcia
Staff Photographers Cara Flynn
Ana Martinez Chamorro
Casey Prather
Matthew Sprague
Benjamin Strauss
Proofreaders Camille Goleb
Amy Hefter
Adam Kirchner
Football vs.
James Madison
General Manager Mike Raymond
Business and Cheryl Johnson
Advertising Staff
Saturday, Nov. 22
1 - 5 p.m.
Johnny Unitas Stadium
Circulation Staff Jesse Barbato
Clifton Blount
Olu McKnight
File Photo/The Towerlight
SUNDAY, NOV. 23
CRS Turkey Run
“Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves”
8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. • Burdick Field
3 p.m. • Recital Hall • Center for the Arts
Get into shape before Thanksgiving festivities at the
26th annual Turkey Run, a 5K race around the Towson
Campus. Registration begins at 7:45 a.m. The cost is $5 for
TU students, faculty, and staff and $15 for participants not
affiliated with TU. All race proceeds will be donated to Alex’s
Lemonade Stand.
Towson’s professional vocal quintet, the quinTUs, will
perform a concert devoted to music evocative of a more
hedonistic lifestyle. Tickets cost $12 for general admission,
$10 for seniors, and $5 for student.
Bring ‘Em Home: Local Scene Concert
Taiwan’s Three Masters of Modern Art
8 - 11 p.m. • Paws • University Union
11 a.m. – 4 p.m. • Asian Arts Galler • Center for the
Arts
Come support local bands of Towson at a free show featuring such local scene bands as Lefthandout and American
Diary.
On display are the creative works of Liao Shieu-Ping, Li ShiChi and Chu Wei-Ber on paper, canvas, wood and lacquer.
Admission is free.
8000 York Road
University Union Room 309
Towson, MD 21252
voice: (410) 704-2288
fax: (410) 704-3862
e-mail: [email protected]
online: www.thetowerlight.com
The Towerlight is published by students of
Towson University every Monday and Thursday
when classes are in session during the fall
and spring. The publication is owned by nonprofit Baltimore Student Media. http://www.
BaltimoreStudentMedia.com. The newspaper is
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The Towerlight’s advertising deadlines are firm:
classified advertising & display — Monday, noon
for Thursday; Thursday, noon for Monday. Line
classified ads will only be accepted online at
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based on age, color, condition of handicap, marital status, national origin, race, religion, gender
or sexual orientation. ©2008 by The Towerlight,
Towson University, Towson, MD 21252. All rights
reserved.
Please recycle!
November 20, 2008
SATURDAY, NOV. 22
Online Editor Blake Savadow
The Towerlight
The Tigers will take on the No. 1 JMU Dukes in their
last game of the season. The game is also senior day and is
the final time to watch the senior class, led by quarterback
Sean Schaefer.
Art Director Rachel Fauber
3
OPINION
Sunny
Side
Up
The Transgender struggle
Freshman appreciative of University
measures to assist LGBT students
with Amanda Doran
The Towerlight
November 20, 2008
My life on the
silver screen
4
“All the world’s a stage.” I find that I spend at least
34 percent of my waking life acting out a movie.
I am, of course, the protagonist in my movie and the
world revolves completely around me.
I’m not really that self-centered of a person (although
I do have my own column in which I talk mostly about
myself) but I generally enjoy living a screenplay.
This feeling is especially poignant after leaving a movie
Amanda Doran theatre. For two hours you’re bombarded with this ficColumnist/blogger tional life, confined to a moderately comfortable chair
locked in by two restrictive plastic armrests coated
with a sticky layer of popcorn, soda and candy remnants.
Once released, you’re bound to be overwhelmed by the freedom that exists
beyond the theatre and the thought that you too live an existence worthy of
the silver screen.
I leave the theatre, walking a little more gracefully, smiling a little brighter,
and in general I think I attempt to be more interesting. The fact is I’m really
the only one I really intend to interest. Much like they do in the movies, I
would love to be able to broadcast my thoughts when they are significant
enough to be spoken but I can’t quite say them out loud.
If I had too much money and all of the world’s problems were already
solved, I think I would hire a scribe to follow me around. Every time I
thought of something interesting, I could have this poor soul copy it
down, you know, in case I’m busy brushing my teeth or knitting a scarf.
In my mind, I expect everyone in my world to talk in cinematic dialogue
because I am constantly writing an ongoing novel, poem and/or screenplay
in my own mind.
The scene I would most want to incorporate into my own life comes from
the fervent female favorite, “The Notebook” when Noah grabs Allie in the
pouring rain on the dock and gasps, “It wasn’t over and it still isn’t over!”
This choice is followed closely by a scene from one of my favorite movies, “Love Actually” in which Mark holds up a series of
posters to Juliet, the last of which states, “To me you are perfect.”
If I could find myself in a situation during which these would be appropriate responses from a guy, I think I’d be quite content with the “happily ever
after.”
Additionally, when I’m crying, I like to stare at myself in the mirror and
imagine if I were an actress, would I believe my own sadness? The answer
is usually yes because since it’s my world, I am the best actress in it.
I think driving is the most applicable situation for anyone to be a leading
woman or man because you’ve just done something, you’re on your way to do
something else and all the while, you could be sobbing while cutting people
off and belting out the lyrics to “Free Fallin’,” a scenario derived completely
from “Jerry McGuire.” Driving can involve so many situations and can be
including in many different genres of film. So many times, something will
happen that makes me think I’m in a situation like “The Truman Show”
(Jim Carrey, circa 1998). I imagine a lot of people who saw that film actually
washed their hands after using the bathroom…at least for a week or two,
with the pretense that America is watching. I don’t like red light cameras,
blue light cameras, or any type of colored-light cameras.
And a scenario like a “1984”-big brother world terrifies me but maybe
we’d all be a little more hygienic, a bit more graceful, and a lot more honest
if we only acted like someone were watching what we do.
Cover images courtesy of:
http://.glogster.com/
http://dallassouthblog.com/
http://odeo.com
http://eggtartresidents.blogspot.
com/
http://www.zmemusic.com/
www.livejournal.com
www.premiumseatsusa.com
www.thefine.com
http://www.100xr.com/
Skye Pollard
Freshman
I am a freshman here at
Towson. I am
a musician,
animal lover,
avid camper,
outdoorsman,
softball player,
and I am one
of the happiest
people you’ll
people normally
things about me
ever meet. Sadly,
don’t notice these
at first.
People generally notice first that I
am a lesbian - or what some people
would call a dyke.
I will admit that I am a very masculine person, but there is more to
me than that. This isn’t really about
who I am.
It is more about what I am. I am
what you would call Transgender
or Gender-Queer. Someone who is
Transgender is a person who acts
like, dresses like, and for the most
part lives out their life like the sex
opposite than that “assigned” to
them at birth, but this person does
not undergo sexual reassignment
surgery.
The term Gender-Queer refers to
someone who dresses like the opposite sex, or relates more closely to
the stereotypes of the opposite sex.
One example could be a person
whose gender presentation is sometimes perceived as male, sometimes
female, but whose gender identity is
female, gender expression is butch,
and sexual orientation is lesbian. It
suggests nonconformity or mixing
of gender stereotypes.
A person who is Gender-Queer
has no intentions of becoming
the opposite sex and will also not
undergo surgery.
So, why did I just tell you all of
that? If you didn’t already know,
this week is Transgender Awareness
Week here at Towson University and
to be quite honest, I didn’t know
there was such a thing until I saw
the flyer.
“
It is ver y a
awkward
for me to walk
into a
w
restroom. I
women’s re
often have gotten some
innocent little girl to
say ‘Sir, this is the
girl’s bathroom,’ or an
elderly woman to ask,
‘Oh goodness, have I
gone into the
wrong restroom.’
I have been living this lifestyle
of dressing and behaving like the
opposite sex for almost three years
now, and I had no idea that anyone
would want to be made aware of
“my kind of people.”
I am absolutely thrilled that
TU allowed a week to recognize
a lifestyle that most people don’t
understand or even acknowledge.
One thing I am even more delighted about is the fact that TU has
allowed the QSU and LGBT development center to officially announce a
gender-neutral bathroom, even if it
is only for this week.
I think sometimes cis-gendered
people (people who only identify
with the gender they are assigned
to at birth) don’t realize the stress
that people who are multi-gendered
or gender-queer go through just to
go to the restroom. I realize that
some people think we have brought
it all on ourselves, but that is not
the issue.
The issue is that these people,
whether it is a choice or whether
it is fate, feel a certain way and it
is not up to others to judge or discriminate. Like I said earlier, I am a
very masculine person and I identify
most of the time with the male role
in life.
As you can imagine, it is very awkward for me to walk into a women’s
restroom. I often have gotten some
innocent little girl say, “Sir, this is
the girls bathroom,” or an elderly
woman ask, “Oh goodness, have I
gone into the wrong restroom?”
I, of course, am left standing there
looking and feeling very weird as I
have to tell them, “No, this is the
ladies room and I am a woman.”
I have also had women leave
the restroom because of me being
in there. Gender Neutral restrooms
have no specific gender assigned
to them.
Because there is no gender
assigned, I could walk into that
restroom and not have to worry
about being confronted about which
sex I am.
I could go in, use the restroom,
wash my hands, and leave without
feeling uncomfortable or harassed. I
feel like Towson should allow a permanently gender-neutral bathroom
on campus, to accommodate the
minority of students who do have
the same problem as I do.
It may not seem like a big problem, but when you live this way
everyday it becomes one.
Thank you again, Towson
University, for helping to make one
week of my life a little easier.
Less Than Three by Steven Baird
opinion
Big risk with auto bailout
WORD
on
the
STREET
Where do
we draw the
line between
systematic
risk,
risk
inherent to
the
entire
market, and
Daniel Miller non-systemWall Street Investors Club atic risk? The
government
has been entrusted with vast powers that have allowed them to mitigate the systematic risk we faced
from the financial system this year.
Now, U.S. automakers are spending
millions to lobby for $25 billion of
loans from the government, asking
the taxpayers to save them from
failure and further damage our
notion of a free market society.
As the Detroit automakers
attempt to stay afloat during a
very weak consumer environment,
the American people have started
to recognize the seriously flawed
model of these companies. During
this period of economic instability, automotive sales plummeted
32 percent in October: General
Motor’s sales were down 45 percent, and Ford reported a monthly
decrease in sales of 30 percent.
Because of their flawed business
model, the U.S. automakers are
unable to maintain stability and
are rapidly depleting their reserves
as their cash burn rates skyrocket.
According to the company’s third
quarter report, Ford reported that
it used up $7.7 billion in cash in
the most recent quarter, triple the
amount they used in the second
quarter. Similarly, GM reported that
they used 12 percent of their cash
and marketable securities, depleting their reserves to just $20.7
billion. At these rates, GM’s liquidity will face the minimum required
amounts to operate their business
in less than six months.
As future auto sales look bleak,
the companies need to move quickly to inhibit the bleeding. The companies will not be able to become
profitable if they continue to support $27-an-hour wages, extensive benefits, and large severance
packages for laid-off employees.
Automakers have cut thousands
of jobs in recent years but further drastic reductions and other
restructurings are necessary. The
fate of the entire industry is dependent on revolutionary changes.
If the automakers were to receive
a bailout from the government,
there would be no distinction
between the systematic risks posed
by a single corporation, versus the
risk of an entire industry collapsing. The government previously provided the necessary support to the
financial system through the $700
billion rescue plan, or the Troubled
Asset Relief Program (TARP). If
General Motors were to file for
bankruptcy, thousands of jobs
would be lost; however, the company would most likely be forced
to restructure with a new, more
efficient model, and the demand
for American automobiles would
remain. As free market principles
dictate, if the demand for a product
exists, a supplier will emerge – be it
a reorganized General Motors, or an
existing competitor that increases
production.
If the government were to loan
the automakers the proposed $25
billion, few changes would be made
within the automotive giants, and
the companies would continue to
burn through their capital reserves
at alarming rates. Our government
should not be using taxpayer funds
to support a company which clearly
has a flawed business model and
which has no future growth or
profitability prospects. There are
no clear reasons to support the perception that the automakers will
become profitable or will be able to
turn around the companies in the
near future.
What is needed now is courage;
courage to stand up to the free market capitalistic ideals that have created one of the most successful and
efficient economies in the world.
Daniel Miller is the Portfolio
Manager of the Wall Street Investors’
Investment Club.
What’s your perspective?
Send a letter to the editor:
Are you mad (or excited, or surprised, or disappointed) by something you read in The Towerlight or
noticed on campus? Send us a letter. Keep it brief (250 words or less) and include your name, class
standing and major. E-mail the letter to [email protected], drop it off in UU Room 309, or
submit it online at http://www.thetowerlight.com/pages/letter/.
Caitlin Sposato
freshman,
undecided
junior,
mass communication
“Iron and Wine.”
“Foo Fighters.”
Stephen Lampo
Lindsey Crehan
freshman,
mass communication
sophomore,
athletic training
“Third Eye Blind.”
“Fall Out Boy.”
Dara Weinstein
Aung Phyo
senior,
mass communication
freshman,
biology
“Dave Matthews
Band.”
“Lil’ Wayne.”
Compiled by Ana Martinez Chamorro. Word on the Street is composed of the first six students who are randomly approached by a
Towerlight photographer on Wednesdays and Sundays.
The Towerlight
Manuel Balce Ceneta/The Asociated Press
Executives from three major U.S. automotive companies testify at a Senate Banking, Housing and
Urban Affairs Committee hearing on the automotive industry bailout in Washington, Tuesday.
Shea Mazar
November 20, 2008
Who would you like to
see play at Tigerfest?
5
Professor
provides
help to
presidents
NEWS
Stories from the streets
Students
entering
a difficult
job market
Undergraduates
in business face
stiff workforce
competition
Kiel McLaughlin
Editor in Chief
Matthew Sprague /The Towerlight
Courtesy of Towson University
Martha Kumar, professor in
the department of poli. sci.
Military veteran Robin Denegal shares her story of losing her job, becoming homeless for nine
and a half years and living shelter to shelter, to an audience in the Potomac Lounge, Tuesday.
Martha Kumar
aids in transition
to White House via
essays and history
Speakers share tales of cold nights
spent on park benches, in shelters
The Towerlight
November 20, 2008
Nick DiMarco
Senior Editor
6
Professors usually give advice to
their students, not to presidential
candidates.
For political science professor
Martha Kumar, her expertise has
been lent to the latter since 1998.
She’s currently the director of
the White House Transition Project,
an initiative that provides scholarly
information to politicians to better
aid in decision-making when taking
office. “We all studied the presidency
and are interested in how the White
House works and want to see it work
effectively, and see a president do the
things he wants to do when he comes
in,” Kumar said.
“We’re not telling anybody how
they should do so, or what kinds
of policies they should have. It’s
simply an effort to make their time
in the White House effective and
make the best use of a presidential
transition.”
The White House Transition
Project is made up of two-dozen
presidency scholars that have studied and written about 10 different
offices in presidential history. Of the
10 offices studied, Kumar wrote two
essays that can be found on the
Transition Project Web site.
“One learns from the past. We
have a lot of people who’ve worked
on past transitions and know what
the rhythms of them are; know for
See TRANSITION, page 8
Alissa Katz
Staff Writer
Megan Hustings, the National
Coalition for the Homeless’
Development director, asked
attendees at Tuesday night’s
Faces of Homelessness forum if
they knew anyone who was homeless. Few raised their hands.
By the end of the event, everyone in the Potomac Lounge could
raise to say they did.
The NCH engages in “public
education [and] policy advocacy,”
according to their Web site. Their
ultimate mission is to end homelessness; however, their immediate goal is to meet the needs of
people who are currently experiencing homelessness or who are
at risk of doing so.
Housing and Residence Life
coordinator Tasha Vanterpool
invited a few faces from the coalition’s speakers’ bureau to share
their stories. The focus of the civic
initiative includes a “lecture series
on life and teaching students on
how to be productive citizens in
society,” Vanterpool said.
Just like everyone else, the
homeless had stories to share.
Jesse Smith shared his first.
Smith grew up in Washington,
D.C. He was married for 32 years
but his divorce caused a downward spiral in his life, which lead
to his homelessness. During three
and a half months living with
his mother, Smith tried to take
his life.
“I was trying to commit suicide
in every way I could think of. I
drank bleach, I swallowed pills, I
did a number of things,” Smith
said.
When he decided to sober up
from the alcohol that was suppressing his pain, Smith took the
$124 he had left in his bank
account and moved to New York
City in search of “better opportunities.”
“
I learned how to sleep
be
on park benches,
I
learned ho
how to use
cardboard... for
insulation, I learned
how to steal.
Jesse Smith
Washington D.C. native
Opportunity was slim and he
was forced to find ways to simply
survive.
“I learned how to sleep on
park benches, I learned how to
use cardboard…for insulation, I
learned how to steal,” he said.
After sleeping in fields, Smith
came back to D.C. and entered
a shelter for the first time in his
life.
He said he was scared to
death.
Since then, Smith has done
countless hours of community service in an effort to help the homeless. He was recently offered a full
scholarship to attend law school.
Robin Denegal is a military veteran who also told her story. After
leaving the service in 1983, it
took her four years to find fulltime employment. Suffering from
mental illness, she lost her job
and was homeless for nine and a
half years.
Denegal tried living in different
shelters in the D.C. metropolitan
area and in Northern Virginia.
“My day-to-day behavior
depended on what shelter I was
at,” Denegal said.
After repeatedly refusing counseling offered by the shelters, she
lived on the streets where she was
assaulted and held-up at knifepoint. Today, Denegal is recovering and working on a biography.
She has also been active in local
politics.
One of the speakers touched
on how traumatic life events and
poor choices were the catalyst for
homelessness.
Growing up in war-torn
Northern Ireland, Frank Mearns
perceived blown up bodies as
“normal.” At 12-and-a-half-yearsold, he quit school and began
smoking marijuana. Even after
moving to America, his marijuana and alcohol addiction did not
disappear. Rather, his drinking
problem cost him his job when
he came to work unable to walk
straight and spent all the money
he earned on whiskey. Food was
scarce since he spent the majority of the little income he had on
drugs and alcohol.
“It was degrading some days
[asking people for food], but I got
used to it,” Mearns said.
Currently Mearns serves as a
See STORIES, page 9
Finding a place in the job market
is becoming more difficult by the
day for graduating seniors from the
College of Business and Economics.
As major banking companies
declare bankruptcy and layoff thousands of employees, the number of
job seekers increases, adding to the
already stiff competition students
face before even removing their cap
and gown.
“It seems like your typical banking
and finance industries are being hit
harder than others,” Amanda Baker
a career counselor at the Career
Center, said. “It’s going to be tougher
to break into. Students are competing against not only other recent
graduates, but also experienced
workers that were laid off and are
looking for jobs.”
Laleh Malek, director of profession
al experience for CBE, meets daily
with recruiters for companies in the
region that are looking for employees
and students that are seeking the
chance to land their first job. She said
not as many companies are looking to
fill as many spaces as they had been
before.
“This is the worst market we’ve
seen in a long time,” Malek said. “I
can’t say don’t worry because then
that would give students a false sense
of security. They really need to be
proactive and have the drive to open
doors for themselves.”
Sophomore Chris Allulis, co-presi
dent of the Wall Street Investors Club
still has a few years to go before fully
entering the job market. He said he
is not nervous at this time and that
he believes the economy will turn
around before he graduates in Spring
2011, but he has already began find
ing a new way to market himself. He
recently added biology as a minor to
set himself apart when attempting to
get into the biomedical industry that
he said has been consistently growing
during the last two decades despite
economic downturns.
“Judging from historical economic
trends and stock market cycles, I
think that we probably haven’t hit
bottom yet, but by the time I graduate
it will be on the way back up,” Allulis
See BUSINESS, page 8
news
Students protest in Baltimore
SGA made
aware of
statewide
budget cuts
$35 million taken
from state budget,
$5 million more
than expected
Daniel Gross
Assistant News Editor
Kristofer Marsh /The Towerlight
g
Demonstrators
march
from
City
Hall
to
the
Sheraton
Baltimore
City
Center
Hotel
on
Tuesday,
Nov.
18,
to protest what they say
t
are
unfair
business
practices
from
the
Columbia
Sussex
Corporation,
which
who
owns
and
operates
the
hotel.
r,
Progressive Democrats of Towson.
A hotel worker from Anchorage,
“They are truly supportive and
Alaska said, “If there is a probfighting for labor justice is very
lem in Baltimore, then there’s a
much in line for the progressive
problem in Alaska.”
movement,” Mazur, also a memSocial science major Greg
ber of the Progressive Democrats
Mazur decided to help Unite
before,” she said.
eOlivia Obineme
of Towson, said.
HERE based on a cultural perColumbia Sussex could not be
Staff Writer
Although the Columbia Sussex
spective. “I come from Howard
reached for comment.
Corporation labels itself on their
County. I am a white male and I
“We are here to pressure
y Freezing temperatures could
Web site as “excellence in hospiexperience privilege on so many
Columbia Sussex into giving
enot keep hundreds of protestality,” many of its workers at the
levels,” he said. “When I came to
the workers a contract and stop
stors from marching through the
Sheraton Baltimore City Center
school and realthis injustice
estreets of downtown Baltimore
would disagree.
ized that not
in the workdTuesday.
According to Unite HERE,
everyone expeplace,” junior
o Among the group were a handThe college students
Columbia Sussex, has increased
rienced priviphilosophy and
nful of Towson students, some
and people of
o our age, leges like I did,
employee workloads, downgradsociology major
who worked hand-in-hand with
ed benefits, increased employees’
I told myself to
Verlando Brown
ethe Unite HERE labor union,
who aren’t iin college,
cost for benefits, eliminated key
do what I can
said.
Brown
Iwhich was boycotting the
but are youth, are
employee rights and is insisting
to make the
joined the boynSheraton Baltimore City Center
on having the unlimited right to
lives for other
cott committee
eHotel’s owners and operators, the
generally completely
contract out the employees’ jobs.
people who do
this past sumeColumbia Sussex Corporation.
blind to the injustice
Nevertheless, Mazur said that
not experience
mer and is still
n Senior environmental polithat go on and the
such issues are really for the
white privilege
learning more
cy and political science major
youth to be aware of and to
better.”
about
Unite
Amanda
Duzak said, “We are out
oppression and just
solve.
Mazur began
HERE.
here
in solidarity with the work,
the generalizations of
“The college students and peoworking with
“I
joined
yers today, because it’s the only
ple of our age, who aren’t in colthe
Unite
because I don’t
eunionized hotel in Baltimore and
these kinds
lege but are youth, are generally
HERE protest
want anybody to
tthat is so important for the workof communities.
completely blind to the injustice
in November
go through the
ners because they need to have
that go on and the oppression
and
struggle that I
ggood wages and health care.”
Greg Mazur 2007
and just the generalizations of
interned
with
went through
d- According to Duzak, who has
Senior social science major
these kinds of communities,” he
them this sumwith living in
ebeen a member of the boycott
said.
mer. According
poverty in the
ocommittee for Unite HERE for
“My biggest hope is that people
to Mazur, Columbia Sussex is
neighborhoods,” he said.
oabout a year and a half, said
growing up - my generation- will
extremely anti-union, unfair to
“It’s not just Baltimore hotel
tthat Columbia Sussex, a priwake up because we are going to
their workers and will not let
workers, here: we have hotel
gvately-owned company based in
anything get in their way of their
workers from all over the country
be the striving force. We need to
eKentucky, moved to Baltimore
profit.
who are supporting this movewake up and we need to organize
and bought the Sheraton and is
“That’s why Unite HERE is
ment to stop this injustice at the
and we need to energize.”
ctrying to break the union.
here to stop them and do what’s
Sheraton hotel.”
I “They are raising health care
right,” he said.
Several hotel workers and
To learn more about Unite
tcosts and cutting seniority which
Among the crowd of workers
Unite HERE representatives travHERE and the groups they repemeans that some workers who
and other labor union supporteled across the nation to attend
resent, or to help their cause visit
shave been there for like 30 years
ers were several members of the
the rally.
have never seen it this bad
www.unitehere.org.
Group from Towson lends support to
hotel workers fighting for fair wages
“
November 20, 2008
s
f
e
s
p
The Towerlight
t
e
e
During Tuesday’s Student Government
Association meeting, University System
of Maryland student council representative for Towson Bill Logan spoke briefly
about the budget cuts that were made for
higher education schools in Maryland.
About $35 million was cut from the
state’s budget, which is $5 million more
than previously expected.
Logan attended the Commission
to Develop the Maryland Model for
Higher Education Meeting or “Bohanan
Commssion” on Nov. 16th where the
topic of budgets cuts were touched on.
The commission does not have a say in
budget cut decision making but looks
at more long term goals for Maryland
higher education.
“We did take a little bit of a hit as
far as that goes but it’s not too much, I
think we’re going to make it through,”
Logan said.
The budget cut was first made by the
Maryland Board of Public Works on
Oct. 15 and higher education may be
experiencing another session of cuts in
December, according to USM student
regent Joshua Michael.
The USM and Maryland schools
including Towson are now wondering
what sort of effect this may have on the
universities and if students will see an
impact.
“I think students will see a small
impact on the first cut. For instance, you
may see a little bit less course offerings,”
Michael said. “The biggest issue that
students won’t see directly is money in
the bin removed for preferred maintenance in a lot of schools.”
The cut was broken down as $15.4
million going from the operating budget
and $20 million from the general fund
balance, described by Michael as a savings account.
According to Michael, if the USM
has money cut from the fund balance it
could potentially hurt the bond rating
for Maryland schools of higher education. Depending on the bond rating,
the state is able to borrow money at a
low interest if holding a strong financial
history.
“Commission is actually looking at an
insurance program, or stabilization program saying that if we can have a gradual
increase of some sort we can stabilize for
fluctuations in the economy and maybe
purchase some sort of insurance to cover
some of the costs or changes in tuition,”
7
Logan said.
news
BUSINESS:
Real world
experience
invaluable
From page 6
said. “In the meantime, I need to find
a way to make myself unique because
recruiters will look at hundreds of
business and finance majors. I need
something to be different.”
Allulis has an internship with a
pharmaceutical company in downtown Baltimore that sells medical
equipment. He is already ahead of
many CBE students in filling a résumé. All CBE students are required to
take an internship to graduate. Real
world experience and networking
opportunities are the best way students can separate themselves from
stacks of applicants, Malek said.
“They make students more well
rounded and give them a competitive
edge when looking for a job,” she
said. “Everybody knows somebody,
who knows somebody else and that’s
how you get a job. It’s the best way
to market yourself.” The other option
is putting off the job search entirely.
Entering graduate school, such as
the Towson University of Baltimore
MBA program, is an option many
business students across the country
have already turned to.
However, Malek said this might
not be the best course of action.
While such a degree does improve
one’s résumé, it does not replace
experience.
“An MBA is fantastic, but they
need experience first,” she said.
“What if when you graduate the market will still be difficult? By the time
they graduate with the MBA it will
still be hard to get in. Chances are, it
won’t be much different.”
Between now and May, as students
finish planning their final spring
semester, the best way to network is
to find people that are already in the
industry that may be able to help,
Malek said. “It’s a scary situation to
go into, but there are ways that our
graduates can still be successful,”
she said. “There is still opportunity
out there.”
Forming the foundation for series
Former diplomat
delivers lecture on
China-perspective
Nick DiMarco
Senior Editor
On Monday, Richard Bush was
given the difficult task of laying the
groundwork for a series of lectures
to come.
His topic was an all-encompassing
view of China and how important
the nation has and will become in
relation to the United States.
“Actually it’s a subject that I’ve
thought a lot about over the last
couple of years [and] a certain
amount of research about, so giving
this lecture was a way to organize my
thoughts and pull it all together and
I’m grateful for the opportunity,”
Bush, the former diplomat and current senior fellow at the Brookings
Institute, said.
“I had some very good questions
and I tried to frame the big picture
of where China is going and to get
the point across the rise or revival
of China does not mean conflict for
the United States. There are ways of
managing that so the outcome will
be beneficial for both of us.”
Bush’s passion for Chinese study
began in his teen years when living
in Hong Kong with his family in
the 1960s when Americans weren’t
allowed to live there.
“Although I went to a British high
school that didn’t teach anything
about China, the experience of living
in a Chinese environment stuck with
me and had a profound interest on
my career goals,” Bush said.
Steven Phillips, assistant professor in the department of history,
made the first lecture of a series of
China-based lectures possible.
“Around the United States, China
is skyrocketing as a language and [in
the form of] China centers [of study
as well]. We have Asian studies but
China studies is just going through
the roof,” Phillips said. “In some
ways it’s like the Cold War when we
had to study Russia and the Soviet
Union…Towson is not doing any-
Nick DiMarco /The Towerlight
Left, Richard Bush touches on many facets of China and U.S. relations on Monday at the Burkshire.
“I thought it was really interesting
thing unusual, if anything I think
because we knew China was going to
we’re behind. With this three year
play an important role in the future
series we’re trying to catch everyone
and I just wanted to learn what was
up.”
going on because I don’t have time
Phillips promised the following
to research it all myself,” the sopholectures would be more specific to
more Asian studies major said.
issues facing China. He teased at
“What I want
the
possibilto do in my future
ity of inviting a
is foreign policy
retired colonel
I asked him why he
so this was right
to discuss the
down my alley. He
Chinese military.
pe
had the perception
talked about what
Other topics for
that the U.S.
we’re doing now,
the lectures may
militar y outstripped
U.S. policy toward
possibly include
China, and what
society, internal
the Chinese militar y.
we could do in the
stability, politics
Jason Clingerman future and what
and economics.
Graduate student
our possibilities
The
event
are. I wish they
was held in
had a class on this
the Burkshire
because I would take it.”
Marriott in a room filled with faculty
A handful of graduate students
of the College of Liberal Arts, comalso attended the lecture in conjuncmunity members and students intertion with Phillips’ night class.
ested in hearing about the topic.
I thought it would be interesting,
One of Phillips’ advisees, Christina
to help understand what’s actually
Camp, attended the lecture not only
going on right now with East Asian
because of a recommendation from
security issues which is a topic of
her advisor, but to gain knowledge
the graduate course,” Britta Nelson
that she could not get in the classsaid.
room.
“
“I thought it was really refreshing
to hear him speak about how there
shouldn’t be a fear of China, like a
fear of rising power…it’s more about
a revival of China.”
Others, part of the graduate studies program, questioned some of
Bush’s points. Students like Jason
Clingerman who admitted his hesitation when questioning an expert
on this topic.
“I asked him why he had the
perception that the U.S. military
outstripped the Chinese Military,”
Clingerman said, referencing a question he threw at Bush following his
lecture.
“I took from it that he has a
very strong background in understanding Chinese policy thinking
and he’s very good at summarizing
the Chinese perspective on issues
in terms of international relations…
he’s very good at helping me understand their thinking.”
The series of China-based lectures is planned for a two-to three
-year run provided sufficient funding. Phillips said they are aiming for
two more lectures for the upcoming
semester.
TRANSITION: Balancing education and politics
From page 6
The Towerlight
November 20, 2008
example that it makes a difference
whether you start out by appointing
your cabinet or whether you appoint
your White House staff first,” Kumar
said, giving an example of her work.
“The reason you would do that,
appoint your White House staff
first, is because you need a decision
making system in place…in order to
effectively put forward the names of
people.”
A year ago, Kumar was asked to
reboot the project for Election 2008.
Her team provided both Presidentelect Barack Obama and Senator
8 John McCain libraries of information
dealing with White House organization, past presidential transitions and
information regarding first ladies.
Following the result of the election,
McCain’s team offered the library of
30 books back to Kumar. They are
now available in the White House
pressroom, to be used by reporters.
“They asked me to start the project up again because we had done
it from 1998 to 2001. I was on leave
here for three years. At that time,
that was all I did. This time I’m
teaching a full schedule, so I’m doing
it on the side,” Kumar said. As a
professor and director, Kumar said
finding the balance between educating her students and educating both
reporters and politicians as well, is
really hard.
“I’ve been doing a lot of interviews and I’ve been doing the interviews because based on what all
of our scholars know about transitions there are certain things that
work and certain things that don’t,”
Kumar said. “People making a transition from campaigning to governing
are not just the president-elect and
his campaign team, but reporters
are making that change too… They
need to have some sense of what’s
involved in the transition.” Her work
has become invaluable to the men
and women in politics and she feels
great pride for it.
“It’s providing lessons from the
past. When I interviewed people in
1999 to 2000 it was really good
because people thought about what
they learned and what they wanted
to tell their successors. We’ve gathered information that’s practical,”
Kumar said. “It’s very rewarding. I’m
working on behalf of a group people
who’ve done a lot of very serious work
and it’s nice to see their work used
and valued.” Kumar’s efforts have
not gone unnoticed. In September,
her latest book “Managing the
President’s Message: The White
House Communications Operation,”
won the ward for best political book
on the presidency from the American
Political Science Association.
Also, on Thursday, she is being
inducted as a fellow in the National
Academy of Public Administration, a
group that is chartered by Congress.
When she believes someone will
become an integral part of the White
House, she often sends him or her
information regarding the position.
It is here where she received one of
the better compliments of her professional career. “I know it’ll be useful
for them. I contacted someone that I
thought was going to be involved in
a coming White House [administration] and that person, who I sent
two essays to, said he had already
read them.”
news
War on drugs, war on terror discussed
Muslim Student
Association urges
muted groups to
express themselves
STORIES:
Insight on
life given
to students
From page 6
Ashley Rabe
Associate News Editor
The Muslim Student Association
went against the norm within the
last two weeks with a series of
lectures geared toward muted populations.
MSA used the lectures to give the
podium to groups without a voice,
and give them a chance to express
themselves, according to representatives of the group.
Adel Alsabti, MSA member, said
it depends on the student, whether
or not they accept what the speaker
has to say or not.
“This is not what I was expecting and I don’t know if it would be
applicable to people on campus. It
was very radical,” Melanie Gallardo,
sophomore psychology major, said.
The speaker, Imam Abdul Alim
Musa, ran a successful criminal
organization and had been incarcerated for his involvement. Since then
Casey Prather/The Towerlight
Speaker Imam Abdul Alim Musa addresses the audience at The Long Wars presentation Wednesday.
he has gotten involved with a local
Muslim community and has been
an “independent force” for 30 years,
according to literature presented at
the lecture.
Musa spoke about two main
points, the war on drugs and the
TOWSON
TIGERS FOOTBALL
PRE-GAME TAILGATE
war on terror.
He described the war on drugs
by stating that, “it has broken down
the backbone of the blacks.” He
went into detail about how drugs
are a closed-in system and they are
killing the black community.
Get it online
Visit thetowerlight.com
To read more about the event
go online and search under
the NEWS banner.
speaker for the bureau and is thankful that his parents are taking care
of his children.
The hope of the bureau is that
the stories influence students to see
the homeless in a different light.
“It just makes me appreciate life
and everything I have,” sophomore
psychology major Ava Lopez said.
Lopez said she is considering spending her holiday at a soup kitchen.
“They’re not that scary. For them,
for us to say we’re all human, that’s
all they need,” Lopez said.
Junior exercise science major Jay
Wafer agreed on the perception
of the homeless. “They’re not just
somebody on the street. These are
people like us and they need to be
respected,” he said.
By the end of the night, Hustings
asked the attendees to raise their
hands if they now knew anyone who
has ever been homeless. Everyone
raised his or her hand.
Towson University Counseling Center
is Recruiting
New Peer Educators!!
SATURDAYS at Lot 21
near Towson Center and Auburn House
Get paid for giving programs!
Build your resume
Meet other students
Develop public speaking and presentation skills
Improve yourself and the TU community
Get course credit
Obtain national peer educator certification
SEPTEMBER 27
vs. Columbia 1-3 pm
OCTOBER 11
vs. Rhode Island 1-3 pm
Enter to win tickets
to the Miller Lite
Flight Deck at an
upcoming
Ravens game.
TU
MUST BE AT LEAST 21 TO ENTER
YOUR
TOWSON
FOOTBALL
FLAGSHIP
STATION
Become a peer educator!
The Counseling Center is looking for motivated and energetic
students to get training to give presentations on a variety of
issues including:
Alcohol and Drug Education
Body Image/Eating Disorder
Self Care/Psychological Well-Being
Sexual Assault
If interested, stop by the Counseling Center, call 410-704-2512, or go
to our website to fill out an application at:
www.towson.edu/counseling
November 20, 2008
MILLER
LITE
GIVE
-AWAYS
NOVEMBER 22
vs. James Madison 11-1pm
The Towerlight
FREE
NOVEMBER 1
vs. Wm + Mary 10-12 pm
9
B
EYOND
Nov. 6: In the Center for the Arts, a faculty member in the Art Gallery
left an unattended camera and media storage cards.
Nov. 6: In the Towson Center, a stolen iPod and sweatshirt were
reported by a resident student who had stored them in an unsecured
locker room.
B
ALTIMORE
College students start fire
Nov. 6: In Tower B of the Glen Complex, an intoxicated person was
reported to TUPD. A resident student stated that they went to a party
and drank a beverage that they thought to be juice, but found that it
contained alcohol. The student was not transported to the hospital.
Nov. 7: In Area 2, a resident student and a non-affiliate were seen
running through the construction site. They claimed to TU officers that
they were taking a shortcut to a residence hall.
Nov. 7: In Tower C of the Glen Complex, three underage non-affiliates
with an underage resident student were found carrying alcohol into a
residence hall. None of them appeared to be intoxicated. They were
issued a citation and referred to Judicial Affairs.
Nov. 8: On Newell Avenue, three underage resident students were
seen intoxicated. Two of the students were transported to GMBC and
the other was treated on the scene. They were each referred to Judicial
Affairs.
Nov. 9: In the William Paca House, a resident student reported a
possible rape that may have occurred at an off-campus location to TU
officers.
Nov. 10: At Johnny Unitas Stadium, a juvenile runaway from
Sheppard Pratt was reported to TUPD. The juvenile was found and taken
into custody by BCPD.
Nov. 10: In General Services, a commuter student reported to TUPD
about being harassed via the Internet.
Nov. 11: In Dowell Health Center, a resident student became upset
and irate after being told that shuttle service would not be requested for
them unless they were not extremely ill or had an appointment.
The Towerlight’s “Police Blotter” is a representative sample of crimes
occurring on and off campus throughout the fall 2008 semester. The blotter is not intended to be all inclusive. For a list of all crime reports, visit
www.towson.edu/police.
Reed Saxon/Associated Press
Carol Powers collects items from her heavily-damaged house, while residents of the Oakridge Mobile
Home Park begin to return to their homes after wildfires came through the Sylmar area of Los Angeles.
Shaya Tayefe Mohajer
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) – A group of
college students who lit a ridge-top
bonfire is being blamed for accidentally sparking one of three ferocious
wildfires that collectively destroyed
about 1,000 homes and blacked
more than 65 square miles.
An anonymous tipster told police
10 students gathered a week ago
near an abandoned home in the
hills of Montecito, Santa Barbara
County Sheriff Bill Brown said
Tuesday.
They built a bonfire during the
night and stayed until 3 a.m. to 5
a.m. Thursday morning.
By Thursday night, when winds
took hold of it, the seemingly harmless blaze was on its way to destroy-
He declined to say which one or
ing 210 Santa Barbara homes,
identify the students.
including multimillion-dollar propThough Brown said there was
erties, authorities said.
no “malicious intent,” the county
The students, aged between 18
and 22, appardistrict attorney will
ently believed
review the case and
Itt appears th
this fire was determine if criminal
they had put
out the fire
charges are filed.
a resu
result of
before leaving.
The fire burned
carelessness, not
carelessne
Fire officials
intensely into the
said it is not
weekend,
chewcriminal intent.
uncommon for
ing up 1,900 acres
Bill Brown and injuring more
such fires to
Santa
Barbara
County
Sheriff
have the potenthan two dozen
tial to re-ignite
people, including a
days later.
Montecito couple
“It appears
who remained in
this fire was the result of carecritical condition Tuesday.
lessness, not criminal intent,” said
Lance and Carla Hoffman, both
Brown, who added that the stu29, were severely burned while
dents all lived locally and attended
fleeing their home, which was
the same school.
destroyed.
“
Online degrees attract soldiers
The Towerlight
November 20, 2008
Veterans and active-duty military can
‘work at their own pace’ for education
10
DENVER (AP) - Diagnosed with
post-traumatic stress disorder and
recovering from a grenade attack,
Iraq war veteran Ian Newland wanted to pursue a business degree after
his discharge from the Army last
year. What he didn’t want to have
to do was set foot in a classroom.
And thanks to the Internet, he
doesn’t have to.
The world of online higher education has given thousands of vets
like Newland — and active-duty
soldiers — the opportunity to work
at their own pace.
“Being online, I can work on my
college work at 3 a.m. if I’m feeling
rambunctious,” said Newland, 28,
who often does homework when he
can’t sleep.
Online education is increasingly
attractive for military veterans,
according to Denver-based Jones
International University, a Webexclusive institution accredited by
the Higher Learning Commission.
About 350 current or former soldiers are pursuing a degree at
Jones, three times the number last
year. The university has a total of
2,000 students.
“Being fully online, we go to
wherever that service member
goes,” said Bruce Ricketts, vice
chancellor for military programs
for JIU, which has pursued mili-
tary students. Some students keep
up with their classes from Iraq
and Afghanistan. “A deployment
doesn’t mean that your education
necessarily has to stop,” Ricketts
said.
Other universities with online
programs that accommodate service members and veterans include
American University, the University
of Phoenix and Troy University,
according Eduventures, a research
and consulting firm specializing in
higher education.
Jim Selbe, assistant vice president for lifelong learning at the
American Council on Education,
said about 50 percent of active
duty service members receiving
tuition reimbursement from the
Department of Defense are taking
online courses.
EfnFg\e
beyond
Calif. may nullify Prop. 8
Lisa Leff
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO – California’s
highest court agreed Wednesday
to hear several legal challenges to
the state’s new ban on same-sex
marriage but refused to allow gay
couples to resume marrying before
it rules.
The California Supreme Court
accepted three lawsuits seeking
to nullify Proposition 8, a voterapproved constitutional amendment
that overruled the court’s decision
in May that legalized gay marriage.
All three cases claim the measure
abridges the civil rights of a vulnerable minority group.
They argue that voters alone did
not have the authority to enact such
a significant constitutional change.
As is its custom when it takes up
cases, the court did not elaborate on
its decision.
Along with the gay rights groups
and local governments petitioning
to overturn the ban, the measure’s
sponsors and Attorney General Jerry
Brown had urged the Supreme Court
to consider whether Proposition 8
passes legal muster.
The court directed Brown and
lawyers for the Yes on 8 campaign to
submit their arguments for why the
ballot initiative should not be nullified by Dec. 19.
It said lawyers for the plaintiffs,
who include same-sex couples who
did not wed before the election,
must respond before Jan. 5.
Oral arguments could be scheduled as early as March, according to
court spokeswoman Lynn Holton.
Both opponents and supporters
of Proposition 8 expressed confi-
We offer a full range of services
for Men & Women including:
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Josh Reynolds/Associated Press
Katherine Wright, 20, of Cambridge, Mass. demonstrates her
views against the ban of gay marriage in California at City Hall.
dence Wednesday that their arguments would prevail.
But they also agreed that the
cases present the court’s seven jus-
tices — six of whom voted to review
the challenges — with complex questions that have few precedents in
state case law.
Alleged U.S. missile hits land
Lijaz Muhammad/Associated Press
Local children in Pakistan stand by the rubble of a house that
was hit by suspected U.S. missiles on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
ment of Pakistan that will dissuade
them,” presidential spokesman
Farhatullah Babar said of the latest missile strike.
He declined to say what the
response would be.
The government, which relies
heavily on U.S. financial aid, has
not gone beyond criticizing raids.
Some experts question whether
the leadership secretly condones
the attacks while speaking out publicly against them, but the government denies that.
The Towerlight
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP)
– The U.S. military apparently
struck at Islamic militants outside
Pakistan’s lawless tribal belt for
the first time Wednesday, firing a
missile that killed six suspected
insurgents taking refuge away from
the conflict zone along the Afghan
border.
The government denounced the
attack as yet another “grave provocation” amid a series of U.S. military operations in the country that
have enflamed widespread anger
among ordinary Pakistanis.
The harsh words were a sharp
contrast to comments Tuesday
by U.S. and NATO officials who
reported increased cooperation
from Pakistan in the fight against
militant groups.
Tens of thousands of U.S. and
NATO troops are stationed in
neighboring Afghanistan.
“It looks like the Americans are
not listening, but this is such a
great provocation that it will bring
a strong response from the govern-
November 20, 2008
Stephen Graham
Associated Press
11
The Towerlight
The Towerlight
12
13
November 20, 2008
November 20, 2008
LIFE
‘One World,’ animal-friendly treats
g tudent
StarvinS
Tyler Waldman
Associate Arts Editor
The Towerlight
November 20, 2008
Certain Towerlight restaurant
reviewers have created a list of
tropes that often sneak their way
into reviews now and then.
Terms like “food coma,” “food
baby” and “Jabba the Hutt” have
been thrown around in these
reviews lately and in the office.
So I submit a new one: One
World Cafe is a delicious paradox.
Tucked away on University
Parkway near Johns Hopkins
University, One World Cafe offers
mostly vegetarian and vegan takes
on many different dishes that normally, depending on who you ask,
would be bad for you, cruel to animals or delicious.
Like The Yabba Pot in Charles
Village (previously reviewed in
Starving Student), One World
caters to a crowd with more specific
dining needs without necessarily
alienating people who aren’t huge
fans of tofu.
Unlike The Yabba Pot, One World
Cafe is a sit-down restaurant, with
a darker, louder atmosphere and a
bar on one side.
It’s a hybrid of the health food
sensibility with the style of a chic
coffee bar.
One little caveat: parking is a bit
of a nightmare. Look for a meter on
the street, but be prepared to look
for a while when it’s busy.
When you get in there, the menu
is very big, with many different
types of coffee and specialty drinks
and smoothies.
My partner-in-crime and I
14
Photos by Cara Flynn/The Towerlight
Above, strawberries and coffee at One World Cafe. The cafe, located on University Parkway in Baltimore near Johns Hopkins University,
serves vegetarian and vegan entrees and a variety of coffees and specialty drinks.
started by going over the appetizers menu and settled on the
quesadilla made with soy cheese
($9.95). It was stuffed with tomatoes and black olives and came
with salsa and soy sour cream.
Even my friend, who calls herself
a “Spanish and Mexican food purist,” was impressed.
Service was insanely fast and
very friendly. Our food came out
before we could even wonder where
it was.
Now, I’m a proud native
Baltimorean. So when I saw crab
cakes on the menu, I kind of did a
double take. I mean, seriously, how
could a crab cake possibly be any
good without crab?
They successfully proved me
ternut squash, one of their daily
wrong.
The two small crab cakes pack
specials, also for $11.95.
a lot of flavor, and the included
She loved the squash and the
romulade sauce
sauce, saying it
is tangy and
worked very well
amazing.
with the tex...One Wo
World Cafe
Blasphemy
ture of the dish.
m
offers mostly
aside, these are
However,
she
probably among
wasn’t a fan of
vegetarian a
and vegan
the best crab
the acorn squash
takes on many
cakes I’ve tried in
that came with it.
my rather limited
We were really
different dishes that
experience with
full after all this,
normally, depending
them.
so we decided to
on who you ask, would get dessert to go. I
At $11.95, however, it’s one of
got a slice of their
be bad for you,
the more expenpumpkin cheesecruel to animals,
sive entrees.
cake pie and she
My one probgot the banana
or delicious.
lem with it is
split cake. Both
that it comes with mashed potaare made on-site and run for $4.95
toes. The potatoes are fine, but
a slice.
wouldn’t fries go better with the
The pumpkin cheesecake pie is
crab cakes?
an irresistible blend of two dessert
My friend got the roasted butfavorites. The crust is flaky and the
pie is sweet and thick.
One World Cafe
My friend said her banana split
cake was “beyond belief,” and the
strawberry and chocolate toppings
100 W. University Parkway
added a lot to the dish.
Baltimore, MD 21210
Overall, One World Cafe is a fun,
Phone: 410-235-5777
different place to go whether or not
On the Web: www.one-world-cafe.
you’re vegetarian or particularly
com
health conscious.
It’s just good, reasonably priced
food that happens to not have
meat in it.
life
Auto industry bailout more ‘life support’
I
can’t
believe this.
The automotive
press
is
getting
political, and
they’re doing
it
wrong.
Ben McAllister S p a n g l e d
Columnist all over the
Interwebs are
cries of “Vote yes on automaker
loans!” What happened to capitalism, guys?
General Motors, Ford and
Chrysler have been mismanaging
every aspect of their respective
operations for decades. Though it
pains me to say it, Detroit is on life
support.
Capitalism should just pull the
plug already.
I don’t understand how it is
every American taxpayer’s fault
that Ford has been developing a
“high-speed off-road performance
truck” (the 400-horsepower F-150
SVT Raptor, check it out) instead
of spending R&D time and money
on practical, ultra-efficient hybrid
technology.
The Escape Hybrid is a nice
gesture, but for Ford, it’s far too
little, far too late. The Ford Fusion
Hybrid is - wait, there’s a Fusion
Hybrid?
Has anyone seen a Fusion Hybrid
on the road? Does anyone actually
own a Fusion Hybrid? Show me a
bill of sale and I’ll buy you a footlong meatball marinara. Scout’s
honor.
And then there’s Chrysler. You
don’t want Chrysler absconding
with a cut of your paycheck, trust
me. Cerberus Capital Management
– a private equity investment firm
whose name is taken, fittingly, from
the three-headed dog which guards
the gates of Hades in Greek mythology - has held an 80.1 percent
ownership stake in the automaker
since 2007.
Dan Quayle runs an international unit of the firm. Yup, that Dan
Quayle.
Cerberus has shown itself incapable of running a viable automaker, especially a venerated brand
like Chrysler.
They killed Viper for Pete’s
sake. And now they’ve come up
with “ENVI” a meaningless acronym (unless you can believe that
“NV” stands for “new vehicles”), a
hybrid/plug-in initiative comprised
of three vehicles, one of which, for
all intents, is a Lotus Europa with
batteries and Dodge decals.
Great, Chrysler chairman Bob
Nardelli, that’s just what the buying public needs: a Tesla roadster
fighter. How many do you intend to
sell in a year? Eight?
The other two are more slightly
more pragmatic: a hybrid fourdoor Jeep Wrangler, and a hybrid
Chrysler Town & Country.
But where’s my $19,000 hybrid
Neon? Oh that’s right, Chrysler
killed the Neon and replaced it
with a 3/4-scale truck – the Caliber.
Ugh. Thanks but no thanks.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice
gesture. And yes, the Big Three
each have hybrids in their lineups, but thus far, they’re all ret-
Gerald Herbert/Associated Press
Automobile industry executives testify at a House Financial Services hearing in Washington, D.C.,
Wednesday. The industry is requesting a $15 billion loan to last through the economic crisis.
ro-fitted models. Chevrolet’s Volt
“Extended-Range Electric Vehicle”
should change that. For trips under
40 miles, it won’t use “a drop” of
gas, nor will it emit anything. That
is, by all accounts, pretty cool.
That would mean I could drive to
and from campus all year without
spending a dime on gas. Chevy
expects it to be available for purchase by the 2010 model year.
But Toyota had the 42-city-mpg
Prius on showroom floors in Japan
in time for Christmas of 1997. The
Prius didn’t make it to US shores
until 2001, but what we got when
it did come was a mass-produced
hybrid with four years of developmental refinement under its belt.
In 2010, when the Volt hits dealers,
there will be first-year gremlins.
There will be recalls. There will
be warranty claims left, right, and
center.
I know, I’ve flamed hybrids in
the past, and I’ve done most of my
soapboxing in this very column.
It’s not clean, oil-independent
technology I’m averse to, though
- it’s everything surrounding it.
For example: Cadillac first creates
the mindless Escalade and then,
eight years after hybrid technology
is on the cutting edge, gives the
buying public the 2009 Escalade
Hybrid, a 5700-pound SUV which
gets – drumroll, please – 20 mpg
in the city, and 21 on the highway.
Someone please explain to me how
that’s anything more than a meaningless gesture.
I’m only sort of peeved that
Detroit has missed the boat.
I’m really peeved that Detroit
has missed the point.
Starting on the right side of the plate
6QUPXO
%PXOUPXO
UptownTowson Chamber of Commerce sponsors its final farmer’s market of
the year on Thursday. The market will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on
Allegheny Avenue from Washington Avenue to the Towson Circle. The
market will return in June 2009.
DowntownRapper Vanilla Ice will host a party at Mex (26 Market Place) at
Baltimore’s Power Plant Live on Friday night at 9 p.m. Visitors must be
21 or over to attend.
Matthew Sprague/The Towerlight
Students learn about proper table manners from a guest speaker at the annual Etiquette
Dinner, held Wednesday evening in the Chesapeake Rooms. The event was very popular; all
seats for the dinner filled up in advance.
The Towerlight
November 20, 2008
File Photo/Cara Flynn/The Towerlight
15
ARTS
Fade to Black
QCNB*I?7BCNCHA
Stereotypes in
the cinema
The Towerlight
November 20, 2008
I was sitting in The Den on Tuesday, thinking about
how to finish part two of a column that I began last
week concerning not-so-classic movie quotes, when I
got hit by inspiration. And as any Tenacious D fan will
tell you, the search for “inspirado” is a sacred and holy
one, so I felt it best not to ignore this sudden surge of
an idea.
Sometimes, you have to look within to figure out
Joe Whiting what you want to write about (within the pages of The
Columnist Towerlight in this instance). I was eating my Sbarro and
reading Evan Porter’s column on the types of people
you come across while in class. I thought it would be a great idea to offer my
services by providing everyone with a field guide to the types of people you
will most likely come across during a trip to the movie theater.
First up is the “Fanboy” or “Fangirl.” You can easily recognize these guys
and gals as the ones in the extravagant costumes while wielding replica props
from their favorite movies, television shows and comics. If there’s a dungeon
or a dragon involved, there’s certain to be one present.
Your best bet for seeing one of them will usually be at midnight screenings
or opening weekends, specifically for sci-fi or fantasy films. I had the pleasure
of seeing “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” with a whole group
of these people. I found it especially entertaining when one of them got up
and ran down the aisles of the theater whilst holding a giant plastic sword in
the air, yelling, “For Gondor!” The Fanboy/girl’s favorite movie is either “Star
Wars” or “Star Trek,” and they’re likely to fight anyone to the death who’s of
the other opinion (I’ve gotta back the “Star Wars” guys on this one).
Next is the guy I like to call “Chad SixPack.” He proudly displays his letters of Lamda Lamda Kappa or Wanna Buya Natty and can often be heard
asking, “What comes before Part B? Partaaaaaaaay!” It’s not uncommon for
him to drag his girlfriend to movies like “The Transporter” or “The Fast and
the Furious,” and last year for Halloween, he was Owen Wilson. You can find
him sitting way in the back of the theater, snacking on Sour Patch Kids and
sipping his $6 Cherry Coke.
What’s interesting about Chad is that he doesn’t have a favorite movie.
It’s always changing and usually something that’s come out within the past
six months. His movie shelf at home is adorned with movies like “Wedding
Crashers,” “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Crank.”
These first two types of people are very common at your mainstream
theaters - your AMCs and your Loews. But there’s another type that many
will never see - the OmniCritic. While you go to the theaters, they go to the
cinemas. They don’t own movies like you or I - they own films. The standard
fare that most mainstream theaters provide isn’t enough for them. No, they
frequent places like The Charles in downtown Baltimore or the American
Film Institute Theater in Silver Spring, where artsy and independent movies
(excuse me, films) are shown. Brown leather vests, unkempt facial hair, and
scarves are the hallmarks of the OmniCritic. They rolled their eyes when
their friends convinced them to go see the midnight premiere of “The Dark
Knight” this summer, feeling they were stooping to the god-forsaken level of
mainstream (though they knew that this was exactly where they wanted to
be that night).
They’ll tell you their favorite movie is something by Jean-Luc Godard or
any other director from the French New Wave. But in reality, they secretly
go weak in the knees for Quentin Tarantino (just like the rest of us wannabe
indie-consumers).
What about me? I suppose I should turn this judgmental spotlight back
towards myself (he says at the END of his article).
I am all of the above. If someone told me that there would be a marathon
screening of “Star Wars” on Tuesday night (my column writing night), there
probably would not be a Fade To Black on Thursday.
And I LOVE action movies. There’s a scene in “Face/Off” where John
Travolta and Nicolas Cage are respectively driving a helicopter and a Cessna
plane down a runway, shooting guns out of their side windows while trying to
prevent each other from taking off. Does it get any better than that?
And as for The Charles? I’ve only been once, but I would go all the time if
I had the means. I am an artsy, ambiguous, snobby film major, after all. Plus
16 I’m a writer, and that just makes everything 10 times worse.
BSU to showcase talents
Matt Shea
Staff Writer
The Black Student Union hosts
their annual Ebony Lounge Friday,
Nov. 21 at the Chesapeake Terrace
in the University Union. The Ebony
Lounge is the BSU’s semesterly student open mic and talent showcase.
The event will showcase many
Towson students as well as the local
Towson band Brown Fish. Hip Hop
Congress Baltimore will also be at
the showcase tomorrow night. Hip
Hop Congress is an international
non-profit organization that uses the
cultural side and other elements of
hip hop as a way of getting people
involved in their communities.
The theme for this semester’s
event is “Our Struggle, Our Legacy:
The Essence of Black Power.”
“We thought it would be something different than what we’ve done
in the past,” Billie Shabazz, a member of the BSU, said. “[We’re] focusing on what we feel the purpose of
the BSU is; learning about us as a
people and teaching about us.
Shabazz, the coordinator for
this semester’s show, said that she
thought last year’s show was received
well by the audience and that this
year’s show will be equally good as, if
not better than, last year.
“It should be a good show,” she
said.
She is expecting a great show to
follow up last year’s performances.
File Photo/Cara Flynn/The Towerlight
A student performs at last year’s Ebony Lounge. This year’s theme
is “Our Struggle, Our Legacy: The Essence of Black Power.”
She enjoys the bands and students
that are performing this year and
thinks the audience will too.
Although the event is free, the
BSU does ask for canned goods to
help out the student group’s Rhythm
Step Team and any donations would
also be very much appreciated,
Hate: feedback
encouraged
From cover
hates them. If that is the case, so be it. But how
would we know?
If everyone else is tired of hearing those Panic!at-the-Disco-wannabes bleat into oblivion, we have
to do something before their followers destroy our
Tigerfest dreams.
And the only way to find out is if you, the reader,
just take some time out of your day to express your
hatred for any or all of the artists in consideration for
headlining at Tigerfest.
Comment on the Web site at www.thetowerlight.
com, email me at [email protected], or
send in a letter to the editor. Otherwise, your disdain
for certain music may go unknown.
I have a lot of friends who love Weezer, but I also
have a lot who truly loathe them, and those voices
must be heard. I personally like the Foo Fighters,
but if “Learn to Fly” makes you gag, then grab your
laptop and hit the Web site. Write about how that
song just makes you want to jump off a bridge and
forget to fly.
If “Everlong” compels you to drive headlong into
oncoming traffic whenever it comes on the radio,
express that frustration.
This is an important subject, because hatred of
certain music is as powerful a force as, if not more
than, love for that same sound. Let the detestation
out, and let it out with pride. I want to hear ranting,
folks.
It’s the only way.
according to Shabazz. The event will
run from 8-11 p.m. Shabazz said that
the event will bring life and laughter
to the Chesapeake Terrace and the
BSU encourages everyone to come
out and have a good time.
-Carrie Wood contributed
to this article
Fest: Location
may change
From cover
location of Burdick Field to Johnny Unitas Stadium.
“It’s something we’ve kind of been working on,” she
said. “It’s a lot of steps; it’s not just a ‘let’s have it in the
stadium’ decision. We’re definitely working on it and
it’s definitely something we want to see happen.”
If CAB is able to move Tigerfest to the Unitas
Stadium, the likely layout will be to have main events
in the stadium while the beer garden and novelties
(moon bounce, games, etc.) stay outside in parking lots
20 and 21.
“We’ve worked with a few different layouts in our
heads,” Sutherland said.
CAB is also still looking for Towson bands to send in
their press kits to participate in their annual Battle of
the Bands.
The winning band gets to play at Tigerfest.
“We’ve gotten just a handful. It usually picks up right
before winter break, and over the break we pick the
bands that perform,” Sutherland said.
Press kits are due to CAB by Dec. 12.
Those who are chosen by CAB to perform will play
at the annual Battle of the Bands, which will be held
March 6, 2009.
The Tigerfest polls will remain open until Tuesday,
Nov. 25, according to Sutherland.
To find the poll online, students can go to CAB’s Web
site at www.towson.edu/studentactivities/cab.
Results will be available about a week after
Thanksgiving, according to Sutherland.
Million-dollar ‘Slumdog’
Photo courtesy Fox Spotlight
Dev Patel, left, stars as Jamal in the movie “Slumdog Millionare.” Jamal hits the jackpot on “Who Wants to be a Millionare?” but is arrested on suspicion of foul play.
I know everyone’s going to go rush out to
see “Twilight” this weekend.
Good-looking vampires all makey-outey for
two hours is probably going to draw more
people than anything that’s actually wellwritten.
But before you spend this week’s paycheck
only to sit in a theatre full of 14-year-old rabid
fangirls, think it over a little more and go see
“Slumdog Millionaire” instead.
I went into it thinking it was going to be
another artsy-fartsy type film that had a lot of
unnecessary hype around it. I was wrong.
“Slumdog Millionare” revolves around the
life of Jamal Malik and his appearance on the
Indian version of the show “Who Wants to Be
a Millionaire?”
When he hits the jackpot, he’s arrested on
suspicion of cheating, though throughout the
film it is evident he did not.
As a child, Jamal and his brother Salim are
orphaned after their mother is killed in a raid
A
to pull off a smooth, convincing age transition.
You could actually be led to believe it was
the same person filmed years apart if not for
the fact that it was a fictional movie.
The film clocks in at just about two hours,
which is really the perfect time for it. There’s
never any real downtime in it and the audience isn’t about to get bored with the movie
at any time.
Though the film is overall pretty serious – it
shows the absolute poverty that thousands of
people in India are living in and had to grow
up in – there are still lighthearted moments,
like Jamal jumping into a pile of feces to get
an autograph of his favorite celebrity and the
dance during the ending credits.
There are some moments that will make
you squirm a little bit (or at least made my
dad go “ugh” and turn away), like the primitive eye surgery to make children blind.
If you’re squeamish at all, prepare to close
your eyes for a scene or two.
Overall, “Slumdog Millionare” is worth
the trip.
It opens in Baltimore on Friday, Nov. 21.
If you’re not interested in “Twilight,” or still
have some leftover cash after seeing vampires
17
making out, go check it out.
November 20, 2008
Carrie Wood
Arts Editor
the entire film – he’s able to express numbon the slums. The two meet a girl and fellow
ness and confusion on the game show, absoorphan named Latika, who they bring along
lute frustration with his brother and exhilatheir travels and whom Jamal eventually falls
ration whenever Latika’s
in love with. When Latika
around.
is separated from the brothGenre: Drama
His chemistry with Frieda
ers, Jamal is determined to
Pinto (Latika) on-screen is
find her again, believing it
Rating: R
electrifying.
is his destiny.
Running Time: 120 min.
You’d never be able to
The movie constantly
Who's in it: Dev Patel,
guess Pinto had never actuuses flashbacks to his childFrieda Pinto, Madhur
ally acted in a feature film
hood to explain why Jamal
before.
– an uneducated “slumdog”
Mittal
Madhur Mittal also
– is able to answer all of
Towerlight Grade:
shines in his role of badthe questions correctly durboy Salim, who eventuing the course of the game
ally winds up working for
show.
a gang and tearing apart
Though the overuse of
Jamal’s life.
flashbacks has been the downfall of many a
Despite the terrible things Salim does,
film, this one pulls it off perfectly. Going from
Mittal’s acting never portrays him as the real
past to present and present to past is nearly
villain; instead, he’s more of the anti-hero
seamless.
character.
It should be noted that if you do see this
A tough feat for the writer and director of
film, you’re not going to recognize anyone in
“Slumdog Millionare” was finding three difit. Director Danny Boyle chose all Bollywood
ferent actors for each main role – the child,
actors to fill the roles; I’d say he made the
teenage and adult ages of Jamal, Latika
right choice.
and Salim all needed to be represented onDev Patel steals the show as the adult
screen.
Jamal.
The people chosen for each role managed
He is dynamic and emotional throughout
The Towerlight
A dramatic, compelling
look at Indian poverty
Jackson ‘too sick’ to travel to London court
Raphael G. Satter
Associated Press
Michael Jackson might be too sick to travel to London to testify in a suit
claiming he owes an Arab sheik $7 million, the pop star’s attorney said
Tuesday.
Jackson is seeking to give his testimony by video link from the United
States.
“It would be unwise for him to travel, given what’s he’s got now,” lawyer
Robert Englehart said, declining to elaborate “for the obvious reasons.”
A lawyer for Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa said the medical evidence
presented by Jackson’s legal team was unsatisfactory.
“It’s not the first time a sick note has been presented by Mr. Jackson,” the
lawyer, Bankim Thanki said. He gave no precise indication of what the illness
might be, but told the court that Jackson’s condition could be treated with a
bandage “if the diagnosis is positive.”
Jackson has often been seen wearing a surgical mask in public. In one infamous court appearance in California, he appeared to have a bandage hanging
from his hollowed-out nose.
Despite much speculation about his radically changed appearance over the
years, he has denied having had any alterations to his face other than two
operations on his nose to help him breathe better to hit higher notes.
The judge in the current case, Nigel Sweeney, said he would decide the
question of Jackson’s travel on Thursday to allow time for medical experts on
both legal teams to talk.
Al Khalifa, the second son of the king of Bahrain, claims that Jackson
reneged on a contract for an album, a candid autobiography and a stage play,
after accepting millions from the sheik.
Al Khalifa was in court Tuesday for the second day of arguments and
testimony.
The case is being tried in London by mutual agreement, Al Khalifa’s representatives have said, and it is expected to close by the end of the month.
Jackson, 50, and the Bahraini royal first made contact when Jackson was
fending off accusations of child molestation in California. Once Jackson was
cleared of the charges, Al Khalifa, an amateur songwriter, invited him to the
small, oil-rich Gulf state to escape the media spotlight.
Thanki said that the pair even moved in to the same palace to work on
music together.
However, Jackson dropped the project in 2006, leaving Bahrain and pulling
out of the contract, a move Al Khalifa considered a slap in the face, Thanki
said.
“It’s fair to say my client felt a considerable sense of betrayal by someone
he thought was a close friend,” he said. Thanki said Al Khalifa suffered
financially too: Jackson’s autobiography, intended to be “a frank and personal
account” of the singer’s life, was alone expected to rack up $24 million.
In the meanwhile, Al Khalifa had given Jackson millions of dollars to help
shore up his finances and subsidize Jackson’s lifestyle in the small Gulf state
— including more than $300,000 for a “motivational guru.”
Photo courtesy Associated Press
Michael Jackson’s attorney said that the pop star may be too sick to travel to London to testify in a
suit against him. Jackson may give his testimony through a video link instead.
Suri Cruise tops
‘Hottest Tot’ list
The Towerlight
November 20, 2008
Suri Cruise is the most popular kid
on the playground.
The 2-year-old daughter of Tom
Cruise and Katie Holmes tops
Forbes.com’s second annual list of
“Hollywood’s 10 Hottest Tots.”
Forbes.com, which ranked celebrity children 5 years old and younger based on media attention and
their parents’ popularity, said Suri
— known for her stylish outfits and
haircut — popped up in more news
articles and blogs than her peers.
Three of Angelina Jolie and Brad
Pitt’s six children made the list:
Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, 2, is in second place
after coming in first last year; Zahara
Jolie-Pitt, 3, is in third place; and Pax
Jolie-Pitt, 4, is fourth on the list.
“Though not quite the tabloid
stars his sisters Zahara and Shiloh
are, his recognizable mug and A-list
18 parents give him space in the top
five,” said Forbes.com of Pax.
Rounding out the top 10: Sam
Alexis Woods, daughter of Tiger
Woods and his wife, Elin; Cruz
Beckham, son of David and Victoria
Beckham; Matilda Rose Ledger,
daughter of Michelle Williams and
the late Heath Ledger; David Banda,
son of Madonna and Guy Ritchie;
Sean Preston Federline, son of
Britney Spears and Kevin Federline;
and Sam Sheen, daughter of Denise
Richards and Charlie Sheen.
Forbes.com looked at a year’s
worth of press clippings and Web
presence for more than 50 Hollywood
kids. The Web site then narrowed the
list, recruiting the polling firm E-Poll
Market Research to get awareness
scores for the children and consumer
appeal rankings for their celebrity
parents.
-Associated Press
KISS thinking
about recording
new album
Photo courtesy Associated Press
Suri Cruise, seen here with parents Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise,
has been named “Hollywood’s Hottest Tot” by Forbes.com.
The band KISS is considering recording a new album soon.
According to NME, guitarist Paul
Stanley doesn’t want the band to
simply “remain a heritage act”
anymore.
The last time KISS recorded an
album of all-new original material
was in 1998, when they released
“Psycho Circus.”
Stanley said that they have yet
to schedule time in the studio,
but that if they do the new songs
would be a throwback to their
style from the 1970s.
“If we were to go into the studio
the intention would be to make a
Kiss album in the style of our ‘70s
recordings. A classic Kiss album,
unmistakably,” Stanley said.
KISS is still on the road, touring and playing their classic material in Europe and the United
States.
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in the next edition of
The Toweright.
Answers for Sudoku
and Crossword appear
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(See page 20).
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Monday’s
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Podcasts, Videos,
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November 20, 2008
(easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging)
without repeating.
outlined boxes, called cages, must
combine using the given operation
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The Towerlight
@C:3A
Each row and each column must
●
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Sudoku consists of a 9x9 grid that has been
subdivided into 9 smaller grids of 3x3 squares.
Each puzzle has a logical and unique solution.
To solve the puzzle, each row, column and box
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The Towerlight
is seeking a sophomore
with an interest in
business and advertising
for a unique
on-campus
work experience
beginning in January.
Diverse tasks
include
CLASSIFIEDS
help wanted - general
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Responsible for part-time administrative support to Executives in
established Towson-based national
software company. Duties include:
marketing research, phone screening,
document management, schedule
and coordinate travel arrangements,
and ad/hoc projects. Work either
morning or afternoon. Bike To Work!
Very professional environment. Great
for students - good experience - good
pay: $10-$12 hr. Email resume to
[email protected].
COFFEE SHOP - P/T JOB 15
minutes from campus, hiring
barista /cashier; flex sched., 15-20
hrs/ wk, mainly weekends, competitive wage+tips. Need transp. Call
Mary at 410-365-9323.
DANCERS WANTED!
Very popular Balto. Co upscale
gentlemen’s club now hiring dancers. Nudity not required. For details
call Amanda @ 410 298-6280.
and accounts receivable.
DENTAL OFFICE
Dental practice seeking personable
individual 30-40 hours/wk. Dental/
Medical background preferred but
not required. Must be good with
computers and have great personal
skills. Must be able to multi-task!
Room for advancement. E-mail
resume to hvdentalhire@comcast.
net or fax to 410-962-0558. Salary/
hourly depends upon experience.
Pay is $7.50/hr
DOCTORS ASSISTANT/RECEPTIONIST Need 2 positions filled for
busy doctors office. No experience
needed. E-mail resume to drbailes@
comcast.net or fax 410-252-7774.
marketing & promotions,
some sales, customer service,
(no commissions)
Friendly, casual environment.
www.thetowerlight.com/classifieds
FURNITURE DELIVERY. Timonium store needs P/T help. Flexible
hours around your classes. Must be
able to lift heavy furniture. 10-30
hours/week. $8/hour to start plus
tips! Call Dennis 410-561-3767.
SURVEY TAKERS NEEDED:
Make $5-$25 per survey.
www. GetPaidToThink.com.
GET PAID IT EXPERIENCE
Entry-level, part-time Help Desk
positions available for established
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experience with either DB administration, Networking, or Programming and good phone & problem
solving skills. Work either morning
or afternoon. Bike To Work! Very
professional environment. Great for
students - good experience - good
pay: $12-$15 hr. Email resume to
[email protected].
MEDICAL OFFICE RECEPTIONIST Neurosurgical office on the
Campus of GBMC - less than 5
minutes from TU - seeks a motivated person with computer skills
and pleasant personal disposition
to work in the office on a part-time
or full-time basis. Competitive
Compensation. Prior medical office
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(410) 337-8201 x0 and fax your
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Amazing summer at premier PA
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Energetic and enthusiastic men
& women wanted for all activities
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help wanted - childcare
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girl. $13/hr, also gas cash. Prefer
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or Howard County for year-round
sitting. Sit Saturday evenings, other
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small, friendly church. Details/application @ www.mayschapel.org.
Email:mayschapelpastor@comcast.
net.
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Seeking sitter for energetic 1 & 4
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hrs), starting in January, in our
home short drive from campus.
Prior experience, references req’d
Contact [email protected].
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childcare needed for 17-monthold baby. Help needed mid-Dec.
through mid-June. Minimum of
4 hours/week, $10/hour. References required. Contact: elliechris@
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services
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COUNSELING HELP: 1-800-5215530 or 1-800-533-0093. Continue
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WANTED: DECEMBER GRADUATE
for Entry Level Marketing Position.
Must Be energetic, mature, and
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Competitive Base, Health Insurance
& Other Benefits. Paid Vacation,
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Schedule around classes.
Solutions to
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Email a letter
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Crossword
The Towerlight
November 20, 2008
describing qualifications,
20
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last night!
and including
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Sudoku
Don’t wait for the print edition.
Find a job at www.thetowerlight.com/classifiedseds
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November 20, 2008
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21
sports
Pete: This week at Punt, Pass
and Pick I am hosting associate
news editor Ashley Rabe, who
couldn’t be more clueless. She
roots for some random team that
wears black and yellow with a
logo on only one side of the helmet (who I’m pretty sure no one
else likes or has even heard of)
while spending Sundays at the
news desk paying no attention to
any other team. I, on the other
hand, pay close attention to all the
games. Partly because I enjoy football and because it is my responsibility as a columnist to know the
NFL, but also for the sake of my
fantasy team.
Ashley: With most of my time
focused on the news section of
the paper, this is certainly a first
for me. My name is Ashley Rabe
and believe it or not, I am a diehard Steelers fan. Despite the fact
that I was born and raised in
Baltimore, my family’s Pittsburgh
origins have engraved black and
gold in me since I was a toddler.
Being the proud owner of Steelers
pajamas, jerseys, jackets, and hats
I bleed those colors. So, take it in,
deal with it, and enjoy the ride.
The Towerlight
November 20, 2008
Cincy at Pitt. (-10.5)
Ashley: Now, in all seriousness
who do we think is going to win
this game? Bengals fans, just don’t
watch it and wear your jerseys
on Friday, despite your loss like
you do every week. The Steelers’
running game will push through
the Bengals defense for multiple
touchdowns, and maybe with the
lack of competition we’ll see Big
Ben throw a few long balls. All
in all, it’s not a tough pick to
make. The stands will be overflowing with Terrible Towels as the
Steelers slaughter what’s left of
the Cincinnati season.
Pick: Steelers
Pete: Ouch. That one stung
almost as much as Andrew
Fortier’s Bengals rant a few weeks
ago. However, I’d like to point
out that Cincinnati haven’t lost
yet in November (win-bye-tie:
undefeated for the cycle!). Ryan
Fitzpatrick is still not playing up
to NFL standards, but the defense
has been great lately, including the
run defense. The linebackers are
overachieving under new defensive coordinator Jeff FitzGerald,
and the wide receivers, especially
T.J. Houshmandzadeh, are back
on track. I’d be surprised if Cincy
won, but you can expect them to
compete. Vegas is wrong here.
Pick: Bengals
couple of months and demanding
playing time, not so smart. While
we’re on the subject, pushing forty
there is a good chance your not
performing at peak levels. My
bet here is on Tennessee, frankly
because the old man needs to hit
the showers for longer than a few
months.
Pick: Titans
Pete: Again, I’m picking the
underdog to beat the spread, but
not to win. The Titans are a much
better football club than are the
Jets, but they don’t ever win in
particularly impressive fashion;
they just score more points than
their opponent. LenDale White
and Chris Johnson are among the
best rushing tandems in the league,
and Kerry Collins is doing his job.
The defense, which will stymie
Brett Favre Sunday, does the rest.
However, give credit to the Jets’
defense too; they have impressed
on a number of occasions this season. Tennessee moves to 11-0 with
a 17-13 victory.
Pick: Jets
N.E. at Miami (-1.5)
Ashley: Isn’t it such a shame
that Mr. Brady blew out his knee
in the first week of the season?
Let me tell you, seeing that cocky
S.O.B. limp off the field was the
highlight of the New England season for me. Now that he is off the
field, maybe someone else who has
a bit smaller of an ego can take
the field and do a substantial job.
See the problem was, Tom Brady
and his giant head had trouble fit-
ting into the insanely large stadiums that required his attendance.
So, as far as I’m concerned let’s
go New England, kick their butt,
just because Tom Brady is on the
bench
Pick: Patriots
Pete: The line is less than eight
here? Really? Last time I checked,
playing at home was an advantage,
and when these two faced off at
Gillette Stadium, Ronnie Brown
single-handedly smashed the Pats
in a 38-13 Dolphin victory. This
one isn’t so much about who’s
better as it is a matchup problem.
Miami’s run game matches up
against the Patriots lack of a run
defense, which has yet to shut
down a decent running back. The
‘Fins win easily again, 27-16.
Pick: Dolphins
Philly at Baltimore (-1)
Ashley: Oh, Ravens, how I hope
you lose. Ever since your player
decided to take the game to a different level and assault my man,
Troy Polamalu, by grabbing his
lovely locks, you have lost all of
my respect.
I was willing to overlook murder
and drug charges, but the abuse
of Polamalu just exceeds them all.
So come Sunday try to keep your
trash talking to a minimum and
remember when we meet again
on December 14, your season will
come to a crashing halt when you
are shut out by the Pittsburgh
Steelers.
Pick: Eagles
Pete: Hey, if you don’t want
your hair getting yanked, don’t
let it grow that long. That way,
people can just give you a regular
horse-collar and get penalized 15
yards. Polamalu should learn to
play with a little respect himself.
Recovering that fumble at the end
of the Chargers game last week
and running it back for a touchdown with the clock at :00 was
classless, just like everything else
about Pittsburgh sports. Anyway,
the Ravens are flat-out better
than Philly. Better offense, better
defense and better special teams.
A 31-14 blowout in Baltimore.
Pick: Ravens
Oakland at Denver (-9.5)
Ashley: The first thing I thought
of when choosing my pick for this
game was back when I was 10 and
owned a Rich Gannon Starter jacket that I was so proud of. Frankly,
I’m not sure why I got the Raiders
starter jacket, it was certainly not
because of color or popularity,
but nonetheless I had an Oakland
jacket. And for that reason and
that reason alone, I will support
the team I have known about since
middle school, all beginning with
the Starter jacket. Go Raiders!
Pick: Raiders
Pete: Ummm… okay. Well, it’s
really too bad that Oakland isn’t
any good. In fact, they might be
the worst team in the AFC (though
Kansas City and Cincy put up a
fight). Denver is getting hot at
the right time, with recent wins in
Cleveland and Atlanta.
Now they come home to face
the struggling Raiders. Cutler is
throwing well, and the defense
is at least holding opponents to
average numbers, so expect the
pathetic Raider offense to stay way
below average.
Pick: Raiders
N.Y.G. at Tennessee (-5.5)
Ashley: Oh, Brett Favre…you
should have just stopped when
you had the chance. Retirement
at the age of 40 was a smart plan.
22 Coming out of retirement within a
Al Behrman/Associated Press
The Bengals and Eagles set a new bar for futility Sunday in a 13-13 tie. Now each team plays a critical
role in the AFC North race, as Philadelphia visits the Ravens and Cincinnati goes to Pittsburgh.
BOWLS:
Playoff
will always
be needed
From page 24
mine a national champion while
also maintaining the college football
regular season as the best and most
meaningful in sports,” Swofford told
ESPN.
And he’s right, people. College
football does have a very compelling regular season (that results in
a controversial postseason). And
besides, Obama should understand
that a little controversy can still
produce a winner (see: ACORN,
William Aires, Reverend Wright,
and both Clintons). But it’s not even
close to the ratings of the NFL’s
regular season. The South CarolinaFlorida game this past weekend
that aired on CBS was seen in 2.8
million of the 77 million homes
surveyed in the weekly ratings while
the Chargers-Steelers game was seen
by 11 million of those homes.
“
Look, there’s only one
most powerway the mo
the countr y
ful man in th
could convince
these BCS people/
computers to change
their ways.
But I guess the word “compelling” could be interpreted differently. (Just like the word “facts”).
Look, there’s only one way the
most powerful man in the country
could convince these BCS people/
computers to change their ways (air
strikes?). He would have to first convince the American people to stop
watching these games until they
insert a playoff system. However,
that won’t ever happen because
people have too much pride in their
favorite schools (unless they pull a
Roger Clemens and “misremember”
to watch). Students and alumni will
want to watch their own school in
action and families and friends of
the players have to watch their loved
ones play. That’s the fuel that keeps
college football alive and the hopes
of a boycott dead.
Now ESPN has bought out three
of the four BCS games and will host
them for the next four years. The
deal cost ESPN around $125 million
and the heads of the BCS will more
than likely see that in their bank
accounts (but that’s not even half of
Alex Rodriguez’s contract!).
So while the “C” in BCS stands
for “championship”, it shouldn’t
because it doesn’t define who the
true college football champion is. In
fact the true meaning of what the
Bowl Championship Series is the
acronym without the “C”.
(B-S).
sports
FOOTBALL
For TU, No. 1 Dukes a hazard
James Madison travels to Towson in
attempt to hang on to No. 1 ranking
Daniel Abraham
Assistant Sports Editor
This Saturday’s final game of
the season, in which the Tigers
will face No.1 James Madison, is
one game that Towson head coach
Gordy Combs probably wishes he
could postpone for a few more
years. While this year’s senior class
may not be the best in numbers, it
is one of the greatest in impact.
“I think with this class it’s been
more about quality than quantity,”
Combs said “I think their leadership and work ethic will have a
lasting impression on the younger
players.
The most noted of the 10 seniors
is quarterback Sean Schaefer who
has been a four-year starter for the
Tigers. Schaefer has set numerous
records since coming to Towson
and is arguably the best quarterback to ever play at the University.
He’s broken both the Towson and
state record for passing yards and
completions in a career. But it’s his
leadership that the Tigers will miss
the most.
“We’re going to miss everything
about him,” Combs said. “He’s
one of those players that just does
everything right. He’s a great leader
on the field because he leads by
example every day.”
With Saturday being his last
game in a Towson uniform, Schaefer
is trying his best to focus on the
game, but the thought of this being
his final chance still crosses his
mind.
“I’ve actually thought about it a
lot more lately,” Schaefer said. “I
can’t believe I’ve been here for five
years you know. I came in when I
was 17 years old and now I’m 22
and I’ve just spent the best five
years of my life. But one door closes
and another door opens so and I’m
excited to see what that will be.”
Wide out Marcus Lee has been
Schaefer’s favorite target over the
last four seasons.
The 6-foot-2-inch senior needs
just one reception to break the
all-time record at Towson. But he
said that upsetting the No. 1 team
in the country is more important
to him.
“Beating JMU would just be awesome,” Lee said. “Words can’t even
express how it would feel to beat
them. It would mean so much to
our program and our seniors to win
this game.”
Offensively the Tigers will also
be sending off 6-foot-8-inch wide
out Tommy Breaux and offensive
lineman Austin Weibley.
The seniors on defense are
captains Drew Mack and Jordan
Manning, along with defensive lineman Scott Bullock and defensive
vs.
No. 1 James Madison Dukes vs. Towson Tigers
When: Saturday, 1 p.m.
Where: Johnny Unitas Stadium, Towson, Md.
Last Meeting: Nov. 17, 2007 - James Madison 23, Towson 13
back Jeff Snow.
Place kicker Mark Bencivengo
will also kick in his final game
Saturday.
But the Towson seniors are going
to be going out against the toughest opponent they’ve faced this
season in JMU.
The Dukes are undefeated in
CAA play and 9-1 on the year, with
their only loss coming against an
ACC opponent in Duke.
They are led by senior quarterback Rodney Landers, who can do
it all from behind center. He is averaging more than 100 yards on the
ground as well as in the air while
accounting for 25 touchdowns this
season.
Still, with the daunting task of
facing a tough attack from the
Dukes, Schaefer says a win would
be a perfect closing act.
“It would be a great way to go
out,” Schaefer said. “Obviously this
season hasn’t gone the way we
wanted it to but a win would leave
a good taste in our mouths.”
CAAs: Tigers face Hens HOUNDS: TU
wins at Loyola
From page 24
well enough and I didn’t think we
rebounded well enough. Loyola is
a scrappy basketball team, but not
shooting, including 3-4 from beyond
a big basketball team and by the
the arc, and Shanae Baker-Brice.
numbers they out-rebounded us and
The junior guard also had 23 points,
that’s a difficult thing to swallow.”
including 11 after the half, and
Prior finished with a team high
added eight rebounds, five assists
17 points for Loyola and was helped
and three steals in 37 minutes.
out by Erica DiClemente’s 14 and
“I think [Omara] was terrific,”
Kaitlin Grant’s 13 points and 11
Towson head coach Joe Mathews
rebounds.
said. “She has that potential, that
Making her long awaited Towson
explosiveness offensively. She’s
debut, Georgetown transfer Katrina
earned [her starting spot]. She
Wheeler played
came back in
efficient basgreat shape and
ketball on the
her conditioning
I’m pleased with the
inside, seemhas showed that.
points, but
70 plus po
ingly getting
She’s an aggresany shot she
sive, confident
I think we didn’t
wanted, shootplayer.”
defend well enough
ing 7-11 from
They
Tigers
the field and
defense
was
and I didn’t think
finishing with
swarming
all
we rebounded well
18 points. But
night, forcing 21
with only two
turnovers, 14 by
enough
rebounds in 26
the Greyhounds in
Name (10 font; 18 space) minutes, after
the first half, leadTitle (italic, size 9, 13 space)
averaging 8.1
ing to 22 points off
rebounds per
turnovers. Towson
game in her
finished the game
time at Georgetown, her struggles
shooting 47.5 percent (29-61) from
on the glass were a factor in Towson
the field, besting Loyola, who fingetting outrebounded 35-34.
ished at 44.2 percent for the game
“It feels good, I’m just glad my
overall.
teammates got me the ball and I
“Our emphasis has always been
was able to convert,” Wheeler said.
forcing and creating turnovers
“I feel like the only thing I can do
and taking care of the basketis bring more positive [things] to
ball,” Mathews said. “We had a
Towson. I’m glad to add on, I can
few unforced turnovers in transirebound and add a couple points,
tion. I’m pleased with the 70 plus
and just add on to the greatness.” 23
points, but I think we didn’t defend
File photo/Eric Gazzillo/The Towerlight
Sophomore Shelynne Hoyt, left, and senior Kristina Shannon will
see lots of playing time in the opening-round match vs. Delaware
against most of the CAA, the team
said they have been overlooked all
season.
“It’s exciting,” Neighbors said.”
We’re the underdog, but we were
also picked to finish ninth in
the conference, and we finished
sixth.”
November 20, 2008
From page 24
The Towerlight
road at Towson, they said that they
are still focused on the upcoming
match.
Shannon said that the wins over
Delaware will propel the team rather than induce overconfidence.
“Since we’ve beaten them twice,
I think we need to use it as more
motivation to go back and prove
that we can beat them a third
time,” Shannon said. “A lot of
people say it’s hard to beat a team
three times, but they’re standing in
our way. They’re the first match we
see in the tournament. We don’t
really care who it is.”
If the Tigers beat Delaware, they
would play a semifinal match with
VCU, with whom the Tigers split
the season series; the road team
won each time.
In addition the Tigers played fiveset matches at home with William
& Mary, Northeastern and Hofstra.
Overall, Towson has either beaten
or reached a final set against each
playoff team, leading the team to
believe that they could win the
conference tournament as the bottom seed.
“Our chances are really good,”
said Rosenberg. “I think that with
what we’ve gone through this year,
and with the team togetherness,
it’s going to be a good success.”
Rosenberg, who is primarily
brought in as a serve specialist, has
nine service aces on the season,
with 0.22 aces per set. The Tigers
had one fewer ace this season than
last, but served up 17 fewer errors
than in 2007.
Despite playing close games
Can the Ravens get
back on track with a win
over Philadelphia?
See Page 22
SPORTS
VOLLEYBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Tigers sixth seed in CAA
Tourney, face Delaware
TU wins, leaves
plenty of room
for ‘Grey’ area
Third-seeded Blue Hens
favored, but Towson won
both season meetings
Pete Lorenz
Sports Editor
Coming off a straight sets win over Delaware
Saturday night, Towson will face off against the
Blue Hens for the third time this season in the
opening round of the CAA tournament this weekend in Boston. The Tigers also won the teams’
first meeting in 2008, a five-set thriller in Newark,
Del.
“Well, they’re the third seed,” head coach Paul
Koncir said, “so I think they’re a lot more dangerous than they appeared this weekend.”
Two seasons ago, Towson swept Virginia
Commonwealth in the season series, but lost
to the Rams in the first round of the CAA
Tournament.
Koncir said that the team will be keeping that
disappointment in their mind when they again
go up against a squad they handled twice in the
regular season.
“Our seniors and our juniors remember that,”
Koncir said. “I don’t think we’re going to take
them lightly. They are going to come out extremely
inspired, but I don’t think we’re going to take
them lightly.”
Towson finished the season at 19-11, 12 games
better than last year’s result, and 8-6 in the
Colonial Athletic Association. The Tigers earned
the sixth and final spot in the CAA Tournament,
while Delaware (9-5 CAA) grabbed the third seed.
Top-seeded Northeastern, who is hosting the
tournament, and No. 2 Virginia Commonwealth
earned byes in the opening round.
“To a degree it’s okay for us to look forward in
the sense that it gives us inspiration that we can
do well against VCU, and we can do well in the
final,” Koncir said. “But every day this week, we
are thinking about Delaware.”
Towson boasts a squad of six seniors this season who will be participating in perhaps the final
tournament of their careers.
Outside hitters Maddie Haseltine and Ally
Perko, middle blocker Valerie Chromy, liberos
Kristina Shannon and Jaclyn Rosenberg and
libero/outside hitter Lindsey Neighbors are all
playing in their final seasons in a Tiger uniform.
“It’s bittersweet,” Perko said. “It’s like the end.
So whether we do well or not… if we do well, we
can go all the way.”
“There’s no more after it,” Haseltine said, “so
we know we have to do well. “
Perko sat out several matches early in the season with a hand injury, but returned to record 175
kills on 569 attacks with 109 errors. Haseltine led
Towson in kills this year with 319, and she was
third in digs with 266.
While the seniors prepare for the end of the
See CAAs, page 23
WITH$!
BCS thought bubbles
The Towerlight
November 20, 2008
Kristofer Marsh/The Towerlight
24
(B-C-S).
The Bowl Championship
Series has been the topic
of numerous discussions
lately. It’s dominated the
media even more than usual
since President-elect Barack
Obama’s interview on “60
Daniel Abraham Minutes” where he said that
Assistant Sports Editor he would “throw his weight
around” (I don’t know…he’s
looks pretty skinny to me) when it comes to creating a playoff system in college football.
Well, I’ve got news for our soon-to-be president.
There isn’t enough weight in the world (not even
in Bruce Vilanch’s fridge?) that could convince the
head-honchos of the NCAA to create a playoff (especially since you plan to raise their taxes). It will only
happen if you can guarantee them more money,
because it all comes down to the Benjamins.
The BCS Bowl games flat out make them too
much money, and the truth about a real playoff system is that the big money game would be the championship. Case in point is the NFL, where the Super
Bowl is way much more of a moneymaker than any
playoff game (some people stop the recorder during
the game and just tape the commercials!).
So no wonder the BCS officials sound like Jim
Mora back in 2001 during his infamous postgame
press conference when anyone mentions the word
“playoffs” (What’s that? Playoffs!? Don’t talk about
playoffs! Are you kidding me!?).
In fact, BCS Coordinator John Swofford responded to Obama’s call for a better postseason in college
football by saying he would be willing to sit down
with the President-elect (without preconditions)
and discuss things. But Swofford also revealed what
Obama should take note of instead a playoff system
(appointing his cabinet, two wars, and an economic
crisis?): the regular season.
“[The BCS] is the best system yet to deter-
www.TheTowerlight.com Sports Online:
See BOWLS, page 22
Sophomore Omara Parker, right, scored a career-high 23 points against
Loyola. The Tigers beat the Greyhounds 75-66 at Reitz arena.
Parker emerges as offensive threat,
but only two others top six points
Kevin Hess
Associate Sports Editor
The Tigers started their season with
a 75-66 victory over the rival Loyola
Greyhounds Wednesday night at Reitz
Arena. The team started quickly, reeling off an 11-2 run to begin the game,
making five of their first six shots and
forcing four Loyola turnovers in the first
three minutes. Loyola kept things close
however, shooting 50 percent in the first
half, led by Siobhan Prior’s 15 first half
points, most of which came from behind
the 3-point line. Towson countered with
sophomore Omara Parker, who had 15
points in the first of her own, as Towson
led 36-33 at the break.
“They weren’t going to go away,”
Parker said. “We had to go hard every
possession and
TOWSON
75
just run it at
LOYOLA
66
them.”
The second half began as Towson
started to pull away, getting more production from the duo of Parker, who finished
with a game high tying 23 points on 10-17
See HOUNDS, page 23
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