2020 Vision: Year in Preview
The Towerlight looks into the future and previews what the new decade has in store.
Compiled by Grace Coughlan, Bailey Hendricks, Meghan Hudson, Jordan Kendall, and Tim Klapac
Arts
New hits on the horizon
With the new year around the corner, there is a ton of new music that will follow. Harry Styles will be releasing his second solo album, “Fine Line,” on Dec. 13, with 12 new songs, including the singles “Lights Up” and “Watermelon Sugar.” Selena Gomez
will also be releasing her third solo album called SG2 on Jan. 10. She released her first single from the album on Oct. 23, “Lose You To Love Me” with “Look At Her Now” being released the next day. Tame Impala will be releasing a new album, “The Slow Rush,” on Feb. 14. They performed the songs “Patience” and “Borderline” from the album on Saturday Night Live earlier this year. The album was originally intended to drop in 2019, but continues to build anticipation as the deadline has been pushed to 2020 instead.
2020’s blockbuster flicks to hit the big screen
The year 2020 is already looking promising as far as films go. A third installment to the “Bad Boys” films, “Bad Boys for Life” will be released on Jan. 17. Also premiering Jan. 17 is a rebooted Doctor Dolittle, this time starring Robert Downey Jr. and is simply titled “Doolittle.” Speaking of reboots, “Sonic the Hedgehog” is set to release on Feb. 14, with a re-
designed hedgehog, and the much anticipated “A Quiet Place 2” will be out on March 20. Disney also has a big year ahead, with a live action “Mulan” releasing on March 27, and “Black Widow” releasing on May 1. As far as chick flicks go, “Legally Blonde 3” will be out on May 8, as well as “Barbie” starring Margo Robbie. “Ghostbusters 2020” will be released on July 10, and is unrelated to the all-female 2016 version. This film features Finn Wolfhard and Paul Rudd.
Towson theatre department prepares to liven stage
Towson’s theatre department will be putting on two plays in the spring of 2020. The first play is called “Lasso of Truth” by Carson Kreitzer. This story follows a group of major academics in the field of psychology, who have created the character Wonder Woman to spread awareness
on the superior strength of women. They also form a polyamorous househould where the group explores role-play of dominance and submission, physical restraint, and raise children collectively. The second play is “Sweat” by Lynn Nottage. This play takes place in Reading, Pennsylvania, and follows the story of the working class citizens living in this highly impoverished town. While the scenery mainly remains within the local bar, the weight of the world can be felt when 2008 strikes, and factory workers begin getting laid off, suddenly becoming pitted against one another.
News
Competitive Presidential election gears up
The 2020 Presidential Election is expected to be the most expensive and aggressively campaigned in history.
Following an unexpected election in 2016, and a polarizing first term, President Donald Trump is up for reelection and has no serious challengers in the Republican Party while the Democratic field is flooded with candidates. Former Vice President Joe Biden, senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg are among the candidates looking to challenge the president. The last three presidents have successfully captured a second term. The last president not to do so was George H.W. Bush in 1992. National Voter Registration Day is on Sept. 22, 2020. You can check to see if you’re registered to vote by visiting vote.org. College students should make sure that they are registered to
vote in Maryland to avoid having to travel back home for Election Day. The Democratic nominee will be announced at the Democratic National Convention on July 16 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Election Day will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Construction continues across campus
The landscape of Towson University is constantly changing, renovating and expanding. The newly renovated Glen Dining Hall is expected to open during the spring 2020 semester. The new science building is still on track to open in the fall 2020 semester. Also coming in fall 2020 is the new Chapman Quad, which will be where the old Stephens Annex was. The quad will act as a gathering place for students and faculty. Also set to open next fall is Towson’s first business engagement center, which will replace the armory on the corner of Washington and
Chesapeake Avenues in uptown Towson. Further into the future, the renovated University Union will be opening in the fall of 2021 and the new College of Health Professions building will be taking shape and is expected to open by the spring of 2024.
Tigers dance to support Children’s Center
TigerTHON, Towson’s 12-hour dance marathon, will be supporting the John Hopkins Children’s Center on March 28 at Burdick Hall. TigerTHON members will fundraise throughout 2020 ahead of this event and encourage all to attend. The event starts at 10 a.m.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month to host keynote speaker
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Jimanekia Eborn is an assault survivor and sexuality educator. Eborn looks to support survivors and build allies in the community. During the keynote, Eborn will be discussing how to be an ally and how to give and find support.
Sports
America looks to take the gold in the summer Olympics
In the second of three consecutive games, the Olympics return to Asia. The 2020 summer Olympics will begin on July 24 from Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. This is the fourth time that Japan has hosted the Olympics and second time Tokyo has hosted the summer games. There will be more than 300 events across 33 different sports, including baseball and softball, which return after being removed from the Olympics following the 2008 games in Beijing. As of November 2019, 137 nations have qualified for the 2020 games. The United States led all countries at the 2016 Summer Olympics in both total medals with 121 and gold medals with 46. The 2020 games will commence on Aug. 9 with the closing ceremonies. More than 11,000 athletes are expected to participate and more than 600,000 visitors are being expected. As of July 2019, the budget for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic games has reached more than $12.5 billion, making this the most expensive Olympic Games to date.
Men’s Basketball eyes CAA Championship title
When the calendar turns to a new decade, the Tigers will be stepping into Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) competition with a lot to prove. After last season’s 6-
12 conference record, the expectations are low for Towson, as they were picked to finish sixth in the CAA preseason polls this year. Senior guard Brian Fobbs looks to continue his scoring ways after leading Towson in scoring last season. However, newcomers up-and-down the roster give the Tigers an edge against CAA foes. Redshirt junior Juwan Gray and a pair of freshmen in guard Jason Gibson and forward Charles Thompson put new faces on a Towson lineup that aims to surprise some opponents. The Tigers open conference play at the College of Charleston on Jan. 2 and will have a three-game home stand running from Jan. 9-18. Towson will honor the program’s 1990 team, the first to reach the NCAA Tournament on Jan. 30 against UNC Wilmington. The CAA Championship will be played not far from the Tigers backyard, at the Entertainment and Sports Complex in Washington, D.C. from March 7-10.
Women’s basketball goes into new season as reigning champs
Towson will have a target on their back in 2020 as the reigning CAA champions. The Tigers will play 10 home games in 2020, including a four-game homestand that stretches from Jan. 3-12. You can expect multiple events to accompany these games, including Alumnae Day on Jan. 12 against James Madison, Special Olympics Day on Jan. 26 against Hofstra and the annual Autism Awareness game on Feb. 26 against the College of Charleston. Towson’s five seniors will be honored in a Senior Day that will also be a rematch of last year’s CAA Championship when the Tigers host Drexel on March 1. Redshirt junior guard Kionna Jeter continues to lead Towson in scoring and senior forward Nukiya Mayo, who became the 17th Tiger to score 1,000 career points, is close to averaging a double-double. Towson will defend its conference title at the CAA Championships in Elon, North Carolina from March 11-14
Towson Football team in playoff hunt
Towson finished 7-5 and just missed the FCS Playoffs. Despite injuries on both sides of the ball, the Tigers went 3-1 in November and were in the playoff hunt all season. Towson returns key pieces on both sides, while also returning depth players who got valuable experience in 2019. The offense will have a new look next year as quarterback Tom Flacco and wide receiver Shane Leatherbury will both be gone. Towson’s defense showed progress each week and return five players
who played in every game. The Tigers’ season kicks off on Sept. 5 at the University of Maryland before returning home for three games. Towson will host six games at Johnny Unitas Stadium including non-conference opponents Morgan State and Dartmouth. The Tigers will face Stony Brook, James Madison, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island at home in conference play. Towson will travel to Villanova, Richmond, Delaware, and Elon for their remaining CAA contests. As of now, this will be the first 11-game regular season since 2017, however, this season’s home opener vs. NC Central was added in December of 2018, so more changes could be coming.
