Volume 91, Issue 26

LIVING The Temple News presents a collection of personal essay submissions in print and online.

temple-news.com VOL. 91 ISS. 26

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

Chair post fuels race tension Students from the African-American studies department want a say in who becomes the next department chair.

JOHN MORITZ Assistant News Editor

S

tudent protests over the appointment of a white woman as head of the African-American studies department have erupted into two rallies in recent weeks, with demonstrators calling for open elections in selecting a department chair.

Jayne Drake was appointed

Army LGBT activist visits Main Campus

as acting chair of the department by Teresa Soufas, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, at the end of Spring 2012. Drake could not be reached for comment at time of press.

The most recent rally was held at the Bell Tower in front of a large gathering of students last week on April 10. Undergraduate and graduate students stood alongside members of the community to voice their support for the African-American

studies program and resentment toward the new chair. The first rally was held March 20.

“We feel that the actions of the university, in regards to the African-American studies department, have been increasingly unacceptable. We are ignored, undervalued, and, most importantly, disrespected,” Kashara White, a junior African-American studies major, read from an open letter sent to the university.

The letter read by White further laid out a list of grievances from students, which included the timeframe for the faculty to nominate a chairperson and the decision not to appoint the nominated candidate: Dr. Kariamu Welsh, who served as the director of the Institute for African Dance Research and Performance and currently is a professor in Boyer College of Music and Dance.

While Welsh was the nomi-

nated candidate, it was Molefi Asante, a professor and former chair of the African-American studies department, who the crowd was calling to be put in place of Drake as department chair.

Soufas said that, per new bylaws drafted by the faculty of the department, two new candidates who must be from within the department will be presented

CHAIR PAGE 3

In Northern Liberties, a concert and festival venue is about a blossoming community.

Former 1st Lt. Dan Choi spoke at Mitten Hall last week.

MARCUS MCCARTHY The Temple News Former Army 1st Lt. Dan Choi spoke last Thursday, April 11, of the shift in both personal mindset as well as national thinking needed for LGBT equality to truly be reached.

Presenting his message to a crowd of roughly 75 at Mitten Hall, Choi discussed his personal story, his activism and where he believes the direction of the push for LGBT rights should be next.

Choi was one of the few in his West Point graduating class who fluently spoke Arabic which made him invaluable to the Army during his tour in Iraq.

But, after announcing on national television that he was gay, Choi was discharged from the Army in March 2009 due to the

LGBT PAGE 2

Michael “Frosty” Spiker is the co-curator of Garden Variety, a community arts space on Second and Poplar streets that has been used for concerts and festivals, among other events. To see the full story on Spiker’s venue, see P. 9. | ABI REIMOLD TTN

Threat scrawled in hall’s bathroom After a report by Fox 29, Temple released a statement on the campus threat.

ALI WATKINS The Temple News University officials said they are continuing to investigate a graffiti threat discovered in a Gladfelter Hall bathroom that referenced the Columbine shootings and threatened to bring a similar situation to Main Campus on April 20 – the 14year anniversary of the Colorado high school shooting.

The threat, which was reported to Campus Safety Services in March, has led to joint efforts between Temple Police, Philadelphia Police, Philadelphia Police’s Homeland Security Unit and the FBI to maintain security on campus and continue the ongoing investigation. University officials declined to comment on the current status of the investigation.

“The investigation is ongoing, so we aren’t going to be talking about details right now.

What I can assure you is we’ve been very aggressively pursuing this matter, as we would any matter like this,” said Assistant Vice President for University Communications Ray Betzner, who added that threats of this nature are “extremely rare.”

Following a news report on Fox 29 on April 11, the university issued a TU Advisory on April 12 and addressed the threat. Prior to Fox 29’s report, the university community was not made aware of the situation.

“The news report that went

THREAT PAGE 2

In low-turnout election, Temple United wins Darin Bartholomew will become student body president next semester.

LAURA DETTER The Temple News Temple United won the 2013 Temple Student Government executive election and will serve during the 2013-14 academic year.

Student Body Presidentelect Darin Bartholomew, Vice President of Services-elect Cree Moore and Vice President of External Affairs-elect Sonia Galiber were announced the winners at 12:30 p.m. on April 11 in TSG’s office.

“I think we ran a great campaign, we kept everything positive, and my whole team did great,” Bartholomew said.

Temple United received

1,344 votes, while opponent Diamond Nation earned 719 votes with 12 abstentions.

The ticket’s immediate plans are to meet with officials to discuss making Owl Cards an acceptable form of payment for SEPTA transportation, to plan the logistics for the book share program and to meet with the current administration, Temple Advocating Progress.

One of the key points of Temple United’s platform was working with SEPTA to accept the Owl Cards as a form of payment when the transportation company transitions to a contactless payment system that uses radio frequency identification technology.

“I think that is brilliant. I really think that will be a great idea,” freshman art major Savannah Kramer said.

Temple United will also

ELECTION PAGE 2

GROWING COMMUNITY, p. 9

Garden Variety, a community space in Northern Liberties, hosts an array of events.

NEWS DESK 215-204-7419

Temple United, led by Darin Bartholomew (center), won this year’s TSG election.| JAZMYNE ANDERSON TTN FILE PHOTO

TIES AFTER TRAGEDY, p. 5

Zack Scott talks about the importance of community while coping with losses.

NEWS@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM

RETHINKING RECRUITING, p. 20

After Temple missed out on Rysheed Jordan, the Owls must rethink their recruiting strategies.

NEWS temple-news.com

PAGE 2

NEWS IN BRIEF Temple Made campaign wins Shorty Award for use of social media Temple recently won another award for its Temple Made Campaign. This time around, Temple won a Shorty Award for the category of “Best Use of Social Media in Real Life.”

The campaign, produced by the Nieman Group, an advertising agency based in Philadelphia, showcased Instagram photos with #TempleMade on billboards, television and other media outlets in order showcase Temple, according to the award website.

This Shorty Award comes on top of nine educational advertising awards and 11 ADDYs for the campaign.

-Sean Carlin

Third suspect still at-large in robbery and bounding of four students More than a month after a home invasion robbery of four students in their offcampus apartment, police are still looking for a third suspect in the case.

On March 4, three men followed a Temple student to her off-campus apartment around 7:30 p.m. on the 1800 block of North 18th Street.

When she opened the door to her apartment, a man stuck a black revolver to her head and told her to keep walking, authorities said.

After they gained entry to the apartment, one man duct taped the student while the other two bound the other three roommates in the front bedroom and took cash, computers, credit cards and cell phones from the students, police said.

Days after the incident, city police identified two other suspects in connection with the robberies: Tyree Johnson, 19, and Malcolm Murray, 18, both of North Philadelphia. The two were arrested and charged with aggravated assault, robbery and false imprisonment and related offenses.

Elijah Washington, 24, is still sought as the third suspec in the case. In a press release sent last month, the Philadelphia Police Department indicated that he may be in the area near the Wilson Park Housing Development, at 25th and Jackson streets, or in Southwest Philadelphia, near 52nd and Pentridge streets.

-Angelo Fichera and Sean Carlin

To keep up with the latest news briefs from The Temple News, check Broad & Cecil at broadandcecil. temple-news.com.

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

Voter turnout decreased in TSG election ELECTION PAGE 1

begin meeting with the current administration, led by current Student Body President David Lopez, to learn about the TSG executive positions.

“They put in a lot of effort to make sure that we can transfer smoothly, more smoothly than ever before, and I want to make sure that we are able to fulfill that vision that they had,” Bartholomew said.

This year’s voter turnout decreased by 22 percent from last year’s executive election.

A total of 2,075 votes were cast this year, which includes 12 abstentions, compared to 2,647 last year, not including absten-

tions.

Lopez said.

This is the fourth straight Lopez attributes the timing year voter turnout has decreased of the election – namely Easin the TSG executer weekend tive election. In falling in the 2009, 3,944 stucampaign pedents voted, markriod and the ing the most votes poor weather in executive elecduring the tion history. first week Lopez was of the camsurprised at the depaigns – as crease in voter turnpossible reaout. sons for the “I will say decrease.

David Lopez / that I am surprised H o w tsg student body president that the turnout is ever, Lopez lower this year than recognized last year. I was surprised and I that the decrease in voters also would have liked to see more falls back on the tickets and students vote in the election,” how they reach out to the stu-

“I was surprised

and I would have liked to see more people vote in the election.

”

dent body.

“Maybe we could have done a little more campaigning, a little more promotion on our end. I really don’t know, it is hard to say,” Bartholomew said.

Elections Commissioner Fallon Roberson-Roby was also surprised at the decrease in voters considering the presence of polling places on campus.

“On the elections side, one thing that we did that I really got a lot of positive feedback on was the polling locations,” Roberson-Roby said.

Freshman art major Christina Danielson resides in Johnson and Hardwick, a location of one polling place and said she noticed the table but did not vote

in the election.

“Outside my dorm there were people asking us to vote, but I didn’t really know much about it,” Danielson said.

Danielson, along with Kramer, noticed the email sent from TSG regarding the election but were unaware that both tickets had Facebook and Twitter accounts.

“In the future, I think that is something that Temple Student Government will have to work on as a whole,” Roberson-Roby said.

Laura Detter can be reached at laura.detter@temple.edu.

Speaker played role in lobbying Threatening message to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ was found LGBT PAGE 1

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which was in place at the time.

“I lost a lot of friends when I came out,” Choi said. “It was a long time before I truly realized I was fired.”

The federal policy was enacted in 1993 to prevent gays and lesbians from openly serving in the military. It was repealed in December 2010 – a little more than 17 years after being passed – and officially nullified in September 2011.

Following his discharge, Choi became a publicized advocate for this repeal. However, activism had got him into trouble on numerous occasions during protests, resulting in being arrested multiple times.

Choi had yet to be found guilty after any of these arrests until he was convicted on March 28 of “failing to obey the order of a law enforcement officer” in 2010. The arrest was made during an anti-DADT protest outside of the White House where

he and a similarly passionate friend handcuffed themselves to the front fence.

“We had to do it that way,” Choi said. “We wanted the president to remember us.”

He faced up to six years in prison, but instead received a $100 fine. Despite this, he said he will appeal the verdict.

Choi also spoke of the future for LGBT rights in the military beyond repealing DADT. He said this next step is for allowing transgender service.

The military currently has a ban on all transgender service with the concern that those who have had sexual reassignment surgery are dependent on hormone treatments, which becomes a military issue when cut off from supplies.

Advocates for LGBT rights use the Israeli military as a model to explain working alternatives. With very few exceptions, Israel requires its citizens over 18 years old to serve, making discrimination counterproductive.

“I see no problem in using another country as a model,” Dylan Morpurgo, president of Temple College Democrats, said. “It’s a good sign when we can see our own problems.”

Financial and housing security is another issue for both military and civilian LGBT members. The repeal of DADT had a clause taken out which would have prevented continued discrimination for insurance, housing and disability benefits. In the civilian world, these protections are determined by state governments.

Although Pennsylvania does have laws preventing discrimination by race, ethnicity, age and religion, there is no protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation.

“Pennsylvania is not a progressive state,” Morpurgo said.

“It’s a long road to LGBT equality.”

Currently, the constitutionality of a federal level ban on gay marriage is being discussed in the Supreme Court. If this

ban is shot down, gay marriage would not be nationally legal, but rather the choice would be left to the state governments.

Choi rejects the idea altogether.

“It’s not for a politician or nine judges to decide who I am,” Choi said. “I am the one who gets to define my identity.”

There is a need for a change in cultural thinking on the issue to completely reach equality, Choi said. He explained when coming out, his biggest challenge was telling his parents who believed it “was the big sin, the big shame.”

Choi also urged for a personal mental change to happen.

“You must repeal DADT in your heart,” he said. “After all, there is a younger generation relying on us.”

Marcus McCarthy can be reached at marcus.mccarthy@temple.edu.

in March

THREAT PAGE 1 out was creating a lot of questions, and we thought we needed to respond to some of the questions that were coming up,” Betzner said.

Betzner would not say if there was any intent to inform the community of the threat prior to last week’s news report.

In light of the threat, the university has increased security on campus.

“We want to assure you that the safety of the Temple community is our top priority and every effort is being made to keep our students, faculty and staff safe,” the advisory read.

Ali Watkins can be reached at ali.watkins@temple.edu or on Twitter @AliMarieWatkins.

Sophomore aiming to add mentor program raising.

Cahill said Naomi Leibowitz, assistive technology coordinator at the Disability Resource Center, has been helping him with the project.

“It is all Matt Cahill,” she said.

“It’s really important for me to be a positive role model for other students, because I understand what they’re going through and it’s a tough process and if you have just one positive role model, it makes it just so much easier to handle school and see that it’s not the prison that sometimes it seems to be,” Cahill said.

Cahill said he still has a long way before the program is off the ground but said he’s eager to hear from students who want to get involved.

“Right now we are looking for people in the Temple community to reach out and help us,” he said.

Eye to Eye pairs children with learning disabilities with older mentors.

CINDY STANSBURY The Temple News Eye to Eye is a nationwide mentoring program that pairs children who grow up with learning disabilities or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with college or high school students who have a similar diagnosis.

Sophomore history and secondary education major Matt Cahill is attempting to bring an Eye to Eye chapter to Temple.

The goal of the program is to allow the young students to see their disabilities in a positive light through arts and interaction with their mentors. Cahill and Liza Troman, a junior early education major, are hoping to have the university’s program up and running by October.

“We are looking for a mentee school at the moment. Our goal is to find one in the Northern Philadelphia area,” Cahill said. “We have the disabilities services on board and the only other thing that we need is funding.”

This particular cause strikes a personal chord with Troman and Cahill because they also have learning disabilities.

“I had a lot of difficulties in elementary and middle school,” Cahill said. “When you look at your own academic achieve-

From left, Liza Troman and Matt Cahill are trying to bring the Eye to Eye mentoring program to the Temple community.| CINDY STANSBURY TTN ments and you notice that where you stand today is because of a lot of other people’s efforts, it’s a really rewarding thing to make a significant impact on a another student who went through the same things as you.”

“I wish when I was in school I had a mentoring program,” Troman said.

Cahill said there are about four or five elementary and middle schools within a five-mile radius of the university that are possible mentee schools for the

program. Most of the schools have an individualized education program for students with learning disabilities.

He said 20 percent of students in the North Philadelphia area have a diagnosed learning disability. There is a good chance that most, if not all, the students attend one of the four possible schools.

“What we really want to try to do, is to bring in the community of North Philadelphia so we can help those specific stu-

dents,” Cahill said.

However, before Cahill and Troman can begin at one of the local schools, funding still needs to be addressed. Their goal is to raise $4,500.

“That’s a good chunk of change,” Cahill said. “But I think it’s a reasonable chunk of change that we could get.”

Cahill and Troman hope the majority of the funding can be acquired through the university and alumni donations. The rest would be gained through fund-

Cindy Stansbury can be reached at cindy.stansbury@temple.edu.

CORRECTIONS

The Temple News strives to be a newspaper of record by printing factually correct and balanced articles.

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 Angelo Fichera at editor@temple-news.com or 215.204.6737.

NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

Protesters condemn CLA dean CHAIR PAGE 1 to her by April 17. At that point, Soufas said, she will review and appoint one of the candidates to a permanent position.

“The discourse of the students about this particular issue is very much grounded in misinformation. There was nothing about the assignment of Jayne Drake to act as chair of the department that was arbitrary or [would replace] that faculty in that department would serve that position,” Soufas said, adding that it has never been the role of the students in CLA to have a say in who is elected to serve as department chair.

Asante was appointed department chair in 1984, and created the first African-American studies Ph.D. program in the United States in 1987. He stepped down from department chair in 1997, after being accused of plagiarism by colleague Ella Forbes. The university, under then-President Peter Liacouras, conducted an investigation on Asante but ultimately did not hand down any punishment. Asante has continued to work as a professor in the department since. Asante and Welsh were previously married.

This is not the first time the African-American studies department has been in the midst of controversy about the appointment of a chair. In 1998, a year after Asante’s departure as department head, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Asante and his followers were dismayed over his successor, Joyce A. Joyce’s, handling of the department, and professors from the department held vote to relieve Joyce of her duties.

Neither Asante nor Welsh could be reached for comment at the time of press.

Soufas said she was first informed of the departure of the former chair, Nathaniel Norment, in April 2012 due to the confidentiality of a retirement offer extended to some senior faculty members by the Provost’s Office.

She gave faculty members two weeks to nominate a candidate for the chair but declined their nomination because Welsh was from outside the department, Soufas said. Following her decline, Soufas said, the department’s faculty were unable to nominate another candidate from within the African-American studies department.

No department in CLA is allowed at any time to be without a sitting chair, Soufas said, so she appointed Drake, who at

PAGE 3

Winning TSG ticket introduced at meeting TSG director applications are due

by April 25.

LAURA DETTER The Temple News

the time was the vice dean for Academic Affairs, to a one-year position as the chair.

“She has a lot of experience working with students, working with advising, she works with faculty members,” Soufas said.

“So she was not an odd choice to pick, especially after all other options had been exhausted.”

Students at the rally claimed the appointment of Drake was made as a cover for diversity in CLA that they said would be better served in other institutions.

“The popular argument that we hear is that if there can be a black chair of psychology or a black chair of the sociology department, why can’t there be a white chair of the Africana studies department,” White said.

“We fear that having a racially white chair of the AfricanAmerican studies department will result in black people being studied as pathology.”

The rally, which was open mic format, featured several speakers from the local community who voiced their support of students using their positions and educations to bring change.

“Students [are] the next generation that is standing up not only at this university, but this country,” said Ronald Armour, a community member who spoke at the event.

Protesters also threw direct criticism at Soufas, who some called inconsiderate of the wishes of the faculty in the AfricanAmerican studies department.

Shouts of “Soufas must go,” were interspersed with, “We

The newly elected executive ticket, Temple United, was introduced to the General Assembly at the Temple Student Government meeting yesterday, April 15.

TSG Student Body President-elect Darin Bartholomew, Vice President of Services-elect Cree Moore and Vice President of External Affairs-elect Sonia Galiber addressed the General Assembly as the new executive officers and urged students to apply for open director positions.

Last year, candidates could nominate themselves or be nominated by two other people and were elected by the General Assembly. Current Student Body President David Lopez admitted that system did not work as planned.

This year, Temple United will review applications and interview candidates before appointing the directors.

Temple United members said they’re looking for candidates who are organized, have good time management skills, will be dedicated to TSG and have a wide variety of campus experiences.

Director applications can be found online under the elections tab of the TSG website, temStudents and community members stood together in protest of CLA appointing a white woman plestudentgovernment.org, and are due by 5 p.m. on April 25. as temporary head of the African-American Studies department. | JOHN MORITZ TTN TSG’s Spring Fling activities including a social media want Asante.” department’s situation. She said from the truth. I have never campaign and a sunglass giveSoufas said the claim that two students took the offer and even had that thought,” Soufas away were also discussed at the department’s actions were she described the conversations said. “This is the 25th year anyesterday’s meeting. racially based was, in itself, a as “very nice.” niversary of this department, the TSG Communications Diracist claim.

The African-American very first that founded a Ph.D. rector Kristin Turner announced In a separate open letter studies department hired two program in African-American that TSG is giving away a Barnes sent to the Provost’s Office and tenure-track junior faculty studies. That’s something to be & Noble nook to the Twitter or Soufas on Nov. 20, 2012, by Or- members to the department in celebrated and I want our whole Instagram user who posts a picganization of African-American 2012 after conducting a search college to celebrate that. There ture with the “most spirited atGraduate Students, the orga- for one new faculty position is no thought in anyone’s mind tire” using the tag #TSGspringnization called on CLA to hire turned up two qualified candi- to eliminate this department.” fling and includes @templetsg. more tenure faculty in order to dates, Soufas said.

TSG will also have a table fill leadership roles within the Soufas rejected the notion John Moritz can be reached at on Liacouras Walk and will give john.moritz@temploe.edu department. The letter also criti- by a few students at the rally away sunglasses to the student or on Twitter @JCMoritzTU. cized departmental cuts. that she, along with the univerbody.

Soufas said she responded sity, was attempting to eliminate directly to the November letter with an invitation to all students to meet with her and discuss the

the African-American studies department.

“Nothing could be farther

understand the headline,” Arbitell said. “That’s when I started thinking about popular Philadelphia landmarks.”

Arbitell instantly thought of Rocky and of the iconic Philadelphia Art Museum steps and how its now a tradition to run up them and throw your arms up when reaching the top.

He would eventually come up with the headline: “Enjoyed

when the Rocky steps were just steps.” Throughout April, his winning headline was displayed over Interstate 95 near the Cottman Avenue exit.

“When I showed my mom the headline, she guaranteed that I would win,” Arbitell said.

“I felt very confident in my chances. I felt that my headline was unique, on message and was recognizable.”

Laura Detter can be reached at laura.detter@temple.edu.

With Rocky reference, sophomore wins Peanut Chews contest The student plans to share winnings with Philabundance.

DOMINIQUE JOHNSON The Temple News The first time that Andrew Arbitell heard about the Peanut Chews billboard writing contest

was in professor Joe Glennon’s Introduction to Copywriting class.

Arbitell, a sophomore advertising major, said he wrote about 20 different headlines once Glennon explained the contest in more detail.

“I originally was thinking of using a sports reference, but I realized that everyone is not into sports and they may not

For his winning entry, Arbitell received a year’s supply of Peanut Chews. Former Philadelphia Eagle Ron Jaworski pulled up to the corner of 13th Street and Polett Walk on Main Campus on April 11 in a 1967 VW Microbus to deliver Arbitell his prize, according to the School of Media and Communication website.

Arbitell said he has always

loved Peanut Chews and plans to share some with his friends and family while donating the rest to hunger-relief organization Philabundance.

“To receive a year’s supply is awesome,” Arbitell said.

“However, I would feel guilty if I kept them all to myself.”

Dominique Johnson can be reached at dominique.johnson@temple.edu.

New feedback system being tested in 10 Fox courses Yorn, a student feedback system, is being tested in 10 classrooms at Fox. MARY SMITH The Temple News A new student feedback system that allows students to anonymously give their opinion about their classes during the semester is being tested in 10 classrooms at Fox School of Business.

Yorn, which stands for “yes or no” or, “your opinion right now,” is an interactive anony-

mous online platform that students can visit at any hour of the day with the exception of class time, unless the professor allows in-class feedback.

No application needs to be downloaded on any device in order to use Yorn. It can be accessed through computers, smartphones and tablets, like any other URL. Professors make their own webpage through Yorn using the free basic version and provide it to their students. The students then visit the professor’s webpage, select their class section and provide anonymous feedback about homework, class lectures, exams or any other

concerns. Users can click on the “live wall” to leave comments and respond to other users if they have provided their email address or other contact information.

Although the basic version is free, it is not guaranteed to be free of charge if the university implements the system in all classrooms.

Yorn has a privacy policy so users’ opinions and personal information cannot be shared or sold to a third party.

“We are studying whether or not anonymous feedback will be beneficial for students,” said senior finance and entrepreneurship major and intern at Yorn

Ervis Meto. “So far, students really like it; however, professors need to engage in it and remind their students to use it. They can provide feedback anytime during the semester so bad teaching habits can change before the semester ends.”

Human resources professor Steven Pyser said using Yorn in classrooms is beneficial to both himself and his students.

“End-of-semester student reviews don’t always help faculty maximize and improve student learning week-to-week throughout the semester,” Pyser said. “I view Yorn as a strengthbased tool. It provides me with important information about

what is working in our learning community. If there is a gap or deficit, I need to know at once.

Yorn also opens communication channels with all students not participating in class. This happens with students that may not like to speak publicly or international students with English as a second language.”

“I think it is a good idea to make it available to faculty because it provides useful feedback and encourages innovation in teaching. It supports recruitment, retention and student satisfaction,” Pyser added.

He said that he would like to see the university adopt the online platform in all of its

classrooms.

The Philadelphia-based company is hoping that Temple follows in the footsteps of Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania, which both use the online feedback platform during university conferences.

It allows large audiences to provide honest opinions and ask questions during seminars.

At this time, the use of Yorn at Temple is in an experimental phase, and it is uncertain whether or not it will be adopted in all of the university’s classrooms.

Mary Smith can be reached at mary.eliza.smith@temple.edu.

OPINION

A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921.

Angelo Fichera, Editor-in-Chief Cara Stefchak, Managing Editor Sean Carlin, News Editor Zachary Scott, Opinion Editor Luis Rodriguez, Living Editor Jenelle Janci, A&E Editor Joey Cranney, Sports Editor John Moritz, Asst. News Editor Ibrahim Jacobs, Asst. Sports Editor Lauren Hertzler, Chief Copy Editor Brandon Baker, Copy Editor TJ Creedon, Copy Editor Saba Aregai, Multimedia Editor Dustin Wingate, Multimedia Editor

temple-news.com

PAGE 4

Chris Montgomery, Web Editor Patrick McCarthy, Asst. Web Editor Andrea Cicio, Social Media Editor Kate McCann, Photography Editor Abi Reimold, Asst. Photography Editor Addy Peterson, Designer David Hamme, Advertising Manager Kathleen Smith, Business Manager Morgan Hutchinson, Marketing Manager

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

DRAWING CONCLUSIONS

The Temple News is an editorially independent weekly publication serving the Temple University community. Unsigned editorial content represents the opinion of The Temple News. Adjacent commentary is reflective of their authors, not The Temple News.

Visit us online at temple-news.com.

Send submissions to letters@temple-news.com.

The Temple News is located at: Student Center, Room 243 1755 N. 13th St. Philadelphia, PA 19122

EDITORIALS

PHOTO COMMENT

Students capitalize on creative T-shirt ideas and tank-top designs as Spring Fling approaches. The university in recent years has cracked down on student entrepreneurs using Temple’s official marks and logos. | JENNIFER JOSELIN TTN

GOT SOMETHING TO SAY?

POLLING PEOPLE Another year of reduced TSG voter turnout marks a continued disappointment. in the election.”

It’s disappointing to see that a university with an undergraduate population of 27,725 as of Fall 2012, only 7 percent decided to participate in an election that would choose the students who will serve as the collective voice of the student body in important university decisions for an entire year.

TSG serves as the most formal representation of student interests on Main Campus, working for the benefit of the Temple community. For them to do so without receiving the endorsement of a more significant portion of the student body is to let down the democratic system.

For coverage on the TSG election and voter turnout, read Laura Detter’s article on P. 1.

11% 00%

Yes, for medical use only.

Yes, for recreational use only.

65% 24%

professional wrestling never went away. It’s a blend of athleticism and performance that is totally unique in the entertainment industry. I don’t have time for ignorant critics who blast the industry for being phony or immature.

”

Joey Cranney / Honorable Mention, P. 13

Letters to the editor may regard any current issue but must include your full name, position and location.

Students can give year and major. Submissions should be 350 words or fewer.

It should not be legalized.

CITY VIEW

ADMISSION ADVANTAGES 250

150

100

50

0

-50

Asian – 50 points

“But my appreciation for

Yes, for both recreational and medical use.

*Out of 37 votes.

200

NOTABLE QUOTABLE

Visit temple-news.com to take our online poll, or send your comments to letters@ temple-news.com.

Do you think the federal government should legalize marijuana use?

Child of Alumnus – 160 points

W

ith the help of 1,344 of the 2,075 students who voted in this year’s Temple Student Government election, the Temple United ticket defeated Diamond Nation to take office for the 2013-14 academic year.

But the turnout that appointed TSG Student Body President-elect Darin Bartholomew, Vice President of Services-elect Cree Moore and Vice President of External Affairs-elect Sonia Galiber was a decrease of nearly 600 from last year’s 2,647 votes, a 22 percent drop.

Current Student Body President David Lopez said it best when he expressed his surprise about the fourth consecutive year of voter turnout decreases and said, “I would have liked to see more students vote

JULIANA COPPA TTN

Hispanic – 185 points

Turnout trajectory

The university does have a legitimate interest in preventing a sense of hysteria. But that does not mean withholding all information relevant to the safety of students. It merely means taking care to present the information in a timely and forthcoming manner, rather than waiting until the story breaks on the nightly news.

Assistant Vice President for University Communications Ray Betzner described threats of this nature as “extremely rare.” Additionally, it would be fair to say these threats will probably never amount to anything more than they are on the surface – scribblings on a bathroom wall. But the university still owes it to the student body to report what it knows. The recent stabbings at Lone Star College as well as the only slightly older tragedies at Virginia Tech and Texas A&M reveal quite clearly that the ivory towers of academia are not immune to senseless violence.

The TU Advisory went on to say that, “Any actionable information that results from this investigation will be shared with our students, faculty, and staff.”

That commitment to open channels of communication should have been instated in the first place.

African American – 230 points

S

tudents who tuned in to Fox 29 on April 11 learned something about Temple that they didn’t already know: That graffiti threatening to recreate the Columbine shootings on April 20, the 14th anniversary, had been discovered in a Gladfelter Hall bathroom in March.

The following day, a TU Advisory was issued verifying the news story and guaranteeing that security is the “top priority and every effort is being made to keep [the university’s] students, faculty and staff safe.”

It’s always refreshing to hear that university officials are concerned for the well-being of students and that Campus Safety Services is taking this threat seriously enough to cooperate with Philadelphia Police, Philadelphia Police’s Homeland Security Unit and the FBI on the investigation. But neglecting to inform the student body with this information is a violation of the implicit agreement between the university and the students who populate it.

The relationship between both parties is intended to be one of symbiosis, where both need each other to receive the benefits they seek. This only works if a certain level of transparency is maintained, especially on matters of such undeniable importance.

University officials did a disservice to students by not revealing graffiti threats.

Athletes – 200 points

Writing on the wall

Since a pair of 2003 Supreme Court decisions, college admissions officials are not allowed to assign a concrete, numerical advantage to minority applicants. They can, however, assign some preference as a tiebreaking measure.A 2004 study by three Princeton professors examined what the advantages of belonging to certain groups are. To the left, you can see the equivalence in terms of added points to a 1600 SAT score.

For commentary on college admissions processes, read Hend Salah’s column on temple-news.com.

*Source: Admission Preferences for Minority Students, Athletes, and Legacies at Elite Universities

CARA STEFCHAK TTN

COMMENTARY

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

PAGE 5

Through lost life, ties that bind

M ZACK SCOTT

Scott discusses the importance of community when coping with untimely deaths.

y little sister texted me earlier today, April 12, asking: “Did you know” so-and-so.

The past tense of the sentence immediately jumped off the screen.

Sure enough, someone I had gone to school with for the majority of my admittedly short life, someone who I walked at graduation with not even four years ago, had passed away. Hit by a car in the wee hours of the morning. Died in the hospital about 13 hours later. Authorities reporting that “alcohol may have played a role.”

And while it obviously is overwhelmingly tragic, what really strikes me is the profound weirdness of it all.

Honestly, I barely knew him. In middle school, he was obsessed with G-Unit and purchased an obscene number of the group’s sneakers. We were the core of a borderline-unstoppable flag football team in ninth grade gym class. He played Silentball like a man possessed during our weekly rounds in chemistry. That’s about all I’ve

got.

Yet I still find myself coming back to the fact that he lived less than a mile down the road from me for most of my adolescence.

When I was in high school two of my peers passed away, both in automobile-related accidents. But I didn’t know either of them personally, so I found myself sort of shrugging it off.

Within a sea of about 900 people, it didn’t make all that much of a difference to me.

I realize now how insensitive that was to those around me who were legitimately grieving.

And I wish I could go back and get to know those two a little better before they were gone.

But this was and is different.

This was someone who I had the chance to actually meet, even if not in a particularly personal way. I want there to be a deeper meaning.

So I look at his age and shake my head. No matter who he became in the nearly four years since I’d last spoken to him, 22 years was not long enough on this Earth to see his potential come to fruition. It

wasn’t long enough for him to enjoy everything that life had to offer him. It shouldn’t have ended like that.

I look at the reported circumstances and feel disgusted.

If it is true – as the proper authorities, medical experts and lawyers will hopefully help us find out – that alcohol indeed “may have played a role,” then I can only feel exasperated that he became one of the 27 people who, on average, die in drunk driving accidents every day in the U.S. Most of all, I look at those two statements above and think that they’re too simple. Too easy to understand. There has to be something deeper.

But there’s not. Sometimes people die for senseless reasons.

We don’t all get the chance to live to be ripe, old folks, nor do we all get to be martyrs. And when things like this happen, underserved and far too premature, most of the world just keeps right on spinning.

Of course, other parts of the world don’t move on quite as easily. I don’t need to check Facebook to know that a lot of

people back home are lamenting right now. Some of them probably haven’t talked to him in as long as I have. Some probably knew him even less than I did. But they find themselves questioning the same things I’m asking myself, because we’re all part of the same community working through the same loss.

That sense of community is important, and it’s inescapable. I’ve spent the last four years trying to exorcise my high school life from me. It wasn’t exactly a traumatic time, just something that I’d like to move on from, that I’d like to grow beyond. And I’ve been foolish to think that way, because your high school years don’t hold you back from growing as a person. They give you a bunch of people to emotionally invest in, regardless of the stake. And when tragedies like this happen, you realize with greater clarity just how precious life is.

I’m not the kind of person who gets homesick if I don’t go home once a month. I don’t know if he was. I don’t know what sort of ties he felt to our shared community; but I think

I know that about myself. As corny as it may sound, I know that I don’t have to wear affection for my hometown on my sleeve, because I wear it inside me wherever I go.

I recognize now the community I belong to back home, which I joined merely out of proximity, and how much it has molded who I am without me ever having to ask. And I like to think that I belong to a similar community here at Temple.

That even amongst the massive student body and hordes of faces I would never recognize, there is some value in having a mutual mother institution.

My thoughts are, first and foremost, with his family as they work through this incredibly difficult time. They are also with the entire community, as we – as a collective unit – try to grasp that one of our own came to such an untimely end.

chronic pain, depression, nausea, arthritis and much more.

Marijuana has been used as a medicine for thousands of years and only in 1937 with the passing of the Marijuana Tax Act was it made illegal and the distribution of medical marijuana terminated. And only since 1970, with the establishment of the Controlled Substances Act, has marijuana been declared a schedule I drug, meaning it has no accepted medical use. Many legitimate studies today continue to deny the federal government’s stance and support the fact that cannabis does indeed have medicinal value.

Even the Drug Enforcement Administration’s then-chief administrative law judge, Francis Young, recognized this in 1988 as he suggested that marijuana be moved from a schedule I to a schedule II drug to make it

available as a legal medicine. In his proposal he stated: “Marijuana has been accepted as capable of relieving distress of great numbers of very ill people, and doing so with safety under medical supervision. It would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious for the DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance in light of the evidence in this record.”

Currently, more than 60 U.S. and international health organizations including the American Cancer Society, the American Medical Association, the American Public Health Association and the Federation of American Scientists support giving patients access to medicinal marijuana under a physician’s supervision. Their decision is most likely based on the research and findings on certain

cannabinoids.

Cannabinoids are the chemical compounds in marijuana that interact with cannabinoid receptors throughout our body and have a certain effect on us.

Cannabidiol is the second most abundant active cannabinoid in the marijuana plant after the more commonly known delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. THC is known to produce the psychoactive effects or “high” from marijuana while cannabidiol is devoid of the psychoactive effects and may therefore be a more attractive therapeutic agent.

Sara Ward, a research professor at Temple, has done several studies on cannabidiol. One of her studies tested the ability of cannabidiol to relieve chemoinduced neuropathic pain. In the study she found that cannabidiol was profoundly protective

against chemotherapy induced neuropathic pain and explained that, “If we treat animals with cannabidiol they never develop the neuropathic pain state that commonly results from chemotherapy drugs.”

As an extension of that project, one of Ward’s collaborators has also looked at the effects of cannabidiol on cancer cells and he has shown that cannabidiol can inhibit breast cancer cell proliferation and metastasis in an animal model.

In addition to having no accepted medical use, the two other criteria for a schedule I drug are a lack of accepted safety and a high potential for abuse.

Marijuana has a remarkable safety record causing a whopping total of zero direct deaths historically. Peanuts kill more people than marijuana. The esti-

Zack Scott can be reached at zack.scott@temple.edu or on Twitter @Zack Scott11.

Medical marijuana benefits must be recognized

O BRIAN OGLESBY

Oglesby argues that marijuana should be reclassified and approved as a medically accepted medication.

JESSICA SMITH

Smith argues that standardized testing corrupts educators.

L

ately, it seems that there are more than a few bad apples standing at the front of our fair city’s classrooms.

Philadelphia public schools are under investigation for recent accusations of adult cheating on Pennsylvania System of School Assessment exams in 53 District schools in the past five years. As if that wasn’t enough of a blow to the reputation of the national education system, 178 teachers and principals in Atlanta Public

ne of the most controversial legal topics of today is the decision of whether or not to legalize marijuana for medical purposes, recreational purposes, both or neither.

The most devastating consequence of marijuana prohibition is the denial of medical marijuana to suffering patients who could be benefiting from its use as a therapeutic agent.

Whether it be temporarily relieving pain or permanently curing ailments, there is scientific evidence that proves beneficial uses of marijuana in modern medicine.

Components of the cannabis plant can be used in different ways to help patients who suffer from Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, HIV, dementia, glaucoma, neuropathic pain, multiple sclerosis, cancer, tumors, PTSD,

OGLESBY PAGE 6

Standardized tests fail education system

Reddit serves as portal to infinity

Schools have been found guilty of raising students’ test scores in what is being called the biggest cheating scandal in America.

At this rate, it’d be no surprise if more scandals are unearthed in the coming months.

For the first time, it’s out of the hands of school officials.

There’s now a major law enforcement investigation into teacher cheating. The media coverage of Philadelphia and Atlanta is prompting a closer look at student test scores and patterns across the country, which should launch a nationwide domino effect.

Parents and government officials are outraged. How could people – educators, no less – be so dishonest? How could they manipulate the system and put so many jobs at risk? More importantly, how could they cheat children?

It’s easy to see the issue in black and white. Cheaters are

proper deadlift form. You will leave Facebook behind and you will not care. Your loved ones will text you asking if you are OK, and you will forget to respond. Your mom will cry.

However, I’m certain that the good people who founded Reddit nearly a decade ago didn’t intend on turning you into a desk-dwelling mole person.

Rather, the site can be outright overwhelming in its incredible categorization and documentation of human creativity and innovation.

Besides being the closest thing humanity has to digital heroin, Reddit is a community where users can submit links or original content, and the public can then vote it “up” or “down” depending on the post’s merit. Reblogging or sharing posts is seriously looked down upon, which comes as a welcome change in the oft-redundant social media-o-sphere.

bad guys. But there a lot of factors working against the education system that make the issue decidedly gray.

For one, the American public school system works with incentives. Funding is typically performance-based.

Thanks to a ridiculous obsession with standardized scores, schools with higher test scores receive more money for supplies and programs. Teachers who can raise scores or show significant improvement on a yearly basis earn bonuses – in the case of the Atlanta school system, those could be worth around $25,000.

At the other extreme, schools with low scores face teacher and principal firings or complete school closings. This system supports the idea that scribbled-in letter bubbles are a sufficient depiction of what goes on in these schools instead of actually stepping foot inside

SMITH PAGE 6

JERRY IANNELLI Twentysomething Handbook

Iannelli urges students to explore the world of Reddit.

L

et me start by saying that Reddit can and will destroy your life.

It will steal you from friends, cause you to neglect your cats and force you to forget the faces of family members.

You will sit idly as your lucky bamboo plant dies of starvation whilst you watch the actual Arnold Schwarzenegger get into a comment fight with a personal trainer from Peoria, Ill., over

“Redditors” are creators unto themselves and, as such, skew heavily toward tech-obsessed university students and nerdy college graduates aged 25 to 34. This is the site’s greatest strength, as it grants online discussions and posts a level of intellectual merit seemingly absent from, well, the rest of the entire Internet. The 14-year-old YouTube users whose sole purpose in life appear to be making racist comments about the Illuminati on old Weezer videos are deleted – and deleted quickly.

Instead, you will find that Reddit users are just like your Facebook friends and Twitter followers, except significantly more interesting on every conceivable level. Despite being a thriving community of people from all over the globe, Redditors find ways to come together in support of do-it-yourself projects, political freedom, self-

IANNELLI PAGE 6

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

“Do you think awards are

“Yes, because it encourages students and individuals to try harder. It is a recognition of their time and effort.”

IMAN SALAM TTN

SALLY ABBAS

HAMAD AL-DOSARI

GHIZLAN ALOSTATH

SOPHOMORE | BUSINESS

JUNIOR | ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

SENIOR | SPEECH PATHOLOGY

the greatest validation of hard work?

”

OPINION DESK 215-204-7416

“Not always, because if someone did a great thing, he shouldn’t always expect an award.”

LETTERS@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM

“Yes, an award is an incentive, it pushes someone to continue the hard work and progress.”

OPINION

PAGE 6

WORD WEB...

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

on the

SOMEONE ELSE’S

OPINION

temple-news.com

Unedited for content.

REBECCA SAYS ON “CARR: USE OF SEXUALITY DOES NOT EQUATE TO OBJECTIFICATION” ON APRIL 11 AT 9:41 P.M.

Beautiful column, and may I just say that as a woman who 20 some years ago earned my way through grad school doing x-rated modeling and videos, I FELT many of the things that you express but I couldn’t put them into words and feel at ease with feeling at ease about my undergrad part-time job choice for MANY years. So good on you for feeling so confident, self-assured and for putting into words what many of us who feel the same way struggled to express. Love you!

DENNIS RAMBO SAYS ON “STARIKER: MUMFORD & SONS, LUMINEERS RELY ON BORING SONGWRITING TECHNIQUES” ON APRIL 11 AT 12:47 P.M.

Technique schmechnique. It’s all about the melody. I can listen to 50 strummy songs in G back to back as long as they have strong melodies. The thing is, most people can’t write great songs or strong melodies.

JOHN PFEIFFER SAYS ON “STARIKER: MUMFORD & SONS, LUMINEERS RELY ON BORING SONGWRITING TECHNIQUES” ON APRIL 10 AT 1:40 P.M.

Kevin, What an insightful article. Lemmings all rush to put on the Johnny Bravo suit. But just because an artist plays a “parlor” guitar and wears a fedora, doesn’t mean that they are a road weary troubadour from the backwoods of Tennessee. I think people eventually see through that. Americana has become the great and guilt free catch all.

BILL SAYS ON “DIAMOND NATION: TSG TICKETS DISCUSS INITIATIVES, HOPES” ON APRIL 7 AT 1:17 P.M.

I think it’s ironic that diamond nation talks about diversity and yet they don’t have a single white person on their ticket.

Denying medicine is true crime OGLESBY PAGE 5 mated lethal amount for humans based on studies done on animals is so high that users cannot possibly achieve it. Essentially, it is impossible to die from marijuana consumption.

A UCLA study found no association between marijuana use and lung cancer and also suggested that marijuana may even have some protective affect. But for those who are concerned about possible health risks of smoking the plant, there are alternative ways to consume marijuana and still receive the medical benefits.

A method known as vaporizing drastically reduces or eliminates harmful smoke toxins that may be irritating and unhealthy. There are also edible goods, lozenges, tinctures, lollipops and many more ways to gain the medical benefits without smoking the plant.

Some people argue that marijuana cannot meet standards for drug purity, potency and quality control. This is not true. We have the technology and knowledge to test marijuana to determine cannabinoid levels, pesticides, molds, heavy metals and more.

The potential addictiveness

of marijuana is very low, nowhere near the potential addictiveness of some already legal medications. Those who argue that marijuana is addictive have to understand that there are different types and definitions of addiction. While marijuana may be addicting to some, it is a manageable psychological addiction and not an uncontrollable physical addiction that can have severe withdrawal symptoms. According to a 1994 study, only about 9 percent of marijuana users are considered addicted, hardly a “high potential for abuse.”

Of course, traditional medications work fine for many patients and they have no need for medical marijuana. However, for some seriously ill patients, traditional medications cannot provide relief for them in ways that medicinal cannabis does.

These patients should not be seen as criminals or forced to suffer needlessly in pain.

Hundreds of people gathered at Sixth and Chestnut streets at a Philly NORML – National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – event called “Smoke Down Prohibition” last month.

I had the opportunity to

speak with a few medical marijuana cardholders there and ask them questions about their experiences using marijuana as a medicine.

“Marijuana reduces my spasticity and allows me to not take pharmaceutical medications,” said Jim Ross, a cardholder from New Jersey. “It allows me to be a father and live a normal, healthy life to the best of my ability and just be a normal person.”

When I asked him how marijuana as a medicine compares to other medications he has been prescribed, he said: “I can function normally. When I get out of bed I’m not sick. I don’t need to smoke marijuana like I needed to take Percocet or I needed to take Xanax. I know when I feel my body not acting right and I need to medicate. It doesn’t consume my life.”

Some opponents believe that marijuana makes you become paranoid. Yes, this has happened to people. But one must understand why. This paranoia usually exists due to the fact that marijuana is illegal and the user may think about the illegality and his or her possession of the marijuana.

If first-time users could be

in a medically supervised environment rather than secretly and illegally consuming marijuana, these instances of adverse reactions would most likely occur far less. Also, a new patient should obviously not be given a high dose or potency for their first use. A physician should advise a correct potency and dosage and the patient should follow this recommendation.

To top it all off, the federal government actually supplies four people with medical marijuana under the Compassionate Investigational New Drug Program. This is a government-run program that began in 1976 and is closed to new entrants. This is an absolute contradiction of the current federal legal status of medical marijuana and completely defies the federal government’s own laws.

There is substantial evidence at this point to remove marijuana from the schedule I category and allow doctors to legally prescribe it to suffering patients who qualify. There may still be a lot of research that needs to be done before we can fully understand how the cannabinoids from marijuana work in our body, but to say that marijuana has no medical value is an

ignorant statement.

How many more studies must be conducted? How many more facts must be proven?

How many more discoveries must be made? How much longer should people suffer until the government decides to care about people’s lives?

How can the government decide what can and can’t go into our bodies, what medicine works for us, makes us feel better and make laws that prevent us from using it? It’s offensive to me and it should be to you as well. It’s a human rights issue and our natural rights are being violated.

Medical marijuana patients should not have to worry about being arrested or going to jail or suffering any other legal penalties for using something that makes them feel better. They should not be viewed as criminals because they found something that can relieve them of their suffering. Eighteen states have already realized these absurdities and allow the use of marijuana as a medicine. Hopefully this will pave the way for the rest of America.

Brian Oglesby can be reached at brian.oglesby@temple.edu.

Cheating teachers Browsing Reddit is a can be chalked up worthwhile addiction to testing methods IANNELLI PAGE 5

SMITH PAGE 5

them.

With the odds stacked so dramatically, it’s incredibly difficult to resist the temptation to cheat. Teachers and principals alike are facing enormous pressure to come up with results when they don’t have much to work with. In Philadelphia, officials voted last month to close 23 public schools – that’s about 10 percent of the total amount in the city. There isn’t room in the budget to adequately support any schools, let alone those that are falling short with test grades.

Meanwhile, former Auburn University football players have come forward to claim that former coach Gene Chizik allegedly changed grades, including switching former defensive back Mike McNeil from an F to a C before the 2011 BCS Championship game against Oregon, to make athletes eligible to play as well as allegedly offering them several thousand dollars each to return to the university instead of entering the NFL draft.

This news of manipulation of student athlete grades from Auburn came out around the height of the public school district scandals, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end.

Was there a violation of moral codes in both cases? Yes, but public school cheating is

more in line with a survivalof-the-fittest perspective while Auburn seems to cultivate the somehow still-present ideology that athleticism is superior to intellect. It undermined and undervalued the potential of student-athletes to perform in the classroom and instilled a harsh belief that worth was limited to their physical strength on the football field. Officials in this situation took the easy way out to earn their championship win.

Allegedly, of course.

Again, it would be simpler to sum up all this controversy in layman’s terms and crucify the accused for being bad people, etc. But it’s important to focus on what the past month is revealing about our societal norms.

Public school officials are being prosecuted for their wrongdoing when a pay incentive system already puts them on thin ice and college sports are still being held up to totally different standards of treatment and punishment.

Education cannot be measured in standardized test scores and it cannot be outweighed by athleticism. If we want to point fingers in these cases, we better acknowledge the construction of the world we live in and the stress induced on the accused.

Jessica Smith can be reached at jessicasmith@temple.edu.

improvement advice, celebrity interviews, useless trivia and various photographs of baby sloths and pit bull puppies.

They’ve had a hand in creating every Internet meme that ever was or ever will be. If you’ve laughed at a .GIF of someone skiing sternumfirst into a wall made of glass and Chinese fireworks in the past month, it’s more than likely that a Redditor created it two years ago and you’re just arriving late to the game.

As testament to the addictive power of Reddit, here are three stories that broke – unrelated – within 72 hours of each other on the front page of the site. On April 9, a few daring users tracked down a man who admitted that he killed his sister’s meth-addicted boyfriend and framed it as an accidental overdose. The next day, a father posted photos of the spaceship-themed playhouse – complete with a working escape hatch, navigation screen and dashboard lights – that he built for his infant son in the hopes that it fosters a lifelong love for science in his child. As I write, master comedian Louis C.K. is answering user questions, and just told the world that lately

he’s been making rice and beans for his children too often. Any of these stories could have made for an exposé hosted by Brian Williams, and yet they came and went within days of each other without so much as a corresponding BuzzFeed article in their name.

For comparison purposes, my friends on Twitter were just treated to a “throwback” photo a friend of mine posted reminding all of her Twitter followers that – at one point in her life – she was in a room that had a whole lot of cardboard boxes in it.

Since the site was founded in 2005, absolutely zero of this is pressing news. That being said, I’m stunned at how many students I meet have yet to hop onto the Reddit bandwagon.

Temple prides itself on living at the very edge of burgeoning media technology, and yet I’ve met countless human beings around Main Campus who simply don’t understand what the site is or how it works. Jump onto the site, click through some links, make a free account and mosey around at your leisure. Whether your main area of expertise is deep sea oceanography, reenacting scenes from John Woo’s “Face/Off” or Photoshopping

“They’ve had a

hand in creating every Internet meme that ever was or ever will be.

”

Optimus Prime into pictures of famous battles throughout history, you’ll find a community of like-minded people beckoning you to join them with open arms. The site is full of nearmagical occurrences, like the real William Shatner occasionally dropping by to comment on a Star Trek discussion, or Warner Bros. stumbling upon a fake movie pitch co-written for fun by site users and offering to purchase it.

Reddit exists as a thriving community of anonymous people united in the perpetual hunt for human knowledge. The size of the community eclipses nearly anything that I’ve come across on the Internet to date, and the indescribably vast amount of information included on the site can make the entire universe seem massive and miniscule at the exact same time.

On a bad day, you’ll feel as if every single thought and conversation that you’ve ever had or will ever have has been written down and cataloged already by someone sitting on a public computer halfway around the world in Botswana.

On a good day, however, you’ll be blown back in awe at the absolute, unstoppable force that is human creation.

Jerry Iannelli can be reached at gerald.iannelli@temple.edu or on Twitter @jerryiannelli.

“You can hear a lot of big talk about tolerance and diversity from people who hang out in the ivory tower, but they rarely want to set an example. In the halls of academe, the only acceptable ideology is stunted liberalism.”

Washington Times Editorial Board,

on washingtontimes.com in “The intolerant left”

“There’s something about standing on the platform watching the curve for the Silverliner.

Something about feeling the rumble in the soles of one’s feet.

Leaving and returning - that’s where I’ve lived. I’m sympathetic to the crossties of the tracks.”

Beth Kephart,

on philly.com in “Romance of the area’s rails”

“The problem here

isn’t that American journalists are too quick to go on crusades. Rather, it’s that the press’s ideological blinders limit the kinds of crusades mainstream outlets are willing to entertain, and the formal commitment to neutrality encourages self-deception about what counts as crusading.”

Ross Douthat,

on nytimes.com in “Balance and Bias”

“It’s not that the young

people I met aren’t aware of the negative stereotypes of them out there. Some of the critiques against them do contain insight. But Millennials are actually remixing their generation’s vices into virtues that are informing their ambitions, their work and helping make the world a better place.”

Chelsea Clinton,

on the time.com in “Four Myths About Millennials”

“So isn’t it time

Hollywood integrated faith into stories where it rightfully belongs?

Why should such stories be excluded from the mainstream in a nation that’s filled with people of faith? If filmmakers do the right thing — and break the ‘God line’— they’ll find there are countless millions who’d cheer stories like that. And who’d pay to see them too.”

Eric Metaxas,

on usatoday.com in “Jackie Robinson a man of faith”

LIVING temple-news.com

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

PAGE 7

In a featured collection of personal essays, The Temple News presents six stories that showcase the universal truths that shape our lives. You’ll read about a young woman who endured the death of her mother; a hopeless romantic involved in a “kind of” long-distance relationship; and a religious skeptic who longs to not be judged for her “ungodliness.” These are the “One time, I...” stories we often keep in our pocket for social gatherings – stories that, whether we realize it or not, open a window to our innermost selves. These windows are wide open.

-Brandon Baker

Out of the atheist closet Major Richards’neighborhood

W

CARY CARR The Temple News

hen Kristen, my best friend in high school, joined Young Life, a nondenominational Christian youth organization that runs clubs and summer camps, she went from being an unconditional gal pal to an obsessed and judgmental authority figure who wouldn’t rest until I was “saved by Jesus.”

One boring weekday night, she tried to convince me to attend a club meeting with her, assuring me that I would find it inspiring – that I, too, would be hooked to what I considered a cult-like association for young, influential kids. Naturally, I said no, using dance class as an excuse.

In the beginning of our friendship, I was more open to discuss Christianity with Kristen. I even considered the prospect of becoming more religious – I was baptized at a young age, after all, but I rarely attended church.

However, after taking an AP biology course, my skepticism of religion turned into a strong identification with atheism. The theory of evolution and the big bang theory were much more attractive than the prospect of discussing each verse of the Bible. They were the deal-breakers.

So, I went out with another group of friends instead – the type who would rather sneak their parents’ liquor into water bottles and roam our small town in hopes of finding some sort of temporary excitement than sit in a circle and pray for salvation. But, due to the power of social networking, my lie was revealed, and Kristen was furious.

“How could you keep this from me?” she questioned, blowing up my phone with angry text messages. And, while I should have been honest, the confrontation quickly went from a white lie to a bigger problem.

“Are those really the types of people you want to hang out with?” she asked, referring to the drinking, the flirting, the – you know, normal high-school activities. What I knew she meant was, “How can you be associated with such an ungodly group of people?”

I no longer was invited to meetings. We no longer shared a locker. And when I invited her on a big trip to Greece, Kristen turned it down to return to Young Life camp.

But I’m not alone in my lack of religious structure. According to a 2012 Pew report, the number of Americans who don’t identify with any religion is quickly growing. One-fifth of Americans and a third of adults younger than 30 – speaking to our generation – are religiously unaffiliated.

That’s not to say being non-religious and being an atheist are by any means equivalent. Many unaffiliated adults are religious or spiritual in some way, and many, like myself, do understand that churches and other religious institutions benefit society by bringing together communities and helping those in need, which is exactly why I never criticized her religious choices or forced my theories down her throat.

But Kristen clearly lacked the same tolerance. She started spending all of her time with her fellow Young Life acquaintances, making me feel as though my atheism was an embarrassment.

I wasn’t invited out on the weekends, and I no longer had a connection with her family. I was now perceived as her “unholy friend.”

Nor was this the first time I’d felt isolated or even discriminated against due to my atheism. I’ve since received negative comments (i.e. “You’ll end up in hell,” or “So you don’t have any morals?”) from acquaintances and even a boss at my first high-school job. When you are the minority – only 5 percent of Americans identify as atheists, according to a “The Global Index of Religiosity and Atheism” poll, conducted by WIN-Gallup International – you get used to people misunderstanding or even disliking you.

In a 2006 study conducted by the University of Minnesota, more than 2,000 people were interviewed by researchers, and the results were clear: Atheists are America’s most distrusted minority.

Participants rated atheists below Muslims, recent immigrants, gays and lesbians and several other minority groups when asked which groups of people do not share their vision of American society.

And when researchers asked whether or not they would disapprove of a child’s choice to marry an atheist, 47.6 percent said yes.

But while statistics give light to people’s general feelings toward atheists, it wasn’t until I went through an eating disorder that I could understand how badly someone else’s intolerance toward my own beliefs and life choices could hurt.

In particular, Kristen, who saw me come to school with bags under my eyes, avoided awkward stares and vicious rumors she once protected me from, and instead brushed off my diminishing weight, claiming that “I looked just fine,” and that if I “let Jesus love me,” then I could also learn to love myself without – in her opinion – useless anti-depressants and counseling.

Why was it that while I never criticized her faith that she had the right to decide whether or not I was sick, solely based on her religion? And why had her beliefs suddenly made our friendship more about God than encouragement and concern?

After I enrolled at Temple, and Kristen enrolled at a private Christian college, I started receiving Facebook messages from my ex-confidant. “Hi, how are you?” she asked. I, of course, was too busy being “godless” to respond. Despite my decision to ignore her, she followed up with various “Let’s get lunch” requests. But there was nothing more to talk about; she had abandoned me, and I was finally over it.

I recently ran into Kristen’s younger sister, who often is referred to as the “black sheep” of the family, at a friend’s party. We smoked together, drank together and exchanged stories that probably would have made Kristen drop down in prayer. Kristen’s sister is also religious, but somehow she refrained from making judgments, from assuming that I lack morals due to my disbelief in a spiritual being.

Now, confident in my decisions, I no longer keep my atheism a secret. In fact, when recently asked in an icebreaker exercise to reveal an interesting fact about myself, I had no problem announcing, boldly, “I’m a dedicated atheist.” (It’s a rarity, right?) I even took a course at Widener University on human evolution to further my passion surrounding biology.

I probably will never see or speak to Kristen again. I won’t run into her in some sort of afterlife, I won’t receive her prayers for me or my troubled life and I’ll probably never be saved by Jesus – despite her wishes.

And maybe that was just God’s plan for us – to have a fleeting friendship. And maybe that’s OK.

M

SEFTON EISENHART III Essay Contributor

ajor Richards has been a small part of my life since moving to Philadelphia in 2009. The first night I spent in the city as a soon-to-be freshman was the first time I spoke with him. He asked for money, which I gave him. This would be the first interaction in a saga of late-night conversations on stoops and streets, in front of restaurants and convenience stores.

This all took place near 17th and Berks streets, in what is sometimes called Templetown. He didn’t always panhandle; if he’d already gotten his fix for the moment he would merely acknowledge me like an old friend, throw around some enthused catch phrases – mostly cliché lingo from the Marines – along with a series of problems common to veterans of his age and makeup. His clothing was, to say the least, well worn, and his beard longer than most.

Throughout the years we maintained this unusual off-and-on relationship, and I never turned him away if he needed money and I happened to have some. Then he disappeared and I was left to wonder where he was, whether he was alive or dead. I forgot about him. Months passed and from time to time I would recall some situation or have a moment of déjà vu regarding my acquaintance.

But over time they went from few and far between to non-existent, and he receded to the back of my memory.

And in the same fit of unknown circumstances under which he left, he came back, lumbering down the street, swaying back and forth with sweet inebriation, grinning as he basked in his homecoming.

“Slim!” he shouted at me when he noticed I was outside. “You ain’t so slim no more!”

I’d gained a significant amount of weight since his departure and laughed mightily at his brutally honest observation.

“True. Where’ve you been, Major?”

“Gone, gone, gone,” he said. He looked down and shook his head. “This neighborhood is achanging. Ain’t no room for folks like me.”

He asked me for a cigarette. I happily handed him one and he sat down on my porch.

“Look at all these new buildings for you kids,” he grumbled, lighting his cigarette. “This used to be the worst part of the city.”

“Yeah, it’s on the up and up. What brings you back?” I asked.

“I was helping my sister move out. She’s moving to a housing project in North Philadelphia.”

I’d never heard him mention a sister – or any family, for that matter. Since we were already in North Philadelphia I could only imagine that he meant farther north. He might have been helping her move, but something told me he would stick around. There was more opportunity for bumming in an area full of students with varying degrees of disposable income. Then again, he was a vagabond of sorts and where he hung his hat on the regular was largely a mystery to me.

Frankly, I had no idea what to say, so I tried to be as sympathetic as possible, spewing some iteration of, “I’m sorry to hear that.” I’d never seen him in any mood other than overwhelmingly convivial. Now he seemed contemplative at best. I don’t think the two of us, in our short series of interactions, had ever spoken of anything remotely serious.

The changes that come as a result of a built-up community like Templetown seem to be increasing and inevitable. These improvements, while beneficial for students, come with a price that is paid for by local residents who have been living in the community for years. Property tax increases, changing aesthetics, neighborhood tensions – it’s a story that transcends the surrounding areas of campus and spills over into areas all around the city. And, often times, local residents – people like Major Richards – find themselves having to make tough decisions concerning their own livelihood.

As Major Richards and I sat on the stoop during that last moment, we were bordering upon what seemed like gentrification conversation. We sat in silence and watched a couple of bros try to wedge a sofa through the front door of a house across the street.

Breaking the silence, Major looked up from the diminishing smoke of his cigarette.

“There goes the neighborhood.”

Sefton Eisenhart III is a junior English major. He can be reached at sefton.eisenhart@temple.edu.

Cary Carr is a senior journalism major and and a Living columnist for The Temple News.

She can be reached at cary.carr@temple.edu.

MORE ESSAYS, online

The Temple News has compiled several personal essay submissions from students. Visit temple-news.com/essays to read more.

LIVING DESK 215-204-7416

LIVING@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM

JULIANA COPPA TTN

LIVING

PAGE 8

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

Debbie Campbell serves as faculty adviser for the Temple Veterans Student Association, in addition to her role as senior assistant dean of Fox School of Business. | ABI REIMOLD TTN

Debbie Campbell Financial literacy is just one of the many aspects of Fox School of Business that Campbell has a hand in.

DIANA DAVID The Temple News Fox School of Business could consider itself lucky to have professor and dean of undergraduate programs Debbie Campbell. Her go-getter attitude has earned her many awards throughout her 25 years of experience in higher education and extensive knowledge of strategic marketing - Philadelphia Business Journal’s prestigious 40 Under 40 award in 2004, Fox School’s Musser Award for Leadership in Administrative Services and Leadership in Teaching Innovation in 2010, to name a few.

April is National Financial Literacy Month and Campbell has been promoting financial literacy initiatives along with sustainability efforts across campus. In addition to being widely renowned as an administrator for her efforts in advising studentveterans at Temple, she also helped launch the Online Bachelor of Business Administration program to assist students in getting their degree in a way that’s more convenient for them.

The Temple News caught up with Campbell to find out why financial literacy is so important and what students can do to be better prepared to take on their financial debt.

The Temple News: Can you explain what your position here at Temple requires of you?

Debbie Campbell: Currently, I am the senior assistant dean for undergraduate programs. In my role at Fox, I do all the curriculum, the career and advising center on multiple campuses, honors program, student organizations, enrollment management, outreach to high schools and community colleges, and graduate career placement. For the university, I’m the faculty adviser for

the Temple Veterans Student Association and also one of the cochairs for the veteran task force on campus.

TTN: Why do you believe it’s necessary for students, especially college students, to learn about financial literacy?

DB: I think it’s important for students once they’re here because they don’t always understand the repercussions of the decisions they make in college. Taking four classes as opposed to five or even six when your tuition covers it means that you could be here longer. Dropping a class is going to extend your time here before graduation, and financial aid could run out depending on how many times a student drops classes.

Some students graduate in four years, but a lot of them don’t.

I think a lot of students don’t understand the long-term implications of the money they borrow because they tend not to pay it back until after they’re out so they assume, rightly so, that they’re going to have a job and pay it back within the first six months of working.

Sometimes, students don’t realize that while they have access to the money, the long-term debt gets racked up really quickly.

The financial aid office and the Bursar’s Office have done a good job of building tools on their website so that a student could go on and say, “OK, I’m going to take out $10,000 next year because I want to live off-campus with my friends and financial aid will pay for it.” Being able to put that on a calculator before they put their deposit down and see that it’s going to take them 10 years to pay it off and interest rate for that money is going to pile up on top of what they already have and students don’t understand that.

TTN: When do you think it’s appropriate for students to learn about the undervalued issue of financial literacy?

DB: As young as you can possibly get them. I would say as soon as a child now because of computers and technology. Kids are savvier younger- third and fourth graders understand money.

Especially if you give them a $50 bill and take them to a store and ask, “What do you want to buy?” and they actually have to choose.

They start to understand what that money means.

Starting young is best. You have to make it not boring because it’s something that has to be seen over and over again because it’s retention. They might see it once when they’re in fifth grade and never see it again till they’re in high school. I think it’s important for parents and for any school- elementary school, middle school, or high school to be talking about those things because we want

kids to go to college, but they have to be able to afford it and it’s kind of wrong to make people want something they can’t have.

If there are scholarships out there, you have to find them. They might be long and they might ruin your weekend, but if you take the time to do them you can find money out there.

TTN: What specific courses does Temple provide on financial literacy?

DB: Well, there’s a couple...There is a class called Inve$ting in Your Future. It fulfills the quantitative literacy general education course. It was originally put together 5 years ago by a finance faculty member, Dr. Jonathan Scott. The risk management department here has a class that’s required of all general business studies minors called Risk Management 2501. The university’s bursar and student financial office has developed a freshman seminar class which are theme-based. They cover all different types of topics.

There’s a course being proposed that’s actually called Financial Literacy with the university general education faculty curriculum committee for review and approval. That would also cover the quantitative literacy GenEd. These are the existing courses.

TTN: How do you promote financial literacy initiatives at Temple?

DB: They’re relatively new. What the task force has been doing this month is sending emails to every associate and dean in every school and college about the events happening. There have been a couple articles written about the President’s initiatives.

Within Fox, we have the Fox Den, which is a weekly newsletter that goes out every Monday morning to our students which mentions everything that’s happening for that week. Some of our faculty are promoting it by giving extra credit to students who attend certain events. I’m not exactly sure what every other college is doing, but that’s what our college and task force is doing to at least get it out to the mass population.

Diana David can be reached at diana.david@temple.edu.

Spring Fling aims to bring West Coast to Main Campus This year’s annual event will feature a summertime “Beverly Hills 90210” theme.

PATRICIA MADEJ The Temple News Summer is just around the corner, and students can expect to find a little piece of it from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on tomorrow, April 17, along Liacouras Walk and around the Bell Tower during this year’s annual Spring Fling.

This year the theme is TU 19122, intentionally channeling “Beverly Hills 90210.”

“You’ll notice it’s a Hollywood beach-esque theme, and our prizes will reflect that,” said Amy Bendekovits, vice president of Main Campus Program Board, which heads Spring Fling. MCPB will have its own table set up with games, prizes and T-shirt giveaways.

With the end of the semester near, students are anxious for summer, part of why the

event is beach themed and – no coincidence – why it was also the theme for last year. The TU 19122 hopes to give the event a little more of a spin.

To ensure safety precautions, many of the student organizations have to run their ideas by the office of risk management, Bendekovits said.

This served especially true for MCPB, which is providing the inflatable attractions.

“We’re providing a lot of fun things, a lot of nice surprises. I think everyone will be pretty happy. Banking on the weather being nice,” Bendekovits said.

If the weather turns sour, Temple will reschedule its Spring Fling to April 18, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Notoriously, students often use Spring Fling as an excuse to drink with their friends.

“I don’t think that’s always the appropriate setting, but for those that do choose to day drink, I just hope they do so in a safe manner and that nobody gets hurt,” Bendekovits said.

Bendekovits added she recognizes that students skip class and sympathizes. With food,

fun, music, games and friends, she says she can see why students would choose to miss some of their classes.

Many student organizations have a table set up as Spring Fling and WHIP, Temple’s student-run radio station, will be providing a lot of the music and entertainment this year.

The tables cost, on average, $50 per student organization, with costs fluctuating depending on whether clubs need electricity or other amenities. Most are paid with membership dues or fundraisers.

“Honestly, a lot of student organizations use this as a fundraising tool for them because they will sell some kind of food, or have some kind of giveaway, so for them it’s big promotionally and for recruiting members,” Bendekovits said.

Among the many tables, students will find Students for Environmental Action.

SEA will be selling T-shirts and have informational displays about environmental issues, as well as have environment-related games.

“We hope to promote environmental issues in general just

to spread awareness,” said Don- the group’s main concern, benie Irvandy, president of SEA. cause PRSA is a student organiIrvandy said he’d rather zation for which one must hand have the event on a different day in dues in the beginning of the of the week, like a Thursday. He year to be a part of. is a junior now, Graeff but during his said she too freshman year, recognizes Spring Fling Spring Fling was postponed as a huge to a Thursday social event because of the on campus weather, which that students he said he enskip their joyed much classes for, more. but doesn’t The Public think movRelations Sociing the day ety of America would make is planning on a difference. having a sports“Everythemed table one saves Cara Graeff / and is in the PRSA director of internal affairs their allotted works to have [absences] signed Philafor Spring delphia sports Fling, so memorabilia as I think rewell as Phillies tickets raffled gardless of what day it’s on, kids away. are going to skip their classes,” Cara Graeff, PRSA direc- Graeff said. tor of internal affairs, said the Insomnia Theater will also goal of the organization’s table have a booth set up at Spring is to pique interest and increase Fling. the club’s visibility on campus.

The group plans on having Membership isn’t necessarily film and theater trivia and giv-

“Everyone saves

their allotted [absences] for Spring Fling, so I think regardless of what day it’s on, kids are going to skip their classes.

”

ing away prizes like condoms, candy and coffee – specifically, Starbucks gift cards.

Spring Fling is perfect timing for the student organization, considering its show happens the weekend after Spring Fling.

“We hope not only to promote people coming to our show, but joining in our show; being actors, writers, directors, stuff like that,” said Billy McGee, marketing director of Insomnia Theater.

About 200 tables will be present.

Patrica Madej can be reached at patricia.madej@temple.edu.

For Spring Fling coverage from The Temple News’ Multimedia Department, visit temple-news.com later this week.

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT temple-news.com

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

PAGE 9

Community space provides variety Garden Variety hosts art, music and festivals on Second and Poplar streets.

ERIN EDINGER-TUROFF The Temple News

D

espite what its name may seem to suggest, Garden Variety doesn’t harvest vegetables for its Northern Liberties neighborhood. However, it does cultivate a bountiful crop of art, music and craft-oriented food.

Resident Michael “Frosty” Spiker has seen the neighborhood blossom into an artistic hub in North Philly since he opened Garden Variety, which he curated with business partner Heidi Duffey in 2011. The name was chosen to represent the courtyard-like, fenced in event space because of its openness to a wide variety of artistic expression, which creates an eclectic schedule during its summer season, Spiker said.

Located at the corner of Second and Poplar streets, Garden Variety is open Thursdaysdays through Wednesdays and will extend its hours of operation as the weather continues to improve.

Spiker described the openair market as “not a park, but not a stringent business” and stressed that his priority is being receptive to the community.

“I just want to have an active space,” Spiker said. “We don’t like to see lots that aren’t being used. We’d rather have a place where people can hang out.”

Spiker lives next to Garden Variety and rents another adjacent building to Sculpere yoga studio. He added that he often sees passersby “chilling out” in the area, which is fine by him.

As a BYO space, there is no limit to what events can take place in Garden Variety. Private parties can book the space, from graduation parties to flea markets, art exhibitions to catered dinner parties. Garden Variety also participates in most neighborhood events and was the final stop on a Family Fun Scavenger Hunt presented by NL Arts.

In August 2012, during Second Street Festival, a neighborhood block party that boasted 2,000 attendees, Garden Variety opened a pool, a pop-up bar and had several food trucks on the scene. It also hosted a performance that day by a NYC-based DJ group Chances with Wolves.

GARDEN PAGE 12

Michael Spiker lives next to Garden Variety, the community space that he curates. He said the space is not a park, but not a business. Rather, the goal is to have it be an active space. | ABI REIMOLD TTN

Playing cards save lost language Free event draws

A Philadelphia businessman recently funded a project to help save the Yiddish language.

CHELSEA THOMPSON The Temple News Eric Brewstein refused to fold on his promise to his bubbie.

When his grandmother, passed away, he gave her his word that he would continue the Yiddish language tradition by teaching it to his children.

Since launching a Kickstarter campaign in March, Brewstein has not only kept his promise to his bubbie, but he has also created a fun way for the rest of the world to learn the language, too.

In one month, the Philadelphian was able to raise $6,641 – almost $1,000 more than his goal. The Yiddish playing cards began as flashcards Brewstein created to teach his 2-year-old and are now on high-quality casino and poker cards illustrated with playful illustrations.

Brewstein, founder of Lost Languages: Yiddish Playing Cards, was born and raised in Philadelphia. Owner and operator of Corsa Advertising, LLC, he’s arguably a “macher” – which means “big shot” in Yiddish. He has meticulously overseen the planning, creating,

Created by Eric Brewstein, Lost Languages: Yiddish Playing Cards serve as a fun way to keep Yiddish words and phrases in modern dialects. | COURTESY YIDDISHCARDS.COM

RADIO REVIVAL, p. 10

The Prometheus Radio Project aims take the power of radio away from large corporations.

A&E DESK 215-204-7416

manufacturing and delivering of the project and said he hopes eventually to market Yiddish coloring books, picture books and even coasters.

Considering that more than 200 people have already prepurchased the playing cards, Brewstein’s ambitions do not seem far off. He said he realizes there is not a huge market, but evidently the interest is there and people are willing to support his efforts. He even mentioned getting in touch with Seth Green and having a Yiddish snippet on Cartoon Network’s “Robot Chicken.”

Joking or not, Brewstein’s genuine excitement about the project will take him beyond his initial focus.

“2013l, for me, is about an entrepreneurial spirit and putting time and focus on my own initiatives and family time,” Brewstein said.

The cards are manufactured by the United States Playing Card Company. The standard 54-card deck comes complete with pronunciation and definitions of the most used Yiddish words chosen by Brewstein and his team. The team’s original design and simple presentation modernize the use of Yiddish and make it into an educational tool that even adults can enjoy.

“I have been [sitting] on several ideas for many years and think that there are so many ways to get a product or project exposure,” Brewstein said. “I am excited to try many of them out and compare results. Marketing and sales are something I am curious and comfortable with in a corporate frame, but I am enjoying the time learning a lot about modern media and access and realizing how much of a personalized and loyal culture

we have become.”

A self-proclaimed “elitist mess,” Brewstein looked at every angle and potential glitch before pitching his pledge to the public to be open to backers – the supporters of the project who are offered rewards for pledges.

Lost Languages: Yiddish Playing Cards gets the family involved by offering supporters, who pledge $600 or more, five personalized caricature cards making a royal flush, along with posters of the collection. This also gives a sibling the chance to turn his or her younger brother face down when he is acting like a “schmuck.”

The rewards vary based upon how much a backer pledges.

The cards are scheduled to be delivered late August and may eventually be available at synagogues in the Philadelphia area.

Great-grandchildren of Jewish immigrants who came to America from Eastern Europe are not being taught Yiddish by their parents, because the language is not considered a priority to learn anymore, Brewstein said. However, Brewstein still finds the dialect relevant.

“Yiddish is used more than people realize,” Brewstein said.

Many students on Main Campus said they have heard of Yiddish but claimed to not know a single word. Students were surprised to hear that words like “glitch” and “schmuck” are of Yiddish origin.

Anna Alter, a senior English major at Temple, was familiar with the Yiddish word “chutzpah.”

“It’s their version of saying

YIDDISH PAGE 13

crowds to museum ‘90s, said they go every Friday night because of the enjoyable atmosphere.

“It’s just a really relaxing time here,” Carla Bednar said.

“My husband Ronald and I are able to get out of our work DAVID ZIEGLER clothes, come here and enjoy The Temple News music we wouldn’t normally hear.”

Every Friday evening startThe museum’s Great Stair ing at 5 p.m., the Philadelphia Hall, located in the center of Museum of Art hosts Art After all of the galleries, was trans5, an event at which patrons can formed into what it calls a “cabbrowse the galleries and listen aret-style” atmosphere. Patrons to live music being performed were able to take in exotic, live by an eclectic group of artists. music and be surrounded by orFor three Fridays of the month, nate tapestries depicting biblical it is usually local jazz musicians events and myths from Ancient performing, but on the first Fri- Rome. day of every month, the museum The Bednars remarked on showcases an assorted sampling how the French quartet remindof international music. ed them of the Woody Allen film During the first Friday in “Midnight in Paris.”

April, it featured what it referred Drinks and food were to as the “Orient served, includExpress.”

The ing a guacamole Museum collabosampler with rated with the Alblack truffle liance Française from El Vez. de Philadelphie Many attendees and the Turklounged on the ish American stairs savoring Friendship Sociglasses of wine, ety to introduce while people people to tradigravitated toCarla Bednar / attendee tional French and ward a dinnerTurkish music and-a-show and dance. type of evening sat at tables on The Lower East Side Hot either side of the performers.

Club, an acoustic quartet based Music isn’t the only feature out of New York City, opened Art After 5 has to offer. Durthe night. It performed songs ing breaks in LES Hot Club’s paying homage to the swing- performance, burlesque-style style “gypsy jazz” French music dancers came out to entertain from the ‘30s and ‘40s, mixing the audience. Sporting sensuous in smooth acoustic guitar solos, smiles on their faces throughout a frolicking bass and an elegant their routines, the dancers perlead violin. formed the traditional French Carla and Ronald Bednar of can-can dance, wearing those East Falls, who have been memART PAGE 13 bers of the museum since the

Art After 5 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art offers free music.

NO VOICES NEEDED, p. 11

Mohican, featuring a former member of Trophywife, is an exclusively instrumental band.

ARTSandENTERTAINMENT@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM

“[We] are able

to...come here and enjoy music we wouldn’t normally hear.

”

THE 10 COUNT, p. 13

Columnist Joey Cranney shares his love for wrestling and the Top 10 pro wrestlers.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 10

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

Project aims to reignite radio A local group aims to reclaim radio airwaves.

PHILADELPHIA MURAL ARTS PROGRAM DATES/TIMES VARY BY TOUR

AMBER CLAY The Temple News

This season, the Mural Arts Program is offering monthly specialty trolley tours with themes that will change each month.

Additionally, there will be tours offered to celebrate national holidays, such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and more.

Patrons will have two opportunities each month to participate in Mural Arts trolley tours that will visit murals in neighborhoods that are less frequented on the tours given by the Mural Arts Program.

The Mural Arts program is also collaborating with the City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services on a project named the Porch Light Initiative. For about three years, these two noble programs have worked with one another to spread a message of safety, healing and

CINEDELPHIA FILM FESTIVAL THROUGH APRIL 27 VARIOUS LOCATIONS COST VARIES

Philadelphia’s film scene has more to offer than just “Rocky.”

At the first annual Cinedelphia Film Festival, currently going on now, 40 films are being screened throughout the city. Every piece showcased has a Philadelphia tie.

On Saturday, April 20, the Urban Archives will be hosting a free event at 6 p.m. The event will showcase short films that were all recorded in Philadelphia.

wellness throughout Philadelphia communities. Along with 15 murals that are in the process of being created for this project, another mural is going to be installed on Lehigh Avenue. Other murals that will decorate the city sometime this year include a Phillies mural, a veteran’s memorial mural, a matriarchal themed mural, a new love letter series and a ShopRite mural.

Tjai Abdullah, a muralist and tour guide with the Mural Arts Program, explained that after a recent minor rise in graffiti activity involving the murals, the program decided to find a creative solution to the problem. The Murals Arts Program reflected and decided to refocus on helping the community voice its views through direct interaction with the com-

munity. With the help of Philadelphiaborn graffiti artist Darryl McCray, who goes by the name Cornbread, the Mural Arts Program has plans to incorporate more local artists into the creation of the murals.

With the help of this renowned artist, the Mural Arts Program plans to handle this familiar issue in the community by redirecting the work of local graffiti artists—instead of defacing the murals, they are going to collaborate with the Mural Arts Program to create more murals.

The new tours and projects of the Mural Arts Program provide a lot of exciting things for the involved artists and residents alike to look forward to this year.

PHILLY TECH WEEK OPENING CEREMONY APRIL 19 8 P.M. - 11 P.M. CIRA CENTER, UNIVERSITY CITY FREE

OPEN MIC EVERY TUESDAY 9 P.M. TIME RESTAURANT 1315 SANSOM ST.

Ever wanted to play pong on the side of a skyscraper? Philly Tech Week is being kicked off by a few rounds of the classic video game being displayed on the side of the Cira Center in University City. Philadelphians had the opportunity to enter in a few lottery to pick who gets to hold the mighty controller. Philly Tech Week events will continue through April 27.

Every Tuesday night, Time Restaurant hosts an open mic featuring local band The Living Sample. New performers are welcome, and if you would rather be a voyeur than a star, enjoy the local music with Time’s extensive wine bar and draft beer list.

-Jenelle Janci and Jameeda Rucker

Prometheus Radio Project is a group for those who are alien to radio.

Prometheus is a nonprofit organization that helps build and support low-power FM stations, which function on 100-watts or lower and spans from a 3-to-10 mile radius. The range varies with the topography of the area; a signal will go further in a leveled or rural area. Julia Wierski, the director of development and communications at Prometheus, explained the process of LPFM radio stations.

“When you think about what wattage is, it’s kind of what you would look at on a light bulb,” Wierski said. “A 100-watt radio station is kind of, like, off that scale. It’s operating on a little bit more power than what a regular household would...with a further reach.”

Even though low FM radio operates on a lower wattage count than a full-powered radio station, like Q102, people can still expect to hear the same quality they are used to.

“There’s nothing you would pick up on in terms of how it would sound on your radio,” Wierski said. “The wattage only deals with how far the signal goes, not the quality or sound.”

Prometheus Radio Project was started by radio lovers in October 1998. The group of enthusiasts was interested in lobbying the FCC to open more frequencies for low-power radio. For the last 13 years, Prometheus worked as a policy advocacy group, which resulted in the Local Community Radio Act’s passage in January 2011.

This allows LPFM radios to apply for licenses with the FCC, and Prometheus will be able to help get them on the air.

Prometheus Radio Project believes in “freeing the airwaves from corporate control.”

Ultimately, Prometheus wants to broaden the LPFM move-

ment.

“Our goal is to help the communities that don’t have access to the air right now and to own a piece of media in their town,” Wierski said.

This October, community groups and nonprofits will be able to apply for a station.

“We’re doing our last push to let people know what they need to apply,” Wierski said.

Beyond all of the policy work, Prometheus helps form community radio stations with a process it calls barn raising.

This is in tribute to the Amish social tradition where the community assists in building a barn for one or more households. In Prometheus’ case, a group goes to a town that has LPFM licensing to help build the station and to run training workshops ultimately to get the broadcast running. The barn raising process is not limited to a specific area, Prometheus has helped 12 communities across the country start their own stations and it’s also worked with other groups internationally.

Wierski said these events also involve tours that let communities know about the barn raising opportunity, with the most recent one being a southeast tour in November 2012.

“It culminates this very joyous occasion, because at the end of the weekend we get to flip the switch and turn it on for the first time,” Wierski said. “It’s very exciting stuff.”

Recently, Prometheus has been to the Media Reform, a national conference that is held biannually. This is where it has the opportunity to hold workshops and discussions about its movement in addition to taking the next step with policies.

Prometheus’ main goals are to give communities an influence among themselves and to speak out about the events that are going on around the group.

“You’re not always resented,” Wierski said. “What’s good about community is you are able to hear another person’s side of the story.”

Amber Clay can be reached at amber.clay@temple.edu.

Asian fusion deli opens on Cecil B. Moore Avenue Two brothers, formerly animators, opened the Cecil B. Moore Avenue deli.

PRISCILLA WARD The Temple News Students and community members can find pad thai, Korean tacos and subs at the same store on Cecil B. Moore Avenue.

Hue Fusion Market, located at 16th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue, has brought a dose of fresh and ready-to-order selections to the area. The store opened its doors in March. The market thrives on the idea of a convenience store with quick and fresh food, said Hue coowner Joe Yun. The shop serves up a mixture of American and Asian cuisine. Some of the specialty items on the menu include Korean tacos, K-Sadilla, K-Wings, Korean hot dogs and Korean hoagies – the creative collaborations of brothers Joe and John Yun. “We wanted to provide fresh food that might not be available in the area,” John Yun said.

The brothers said they renovated the location from the ground up.

“We wanted to bring something to the area that no one has seen in this area,” John Yun said.

He said one of the reasons he hasn’t done much marketing

for the new establishment yet is because he wanted to make sure that people in the neighborhood truly enjoyed it first.

After doing some research on the types of options available to Temple students, the brothers concluded bringing their business just off Main Campus was the right decision. Since the market first opened its doors, it’s been booming with college students.

“College students want food that is quick and convenient,” John Yun said.

The brothers wanted to give people a healthy alternative, so everything is freshly cooked and prepped in the morning, he said.

Some of the items are prepared ready to order, including sushi and sandwiches. The brothers said they recognized the interest from students to have authentic Asian cuisine and have a fully stocked section of the store with ingredients for various dishes.

“A lot of the students study abroad in Japan and would like authentic food when they return, and we are providing this,” Joe Yun said.

While the brothers said they did not originally picture themselves in the food industry, they are making strides with a sense of innovation.

They were given the opportunity to apply what they had learned from working with their parents for several years along with their artistic knowledge.

The brothers said they wanted to create a welcoming environ-

ment through not only the design aesthetics of the store, but also the customer service.

The brothers graduated from Pratt Institute in New York City, where both studied animation. Then, they decided to take their careers in a new direction.

“We figured out quickly that we don’t like drawing that much, because animation requires like thousands of drawings for like, a couple seconds of film,” Joe Yun said.

The Yun family has a long history of doing business in Philadelphia. Their parents are the owners of several small franchises, including a sushi bar, a noodle house and a pizza shop. The brothers decided to take what their parents had already developed and place it in a different neighborhood.

“My brother and I felt like the younger crowd is what we should target and reach to, because we felt like we could relate to them,” John Yun said.

The Pennsylvania natives share a special affinity and connection with Philadelphia.

“Even though we went to school in New York, we never stopped [representing] Philadelphia,” John Yun said.

Beyond the North Philadelphia location, the brothers said they hope to expand their business to Drexel, as well as other schools in Philadelphia.

Along with learning from their parents, the Yuns credit much of their success to the creative skills they developed while attending art school.

“I was able to apply out

Joe Yun, co-owner of Hue, interacts with a customer and a coworker. He and his brother opened the store on Cecil B. Moore Avenue in March. | PRISCILLA WARD TTN artistic knowledge to the visuals of the store. I did everything from designing the interior to all of the signs and everything,” Joe Yun said.

The store is designed with an all white interior and special lighting to allow the products to really standout.

So far, the response from Temple students is excitement about the variety of fresh and ready-to-order products in the store, Jon Yun said.

The brothers said they hope to create a welcoming environment in the store.

“I wanted to create a cul-

ture in the store where it’s friendly, it’s accepting of all different types of people. When you come into the store not only do you like the design, but... [that it’s a] neighborhood shop,” Joe Yun said.

Priscilla Ward can be reached at priscilla.ward@temple.edu.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

PAGE 11

Mohican The Philly band relies on instruments rather than vocals to convey a feeling.

JARED WHALEN The Temple News Every band has something to say; some artists do this through deep lyrics sung with gentle voices, and others shout it in your face with spit flying.

The members of Philadelphia band Mohican, however, do this without ever opening their mouths.

Mohican, an instrumental post-rock band, makes up for its lack of vocals with a highenergy performance cast in an ambiance of effect pedals and creative riffs. The band’s instrumentals flow as a collective unit that draws the listener in for the long haul, with many of its songs being seven minutes or longer in length.

The band is currently working on its second release and is making summer tour plans. But before that, Mohican is committed to making its presence

JARED WHALEN TTN

known in the local scene. Its next Philadelphia show is April 25 with Signal Hill at the North Star Bar. Mohican’s members include Ray Beck on drums, Chris Markley on guitar, Aaron Agresta on bass and Danny Reguera on guitar.

THE TEMPLE NEWS: How did Mohican get started?

CHRIS MARKLEY: We started in the beginning on 2012, but it was a gradual build up of us three [Markley, Beck and Agresta] playing for a while, and we knew Danny [Reguera] from Trophywife and we started talking to him. We were forming the band, and it just came together over time. But the end of 2011, beginning of 2012, is when we really started to gear down and do stuff.

AARON AGRESTA: The three of us have been buddies for a long time playing music.

Then we just started jamming [at Markley’s parent’s house], because we had all the equipment and we realized that it was cool. The chemistry was always there.

DANNY REGUERA: After my old band [Trophywife] broke up, I was looking to do a new project and Mohican was pretty much the perfect direction that I wanted to go in.

CM: It’s just cool that we’ve all played with different bands together before. We weren’t necessarily playing the things that we were totally into, so finally the three of us were able to branch out and do what we actually wanted to do in the first place.

TTN: What were some influences that directed the sound of Mohican?

CM: I think we all have slightly different interests and different musical tastes...When Mohican was started, it was intended to be an instrumental band, so we all looked toward instrumental bands that we listened to individually, like Explosions in the Sky and Russian Circles. Different post-rock bands were definitely a big influence, but I think like, [Agresta and I] were in a pop-punk band in high school, so having that somehow was an influence.

Emo music and hardcore music

and just everything. Lots of different things boiling down to what we’re naturally doing now.

I don’t feel like we are ever saying we need to sound like this band or model ourselves after this band. We are trying to build something that’s kind of unique even in today’s day in age.

We’re trying to be a band that has a lot of energy without having to say anything.

RAY BECK: As much as we’re an instrumental band, I think there’s going to be a lot of room to grow. As everything is evolving with everything, obviously you are going to be more influenced by things that are happening. It’s all about just trying to build.

TTN: What’s the writing style for Mohican?

RB: If either [Reguera, Markley or Agresta], any of these guys, have a riff idea, it just starts, and from there everybody just starts throwing in.

CM: The whole idea of the songs is that they usually start on one place and end in a totally different place. I want the songs to have a story to them without having words. It’s like creating

a visual connection between the sounds and the visuals inside your mind. It makes a creative experience for the listener, because they have their own imagination that they can tack onto the music.

TTN: What are you guys working on right now?

CM: We just recorded two songs live [and] we’re trying to figure out what we want to do with them. Whether we want to do a split with someone or just a 7-inch or we’re thinking about even recording two more songs and going for another four-song EP. We have new music. We’re just waiting for the right opportunity to put it out there. We just don’t want to give it all at once.

I don’t think it’s right when someone finds out about a band from his or her area and there are already three full-length albums out...I feel like it would be better to take it slow and just keep playing shows.

TTN: What has been the response from the audience?

CM: So far, we’ve had a really good response from the crowd and a lot of people will come up to us afterward and

talk to us and compliment us.

It feels really good. It hasn’t been a struggle in that sense. I feel like the strongest part of the band is our live show.

RB: Just to be able to play shows, because that’s what we really want to do. We really just want to play out and vibe off the energy of people.

TTN: What would you say the general theme or emotion is to your songs?

CM: I think it’s an unconscious emotion – things that we don’t even know we’re feeling, things that are going on in our personal lives that comes out when we are playing. People can make what they want to make out of it.

AA: We’re all struggling. I think every song we have is an extension of our angst, of our love...of our hardships and all of our triumphs – without the words.

CM: I’d just hope that our songs have an effect on people that forces them to open their minds a little bit.

Jared Whalen can be reached at jared.whalen@temple.edu.

Iron Man 3 stirs anticipation, hesitancy

A

MATT KIRK Captain Kirk

Kirk discusses why he is both excited and apprehensive to see the new Iron Man.

pril is here, and my beloved May approaches. With the temperature rising into the 70s, my 21st birthday, the end of school and the beginning of another blockbuster season, my favorite month should be great again this year.

As is typical tradition, I will begin May with a trip to the movies. To me, enjoying the first major action thriller is just the first present from a month that keeps giving.

This year awaits the arrival of “Iron Man 3,” the third film of the popular Marvel franchise that has enabled the emergence of other cherished comic book heroes in cinema.

With Robert Downey Jr. seemingly still on his game, Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle back and Ben Kingsley cast to play Iron Man’s newest foe, the film has no shortage of talent. In my eyes, such a star-studded – and well-chosen – cast can easily prevent Iron Man’s third endeavor from falling victim to the typical finale

flop. Furthermore, Downey Jr.’s wit and charm as the lovable narcissist Tony Stark is more than enough to ensure droves of fans flock to theaters on May 3 to make Marvel millions, regardless of whether the film is well made or not. Similarly to “Spider-Man 3,” which was simultaneously a tragedy and the highest grossing movie in 2007, the expectations of the film alone is enough to lead to a financial success for the studio.

My main concern is the direction of the plot, which looks much less creative than the original Iron Man. The plotline places Tony Stark as the last line defense between his foe and everything he holds dear.

It’s a typical setup, and a bit perplexing considering this “genius” doesn’t appear to seek the assistance of any of the superpowered friends he’s gained in “The Avengers” after getting beat down in his own house. Se-

“The

expectations of the film alone is enough to lead to a financial success for the studio.

”

riously, not one call to Asgard?

However, I admit that looking back, “Iron Man 2” didn’t really have much going for it other than a well-cast Mickey Rourke and an upgrade from Terrance Howard to Don Cheadle. Yet, I can’t count the number of times FX has ended my constant channel flipping simply by airing “Iron Man 2” at 3:30 p.m. The first sequel proved that the Iron Man series can rise above a so-so plot with some hair-raising action scenes and the wit of Downey Jr. Judging by the trailers – full of Stark’s house exploding and waves of iron men – the film will not fall short when it’s time to blow some stuff up, so it is easier to write off plot concerns and admit that sequels have a difficult time surpassing the original picture. “The Dark Knight” is a pleasant exception, but it doesn’t change the rule.

Not all moviegoers are as easily pleased by Marvel’s repeated cinematic ventures as I am, but given the consistent success of its recent films, I think it deserves a little public faith on this one.

While I expect “Iron Man 3” to be on par with “Iron Man 2,” Marvel is completely capable of raising the bar, leaving

audiences amazed and eager to see if there will be any sneak peeks at the end of the credits.

However as the film culminates, “Iron Man 3” will take an interesting place among Marvel’s past and forthcoming trilogies. It will be the first trilogy completed within Marvel’s newly established collective cinematic universe.

Normally, after three movies, the franchise is done; wrapped up and ready to be remade in a decade or two. At the very least, audiences will have to wait five years for another writer to have the balls to step on the incumbent trilogy’s toes and reimagine the character.

Side note: I will excuse James Vanderbilt for “The Amazing Spider-Man” because, hey, he pulled it off. Nevertheless, with “Avengers 2” set to film in early 2014, “Iron Man 3” is surely not the end of Downey Jr.’s adventures as Tony Stark.

Additionally, the Iron Man franchise appears to shoulder the responsibility of introducing the next series of movies to be made by marvel. At the end of the original “Iron Man,” Nick Fury’s appearance signaled the beginning of Marvel’s journey to introduce and assemble the Avengers.

Following the first sequel, the crashing of the mighty hammer of Thor signaled that the Asgardian Demigod Thor, was next in line for a major film series. What follows the final credits in “Iron Man 3” will almost be a public announcement

by Marvel, informing fans of the next phase of its strategy.

There is much speculation among online comic communities that such an announcement will signal a bridge to the start of an even more daring phase of movies from Marvel, straying away from the more commonly known characters.

Characters like Ant-Man and Rocket Racoon from “The Guardians of the Galaxy” will make interesting additions to the Marvel film universe when they are set to premiere in 2015 and 2014 respectively.

No matter what grand plan the writers at Marvel have concocted for the connection between “Iron Man 3” and future films, the movie should be a fun ride and a great way to start the summer this year.

Matt Kirk can be reached at matthew.kirk@temple.edu.

PAGE 12

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

Garden Variety offers music, community space Spiker is also a DJ and said he does a lot of musical events in the community.

The Garden Variety curator said as each summer progresses, the space becomes increasingly decorated by the work of local artists who contribute to the space. Visiting artists often contribute to the murals painted onto the bordering wall, constantly changing the existing tapestry of art.

Two mobile food trucks, specialty hotdog crafter The Dapper Dog and non-traditional ice cream Little Baby’s, often congregate at Garden Variety, as it is what Spiker called the businesses’ “main center.” Lit-

GARDEN PAGE 9

tle Baby’s has a home shop in macaroni and cheese or homeFishtown, where it creates both made chili. Little Baby’s offers dairy and non-dairy products unique flavors such as earl-grey using local ingresriracha and dients. chipotle chocoBoth of Garlate. den Variety’s Events to associated food be held at the trucks create space during surprising flavor the upcoming combinations summer are still and creatively being planned, market their Spiker said. food. The DapCurrently, per Dog offers he is preparing Michael Spiker / curator what Spiker defor an event on scribed as “crafty June 15 put on hot dogs,” which

by Rock to the are topped with any number Future called “Rock, Rollick & of unlikely combinations, like Rummage,” which will consist

“I’ve been here

since there was nothing here...It’s been a complete revival of Second Street.

”

of vendors along Second Street and music, food and drinks within Garden Variety.

“That’ll be a fundraiser,” Spiker said. “We’re offering the space, and we’re going to shut down the block.”

Rock to the Future, a nonprofit founded by Temple alumna Jessica McKay, provides free musical workshops for Philadelphia’s youth. Spiker said the event will be kid friendly and should be fun for the neighborhood and his own family.

Spiker, whose 5-year-old daughter will begin kindergarten this fall, said he has seen Northern Liberties completely transform and is glad that Gar-

den Variety can contribute to community growth. With many young families moving in, he said new life is being breathed into the area.

“I’ve been here since there was nothing here,” Spiker said.

“I would say 80 percent of the businesses, [or even] more like 90 to 95 percent, weren’t even open. It’s been a complete revival of Second Street.”

The development of Northern Liberties, minutes away from Main Campus by car, is largely due to the creativity by residents, Spiker said. As a DJ and online record salesman, his appreciation for artistic expression is clear based on the events

held at Garden Variety.

“We’re open to any situation,” Spiker said. “Any kind of creative use of the space. If you want to do an art installation, [or] you have some skills and want to do a piece on the wall, there [are] tons of possibilities for that.”

Erin Edinger-Turoff can be reached at erin.edingerturoff@temple.edu.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

PAGE 13

Free art series offers local, international music shows wide multi-layered skirts and high stockings, lifting up their skirts and twirling their legs in very provocative ways.

After the LES Hot Club finished its last song, the Turkish Raya Brass Band changed things up. Unannounced, the band came strolling down the stairs behind everyone, weaving its way through the crowd. The quintet was led by two booming, rhythmic tuba and percussion players, which sounded like a high school Balkan pep rally.

Rounding out the Raya Brass Band was an accordion, a saxophone and a trumpet player. The saxophone and trumpet player traded energetic, roaring solos in the opening song. And then came perhaps the night’s most engaging entertainment: two voluptuous, seductive women performing a nearly 15-minute authentic belly dance routine, complete with finger symbols – known as zils in Turkey.

The dancers were seamlessly alternating the movement and percussion, which produced a particular effect, making it seem like two people could not be producing this much graceful noise.

When the belly dancers came out, the audience started getting involved, as the danc-

ART PAGE 9

ers placed their veils around the necks of people of all ages, all of whom obliged.

The museum has been featuring extended hours on Friday nights since the early 1990s, and the idea of Art After 5 first came about in 2001.

Sara Moyn, the producer of evening programs at the museum, said the event, which is free with museum admission, aims to draw new attendees.

“We’re trying to reach people on Fridays who might not be familiar with our permanent collections,” Moyn said. “With Art After 5, people can come in and view the performances and get to explore the galleries and feel more comfortable in the museum.”

Moyn said she is especially excited for the musical guest on May 3, Martha Graham Cracker Cabaret.

“It’s a hugely popular Art After 5 event we do once or twice a year,” Moyn said. “Martha Graham Cracker is a drag queen who performs recognizable cover songs.”

David Ziegler can be reached at david.ziegler@temple.edu.

New York City’s Lower East Side Hot Club performed at Art After 5 on April 5. The band performs “gypsy swing” music and features Carolin Pook on violin and guitarist Glenn Tosto. | DAVID ZIEGLER TTN

Yiddish cards Pro wrestling love isn’t fake preserve culture YIDDISH PAGE 9 someone has balls,” Alter said. guages: Yiddish Playing Cards, Students questioned if Yid- Yiddish could potentially have dish is a dead language like a strong pulse once more in the Latin. But Brewstein’s success present day. is proof that the public still has Chelsea Thompson can be some sort of connection with the reached at language. chelsea.thompson@temple.edu.

If people let it die, the language willSummer be obsolete, but 1 1/12/13 2:38 PM Page 1 2 Col x 6-5 MC3 Ad_Layout through efforts like Lost Lan-

JOEY CRANNEY Honorable Mention

Cranney shares his love for professional wrestling and his Top 10 competitors.

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s I stood atop the wooden base of the futon – ready to deliver a flying elbow – I didn’t think about how I got there or the potential healththreatening consequences of my actions.

What I was more concerned with was aiming at the heart of one of my best friends, who was lying motionless on the floor.

After all, it wouldn’t be a flying elbow if it wasn’t delivered with Shawn-Michaels-like precision.

It was the night of Sunday, April 7, and Wrestlemania XXVIIII had just ended. A group of friends and I had convened in the lounge room of my Hatboro, Pa., home to be a part of the single biggest night in professional wrestling. More specifically, we were there to yell things at the TV as grown men in tights faked it in front of more than 80,000 people at Metlife Stadium.

After we finished watching John Cena anti-climactically defeat The Rock in the show’s main event, the eight of us naturally broke into some postmatch wrestling. We pulled the usual stunts – foreign objects, botched attempts at submission moves, kick-out after kick-out.

The toy chest in the room was ransacked and the Walls of Jericho were inevitable.

Our behavior wasn’t normal. A 20-year old, I was the youngest person in the room.

Yet there we were, sharpshooting and stone-cold stunning our way deeper and deeper into the bounds of immaturity.

My love for professional wrestling can be traced to the Attitude Era, when some of the greatest performers in the history of the World Wrestling Enter-

tainment competed against each other at the end of the 1990s.

With headliners like Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock, sub-plots involving Kane and The Undertaker and the peak of the tag-team division, the WWE was never better.

If asked, I might say that the best birthday present I’ve ever received came on my ninth birthday, when my mom purchased Wrestlemania X-Seven on pay-per view. My brother and I stayed up late, watched the legendary TLC match for the tag-team championship, and saw Stone Cold turn heel in one of the greatest Wrestlemanias of all time.

That Wrestlemania is often cited as the end of the Attitude Era, and thus I often regard it as the point in which I stopped paying attention to pro wrestling at a young age. Stone Cold became a joke, The Rock was written out of storylines so he could pursue his movie career, and some guy who rapped in jean shorts soon took over the company.

I lost interest.

But my appreciation for professional wrestling never went away. It’s a blend of athleticism and performance that is totally unique in the entertainment industry. I don’t have time for ignorant critics who blast the industry for being phony or immature.

“You know it’s fake, right?”

Yes, I know it’s fake. Don Draper isn’t an actual person, nor does a man named Walter White cook meth, but it doesn’t stop millions from tuning in on Sunday nights. Story lines are story lines, whether they’re told as a stylized drama or through piledrivers and DDTs. In fact, professional wrestling is more real than most of the stuff you watch on TV. Mick Foley broke 12 bones, received more than 300 stitches, and lost two-thirds of his right ear during his 15-year career. Try telling him wrestling isn’t real.

My list this week is a tribute to Foley’s career and the careers of any other wrestler who put their bodies on the line every week, despite being ridiculed for dressing up and pretending.

In a world of pre-tapes, publicity stunts and stagings, professional wrestling stays dedicated to the art of live theater.

Can I get a “Hell yeah?”

10. John Cena

He’s an average performer and his character lacks originality, but it’s hard not to include John Cena in a list of the Top 10 wrestlers of all time. He’s currently in his 11th reign as WWE Champion – a record – and was most responsible for ushering in a new era of wrestling after the Attitude Era concluded.

9. Triple H

Few wrestlers have been more loyal to the company than Triple H, who married the big man’s daughter, holds the role of Vice President of Talent, and sports one of the most illustrious careers in WWE history. A 13-time world champion, Triple H has been with the company for 15 years, and never once did he leave to pursue other opportunities.

8. Mick Foley

No matter what character he was channeling - “Mankind,” “Cactus Jack” or “Dude Love,” Mick Foley always had the hardest head in the ring. His hardcore matches – most notably the 1998 King of the Ring Hell in a Cell match against The Undertaker – are legendary.

7. Bret Hart

Bred from a family of wrestlers, Bret Hart stands out as one of WWE’s greatest inring performers whose prime coincided with the peak of the company. He held the WWE title for a longer time than any other wrestler in the 1990s, and is a seven-time world champion overall. His submission match against Stone Cold at Wrestlemania XIII stands as the greatest double turn in the company’s history.

6. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin

His reign atop the company was relatively short, but Stone Cold was nonetheless one of the most important superstars in the history of the WWE. He was the most vital piece of the Attitude Era, and his feud with Vince McMahon created an all-time peak of the WWE’s popularity.

5. The Rock

The Rock is the complete package. A born athlete, his inring capabilities were second to few, and no one in the history of the WWE is better behind the mic. His feud with Stone Cold remains the company’s gold standard, and his recent return to wrestling has brought about a revitalization to the WWE.

4. Hulk Hogan

With his charismatic promos and legendary matches, Hulk Hogan was the performer most responsible for ushering in the modern era of professional wrestling. He was a fixture of both the WWE and WCW – he holds six world titles in both companies and headlined main events throughout his career.

At Wrestlemania III, Hogan bodyslammed Andre the Giant, won on a leg-drop and changed the wrestling world forever.

3. Ric Flair

It has been said that if you polled former and current wrestlers and ask them who is the greatest wrestler of all time, most of them would say Ric Flair. Flair finished a 40year career with a record 24 world titles in the NWA, WWE and WCW. An old-timer who changed the game, and adapted as the game changed around him, Flair’s influence permeates the WWE.

2. The Undertaker

What began as a gimmick has evolved into not only one of the most successful reigns in WWE history, but one of the most remarkable careers in all of professional sports. There’s nothing Mark “The Undertaker” Calaway hasn’t done. He’s been tag-team partners with Hulk Hogan, won the world championship seven times, and is a perfect 21-0 at Wrestlemania.

The Undertaker is as perfect a character as the WWE has ever created.

1. Shawn Michaels

The greatest in-ring performer of all time and the man who has been at the center of more memorable moments than any other wrestler in WWE history, Michaels is the greatest to ever step into the ring. He was only honored as WWE champion four times, but made anyone who’s ever wrestled against him better. His back-to-back epic bouts against the Undertaker at Wrestlemanias XXV and XXVI – the second of which ended Michaels’ career – are the greatest matches in WWE history. A fitting conclusion for a man who gave everything to the company.

HONORABLE MENTION

“Macho Man” Randy Savage, Sting, Kurt Angle.

Joey Cranney can be reached at joseph.cranney@temple.edu or on Twitter @joey_cranney.

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LIVING

PAGE 15

Staged reading brings performers together

LUIS FERNANDO RODRIGUEZ TTN

Based on “Comedy of Errors” by William Shakespeare, “The Boys From Syracuse” follows the mishaps that ensue when two sets of long lost twins, by the same names, wind up in the same city.

The show was produced as part of the George and Joy Abbott Center for Musical Theater, which brought together students from the theater department and students from the Boyer College of Music and Dance. This production was the first in a series of annual staged readings for the Abbott Center.

The staged reading was put together in three weeks and featured a full orchestra and cast of 52 actors and singers.

NEED EXTRA CASH - ARTISTS WANTED O’Pharros, Inc. is looking for the following creative individuals to draw designs for its entertainment division: •Artist to draw several superhero characters •Illustrator to draw several sets of characters •Comic Book Illustrator/Writer •Computer Animator to convert artwork into short animations The amount for each group of characters will range from $350.00$500.00. The artist must sign a work for hire agreement but the artwork can be used for the artist’s portfolio and for academic purposes. This may lead to additional projects for hire. The artwork and animations will be used to teach self-esteem and various life skills to low-income children.

You may submit samples of your artwork to sopharrow@opharros.com.

For more information, you may contact S. O’Pharrow at 980-819-4198 or by email at sopharrow@opharros.com.

LIVING

PAGE 16

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

LGBT genre poses new questions

I

SARA PATTERSON QChat

Patterson questions whether films about LGBT characters should be separate from others.

spent last Saturday night, like most of my Saturday nights, perusing Netflix to find something to keep me entertained. I just recently finished binge-watching “Mad Men,” so I was on the search for something new. I began by browsing through the genres Netflix offers: action and adventure, comedy, drama, gay and lesbian – wait, gay and lesbian? Is gay and lesbian really a genre?

I’m actually no stranger to the gay and lesbian section of Netflix. In fact, upon logging in, I am greeted with “Gay & Lesbian Comedies featuring a Strong Female Lead.” What can I say? Netflix gets me.

Netflix offers a wide variety of gay and lesbian films.

There are comedies, dramas, documentaries and romance.

There are famous award-winning movies, like “Brokeback Mountain” and “The Hours,” and there are low-budget films that, based on the poster, may or may not be softcore porn. The only thing that these movies have in common, really, is that there is at least one character that qualifies as LGBT. So, why are they all lumped together? And why are they kept

separate from other genres? I mean, isn’t a romantic comedy about a gay couple still just a romantic comedy?

I understand why Netflix, like Hulu, Amazon and pretty much any website that organizes media by genre, does this.

Stories about gay and lesbian characters tend to attract a very specific audience: gays and lesbians. Now that’s not to say that straight people don’t relate to gay characters or feel an affinity for gay couples, but there tends to be this idea, especially in the movie world, that general audiences won’t watch movies about gay romance. It’s why we hardly ever see a movie in theaters about gay characters.

In Hollywood, gay characters are still just the funny sidekicks to the modern leading lady – gay men, anyway. In Hollywood, lesbians don’t seem to exist.

Giving gay and lesbian movies a section of their own certainly is convenient. If you know that you tend to prefer stories about gay characters and aren’t as familiar with some of the lesser-known movies, you can just click on gay and lesbian rather than scouring the other genres. It can also help people

who are maybe questioning their sexuality.

If you don’t have personal experience, so to speak, fictional characters are the next best things. I can only imagine how many teenagers have gone right to gay and lesbian and watched episodes of “The L Word” or “Queer As Folk” to have some exposure to gay life.

As much as I understand the reasoning behind it and as convenient it has been for me in my late night Netflix browsing, I am a little bothered by the fact that films about gay characters are kept separate.

First of all, it gives the impression that movies about gay characters are inherently different than movies about their straight counterparts. Why aren’t Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal put right next to Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams in the romance section?

“Brokeback Mountain” is one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking love stories I’ve ever seen and yet it is relegated to the gay and lesbian genre rather than romance because it is about two men.

Another major problem with the segregation is that it alienates audiences. Films have

incredible power. For some, they offer characters to relate to.

Discovering a character that you can see yourself in is a powerful thing, especially for someone who feels alone in their community, like so many LGBT youth.

For others, they offer a way of understanding. Films allow you to experience something outside of what you know. They put you in the point of view of someone other than yourself.

In the last 15 years, the gay rights movement has been helped immensely by positive portrayals of LGBT characters in media. When Joe Biden publicly announced his support for same-sex marriage, he cited the TV show “Will & Grace” as a major influence on America, saying: “I think Will & Grace probably did more to educate the American public than almost anybody’s ever done so far. People fear that which is different.

Now they’re beginning to understand.”

By sectioning off movies with LGBT characters, companies are pretty much saying to straight people, those who would benefit the most by having their horizons broadened, “These movies aren’t for you,” and limiting the power the films

may have.

Despite my criticisms, it’s not Netflix’s way of categorizing movies that bothers me. It’s the movies in general.

Think of it as the plus-size section of your favorite clothing store. Sure, it’s helpful for those who wear the sizes and you may even commend the store for offering those options, even if they are sub-par to those offered in the rest of the store. But there’s still a feeling of embarrassment – shame, even – when walking straight to the plus-size section, or clicking on gay and lesbian, when you realize that things made for you are seen as different than things made for other people.

I’ll continue to keep gay and lesbian among my genre preferences and I’ll continue to watch low-budget movies with actors I’ve never heard of, but once, just once, I’d like to go to the movies and see a trailer where Jennifer Lawrence and Anne Hathaway meet and realize that, despite being totally different – one’s a free spirited musician, the other a straightlaced businesswoman – they are meant to be together.

Sara Patterson can be reached at sara.patterson@temple.edu.

Exhibit explores identity, challenges use of gay slurs Jordan Artim’s exhibit, FAGLAND, touches upon topic of identity.

MARCIE ANKER The Temple News Throughout history, groups of Americans have fought tooth and nail for the equality of all people – through the Civil Rights, women’s rights and most recently, gay rights movements. The pursuance of social and political change comes in various shapes and sizes; however, activism through the arts appears to be one of the most accessible and successful modes of change.

Fifth year painting major Jordan Artim takes the issues of gay rights – specifically, gay slurs – head on in his upcoming exhibition, FAGLAND. For anyone unfamiliar with Artim and his work, the title of the exhibition may seem crude or even offensive. However, that’s far from Artim’s intention.

Of revealing the title to his stepmother, Artim said, “It’s

funny, when I was explaining it, she asked me if it was something offensive. And, I don’t know. I don’t personally find it offensive. I think it’s shocking, but it mimics what my paintings have been portraying and the theme I’m trying to convey.”

Each painting makes a different statement about the American gay identity, and Artim infuses humor and irony into each piece, making them even sharper in their delivery.

Artim will choose a series of six or seven paintings that he’s been working on for the past four months for the exhibition and most of them, he said, are “fairly large in size.”

Artim described the theme as revolving around the difference in identity.

“I’ve been thinking about it a lot within my most recent body of work,” Artim said.

“Like male identity, white identity and for me personally, gay identity. So I wanted to explore how those identities react with each other. And like the American idea of gay identity and how that relates to social norms and what’s happening within contemporary society.”

The theme of identity is not new to Artim.

“Since I’ve been at Tyler, I’ve jumped through all different kinds of topics, but this idea of identity I’ve been working on for [more than] a year,” Artim said. “And I think it stemmed from the fact that my junior year of college I actually came out myself and became much more aware of identity and the differences and problems that arise when you take on new identities. So that’s kind of what prompted making this particular body of work. And for me, it’s a lot more than just picking a topic, like picking a paper topic.

It’s something I’m interested in within politics, and it’s always in the back of my head.”

All of the pieces are either traditional oil paintings, or collages.

“I really just want people to enjoy the paintings any which way they prefer,” Artim said. “A lot of them are just really funny paintings that also carry some sort of truth – for me, at least. I mostly just want people to enjoy the paintings and laugh at them like I do.”

Recently, there has been

a movement within the LGBT community to reclaim derogatory slurs from those who use them as weapons of hurt.

“I fully understand that people often try to ‘reclaim slurs’ in an effort to take the power out of them so they can’t be used as hateful words of oppression,” Julia Freedman, a senior theater and Spanish double major, said.

“But the problem is our country is not yet at a point of total tolerance and acceptance; therefore, these words are still used in a derogatory way,” Freedman added.

Artim clarified the distinction between reclaiming slurs and disempowering the words.

“I think it’s kind of interesting,” Artim said. “I think it’s kind of great. To reclaim these things, well, maybe not reclaiming them, but sucking all of the seriousness out of them. There’s something about it where I use those words, like the awful slurs, and it’s my way of taking the power away from it. Like, so it’s not a weapon.”

Scott Gratson, associate professor in the department of strategic communication and

director of Temple’s communication studies and an activist in the LGBT community, also shared his view on debunking the gay slurs and empowering the LGBT community.

“There is a strong sentiment to not reclaiming the term [‘fag’] at all but instead raising awareness as to its negative meaning and impact,” Gratson said. “In the same way that the phrase ‘that’s so gay’ in synonym with stupidity or substandard, the term ‘fag’ has been noted as being categorically offensive. I recall a pop culture reference that suggests that the use of the word may be done not to reclaim the term but to save bigots the hassle of using the term ‘behind our back.’ Again, however, I don’t know if this is a reclaiming of the word or simply attempting to shift power to a population that has had to deal with the insult. Hence, its usage is not a reclaiming in this context but a strategic move to commandeer the term’s pronouncement – stealing, if one will, a trump card.”

Gratson, a fellow Tyler student, continued to express his appreciation for Artim’s upcom-

ing show.

“I commend the artist for making sure that LGBT/Q issues remain pronounced and present on campus,” Gratson said. “Several others, including in the administration, faculty and staff of this university, could take a page from his book.”

In regards to the exhibit’s title, Gratson added, “it assumes a place of empowerment through much more than the use of the word. The linking of a place, a nation or ‘land’ with the term expresses more empowerment than the reclaiming of the word itself. By linking the two terms together, it creates a simple realization that has profound consequences: LGBT people are part of every land on this planet and have been since the dawn of time.”

FAGLAND runs April 15 – 21, with the opening reception on April 19, from 6-8 p.m.

Martha Anker can be reached at martha.anker@temple.edu.

Are you the next Editor in Are you the next Templar Chief of The Temple News?

Editor?

The Temple News, Temple University’s award-winning student Templar, Temple University’s award-winning yearbook, is looking for newspaper, is looking for an editor in chief for the 2013-14 academic its editor for the 2013-14 academic year. Candidates must be enrolled, year. Candidates must be enrolled, matriculated Temple University matriculated Temple University students who, if chosen as editor, will be students who, if chosen as editor, will be registered for at least nine hours registered for at least nine hours of course work during their entire term of undergraduate course work or five hours of graduate work during of office. their entire term of office.

A good candidate should demonstrate leadership ability and proven A good candidate should demonstrate strong leadership ability managerial skills, with prior experience in publications. A candidate's and proven managerial skills with prior experience in publications. A experience in the business, editorial and design aspects of yearbook candidate's experience in the business, editorial and design aspects of publishing will be a factor in the selection of the editor. newspaper publishing will be a factor in the selection of the editor.

Candidates should submit a completed copy of a proposal packet, Contact Student Media Program Director John Di Carlo at john. two letters of recommendation, a current resume and a number of dicarlo@temple.edu to obtain an application. Candidates should submit layout, design and writing samples to John Di Carlo, Student Media a completed copy of the proposal packet, two letters of recommendation, Program Director, in Room 304 of the Student Center. Please send an a current resume and a number of writing samples to the Office of email to john.dicarlo@temple.edu to obtain a proposal packet.

Student Media in Room 304 of the Student Center.

Candidates will be interviewed by the Temple University Publications Candidates will be interviewed by the Temple University Publications Board.

Board.

Applications are due Friday, April 19.

Applications are due Friday, April 19.

LIVING

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

PAGE 17

Former wrestling pro trades rings for yoga mats Diamond Dallas Page takes on an unexpected role at Ambler Campus.

JOHN CORRIGAN The Temple News Diamond Dallas Page has tag-teamed with Jay Leno, endured grueling steel cage matches and won the World Heavyweight Championship thrice. These days, the retired professional wrestler is teaching yoga. Sort of.

“No, it’s not called that,” Page said. “My brand is called DDP Yoga. And it ain’t yo mama’s yoga.”

Page hosted a free outdoor session with 24 participants at Ambler Campus on April 10.

As Bon Jovi’s “Dead or Alive” blasted through Page’s iPod speaker dock, the former champion led students through poses and bends.

“Every time you engage a muscle, your heart has to beat faster to get the blood to the muscle,” Page said.

“DDP Yoga is the only workout that is kick-a-- cardio, which will dramatically increase your flexibility and core strength all with minimal joint impact,” Page said. “You’ll feel the results by working out and eating real food, not that processed garbage your generation eats but the stuff that God created.”

Nathan Demenczuk, a junior criminal justice major, was referred to the workout opportunity.

“I go to the gym to lift at this time, but everybody said I should check this out,” Demenczuk said. “I thought I would give it a try. I’m a fan from the [Hulk] Hogan era, so I know who DDP is but he wasn’t one of my favorites.”

Since Page entered the sports entertainment business at the late age of 35, high-profile success seemed highly unlikely in a young man’s game.

However, Page had become a major player for World Championship Wrestling during the wrestling boom of the late ‘90s, ranking No. 4 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Top 500 wrestlers for 1997.

“In those days, I wouldn’t be caught dead doing yoga,” Page admitted. “But I blew my back out and the doctors said nobody comes back from this, especially doing what you’re doing. Well, my ex-wife Kimberly got me into yoga. And you know what? I rehabbed my back by mixing yoga with old school calisthenics. I began owning my life.”

Page returned to the ring with a renewed vigor, capturing numerous titles and headlining sold out shows.

His program has assisted other wrestlers such as Chris Jericho and 2012 WWE Hall of Fame inductee Edge.

Starting this week, Page re-

vealed another superstar would be joining the workout.

“One of my very good buddies, Stone Cold Steve Austin, has agreed to do it for a month while filming ‘Redneck Island,’” Page said. “His Hollywood stunt man swears by DDP Yoga. Steve lifts weights and does cardio for an hour a day, five days a week. I told him you only need to do my workout 20 minutes a day for three days a week and it will replace your cardio. He had to ask others for confirmation, even though the son of a gun lived with me.”

In addition to selling his program, Page has undertaken a 24/7 role as personal trainer at the Accountability Crib in Atlanta.

You may have heard of his patients-wrestling legends Scott Hall and Jake “The Snake” Roberts.

“Those guys have had major problems with alcoholism, pill abuse and drugs,” Page said. “Since [Roberts] moved in around October, he has lost 65 pounds. His life is back and he looks like a completely different man. As for Scott, he recently had hip surgery so we’ve been focusing on light rehab and healthy eating habits.”

With Hall and Roberts’ notorious reputations for falling off the wagon, one must wonder why Page has assumed the guardian angel responsibility of combating their personal demons. “[Roberts] really helped

Diamond Dallas Page hosted a free outdoor session of his yoga program at Ambler on April 10.

The former professional wrestler is now a professional trainer. | JOHN CORRIGAN TTN me when no one knew who I was,” Page said. “He taught me how to make people care about my character. I wanted to give back to my mentor, but he didn’t take to it at all in the beginning of the program. Once Jake’s results were noticeable, I wanted to help [Hall] out, too.”

Improving the lives of all ages, Page has contributed to not only the wrestling community but also his supporters.

Even Demenczuk, a yogi virgin until meeting Page, considers himself a fan now.

“It’s all your own workout; as much as you put in, you get out of it,” Demenczuk said.

“About three quarters into the session, my arms and legs were shaking. It gets your heart rate up and you lose weight, so I recommend it to anybody.”

For $69.95, or three monthly payments of $24.95, you can purchase a DDP Yoga pack consisting of six workouts, an instructional poster and a program guide at DDPYOGA.com.

As testimonies fly in from the top rope and beyond, DDP

Yoga could redefine Page’s legacy.

“I just did my third audition for ‘Shark Tank,’” Page said. “When we get that kind of viewership, people won’t know me as the wrestler. They’ll know me as the fitness guru.

And that’s really cool.”

John Corrigan can be reached at john.corrigan@temple.edu.

Truck brings Hawaiian food to Philadelphia Poi Dog adds something new to the variety of food trucks on Main Campus.

BRIA TOPPER The Temple News A new food truck on Main Campus looks to bring a more tropical taste to students as the temperature begins to warm up.

“Poi Dog is a Hawaiian term for a mixed person or dog. Well, mixed anything really,” said Chris Vacca, one of the owners of Philly’s first Hawaiian food truck. “Our truck is just that.”

Vacca and his partner, Kiki Aranita, have been planning out Poi Dog Snack Shop since January of this year.

After months of preparation, the new food truck hit Main Campus earlier this month.

This isn’t the first time the two have worked together in the kitchen.

“Chris and I met while in grad school. We also worked together at the Foo Truck,” Aranita said.

The duo came up with the idea after Philadelphia restaurateur Jose Garces’ taco truck closed. They realized that buying Garces’ truck would give them all the equipment they needed to start up Poi Dog, so they took advantage of the situation and purchased the truck.

Both owners bring a special something to Poi Dog. Aranita grew up in Oahu, Hawaii and Vacca has a special love for tacos, creating the true poi dog combination seen on their menu.

“We thought combining the two foods we make best would set us apart from other trucks, despite that there’s no other Hawaiian food trucks in Philadelphia,” Aranita said.

Poi Dog Snack Shop’s menu contains both sweet and savory snacks, Hawaiian tacos and plate lunches. The two Foo Truck veterans dish out island foods like Spam Musubi, a World War II-era dish made of grilled Spam with white rice and a Nori wrap.

For students looking to stay away from canned meat, Vacca and Aranita also offer coconut butter Mochi, a Poi Dog Snack Shop sets up shop on Main Campus every weekday except Wednesday. | BRIA TOPPER TTN sticky-sweet rice cake.

Poi Dog also offers “We chose Temple’s cam- “Both are full of flavor.” special diets.” plans to serve lunch four house-made Chili Peppah Wapus because we didn’t need Although Poi Dog’s menu Tara Partyka, a sopho- days a week ­every weekday tah for all customers who want additional permits to operate has many dishes with pork or more psychology major, said minus Wednesday –on Main to spice up their dish a little here,” Aranita said. chicken, the truck also offers she decided to try out Poi Dog Campus. The truck is located more.

So far, Poi Dog’s crispy some vegan and vegetarian- Snack Shop last week and said across the street from TuttleSince Hawaiian food is fried chicken katsu, shredded friendly options. she enjoyed Vacca and Ara- man Learning Center. unknown to most East Coastkalua pork and flavored rice “All of our desserts are nita’s efforts. ers despite its unique and traBria Topper can be reached have been top sellers, Aranita vegetarian. Our tofu poke is “The service was just as ditional identity, Vacca and bria.topper@temple.edu. said. vegan and all of our food is good as the food, and the food Aranita said they are happy to “My favorite item on our gluten free,” Aranita said. was beyond delicious,” Parshare it with Philadelphia and menu would be the pork belly “We’re currently working on tyka said.

Temple students. taco or tofu poke,” Vacca said. more options for those with Poi Dog Snack Shop

sports

page 18

Tuesday, APRIL 16, 2013

Mauro stacks matches before tourney The women’s tennis team played four matches in five days.

EVAN CROSS The Temple News The Owls wrapped up their regular season on Sunday, April 14, defeating Binghamton 6-1. That match capped off a stretch of four matches being played in five days, all at home on the Student Pavilion courts.

The team normally plays about one match every four days. Until the season-ending home stand, the Owls (9-13, 3-6 Atlantic 10 Conference) had never played more than three matches during a seven-day stretch. The last six matches of the season were played during the course of nine days.

However, neither coach WOMEN’S TENNIS

Steve Mauro nor his players think playing so many matches in so little time is a big deal.

“We consider it just like practice,” Mauro said. “I feel this is a good way to get the girls ready for the [A-10 tournament], where you play matches day after day. This can only help us.”

The A-10 women’s tournament begins on Thursday, April 18, in Charlottesville, Va. The tournament is single-elimination, and teams play one match a day. The final two teams will play four matches in four days.

Mauro said the past few matches were scheduled so close together on purpose to prepare the Owls for the playoffs.

“Toward the end of the year, it’s more about playing matches than practice,” Mauro said. “Even though we still practice, nothing can duplicate match play, so that’s why we

scheduled things like that.”

Players agreed with Mauro that the hectic schedule would benefit them at the tournament.

“A-10s are straightforward,” sophomore Rebecca Breland said. “You play a match every day, you don’t get any breaks. This is a good warm-up for A-10s.”

“We’re all going to be tired,” junior Alicia Doms said.

“Especially now at the end of the season, we just have in mind that we have A-10s in one week, so we are motivated. We are gonna be tired, but it’s good that we will be playing four matches and getting used to this.”

One consequence of the amount of matches is minor injuries cropping up among players. Junior Jordan Batey did not play singles against Binghamton due to a swollen ankle.

Doms, the likely top-flight player at the A-10s, has been playing through left elbow tendinitis.

“It’s an injury that you have to rest to get better, and right now I cannot rest because we have two weeks left,” Doms said. “The trainer told me, after the season, I have to rest one month, and then it’s going to be good. I’m going to play the rest of the year.”

Doms finished the home stand 3-1 in singles, including a 6-4, 6-4 top-flight win over St. Joseph’s senior Casey Robinson.

“It’s just something that she has to play with,” Mauro said.

“It’s not affecting her performance at all.”

Breland also went 3-1 in singles in the home stand. Her best win came against Syracuse sophomore Jimena Wu by a score of 6-2, 6-2. Despite playing two three-set matches, Breland escaped the weekend without any injuries.

“For the most part I’m healthy,” Breland said. “I don’t

get injured as easily as everybody else.”

The players do not only have to focus on playing good tennis; they also have to make sure they keep up with their schoolwork. Doms said she could easily balance her time.

“I have played tennis all my life, so I’m used to this,” Doms said. “In Spain, I practiced for four hours, even more than here. In high school in Spain, the level is really high. I was going to school from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. With these kind of things, I know how to manage my time, so it’s not hard for me. I’m doing good in school.”

The past four matches were the only matches the team played all year at its outdoor home: the Student Pavilion. Unlike the indoor home, Legacy Tennis Center, the Pavilion has a lot of ambient noise: cars driving by on 15th Street, the Broad Street Line passing by and

events at Geasey Field.

“With any sport, if you’re in the zone, and you’re focused, stuff from the outside shouldn’t bother you,” Breland said. “You get used to it.”

“It’s a little bit of an adjustment because we don’t play a lot of matches at home,” Mauro said. “But it’s great seeing the students around and supporting us as well.”

The Owls will likely have a low seed at the A-10 tournament and won’t be expected to make it too far. That won’t stop them from putting up a fight.

“Just to play my hardest, play hard and don’t give up,” Breland said of her goals in the playoffs. “Play for every point.”

Evan Cross can be reached at evan.cross@temple.edu or on Twitter @EvanCross.

D’Agostino turning heads with hitting, improving fielding BASEBALL PAGE 20

lieves the time has come to put D’Agostino in his everyday lineup after he shared time in the outfield in Temple’s first 26 games.

“You know, I think we all kind of saw it coming,” redshirtjunior David Hall said about D’Agostino’s recent increase in playing time. “He is a guy with a lot of talent; he showed it right away with the games against Penn State in the fall, but you see it every day as he is a guy who flashes stuff that not a lot of guys have. Guys like Frank are few and far between. I think that he has the build, the mindset and the fundamentally sound swing to compete in this league

for the next few years.”

For Wheeler, the issue has not been that D’Agostino had not earned time to play earlier in the season, but the competition for the right field position has been fierce.

“I wanted to play [D’Agostino] earlier in the season, but other players were hot at the right time,” Wheeler said.

“We tried to use him in certain situations and maybe it was just a little too much for him at the time. We needed to go back and work on some things. I told him that he needed to work a little bit harder on his swing and he has put the time in. Some guys had gotten hot there for a while so it was tough to get him in the

lineup, but I believe it’s time to get him back in [the lineup].”

When D’Agostino was being recruited by Temple, he said he expected to have a good chance to be an everyday player.

This season, he has started in 10 games and has made appearances in 12 games total.

“When I was recruited, I was recruited as a guy who was going to come in to play right away,” D’Agostino said.

“I wasn’t surprised but I was surprised at the same time about playing. I got my opportunity to play in the beginning of the year, but now I am getting another opportunity and I am just trying to make the most of it.”

In 36 at-bats, D’Agostino

With floundering offense, late lapses become trend

has six hits – one home run, one double and four singles – and is batting .167 with three RBI. Despite spending part of the fall season batting in the cleanup spot, D’Agostino typically bats in the bottom half of the Owls’ lineup.

“I wanted to put him down in the lineup to take some of the pressure off of him,” Wheeler said. “Hopefully batting lower in the lineup will get him better pitches to hit and allow him to get himself going offensively.”

In a 9-6 loss to Longwood on March 12, D’Agostino led Temple offensively, going 3-for-4 with two RBI, his best game of the season.

“He did really well in the

JAKE ADAMS The Temple News While many coaches will say that every conference game is a battle and none of them should be taken lightly, it’s clear some games have a little more at stake.

The Owls (18-17, 7-3 Atlantic-10 Conference) had their first tough stretch of the conference schedule last week when they hosted St. Joseph’s Univeristy (25-4-1, 9-1 A-10) and Dayton (17-18, 8-5 A-10).

The four games had the potential to completely reshape the top of the conference. The Hawks entered the week the top seed, with Temple and the Flyers trailing closely. If the Owls got swept in both double-headers they could have plummeted to the bottom half of the standings.

“We had a chance to really solidify ourselves in one of those top two spots,” coach Joe DiPietro said after the doubleheader against Dayton. “I tried to tell the girls these are the kinds of games that will come back and bite you, and cost you a seed in the tournament.”

When the week finally ended the Owls had split both series.

“You always want to be 4-0,” DiPietro said. “If we would have came out of here 3-1 I would have been thrilled, 2-2 to me is just not good.”

“We know that we’re better than both teams, and splitting with Dayton [Saturday] was

SOFTBALL

Freshman midfielder Megan Tiernan carries the ball in the Owls’ 14-13 loss to La Salle on Sunday. Temple blew an eight-goal second-half lead.| DANIEL PELLIGRINE TTN 29 to April 7, the Owls held a and score often.

“Really, draw controls second-half goal advantage of 13-8 combined. Against UMass are the key,” senior midfielder and La Salle, the Owls were Stephany Parcell said. “We lose the draw conoutscored 17-8 in trol, they have the second half. either been pos“We need sessing the ball to convert,” and scoring or Swavola said. taking the ball “We didn’t conright off the vert longer possessions into draw and scorgoals. We can’t ing.” hold the ball for Against its three minutes first three A-10 and not get a goal opponents, out of it.”

Temple held Collectively, the second-half the Owls know draw control Charlotte Swavola / senior advantage. But that failing to midfielder gain possession in the second on late game halves against draws has also led to their op- UMass and La Salle, the Owls ponents gaining an abundance collected 12 combined draws of opportunities to regain leads compared to 15 by their oppo-

“We didn’t

convert longer possessions into goals. We can’t hold the ball for three minutes and not get a goal out of it.

”

nent.

“Draw controls matter at critical times,” Rosen said.

“When you want to win you have to do the little things.”

The Owls have shown the ability to be dominant during their conference matchups and have also shown that they have room to grow. Though they have squandered the opportunity to march into the A-10 tournament with an undefeated conference record, the Owls still have a chance to redeem themselves.

“We need to use these two losses as motivation,” Parcell said.

Brien Edwards can be reached at brien.edwards@temple.edu or on Twitter @BErick1123.

drive in some runs and hit home runs for us. We will continue to work on his defense, but he has a bright future and I am excited to see what he can do.”

Hoping to remain a valuable asset to Wheeler’s lineup, D’Agostino has just one goal in mind for the rest of the 2013 season – win.

“Wherever I am at in the lineup, I am trying to do whatever I can to help the team win,” D’Agostino said. “I don’t have any other goals besides that.”

John Murrow can be reached at john.murrow@temple.edu or on Twitter @JohnMurrow12.

Softball misses opportunity with back-to-back splits The Owls couldn’t capitalize on chance to bolster A-10 résumé.

lacrosse PAGE 20

fall and we knew he was going to be a big asset for us, but we just didn’t know where or when,” senior left fielder Allen Stiles said. “He has settled in batting lower in the order and he really has a lot of potential.

Hopefully he is a player that continues to progress through the years. I’m sure he will continue to hit more home runs in the future, too.”

“Right now, [D’Agostino] is much more of an offensive player than a defensive player,” Wheeler said. “He is a guy that brings some punch to our lineup.

I think before his career is over here, he is a going to be a guy that will be sitting in the middle of the lineup and will be able to

kind of a big disappointment because we expected that we would kind of outperform them and win both games,” junior third baseman Devynne Nelons said. “It was a little upsetting but certainly not disheartening.”

Temple entered the week having a chance to leapfrog St. Joe’s and Dayton and grab the top spot in the A-10, if everything broke the Owls’ way. An 0-4 stretch, inversely, wouldn’t have bode well for the Owls’ season. But going 2-2 meant the Owls did relatively nothing to help or hurt their standings. It all depended on how the other teams around them did.

While DiPietro wanted more from his team this week, splitting a double-headJoe DiPietro / coach er with the Hawks, who entered the week undefeated in the conference, sent a message. The Owls were run-ruled in the first game, and bounced back and knocked around one of the better pitchers in the conference, freshman Liz Mendez, in a 10-1 victory.

“We were all extremely excited,” senior centerfielder Ali Robinson said about run-ruling their rival in the second game.

“We know they were going to be two good games, and two games we had to come out and compete in.”

“I think that kind of game should have alerted the rest of the conference that we’re a team that shouldn’t be taken lightly and hopefully they all got the message by now,” Nelons said.

But while knocking off the Hawks was the highlight of the week, dropping a game 2-0 at the hands of the Flyers was

“We had

a chance to really solidify ourselves in one of those top two spots.

”

equally as troubling. Ending the week 7-3 in the A-10, with Fordham (9-5 A-10), Massachusetts (8-2 A-10) and Butler (6-4 A-10) all playing Sunday, April 14, left a lot in the air for the Owls.

“This was a tough week for us, but even though we ended up splitting with both teams I think we have high hopes going into these next three weeks,” Nelons said.

“I think it’s still possible that we can end up No. 1,” Nelons said. “I don’t think we’re scared of Fordham or [Massachusetts] or anything like that. I think we’re just looking forward to the games and hoping to win every single one.”

The good news for the Owls is they have 12 games remaining in the conference to make up ground. It’s possible that St. Joe’s may lose more games, giving them a shot at the top seed.

Largely their fate is still in their hands.

“As long as we’re working, our offense is on, our defense is on, we’re not too worried about not winning the games,” Robinson said.

“I think we’re as good or better than everyone this week, we just have to play like it,” DiPietro said.

But DiPietro said that settling these next few weeks is not an option.

“I try to tell the girls that a couple years ago it was OK playing just to make the playoffs, but not now,” DiPietro said. “Not now. We’re playing for a top spot...We have to start sweeping teams is what we have to start doing. This splitting stuff is just not good enough.”

Jake Adams can be reached at jacob.adams@temple.edu or on Twitter @jakeadams520.

sports

Tuesday, APRIL 16, 2013

Page 19

Two returning backs duel for job Post-Jordan recruiting footBALL PAGE 20

coaches have faith in me and know that I can produce on the field. That’s all that matters is the coaches and the team. I don’t worry about outsiders and who thinks this and who thinks that. It’s me and the team that’s on the field, not [the fans].”

The transition into a new crop of running backs coincides with the hiring of coach Matt Rhule. Under his leadership the team is transitioning from a run-heavy offense under former coach Steve Addazio, to a spread offense that features more passing under Rhule.

“Hopefully it is going to give us more open looks to run and we won’t face overloaded fronts as much,” Foreman said. “Being balanced makes the defense defend the whole field. We aren’t going to run as much as we did, but if we get to a game where we have to run it, I’m sure those guys will be ready to do it.”

While the run-heavy attack led to Temple finishing second

in the conference in rushing, the box,” Gilmore said. “Hopethe team was last in the Big fully it is a little easier for us East in passing offense and this year.” second-to-last in passing effi“When you have a great ciency. Without a threat through one like Bernard Pierce they the air, teams were able to put can put eight in the box and he most of the focan come out cus on stopping and stiff arm the run. This led the eighth guy,” to teams baiting Rhule said.

Temple to run “Now you are at the strength talking about of the defense an opportuor beat them nity where the through the air. defense needs Temple proved to defend the whole field, it couldn’t do the the tailback belatter. comes one of Despite the five ball carteams overloadriers as opposed ing the line of to the [only] scrimmage, HarMatt Rhule / coach ball carrier.” ris led the conThe coaches and playference in rushing. Quarterback Chris Coyer finished last among ers reached a consensus that qualifying Big East quarter- simply earning the starting job backs in passing efficiency. wouldn’t be enough, and that “Last year we were running being the team’s running back the ball and teams knew that’s comes with a level of responsiwhat we were going to do so bility and expected production.

“I just need to do as the they put seven or eight guys in

“The defense

needs to defend the whole field, the tailback becomes one of five ball carriers as opposed to the ball carrier.

”

previous running backs did and keep the tradition going,” Harper said. “Temple has a good tradition of running backs and I need to carry the tradition.”

“What has to happen is that you have to replace [Pierce, Harris and Brown] at the same level and the same caliber,” Rhule said. “It’s not about being the starter, it’s about being as good as Bernard or Montel or Matt was. We are challenging everyone to find that kind of a runner.”

With the Cherry and White scrimmage scheduled for this Saturday, April 20, Gilmore said that the running back group not having a prominent starter doesn’t bother him. Not yet, at least.

“Even if they don’t know me they will know me after the spring game. That’s what I want.”

Ibrahim Jacobs can be reached at ibrahim.jacobs@temple.edu or on Twitter @ibrahimjacobs.

cranney PAGE 20

that it’s clear that there wasn’t much more he could do.

Dunphy has tried to recruit Jordan since he was a freshman in high school. He attended most of Jordan’s practices and games, and was front-and-center to watch Jordan score 32 points in Vaux’s PIAA Class A state championship win. Though Dunphy has a history, it would be unreasonable to suggest that Jordan wouldn’t have played as a freshman.

Based on the interviews he gave after he announced, it’s clear Jordan loved Temple, but wanted to get away from home.

“I wanted to go [to Temple] since I was little,” Jordan told the Inquirer. “Coach Dunphy did a great job recruiting me.

Came to my practices and mostly all my games. It’s just that now, seeing as I’m older, I don’t want to be in Philly for college.

If Temple was somewhere else, I’d be going.”

Regardless of whether or not Dunphy fouled up by not landing Jordan, college basketball is changing, and so too

must Dunphy. The John Calipari knockoffs, with their slickedback hair and relentless recruiting habits, are taking over a sport that has become increasingly injected with one-and-dones and early exits.

The Ramone Moore’s and Scootie Randall’s of the world aren’t going to win you a championship anymore – they probably never were. In fact, they usually won’t even win you an NCAA tournament game.

The two mid-level recruits already signed to the 2013 class – Josh Brown of St. Anthony High School and Kyle Green of Camden Catholic High School – indicate that Dunphy’s recruiting strategy this year has been more of the same.

With Jordan, Dunphy was putting his best foot forward.

The problem is that he’s been moving in the wrong direction for years.

Joey Cranney can be reached at joseph.cranney@temple.edu or on Twitter @joey_cranney.

Champion thrower overcomes injury, keeps winning track PAGE 20

start teaching you technique and how to really throw it.”

While Britton began picking things up in her junior year, it wasn’t until her senior year when she experienced statewide success in the shot put, placing third in the PA Indoor State Championship and later taking the top prize, winning outdoor states.

Despite several NCAA Division I programs scrambling to recruit the Dallastown throwing prospect in the midst of her newfound success, it was Britton who sought out Temple coach Eric Mobley about possibly earning a place on the women’s track & field team.

“My junior year everything just sort of clicked and senior

year I started throwing really well,” Britton said. “I didn’t think I was even good enough to be considered a college athlete until then. But I had already been accepted to Temple and I got third in indoor states senior year, and I talked to [Temple head coach Eric Mobley] and told him I was 6 feet tall and I could throw this much and I got third in indoor states, and he said ‘When can you come visit?’”

“She called over the summer before school started,” Mobley said. “Then she came up for a visit and fell in love with the school and the place and we said, ‘Come on.’”

After working with former Temple throwing coach Jeff Pflaumbaum her rookie year, Britton’s career marks in shot

put and discus jumped to 51 feet, 5.5 inches (15.71 meters) and 162 feet, 3 inches (49.46m), respectively. She took top honors in both the indoor and outdoor A-10 Championships in the shot put, qualified for the NCAA Regional Championship and was awarded the A-10 Rookie of the Year award.

When asked if she expected the immediate success, Britton let out a laugh.

“No way,” Britton said.

“That’s why I say Pflaumbaum was probably the most influential coach I’ve ever had, because he took me to another level.

There’s a difference from being a good high school athlete and a good college athlete. Yeah, I was state champion in high school. But when you get here, everyone was a state champion.

“I left high school throwing at 44’4” and I ended my freshman year [at Temple] throwing 51’6”,” Britton added. “I credit that to my lifting regimen and [Pflaumbaum’s] keen eye because he tore me down and built me back up again.”

Despite winning the 2012 indoor A-10 shot put championship, a slew of injuries in the course of the past few months has overshadowed Britton’s season. The injury issues seemed to hit a pinnacle when Britton sprained both ankles in a routine exercise at the University of Texas on March 28, the day before she was set to compete in the Texas Relays.

“I went to [the University of Texas] two weeks ago,” Britton said. “I was doing a hurdle mobility drill the day before I

was supposed to throw. At first, I sprained my left ankle and then I tried it again and I sprained my right ankle even more. I do it all the time in practice and for some reason that day it just didn’t work.”

“She’s a very good athlete, but she’s also very passionate,” volunteer throwing coach Jayne Goodbody said. “We went to the [Texas Relays] a few weeks ago and she ended up having some ankle trouble. She threw in the discus and didn’t throw as well as she wanted it to. But she wanted to keep throwing in the shot, so she threw through the pain and made it to the finals.”

In her first outdoor meet of the season, Britton won the shot put and placed second at the Miami Alumni Invite on Saturday, April 13.

Britton will be going for her fourth and final A-10 championship May 4-5, and will also attempt to take home her first gold at the Penn Relays April 25-27.

“I think many athletes feel pressure to do what they’ve done the meet before or even the year before and there’s a lot of pressure for me to do well at [the A-10 Championship] just for my team’s sake,” Britton said. “They count on me to get points for shot put and discus and when it comes to the conference meet, it doesn’t matter to me how far I throw as long as I win and get those points.”

Andrew Parent can be reached at andrew.parent@temple.edu or on Twitter @daParent93.

Junior gymnast wraps up Recently assembled season with eighth place lightweight wins gold Heather Zaniewski places eighth at U.S. Gymnastics National Championship.

Samuel Matthews The Temple News WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS I n what was the last competition for women’s gymnastics 2013 season, junior team captain Heather Zaniewski was the lone Owl that qualified for the individual event finals at the United States Gymnastics National Championship hosted by Centenary College on Sunday, April 14. Zaniewski finished in a tie for eighth place.

“I was extremely happy,” Zaniewski said. “I came into college not even thinking that I would even touch the bars to compete and with [women’s coach Aaron Murphy’s] I’ve gotten a lot better since my freshman year. So I just thank him because he got me to where I am, so I was just happy and thankful to be in the position that I was today.” “[Zaniewski] got up there and she did her first three release moves right on point, it was just amazing,” Murphy said. “I gave her a hug and I told her that I was very proud of her and she seemed very proud of herself which means even more.”

Zaniewski posted a 9.750 on the apparatus. Of the 12 gymnasts who qualified for the uneven parallel bars final, Zaniewski was the last to do her routine, something that Murphy said would help her performance.

“She was actually drawn as last up,” Murphy said. “Which is a great spot to be in because she gets to watch everyone else go in front of her, so she watched 11 girls do their bar routine, got to see all of their scores, and as an athlete in your head you basically go, ‘Alright, that’s what I have to do, I have to match that and be that good.’”

However, Zaniewski said the opposite.

“I was really, really nervous before I actually went on because I was the last one to go in the entire meet,” Zaniewski said. “So I had to wait and watch everybody else, and up until that point nobody had fallen so it was a really competitive atmosphere.”

What helped ease Zaniewski’s nerves was the sight of her teammates cheering her on from the nearby stands, she said.

“I actually relaxed because I saw the rest of my teammates up on the stands,” Zaniewski said. “I kind of relaxed and just went into auto-pilot when I was doing my routine, then I landed and was just extremely happy.”

Senior Jean Alban was in the stands cheering on her teammate, and explained the influence that their team unity has on each other.

“I really think that we are each other’s backbone,” Alban said. “And I think that [Zaniewski] being the only one to make finals and having her teammates there standing really close to her helped her calm her nerves and it made her feel that we were right behind her the whole time.”

Alban added: “She finished a great routine all the way

through, so I think we do have an impact on each other. Our vibes give off a good aura.”

With the 2013 season now complete, Murphy reflected on his team’s season and was very pleased with the results.

“It was tremendous,” Murphy said. “The ups and downs that we had with some of the season ending injuries that some of the girls had, our team really pulled through and truthfully only climbed from the start of the season to the end of the season.”

“Our score consistently went up and it got better each weekend, so that really showed that our team can come together and push through any obstacle that was in our way,” he added.

Looking forward to next season, Murphy will return 20 of his 23 gymnasts. The reigning Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year will look to get the most out of his returning gymnasts.

Returning for a fifth season, Alban said that next year’s team has the potential to be better than this year’s.

“I have really good feelings for next year and I think we are going to be just as good or even better,” Alban said. “I really think that we are going to be top three in our conference.

I honestly and truthfully can say that because I feel it.”

Samuel Matthews can be reached at samuel.matthews@temple.edu.

win in one of our first appearances of the season.”

Roberts, the veteran of a boat in which the remaining four members are all at least three years younger, said he takes extra pride in the victory TYLER SABLICH given his role.

The Temple News “I would like to think I had some type of leadership role,” There are a few take- Roberts said. “The boat is really CREW aways from the men’s light- young, so I would like to think weight four’s gold medal finish that I played a big part in just at the Knecht Cup. The wide keeping everyone’s head levmargin of victory. The boat’s eled.” youth. But neither of those are Ciarallo, who led the boat more impressive than just how as its coxswain, was quick to recently the crew was assem- acknowledge his teammates for bled. piecing together such a com“We’ve only been putting plete race. them together since this week,” “Up until today we weren’t coach Gavin really sure White said. where we stood “The lightweight compared to boat looked reother crews,” ally spectacular.

Ciarallo said.

Their upside is “So it’s a good really tremenfeeling knowdous.” ing we’re right The “lightup there where weight four” – we want to be.” actually consistGavin White / coach “It really ing of five guys takes all four of – is comprised of senior Chris us to make this boat,” Ciarallo Roberts, sophomores Matthew added. “I need all four of my Ciarallo and Vince DiPentino, rowers, I couldn’t really do it and freshmen Hunter Devine without any of them. Nobody is and Ryan Dartnell. Competing more important than the other.” on the Cooper River in Cherry However, there is nobody Hill, N.J., the Owls won handily more important to the men’s with a time of 6 minutes, 59.56 crew team than White, who is seconds. The second place team, currently serving his 33rd year Villanova, clocked in at 7:03.84. as the leader and face of the pro“We were in control from gram. the beginning of the race,” RobWhite, a retired Temple erts said. “It just felt amazing professor, has moved on to foto cross the line knowing that cus solely on coaching crew. we basically controlled the race More than three decades since from start to finish. It really felt taking the job, White said he’s amazing to have that big of a still having as much fun as he

The men’s lightweight four boat won a gold medal at the Knecht Cup.

“The lightweight

boat looked really spectacular. Their upside is really tremendous.

”

was in 1979.

“I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t have fun,” White said. “[The fun] is the same as it always was. Of course, it’s always a challenge. Lately we haven’t been winning as much as the previous 10 years, I’d say. I still get just as excited when we win as I always have, but I think you appreciate it more as you get older in life.”

Ciarallo, one of the many youngsters that White has under his guidance this season, knows that whenever the coach speaks, although he does so sparingly, everybody should listen up.

“He doesn’t say much but when he does talk to you it’s usually something really major and something that could really change your game,” Ciarallo said.

Roberts said his performance the past four years has benefited from White’s rigorous workout regiment.

“The one thing I would say about coach White is that out of any coach I’ve played for he has the greatest fitness program,” Roberts said. “It’s because of him that I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in.”

A 1985 inductee of the Temple Athletic Hall of Fame, White can only hope to see his lightweight crew continue to prosper in the future. He isn’t ready to put an exact timetable on how much longer he plans to coach, but he has a tentative idea.

“Maybe a couple more years,” White said with a laugh.

Tyler Sablich can be reached at tyler.sablich@temple.edu or on Twitter @TySablich.

SPORTS temple-news.com

page 20

Freshman outfielder impresses

Tuesday, APRIL 16, 2013

A new take on recruiting after Jordan decision

Frank D’Agostino provides pop to the bottom of the lineup.

JOHN MURROW The Temple News As Frank D’Agostino slowly walked from the Owls’ dugout into the batter’s box, Hoodfellas’ house remix of “Franky” played through the speakers at Temple’s Skip Wilson Field, though not by the freshman right fielder’s choice. “[The seniors] pick out [the freshmen] walkout songs and they have got to use the song until they get their first hit at home,” senior left fielder Allen Stiles said about the comical freshmen walk-out songs.

“Luckily for Frank, his first hit at home was a home run.”

D’Agostino had started in seven games prior to Temple’s meeting with La Salle on April 7 and still had yet to record his first hit when playing at home. In his nine previous games played, D’Agostino had four hits, all of which came while Temple was the visiting team.

D’Agostino hit his first collegiate home run over the rightfield fence in the second inning of a 12-7 loss to the Explorers. Coach Ryan Wheeler and D’Agostino’s teammates said they expect the 6-foot-3-inch left-handed batter to hit many more home runs during his collegiate career.

“I had a home run [unofficially] in the fall season, so this one wasn’t so surprising,” D’Agostino said. “It felt good though. I got a good piece of the ball and it went out.”

D’Agostino followed that by saying with a smile that it feels good to no longer have to hear “Franky,” a song assigned to him by redshirt-senior pitcher Steve Visnic, when approaching the plate when playing at home.

Wheeler said that he be-

BASEBALL

BASEBALL PAGE 18

JOEY CRANNEY

Though Dunphy recruited hard for Rysheed Jordan, his recruiting techniques need re-evaluation.

Running out of options

D

Humble beginning breeds champion Margo Britton hopes to add to shot put honors in the team’s final A-10 season.

ANDREW PARENT The Temple News Margo Britton’s throwing career began in a high school gym class.

“I was actually in a lifting competition in gym class my freshman year and I was lifting more than the guys,” Britton said. “My teacher asked if I ever considered throwing. I said I wasn’t too good at aiming, but the track coach came to me and got me started.”

A high school freshman girl outperforming every male counterpart in a lifting competition will tend to raise eyebrows, and it made way for the York, Pa., native to begin a new career.

Looking back on starring in

TRACK & FIELD

A

nyone who closely follows Temple basketball was disapMatt Brown (right) finished his career fourth on the program’s all-time rushing list. The football pointed to hear that team returns no starting tailbacks. | TIMOTHY VALSHTEIN TTN FILE PHOTO Rysheed Jordan made a verbal commitment to St. John’s on Thursday, April 11, after it appeared that the Owls might have an inside track on the top-flight Philly recruit.

Jordan attended Vaux High School and grew up in North Philadelphia. He’s attended more Temple basketball games “I think my guys do have 1,087 yards on the ground with than any other high-level recruit Losing its two something to prove this year,” 186 attempts while Brown, who in recent memory, and told The featured backs, the running backs coach Tyree suffered lingering ankle issues Inquirer after his announcefootball team changes Foreman said. “I think they all year, rushed for 385 yards ment that coach Fran Dunphy is a chip on their shoulder to on 60 carries and finished his “great” and that he wanted to go offensive philosophy. have prove they are worthy of being career fourth on the team’s all- to Temple since he was a little a Temple running back. There’s time rushing list. kid.

IBRAHIM JACOBS big shoes to fill.”

“Those are two players that A point guard who averaged Assistant Sports Editor While Harper enters the are hard to replace,” Foreman 25 points per game in his senior season ahead of No. 2 option said. “We need to step it up and season, Jordan was ranked as espite having no sophomore Jamie Gilmore, nei- make sure we had the produc- the No. 22 player in the country starts at tailback in ther of the pair, nor the other tion that those two guys had. in the 2013 class by ESPN. He his career, junior four running backs on the roster We led the league last year in undoubtedly would have been Kenneth Harper has have a collegiate start at tail- rushing, so we have big shoes the most significant recruit to been participating in offseason back. Harper is the only one to to fill.” land at Temple since Dunphy workouts as the top running have started a game at any posiThe Owls enter the season has been coach. back on the depth chart, a potion, getting three starts at full- without a premier back for the But Jordan didn’t land at sition that was previously ocback last season. first time in four years. Brown Temple. He chose Steve Lavin’s cupied by the Big East ConferAmong returning backs, and Harris followed up a sea- Red Storm instead of the Owls ence’s leading rusher in 2012 Gilmore was the leading rusher son in which Bernard Pierce and UCLA, and there’s been and a future third-round NFL last season. He rushed for 99 re-wrote the record book before much speculation as to why. draft pick in 2011. yards on 20 carries while Harper heading to the NFL. Jordan told the Inquirer that Harper said he doesn’t have rushed for 68 yards on 13 car“I don’t need to prove he simply wanted to get away to prove anything to anybody ries. The group will be tasked anything to anybody outside from home. Jordan, 18, doesn’t outside the organization in aswith replacing Montel Harris these gates,” Harper said. “The want to go to college in Philasuming the role as the starter. and Matt Brown. Harris, tallied FOOTBALL PAGE 19 delphia. Playing basketball at His coach would disagree.

those co-ed lifting competitions, Britton couldn’t help but crack a smile.

“They were used to it,” Britton said jokingly.

It took a lifting competition and one very ticked off bunch of adolescent males to do it, but Britton unknowingly embarked on a new era in her life when she decided to join the Dallastown Area High School track & field team as a shot putter and discus thrower.

The Temple sophomore and reigning indoor and outdoor Atlantic 10 Conference shot put champion needed time and practice when first learning how to heave a shot and discus in high school and didn’t experience any such success until her junior year.

“When you first start throwing it’s like, ‘Here’s the shot put, go throw it,’” Britton said.

“When you get older, they really

TRACK PAGE 19

JUNIOR AT NATIONALS, p. 19

Junior Heather Zaniewski tied for eighth at the U.S. Gymnastics National Championship.

Sports Desk 215-204-9537

Temple, Jordan said, would be like “playing in my backyard.”

Jordan denied an interview request over the phone and NCAA rules prevent Dunphy from talking about players who have yet to sign a National Letter of Intent. Jordan will officially sign tomorrow, April 17.

Frustrated fans, on the other hand, have been quick to point the finger at Dunphy. An old timer who values work ethic, Dunphy is known for recruiting mid-level talent and coaching players into serviceable starting roles by the time they’re upperclassmen. Dunphy rarely plays freshmen, an oddity in the modern game of college basketball.

While Dunphy’s “everything’s earned, nothing’s given” coaching style is commendable, it’s the type of mentality that will detract some recruits who want to play right away.

As a result, Dunphy has displayed an inability to keep some of Philadelphia’s best recruits from leaving the city since he took over as head coach. This past recruiting season, Temple made unsuccessful offers to Lower Merion’s B.J. Johnson, Imhotep Charter’s Brandon Austin and Chester’s Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, whose brother Rahlir will graduate this summer after playing for the Owls for four years.

More maddening to some, when local kids do decide to go to college in Philadelphia, they’re choosing every school but Temple. La Salle junior Tyreek Duren – from NeumannGoretti High School – and former St. Joseph’s University forward C.J. Aiken – from Plymouth Whitemarsh – stand out as two recruits the Owls let slip through their fingers.

A Philadelphia native hasn’t committed to play men’s basketball at Temple since Scootie Randall joined the team in 2008.

But in Jordan’s case, give Dunphy credit for making it as close as it was and understand

CRANNEY PAGE 19

Blown leads cost Owls conference wins Lacrosse surrenders eight-goal lead late to La Salle in secondstraight A-10 loss.

BRIEN EDWARDS The Temple News If their last two games ended after 45 minutes, the Owls would have a perfect conference record and sit at the top of the Atlantic 10 Conference. Unfortunately for Temple, lacrosse games last 60 minutes, and with back-to-back blown leads, the Owls have now lost two in a row.

“It’s about learning how to close things out when you get a chance,” coach Bonnie Rosen said.

With a perfect conference record, Temple traveled to Amherst, Mass., to play No. 13 Massachusetts, a conference juggernaut, on April 12.

Midway through the second half, the underdog Owls were in position for an upset victory.

LACROSSE

Junior attack Jaymie Tabor put the Owls ahead of the Minutewomen 9-7 with 15 minutes, 17 seconds remaining in the game.

After the Tabor score, the Minutewomen outscored Temple 5-1 and won 12-10. “[UMass] figured out how to get us,” senior midfielder Charlotte Swavola said. “That’s kind of what happened against La Salle. They figured out how to score on us and that came back to bite us because they also took away some of our main options. And as a result, we couldn’t find our favorite things to work with.”

After Temple played well against UMass, an April 14 matchup against La Salle, an Freshman attack Summer Jaros (right) checks an Explorer in inner-city rival with no confer- the Owls’ 14-13 loss on Sunday.| DANIEL PELLIGRINE TTN ence wins, was a favorable one ond game on a nine-goal run we had the game in our control.” for the Owls. Temple led by a and won 14-13.

“I think we felt too comStagnant offense has been wide margin for most of the game. Approximately 11 min- fortable with our lead and didn’t one of the reasons for Temple’s utes into the second half, fresh- finish off a team,” Rosen said. second-half inefficiency. Late man midfielder Avery Longstaff “We started to make mistakes in games, long possessions netted a goal to push the Owls’ and let their team come at us. haven’t amounted to points.

We didn’t have the experience During Temple’s three lead to eight goals.

After the Longstaff goal, of how to stop them. We just game win streak from March the Explorers finished the sec- made too many mistakes when LACROSSE PAGE 18

IMPRESSIVE CREW, p. 19

The recently assembled men’s lightweight four takes gold at the Knecht Cup. Sports@temple-news.com

GEARING UP, p. 18

Coach Steve Mauro schedules four matches in five days to prepare for the A-10 tournament.