TL20070830-01 "Jazzmen Tynes News Editor This year�s Welcome Back Concert, originally scheduled for Sept. 8, has been canceled because of concerns for students� safety. The Campus Activities Board selected rap group Three 6 Mafia as the event�s headlining act after more than two months of planning over the summer. �CAB wanted to have a big hip hop concert early in the school year, and they selected Three 6 Mafia based on which performers were available for early September,� Bridget Chase, coordinator for pro-gramming in the office of student activities, said. �We went through the negotiation process and we were ready to sign a contract. When the students learned that the show wasn�t going to happen, they were pretty upset because we worked to plan this and we put a good amount of time into it.� During the negotiation process, University officials stepped in and told CAB that Three 6 Mafia could not come to TU because a con-certgoer was stabbed the last time the rappers performed at Towson, Chase said. �CAB found out that about three years ago a vendor rented the Towson Center and Three 6 Mafia performed, but the promoter didn�t bring proper security,� Chase said. �There were no bag checks, no metal detectors, and not enough security guards.� Chase said that CAB told University administrators that secu-rity guards would be present during the Welcome Back concert, but the University didn�t want to risk having the group on campus. �We would have brought in secu-rity and done everything to make sure the event was safe,� she said. �But the University was concerned that if anything happened, it would have made the University look reck-less for letting Three 6 Mafia per-form on campus again. [Towson] didn�t want to be liable if someone Krysten Appelbaum Senior Editor Class schedules, books and pens in hand, Towson students hit campus full force this week ready for a new school year, but many were met with something they weren�t ready for: signs reading �Lots full. Proceed to Towson Center,� and a long walk in hot and humid weather to their classes. Now that classes have started, students are feel-ing the effects of new parking policies and a limited number of spaces. �It took me about 40 minutes to find a spot today. I didn�t get a spot at all yesterday, even at the Towson Center. I had to leave, I didn�t make my class,� junior Cody Gervais said. Many students were late for classes or missed them entirely because they could not find available parking spots. Several students declined to answer questions because they were already late to classes. �I�m already going to be late for class because it took so long to find a spot and now I�m all the way on the other side of the Towson Center,� senior Lindsay Johnson said. �Now I�m late for class despite coming a half hour early.� Pam Mooney, director of parking and transporta-tion services, said parking is always a problem the first week of classes. �The first week or two of school we have a much Aug. 30, 2007 www.thetowerlight.com The Towerlight Published by and for the students of Towson and Baltimore -- twice-weekly Thursday Now on TheTowerlight.com: Register your e-mail address to view the campus calendar and recieve online exclusives... Perils of parking Commuter crowding evident as semester begins Above, students walk from the Towson Center to campus. Below, a Volvo piloted by Eric Trester, a second year grad student, pulls into one of the last remaining spots in Lot 14 at the Towson Center, Tuesday morning. At 9:35 a.m. Lots 13 and 14 were completely full. �It took me two minutes today [to find a parking spot], I guess I got lucky,� Trester said. Three 6 Mafia show canceled Welcome Back Concert called off by administration due to safety concerns See MAFIA, page 8 See CARS, page 8 Kris Marsh/The Towerlight Patrick Smith/The Towerlight "
