The Temple News

THE TEMPLE NEWS

Lawrence Ukenye Editor-in-Chief

Julia Merola Print Managing Editor

Fallon Roth Digital Managing Editor

Megan Phillips Chief Print Copy Editor

Kayla Maguire Chief Digital Copy Editor

A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921. EARL

The Temple News is an editorially independent weekly publication serving the Temple University community.

ON THE COVER

President Jason Wingard sits at a campus safety town hall at the Temple Performing Arts Center on Jan. 23.

Oliver Sabo News Staff Writer

Sarah Frasca Opinion Editor

Molly Fiske Assistant Opinion Editor

Duay Augustine Assistant Features Editor

Sofia Kasbo Features Staff Writer

Nick Gangewere Sports Editor

Javon Edmonds Assistant Sports Editor

Samuel O’Neal Assistant Sports Editor

Maggie Fitzgerald Director of Audience Engagement

Emily Lewis Public Engagement Coordinator

Taylor Hargraves Audience Engagement Editor

Sara Wexler Audience Engagement Editor

Chris Duong Sports Social Media Manager

Earl Kufen Photo Editor

Robert Cruz Assistant Photo Editor

Nate Pullano Multimedia Editor

Will Colavito Multimedia Editor

Joelle Pacheco Print Design Editor

Allyson Tharp Graphic Design Editor

Isabella Medina Web Editor

Rachel Townsend Data Editor

Olivia Hall Podcast Editor

Rose Mastrangelo Advertising Manager

Matthew Eaton Advertising Manager

Kurt Nolasco Business Manager

Unsigned editorial content represents the opinion of The Temple News.

Adjacent commentary is reflective of their authors, not The Temple News.

The Editorial Board is made up of The Temple News’ Editor-inChief, Managing Editor, Digital Managing Editor, Chief Copy Editors, and Opinion Editors. The views expressed in editorials only reflect those of the Board, and not of the entire Temple News staff.

CORRECTIONS

Contacts

On Feb. 14, 2023, an article on Page 6 titled “How soaring inflation explains TUGSA’s strike” misstated the amount that TUGSA union members are paid per hour.

A column on Page 10 titled “Temple should prioritize harm reduction efforts” mischaracterized Temple’s ability to provide harm reduction products due to the university’s drug and alcohol policy.

The editorial on Page 7 titled “Striking is up to students” reported an inaccurate estimate of the number of TUGSA union members Temple University believes have chosen not to strike.

Accuracy is our business, so when a mistake is made, we’ll correct it as soon as possible. Anyone with inquiries about content in this newspaper can contact Editor-in-Chief Lawrence Ukenye at editor@temple-news.com.

ADMINISTRATION

Temple navigates increasing public scrutiny

News outlets have covered Temple’s safety challenges and response to TUGSA’s strike.

BY OLIVER SABO News Staff Writer

As Temple grapples with a graduate student union strike and multiple safety incidents around Main Campus in recent weeks, some are questioning the university’s communication methods with students and the media.

President Jason Wingard has yet to comment on the ongoing Temple University Graduate Students’ Association’s strike, nearly a month after union members began picketing. He also maintains his stance in interviews that gun violence is a national issue, rather than just a Temple issue.

Wingard has cited city and national trends in gun violence as causes for Temple’s safety issues, including the death of Temple University Police Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald, who was fatally shot at 17th Street near Montgomery Avenue on Feb. 18.

In a Feb. 22 interview with NBC10 Philadelphia, Wingard said he does not know what specifically the university needs to address safety concerns.

“If you ask the question, ‘What should Temple University be doing to keep their students safe who live in Philadelphia?’ I don’t have the answer to that,” Wingard said in the interview.

Wingard also said in the interview that the university has allocated funding to campus safety initiatives but faces an officer shortage and a national gun violence problem.

“What we are doing at Temple University, extending as many resources as we have to this problem, is not enough,” Wingard said. “So moving forward, we have to collaborate, we have to partner with the state, we have to partner with the city, we have to partner with corporations and the community, bringing them together for real solutions.”

Scott Gratson, director of communication studies at Klein College of Media and Communication, believes that the university needs more transparency around messaging to students.

“It’s more of really hearing legitimate concerns, acknowledging those concerns and acting on everyone’s well being through communication,” Gratson said. “I think that could become more direct, more outright and in a more sincere fashion.”

Gratson said that there should be a stronger concerted effort to highlight what Temple students are going through, including the good, the bad and the indifferent. He also believes that Wingard needs to focus more on direct communication, and less on taking photos.

“Photographs aren’t messages,” Gratson said. “What we need to have is much more of a focus on directly relating to talking with students. And having President Wingard is supposed to represent the student body, where is that voice in understanding the student body?”

The university handles messaging to the media and to students on a case by case basis, said Stephen Orbanek, a university spokesperson. Last week, due to the high volume of inquiries, the university created a Campus Safety Media webpage where they proactively provide updates for media consumption, he added.

Wingard’s silence on the strike is customary, Orbanek said. Typically, messages related to employees are handled by Ken Kaiser, the senior vice president and chief operating officer.

TUGSA’s strike has received coverage from national outlets, including The Washington Post, NPR and CNN.

The university has been criticized by multiple politicians for their decision to cancel striking members’ health care packages, which some experts believe was an extreme move at this point in the strike.

As the university has gained more attention, so have social media accounts that criticize the university and its administration.

TUGSA has used social media to

share details of the university’s actions against the union, and information regarding strikes and press conferences.

Keep Us Safe TU, a student-run group that posts about campus safety issues, has gained more than 9,000 followers and criticized the university’s campus safety communication methods and Temple’s administration.

“I’m familiar with a zillion different Reddit accounts and Keep Us Safe accounts that are happening,” Gratson said. “All of that I think does need to be addressed.”

A lack of direct communication is giving more power to these social media accounts that post about campus safety, Gratson said. There needs to be much more open discussion around both TUGSA and undergraduate concerns, he added.

“I think we need to remember that we’re all Temple, and I think that we need to also keep in mind that these are

students with very legitimate concerns,” Gratson said. “It’s not something to just brush over and say, ‘oh, everything’s fine here.’ And there’s been an awful lot of feeling like everything’s fine here.”

oliver.sabo@temple.edu

@oliversabo20

OLIVIA ROQUE / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Following the death of Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald and the ongoing TUGSA strike, many are questioning the university’s communication methods.

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TUGSA

Non-striking TUGSA members feel left behind

BY OLIVER SABO News Staff Writer

As Temple University Graduate Students’ Association members continue striking following their rejection of a tentative agreement with the university, some non-striking members believe their voices aren’t being heard.

Non-striking students feel TUGSA leadership has been unaccepting of members who continue to work, while excluding international students and marginalized groups from the decision making and bargaining processes.

Mitch Perkins, a third-year communications graduate student, served on TUGSA’s contract negotiation team for approximately six months last year. Now, Perkins remains in the classroom, upset with the union’s lack of inclusion for marginalized voices.

Perkins began attending meetings and eventually, to their surprise, was asked to serve on TUGSA’s contract negotiations team, even without prior labor organizing experience.

“It sort of felt to me like I was a queer token to put on the table,” said Perkins, a research assistant and instructor in Klein this semester.

Perkins accepted the role but didn’t have a lot to say in meetings, except for emphasizing the need for caucuses — spaces for specific groups within TUGSA, especially for Black, queer and international students — but their suggestion was always shut down by union leadership.

Manasa Gopakumar, an international member of TUGSA’s bargaining team and a doctoral candidate in philosophy, said the union has had an international student caucus since Spring 2020 amid COVID-19 travel restrictions.

TUGSA also has two international students on the contract team, three or four as strike captains and one-third of the bargaining unit is international students, Gopakumar added.

Many of TUGSA’s proposals focus

on improved conditions specifically for international graduate workers, said Bethany Kosmicki, who is part of the union’s contract negotiations team.

“TUGSA seeks to be as inclusive as possible and we are always looking to represent and hear the voices of all the people basically we represent,” Kosmicki said.

Perkins believes TUGSA must recognize that some people are disproportionately impacted by Temple’s actions, like terminating striking members’ pay, tuition remission and benefits.

“These are people who have been members, they have been paying their dues, they have been coming to meetings, but just cannot strike and they shouldn’t be made to feel like they are not working in solidarity with the union when they’ve been around this whole time,” Perkins said.

Temple also warned international students about potential visa problems if they chose to strike, said a doctoral student in the Klein College of Media and Communication who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid potential retaliation from TUGSA.

Leading up to the strike, TUGSA leadership sent emails to members

pressuring them to strike, regardless of financial or citizenship status, she said. Since the start of the strike, she added that there has been a growing tension between the two groups, leaving some strikers feeling betrayed or disappointed.

From her first semester at Temple, before the strike started, a non-striking second-year doctoral communication student who was also granted anonymity, noticed a majority of TUGSA members are white and lack consideration for students of color. There were issues, like lack of representation within graduate programs, that weren’t included in negotiations with Temple, she said.

“I think those of us who already felt dismissed felt further out of the loop and further just not involved, like this didn’t feel like our fight,” the student said. “And for international students, they had a lot of concerns rightfully about deportation and paperwork and visas and permits that weren’t addressed clearly.”

When the student decided not to strike, she and other union members received pushback from TUGSA, including disrespectful and dismissive texts, and were made to feel guilty by striking members.

“A lot of this rhetoric is coming

from white students who don’t really understand what it’s like to really, really, really have to deal with extreme oppressive systemic issues,” she said.

The student said that TUGSA and her strike leader blocked her on Instagram and removed her from email communications, despite being an active member.

Conversations between members is normal, but it’s not standard practice for TUGSA to block anyone that is represented in the bargaining unit, and Kosmicki is unaware of any instance of it happening.

While the second-year student is shocked and empathetic for striking members who lost their tuition, she said the majority of the union is disconnected.

“A lot of us feel more vulnerable, and just don’t feel connected to the union and the issues, and just don’t feel like our struggles are prioritized,” the student said. “And I don’t think that that sentiment has changed any.”

Julia Merola contributed reporting.

oliver.sabo@temple.edu @oliversabo20

Some of TUGSA’s members believe that marginalized voices aren’t being heard.

ROBERT CRUZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Some non-striking union members allege that marginalzed groups aren’t being included in the bargaining process.

EVENTS

Philadelphia remembers Sgt. Fitzgerald’s legacy

Attendees gathered in Center City on Feb. 24 to honor the life of Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald.

BY LAWRENCE UKENYE Editor-in-Chief

Shortly after reaching the podium, Jennifer Griffin shared fellow officers’ memories of Christopher Fitzgerald, including the fact that he was a Doja Cat fan and would listen to her music in TUPD cruisers while patrolling the west side of Temple’s Main Campus.

“The officer said that Fitz would sing Doja Cat at the top of his lungs, and then look at him afterwards and say ‘Jeff, what do you think of Doja Cat’,” said Griffin, Temple University’s vice president for public safety.

Griffin’s story garnered laughter from the audience — a brief, lighthearted moment during a somber funeral service.

State politicians, police officers and hundreds of Philadelphians paid homage to Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald on Friday at a funeral at the Cathedral Basilica of

Saints Peter and Paul at Race Street near 18th. Fitzgerald was the first member of the Temple University Police Department to be killed in the line of duty.

Fitzgerald was fatally shot on Feb. 18 while attempting to apprehend a robbery suspect on 17th Street near Montgomery Avenue. The Temple community mourned his death this past week with dedications, like a Tuesday vigil at the Bell Tower and a memorial along Montgomery Avenue covered with candles, stuffed animals and pictures of the fallen officer.

Fitzgerald’s casket arrived at the cathedral early Friday morning, surrounded by an honor guard of police officers and flanked with an American flag.

Prior to the service beginning later in the morning, state and local law enforcement arrived at the cathedral. They were later joined by politicians like Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, State Rep. Amen Brown and members of Temple administration, including President Jason Wingard, Griffin and Arthur Johnson, the university’s vice president and director of athletics.

The service began with a hymn,

followed by a eulogy from Shapiro who acknowledged Marissa Fizgerald, Christopher’s wife, for strength in her speech at the Bell Tower during the university’s vigil.

“I offer you the deepest, more heartfelt condolences on behalf of 13 million Pennsylvanians that mourn with you,” Shapiro said. “I pray that you will be comforted by this outpouring of love, of admiration and of deep appreciation for your husband’s service. “

Shapiro also acknowledged the need to combat gun violence in Pennsylvania, while supporting local law enforcement.

“Don’t shed a tear here at Chris’s funeral and then refuse to do the hard work necessary to support our police and our community every other day,” Shapiro added.

The governor’s speech was followed by remarks from Brown who spoke about Fitzgerald’s commitment to serving the Temple community.

“As we reflect on his life and his legacy, one phrase comes to mind — the heart of a hero,” Brown said.

Griffin told funny stories from patrols and the fallen officer’s sense of hu-

mor and also emphasized the need to provide resources to support police officers’ mental health.

Griffin ended her remarks by announcing TUPD’s decision to posthumously promote Fitzgerald to the rank of sergeant, which generated applause from attendees.

The event continued with remarks from Fitzgerald’s family, Temple police officers and prayers from religious leaders from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Pastor Juan Marrero, Fitzgerald’s pastor and uncle, delivered final emotional remarks that generated applause from the audience.

“Although tragically taken too soon, he still fought a good fight, he still finished his race, he has kept the faith and is now receiving the rewards that are due him,” Marrero said.

The service concluded with hymns and prayers for Fitzgerald and his family before a procession of police officers lined up and exited the cathedral.

editor@temple-news.com

@Lawrence_Ukenye

OPINION

EDITORIAL

Don’t sensationalize crime

On Feb. 18, Temple University Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald was fatally shot at 17th Street near Montgomery Avenue while responding to a robbery.

As the Temple community grapples with the tragic loss, social media accounts and media outlets have sensationalized Fitzgerald’s death and other crimes near Main Campus, using his passing to further stereotype North Philadelphia as a dangerous community.

Sensationalism is an editorial tactic in which events and topics in stories are selected and worded to invoke extreme emotions from readers and increase viewership, according to the International Council for Media Literacy.

This type of reporting violates the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. The exaggeration of reporting interferes with the media’s duty to be honest and fair, while contributing to a harmful depiction of North Central.

As campus safety concerns continue to rise near campus, The Editorial Board urges local media organizations and social media outlets to reduce their use of sensationalism in order to report with sensitivity. They can do this by limiting the amount of “buzzwords,” memes and extreme statements used for click bait, instead of accurately trying to call attention to an important news story.

Although TU Alerts generally issue notifications urging students to avoid an area or alert them of a campus safety concern, some students may search for more detailed answers from less reliable organizations.

When multiple headlines from news coverage of crime near Main Campus are strung together in social media threads, sensational reporting borders on fear mongering, which deliberately raises

STUDENT LIFE

Reinstate TUGSA’s benefits

public safety concerns.

In North Philadelphia, this type of reporting could benefit some media organizations’ agendas of advocating for Temple to do more to protect its students from safety concerns while villainizing the local neighborhood.

The Editorial Board agrees the university should be held accountable to prioritize student safety, but increasing panic around campus with harmful media activity is an irresponsible way of raising awareness.

Sensational crime reporting cultivates anxiety and increased concern among the student body on campus. As crime rates and reports rise around campus, some students have transferred to different universities for safety reasons.

Reporters that have jokingly mocked campus safety and the administration have also contributed to sensational reporting. Some reporters and organizations expect Temple to handle the deeply rooted issue of gun violence on its own, but this is unreasonable.

“We know there is a lot of misinformation circulating via social media,” Wingard wrote in a university-wide email. “We are committed to communicating with the Temple community and will regularly share verified accurate information. We will also be regularly sharing this information with the news media.”

With the blame placed fully on the university, there is limited room for possible citywide solutions to be explored and deeper, more solutions-focused reporting on gun violence in Philadelphia.

The Editorial Board encourages all media outlets reporting on local crime to use an ethical approach and consider who may be affected by sensationalism.

BY MOLLY FISKE Assistant Opinion Editor

On Feb. 8, Temple University Graduate Students’ Association, noticed their health insurance was deactivated.

“People found it particularly cruel that the council would cut the benefits of people who have gone on strike because they’re already in a tough financial position,” said Bethany Kosmicki, a research assistant in the sociology department and member of the contract negotiations team.

The university warned benefits could be cut amidst a strike but didn’t issue a warning when actually deactivated, Kosmicki said.

On Feb. 9, striking TUGSA members received an email from the Bursar’s Office stating their full tuition would be due on March 9. Failure to pay will result in a $100 late fee and a hold placed on their account.

Temple has the ability to continue providing benefits for striking workers but deliberately chose to cut them. Any U.S. adult that doesn’t have qualifying health insurance must pay a fee under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, TUGSA members are already fighting for basic needs; they shouldn’t have their tuition remission and healthcare benefits revoked in the process.

For nearly a month, TUGSA has striked for a base-wage pay of $32,800, healthcare for dependents and families, extended parental and bereavement leave and improved working conditions, according to TUGSA.

Employers in Pennsylvania are legally allowed to pay striking workers, but also have the right to cut benefits, according to Pennsylvania’s Public Employee Relations Act.

In response to Temple’s cut of benefits and tuition remission, TUGSA’s unfair labor practice complaint to the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board is now pending after being filed roughly two weeks ago, Kosmicki said.

“Without those benefits, they will be treated the same as every other enrolled student,” wrote Stephen Orbanek, a university spokes-

person, in an email to The Temple News.

The penalty for not having qualifying health insurance is $95 per adult or one percent of taxable income, whichever is higher, according to the Affordable Care Act. Due to Temple removing benefits, striking members could be subject to the fine as they no longer have qualifying coverage.

Any U.S. citizen without qualifying healthcare will be penalized with the fee. The consequence for not having health insurance doesn’t fall on Temple but striking graduate workers.

From the beginning of the strike, Temple wasn’t obligated to cut health and tuition benefits, and TUGSA considered the decision unprecedented for graduate student programs, Kosmicki said.

Current pay of a Temple graduate worker, which is on average more than $19,000 per academic year, isn’t sufficient enough to cover health insurance expenses if a graduate worker is striking.

“The pay is just entirely inadequate for what is being asked of TAs and RAs but also just for living in Philadelphia, going to a school that makes a ton of money, and that sort of thing,” said Matt Ford, TUGSA’s lead negotiator.

The average person spends roughly $12,914 on health care expenditures per year, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

It’s essential that Temple reinstates benefits because they’re unable to utilize their health insurance, and will be forced to pay out of pocket for essential health care needs.

Any student that wants to study in the U.S. requires a student visa and to receive a visa the student must be enrolled full-time and must have sufficient funds available for the course, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The price of health care without insurance is impossible to afford for many graduate students, and international students without tuition remission could be forced to leave the country. Failure to support the union’s right to strike and restore their benefits would be a violation of basic workers’ rights and a neglect of Temple.

Sofia Bezila contributed reporting.

A student urges Temple to restore striking TUGSA members’ benefits during contract negotiations.

STUDENT LIFE

One meal shouldn’t cost students extra swipes

A student urges Temple Dining to match meal swipe equivalency rates to current prices.

BY CHRIS DUONG Sports Social Media Manager

On Feb. 6, Temple University Culinary Services increased prices at on-campus dining restaurants like Chick-Fil-A, Which Wich and Twisted Taco, in compliance with national brand pricing, according to Temple Dining signage that was posted outside the Chick-Fil-A in the Howard Gittis Student Center.

As of last semester, Temple Dining meal equivalency swipes were worth $9.25 for lunch and dinner and $6.71 for breakfast hours. However, the recent price hikes have caused the cost of many of students’ favorite meals to move above the equivalency threshold. For example, the Chick-Fil-A sandwich combo was previously $9.25 until the price rose to $9.45.

Some of the meals that were originally covered under one meal swipe will now require two swipes or a swipe and the difference in Diamond Dollars, the university’s monetary currency. When students use two swipes, they waste the second on just one meal.

Temple Dining must raise the equivalency value to $9.50 for lunch and dinner to allow students to use one meal swipe for a standard meal. An increase to $9.50 is enough to offset the recent winter price increase and would eliminate students’ need to use additional Diamond Dollars or waste a swipe on one meal. With rising inflation, students should be able to maximize their meal plan and get the best value for their money.

Temple Dining has increased the meal equivalency threshold before. In August 2021, the meal equivalency rate increased from $8.69 during lunch and dinner to $9.25, a 56-cent increase.

Temple Dining did not respond to The Temple News’ request for comment about previous instances of increasing the meal equivalency rate.

Oftentimes, some students will purchase a meal without realizing the cost,

causing them to use and waste more than one swipe and nearly eight dollars worth of food.

“I’ve been using it since the semester started and I guess it’s been taking two meals from me,” said Liv Dedman, a freshman social work major.

New students living in Temple-affiliated housing are required to purchase a meal plan. Meal plans range from $2,024 to $2,355 per semester and deals for returning students and those living off-campus range from $568 to $1,073.

All meal plans, except the unlimited plan, grant off-campus and on-campus students $50 worth of Diamond Dollars each semester. Students also can add Diamond Dollars to their accounts at any time. The funds can be used at any Temple-affiliated restaurant, including those in the Student Center and at the Morgan Hall food court.

Jaden Henninger, a junior business management major, has opted to use Diamond Dollars to cover the extra cost of

Chick-Fil-A following the increase.

“I get it four times a week,” Henninger said. “Personally, I use Diamond Dollars because if you use a whole meal swipe, you’re wasting eight dollars almost.”

With students spending thousands of dollars each semester on meal plans, they should not be forced to spend additional money due to an incremental rise in the cost of one meal equivalency.

Students have already been burdened by the effects of higher food prices, so it’s unfair for them to pay additional money or sacrifice a meal swipe to cover the difference. In January, the inflation rate for food hit 10 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Dedman said. “I’m losing my meal swipes super fast. I feel like I can’t keep getting food because Chick-Fil-A is taking two meal swipes instead of one. Now I’ve used two meals by 11 o’clock and I only have 15 for the week. My roommate only has 10.”

Temple Dining understands that students might be upset about the rise in costs, but they must raise the prices in compliance with national brand pricing, they wrote in a message to The Temple News.

Despite not having the option to adjust the cost of national products, Temple Dining can adjust the equivalency rate in ordinance to the cost.

Adjusting the cost of meal equivalencies will help students, who are already paying thousands of dollars on tuition, housing and meal plans, afford to eat on campus. An upcharge for a sandwich shouldn’t force students to spend more money than they are already spending on a meal plan.

Temple must accommodate their meal swipe equivalency rate to match the rising cost of basic meals so that students can afford to eat on campus.

christopher.duong0001@temple.edu @duongest

ALLYSON THARP / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Plan B vending machines should be on campus

BY SARAH FRASCA Opinion Editor

Last June, the United States Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, removing the constitutional right to abortion. Following the reversal, Google searches for the “morning after pill” spiked, according to a July 2022 National Library of Medicine study.

On Nov. 18, a group of anti-abortion organizations filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Amarillo that could ban abortion pills nationwide, POLITICO reported.

Last month, George Washington University installed a vending machine where students can discreetly purchase emergency contraception for $25,

roughly half the price it would be from a drug store, The Guardian reported. Other universities, like Shippensburg, Stanford, Columbia and Boston University, have installed these vending machines, with Boston selling it for only $7.25.

In the aftermath of the Roe reversal, Temple University should install at least one discreet Plan B vending machine on the lower level of the Howard Gittis Student Center and, eventually in student housing to help prevent pregnancy at a lower cost without social interactions. They should include women’s health and safer sex items, like condoms, ibuprofen and tampons, and a resource pamphlet from Wellness Resource Center or Student Health Services.

At both the CVS, located at 12th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue, and the Rite Aid, located on Cecil B. Moore near Broad Street, customers need to ask employees for assistance to access emergency contraception. At the SHS dispen-

sary, students need to ask for the pill.

Obtaining emergency contraception often involves awkward interactions in stores and can prevent students from purchasing it. Only 11 percent of women feel confident buying the morning-after pill, according to a March 2019 survey by ellaOne, an emergency contraceptive brand.

“There is an element of judgment that exists when people purchase reproductive health products in person,” said Sandra Sepulveda-Kozakowski, a psychology and neuroscience professor.

A Plan B vending machine in a low-traffic corner of the Student Center and in student housing would offer a more discreet way to easily pick up contraceptives while avoiding potentially shameful interactions.

Chelsea Lubbe, a freshman journalism major, would definitely use a Plan B vending machine if needed, she said.

“I definitely believe that there are a lot of people who would find it extremely like a weight lifted off their shoulders,” Lubbe said.

In Pennsylvania, there are no explicit restrictions on the sale of over-thecounter products in vending machines, according to the Policy Surveillance Program. Temple can sell the morning-after pill in vending machines as long as they adhere to applicable laws, like vending machine authorizations.

“Any decision to offer Plan B in vending machines would need to involve the Family Planning Counsel,” wrote Mark Denys, the senior director of health services, in an email to The Temple News. “At this time we have not had those discussions.”

Temple students can access emergency contraception through SHS on a sliding scale cost of $0 to $13 or purchase it at a drug store around campus.

Drug stores like CVS, sell Plan B One-Step for nearly $50. Generic brands of the pill can cost between $11 and $45, according to Planned Parenthood.

Current inflation rates in the U.S. are at 6.4 percent, with food rates at 10.1 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. With the cost of basic needs increased, pregnancy prevention

may not be a priority.

“It’s difficult when there have to be choices around which bills to pay and how to prioritize those things,” Sepulveda-Kozakowski said.

The sexual double standard, which shames women and praises men for having sex, can make students feel embarrassed interacting with others to obtain the pill. A vending machine would add the essential benefit of discreteness because students would avoid speaking with anyone when obtaining the morning-after pill.

Additionally, each purchase should come with a pamphlet describing where to access safer sex resources and sexual health education on campus. Keeping students informed contributes to reducing discomfort surrounding sexual health.

While women’s health care is facing nationwide restrictions, Plan B vending machines would offer Temple students the privacy and affordable access to emergency contraception they need.

Valeria Uribe contributed reporting. sarah.frasca@temple.edu

HEALTH

A student advocates for discreet vending machines for emergency contraception.

ALLYSON THARP / THE TEMPLE

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A CD player healed my relationship with my dad

BY ADENIKE ONANUGA For The Temple News

During winter break, I found my dad’s old CD player in the basement that I had never seen before. Its dust and dormancy reminded me of the three CDs I recently bought from Mostly Books, a second-hand media store on South Street. I knew I could put the player to good use with them.

However, I was a destructive kid who broke closet doors and pantry shelves, so my dad is often reluctant to let me borrow his things. I hesitated to ask my dad about using the player assuming he’d say what he usually said: no.

Growing up, I felt that my dad disagreed with nearly everything I did: who I spent time with, my priorities, among other things. It wasn’t surprising, my dad was always tired and rarely had enough energy to show his personality, making it hard for me to find common ground with him.

I feared taking his advice because we had such different opinions, and listening to him felt like rejecting my own ideals.

“Can you help me with your old CD player? I want to play some CDs,” I asked after walking into his home office.

Despite my worries, my dad said yes, as his voice cracked with fatigue.

I looked at his office wall and saw an original Dalí painting and he told me he bought it at an art auction in the 1990s for a couple thousand dollars. Imagining him buying the artwork challenged my idea of him being too frugal and boring to splurge on art.

This new side of my dad encouraged me to finally take the time to look for our commonalities. I discovered how similar we really are while fixing the CD player with my dad, which helped me see him as someone I could relate to, instead of someone to avoid.

Watching my dad prepare his old CD player for use was my first step toward understanding him. I observed several of his traits that I recognized in myself, like persistence, patience, calmness and focus. Seeing these characteristics in my dad showed me how similar we are, which lowered the defenses I built against him, allowing our relationship to heal.

My dad took his time fixing the CD player for me, and I took note of his attention to detail. He hardly spoke while fixing the old technology, revealing we both found unnecessary, shallow conversations exhausting.

When he finally got the CD player to work, a cool-jazz-R&B album began playing, and my dad smiled. He’s always been extremely hardworking, and I’ve never seen him so relaxed. As he smiled and bobbed his head to the music, I re-

alized that we both find comfort in music and it’s a large part of our individual lives and emotions.

Similarities as small as productivity styles, work-environment preferences, levels of patience and music taste were enough to bridge the gap between our differences. It showed me that we weren’t so different because I saw that my dad and I navigate everyday life in similar ways.

I realized he wasn’t perpetually against me, he was just offering me another perspective I’d never considered.

He’s not the emotionally unavailable man I tended to view him as when I was younger; he’s the tired father who does his best to be logical in complicated situations.

Learning that my dad and I share many traits lessened my judgments of him and allowed me to let go of the idea

that accepting help and guidance from him was equal to ignoring myself.

Now I happily accept advice from my dad with the same thrill I had when accepting song recommendations from him.

Every time I play music on my dad’s CD player, I’m reminded about how similar I am to someone who I previously thought I had no chance of understanding or being understood by. It’s not so scary or defeating to learn from my dad anymore because I stopped seeing him as an opponent and, thanks to the CD player, I began to view him as a source of wisdom.

adenike.onanuga@temple.edu

A student describes how she began to understand her dad and discovered their similarities.

ALLYSON THARP / THE TEMPLE NEWS

THE SWEETEST TIME OF THE YEAR

BY EARL KUFEN Photo Editor

It’s the time of the year when sugar maple trees are tapped for maple syrup. On Feb. 25, Wissahickon Environmental Center volunteers and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation employees came together to create maple syrup and educate the community at the Maple Sugar Festival at Wissahickon Valley Park.

Volunteers demonstrated how to make maple syrup for the attendees by tapping a singular tree. The volunteers tapped sugar maple trees earlier in the season, and they collected sap over the course of a month. From there, the sap was boiled to separate the water from the syrup. The remaining hot syrup was strained through cheesecloth and bottled.

James Austin and Selena Bemak are fans of the park and have previously attended the festival

Like many participants, Austin was surprised by how long the process of producing syrup is.

“Tapping the tree and then boiling

down the sap actually requires a lot more thought and attention,” Austin said.

In addition to the demonstrations, volunteers made and served pancakes to park visitors. The pancakes were the seemingly most popular table at the event, as they were made freshly on a griddle with the maple syrup only 20 feet away.

While one volunteer spent time boiling and pouring maple syrup candy, another volunteer served samples of maple syrup brands on sticks.

“Seeing all the kids get really excited about the candy was really cute,” said Krista Hill, an outreach worker for Philadelphia Parks and Recreation who

spent her time making maple syrup candy from scratch.

Stephanie Robinson enjoys her job as an environmental education program specialist for Philadelphia Parks and Recreation because she has the chance to educate the children of Philadelphia.

“I love it because it gives me a chance to reach so many different people in and around the city of Philadelphia all ages, from I always joke I always say from one to 100 we have a chance to educate children and teach them just how much we love nature,” Robinson said.

earl.kufen@temple.edu

EARL KUFEN / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Wissahickon Environmental Center volunteers serve pancakes with syrup made in Wissahickon Valley Park.

Tapping season at Wissahickon Valley Park means fresh maple syrup.

A volunteer pours hot maple syrup into a candy mold to create candies for children.

As snow falls, a volunteer builds a fire for the attendees.

EARL KUFEN / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Volunteers demonstrate how to boil maple syrup to make candy at Wissahickon Valley Park on Feb. 25.

Stephanie Robinson, a Philadelphia Parks and Recreation environmental education program specialist, demonstrates how to tap a sugar maple tree with a brace drill.

MOVING CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOP

INVESTIGATIONS

How safety concerns forced students to transfer

BY MOLLY FISKE AND SAMUEL O’NEAL For The Temple News

Rachel Wilkerson arrived at Temple’s Main Campus for the start of her freshman year expecting to spend the next four years in Philadelphia. It was the university’s city environment that made Wilkerson feel like Temple was the place she was supposed to earn her degree.

A year later, Wilkerson and a group of her friends were robbed at gunpoint during her sophomore year when walking to their off-campus apartment. Although she wasn’t physically harmed, the robbery made Wilkerson realize that the area surrounding Temple’s campus was not an area she thought she could feel safe in.

“Before [the robbery] I really enjoyed Temple and I still talk to a lot of

friends from Temple,” said Wilkerson, a former religion major. “I started to feel unsafe on campus. I did enjoy at Temple how the city was mixed into the campus, but now I feel safer that my campus isn’t cut through by any city stuff.”

After consulting with her parents, Wilkerson decided to leave Temple and transfer to the University of Maryland, College Park. Wilkerson is one of many students who have transferred or contemplated transferring from Temple because of rising safety concerns around Main Campus. Almost 50 percent of students considered transferring, according to a November 2022 poll from The Temple News.

“Gun violence is an epidemic that continues to impact both the nation and Philadelphia,” wrote Stephen Orbanek, a university spokesperson, in a statement to The Temple News. “While there are a host of factors that inform a student’s decision to transfer in or out of a university, these are very trying times. Because of that, we know that some students may ultimately choose to continue their education elsewhere.”

Eighty-four percent of Temple undergraduate students choose to live off-campus, while only 16 percent of students live in on campus or university-affiliated housing, according to Temple’s 2021-22 Common Data Set.

Students’ concern for safety rose when Temple Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald was fatally shot on Feb. 18 at 17th Street near Montgomery Avenue while responding to a robbery. The incident has since sparked new conversations about whether or not students are safe living in the surrounding areas off Temple’s campus.

Temple President Jason Wingard said he doesn’t know what it would take to keep students safe, when asked during a Feb. 22 interview with NBC10 Philadelphia

“If you ask the question ‘What should Temple University be doing to keep their students safe who live in Philadelphia?’ I don’t have an answer for that,” Wingard said. “People are not staying safe in this country and they are not staying safe in this city unfortunately. What I do know is that collaboration

will be the solution.”

There have been 210 non-fatal and 51 fatal shooting victims in Philadelphia, as of Feb. 27, according to the Philadelphia Office of the Controller. Although Temple offers safety services like FLIGHT, TU Alerts and walking escorts, many students still feel unsafe carrying out their daily routines.

“I didn’t even really feel safe walking to the grocery store,” said Ainsley Griffin, a former undeclared student at Temple who transferred to West Chester University after the Fall 2021 semester. “Once it got dark out I wasn’t really motivated to go out which definitely affected my social life.”

Temple offers students a unique opportunity to experience city life while also providing a campus that incorporates greenery, unlike most urban campuses. However, not even a quarter mile past campus limits, shootings frequently take place, putting students at risk.

Shootings within the Temple University patrol zone have more than doubled in the last four years, NBC10 Philadelphia reported. In 2018, there were 11

Almost 50 percent of students considered transferring, according to a November 2022 poll from The Temple News.

The Temple News spoke with three students who left Temple after worrying for their safety.

shootings within the Temple University Police Department patrol zone compared to the 26 shootings that took place within the zone in 2022.

While most students are aware of the nearby safety concerns when they decide to attend Temple, it can be difficult to ignore the violence that surrounds the campus, Griffin said.

In November 2021, Samuel Collington, a 21-year-old senior political science major, was fatally shot on Park Avenue near Susquehanna. The incident scared Griffin and her parents, and ultimately contributed to her decision to transfer.

“It was the semester that [Collington] was killed off campus,” Griffin said. “That is something that really freaked my parents out, so they definitely wanted me to transfer after that. It was already in the works a little bit, but that was like a definite cause.”

Some students who have been victims of robberies and other off-campus crimes think Temple can improve their response to safety issues by offering more support to the student victims.

Nearly 45 percent of students said they feel unsafe and 31 percent said they feel very unsafe in the area surrounding Temple’s campus.

When Wilkerson was robbed at gunpoint, she did not hear much from the Temple administration, she said.

“We got one email from someone who wasn’t very high up and the response was mostly from the Temple police,” Wilkerson said. “I don’t think we

heard much from administration and I didn’t even like reaching out to teachers, it felt like they weren’t supportive and it felt like they were upset with me missing some classes.”

Despite Wilkerson’s communication concerns, Temple administration has found that most faculty are incredibly compassionate and eager to help students through the process, wrote Stephanie Ives, Temple’s associate vice president and dean of students, in an email to The Temple News. Additionally, administration provides immediate outreach to students affected by safety incidents.

“We know that immediate outreach is important, so we often call or text a student as well as send them an email with a variety of resources (including counseling),” Ives wrote.

If a student has any more requests or needs, Temple works to accommodate them. Donna Gray, the university’s risk reduction and advocacy services manager, aids any student that goes through the criminal process.

Typically following violence on or off-campus, members of Temple administration will also send an email reminding students of safety and counseling resources they can use like FLIGHT, walking escorts or mental health resources such as Tuttleman Counseling Services.

The university also reminds students of safety initiatives like the walking escort system, Best Nest Program

and Temple’s joining of the Civic Coalition to Save Lives.

“We know there is more to do, and we have already been in contact with key stakeholders across both the city and state to expand our action plan, and we will provide an update on that shortly,” Orbanek wrote.

Gia Pacheco transferred from Temple after the Fall 2022 semester and is continuing her college education at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.

While at Temple, Pacheco lived at James S. White Hall. She frequently received Citizen app alerts about armed robberies at the 7-Eleven and Rite Aid nearby. The tipping point for Pacheco was when she was visiting home and other students in her dorm sent her pictures of a shooting that occurred nearby.

“My friends at White Hall were sending me videos of the shooting that had just occurred,” said Pacheco, a former Temple biology major. “I was like, ‘Wow, that’s really crazy to even think that I could have been there and witnessed that.’”

The shooting took place on Sept. 15, in the McDonalds parking on North Broad street, Fox 29 reported.

Similar to Wilkerson, Pacheco was attracted to Temple because of the opportunity to experience city life. She got an on-campus job at Playa Bowls and enjoyed her classes and professors.

After she expressed concerns to her parents about campus safety following

the shooting near White Hall, her parents supported her decision to Juniata.

Pacheco chose Juniata because the campus is isolated, and Huntingdon is composed of mostly college students while Temple’s surrounding area is mixed with both residents and students.

“[Huntingdon] is nice and there’s mountains, it’s scenic and there’s nothing really going on there,” Pacheco said. “There’s no previous community that lives there that is intertwined with the university.”

Crime near Main Campus has worried students and parents alike. When Wilkerson and Griffin told their parents they wanted to transfer, they were all in complete agreement and thought it was the correct decision.

When Pacheco informed her mom of her plans to transfer, she was especially certain that leaving Temple was in her daughter’s best interest.

“My mom was all for me getting out of [Temple],” Pacheco said. “She was just like, ‘I don’t want you down there.’ She was like ‘I feel like we just left you down there to struggle and we just put you in this unsafe environment and I just couldn’t sleep at night almost.’”

CAMPUS

Temple students express new concerns for safety

After recent incidents, Temple students share their safety concerns and hopes for change.

BY DUAY AUGUSTINE AND SOFIA KASBO

For The Temple News

After the death of Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald, students like Konrad Lojewski feel they need to be more careful when walking off-campus.

“I think what happened to Officer Fitzgerald was the first, I think that having that happen to a police officer really changed my perspective, and I’m definitely sort of wondering, am I being dumb? And do I just need to take more precautions?” said Lojewski, a senior economics major.

On Feb. 18, Fitzgerald was fatally shot while attempting to apprehend a carjacking suspect. Two teenagers were also shot near Uber Street and Montgomery Avenue on Feb. 22, just two blocks outside of Temple Police’s patrol zone. Students are fearful in light of these incidents but hope to see changes in Temple’s safety protocol, like increasing TU Alerts and more on-campus housing.

Almost 90 percent of students feel the university is not doing enough to protect its students, according to a November 2022 poll from The Temple News. Nearly 50 percent of respondents considered transferring due to safety concerns.

“It’s honestly really scary,” said Madison Torretta, a freshman early childhood education major. “I personally feel safe on campus, but it’s really sad to see how violent it is off of campus, so I don’t feel safe going off campus unless I’m with a big group of people.”

Toretta usually relies on TU Alerts to stay informed about any local violence or emergencies, she said.

Jocelyn Szulborski, a junior public relations major, feels that the safety issues have gotten worse during her time at Temple.

“I feel like I’ve been here for three years and I just feel like it keeps getting progressively worse, and we’ve been talking about [it] in a lot of my classes and the administration just really isn’t even attempting to do anything to fix the circumstances,” Szulborski said.

The 19122 zip code, which encompasses Temple’s Main Campus, had 29 shooting victims in 2021 compared to 38 shooting victims in 2022, according to the Office of the Controller. There were also 146 shooting victims during both 2021 and 2022 in the 19121 zip code, where many students reside.

Szulborski feels that additional on-campus housing would help increase student safety, she said.

“I know the space isn’t really ideal, but I truly feel that would be a way to make things a little bit better,” Szulborski said.

Some students feel that TU Alerts are not reporting emergencies effectively, causing them to rely on other sources

for information on local emergencies.

“I used to rely on TU Alerts but obviously they haven’t been posting everything that comes out so I do follow Keep Us Safe TU, sometimes I’ll look at Citizen, but that’s not always the most updated either,” said Liana Hoffman, a junior health professions major.

Keep Us Safe TU is an Instagram account that was created in November to hold Temple accountable for what students felt was a lack of transparency in reporting crimes near Main Campus. The account now has more than 9,000 followers and posts updates on crimes in North Philadelphia.

Temple needs to improve their communication with students and President Wingard needs to take more action in order to improve student safety, said John Panza, a senior general studies major.

“I think the president of the university needs to do a better job of addressing these situations, especially keeping the

campus informed when there’s shootings around the campus every day,” Panza said. “Personally, I have Citizen app and that tells me more than the TU Alert system that they have here.”

Students like Lojewski hope that recent incidents will affect positive change in Temple’s communication efforts and broader practices, including community outreach programs.

Lojewski hopes that the recent incidents of violence affect positive change and reinvestment in the Temple community.

“I feel after things like this happen, people always say we should do something but nothing actually ever moves forward, I think sometimes it’s because well-intentioned people don’t have the means or the resources, like students are pretty powerless,” Lojewski said.

sofia.kasbo@temple.edu

duay.augustine@temple.edu

FILE / THE TEMPLE NEWS

On Feb. 18, Fitzgerald was fatally shot while attempting to apprehend a carjacking suspect.

CAMPUS

Group honors Eating Disorder Awareness Week

Project Heal TU is planning to host events during Eating Disorder Awareness Week.

BY JOCELYN HOCKADAY For The

Temple

News

Maggie Gareca, the vice president of Project Heal TU, prioritizes creating a safe space within the organization because she feels it’s important to provide a community for people to talk about the struggles surrounding eating disorders.

“I think definitely it’s creating a community, creating a safe space for people to talk about everything from nutrition to wellness culture in social media, to eating on campus, to eating disorder access, to treatment,” said Gareca, a junior public health major.

Project Heal TU, which held their first meeting last January, is an ambassador organization that spreads awareness and education about eating disorders. The organization will be supporting National Eating Disorder Week, which is from Feb. 28 to March 2, by hosting a speaker event and a fundraiser.

The organization is a chapter of the national non-profit, Project Heal, whose goal is to break systemic barriers to accessing eating disorder treatment. The national organization has individuals apply on their website for programs they best identify with, and their resources

include financial assistance, treatment placement and free clinical assessments.

Project Heal TU raises money for the national chapter through fundraisers and spreads awareness of Project Heal’s mission on wellness and eating disorders.

“I think that’s something definitely important to underline it’s an overwhelmingly positive club, it’s not super heavy,” Gareca said.

On March 1, Project Heal TU will host a bingo fundraiser with all proceeds going to the national chapter. The organization is also planning a social media campaign promoting the resources available for National Eating Disorder Week.

On March 2, Clara Pritchett, the operations director at the Body Empowerment Project, will speak about eating disorders at one of Project Heal TU’s meetings. The Body Empowerment Project is a nonprofit organization that provides resources and hosts events around eating disorders.

Eating disorder risk in college students has increased by 13 percent since 2013, and 28 percent of college students are considered at risk for eating disorders, according to a November 2021 survey from Psychiatry Research.

“It severely impacts kids of college age,” Gareca said. “So something we like to do as well is talk from a Temple per-

spective and get students really involved on potential changes that we could make at Temple to be a more inclusive environment and to just better the mental health of undergrads.”

Project Heal TU often organizes jewelry making events for weekly jewelry fundraisers and volunteering opportunities.

In addition to regular meetings, the club speaks at events for sororities like Delta Zeta and Active Minds. The meetings often include slides about what disordered eating is and how to combat it, and body empowerment.

Project Heal TU also hosts the Body Empowerment Project every month, which speaks to students about self esteem and provides a space to share their perspectives about their experiences with eating disorders.

Elizabeth Knight, the president of Project Heal TU, originally reached out to Christina Miranda, co-founder of the Body Empowerment Project, to gain insight on what it is like being president of the organization after learning Miranda was previously president of Project Heal at the University of Pennsylvania.

“Ever since that conversation we have had them come to meetings to promote their volunteering opportunities to our members as well as give a presentation on body empowerment this Thursday,” Knight wrote in an email to

The Temple News.

In addition to Project Heal TU’s events, the Wellness Resource Center posts informational graphics about eating disorders and recorded conversations about food insecurity, body image and identity and athletics and eating on their Instagram page. They also provided resources on their website.

“Eating disorders and disordered eating, as well as a range of concerns about body image, impact all of us in some way,” the Wellness Resource Center wrote in an email to The Temple News. “The cultural norms around shape, size, and appearance influence relationships with ourselves and others.”

Despite having 90 members in the GroupMe, Project Heal TU wants to grow in members, inclusivity and class range, and keep the discussion momentum alive in the future.

The organization hopes their engagement in National Eating Disorder Week will gain more acknowledgement and recognition for their organizational and wellness efforts from Temple administration.

“But I think our message is so important that it needs to be acknowledged in a way officially by the school and even things like incorporating healthy eating habits as a part of freshman orientation,” Gareca said.

jocelyn.hockaday@temple.edu

ALUMNI

Celebrating Black small alumni-owned businesses

Here are some bussinesses to support as Black History Month comes to a close.

BY SOFIA KASBO Features Staff Writer

Throughout Black History Month, people honoring the month attend events, visit exhibitions and patron local small businesses.

Since 1976, every United States president has acknowledged and dedicated a theme for that year’s Black History Month. The theme for 2023 is “Black Resistance,” examining how Black people in the U.S. have resisted oppression.

Many Black Americans in the U.S have become successful entrepreneurs and continue to express their Black culture and inform the public about their history through their own businesses.

With the month coming to a close, here are some Black-owned businesses from Temple University alumni that you can support beyond the month of February.

ABSTRACT SOUNDZ

Abstract Soundz is a Philadelphia-based headphone company owned by Kenneth Carter, a 2011 mechanical engineering alumnus. Carter started his company a few years after graduating from Temple and used skills from engineering and entrepreneurship classes to shape his company.

Abstract Soundz offers customers unique headphone designs, like a DNA helix on the headband frame. While headphone companies tend to compete on sound quality, there is a lack of competition on design, causing many headphones to look similar, Carter said.

Abstract Soundz is currently working on another design that his company is planning to release at the end of the first quarter.

Carter continues to gain more support from customers and on social media. He envisions his company to be the “Nike” of the headphone industry where he can collaborate with local music artists to have their own line of Abstract Soundz headphones.

“We really want to show to the people who have supported us, and that’s mostly going to be underrepresented people,” Carter said. “And we kind of want to be a face for minorities and underrepresented people.”

Abstract Soundz is on social media via their Instagram and can also be reached through their website Abstract Soundz where they also have a space to subscribe to their newsletter.

BROWNCE

CherRaye Glenn-Flowers, a 2015 business administration alumna, is the founder of the Brownce app, created from Glenn-Flowers’ interest in app design and has a passion for Black and brown beauty advocacy.

The app, which can be downloaded on Apple and Android, is a space where people of color, and of any identity, can

find beauty professionals like hair stylists, makeup artists or nail technicians. Additionally, the app also offers merchandise, like shirts and headscarves.

“Beauty is something that’s very looked over and oftentimes like when we see ourselves in media, you don’t really see positive images or the way they talk about our beauty,” Glenn-Flowers said.

Glenn-Flowers also started a social media campaign on Instagram and Facebook titled, “The Beauty in our History” to create a platform to showcase history-making Black entrepreneurs like Madam C.J. Walker and Rose Morgan.

More information regarding merchandise sales and blog posts can be found on their website.

AFFINITY CONFECTIONS

Affinity Confections, owned by Jo-

seph Green, a 2012 entrepreneurship alumnus, is a baking company that uses seasonal ingredients for desserts. In addition to his eye for business, Green has always had a passion for baking ever since making pastries and desserts with his grandmother growing up.

Green keeps his gourmet pastries seasonal by using high-quality and fresh ingredients. His most popular pastries are the non-dairy raspberry crumb bar and brownie.

“We want for our flavor profiles and combinations were unique to us, and that they were seasonally inspired,” Green said. “So in affinity, you know can be the flavor combinations and the textures that comprise the desserts and then on confections.”

Affinity Confections has plans to release new products, like coffee. The company also caters big or small events,

COURTESY / ABSTRACT SOUNDZ

including annually cateringTemple’s Homecoming, and is in the process of possibly reopening private cooking classes, after they ended due to COVID-19.

One way to stay up to date with new product releases, such as their upcoming coffee brand release, any upcoming events or exclusive offers is to subscribe to Affinity Confection’s newsletter on their website. Affinity Confections can also be found on Instagram.

GLOW NATURALLY

Christina Emile, a 2020 kinesiology alumna, is the creator of Glow Naturally, a handmade beauty company catering to all skin types. Emile suffers from eczema and certain allergies, which sparked the inspiration for the company’s launch. She started trying out different ways to create a full skincare line by adding

scents to shea butter and African soap products.

Glow Naturally’s customers are to engage with products on Instagram and Facebook and Emile is using her company as a platform to spread awareness about Black skin care pioneers on social media.

In the future, Emile wants to open up her own spa and encourage people of all skin types and ages to try out her products.

“My goal is to have all-natural spa because a lot of these spas will say we use natural products and they’re not natural and you feel that they’re not natural,” Emile said. “So that’s going to be like my million dollar golden ticket when I’m able to expand it to that point.”

All products sold through Glow

Naturally are available online via her website.

KING SOLOMON

King Solomon, owned by Souleyman Gackou, a 2021 engineering technology alumnus, is an African clothing line designed to represent culture and authenticity.

Gackou’s clothing was inspired by his Senegalese culture and growing up in a business-oriented family. Gackou worked at his mother’s braiding shop, Amy’s Hair Braiding on Ogontz Avenue and 80th Avenue, and was exposed to African style clothing by his grandfather, fueling his interest in fashion.

Gackou started developing King Solomon when he realized many people, including himself, did not have a place where they could seek authentic African

clothing for all body types. King Solomon clothing is manufactured in Senegal and Nigeria and offers products like bracelets, traditional African-style outfits or wedding attire, to locations like the United States, France, Canada and England.

“I want my customers to have that same feeling, to feel connected when they are wearing the traditional African outfit from King Solomon,” Gackou said. “To feel like they belong, to feel like they are appreciated for who they are. To feel like they’re connected to, to a power.”

To continue to build and engage with this growing community that Gakou is forming, King Soloman can be followed on Instagram and has a newsletter on their website.

sofia.kasbo@temple.edu

IN GOOD FUN PENNSYLVANIA CITIES WORD SEARCH

PHILLY LANDMARKS CROSSWORD

Find all the words hidden in the across, down, and diagonally, with backwards.

PHILADELPHIA

PITTSBURGH ERIE READING LANCASTER

HARRISBURG ALLENTOWN SCRANTON GETTYSBURG

DOWN

1. Complete the name of this famous Philadelphia market: “Reading ______ Market.”

3. This statue was named after a famous boxing movie series.

4. This person, who helped design the American flag has a house located in Old City.

7. The name of a famous Philadelphia sign that’s a part of the city’s nickname.

8. This blacksmith has a famous and picturesque alley named after him.

ACROSS

2. Where the Declaration of Independence was signed.

5. This historical landmark has a crack in it.

6. This landmark features a statue of William Penn at the top of its building.

9. This famous institute was founded in 1824 and hosts seasonal exhibits.

ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

Darrah’s traumatic diagnosis shaped his career

Edward Darrah has gone from receiving mental support to providing support for others.

BY NICK GANGEWERE Sports Editor

For Temple’s Edward Darrah, mental health challenges helped shape his resiliency today. Whether it was being cut from Neumann University’s baseball team in 2006 or showing up to his athlete performance practice in spring 2016 with only one client on his list, Darrah has experienced some pretty low moments in his life.

None were lower than when he heard life-threatening news in August 2015.

“I was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2015,” Darrah said. “I got diagnosed with craniopharyngioma.”

Darrah has never spoken publicly about his noncancerous tumor that nearly cost him eyesight and permanent brain damage, but he still uses it as a personal lesson for how to overcome adversity. The trauma forced him to find ways to stay motivated, and he now puts that same faith into every client he sees as Temple Athletics’ director of mental health counseling.

Darrah focuses on performance and life-based care for Temple athletes who are either recommended or opt to see him. Darrah and his staff aim to provide athletes with “wellness techniques” instead of strictly performance-based ideas. For instance, they strive to help athletes manage the impact of injuries on their personal lives instead of solely focusing on how injuries affect their quality of play.

“Educating an athlete about what they’re experiencing is very important,” Darrah said. “We can tailor a treatment plan that both addresses their needs athletically but most importantly their quality of wellness.”

Darrah has taken counselors under his wing at Temple, especially Melissa Graham, a mental health counselor within the department. Graham, who formerly ran track at Towson Universi-

ty, has seen the level of care Darrah has for his patients and profession.

“He’s somebody that I’ll always view as a mentor,” Graham said. “He’ll always be somebody I’ll reach out to if I have questions.”

By understanding people are more than their positions on the field, Darrah has found a niche within sports psychology. He knows that college athletes, while talented, are still human at the end of the day.

Outside of the workplace, though, Darrah has his own counselor to seek his own help. Supporting others can be difficult if you don’t always support yourself, Darrah said.

“The biggest differentiator between performance and mental health is that it’s only specific towards performance,” Darrah said. “When we talk about performance anxiety that means it’s only focused on one part of their life.”

Graham’s performance anxiety is what brought her into the field of mental health counseling, but it is Darrah’s innovations for wellness, like using Blue-

print, a digital platform that can measure a person’s behavioral health through daily and weekly questionnaires, that has kept her working under Darrah. She has enjoyed the exciting projects he has in store.

Darrah will also be creating a Wiki page where Temple Athletes can access resources that educate them on different coping mechanisms, Graham said.

Both Blueprint and Wikipedia pages have been effective for those suffering from mental problems, but it is just another facet of Darrah’s modernized approach to mental well-being.

“For those to be things that students can access easily, the folks that we are working with can have that kind of access to, it’s been really important,” said Jordan Campbell, an intern within Temple Athletics. “I think that it speaks to [Ed’s] character, his passion, his willingness to take on these extra projects that can be more time consuming.”

So when Darrah gained 100 pounds after the 15-hour surgery that removed his craniopharyngioma, he knew he

needed to put his practice on hold as he took care of his own well-being. Today, Darrah can give his undivided attention to his clients when in the workplace.

As Darrah entered the operating room in August 2015, he did not know that he would exit the surgery a stronger person than he was entering it.

Temple’s director of mental health counseling has, in fact, helped save countless others from depressive episodes and other mental traumas. When Darrah relied on the professionals around him, they were there for him, so he makes sure he is there for his student athletes now.

“Athlete wellness is helping the athlete cope with some of the stress that occurs from sport or occurs from external avenues,” Darrah said. “The avenues that is impacting large parts of their life.”

JARED TATZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Edward Darrah, Temple Athletics’ director of mental health counseling, in the Liacouras Center tunnel near the locker rooms.

MEN’S SOCCER

Coach changing soccer culture with competition

Bryan Green is attempting to improve the morale of his team during the spring season.

BY JAISON NIEVES Men’s Soccer Beat Reporter

Most coaches arrive at a new program and attempt to implement their tactics and strategies on their new team. New Temple Men’s Soccer coach Bryan Green has entered this spring season looking to adapt to his personnel, while utilizing his more than 20 years of coaching experience.

One thing has been evident since Green’s introduction to the Temple Athletics community as the team’s new coach — the Owls’ culture is changing.

Green spent his last four seasons as an associate head coach at Louisville where he helped take the team to the NCAA Tournament in 2019 and 2021. Despite his previous success, he was still excited to embrace the challenge and positively shake up the team’s environment.

“[Temple] looked like it was a program that could certainly have the potential to do what we’ve done at Louisville,” Green said. “Make several NCAA tournaments, we won a conference championship and that’s a good conference, the American’s a great conference as well, and I think we can do those things here.”

Green arrived at Temple after the Owls parted ways with former head coach Brian Rowland following a disappointing stint. Rowland finished last season with a 4-9-3 record, placing last in the American Athletic Conference for the second year in a row.

Temple is looking for a significant turnaround after surrendering 34 goals last season, the most in the AAC, while only scoring 18 goals, among the lowest in the conference.

One bright spot for the Owls was the development of their freshman class who stepped up and performed above expectations throughout the season. These players, alongside the recent recruiting class, will serve as the foundation for Green’s positive shift in the team’s mentality.

One freshman in particular who exceeded expectations is midfielder Draven Barnett.

Barnett was essential for the Owls last season, starting 14 games and rarely coming off the pitch with 1,185 minutes, the third most on the team.

There has been a positive change that has occurred in the team to push them in the right direction, Barnett said.

“The bad season last year is mostly attributed to the culture throughout the team,” Barnett said. “And I think it’s changed in a very positive way. Because I feel like the coaching staff, especially coach Bryan, has done a good job of just starting that initial culture.”

One of the bigger changes to the men’s spring season training has been the introduction of “Competition Fridays,” scrimmages where the team splits up into smaller groups every Friday for the chance to be posted on the team’s social media page as winners.

These competitions bring the best

out of the players and serve as a great opportunity for team building as they prepare for the spring season. The added bonus of being posted on the social media page also provides players with bragging rights to build spirit within the locker room.

“I think competitive Fridays has been a big, big, big impact on the players,” said senior midfielder Kemali Green. “They all look forward to it, including myself, and it’s just something else I look forward to throughout the week. We haven’t been playing for six weeks now, so to get that fire back under us has been helpful.”

The team’s roster is currently composed of 12 freshmen, most of which saw some time on the field this previous season. Each player has the potential to help create a positive future for Temple Men’s Soccer.

Knowing there will be some growing pains through the adjustment process, Green has implemented a system

that directly benefits each player and pivots towards everyone’s strength which players believe allows them to excel.

“Coming in, I didn’t know what the level of players would be like,” Green said. “But it’s been very good, I’ve been very pleased. We’ve continually grown this spring and I’ve been really happy so far.”

Temple continues to practice and prepare for their upcoming spring season which will feature a six-game stretch for Green, and the revitalized team will be able to show what they are capable of.

The Owls’ first matchup of the spring season will be against city rival Drexel University on Friday, March 17, at the Temple Sports Complex at 6:00 p.m.

TEMPLE ATHLETICS / COURTESY

ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

Temple ticketing shows disconnect with students

Temple moved their student ticketing online to keep up with the new technology.

BY JOHNNY ZAWISLAK For The

Temple News

Prior to this season, Temple students lined up outside of The Liacouras Center or in front of the ticket office at Lincoln Financial Field and picked up their tickets to sporting events right before game time.

Now, Temple Athletics is embracing a new age of digital sports ticketing. The university converted to a fully digital system for the 2022-23 athletic seasons, eliminating the need for students to get physical copies of tickets.

“Any place you go now, whether it’s a Phillies game or an Eagles game, they don’t print tickets anymore,” said Bob Capewell, assistant athletic director and head of ticket sales at Temple. “We’re trying to keep up with technology and make sure that we’re staying up to date with all the advances in ticketing technology.”

Prior to the switch, fans arrived at games before tipoff and gained entry to the stadium by showing their TUIDs.

Today, students follow a link on

Temple’s website and select which game they want to attend. Students then input their TUID number, email address and phone number to ensure tickets are sent to them.

The digital process allows Temple to track attendance at games more efficiently, something that didn’t exist when students would simply show their student IDs for a printed ticket.

“If there are games like the Villanova or Houston games that are getting close to being sold out, we just make sure that students know they need to go get their tickets early,” Capewell said.

However, some students like Ryan Gaspar, a senior biochemistry major, find the new system to be a hassle, potentially deterring students from attending games.

“You have to log on and it takes a while,” Gaspar said. “Before you could just show your ID right after class and get right in, so I prefer just showing my ID.”

Temple Athletics experienced technical issues early in the season with the new platform. With the new system, the department receives a list of student TUIDs from the Temple University Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Athletics then inputs those IDs into a data-

base that’ll grant students free tickets to sporting events.

Not all students had access to the tickets due to an early lack of communication between the two offices.

“Part of the problem was that we had some students that weren’t loaded into the list that we received,” Capewell said. “Anytime you switch to a new process you are going to have a few hiccups.”

The website shut down at one point in the season, forcing Gaspar and his friends to go to the box office in The Liacouras Center, almost making them late for a game, Gaspar said.

For upperclassmen that went to games before the change, the new system was a confusing process. Some weren’t aware of the new ticketing process until November when basketball season began.

Temple tried marketing the new system by sending mass texts that included the link to reserve tickets and adding the link to its website to get the word out, Capewell said.

“I think they could have done a better job with the marketing of the change,” said Elsie Jones, a junior human development and community engagement major. “If my friend didn’t send me the link I would have expected to just show

up and show them my ID.”

Students sometimes were forced to wait in long lines to get printed tickets for highly-anticipated games, unaware if any would be available by the time they reached the ticketing window.

Despite the ticketing disconnect between students and Temple Athletics, the department is trying to simplify the process for its students, especially for games when The Liacouras Center or Lincoln Financial Field are expected to be more crowded than usual.

“We definitely appreciate people willing to change and adapt to this new process,” Capewell said. “Especially the people that this isn’t their first year and are used to a different process. Which is probably the hardest for upperclassmen that are used to showing their IDs and getting in. We appreciate those people that are willing to go along with it.”

john.zawislak@temple.edu @jzawisbtb

CONTINUED FROM 24 FENCING

“We have such amazing depth on our epee squad, and Sara is a big part of that,” said Temple head coach Jennie Salmon. “The two of us have worked hard all season on her en garde technique, and it’s paid off. She’s a great teammate and a really hard worker.”

Proctor is not afraid of the key bouts and has gained confidence by facing other talented fencers growing up, like her current Temple captain Naomi Ross.

Ross, a fellow epee, was one of the few friends Proctor made on the competitive circuit during her childhood with the Colorado Fencers, a youth fencing club. The pair fenced roughly 50 times within eight years, getting to know each

other well during and after bouts across the state and the country.

“It was very individualized,” Ross said. “Maybe your coach is there, maybe your parents are there, but most of the time, you’re on your own. You have a lot of free time. I don’t remember how we met, but I remember talking with her then.”

Early in her career, Proctor fenced against people her own age one week and then 70-year-old men the next because of the chaotic nature of meets in Colorado, creating a sense of disassociation from the sport. The difficulty may have improved her abilities, but hurt her mental wellbeing.

She felt consumed by the nature of the less-popular sport, constantly traveling and fencing, and began wanting to quit the activity that has defined her.

The meets consisted of so many different people of varying skill levels, so when Proctor was younger and less talented than some of her competitors, it led to a weaker passion for fencing.

Proctor’s relationship with Ross was a major factor in her decision to join Temple. After experiencing loneliness due to the independence of the Coloradan fencing scene, Proctor wanted a welcoming atmosphere that valued her as part of a team. In her eyes, Temple provided that.

“One of the things that drew me to Temple was the support you get, whether physically, mentally, academically, or emotionally,” Proctor said. “I knew that was how I’d succeed in college.”

Those days of competing by herself among older fencers are behind Proctor, but the memories serve as a guide for

how she treats her teammates. She goes out of her way to promote that same positivity she was shown to foster a positive environment that all her teammates can thrive in.

“I can’t speak for other squads, but this squad is so good at uplifting everyone,” Proctor said. “Everyone is so keyed in to all of their teammates in practices and competitions. Everyone knows, if we are on top of each other, we will be the best team we can be. That’s our goal: work as hard as we can to be the best together.”

declan.landis@temple.edu @declanlandis

BY DECLAN LANDIS For The Temple News

Growing up in Colorado, Temple Fencing junior epee Sara Proctor felt isolated because of the nature of the competition circuit. Proctor struggled in high school as she slowly lost hope that fencing could be more than just a passion despite committing to the sport at 10 years old.

It wasn’t until Proctor was recruited by Temple that she realized the team could support her in and out of meets, especially after participating in a few practices. Proctor has greatly expanded her skillset since being recruited, working her way up to one of the top epee positions on Temple’s senior-based roster.

Proctor is competing in some of the most important bouts for the Owls, having five matches in Temple’s senior-day victory on Feb. 26.

“If one of your teammates did better than you [in high school], it messed you up,” Proctor said. “When I came to college, I was overwhelmed with support from my teammates and people caring about me and how I did. I was taken aback, but it was all up from there.”

Proctor has felt more supported than she has before because of the Temple fencing community, and the team has pushed her harder than she has pushed herself in the past. The motivation has paid off, as Proctor has been a key part of the epee squad for the No. 11 Owls.

Proctor finished ranked No. 10 in the Garrett Open, which featured 28 epeeists in total, in an impressive performance.

The epee’s biggest accomplishment so far this season came during the Northwestern Duals Feb. 4 and Feb. 5. There, she went 17-4, closing out the meet Feb. 5 on an impressive 11-0 run which helped ensure the epee squad went undefeated for the weekend.

FENCING | 24

SPORTS PROCTOR FINDS FAMILY AT TEMPLE

Epee Sara Proctor battled isolation but found comfort in her Temple Fencing teammates.

JOSHUA CRELLIN/ THE TEMPLE NEWS

Sara Proctor, a junior epee, went 17-4 at the Northwestern Duals.