Volume 90, Issue 20

temple-news.com TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012

Tensions brewing

VOL. 90 ISS.20

Residents to contest district proposal Some community members plan to oppose the proposed improvement district.

AMELIA BRUST The Temple News

rate for workers is $12.65 per hour, Tolbert said.

Student workers can’t work more than 25 hours a week, Tolbert added.

McGuire looked into the idea of unionizing the workers, but had found out that it was against Sodexo policy for them to join.

In the contract obtained by The Temple News, line seven of article one, union recognition of the contracted agreement, “specifically excluded from the bargaining unit are all students.” In addition to students, office clerical employees, professional employees and supervisors are excluded from the bargaining unit.

“I was just told that this was how it had always been,” McGuire said. “And that it really wasn’t any of my business.”

Jesse Stein, a sophomore anthropology major and employee at the TECH Center Starbucks, said he works at the coffee shop with his sister, whose hours were recently cut to 10 hours a week.

“She can’t do anything because she can’t be in the union,” Stein said. “So now she has to

On Feb. 16, block captains of the fifth council district gathered at the Gesu School at 17th and Thompson streets to plan to act on some community members’ opposition to the North Central Improvement District. The Community Land Trust Corporation, or CLCT, a nonprofit Community Housing Development Organization in North Philadelphia, organized the planning meeting to readdress points made at a previous meeting on Jan. 25.

“The community has to be sustainable itself in order to have a sustainable lifestyle,” Vivian VanStory, of CLTC, said.

VanStory, an opponent of the NID, will testify at a public hearing on March 6 in Ritter Hall on behalf of CLTC and area residents.

“We’re presenting not only signatures but also letters of support [against the district],” VanStory said.

Elouise Edmonds, a city planner and volunteer for CLTC, suggested block captains give a questionnaire to residents who cannot attend regular meetings, so that they may share their concerns with the rest of the community.

“I try to have block meetings but there’s only five or six people that come,” Doris Harris, captain for the 1800 block of Thompson Street, said. “[A questionnaire] is important not just for me but for everybody.”

The NID, proposed by City Council President Darrell Clarke, who represents the fifth district, aims to bring cleaning services, public safety measures, and streetscape enhancements to the area in a span of five years, with a proposed first year budget of $450,000, according to the City Council resolution.

The NID would answer to the North Central Management

SODEXO PAGE 3

IMPROVEMENT PAGE 2

ABI REIMOLD TTN

Jesse Stein, an employee at the TECH Center’s Sodexo-operated Starbucks, said he can’t unionize, as non-students can, as per the company’s current contract.

A student took his concerns to Sodexo, which does not permit students in its union.

I

DOMINIQUE JOHNSON The Temple News

n September 2011, management at the TECH Center Starbucks began enforcing a policy prohibiting the tipping of baristas, due to policies put in place by Sodexo, Temple’s food-service provider that licenses the store.

But one student insisted his tip be accepted, sparking his own exploration into Sodexo’s contract with students.

“I had stapled a dollar to a comment card, saying that I insisted they keep the dollar,” Adam McGuire, a senior social work major, said. “In addition to that, I asked what else Sodexo was doing to strip the rights of their workers.”

McGuire tried to find answers himself, writing letters to both Starbucks and the university, but said he received little information. He also contacted Sodexo, who promised meetings to discuss the issues.

OPINION PILL PROBLEMS, p.5 Cary Carr argues that sex education should be the focus of recent debate regarding birth control.

“They were supposed to meet with me during winter break, but they kind of blew me off,” McGuire said. “When I got back from break they ignored me again, two weeks passed and they still didn’t get back to me.”

In an email, Sodexo General Manager David Tolbert wrote that he and District Manager Bryan Sparks had already spoken with McGuire and are available to speak with him again should he have any additional questions.

It is Starbucks’ company policy for workers to accept tips as a way to supplement their income. Employees at the popular coffee shops typically rely on tips from customers to compensate receiving an hourly pay below minimum wage. Sodexo pays at a higher rate than a typical Starbucks and has a policy in place that prohibits its employees from receiving tip money.

Sodexo has an existing contract with the Philadelphia Joint Board that requires Sodexo to recognize the Philadelphia Joint Board as the “sole and exclusive bargaining agent with respect to wages, hours, benefits and other employee

A&E VAN GOGH, p.9 An exhibit of works from the second half of Van Gogh’s life is on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through May 6.

SPORTS ALUM ASSTISTANCE, p.20 Former all-around gymnast Patrick McLaughlin returns to McGonigle Hall as a first-year assistant coach for the team.

“I asked what else Sodexo was doing to strip the rights of their workers.”

Week-long events emphasize engineering Temple’s National Engineers Week will take place throughout this week.

LIVING LOCAL LOVE, p.7 The Temple News meets the owners of Yumtown, a recently added truck on Main Campus that has pledged its dedication to local farmers.

related issues for full and part- ment cards with the name of time food service employees in their server. Every week, one all its dining service operations is chosen and the employee at Temple University.” mentioned in the positive com“Adam McGuire has pre- ment receives a bonus in their sented himself as ‘represent- paycheck. ing and speaking for’ a portion “They actually have not of our student employees at been following through with Temple,” Tolit as much,” bert said. “Under Josh Snyder, a the law, this sets senior history him up as a barmajor and emgaining agent for ployee at the those employTECH Cenees. [McGuire] ter Starbucks, has no affiliation said. “I don’t with the Philathink they delphia Joint implemented Board in any it just to be Adam McGuire / nice to us, it’s capacity, so in senior social work major almost like a accordance with our contract we pacifier just to are not permitted keep us quiet to negotiate with him.” a bit.”

McGuire also reached out Another student worker to Mindy Segal, director of op- informed McGuire about a diserations at the Student Center, crepancy in wages between stuwho declined to comment on dent and non-student workers. the situation between McGuire Tolbert said the base rate and Sodexo. for student workers is $8.75 per The TECH Center Star- hour and increases by 25 cents bucks does provide an alterna- each year they work. tive to tipping in the form of an He said non-student workincentive program that relies on ers are hired at a rate of $10.65 customer feedback. Customers an hour and increase incrementhat have a positive experience tally until they are there for two are encouraged to fill out com- years. After two years, the base

MARK STAVER The Temple News Presidents Day for many Americans means a day off work, but for prospective and working engineers, it is anything but.

Founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers, National Engineers Week recognizes profound impact engineers have had on society, while emphasizing the importance in technical fields of study such as math and science.

Four years ago, the College of Engineering sought to establish an engineers week

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on Main Campus that involved students not only from the school, but those in other science- and math-based fields of study. Through informative demonstrations and keynote speakers, National Engineers Week allows the chance for the college to be recognized for their achievements in engineering in conjunction with promoting the field of study for those who are undecided or looking to transfer.

“The idea is to showcase our students and our faculty and what they are doing and working on as well as our field of study,” said Steven Lengkeek, assistant dean of the College of Engineering. “[The College of Engineering] has one of the higher transfer rates of other people coming from other degrees and transferring

ENGINEERING PAGE 3

CHARLOTTE JACOBSON TTN

Timothy Boger, a first-year electrical engineering graduate student, attempts to fix the broken parts of a hovercraft during an event for National Engineers Week. Events will take place at the college throughout the week.

NEWS@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012

Current, former protestors discuss campus causes A teach-in created a dialogue about old and new protests at Temple.

ALI WATKINS The Temple News Yellowed pages of old yearbooks and newspaper clippings papered the walls as curious students filed through the Temple Gallery in Tyler School of Art on Friday, Feb. 17, for a collaborative teach-in on the protest history of Temple.

With documents ranging from as far back as the 1960s and continuing all the way up to present-day footage of the Occupy movement, students were treated to a comprehensive look at the historic activism of the Temple community.

“There are all these layers of protest history in the university,” said architecture professor Alicia Imperiale, who has been compiling research as far back as 1968 on the subject. “That part of our history is crucial.”

Dr. Mary Stricker of the sociology department shared her firsthand experience with Temple protests.

As a graduate student in the ‘90s, Stricker was involved in the protesting of then-President Peter Liacouras’ Strategic Initiative­, which heightened

admission standards at the uni- know much about protesting versity. This initiative, while or recruiting and canvassing intended to boost Temple’s aca- and all this stuff,” Murphy said. demics, outraged some mem- “[Protesting] is a way you can bers of the student body, who have a clear visual representafelt the initiatives had racial un- tion of an agency, and the abildertones, Stricker said. ity to self-empower. You don’t This historic need to go to look into Temschool for prople’s protesting testing.” history was folAmidst relowed by an anicounts of group mated discussion involvement led by members in the Occupy of Occupy TemPhilly eviction ple, a student and mountaingroup that grew top removal out of the city’s coal mining local branch of protests, anithe national Ocmated debate cupy movement. was sparked O c c u p y Dr. Mary Stricker / among particisociology professor pants and preTemple is a collection of stusenters alike. dents who congregate to share Michael Chau, a recent ideas and support shared causes, transfer student, questioned the including student loan debt left-leaning tenets of the Occuand environmental issues. The py movement, and challenged group has no leader, as mem- group members to think about bers explained each person has the wider appeal they could the ability and right to speak for have if they lessened “extremthemselves. ist” views.

Brianne Murphy, an Occu“The rhetoric, I guess, is py Temple member and senior sometimes off-putting,” Chau religion and visual anthropol- said to the packed gallery. ogy major, spoke to her peers Tyler Student Larkin Duabout the importance of public gan shared these sentiments, and protest, and that inexperience added to the passionate debate was irrelevant when it came to among students and faculty. To involvement.

Dugan, the Occupy movement “I don’t know anything doesn’t have enough focus, and about organization, I don’t is diluted by the wide variety of

“There are all these layers of protest history in the university.

That part of our history is crucial.”

issues it protests.

“Ultimately, I don’t agree with everything that they say,” Dugan said. “I think that there is too much going on, they have too many points on their agenda.”

“It’s alienating. When you have a million people in a room, and every one of them is yelling their agenda, you wind up with a million points,” Dugan added.

“But mostly it’s just a lot of people yelling.”

While lively discussion and debate was the order of the teach-in, students were encouraged to share their opinions freely, and to engage in conversation with a variety of different opinions.

For Professor Ralph Young, the organizer of the weekly teach-ins, the continuing dialogue captured the true essence of the events’ purpose.

“I don’t like to get involved, it’s up to you guys to do the discussing,” Young said. “I don’t want it to be a Q-and-A kind of thing. I want it to be dialogue. I just love Temple students – how intelligent and concerned and sensitive they are when they get into these things. It’s wonderful.”

ALI WATKINS TTN

Ali Watkins can be reached at (Top) A teach-in on Friday introduced students to past and allison.watkins@temple.edu. current protests by those in the Temple community. (Bottom) A discussion about the national Occupy movement was had by audience members and present members of Occupy Temple, including Brianne Murphy and Walter Smolarek.

Exchange program Possible registry would track off-campus housing expands abroad offers IMPROVEMENT PAGE 1

The International Affairs office increased opportunities to study abroad.

BECKY KERNER The Temple News

ANDREW THAYER TTN file photo

A neighborhood improvement district would increase safety, cleanliness near Main Campus.

Corporation, a volunteer board and administrative staff. An allotted $75,000 of the outlined annual budget would be for administration. The board will administer funds for improvement measures.

A major complaint with the NID is the requirement of business owners to pay an assessment fee. CLTC members said they disagree with the use of assessment fees going to a third party rather than to the neighborhood.

Peter Crawford, a developer in the area and a member of the Temple Area Property Association, said landlords will most likely pay less than $300, approximately 7 percent of the annual tax bill.

“The fee that landlords pay…is actually quite a reasonable fee,” Crawford said.

“This is not going to create a burden for landlords or for renters for that matter.”

Owner-occupied singlefamily residences are exempt from the assessment fee.

Temple is expected to give an annual donation to the NID, but has not yet disclosed the amount of the contribution.

Crawford advocates for the NID, saying it brings benefits to all residents, regardless of whether they pay an assess-

ment fee.

“We’ve had a lot of contact with residents in the community,” Crawford said.

He cites considerable support for the NID, but acknowledged that North Philadelphia residents are “not unanimously behind us.”

Crawford is part of an informal “steering committee,” which ultimately answers to the North Central Management Corporation. The committee includes community leaders, Temple administrators, developers, property owners and other community members.

Issues discussed at the meeting also included the construction of Gaudenzia Thompson Street Apartments, a rehabilitation center, the use of open space on the 1800 block of West Master Street and the increase in Temple student renters.

“Each university has a different way of dealing with residents,” David Fecteau, a city planner, said.

Fecteau said some universities have registries of students living off-campus.

“My understanding is that Temple believes [a registry is] too much of a burden,” Fecteau said.

Ray Betzner, assistant

vice president of university communications, said there is a proposal to gather such information and create a directory, but acknowledged that one does not currently exist.

Some audience members at the meeting complained about student parties and what they see as division in the community caused by student renters.

“Don’t stop yourself from establishing relationships,” Fecteau said to block captains.

“That way you know what’s going on when you’re not around,” Harris said.

In relation to student-community relations, the university established the Community and Student Issues and Concerns Task Force in September 2011, led by Dean of Students Dr. Stephanie Ives. The findings of the task force have not yet been made public.

Fecteau said he has spoken with Temple, and is working on deciphering trends among students living off-campus.

He will compile a “Goals and Strategies” report for the neighborhood.

Amelia Brust can be reached at abrust@temple.edu.

As a result of an initiative

by Hai-Lung Dai, senior vice provost of international affairs, during the last two years, Temple’s study abroad exchange programs have expanded.

In addition to original programs in Puerto Rico, Germany and England, the Office of International Affairs has now partnered with universities in Sweden, China, Taiwan and Korea.

“One of the things [Dai] has done with President [Ann Weaver] Hart’s support is created agreements, partnerships and collaborations with other universities and student exchange is an outgrowth of that,” Denise Connerty, assistant vice president of international affairs, said.

In addition to new exchange programs with partner universities, Temple became part of the Trans-Atlantic Science Student Exchange Program last year, a program designed for students studying the sciences. Temple currently has its first two students abroad through TASSEP. “One of the things that’s great about these new countries and destinations is the new model of study abroad and new discipline,” Connerty said. “We now have options for science and engineering students.”

Cheryl Marcelo was part of an exchange in South Korea at Yonsei University in Fall 2011.

As an English major and Asian studies minor, Marcelo was able to take courses not offered at any of Temple’s campuses.

“There were more Koreanculture specific Asian studies courses that Temple doesn’t offer,” Marcelo said. “I think

Temple focuses more on China and Japan in terms of their Asian studies courses, so I was really glad to take Korean courses at Yonsei University.”

Part of the appeal of exchange programs is the focus on immersing students into their host country’s culture. Students involved with exchange programs study and live at foreign universities alongside students from that country, taking their exchange university’s equivalent of a full-time schedule.

“I lived in an international dorm where I was with other students studying at Yonsei at the time,” Marcelo said. “We connected with each other on the level that we’re all college students, we’re all interested in South Korea and that was it.

I still talk to the friends that I made there. It was definitely an eye-opening experience.”

Another benefit of these new exchange programs is their English language inclusion.

In an effort to further student mobility, many universities offer courses in English for their own students and for students who are on exchange, Connerty said.

“The Asian universities are eager to internationalize,” she said. “They’re eager to have American students and students from around the world.”

Anat Schwartz, a junior Asian studies major and anthropology minor, lived in South Korea and studied at Ewha Women’s University in the fall.

“I did a lot of things that there’s no way I would have accomplished in a place like Japan…I really learned the language pretty quickly and just [attending] the school itself, not having many American students, having to go out of my comfort zone,” Schwartz said.

“I really did immerse myself in a local culture, so what I went for is really what I got out of it.”

Due to the nature of exchange programs, this extended

globalization comes at no cost to Temple or the host university. This differs from traditional study away programs, which can involve many expenses to the university.

Unlike joining an outside program with another American university, these exchange programs also come at no additional cost to students.

“The students at the host university are paying whatever they’re used to paying and Temple students are paying their tuition,” Connerty said. “Then the students switch places so students at either end don’t have to do anything but pay what they’re used to paying.”

There are also additional scholarships for study away and exchange program participants, like the Diamond Ambassador and Gilman scholarships, both which Schwartz received. “[Temple is] a big university with students with varying academic and geographic interests,” Connerty said. “It’s nice to be able to meet more and more of those needs and get our students the heck out of the country.”

Becky Kerner can be reached at beckykerner@temple.edu.

CORRECTIONS

The Temple News strives to be a newspaper of record by printing factually correct and balanced articles. Accuracy is our business, so when a mistake is made, we’ll correct it as soon as possible.

Anyone with inquiries about content in this newspaper can contact Editor-in-Chief Brian Dzenis at editor@templenews.com or 215.204.6737.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012

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Animal rights group advocates veganism A network promoting veganism and animal rights hopes to garner support this semester.

LAUREN HERTZLER The Temple News Students and faculty recently have been discussing, planning and promoting a new Main Campus animal rights organization, focused on vegan outreach, which if submitted by Feb. 29, could maintain recognized status for the current semester.

The Temple Vegan Action Network is a non-violent initiative to educate the Temple community about veganism, an act of abstaining from any use of animal products.

Assistant English professor Dr. Dan Featherston, who teaches courses involving animal relations, said he “met a lot of students [and] colleagues who are interested in [vegan-

ism], and sometimes it comes not just from a personal, dietary interest in living a healthier life personally, but also are concerned about the environment or concerned about animal welfare and rights.”

Similar to Promoters of Animal Welfare, Featherston hopes TVAN will educate its members on animals rights issues pertaining to on and off-campus issues, but will have more of a focus on animals used for food rather than companion animals.

“One thing we want to impart [is that] animal issues are human issues,” Featherston, the current PAW faculty advisor, said.

Recent studies have shown that switching from a standard American diet to a vegan diet is very effective in the fight against climate change.

“I think we’re really in a kind of food revolution right now, where people are thinking about eating as a political act,” Featherston said. “It’s not just a personal or lifestyle choice,

but what we eat and how we eat impacts not only our personal health but the local [and] global environment.”

Researchers at the University of Chicago concluded that in 2006, raising farm animals for meat production and consumerism contributes massive amounts of greenhouse gases to the environment – far more than all ways of transportation combined – which is a main factor surrounding the issue of global warming today.

If done correctly, veganism is also an extremely healthy way of eating for humans, and in return, won’t cause unnecessary suffering or danger for other living creatures, proponents claim.

Brett Miller, a Ph.D. candidate in political science who also teaches classes in the political science department at Temple, said, “I’m really excited about getting this group together to coalesce activities and efforts with other like-minded people.”

Miller, a practicing vegan group, have stressed outreach to for three years, said he some- students and faculty members times incorporates human rela- alike to promote veganism in a tions with non-human animals non-violent matter. in class discussions. He hopes Through TVAN, Miller that through and Featherston TVAN, interhope to host ested members several speakercan be educated series where on the every day experts come to elements of vegMain Campus anism, as well as and talk about the theoretical, critical animal philosophical studies. They ties to the act. also aspire to TVAN apenrich TVAN pealed to Miller Dr. Dan Featherston / members with assistant English professor cooking classes because he enjoys the thought or demonstraof getting people tions and many together under other veganthis general cause, where there’s education initiatives. much disagreement and discusAlthough members don’t sion to be had, but to be able have to be experienced vegans to, “focus those efforts and col- to join the group, Featherston lectivize them in order to move and Miller hope that members forward.” have a keen interest in pursuing Featherston, who will be the act.

TVAN’s faculty advisor, and “[Veganism is the] moral Miller, a main organizer and baseline for which we pursue involved member of the new the rest of our activism,” Miller

“One thing that we want to impart [is that] animal issues are human issues.”

said.

Featherston wants TVAN members to “take seriously, not just love but [have] a compassion or ethical concern for animals, to be committed to that non-exploitation of them, either in daily practice or seriously thinking about it.”

A group of about 20 students and faculty members have already expressed desire to participate in TVAN, which meets the requirements of having enough interest to be a recognized organization on Main Campus.

“There are [growing] vegan groups and organizations in the city – more restaurants, food trucks – so there’s a real opportunity I think economically,” Featherston said. “[Veganism] is not a fad.”

Lauren Hertzler can be reached at lauren.hertzler@temple.edu.

Week’s events showcase engineering students ENGINEERING PAGE 1

CHARLOTTE JACOBSON TTN

Jaykrishna Shukla, a senior electrical engineering major, teaches fellow senior electrical engineering major Ken McGuire how to use an iPad to fly a hovercraft at an early event in the week-long series emphasizing and honoring engineering.

to engineering. A lot of it is because we have people coming to our building who take nonengineering related courses and they see what’s going on and get excited.”

The poster competition, scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 23, offers the opportunity for undergraduates and graduates alike to present a three-minute presentation, summarizing their research to a panel of four judges, one being the university’s bioengineering chair.

Undergraduates who utilize opportunities to study as a lab assistant, or those who participate in summer research program generally present their research findings. Similarly, graduate students use it to showcase research and accomplishments pertaining to their specific field of study in the college. A first, second and third place winner is selected among graduate students and a first place winner among undergraduates.

“Winning the [poster] competition would be an excellent item to put on a graduate application. If you are a master stu-

dent, it would also be a bonus if you’re trying to pursue a Ph.D.,” Cheryl Sharp, assistant director for graduate studies, said. “If you want to get involved in interdisciplinary research it will open up doors as well.”

National Engineers Week also grants the opportunity for student organizations involved within the college to showcase their involvement within the university and the community.

“Many of the organizations participate in community outreach activities in addition with various competitions throughout the year,” said Sharp, who also cited the construction of a ramp by members of engineering student organizations that allowed a local family’s son easier access to their front door.

Notable biochemist Dr. Bruce Alberts will be delivering his presentation, “Urgently Needed: A Redefinition of Science Education,” tomorrow, Feb. 22, at the College of Engineering.

Throughout the remaining week, there will be other presentations such as lab tours and lectures given by faculty pro-

fessors which will encompass a wide array of topics central to the college and interdisciplinary studies.

Additionally, valuable networking opportunities will take place following Dr. Alberts’ presentation along with an alumni reception on Sunday, Feb. 26 where students will be able to interact with the speaker, along with faculty and alumni, allowing them to collaborate for future research projects as well as discuss interdisciplinary research throughout the university.

Although National Engineers Week at the university is relatively new, those involved said participation from faculty and students grows yearly, fostering ideas that continue to make the engineering program more popular.

Mark Staver can be reached at mark.staver@temple.edu.

Team struggles to fund efforts Sodexo students Temple’s Mock Trial team continues to seek out funding from tightbudgeted colleges.

AMELIA BRUST The Temple News As Temple’s Mock Trial team prepares to attend Opening Round Championship Series in Washington, D.C., members must find new funding to cover the costs of the trip.

Recently, the student organization began appealing to the College of Liberal Arts Alumni Board, with the help of academic adviser Dr. Paul Crowe, director of undergraduate studies in the department of philosophy. “[Crowe] said our current balance based on the fundraising we’ve done is $1,468, and there’s possibly another donation coming in,” Mock Trial President Eric Horst, a senior economics and political science major, said.

Donations make up for expenses not covered by Student

Activities’ allocations to regis- tent supporter over the years.” tered organizations.

Mock Trial members earn “[Crowe has] been working money periodically posing on it since the end of last semes- as jury members for the Law ter,” Horst said.

School’s LL.M. in Trial Advo“CLA Development – the cacy program. branch of the CLA Dean’s OfAs per its policy, Temple fice that works with [alumni] Student Government, which – has been interested in sup- distributes allocations to student porting Mock organizations Trial for quite a for events and few years now,” activities, does Crowe said in an not fund outemail. “They’ve of-state travel worked to let expenses. This [alumni] know school year, about the hard TSG received work and sucabout $123,000 cesses of the team in allocations and the interest for student orand support of ganizations. [alumni], espeEric Horst / As of Feb. 17, president, mock trial team $47,467.55 recially the lawyers among them, has mains in availfollowed fairly able allocations. naturally.”

The money is a “Until recently, the Office portion of the General Activities of the Vice Provost for Under- Fee paid by Temple students graduate Studies was a great within their tuition. source of support, but cuts to Organizations request their budget have made this funds separately for each of more difficult for them,” Crowe their events. added. “The College of Liberal Temple attended its first Arts has been our most consis- round of regional competitions

“If we want to go there, we would definitely have to start back up fundraising right away.”

on the weekend of Feb. 4 to 5 at the Philadelphia Criminal Justice Center, placing eighth and ninth, out of 30 schools. To proceed to ORC, schools had to place in the Top 8.

Horst said Mock Trial primarily uses allocations for registration and permission fees at competitions. Typically, the registration cost for each team is around $100 to $200. Horst speculated in December 2011 that the trip to ORC would cost anywhere between $1,500 and $3,000 to send both Temple’s A and B teams.

Mock Trial has attended competitions in Washington, Pennsylvania and Upstate New York. This year, the American Mock Trial Association National Championship is in Minneapolis, Minn.

“If we want to go there, we would definitely have to start back up fundraising right away,” Horst said.

Amelia Brust can be reached at abrust@temple.edu.

barred from union SODEXO PAGE 1

find another job to pay rent. It’s just like the student workers and the union workers, there’s a real difference.”

Stein said he currently works the maximum 25-hour week. If Sodexo allowed him to unionize, Stein said he would.

McGuire found that student workers are not on a contract between Sodexo and the university, set to expire in May. “I don’t really understand the logic behind it,” Snyder said. “The fact that we are unable to join the union or be equal with the other workers is a little unfair.”

According to the contract, student employees are utilized as part-time employees.

Snyder also noted that he did not experience such hardships when he was employed at another Starbucks located in New York City. He was allowed to join a union and the option of giving tips to workers was available.

Tolbert said that Sodexo has built positive, constructive

and successful working relationships with more than 330 collective bargaining agreements with at least 30 labor unions that represent more than 15 percent of the employees.

Tolbert said that this rate of unionization is more than twice the national average and consistent with the industry.

“The student workers are intimidated,” McGuire said.

“For them to treat students like this, I can’t find reason for it.”

McGuire is confident that when his time ends at the university that Snyder and the other workers will be able to continue what he started, but did not rule out the idea of returning if he should be needed.

“The reason I thought I could change this, is that students have a significant stake here at Temple,” McGuire said.

“I’ve invested a lot of time into this, but I was able to also learn a lot about myself.”

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

FOR THIS WEEK’S TEMPLE STUDENT GOVERNMENT COVERAGE, VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW.TEMPLE-NEWS.COM

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EDITORIALS

Student Unions

W

hen students frequent the TECH Center Starbucks, they’re expected to receive the same customer service and items they would at any of the coffeehouse chain’s locations.

But the students serving the customers perform under different conditions than those workers at a typical Starbucks.

For student workers at the usually packed location on 12th Street, tips are a no-go and the ability to unionize is explicitly banned in the contractual agreement between Temple and Sodexo, the university’s foodservice provider.

But senior social work major Adam McGuire took it upon himself to contact Sodexo, which licenses the on-campus Starbucks, to receive an explanation. While McGuire didn’t receive much of a response, he

The Temple News addresses the concern among student workers not being permitted to unionize. highlighted a concern among some student workers at the coffee shop.

Josh Snyder, a senior history major, said his former employment at a traditional Starbucks in New York allowed him to unionize and receive tips.

Student workers should be afforded the same opportunities and rights as their full-time, unionized counterparts. A student status doesn’t hinder one’s ability to work, or take on more hours.

Between paying for rent and increasing tuition, some students have to front bills just as much as non-students do.

Before May rolls around, student workers should voice their concerns about their inability to unionize to both Temple and Sodexo, between whom the contractual agreement stands.

JOEY PASKO TTN

PHOTO COMMENT

ABI REIMOLD TTN

Studying Away

T

emple’s study abroad exchange programs have expanded. Between new exchange programs with partner universities, Temple joining the Trans-Atlantic Science Student Exchange Program and increasing initiatives from the Office of International Affairs, students are learning beyond the boundaries of Main Campus.

Study away options are important, and student exchange programs are an exciting opportunity for students lucky enough to participate in them.

And unlike study abroad programs that are expensive at a time when the university needs to be extremely picky about what it is allotting money to, exchange programs come at little to no cost to the university.

The Temple News is happy to support this effort.

It is a great option to keep the office expanding without dipping into Temple’s metaphorical wallet. And, as Becky Kerner reports in [“Headline”], p. 1, it comes at no additional cost to students, either.

The Temple News encourages students who can to take advantage of this opportunity to do so. It is a great learning ex-

Students try to catch T-shirts at Wednesday’s basketball game against Duquesne. Temple beat Duquesne 78-59. It was also Hooter T. Owl’s birthday. Mascots from every sports team in Philadelphia attended the event.

The Temple News encourages students to look into new exchange programs with partner universities. perience that will be harder to come by once life in the “real world” starts getting in the way.

The Temple News has also been fielding complaints from participants in the School of Communication and Theater Study Away Office’s South Africa program, which was suspended for Summer 2012.

The Temple News understands why they are upset, and that this experience was something personal to them that they were passionate about. However, unlike exchange programs, there is a financial aspect to study abroad programs. Additionally, programs are discontinued, changed or only offered on off semesters or off years, at Temple and many other universities all the time for a whole slew of reasons. This is a common occurrence, and although The Temple News does not support the decision to suspend it, we do understand that there has to be a give and take with these situations. Additionally, SCT plans to reinstate the South Africa study away program.

POLLING PEOPLE Last week on temple-news.com, we asked: Do you plan on reacting to Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed budget cut to Temple’s funding?

37%

22%

Yes. I am willing to do whatever it takes to ensure Temple receives appropriate funding.

No. I am graduating.

24%

17%

Yes. I’ve already contacted my local elected officials via TALON. No. It was expected. I am more concerned about how Temple is going to handle the cuts.

*Out of 51 votes

GOT SOMETHING TO SAY?

Visit temple-news.com to take our online poll, or send your comments to letters@ temple-news.com. Letters may regard any current issue but must include your full name, position and location. Students can give year and major. Submissions should be 350 words or fewer.

The emergency contraceptive debate: Shippensburg University installed a vending machine that dispenses condoms, pregnancy test and Plan B One-Step emergency contraceptives.

85 PERCENT APPROVE MORNING AFTER PILLS

Illustration Lucas Ballasy

NOTABLE QUOTEABLE

CAITLIN WEIGEL Eats & Cheats Page 13

Do you believe in the theory of evolution?

CITY VIEW

OF 8,500 STUDENTS

“He goes by ‘the Godfather,’ though he hardly looks the type to stick a decapitated horse head between your sheets.”

NEXT WEEK’S POLL

BEING SOLD IN

VENDING

MACHINES

COMMENTARY

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012

PAGE 5

Access to birth control methods spark controversy

L

CARY CARR

In light of the opposition against a vending maching that dispenses emergency contraceptives, Carr argues that the discussion should be more focused on effective sex education.

ately there’s been a lot of heat surrounding different methods of birth control for women. Whether it’s due to politics, religious beliefs or conflicting morals, people want to voice their opinion on what exactly women should do with their bodies and lives. But with everyone too busy worrying about the choices people are free to make, an important issue is being ignored: We’re still not educated on safe sex.

Recently, Shippensburg University found its way into the spotlight regarding a controversial vending machine that dispenses Plan B One-Step emergency contraceptives, better known as the morning-after pill.

The vending machine, which has been in the university’s health center for the past two years, is facing investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA is examining whether or not the machine follows the federal regulations that requires females under age 17 to have a prescription to obtain the drug.

While adhering to regulations is of course essential, what really concerns me is the amount of peo-

ple who believe this is some sort of heinous crime or the people who want the machine gone because they’re angry that females would decide to use Plan B in order to avoid an unwanted pregnancy, not because of a violation.

Director of the public health undergraduate program, Dr. Sarah Bass, said that many people consider Plan B an abortion pill and that often times there are dilemmas between religion and public health policies.

“The main thing is to make sure that women who have had unprotected sex and that are worried about being pregnant can get access to it quickly,” Bass said.

But while Bass said she supports the university for making Plan B available, she said she has mixed feelings about the vending machine. It could, she said, possibly lead to a decline in condom use amongst students.

“Some would think that easy access to Plan B makes the decision about having sex very easy,” Bass said.

And Bass’s concern should be an alarm to many people. While I sincerely believe many college students understand that Plan B is not

a substitute for condoms and that it does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases, not enough of students are educated on the practices of safe sex. The problem stems from the same train of thought of those who oppose the availability of Plan B and those who believe abstinence is the only solution and the only thing that should even be taught or considered.

“In the past five to 10 years a lot of students are coming to college and haven’t had a lot of sex education because we had eight years of federally mandated abstinence only education in a lot of high schools,” Bass said.

“Because of that, you don’t have quite of much of a sense of risk in college students,” Bass added.

Bass suggests a variety of public health strategies to increase safe sex at universities including improving education and peer education, pushing awareness through health services and making condoms more accessible to students.

But despite an improvement in safe sex, many will still impose their religious beliefs on others and argue that Plan B is immoral or that birth control is wrong. And many

politicians will continue to push these religious based ideologies, rejecting any sort of legislation or policy that goes too far in allowing women to choose anything but abstinence.

“It’s America, that’s life, and that’s the freedom that people have to express their opinion,” Bass said.

And while a portion of the population will continue to fight against easy access to birth control, public health officials like Bass will have to continue to battle to improve public health, increase awareness and give people access to the tools they need.

Maybe if we improved sex education at high schools and colleges, then Plan B wouldn’t even be needed as often. Maybe students would increase their condom usage and successfully avoid unwanted pregnancies. Until then, I’m pretty sure we should stick with the 85 percent approval rate of Shippensburg’s student body and keep the vending machine intact.

Cary Carr can be reached at cary.carr@temple.edu.

Program’s suspension leaves many questions unanswered

I

SHANNELL SIMMONS

With the abrupt suspension of the South Africa program, Simmons argues there was a lack in transparancy for its suspension.

f someone was asked to recount the events during the summer of 2011, a recollection of memories and emotions would begin to automatically surge through their minds. For a group of 11 journalism and research students at Temple, it would bring back memories of those life-changing experiences studying abroad in South Africa. The program allowed immersion into South African culture, while conducting scholarly research papers and news stories on a range of cultural, social and political issues.

However, in December 2011, a notice was put on the School of Communications and Theater’s study away website indicating that the South Africa program had been suspended for the summer of 2012.

There was no timely explanation to address this abrupt decision. Confusion, concern and dissent were expressed through email and sent to both the dean and assistant dean of SCT. Yet, it appears to be a lack of transparency and respect for both the current alumni of the trip as well as those students who had

submitted applications for summer.

Immediately after the return from winter break in January, fourstudent alumni of the program, myself included, met with both the dean and assistant dean to discuss the cancellation.

Following the meeting, a press release was distributed giving students what some may call an “explanation,” but what I would like to refer to as a cop-out.

The press release outlines all the great accomplishments of the Summer 2011 group and even goes as far as to state, “In 2011, the inaugural South Africa summer program achieved more than Temple University’s School of Communications and Theater ever thought possible.”

If indeed the program actually surpassed expectations, it is with every bit of frustration that former and perspective participants are

still wondering why the program has been suspended for this summer. I believe I can speak for my peers when I can confidently say I learned more in a month studying away in South Africa than I did in one semester at Temple.

For a program that meant so much to so many students, I feel as if we are owed more than what seems to be an excuse rather than an explanation.

The press release recognizes the news stories from me and my peers, which were published on Philadelphia Neighborhoods. The collection of news stories became finalists for the Editor and Publisher EPPY awards in the Best College/University Journalistic or Documentary Report category.

The efforts that our group put forth did in fact enhance the reputation of the journalism department. Therefore, it is both disingenuous and a disappointment that

“I learned more in a month studying away in South Africa than I did in one semester at Temple.”

all we’ve received in return is the untimely statement, “unfortunately due to conflicting commitments, the program had to be suspended in 2012.”

There are some ambiguities still surrounding the cancellation of the trip that I feel have not been addressed. Moreover, I believe the efforts to have even received a press release would not have happened had it had not been for our previous meeting.

The trip served as a testament of both personal growth as well as professionalism in our fields. It enabled us to learn more about a new culture, yet sharpened our technical, interpersonal and general life skills. The alumni of the program plan to continue to outreach to the heads of the departments to ensure the program is indeed reinstated in 2013, as planned.

Shannell Simmons can be reached at shannell.simmons@temple.edu.

C

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

I think our generation has changed. When it comes to catching up with the news, I would much rather watch “The Colbert Report” instead of an episode of “60 Minutes.”

As a democrat, Colbert often makes light of the outlandish things that republicans do. From supporting Herman Cain through his sexual harassment charges to comparing Newt Gingrich to the Pillsbury Dough Boy, one thing is for sure, he keeps the audience laughing.

Some feel that news is not meant to be funny and that layering satire over it hinders the comprehension of what Colbert is saying. Colbert gets rid of the fancy words and fluff, often heard in shows including “The O’Reilly Factor.” Colbert gets straight to the point of the story and his quick punch lines draw in a huge following.

I tend to prefer things that

EMILY BUTLER

JUNIOR

ANTHROPOLOGY

Where do you get your news from?

CHRIS MONTGOMERY TTN

“I primarily get my news from Yahoo.com.

It’s my main page on my laptop. Generally I’ll go off of that. It’s on their website, but occasionally if I’m interested in something else I’ll go on to a different website to look it up.”

OPINION DESK 215-204-9540

are pretty basic and easy to understand. At the same time, I prefer things that stimulate my mind.

However, CNN’s lack of creativity in delivering the news makes them boring and generic. Colbert keeps the conversation light and allows the audience to interpret for themselves what they think of the story, and having this freedom draws college students in.

For Brooke Baldwin to say that she is shocked that college students get their information from Colbert is shocking to me. It is not Colbert who makes a mockery toward the matter, but the actual politicians who feel the need to rebuttal against him. Colbert cuts out the nonsense and makes light of the serious problems that lurk in our political society. Politicians will do some crazy acts to get noticed by the public to get them elected.

If our politicians can come across

MEGAN PHEGLEY “I don’t really read the newspaper but I mostly go online, like CNN. I follow people on Twitter to find out stuff.”

“It would appear his faith may help him with this just-add-water stardom, as it seemed to help Tim Tebow when he fell back to earth. Lin has spoken about playing for God and not for the hype, not for the tangible…

And during a streak, that is probably the best way to absorb it.”

Doug Glanville, time.com on “Jeremy Lin’s Streak: How His Faith Might Help”

“First, prescribers and physicians have to do their fair share. They should be subject to mandatory education and training on proper prescription practices (methadone and oxycodone, for example, are very different drugs, yet they are often prescribed interchangeably, leading to unintentional overdose) and on the nature of addiction, which is shockingly undertaught in mainstream medical education today.”

Kevin A. Sabet, nytimes. com on “How to Treat the Epidemic”

“Pennsylvania gun laws are a sick joke.

Any state that happily sells buyers unlimited weapons on demand is a state where politicians fear the wrath of the NRA more than the loss of their own lives.”

Monica Yant Kinney, Inquirer Columnist, philly.com on “Pa. bill preventing local gun crackdowns would be travesty”

Comedic nature doesn’t discredit news source ollege students depend on various sources of news to retrieve information about the political climate. But no one should judge whether or not one outlet of news is more effective than another. That is a decision we must make for ourselves.

Brooke Baldwin, a CNN news anchor was sincerely concerned with the fact that some college stuJAMILA NAKIA dents prefer to get their news from HUXTABLE “The Colbert Report,” featuring comedian Stephen Colbert. During Huxtable a segment of CNN’s Newsroom, argues that Baldwin asked College of Charlescomedy and news ton Professor Amanda Ruth-McSwain, if it worried her at all that can be a good students received their news from news source so Comedy Central. However, Ruthlong as you use McSwain said, “it is not something good judgment. I necessarily would encourage, but at the same time I hope that people are getting their news somewhere.”

SOMEONE ELSE’S OPINION

as silly then why can’t our news anchors?

Professors today are always saying how we need to be more resourceful. When we watch Colbert, we’re retrieving information and although the method is a little unconventional, it definitely gets the job done.

“The Colbert Report” should not be viewed as a less credible source if so many people are referring to it for their news. The show has received numerous Emmys’ for a reason. I take from “The Colbert Report” what I think is newsworthy or credible. At the end of the day, it’s up to me to determine whether I want to apply it to my life or not.

Jamila Nakia Huxtable can be reached at jamila.nakia.huxtable@temple.edu.

FRESHMAN

“Unfortunately, while there are some fine people at the association, the organization is not the independent watchdog Apple claims it to be. Indeed, most of its money – millions of dollars per year – comes from the very companies whose labor practices it is supposed to scrutinize.

Although Apple has not disclosed its financial relationship with the Fair Labor Association, it is likely now the organization’s largest funder.”

Scott Nova

, Special to CNN, cnn.com on “When will workers share in Apple’s wealth?”

SHAINA TESSARI

BIOLOGY

SOPHOMORE

MUSIC EDUCATION

“Honestly, friends. I kind of suck when it comes to the news.

Friends, family important information usually just ends up around. I do occasionally read news online when I find out about things but it’s not like I go looking for it.”

LETTERS@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM

COMMUNITY

PAGE 6

on the

WORD WEB...

temple-news.com

Unedited for content.

Michael says on “Aligning priotrities: Corbett’s proposed budget includes slash to Temple’s funding” on Feb. 14, 2012 at 2:30 p.m.

What is the point of going thousands upon thousands of dollars into debt if one selects a major with limited earning potential?

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012

COMMUNITY COVERAGE

Protesters show their support of Palestinian prisoner on hunger strike

Arafat says on “Alumnus opens discussion on Iran relations” on Feb. 17, 2012 at 11:31 a.m.

He’s right.

Why should we judge harshly a country where gays are hung, Jews are not alllowed, women are treated like camel dung, Bahais live in fear, Zoroastrians also live in fear, and let’s not forget Kurds who live in fear too.

Why should we judge harshly a country that openly advocates for the genocide of all Jews in Israel, that supports Hamas AND Hezbollah, whose leader sounds like Hitler only without a German accent.

Silly me for jumping to unfair conclusions about a country like Iran.

Philadelphians lined up along 19th Street and JFK Boulevard to bring attention to inhumane detention practices in Israel.

Dan says on “Letter to the editor” on Feb. 17, 2012 at 4:45 p.m.

You have a mistaken view of how funding works if you don’t think that funding for construction comes out of the pockets of students. Its pretty easy for a large organization like Temple to separate revenue streams and costs in order to mask its spending.

Vickye says on “Columnist finds ‘somebunny’ to love her” on Feb. 14, 2012 at 12:10 p.m.

I have a bunny called Skittle and even though she’s a girl she’s definitely my valentine! I am JUST like this with my bunny, I thought it was just me! I do also have a living, breathing, human boyfriend who lives with me but he’s not as important haha Pancake looks lovely, snuggling up with a bunny in bed is the best thing

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor,

Entering their much-anticipated Atlantic-Ten Conference showdown against Xavier on Feb. 11, the men’s basketball team has won seven consecutive contests and 11 of their last 13, sitting atop the leader board in the conference. Based on the Owls’ recent success, you would believe that people of the general public might join the bandwagon by purchasing Owls gear, especially at the malls and department stores.

However, when you walk into JCPenny, Macy’s, and Sear’s, the only Pennsylvania college gear you find is from Penn State, St. Joseph’s and Villanova, but not Temple.

Temple is a major power in NCAA Division I hoops, and being a squad of high caliber shooting and defense should gain major recognition around the nation. Department stores should carry Temple gear, especially since Temple football has recently become a power threat during the past three seasons (2011 Gildan New Mexico Bowl champions), and men’s basketball usually at some point or another find themselves in the NCAA Division I Top 25 rankings.

Dear Editor, On Feb. 2, the Temple College Republicans hosted Republican candidate John Featherman for U.S. Congress. Featherman is running for the First District congressional seat currently occupied by Democratic Congressman Bob Brady, who has served the district since 1998 and has been the chairman of the Philadelphia Democratic Party since 1986.

As a life-long member of the First Congressional District, I can tell you that Brady’s entire 14-year tenure has served only to the detriment of my district. Brady is the epitome of what we call a “machine politician.” According to the Washington Post, “Bob Brady’s résumé reads like a democratic organizer from the Tammany Hall era.” Not only is he the chairman of the Democratic City Committee, but Brady has strong ties to the labor movement and various unions throughout the city.

Many would argue that Brady’s strong support of the unions strengthened the work force in Philadelphia and led to a decrease in unemployment. Yet, as of May 2011 Philadelphia’s unemployment stood at 10.2 percent

PSU sure has the football success from the 46 years of the late Joe Paterno, and the Nittany Lions also captured four of the past five division one women’s volleyball championships. When your school has talented programs, recognized alumni like Marc Jackson, Bill Cosby and the Sixers’ Lavoy Allen, and a great national reputation involving academics, you would want to display your pride throughout the regions, states and nation. If you want to be a Temple Owl, you have to be Temple tough, and if you want to be Temple tough, you have to be Temple ready. People should not only find Temple gear in the Temple book stores, but also major stores, where profit can increase based on the popularity of athletics, which that includes Temple football and basketball.

SARAH ELIZABETH GUY The Temple News It’s been used by occupiers, people who are anti-abortion, tea partiers and slut walkers: Their right to freedom of speech.

This fundamental principle in American democracy allows for any person’s opinions, concerns and thoughts to be heard.

Resting on this standard, members and supporters of the Palestinian community gathered at 19th Street and JFK Boulevard on Friday, Feb. 17 to protest the Israeli detention of Palestinian prisoners. “[They were] bringing specific attention to Khader Adnan, the Palestinian man on a [hunger strike] against being arrested without being charged,” junior broadcast journalism major and rally attendee Wafai Dias said.

Adnan, 33-year-old was arrested on Dec. 17, 2011 and has yet to be charged or tried. Since his arrest, he has been on a hunger strike, which amounts to more than 60 days.

“We’re here to show him that people all over the world, in Philadelphia, are thinking of him,” said Kaheema Abusaab, a first year generation Palestinian living in

Philadelphia.

Adnan, who is refusing to eat in order to send a message to the Israeli people and to take a stand for the rights of his people, has been examined by doctors, sent from the Israeli branch of the nonprofit Physicians for Human Rights. Doctors have said that without proper nutrition within the next few days, Adnan will die. His family and friends have petitioned for his release, but the Israeli detention has denied the requests and still refuses to charge or try him.

“He’s just one of thousands,” Philadelphian protester Betsy Piette said.

Unfortunately, the case of Adnan is not rare. In the throes of the Israeli blockade of Gaza and occupation of Palestine, unjust arrests and imprisonments have become all too common. Worse still, the Israeli atrocities against Palestinians do not end there. “[There was] this kid, 11 or 12, they broke his legs because he was too close to the walls,” Piette said.

“It’s their broken bone policy,” said Joe Piette, Betsy’s husband and protestor.

Joe Piette said that, in order to control Palestinians, Israeli soldiers take the ends of their guns and slam it into the legs of the “criminals,” breaking the bones and making it impossible for them to run.

Abusaab said it is for Khader Adnan and the millions of other innocent civilians of Palestine that Philadelphians march.

Sarah Elizabeth Guy can be reached at sarah.elizabeth.guy@temple.edu.

Sincerely, Scott Samuel David Weiss Journalism 2015

which is about 2.3 percent above the current national average.

In addition, in August 2011, according to the Hunger Coalition, “Pennsylvania’s First Congressional District was ranked second-worst in the nation for food hardship among families with kids.” Brady’s legacy has been one of failure and one of ignoring issues, such as jobs and hunger, that have been at the forefront of national politics and that many of his own constituents struggle with every day.

Brady is the epitome of “politics as usual” that we have come to associate with Washington politics, especially career politicians. Speaking simply as a member of the First Congressional district, this needs to change.

Sincerely, Robert P. Simpson, Jr. History Major Temple University College Republicans

COMMUNITY VOICE

News has become increasingly available Immacula Jean-Felix, a resident of North Philadelphia higlights the many news sources she refers to for her daily dose of news.

MARK STAVER The Temple News As technology constantly evolves, so does the way news is shared, and with Facebook apps like the Washington Post Social Reader and Internet news access to online papers, staying well informed is becoming easier – and free.

“I stay well informed on current issues usually by listening to the news on the radio during my commute to work and by watching the morning and evening news,” said Immacula Jean-Felix, a North Philadelphian resident. “I feel like everyone should be familiar with current events and stay up to date with what is happening in the world.”

Anchors including Anderson Cooper and Chris Matthews, along with influential politicians like Sen. Chris Dodd, and even President Obama have embraced Twitter to reach an audience, which relies heavily on online news.

“I sometimes find myself checking the news from my iPhone, when a TV or radio is not nearby,” JeanFelix said.

However, various news broadcasting stations and national papers have gained reputations for possessing

political bias’ toward certain issues, conveying stories often time from a left or right wing standpoint. This occurs predominately on major networks including MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, and ABC, but the list goes on and on. Often times however, viewers choose to tune into these perceived bias networks, because it corresponds with their own political viewpoints.

“I consider myself a democrat, but I feel some of the news stations I listen to are fairly biased, favoring my own political viewpoints, but that is usually expected,” Jean-Felix said.

Technological advancements are rapidly changing the way news is shared, but competition among news organizations have led to the decline of those that cannot compete in the changing market.

Mark Staver can be reached at mark.staver@temple.edu.

Courtesy Manveera Serah

Philadelphia residents protest along 19th Street and JFK Boulevard. They hope to bring awareness to Philadelphia concerning conflict on the Gaza Strip.

LIVING temple-news.com

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012

PAGE 7

Main Campus last fall and its olled into r owner A S U g n l i o y c u a b l l y n o t p n r o o i w d t a u ced goo s have ic to d e d m r i u e ds.

Y ed th pledg

taurants, regular farmer’s markets and the rising popularity of food cooperatives, it’s only been within the last year that Main omatoes lead a hard life. Aside Campus has witnessed the arrival of sevfrom a fruit-or-vegetable identi- eral locally-minded food trucks and eaterty crisis, tomatoes are one of the ies. And students are taking notice.

Andrew Tantisunthorn, many products co-owner of Yumtown USA, that can grow locally, but said the local food movement instead import from Floriis very important to him and his da, Mexico and elsewhere. co-owner, Lanie Belmont.

Several years ago, “I think it’s important to America’s eaters jumped support smaller farms, to supon the organic bandwagon port people who are doing their in an attempt to stop the best to figure out what their imfarm industry from spraypact is, and how they’re then ing harmful pesticides on able to improve farming pracits produce, growing with tices,” Tantisunthorn said. antibiotics and irradiation “I think in general, people and genetically modifying. have grown out of touch with The organic fad is still vihow they get their food,” he brant today, but is losing added. followers quickly to a new Yumtown, the brightly trend in farming: local.

Andrew Tantisunthorn / painted lunch truck often found co-owner, yumtown In its most basic form, at the corner of Norris and 13th the local food movement streets, features an entire menu promotes purchasing proof locally grown produce and raised meats. duce grown within the area, so as to supMenu items include The Joy, a hoaport regional farmers, discourage trans- or gie filled with beer-braised pulled pork, international food shipping and encourage pickled jalapenos, red cabbage slaw, cilaneating only what is in-season.

While the local movement is well-de- tro lime mayo and spicy barbecue sauce, veloped in the city, from farm-to-table res- and the Edgar Allen Potato, a sandwich of

ALEXIS SACHDEV Living Editor

T

“We didn’t really see anybody else serving the kind of quality and the eclectic flavors that we do.”

roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, hummus, cheddar cheese, tempeh, spinach and Sriracha sauce on a baguette. The truck also features a daily soup and bread, various empanadas and cookies for sale.

Compared to many of Main Campus’ lunch trucks, Yumtown tends to stand out, not only for its dedication to locally grown food, but also for its unconventional menu items.

“Temple seemed like an open market,” Belmont said.

“We didn’t really see anybody else serving the kind of quality and the eclectic flavors that we do,” Tantisunthorn said.

“And we didn’t see anybody up on the local or organic bent at all. It seemed like there’s a lot of the same up here.”

With an overwhelming array of french fries, cheesesteaks and a variety of pizza flavors, the trucks of Main Campus often have a difficult time differentiating themselves. In fact, the truck’s former owner was selling deep fried chicken-tender tacos out of his cactus-decorated truck, Burrito Mike’s, located on Drexel’s campus.

“He was selling the worst Mexican ever – white-man Mexican food – to drunk frat boys,” Belmont laughed.

CHRIS MONTGOMERY TTN

LOCAL PAGE 16

Andrew Tantisunthorn, co-owner of Yumtown, said he thinks the local food movement is very important, as many industrial farmers aren’t mindful of their impacts on the earth.

Organizations, groups benefit from SwoopTEXT After its Fall 2011 introduction, SwoopTEXT catches on among various student organizations to streamline their communication efforts.

Aimed at providing a means of communication for student organizations, SwoopTEXT went live on Main Campus in Fall 2011. Since its inception at Temple, student organizations have found success in utilizing the program to connect with members.

The idea for SwoopText was pitched to a professor at Princeton University who liked the idea and ran a trial version of the system for graduation at the school.

“A lot of the organizations that use SwoopTEXT find it a useful tool,” SwoopTEXT creator Michael Keaton said. “We’re always looking for ways to make it better.”

Through SwoopTEXT, student groups can register online and use the website to send timely text messages to members. University email addresses are required to access the website.

After a trial version of the system was tested at Princeton, SwoopTEXT spread to colleges along the East Coast.

“What we’re trying hard to do is educate student leaders on how to use it, raise awareness

about it more and just get folks set up,” Keaton said.

Keaton and Michael Pearl created SwoopTEXT at Princeton to make student organization communications smoother and more convenient.

Junior finance major Will Sabate and others collaborated with Keaton and Pearl when bringing the program to Temple.

Five student organizations, such as WHIP radio, Insomnia Theater and FoxMIS are using the SwoopTEXT application.

“The factor that sticks out the most to me about the app is that it utilizes a computer-mobile phone hybrid that I had not previously seen on this scale,” said Pete Grant, president of the Financial Management Association at Fox School of Business.

Due to the amount of correspondence that Grant has with his members through emails and newsletters, the organization elected to use SwoopTEXT as a sort of “emergency communication” platform.

SwoopTEXT is tailored more toward student groups than other social media sites like Face-

RADIO STARS

Along with 14 other college radio stations, WHIP radio will soon be available for listen on iHeartRadio.

LIVING DESK 215-204-7418

SWOOPTEXT PAGE 8

ANDREW THAYER TTN File Photo

Junior finance major Will Sabate (left) brought SwoopTEXT to Main Campus with the intention of making intraorganizational communication more effective.

STEP BY STEP

Last week, the Temple community gathered in the Student Center atrium to honor the late Tobi Lim Sonstroem and to raise suicide awareness.

NEXT WEEK

DOMINIQUE JOHNSON The Temple News

GET SCHMACKED

The Temple News meets with the founders of Get Schmacked, a video production group dedicated to documenting college party culture.

LIVING@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM

LIVING

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012

‘STEPS’ taken to spread suicide awareness On Feb. 16, students, faculty and administrators gathered to raise awareness in light of the suicide on Main Campus earlier this month.

SHANELL SIMMONS The Temple News Students pass hundreds to thousands of unknown faces each day on Main Campus, whether it’s walking to and from class, grabbing a bite to eat or attending social events. The oddity in it all is not knowing what each person’s life story may entail.

Depression on college campuses is high, and with the recent suicide of Tobi Lim Sonstroem on Liacouras Walk, the prevalence of suicide became apparent for many.

Malcolm Kenyatta, a senior strategic communications major created the program Students Together Ending Pain and Suicide as an open forum for those who have been directly or indirectly affected by suicide to speak up and get help.

“It gives those a chance to use their voice and be surrounded by others who may feel the same way as you,” Kenyatta said.

Kenyatta added that in certain communities, particularly the African-American one, “it is extremely difficult to talk about anything that makes one vulnerable.”

The idea for STEPS first originated in 2011 after Roswell Friend, a graduate and friend of Kenyatta’s, committed suicide. Kenyatta attributed Dr. Stephanie Ives, the dean of students, and Captain Eileen Bradley who works for Temple Police for both implanting the initial idea for the program into his head.

When someone from one’s college community commits suicide, it takes a toll on the student body. Kenyatta said he had been planning to create a group specifically as a result of the death of Friend, but as time went along there still was no structured organization, group or program.

After the suicide of Sonstroem, the drive to formulate some outlet came back to him and he said he realized that “something has to be done now.”

“For someone to shoot themselves on a major campus is something that could be a catalyst that draws attention to issues like these that happen not just on campuses but also in our age group,” Kenyatta said.

Kenyatta invited organizations on campus including BABEL, OwlCapella and Temple Gospel Ministries to perform at the STEPS event, which took place in the Atrium of the Student Center on Thursday, Feb. 16. Staff members from HEART and Tuttleman Counseling Services also were

instrumental in contributing their support for the program.

Instead of STEPS becoming an actual organization on Main Campus, Kenyatta said he decided to make it a program.

“It is a one time thing,” Kenyatta said. “I am providing an avenue of support for people who need support and who want to share their stories or get anything off of their chest. All I can do is provide people with support and information, and once it’s out there, it is to their advantage to use it.”

Although we don’t live in a society in which we will ever be able to prevent all suicides, there are steps that can be taken to diminish those attempts or thoughts.

“If the program can prevent one person to reconsider committing suicide or even encourage someone to use the services on campus and get help, my efforts to create STEPS were successful,” Kenyatta said.

“There aren’t many groups on campus that speak about those issues and STEPS was really created to provide that outlet to express bottled in emotions,” Kenyatta said.

Kenyatta said he believes that it is necessary for people to share their stories because for those who have known of people to commit suicide, it is important to express how much of an effect it had on them so that those who are considering it can begin to understand how important their lives truly are to their peers.

“The creation of this program made a powerful statement, not only to those who were aware, but to those who may have been unaware and never thought about how serious suicide actually is,” urban education graduate student Akeem Lloyd said.

“It brought back the theme that you really don’t know what’s going on in a person’s life. I hope this initiative grows and doesn’t stop here,” senior social work major Nailah Ikenna said.

It is imperative to take an active role in the lives of one another because “we as citizens have a responsibility to do what we feel is right,” Kenyatta said.

“There is nothing too big or too small when it comes to helping somebody out,” he added. “We have a moral responsibility to better the world in whatever way we can.”

Shanell Simmons can be reached at shanell.simmons@temple.edu.

SwoopTEXT streamlines group communication SWOOPTEXT PAGE 7

WALBERT YOUNG TTN

(Top) Malcolm Kenyatta speaks to the crowd at STEPS on Thursday, Feb. 16 in the Student Center Atrium. STEPS, or Students Together Ending Pain and Suicide, is a program Kenyatta created in light of the recent campus suicide. (Middle) Students of OwlCapella sing at the event.

(Bottom) Students engage in performances.

STEPS For more information on STEPS and to see performances and speeches from Feb. 16, visit temple-news.com/multimedia.

book and Twitter, and provides free, unlimited texting for students for groups that choose to opt-in to the system.

“We have made use of it several times, for situations such as a last minute room change or meeting cancellation,” Grant said. “I would certainly recommend SwoopTEXT to groups who wish to have an emergency communication ability or to implement as a primary communication medium.”

With SwoopTEXT being well received by university organizations, both Sabate and Keaton are already looking

forward toward the future by working on a number of exciting features to improve the user experience of SwoopTEXT. Plans of mobile-to-mobile technology are already in the planning stages. Sabate and Keaton are also exploring the use of “short codes” to streamline the signup process. This feature would allow users to opt in to groups without necessarily creating a profile on our web platform.

“We will be developing iOS and Android mobile applications in the coming months so that leaders will have a native

mobile app to send out SwoopTEXTs,” Sabate said. “We’ve found that it’s important for leaders to be able to send urgent messages quickly and easily when they’re on the go.”

Sabate said that these features will be available to students as soon as they are developed and tested.

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

Study indicates freshman class more likely to succeed If practice is what an athlete needs to perfect his performance, is studying what a student needs to gain academic success? Most would agree good study habits can help students retain important information better and help them to do well academically. But does one’s study skills in high school have an impact on how long it takes them to finish their college degree, or does being social with college classmates set students up for long-term success?

A study published in 2011 from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program at the University of California, Los Angeles, links studious behaviors with degree completion and overall success. It compared students from the high school graduating classes of 2010 and 2011 on their note taking, hours per week spent studying and class punctuality. All of those behaviors increased in high school seniors from 2010 to 2011, which the study claimed makes the college class of 2015 more likely to graduate on time.

Assistant Professor of Sociology, Dr. Joshua Klugman, who has an interest in the sociology

of education, offered his insight on the study’s findings.

“College students coming in with more academic behaviors is not new,” Klugman said.

“From the ‘80s, high school students have been beefing up their academic preparation.”

“Increase from 2009-11 is a very small percentage, probably professors are not going to be able to detect in their average daily lives,” Klugman added.

The study showed up-ticks in studious behavior from 2010 to 2011 ranging from 2 percent to 4 percent.

Talking with one another about course material outside of the classroom is another behavior cited on the study that linked students to better academic success.

The upward spikes in studious behavior by the high school graduates of 2011 may not transfer to college, however, since the study only indicated a trend in high school seniors and the possibilities that can occur from that trend based on research.

Many upperclassmen said that as they got older, extra-curricular activities like jobs and internships cut into their study time.

“The upperclassmen are more involved in the outside world instead of being controlled by their studies,” Klugman said. “Having to work full time and go to school full time is a little more difficult when you have to balance the two.”

Though the data in the study proved the 2011 high school seniors to have academically oriented behaviors, increased AP test scores and studied more than the Class of 2010, the reason behind the trend is still foggy.

A possibility for the increase in good academic behaviors is that college admissions get more competitive each year. The Fall 2011 Temple freshman average high school GPA was 3.42, SAT scores were in the middle 50 percentile, and average ACT scores were around 24.

Better job outlooks has been the No. 1 reason for attending college for high school seniors since 2009. In 2011, approximately 85 percent of incoming freshmen cited that as their reasoning

to attend college, according to the UCLA study.

Similarly, Main Campus freshmen provided a better job as a response for why they had wanted to attend college when asked.

This data and the increase in studious behavior gives rise to the question of whether the recession had an impact on 2011 seniors’ academic behavior because they felt a strong desire to go to college.

“Basically, all states have seen increases in [bachelor’s degree] attainment, but states with more of this academic preparation are not more likely to have higher post-graduate wages,” Klugman said.

“Just because they have said they have done more stuff in high school does not mean they are going to do better once out in the labor market,” he added. “There are so many other factors. I am positive that there is not going to be a substantial difference in how [the graduating classes of 2014 and 2015] do post-college.”

-Sinead Cummings

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT temple-news.com

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012

PAGE 9

Up Close “Van Gogh Up Close” is at the Philadelphia Museum of Art until May 6.

T

TJ CREEDON The Temple News

he Philadelphia Museum of Art kicked off the month of February with its newest exhibit, “Van Gogh Up Close.” The exhibit, which opened Feb. 1, features the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh from the second half of his painting career. Philadelphia is the exhibit’s only stop in the U.S. Van Gogh did not start studying art until 1880, after failed attempts at careers as a pastor and teacher.

The works span the last four-and-a -half years of Van Gogh’s life, from 1886 when he moved to Paris, to 1890 when he committed suicide in northern France.

The exhibit focuses on Van Gogh’s previously overlooked “close-ups” of landscapes and still-lifes.

These works provide a colorful contrast from his early work, which use a neutral palette of greens, browns

and grays.

Jennifer Thompson, the Gloria and Jack Drosdick associate curator of European painting before 1900 at the museum, worked closely with senior curator Joseph Rishel in developing the exhibit. Thompson has been with the museum for more than 10 years, and has organized critically acclaimed exhibitions that have travelled internationally to cities like Seoul, South Korea and Tokyo.

“This is a very new perspective on Van Gogh, who is very well known,” Thompson said. “There are exhibitions devoted to Van Gogh somewhere in the world almost every single year, but this exhibition is taking a very precise look at the group of works Van Gogh painted while he was living in France.”

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is the only American stop for the Van Gogh exhibit, which was collected in conjunction with the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. In May, the collection will move to Canada before the paintings are returned to the museums to which they belong.

Some of the paintings are on loan from Germany and the Netherlands and are making their U.S. debut.

Curt and Jane Straub, museum members from

TJ CREEDON TTN

Courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art

Van Gogh’s “Rain” hangs in the “Van Gogh Up Close” exhibit in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Van Gogh painted the piece in 1889.

VAN GOGH PAGE 11

‘Soul Train’ honors Igniting Philly’s curious culture Dancers gathered to form the world’s longest Soul Train to honor the late musician Don Cornelius.

Ignite Philly utilizes a quick-paced format to present fresh ideas involving Philadelphia.

LAUREN HERTZLER The Temple News

PRISCILLA WARD The Temple News

On Thursday Feb. 16, Ignite Philly returned to the city for the ninth time at Johnny Brenda’s.

Ignite, piloted in Seattle in 2006 by Brady Forrest of O’Reilly Radar and Bre Pettis of Make, promotes the idea of fiveminute, 20-slide presentations across the world.

“It’s an immersing of knowledge that is very appealing to, I guess, nerds like myself that are generally curious about what’s going on and interested in how things are progressing,” said Lauren Raske, a design and merchandising alumna from Drexel.

Similar to TEDxPhilly, which came to the Temple Performing Arts Center in November 2011, Ignite is a fast-paced, concise way to educate others about local ideas geared at improving the city.

Raske, 26, who attended TEDxPhilly and Ignite Philly, said, “It’s structures like [these] that help you be able to make a large impact to a wide audience, with just a short and sweet presentation.”

“This is about a celebration of Philadelphia,” Geoff DiMasi, co-founder of the Philadelphia Ignite branch, said.

Described as one of the

People wearing afro wigs and bell-bottoms boogied in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum, Feb. 13 to groove together without respects to race, age or gender in a celebration of life. Many picked their pseudo ‘fros out without inhibition.

“We are here taking a stand for peace, love and soul,” Philadelphia resident India White said.

White was one of the participants who gathered on the museum steps in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest soul train line. According to organizer Sheila Simmons, 327 dancers were confirmed and that count will be sent to Guinness. The current record is set at 211.

The event was organized to honor the late creator of the television show “Soul Train,” Don Cornelius, who passed away Feb. 1.

Dancers decked out in ‘70s style formed the soul

SOUL TRAIN PAGE 12 KAMARYN NORRIS TTN

A dancer moves through the Soul Train line. The line attempted to break the current soul train record of 211 dancers.

ABI REIMOLD TTN

IGNITE PAGE 11

GRASS ROOTS

Though an unusual collaboration, Gangstagrass combines bluegrass and hip-hop sounds.

A&E DESK 215-204-7418

DRINK UP

At the Rim Café, “the Godfather” takes hot chocolate to a whole new level – columnist Caitlin Weigel gets the scoop.

NEXT WEEK

Pam Selle speaks at Ignite Philly at Johnny Brenda’s. The event was its ninth installation.

GREAT JOB

Temple alumnus Eric Wareheim discusses his and Tim Heidecker’s new film, “Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie.”

ARTSandENTERTAINMENT@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 10

Fear of Music KEVIN STAIRIKER

Columnist Kevin Stairiker says that Toby Keith’s ode to college may have changed his opinion of country music.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012

Anthem draws new fan to genre

I

n general, I don’t know very much about country music.

I know even less about recent country music.

I know that “You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift is pretty great, and “I’ve Got Friends In Low Places” by Garth Brooks is, without a doubt, one of the best songs ever. Notice how only one of those songs is even a little bit recent.

Most of my country love belongs to Mount Rushmore-type figures like Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams and Dolly Parton. Country music is not really something I have much in common with, but then again, that never stopped me from loving Big L. The interesting thing about the landscape of modern country music, however foreign it may be to me, is that really, it’s the only genre that continually makes its artists money. And yet, when

people profess to loving all kinds of music, they’ll usually mention that they hate country. But I don’t want to get into that. There’s a specific new-ish country song on my mind, and it’s by a man named Toby Keith.

To show how out of the loop I was, I didn’t even know Toby Keith still made music. The last I had heard of him was when he was threatening to put his boot in the collective a--es of terrorists because he believed that it was the “American way.” So when my friend showed me his song “Red Solo Cup,” I was incredulous for a whole mess of reasons.

I’d like to break down the song on a molecular level. At its most basic, “Red Solo Cup” is simply an ode to drinking beer in a plastic cup – that’s it. There are no metaphoric, quadratic or linear ways to approach the song.

After all, if you’re listening to this song for fun, you’re proba-

bly not of the right mind to solve it like a puzzle.

Lyrically, “Red Solo Cup” is the song Asher Roth would be playing to colleges if he wore a cowboy hat. It’s also a song to drive up the sales of plastic cups and Natty Ice at universities below the Mason-Dixon Line.

In the song, Keith extols the virtues of drinking, partying, partying and drinking, and especially drinking and partying with the help of the titular plastic cup. The video is a whole other story that I won’t even mention, other than the fact that both Carrot Top and that annoying puppet-comedian guy play a part in it – that should be enough for you.

“Red Solo Cup” is a song stuck in time. It isn’t indicative of the year it came out in, its influences, or anything at all, really. It was created in a vacuum of musical space and time, and that singularity makes it oddly

compelling.

Sure, it’d be easy to say “Red Solo Cup” is without a doubt one of the most inane and irrelevant songs to come out of the “gee shucks, I love blasting this song in my Confederate-flag-adorned John Deere Riding Mower” CMT vortex, but Toby Keith knows that. He knows that this trite, banjo-assisted party song is bologna, which makes the song implausibly hard to hate.

Toby Keith is entirely selfaware of how meaningless “Red Solo Cup” is, which automatically makes it that much more meaningful. It’d be like if the Baha Men admitted that “Who Let The Dogs Out” was made to get sports fans to drunkenly spill their beers while belatedly raising their hands in a putrid attempt at “the wave.” I know I’d love that back-story a whole lot more than what’s probably true – that the Baha Men are really big

fans of money.

There’s a pretty big chance you’ll never hear “Red Solo Cup.” It’s definitely not one of those country-pop crossovers that the radio seems to favor these days. It’s an unabashedly un-commercial song from a humongously commercial artist.

And not even Toby Keith’s big, dumb, smiling face in the music video inviting me to dislike the song can change my mind on how I feel.

My name is Kevin Stairiker and I like “Red Solo Cup.” There, I feel a little bit better now. But then again, “Red Solo Cup” is now stuck in my head, so this day is pretty much ruined.

Kevin Stairiker can be reached at kevin.stairiker@temple.edu.

Gangstagrass JENELLE JANCI The Temple News Although fiddle players bumping elbows with MC’s might seem unusual, the collaboration is what hip-hop bluegrass band Gangstagrass is working with.

Rench, the band’s singer, guitarist, producer and overall mastermind, brought his band’s music to the Level Room on Market Street last Saturday night, Feb. 11. The crowd ranged from 20-somethings to the middle-aged.

Regardless of age, people were bobbing their heads to the banjo riffs layered on top of pulsing beats. Joining Rench at the Level Room were rappers R-Son and Dolio the Sleuth. The pair met at Penn State and is familiar with the Philadelphia music scene.

Originally from California, Rench has called Brooklyn, N.Y. home for the past 15 years. Although surprising to some, he said he thrives on New York’s vibrant country scene where he meets musicians to collaborate with.

The video for “Gunslinging Rambler,” the newest song from Gangstagrass,

premiered on Feb. 7, and their upcoming album “Rappalachia,” will be released in May. Rappers Cool Keith and Dead Prez will be featured on the album. And although the band has had some recent success, Rench asserted that Gangstagrass is still a grassroots operation.

The band is still run out of Rench’s basement and priCourtesy Gangsstagrass marily plays small clubs and A Gangstagrass performance features (left to right) Oscar Owens on guitar, Ellery marshall on banjo, R-son rapping, Jason venues.

Cade playing fiddle and Todd Livingston on dobro. Rappers with the band often rotate based on the performance.

The Temple News: Where are you from?

FX’s “Justified.” How did Rench: I’m originally sounds and add them to this are there any similarities tables. hip-hop production.”

So I’d you see between the two of TTN: If you could see that come about? from California. My dad go through old country rethem? one hip-hop artist collaboR: It was pretty wild. is from Oklahoma, so he cords and find like a pedal R: Absolutely.

They rate with one country/blue They actually called me out played a lot of country musteel guitar lick or something both have cultural roots in grass artist, who would it of the blue. It wasn’t somesic around the house. But I and sample it and put it in poor communities, and songs be? thing that I was like in the grew up in Southern Calithere.

But in the process of of struggle, and describing R: If it was live, I would loop on.

From there, it just fornia, and there was a lot of listening to those old country life on the streets and stuff. really like to see OutKast snowballed.

So, it was a prethip-hop going on in the ‘80s. records I was falling more But really, American music do a collaboration, maybe ty exciting ride, and it still is.

In third grade, we’d take the and more in love with the has always had a lot of comwith George Jones.

I think And every week, it comes cardboard out at recess and whole country song and the mon things.

It’s always been OutKast does really amazon, and people get 30 secbreakdance on it. And then whole sound.

And before I about this intermingling of ing things in terms of takonds of Gangstagrass in their I’d go home, and there’d be knew it, I was writing coun- cultures into people’s lives ing hip-hop and moving it ear so we get another wave Willie Nelson on the stereo.

TTN: Do you remem- try songs to put the beats to on the streets. The banjo in unexpected directions and of people that say, “What ber the first time that you and bringing in musicians in- came from Africa. Country doing really creative things was that?” music itself is the combin- with it. I also think it would TTN: Did you watch thought of combining these stead of sampling stuff.

TTN: Do people ever ing of gospel and blues and be great to see Missy Elliot the premiere to hear your two genres? look at you like you’re craEuropean folk songs and trado something with a country song?

R: It was a little bit gradR: Oh yeah, I watched it. ual, really – there wasn’t one zy when you explain your ditions that all got combined singer because she’s also remusic genre to them? into a new thing.

Hip-hop ally good at doing really cool I heard myself on the TV and particular moment. With me, R: Yes. It’s actually a is about sampling different things with her production. jumped up, and did a little it started with saying, “Let challenge for me promotion things.

That’s the whole hisGram Parsons is also victory lap around the living me sample some country wise because tory of American music – a big influence on me. He room. a lot of peo- people pulling these things was really a genre-breaker in ple, if you that seem different but can terms of bringing county and describe it in easily come together in the rock and soul music together.

Jenelle Janci words, they same kind of style.

I feel like if he was alive he can be reached at think it’s goTTN: So when you guys would be really tapped into jenelle.janci@temple.edu. ing to be re- are making music, Rench hip-hop as well, and I would ally bad. It presents you the bluegrass really love to see what he turns people part first and then you guys would have done if he was off a lot to scratch on top of it? around. say this is R-Son: Yeah. We just RS: I’m going to go b l u e g r a s s got a bunch of new tracks a classic Kenny Rogers and and hip-hop. couple weeks ago. We actu- Too Short. Some gambling But a lot of ally just recorded one. It’s pimp stuff. people that different – it’s a lot differDTS: You know what’s don’t neces- ent to what I’m used to just funny? I was going to say PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD WITH sarily like as a sound. At the end of the Kenny Rogers and Bun B. bluegrass or day, it’s beats and some fresh RS: “The Devil Went THE TEMPLE NEWS TODAY. hip-hop but melodies and rhymes. It all Down to Georgia,” Charlie when they just kinds of comes together. Daniels band Wu-Tang [colFOR AD RATES, CALL: hear what My man Fox over here on laboration]. I’m all about we’re doing, the dobro, he just kills it. that. You know – “the devil they like it.

Dolio the Sleuth: These went down to Strong Island T T N : fellas, they get down. Hear- and he was looking for some The genres ing them go at it, it’s not that mics to steal.” d e f i n i t e l y different than hip-hop.

TTN: Your song “Long seem like RS: It’s like, watch- Hard Times to Come,” feaAVAILABLE: TWO polar op- ing him on the dobro is like turing rapper T.O.N.E.-Z, FREE ENGLISH BULLDOG posites, but watching somebody on the is now the theme song for PUPPIES THEY ARE FREE CONTACT:jacobgreen2012@ Courtesy Gangstagrass gmail.com

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012

Blockbuster exhibit explores landscapes VAN GOGH PAGE 9 outside of Philadelphia, said hibition is Van Gogh’s “Almond they were inspired to come see Blossom.” Painted out of joy at this collection after visiting an the birth of his nephew and givexhibit that featured Van Gogh’s en to the newborn as a gift, the portraits. bright canvas hangs on a wall of “We keep an eye out for its own at the end of the exhibit. special exhibitions they have, It is one of the last paintings but we are big the Van Gogh fans of impresfamily donatsionists, gened to the Van erally,” Curt Gogh Museum Straub said. in Amsterdam.

“This is “I underwonderful – his stand that the portraits are a family still has little scary, but to approve the the landscapes loan of this are beautiful,” work which Jane Straub they do very, said. “They’re very rarely,” just gorgeous.”

Thompson “What Van said.

“This Gogh is doing is the second here is very detime, or so, liberately and that this has very calculaJennifer Thompson / been in the tedly producassociate curator United States. ing pictures of We’re thrilled landscapes or to have it as still-lifes, which are taking a a great example of our subject, very different view of the world which is a very intense study of around him,” Thompson said. nature.”

These paintings have not, The gift shop is filled with until now, been gathered and posters, coffee mugs and other studied together as an integral souvenirs plastered with this part of Van Gogh’s works. This iconic painting. collection is meant to allow for In addition to the more than a greater understanding of his 40 paintings by Van Gogh, the artistry. exhibit also features works of The culmination of the ex- Japanese woodblock prints by

“This is the second time that this has been in the United States.

We’re thrilled to have it as a great example of our subject.”

Utagawa Hiroshige and Hayashi Roshü, and various European prints and drawings, from whom Van Gogh is said to have drawn inspiration. The additional pieces of art are instrumental in further understanding Van Gogh’s artistic techniques. Parallel ideas can be seen running through the works.

Sarah Arkebaur, a student living in Philadelphia and a member of the museum who said she visits regularly, came to see the exhibit with her mother who was visiting from Lincoln, Neb. “It was neat to see the upclose focus on what you don’t regularly see, and the influence

of Japanese art is interesting,” Arkebaur said.

Patrons of the exhibit move through a wide hallway with works on both sides, around the corner and into a large, open space with the featured landscapes. There are benches in the center of the room, where patrons can fully take in the paintings.

“We spent extra time just sitting in there,” Jane Straub said. “It was just so tranquil and nice.”

“Van Gogh Up Close” is open through May 6.

TJ Creedon can be reached at tcreedon@temple.edu.

Courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art

“Sunflowers” was included in the “Van Gogh Up Close” exhibition. All of the pieces were done with oil on canvas.

PAGE 11

Collaboration takes alternative format IGNITE PAGE 9 most diverse shows Philly has yet to see, Ignite had 14, fiveminute presenters with varied interests, including farming, technology, gardening, philosophy and architecture.

“I think because of Ignite’s [growing] popularity in the city that it’s easier for us to get a more diverse kind of speakers that maybe we wouldn’t have had access to before,” event co-ogranizer Dana Vachon said.

“I’m always surprised at the speakers that we have,” David Clayton, another coorganizer of the event, said.

The format of the presentations for Ignite shows are described as “lightening fast.” But, all the speakers of Ignite 9 were able to successfully – and in an entertaining manner – make their messages heard by all 300 of the event’s 21-and-over attendees.

“We try to get speakers from all different backgrounds,” Clayton said. “It brings together many different kinds of people.”

Some of the speakers included Jessica Moore, the owner and founder of Philadelphia Cow Share, Doogie Horner, who was a semi-finalist on “America’s Got Talent” and won the Philadelphia’s Phunniest contest in 2010, Diana Lind, who advocates for urban highway removal and Pam Selle, who spoke out against people working overtime.

Johnny Brenda’s dark, bar-scene setting and disco lights made Ignite a more informal, laid-back atmosphere for attendees of the sold-out event.

Ignite events used to be free in Philadelphia, Vachon said, but to regulate attendance, Ignite Philly organizers started selling $5 tickets

in advance.

The money gets distributed to one stand-out speaker of a past Ignite show. During intermission, Kim Jordan of the Philadelphia Orchard Project and Ignite Philly 6 speaker was awarded $1,000, which she promised to use toward “planting more trees to make the city more beautiful.”

“We try to give money to people where each dollar will go the farthest,” Vachon said. “Like, $1,000 to the Philly Orchard Project is a lot of trees, and their overhead is so low that [it] makes a really big difference.”

Claire Rigollet, originally from Paris but now residing in Northern Liberties, called the event inspirational.

“You want to do tons of things when you get out of this event,” Rigollet said.

“It’s good brainstorming.”

Rigollet added that people in Paris are “not as active and motivated as [in Philadelphia].”

Rigollet thinks that these short ways of presenting information is a result of the way communication and information distribution is developing around the world.

“We live in a very fast society now with Internet,” Rigollet said. “You want to go straight to the point, you don’t want to spend hours listening to one thing.”

Ignite organizers said that they plan to have another event this spring or early summer and will announce the information on their social networking pages when it becomes available.

Lauren Hertzler can be reached at lauren.hertzler@temple.edu.

Sources: Lauren Raske: 215-248-

Courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art

“Undergrowth” is one of the pieces on display as part of the “Van Gogh Up Close” exhibit. The painting was done in 1887, and belongs to the Centraal Museum in Utrecht, Netherlands.

ABI REIMOLD TTN

Diana Lind explains why she advocates for urban highway removal.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 12

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012

Dancers relive 1970s and honor ‘Soul Train’ creator SOUL TRAIN PAGE 9

train – something like a human train in motion – in which participants paired up in parallel lines and took turns dancing down between the rows.

In order for the train to qualify for the “Guinness Book of World Records,” event organizer Shelia Simons outlined the rules, including that no one could join the line after 4:30 p.m., and participants had to go down the line and back up again.

Mayor Michael Nutter started off the line.

“I couldn’t find my ‘fro this morning and I gave my pick to [Roots drummer] Questlove,” Nutter said. “We come here today to celebrate the life of Cornelius. This is a great moment for many Americans to honor the work of this man.”

The train eventually disassembled as the sun began to set and the event turned into a massive disco party.

Cornelius delivered the meaning of funk, soul and disco music to Saturday afternoon living rooms across America, preparing the world for the televised revolution of hip-hop. He was one of the most important movers and shakers of the 1970s, and a key agent to bringing black pop culture to television.

“Soul Train” began as

a Chicago-based television show in 1970 and ran for 20 years. Cornelius, the host and executive producer of “Soul Train,” became the driving force behind the nationally syndicated show. “ S o u l Train” was the first dance show that catered to the musical interest of AfricanAmerican Liz Jacobs / teenagers, and participant brought African-American music to the forefront of the entertainment industry.

The viewers were interested in seeing, not only the

“I used to be on ‘Dance Party USA’ [and] ‘Big Soul’ and it just means a lot to me to be a part of this.”

latest and greatest of the recording artist, but the dancers.

The show provided a medium for showcasing the newest dance moves and outfits.

Dancers were essential to the popularity and durability of the show. The show served as a catalyst in the eventual widespread hip-hop dance phenomenon and revolutionized the way America gets down.

“I used to be on ‘Dance Party USA’ [and] ‘Big Soul’ and it just means a lot to me to be a part of this,” participant Liz Jacobs said.

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

KAMARYN NORRIS TTN

KAMARYN NORRIS TTN

(Top) A participant sports his ‘70s style on the steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. (Bottom) Philadelphia resident India White said she came out to have a good time dancing.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012

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Café adds twist to classic winter beverage Eats & Cheats CAITLIN WEIGEL

Columnist Caitlin Weigel says that a stop at the Rim Café gets you more than just a good drink.

T

he man behind South Philadelphia’s Rim Café goes by “the Godfather,” though he hardly looks the type to stick a decapitated horse head between your sheets.

His mustachioed face grins from behind the counter, practically blending in with the busy collage plastered on the walls.

The whole place has a sort of cluttered, collage feel to it – random furniture, a motorcycle near the door, overlapping music tracks – but it’s cozy and talking to the Godfather feels a lot like talking to a friend’s sweet, well-meaning uncle.

The prices are pretty astronomical, especially compared to your average box of Swiss Miss.

You can plan on dropping around 10 bucks to get your hands on one of the volcano hot chocolates. But watching the Godfather, you realize that the price isn’t just about the high quality, imported chocolate ingredients, it’s also about the show.

He spins a two-tiered basin around with a clear mug, holding on a dollop of whipped cream before adding the steamed milk and chocolate combination that makes up the bulk of the drink.

Then, with the platform still spinning, the Godfather picks up a hunk of chocolate sitting on the

counter. He shows it to his patrons first, like a wine sommelier – eyebrows raised, expecting big, impressed reactions before telling you what type of chocolate it is and shaving some on top of the spinning drink. He repeats the process seven or eight times, each time with increasing ceremony.

Chocolate with kiwi? Hazelnut? Parmesan? It doesn’t matter what your original drink order was. The Godfather is adding a bit of everything in the mix. This is not the streamlined process we’ve come to expect, but instead a fullfledged foodie performance. The Godfather treats his volcano hot chocolates as individual works of art, and it shows in his delicate grating motion and the serious look in his eyes.

The resulting drink is like nothing you’ve ever had before – frothy and thick – but somehow still airy with a thick layer of melting chocolate shavings on top. I used a spoon to get through mine and enjoyed every taste. While sitting at a table, enjoying my beverage, the Godfather emerged with a large vat of pink liquid.

“Rose syrup!” he exclaims.

He indicates that we should all stick out our fingers and he drizzles a bit of the syrup on each one, urging us to sample. Pleased with himself for pleasing his customers, he returns back to the

MARDI GRAS WITH THE WILD BOHEMIANS TUESDAY, FEB. 21 8 P.M. $15 WORLD CAFE LIVE 3025 CHESTNUT ST. WORLDCAFELIVE.COM Purple, gold and green beads fly through the air as dirty Cajun jazz drowns out the crowd’s cheers and laughter. Lit-up floats wander through the masses of masquerade characters, tripping over themselves in an inebriated stupor. It looks, sounds and smells vaguely like Bourbon Street, but don’t be fooled – this is just the Wild Bohemians’ 28th Annual Mardi Gras Show on Chestnut Street.

It’s too late to hop on the next flight to New Orleans, hotels are charging well above $200 per night and Broadi Gras turned out to be a bust, so your next best bet is to get your groove on at World Cafe Live, where the Wild Bohemians will entertain crowds with their repertoire of jazz, R&B and their specialty, Swamp Stomp.

So go on and flash your ladies for some beads.

Just make sure you’re wearing a mask.

kitchen.

Watching someone do something they love – and then understanding how well they do it – makes for an incredible experience. The Godfather insists that you don’t pay until after you’ve enjoyed your drink, and happily obliges requests for pictures, replying in his thick, French accent, “If you take a picture, I’m gonna love you better!”

At any given point, regardless of what you may have said to him – or not said to him – the Godfather will randomly yell out, “Make it happen!”

Are there any napkins? “Make it happen!”

I don’t have any nut allergies.

“Make it happen!”

Slight smile in his direction.

“Make it happen!”

Clearly, the “make it happen” philosophy has served the Godfather well thus far. His enthusiasm is infectious and the resulting atmosphere made the hot chocolate all the more enjoyable. Though it’s definitely not an every day indulgence, a trip to Rim Café is worth treating yourself to. Take a picture with the Godfather, bask in CAITLIN WEIGEL TTN the weirdness, slip into a hot choc“The Godfather” creates one of his specialty hot chocolates at olate induced coma – just make it the Rim Café. The café is on South Ninth Street. happen.

Caitlin Weigel can be reached at c.weigel@temple.edu.

RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY PRESENTS DRAGONS FEB. 22 – 27 MULTIPLE SHOWTIMES $10+ WELLS FARGO CENTER 3601 S. BROAD ST. RINGLING.COM Lions, tigers and…dragons? Well, sort of.

Nearly 100 years ago, two circus ring giants of the U.S. – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – merged tents to create an even bigger and better circus experience. And now, they’re coming to the Wells Fargo Center for five days of taming wild beasts, displaying Chinese Shaolin Warrior acts and, most importantly, to recall fantasies of the mythical dragon.

Bring your friends, your little siblings and your parents for an afternoon of fun and fantasies.

ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL FEB. 26 – APRIL 9 MULTIPLE SHOWTIMES $10-$18, FREE FOR STUDENTS LOCATIONS VARY IFFPHILA.COM For the 15th consecutive year, the Israeli Film Festival is headed to Philly for more than a month, bringing with it some of Israel’s award-winning feature films, documentaries and dramas, popular both in Israel and throughout the world.

Opening night features “Intimate Grammar,” a drama featuring a family living in Jerusalem during the 1960’s. It follows the delayed development of a young man, Aharon, and the betrayal at the hands of his family and loved ones. “My Lovely Sister” tells the story of the struggles two lovers endure in their Moroccan-Jewish intermarriage. Others films include “Melting Away” and “Dolphin Boy.” Most films are in Hebrew with English subtitles.

Admission is free to all screenings with a valid student ID. -Alexis Sachdev

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012

Organization gives youth a ‘jumpstart’ Jumpstart Organization, a national program with chapters on college campuses, sends corp members to local schools to aid inner-city students.

REBECCA ZOLL The Temple News Every child deserves the chance to achieve, thrive and succeed. Unfortunately, studies show that poverty tends to limit educational opportunities that are available to children. Jumpstart Organization specifically concentrates on children in low-income neighborhoods to help them develop the language, literacy and social skills they need to be successful in school.

Kelly Glasenapp, site manager for Jumpstart Philadelphia at Main Campus, works alongside volunteer coordinator Nicole Kelly, a senior psychology major.

“There are 50 corps members, all of which are Temple students of all majors,” Glasenapp said. “They are broken into six teams and work at five preschools, all within walking distance of campus. They have individual planning in which they prepare their own sessions, then work twice a week running the sessions with the children.”

In addition, there is also classroom assistance time that occurs during the school day, during which the corps members go into the classrooms and assist the teacher with whatever they need, then receive more than 50 hours of training.

There are five preschools that the corps members work at: Duckrey Elementary Headstart, Gesu School, McKinley Elementary Headstart, Ferguson Elementary Headstart and Dunbar Elementary. Members work with the same children at the same schools for the entire school year. This schedule benefits the children because they get accustomed to the people who come in and work with them. The members work with two to three children each so they can give their undivided attention to them and give them the jumpstart they need in order to be successful in kindergarten.

There are four main parts to the sessions that the corps members work on with the children: Reading time, during which the members read aloud to the children to learn literacy skills, circle time, when the students and members come together to sing songs and play games, which builds a sense of community within the group, “Let’s Find Out About It,” in which the team leaders facilitate a mini-lesson focused on a weekly theme and lastly, and center time, the longest part of the session, during which the members and children engage in conversational interaction via learning stations.

Jumpstart not only works in the five schools, but also engage themselves in community service projects around the area. They volunteer for Rubeye’s Kids, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Jumpstart for a Day, which is held on Main Campus in April.

“All of the students in all the schools that we serve are invited [to JFAD],” Kelly said. “It’s a literacy festival, education based. Community service is a great way for people to give back to the community and causes that may not have the funds or right people to get the attention that they need. At MLK day, we got to transform an entire high school.”

“Everyone who was there were there just to help out. The big thing is, when people give their own time to go out and help other people, it’s huge,” Kelly added. “When you see someone on a Monday when they could be home or doing something else, it says a lot about them.”

Both Glasenapp and Kelly said they have a passion for working with young children and doing service throughout the community.

“This is my third year with Jumpstart,” Kelly said. “My main catalyst for starting was a love for children. I started out in the classroom as a corps member then fell into the role of volunteer coordinator. Now I have the opportunity to work with the children’s parents and talk to them about other things we do. I get to work with adults who can help me impact the children that we serve.”

Glasenapp’s story is a bit different.

“I’ve had a passion for community service since high school then after college, I did Teach For America and taught first grade in Phoenix in a low-income urban district,” Glasenapp said. “I never expected to want to go into education when I was in college, but working in an under-funded school kind of ignited a passion in me to continue this work.”

“When I finished in Phoenix, I didn’t feel like I was done fighting this fight,” she added. “Having taught first grade, I knew the building blocks.

When I was done with first grade, I wanted to focus my energy on even earlier education.”

Rebecca Zoll can be reached at rebecca.zoll@temple.edu.

Full disclosure: Connor Showalter is a corp member for Jumpstart and a staff member of The Temple News.

KATE McCANN TTN

Nicole Kelly, a senior psychology major (left) and Kelly Glasenapp (right) run Jumpstart Philadelphia. They manage a team of 50 students, and go out to several local elementary schools as a supplementary educational program.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012

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PAGE 15

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WHIP on iHeartRadio there’s a lot more interest in WHIP and then there’s a lot more motivation for the onairs to do a good job, and so that lets us structure it better to make it be more commercially-accurate here, which is what our goal is,” Ruga added.

Working with iHeartRadio is a definite step in the right direction for WHIP, a still-growing student organization on Main Campus, with an income solely based off advertising revune.

Ruga hopes that WHIP’s exposure through a larger broadcast medium will not only attract more listeners and organization members, but also inspire broadcast students deciding on a university.

“If people want to go to school for radio, they might start looking at Temple as a place to go [now],” Ruga said. And ultimately, “That might help us because the school might start giving us some funding,” Ruga added.

-Lauren Hertzler

WHIP It

temple-news.com/QR Use the QR code above on your Web-enabled mobile device to view iHeartRadio’s website.

If you don’t have a smartphone, visit: http://www.iheart.com.

Columnist puts ‘freeze’ on weather-inappropriate trend SEEN AND HEARD

Temple’s student-run radio station, WHIP, is proving its “infinite potential” as it enhances its recognition and credibility across the nation.

As one of 14 college radio stations selected by Clear Channel, WHIP will soon contribute to the first iHeartRadio college radio genre.

“To be paired with [iHeartRadio], is really nice because it opens us up to a lot more opportunities,” said Joe Kalafut, sophomore broadcast, telecommunications and mass media major and chief WHIP engineer.

A new block schedule programming started Jan. 30 on the WHIP website – whipradiotu.com. But within the next few weeks, WHIP will go live on iHeartRadio, general manager Robert Lawton Jr., a senior marketing major, said.

“It establishes a sense of legitimacy for our organization. It kind of takes our operation to another level where we really exercise different policies and procedures that a commercial radio station would employ,” Lawton, who has worked with WHIP for four years, said.

WHIP’s content is described as diverse by Lawton, and he said he believes the vast variety of music and talk is what encouraged Clear Channel’s senior vice president of programming, Jon Zellner, to reach out directly to the student-run station.

WHIP, still growing in popularity by listeners and participants, has struggled to maintain structure in the past.

“We didn’t have the greatest listener base, so [the on-airs] didn’t have a lot of motivation,” said Evan Ruga, assistant general manager and sophomore broadcast telecommunications and mass media major.

“Now that we have this,

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012

A

t this

point in the fluseason, I figure everyone has popped into Student Health Services at least once, and VICTORIA MARCHIONY has seen those Columnist charming antismoking postVictoria ers that read Marchiony “It’s 30 below, discusses the everyour teeth are popular trend of chattering and womens weather- you’re thinkinappropriate ing ‘I’m not adparty clothes. dicted, I’m not addicted, I’m not addicted.’” As the temperature drops and the winter winds pick up, it’s increasingly evident – at least to me – that we’re in need of a new version of this poster that applies to seasonally inappropriate dressers.

On any given Friday night, whatever the weather, hoards of students can be found venturing out in search of a good time. While feeling hesitant to bring a puffy winter jacket to a dirty basement is completely understandable, choosing to embrace the alternative of going without one is not.

When I see a girl going out on a cold night in a short skirt and heels, I find myself feeling simultaneously jealous that they’re so feminine that even Mother Nature can’t persuade them into wearing pants, and embarrassed that girls are adhering to such a pointlessly impossible standard.

Two weekends ago, as whatever weird combination of snow and freezing rain fell sideways from the windy sky, girls ventured out in their sexiest outfits.

In case you missed that, let me rephrase: It was a freezing night after an ice storm and these ladies decided it would be a good idea to wear mini-dresses and high heels.

Call me judgmental, but what in the world are these girls smoking to make them pick out these outfits and think, ‘yes, yes, this is a good idea’?

Is it that boys are pressuring girls to maintain summer wardrobes along with sun-kissed and UV-ray fried skin and lemon juice-soaked hair? Is it that women are incapable of feeling sexy without their booties inches from freedom? Or is it neither, and that the girls who insist on wearing dresses in February are just suffering for beauty like millions of their foremothers did? I’m prepared to consider each of these options with an open mind.

Let’s say it’s the first scenario, and that it’s the guys’ fault – that statistically, their eyes go to where there’s less fabric more often, and that 4-inch heels add four points to your hotness number. Is it worth it? I get that sometimes the goal of going out to a party is just to get attention and hook up, but if boys are at the root of this trend then I think there are better ways than frostbite to send the message that you’re open for business.

Aggressive women are the sexiest animals on earth, so if the choice is to be freezing or forward, why not pick the more comfortable version and get the same result? If you’re a girl faced with the age-old conundrum of to wear or not to wear pants, then I implore you – lead with your inner sexuality. And keep that sexuality inside of some real clothes.

Speaking of the spark within, what about the scenario in which a girl doesn’t feel capable of connecting with her confidence without dressing for spring break?

I have some friends who look gorgeous pasty white and some others who don’t.

As far as tanning and hair coloring go, I vote for doing whatever it takes to summon your most confident spirit. At the end of the day, if you aren’t thinking “I look good” as you take a last look in the mirror, you can’t expect anyone else to convince

Truck pledges local fare LOCAL PAGE 7 After she and Tantisunthorn bought Burrito Mike’s off Craigslist later last year, the pair fixed up the truck, inside and out.

Now, the pair has dedicated themselves to serving only locally grown fare.

In addition to their hours on Main Campus, Yumtown is expanding to Clark Park, at Baltimore and 43rd streets on Saturdays.

Once the owners phase out the truck’s winter menu, they said the menu will feature more fruits and vegetables.

“We’re going to have lots of

salads,” Belmont said. “Basically our menu is going to explode with so many more options.”

“We want to keep a small, thoughtful menu,” she added. “But in spring and summer we’re going to have so many more options so we can change…and create things.”

For a full list of Yumtown’s produce sources, as well as its seasonal menu, locations and contact information, visit yumtownusa.com.

Alexis Sachdev can be reached at

asachdev@temple.edu.

Yumtown

We got to sit down and talk to the owners of Yumtown USA. Tune in for an inside look at the truck, an introduction to the menu and to look at some food from local growers. For more on Yumtown, check out temple-news.com/multimedia.

CHRIS MONTGOMERY TTN

All of Yumtown’s meat and produce is supplied from local farmers, and often, it is also organic. The owners of Yumtown have pledged their dedication to supporting local growers for a smaller environmental impact and fresher taste.

you you’re beautiful.

As it applies to costuming, however, I believe in practicality. Make an outfit out of as little or as much as you care to, but then put on some layers. Even if it’s just throwing on tights or a cardigan, respect yourself enough not to freeze to death.

Bring a bag to stash extra clothes in when you get to the party, or a block away, or at your other friend’s house who lives closer to your destination than you do. Even if it’s a small purse and thin tights, it’s going to be worth it.

Suffering for beauty has been a reality for women for centuries, but in an age when we have long since grown past crushing our ribs and binding our feet, I think the time has also come for women to remember that we’re whole people. If our partygoing alter egos get pneumonia or slip on ice in heels, our trying-to-get-into-gradschool selves will have to deal with the consequences.

As soon as we start thinking past the weekend – and hopefully, using some of the suggestions above – I think we’ll find the rationality to abandon seasonally inappropriate party wear and treat ourselves like human beings instead of walking mannequins (or blow-up dolls, whichever metaphor works for you).

Let’s be honest, if a boy looks at a girl wearing next-to nothing on a 20 degree night and thinks, “oh baby,” instead of “oh, baby, are you OK?” chances are he isn’t going to be the sensitive, long-term type that would be worth getting yourself sick for anyway. In conclusion, ladies, as you continue to embrace your sexuality also embrace your health. And for goodness sake, embrace some pants.

“Aggressive women are the sexiest animals on earth, so if the choice is to be freezing or forward, why not pick the more comfortable version and get the same result?”

Victoria Marchiony can be reached at victoria.marchiony@temple.edu.

LIVING

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012

PAGE 17

PRISCILLA WARD The Temple News

Courtesy Temple University

Thomas Meyer, assistant professor in the philosophy department, is a self-described “math person.” It’s from math he said he derived his curiosity for philosophy.

After obtaining his bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a Ph.D from the University of Pennsylvania, Meyer now seeks to challenge the idea that philosophy brought math into the world. More naturally, he now seeks to figure out what mathematics allows one to do. Meyer’s current research focuses on the philosophy of culture.

He said he is most interested in understanding what it means to be human, and the challenges that humanity seems to constantly face. Meyer said he strongly believes if one has a concern for human life and the meaning of human life, philosophy is a place for people to begin searching for answers.

The Temple News sat down with Meyer to discuss his in-progress book, “Immanence,” and what the future holds for current philosophy students.

The Temple News: How do you define philosophy?

Thomas Meyer: I like to compare it with other things, there are some questions where we would like to know the answer. Philosophy seeks to make sense of what we cannot answer through other means. You are learning to see more of what is taking place.

TTN: What words of advice do you give to your students?

TM: As you grow older you may not become smarter, but you will become more intelligent. I hope that my students are about to walk out into the world with the realization that to think for yourself is art. To develop this stream of thought into a condition, which they can contribute to the humanity, is what I hope my students are ultimately about to understand.

TTN: Tell us about the book you are working on, “Immanence.”

TM: The project relates to how a group of philosophers from the recent past thought about our humanity and the fall of human life. The project is an attempt to synthesize the work of a few great people in the field.

I’ve been working on the book for about a year and a half.

TTN: How does the study of philosophy translate into jobs?

TM: People will be hired for their training but skilled to think about what they do. Philosophy translates into jobs for people who want to study law. There is an element in being about to solve problems on one’s own. These are all important skills that translate into job skills.

TTN: When students graduate, what do you hope they would have gained from their college experiences?

TM: I hope that they understand there is a difference between getting an education and simply being entertained. I have seen what education looks like when it does not educate. The 20s are so important, you won’t get less smart as you get older, but you will see less things. There is an aspiration to do something beyond oneself, an eagerness to be useful and relevant to life.

TTN: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

TM: I am an avid hiker, I’ve gone all over the world, and I plan to continue doing so. I am pretty busy writing these days, I belong to a food co-op, and I am an avid Go player.

I still like this room. I plan to stay here at Temple for a while.

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

THOMAS MEYER

Recycling center offers options for dead electronics GREEN SPACE

JOE HOEY

Columnist Joe Hoey discusses the Computer Recycling Services program, which refurbishes, recycles, resells or donates unusable electronics.

I

t has happened to us all at some point. You cracked your phone, rendering it irreparable and unusable.

Your desktop is about to explode and your laptop is some combination of screen-less, key-less or inexplicably dysfunctional. The first thing on your mind is some combination of “hello second job,” “hello Craigslist” or “hello mom, dad or bank loans.” Unfortunately, we often stop there. What do we do with our beloved gizmo? Many of us lament the tragic death of our devices with a trashcan burial.

Stay with me here.

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor survey statistics, Americans ages 20 to 24 spend approximately 21 hours a week either watching television or using video games in leisure. This excludes all of the time we spend using computers for work or school-related endeavors. With how much time we spend on our devices, I think their demise deserves proper respect.

Electronics deserve to be recycled and reused. On Main Campus, there is the widely respected, award-winning Computer Recycling Services program. The CRC has been commissioned by Temple since 2003 to manage an extensive policy of refurbishing, recycling, reselling and donating unused or damaged electronic products. The CRC manages approximately 80 tons of electronic equipment

each year. Ever consider what happened to those Paley Library computers that die at the most inopportune times during the semester? The CRC sees to it that they get the respect they deserve. When possible, the CRC will rehabilitate computers, printers, monitors and other technological devices and peripherals for further use by the university. However, when devices are deemed unusable, the CRC will recycle the components or reuse them to help refurbish other devices.

Often times, the CRC is either able to refurbish a product or receives a product that has no further use to its initial owner, but cannot find said product a new home on Main Campus. In these instances the CRC either donates the product to a school, community group or non-profit or places the product on the Surplus Computer Equipment Depot. The CRC makes about 30 donations to local community groups a year, totaling to approximately 400 computers. Additionally, the CRC also processes approximately 1,200 student orders a year. Members of the community can purchase one piece of reused computer equipment per semester using Diamond Dollars. In a cursory review of available stock at the time of writing, customers can purchase a new desktop, monitor, printer or even overhead projector at prices as low as $25. It should be noted

that all computers come with no software and only an archaic operating system to test for functionality.

Of course, the CRC’s recycling program is limited to devices on Main Campus. While the CRC does help residence halls conduct the “Give and Go Green” program, the CRC generally does not accept items from students otherwise. So, while the CRC is a model of how to recycle electronics, it does not always help you if you are seeking to recycle your own materials.

The Environmental Protection Agency has a fairly extensive list of retail and manufacturer recycling programs that is accessible with a simple Google search.

However, if you are like me and prefer instant gratification, try Earth911.com’s recycling center search engine. By simply typing in the type of product you want to recycle and a zip code, the website will provide you with a name and address for a local recycling center. This extends beyond just electronics. Earth911 can help you recycle everything from old medications to tiles and roof shingles.

It is increasingly important to be aware of how to recycle your electronics.

Starting in 2013, it will be illegal to trash most electronic devices in Pennsylvania.

The “Covered Device Recycling Act” bans electronic devices from entering landfills

and also mandates that electronics manufacturers and retailers provide methods for consumers to recycle their products.

There is still the do-it-yourself approach to recycling electronics. A thriving market exists for busted Apple products and cell phones alike. Placing your wrecked electronics on Craigslist or Ebay is a fantastic way to recoup lost money.

Likewise, extensive guides exist on how to repair Apple devices and cell phones.

Learning how to repair devices can help you rake in a significant amount of money.

Obviously a lot of patience is necessary, but I’ve known people who were able to sell personally refurbished devices for up to 75 percent of the original cost of the device.

Joe Hoey can be reached at joe.hoey@temple.edu.

SNAPPY HED

Use the QR code above on your Web-enabled mobile device to view a map of the TUrDoor shuttle’s service area.

SPORTS

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Peddy sparks Owls’ defense ADAMS PAGE 20

ABI REIMOLD TTN

Senior guard Shey Peddy defends George Washington freshman guard Chakecia Miller in the Owls’ win on Feb. 15. lot of guys contributing.”

“It’s like a feeling, you know it’s getting closer,” senior guard Kristen McCarthy added.

“We’re just trying to seize every moment. We’re playing with a sense of urgency right now and trying to win every game.”

For much of the season McCarthy and senior guard Shey Peddy carried the team, especially in scoring. At 16.6 points per game for Peddy, and 13.4 for McCarthy, they’re the only ones to average in double digits.

But junior center Victoria Macaulay and senior guard BJ Williams have stepped up during conference play, leading to a more diverse offensive attack and a stronger defensive unit.

Williams has 42 points during her last three games, but her job isn’t to score. Her job is to facilitate, and be the coach on the court. She leads the conference with 5.3 assists per game.

“That’s the type of point guard that you like, that knows exactly what’s going on, when to take over, when to take step back because she has other guys that are scoring and feeding them the ball,” Cardoza said.

“And now she’s to the point where it’s like she’s that coach on the floor.”

But the real impact has come from Macaulay’s emergence. Once the central reason behind a struggling post game, Macaulay has now become a major threat in the paint. The 6-foot 4-inch center is averaging 10.3 points and 8.9 rebounds in conference play and leads the A-10 with 2.3 blocks per game during conference play.

Macaulay readily admits she didn’t prepare the way she needed to early in the season, but the team is happy she finally showed up. “[Macaulay’s] emergence is definitely changing our game,” Cardoza said. “Our game plan now changes where we can throw the ball in more often and [we’re] confident that something good’s going to happen.”

“I think it’s very great,” McCarthy added. “Especially last year we had struggled in the post immensely, and now if we can get scoring in the post, and then we have three guys on the perimeter, it makes it that much harder to guard.”

The other, less noticeable, difference provided by the emergence of Macaulay and

Williams has been the starting lineup. Cardoza has used the same lineup of Williams, Peddy, McCarthy, senior center Joelle Connelly and Macaulay for eight straight games.

Junior forward Brittany Lewis has lost minutes under the new lineup, but recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds against Massachusetts last week and another 15 points against George Washington as the team’s first option off the bench.

The improved play of Macaulay and Williams has solidified a once inconsistent offense.

Temple averaged 60.5 points per game in the first 14 games, and has since averaged 69.1 points in their 12 conference games.

The defense has stiffened, too.

The Owls lead the A-10 with 54.9 points allowed per game, rebounding margin, turnover margin, tied for Shey Peddy / first in blocked senior guard shots per game and are second in steals per game.

Even though she doesn’t consider herself a scorer, the offense clearly runs through Peddy, who’s second in the A-10 with 18.2 points per conference game. She’s also second with 3.2 steals per game during that time with conference-leading assist/turnover ratio of 2.4.

Peddy made it her mission before the season to win A-10 Defensive Player of the Year.

Cardoza believes she’s still in the running, but Peddy’s offensive capabilities combined with her knack for picking pockets – she tied a school record with 10 steals on Sunday against Rhode Island – could make a case for A-10 Player of the Year instead.

“I still want Defensive Player of the Year,” Peddy said.

“I don’t really think about scoring, or trying to score.”

And McCarthy is still a dual-threat with 15 points and 7.1 rebounds per A-10 game, both Top 10 in the conference. She’s an all-around complete player, capable of taking over any given night. But the team now has balance, with the recent emergence of Macaulay and Williams.

“The contributions that [Macaulay and Williams] have made this year, that’s the reason why we’re playing really good basketball, because of the emergence of these two guys,” Cardoza said.

“I still want Defensive Player of the Year. I don’t really think about scoring.”

Jake Adams can be reached at jacob.adams@temple.edu.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012

Owls open season on a high note to be a test for the Owls’ defense.

“I was thrilled with the defense,” coach Bonnie Rosen The lacrosse team said. defeated the Oregon Although the Owls gave Ducks in its opener. up twice as many goals in the second half as they did in the first, the offense picked up the MARK MCHUGH slack with the help of Tabor.

The Temple News Tabor credited her success to the intensity level her team Sophomore attacker Jamie was able to produce.

Tabor spurred the lacrosse team “I just want to help the to a season opening 14-12 win team out,” Tabor said. “I wantagainst the Oregon Ducks on ed to get in a comfort zone, Feb. 17 after netting all six of especially when the clock was her goals in the final 20 minutes running down.” of play.

Rosen noticed Tabor’s im“We really pushed the provement during preseason pressure,” Tabor said. “The enand said she was not surprised ergy level was so high.” by her ability to rack up goals The Owls were able to in the game. grind through a back-and-forth “She didn’t back down and contest at Geasey Field, where play it safe,” Rosen said. “She’s fans from both sides filled the an explosive playbleachers to caer, that’s what she pacity. The Ducks brings.” struck first toSupplementward the start ing Tabor on the of the first half, offensive end but Temple rewere senior midsponded just nine fielder/attacker seconds later with Jackie Mercer, a goal to tie the who scored three game, the first of goals, and senior seven ties. midfielder StephaIt was the nie Markunas, first meeting the who added two of Bonnie Rosen / coach Owls had with her own. Junior the Ducks since midfielder Charthe 2008 season, lotte Swavola also when Oregon defeated Temple played a significant role with 10-9. her speed and field vision.

In the recent contest, “We pushed the tempo the Temple managed to contain a entire day and maintained an dangerous and well-disciplined aggressive mentality,” Rosen Oregon offense, which posted said. a 7-7 overall record last year Neither team was able in the Mountain Pacific Sports to maintain the momentum Federation. The Ducks’ drivethroughout the first 40 minutes and-kick style of attack proved

LACROSSE

“We’re learning how to compete, how to win.

We showed a mental edge.”

PAUL KLEIN TTN

Midfielders junior Kellee Pace (left) and senior Missy Schweitzer (center) celebrate in the Owls’ win versus Oregon. of play, but Temple displayed its mental toughness by edging the Ducks late in the game when it counted.

Rosen said this type of game is crucial for building a championship caliber team.

“We’re learning how to compete, how to win,” Rosen said. “We showed a mental edge.”

That edge was imperative to this opening win, but Rosen said that if the Atlantic Ten

Conference Championship is going to be in reach, her team will need to improve each day.

“There’s so much to build on,” Rosen said. “We need to work on our execution and finding a balance offensively.”

The Owls will look to keep their early-season momentum going as they face Rutgers on Wednesday in New Brunswick, N.J. Mark McHugh can be reached at mark.mchugh@temple.edu.

Mahoney earns two A-10 titles INDOOR TRACK Both men and women’s track teams finished fourth at the Atlantic Ten Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships held at the University of Rhode Island on Feb. 17-18.

The men’s team was led by a record-breaking performance from senior distance runner Travis Mahoney.

The Old Bridge, N.J. native claimed an event title in the one-mile run, finishing with a time of four minutes, 12 seconds and 41 milliseconds. Mahoney also ran a school record time of 8:20.80 in the 3,000 meter run.

Mahoney was honored with the A-10 Performer of the

Year Award.

Both sophomore Darryl McDuffle and senior Tim Malloy combined to score 11.5 points for the Owls in the high jump. McDuffle and Malloy each recorded a distance of 6 feet 8.25 inches, but Malloy reached the distance in more attempts, as the jumpers took second and fourth place, respectively.

In the tripe jump, sophomore Gabe Pickett jumped 47 feet 11.25 inches to finish second in the event.

During the second day of the A-10 Championships, sophomore Josh McFrazier earned six points with his performance in the 60-meter-hurdle event. McFrazier placed third with a time of 8:16.

In the 400-meter dash,

sophomore Alex McGee and junior Damien Myers combined for seven points. Myers finished fourth with a time of 50:52 and McGee finished seventh with a time of 50.35.

The women’s team was led by freshman Margo Britton, who took first in the shot put with a school-record throw of 49 feet 2.25 inches.

The Owls got 10 points in the 400-meter dash led by sophomore Ambrosia Iwugo who took second place with a time of 57:10. Freshman Michelle Davis Timothy placed seventh with 58:06.

The duo also combined for four points in the 200-meter run where Iwugo finished second with a time of 25:23 and Timothy finished seventh with a time of 25:64.

In the 800-meter run senior Tashima Stephens qualified for the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference meet with a first place finish time of 2:14.98. Junior Tonney Smith finished hundredths of a second later to finish in third place with a time of 2:15.28.

Iwugo and Timothy combined with juniors Sheina Roberts and Tessa West to form a 4x400-meter relay team that finished third with a time of 3:51.77.

In two weeks, the Owls will head to the regional championships at Princeton University.

-James Reagan

JAZMYNE ANDERSON TTN file photo

Senior Tashima Stephens and sophomore Gabe Pickett medaled at the A-10 Indoor Track and Field Championships.

SPORTS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012

PAGE 19

Wheeler records first victory as head coach BASEBALL

The Owls split their opening series 1-2.

JOHN MURROW The Temple News

PAUL KLEIN TTN file photo

Redshirt-senior infielder and pitcher Steve Nikorak averages .273 at the plate this season.

The baseball team opened up its season with a three-game series against Old Dominion in Norfolk, Va., where first-year coach Ryan Wheeler picked up his first win at the helm for Temple.

The Owls lost the first game of the year on Friday in extra innings by a score of 5-4. On Saturday, Temple split a doubleheader by winning the first game 5-4 in 10 innings, while losing the second game 6-2.

After falling in extras to the Monarchs on Friday, the Owls remained optimistic about the second day of the opening series.

“I told the guys before our first game on Saturday that we will find out how good we are, as good teams find a way to win games,” Wheeler said.

As a team, the Owls combined for a .224 team batting average. Redshirt-junior catcher Matt Elko led the Temple squad with a .500 batting average,

while senior catcher Taylor Juran batted .444 during the threegame series.

The Owls’ pitching staff held Old Dominion to a .181 team batting average during the series. Senior pitcher Brant Norlander pitched three scoreless innings allowing one hit and one walk. Temple also got help from freshman Adam Dian, who pitched one inning with one strikeout to earn his first collegiate win.

“It was good to get out there and play,” Wheeler said. “I was happy with a lot of the things we did and we easily could have taken all three of those games.”

Since the fall, the team has been preparing every day for the start of the season.

“I have seen a dramatic improvement with each day in our team,” Wheeler said.

The weak winter season has allowed for the Cherry and White to get outside and practice at Ambler on the field, rather than inside in McGonigle Hall.

“Right now, we are further than I thought we would be,” Wheeler said. “With warmer weather than usual, the team has been able to play outside and accomplish more than they could inside. “I have been able

to see different guys at different positions, and we will just have to see who takes advantage of the opportunity.”

Wheeler, who coached as an assistant at Richmond during the past five years, said receiving the head coaching job at Temple was “the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“The players here at Temple are tougher,” Wheeler said.

“Due to colder weather, it is harder to prepare the team inside than at Richmond.”

In Wheeler’s first season with the Owls, he said that his goals include changing the team’s culture and the attitude.

“Temple has enjoyed success, but the players were always waiting to lose,” Wheeler said. “As a coaching squad, we want to instill the attitude of finding a way to win instead of losing.”

For now, the Owls will continue to prepare for the next three-game series this weekend against North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C. “If we play as good as we did in Old Dominion, we will win a lot more games this coming season,” Wheeler said.

John Murrow can be reached at john.murrow@temple.edu.

Season ends in loss to Penn State in MACHA playoffs ICE HOCKEY The ice hockey club finished the season with a 9-18 record.

SAMANTHA GRINNAN The Temple News Last week, coaches and members of the American Collegiate Hockey Association got together to finalize the rankings for conference playoffs. Teams ranked first and second in each division had a bye to the national competition, while teams No. 3-10 were to play in the Region-

al playoffs for a bid to nationals.

Temple was ranked No. 11. With an appearance at nationals out of reach, the Owls started their quest to win their division, the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association North, Friday with a game versus Delaware. After losing to the Blue Hens the previous weekend in a 5-4 shootout loss, the Owls were looking to redeem themselves, and they did, winning 8-6.

Goals for the Owls were scored by junior defenseman Matt Benedetto, senior defenseman Andrew Trainor, freshman forward Brady O’Donnell, junior forward Nick McMahon, freshman defenseman Chris

Carnivalle, senior forward Taylor Lockhart and junior forward Chris Johnson tallied two, including a shorthanded goal in the second period.

Unfortunately for the Owls, the season ended on Saturday when Temple took on the Ice Lions of Penn State, a team that has a second place ranking and an automatic bid to nationals.

“They’re just a solid, incredible team,” Lockhart said.

“I’m not going to say the effort wasn’t there because everyone wanted to play tonight for the two seniors, they’re just good.”

The Owls finished the regular season with a record of 9-17.

After losing 12 straight games, Temple had a mid-season turn

Former gymnast returns to help teammates out MCLAUGHLIN PAGE 20 American himself on vault, coached four seasons for the Owls and saw his former teammates graduate from the program as well. “[McLaughlin] is enthusiastic and he’s having a great time,” coach Fred Turoff said, who is entering his 36th season as head coach of the program.

“He wants to learn more and more about coaching and it’s wonderful having such a positive influence on the team,” Turoff added. “I’m just hoping that he continues to enjoy himself and keeps me smiling too.”

Recently the men’s gymnastics team defeated its Eastern College Athletic Conference rival the No. 11 Illinois-Chicago Flames at a tri-meet held at McGonigle Hall last Saturday night. The Owls also defeated the No. 15 Springfield (Mass.)

Pride.

The Flames have won the past three conference championships, while the Owls have finished as runners up during the last two years.

“We still have plenty of things that we can fix up,” McLaughlin said. “A lot more work to do in the gym, but for right now I think that’s a good spot.”

Senior Adam Al-Rokh took the all-around title at the home meet with a combined score of 83.000 points through the four events. Al-Rokh said having McLaughlin as a coach this year has helped his development as a

gymnast. chance of injuries during prac“It’s great because he was tices as well. In the 2010 seajust doing it at this level, so son, McLaughlin faced a careerrecently,” Al-Rokh said. “He threatening ankle injury, but doesn’t forget that there’s a was able to receive a redshirt mental aspect and the psycho- season from the NCAA to have logical and emotional things a complete senior season. that go into “The bigcompeting.” gest thing I’m “I guess trying to do you can say is keep them [McLaughlin] all safe,” is there, inMcLaughlin side your head, said. with you when W i t h you’re on the eight seniors event because on the team, that’s nice to McLaughlin have,” Al-Rokh said he is pulladded. ing for each of McLaughthem to succeed Fred Turoff / coach lin said that his this year. The transition from Shrewsbury, Pa. a competitor to native said durthe sidelines is just as “stress- ing his past seasons with the ful” for him. However, a differ- current upperclassmen, the team ence that he has discovered so remained close and supportive. far is how he’s no longer able to “[The seniors] are all personally influence the team’s close, even the underclassmen,” score.

McLaughlin said. “Freshman “If I can be positive that’s Mike Bittner is new this year a good start,” McLaughlin said. and he’s got my heart already.

“I’m definitely different in the So it’s going to be hard to leave gym, I have a better perspective. him, so maybe I won’t.”

I watch people all the time and Connor Showalter can be I can stay on top of people to reached at see what they’re doing and what connor.showalter@temple.edu. they’re not doing.”

“I was worried a lot about my training before and now I can be a lot less selfish,” McLaughlin added.

McLaughlin said he’s focused on preventing the team’s

“I’m just hoping that [McLaughlin] continues to enjoy himself and keeps me smiling too.”

around winning five straight at the end of November into December 2011.

“It started out with some good promise,” senior captain Jordan Lawrence said. “We had a lot of ups and downs.”

With the end of the season, the Owls say goodbye to two seniors in forward Jim McKenzie and forward George Rutter.

“It’s pretty emotional,” Lawrence said. “I’ve played with both of them for four years so it’s definitely hard to see them go especially not being able to get to where we wanted to be.”

“It sucks that our effort came too little too late,” McKenzie said. “I’m glad that the

team fought its hardest. Players come in and out every year, but it’s always kind of had the same mentality on the team. Everyone bonds together and everyone plays together. Hockey players are a unique kind of person and I’m going to miss it a lot.”

Seniors Lawrence, Lockhart and Trainor all have a fifth year of eligibility, and plan to return next season.

“We just have to thank [Rutter and McKenzie] for all the contributions they’ve done,” coach Jerry Roberts said.

With more than half the team returning next year, Roberts and the team are looking at the season as a learning experience to help build for next year.

“This season, we were embarrassed the way it finished.

Guys are going to remember this,” Lawrence said. “Expect a complete turnaround. We are going to come back a lot stronger.”

“We’re going to be a team next year with a lot more drive, a lot more dedication, and a lot more spirit,” Roberts said.

“We found out just how much that passion, effort and intensity brings to the table and we learned the value of that. It’s something that’s going to be changed for next year.”

Samantha Grinnan can be reached at samantha.grinnan@temple.edu.

Fernandez picks up slack CRANNEY PAGE 20 Fernandez said. “That’s the good thing about this team, today it was [Wyatt and me], sometimes it’s [Moores], and when you have a lot of options like that it’s hard for the other team to stop you. If we know how to use that and handle that, we’re going to be all right.”

Fernandez shot 7-for-9 from the floor, including 6-for-7 from behind the arc. He was outstanding, but it wasn’t the typical Fernandez game we’ve come to expect during the past two years.

Fernandez has been the same player for the past two seasons. His stat line from last season compared to this season is almost identical, the only thing that has changed is that he’s taking less shots and making more of them. He has played like the true point guard that he is, more than willing to give up the ball and happy to make shots when his team needs him to. Fernandez leads the team in assists, and his 20-point performance on Saturday was just the third of the season because he likes it that way.

“I thought [Fernandez] was terrific,” Dunphy said. “He’s had games like this in the past. He has these kinds of moments within him. I wouldn’t be disappointed if it presents itself every game from here on out.”

“My job is passing the ball and trying to get [teammates] the ball,” Fernandez added. “But when I’m feeling it I’m obviously going to shoot the ball a little more That’s the good thing about this team. You have a lot of options, and the guys realize that.”

Moore’s low-scoring offensive game on Saturday also opened up the scoring for some of Temple’s role players. During a seven-minute stretch early in the second half, 15 points were scored for Temple by guys not named Moore, Wyatt or Fernandez. Junior forward Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson scored six points, sophomore guard Aaron Brown hit a three and added a dunk, and both junior guard TJ DiLeo and redshirt-freshman forward Anthony Lee hit free throws to lead the Owls during that time span.

“We have the ball a lot,” Wyatt said. “For [Brown] to hit open shots, [DiLeo] to hit open shots and for Lee to get offensive rebounds and put it back, it helps us and it helps with their con-

SAM OSHLAG TTN

Redshirt-senior guard Ramone Moore tied a career high with eight assists versus Duquesne. fidence. When they’re playing good, we’re hard to beat.”

Fernandez said that while he was pleased with his offensive performance, the ability of Temple’s three starting guards to share the wealth is what really drives this team.

“That’s the way it happens when you have three guards who share the ball,” Fernandez said.

“Then you have guys coming off the bench and doing their job and that’s how a team grows.

We’re doing a really good job right now.”

“They have understood each other very well,” Dunphy added. “My job sometimes is to just shut up and get out of the way. They’re on their own for so much time. I’m out there yelling and fussing and cussing and hopefully they’re not listening and doing their own thing because they’re really good basketball players.”

Joey Cranney can be reached at joseph.cranney@temple.edu.

SPORTS temple-news.com

HERE TO HELP

PAGE 20

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012

Pass-first mentality Insane in the Joe Crane

Joey Cranney

The Owls’ guards win with unselfish play.

T JAZMYNE ANDERSON TTN file photo

Coach Fred Turoff (right) presents then-senior Patrick McLaughlin (far left) during senior night in 2010.

Former gymnast adjusts to new role.

CONNOR SHOWALTER Sports Editor

F

ormer All-American Patrick McLaughlin wasn’t ready to leave the men’s gymnastics team after competing four years as an all-around competitor for the program.

“I just don’t feel like I’m done with this sport,” McLaughlin said. “I can’t compete any longer and I have guys on the team that I just love to death.”

Last season McLaughlin earned qualifying bids to compete at the National Collegiate Men’s Gymnastics National Qualifier in three events: the pommel horse, parallel bars and high bar. He qualified to

compete on the parallel bars at the NCAA Championships and became the first men’s gymnast since 2005 to earn AllAmerican status after placing seventh in the event.

A two-time captain during his stint with the Owls in 2008-11, McLaughlin said he wanted to see his former teammates progress in the years to come.

“I’m not ready to leave

them yet,” McLaughlin said.

“There’s so much potential, it’s just great to see what they’re doing too because [their performances] are stable, clean and their scores are showing up.”

A vacancy opened up on coaching staff after former assistant coach Theo Maes stepped down before the current season. Maes, an All-

MCLAUGHLIN PAGE 19

he men’s basketball team doesn’t care how it gets to 78 points, all that matters is that when the Owls score that many points, they don’t lose.

No. 22 Temple (21-5, 10-2 Atlantic Ten Conference) has reached or eclipsed that mark 11 times this season, going a perfect 11-0 in those games.

In Saturday’s matchup against Duquesne, it was the Temple and A-10 leading scorer, redshirt-senior guard Ramone Moore, stepping aside and helping his teammates score in the Owls’ 78-59 win.

Moore tied a career high with eight assists, took only six shots and scored just three points, allowing senior guard Juan Fernandez and junior guard Khalif Wyatt to take over the offense, scoring 20 and 24 points, respectively. “[Moore] didn’t score much, but he had eight assists,”

coach Fran Dunphy said. “That says a lot about Ramone. I’m not surprised by that. He number one cares about his teammates and our team. Would he like to score? Sure. He’s a scorer and we need him to score. But he did other things for his team today, mainly set his teammates up greatly.”

“Your leading scorer doesn’t need to be your leading scorer on any given day,” Dunphy added. “But he did so many other things to help his team.”

Fernandez said that in any given game, any one of the three guards could score when the team needs him to.

“It’s not a matter of confidence, it’s a matter of the way this team plays,” Fernandez said. “[Moore] didn’t score that much, but he had eight assists.

Some days it’s going to be [Wyatt] not scoring much but having a lot of assists.”

“Nobody gets upset or loses their confidence if you don’t score in a game,” Fernandez added. “As long as you win, everything’s fine.”

After not getting anything going early, Moore turned facilitator. He didn’t try to force anything offensively, but instead looked for teammates, like Fernandez, who said he felt better shooting the ball than he had in a while.

“I haven’t shot the ball like that in a while, it felt good,”

CRANNEY PAGE 19

Fencer hopes to complete comeback Owls open up scoring After taking a year off, junior Jill Bratton looks to qualify for nationals.

Double Dribble

Jake Adams

The emergence of Victoria Macaulay creates a wide-spread offense.

T

he women’s basketball team’s 21-point win against George Washington on Wednesday, Feb. 15 marked the second straight game the Owls had five players score in double digits.

On only two other occasions this season did four players score at least 10 points in the same game. Both of those games came during play in the Atlantic Ten Conference.

“I think if we had to start over from this point on our record would be different,” coach Tonya Cardoza said. “I believe that we’re playing really good basketball right now. We have a

ADAMS PAGE 18

“At the beginning of the year, I didn’t think I was in shape, but apparently I was, because I did fine,” Bratton said.

With a decisive win against NorthCOLIN TANSITS western at the Philadelphia Invitational, The Temple News Bratton transformed the Owls’ epee Junior epee competitor Jill Bratton squad. She went on to post a 9-2 record took a year off from school and fencing at the following multi-meet at Northlast year for financial reasons and to do western University, beating competition from Northwestern, Ohio State and some soul searching, she said.

“I had the entire year off to focus on the reigning national champion, Notre what was important to me, and find out Dame.

“For the past two what I wanted to do,” years, these teams have Bratton said. beaten me awfully, and I This past year just wanted to be back and Bratton worked two wanted to do well,” Bratjobs, one at a day care ton said. in Philadelphia and the When she last comother as a hostess in peted, Bratton placed sevNew York. During her Jill Bratton / junior fencer enth in epee at the NCAA year off, the New York Mid-Atlantic/South Renative didn’t train at all, gional, but that finish isn’t except for the occasional run. Besides good enough for the epee veteran. contact with coach Nikki Franke, fencGoing into the season, Bratton set a ing was nowhere in Bratton’s schedule. goal to reach the fencing championships But Bratton never doubted that she and compete at the Eastern College Athwould return to Temple, and the team letic Conference Championships, and gladly accepted her return. she is taking it one bout at a time.

“The first day I came back it was “Hopefully I’ll get there, but I don’t like I hadn’t even left,” Bratton said. like to keep track of how many bouts The experience Bratton brings to I’ve won, but I know I haven’t been losthe young epee squad has helped develing to talented schools as much as I used op the talent into a competitive squad. to,” Bratton said.

Sophomore epee squad leader Chantal This past weekend Bratton was at Montrose said earlier in the season that it again, helping the Owls secure a 3-1 Bratton’s return brings experience and record at the Duke Invitational. Bratton stability to the epee squad. went 3-6 for the weekend. “[Bratton] has a lot more experiBratton’s sacrifices have brought ence than the rest of the [epee fencers],” her continuing success this year. After Montrose said. “So it’s going to be really clearing her head, Bratton looks to help nice to have that experience back again. lead the Owls to a national championSo that will be really helpful and it’s anship this year. other person to fence.”

“The first day I came back it was like I hadn’t even left.”

The transition back to Temple athletically was an easy one for Bratton, as she saw success early in the season.

LACROSSE p.18 The Owls defeated the Oregon Ducks in their seasonopener at Geasey Field on Feb. 17.

SPORTS DESK 215-204-9537

LESLIE FRAZIER TTN

Colin Tansits can be reached at colin.tansits@temple.edu.

Junior epee fencer Jill Bratton defeats her opponent at a meet at Penn.

INDOOR TRACK p.18 The men and women’s indoor track teams both placed fourth at the A-10 Championships.

MEN’S BASKETBALL NEXT WEEK The Owls will play against Big-5 rivals La Salle and St. Joseph’s this week.

SPORTS@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM