3.25 FINAL PRINT by The Temple News

THE TEMPLE NEWS

PHILLY BAR TOUR

The Temple News’ 2025 Bar Guide is your tool for navigating the city’s best spots to drink.

THE TEMPLE NEWS

Samuel O’Neal Editor-in-Chief

Sidney Rochnik Managing Editor

Claire Zeffer Managing Editor

Anna Augustine Co-Chief Copy Editor

Valeria Uribe Co-Chief Copy Editor

Evelyn Blower News Editor

Nurbanu Sahin Assistant News Editor

Kylie Sokoloff Assistant News Editor

McCaillaigh Rouse Opinion Editor

Bradley McEntee Assistant Opinion Editor

Bayleh Alexander Features Editor

Mike Nonnemaker Assistant Features Editor

Jadon George Features Staff Writer

Ryan Mack Sports Editor

Colin Schofeld Assistant Sports Editor

Sienna Conaghan Assistant Sports Editor

Leah Duffy Investigative Reporter

Kennedy Brown Investigative Reporter

Julia Anderson Director of Audience Engagement

Oliver Economidis Public Engagement Coordinator

Isabella Farrow Audience Engagement Editor

Rai Ganesan Audience Engagement Editor

Jack Larson Co-Photo Editor

Jared Tatz Co-Photo Editor

Noel Chacko Staff Photographer

Kajsa Morse Multimedia Editor

Ava Campbell Assistant Multimedia Editor

Lyndsey Griswold Print Design Editor

Juan Colon Graphic Design Editor

Ava Fitzgerald Data Editor

Pablo Rouco Podcast Editor

Cara Kishter Newsletter Editor

Nadia Bodnari Web Editor

Lolade Kola-Adewuyi Advertising Manager

Matthew Eaton Advertising Manager

Daivik Bewtra Business Manager

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 refective of their authors, not The Temple News.

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

CORRECTIONS

ON THE COVER Franky Bradley’s in Center City on March 23.

Contacts

Visit us online at temple-news.com

Email section staff news@temple-news.com letters@temple-news.com features@temple-news.com sports@temple-news.com

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

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 Samuel O’Neal at editor@temple-news.com.

SARAH MADDEN / THE TEMPLE NEWS

The Temple News

PUBLIC SAFETY

NEWS

Temple, Philly work on campus safety initiatives

Temple and Philadelphia are updating trafc measures to mitigate crashes.

BY EVELYN BLOWER News Editor

With more than 30% of Temple’s undergraduate student body walking or biking to campus daily, both university and local organizations have launched programs and proposals aimed to improve trafc safety in and around Main Campus.

Mayor Cherelle Parker signed a bill to authorize a bicycle lane on North 13th Street from Cecil B. Moore Avenue to Diamond Street on March 19. The bill was sponsored by Councilmember Jeffrey Young, the councilmember representing Temple’s district in City Hall.

The Philadelphia Parking Authority announced an initiative to install speeding violation cameras along Broad Street and near campus in November. Although PPA estimated its release in February, the cameras are not yet active. Three cameras will be installed near Temple’s Main and Health Sciences campuses, at Broad near Cumberland Street, Cecil B. Moore Avenue and Fairmount Avenue.

“The system has been approved by the state and each location is now going through the permitting process,” wrote a PPA spokesperson in an email to The Temple News. “Once all permits are approved, installation can begin. We anticipate the cameras to be activated sometime this summer.”

Vision Zero, a City of Philadelphia program working to eliminate trafc deaths completely, spearheads multiple initiatives for public safety including the bicycle lane bill and PPA’s speed cameras.

“City Council and I are proud to support trafc safety initiatives like bike lanes because students and residents alike deserve to get around Temple’s busy campus safely, whether they’re walking, biking or driving,” wrote Councilmember-at-large Isaiah Thomas in a statement to The Temple News.

Several streets around campus are identifed as part of the High Injury Network — the 12% of Philadelphia streets where about 80% of trafc deaths and injuries occur. Broad, Diamond, Norris, North 16th, 12th and 11th streets as well as Montgomery Avenue are part of the network in the immediate campus area, according to Vision Zero.

“One of the things we frequently see is these crashes, it’s not just speeding or a red light, but also a pedestrian wasn’t looking or is distracted,” said Jennifer Grifn, vice president for public safety, in an interview with The Temple News in November 2024. “We continue to do awareness and arrange events when we talk about safety, making sure you’re really paying attention when you get to the cross section.”

Allied Security personnel or Temple police ofcers station at popular pedestrian intersections to facilitate trafc in between class periods and other busy times. Intersections like North 13th Street near Montgomery Avenue, outside the Howard Gittis Student Center and on Polett Walk near 12th Street near the Bell Tower will typically feature ofcers stopping cars to let pedestrians pass.

An estimated 29% of the university walked to campus in 2022, a four percent increase since 2019. And the number of biking commuters reduced by two percent in the same period, from fve to three percent, according to the Ofce of Sustainability’s 2023-24 annual report. Thirty-one percent of the community uses a car to get to campus and 16% take the subway, according to the report.

With a quarter of students walking to campus daily, some students voice concerns about lighting around popular of-campus housing areas.

“A lot of people live on that side between 18th and 15th Street,” said Gabriel Cesare, a junior international business major. “I feel like those streets should be much more well illuminated versus how much illumination there is on the actual campus. If you want to cater towards people being safer, I feel like that’s a good step to begin with.”

While most of the streets are welllit between Broad Street and 18th Street,

proper street lighting may be uncommon on side streets such as Bouvier, Gratz, Carlisle and Willington Streets. Temple encourages students to rent from of-campus properties that are part of the Best Nest program, a standard that requires the property to have adequate outdoor lighting.

Vision Zero’s program to assist with trafc safety culminates in an annual report that diagnoses the top issues Philadelphia aims to address. The 2024 report shows that Philadelphia has around eight deaths per 100,000 residents, higher than many other cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston and New York City.

In January 2023, a pedestrian was killed after being struck by a motorist on Beasley’s Walk near Broad Street. Temple added a speed bump at the intersection after the incident, The Temple News reported. In June 2024, a 20-yearold Temple student was hit by a car at Broad Street near Fairmount Avenue, and later died of his injuries that eve-

ning, CBS reported. “Temple doesn’t need to change everything overnight,” Cesare said. “But if they show they care about how we move around campus, that’s what matters most.”

Dharav Kakkad contributed reporting.

evelyn.blower@temple.edu @evelyn_blower

JEREMY SHOVER / THE TEMPLE NEWS Vision Zero aims to completely eliminate trafc deaths through initiatives like the bicycle lane bill and speed cameras.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Temple Tomorrow, TUnited debate pre-election

Presidential candidates discussed their policies on key issues in a debate on Monday.

BY KYLIE SOKOLOFF Assistant News Editor

Temple students and faculty gathered in the Howard Gittis Student Center on March 24 for a debate between Temple Student Government’s 202526 candidates, where they shared their stances on key campus issues. The debate was also live streamed by The Temple News.

This year’s debate featured two campaigns: Temple Tomorrow, led by Lourdes Cardamone, a junior political science and criminal justice major and Janeese Hochstetler, a junior advertising major, and TUnited, led by Yaam Malka, a sophomore psychology and political science major, and William Walker, a junior political science and secondary education major.

Cardamone and Malka acted as their parties’ spokespersons during the debate. The hour-long discourse was moderated by The Temple News’ News Editor Evelyn Blower. TSG will hold its election on March 26-27 online, and results will be announced March 28.

Here are the key issues tackled by both campaigns during the debate.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Both campaigns have previously aligned themselves with political parties: Cardamone serves as president of Temple Democrats, while vice presidential candidate Walker has served as president of Temple Republicans. The candidates were asked how they plan to lead in a nonpartisan manner despite their afliations.

Cardamone pointed to TSG’s system of checks and balances.

“I think overcoming nonpartisanship is something I try to do every day,” Cardamone said, “This is a non-political position. Obviously I’m passionate in my own life about Temple Dems, but I’ve

been involved with TSG and I’ve never been able to insert my political position. This is bigger than that.”

Malka stressed collaboration within her ticket.

“I myself am a Democrat, but I am running alongside a Republican,” Malka said. “We work together to ensure TSG stays nonpartisan, as is written in its constitution. Neither of us compromise on our morals, but by creating a system of checks and balances in our own cabinet, we are able to focus on what’s best for students.”

CAMPUS SAFETY

Since both campaigns prioritize improved public safety, the candidates were asked how they planned to diferentiate their policies.

Malka cited a negative personal experience with Temple’s Code Blue emergency system and advocated for its maintenance and accessibility. She also proposed adding the Temple University Police Department’s number to students’ individual OwlCards.

Later in the debate, Cardamone praised the proposal as something Temple Tomorrow could adopt if elected. She emphasized the importance of making existing safety resources more accessible.

She also proposed a reworking of Temple’s FLIGHT shuttle system, citing negative student opinion of the service’s success gathered from canvassing.

CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT

Both campaigns acknowledged the benefts and disruptions to both students and the surrounding community in regards to recent construction developments.

Malka cited the ongoing construction of Paley Hall as disruptive, and promoted the strengthening of relations with the administration through TSG and utilizing their voice on the Board of Trustees to convey its impact on students.

“We want to advocate for the com-

munity to be involved in creating policy, and to work with administration and to have a voice in these matters,” Malka said.

Cardamone broadened the context of development to the surrounding North Broad community and emphasized steps students can take to better their community rather than halting construction, like the Community Service Coalition and the Philly Natives Committee.

“We’re only here for four years, and we have to think about how this afects our surrounding community as well,” Cardamone said.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Both campaigns highlighted increasing student engagement with TSG as a priority. Malka attributed the current lack of engagement to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

TUnited proposed the creation of a TSG-funded fve-day cultural fair, similar to TempleFest, to foster dialogue among diferent campus communities.

Malka also reiterated her commitment to reinstating a student senate, which was dissolved after the 2021-22 academic year.

“Opening our student government to more student involvement and enabling them to have a voice, that’s diversity in a nutshell,” Malka said.

In a later question, Cardamone opposed reinstating the senate, arguing that existing TSG infrastructure suffced, while Malka refrained from arguing against any of Temple Tomorrow’s policies.

Cardamone also proposed creating a communication channel between student leadership, uniting clubs and organizations to advocate for their niche interests collectively. She promoted Temple Tomorrow’s foremost policy, establishing an executive director of diversity, equity and inclusion within TSG to ensure diverse student voices are represented.

kylie.sokoloff@temple.edu

JARED TATZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS Presidential candidates from Temple Tomorrow and TUnited debated Monday in the Howard Gittis Student Center.

CAMPUS

Peer mentorship program expands to all colleges

The collaboration with Mentor Collective will extend to all freshmen in Fall 2025.

BY EVELYN BLOWER News Editor

After receiving a grant from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, Temple will open its Mentor Collective to all incoming freshmen starting in the Fall 2025 semester. The program has been available to incoming freshmen in the College of Liberal Arts for two years.

The Mentor Collective matches upperclassmen with freshmen who share similar interests, life experience or academic background to create a frst-hand peer resource. The platform aims to enhance student success and retention.

“We’re bringing in higher numbers of students who are frst generation, so I think there’s a general consensus among the faculty and staf that we really need to devote more resources to helping this population of students,” said Chris Wolfgang, CLA’s assistant dean for student success. “I don’t know if it’s a pandemic efect in some cases, but there seems to be a lot of loneliness on campus, there are students who aren’t connected with one another.”

Nearly a quarter of surveyed students felt they did not have a strong support system at Temple, and 77% believe it’s hard or takes efort to meet new people on campus, according to a February 2025 poll conducted by The Temple News.

CLA received a grant from alumna Sharon Taylor in 2023 to create the partnership with the Mentor Collective. About 150 students participated that year, and 250 mentors and mentees are currently involved in the program, Wolfgang said.

The APLU announced the grant to Temple to improve student success,

alongside fve other public schools — Northern Illinois University, Stony Brook University in New York, the University of Texas at San Antonio, Pennsylvania State University at Altoona and Prairie View A&M University in Texas. The grants are valid for three years.

Mentors and mentees meet through the Mentor Collective and can chat through its application or continue conversations in person.

“There’s a side of it that we want students to succeed – that is literally why we’re here,” said Dan Berman, vice provost for undergraduate studies. “It’s our mission to educate students and give them degrees, but we’re also working not only on the side of recruiting more students so that our fnances look better, but keeping the ones we have, too”.

Wolfgang and Berman will work on expanding the program this summer and ofer students the peer mentorship program either as a mentor, for primarily upperclassmen, and then mentees, who

could be any frst-year student coming in.

The Mentor Collective facilitates the conversations through a post-checkin sheet that mentors fll out at the end of the meeting, reviewing their conversation and any notes going forward. They can also fag any issues or signs of extreme stress or trouble that might need to be brought to advisors or staf.

“I think it will also just help build a stronger sense of community on Temple’s campus,” said Ashley Hawk, a senior neuroscience major and a peer mentor in CLA. “When you come to campus, you’re already connected with someone who has maybe just one interest [in common with you] but it’s someone you’re able to talk to, reach out to, and I think it will help with any loneliness or overwhelm that you get when you come to college.”

The peer mentorship program is a part of Temple’s recent push to support students before and after they en-

roll at Temple. Following the opening of the One-Stop student services center in Carnell Hall, Temple announced a partnership with Heights Philadelphia for the Future Scholars program, which mentors students from 7th grade to high school and leads to free tuition if a student decides to go to Temple when they graduate.

“I feel like this is part of [the push] too, it’s a way to connect people, and more connections are better,” Berman said. “We have so many students living on or near campus. But we have people coming from all over the city and living in all kinds of diferent places. Sometimes it feels a bit less like a close knit campus community than some schools do. We’re just trying to create more of a culture on campus, helping students succeed but creating community.”

evelyn.blower@temple.edu @evelyn_blower

JEREMY SHOVER / THE TEMPLE NEWS

The Mentor Collective program aims to enhance student success and retention by matching upperclassmen with freshmen who share similar interests.

Vote in TSG’s election

On March 26, Temple’s undergraduate student body will begin voting in the 2025-26 Temple Student Government election. The two campaigns running in this year’s election are TUnited, led by Yaam Malka and William Walker, and Temple Tomorrow, led by Lourdes Cardamone and Janeese Hochstetler.

Both campaigns announced their runs for TSG on March 12 during a Town Hall meeting, The Temple News reported. During the Town Hall, both campaigns presented their initiatives covering topics like transparency, fnances and potential school policy changes.

Students can vote in the upcoming Temple Student Government election on March 26-27. Voting will open to students for two days through UVote, a website that uses student credentials to verify university enrollment. Through UVote, students are given an overview of candidates and their platforms.

Voting for student candidates who will advocate for the entirety of Temple’s student body and what best fts their needs is important. The Editorial Board urges Temple’s student body to actively participate in TSG’s 2025 election. Voting is crucial in making students’ voices heard for the changes they wish to see in the Temple community.

TSG plays an integral part in university administration relations, as those in executive positions are the primary communicators between the Board of Trustees and the student body. They also disperse more than $100,000 from the General Activities Fund to student organizations, fraternities and sororities registered with student activities in good standing.

With TSG serving such a vital role, it’s important for students to vote for who shares their vision for the university’s future.

TUnited’s campaign platform focuses on unity, transparency and enhancing student quality of life and

safety. A key proposal is reinstating a student senate with representatives from either each class level or school.

To promote transparency, TUnited plans to publish governance documents and meeting minutes and provide clear disclosures on TSG budget allocations.

Temple Tomorrow’s platform centers on unity and expanding student access to existing university resources. If elected, the campaign aims to enhance campus safety by refning current programs like the FLIGHT shuttle and walking escort system. They also wish to provide afordability and sustainability programs to alleviate students’ fnancial burdens.

Student government makes changes that students can feel the impact of. In such a large and diverse student population, the next TSG president must refect the student body’s values and desired changes. The only way to make sure that ideal becomes a reality is to cast a vote come election time.

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THE ESSAYIST

How I started planting seeds to my digital gardens

A student refects on building a digital garden to organize their thoughts.

BY OLIVER LOIS ECONOMIDIS Public Engagement Coordinator

In a perfect world, I could be this generation’s Sylvia Plath or perhaps even have published research projects.

Unfortunately, I’m unable to grab a notebook when I’m driving, walking to class or taking a shower to scribble down my spiraling thoughts. Instead, I fall into the depths of my phone because it helps silence the chaos inside my brain.

I’ve spent all my life falling head over heels for fctional realities. I grew up sliding VHS tapes into our DVR and living in my local library, all before my age reached double digits. These fctional living rooms became a home for me, reminding me I’m not alone.

My brain organizes all the content I consume into fles. Yet, the majority of my archives sit covered by dust. I’ve felt ashamed for being what I would call a failure. Others can sit down and eloquently string their thoughts together, but I’m a jumbled mess of handwritten letters and post-it notes.

I’m not sure why I can’t sit down and develop the ideas I have, but I understand part of it’s having Attention Defcit Hyperactivity Disorder. My mind is meant to multitask, but it moves faster than I can keep up with, making it hard to concentrate.

It doesn’t help that it’s normal to only half pay attention to things. It’s common for people to use their phones while watching TV, be distracted on their laptops during class or listening to music when they’re outside.

This has lingered with me for months. I’ve considered switching to a

fip phone to unplug. However, it’s hard to exist without a modern smartphone because my profession is media.

While I was trying to fnd an answer to my dilemma, I went down a YouTube rabbit hole and stumbled upon a video by creator Anna Howard, called “Creating a Digital Garden to End my Doom Scrolling”.

Howard describes a digital garden as a space to connect thoughts by taking notes on the media you consume. It’s taking notes on your experiences and thoughts — it plants all those ideas to create a bigger idea across time. I format mine as journal entries and add quotes with my own interpretations.

As I planted the seeds for my digital garden, it forced me to refect on how I support people in my life. I realized that having real-life experiences changes how we support others as I broke my life into bits and pieces. It requires us to connect to those around us instead of prioritizing parasocial relationships.

This realization unfolded as I refected on being told how my “head-

aches” sound horrible. I felt agitated as I have migraines, not headaches. It felt more constructive for me to apply it to the bigger picture than to build resentment.

An episode of “The Golden Girls” that coincides with my experience infuenced this big picture. A main character’s journey to get a diagnosis mirrored mine: she visited multiple doctors, who dismissed her until fnally receiving an answer.

When I started digital gardening a few weeks ago, I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to make it stick. I hesitated in the beginning, as I didn’t want to commit myself to another failed venture. However, as I kept deliberating, I realized that nothing can grow without a starting point. You have to start something to fail, and with any garden, you must plant a seed.

The harsh truth is that if I don’t produce my ideas, no one else will. If I hesitate to prepare the soil for my online garden, nothing will grow. However, now that I’m past the planting stage, I’m

continuing to water and nurture what I’m planting.

I won’t always be present. But, when I have this plentiful garden of thoughts and ideas, I’ll be able to harvest those into a delicacy. With time, I’ve learned that documenting only takes one step.

The present will never happen again. Thoughts will change as we have experienced them, and if we never write them down, we can’t learn from them.

Like any garden, I can’t predict if every seed I plant will grow. But regardless of what happens, it’ll give me experience in nurturing my ideas into something more. I want to one day look out my window and see what I’ve grown.

oliver.economidis@temple.edu

JUAN COLON / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Embracing tenacity though my female friendships

A student refects on how their friendships helped them gain further perspective on identity.

BY BRADLEY MCENTEE Assistant Opinion Editor

I’ve been naturally drawn to women since I was a child. I thought men were innately scary because they seemed to have a bitterness that made me nervous unlike any other. My closest friends growing up were always girls. At every family function, I would fnd comfort in the arms of my mom and sister, or immediately run to my aunts across the room.

Every time I watched movies or TV shows, I immediately gravitated to female characters because they were more relatable. I originally thought it was just a symptom of being an efeminate gay person, but I eventually learned it was much more.

I didn’t just gravitate towards the normal female characters, but the ones with jagged edges. I had a propensity toward the ones with frayed personalities because they reminded me of a roughness I saw in myself.

I’ve always thought I related to the feminine experience more than the masculine one, because of how I move through the world and the way I process emotions.

I dabbled in the masculine too, playing baseball and taking up slight interests in cars and trucks, but nothing ever ft me. Each time I tried to be like a “normal boy,” it was ill-ftting and awkward, like when you can feel a tag rubbing your neck in a tight shirt.

I always thought that to identify as feminine, it had to happen in pink skirts, foral perfumes and bright patterns. I thought to be a proper gay man, I had to be the stereotypical caricature of a sassy sidekick, like Kurt Hummel from “Glee.”

I tried on those costumes for a while, but it felt just as awkward as the masculine facade I tried years before.

It wasn’t until high school that I gave up the gendered balancing act I’d been doing my entire life. As a dance major at my performing arts school, I was always surrounded by girls with the same passions and interests as me. We were around each other constantly, and in many ways, it was my frst exposure to the palpable power of the feminine bond.

Not only did we get to share our talents and passions, but we struggled together nearly every day. Dancing is a demanding sport, even though it isn’t always recognized as such. Your body is constantly contorted, working against its natural instinct, and pushing itself to the max.

We didn’t only endure the physical training, but also the brain-breaking emotional pressure of encroaching adulthood and the mental degradation that comes from having to stare at your body in the mirror all day. Our sense of community didn’t stop the mental strain from getting to me, but there’s a special

comfort in breaking down around people who share the same experience.

We cried and felt together. We grit our teeth, but we persevered nonetheless. I remember seeing girls run of stage after an intense performance and rip their costumes of for a quick change, only to run out on stage mere seconds later like nothing ever happened.

I saw in them what drew me to femininity before –– the stickiness and tenacity that lies under the surface which was absent from popular depictions of women. Within women is the ability to crumble and bounce back, and my shared experience with the girls I danced with reminded me of that.

Femininity isn’t just the pristine aesthetics the media constantly expects you to embrace. It’s also holed tights, beatdown canvas high tops and greasy hair. This hidden roughness is best seen in a dance show, but it’s only visible to those standing in the curtain.

Dancers taught me about the complexities of femininity I constantly avoided when I was trying to embark on the earliest versions of my journey to self-discovery. I’ve begun to embrace the

attraction to femininity I’ve had since I was a child.

Skin tears, knees bruise and blood fows, sometimes all in the span of a two-minute number. But we all hufed through it and kept pushing forward, no matter how much we bled. There’s a toughness there that I didn’t understand before.

I feel a deep sense of who I am now, but I still don’t label my gender, because it’s quite frankly too complicated to try and stick a label to.

In the aftermath of the girlboss feminist ideal, it felt like to embrace the feminine you had to be either the traditional archetype of either the determined girlboss or docile blonde. But with dance, I saw both exist at the same time within my peers. That same combination exists within me now.

bradley.mcentee@temple.edu

JUAN COLON / THE TEMPLE NEWS

STUDENT

Vote for experience in TSG’s upcoming election

A student argues that students must vote for realistic policies and previous experience in TSG.

BY MCCAILLAIGH ROUSE Opinion Editor

On March 12, two campaigns ofcially announced their candidacies for the 2025-2026 Temple Student Government election — Temple Tomorrow, led by Lourdes Cardamone and Janeese Hochstetler, and TUnited, led by Yaam Malka and William Walker.

Temple Tomorrow is running on a platform defned by unity and increased student access to already available campus resources. Their policies include enhancing Temple’s safety measures. Further, they’re pushing for measures to reduce student’s fnancial burdens and promoting sustainability practices.

TUnited’s campaign is running on the prospect of transparency, improved quality of life and safety. Their policies include reinstating a student senate, consulting with other student governments across the city and working to establish a Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

However, nearly all of TUnited’s policies have previously been or are currently in place at the university by current or past TSG presidents.

Both campaigns have outlined key initiatives to improve Temple, but students should vote for Temple Tomorrow, the campaign with the most attainable goals and experience within TSG.

The two campaign presidents faced of in a debate Monday presenting their plans if elected and discussing key issues they believe impact the student body.

A moderator from The Temple News asked both candidates a series of questions, immediately followed by a student Q&A portion. Both campaigns addressed their stances on policies and shared their opinions on campus improvements.

Throughout this debate, it was exceptionally clear that TUnited has less experience with the structure and institutional responsibilities of TSG.

For example, the moderator asked questions regarding their campaign’s

opinions on campus development and the ramifcations these constructions may have in the surrounding community. TUnited’s Malka stated that the construction disturbs the community of North Central and the lives of the student body.

“[Klein Media construction] completely disrupts the daily life of students and community people,” Malka said. “I think working with the administration and advocating for the community and having people engage with community members to help build policies and work with administration allows them to have a voice that they currently don’t have.”

However, Temple has established the Ofce of Community Afairs and Engagement with the surrounding neighborhoods and community liaisons like Adrea Swan, the director of community and neighborhood afairs.

Further, North Central residents have spoken out with positive thoughts about the new Klein CPCA building expansion, The Temple News reported.

Having experience within TSG is

useful to understanding previous presidents, the process of passing policies and having communication with Temple Administration.

Both Cardamone and Hochstetler of Temple Tomorrow have a history of working with TSG. Temple Tomorrow has the perspective and understanding of what it means to run a campaign that will achieve change.

Many of the policies TUnited proposes don’t have a realistic end goal, like establishing a breakfast menu at the Chick-fl-A on campus and opening it at 7 a.m. Temple’s current Chick-fl-A’s in Morgan Food Court and the Howard Gittis Student Center are Chick-fl-A Express that have set menus and hours. Implementing a breakfast menu would mean training and paying workers more. With the menu expanding in an already limited kitchen, Temple would likely have to open a standard Chickfl-A franchise for this to be feasible.

TSG works to improve campus life by addressing student concerns. Students must care about the policies each

campaign promotes. TSG is the ofcial representative body for Temple students, advocating for their needs and interests to the university administration, faculty and the broader community.

From March 26 to 27, Temple students can cast their votes for the ticket they believe best represents their interests. The election results will be announced on Friday, March 28.

TSG plays a crucial role in representing the student body by advocating for their concerns, safety and overall needs to the university administration. Those elected to these positions are responsible for ensuring that student interests remain a priority in university decision-making.

mccaillaigh.rouse@temple.edu

NILI SCHREIBMAN / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Mixology

Word Search

ALL IN GOOD FUN Beer Brands Crossword

Martini Cosmo Mojito Negroni

Old Fashioned Manhattan Margarita

Long Island Iced Tea

Bloody Mary Moscow Mule

Aperol Spritz

Cosmopolitan

Looking for something to do? Here are some upcoming local North Philly events.

ACROSS

3. This has been the best-selling beer in the U.S. for over 20 years.

4. This beer is a token symbol of the local barroom Bob & Barbara’s Lounge.

7. Budweiser famously uses this grain in their brewing process.

8. Heineken is the ofcial beer of this championship racing competition.

9. This beer has their own campaign called Love Conquers All, which celebrates Pride and the LGBTQ+ community.

10. Coors Lite is brewed using water from this mountain range.

Spring Fest at Wagner Free Institue

SATURDAY, APRIL 5 | 12 - 4 P.M.

1700 West Montgomery Avenue

Celebrate the start of spring with the Wagner Institute where you’ll be able to learn more about the diferent signs of the season.

Carousel of Love: A Community

Baby Shower

SATURDAY, APRIL 12 | 12 - 4 P.M.

1331 East Wyoming Avenue

Celebrate Black Maternal Health Week at this community baby shower hosted by Oshun Family Center in partnership with Temple Women’s Hospital.

DOWN

1. This beer has been around for nearly a century.

2. Stella Artois was originally released as a special brew for this holiday.

3. This beer is the only brand that uses the founder’s name.

5. The name of this beer originated from a fan.

6. The name “Corona” actually means this in Spanish.

8. Miller Lite’s iconic slogan is notably “Great Taste!... Less ____!”

The Harold Barnes Scholarship Fundraiser

SATURDAY, APRIL 5 | 2 - 4 P.M. 1936 Judson Street

The Harold Barnes Scholarship will be providing awards for local North Philly youth in their educational prospects.

Black Men’s Wellness Day

SATURDAY, JUNE 7 | 7 A.M. - 12 P.M.

1816 North 15th Street

Take the steps toward better health at the Black Men’s Wellness Day by participating in free health screenings and enjoying live entertainment with the local North Central community.

sity’s high of 65,189 in 2009.

The second scope’s emissions include purchased electricity, steam and the Green-e RECs that reduce Temple’s net emissions. They purchased 5,651 MTCO2es of RECS in 2024, double from last year’s 2,825 MTCO2es. Still, the number is down from its decade-high purchase of 22,834 MTCO2es in 2016.

The third scope totals commuting, university travel, solid waste emissions and transmissions. Faculty and staf commuting emissions are slightly higher than last year, but student commuting reduced by about 700 MTCO2es. University-fnanced travel increased by 1,000 MTCO2es to 8,259, but hasn’t hit fve digits since 2020 which was its highest recorded year at nearly 12,300 MTCO2es.

The fact sheet measures gross emissions intensity by square foot and by student. Since 2006, the percentage of emission intensity per 1,000 square foot has been cut in half. The gross emission rate per student hovered less than fve percent from 2019 to 2024, when it hit 5.28 gross emission intensity.

Emission quantity is not radically diferent through the three diferent scopes, all within fve thousand MTCO2es of each other. Environmentalists primarily focus on reducing the frst scope of emissions, since it deals directly with fossil fuels which release large amounts of carbon dioxide when burned.

“It would be really impactful for Temple to divest from fossil fuels, it’s a large contributor to our scope one emissions,” said Nikki Ivan, a senior environmental studies major and EcoLead through the Ofce of Sustainability’s EcoRep program. “Overall, it’s just something that I don’t think a university should be supporting.”

CULTURE & ACADEMICS

The culture section of the report focused on diferent on-campus solutions that both students and faculty can contribute to, including food insecurity initiatives and some of the donation programs like Give + Go Green and Temple Thrift.

Though not mentioned in the report, Temple Climate Action has worked since 2022 to spread awareness of sustainability. They partnered with Temple Student Government in May 2024 to

INVESTIGATION

release a statement advocating for Temple’s divestment from fossil fuels.

Temple’s cohort of EcoReps, an organization of students who participate in the Ofce of Sustainability’s development and engagement, held diferent events and collaborations to encourage sustainability around campus. The program began in Fall 2020 and held a total of 88 events last year for environmental education and advocacy.

“Oftentimes when people think about sustainability and environmentalism as a whole, they often feel that there’s not much that can be done, like it’s something we can’t fx,” Ivan said. “I think understanding that there are solutions and promoting sustainability and environmental advocacy, it’s something that is really impactful and can make a diference.”

The Cherry Pantry, a free-to-use pantry for students, faculty and staf, distributes canned goods and fresh vegetables from the Temple Community Garden. Students can use the pantry once per week and total visits have doubled, from 4,830 visits in 2022-23 to 9,061 visits last year. The program launched in 2018 after the university conducted a survey that revealed 35% of students experience food insecurity.

The sector of academics and research aims to increase sustainability course oferings to teach students sustainability engagement and curricula. Temple ofered sustainability courses in 80 departments — an increase from 68 in 2017 — during the 2023-24 year, surpassing its goal of a two-department increase by 2022.

One of the 2016-17 goals was to ofer an increase of 10 sustainability courses by 2022. Temple has decreased the number of sustainability courses by 33 since 2016, as of 2023. Sustainability-inclusive courses, which are classes that include topics of sustainability, have decreased by 36 from the 2016 baseline.

“It’s just the hypocrisy of [academics and sustainability],” Fowler said. “They’re adding all of these unnecessary programs and classes, and not amplifying the classes and information that is integral to climate action and sustainability.”

SUSTAINABILITY TRACKING

Temple uses a certifcation process from the Association for the Advance-

ment of Sustainability in Higher Education — the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System. The most recent four-year certifcation was submitted in 2023, and Temple received its frst, and highest, Gold rating with a score of 66.57. The highest possible rating is platinum, with 85 minimum points needed.

Temple lacks the framework to complete diferent STARS standards. The university doesn’t plan to pursue green building codes and ratings in building design and construction, nor do they utilize their own zero clean and renewable electricity sources and doesn’t invest in sustainable industries, businesses or funds as of 2023.

The certifcation is valid until February 2027, when Temple will most likely self-report its data again. Schools can self-report their data each year, according to the STARS website.

“Another thing students can do is be aware of this data and understand it,” Collins said. “We need students to be raising their voice about the necessity of these programs and really thinking critically about Temple’s impact and making sure we’re doing our part for the city of Philadelphia.”

The Ofce of Sustainability includes Burkholder, Collins and Bryce Forys, the sustainability coordinator. The ofce has not yet met with President John Fry.

“That report makes a lot of big claims, and three people cannot do that,” Fowler said. “They cannot do it healthily, and they cannot do it well, and it’s nothing about them – they’re great people who really care, and they’re overworked and they don’t have enough funding. I’d like to see the Ofce of Sustainability get more funding, more staf people and more agency.”

Collins stressed the long-term efforts of the Ofce of Sustainability’s work.

“It takes a lot of engagement across the university over time to really make sure we are investing our time and fnances in ways that are going to have a payof that are really reasonable and meaningful,” Collins said. “Y’all are here for four years, so it may not seem like that there are things happening, or not quickly enough – I promise you we are working on so many things, and sometimes it just takes time to achieve that.”

evelyn.blower@temple.edu @evelyn_blower

FERNANDO GAXIOLA / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple used 687 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2024, a 10% increase from 2023.

LIVE in Philly

Brewing up spring with a Fishtown block party

BY NOEL CHACKO Staff Photographer

Front Street was shut down in front of Evil Genius Beer Company for a spring celebration of craft beer, community and creativity on March 22. “Sprung! A Spring Block Party” brought together local vendors, families and beer enthusiasts for an afternoon of fun.

Evil Genius Beer Company, located on North Front Street near Palmer Street for eight years, has built a reputation of hosting block parties that go beyond beer tasting, partnering with vendors and food trucks to attract attendees.

“We’ve always wanted to be a place where you can kind of bring anybody and enjoy yourself and enjoy great beer in the process. And, you know, these events are great for us to really bring everybody together in one shared space,” said Ryan Keller, marketing manager at Evil Genius Beer Company.

Local entrepreneurs have found block parties to be a signifcant oppor-

tunity for growth, allowing them to gain exposure to people who may not otherwise know about their stores.

“Doing pop up markets helps us connect with the community,” said Lauren Fithian, owner of Shop Later Dudes, a vintage store that specializes in coats. “[It] helps us connect with local businesses, other resellers. It also just gets the shop’s name out.”

For many vendors like Fithian, the event is more than just a sales opportunity — it’s a community bridge that narrows the gap between local businesses and a broader audience.

Attendees enjoyed a fun day of par-

tying in the streets, listening to a wide variety of music, eating food and shopping. Nicole Schott, a Temple alumna and registered nurse, enjoyed spending time with her friends at the block party.

“I really enjoy all the pop up shops, was able to purchase a few things, the environment itself with the music and the nice weather,” Schott said. “Now that it’s fnally spring, it’s nice to see everyone out and about and enjoy themselves and their families.”

noel.chacko@temple.edu

NOEL CHACKO/ THE TEMPLE NEWS

An employee from Evil Genius Beer Company flls a cup with beer.

Evil Genius Beer Company’s spring block party blended craft beer and local vendors.

From top to bottom:

Attendees line up to try beers from Evil Genius Beer Company.

Staff from Evil Genius Beer Company fulfll orders from customers.

Front Street was shut down in front of Evil Genius Beer Company for a spring celebration of craft beer, community and creativity on Saturday March 22.

From top to bottom:

Local vendors sell items to block party attendees.

Shop Later Dudes, a vintage shop, displays its items at the block party.

Evil Genius Beer Company, located on North Front Street near Palmer.

NOEL CHACKO / THE TEMPLE NEWS

2025 BAR GUIDE

BAR GUIDE

From the Editor

I’ve always thrived in social settings, but more than that, I need them to feel fulflled. As my friends and I are about to graduate, our social time becomes limited with internships, hefty course loads and the uncertainty of what a full-time job will mean for our daily hangouts.

The weekend ofers a relief for me, providing well-needed moments where I can put my week’s rigor behind me and melt into a bar’s booth with a gin and tonic in hand. Nothing fuels my heart more than hearing my friend’s laughter, blending into the roar of strangers flling the space around us — who likely waited for the weekend to do the same.

There’s something electric about the collective experience of being a college student in a bar, surrounded by strangers who you know share similar tastes. Whether grinning ear to ear on the Franky Bradley’s dance foor, playing a round of pool at Bufalo Billiards or putting on your fnest outft for a specialty cocktail at the Ranstead Room, Bar Guide ofers a space for everyone.

Temple ofers a unique trifecta for students living near campus with Pub Webb and Maxi’s hosting the perfect Thursday night out, along with the newly established Peabody providing a Temple-themed menu and student-centric experience.

In this year’s Bar Guide, The Temple News takes newly 21-year-olds through the nightlife experience of a lifetime. Inside peeks include a guide on how to order from a bar, our 16 must-see bar recommendations and features on some of the most prominent bars in the city.

Get out there, have fun and, most importantly, be safe.

Cheers,

Bayleh Alexander

Features Editor

Delays at The Peabody

The bar’s launch was pushed back for years before new ownership opened it last month.

BY BAYLEH ALEXANDER Features Editor

Andrew Rosso had been eagerly anticipating the opening of The Peabody for more than a year. He frst noticed the storefront decorated with posters and QR codes encouraging passersby to apply for positions. However, the link was broken, and the establishment’s opening seemed to be perpetually delayed, putting his excitement on hold.

The Peabody, which fnally opened three weeks ago, ofers Rosso a new on-campus drinking experience. But the bar still needs some work, he said.

“Maxi’s has the reputation, I feel like, of having that Thursday night campus bar and then Pub Webb is also right there with it,” said Rosso, a senior graphic and interactive design major. “[The Peabody] just feels like it needs some time to really fnd itself.”

Glu Hospitality, the former owner and operator of The Peabody, partnered with Temple and planned to open the bar in Fall 2022. However, amid years of unexplained delays, the opening was rescheduled for November 2024, only to be postponed again for several months. At last, the establishment had its ofcial opening in late February.

Less than a month after The Peabody’s long-awaited opening, Glu Hospitality shut down due to a Department of Labor investigation amid wage theft allegations and lawsuits, The Temple News reported.

“Glu never really opened [The Peabody], it’s been opened under new ownership,” said Derek Gibbons, the former partial owner of Glu Hospitality.

Gibbons declined to identify the new owners, but specifed they’re individuals and not afliated with a restaurant group.

Gibbons took on The Peabody as part of a larger efort to expand the franchise to Cecil B. Moore Avenue, follow-

ing the successful opening of Bagels and Co. with fellow Glu Hospitality operator Tim Lu a few months earlier.

However, delays set in shortly after construction began. They hadn’t anticipated the former Draught Horse location would require a complete interior gutting, but none of the previously existing plumbing or mechanical fxtures could be reused, Gibbons said.

Glu Hospitality struggled fnancially in their remaining months, and Lu told the Inquirer they had taken too much onto their plate in an efort to expand their restaurants across the city.

Gibbons also credited many of the delays to various state inspectors and the desire to open the bar at an opportune time for its college campus crowd. As the owner of several restaurants around the city, Glu knew to expect setbacks and challenges along the way. The added pressure to open during a time when students were on campus, however, was an unexpected obstacle for the company.

Although The Peabody is under new ownership, Temple’s Director of Real Estate Gina Rubinic is working to assure the Temple community that its branding and overall experience will not change.

Rubinic oversaw Glu’s lease agreement with Temple and worked to ensure The Peabody adds to the community in an intentional way. Opening The Peabody and Bagels and Co. on Cecil B. Moore is part of the university’s larger efort to expand open storefronts.

“It’s important, the more businesses and enterprises happening on Cecil B. Moore,” Rubinic said. “That means people sitting having a cup of cofee. That means people walking in and out of businesses. The more foot trafc, the better, the more people are there in the morning and at night. And that just contributes to safety.”

Rosso said.

bayleh.alexander@temple.edu

BAR GUIDE

Night Owls fock to these campus watering holes

Maxi’s, Pub Webb and The Peabody provide Temple’s community with nightlife.

BY MIKE NONNEMAKER Assisant Features Editor

Trey Jones has spent the past seven months checking IDs and keeping the peace at Maxi’s, one of Temple’s most well-known bars. It’s the vibrant energy flling the place each night that makes it easy for him to enjoy the job.

“I like getting to see everyone, meeting new people especially,” said Jones, a junior business management major and bouncer at Maxi’s. “The atmosphere is great. Everyone is happy when they come in here.”

Temple’s nightlife primarily revolves around three on-campus bars: Maxi’s, Pub Webb and the newest edition to campus, The Peabody. Each offers a distinct experience, from sports bar energy, to dive bar charm to a casual sit-down experience. Together, they provide the community with a variety of options for a night out without leaving campus.

Maxi’s, located at the heart of Main Campus on Liacouras Walk, is known for its lively energy, signature pizza and role as a go-to stop for a night out. The bar draws crowds for its prime location and weekly events like karaoke and trivia. It also ofers a variety of drink specials throughout the week and late-night food options, making it a popular spot to socialize and relax with friends.

Maxi’s is also a bustling game day destination, attracting students and alumni to watch their favorite teams. On big sports nights, the bar packs with fans, cheering between bites of pizza and rounds of drinks. Maxi’s, a campus staple since 2005, is a tradition for many in the Temple community.

Across Broad Street on Cecil B. Moore Avenue near Sydenham Street, Pub Webb ofers a more laid-back, classic dive bar feel. With afordable drinks and pub food, it attracts students looking for a casual hangout.

“I just like the dive bar vibe,” said

Jimmy Falcone, a senior sport and recreation management major. “I feel like you would never think you’re in North Philadelphia when you walk in this bar. The wings are fantastic, great wings on Thursday night. It’s always a good vibe.”

Along with a relaxed atmosphere, students don’t have to break the bank at Pub Webb. Taco Tuesdays and Thursday wing nights are among their most popular days of the week, while the cheap drafts and mixed drinks keep costs low. With deals throughout the week, it’s not uncommon to see students flling the bar after a day of classes.

Though tucked farther away from campus, Pub Webb has become a go-to destination for students and community members. Its classic pub fare and occasional live music have kept it a beloved Temple tradition for the past 15 years.

The Peabody, the newest addition to Temple’s nightlife scene, stands out with its blend of upscale charm and school spirit. Unlike Maxi’s and Pub Webb, it ofers a more curated, sit-down experience, drawing a crowd that appreciates a more traditional bar experience mixed with a hint of elegance.

General Manager AJ De Jesus believes the bar’s potential for success lies in its ability to cater to diferent parts of the Temple community.

“You know, what’s really cool about

this place is we can cater to two diferent sides of the school,” said De Jesus. “So with our menu and our cocktails, we have things that are geared towards professors, deans, faculty and staf involved throughout the school.”

The bar seamlessly integrates Temple’s school spirit into its oferings with sections like “The Dean’s List,” which features high-end craft cocktails and “The Student Section,” which offers clever takes on afordable classics. Drinks like the “Bell Tower Sour” and “Beury on the Beach” give a nod to Temple’s school spirit, making the bar an inviting spot for both alumni and current students.

The bar sets itself apart from other campus staples, ofering a more traditional sit-down restaurant experience and a spacious venue, including private rooms for events.

These three bars – Maxi’s, Pub Webb, and The Peabody – serve as gathering spots where students, alumni, faculty and community members come together. Whether it’s for a casual drink, a lively event or a game-day celebration, these bars create a space where diverse groups of people can connect, share experiences and enjoy the vibrant energy of Temple’s social scene.

“You have a group of students to one side of the bar, and then you have a group of gentlemen that work for the facilities department,” De Jesus said. “It’s that mesh and that combination which is really nice to see.”

mike.nonnemaker@temple.edu

BRIAN NELSON, SARAH MADDEN / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple University is home to three bars on and around campus including Pub Webb, Maxi’s and The Peabody.

BAR GUIDE

DJs, drag queens and drinks at Franky Bradley’s

Both queer and straight 20-somethings gather at the Gayborhood bar-club combo.

BY BAYLEH ALEXANDER Features Editor

When Kendall Swirles frst turned 21, her older friends urged her to check out Franky Bradley’s. Within one visit, Swirles knew this was the bar for her and quickly gathered the rest of her friends to turn this visit into a weekly endeavor.

Eventually, Swirles’ Frankey Bradley’s habit got out of hand. Her and her friend’s unwillingness to explore other watering holes begged light-hearted intervention.

“We just had a press call, like a group conference about how we need to branch out because we only go there,” said Swirles, a senior community development major. “Just the vibe that is curated is so incredibly good.”

Franky Bradley’s, located in the heart of Philadelphia’s Gayborhood on Chancellor Street near Juniper, is a booming nightlife hub catering to all ends of the LGBTQ spectrum alongside a consistent heterosexual customer base. Temple students, along with other 20-somethings in the city, fock to their disco-themed rooms weekly for a night almost assured to be a positive experience.

Their whimsical interior, accompanied by talented DJ sets, burlesque performances, drag shows and lively dance foors, caters to every individual who walks through their doors — so long as they’re willing to embrace its quirkiness.

“The rooms are really crazy because every time I go in one it’s a diferent vibe in there,” Swirles said. “And [my friends and I] all kind of fnd something that we love in it, whether it’s the music or we’re talking to a random person.”

Described as a “house of the weird” by manager Davy Morreale, the bar-andclub duo features three rooms with bars and seating on the ground foor, along with two dance foors and another bar tucked between them on the top level.

Morreale has been with Franky

Bradley’s since its opening in 2015, and his passion for the establishment has only grown during the years. As general manager, he played a key role in the expansion to B. West, a club addition that joined the original building in 2022.

Attention to the particular is the primary method bar management uses to set Franky’s apart from other Philly bars.

“The devil’s in the details,” Morreale said.

Franky’s isn’t a gay or straight bar, he added. It’s rather an open-ended space hosting an array of events for every audience.

“Even St. Patrick’s Day, I think we had a Lady Gaga drag show in here, a Robin Williams burlesque show upstairs, an Irish band playing in the B. West club, and then that was even before we went into club mode,” Morreale said.

Managing six bars in one establishment and producing multiple shows at the same time is no easy feat, but Morreale credits his staf for cultivating a hard-working and supportive community that makes the work fy by easier.

Andrew Compaine, a DJ and sound tech that has been with Franky’s since their opening in 2015, was drawn to the venue for its versatility and opportunities. His roles at the venue allow him to diferentiate diferent sonic identities each dance room has. Compaine colloquially defnes the main dance room as the “straight room” and the B. West dance room as the “gay room.”

The main dance foor, located in the original Franky’s building, holds a larger number of dancers and plays more mainstream music, such as the top 40 hit remix, Compaine said. The other dance room in B. West is a bit more of-thebeaten-path and plays more EDM and house music.

“Franky’s sort of developed prior to B. West opening,” Compaine said. “It developed a straight clientele, I think, incidentally, because of maybe, college kids. So B. West is supposed to be the more intentionally queer part of the project.”

While not a part of the LGBTQ community herself, Swirles’ friend group is

comprised of both hetero and homosexual identities. Franky’s ofers them a safe space where no matter the identity, the overarching aim is to ensure everyone is having a positive and safe club experience, she said.

Morreale echoed the same sentiment and said Franky’s clientele is not intended for one identity, but for anyone who honors their intention to create a safe space for queer identities and beyond.

“As long as you are welcoming and kind and safe and like you’re open to everything, it’s a safe space for everybody,” Morreale said. “It boils down to the exact same thing. We said this when we were frst about to open 10 years ago, or more than that now, and we have never veered away from that.”

bayleh.alexander@temple.edu

SARAH MADDEN / THE TEMPLE NEWS Frankey Bradley’s is located at the corner of Chancellor and Juniper streets.

8 BROWNIE’S

It’s an under-the-radar hole in the wall with cheap drinks and a hidden living-room-esque space upstairs with a fat screen TV, pool table and a separate TouchTunes machine that only plays to the speakers on the top foor.

CAVANAUGH’S RIVERDECK

The waterfront restaurant and beer garden turn into a club after the sun goes down, making it a versatile option for any type of drinker.

13 THE EL BAR

The late-night, cash-only vibe keeps customers entranced for hours, whether it’s enjoying a billiards game, singing karaoke or sipping on a cheap beer.

15 9

JOHNNY BRENDA’S

Johnny Brenda’s is a longtime Fishtown staple, offering Philadelphians stellar performances, food and drink since 1967. The large venue consistently hosts indie and rock bands to play while patrons enjoy a beer and burger alongside the show.

11 GARAGE

As its name hints, it’s a former auto shop gutted out and transferred into a bar. There is an abundance of seating, skeeball, lots of bar space and massive TVs for sporting events.

14 12

URBAN SALOON

Their wide selection of craft beers and signature cocktails makes it the perfect spot to catch the game, enjoy casual conversation and savor comfort food.

FRANKFORD HALL

In the summer it’s a half-indoor, half-outdoor vibe-fest with good weather, massive mugs of German beer and quality food. Make sure to grab the jumbo Bavarian pretzel.

KHYBER PASS PUB

This two-room bar in Old City is one of the neighborhood’s best. The left side is a loud upscale dive while the right features a slow, sit-down environment.

16 SASSAFRAS

This cozy, dimly lit bar is tucked away in the heart of Old City, offering an authentic charm that extends to its carefully crafted signature cocktails.

BAR GUIDE

Spelunking into Philly’s underground bar scene

A handful of local venues are trying to revive the local speakeasy culture.

BY JADON GEORGE Features Staff Writer

Taylor Swift’s character dies no more than 10 minutes into “Amsterdam,” a 1933 period piece so unproftable and critically controversial that killing her of may have saved Swift’s career. Its other uber-famous bit player was Robert DeNiro. Half scene-stealer, half saving grace, DeNiro’s turn as a real-life decorated general who rejects a corporatist plot to install him as dictator breathed life into a flm whose major stars never quite seemed to crack its morass.

The general in question, Smedley Darlington Butler of West Chester, Pennsylvania, had put down nationalist insurgencies around the world: Filipino anti-imperialists, Mexican reconquistadores, Chinese Boxers.

In the mid-1920s, Pennsylvania offcials asked Butler to put down Philadelphia’s liquor industry. For nearly a half-decade after the country enacted the Prohibition, many major cities refused to take it seriously. Doctors prescribed spirits for ailments ranging from cold to chronic pain. The mafa built networks of bootleggers and speakeasies to meet public demand. And local law enforcement pocketed bribes as the price of looking away.

“Alcohol might have been illegal, but it was everywhere,” wrote American studies professor Stephen Nepa in an email interview with The Temple News.

The Fighting Quaker ordered raids on 900 speakeasies in his frst two days as Philly’s public safety director and rooted out ofcials he deemed corrupt. But in December 1925, a chorus of local power brokers decried Butler’s closures of posh speakeasies. He resigned in disgust.

“Cleaning up Philadelphia is worse than any battle I was ever in,” Butler later said.

Speakeasies were moot once Prohibition ended in 1933. Yet the taste for

their transgressive magic remains: Basement bars and Insomnia Cookies back rooms have taken to calling themselves “speakeasies.” And in a narrow, winding nook on the 1700 block of Rittenhouse Square, there sits one of Philadelphia’s two most prominent modern-day speakeasies, The Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company.

The Franklin, Friday night, dealt in neither: Its upper foors served as a rustic luxury hotel, governed by the ceaseless motions of a wiry, dreadlocked man named Stephen.

Yet clusters remained downstairs, at a dark green door at the lobby’s end. “Here for the bar?” he’d ask. No passwords, cover charges or even dress codes. All they had to do was nod, and he’d wave them into a barroom dimly lit by hanging lights.

Not exactly a secret space.

Head bartender Nico Diaz long worked at Philadelphia’s other speakeasy, the Ranstead Room. The Franklin frst opened in 2009, shuttered during the pandemic, and returned with a vengeance in 2022, boasting not only a fresh menu of drinks but a calendar of special events and pop-ups.

Diaz found himself drawn to the challenge of helping revive a fabled, speakeasy-style cocktail bar. And he loved juggling interactions and expectations with and from The Franklin’s customers: It was a weekend, the room was abuzz and the head bartender was constantly behind the counter, beneath a shaker or beside a customer.

“The guest exchange is probably my favorite part of what I do,” Diaz said. “It’s why I’ve been doing this for so long.”

The Temperance movement didn’t just obsess about what people consumed. It fretted about who was allowed to consume it. The era’s press and pop culture cast Irish Catholics as unruly alcoholics, for instance; Mexican Americans found themselves associated with marijuana use. To control the use of substances was to control its users.

“There’s always been an efort, in America, to associate ethnic groups with substance abuse of some kind in an ef-

fort to justify prejudice, segregation and pushing them out of the mainstream,” said journalism professor Linn Washington, who routinely teaches about drugs, the press and the prevalence of ethnic stereotypes.

Temperance attempted to trim the defnition of who was worthy to be American. Yet its megaphone, Henry Ward Beecher, became one of the nation’s leading abolitionists. Prohibition arose, not coincidentally, in an age of unprecedented racial terror and sexual angst. Yet speakeasies often ignored segregation laws and hosted drag performances.

Exclusivity is one thing today’s speakeasies don’t seem interested in.

“I think it’s important that the speakeasy doesn’t take itself too seriously,” said Diaz, as still more patrons from seemingly of the street streamed in and took seats. “I mean, how authentic of a speakeasy are you if you have an Insta-

gram and a website with your address?”

Butler died in Philadelphia in June 1940, convinced that his military service had been, in his words, “a racket.” His crusade against fascism had nearly gotten him court-martialed; he died as the free world careened towards a fateful collision with Europe’s authoritarians.

Imperialism, corruption, alcoholism, fascism — the banes of Smedley P. Butler’s existence. If only he could see us now.

jadon@temple.edu @jgeorgescribe

JADON GEORGE / THE TEMPLE NEWS Speakeasies like The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Company call back to the mid-1920s abolitionist Philadelphia.

SPORTS

What to expect from Owls’ new defense in 2025

FOOTBALL Temple’s defense is looking to fip the script under defensive coordinator Brian Smith.

BY RYAN MACK Sports Editor

For much of the 2024 season, Temple’s defense struggled immensely, a recurring theme under former head coach Stan Drayton. The team fnished last in the American Athletic Conference in rushing defense, giving up 227 rushing yards per game.

While the Owls’ pass defense fared better, the unit wasn’t able to atone for its rushing faults. Temple fnished ffth in the AAC in passing defense and recorded six interceptions in a four game span. However, the secondary still had its fair share of issues toward the end of the season and Drayton was fred with just two games remaining.

Former Sam Houston State head coach K.C. Keeler was hired to replace Drayton and he brought in former Rice defensive coordinator Brian Smith to run a unit in desperate need of improvement.

The pair had never coached together before, but Smith spent seven seasons in Houston cultivating a premier defense. Smith became so highly regarded that he was announced to be retained by newly hired Rice head coach Scott Abell. But that’s when Keeler swooped in.

“The opportunity here, just at Temple, there’s so much history and talent in the area,” Smith said. “It’s a dream job for me. It’s always a place that I kind of pinpointed as, if I ever had an opportunity to go work there and coach there and be close to home, I wanted a chance to be here because the area has so much talent, a lot of untapped and undeveloped talent.”

Temple is now preparing for the 2025 season with its fourth defensive coordinator in fve seasons. Keeler has emphasized a physical brand of football and the defense will be at the forefront of making sure that happens. While spring ball has only just started, the Owls are hoping to turn their Achilles heel into a strength.

“There’s some talent out there on

defense,” Keeler said. “I’ll be really disappointed if we can’t be a top third in the league, sort of defense. That’s what we’re going to have to hang our hat on. We’re gonna have to hang our hat on playing great defense, being able to run the football play.”

That scheme will emphasize the importance of getting to the quarterback — something Temple has lacked. Temple was among the bottom of the conference in sacks last season and its pressure from the defensive line was unable to afect opposing quarterbacks. Smith will hope to change that, as his Rice defense ranked third in the AAC in sacks in 2024 and seventh in 2023.

That just means the bread and butter of the defense will have to be the secondary.

“From a competitive standpoint, I think we have a really good group of guys that want to go out and compete at a really high level,” said cornerbacks coach Henry Baker. “There’s some com-

petition out there within the room and guys are sitting there vying for their spot in depth chart, but one thing I think that they’re doing is they’re fnding a way to be able to build chemistry within the room.”

The Owls lost starters from its secondary but revamped the room in the winter. Smith led a defense that was the top pass defense in the AAC last season at Rice and he’s looking to fnd a way to continue that at Temple in 2025.

Expect the secondary to use a man coverage look throughout next season, barring any changes. Cornerback Ben Osueke has become a leader heading into his third season at Temple and will be an important part of the group. Temple brought two FCS transfers in Omar Ibrahim from Hampton and Jaylen Castleberry from Youngstown State who will be plugged in as well.

Temple’s defense is subject to change, before it opens the season against UMass on Aug. 30. However the team is still

trying to cultivate its new culture and system before the season kicks into full gear and that comes from competition.

“I believe in breeding a culture of competition, ” Baker said. “Iron sharpens iron right now I don’t want anybody to feel too comfortable. Everybody should feel like, every time they step out there, they have a chip on their shoulder and they have something to prove. So you always want to be able to add talented guys to the room anytime you can.”

ryan.mack0001@temple.edu @Ryan_mack18

LANDON STAFFORD / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Temple is now preparing for the 2025 season after fnishing 5th in the AAC in passing defense and recorded six interceptions in four consecutive games.

Owls looking to build of last year’s momentum

CREW Temple is using the shortcomings of its 2024 season as fuel in 2025.

BY RYAN MACK Sports Editor

At the end of last season, Temple put an end to its year-long struggles by cruising to a second place fnish in the Jeferson Dad Vail Regatta — the second largest regatta in the country — on May 2.

But despite fnding some late season success, the Owls had still fallen short of their ultimate goal of advancing to the IRA National Championships.

Temple needed its First Varsity boat to fnish frst to qualify for the event but came in second behind Drexel on a photo fnish. While the Owls’ second Varsity boat secured a victory in its race, it still wasn’t enough to qualify. As they prepare for the 2025 season, the team’s goal has been to continue the foundation it built in head coach Brendan Cunningham’s frst season.

“It was good energy and building on the momentum coming of of last year,” Cunningham said. “I think that was the focus of this fall, was continuing that momentum that we’ve built.”

The Owls were constantly looking ahead of their opponents last season. Instead of taking it day by day, the team had their sights set on IRA’s — something that eventually came back to bite them, said rower Sebastian Rawson.

Cunningham brought in Michael Moore, a Temple Crew alum and Olympian in the 1992 Summer Olympics, to talk to the team before the Owls’ frst expedition. Moore harped to the team about the importance of the hard work they put in before and during the season. Temple is now primed to build on the success if found at the end of last year during its upcoming 2025 season.

“[Moore] told us that the crews that win Dad Vails are not the crews that wake up feeling good and they’re feeling like this is they’re going to shock the world,’” Rawson said. “‘They’re the teams that in the bitter colds in March and February, that’s when the training is tough and the mornings are not very nice to you, those the teams that work

hard, then the fruits of their labor will show up at Dad Vails.’ I think that’s a true testimony to what rowing is.”

The team’s mindset has completely changed going into the season after the program went through an adjustment period during Cunningham’s frst year. Many players struggled to buy into the new culture he was trying to set and it took a while for them to get fully on board. However, everybody went into winter training motivated and ready to hit the ground running.

The veterans on the team are a big reason why the motivation spiked. Twelve seniors are returning for the spring season and their demeanor will set the tone of the fall. Despite rowing under the old regime, they helped usher in a new era and the rest of the team took notice.

“I feel like all of us are really joined together on having the same goals,” said senior captain Kevin Harvell. “We kind of discussed that with Cunningham at the beginning of the season in the fall.

Our goals for the season and then being able to have the same overall goal and aspect for the team itself.”

The underclassmen have learned from the older athlete’s teachings during the ofseason. With Cunningham’s culture in full efect, the younger players have seen what it takes to win and want to ensure the same heartbreak doesn’t strike again this season.

Rawson was on the second varsity boat and witnessed the frst varsity boat’s photo fnish. Knowing they were so close to punching a ticket to IRA’s has been fuel for this season.

“Watching from the sideline since I was in the second varsity boat, I was able to see this margin,” Rawson said. “Being in that position and being able to see it from that angle really motivated me and then motivated the guys around me who were also watching it. Either if they were in the boat or watching from the sidelines.”

Temple’s goal since the fall has been to reach a championship, and they

think their preparation has been strong enough to make it happen. After being within seconds of accomplishing that dream last season, the sense of urgency to do so this year is even higher.

“Coming of of last year was kind of like a stepping ground,” Harvell said. “We of like saw what we can do, how we could push ourselves to go further. We knew how we could be able to push ourselves to do more and be able to compete at a higher level.”

ryan.mack0001@temple.edu @Ryan_mack18

LOOKING FOR IMPROVEMENT

Temple Lacrosse has struggled out of the gate but is looking to fnd momentum as conference play ramps up.

BY AUSTIN BOYNES Lacrosse Beat Reporter

Heading into this season, Temple Lacrosse felt confdent after securing an American Athletic Conference tournament appearance from last season. But after losing 11 players, including four of the team’s top fve scorers, it knew repeating that success was going to be a difcult task.

The goal wasn’t completely out of reach with a number of key players returning to head coach Bonnie Rosen’s squad, including attacker Amelia Wright, midfelder Erin King and goalkeeper Taylor Grollman.

Wright, who was expected to take the ofensive lead, did so with 12 goals in the frst three games. But Temple’s hopes of returning to the AAC tournament took a blow when Wright went down with an injury against St. Joe’s on Feb. 19.

The Owls (2-7, 0-1 American Athletic Conference) have fallen of a clif since, going 1-5 following her injury.

“It’s not necessarily about flling Amelia’s shoes just because we’re all very diferent players and nobody is going to replicate her skill,” King said. “I think adjusting and picking up in other places to try to pile on more goals but just trying to build on everyone’s strengths so that we can be a stronger team.”

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Temple’s

KAYLA MCMONAGLE / THE TEMPLE NEWS

chances of returning to the AAC tournament disappeared after attacker Amelia Wright went down with an injury against St. Joe’s on Feb. 19.