Applebees: Towson student and single mother Courtney Haywood filed a complaint of racial discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against her former employer, the Applebee’s of Towson, after being terminated in October. Haywood said that her fellow servers would request white patrons under the stereotype that black customers don’t tip. Management did not follow up with complaints, according to Haywood. The EEOC moved forward with Haywood’s suit in January, Haywood said in an email.   [...]

The Council of University System Faculty will meet on Towson’s campus May 18 to discuss Towson’s definition of academic freedom, which will be revised and updated, according to University Senate Chairman Timothy Sullivan.   “Every so often you have to update what is meant by academic freedom,” he said. “How do you define it? So the system will have a policy where there will be an official definition of academic freedom.”   Academic freedom is [...]

In an effort to increase cooperation between student groups, Student Government Association Treasurer-elect Ben Mendelsohn is starting a new SGA fund next semester called the “collaboration fund.” For a student group to access the fund, they must prove that they are developing a program in collaboration with either the SGA or another student group on campus. Mendelsohn said he has not allotted how much money will go into the fund, and that he will produce [...]

The Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission has passed a plan that freezes the rates hospitals can charge patients, which could cause some hospitals to lay off workers and slow hiring. Nursing major Casey Clemo said that as a person going into the medical field, the new plan does not affect her decision to pursue her career. “The high pay is something that is beneficial but I’m becoming a nurse because I care about the [...]

Former CNN television reporter Kathleen Koch has witnessed the devastation of two natural disasters. Koch was in her hometown in Mississippi when Hurricane Katrina hit, and saw her entire town flattened. Many of her neighbors lost everything. A few years later, Koch flew to Japan shortly after the country was shaken by an earthquake and tsunami, which killed over 15,000 people. Rather than standing around idly and watching others do the cleanup, Koch decided to [...]

The Baltimore County Police Department arrested Zachary Campbell last week for the incidents of “peeping tom” behavior at CCBC Essex and Towson. Director of Public Safety Information for Baltimore County Elise Armacost said that the department is pleased that the case has been resolved. “We are extremely happy to have apprehended this person,” Armacost said. “What he did was more than a prank, it was a violation of people’s privacy.” Armacost said Campbell was arrested [...]

The 2012-2013 Student Government Association executive board will be starting a blog to keep the student body informed of upcoming events. The Imagine Towson Tumblr that the SGA ticket used during elections will be turned into an SGA blog following inauguration, according to president-elect Brandy Hall. The revamped page will include minutes from SGA meetings, future events and important student body information. Hall said she wants the blog to be a resource for students. The [...]

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is a blank slate, former Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich said, and must use this opportunity to make himself known to voters. “This is really a key opportunity for Romney to make himself known to voters and to make a name for himself, because many people don’t know very much about him,” Ehrlich. Ehrlich, who was appointed chairman of Romney’s Maryland campaign, discussed Romney’s campaign strategy and the pros and cons [...]

Chartwells provided students an incentive to fill out surveys about their opinions of dining services by offering them a coupon for a free meal when they completed the survey. The survey, which was released April 23, did not restrict the number of times students could print the coupons, and students quickly realized the opportunity to receive multiple free meals. The abuse of the coupons was noticed by dining services staff, who said they saw the [...]

The Senate blocked a democratic bill on student loan rates May 8, leaving the possibility open for the interest rate on some student loans to double from 3.4 to 6.8 percent. While the Republicans are talking at a stalemate, the rates are now set to increase on July 1, unless a bill can be passed through Congress. The bill will not be abandoned, since student loan debt is past $1 trillion in America, and President [...]