Towson Students Return To Campus

From Towson University:

January 28, 2020

After winter break left campus feeling a bit empty, Towson University saw the return
of students Monday for the first day of spring term classes.

One of those students was senior Simone Richardson. The family science major, set to graduate this May, walked onto campus Monday for her last first day
of class.

"Wow this is it," she thought as she arrived in her morning class. She admits that
the past four years have gone "insanely fast," and she's ready to make the most of
the last term.

"I'm just looking forward to taking advantage of everything we have here on campus,"
Richardson says. "Usually I'm a homebody that likes to stay in, so I'm trying to make
the most out of my last semester here. I don't want to leave and have those feelings
of, 'I should have done that.'"

Monday welcomed students back with gray skies, but temperate weather.

While we're still in the midst of a Maryland winter, campus stands ready should the
wintry weather hit — with 60 tons of bulk solar salt in covered storage to treat roadways
and parking lots, and large containers of an environmentally friendly, granular magnesium
blend that is applied in a blue hue to campus sidewalks.

Traffic largely flowed smoothly Monday. TU commuter parking spots turn over on average
two to three times a day. TU provided more than 230,000 shuttle rides in the fall
semester.

Over the semester, TU projects that there will be more 35,000 coffee drinks made at
the Cook Library Starbucks, more than 85,000 customers will visit Au Bon Pain and
will buy over 163,000 items. There will also be about 39,000 orange chicken entrees
served at the campus Panda Express.

In the fall, TU made a historic leap from regionally recognized institution to one of the top 100 nationally ranked public universities in the United States. New leaders — a vice president of student affairs, an executive
director of entrepreneurship and an inaugural leader-in-residence — join the university
before mid-February.

The campus continues to transform physically, as well. Dining changes and a new quad
are among the changes on tap this spring, while the Science Complex will be opening later in the year. The U-Store and its 23,367 tee shirts will be on the move to its new home on the first floor of the University Union—which remains under renovation with an expansion set to open in 2021.

"In 2020, changes big and small will bring TU’s momentum into view in nearly every
corner of campus," President Schatzel said in a message to campus Monday. "All of this reinforces the undeniable fact that Towson University is on the rise."

And while there are plenty of events to do on campus, the Student Government Association
is hoping to make the spring academic term more about reaching out to the community.

Last academic term, Towson University students completed thousands of hours of community
service. SGA President Naimah Kargbo is hoping students and their organization can
build on that momentum this spring.

"We want to focus a lot on our community outreach," Kargbo says. "We want to expand
beyond Towson, and see what we can do for communities all over Maryland. There is
going to be a focus on our usual programs — Tiger Pride Day, It's On Us, Disability
Visability Week, etc. So while we have a lot of big plans for campus, we have big plans for the
community, also."

This press release was produced by Towson University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.