TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2017 VOL. 95 ISS. 25
temple-news.com @thetemplenews
A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921. NFL DRAFT
Reddick poised to be NFL first-round pick Former defensive lineman Haason Reddick was a walk-on when he came to Temple in 2012. By OWEN MCCUE Sports Editor
JENNY KERRIGAN FILE PHOTO Student Body President Aron Cowen (center), listens while a candidate talks during the Temple Student Government debate last year.
Separation of powers a source of conflict in TSG The two branches have clashed over defining Parliament’s role. By JULIE CHRISTIE News Editor
A
s Temple Student Government approaches the end of its first semester with a new legislative body, one topic has become a sticking point among its members, the campaigns running for next year, and the student body — How independent is Parliament, and is it able to function effectively? When Aron Cowen, the current student body president, took office last May, his administration
began creating a legislative branch, with the goal of better representing the views of the student body. The 37-seat Parliament held its first meeting in January. Since then, it has passed resolutions on topics like recovery housing and the university administration’s stance on becoming a sanctuary campus for undocumented students. Parliament then began to push for more independence from the Executive Branch, which had been closely guiding the new branch in its opening months. Discord grew when representatives began to see that guidance as oversight and the branches as less than separate. The Temple News spent the last three weeks examining the relationship between Parliament and the Executive Branch after learn-
ing of the tension between the two branches. This involved interviews with members of each branch, and reviewing documents The Temple News obtained. The debate about the separation of powers in TSG focuses on what its constitution does and does not allow. This is what we know: Parliament has been struggling with the Executive Branch denying them privileges to speak to the media and administrators. The tension grew when Cowen participated in a Parliament meeting on March 20, during the debate portion of proposing the resolutions. Both branches are working on
TSG BRANCHES | PAGE 3
Haason Reddick thought he was going to be a “regular college student” when he got accepted to Temple. Injuries ended his junior and senior seasons at Haddon Heights High School in Haddon Heights, New Jersey, limiting the highlight reel he could show college coaches. After some prodding from his father and a call to family friend and Temple’s former defensive backs coach Francis Brown, Reddick walked onto the team in 2012.
Five years later, Reddick is poised to be a first-round pick in this month’s NFL draft. “I came so far,” Reddick said at Temple’s Pro Day in March. “Literally from the bottom. Two injuries in high school … to walking on, being overlooked, to finally getting my chance to play football again. Now I’m being able to go play in the NFL. That’s just amazing.” CBSSports.com ranks Reddick as the top outside linebacker in the draft and the 13th-best prospect overall. He is a consensus first-round pick in several mock drafts. Three Temple players have been drafted in the first round of past NFL drafts. Offensive lineman John Rienstra
REDDICK | PAGE 16
GENEVA HEFFERNAN/THE TEMPLE NEWS Former defensive lineman Haason Reddick holds the American Athletic Conference Championship trophy after the Owls’ victory against Navy on Dec. 3.
MORE ABOUT TSG Voting for next year’s representatives begins. PAGE 2 The Editorial Board sounds off on friction between branches. PAGE 4
Conveying repressed emotions through film A master’s of film and media arts alumna’s film debuted on Netflix on March 15. By EMILY SCOTT Features Editor When Heidi Saman finished graduate school, she was nervous. Her anxiety partially had to do with entering the workforce at the beginning of the 2008 recession — one of the largest declines in economic activity since the Great Depression. But it also had to do with being a first-generation American. “I was so worried that I wasn’t going to be employable,” said Saman, whose parents are from Egypt. “I really felt like I couldn’t pursue filmmaking immediately, and I felt like I had to be
an employed person that would make my parents happy.” Saman, a 2007 master’s of film and media arts alumna, directed, wrote and produced “Namour,” a film that discusses the concept of feeling stuck through the perspective of an Egyptian-American named Steven, who works in Los Angeles as a valet driver. It premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June 2016 and made its Netflix debut on March 15. “Namour” also received assistance from Array, an organization that produces films by women of color and helps get them into theaters and on viewing platforms. It was started by Ava DuVernay, a filmmaker known for “13th,” a Netflix documentary about mass incarceration in the U.S. The collective helped get her film on Netflix and shown in cities across the U.S., including at a West Philadel-
FILM | PAGE 14
RAMA KABA FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS Two young girls use computers to do homework at The Free Library of Philadelphia’s branch on Cecil B. Moore Avenue near 24th Street. The Free Library is the programming and managing partner for Read by 4th, a citywide literacy initiative.
Helping to fix a broken ‘pipeline’
The College of Education is working with organizations to improve local education. By GRACE SHALLOW Deputy Features Editor At 2 years old, Kayla Hoskinson sat on her couch reading a Dr. Seuss book. Her mother marveled at her daughter’s ability, calling her a “ge-
nius child,” Hoskinson said. But the whole time she was holding the book upside-down. “I had read these Dr. Seuss books so much with my mother that I had them memorized,” said Hoskinson, the children’s librarian at The Free Library of Philadelphia’s branch on Cecil B. Moore Avenue near 24th Street. “Sitting down and reading a book just builds your world.” The Free Library of Philadelphia is the programming and managing partner for the Read by 4th campaign, with more than 90
participating organizations aiming to increase the number of Philadelphia students reading at grade level when they enter fourth grade. Less than half of Philadelphia fourth graders currently read at their grade level, Philly.com reported in February. Temple is one of five universities partnering with the initiative. Kristina Najera, an assistant dean in the College of Education, said Read by 4th encouraged Temple to get accredited for the Knowl-
EDUCATION | PAGE 12
NEWS | PAGES 2-3, 6
OPINION | PAGES 4-5
FEATURES | PAGES 7-14
SPORTS | PAGES 15-18
The emergency drill on Thursday is the first of many drills to happen while students are on campus. Read more on Page 3.
Our columnist argues that President Donald Trump should not cut Pell Grants, which help low-income students. Read more on Page 4.
The Colored Girls Museum in Germantown aims to celebrate the everyday experiences of Black women. Read more on Page 7.
Former Temple pitcher Matt Hockenberry is trying to move his way up the Phillies’ farm system. Read more on Page 18.
NEWS
PAGE 2
TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2017
TSG
FOOTBALL STADIUM
Temple Student Government tickets Activate TU and Connecting TU debated for the second and last time Monday night. The debate was the last formal change to make an impression, answer questions and sway students to vote them into office. Both teams answered student questions sent in anonymously to TSG’s elections committee about the proposed on-campus football stadium, their vision of the relationship between Parliament and the Executive Branch and their qualifications for the executive roles. When asked what their administration’s response would be to a board approval of the stadium, Activate TU maintained their opposition to a stadium, stating it would harm the North Philadelphia community. “When it comes to working with administration, it’s all about active and loud communication,” said Paige Hill, vice presidential candidate of student affairs on the Activate TU ticket. “In my opinion, silence of the privileged equals oppression.” Ari Abramson, presidential candidate on the Connecting TU ticket, countered that it is important to represent all voices of the student body and that they feel uncomfortable taking a stance on the stadium when some stu-
tions. “I think [tables] will increase [turnout],” said Noah Goff, TSG’s elections commissioner. “Having a physical location on campus will inform more students that elections are happening.” All students in good academic standing will be eligible to vote and have the option to vote online as well as in the Student Center. There will be information about each candidate and campaign available on the voting website, he added. After the debate, Hill told The Temple News that Activate TU hopes voters will consider both campaign’s experience and engagement when voting. “I think the most important thing is looking at which campaign has the experience in getting things done and the commitment to getting things done,” she said. Connecting TU hopes for a high voter turnout, regardless of who wins. “Both of these campaigns have fought hard to reach out to every student on campus,” said Shiven Shah, vice presidential candidate of external affairs on the Connecting TU ticket. “We want students to come out and we want students to vote and get engaged with the community and our student body. Online voting for the executive branch and Parliament begins midnight on April 4 and lasts until 11:59 P.M. on April 5. Election results will be announced at 9:30 A.M. on Thurs. April 6.
This team has listed their opposition to the proposed on-campus football stadium in their platform.
This team will not be taking a stance on the stadium because “the role” of student government is to represent the whole student body, which they say is split on the issue.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
By AMANDA LIEN TSG Beat Reporter
dents are in favor of its construction. “It is the responsibility of TSG to represent all students, not to say what’s right or wrong,” said Dalia Al-Bataineh, vice presidential candidate of services on the Connecting TU ticket. Discourse between the two teams became heated and included personal attacks about the degree to which members were involved in HootaThon, the charity event. The two teams clashed on how to best represent student issues, divided on whether or not it is the place of TSG to take sides on issues that face the student population. Both teams agreed that they want to reform the way Parliament interacts with TSG’s executive branch but disagreed about what the change would look like. Kayla Martin, vice presidential candidate of services on the Activate TU platform, promoted her campaign’s point to establish an ethics board to hold the student government accountable. She said her experience as auditor general would help her plan the structure of the board if her team is elected. She stepped down from her role to avoid a conflict of interest during the campaign because the auditor general oversees the elections commissioner. Shawn Aleong, who served as deputy auditor general last year, stepped into the role for election season. Abramson argued that an ethics board is unadvisable since Parliament is still in its early stages. Voting for TSG’s Executive Branch and Parliament representatives will be open online until April 5 at midnight and in-person at the Student Center, where members of the elections committee will be present to answer ques-
This team said it will create a campaign to raise awareness about North Philadelphia’s rich history and use its connections with community organizations to involve the student body.
This team will raise awareness for the Good Neighbor Initiative as well as create a student block captain position, which will work within the community.
To combat sexual assault on campus, Activate TU said it will have a campaign against sexual assault for the first two weeks of the academic year and asks for a center for survivors.
This team has said it will bring greater awareness to the new Women Organized Against Rape satellite office and its services by bringing TSG’s support to the office.
TSG/BOARD OF TRUSTEES RELATIONSHIP
The two tickets still disagree how TSG should handle issues dividing the student body.
SEXUAL ASSAULT
TSG tickets debate for last time before voting opens
Both ACTIVATE TU and CONNECTING TU said they will work to get a voting seat on the Board of Trustees to have the voice of the student body heard by the Board.
amanda.lien@temple.edu @amandajlien
SASHA LASAKOW | THE TEMPLE NEWS
JAMIE COTTRELL FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS Activate TU (left) and Connecting TU debated for the last time Monday night, where they discussed the proposed on-campus stadium, how TSG should represent student interests and the structure of Parliament for next year.
POLICE
Temple Police opens first station west of Broad Street The station will be fully operational, housing TUPD, TUEMS and Allied Universal by the end of April. By KELLY BRENNAN Community Beat Reporter Temple Police will incorporate various campus safety services into the department’s new Police Public Safety Station on Cecil B. Moore Avenue near Sydenham Street. The station will house the university’s Emergency Medical Services team, Allied Universal and TUPD’s community policing team. Currently, there is a TUPD employee stationed at the site around the clock, but the collaborative safety hub will be fully operational by the end of April, said Charlie Leone, the executive director of Campus Safety Services. Due to increased foot traffic, a large population of students living off campus and complaints from residents in that area regarding trash and noise, Leone said TUPD’s presence on the west side of Broad Street will be a positive addition to the community. “We’re going to establish this safety hub that’s going to have a lot of activity there, positive activity,” he added. “We’re going to work together and make it a safe area for everyone.” Aside from the station’s safety components, there will be a multi-purpose space where TUPD can hold community meetings. TUPD is headquartered at 12th and Montgomery Streets, which can be an issue for comNews Desk 215-204-7419 news@temple-news.com
munity residents west of Broad Street. This helped prompt the addition of the new location at Cecil B. Moore Avenue near Sydenham Street to bring TUPD closer to the community. “People don’t have to come all the way over here because a lot of the neighbors that we speak with and work with are on the west side [of Broad Street],” he said. Leone added that the community policing teams — officers who do community outreach — will be able to have a stronger connection to the community in this area. “Instead of just being first responders, [community policing teams] can be talking to the neighbors even more, being part of the community, because we’re going to be right there.” Local businesses owners see the addition of the station as a crime deterrent. For more than a year, Cameron Smith has been a technician at iGeeks, a technology repair store on Cecil B. Moore Avenue near Sydenham Street. He said iGeeks experiences crime because it is a “luxury industry” that deals with expensive technology. “[The station] could decrease the chance of me getting robbed,” Smith said. “I hope it increases response time.” Smith added he had issues with Philadelphia Police’s response time in the past. “People who have committed crimes could have been stopped with adequate response time,” he said. Jason Kim, manager of D&J Hardware on Cecil B. Moore Avenue near Sydenham Street, said the area around his business is “already pretty safe.” “As a business owner, if you go a few blocks north, south or west of here, you are concerned
BRIANNA SPAUSE/THE TEMPLE NEWS A new Police Public Safety station will be fully operational by the end of April at its location on Cecil B. Moore Avenue near Sydenham Street.
with safety,” he said. “But to have [the station], in terms of safety, makes it better.” Students have differing opinions about the impact of the new station. “I don’t care personally, because I never thought of being unsafe on campus as a male,” said Zach Schreffler, a senior finance major. “It’s more the females who feel unsafe, but the threat is still there.” “It’s better to have [the station] more local rather than centralized on campus,” Schreffler added. Lexie Ferko, a sophomore psychology major, said she feels safer with the new station near her off-campus apartment.
“I hope that the station will help with communication,” she added. Leone said the station is intended for everyone in the community. “Students think that we do things sometimes to bust their parties, but at the end of the day, we want everyone to be safe,” he said. “We want students to be safe. We want our neighbors to be safe, and we want to make sure that people are living cohesively.” kelly.brennan@temple.edu @_KellyBrennan
temple-news.com @thetemplenews
NEWS
TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2017
PAGE 3
TSG combating internal conflicts Continued from Page 1
TSG BRANCHES changes to the constitution that will be completed before the end of the semester and could address the issues between the two. A petition asking Cowen to resign was released Sunday, two days before students could vote for next year’s Parliament and TSG administration. Some members of Parliament signed the petition. THE PARLIAMENT Several members of Parliament criticized Cowen’s participation in a March 20 Parliament meeting, where he offered feedback on resolutions before they were put up for a vote. TSG’s current constitution allows the president to serve as an ex-officio member of Parliament with “speaking and introducing rights on any and all Parliament meetings, be they full or committee.” This means that TSG’s president also has the right to propose resolutions to Parliament even though Parliament’s bylaws do not allow it. Cowen was not on the agenda to appear at the meeting. His speaking at the Parliament meeting was a main grievance in a petition posted Sunday on an anonymous Twitter account that asked Cowen to step down as president. Cowen said in a statement Sunday that he had no intentions of resigning. The petition was not a focus of a debate on Monday between the two executive campaigns running to succeed Cowen’s administration. In an interview two days after he addressed Parliament, Cowen explained that he wanted to speak about “information and context” for the bills that were up for a vote, including one asking for the university administration to respond to a Faculty Senate letter asking for Temple to become a sanctuary university. “I didn’t speak for it, I didn’t speak against it, I spoke to it,” Cowen said. “And all I spoke was ‘I spoke with Bill Bergman from the administration and he gave me this information about actions they have taken and he committed that they send a response.’” According to Parliament’s minutes from the meeting, Cowen mentioned three letters President Richard Englert signed that promised to protect student rights. Jacob Kurtz, the Tyler School of Art representative who sponsored the resolution, said Cowen’s participation could have swayed representatives’ opinions before voting. The resolution passed in a 23-to-4 vote. “To me it was the way he was making it sound like it wasn’t worth us putting the time in passing this resolution,” Kurtz said. “Simply, I ran the meeting,” said Jordan Laslett, the speaker for Parliament. “[Cowen] put his insight in on the piece of legislation up for discussion and obviously seemed a little controversial.” Parliament representatives also said the Executive Branch forbade Parliament members to independently contact media out-
lets and university administrators. Graduate Representative Jeff Fonda wrote in an email to Parliament representatives that he felt the Executive Branch was exercising too much oversight toward Parliament. TSG has since established that the Speaker approves interviews for representatives. “It’s been a huge learning process for both the TSG administration and Parliament,” said Nicole Handel, the Executive Branch’s communications director. “We want for it to eventually be very sufficient on its own and everyone to know what the roles are. … Sometimes it seems like we’re overstepping but really we just want to make sure that everything’s coming across equally as a Parliament, equally as TSG and equally as an administration.” Parliamentarian Jemie Fofanah, who helped create the legislative body’s bylaws and train the representatives after they were elected, serves as the expert on how Parliament works. She said Parliament’s push for more independence is justified, but because it is a new branch of TSG, it needed some help. “Now that they’ve gotten started and they understand more … they are operating with
Now that they’ve gotten started and they understand more ... they are operating with a higher level of independence than they did at the beginning of the year. Jemie Fofanah Parliamentarian
a higher level of independence than they did at the beginning of the year,” Fofanah said. “Parliament needs its independence from the executive and I think everyone can stand behind that.” Parliament did have a Liaison to the Executive Branch, but the liaison resigned in February, Fofanah said. “It became apparent that [the liaison’s] role was overlapping with the Speaker’s role and that caused communication errors in terms of where Parliament were supposed to go to make sure they were following the rules,” Fofanah said. “I actually think it’s functioning better because there’s not much confusion as to who they should go to when they have a concern and that is the speaker.” Laslett said conflict between the two branches is to be expected when a new body changed the way an old body was used to a different way of doing things. “None of this is surprising to me,” he said. “This is what happens when you have a fresh organization … it’s hard to go with the change that suddenly came about.” THE CONSTITUTION
Though Goff is Cowen’s roommate, the appointment was constitutional. The constitution that was ratified by the General Assembly at the beginning of the year states that the president, two vice presidents and the chief of staff appoint the elections commissioner. Goff, however, was appointed to his position while TSG was still operating under the previous year’s constitution — which was ratified in November 2014 by the TU Believe administration. Under that constitution, Goff was nominated by Cowen, Handel; Kelly Dawson, the vice president of internal services; Jai Singletary, the vice president of external affairs; Melonie Collado, the chief of staff, and Meghan Hill, the deputy chief of staff. The auditor general at the time — Kayla Martin — then appointed Goff to the position. He added that he and Goff keep TSG and being roommates “completely separate.” “It’s hard for me to prove a negative,” Cowen said. “How do I prove there is no conflict of interest? There’s no way that I can think of to prove definitively that it doesn’t exist.” Cowen said the current language for appointing the elections commissioner is “closer” to what he hopes it will look like after the Executive Branch and Parliament update the constitution. Parliament created an ad hoc committee — made up of 12 representatives — on March 20 to examine its own bylaws and propose changes. “The last report I got from them was that they have a list of changes they’d like to see,” Laslett said. “The changes regarding our bylaws are ones we can make more efficiently and quickly as our own body and we even have some changes we are looking at to the constitution to TSG as a whole.” He added that he thinks the most effective way to implement the coming changes would be to make sure the incoming administration is aware of and agree to the changes. Then, the current Executive Branch and Parliament would begin the amendment process. Cowen said the Executive Branch didn’t “fully anticipate the level of detail” that some of the procedures and regulations needed in the constitution. “We’ve learned things that need to be changed,” he said. “The decision was to kind of just keep notes of things to be changed, modified and mended and then towards the end of the year, to go and change it for real.” “In order for [Parliament’s resolutions] to work and be implemented, they have to bridge that gap with the Executive [branch],” Fofanah said. “I think on the individual level that’s going to happen regardless.” “As for an overarching kind of, Parliament and executive unity, I’m not really sure if we can expect to see that.”
Ad Hoc Committee to examine parliament’s Bylaws ALEXIS CULP RHA ALEX MarK Freshman ANTHONY HENDERSON Education JEFF FONDA Graduate SARAH LEVINE Junior THOMAS ROOF Commuters BRIDGET WARLEA Multicultural LUKE TOMCZUK DRS JEREMY GOODMAN At Large GEORGE BASILE Junior ALEX WALDRON Senior VARUN SIVAKUMAr At Large
julie.christie@temple.edu @ChristieJules
The petition accuses Cowen of unconstitutionally appointing Noah Goff, his roommate, as TSG’s elections commissioner.
PHOTOS BY GENEVA HEFFERNAN & BRIANNA SPAUSE SASHA LASAKOW | THE TEMPLE NEWS
CAMPUS NEWS
Shelter-in-place drill to occur on Main Campus Thursday This drill, the first of its kind, is a part of a push for campus emergency preparedness. By KELLY BRENNAN Community Beat Reporter Temple Police’s shelter-in-place drill scheduled for later this week will be the start of an increased frequency of emergency drills to take place on Main Campus this semester. In the past, students have never practiced the drill. This drill will begin at noon on Thursday on all of Temple’s domestic campuses, and will last for about 10-15 minutes, according to an email sent to students on March 30. The TU Sirens System will be activated for the first three minutes of the drill, prompting students to go indoors. Students will be instructed to
stay away from external doors and windows during the duration of the drill. This increase of emergency drills comes from the office of Emergency Management’s efforts to improve the university population’s awareness and preparedness during emergency situations, said Charlie Leone, the executive director of Campus Safety Services. The shelter-in-place drill will be an annual occurrence. The university will also increase other emergency drills on campus, including evacuation and lockdown drills. A shelter-in-place emergency will be called when there is an environmental hazard, such as severe weather or a chemical spill, during which people seek internal shelter. “This year, I expect that [the drill] will be a first for some people,” said Sarah Powell, the university’s first director of Emergency Management. “There will be some surprise there.” Leone said students should ex-
pect to see an increase in every type of drill, as the department is expanding the drill schedule. Leone added that the department wants to reevaluate the rally points where students meet on campus during an evacuation, because increased construction on Main Campus has changed the safety and accessibility of certain locations. Powell said there will be “more visible” lockdown drills happening on Main Campus in the future. In the past, only building managers and security officers practiced lockdown drills, which require people to secure themselves in a room because of a threat to the building’s occupants. Two years ago, Powell began establishing emergency management teams in every residence hall and academic building on Main, Health Sciences, Ambler and Center City campuses. The teams consist of two staff members on each floor of a building, who have received evacuation,
lockdown, shelter-in-place and active shooter training, Powell said. She added that fewer than ten buildings on all the university’s campuses still need complete emergency management teams. Powell said the teams are intended to support students, instead of telling students exactly what to do during an emergency situation. She wants all of the university’s population to know what to do during an emergency situation without any help. “They’re out there doing what they need to do, but everyone needs to know how to respond,” Powell said. “People need to know what they’re doing and why.” Powell said her concern is that students may not know what to do if an emergency were to occur on campus in the near future. “We just need to be able to respond to things, and I think Temple has been lucky that we haven’t had major situations,” Powell said. “We know that exercising and drills are
probably the most important things that anyone can do for preparedness.” Powell and Leone both said that practicing these drills are a universal tool for students. “For example, [shelter-in-place] is for environmental hazards and you seek interior space away from external windows and doors,” Powell said. “That’s the action. If you’re at the movie theater, at Target or visiting grandma at her apartment in Center City, and you know that there is a shelter-in-place, that’s what you need to do.” “We have a very large population, so Temple needs to make sure that, as a community, we do as much as we can to get ourselves into a better spot,” she added. kelly.brennan@temple.edu @_kellybrennan
News Desk 215-204-7419 news@temple-news.com
OPINION
PAGE 4
TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2017
POLITICS A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921. Joe Brandt Editor-in-Chief Paige Gross Managing Editor Michaela Winberg Supervising Editor Julie Christie News Editor Jenny Roberts Opinion Editor
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EDITORIAL
TSG branches need space for successful governing Parliament should have more autonomy, but ousting the current student body president is not a productive way to achieve this goal. Temple Student Government introduced Parliament this year as a chance for the student body’s voice to be better represented. Several months in, the legislative body has been stifled by an executive branch that is reluctant to give Parliament the responsibilities that one would expect student legislators to have. According to emails The Temple News obtained from a TSG source, one Parliament member was scolded for trying to speak to student media about an initiative he wanted to propose, since that would infringe upon a goal for the student government to have “a unified voice.” Another Parliament member was encouraged by TSG’s communications department to have Student Body President Aron Cowen sit in on an interview the Parliament member had with a local media organizaion about an initiative he was working on. Some members of Parliament have told The Temple News that procedures put in place by the Executive Branch have hindered their ability to represent their section of the student body. Some were told it wasn’t their job to reach out to the Faculty Senate or other members of the university, even if it was for research for an initiative they wanted to propose. Parliament members have also aired grievances about the lack of transparency between branches, specifically on what initiatives Executive Branch members have been working on with members of university administration. The Executive Branch’s desire to have a great deal of involvement with Parliament in its first year is understandable — it is a very new component of Temple’s student government. TSG’s constitution outlines Parliament as a legislative body that does not function under the Executive Branch, but alongside it. Cowen attended a Parliament meeting on March 20 and spoke about proposed legislation, when he was not on the agenda to do so. This is allowed under TSG’s constitution, but some members of Parliament felt this overstepped his outlined influence over the legislative branch.
In response, a petition has been created, asking Cowen to resign as president. The petition cites his presence at the March 20 meeting as the moment that Parliament members “lost patience, and on that day, trust in Temple Student Government.” The petition was tweeted from an account called “ResignTSG,” which on Sunday night was tweeting at candidates for the TSG executive branch and Parliament, asking them to sign the petition. We empathize with the Parliament members who feel they don’t have the freedom to effectively do their jobs. While the current constitution allows for Cowen to attend a Parliament meeting and have “speaking and introducing rights,” that doesn’t provide the legislative body with some degree of separation from the executive branch. Parliament should be able to hold meetings, speak with faculty and administrators and make decisions without permission from the Executive Branch. In the collection of emails The Temple News received, Cowen cites needing a “unified voice” for TSG when speaking to media, explaining that only Parliament’s speaker, Jordan Laslett, may speak at any time on behalf of the legislative body. Limiting communication with outside parties and media outlets hinders the legislative branch from accomplishing what it was created to do — be a voice for, and represent students who don’t usually get a say in student government. But asking Cowen to resign a few weeks before his time is up does little for a productive conversation about how to actually improve both branches. We are disappointed that the person or group behind the petition calls for more transparency from current TSG representatives, while running an anonymous campaign to oust them. It’s encouraging to see student government representatives that want to serve their student body effectively. But for this to be a reality for the rest of the year and through the election of next year’s governors, each branch has to be willing to hear the other out.
CORRECTIONS 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 Joe Brandt at editor@temple-news.com or 215-204-6737. letters@temple-news.com
Pell Grant cuts harm students President Trump’s proposed budget arbitrarily cuts grants for low-income students.
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’ve never worried if I would be able to continue my education and register for classes the following semester. But now, this is the reality some students may have to face if President Donald Trump’s proposed budget is approved, which includes a $3.9 billion cut to the Pell Grant program. Pell Grant recipients are mostly students with a household income of less than $40,000 a year, according to USA Today College. Low-income Temple students could have received ZARI TARAZONA up to a $5,815 Pell Grant for the 2016-17 award year. This is a significant amount of money for those who rely heavily on financial aid to afford college, and may not be able to continue their studies without these funds. In order to give all young people a fair chance to pursue their academic and career goals, the Trump administration should not allow the Pell Grant program to suffer in the 2018 budget. “When you’re talking about the federal budget, that’s not a huge amount of savings when you consider how many people are likely to be hurt from this,” said Douglas Webber, an economics professor. “I don’t think these cuts are reasonable.” According to White House documents, the justification for the budget cut is to put the program “on sound footing for the next decade.” But the budget fails
to explain how a $3.9 billion cut would protect the future of the program. Meanwhile, Trump has chosen to increase military spending by $54 billion even though the U.S. already spends more on the military than the next seven highestspending nations in the world total. These types of decisions cannot be made arbitrarily. The Trump administration needs to keep in mind that not all incoming or current students are in the same financial situations. For some students at Temple, the Pell Grant is what decides whether they attend the university for the semester. “I actually wouldn’t be able to go to college if I didn’t get funding from the government, because we’re a paycheckto-paycheck kind of family,” said Illyria Feilke, a freshman university studies major. Feilke received a Pell Grant this academic year. This grant is especially important for students like Feilke who have started their studies, but who wouldn’t be able to continue if the proposed budget takes effect. Webber said cuts to the Pell Grant program would hurt college access. “There’s going to be fewer low-income students, but there’s still going to be more than enough students who are willing to pay tuition to go to Temple,” Webber said. Institutions will not suffer financially from this cut, but a cut to the Pell Grant program would mean a decrease in the socioeconomic diversity of students — something Temple often prides itself in. Temple had the second highest percent of students to receive Pell Grants among state-related universities in the 2014-15 academic year — the most recently reported year — with 9,672 students receiving Pell Grants. “Temple appreciates federal investment in programs that promote college
access, student success and scientific discovery, all of which are absolutely fundamental to our mission and values,” Stephanie Ives, associate vice president and dean of students, told The Temple News in an email. Temple should keep an eye on the proposed cuts to the Pell Grant program, in case students need help in finding additional resources to fund their education next semester. Maggie Osafo, a junior actuarial science major, has received Pell Grants since her freshman year. A decrease in the grants she receives would require her to find more scholarships. “I would need a way to cover the money the grant wouldn’t cover anymore,” Osafo said. Derek Pearson, a junior chemistry major, has received Pell Grants for eight semesters. Pearson receives other forms of financial aid, but Pell Grants make up about half. “To lose that [Pell Grants] would be detrimental because then you have to take time off from school to save up and then pay for a semester or a year to get back in school,” Pearson said. If the budget is approved, the university should try to provide more opportunities for students like Pearson and Osafo with efforts like scholarships, increased work-study funding or partnerships with local businesses that will work to employ students. But hopefully the university won’t be tasked with this job. The president should value the education of our nation’s next generations of leaders, and he should realize cuts to the Pell Grant program do more harm than good. zari.tarazona@temple.edu
CURRICULUM
Pre-health majors need ‘bedside manner’ Students pursuing a career in health should have to take an ethics class.
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s a pre-medical student, I have volunteered at an area hospital, transporting patients and assisting in the operating room holding area. Patients have told me about the awkward interactions they’ve had with doctors in the past. Even some doctors and nurses I’ve worked with have complained that younger doctors don’t know how to properly communicate with patients. As they put it, these doctors lack “bedside manner.” Having bedside manner — being friendly with patients and gaining their confidence — is one of the most important AMER HAFFAR skills medical practitioners need to successfully treat their patients. But many pre-health tracks and professional school curricula across the nation, including at Temple, do not require the type of classes that encourage compassion or aim at understanding humanity. Instead, the curriculum is exclusively science-based. Of course health care is based in science, but life-or-death situations require not only critical thinking, but also a knowledge of ethics. Temple’s pre-professional health studies program should require students to take at least one medical ethics class. “The field of medical ethics looks at questions of right [and] wrong, good [and] evil specifically in the area of medical care,” said Miriam Solomon, the philosophy department chair. “They’ll learn about principles of medical ethics such as autonomy, justice and beneficence.” “And then they will go through some current ethical controversies in medicine such as physician-assisted sui-
cide, stem-cell research, justice in health care and so on,” Solomon added. Solomon said some pre-professional health students lack a sense of ethics, which she said is necessary for delivering an optimal level of care for patients. “All they are doing is taking basic science courses and working very hard to get A’s in them,” Solomon added. “They are not fully developing as human beings.” This science-based approach to studying medicine ultimately leads to doctors and health professionals who may dehumanize patients and their families once they are employed in the health care field.
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In my experience taking the Ethics of Medicine class this semester, I have already experienced the benefits of evaluating arguments in order to arrive at an ethical decision. I had the opportunity to discuss the ethics of physician-assisted suicide, abortion and the Affordable Care Act. I am convinced that studying ethics will make me a better medical professional in the future. Vineet Naran, a senior philosophy major and pre-medical student, said ethics classes are rewarding. Naran is currently taking Philosophy of Medicine, which has allowed him to apply ethical theory to medicine. Naran said he was intrigued by the application of Cartesian dualism to medicine,
which defines the mind and body as being distinct states of existence. “That kind of resonated with me,” Naran said. “I think that mind-body connection kind of stuck with and applied to how I look at medicine and forced me to view medicine differently than maybe someone who has a science background.” Seeing medicine from an ethical perspective can personalize medicine and improve experiences for patients. But this cannot be achieved if future doctors and nurses aren’t taking ethics classes. “I think [Temple’s pre-professional health curriculum] is in alignment, perfect alignment, with medical school curriculum across the board,” said Caleb Marsh, a senior health professions adviser. “I worked at four institutions, and all four universities had very similar [curricula].” But that does not mean the university couldn’t institute its own requirements for pre-professional health students. Temple should add an ethics requirement to its pre-medical curriculum so students can be experts in both science and human relations. “It forces you to think in a different way,” Naran said. “Instead of focusing on pure science, you have a class that stresses another part. It gives you another tool in your tool kit in a way.” An ethics background will allow future health professionals to treat patients, not just their diseases. And because many health care programs don’t incorporate ethics courses, Temple students would be at an advantage if such a requirement were put into place. Ultimately, a holistic and personalized approach to medicine is necessary to tackle health problems and to treat patients. And a sense of ethics is essential to taking this approach. amer.haffar@temple.edu
temple-news.com @thetemplenews
OPINION
TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2017 ENVIRONMENT
PAGE 5
FROM THE ARCHIVE
Fracking should be banned from Delaware River The potential for fracking threatens the river basin’s water quality and could harm Philadelphians who drink it.
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or the past seven years, the Delaware River Basin Commission has continued a temporary ban on hydraulic fracturing in all areas that drain into the river. Environmentalist activist groups have praised the halt in drilling. However, it is now under threat from a group seeking to develop shale gas in the area. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a controversial method of extracting natural gas from the shale below the Earth’s surface by fracturing shale rock with massive amounts of a water and chemical mixture. “It occurs when a well is dug,” said David Kargbo, an adjunct professor of civil and environmental engineering. “And the purpose of that well is to extract resources, specifically fossil fuels such as natural gas.” Fracking would threaten the river’s LUKE MOTTOLA surrounding ecosystem, as well as the body of water itself, which provides drinking water to about 15 million people, including Philadelphians. The Delaware River and its tributary — the Schuylkill — account for the city’s entire water supply. Fracking should be prohibited to protect the health of Pennsylvanians, as well as the welfare of wildlife surrounding the river. A permanent ban on fracking in the Delaware River Basin needs to be instated. In November, environmentalists became concerned about fracking when the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection met with the DRBC to discuss drilling regulations. President Donald Trump’s administration has a representative on the commission, which frightened some, as Trump’s administration has not been sympathetic toward the environment — it has proposed a 31 percent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget. The protection of the river was also recently challenged by groups seeking to drill by challenging the DRBC’s regulatory authority. Luckily, a federal judge dismissed this challenge on March 23. While natural gas is valuable, fracking to obtain it does not justify the environmental costs. The fluids used to fracture the rock have contaminated water and sterilized farmland in some cases. An EPA report from December 2016 found that fracking had contributed to water contamination at all stages of the fracking process. This includes water withdrawals for fracking, spills during management of fracking fluids and discharge of inadequately treated wastewater. The massive amount of water needed to frack also disrupts ecosystems. “When water is extracted in huge quantities, say from a nearby stream, that stream contains a lot of very critical, biodiverse species that could be wiped out,” Kargbo said. Environmentalists agree that fracking is harmful to the environment. But Michael Kilmer, a second-year environmental engineering Ph.D. student, is not convinced that the harm outweighs the possible economic benefits. “Overall, all I’ve ever seen are benefits from the industry,” Kilmer said. “I haven’t seen enough environmental downsides compared to all the potential economic upsides.” There is no doubt that the natural gas industry can have significant economic upsides — in fact, it supports nearly 3 million jobs. But the price for economic advancement should not be paid by our environment. It’s also true that natural gas is a cleaner energy source than other fossil fuels. But the danger of fracking is not that the gas adversely affects climate change — though it still does, just less so than other fossil fuels — the danger is that fracking itself, as a method of extracting gas, is harmful to our water supply. But this is not the only major issue with fracking. The EPA has already reported that fracking exposes radioactive material to the surface environment and human contact. Exposure to this radioactivity can lead to cell malfunctions from genetic mutations and cancer. “What happens is the rocks that are present in these formations are rocks that are so old and have gone through transformations millions of years ago that have led to the formation of things like uranium and radon,” Kargbo said. Parts of western and northeastern Pennsylvania have already been fracked heavily. We should not tolerate the growth of the industry, especially so close to home. In order to protect the water in the Delaware River Basin and to preserve the surrounding environment, the commission should work to extend the current fracking suspension to a permanent ban. luke.mottola@temple.edu
Oct. 22, 1980: Temple students celebrate the Philadelphia Phillies’ 4-1 World Series win over the Kansas City Royals. The Phillies earned the World Series Championship title for the first time. The fraternity Alpha Chi Rho blasted the theme song from the movie “Rocky” as people filled the street to make their way down to City Hall, where fans gathered. Major League Baseball’s opening day was Sunday. The Phillies opened their season against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday. The last time the Phillies won a World Series Championship was in 2008 against the Tampa Bay Rays. Last month, seven Temple students tried out to be Phillies ballgirls. The tryouts on March 10 included fielding, hitting, a Phillies quiz and a two-minute interview. Those who are chosen to be a ballgirl will be notified by Friday when the Phillies play their home opener against the Washington Nationals. Read more on Page 8.
THE ESSAYIST
Pau pau’s home: ‘memories of the mundane’ A student reflects on her love for her grandmother’s house after her family sold it.
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fter I returned home from my long days at summer camp, I would always walk up concrete stairs and through a bright red front door with my cousins. I would slump into my seat at the table, as my grandmother, or pau pau as I called her, cooked for us. I still remember playing with my cousins Chad and Karissa in pau pau’s house. It was huge, with more than 10 rooms. Some rooms were rented out for guests, while other were filled with miscellaneous items, like old yearbooks that belonged to my mother and her siblings. In the summer, my cousins and I spent most of our time in the one room with air conditioning to escape the heat. We would play cards, listen to music or just talk. And when we wanted to watch out favorite VHS tapes, like the Pokémon series or “The Little Mermaid,” we would head to the TV room. These memories of the mundane fueled my love for my pau pau’s home until we had to sell it three years ago. The house itself wasn’t much, but growing up and visiting it every week, I developed an attachment to it like no other. It allowed me to spend time with my pau pau and to bond with my two cousins as we pushed our imaginations to their limits trying to find things to do. “I remember we would be so bored sometimes that we fed the mice, and we would get in so much trouble,” Karissa said when we were reminiscing one day. We often used blankets as capes and ran up and down the stairs, seeing who could race through the house fastest. Sometimes we would venture off to creepy, unkept parts of the house when we felt adventurous — but this mostly led to us running out of those rooms screaming that we saw something in the dark. And before we knew it, our parents were there to pick us up. It’s not just the summers spent with my cousins at pau pau’s house that stand
became more and more bored with the home. We started to focus on technology and sometimes just wanted Wi-Fi to keep out in my memory, it’s also the family din- us busy. We knew we still loved visiting ners and holidays. I particularly remem- pau pau at her home, but it felt like we ber the times I was sick and had to stay were growing out of the house. at my pau pau’s house while my parents Years passed since then, and the were at work. thought of selling pau pau’s home never It was on these days I felt especially crossed my mind until she became ill. I connected to my grandmother. knew she was getting older, but it had nevMy pau pau wasn’t like other grand- er occurred to me that one day the home would no longer belong to her. But when my pau pau’s health started to worsen, we had to take her out of her home and put her into hospice care. After she passed away, it was incredibly hard to walk back into the home knowing I wouldn’t see her at the table preparing dinner. All of these memories flooded back and made me really appreciate the home she had provided for me and my cousins. We kept the house for almost a year. But its upkeep was too much for my family to handle. The moment my mother told me we were selling the house, the belief that I had grown out of the home suddenly vanished. All I wanted to do was keep it forever. But as much as some family members wanted to keep it, we had to sell it. It took some time, but we finally found the right person to buy it. The house was sold a few months later, but it felt like it was sold overnight. When we started to clean out the house, it still didn’t feel real. Once it was entirely empty, I decided to take one more walk through. SASHA LASAKOW | THE TEMPLE NEWS I entered the rooms where I used to watch movmothers. She wouldn’t say she loved us ies for hours, play make-believe with my outright all the time, but she showed it. cousins and simply talk with my pau pau She was the most caring and kind woman — but it didn’t look the same. It was time I’ve met in my life. to let go and say goodbye to the home I One winter, I caught pneumonia had grown up in and fallen in love with. and had to go to her house for three days I walked down the long, crooked straight. Her care helped ease the sickness. hallway and out that bright red front door She would make me as much soup as for the last time. I could eat, wrap me up in what felt like a thousand blankets and let me watch every samantha.wong@temple.edu movie we had in the TV room. As my cousins and I got older, we
By SAMANTHA WONG
letters@temple-news.com
NEWS
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NEWS BRIEFS
TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2017
CONSTRUCTION
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Two Tyler dean candidates to visit campus this week The Tyler School of Art announced two candidates for deans on TU Portal this week. They are interviewing to replace the interim dean, Hester Stinnett, who has been acting as dean since September 2015. The candidates are Rachel Schreiber and Susan Cahan. Schreiber is the provost and senior vice president at the San Francisco Art Institute. She has more than 17 years of experience in studio arts, critical theory and the humanities. Schreiber has also served as dean of Humanities and Sciences at the California College of the Arts, Oakland and San Francisco and was graduate program chair at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Schreiber met with Tyler faculty yesterday at 11:15 a.m. and students at 5 p.m. She will present her work Tuesday at 1:15 p.m. in Architecture Room 104. Cahan is dean for the Arts at Yale College. She is an author and worked on several essays for criticism and exhibition catalogues. She previously worked at the Museum of Modern Art and the New Museum of Contemporary Art. Cahan has held past academic positions at Bard College; the University of California, Los Angeles; and the University of Missouri, St. Louis. Cahan will give a presentation of her work to all faculty and staff on Wednesday at 11:15 a.m. She will have an open meeting with Tyler students on Thursday at 5 p.m. All meetings will be held in Room 104 of the Architecture building. - Laura Smythe
Cosby sexual assault trial to last two weeks in June Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial’s testimony is expected to last two weeks, beginning in early June at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., NBC News reported. Cosby appeared in the courthouse Monday as lawyers gave last-minute arguments if prosecutors can use Cosby’s past comments about drugging women. The prosecution has argued that comments from Cosby’s 1991 memoir referencing the aphrodisiac “Spanish fly” show he had knowledge of daterape drugs and intended to use them, NBC reported. The defense argued that the passage was obviously a joke. The judge still hasn’t ruled whether this will be introduced into evidence or if Cosby’s deposition about giving women Quaaludes in the 1970s can be used. Cosby will go to trial on June 5 for an alleged sexual assault in 2004 of Andrea Constand, a former Temple employee.
Architecture committee vetoes Fox skywalk The committee approved the rest of the school’s planned renovations. By NOAH TANEN Research Beat Reporter The Fox School of Business unveiled expansion plans before Philadelphia’s Architectural Committee meeting last week that was not completely approved because of an enclosed bridge, or skywalk. It would cross above Liacouras Walk to connect the historic townhouses that make up 1800-1818 Liacouras Walk with Alter Hall. The committee recommended the rest of the project for approval by the Historical Commission, but voted 4-1 against the skywalk. The rest of the proposal features cosmetic changes and physical expansions to existing buildings, said Chris Vito, a spokesman for the Fox School of Business, which holds most of its classes in Alter Hall. These changes include adding floors and terracotta screening to the building. The project would further change the preserved townhouses that make up 18001818 Liacouras Walk, which is part of the small Park Avenue Historic District. The committee voted unanimously in favor of these renovations. The Park Avenue Historic District is on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, which means the Historical Commission must oversee and approve any of the alterations Fox is planning.
The skywalk, set just next to the historic homes, would be narrow and made of clear glass to “minimize any possible intrusion on the historic fabric,” lead architect Leonardo Diaz said during the meeting, PlanPhilly reported. “This expansion is brought on by the extraordinary success of the Fox School of Business,” Diaz told the committee. School officials said the skywalk would create a positive connection between neighboring Fox-affiliated buildings. 1810 Liacouras Walk will become a part of the Fox School in Fall 2017 as Student Health Services and Tuttleman Counseling Services begin its move to 1700 N. Broad Street. “The skywalk would be a great addition,” freshman marketing and economics major Alfonso Corona said. “It’s a key part of an expansion of the business school,” Corona added. “The expansion is important because it will draw more students to apply. … I think it’d be great if Temple became more of a presence nationally as a top university, especially for business.” Dozie Ibeh, the vice president of Temple’s Project Delivery Group, told the committee the feeling of Alter Hall would be captured in the proposed construction. He argued against historic concerns, claiming the “historical fabric of the townhouses would stay intact.” Committee member John Cluver voted alone in favor of the skywalk. He said because the Park Avenue Historic District — the buildings from 1800 to 1946 Park Avenue, which is now called Liacouras Walk — exists on only one side of the street, the expansions wouldn’t be disruptive.
One of Philadelphia’s historic preservation planners Randal Baron recommended the committee vote against the skywalk. The bridge, he said, would likely “interrupt the continuity of the street.” “This is not a corporate campus,” where sensitive information is bought and sold, quickly committee member Amy Stein, who voted against the proposed skywalk. “It’s an academic campus. The idea of putting a bridge there is anti-intuitive to being integrated into that urban environment that Temple exists within,” she said. “Of all the elements, I agree that the bridge is the most problematic,” committee member Dan McCoubrey said. He said the bridge didn’t fit an academic setting, not conducive to “mingling and community building.” When Stein suggested considering a tunnel instead, Temple officials said that utilities beneath Liacouras Walk would make this impossible. Despite the loss of the skywalk, Ibeh said in a statement that the university is “pleased with the Architectural Committee’s unanimous recommendation for approval of the planned renovation of the 1810 Liacouras Walk building.” He went on to say the university is continually working to meet the needs of Fox’s “growing faculty and student body.” The renovations are part of Fox’s centennial celebration, the school’s senior vice dean, Diana Breslin-Knudsen, told The Temple News in July 2016. Fox is currently awaiting approval from the Philadelphia Historical Commission to move forward on the project. noah.tanen@temple.edu
-Gillian McGoldrick
Study finds 64,000 Temple emails for sale online A study by the Digital Citizens Alliance reported that criminal entrepreneurs on the Dark Web, where sensitive information is bought and sold quickly, have obtained information of about the educational email accounts of faculty, alumni and students from the country’s 300 largest universities. The largest number of stolen email addresses by state were from schools in California, New York, Michigan, Texas and Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, Temple had the second most-hacked emails, with 64,350 emails, followed by the University of Pennsylvania. In the last 12 months, research shows that about 10,984,000 email addresses ending in .edu are on the Dark Web. Hackers target educational accounts because, according to the report, .edu domains are among the easiest to hack. The report said that the .edu addresses are used for “nefarious activity,” on the Dark Web. These markets are often made up of vendors who sell drugs, guns or can be affiliated with international terrorist organizations. The report suggests using a variety of character types in your password, think in terms of passphrases instead of passwords or use a random password generator, to reduce the chance of hacking.
COURTESY PLAN PHILLY The proposed skybridge over Liacouras Walk to connect Alter Hall to 1810 Liacouras Walk went unapproved by the Philadelphia Architectural Comittee.
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- Noah Tanen
CITY NEWS
War on Terror memorial proposed for Philadelphia A Global War on Terror memorial may be built near the Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Korean War Memorial at Penn’s Landing, CBS3 reported. The project is estimated to cost $250,000 to build, with fundraising efforts underway by the Global War on Terror Memorial. The organization hopes to have the project site confirmed, announced and funded by Veterans Day on Nov. 11, CBS3 reported. The memorial will honor the men and women in Pennsylvania who have given their lives in service to their country in global conflicts. - Amanda Lien News Desk 215-204-7419 news@temple-news.com
temple-news.com @thetemplenews
features
F E AT U R E S
TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2017
PAGE 7
A scalable solution to dementia An alumnus and his sister created a program to help promote music therapy. By ERIN MORAN Deputy Features Editor In the mid-1960s, when Louis Tubman was in basic training for the army in New Jersey, he often snuck off to opera lessons in New York. The 1963 speech-language-hearing alumnus was always running back and forth between the two states, and sometimes he forgot the lyrics to his opera songs. He wondered why he couldn’t have a device that acted as an opera prompter — someone who feeds the lyrics of musical pieces to opera singers a few seconds before it’s time to sing them — in his car. Decades later his children, 1993 music therapy alumnus Andrew Tubman and his sister Rachel Francine, created just that — but
for a different audience. Andrew Tubman and Francine are the co-founders of SingFit, a Los Angeles-based start-up founded in 2011. The siblings created an app that acts as an opera prompter for users over the age of 55. SingFit helps people with memory barriers like dementia, using either the app or a program at senior living centers with trained assisted living community staff members. Francine and Andrew Tubman said their father always had an “inkling” that singing could help people. But through Andrew Tubman’s music therapy education, he discovered the potential to use singing as a medical tool. “Are you familiar with the word ‘gestalt’?” Louis Tubman said. “It means complete. When you are actually able to complete a song or a couple of lyric lines, it’s very satisfying. ... I think the prompting is the key to why [SingFit] is successful.” “The pharmaceutical companies have not come up with a solution for dementia in 120 years,” Andrew Tubman said. “And not for
MUSIC | PAGE 14
ERIN MORAN/THE TEMPLE NEWS Jamie Brooke, a 2016 theater alumna, sings in front of a sculpture made of empty cans at “A Sound of Hunger,” a demonstration held at the Bell Tower on Monday as part of Campus Sustainability Week.
Food insecurity a ‘growing issue’ on college campuses Events held during Campus Sustainability Week include a food justice fair. By ERIN MORAN Deputy Features Editor
A COURTESY ANTHONY BROWN Andrew Tubman (right), a 1993 music therapy alumnus, and his sister Rachel Francine started SingFit, a singing therapy system for older adults that improves memory, boosts mood and fights dementia.
t last year’s Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education Conference, Kathleen Grady, the director of sustainability, learned about food insecurity — or unreliable access to nutritious food — among college students. She said she came back from the conference with “another lens” to look at the work the Office of Sustainability has done with food in the past. “We think [food insecurity is] manageable at a college or university to address,” Grady said. “These are members of the Temple community. Students who are food inse-
cure have struggled to remain in school, have lower graduation rates and retention rates. … So in our mind, it’s like, ‘How do we harness Temple’s resources so that we can make sure that we’re providing for all of the wellness needs for our students?’” As Campus Sustainability Week approached, Grady knew she wanted the week’s theme to be food insecurity. The week started on Monday with “A Sound of Hunger” — a music and arts demonstration in solidarity with food-insecure students. The event was meant to “make a presence” for this issue on Main Campus, said Emily Logan, a second-year innovation management and entrepreneurship master’s student and a recycling coordinator for the Office of Sustainability. Logan organized the artists and musicians for the event. Jamie Brooke, a 2016 theater alumna, performed poems from her journal that she converted into songs. Brooke said she’s been concerned about access to resources — espe-
FOOD | PAGE 11
Museum celebrates ‘ordinary, extraordinary’ Black women Vashti DuBois converted her small Germantown home into the Colored Girls Museum. By QUANG DO For The Temple News From the outside, only a small sign on the front porch distinguishes the Colored Girls Museum from all the other Victorian houses in Ger-
mantown. Vashti DuBois, the founder and executive director of the museum, turned her family home into a museum to honor the achievements and vision of “ordinary, extraordinary colored girls” in 2015. “It’s important for us, as human beings, to understand how ordinary we are,” DuBois said. “Just who we are without our degrees, our clothing, our family, our privilege. When you really look at it and attend to it, it is absolutely extraordinary. It’s the
looking that allows you to see the extraordinary.” DuBois became intrigued by the idea of a place “where people can curate an experience” when she was an undergraduate at Wesleyan University in the early 1990s. More than 30 years passed without her making steps toward opening a museum, until her husband died in a car accident three years ago. Then, she said she realized “life is short.” “I felt like I wanted to do it now,” DuBois said. “I couldn’t wait any lon-
ger. … I have something now and I will start with what I have.” She decided to use her space to celebrate the everyday experiences of Black women. Last fall, the single-exhibit museum opened “A Good Night’s Sleep,” which highlighted the importance of sleep in reducing stress caused by the effects of racism, social issues and illnesses. On March 5, the museum was decorated to look like an emergency room for “A Good Night’s Sleep Act II: Urgent Care.”
The museum was designed as a “health journey,” DuBois said. The first room is the reception area, filled with the smell of a tobacco-scented candle. The exhibit includes a triage room, exam room and a healing room — a cozy bedroom for “patients,” or museum visitors, to rest. Stormy Kelsey, a sophomore media studies and production major, went to both exhibits at the museum. On her first visit, she said DuBois im-
MUSEUM | PAGE 10
QUANG DO FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS Monna Morton, an artist featured in the Colored Girls Museum, stands in an exhibit she created with artist Denyse Davis. This is the only room still on display from the debut exhibit at the museum, “A Good Night’s Sleep.” “A Good Night’s Sleep Act II: Urgent Care” debuted last month.
PHILLIES | PAGE 8
EXHIBIT | PAGE 8
SOCCER | PAGE 11
KLEIN | PAGE 11
Seven students tried out to be Phillies ballgirls last month. Those chosen to be a ballgirl will be notified this Friday.
Two alumnae will create art with recycled materials at a nonprofit to raise awareness about sustainability.
In a history class, students learn about the personal, political and social trends, like women’s rights, that have shaped soccer.
Comedian and actor Bob Saget visited Main Campus Wednesday for the dedication of the Klein College of Media and Communication.
F E AT U R E S
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TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2017
Students try out for Phillies ballgirls position Off the field, ballgirls appear at more than 150 events, like Philly school visits. By ALEXIS ANDERSON For The Temple News On March 10, freshman public relations major Marissa Dowdy left her dorm room at 8 a.m. and headed to Citizens Bank Park to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a Philadelphia Phillies ballgirl. But she almost didn’t go through with it. “I kind of thought about it and was like, ‘I don’t know if I want to do it. I don’t know if they’d pick me,’” Dowdy said. During home games, the ballgirls field foul balls. Off the field, they appear at more than 150 events — like media engagements, visits to Philadelphia schools and nursing homes — during the year. They also do social media outreach and post regularly about their experiences at Phillies events to the blog “Down the Line.” The 2017 tryouts began on March 1, when applicants had to submit videos that explained why they wanted to be ballgirls and showed their softball skills. Girls from this pool of applicants were chosen to attend the tryout on March 10, which consisted of fielding, hitting, a Phillies quiz and a twominute interview. Those chosen to be a ballgirl will be notified by the Phillies’ home opener against the Washington Nationals
on Friday. Dowdy was joined at the tryouts by six other Temple students: Kaitlyn Brannigan, Mairead Denton, Ashley George, Madison Lee, Marissa Pirritano and Rachel Wisniewski. Dowdy said she has wanted to be a ballgirl since she was 8 years old and saw them at Phillies games. If she gets a spot, she hopes to excite and interact with the next generation of fans, she said. Dowdy added that she was drawn to the ballgirls’ community outreach, since she volunteers for organizations like the American Cancer Society and the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, which raises money and awareness for childhood cancers. Wisniewski, a junior marketing major, said her mother, father and two brothers — all lifelong Phillies fans — encouraged her to try out. “After I was like, ‘I’m going to try out’ ... my brother would send me texts every day like, ‘Quick: what’s the lineup?’ or ‘Quick: tell me this random Phillies fact,’” Wisniewski said. “They were just very supportive, and I know they want me to get it almost as much as I do.” Lee, who grew up in Connecticut, hasn’t always been a Phillies fan. Instead, she grew up rooting for the New York Yankees. But the freshman sport and recreation management major decided to try out because she wanted to continue playing softball — which she started at 5 years old. Lee couldn’t play at the Division I level at Tem-
ple since its team was cut in 2014. “I’m OK if I don’t make the team, because this is a dream that some of the girls have had for a long time,” Lee said. “But this is a young dream for me.” Lee said she likes the Phillies’ environmental initiatives. The Phillies were the first Major League Baseball team to join the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership program, which encourages the use of renewable electricity across the United States. The ballgirls also lead the organization’s Red Goes Green Team and collect recyclable materials in the stadium during home games. Lee said the tryouts were “intense,” but it was fun meeting aspiring and current ballgirls. Dowdy agreed that the tryouts were nerve-racking, but her experiences at Temple so far have made her more confident, she said. “[If] I had the opportunity to [try out] last year, I do not think I would’ve been able to,” Dowdy said. “I definitely had way too much fear and was not that able to make small talk or put myself out there.” Wisniewski is already looking forwarding to taking on the responsibilities of a Phillies ballgirl. “That first game experience on the field … it would just be so surreal,” she said. “I can’t even put it into words.” alexis.s.anderson@temple.edu
GENEVA HEFFERNAN/THE TEMPLE NEWS Marissa Dowdy (left), a freshman public relations major, has dreamed of being a Phillies ballgirl since she was 8 years old. Madison Lee (right), a freshman sport and recreation management major, decided to try out to be a Phillies ballgirl to keep up her softball skills and increase her community outreach.
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HENRY SAVAGE FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS Maria Möller, a master’s of acting alumna, is one of six artists chosen to be a 2017 Recycled Artist in Residency.
Digging ‘in the trash’ for art, reflection Recycled Artist in Residency creates awareness about sustainability and conservation through recyclable materials. By HENRY SAVAGE For The Temple News A construction and demolition waste recycling company in Northeast Philadelphia is the new studio for two alumnae. Maria Möller, a master’s of acting alumna, and 2016 master’s of glass alumna Kristen Neville Taylor are two of the six artists chosen for the Recycled Artist in Residency 2017 program. RAIR is a nonprofit that creates awareness about sustainability and conservation issues by using recyclable materials to create art. The center offers two types of residencies: the standard option, which lasts one to three months and offers the artist studio space, and the “biggie shortie,” which lasts two to four weekends and gives the artists partial access to the shop and studio. During both programs, artists have access to more than 350 tons of waste, woodshop materials, handheld power tools and metalworking equipment, said Billy Dufala, the director of residencies at RAIR. Neville Taylor will start the standard residency program in September. She plans to analyze waste to determine commonly thrown-away items and find their value. “I’ve been taking objects and potential artifacts of value, crushing them into small pieces and sculpting them into a sphere,” Neville Taylor said. “So that these objects could not be placed into categories easily, like they are before they’re crushed.” Möller will complete the “biggie shortie” residency. She said she will focus on her idea for a project named “One Last Time,” which will use material found at RAIR to speak on questions of mortality. Möller’s goal is to engage people who recently had someone close to them pass away. She’ll show the participants objects she found at RAIR, ask them what the object should accomplish one last time and then crush it in a recycler at RAIR. She will document the process through photography and written sentiment. “As I get older, I’m dealing with people in my life, parents and relatives, starting to pass or taking illness,” Möller said. “It’s kind of a meditation on mortality, and the privilege that some people get as they’re approaching the end of knowing and having the chance to do something one last time.” After working in theater for 25 years, Möller began to explore other artistic ventures. She started acting when she was a child, and left high school a year early to pursue theater before co-founding the theater company Shakespeare in Clark Park in 2005. Two years later, Möller took up photography. “After working in theater for so long, I felt the change to be exciting and fulfilling on a personal, creative level,” Möller said. Before Dufala co-founded RAIR in 2010, he used materials he collected from dumpsters and the street for his artwork. Dufala said the facility helped him and other artists access these materials and equipment more easily. He added that the program is a way to educate the arts community about how waste is produced. “It’s an absolute no-brainer that this is a very viable resource in a city like Philly for the arts community,” Dufala said. Dufala said he has high hopes for RAIR’s 2017 residents, and he looks forward to seeing what Möller and Neville Taylor produce during their time with the nonprofit. “I’m really excited,” Möller said. “I’ve been there on a few different occasions and always have wanted to spend that time there, to literally be able to dig a little deeper, in the trash.” henry.savage@temple.edu
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KIERAN LYONS FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS
Philly Pillow Phight takes over Washington Square On April 1, the annual Philly Pillow Phight took place in Washington Square Park. The event was organized to coincide with International Pillow Fight Day. From the Market-Frankford Line’s 8th Street station, a slew of people with pillows in hand walked to the park. Anthony Farraj returned to the pillow fight for the second year in a row. Farraj said he enjoys fighting in a luchador uniform. “The kids like to call me Nacho Libre, from the movie,” he said. Hoseong Cho, a freshman biology major came to the event with Jerry So, his resident assistant at Hardwick Hall. So provided Cho’s floormates with SEPTA tokens for the event. So, a junior bioengineering major, said it was a great way to meet people and he would be back next year.
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MUSEUM mediately greeted her with a hug. “It was as if she knew me for years,” Kelsey said. “[The museum] makes me nostalgic for something that I have never had. It takes me to some place I have never been, but it feels familiar.”
DuBois said the museum is also a “historical record” of the Black community in Germantown, which shrank after the 2007-08 housing crisis, when many community members lost their homes. Michael Clemmons is the associate director of workforce development at Temple’s Center for Social Policy and Community Development. He is also a curator at the mu-
seum and a long-time friend of DuBois, and works closely with artists to organize their work in the museum. Artists are the foundation for the success of the museum, he said. Every year, one of the artists is honored for their contribution to the community. On March 26, visitors celebrated one of them: Toni Kersey. Clemmons described Kersey as the exact definition of an “ordinary,
extraordinary colored girl.” “There were folks that [Kersey] hasn’t seen in 40 years, but they came to see her because of [the ceremony],” Clemmons said. “It’s not just because she’s a great artist, but also because of who she is as a person and who she is to her family and daughter.” DuBois said she still can’t believe she is living in a museum. She is “constantly in a state of performance,”
ready to welcome visitors into her home. “It’s clear to me that this isn’t a boxy or glassy institute,” she said. “The Colored Girls Museum requires a house. ‘She’ requires that kind of intimacy.” quang.duc.do@temple.edu
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SHOWCASE 04/05/2017
Reception 4:30 pm Films 6:00 pm
Free film & food at Temple Performing Arts Center (TPAC). Presentation of works by new faculty members, Catherine Pancake, Moon Molson and Lauren Wolkstein. Q&A to follow. QUANG DO FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS Top left: Artist Lynda Grace presents her works to the visitors of the museum. On March 26, she came to the museum for a ceremony honoring artist Toni Kersey, pictured below. Kersey has contributed several pieces to the museum.
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Considering global issues through soccer The history class discusses the social and economic impact of the sport. By PATRICK BILOW Classroom Beat Reporter When Gary Scales was growing up just outside London during the 1980s, he went to Norwich City Football Club games. It’s the same team his grandfather played for during the 1930s, which turned his interest in the soccer club into an obsession with its history. “Football was always a large part of my life,” said Scales, a history professor and a second-year Ph.D. student. “But I began to look at the sport differently as I became fascinated with the history and significance of the sport.” Scales now teaches a course that showcases his love for the sport: History of Global Soccer. The course is dedicated to studying the personal emotions, politics and social trends that have shaped soccer, and the ways soccer has shaped societies across the world in return, Scales said. “It’s the world’s most premier sport,” Scales said. “To consider the world, one should consider football.” Scales wears his soccer jerseys to class and hangs posters of soccer teams and downtown London in his office on the 9th floor of Gladfelter Hall. He grew up playing the game and now considers soccer one of the most powerful cultural practices in the world. In 2014, 3.2 billion people watched the
FIFA World Cup — roughly 44 percent of the world population. “Much like football, my class is inclusive,” Scales said. “Anyone is welcome. There are no wrong answers, and the conversation is largely student-conducted.” Scales said he doesn’t give exams, but students are required to complete two personal blog posts, a podcast and a Wikipediastyle article about topics in the class, all of which reflect topics like gender roles, race relations or historical commercialism within the Premier League, England’s professional league of men’s football clubs. “The class is an ongoing conversation,” Scales said. “And it is absolutely incredible how the students can generate great discussion.” “Because football is such a global sport and because it attracts so many people, each student was able to bring a different perspective to the discussion,” Scales added. “And that is just brilliant.” Stephanie Hirsch, a senior journalism major, played soccer for most of her life and served as a play-by-play commentator for the Chicago Red Stars — a franchise in the National Women’s Soccer League — and ChicagoLand Sports Radio. With a minor in history, Hirsch said she knew she had to take the class. “I’m a soccer nut, but I didn’t realize how socialized soccer and its history are,” Hirsch said. “We talk about pivotal figures in women’s soccer, and I feel like I have learned a lot about the role women have played in the sport.” Scales said there is a classic narrative that soccer is a man’s sport, but the reality is that women have been playing soccer for
as long as men have, and they’ve played an important role in its history. He teaches his students about two sisters, Anna and Georgina Connell, who were critical in the founding of the first Manchester City soccer club in the mid-1800s. They went door-to-door in Manchester to spread the word about the club. “In the class, we study stories that are similar to this one,” Scales said. “And by doing so, we create parallels with other narratives of history as to how women were treated in different societies historically.” Scales added that the struggle for equality in women’s sports continues today. In October 2014, U.S. women’s national team player Abby Wambach, Germany national team goalkeeper Nadine Angerer and others from across the world sued FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association over the use of artificial turf instead of real grass at the 2015 World Cup in Canada. The players cited the fact that all six prior women’s World Cups and all 20 men’s World Cups were played on grass fields, which is considered a better playing surface. The lawsuit was dropped in early January 2015, but was still seen as a recent effort to fight against gender inequality in sports. Scales said his class offers a different perspective on history because of its unique lens. “I think a lot of questions can be answered through the perspective of sport,” Scales said. “Just one more reason why it is truly the beautiful game.” patrick.bilow@temple.edu
SMC renamed Klein College after benefactor
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EVENTS
Discussion on military, religion Wednesday Ronit Stahl, a postdoctoral fellow from the University of Pennsylvania, will host a discussion about the American military chaplaincy — a program for people of faith to minister soldiers as they travel abroad — on Wednesday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Gladfelter Hall’s Weigley Room 914. The talk will examine how the military used religion during the 20th century, demonstrating the complex processes and consequences of state investment in religion. Stahl is a fellow for the Department of Medical Ethics & Health Policy in the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. Her book “Enlisting Faith: How the Military Chaplaincy Shaped Religion and State in Modern America” is about how the military dealt with religious diversity during the 20th century. It will be published in November.
-Grace Shallow
World Cafe Live celebrates Cuban culture For the first installment of a monthly celebration of Cuban culture, World Cafe Live will host Havana Nights: A Celebration of Cuban Music, Food & Dance on Friday from 5 to 11 p.m. The evening will feature Conjunto Philadelphia, a musical ensemble in the city, and free lessons from dance instructors. The event is free to attend with food and drink specials, so guests can try Cuban food and cocktails. Tables can be reserved in advance. -Erin Moran
Community Garden to host spring dinner Temple Community Garden will host a spring feast on Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Tyler School of Art to celebrate the season with food, music and art. The garden, which grows vegetables and flowers and composts at Diamond and Carlisle streets, hosts a dinner each semester. To participate in the dinner, a dish to share or a $3-5 donation for unlimited food is suggested. The Facebook page for the event says “no one will be turned away for lack of funds.” The proceeds from the dinner will benefit the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit that uses litigation and education as advocacy for civil rights.
-Erin Moran
Kingfisher to release first full-length album GENEVA HEFFERNAN/THE TEMPLE NEWS Lew Klein, an adjunct professor and broadcast pioneer, spoke to the audience on Wednesday at the Klein College of Media and Communication’s renaming ceremony in the Temple Performing Arts Center. Actor and comedian Bob Saget, a 1978 alumnus and former student of Klein’s, hosted the event.
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FOOD cially water — lately. “This is our soul and this is our planet, this is our home,” Brooke sang while standing in front of a sculpture made of empty cans hanging from the Bell Tower. Logan said when the cans bang together, the noise is meant to symbolize the “sound of hunger.” During the demonstration, there was a food justice fair, which featured the Rad Dish Co-Op Café and Greensgrow Farms, an urban farming organization. Deirdre Sheehy, a 2014 Greek and Roman classics alumna, is a lead farmer at Greensgrow. She was selling produce to students like sophomore civil engineering major Andrew Bertolazzi and sophomore history and political science major Tori Nichols. The students bought apples from the stand and said the easy access to produce encouraged them to buy a healthy snack. “I think it’s always a good idea to have
local produce especially, so if there was more of that on campus I think everyone would benefit from it,” Nichols said. Other events this week include Temple Chopped, a cooking competition during which students will compete to make the best meal with inexpensive ingredients often found in a food pantry, on Tuesday. On Thursday, there will be a food insecurity panel with representatives from other universities — like Montclair State, Rutgers, West Chester and Stockton — that have food pantries that aid food-insecure students. On Friday, Temple Community Garden’s tiny house will have its grand opening with a “tiny house-warming party” with tiny snacks and a tiny ribbon-cutting ceremony. The tiny house is a collaborative sustainability project across disciplines at the university and will host workshops about growing and preparing food. Logan said the main goal of the programming is to start a conversation about food insecurity on Main Campus. These events follow higher education
professor Sara Goldrick-Rab’s recent study about food insecurity, which found that a third of community college students in the United States regularly go hungry. Temple does not have a food pantry for students right now, but the Inquirer reported in February that the university is “exploring ideas.” “Hunger is a real thing for a lot of students on campus and sometimes you have to decide between getting a meal or like, going to your job,” Logan said. “It’s a really growing issue and it needs to be talked about and addressed.” “People need to know people are suffering on campus and it’s more than on campus, it does happen after college too,” Brooke said. “We need to talk about it and now this is a public statement. That’s the purpose of this event and I hope people are listening.” erin.moran@temple.edu @ernmrntweets
On Friday, “jam-fusion” band Kingfisher will perform at Creep Records in Northern Liberties to celebrate the release of the band’s first full-length album, “Vol. 1,” from 7 to 11 p.m. The band will perform the full album at the release show. Philadelphia-based musicians Omar’s Hat and Tucker Hill will also perform. Of Kingfisher’s eight members, seven attended Temple, including senior English major and guitarist Marc Jaffee and senior trombone performance major Rodney McGhee. The band has performed at several house shows around Main Campus. Friday’s release show will also feature live paintings by Lost and Found Art and senior glass major Connor Wisnom. Admission to the show costs $5. -Erin Moran
Student discount during Phillies 2017 season This season, the Philadelphia Phillies are offering a discount for high school, college and graduate students for home games during April and October. For $15, students get a ticket to the game and any item from Ashburn Alley — an outdoor entertainment area in Citizens Bank Park with restaurants like Chickie’s & Pete’s Crab Fries, Bull’s BBQ and Tony Luke’s. The Phillies home opener game against the Washington Nationals starts at 3:05 p.m. on Friday. -Grace Shallow features@temple-news.com
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Media studies and production professor has side job as DJ Larisa Mann said music helped her through graduate school. By MORIAH THOMAN For The Temple News Larisa Mann remembers being on the rooftop of a three-story venue in Boston in the late 1990s when she heard a DJ playing jungle, a genre that mixes high-energy electronic dance music with Jamaican basslines and vocals. When she saw the way it resonated with the people dancing, she knew she wanted to DJ. “I just had never heard anything like it and thought it was the most exciting music I’d ever heard,” said Mann, who performs as DJ Ripley. Mann, who became a media studies and production professor in Fall 2016, has roots in academia and music. She grew up near Boston and played in hardcore punk bands in high school and college. In Fall 2016, Mann taught Information Society, which focuses on issues and theories related to the global post-modern society, and she’s currently teaching Media Criticism, which looks at how media are analyzed by people in the humanities and media theorists. She applied for a job at Temple partly because of the media studies and production department. “Media studies is a field that’s in newer, more open and flexible fields where I felt like I could do a lot of the different kinds of things that I’m interested in and it would all make sense,” Mann said. She was also considering jobs teaching courses in anthropology, sociology, Caribbean studies or history. “It’s not always easy to explain how DJing and music-making is a legitimate part of your scholarly practice, but it is,” Mann said. “It’s not separate for me, so I felt here that was really recognized in a nice way.” Laura Zaylea, a media studies and production professor, sat in on Mann’s guest lecture when she was
BRIANNA SPAUSE/THE TEMPLE NEWS Larisa Mann performs as DJ Ripley when she isn’t teaching in the media studies and production department. Mann, who joined the faculty in Fall 2016, decorated her office in Tomlinson Hall with vinyl records and posters from her performances and talks.
applying to work at Temple. “I feel like I left with new knowledge, but also sort of a sense of joy and a love for the subject matter,” Zaylea said. “I thought that’s exactly what one would want in a learning or classroom environment.” Both of Mann’s parents are professors. But her career in academia began at Oberlin College in northeastern Ohio, where she received a bachelor’s degree in labor history and women’s studies in 1995. While at Oberlin College, she was in a band that also had a DJ. A band member let her use his turntables, so she started practicing by herself when she could. Eventually, she bought a pair of used turntables and started inheriting and buying records. While on an educational break from 1995 to 1999, she became more involved in the DJ culture and in Boston’s “underground music” events,
she said. She also joined the city’s rave scene, after joining a group called Toneburst Collective, a music and arts group that put on multimedia events in unusual spaces. The collective helped her get her first DJing gig in Allston, Massachusetts in 1997 and after that, she began mixing jungle, hip-hop and dancehall — Jamaican pop music — by “taking the music apart and putting it back together,” Mann said. After her break from education, she enrolled in the London School of Economics and Political Science and received a master’s in economic history in 2000. “While at first [education and DJing] seem so totally separate, in talking to Larisa I see she has a passion for each of those things,” Zaylea said. “They are in that way connected if you think about sort of making an inclusive, and joyful and arts-focused world … maybe the world needs both
DJs and people that can influence change and help articulate policy.” While getting her doctorate in jurisprudence and social policy from the University of California-Berkeley Law School, she remained involved in the music and DJ scene in San Francisco. She said being involved in the music scene in graduate school was what kept her grounded and balanced. In San Francisco, she was involved in a music group called Surya Dub, which emphasized creating a multiracial space in the area’s music scene. She finished her doctorate in 2012. “It was really great to leave grad school and go to a place where all the things that everybody was stressed about in grad school were irrelevant, like nobody was worried about those things,” Mann said. “It was sort of refreshing to have a foot in each world. I don’t think I could have finished any of my graduate work if I hadn’t also
been part of a music scene.” While she was finishing her dissertation, Mann needed more teaching experience and moved back to the East Coast. She taught at Brooklyn College, Rutgers University and New York University. At NYU, she helped manage an in-house record label, Village Records, for two semesters. She was doing a research fellowship at Fordham University last year when she began applying for jobs and ended up at Temple. She said she was interested in teaching at an urban college. “I do think there are kinds of personal and social transformations that can happen in college,” Mann said. “I really like being a part of that process and I like it especially in a school where it is more diverse in all kinds of ways.” moriah.thoman@temple.edu
RAMA KABA FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS A student plays with a train at the The Free Library of Philadelphia on Cecil B. Moore Avenue near 24th Street on Thursday afternoon. The library is the programming and managing partner of Read by 4th, a citywide reading initiative. The College of Education is one of the five university partners in the program.
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EDUCATION edge and Practice Standards for Reading, a set of guidelines for the preparation, certification and professional development for reading teachers. The standards will be implemented in the school’s curriculum and affect professors’ teaching styles. College of Education Dean Gregory Anderson said the school’s early childhood education program is being reviewed to see if it’s eligible for the accreditation process. Classes are being assessed to see what standards are being met, and necessary changes will be made to the curriculum by Fall 2017. “I know that this is so important because Temple is the largest provider of teachers for the School District of Philadelphia,” Najera said. When he helps his 10-year-old son with his math homework, Anderson said his son often reads too quickly and gets confused by the questions, showing that literacy is the foundation for subjects like math and science. “It’s the biggest gatekeeper in student success,” Anderson said. features@temple-news.com
According to the “Literacy Promotion: An Essential Component of Primary Care Pediatric Practice,” an article published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, reading with young children builds parent-child relationships and lifelong social-emotional skills. The article also reported reading proficiency by the third grade is the most important predictor of high school graduation and career success. Diane Castelbuono, the Philadelphia school district’s deputy for early learning, said Read by 4th is the most comprehensive effort aiming to enrich the city’s education that she’s seen in the last 20 years. She added that lack of high-quality pre-K, lack of reading materials and lack of higher education institutions teaching future educators the science of reading contribute to the disadvantages the district faces when teaching literacy. “If colleges of education can do a much more in-depth job of teaching teachers, especially elementary grade teachers, how to teach reading and that there is a science to it, that will be really important and enable teachers when they get into our schools to hit the ground running,” Castelbuono said. Anderson said education doesn’t stop af-
ter elementary school, and there needs to be a “continuum” of attention paid to the quality of teaching. Last month, the city received the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs grant, also known as GEAR UP, from the United States Department of Education. It’s a $29 million, seven-year grant for partnerships that provide college readiness services to middle and high schools with high rates of poverty among their students. Temple will work at six high schools and 21 middle schools in North Philadelphia in partnership with the grant. Other higher education institutes, like La Salle University and Bryn Mawr College, will also assist Philadelphia schools. The College of Education is continuing its work in the neighborhood through other programs, like the $30 million Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which was awarded in 2014. Temple is the lead educational partner and works in North Central to improve pre-K opportunities and help high school students as they prepare for life after graduation. Anderson said the College of Education’s
work in the community is based off the school’s “place space initiative” — an effort to affect the education of children, families, young adults and adults in North Philadelphia positively with the College of Education’s academic programs, grants and research. He imagines Philadelphia’s education as a pipeline, that may be broken in a few places, he said. It starts with literacy in elementary school, and then middle school, where there may not be enough STEM programming, he said. Then students go to high school, which he said can sometimes be a “lost opportunity” for students who don’t start a career or go to college after graduation. He hopes the College of Education can help fill in those gaps. “We see learning as a lifelong endeavor, and we have the resources to support it,” Anderson said. “We are trying to be more strategic now in North Philadelphia because that’s where Temple is and we have a special relationship with the community.” grace.shallow@temple.edu @Grace_Shallow
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Alumna’s film makes it to Netflix Continued from Page 1
FILM
What do you think about the upcoming TSG election?
DEREK PEARSON Senior Chemistry
I’m probably going to vote, but I don’t know for who. I’ll probably have to look more into it. … People would vote, probably, if they knew more about it. Also, where do they go to vote? I think TSG should spend more time advertising it that way [so] more students know about it. Of course, the Student Center is one place to go. Maybe they could go to other places like the Fox School of Business or the TECH Center or where lots of students hang out.
phia art space in the former United Bank building in early March. Saman’s film — which won the LA Muse Award at the festival — was shot in Los Angeles in September 2014 over the course of 18 days. The idea for the film came from Saman’s fears of finding a job in the middle of the recession. Saman said she wanted the film to capture the feelings of other people she knew in her 20s, including some “peculiar fellows” she dated then, who were also fearful about their employment prospects. “What would happen to someone if that temporary job started to feel like it was not so temporary?” Saman said. “So that is how Steven came to be.” Steven, who is played by Karim Saleh, was molded through some of Saman’s own experiences. Both of them grew up in Southern California and have parents from Egypt, but he has key differences, like being a valet driver. Saman added that her film professors at Temple encouraged students to write from spaces they know. For her, it was as a first-generation American. Parts of the film were also shot in her childhood home, which has since been sold. Saman said it’s a good, lasting memory of that part of her life. In “Namour,” there isn’t a big moment of action. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a sense of rising action or a climax. Throughout the film, Steven has trouble expressing the feeling of being
stuck, while his sister succeeds in her educational pursuits. Saman said it was hard to create scenes that explored the ideas of repressed emotions. “How do you convey that emotiveness through wordlessness?” Saman said. “Can you make a film about stasis, about being stuck? Can you make that beautiful? And so a lot of that relied on my actor Karim, who I think did such a good job at suppressing something that kind of keeps building.” One particular scene includes Steven sitting on the beach in the evening, drunk at a party with friends and texting his girlfriend during his mental breakdown. He then goes back over to his friends and puts his hand in the bonfire, injuring himself. But throughout this breaking moment, he doesn’t say a word. She said scenes like this go “against the grain,” but it was an interesting way to convey the emotions happening inside his head. Mark Tumas, a 2013 film and media arts alumnus, was the film’s postproduction editor. Tumas said his experience on “Namour” was the biggest project he had worked on yet. “I learned a lot of patience from [Saman] and she left no option in the edit unturned, so every possible combination of scenes and cuts, we probably looked at,” he said. “She taught me a lot about picking performance from the actor and finding the rhythm of the film.” Prior to her time at Temple, Saman received her undergraduate degree in world literature and gender studies from the University of California San Diego in 2001. She then left in August 2001 to work in the public
relations department at the American University in Cairo for a year. She said coming back to the U.S. was difficult. Since she left for Egypt three weeks before 9/11, Saman came back to a completely different country. Saman longed for the hustle of Cairo after moving back to her family’s suburban Orange County town. Because of that, coming to Philadelphia in 2003 was “oddly comforting.” Saman decided to go back to Egypt to film her master’s thesis in 2007, “The Maid,” which premiered in competition at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. The film won a Princess Grace Honorarium Award for Thesis Film. The Princess Grace Foundation is a New York City nonprofit that assists emerging artists through grants and scholarships. As of now, Saman works as an associate producer on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross — a weekday radio show on contemporary art and social issues — but she said she’s also working on her next feature script and a television script. Saman said working with Array gave her an “incredible chance” to showcase her work. “I think to change the way things have been going, you have to create your own cannon and you have to give people chances,” Saman said. “They get what the film is and they get the ethos of the people who made it. It just feels right and it feels that the film has a home.” emily.ivy.scott@temple.edu @emilyivyscott
MADDIE FARRELL Junior Tourism and hospitality management
It’s good to have people involved. I know my one friend, [Paige Hill] is in Activate TU and so they are really trying to make sure that the student body knows. Obviously they don’t know, but that was the first time that I’ve heard of it because my friend was in it. They do make decisions for the whole student body even though people don’t participate as much, so it could affect us, even though [other students] don’t really know what [TSG does]. BILIN LIN FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS Heidi Saman, a 2007 master’s of film and media arts alumna, wrote and directed “Namour,” which was released on Netflix in mid-March. She wrote the screenplay through some of her own experiences as a first-generation Egyptian American and entering the workforce mid-recession.
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PANTELIS SOLOMIDES Junior Psychology
It’s good for students to be aware of politics and to be involved, to feel like their voices are heard, too. I do [plan on voting in the elections.] I think the voter turnout has been a little low because there are only four weeks left in the semester and everyone is buckling down in their classes. I also haven’t really seen it being posted on social media ... so perhaps it needs to get viewed more.
features@temple-news.com
MUSIC lack of trying. ... Using technology and using hopefully some good therapeutic interventions with the benefits of active music-making, this is one of the things that can really help a lot of people and not make the suffering so bad.” Francine said her father was a “serial entrepreneur,” and he passed his interests in technology and business on to her. Andrew Tubman, on the other hand, got their father’s musical skills. “What his dream has turned into is, I went into technology and Andy went into music therapy,” Francine said. “We didn’t think of [SingFit] in our dorm room one night. This is something that we’ve been working on and thinking about for a long portion of our lives.”
When senior living centers utilize SingFit, they can spread the benefits of music therapy to more clients, while also allowing music therapists to do “deeper work.” One of the first assisted-living facilities to use SingFit, Washingtonbased Aegis Living, recently signed on for a fourth year of the program. Andrew Tubman said using SingFit and seeing the positive impact of musicmaking on the community inspired the facility to hire music therapists in addition to the SingFit program. By the end of the summer, Francine said, 1,000 new assisted living community staff members will be trained on the program, which will reach 17,000 new patients around the country. “For someone like Andy, that means going from being able to see maybe 25 people per week to now
having his work impact 17,000 a day,” Francine said. Francine and Andrew Tubman said the main goal of SingFit is to use both of their skills to help people. “My dad is also someone who really believes in social justice,” Francine said. “Both Andy and I are driven to create things that help people.” “What we do at SingFit, it’s not incremental change,” she added. “We are actually introducing into the medical system a new way to treat a number of diseases, which right now, for many of them, there’s no scalable solution. … You can have companies that make change and change things for the better.” erin.moran@temple.edu @ernmrntweets Kait Moore contributed reporting.
temple-news.com @thetemplenews
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TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2017 Continued from Page 18
HOCKENBERRY said. “I got some feedback from the bullpen coach at the Major-League level. I got some feedback from a lot of the MajorLeague guys, and that just kind of fueled my fire with, you know, being the last guy from Temple baseball that is playing professionally right now.” Hockenberry will start the season with the Reading Fightin Phils, the Phillies’ Class AA affiliate. He pitched three games in Reading last season but spent most of the season with the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers. He had an ERA less than two in 44 games. In 2014, Hockenberry pitched to a 9.22 ERA in his first 10 professional games with the Lakewood BlueClaws, the fullseason Class A affiliate of the Phillies. Later that season, he was sent down to the Williamsport Crosscutters in the Class A short-season New York-Penn League. After Hockenberry bounced a fastball in the dirt in a bullpen session shortly after the demotion, pitching coach Aaron Fultz asked him if he was afraid to throw the ball. Fultz told him not to worry about adjusting his mechanics, to throw strikes and
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OBER they drove past Boathouse Row in April 2014. Later that day, Ober sent an email to coach Rebecca Grzybowski. Now, in her sophomore year, Ober rows in the Varsity 8 boat, the Owls’ top boat. “We actually get emails like that a lot,” Grzybowski said. “Rowing is a really unique sport, unlike almost every other D-I sport, you actually have women competing at a really high level that haven’t rowed until they got to college. And we have a really strong walk-on population. This is all rowing, not just Temple.” While Ober didn’t get the attention from basketball or soccer coaches coming out of high school, it turns out she has the ideal body for a rower, Grzybowski said. She added that rowing is a leverage sport, and at 5-feet-9-inches tall, Ober has long legs that coaches look for to help their teams breeze by opponents in the water. Without experience, it took some time for Ober to get comfortable. Ober said during her freshman year
to take control of his career. Hockenberry returned to Lakewood in 2015 and posted a 2.24 ERA and held opponents to a .186 average in 42 games. This offseason, Hockenberry worked on his curveball. The Phillies’ Director of Player Development Joe Jordan told him it had too much contrast, meaning it jumped up before it went down, allowing hitters to read it more easily. During a game for Reading last July, Hockenberry thought he was throwing good curveballs, but said hitters “teed off on it.” He allowed three runs in an inning and two thirds. He has worked with Fultz to make it a more effective pitch with more velocity. “In the minor leagues, sometimes you let a fastball slip up high, you let a breaking ball or a changeup slip up high,” Hockenberry said. “And if that minor league guy’s not looking for that pitch, they either swing through it because their timing’s not there, they foul it off because their timing’s not there, or they just take it because it’s not the pitch that they’re looking for.” “The thing that I saw in the Major League level was I threw really good pitches down in the zone that sometimes they would swing at, sometimes they wouldn’t,” he added. “But every time I left the ball up, whether it was hung or I just missed my
spot, missed the catcher’s glove in the location we were trying to attack, I mean they tattooed it.” When the season ends, Hockenberry works six days per week, including weeknights and Sundays at the All-Star Baseball Academy in Broomall, Pennsylvania. He works alongside Freddy Hilliard, who played for Temple from 2000-04 and is the head baseball coach at Malvern Preparatory School. Hockenberry received phone calls from other schools when Temple’s sports cuts were announced, but decided to stay for his senior season instead of transferring for one semester and having to come back to Temple if he wasn’t drafted. Hockenberry is trying to become the first Owl to play in the majors since Bobby Higginson, who played for the Detroit Tigers from 1995-2005. “I think to be honest, whether or not they bring the program back, if I make it to the major leagues, it’ll kind of add some closure,” Hockenberry said. “In my mind, it’ll add some closure to that program, saying, ‘Yeah we had one guy that did it for all of us.’”
using an oar felt awkward and being in the water felt strange. “It’s a very big team sport,” Ober said. “And not that the other sports that I played weren’t team sports, but rowing is so different because you can’t do anything without being synchronized with your teammates and being on the exact same page as everyone else.” “Trying to learn how to connect with your teammates on that type of level was a lot different,” she added. “You can be the best basketball player and shoot all of the baskets and be the star player, but in rowing there is no star player. It’s a total collective thing, and that was a mindset I had to change.” Prior to enrolling at Temple, Ober grew up on a farm in Lancaster County. Ober’s driveway at her house is a mile long, and she knows all of her neighbors, even though the closest one is about another two miles down the road. Her house is surrounded by horse farms and Amish people riding horse and buggies down the winding streets. The farm has about 25 cattle and a chicken coop the size of two football fields. The coop holds roughly 35,000 chickens,
Ober said. Her father, Dan Ober, hires local farmers to take care of the chicken coop, and he sells the steer once they get big enough. Ober loved growing up on a farm, especially when Halloween rolled around each year. “My dad would set up a huge Halloween party,” Ober said. “He would decorate the chicken house, get people from his job to come and dress up as scary people, and make mazes in the cornfield. It was so much fun being able to do that” Ober helps her dad unload trailers of hay and fence the pasture but admits she should do more on the farm. But when it comes to rowing, Ober has given her all since being a novice as a freshman last year. “She’s definitely picked it up and continuing to get better, which is why she is where she is, because she’s open to getting better everyday,” Grzybowski said.
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SPORTS BRIEFS GYMNASTICS
Salim-Beasley receives regional coaching award Coach Umme Salim-Beasley won the Co-Northeast Regional Coach of the Year Award after Saturday’s NCAA regional competition in Morgantown, West Virginia. She split the honor with University of Michigan coach Bev Plocki. Temple’s 2016-17 squad holds the Top 10 all-around scores in program history. The team scored above the 194-point mark for the first time and achieved its highest score at the Eastern College Athletic Conference championships. The Owls had 36 individual scores of 9.8 or higher, more than the last two seasons combined. Temple also beat the University of Pittsburgh for the first time since 1995 and sent its first gymnast to the NCAA regional meet since 2009. -Evan Easterling
evan.easterling@temple.edu @Evan_Easterling
thomas.ignudo@temple.edu @Ignudo5
DANELL WORRELL FILE PHOTO This season, freshman all-around Daisy Todd became the first Temple gymnast to compete at the NCAA regional meet since 2009.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Former coach wins title University of South Carolina coach Dawn Staley won her first national championship on Sunday night. The Gamecocks defeated Mississippi State University 67-55 in the NCAA championship game in Dallas. Staley coached at Temple from 2000-08. She went to the NCAA tournament six times and won three Atlantic 10 Conference championships in her time with the Owls. Coach Tonya Cardoza, who played with Staley at the University of Virginia, passed her as the Owls’ all-time wins leader this season. South Carolina hired Staley in May 2008. She has gone to six consecutive NCAA tournaments and made the Final Four in two of the past three seasons. During the championship trophy presentation, Staley mentioned her Temple coaching days and North Philadelphia roots. “I’ve got to go all the way back to my Temple days,” she said. “Those are the guys that really believed in our vision.” - Owen McCue
MEN’S SOCCER
Former Owl signs pro contract in Sweden
SYDNEY SCHAEFER FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS Sophomore Danielle Ober rows in the Owls’ Varsity 8 boat. She played three sports in high school before joining the rowing team last year as a walk-on.
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JONES turner and cornerback in 2016. He broke the school’s record for punt return average and finished his career with 36 passes defended, which ranks ninth all-time at North Carolina Central, a Football Championship Subdivision school. Jones graduated with a bachelor’s in sports management in December and decided to transfer to use his final year of NCAA eligibility. He considered Florida Atlantic University, Tennessee State University and the University of Toledo, where defensive backs coach Cory Robinson spent the 2016 season. Robinson met Jones’ father at the National Combine at the U.S. Army AllAmerican Bowl in Texas during Jones’ junior year of high school. Jones and Robinson stayed in touch, talking about once or twice per week, he said. When coach Geoff
Collins hired Robinson in January, Jones chose Temple. “It started off as him being a mentor, big brother to me, and now he’s a coach and he’s still mentoring me, trying to better me into being a better man,” Jones said. “But now he’s just coaching me and changing and altering what I learned at the FCS level and getting me better at this level.” Jones said he began returning kicks when he was young, pointing toward some of the Pop Warner players running around after practice on March 25. But Jones didn’t return kicks in college until his sophomore season in 2014. He made his favorite punt return in that year’s homecoming game against Hampton University. In the third quarter, he broke tackles to take the ball 59 yards inside the 10-yard line. On the defensive side of the ball, Jones had eight pass breakups and four interceptions as a freshman and 13 pass breakups and five interceptions as a sophomore. He said teams started shying away from
throwing to his side of the field last season, when he had three pass breakups and two interceptions. Jones told Collins that North Carolina Central didn’t have a complex defense. Collins said the Owls will have an NFLstyle defense with “a lot of corner blitzes.” “He’s being a good teammate, pushing other guys,” Collins said. “Giving his experience because he’s played a lot of ball, to some of the younger guys ... showing them what it takes to play at a high level.” “He’s definitely a guy you can just throw in there,” redshirt-senior defensive back Artrel Foster said. “He knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s just still learning the new system just like everybody else, and the techniques, because he looks like he played a different technique at his old school. But he’s picking it up.” evan.easterling@temple.edu @Evan_Easterling
Carlos Moros Gracia, who played two seasons with Temple, signed with GIF Sundsvall on Thursday. The team plays in Sweden. Moros Gracia played all 18 of Temple’s games last season and served as a team captain. The former defender led the Owls in minutes played in back-to-back seasons after transferring from Valencia University in Spain. Moros Gracia earned second-team all-American Athletic Conference honors in 2015 and won first-team distinction last year. He helped the Owls go undefeated at home in 2016. Moros Gracia is the third former Owl to join a professional team in the last four months. Vancouver Whitecaps FC selected former forward Jorge Gomez Sanchez in the third round of the MLS SuperDraft in January. Former defender Matt Mahoney signed with Bethlehem Steel FC on March 3. The Steel play in the United Soccer League, which is affiliated with MLS. -Evan Easterling
FOOTBALL
Quarterback to transfer to Big Ten school Redshirt-freshman quarterback Tommy Wyatt received a release from Temple and will transfer to play at Rutgers University, a Power 5 school, he announced on Twitter on Sunday. “I am very grateful for everyone and everything the University presented me with. ... I’m coming home,” Wyatt wrote. Wyatt played high school football at Overbrook High School in Pine Hill, New Jersey. As a senior, he threw for 2,163 yards and 17 touchdowns and ran for 10 touchdowns. Army West Point gave him his only Division I offer, but Syracuse University, the University of Pittsburgh, Boston College, Connecticut, Rutgers and Temple had interest in adding him as a walk-on. Wyatt committed to Rutgers in February 2016 before choosing Temple. -Evan Easterling sports@temple-news.com
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MEN’S CLUB VOLLEYBALL
Fundraising gives opportunity for national competition The Owls will head to Kansas City, Missouri on April 13. By DEMETRIUS MASON For The Temple News Like most club sports, the men’s volleyball team doesn’t have a head coach. Responsibilities a Division I coach handles like running practices, setting lineups and budgeting are handled by the club president, junior setter Jake Reynolds. “All the players are there to play in a competitive environment and have a passion for the sport, which makes a student-run organization easier to handle,” Reynolds said. Even with the players all working together, there are still struggles they have to overcome. The funding to head to the conference tournament is usually completely covered, but not the National Collegiate Volleyball Federation championships. Junior outside hitter and club treasurer Alex Androkites said planning the trip can be “very expensive” because of hotel, travel and round-trip flight costs. Last year, the Owls tied for 41st at the national tournament in Louisville, Kentucky. This year’s event is in Kansas City, Missouri from April 13-15. The Owls hold a fundraising tournament, which is a good source of revenue and practice for the team, at the beginning of each season. Temple invited 20 schools, double last season’s total, to this season’s tournament on Nov. 4. The club raised $2,000, a new high, and reached the quarterfinals. Former NCAA athletes participated, Reynolds said. “It was a huge fundraiser for us because you can’t accept money,” said Tyler Phifer, a junior middle hitter and the club’s vice president. “So it all went to nationals and affording our plane tickets to go.” The university also gave the team more than $9,000, or an average of about $300 per player, to go to the national tournament. “All things considered, we get pretty good support from the university to
help make it pretty affordable for everyone on the team to go,” Androkites said. Still, the national competition isn’t the Owls’ top priority. Temple wants to make a deep run in this weekend’s conference tournament. Temple clinched its spot in the Middle Atlantic Club Volleyball Conference tournament after a four-set win against Rowan University on March 25 at the Pearson Hall third floor courts. The team lost its second match of the day against Stockton University. It was the Owls’ (7-1, 5-1 MACVC East Division) first divisional loss, but it didn’t affect playoff positioning. Temple will face Penn State Harrisburg in the first round of the day-long tournament on Saturday at Shippensburg University.
All the players are there to play in a competitive environment and have a passion for the sport. Jake Reynolds Junior setter and club president
Last year, Temple’s bid to repeat as conference champion ended with a semifinal loss to Drexel University. Phifer and Reynolds earned all-tournament honors. Messiah College won the tournament by beating Drexel in the finals. Sophomore opposite hitter Liam Ridings said the Owls’ improved defense, led by freshman libero Jared Silverstein and his brother Aaron, will help on Saturday. “Winning the MAC championships has been my standard ever since we won [in 2015],” senior opposite hitter Dan Rodenbach said. “I didn't really play for a good high school team, so I’ve never won anything like that.” d.mason@temple.edu
KAIT MOORE FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS Junior middle hitter and club vice president Tyler Phifer spikes the ball in the Owls’ win against Rowan University in Pearson Hall on March 25.
Temple’s First-round NFL Draft Picks PLAYER
COLLEGE
DRAFT PICK YEAR
JOHN RIENSTRA
1983 – 85
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
9TH
1986
(1986 – 92)
PAUL PALMER
1983 – 86
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
19TH 1987
(1987 – 89)
MUHAMMAD WILKERSON
2008 – 10
NEW YORK JETS
30TH 2011
(2011 –
HAASON REDDICK
2012 – 16
?
? 2017
?
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REDDICK was drafted ninth overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1986. Running back Paul Palmer was selected 19th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs the following year. It took 24 years for the Owls to have another first-round draft pick. The New York Jets selected defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson 30th overall in 2011. “He’s rare,” former Temple linebacker Tyler Matakevich said of Reddick. “You see all these guys talking about, ‘scouts haven’t seen anything like him in a long time,’ especially out of Temple. Haason’s just a prime example of a kid that’s just worked so hard to get where he is right now.” Reddick recorded 15.5 sacks in the past two seasons, including 10.5 sacks last year. He models his game after Denver Broncos all-pro linebacker Von Miller. During his six-year NFL career, Miller has reached double-digit sack totals five times and won the Super Bowl MVP award sports@temple-news.com
in 2016. Reddick used to wear No. 58, Miller’s number, before he earned a single-digit jersey last year. “He’s one of my favorite NFL athletes,” Reddick said. “Just how hard and aggressive, how physical he is. The athleticism he has. He’s such a great player.” Matakevich, who now plays for the Steelers, said he sees Reddick playing outside linebacker and defensive end in the NFL. One of the comparisons Reddick has garnered during the draft process is Matakevich’s teammate, Pro Bowl linebacker Ryan Shazier. “Some of the stuff he’s able to do on the field, you sort of just scratch your head and you’re like, ‘How the hell did you just do that, dude?’” Matakevich said of Shazier. “I think that’s what Haason’s going to do,” he added. “He’s going to make plays wherever you put him. His athletic ability is just unbelievable. That’s what makes him so special and makes him do these ridiculous things.” Reddick played running back and safety in high school at Haddon Heights. He walked-on to Temple as a cornerback. Then he spent time
at linebacker, and eventually worked his way toward the defensive line, where he played the last two seasons. His athleticism and versatility is what is so attractive to NFL teams.
He’s going to make plays wherever you put him. His athletic ability is just unbelievable. Tyler Matakevich Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker
During the scouting combine, the NFL Network played videos of Reddick rushing the passer, dropping into coverage and stopping the run. He even tried to become one of the Owls’ kick returners during training camp last summer. Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman ranked Reddick as one of the Top 20 ‘Freaks’ in college football in October. The list included “guys who possess some rare physical abilities that wow folks in-
NFL CAREER
)
side their programs.” Reddick displayed why at the NFL combine. He ran a 4.52 40-yard dash and broad-jumped 133 inches, which were both tops among defensive lineman. “Haason has always had the talent,” former defensive coordinator Phil Snow said last season. “He can run, jump and all that, and it finally clicked this year.” Last season, Reddick posted 22.5 tackles for loss, which ranked third in the Football Bowl Subdivision and was the second-highest total in Temple history. Reddick wasn’t even on scholarship until the start of last year. His mom took out a loan for a meal plan so he wouldn’t feel left out when he ate with scholarship players. “The kid’s journey has been unbelievable,” Matakevich said. “His story and his path is just ridiculous.” owen.mccue@temple.edu @Owen_McCue
temple-news.com @TTN_sports
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LACROSSE
Williams is relishing her student-athlete experience The senior attacker has 10 assists and organizes community events. By TESSA SAYERS Lacrosse Beat Reporter Almost every Sunday after the Owls signed a new recruit in 2012, assistant coach Jennifer Wong received a call from Brooke Williams. When Wong answered the phone, she would be greeted by Williams and a new recruit. Before she came to Temple in Fall 2013, Williams drove to meet each of the six other incoming recruits faceto-face to make sure they knew each other and became friends. “She has always been the person who is willing to do more to make things work,” coach Bonnie Rosen said. “It’s wonderful to have someone who loves to be involved and who gets themselves involved.” Williams, a senior attacker, plays two important roles on the field. Not only does she have to be a playmaker and make sure the offense is running smoothly, but she also has to be ready to step up and finish when needed. Williams played all 16 games as a sophomore and played 17 of the Owls’ 19 games last year, including one start. In those two years, she scored 10 goals and had five assists for a total of 15 points. This year, Williams has four goals and 10 assists in 11 starts. She scored the game-tying goal with one minute, 38 seconds left and assisted senior attacker Anna Frederick with three seconds left in the Owls’ win against Monmouth University on Feb. 15. Williams recorded a career-high four assists in Temple’s (9-2, 2-1 Big East Conference) 12-5 win against the University of Maryland Baltimore County on March 4. She is second on the team in assists behind graduate attacker Brenda McDermott’s 22.
She knows when to make the extra pass or cut to set up a teammate, but she also sees when she has an open shot and takes it. “I have never been a person who is a ‘starter’ or a person who has put up the goals,” Williams said. “I felt like I was more of the person to make sure you are doing the little things and understanding the game and playing smart and efficiently.” Off the field, Williams serves as the president of Temple’s StudentAthlete Advisory Committee. She worked as the vice president in 201516. The SAAC seeks “to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity, protecting student-athlete well-being and fostering a positive student-athlete image,” according to NCAA.com. Representatives communicate athletes’ opinions on proposed NCAA regulations and perform other tasks. As the president, Williams does a lot of behind-the-scenes work. She focuses on community engagement and leads a majority of those initiatives, along with making sure student-athletes are getting the best possible experience. “Brooke has been a SAAC person that has gotten things done,” Rosen said. “That’s why she has risen to the executive levels and the president, because she is a doer. There is no doubt that our SAAC has functioned at a higher level because Brooke has been involved.” The project that means the most to Williams is the Special Olympics Fall Festival that takes place at Villanova. She has been involved with the Special Olympics since she was young and brought that to Temple by encouraging other student-athletes to attend the event and making signs to support the athletes. She has helped increase the number of student-athletes who attend the event by 25 to 50 people each year. “They’re the people that are there cheering you on, and you finally have
GENEVA HEFFERNAN/THE TEMPLE NEWS Senior attacker Brooke Williams (center), shoots in the Owls’ 18-3 victory against the University of California, Berkeley on March 26, 2016.
this outlet to go and cheer them on and it’s not something that always comes up,” Williams said. “The environment that we bring is different than what we can bring to other places, just the hype and the support of bringing this athletic community to another athletic realm is really special.” Williams took an internship with Temple’s marketing department of
athletics last year. She was in charge of promoting ticket sales and editing flyers. As her senior year comes to an end, Williams wants to make sure other athletes get involved with the Temple community. “Leaving my mark is making sure that I help people move along the way and understand that it isn’t just about lacrosse, but the whole experience,”
Williams said. “I think there are so many opportunities while you are here as a student-athlete in general, and if you can’t find a way to use all of them, you really missed out.” teresa.sayers@temple.edu @SayersTessa
CLUB ICE HOCKEY
Semborski gets second opportunity as NHL backup The former club ice hockey goalie stepped onto the ice for the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday in Philadelphia. By OWEN MCCUE Sports Editor Eric Semborski was greeted by loud applause as he skated onto the ice at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday night. Semborski, who played club ice hockey at Temple from 2011-15, thought he was just going to spend the night watching the game between the Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils as Philadelphia’s second emergency goalie. But dressed in a No. 49 Flyers jersey and wearing a custom Temple mask, Semborski stood between the pipes ready for a faceoff with 24.5 seconds left in the game. Moments later fans booed and Semborski waved as he was forced to leave the ice due to an NHL rule preventing emergency goalies from entering the game without an injury taking place. “I grew up watching these guys my whole life,” said Semborski, a Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania native and lifelong Flyers fan. “And then to be in the same room with them, wearing the same jersey, briefly to be on the ice with them wearing the uniform was something special.” Semborski didn’t have any big plans Saturday night. After work, he was headed to hang out with some friends. Then he got a call from Philadelphia Flyers Assistant General Manager Barry Hanrahan around 5 p.m. Hanrahan told Semborski he needed to get to the Wells Fargo Center because Flyers goalie Steve Mason had the flu, and their emergency goalie, Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ netminder Anthony Stolarz, was driving from
Allentown, Pennsylvania. “They wanted me there just in case Stolly was getting there later or hit traffic or something,” Semborski said. It wasn’t the first time Semborski had been called to the Wells Fargo Center. The Chicago Blackhawks needed an emergency goalie for their Dec. 3 game against the Flyers after starting goalie Corey Crawford had an emergency appendectomy. Semborski suited up for the Blackhawks, took part in warm-ups and spent the game in uniform on the bench.
You never think in your wildest dreams it could happen, then it happened to me twice. Eric Semborski Former Temple club ice hockey goalie
On March 2, the Florida Panthers were worried goalie Roberto Luongo would not be well enough to suit up, so Semborski came to the Wells Fargo Center and sat in the tunnel near the bench in case he was needed. “You never think in your wildest dreams it could happen, then it happened to me twice,” Semborski said. “I never thought it would happen, then to actually get out on the ice was a dream come true.” He thought Saturday would be similar to the Flyers-Panthers game as he acted as the second emergency goalie. Semborski started the game up in the press box with the Flyers beat reporters and the team’s healthy scratches. Then, less than eight minutes into the game, Flyers starting goalie Michal Neuvirth collapsed to the ice and left the game. Neuvirth was diagnosed with a chest cold and released from Pennsylvania Hospital on Sunday.
ZACH HILL/PHILADELPHIA FLYERS Former Temple goalie Eric Semborski served as an emergency backup goaltender during the Flyers’ 3-0 win against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center. Starting goalie Michal Neuvirth collapsed during the first period and had to leave the game, but was released from Pennsylvania Hospital on Sunday.
After Stolarz entered the game for Neuvirth, Semborski put his Flyers uniform over his goalie pads. He spent the rest of the game in the Philadelphia locker room and in the tunnel in case Stolarz went down with an injury. Flyers coach Dave Hakstol tried to send Semborski into the game unaware of the rule preventing emergency goalies from entering the game. “That was definitely a class act by coach Hakstol and the entire Flyers organization trying to get me in for the last 45 seconds,” Semborski said. “I’m so grateful that they tried.” Going from the American Collegiate Hockey Association to the NHL was a farfetched con-
cept that Semborski and his teammates used to joke about at Temple. He has now spent two days living that pipe dream. “I don’t consider myself to be a guy that was in the NHL, but I was just lucky enough to have these experiences for a few days,” Semborski said. “We used to say, ‘ACHA to the show,’ was always the joke. For a few days, I got to live it.” owen.mccue@temple.edu @Owen_McCue
sports@temple-news.com
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TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2017
ROWING
Former 3-sport athlete thrives in top boat Sophomore Danielle Ober played basketball and soccer and ran track in high school. By TOM IGNUDO For The Temple News
D
anielle Ober played three sports at Manheim Central High School in Manheim, Pennsylvania, but she didn’t garner much interest from college programs. Ober said she was too short to play college basketball, not good enough to play Division I soccer and not interested in track & field at the college level. So she took a different route to become a student-athlete. Ober’s friend, Sophie Iosue, gave her the idea of contacting Temple’s rowing coach about walking onto the team. Iosue walked on to Harvard University’s rowing team as a freshman and was a thrower on the track & field team in the 2015-16 season. “Mom, that’s what Sophie said I should do,” Ober said to her mom, Marge Ober, pointing at the boats, as
SYDNEY SCHAEFER FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS One of the Owls’ two eight-person boats rows up the Schuylkill during practice on Thursday to prepare for Saturday’s race in New Jersey against Princeton University, Duquesne University and Drexel University.
OBER | PAGE 15 BASEBALL
Ex-Owl Hockenberry: ‘I’ve got 87 years of history riding on my back’
FOOTBALL
Grad transfer Jones brings experience to corner group Mike Jones earned allconference honors at North Carolina Central University before coming to Temple. By EVAN EASTERLING Assistant Sports Editor
season. He worked with team scout Roland George on finishing his pitches from midJanuary up until he reported to camp. He made his MLB spring training debut against the New York Yankees’ starting lineup on Thursday in Clearwater. He allowed five hits, including two home runs, in an inning and a third. He struck out the last batter he faced, infielder Pete Kozma. On Twitter, he called it “one of the best days of my life.” “It was an adrenaline rush. ... I gave up a couple runs, gave up two home runs, but I still got some big-league guys out, which was the most important part,” Hockenberry
Mike Jones has a sleeve of tattoos up and down each arm. One is a football with “Be Legendary” inscribed near it, and another reads “Faith, Passion, Love.” The tattoo on his right shoulder is a samurai. He decided to get it after he broke his ankle in North Carolina Central University’s game against Florida International University on Sept. 19, 2015, only 18 days after his 20th birthday. As a sophomore in 2014, Jones earned return specialist all-American honors from BOXTOROW — a radio show with an emphasis on Black college sports — and made the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference first-team squad as a returner and defensive back. His junior season ended after just three games. “It was really a life-changer right there,” the redshirt-senior defensive back said. “It helped me notice new things, and it helped me humble myself because that was a tough time. They had me sitting out, and I’m sitting out there watching my other teammates having to execute and make plays when I’m so used to going out there and playing for us.” Jones came to Temple in January after he earned first-team all-MEAC distinction as a re-
HOCKENBERRY | PAGE 15
JONES | PAGE 15
COURTESY DON HOLOHAN READING FIGHTIN PHILS Former Temple pitcher Matt Hockenberry reached his highest level of competition when he pitched three games for the Phillies’ AA affiliate, the Reading Fightin Phils, in 2016. He pitched in a MLB spring training game on Thursday and will start this season in Reading.
The former Owl is currently playing in the Philadelphia Phillies’ minor league system. By EVAN EASTERLING Assistant Sports Editor Matt Hockenberry is Batman — at least on social media. When he started dressing up and acting like Batman on Snapchat, his friends joked that he might actually be Bruce Wayne and told him not to stop. Hockenberry, 25, said he likes to com-
pare Philadelphia to Gotham City. He spent four years in Philadelphia pitching for Temple and got drafted by the Phillies in the ninth round of the MLB draft in 2014, the last season before the Temple baseball program was cut. He’s on a mission to return to Philadelphia — his Gotham — in a Phillies uniform. “My goal is just to … prove a lot of people that thought that Temple baseball wasn’t what it was wrong, because I’ve got 87 years of history riding on my back,” Hockenberry said. Hockenberry reported to Clearwater, Florida for Phillies minor league camp on Feb. 19, about two weeks early, to show MLB personnel what he worked on during the off-
ICE HOCKEY | PAGE 17
LACROSSE | PAGE 17
VOLLEYBALL | PAGE 16
BRIEFS | PAGE 15
Former club ice hockey goalie Eric Semborski suited up and stepped on the ice for the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
Senior attacker Brooke Williams assists her teammates on the field and helps others by volunteering in the community.
The men’s volleyball club is headed to Kansas City, Missouri on April 13 for the National Club Volleyball Federation championships.
Redshirt-freshman quarterback transfers, Salim-Beasley wins regional coaching award, other news and notes.