The Towerlight, September 16, 2002

tl20020916-000 "The ToilierilDhb Baltimore's #1 College Paper - Published Twice-Weekly - www.thetowerlight.com Monday, 9/16/02 EMF professor dies at age 55 4 Student leaders receive accolades 5 Lecture discusses art of hand craft 11 Haitian flags on display in gallery 11 Departments News Campus Briefs 4 7 Arts 11 Sound Bites 14 Backstage Pass 15 Entertainment Briefs 16 Sports 24 Athlete of the Week 21 In This Corner 24 Classifieds 18 Opinion 2 TU alum defeated in primaries Townsend will battle Ehrlich for MD Gov.; Schaefer to return as state comptroller Sarah Breitenbach The Towerlight Towson University alum and sen-ator for Maryland's 41st district, Barbara A. Hoffman was defeated in the state primary elections last Tuesday. Maryland Democrats and Republicans battled for General Assembly seats as well as guberna-torial nominations in the state pri-mary. Hoffman gained only 43 per-cent of the vote, losing her seat in the Maryland Senate to fellow Democrat Lisa A. Gladden, who won 50 percent of the primary vote. Frank D. Boston Jr. rounded out the 41st district poll with only seven percent. Political activists are worried that Hoffman's defeat could be a poten-tial problem for Baltimore's repre-sentation in Annapolis, according to reports in The Baltimore Sun and the Baltimore Business Journal. Because the 41st district repre-sents Baltimore City and County, it is feared that the loss of Hoffman's longstanding leadership as the chair of the budget and taxation commit-tee in the Senate will deprive Baltimore of essential funding and attention. Hoffman, who graduated from Towson in 1960 with a bachelor's degree in education, has been a member of the Maryland State Senate since 1983. Hoffman is also a member of Towson's presidential search committee. According to James Clements, chair of the search committee, Hoffman's defeat will not affect her position on the committee. He said that regardless of her occupation, she is a great influence in the state capital. Hoffman spoke Saturday from her home about the role she will play in TU's presidential search. ""I am looking forward to seeing the applicants,"" Hoffman said. ""[Towson's next president] has to be someone who can negotiate internally as well as with the URG aims to create a 'cohesive' campus Lisa Johnson/The Towerlight Freshman Tim Warfield, who was elected president of Newell and Richmond halls, said he wants to encourage Towson spirit. The URG formed eight new boards to represent 12 dorms. See story, page 4. [University System of Maryland]."" She added that the search com-mittee has to look for a president who will maintain the complicated balance of raising funds as well serv-ing as an academic example. ""College presidents today have to be fundraisers or you're not going to get support. Tuition doesn't pay [for everything],"" Hoffman said. ""It's a tough balance for the search com-mittee. They need someone who has [social presence] and can be a strong academic leader."" Hoffman added that as a TU alum she has been a strong booster and supports Towson as a power in the USM system. ""[Towson] is a great bargain school,"" she said. ""It's a great value for the dollar. You get a good solid education with good solid teach-ing."" Hoffman's defeat also coincides with the retirement of Sen. Clarence W. Blount, who served as Senate majority leader and is the longest serving African-American in the Maryland General Assembly. Kweisi Mfume, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) told The Baltimore Sun, ""It's going to really require among the city delegation the ability to craft regional agreements and regional strategies in order to bring the bacon back home."" The election also decided the fate of several other public offices. Democratic gubernatorial candi-date Kathleen Kennedy Townsend swept the primaries, winning 80 percent of the vote over challenger See PRIMARIES, page 9 Photo courtesy Barbara Hoffman Senator Barbara Hoffman, a 1960 TU graduate, lost her seat to fellow Democrat Lisa Gladden. Today High 80 Low 60 Tuesday High 80 Low 55 Wednesday High 79 Low 56 Thursday High 77 Low 58 Friday High 80 Low 62 "