NEWS

THE TEMPLE NEWS A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921.

Madison Karas Editor-in-Chief Bibiana Correa Managing Editor Colin Evans Digital Managing Editor Tyler Perez Chief Copy Editor Valerie Dowret Assignments Editor

Jack Danz News Editor Victoria Ayala Assistant News Editor Amelia Winger Assistant News Editor Christina Mitchell Opinion Editor Magdalena Becker Essay Editor Emma Padner Features Editor Natalie Kerr Assistant Features Editor Lawrence Ukenye Assistant Features Editor Dante Collinelli Sports Editor Isabella DiAmore Assistant Sports Editor Adam Aaronson Assistant Sports Editor Nico Cisneros Intersection Editor Rayonna Hobbs Assistant Intersection Editor

Rjaa Ahmed Audience Engagement Editor Iris Wexler Asst. Engagement Editor Maggie Fitzgerald Asst. Engagement Editor Colleen Claggett Co-Photography Editor Jeremy Elvas Co-Photography Editor Erik Coombs Multimedia Editor Matthew Murray Assistant Multimedia Editor Ingrid Slater Design Editor Hanna Lipski Assistant Design Editor Tyra Brown Alternative Story Format Editor Maryam Siddiqui Web Editor

Carly Civello Advertising Manager Kaila Morris Advertising Manager Luke Smith Business Manager ON THE COVER Kendall Stephens, a junior social work major, stands in the Johnny Ring Terrace on Main Campus on Oct. 4. JEREMY ELVAS /THE TEMPLE NEWS

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

Unsigned editorial content represents the opinion of The Temple News.

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

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

CORRECTIONS An article that ran on Sept. 22 titled “Don’t fall for Trump’s rhetoric against activism” on page 9 misspelled Gabriel Elsheakh’s last name. The article also incorrectly identified Jacob Blake’s current health status. He is alive. Two articles that ran on Sept. 22 titled “Residents, students weigh voting options for Nov. 3” on page 12 and “Quiet halls: Students stay living in campus housing” on page 17 misspelled co-photo editor Colleen Claggett’s last name. An article that ran on Sept. 22 titled “Salvaged souvenirs and storefronts” on page 14 mispelled Master Street. The article also incorrectly identified the year Thunderbird Salvage moved into their storefront. It was 2018. An article that ran on Sept. 22 titled “How thrifting helped heal my self-esteem” on page 24 mispelled Molly McGowan’s last name. 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 Madison Karas at editor@temple-news.com.

COVID-19 CASES

As of Oct. 5, Temple has 54 active cases of COVID-19, all of them among students.

Temple recorded 39 new cases last week, and 41 cases the week prior with a 3.10 percent and 6.06 percent positivity rate, respectively.

Temple nearly doubled its testing from the previous week to 1,258 tests last week.

Philadelphia averaged approximately 93 new cases a day from Sept. 19 to Oct. 3.

For the latest information, visit our COVID-19 case dashboard at temple-news.com/trackingcovid19

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NEWS

FERNANDO GAXIOLA / THE TEMPLE NEWS

CAMPUS Students who report positive COVID-19 results have the option of quarantining in Johnson and Hardwick Halls, which have been turned into isolation housing. Temple sets up isolation rooms in residence halls

Students who test positive for COVID-19 can quarantine in Johnson and Hardwick halls. BY JACK DANZ News Editor

Five Temple University students who tested positive for COVID-19 are isolating inside Johnson and Hardwick Halls, which has been set up as quarantine and isolation housing, said Marjorie Cook, assistant director of residential life.

Sixty-nine students have lived inside Johnson and Hardwick halls to isolate after testing positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the semester, Cook said.

Any Temple student who tests positive for COVID-19, whether they live on or off campus, has the option of quarantining at home or temporarily living in Johnson and Hardwick halls, the university’s dedicated isolation housing for at least 10 days, said Olan Garrett, director of residential life.

Temple has 54 active cases of COVID-19 among students on campus as of Oct. 5, The Temple News reported.

Student Health Services or other facilities where students get tested notify the university when they record a positive test result from a student, Cook said.

University Housing and Residential Life staff then contact the student about quarantining at Johnson and Hardwick halls and tell them what to bring.

Another staff member places a rolling cart outside the student’s door and helps them move their belongings, Garrett said.

“Students are recommended to bring anything that they will need to make their stay comfortable while they’re in Johnson and Hardwick,” Cook said. “That includes all of their bedding, their sheets, pillows, toiletries, clothing. Students can even bring TVs and video games.”

Once a student has completed the isolation period, University Housing and Residential Life receives clearance from Student Health Services that the student is ready to leave. The student receives information about returning the room key and packing their belongings, Cook said.

Temple opened up Johnson and Hardwick halls to off-campus students as well at the beginning of the semester at the request of the city, Garrett said.

“It has been rare that off campus students have taken us up on that,” he added. “We have had a couple.”

Temple chose Johnson and Hardwick halls for quarantine and isolation housing because it has communal bathrooms, after the Philadelphia Department of Public Health recommended Temple use 10 percent of its housing for students to quarantine and isolate, Garrett said.

Students who were assigned to live in Johnson and Hardwick halls at the beginning of the semester were reassigned to other residence halls or apartment complexes, The Temple News reported.

Staff from the Dean of Students Office and University Housing and Residential Life, including Cook, check on students living in Johnson and Hardwick halls daily, and students submit daily health screenings to the Student Health Services online health website, Garrett said.

The University Housing leadership team coordinates logistics for students who need to go into isolation housing, including notifying students that they need to move to isolation housing, communicating with students and finding them a room in Johnson and Hardwick halls, Cook said.

Temple assigns students who choose to use Johnson and Hardwick halls to rooms that limit contact in communal bathrooms and places minifridges in rooms to avoid communal kitchen use, Garrett said.

Johnson and Hardwick halls do not use resident assistants. Instead, professional staff and leadership team members monitor the building, Garrett said.

“We do not want to take the risk of having individuals come in contact with those who may be positive,” Garrett said.

Aramark staff who clean Temple University Hospital also clean the bathrooms at Johnson and Hardwick halls daily, Cook said.

Aramark, which is also Temple’s dining service, delivers three meals to isolated students once a day around mid-morning, Garrett said. Students are allowed to order extra food for delivery.

“Menus are rotated, and do not repeat day-to-day,” wrote Endri Baduni, resident district manager of Temple Culinary Services, in an email to The Temple News. “The students do not select offerings, but do provide any dietary restrictions upon entering isolation housing.”

PAGE 4 The Temple News

TSG Executive Branch restructured, new jobs added

The branch reduced the vice president positions from two to one and added chief executives.

BY JACK DANZ News Editor

After Temple Student Government passed a constitutional amendment restructuring the Executive Branch on Sept. 15, the new chief external affairs officer stepped down from her position.

Under the previous Executive Branch structure, a vice president of services and a vice president of external affairs served under the president, while the new structure has one vice president position underneath the president and two chief executives underneath the vice president, according to a TSG statement.

The amendment was first discussed after TSG’s “hectic summer” with COVID-19 and social unrest, said Mark Rey, a senior public health major and the former vice president of services who assumed the sole vice president position after the amendment passed.

“This new restructure will allow for improved efficiency, as well as ensuring that these roles are humanly possible for every member of the team,” Rey added.

The vice president of services and vice president of external affairs were responsible for advising Quinn Litsinger, a junior political science major and TSG president, and overseeing the internal and external affairs divisions, said Sophia Tran, a junior phycology major and the new chief external affairs officer and director of academic services.

The new vice president position will be the sole advisor to Litsinger and will assist in overseeing TSG’s internal operations, which is something the two vice president positions struggled with in the past, Rey said.

The chief internal services officer and chief external services officer oversee the internal services division and external services divisions, respectively, Tran said.

COLLEEN CLAGGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Mark Rey, vice president of Temple Student Government, stands on campus at the intersection of Polett and Liacouras Walks on Sept. 29.

“We are currently adjusting to this new restructure, just working on our platform and trying to carry it out in a way that’s possible due to the fact that everything’s virtual,” Rey said.

Larice Mejia, a senior human resources management major and the former vice president of external affairs who assumed the role of chief external affairs officer when TSG passed the amendment, stepped down from her position on Sept. 25, citing her mental health and other commitments.

Although she left TSG, Mejia will still help the executive branch during the transition, she said.

“I’m always going to be TSG’s biggest advocate,” Mejia said.

Tajnia Hussain, a junior political science major, is the new chief external affairs officer and will remain the director of local and community affairs until that position is filled, she said.

“I will be going through the applications and seeing if they’re qualified for Director of Community Affairs,” Hussain added. “I’m looking for someone . . . who’s familiar with TSG, with what the North Philly community is about, initiatives we’ve worked on, and somebody who’s passionate about community affairs.”

Students had the option to apply for Hussain and Tran’s former positions, the director of local and community affairs and director of academic affairs, until Friday. TSG administration will interview applicants and appoint new directors, Rey said.

Tran is happy with the transition from the director of academic services to the new chief external affairs officer, she said.

“It’s a really great thing, because I think everything will be more specialized than before,” Tran added.

TSG Parliament passed the amendment unanimously, said Issa Kabeer, a seventh-year graduate student pursuing a diversity leadership graduate certification and speaker of Parliament. Parliament needs a three-fourths majority to pass amendments.

john.danz@temple.edu @JackLDanz

Before the amendment President

Responsible for Parliament resolutions Attends faculty senate meetings Serves as liaison for administration and between Executive body general assembly

Vice President of Services Responsible for advising president Oversees internal and external affairs division

Vice President of External Affairs Responsible for advising president Oversees internal and external affairs division

After the amendment President

Responsible for Parliament resolutions Attends faculty senate meetings Serves as liaison for administration and between Executive body general assembly

Vice President

Responsible for Parliament resolutions

Attends faculty senate meetings Serves as liaison for administration and between Executive body general assembly

Chief of Internal Services Oversees internal service division

Chief of External Affairs Oversees external affairs division

PAGE 6 The Temple News

ELECTION District 2 Rep. Boyle challenged by David Torres

Incumbent Brendan Boyle faces David Torres for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. BY ISABEL HACKETT For The Temple News

Brendan Boyle (D) and David Torres (R) are running for the United States House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 2nd Congressional District, which falls east of Broad Street and north of Race Street. Both candidates ran uncontested in their primaries this year and are up for the general election on Nov. 3.

Both candidates believe in raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, but Boyle supports the Green New Deal and Medicare for All, while Torres does not. Torres supports Donald Trump, while Boyle endorsed Joe Biden.

BRENDAN BOYLE

Boyle grew up in Philadelphia and has served the city in public office since 2009, starting as the state representative from Pennsylvania’s 170th district encompassing parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery County, according to Boyle’s website.

Co-founder of the Blue Collar Caucus, which attempts to empower the middle class, Boyle wants to reconnect the Democratic Party with working-class people by “addressing wage stagnation, job insecurity, trade, offshoring and reduced career opportunities for those in the manufacturing and building trades,” according to his campaign website.

Boyle released a statement in July condemning Republican Congress members for their inaction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am outraged at their refusal to put politics aside and help the American people in a time of great need,” Boyle said, in the press release.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a $2.2 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package on Oct. 1, which would provide another round of $1,200 stimulus checks to most Americans, CNBC

reported.

Boyle co-sponsored the Medicare for All Act, which would entitle every American to health care coverage, and the Green New Deal, which would invest in combating climate change, in 2019, according to the legislation.

Boyle voted to raise the federal minimum wage in 2019 to $15 an hour by 2024, according to the Keystone Research Center.

Boyle co-sponsored the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020, which includes restricting the amount of military equipment given to local police forces and limiting the application of qualified immunity, according to the bill.

He also co-sponsored the Debt-Free College Act of 2019, which would grant quicker financial aid eligibility for stu-

KRISTINE CHIN / THE TEMPLE NEWS

dents convicted of drug offenses.

Boyle, who endorsed Democratic Presidential Nominee Biden, recently spoke at the Democratic National Convention in support of the former vice president.

Boyle’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

DAVID TORRES

Torres moved to Philadelphia at age 12 and lives in Fairhill.

He’s experienced the effects of a long reign of politicians who do not prioritize the needs of Philadelphians, he said.

His only political experience is serving as the Republican Party’s ward leader for Philadelphia’s 19th Ward, which is north of Main Campus, he wrote in an email to The Temple News.

Torres feels Congressman Boyle left Philadelphia behind and isn’t addressing increasing homelessness in the city and the opioid crisis, to which Torres lost his son, he said.

“I decided, you know what, let me get up and raise my voice because this is getting to be a joke,” he said. “You have politicians who stay in Congress for 10, 15, 20 years . . . telling you what’s wrong, but behind your back, they’re selling you out.”

Torres supports the reopening of schools and businesses and another round of stimulus checks during the COVID-19 pandemic so Americans can recover from job losses incurred since March, he said.

He supports a $15 minimum wage, rent control and increased funding for clinics and hospitals, he said.

Torres believes fracking is good for Pennsylvania, and, while he thinks the U.S. should work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, he opposes the Green New Deal.

“We have become energy independent for the first time in a long time, and there’s a lot of jobs involved in this,” he said. “I understand the greenhouse effect, but, before we know it, fracking is going to be stopped. And then they’re going to be telling us we can’t raise cows.”

Torres supports the police and does not think the government should reallocate a portion of funding away from police forces back into communities, as the Black Lives Matter movement calls for.

He supports extending health services for those who are uninsured or underinsured. However, Torres does not support Medicare for All, he wrote in an email to The Temple News.

Torres supports Trump in the November election, citing economic growth during the president’s first term, and he believes Trump “isn’t a politician; he’s a businessman.”

isabel.hackett@temple.edu

The Temple News PAGE 7

CAMPUS Former Kornberg associate dean sues university

Brooke Walker alleges that Amid Ismail, dean of Kornberg, physically intimidated her in a lawsuit. BY AMELIA WINGER Assistant News Editor

A former administrator in Temple University’s Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry has sued Temple University for allegedly firing her in February 2019 after she complained of sex discrimination.

Brooke Walker, who became the associate dean of development and admissions for the school in February 2017, alleged in the lawsuit that Amid Ismail, the dean of the school, blamed her for “issues outside of her control,” took away some of her job responsibilities and instructed her not to speak during some meetings.

Neither Walker nor Ismail could be reached for comment on the lawsuit.

Katherine Oeltjen, Walker’s attorney, filed the lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Sept. 4. Oeltjen declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Temple is aware of the lawsuit and its allegations, wrote Ray Betzner, a spokesperson for the university, in an email to The Temple News.

“Temple University will vigorously defend itself against these claims which have previously been investigated and found baseless,” he wrote.

In the lawsuit, Walker alleged that Ismail asked her in January 2019 to send him an email every time she left the building that houses Kornberg. In a meeting two days later, Ismail physically intimidated her and responded in an “angry and hostile tone” when she asked if he did not trust her, Walker alleged.

Walker filed a sex discrimination complaint against Ismail to a representative from Temple Human Resources on Jan. 23, 2019, and told the representative she believed Ismail was biased against women.

JEREMY ELVAS / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Brooke Walker, a former Kornberg School of Dentistry associate dean, is suing Temple for allegedly firing her because she filed a sex discrimination complaint in 2019.

Walker was fired on Feb. 4, 2019, approximately 10 days after filing the HR complaint, the lawsuit alleged.

Walker was told she was terminated because Ismail “could not work with [her].” Walker had not previously received complaints about her job performance, she alleged.

Prior to her position at Kornberg, Walker had worked in development and alumni affairs at Temple since 2001, and became the assistant vice president for global programs in the Office of International Affairs in 2009, according to the lawsuit.

From 2007 to 2015, Walker reported to Hai-Lung Dai, the Laura H. Carnell professor of chemistry who formerly worked as the dean of the College of Science and Technology, interim provost and provost, she alleged.

Walker alleged Dai retaliated against her after she “cautioned” him about imbalances she noticed in the way he administered student exchanges and other financial “details” for international students. Dai allegedly criticized Walker’s management skills and took away her responsibilities for managing international affairs, according to the lawsuit.

Dai could not be reached for comment.

Around May 2016, Dai asked Walker to lunch at Temple’s faculty club, where he threatened her if she reported his behavior, she alleged in the lawsuit.

Walker alleged the treatment she received from Ismail and Dai violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act and Bill 130684 of the Philadelphia Code of the Pennsylvania Fair Practices Ordinance.

Temple waived its formal service of a summons on Sept. 11, meaning the university has 60 days from that date to answer Walker’s complaint.

amelia.winger@temple.edu @AmeliaWinger

PAGE 8

OPINION

The Temple News

EDITORIAL Make a plan to vote

Election Day, Nov. 3, is less than one month away, and the deadline to register to vote is rapidly approaching on Oct. 19.

The Editorial Board cannot overstate the importance of making a plan to vote in the general election this November. We believe voting to be a democratic responsibility, and we encourage all who are able to exercise their voice in this year’s monumental election.

With the deadline for voter registration approaching, Temple University students should register to vote if they haven’t already and make an intentional and informed plan for how they will cast their ballot.

Students may register to vote by filling out a voter registration form online or filling out a paper form and sending it to their county elections office. Students may also register to vote in person at one of the city’s seven satellite election offices, which includes the Liacouras Center on Broad Street near Montgomery Avenue. Students registered to vote in Pennsylvania can also request, fill out and return their mail-in ballots, according to Votes PA.

To apply for a mail-in ballot, students should either fill out an application online if they have a Pennsylvania driver’s license or PennDot ID or should mail a paper application to their local county board of elections. If a student plans to be out of their voting municipality on Election Day or has a disability or illness, they should request an absentee ballot, which will require a valid reason for requesting the ballot. Any qualified voter may request a mail-in ballot and does not need to provide a reason for requesting this ballot.

All applications for mail-in ballots need to be received by county elections offices by 5 p.m. on Oct. 27. Election Day is the deadline for turning in ballots.

Regardless of how you choose to vote, the Editorial Board would like to stress the importance of registering to vote and making a plan to vote on time and early if possible.

The Editorial Board also encourages our readers to watch the upcoming presidential debates on Oct. 15 and Oct. 22, as well as the vice presidential debate on Oct. 7, and inform themselves on where candidates stand on the issues.

Millennials and some members of Generation Z comprise 37 percent of eligible voters this year, NPR reported. Our voices will have a consequential impact on the outcome of this election.

This election will have far-reaching effects on our lives for the next four years, which is particularly important with COVID-19 continuing to transform the nation.

Vote early if you can, vote however is easiest for you, but no matter your residency, we call on you to vote.

THE ESSAYIST

White allies, don’t go now

A student shares about seeing diminishing energy for Black Lives Matter among her friends.

BY CAMILLIA BENJAMIN For The Temple News

On Sept. 23, a jury came to the verdict that the three Louisville, Kentucky, officers who shot Breonna Taylor while she was asleep in her bed would not be charged, the Guardian reported.

Though protestors marched in Philadelphia down south-bound I-95 demanding justice, the declining support among white self-proclaimed activists on social media was apparent to me.

I remember the outpouring of Black Lives Matter posts following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25. I was disappointed in the criminal justice system, but I was equally frustrated with my white friends who remained silent.

Their silence spoke volumes.

I promptly had conversations with my friends about how their silence made me feel. It was not at all a conversation I wanted to have, but I knew it was something that needed to happen.

As a Black woman, I am adamantly against police brutality, and Taylor’s death resonated with me. The lack of advocacy from my white friends was a stab in the back.

It felt like they couldn’t care less about the injustices faced by people who look like me every single day. And if that’s the case, then they’re not really my friends.

The fact that they could pretend nothing was going on reiterated how little their lives had changed and the blissful ignorance they were living in.

The never-ending cascade of black squares with no caption on June 2, known as “Blackout Tuesday,” only proved white folks had gotten their performative activism fix for the year.

Some people had good intentions and honestly thought what they were doing was adequate.

Raising awareness on social media and standing in solidarity is important, but it is not the be-all and end-all.

Still, it was a lot easier to have conversations with people who were trying to be sympathetic than those who flat out did not care, which hurt me the most.

I was successful in helping some of my white friends understand how their silence was offensive. Others showed their true colors, and unfortunately for them, we are no longer friends.

The best thing a white ally could do is to use their white privilege to speak on behalf of people of color. Although many of my high school classmates were doubly privileged by being white and having money, they never said a word. Perhaps they had no interest in changing a system that benefitted them.

It is not the job of Black people to educate white people and non-Black people of color. I didn’t mind sharing my point of view with my friends, but we should not have to take on the burden of teaching people how to be anti-racist.

The support is noticed, but the diminishing support sticks out even more. Many individuals treated Black Lives Matter like a trend that only lasted a month. With the upcoming election, it is critical to stay the course.

White people need to step back, listen and give Black people space to amplify our voices. But we also need them to stand with us until systemic changes are implemented.

There is always room for allies within the Black Lives Matter movement. But I implore my white friends who claim to support the movement not to leave when the going gets tough.

camillia.benjamin@temple.edu

The Temple News PAGE 9

POLITICS Don’t be dissuaded from voting in the pandemic

A student urges others to vote next month, whether by mailing in a ballot or going to the polls.

As if 2020 could not be more stressful, the upcoming election is less than one month away. Amid the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, the push for a new SuCHRISTINA preme Court justice MITCHELL Opinion Editor and the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 presidential election will dictate the country’s trajectory for years to come.

A pandemic is no excuse to skip voting this year. If anything, it’s more important than ever to vote.

The COVID-19 pandemic, economy, Supreme Court and race and violence are issues discussed at the presidential debate on Sept. 29 that will impact young adults for the next four years.

Pennsylvanians should register to vote by the deadline, Oct. 19.

Pennsylvania is allowing “no-excuse absentee voting,” so anyone can register to vote by mail, Philly Mag reported.

In Philadelphia, voters can drop off their mail-in ballots at one of the 1,566 United States Postal Service boxes or offices available to the public, in addition to their county election office or a dropbox.

On Sept. 29, the Liacouras Center became one of Philadelphia’s seven new satellite election offices, at which students can register to vote and request or turn in a mail-in ballot, The Temple News reported.

The general election poses a challenge because of people’s apprehension of in-person and mail-in voting during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Michael Hagen, a political science professor.

“Emotions on both sides of the partisan divide are running high,” Hagen said. “The pandemic is imposing burdens on us and the election system and demonstrating the capacity of the United States to hold a fair and decisive election.”

But many public health experts have argued that in-person voting is no more dangerous than going to the grocery store, the Atlantic reported.

Trump opposed additional funding for the U.S. Postal Service to delay deliveries of mail-in ballots, the Guardian reported.

As a result, people became concerned that their ballots would not be counted in the election, the Washington

HOMA PARMAR / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Post reported.

Voters in multiple swing states, or states where a Republican or Democratic candidate is likely to win, will be granted an extension for mail-in ballots. Ballots that are postmarked by Nov. 3 will count as long as they arrive within the next three days, NPR reported.

As of Oct. 5, former Vice President Joe Biden holds 52 percent of the vote in the national CNN poll, compared to U.S. President Donald Trump’s 42 percent.

While this is an indicator that Biden is the more popular candidate nationwide, his early lead cannot predict the outcome of the election, as seen with Hillary Clinton in 2016, BBC News reported.

Casey Tsou, a junior communications and social influence major, doesn’t want this election to repeat history, she said.

“The mentality is that a bunch of people are going to do it, so why should I have to? I think that’s what happened in 2016,” Tsou added. “But the mentality should be what if no one does it and mine is the one that counts?”

Millennials and some members of Generation Z comprise 37 percent of eligible voters. But younger voters have historically shown up at the polls in disproportionately lower rates, NPR reported.

While this may be attributed to voter apathy, Joey Forsyte, founder of A Band of Voters, a collective of artists in California determined to improve voter turnout nationwide, said the stigma of not knowing how to vote discourages young people.

“My experience is that young people do care, but there’s a lot of barriers to voting and shame in not knowing how to vote,” Forsyte said. “There’s been a systemic disenfranchisement of voting in this country, and if you’re a person of color or low-income, then those barriers are even greater.”

Voting is a civic duty and a privilege. With the abundance of information on social media, young people should have the resources to educate themselves through the process.

“The candidates present quite different orientations toward the future,” Hagen said. “The future is going to be inhabited for a longer time by students than older folks, so there is a lot at stake for students.”

christina.mitchell@temple.edu @clmitchell1799

The Temple News

POLITICS Trump’s justice pick sets the country backwards

A student argues President Trump is rushing the Supreme Court Justice nomination.

As the United States mourns the loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first Jewish woman to serve on the Supreme Court who passed away on Sept. 18, many of us are

MAYA RAHMAN left wondering: what For The Temple News now? Ginsburg’s successes in reproductive rights and equality in the workplace are important to students because they give us ownership over our bodies and the respect we deserve as we enter the workforce after graduation.

While millennials and Generation Z are determined to unite and continue the fight she started 27 years ago, the justice who takes her place on the Supreme Court could pose a threat to the communities Ginsburg swore to protect. Ginsburg took a step forward, and I am concerned the next Supreme Court justice will take two steps back.

Ginsburg’s dying wish was that her replacement not be picked until after the election, CNBC News reported.

President Donald Trump announced his nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative federal appeals court judge, on Sept. 26, just over one week after Ginsburg’s death, CNN reported.

Kishan Patel, a senior biology and Spanish major, said the Senate should wait to confirm a justice based on principle because the 2020 presidential election is already underway.

“People in states across the country are already voting, and this election is the only way for the American public to have a say in who can become a Supreme Court justice,” Patel added.

Barrett is only 48 years old, and the role is a lifelong position. The laws she upholds will have ramifications not only for us but also for our children. Therefore, we cannot let Ginsburg’s work be in vain, and we must honor her legacy by voting in this year’s election.

James Calcagni, a junior mechanical engineering major, is dreading the outcome of this nomination process.

“I’m a little nervous about what will happen next,” he said. “These nine people have more power over the way we live than anyone else.”

Of the eight current justices, five are Republican, FiveThirtyEight reported.

Without Ginsburg there to fight for the rights of women and the LGBTQ community, a six-to-three ratio will tip it over.

Barrett is a staunch Catholic, in favor of the religious right and is an outspoken opponent of abortion rights, CNN reported.

While Ginsburg opened doors for

reproductive rights, Barrett will shut them in our faces.

Ginsburg was a fervent supporter of bodily autonomy and the separation of church and state. It is insulting that a woman with directly opposing views is likely to be her successor.

In 2016, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell prevented former President Barack Obama from filling the vacant ninth seat in the Supreme Court after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, NPR reported.

Meanwhile, Trump and the Senate are rushing to fill the vacancy in the court less than 30 days until the Nov. 3 election.

Toluwase Thomas, a freshman communications major, said the president should not have the authority to replace a justice so late into his term, and a vote

HANNA LIPSKI / THE TEMPLE NEWS

for the next president is a vote for the next Supreme Court justice.

“If they did it to Obama, it should be the same for Trump,” Thomas said. “It’s going to be challenging for women and LGBTQ communities, so every vote really counts if we want to see a change for ourselves and future generations.”

The news of Trump’s nominee has only motivated me more to elect officials who will keep Ginsburg’s legacy alive and choose a justice she would have picked herself.

This election will be a test of our democracy. And whether we pass or fail will be the deciding factor of our judicial branch and the impact it has on our country for a long time.

maya.rahman@temple.edu

The Temple News

WELLNESS Sexual assault is too broad to solve with a module

CONTENT WARNING

This story mentions sexual assault and domestic violence that might be upsetting to some readers. A student calls on Temple to make its sexual assault training module more comphrensive.

Almost one in four undergraduate and one in ten graduate women experience sexual harassment through physical force, violence or incapacita-

MONICA MELLON For The Temple tion, according to RAINN, an anti-sexNews ual violence organization.

On Sept. 23, the Dean of Students emailed students with an assignment to complete an online sexual assault prevention training. It is not required for returning undergraduate students, but first-year undergraduate and graduate students must complete it by Oct. 30 or a transcript hold will be placed on their accounts.

This training came right in time for October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Throughout my four and a half years at Temple University, I’ve completed at least three online sexual assault prevention trainings.

One annual online training module is an ineffective primary prevention strategy and should be followed up with required in-class discussions, especially as students can easily click through each module without reading the information or listening to the videos.

To make meaningful change, online training should be tailored to the specific audience and invite attendees to participate, according to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Temple’s most recent training includes a series of videos with hypothetical scenarios related to healthy relationships, consent and harassment. Victims in the videos were willing to report the instances of sexual assault or harassment to their peers immediately.

Given that sexual assault is the most underreported crime for teens and adults, according to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, this inaccurately portrays the aftermath of sexual assault and fails to take into account the trauma a survivor may experience.

Archana Kaku, a gender, sexuality and women’s studies professor, said online trainings are not always reflective of the reality of sexual harassment.

“There are both cultural and institution barriers that lead to the underreporting of sexual harassment and sexual assault,” Kaku said. “We can encourage people to report and try to build a culture that makes that open conversation permissible.”

Andrea Seiss, Temple’s Title IX coordinator, said during her four years at Temple, more students have felt comfortable reporting cases of sexual assault.

“I started this position in June of

2016, and every year since that first year, where we had the lowest number of students coming my way, that number has steadily and somewhat drastically increased,” Seiss said. “I think we have been doing a much better job at the university about getting information out to students.”

The number of cases of domestic and dating violence and stalking on campus doubled between 2017 and 2018, according to Temple’s 2019 annual security and fire safety report. This is likely a gross underestimate, as only 20 percent of female student victims report to law enforcement, according to RAINN.

Temple should modify their online module, just as they have attempted to adapt to the pandemic by hosting guest speakers at online workshops.

On Oct. 1, the Wellness Resource Center hosted “An Evening with Tarana Burke,” a Zoom panel dedicated to sexual harassment activism and healing, post-

HANNA LIPSKI / THE TEMPLE NEWS

poned from April. Sixty people attended the Zoom lecture, and the livestream has reached about 600 views, said Liz Zadnik, associate director at the center.

“It’s interrogating those belief systems, and then our hope is really to offer lots of different opportunities for folks to engage in the next step with in-person programming,” Zadnik said.

Sixty students is not enough. While it is impossible for every student to attend these workshops, faculty should encourage students by offering extra credit, and Temple should send emails reminding students that Temple has a zero tolerance sexual harassment policy.

Sexual harassment is a systemic issue that needs to be addressed at the university level. Engaging students with the information will reduce stigma and lead to fewer cases of sexual assault, as well as underreporting, on and off campus.

LONGFORM

COLLEEN CLAGGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Henry Collins, 48, owner of Mecca Unisex Salon, stands inside the salon with his dog, 6ix, on Oct. 4.

COMMUNITY Cecil B. Moore Avenue businesses chart new history

From the 1964 riots to the COVID-19 pandemic, North Central business owners persist.

BY ASA CADWALLADER Longform Editor

Henry Collins has owned and operated Mecca Unisex Salon for the past 27 years.

“We’ve been around a long time,” said Collins, 48. “And when you’re on the map for long enough, people in the community really start to understand the value in what you’re doing.”

Located near 15th Street, Mecca is one of several long standing small businesses along the Cecil B. Moore Avenue commercial corridor near Main Campus, which stretches roughly five blocks between Broad Street and 20th.

Collins, who grew up in North Philadelphia, said his clientele include Temple University students and residents of the surrounding North Central community. The salon also sees a roster of local celebrities and politicians, including Philadelphia rapper Lil Uzi Vert and City Council President Darrell Clarke, Collins added.

It has not always been easy for small businesses along the commercial corridor. In 1964, riots destroyed large portions of what was then known as Columbia Avenue and in the decades that followed, poverty and underdevelopment would continue to stagnate the local economy, according to the Temple Libraries collection “Civil Rights in a Northern City: Philadelphia.”

Despite these setbacks and the challenge of operating a business during the COVID-19 pandemic, longtime owners like Collins remain committed to serving their community. At the same time, newer business owners are choosing to put down roots along the avenue, including Trina Worrell-Benjamin, 23, who six years ago launched her business TWB Cleaning Contractors on Cecil B. Moore Avenue near 15th Street.

“Most of the time when you’re starting your own business you don’t have a lot of resources at your disposal or capital,” said Worrell-Benjamin. “To make it work requires your own dedication and commitment.”

A TURBULENT PAST

Cecil B. Moore Avenue’s origins as a commercial corridor date as far back as the 1830s, when the neighborhood consisted mostly of newly immigrated Europeans, with an especially large Jewish population, many of whom started businesses along the avenue, according to Temple Libraries’ collection.

Despite shifting demographics within the area, North Central’s Jewish community continued to own the majority of small businesses along the corridor throughout the 19th century and into the 1900s, said Keith Riley, a fifth-year history doctoral candidate.

The demographics of the neighborhood shifted in the 1940s and 1950s as North Central saw a large influx of African Americans as a result of the Great Migration, driven by a desire to escape the racial oppression under the South’s Jim Crow laws, as well as the promise of greater economic opportunity in Northern cities, Riley said.

“The Great Migration is an inflection point in North Philadephia’s history,” Riley said. “The influx leads to major hifts of neighborhood dynamics in places like North Philly.” Despite better economic conditions, African Americans in North Philadelphia still faced major hardship, and by the 1960s, average income in African American households was only $3,352 per year, about 30 percent lower than the city average, according to Temple Libraries’ collection.

On Aug. 28, 1964, the Columbia Avenue riots began and resulted in hundreds of arrests and two deaths over the course of three days. In total, 726 buildings were affected by the unrest, totaling in more than $3 million in property damage, according to research by Alex Elkins, a 2017 history doctoral alumnus, who wrote his dissertation on the riots.

Riley credits inequality and poor neighborhood-police relations as some of the main catalysts of the Columbia Avenue riots, which resulted in the near-total destruction of retail establishments along the avenue, with Jewish-owned businesses targeted disproportionately.

Through the 1960s and 1970s, most of the Jewish families living in North Central relocated to the Philadelphia

The Temple News PAGE 13

suburbs, leaving many vacancies along the commercial corridor. In the following decades, the avenue saw marginal business growth, but due to high poverty and underdevelopment, many struggled to keep their doors open, Riley said.

Several federally-funded commercial and residential redevelopment projects aimed at revitalizing the corridor including a federally-funded plan launched in 1993, which invested $113.9 million into creating affordable housing units along the avenue, the New York Times reported.

Today, vacant lots and storefronts are still interspersed across Cecil B. Moore Avenue’s business corridor, but efforts to grow and revitalize the local economy have continued through the work of community development financial institutions like Beech Interplex and Temple’s Small Business Development Center, which have supported small business growth and further development of the corridor.

INTEGRAL TO COMMUNITY

Many small business owners have remained on Cecil B. Moore Avenue for several decades, playing an indispensable role in bolstering personal attachment and pride in the community among residents, Geoffery Moss said.

D&J Hardware, also located on Cecil B. Moore Avenue near Sydenham Street, is one of the few hardware stores in North Central and provides services to both homeowners and contractors in the community, said owner Jason Kim.

“I am very grateful to have regulars from the area who come back time and time again,” Kim said. “It’s really great to have customers you have good relationships with, it makes the work much more rewarding.”

Kim, 51, inherited the businesses from his uncle six years ago, who operated it for more than 26 years. The store closed for seven weeks after the COVID-19 pandemic forced small businesses across the U.S. to close in March. During that time, Kim made several reconfigurations to his store in an effort to make customers feel safe, limiting access to the store’s tight aisles which are flanked by shelves stacked high with inventory.

“A lot of our business comes from landlords and handymen in the neighborhood. [COVID-19] or not, they still had things that needed to be fixed,” Kim said “We wanted to reopen as soon as possible, while still being safe, in order to continue providing reliable services to our customers.”

Back at Mecca, the rarely worndown leather barber chairs tell the story of the countless customers who have patronized the business over the decades. Mecca typically has multiple barbers, including Collins, working at the same time when the store gets busy. More than a dozen televisions line the walls of the salon where programming ranges from sports to politics, prompting lively conversations and debates among patrons, Collins said.

Small businesses like Mecca serve a critical role in promoting much needed dialogue between community members in spaces that are neither home nor work, where discussions can range from issues of politics and race to improving neighborhood relations, Moss said.

“This isn’t just a place to get a haircut,” Collins said. “This is a space where people can connect and talk in ways they otherwise wouldn’t be able to.”

LOOKING FORWARD

While some large business chains occupy retail space on the corridor, many businesses on Cecil B. Moore remain independently owned, which often afford a more diverse range of products better suited to the individual needs of the neighborhood, Moss said.

Young entrepreneurs like Elliott Broaster, 23, founder of Smokes n’ Things on Cecil B. Moore Avenue near Bouvier Street, represent the new guard of small businesses on the Cecil B. Moore commercial corridor and are eager to provide a high-demand service to the neighborhood.

Broaster, a 2019 entrepreneurship and innovation management major alumnus who grew up in North Central, had the idea to open Smokes n’ Things while still attending classes at Temple.

In 2018, he opened the business during his junior year to sell a range of tobacco products and smoking accessories.

As an undergraduate student, Broaster knew he wanted to start a business near Temple so when he saw an available storefront on Cecil B. Moore Avenue, he went for it. In addition to Smokes n’ Things, Broaster owns another business and has plans to open even

TEMPLE LIBRARIES / ARCHIVE

Broken glass and debris litter Columbia Avenue between 16th and 17th Streets following the 1964 riots on Aug. 30, 1964.

more in the near future.

A driving part of Broaster’s business philosophy involves giving back to the community, he said.

He is always willing to counsel other young entrepreneurs and regularly posts informational videos for aspiring business owners on his Instagram, he said.

“Our doors are always open,” Broaster said. “I want to use the lessons I’ve learned to teach and inspire other entrepreneurs about what it takes to run your own business. Honestly, all the knowledge I have now means nothing unless I’m passing it on to someone else.”

Broaster’s business was vandalized this summer during protests after the police killing of George Floyd, resulting in broken storefront windows and lost inventory. In response, a friend launched a GoFundMe page in early June which raised more than $27,000, exceeding the fundraiser’s goal of $10,000. The shop has since been repaired and reopened.

“When you put out good energy, you typically get it back,” Broaster said. “I want to help as many people as I can start their own business because I believe ownership is the best way out of poverty.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, the offices, retail stores and construction sites TWB Cleaning Contractors serviced were shut down, and Worrell-Benjamin saw her revenue begin to shrink drastically.

“It’s been hard,” Worrell-Benjamin said. “Not only financially, but we had to make some tough decisions. We employ people from all the surrounding ZIP codes and see each other like family, so I was very concerned not only for myself but also my employees.”

Recently, Worrell-Benjamin has seen a slow but steady increase in business as retail spaces and construction sites reopen. She’s also seen a rise in morale among her employees, some of whom had family members that were hospitalized for COVID-19 but have since recovered, she added.

Despite these challenges, owners like Worrell-Benjamin remain resolute in their commitment to providing their services to the neighborhood.

“It has always been my goal to launch a business in the community that would serve the community,” Worrell-Benjamin said.

Small businesses have meaningful impacts on urban areas on small and large scales, both of which lead to the overall stronger community, Moss said.

“Through enabling things as small as interpersonal relationships, to their larger role as employers and providers of goods and services, the importance of small businesses cannot be overstated in local communities,” he added.

asa.cadwallader@temple.edu @asacadwallader

LIVE

in Philly

Food trucks fuel families

A nonprofit youth organization hosted a fundraiser to send underserved children to camp. BY JEREMY ELVAS Co-Photo Editor

On Saturday, Kamp for Kids, a statewide nonprofit organization helping underserved children and children with autism, hosted a drive-in food truck festival from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Fishtown Crossing Aramingo Avenue and E Hagert St. Dozens of families tailgated in the parking lot while social distancing, ordered from food trucks and bought accessories from vendors.

Penni Morton, 50, of Feasterville, Pennsylvaia, directs Kamp for Kids with her husband, Tim, who she started the organization with in 2013. The nonprofit helps families in need and hosts events, offers assistance and facilitates community programs.

“We’ve always wanted to work with children, we just have a heart for them,” Penni Morton said.

The drive-in food truck festival is one of many events Kamp for Kids hosts throughout the year to raise money and donate all proceeds to programs helping children with autism attend summer camp and other events.

Food trucks like The Little Sicilian, El Tlaloc and Battiano’s Ice Cream set up shop in the parking lot, and took orders and pre-orders to help limit wait times and contact with attendees.

Patti Sims, 60, of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, volunteered at the food festival with her daughter, Emily, selling cotton candy and handing out brochures about Kamp for Kids.

One of Sims’ favorite parts of volunteering at these events is seeing Emily, who has autism, be able to socialize with others.

“She’s able to help out and feel proud

PAGE B2

LUNCHIES

The Temple News

Support small businesses

Iwitnessed the stress of my dad’s small dental office shutting down almost instantly as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the nation.

Like most people, he was out of work for two months, and uncertainty arose every day after even treating dental emergencies was deemed nonessential at the end of March. Luckily, the office was able to reopen in June and business is back to normal.

But many of the small food vendors around Temple University’s Main Campus didn’t have the same experience. Many never reopened this semester after closing in the spring, and those that have are worried they will have to close, possibly for good.

Due to the pandemic, small businesses across the country have been suffering because of prolonged shutdowns and delayed payments of unemployment checks or loans. Many worry about the ability to come back from more than six months of lost or slow business.

This year’s Lunchies highlights food trucks and vendors who’ve reopened despite the challenges and uncertainty the pandemic brought in the spring semester and carried into the fall. Some are Main Campus staples, who’ve watched Temple grow and change for more than 35 years. Others just opened last year, and are struggling to break even from their first tumultuous year in business. Some local restaurants who turned to takeout during the summer months, while food trucks looked at options of moving around the city. Vendors at The Wall in the middle of Main Campus wonder when students will return.

One thing I’ve learned through the pandemic is that local businesses are some of the most valuable part of our communities. This includes the food vendors on Main Campus, too.

Watching my dad, I know how stressful the springtime was and how unclear regulations for businesses seemed. It felt hopeless looking forward and only seeing questions and unknowns. Campus reopening gave some relief for vendors, but much of that feels gone with classes online again. Without knowing what the spring semester will bring, owners still question the future of their businesses.

Supporting the food vendors on campus is recognizing the hard work and resilience they show every day to feed the Temple community, even during times of crisis.

Sincerely, Emma Padner Features Editor

Fruit truck tries to ‘hang on’ to slowing sales

Rising prices due to fruit shortages from California wildfires affect Long Nguyen’s smoothie truck.

BY NORA KELLEHER For The Temple News

This time last year, Long Nguyen had people lining up and down the block for fruit smoothies.

Now, he only gets one or two customers at a time.

“It’s not feeling good, not feeling great at all, because we depending on students to come here,” said Nguyen, owner of The Fruit Salad and Smoothie Truck on Montgomery Avenue between Broad and 13th streets.

Nguyen closed his fruit smoothie truck in March when the pandemic closed Temple University’s Main Campus and reopened when the fall semester began partially in-person on Aug. 24. But with students moving home as classes moved online and West Coast wildfires affecting the fruit industry, Nguyen’s business is struggling.

Nguyen has operated The Fruit Salad and Smoothie Truck for 20 years on campus. The majority of Nguyen’s customers are students, professors or staff, he said.

“I do have regular customers,” Nguyen said. “Not even 30 percent of my regular customers, students, here because they online. They home right now.”

This summer, Nguyen applied for unemployment after closing the truck. It wasn’t much, but it was helpful because he was unable to work, he said.

In reopening his truck, Nguyen’s shortened his hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., to 8 a.m. to 3 or 4 p.m., he said.

In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic slowing customer sales, Nguyen’s business was impacted by wildfires in California wildfires since they caused prices to increase, he said.

The fires, which started in mid-August, have burned across 4 million acres on the West Coast, NPR reported.

The wildfires have affected the fruit industry because it is unsafe for farmers to harvest, due to high smoke levels in the air, the Guardian reported.

At Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, on Essington Avenue near 67th Street, where Nguyen picks up fresh fruit for the day, he found some fruits were completely sold out or priced two to three times higher than normal, he said.

Due to fruit shortages, Nguyen increased smoothie prices by 50 cents. He is unable to buy certain fruits, like strawberries, because he is not making enough profit for the increase in price, he said.

“They check up really high right now because the shortage, so there is nothing much we can do,” Nguyen said. “We don’t make any profit right now anyway.”

Donte Stevenson, a 2015 business management alumnus who lives on 11th Street near Oxford, came to The Fruit Salad and Smoothie Truck every day for breakfast when he was a student. He still comes about three times a week because it’s close to his house, he added.

“I feel like it’s more personal,” Stevenson said. “It’s like mom and pops honestly, I like that.”

Allie Chabrak, a senior criminal justice major, orders a large smoothie with no sugar, spinach, apple, banana and mango two times a week.

“It’s much better to support local businesses, especially ones that rely on Temple students to be here, much rather than a big corporation,” Chabrak said. “Especially now because of COVID, a lot of them have taken a hit.”

Nguyen is unsure his truck will stay open for the remainder of the semester.

“The business here is no business,” Nguyen added. “We just try to hang on because a lot of people keep asking us just hang on.”

nora.kelleher@temple.edu @norakelleher2