Vol. 99.5 Iss. 3

THE TEMPLE NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

STAYING PUT Almost two-thirds of students living in residence halls have left. For the students who stayed, the buildings have a new sense of emptiness.

Read more on Page 17.

WHAT’S INSIDE NEWS, PAGE 3 Temple’s testing center is awaiting supplies for rapid COVID-19 test kits.

LONGFORM, PAGES 12,13 Students and residents discuss their plans to vote in person or by mail on Election Day.

VOL 99.5 // ISSUE 3 SEP. 22, 2020

temple-news.com @thetemplenews

The Temple News

PAGE 2

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 Meghan Kelly (left), a freshman early childhood education major, and Jennifer Mittelman, a freshman undeclared student, sit outside of 1940 residence hall on Sept. 21.

COLLEEN CLAGGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS The Temple News is an editorially independent weekly publication serving the Temple University community.

COVID-19 CASES As of Sept. 21, Temple has 61 active cases of COVID-19, among 60 students and one employee.

Temple recorded 46 new cases last week, and 49 cases the week prior with a 4.87 percent and 4.81 percent positivity rate, respectively, among the nearly 1000 tests given each week.

Unsigned editorial content represents the opinion of The Temple News.

Philadelphia averaged approximately 71 new cases a day from Sept. 7 to Sept. 20.

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

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

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. 8 titled “Students shouldn’t risk their lives in research labs” on page 11 incorrectly identified Kexin Ren’s academic program. Ren is a doctoral psychology student.

An article that ran on Sept. 8 titled “Senior thesis film shares transgender experience” on page 21 incorrectly identified the gender of a character in the film. Cory is a gender-questioning teenager.

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.

Contacts Visit us online at temple-news.com News Desk 215.204.7419 Email section staff news@temple-news.com letters@temple-news.com features@temple-news.com intersection@temple-news.com sports@temple-news.com The Temple News is located at: Student Center, Room 243 1755 N. 13th St. Philadelphia, PA 19122

Follow us @TheTempleNews

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NEWS

PAGE 3

CORONAVIRUS

Testing center awaits supplies, won’t test residents Temple plans to continue offering testing for students and faculty for the rest of the semester.

BY JACK DANZ News Section Editor

T

emple University, while awaiting rapid COVID-19 test kits, moved all testing from the Aramark Student Training and Recreation Complex to the Student Health Services testing center on Cecil B. Moore Avenue, wrote Ray Betzner, a spokesperson for the university, in an email to The Temple News.

Temple will continue to test students for the remainder of the semester, but the university does not have plans to test community residents at the Student Health Services testing center, said Mark Denys, director of Student Health Services.

Temple University Hospital is offering testing to community residents at the hospital’s main campus, Episcopal Campus and Jeanes Campus, Denys said.

The university encourages students who have exposure to or display symptoms of COVID-19 to get tested, but, if asymptomatic students disregard Temple’s recommendation that only symptomatic students get tested and sign up online for a test, they will not be turned away, Denys said.

“We’re testing anyone who schedules and shows up,” Denys said. “I will say one caveat to that, if they were tested in the last three days, we won’t test them.

And if they had a positive result in the last three months, we won’t test them.”

Temple is testing faculty and staff at Employee Health Services, in the Student Health Services building on Broad Street near Cecil B. Moore Avenue, but because the COVID-19 outbreak impacted mostly students, demand for faculty tests have been low, Denys said.

Temple reported a 4.49 percent positivity rate the week of Sept. 14, down from more than 10 percent two weeks before, according to the Temple’s COVID-19 dashboard.

“We’re definitely seeing a decrease

CAMILLE COLEMAN / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple University will continue testing students for COVID-19 for the remainder of the semester.

in our positivity rate, which is a great thing,” Denys said. “That’s where we want things to be heading. So we’re hoping things continue in that same direction, and that we don’t see another spike.

But if we do, we’re prepared to take additional actions.”

The university received rapid testing machines a few weeks ago, but is waiting for reagents, the reactive substance in the rapid test kits for the machines, Denys said.

“The plan is dependent on the supply chain, and right now, that supply chain has been interrupted,” Denys said.

“Some reagents and other supplies have been reallocated by the government to other areas and other hot spots.”

If the university receives rapid tests, which would report results in around 15 minutes, they would only be used on symptomatic patients because the tests are not as accurate on asymptomatic patients, Denys said.

Rapid tests would allow Temple to more effectively contact trace students and staff, because test results would process quicker, said Abby Rudolph, an as-

sociate professor at the College of Public Health.

“The people that should have been notified to quarantine might have already been infected and then spread it to other people,” Rudolph said. “So we’re like two steps behind the game if things are too slow.”

Temple is sending some tests to LabCorp, which returns results in 24 to 36 hours, and some to Temple Hospital, which returns results in 24 to 56 hours, Denys said.

The university hired Kara Reid, a contact tracing manager who trained 11 contact tracers so far, Denys said.

The city has helped Temple conduct contact tracing during the past few weeks, Denys said.

Labs that run tests must report positive cases of Philadelphia residents to the city, said James Garrow, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. City case investigators then contact positive residents and determine who they’ve been in contact with.

“Our case investigators will take that information and contact informa-

tion and share it with the contact tracing team, who will then reach out to those folks and let them know that they may have been exposed,” Garrow said.

The PDPH receives delayed results about Temple students who are not Philadelphia residents, Garrow said.

Students who test positive have the option of quarantining at home or in isolation housing at Johnson and Hardwick Halls for 10 days, Denys said. Of the 450 rooms set aside in Johnson and Hardwick, six were occupied as of Sept.

16.

Students who have been exposed to or display symptoms of COVID-19 should quarantine for 14 days, but students with confirmed positive cases should isolate for 10 days, Garrow said.

“Once someone’s symptoms resolve, they’re no longer feeling sick and it’s been about a week or so, essentially they’re not infectious at that point,” Garrow said. “There’s no need to stay in isolation.” john.danz@temple.edu @JackLDanz

NEWS

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The Temple News

ADMINISTRATION

Students, faculty react to $1 million anti-racist plan The initiative will invest in a new research center and evaluate Temple policing practices.

BY TYLER PEREZ Chief Copy Editor When Temple University announced its $1 million commitment to anti-racist education on Wednesday, Molefi Kete Asante felt it was one of the most significant initiatives related to culture and race since he joined the university. “[Our faculty members] are very excited,” said Asante, chair of the department of Africology and African American studies. “Some of us said, ‘Well, finally, at last, somebody has heard that Temple had the first PhD in African American studies in the nation. Finally, somebody has heard how we produce more PhDs in this field than any other university.’”

The initiative, which includes a financial reinvestment in the Department of Africology and African studies, the creation of a center for anti-racist research, an evaluation of Temple Police, a summer bridge program for North Philadelphia high school students and more, leaves some with hope and excitement about Temple’s role in global anti-racist work, while others are concerned about the long-term efficacy of the plan.

Valerie Harrison, senior advisor to President Richard Englert for equity, diversity and inclusion, oversaw the creation of the initiative. Like Asante, she said the plan is important to her because it acknowledges the Department of Africology and African American studies’ international recognition and its esteemed faculty and alumni.

“The department’s graduates include people you know, like the activist Jesse Williams and nationally recognized scholars like Ibram Kendi and Eddie Glaude,” said Harrison, a 2015 Africology and African American studies alumna. “These people are among the most significant voices for racial equity of our time, and the fact that this initiative includes a recommitment to that depart-

COLLEEN CLAGGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS Molefi Kete Asante, chair of the department of Africology and African American studies, stands behind his desk in his office in Gladfelter Hall on Sept. 21.

ment’s great work is really significant for me.”

The initiative meets some of the demands set in two June letters separately penned by Asante and 19 graduate students in the department, including calls for increased faculty and greater resources for the department.

In the 1990s, the department had up to 14 faculty members, but has since declined to eight, Asante said. Although Asante asked for seven faculty positions in his letter to Englert, Temple’s anti-racist initiative granted the department four full-time faculty members.

Tarik Richardson, a second-year Africology and African American studies PhD candidate and spokesperson for Temple’s Organization of Africology/ African-American Studies Graduate Students, is concerned about whether the university will continue funding this initiative in the future. Because Englert is planning to retire, Richardson wonders who will continue leading this initiative in the coming years.

“I’m just concerned that the support

is gonna fall off,” he added. “And I think that’s why having good relationships with our department or whoever is gonna run these initiatives and institutions down the road, why it’s so important for us to actually be invested.”

Trey Lipscomb, a fourth-year Africology and African American studies doctoral candidate, said the initiative’s goal of establishing a center for anti-racist research is a positive change, but it “centers the conversation more toward whiteness and white response to Blackness.”

“Our research is not one that is wholly focused on centering whiteness or wholly focused on racism or even anti-racism,” Lipscomb said. “Africology is the Afrocentric study of the African world and all African phenomena, transgenerationally and transcontinentally.

Racism and the history of racism, when you look at the long history of African culture, that’s only a small component of what we do.”

The graduate students are asking for an Africana studies center to reflect the

department’s focus, Lipscomb said.

Asante said it’s necessary to focus on cultural studies but believes this work can be done within and alongside the center’s anti-racist research.

Richardson is excited about the summer bridge program for North Philadelphia youth because it aligns with Temple’s long history of working with the community, he said. “[Temple] was founded as a school and institution for people in the community, so it’s only right that we try to connect that with the people from this area,” Richardson added.

Temple’s initiative will also prioritize recruiting and retaining people of color to ensure a more diverse faculty and staff, according to the announcement.

The initiative’s changes in hiring practices highlights the challenges of those who have difficulties accessing jobs that pay well, said Shirley Moy, the executive director of Lenfest North Philadelphia Workplace Initiative, one of the five organizations that will receive

NEWS

The Temple News

additional resources from the university, according to the announcement.

Moy hopes the initiative will give more North Philadelphia residents access to university jobs and bring a more equitable representation of Black and brown individuals at upper management levels.

Seven percent of all faculty members and five percent of all tenured professors at Temple are Black, according to the university’s 2019-20 fact book.

Diane Turner, curator of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection, said the initiative is a welcome addition of resources. As the collection receives more inquiries about African American history and culture, Turner hopes for more space, more staff and more community programming to answer those questions.

“That’s what we do in the Blockson Collection, educate because that’s what you have to do in order to eradicate and destroy systemic racism,” Turner said.

PAGE 5

Turner sees Temple in the future as making a global impact on systemic racism because of the initiative, she said.

Zach Brooks, a fourth-year Africology and African American studies PhD candidate, is uncertain about the future success of Temple’s anti-racist initiative and feels the university needs to follow through and empower the Department of Africology and African American studies with the financial resources they need to implement new programming.

“I really do think it has a lot to do with the level of sincerity,” Brooks said.

“Are you going to empower people that have expertise and knowledge and understanding about these kinds of issues, or are you just gonna give people whatever you wanna give them so they stop complaining and stop protesting?” tyler.perez@temple.edu @tylerperez__

COLLEEN CLAGGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS The Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection is housed inside Sullivan Hall.

TSG

Constitutionality Council helps pass amendment TSG rearranged the vice presi- Zaria Glenn, a senior English and Spandent positions into two chief ex- ish major and Chief Judge of the Constiecutives and one vice president. tutionality Council.

BY JACK DANZ and LEVI WOLF For The Temple News Temple University Student Government’s Ethics Board has reviewed its bylaws and founding documents and passed a constitutional amendment while operating online.

The Ethics Board is made up of two separate bodies: the Constitutionality Council, which decides if resolutions conflict with the TSG constitution, and the Ethics Board Staff, which counsels the executive branch and parliament, said Bradley Smutek, a junior history major and the Parliament Counselor.

“We’re in sort of a gray area as to what branch we’re in,” Smutek said.

“I’m executive appointed, parliament approved but technically in the Ethics Board Staff.”

Ethics Board members cannot hold in-person meetings or office hours, according to university policy, but they still have meetings through Zoom, said

“It was definitely a weird start to say the least [now] that everything’s virtual,” said Glenn, who is holding her first position in TSG. The Ethics Board refined its by-laws to ensure they do not conflict with the TSG constitution, wrote Zoe Raney, a senior global studies major and vice chief judge of the Constitutionality Council, in an email to The Temple News.

“The Ethics Board is in the process of reviewing our guiding documents and revising them,” Raney wrote. “In this way, the lull due to COVID has been helpful, because these documents have needed to be revised for some time.”

TSG passed a constitutional amendment on Sept. 15 restructuring the executive branch citing past administration’s lack of accountability and a more equal distribution of the workload, according to a TSG statement.

“That’s something all three branches have been working on for the past couple of weeks to get that done,” Glenn said.

The amendment split the two vice

president positions in the executive board into three roles: Chief of External Affairs, Chief of Internal Services and a single vice president position, replacing the Vice President of External Affairs and Vice President of Services positions.

The Chief of Internal Services will oversee the Service Team of seven directors, and the Chief of External Affairs will oversee the four directors of the External Affairs Team.

The new vice president position will serve as the sole counterpart to the president, a duty both former vice president positions shared, according to the statement.

“With the Chief Internal Service and External Services Officer, there will be individuals who are fully dedicated to overseeing the individual teams, making sure that the directors are fully supported, as well as the platform points are being carried out to the fullest capacity possible within our single term,” said Quinn Litsinger, a junior political science major and the president of the executive board.

The amendment passed unanimously, wrote Issa Kabeer, a seventh-year graduate student pursuing a diversity

leadership graduate certificate and the speaker of parliament, in an email to The Temple News.

Internal structural changes usually don’t need a constitutional amendment, but, since the vice president positions were written into the constitution, it was necessary in this case, Litsinger said.

TSG held a virtual town hall on Sept. 9 to introduce themselves to the student body, update students on their work over the summer and their plan for the fall semester.

In the coming weeks, the Ethics Board will review its Code of Juridical Qualification, the document outlining the qualifications one must have to serve on the Constitutionality Council, Glenn said.

“The beautiful thing is, when there’s no conflict, there’s really not much for us to do besides just hold ourselves accountable and hold the other branches accountable,” Glenn said. john.danz@temple.edu @JackLDanz levi.wolf@temple.edu

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NEWS

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PAGE 7

CAMPUS

Restaurants grapple with indoor dining limitations The city is keeping 25 percent protection.

Nic Uff, a junior media studies and indoor dining capacity while the production major, said his experience state is increasing it to half.

BY MILES WALL and BRUCE CLAXTON For The Temple News Two weeks after Gov. Tom Wolf allowed indoor seating, few restaurants around Temple University Main Campus like Plaza Pizza, the Draught Horse Pub and Grill, and Maxi’s Pizza, Subs and Bar allow indoor seating.

On Sept. 8, Philadelphia permitted indoor dining as another part of the city’s green phase reopening guidance.

Restaurants must continue to comply with the specific guidelines put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19, like not exceeding 25 percent of their seating capacity.

Restaurant’s indoor seating capacity increased to 50 percent in Pennsylvania, but Philadelphia’s capacity will not increase until at least October, 6ABC reported. Last call at restaurants and bars was moved from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Plaza Pizza, on Broad Street near Cecil B. Moore Avenue, opened indoor dining on Sept. 8 with the state-wide reopening, but it hasn’t helped business much, said A.J. Alame, the manager at Plaza Pizza.

“Here, we depend on the students for business,” Alame said. “With the students not here, the business went down.

Fifty percent of business went down.”

Maxi’s Pizza, Subs and Bar, and the Draught Horse Pub and Grill did not respond to comment.

Under the city’s indoor dining guidelines, Philadelphia is asking restaurants to protect customers and employees by enforcing mask wearing, physical distancing, barriers and smaller seating capacities. All restaurants offering indoor seating are required by the city to follow the same seating guidelines.

A maximum of four people can be seated together inside, and diners must wear masks when they aren’t seated at their table. Servers must wear both masks and face shields for additional

dining indoors was safer than he expected.

“I felt super safe,” he said. “Everyone had to wear a mask, except for when we were at the table. Temperature checks and social distancing were also in place.

The restaurant was at 25 percent capacity.”

The ZIP codes 19121 and 19122, which encompass Main Campus, have recorded 1,394 positive cases combined since the start of the pandemic, The Temple News reported.

Falanika Danielson, a freshman public health major, said indoor dining is not a safe step in the direction of keeping COVID-19 cases from spreading.

“I think right now since we’re kinda finishing the first wave, and getting into the second wave, [restaurants] should just keep it to a shutdown,” Danielson said. “I feel like really the best way to solve this is if we really minimize the contact with people.”

Pazzo Pazzo, on Cecil B. Moore Avenue near Willington, has not discussed opening for indoor dining, but is open for takeout, said Ahmed Elmhidh, a cashier at Pazzo Pazzo.

“In our store, the capacity can be up to four people inside waiting for their food,” he said.

All customers must wear masks, and the employees sanitize the restaurant frequently, he added.

Ranya Amiri, a sophomore health professions major, said even though people don’t seem to be dining in, restaurants have stepped up their health and sanitary procedures.

“I feel fine with [dining indoors], there were barely people in there anyway,” Amiri said. “The occupancy has reduced by like 75 percent, and then, on top of that, there are a lot of shields between the cashier and the customers.

I feel like [restaurants] are being a lot more sanitary.” miles.wall@temple.edu bruce.claxton@temple.edu

FERNANDO GAXIOLA / THE TEMPLE NEWS Customers eat inside Plaza Pizza on Broad Street near Oxford on Sept. 17.

FERNANDO GAXIOLA / THE TEMPLE NEWS Philadelphia permitted indoor dining on Sept. 8 as part of the green phase of the city’s reopening plan, allowing restaurants to operate at 25 percent capacity.

OPINION

PAGE 8

EDITORIAL

Students, don’t fear testing Temple University students living on campus play an integral part in the surrounding community amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and with that, they should take the necessary precautions to keep residents safe.

As of Sept. 21, Temple reported 60 active cases of COVID-19 among students, an 82 percent decrease from two weeks prior.

The university will not be testing community residents, The Temple News reported.

This brings a greater responsibility for the students who have decided to stay around Main Campus, whether in residence halls or in off campus housing, to regularly get tested for COVID-19, self-monitor and maintain social

distancing guidelines.

The Editorial Board understands that cases are declining, but that does not mean students should neglect the severity of COVID-19. We know the process to get tested may be tedious, but these resources are freely available to students and should be utilized for our neighborhood’s safety.

Students need to keep socializing responsibly, especially because of the vulnerable populations on and off campus. We understand socializing is a large part of the college experience, but it can be done in a safe manner if students are open to alternatives to gathering indoors.

Together, students can help to keep our neighborhood safe.

EDITORIAL

Be accountable, Temple After watching Temple University’s response to campus protests during the summer, the Editorial Board commends Temple for its monetary commitment to anti-racist education.

We appreciate the university’s eight-point pledge to recruit more faculty of color and increase funding for the Department of Africology and African American studies, among other plans.

We see this initiative as a work in progress. This should not be the final framework of Temple’s anti-racist education.

Students have already voiced concerns about the initiative, like its focus on whiteness rather than Blackness.

The Editorial Board believes

it is imperative that Temple commits to timely implementation of this initiative, and the university must listen to improvements to it that are suggested by its stakeholders as it is being implemented.

Temple must commit to updating students, faculty and the North Central community as to how the university is progressing on this initiative.

The Editorial Board looks to the university to hold itself accountable and fulfill its promise of an anti-racist education.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Tyler Perez, chief copy editor, reported the accompanying story. He did not play a part in writing this editorial.

The Temple News

THE ESSAYIST

Women will stay in STEM

A student discusses how she embodies female empowerment in the biotechnology world.

BY MAYA RAHMAN For The Temple News As a senior biology major on the premed track at Temple University, I have seen a push for women to be in the science, technology, engineering and math field during my four years of college.

In high school, my robotics team focused on ensuring there was an equal number of men and women in positions of power. Even my coach was a woman.

Although the pendulum has swung, and the majority of biology majors across the country are now female, we are still oftentimes not truly respected. I remember hearing that “diversity is nothing without inclusivity” at my freshman orientation, and these words have left an impact on me for three years.

While there is better female representation in science, technology, mathematics and engineering than ever before, I still feel like an outcast sometimes.

During my freshman year, I was a psychology major. My professors were mostly women, and they made it a point to be warm and welcoming.

But when I switched my major to biology sophomore year, I had to take calculus and chemistry with professors who were mostly men. I could tell my classes in the College of Science and Technology were different from my classes in the College of Liberal Arts from the first day.

It’s difficult to have a personal relationship with students when there are 300 peo-

ple in a lecture hall, but my professors did not seem to care about our academic success.

Some would even make disparaging remarks, saying only a few of us will still be here in four years.

I am exhausted, but I am determined to be one of them.

These professors promoted a toxic, cutthroat environment. There were no longer collaborative projects like in CLA, and the only group work was in labs. People were primarily focused on getting accepted into health care professional schools.

I could have sliced the competitive tension in the air with a butter knife.

I realized how alienating it felt to be the only woman in the room when I went to office hours. I felt like I did not belong.

Now whenever I feel out of place, I remind myself I’m not alone. Other women may feel the same intimidation emanating from their male colleagues. But if we all gave up, then no progress would ever be made.

I am empowered to be a female biology major in CST. I am qualified to be here, and my gender does not make me any less so. I want to empower other women by helping my friends who are also on a pre-med track achieve their goals too.

When we rise together, we’ll be unstoppable.

It’s 2020, and women should be respected and held to the same standards as men in all aspects of life. I know I can accomplish my research and post-graduation goals in biotechnology without anyone’s approval because I have already come this far. maya.rahman@temple.edu

Tell us what you think.

Have something to say about The Temple News or its coverage?

Send us a letter to the editor at editor@temple-news.com

The Temple News

OPINION

PAGE 9

DIVERSITY

Don’t fall for Trump’s rhetoric against activism A student argues Black Lives Matter is a peaceful movement, despite the president’s claims.

More than 20 million Americans showed up to protest for the Black Lives Matter Movement this summer, the New York Times reported.

Of the nearly MONICA MELLON 8,000 protests that For The Temple occurred, 93 percent News were peaceful, CNN reported on Sept. 4.

Additionally, more than five percent of Black Lives Matter protests were met with force by authorities, in comparison to only one percent of other demonstrations, CNN further reported.

Through the end of May into June, I found myself among thousands of Philadelphians fighting for racial justice, including one protest at the Vine Street Expressway on June 1, where we were shot with rubber bullets, sprayed with tear gas, arrested and hospitalized by police officers. This was one example of egregious abuse of police power against innocent people.

Despite this, United States President Donald Trump has built his election campaign around the polarizing rhetoric that the Black Lives Matter movement is a violent hate group, using instances of vandalism and looting as ammunition for his advertisements.

He also has claimed the movement is trying to instill “toxic propaganda” in schools on Sep. 17 during the White House Conference on American History at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., NPR reported.

This came two weeks after the United States Office of Management and Budget gave a directive to federal agencies to stop any use of “critical race theory” or a “divisive, un-American propaganda training session” on Sept. 4, Politico reported. This includes anti-racism courses and diversity training.

In response to the murder of Elijah

COLLEEN CLAGGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS A protester holds a Black Lives Matter sign during a protest at Independence Mall on Sept. 15.

McClain and the shooting of Jacob Blake, two Black men who died at the hands of police officers, protests have continued across the country and in Philadelphia demanding reform within the criminal justice system.

By belittling the foundation of Black Lives Matter as a violent hate group, the Trump administration is failing to recognize acts of violence perpetrated by law enforcement and counterprotestors.

He even defended Kyle Rittenhouse, the white counterprotester charged with killing two people at a Black Lives Matter protest on Aug. 25 over the death of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

“They’re definitely working the outside agitator angle,” said Will Ross, a first-year journalism student about the Trump administration. “I love how they

don’t work it on the opposite side like with the Kenosha guy.”

For the Trump administration to make the seven percent of protests that ended in violence the face of Black Lives Matter is a disservice to the movement and its values.

“We are privy to the idea that there are agitators that come to the protests and take the opportunity and what they’re doing is endangering a lot of people of color, Black people when they do those things when it’s not related to the marches or the actions when it’s not done but for a personal reason,” said Hanae Mason, a coordinator for Black Lives Matter Philadelphia.

It’s important to recognize the nonviolent manner of the movement and a majority of its protestors. We are fight-

ing against aggressive institutions in hopes of removing prejudiced violence from our society, and we cannot let the Trump administration deter us from the mission at hand.

“When we talk about the protests, we can’t let the violence distract us from the police brutality that we know is an actual systemic issue,” said Gabriel Elskeakh, a 2020 psychology alumnus.

It’s important to remember these protests for what they are: nonviolent demonstrations advocating for Black lives and social justice. In reality, it is Trump’s manipulation of the masses that is hateful propaganda, not the Black Lives Matter movement. monica.mellon@temple.edu

PAGE 10

OPINION

The Temple News

COMMUNITY

Philly made the right decision on indoor dining Gov. Tom Wolf expanded indoor dining statewide on Monday, but the city is holding off for now.

On Sept. 8, Philadelphia restaurants were permitted to open for indoor dining at 25 percent capacity after a six month hiatus.

That same day, Gov. Tom Wolf anCAMILLIA nounced that indoor BENJAMIN dining could be inFor The Temple News creased to 50 percent capacity statewide starting Sep. 21, lCBS reported.

However, Philadelphia County is not included.

Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley and the Philadelphia Health Department made the decision not to increase the capacity until October at the earliest, NBC 10 reported.

Doubling this seating capacity in such a short span of time could lead to an influx of COVID-19 cases, and Philadelphia is making the responsible decision by keeping indoor dining at 25 percent.

People diagnosed with COVID-19 were twice as likely to have dined at a restaurant in the past 14 days, according to a Sept. 12 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

After months of careful preparation before moving through the red, yellow and green phases, it seems Wolf is faltering under the economic pressure to re-open prematurely.

The restaurant industry has been hurt more than any sector in the American economy and will be the slowest to recover, the Morning Call reported.

Since March, 332,000 restaurant industry jobs have been lost in Pennsylvania, and 91 percent of Pennsylvania restaurant operators have had to lay off or furlough employees, the Morning Call further reported.

Despite this economic slump, doubling indoor dining capacity raises a red flag for the suburbs outside of Philadelphia County, as patrons will take off

HANNA LIPSKI / THE TEMPLE NEWS

their masks as soon as they are seated.

About a month ago, my family and I dined outside at a restaurant in Philadelphia. Not only were random pedestrians from the street weaving between tables, but the tables weren’t six feet apart, and everyone was on top of each other.

If outdoor dining was not practical in the city, increasing the capacity of indoor dining from 25 to 50 percent would be especially unsafe.

Because symptoms for COVID-19 can take up to two weeks to appear, we will not know whether indoor dining caused a spike in cases until it is too late.

Philadelphia is prioritizing the health of its citizens by remaining at 25 percent, and they should be commended for not gambling with people’s lives.

Kierstin Knellinger, a senior public health major, said she will still not be dining indoors at restaurants for the

foreseeable future.

“I think Philadelphia made the right call by not increasing indoor dining to 50 percent yet, and they are reducing the risk the best they can,” Knellinger said.

With Center City Restaurant Week running from Sep. 13 to Sep. 25, Philadelphia likely took a financial hit by delaying the expansion of indoor dining capacity, but offering outdoor dining and takeout are safer alternatives.

Hayley Barvitskie, a junior public relations major, is relieved Philadelphia is not expanding indoor dining as prematurely as other parts of the state.

“Based on the increase in daily cases, I’m glad Philadelphia didn’t expand indoor dining,” Barvitskie said. “Especially with Restaurant Week, it’s not smart to expand right now. As for the rest of Pennsylvania, I think they should wait longer, but I don’t think they would have

to wait as long as the city of Philadelphia.”

Mira Sadeghi, a senior public health major, thinks the rest of Pennsylvania should follow Philadelphia’s lead and limit indoor dining capacity to 25 percent.

“From a public health perspective, I think the rest of the state should hold off as well, but I do understand the need to keep business flowing,” Sadeghi said.

Our city is reopening safely and efficiently, and will hopefully continue as fall and winter approaches and it becomes nearly impossible to delay indoor dining any longer.

Philadelphia’s 25 percent capacity limit for restaurants will help the city prepare for these upcoming months. camillia.benjamin@temple.edu

The Temple News

OPINION

PAGE 11

MENTAL HEALTH

Suicide prevention isn’t just checking on people A student argues affordable housing and universal healthcare are forms of suicide prevention.

When I scroll through Instagram, I often see aesthetically pleasing graphics spread across stories and posts, all with a similar message to “check on your friends.”

REGINA SCHLIEP Checking in on For The Temple your friends is imNews portant and should be encouraged, but in terms of suicide prevention, it is not enough.

Suicide prevention can be defined as knowing the warning signs of suicide and getting help to save lives.

We need to shift the attention from the individual and place pressure on institutions to increase access to mental health care, livable wages and homelessness prevention. It cannot be reduced to placing personal responsibility on individuals while disregarding our government and its lack of effort in improving our health care system.

Frank Farley, a psychology professor and former president of the American Psychological Association, said that a lack of universal health care and poor mental health are interrelated.

“The health care system has significant problems,” Farley said. “Homelessness is often connected with mental health issues. Empathy is key, and redefining the system is important, but we should not lose sight of the person.”

One problem is many people don’t know where to begin with seeking help, said Mark Salzer, a public health professor and director of the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities.

“There’s been recent work that asks people where they would go for help, and folks had no idea where to start and would hear about waiting lists and it’s

HANNA LIPSKI / THE TEMPLE NEWS

really a reason why people end up going to emergency rooms because they don’t know where else to go,” Salzer added.

In addition to a lack of reliable information, a cost-barrier prevents people in the U.S. from having equitable, affordable access to health care, as 42 percent of Americans report cost and insurance as an obstacle to accessing mental health care, according to a 2018 report by the National Council for Behavioral Health.

Nearly a quarter of adults with mental illnesses reported that they were unable to receive the treatment they needed, according to a study by Mental Health America from this year.

Economic disparities related to homelessness and unemployment are linked to higher suicide rates. Suicide rates for individuals experiencing homelessness are estimated to be nine times

that of the general U.S. population, according to a 2018 report by Harvard Public Health Review.

Among those experiencing homelessness, the LGBTQ community and ethnic minority groups are at an elevated risk.

Although these factors are not always contributing causes of suicide, they are institutional at their core. Putting our efforts towards mending these systems is a critical step in enacting real suicide prevention.

Michelle Chan, a junior marketing major and vice president of the internal team at Active Minds TU, said accessible resources are critical to helping those who need it.

“Any resource can help someone feel like they’re not going through something alone,” Chan said. “The more re-

sources available, the better care and help someone can get because they can choose what fits for them. More accessible mental health care will save lives.”

Placing the weight of suicide prevention on an individual’s shoulders can be a harmful sentiment. It is important to check on our loved ones, but we must recognize the failures of our for-profit health care system.

As September and Suicide Prevention Month comes to an end, we must continue having these discussions year round.

“If we’re not going to talk about stress and trauma in America now, then when are we going to talk about it?” Farley said. regina.schliep@temple.edu

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LONGFORM

The Temple News

COLLEEN CLAGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS Robert Hines, 74, sits outside of Yorktown Arms Apartments on 13th Street near Jefferson on Sept. 21.

2020 ELECTION

Residents, students weigh voting options for Nov. 3 “That might not seem like much,” Six weeks from Election Day, find enough poll workers to staff voting a result, Goldstein expects an even more North Central voters plan to cast locations across the city, said Patrick significant decrease in workers at polling Goldstein said. “But with only eight poll Christmas, policy director for the Com- locations across the city. workers, that location could be able to ballots by mail and at the polls.

BY ASA CADWALLADER Longform Editor

F

or 102 days, Vanessa Cassidy battled COVID-19 in the hospital this summer.

But that will not stop Cassidy, 67, who lives on 11th Street near Oxford, from serving as an on Election Day committee person at her polling location at Bright Hope Baptist Church on 12th Street near Cecil B. Moore Avenue.

“It’s extremely important to me and I don’t see staffing my polling place as any more risky than shopping at the supermarket, which I still do,” said Cassidy, who is experiencing nerve damage in her hands from COVID-19.

Election officials like Cassidy are in short supply this year.

Six weeks before the Nov. 3 general election, Philadelphia is scrambling to

mittee of Seventy, a Philadelphia-based non-partisan organization focused on voting rights.

“The truth is, this election is coming at us like a train,” Christmas said.

WORKER SHORTAGE

As of Sept. 17, the Office of the Philadelphia City Commissioners, which is tasked with conducting the election in Philadelphia, has only hired 4,500 of the 9,000 poll workers needed to ensure polling locations are fully staffed by Election Day, Christmas said.

COVID-19 is partially to blame for the shortage of election workers this year, said Noah Goldstein, an organizer with the Poll Workers Project, a grassroots initiative mobilizing young people to work at polling locations.

Nearly 60 percent of poll workers are over the age of 60 and are therefore more susceptible to the virus, he said. As

“Many of our older poll workers who may have volunteered for years at their local voting locations no longer feel comfortable exposing themselves to long lines and large masses of people,” said Goldstein.

Poll workers duties include arriving early to set up and arrange voting machines, checking voters in, controlling lines and managing other logistics, said Clair Adler, a second-year city and regional planning masters student who has volunteered as a poll worker in Northern Liberties for four years.

“I’m usually out by around 9:30 p.m.,” Adler said. “It’s a long day, but I find it rewarding and also consider it part of my civic duty.”

In 2016, it only took 8 people to staff a polling location and each poll worker was responsible for processing 89 votes on average, according to a report from the U.S. Election Assistance Commision.

process hundreds and even thousands of votes.”

To recruit more poll workers, the City Commissioners Office partnered with non-profit voting rights groups like Committee of Seventy and the Poll Workers Project to launch a campaign to recruit poll workers prior to Election Day, Christmas said.

The city also raised pay for poll workers to $200 a day, with another $50 available for those who attend a virtual training, according to the commissioner’s website.

While Adler is glad to see a potential influx of young poll workers, she also worries new sign-ups won’t receive the necessary training prior to Election Day. “Pulling off Election Day isn’t easy, and there are always problems the day of the election that you can’t perceive or plan for,” Adler said.

The Temple News

A BATTLEGROUND STATE

President Donald Trump carried Pennsylvania by 57,588 votes in 2016, making it the first time a Republican had won the state since 1988, with voter turnout lower than usual in Philadelphia, Buzzfeed News reported.

The city saw stronger turnout in the 2018 midterm election with 52 percent of registered voters heading to the polls compared to the 40 percent average for midterm elections, the Philadelphia Tribune reported.

Turnout in Philadelphia, where Democrats outnumber Republicans 7 to 1, could be pivotal in this year’s presidential race, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Trump visited the city last week for a town hall with undecided voters and former Vice President Joe Biden has made Philadelphia his campaign headquarters.

In addition to the president, voters near Main Campus will cast ballots for the U.S. House of Representatives, state attorney general, auditor general, state treasurer, state senate and Pennsylvania House of Representatives, the Philadelphia Citizen reported. Residents will also vote on three citywide ballot questions.

Voters who live near Main Campus voted overwhelmingly Democratic in 2016. Nearly 90 percent of votes in the 20th Ward, which stretches between Susquehanna and Master streets and Broad and 6th streets, went to Hillary Clinton with less than 8 percent going to Donald Trump, according to the City Commissioners Office.

In the 47th Ward, which stretches between Mongomery and Poplar streets and Broad and 25th streets, more than 90 percent of voters selected Clinton, while just over 5 percent selected Trump.

The 20th Ward will operate a polling station at Bright Hope Baptist Church, with two other locations in other wards nearby at George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science on Norris Street near 16th Street and Penrose Recreation Center at Susquehanna Avenue near 12th Street.

MAIL-IN VOTING

With Temple holding nearly all classes online and thousands of students leaving on-campus housing, Main Campus-area polling locations could see less students voting in person this year.

LONGFORM Another factor that could impact the number who show up to vote on Election Day is mail-in ballots.

To relieve stress on already overcrowded polling locations and reduce exposure to COVID-19, Pennsylvania is imploring residents to vote by mail, Christmas said.

Act 77, passed in 2019, broadened the scope of who is eligible to vote by mail by allowing “no excuse mail-in voting,” meaning state residents no longer need to prove extenuating circumstances to vote by mail, according to a press release by Gov. Tom Wolf.

On Sept. 17, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court passed legislation that will ensure all mail-in votes are counted if they arrive within three days following Election Day, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The court also ruled in favor of establishing secure drop-boxes where voters can deposit their ballots.

Election officials in Philadelphia are also set to vote on a plan this week to open 15 temporary satellite election offices, including one in Temple’s Liacouras Center, where voters could request, receive, fill out and submit their mail ballots, the Inquirer reported.

Robert Hines, 74, who lives at the Yorktown Arms Apartments at 13th Street near Jefferson, plans to vote by mail this election. Hines, who uses a walker, said long wait lines are not something he can handle.

“It’s just much easier to send my vote by mail as opposed to all the complications of going to a polling place,” Hines added. “Also, because I’m with other seniors, I’m wary of going to the polls and getting someone here sick.”

Temple students are also taking advantage of the mail-in process.

Annette Ditolvo, a junior social work major, said she plans on sending in her ballot by mail even though she lives on Main Campus and is not far from Bright Hope Baptist Church.

“As opposed to crowding up my local polling station, I thought it would be better to just use the resources at my disposal to vote by mail,” Ditolvo said.

As of Sept. 17, nearly two million Pennsylvania residents had applied for mail in ballots, with that number expected to grow, NPR reported.

“Mail-in and absentee ballots need to be at your county election office by

PAGE 13

COLLEEN CLAGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS Bright Hope Baptist Church at 12th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue acts as a polling location during election time.

5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27,” Christmas said. “It’s really important that voters know this deadline, and if they miss it, make sure they make a solid plan for voting in person.”

AT THE POLLS

Some residents and students in North Central are still planning on voting in person, like Akeem Dixon, 40, who lives on 18th Street near Girard.

“As someone who is not very highrisk, I still plan on voting in person,” Dixon said.

Despite expanded mail-in options and the ongoing pandemic, Philadelphia is still bracing for a large number of in-person voters, the Inquirer reported.

“I’m a front-line worker at a grocery store,” said Ellie Susskind-Diaz, a junior criminal justice major planning to vote in-person at Bright Hope Baptist Church. “So I’m not extremely concerned about voting in person from a COVID perspective.”

Overcrowding at the polls proved an issue for polling centers around Main Campus in 2016. Temple students were still waiting to cast ballots for at least an hour after polls closed on Nov. 8 that year, the Washington Post reported.

Alison Hopkins, a 2019 strategic communications alumna waited in line

for nearly four hours to vote Bright Hope Baptist Church in 2016, she said.

“Honestly, I was just thankful to be able to cast my vote,” Hopkins added.” If I had work that day, I would have had to leave the line,” Renee McNair, 20th Ward leader who lives on Dondill Place near Jefferson, is confident the three voting locations within the ward will be sufficient in for in-person voters.

“We have made some tweaks since the last election to better accommodate the larger amount of Temple students we have been seeing,” she added. “I know young people are often busier than older folks, but the more of them we sign-up to work, the smoother it will go.”

In the 2016 general election, the 20th ward counted 5,194 votes, according to data from the Office of the Philadelphia City Commissioners.

McNair hopes to see an even higher turnout this November.

“It’s all about communication,” McNair said. “We have to come together as a community, both young and old to accomplish this. But I have no doubt that we will when Election Day comes.” asa.cadwallader@temple.edu @asacadwallader

LIVE Philly in

ALLIE IPPOLITO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Steph Irwin, a 2013 film and media artsalumna and organizer of Thunderbird Salvage’s flea market, sits inside the secondhand store located in the former First Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ on Frankford Avenue near Letterly Street.

SALVAGED SOUVENIRS and STOREFRONTS A thrift shop in East Kensington held a pop-up market for vendors to sell antique and vintage goods.

BY ALLIE IPPOLITO and CAMILLE COLEMAN For The Temple News On Saturday, Thunderbird Salvage, a thrift and consignment store, held their fourth anniversary flea market at their storefront on Frankford Avenue near Letterly Street. More than 30 vintage vendors from across Philadelphia sold their goods at the pop-up shop.

Attendees browsed antique chinaware, vintage gold-plated watches, rare vinyl records and more, while wearing masks and social distancing.

“If you put your money into community members who are selling used stuff, if you create less trash and pollution by reusing things and not just taking them to the dump, we’re overall doing really good things,” said Steph Irwin, a 2013

film and media arts alumna and the head of marketing and events at Thunderbird Salvage.

Thunderbird Salvage originally operated out of a warehouse on 9th near Masters streets before opening their storefront in 2016.

The space was previously the First Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, founded by Pastor Gino Jennings, according to the church’s website. The church relocated to the Olney section of Philadelphia, leaving the space vacant.

Urban developers sought to convert the space into an apartment complex, to fill vacancies in the area, but the church was protected by the Philadelphia Historical Society for its old age. Thunderbird Salvage purchased the property, looking to hopefully slow gentrification.

“We’re not like a corporation coming in and gentrifying a space where community members live and participate in the community,” Irwin said.

From attending local community zoning hearings, to promoting neigh-

borhood businesses via social media, Thunderbird Salvage wants to be more than just a storefront, she added.

This event provided a chance for vendors to continue business, which has been greatly limited because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A lot of vintage and antique vendors are hurting right now because a lot of the spaces they normally sell in are indoors,” Irwin said. “This is our largest one yet. It’s really blown up this year, especially it being an outdoor event.”

Some vendors have been participating for all four years, and for others, it was their first time, she added.

“They are all really great souls, really positive people, always so grateful and thankful,” Irwin said.

Amy Larrimore, a resident of the Frankford-Northwood neighborhood, was a new vendor, and owns her own salvage company called Requiem Salvage Co, selling architectural salvage, antiques and Victorian pieces.

“I shop at Thunderbird,” Larrimore

said. “It’s a good spot. Anybody doing salvage, I support. Let’s keep it out of the landfill.”

While affordability is an appealing feature of vintage flea markets, shoppers can also be more environmentally conscious.

“I like to save money,” said Omolara Ayodeji, 21, of West Philadelphia. “[Flea markets] reduce my carbon footprint because it’s recycling. More people are finding ways to be more sustainable. I usually find something that has a lot of meaning when I go to flea markets.”

Despite the pandemic, the shop still hopes to serve the community.

“We’re definitely going to do [more] crazier, weirder, awesome things,” Irwin said. “We’re never going to give up on that.

Trying to be different, involve our community, and just [do] the best for them.” allison.ippolito@temple.edu camille.coleman@temple.edu

MOVING CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOP RIGHT ALLIE IPPOLITO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Thunderbird Salvage held their fourth anniversary flea market on Saturday.

ALLIE IPPOLITO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Thunderbird Salvage is located inside the former First Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which relocated and sold the space to the store in 2016.

ALLIE IPPOLITO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Dozens showed up to Thunderbird Salvage’s fourth anniversary flea market in search of antique and vintage items.

CAMILLE COLEMAN / THE TEMPLE NEWS A rack of rare, vintage magazines is displayed by longtime antique seller Floyd Stepney at the Thunderbird Salvage’s fourth anniversary flea market.

ALLIE IPPOLITO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Shoppers look through boxes of old records at the flea market.

PAGE 16

FEATURES

The Temple News

ON CAMPUS

Food vendors face uncertainty as campus empties Vendors look toward new business models as they see customers decline amid online classes.

BY BIBIANA CORREA Managing Editor

W

atching the rain outside, Eddie Laro stood hunched over the counter, waiting for customers to come by.

“We open wherever the students are,” said Laro, owner of Eddie’s Pizza at The Wall. “If they aren’t here, we don’t have any other options.”

After six months of remaining closed, vendors reopened when Temple University welcomed students back for in-person classes on Aug. 24. But soon after opening, business stalled: on Sept.

3, Temple suspended almost all in-person learning for the rest of the semester after reporting more than 200 active cases of COVID-19 among students.

With classes online, some campus buildings open and more than 4,000 fewer students living in residence halls compared to last year, campus food vendors contemplate new business models and the fears of closing.

In the four weeks since Eddie’s opened, they have seen a significant decrease in business, and are hoping to expand to online delivery services, like DoorDash, UberEats and GrubHub, said Eric Laro, manager of Eddie’s Pizza.

“Due to no foot traffic, it’s definitely impacted business especially with no people being around so we’ve basically had to adapt,” Eric Laro said.

Penelope Kyriazis, co-owner of The Crepe Truck Philly on Norris Street near 13th, would’ve stayed closed had she known most classes were going online.

“We wouldn’t have opened because we spent $3,000 this week just on buying food, and now like you see it’s empty here, so we just spent $3,000 for no reason,” Kyriazis said.

The Crepe Truck Philly closed on March 13 and worked four events throughout the city during the summer,

CAMILLE COLEMAN / THE TEMPLE NEWS People wait for their food in front of The Crepe Truck Philly on Norris Street near 13th on Sept. 15. With Temple University’s move to online classes, some food vendors wonder if they’ll be able to maintain enough business to stay open.

Kyriazis said. While she expected business to be slower this semester, she’ll have to shut down the truck if sales continue to decrease.

“We wouldn’t be able to afford to stay open if there’s only a few people coming to get food,” she added.

Vendors, like food trucks, are regulated by the city’s Department of Licenses and Inspections and the Department of Public Health and do not pay rent to the university, The Temple News reported.

Like Eddie’s, E&E Gourmet Express on Montgomery Avenue between 13th Street and Liacouras Walk was closed for nearly six months and opened at the start of the fall semester. Almost a month in,

they may have to close again, said Ergun Cimen, the truck’s owner.

“It’s very stressful, I don’t know what to do, I don’t know what we will do,” Cimen said.

Cimen does not have a backup plan for his business closing down besides filing for unemployment like he did at the beginning of the pandemic.

But not all businesses are disheartened by the news of the university moving to online classes.

Wa Quach, owner of Yummy Pho on Broad Street near Norris, hasn’t been affected much by the pandemic since they offer carry out and delivery through their own staff and services like Postmates and DoorDash.

After the university closed in March, Quach closed his restaurant until May 1.

When the fall semester began, he noticed more students came for dinner, he said.

“Things are slower, but we’re okay,” Quach added.

For food truck owners like Kyriazis, their main source of income is operating a truck, and being out of work for so long is disheartening, she said.

“If it’s going to continue like this, we aren’t going to open again, we’ll probably just have to go and find another job and close the food truck,” Kyriazis added. bibiana.correa@temple.edu _bibi_correaa

The Temple News

FEATURES

PAGE 17

ON CAMPUS

Quiet halls: Students stay living in campus housing More than one third of students who moved on campus last month remain in residence halls.

BY LAWRENCE UKENYE Assistant Features Editor Walking the halls of 1300 Residence Hall, Eliza Needles couldn’t help but notice its emptiness only weeks after classes began.

“For the first two weeks, there were a good 30 people in every lounge on every floor at all times of the day,” said Needles, a freshman history major.

“Now they’re pretty much empty during the day.”

Needles is among the students who chose to stay in their residence halls rather than return home to complete their semester of online classes. Some students stayed in their residence halls to remain productive in academics, keep family members safe and experience life on campus, they said.

On Sept. 3, Temple University’s suspension of almost all in-person learning for the rest of the semester. Students in residence halls had until Sept. 13 to choose between remaining on campus or moving out and being fully refunded for housing and meal costs.

After more than 2,000 students cancelled their housing between Sept. 3 and Sept. 13, around 1,250 students remain in university housing, wrote Olan Garrett, director of residential life at The Office of University Housing and Residential Life, in an email to The Temple News.

More than 3,400 students originally moved into residence halls for the fall semester in August, Garrett wrote.

Last academic year, 5,398 students lived in university housing, according to the Temple University 2019-20 Factbook.

When Temple reopened Main Campus, all residence halls opened except Johnson and Hardwick halls, which

COLLEEN CLAGGET / THE TEMPLE NEWS Jennifer Mittelman (left), a freshman undeclared major, and Meghan Kelly, a freshman early childhood education major, stand and sit outside 1940 residence hall, where they both live, on Sept. 21.

were converted to isolation and quarantine rooms for students, The Temple News reported.

Students who live on campus were asked to quarantine for two weeks prior to moving into residence halls in August and were tested for COVID-19 at the Aramark STAR Complex, The Temple News reported.

There are currently 61 active cases of COVID-19 on campus of Sept. 21, The Temple News reported.

Students staying in residence halls are no longer permitted to visit other rooms within their residence halls, as they were when halls reopened this semester, Garrett said. The decision to relocate students within residence halls is being evaluated, he added.

“We have some places where students are one or two to a floor and we want to determine the best course of ac-

tion for our residents,” Garrett said.

University Housing and Residential Life initiated the process of refunding students with the Bursar’s Office and students have begun receiving them within the last week, Garrett added.

Jack Hewitt, a freshman civil engineering major who lives in 1300 residence hall, wanted to stay on campus for the college experience, he said. He was concerned about the rise in COVID-19 cases at Temple, but was reassured once they began to flatten after Sept. 7.

“I like it here a lot,” Hewitt said.

“Things are just more quiet, a lot more doors closed, things like that.”

In residence halls, some common spaces are open with reduced capacity limits, while others are locked, The Temple News reported. .

“For me, it’s pretty much been the same, everyone I was close to ended

up staying,” Needles said. “We haven’t changed everything, the lounges are like more empty, but it’s not that big of a difference for me I guess.”

Jennifer Mittelman, a freshman undeclared student, wanted to be on campus and felt that being in a new environment at 1940 Residence Hall would allow her to be more productive after spending her summer at home, she said.

“I was thinking of going home, but I really wanted to try to have the normal freshman college experience that I could, even though there are obviously things that are different,” she added.

Although her residence hall is a lot quieter, she’s noticed the remaining residents are making the effort to connect with each other. Mittelman and some friends knocked on other doors in the residence hall to meet people.

“Since everyone left, you kind of want to be friends, have a big family with the people that stayed because as a freshman and being online it’s hard to make friends,” she said.

Meghan Kelly, a freshman early childhood education major and resident in 1940 residence hall, decided to stay to make use of the money her parents invested.

Kelly is happy she stayed because she has the option to safely go to the city or on campus, but can still go home for a weekend if she wants, she said.

“There wasn’t much for me to do at home either,” Kelly added. “Here, I can go into the city safely with my roommate and have all of off campus to utilize.”

Before other residents moved out, Kelly said she would see people in the common rooms and walking together in the halls, but it has since gotten quieter.

“When I walk down the halls, I’ll notice a lot of the name tags that were previously there aren’t there anymore,” she said. “It just feels a lot emptier.” lawrence.ukenye@temple.edu @lawrencee_u

PAGE 18

FEATURES

The Temple News

STUDENT LIFE

Students who moved home adjust to remote classes After living in residence halls for two weeks, students who left miss friends and Main Campus.

BY NATALIE KERR and EMMA PADNER For The Temple News Madeline McGuire feels like she never left high school.

“I was still getting used to things, but it definitely felt like I had been there longer than two weeks,” said McGuire, a freshman undeclared student. “I had gotten used to my routine there.”

McGuire is among the more than 60 percent of students who were living in university residence halls at the beginning of the semester to move out after Temple University announced on Sep. 3 it would move most of its classes online. After leaving, students are finding it difficult to recreate the classroom experience and feel connected to Temple from home.

The announcement suspended most in-person classes for the remainder of the fall semester in response to reporting 212 active COVID-19 cases among students. Students were given until Sept. 13 to decide whether they would remain on campus or move back home and receive full refunds for housing and meal plans.

A total of over 3,400 students moved into residence halls at the beginning of the fall semester, wrote Olan Garrett, director of residential life at University Housing and Residential Life, in an email to The Temple News. Prior to Sept. 3, more than 150 students left on campus housing. Between Sept. 3 and Sept. 13, around 2,000 moved out, Garrett wrote.

McGuire lived in 1300 Residence Hall before returning to Baltimore, Maryland, with her parents. She’s struggling to concentrate on online classes at home and feels behind, she said.

“One thing that has helped is that people in different Zooms made group chats to keep up with the work and that was really helpful,” McGuire added. “If I can talk to somebody else, then I’m not like completely alone, you know what I mean?”

Lindsay Hartman, a freshman undeclared student, lived in the 1940 Residence Hall but moved back home to Collegeville, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 11 so she could be refunded.

Hartman was upset leaving campus, but most of her friends moved home. She feels alone at home because her friends from there have not returned from their universities, she said.

Taking college classes at home is difficult because her sister is taking high school courses online and her dad works from home, Hartman said.

“It’s just been so hectic around here and like it’s just hard to focus because everyone’s always on a call, or like the WiFi just shuts down because there’s so many devices connected at the same time,” she added. “It’s just been kind of tough.”

Winton Petty, a freshman psychology major, decided he would return to Minneapolis, Minnesota, when he received the announcement about classes moving online.

He made the decision on his own because it made the most sense to opt for the housing and dining refund, he said.

“Packing was kind of crazy but you know it was also emotional too,” Petty added. “It was just really sad that this had to happen. It was really unfortunate.”

Iasia Caraballo, a junior media studies and production major, moved into her grandmother’s house in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and got tested for COVID-19 before moving out of Temple Towers on Sept. 13.

“Ultimately it came down to the decision of what’s going to save me money and what’s going to make me happy,”

ISASIA CARABELLO / COURTESY Isaia Carabello, a junior media studies and production major, sits at the dining room table at her grandmother’s house in Allentown, Pennsylvania. on Sept. 20. Carabello moved out of Temple Towers on Sept. 13.

Carabello said.

After taking online classes in the spring, Carabello didn’t have difficulty adjusting to her course schedule, but is missing visiting the studio for her Audio for Media class.

“We were learning how to use audio mixers and learning how to use real professional audio equipment,” she added.

“Now, I don’t have the opportunity to use any of that stuff because I don’t have any of that stuff on my own and that’s not stuff Temple can provide.”

McGuire finds it hard to feel connected to Temple when she is at home, she said.

“I definitely did miss it, I remember I would be walking around to go to the dining hall or the library and looking at all these buildings and I was like, ‘Wow they are really pretty. I wish I could go inside,’” she said.

After missing her high school’s senior class trip, school sports and graduation, Hartman is upset to be missing her freshman year of college in the residence halls, she said.

“It’s harder to make connections with your professor and like meet with people who are in your classes and try to get help,” Hartman added. “Then again, finally kind of getting to like hang out with a couple people where you know where they’ve been so you can trust them to not give you [COVID-19], and then you finally make a little group and then we all left.” natalie.kerr@temple.edu @nataliekerr emma.padner@temple.edu @emmapadner

The Temple News

FEATURES

ON CAMPUS

Book to give resources on parenthood, racism Using personal stories and research, the book is for adults ‘involved in the life of a Black child.’

BY JESSICA BOND For The Temple News Racism never had a direct effect on Kathryn D’Angelo’s life, but when she adopted her son, she knew she would have to confront it.

D’Angelo and her husband are both white and their son is Black.

“Unlike parents who buy into the colorblind, post-racial ideology, [my husband] and I definitely had to confront head-on the reality that we would have to equip our son for an experience that is far more complex than anything we experienced,” said D’Angelo, assistant vice president of administration and planning.

Valerie Harrison and D’Angelo wrote “Do Right by Me: Learning to Raise Black Children in White Spaces,” after being inspired by their friendship and Harrison’s role in connecting D’Angelo’s son to Black culture. The book, which will be available on Nov. 27, is nonfiction and provides guidance to white parents raising Black children through the lens of intimate conversations between Harrison and D’Angelo.

“We initially thought it was for white parents of Black children, it turned out that the research, the stories, the information has a broader application,” Harrison said. “It is helpful for anyone who is involved in the life of a Black child.”

In the book, D’Angelo mentions her privileges in her life, like speeding while driving, questioning authority or trespassing as a child, since she is not fazed by consequences due to her race.

“Her whiteness allowed her actions to be seen as the normal testing of boundaries or maybe even a temporary lapse in judgment,” Harrison said. “But never as criminal behavior or as dangerous.”

They discuss Harrison’s involvement in raising D’Angelo’s son, exposing him to Black culture, like attending traditional Black churches. These stories add humor to the heavy subject matter allowing readers to laugh about differences in culture and race, Harrison added.

The book provides parents with tools on how to raise Black children in conditions created by the “neglect of African American achievement,” said Molefi Kete Asante, chair of the Department of Africology and African American studies.

“This book creates an impressive array of mechanisms that can be used by ordinary people to affect the teaching of Black children who live in the oppressive conditions that’s been created by racism, by historical invisibility, by images of brutality, and by an overwhelming trait or characteristic,” he said.

After speaking at conferences on race and racism, Harrison noticed a trend with white parents expressing concerns about building a diverse community for their adopted children.

She included research on the implications of race and racism in America coupled with her personal experiences as a Black woman, she said.

“People today really want to move away from a general understanding of racism to really understanding how racism impacts the lives of Black people even today across socioeconomic lines, so they are now equipped to come up with real solutions and do some meaningful work,” Harrison said.

Their book will be published by Temple University Press, a decision influenced

by Harrison and D’Angelo’s personal and professional connection with Temple.

Ryan Mulligan, an editor at Temple University Press, worked with Harrison and D’Angelo during the editing process.

D’Angelo said the university press would preserve the book’s authenticity.

“They felt as if Temple University’s Press and I understood what they were going for and how to preserve what is most important to their book,” he added.

Harrison and D’Angelo hope to highlight how the reality of racism is not new, but want to reach a new audience, Harrison said.

“The story and truths are not new, they have been told for generations, but we are hoping that by wrapping it in this story, we reach an audience that might not have been reached before,” Harrison said. jessica.bond@temple.edu

PAGE 19

VOICES

Are you visiting restaurants for indoor dining?

ANA HUGHES Senior music education major Yeah, all the waiters were wearing masks and being very clean.

It was fine.

ALEXY FITZMYER Senior music education major I actually went this past Saturday to Branzino in Rittenhouse. I noticed they didn’t have any physical menus, they just had these QR codes to scan to get the menu up on your phone.

SAMUEL CLEMMONS Senior marketing major No. I get takeout from places and eat at home.

SAMANTHA LORENZO Junior neuroscience major No. I am not doing indoor dining because I am just not comfortable personally in crowds yet, and like, seeing that number of people in a place, I’m just not going to feel right.

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The Temple News

LGBTQ

Queer students discuss mental health during COVID-19 Some students struggle with being off campus and away from their community and resources.

BY GI MANERI For The Temple News

N

az Khoury is most comfortable being themselves when living on campus.

“When I was in college, I was never misgendered,” said Khoury, a freshman visual studies and psychology major. “I could wear whatever I wanted, do whatever I wanted and say whatever I wanted. It’s taking a toll having to go back and being the way I was before, where I couldn’t be myself.”

Khoury is one of many students who lived in university housing but decided to move back home when Temple University announced it would move almost all classes online on Sept. 3. But moving back home meant Khoury and other LGBTQ students have to cope with the loss of campus support and an outlet to express themselves.

Tuttleman Counseling Services, one of these resources, only offers remote therapy for students who are within state lines this semester, according to their website.

Michael Mangino, a counselor at Tuttleman, specializes in therapy for LGBTQ, transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. He’s heard from these students, both individually and in group settings, that they are concerned about being home.

As a counselor, Mangino has worked with worried students to make sure they can share their experiences confidentially, especially while doing so in an environment that may be traumatizing or distressing to them, he said.

“Some students elect to sit in their cars and have their therapy sessions, some prefer to go on a walk where they can be alone,” Mangino said. “We really try to make it a safe space even if they are back home.”

When students cannot speak as

OLIVIA SCHROEDER / THE TEMPLE NEWS

freely as they need, Mangino works with them to come up with code words or phrases so they can maintain their privacy and safety.

“We are really trying to be flexible to meet the needs of people during what is arguably probably one of the hardest times folks have faced, especially college students, in their lives,” Mangino said.

Amanda Pascale, a sophomore undeclared student who is on a temporary leave of absence, moved into an apartment in Philadelphia so she did not have to worry about losing access to therapy when classes went fully online.

Initially, therapy was a way for Pascale to navigate her own sexuality. It was also helpful to her while she was in quarantine, when she was living with a friend whose family did not have accept-

ing views. Because of these differences, there was often conflict where she lived, Pascale said.

Pascale has coped with school and life during COVID-19 by being involved in student groups such as Lowkey Acapella and Insomnia Theatre. Here, Pascale feels she can be open about who she is, she said.

“They’re not officially therapy based, but I would call these things I’m involved in my therapy,” Pascale said.

Alison McKee, director of the university’s Wellness Resource Center, said that as the university continues remote activities, the WRC has to continually ensure that LGBTQ students can have a safe, welcome space despite the distance.

“If you are living in a home that is not supportive or you’re away from your

typical support systems that you’d have if you were on campus, even accessing programs on Zoom might be hard for somebody depending on who they live with,” McKee said. “We’re trying to make it so people still feel that sense of community.”

McKee feels that it is just as important to hold their typical programming of wellness webinars as it is to hold events like National Coming Out Week, which she sees as an important time for students who are missing the freedom of campus to celebrate who they are.

“The more marginalized identities we’re holding, the harder it is to feel okay,” McKee said. gi.maneri@temple.edu

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The Temple News

THE ESSAYIST

PAGE 21

Being a caregiver during a pandemic

A student shares their experience working in a nursing home caring for residents this summer.

BY ASIA FLOYD For The Temple News As COVID-19 cases increase every day, healthcare workers are risking their lives to help those who test positive for the virus. I have been one of the individuals working in the healthcare industry throughout the pandemic.

In addition to being a full-time journalism student and pursuing a minor in Africology and African American studies, I’ve worked as a caregiver at Keystone Villa at Douglassville nursing home for about five years.

I was extremely nervous and concerned when I first heard about the pandemic, and was wondering what precautions my job was going to take. My job as a caregiver is to clothe, bathe, assist with toileting and help feed residents.

My job first gave out masks for all the staff to wear when the pandemic broke out. We were told to wear them the whole time as we worked our full shifts and to make sure we were washing our hands and wiping down all the equipment and carts for our linens.

After confirming positive cases of COVID-19 from some residents and staff members, we then had to take extreme precautions and started to wear personal protective equipment every time we were doing the residents’ care.

Wearing the equipment was a challenge for me because I would sweat a lot and have trouble breathing through the mask. Throughout my shift, I had to sit down and take breaks because of that.

My job was in lockdown for basically the whole summer. For the most part, residents had to be quarantined in their

LEEANNAH MCNEW / THE TEMPLE NEWS

rooms and were not allowed to come out. There was absolutely no visitation allowed, and when we came to clock in, we had to get our temperatures checked and answer a few questions about whether we ever traveled recently or been around anyone that had COVID-19.

I was worried working around residents who tested positive because of the possibility that I would catch COVID-19 and bring it home to my family. Some of my family members have asthma, so I tried to distance myself from them in order to keep them safe. As soon as I would come home, I immediately took off my work uniform and showered as a precaution.

I didn’t visit family or friends as much this summer because my job had positive cases and I didn’t want to take the chance of possibly bringing it around them. It was very hard not being able to see them as much.

Keystone Villa has also given out hero bonuses, or extra pay given to caregiving staff for working throughout COVID-19, and I was very appreciative of that. I feel that caregivers deserve hero bonuses because we are risking our lives everyday being around COVID-19.

Because many people have lost their jobs during this pandemic, I am grateful to still be working.

Keystone Villa does not have any positive cases as of now. I am still working hard at my job while going to college full-time and taking safety precautions so I don’t catch COVID-19. I always carry hand sanitizer and wear a mask when I travel from college to work.

I have found caregiving to be an extremely stressful and exhausting job. Despite management efforts, my coworkers and I do not feel appreciated which I believe is an overall healthcare industry issue. I hope and pray for a change in the near future. asia.floyd@temple.edu

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The Temple News

CULTURE

Students reminisce on Día de la Independencia Latinx and Hispanic students share on independence day celebrations in their home countries.

BY FERNANDO GAXIOLA For The Temple News Growing up in Mexico, Mariana Hernandez y Rojas found that celebrating independence is “the perfect excuse to have a party.”

There’s food, tequila and mezcal, a distilled liquor made from agave.

“Everyone is celebrating,” said Hernandez y Rojas, a second-year Spanish doctoral student. “I’ve never known anyone to stay home on [Sept. 15]. You have the whole attire, the performance, the flags, the ‘Mexicanity.’ It’s always there.”

Mexico is one of eight Latin American countries that are celebrating their independence this month, according to the Library of Congress.

But no matter when a Latin American country honors their independence day, students say it is a time for family, food, fun and reflection.

Traditionally in Mexico, upwards of 70,000 people join in on the festivities in the main plaza of the capital, Excelsior reported.

But this year, the Mexican government broadcasted a view of the plaza adorned with massive displays of light and fire. These were meant to remember those lost to the pandemic, El Universal reported.

As Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the president of Mexico, finished delivering the traditional independence speech, fireworks and music came alive.

Hernández y Rojas sees a bit of irony in the government’s role in the celebrations.

“I find it interesting how we can complain all year long about all the problems the country has and has always had, but on [September 15th], we’re so very happy to be Mexican,” Hernandez y Rojas said.

For some, celebrating their country’s independence day is a reminder of good times spent with family.

KRISTINE CHIN / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Angela Tessitore, a freshman public relations major from Colombia, fondly remembered the memories she had made with her family surrounding her country’s independence day on July 20.

“We listen to Colombian music and make Colombian food all year round but that day is just special, and we just try to celebrate it,” Tessitore said.

This year, Tessitore stayed home with her family and learned to make traditional food, like arepas, or cornmeal cakes.

Food is an important part of independence day celebrations.

Juan Zambonini, a third-year music therapy doctoral student, is from Argentina but has lived in both Mexico and the U.S. On Argentina’s independence day, he prepared locro, an Argentinian stew, and left it at a friend’s doorstep. Later, he celebrated with them virtually.

“It was a way to share it with them,

and to feel close to them,” Zambonini said.

Independence days are also a time to reflect on how hard won these celebrations were for many countries.

Beginning in 1808, within two decades most of Latin America secured its independence from Iberian powers, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. The oppressed lower classes of Indigenous, African, and mixed race people rallied with leaders like Simon Bolivar in South America and Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in Mexico, according to Britannica.

Zambonini feels that although independence days mark official independence of these countries, independence itself is an ongoing process.

“Argentinians have always been very politically involved, and have been a very forward-thinking society,” Zambonini said. “I think all of Latin America is in a process of independence, especially economic independence, and now cultural

independence with globalization.”

Hernandez y Rojas hopes people take time during Hispanic Heritage Month and beyond to learn about the history of Latin American people and their countries.

“It is important for Americans to know about other countries’ traditions and history, not only Mexico’s,” Hernandez y Rojas said.

Zambonini also feels it is important for Americans to recognize different cultures within Latin America.

“Coming into the United States, it makes it a lot more difficult to navigate, because it is just very ‘othering,’” Zambonini said. “There’s very different Latinos. It would help to move past the generalization of ‘Latino’ and understand there is a country that had its independence.” fernando.gaxiola@temple.edu

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The Temple News

THE ESSAYIST

How thrifting helped heal my self-esteem

A student explores the relationship between her body confidence and love of thrifting.

BY MOLLY MCGOWEN For The Temple News Clothes, for as long as I can remember, have been both my best friend and worst enemy.

But suddenly, our toxic relationship took a turn for the better. This is when I met thrifting.

Thrifting is a shopping outlet I always overlooked. It didn’t take me many trips to know I cherished the experience.

I love creating outfits and looks that tell someone a little bit about me before we even speak. My wardrobe and clothing are pieces of me that capture who I am, who I want to be and where I’ve been. It’s probably my most important outlet of self-expression.

But my relationship with my wardrobe has not been an easy one.

I struggled with eating disorders and body dysmorphia in high school, resulting in my body looking a lot different from its natural frame.

I was wearing size eight jeans and medium tops then, so I never struggled with trips to the mall and could easily find my size in mainstream, “trendy” stores.

I dressed like the people around me, hoping it would help me fit in and feel like the girl I thought I needed to be. I believed my peers would be more accepting of me if I had ease slipping into smaller-sized jeans and borrowing my thinner friends’ tops. I thought being skinny was everything.

When I got to college, I realized my eating habits had been dysfunctional in high school and I needed to make major changes. I began to eat intuitively and not restrict myself how I used to.

GRACE DiMEO / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Now, three years later, I am a size 16 to 18 and feel far more comfortable in my own body than I ever did 10 sizes smaller. I feel like I am finally the size my body was meant to be.

But every once in a while, I am submerged in my old, body-shaming thoughts once again. I’ll shop with my friends and find out the store doesn’t have my size in person or online, and it can be really upsetting and almost embarrassing when this happens.

Clothing availability and variability for plus-sized women is not anywhere near where it could be and should be. It can be very frustrating and discouraging when I go shopping and can’t find any of the latest trends and fashion in my size.

Many mainstream clothing stores

only go up to size large for tops and dresses and size 12 for jeans and bottoms, and these size restrictions aren’t accessible for women with larger, curvier figures. Fashion options for plus-sized women are limited, stemming from the industry’s fatphobic beliefs and tendencies.

It’s easy for impressionable, young, plus-sized women to never feel as if their bodies are embraced and celebrated in society.

I knew I had to find an alternative way to shop for clothes that made me feel comfortable and proud in my body.

In most second-hand stores I’ve visited, there’s a more extensive size selection that is representative of all beautiful body types, not to mention thrifting is a

sustainable and often more affordable alternative to retail shopping.

I’ve had so many exciting experiences finding pieces while thrifting that both make me feel comfortable in my body and fit my fashion sense. From cozy, comfy Levi mom jeans to graphic tees and cardigans, some of my favorite wardrobe essentials have all come from thrift stores. Awesome thrift shops right here in Philadelphia are Urban Exchange Project, Philly AIDS Thrift and Village Thrift, and all have a wide range of sizes.

I was feeling so stuck when I had to donate my clothes that did not fit anymore and go shopping for a new wardrobe in my bigger, healthier body. Being a plus-sized woman has become something I love about myself and embrace, so why should the fashion industry make me feel like it was something to be ashamed of?

I would’ve done anything to be tall, thin and beautiful when I was in high school, and those unhealthy efforts and habits I built resulted in a lot of hurt. I thought if I looked like the models I saw on Instagram or could fit into Hollister jeans, I would be happy, but I was wrong.

We should be embracing women who are comfortable in their bodies and providing women of all sizes with the freedom to dress how they’d like to and buy the clothes they want to.

We haven’t quite gotten there in the retail fashion industry, but I truly believe that thrifting is a great option for plussized women to find clothing that fits their look and makes them feel comfortable. I’ve never come home from a thrift store without a smile on my face, some awesome pieces and a newfound confidence in my body. molly.mcgowan@temple.edu @mollymcgowan20

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SPORTS

PAGE 25

FOOTBALL

Owls’ new transfer quarterback is an ‘electric athlete’ Re-al Mitchell recorded 100 rushing yards on just 11 attempts at Iowa State last season.

BY DANTE COLLINELLI Sports Editor Temple University football redshirt-sophomore quarterback Re-al Mitchell’s decision to transfer to Temple was a “leap of faith” due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

Mitchell announced he was transferring from Iowa State University to Temple on May 21, The Temple News reported.

“When I entered the transfer portal early last semester, Temple was the first school to contact me,” Mitchell said.

“They really tried to establish that immediate connection that they were really interested in me as a player and as a person and what I can bring to the offense.”

Now, Mitchell is focused on competing with fellow quarterbacks graduate student Anthony Russo and redshirt-sophomore Trad Beatty for playing time this season. The Owls’ first game is on Oct. 10 in Annapolis, Maryland against Navy.

Russo has started the past two seasons, but Mitchell isn’t worried about his opportunity to get playing time, he said.

“I don’t shy away from competition ever,” Mitchell added. “I think competition brings out the best in all of us, and if I can find a place where there are a lot of good quarterbacks, that is just gonna make myself better.”

In 2019, the Owls used a two quarterback system where they would bring in former quarterback Todd Centeio for one or two drives per game because he provided more of a threat to run the football.

Centeio rushed the ball 47 times last season, which was the third-highest on the team, and recorded 155 yards.

Centeio transferred to Colorado State University in January, leaving his

TEMPLE ATHLETICS / COURTESY Redshirt sophomore quarterback Re-al Mitchell prepares to throw the ball during practice at Edberg-Olson Hall on Sept. 14.

role in the offense open.

Last season with the Cyclones, Mitchell was the team’s backup quarterback and was frequently brought into the game as a threat in the running game, similar to how Temple used Centeio.

Mitchell appeared in five games last season in which he completed two-offour pass attempts, including one touchdown. He also recorded 100 rushing yards on 11 carries and scored one rushing touchdown.

Although Iowa State used Mitchell similarly to how Temple used Centineo last season, head coach Rod Carey isn’t ready to use Mitchell in a similar offensive package. He wants to see how

Mitchell performs in fall camp first, he said.

“Re-al just has such a unique skillset,” Carey added. “He’s such an electric athlete and throws the ball very well.”

During fall camp, Mitchell is learning Temple’s offense, which is different from the offense he knew at Iowa State because it requires more communication with the offensive line, he said.

The coaching staff is pleased with how fast Mitchell has learned the offensive system despite the team getting limited reps during the fall, said quarterbacks coach Craig Harmon.

“It is extremely impressive in the amount of time and the uniqueness of

the preseason ... how fast he’s learned everything and how quick he is picking it up to go execute on the field,” Harmon added.

Even if Mitchell doesn’t see much time on the field this season, he still feels like transferring to Temple was the correct choice, he said.

“I’m really confident, and I am really excited,” Mitchell added. “I think our team is really solid. I think our offense is really solid and that once all of us get a chance to show what we can really do, we will turn a lot of heads.” dante.collinelli@temple.edu @DanteCollinelli

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SPORTS

The Temple News

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Owls players meet to discuss social justice issues

COLLEEN CLAGGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS Junior midfielder Hailey Gutowski (left) and senior defender Arryana Daniels sit on the steps outside of the Aramark STAR Complex on Sept. 20.

Gutowski and Daniels are the women’s soccer representatives for Athletes Advocating for Change.

Two women’s soccer players are on an AAC-wide committee discussing issues like voting rights.

BY DONOVAN HUGEL Women’s Soccer Beat Reporter In response to Black Lives Matter protests for social justice this summer, The American Athletic Conference women’s soccer teams started the Athletes Advocating for Change group. The group’s mission is to create conversations between student-athletes about social issues, according to the council’s mission statement.

Junior midfielder Hailey Gutowski and senior defender Arryana Daniels are Temple University women’s soccer’s representatives on the group’s council.

Gutowski noticed some of her teammates were hurting emotionally due to the continued violence against Black people in America, she said.

“I was not very educated at all and I just didn’t know much about racial injustice,” Gutowski added. “And seeing my teammates hurting so much, that definitely had an impact on me.”

Starting in June, the conference wide group began meeting once a week to discuss the initial steps they wanted to take.

Head coach Nick Bochette nominated Daniels and Gutowski to be the team’s two representatives because they were the most vocal during team discussions, he said.

“They brought some fantastic resources and facts to the group that helped our discussions,” Bochette added. “They were proposing documentaries that we should watch and giving us resources about where to find more information and educate ourselves.”

The group started with nine head coaches from The American meeting once a week via Zoom to discuss the potential fall season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meeting topics shifted to racial injustice following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man killed by police in Minnesota on May 25.

“It was obvious that our teams were hurting,” Bochette said. “They were at a loss for how to communicate all their emotions. What we wanted more than

anything was the ability to provide them guidance and framework for how to have these discussions with their peers and help them find a healthy outlet and find some action they can take, ‘cause I thought that for a lot of 20-somethings, they were just so frustrated.”

The group transitioned to an entirely player-run initiative, with Houston coach Diego Bocanegra and Central Florida coach Tiffany Sahaydak serving as the group’s administrators, Bochette said.

Professional athletes from the NHL, NBA, WNBA, MLS and MLB decided not to play their games on Aug. 28 in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, CNN reported.

The group is continuing conversations they’ve been having for months and to keep social justice on everyone’s minds, Daniels said.

“We want change within our communities and nationwide,” she added.

“We have a platform to reach people who want to go here or watch us play, or just love the sport in general to keep this on the forefront of their minds.”

With school and preseason camps starting, the group is trying to find new times to meet, Gutowski said. They only had one meeting in August, she added.

The group hopes to use their Instagram account, @_aachange_, to show what specific conversations each school is having and spots in their cities to further educate themselves on racial injustice, like visiting the Underground Railroad Museum at Belmont Mansion and the First African Baptist Church, the oldest Black church in Pennsylvania, Daniels said.

The council conversations center around voter suppression and getting everyone registered to vote, as well as not letting this conversation “go away with the news cycle,” Gutowski said.

“We need to just keep the conversation going,” Gutowski said. “This isn’t just a one-year thing. We hope that this council is followed on through the next years to come because this conversation doesn’t stop here. It’s not just a movement, it needs to keep happening.” donovan.hugel@temple.edu @donohugel

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SPORTS

PAGE 27

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Owls’ verbal commit is McKie’s first Philly recruit Once Hysier entered the sixth grade, Hysier Miller built a relationship with coach McKie and is said to he joined the Amateur Athletic Union, he said. be a “similar player” to him.

BY ISABELLA DIAMORE Assistant Sports Editor Temple University men’s basketball verbal commit Hysier Miller felt a connection when talking with the Owls’ coaching staff that he didn’t feel with the other schools recruiting him, he said.

Seventeen-year-old Miller plays guard at Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic High School in South Philadelphia. He verbally committed on Aug. 7 to play basketball at Temple during the 2021-22 season.

Miller had offers from Penn State University, Drexel University and East Carolina University. Once he met head basketball coach Aaron McKie, he knew Temple was where he belonged, he said. “[Miller] and McKie have a lot in common, they are similar people and similar players,” said Neumann high school head basketball coach Carl Arrigale. “I think that’s where the connection came.”

Miller grew up in South Philadelphia and started playing basketball around the neighborhood at six years old with his older brother Mark Miller.

Mark Miller also grew up around basketball, and Hysier Miller said he always kept him out of trouble and reminded him to stay focused.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28 FIELD HOCKEY “We actually have spent some time on the technical side of things, which we don’t always have the time to sit down and break down technical skills for days on end,” she added.

The Owls lost five seniors from the 2019-20 season, but the new group is already considered leaders, said senior back Dani Batze.

“The seniors last year have always been great leaders,” Batze added. “Luckily enough for me, I was able to work with them last year and watch and learn from them while also being on the leadership

“The place where I come from, I was lucky enough to get AAU and meet some people who knew athletes who could help me elevate my game, a lot of people don’t get that kind of opportunity,” Hysier Miller added. “I knew I couldn’t take it for granted.”

The AAU trains, competes and physically develops athletes to prepare them for the next level in their career.

Shizz Alston Jr. and Trey Lowe are two former Temple men’s basketball players who played for the AAU, said head AAU coach Aaron Burt.

Before Hysier attended Neumann high school he went to Martin Luther King High School, Arrigale said.

Last year, Hysier spent his junior year at Neumann, where he helped the Neumann family bring home a 66-58 win for the basketball championship against Roman Catholic.

With about seven minutes left in the championship game, Hysier grabbed a rebound, pushed the ball up the floor and drove into the lane, allowing Neumann to gain possession and setting his teammate up for a perfect shot, PA Prep Live reported.

“He was one of the main players who helped us win the championship last year and he finished the season as leading scorer,” Arrigale said. “Seeing the smile on his face and to see how happy he was to be there, it shows how much joy the team.”

The Owls’ leadership team consists of five different players: Batze, goalie Cristina Carotenuto, forward Mia Sexton, midfielder Taylor Alba and redshirt-junior back Grace Shanton, Batze said.

The team finished with a 7-10 record in Ciufo’s first year, a five win improvement from the previous season in 2018-19.

The team has a strong defensive unit that can disrupt opposing teams.

The 2019 defensive unit only allowed an average of 1.5 goals per game.

The defenders include juniors Nienke Oerlemans and Annie Judge, Batze and sophomore McKenna Burkhardt.

SYDNEY HARKLEROAD / COURTESY Men’s basketball verbal commit Hysier Miller, who plays guard at Saints Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic High School, dribbles the ball during a game against Roman Catholic High School on Jan. 18.

game brings him.”

Hysier wants to win, but he cares about team achievements rather than his own personal achievements, Arrigale added.

“I want to improve my leadership skills,” Hysier said. “I really want to help the team be better. Picking someone up when they are down and setting an example for the team to always play hard. That’s a true leader, not how many points you score in a game.”

While the COVID-19 pandemic

has put an end to the AAU season, there hasn’t been a final decision on his senior year basketball season at Neumann.

When Hysier comes to Temple, he will force other players to raise their competitive level, Arrigale said.

“What separates Hysier from everyone else is his toughness, he wants it so much more than everybody else that’s out there,” Arrigale added.

Ciufo believes their defensive playing style will continue to be a strong point during their spring season.

“Defensively, all over the field I think we add great value,” Ciufo said. “We lose the ball, we have a second to win the ball back. They’re tackling back consistently, that is one area we know we are going to continue bringing into the season.”

Attacking is the team’s main area of improvement. The Owls want to generate more chaos in the attacking circle, lay out for more balls and have better passes up the field, Ciufo said.

In 2019, the Owls’ offense averaged 1.4 goals per game and the leading scorer is one of the defensive players, Batze.

She led the team with six goals and four

of those were game-winning goals.

“On and off the field, we are a really close team,” Judge said. “Off the field, we are best friends, so it makes the connection for when we are on the field even better.”

As the team returned to practice, the Owls developed a new sense of appreciation for the game and are working harder because of it, Ciufo said.

“There’s a whole new joy for the sport when you get it taken away from you, and then you’re able to have the opportunity to come back to it,” Ciufo added.

isabella.diamore@temple.edu @belladiamore

caydeen.steele@temple.edu @cayden_steele19

PAGE 28

SPORTS

The Temple News

COLLEEN CLAGGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple women’s field hockey head coach Susan Ciufo demonstrates a drill to players during practice at the Temple Sports Complex on Aug. 17.

FOCUSING ON THE ATTACK FIELD HOCKEY

The Owls are holding scrimmag- University’s field hockey team would es every Friday night to improve have played their first Big East Conference game. their offensive strategy.

BY CAYDEN STEELE Field Hockey Beat Reporter The color of the leaves are changing and the wind is blowing. Fall has returned, but the weather may be the only thing normal this season.

Usually by mid-September, Temple

The Owls returned to practice Sept.

18 after a two-week-long pause following Temple’s suspension of in-person classes on Aug. 30, The Temple News reported.

The team voted to hold scrimmages every Friday night, holding their first Sept. 18. The players put on uniforms and created a competitive environment that replicates an actual game, head

coach Susan Ciufo said.

“They were actually the ones that requested to wear their uniforms, they just want to feel what it feels like on a game day,” Ciufo added. “To be able to mimic that, I think, is really important for us to keep our level of play high.”

The team is allowed to practice eight hours each week. Four of those hours will be designated for practice and the other four will be used for strength and conditioning, Ciufo said.

The Owls’ regular season will begin

on Feb. 12 and end on April 23. The championship bracket will include 12 teams with 10 automatic qualifiers and two at-large bids, The Temple News reported.

With a significant amount of time to get prepared for the season, the players will take advantage of more practice reps and improve in various areas of their game, Ciufo said.

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