A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921.
TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
VOL. 94 ISS. 14
Adjuncts vote to join TAUP Following a secret ballot, parttime professors will soon join the university’s full-time faculty union. By LIAN PARSONS Assistant News Editor
JENNY KERRIGAN TTN (TOP): Two officers patrol the Bell Tower Oct. 5 in response to an anonymous threat made to “a university near Philadelphia.” (BOTTOM): Students walk on Polett Walk Nov. 30.
WATCHING FOR ‘THE UNTHINKABLE’ With the prevalence of active-shooter situations on college campuses rising, The Temple News outlines the university’s contingency plans in such situations.
I
n Temple Police’s main headquarters, there’s a dark room with an open floor. The sound of shotguns, handguns and assault rifles can be heard through speakers, bellowing through the usual silence of the surrounding rooms. Inside, the only source of light comes from a dim computer screen and a projector hanging from the ceiling. Behind the light of the computer screen, Officer James Jones cues a simulation of an activeshooter situation. The police department practices these situations in alignment with the university’s exhaustive preparation for the possibility of a mass-shooting scenario on Main Campus. “Shots fired inside the Pearl Theatre,” Jones says to his partner, Officer Damon Mitchell. With his eyes on the projected image, Mitchell draws his assault rifle as five consecutive gunshots ring out. Two wounded computer-generations frantically run past him. Four more shots fire as he nears the theater on the left. Mitchell keeps his gun—loaded with carbon dioxide which produces a life-like recoil in order to reinforce proper weapon handling for the officers—
By EJ SMITH & STEVE BOHNEL The Temple News
ONLINE View the entire multimedia project at longform.temple-news. com/watching-for-the-unthinkable.
SURVEYING CAMPUS SAFETY 4 TU SIRENS AROUND MAIN CAMPUS MORE THAN 600 SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS ACROSS MAIN CAMPUS 3 MILLION PEOPLE ENTER THE STUDENT CENTER ANNUALLY 70 PERCENT OF THOSE PEOPLE ENTER THROUGH THE MAIN ENTRANCE ON 13TH STREET NEAR MONTGOMERY AVENUE
22 SHOOTINGS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES IN 2015
DONNA FANELLE TTN
MARGO REED TTN
TUPD Officer Damon Mitchell holds a simulation gun.
NEWS PAGES 2-3, 6
An update on court cases
Several cases previously reported by The Temple News have been rescheduled, according to court records. PAGE 6
OPINION PAGES 4-5
Both full-time faculty and adjuncts are now represented by the Temple Association of University Professionals after the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board counted the votes to include adjuncts in the union Nov. 25. The PLRB counted more than 900 ballots returned from a pool of about 1,400 adjunct voters. The final vote was 609 in favor of the accretion and 266 against, TAUP President Art Hochner said. The remaining 32 were disqualified due to incorrect ballots or questionable eligibility of the voter. TAUP will now represent full- and part-time faculty in each school except for law, dentistry, medicine and podiatric medicine, and set terms for factors like pay increases, benefits and rules for appointment within the union. In September 2014, TAUP started a campaign asking adjuncts to sign cards to unionize with TAUP, Hochner said. The cards were then presented along with a petition to the PLRB. The labor board held six hearings between March and August before Hearing Examiner John Pozniak decided adjuncts would vote on whether to join the union in early October, Hochner said. The ballots were mailed Nov. 9, and were due back by 4 p.m. Nov. 24. The PLRB must now officially certify the results, Hochner said. “Full-time faculty and adjuncts create a community of interest and there were a lot of similarities,” Hochner said. “I don’t think there’s going to be any
Demolition warrants collaboration
LIFESTYLE
PAGES 7-8, 14-16
drawn toward the screen. Silence ensues for 16 seconds, until the shooter emerges from one of the back aisles. Mitchell quickly opens fire and shoots at the screen multiple times. “Show me your hands, show me your hands,” he says, but the suspect appears to be dead, and the projector screen goes black. This is one active-shooting scenario of hundreds Temple Police can practice, with the hope they’ll never face the real thing. Before the simulation begins, the participating officer chooses which weapons to activate. He or she can select handguns, shotguns, assault rifles, police batons, tasers and even a flashlight. After the simulation ends, it displays the “hit zones,” of the officer, giving him or her an opportunity to analyze shooting accuracy with the pre-calibrated gun. “It’s another level of training,” Jones said. “You have to get used to covering and protecting yourself, and that’s the thing: We all want to come out of there alive.” This sort of training comes at a time when active-shooter situations on college campuses have become increasingly fre-
SHOOTER | PAGE 2
ADJUNCTS | PAGE 6
Students assist local teachers Temple’s new teacher residency program helps schools in the School District of Philadelphia. By GILLIAN McGOLDRICK The Temple News If someone was looking for Temple graduate student John Sender two years ago, they could find him in South Sudan, treating undrinkable water. Now, he’s in Philadelphia’s AMY Northwest middle school, playing with homemade “slime” in a classroom of young students. Sender is one of seven graduate students working to earn their certificates for teaching middle school STEM classes throughout three schools in Philadelphia. These students are a part of Temple’s new teacher residency program, hosted by the College of Education. The program was developed through a 2014 federal grant given to Temple, and follows a model of residency similar to that of medical residency programs. Retention of young teachers is a struggle for modern urban schools, Dr. Michelle Lee, director of the Temple Teacher Residency Program said.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PAGES 9-12, 14
After graduation, not the end
Gallery showcases alumnus’ work
Ray Smeriglio, former student body president, looks back at his four-and-ahalf years at Temple. PAGE 7
After graduation, Shawn Theodore started street photography, capturing local storefronts in North Philadelphia. PAGE 9
PROGRAM | PAGE 6
SPORTS PAGES 19-22
PAGE 2
NEWS
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
A look at how university officials “We all want to come out of there alive.” James Jones | TUPD Officer
MARGO REED TTN
TUPD Officer James Jones plays one of hundreds of scenarios from the department’s active-shooter simulator, located in TUPD’s headquarters at 1101 W. Montgomery Ave.
Continued from page 1
SHOOTER
quent. In 2015, there were 22 shootings on college campuses. The most prevalent example is the shooting at Umpqua Community College, an incident that left 10 dead and nine injured in Roseburg, Oregon Oct. 1. In a more recent incident, multiple media outlets reported the University of Chicago canceled classes on its Main Campus yesterday after the FBI informed the school it had found an online threat, in which an unknown person said he or she was going to target “the campus quad” at 10 a.m. Monday. Temple faced its own campus security scare this fall,when a 4chan post indicated a threat toward “a university near Philadelphia.” The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives warned universities about the threat, and additional police officers were stationed at each university. The next day, the Community College of Philadelphia was placed on lockdown after an unrelated gunman was reported on campus. The Temple News spent several weeks outlining the university’s contingency plans and measures of preparation in the event of an active shooter situation. As an urban school with a police force with more sworn-in officers than some suburban police departments, Temple presents a unique set of challenges and resources to the table. With a plan developed over the course of decades, the university’s administrators have emphasized the importance of leadership, top-to-bottom preparation and trust in prior training in dire situations. Through our reporting, we learned who handles major responsibilities in such preparation, along with how police and administration cooperate. Though there are nearly 100 buildings on Main Campus, facilities have similar contingency plans in case of an active shooter.
THE BUSINESS OF ‘WORST-CASE SCENARIOS’
Last Christmas, Sarah Powell bought Jim Creedon a book—one that reminded him of his father. Amanda Ripley’s “The Unthinkable” ana-
lyzes individuals’ actions in catastrophic situations, and how those actions saved lives. “Whenever my dad and [my mom] would travel, my father would make her learn where the exits were in the hotel,” said Creedon, the senior vice president of Construction, Facilities and Operations. And Powell, the director of emergency management, takes on a similar role: She’s tasked with crafting the university’s contingency plans and prevention methods for anything from active-shooter situations to weather emergencies. The level of scrutiny she brings to her position could be the difference between fatal situations and well-managed crises. If you ask her colleagues, Powell doesn’t
“I like to think about James Bond, or a superhero,” Powell said. “I want to be able to respond in that moment with a level of preparedness and training that in the absolute, extremely rare chance that it would happen, I would have at least thought through what to do so I can react.”
THE CONTACT TEAM
Charlie Leone took his first job in Temple’s Campus Safety Services department in 1985. The system for active-shooter incidents then was simple: secure the perimeter, and wait for special operations. Leone has played a large part in reforming that system and keeping with modern techniques to combat the possibility of an armed
We’re in the business of worst-case scenarios. We “never want to be caught not having planned.” Sarah Powell | director of emergency management
get much sleep. “I do have a hard time not thinking about my job all the time because every single thing I’m working on needed to be done 10 years ago,” Powell said. “There’s a constant feeling of pressure to roll out the next step, to get the next thing in place.” “We’re in the business of worst-case scenarios,” she added. “We never want to be caught not having planned.” Powell has created a handful of policies and procedures in emergency management since taking over, and has taken part in the construction of three extra TU Sirens near the center of campus. The sirens are designated to notify students and civilians walking outdoors on campus to seek shelter indoors immediately. Before the additions, the individual siren was inaudible from certain points on “the other side of campus,” Powell said. Under Powell’s watch, there are now four sirens scattered around Main Campus. Despite the emergency notification system, Powell said self-preparation for students can make the biggest difference in a crisis.
intruder on campuses. Leone’s “contact team” is assigned the responsibility of first responders. Its main objective is to locate and neutralize the shooter. “Years ago, it was the first responders that would go into the scene, establish the perimeter and wait for special operations,” Leone said. “In the meantime, people are being injured and killed. The newer philosophy with an active shooter is that everyone is trained. They’re all cross-trained. When we do our training, we rotate and rotate constantly, so that you may be a contact team, you may be a rescue team. ” Leone and Powell team up to provide the police force—the largest university police department in the United States—with the proper training methods to ensure every officer is prepared for the possibility of confronting a gunman single-handedly as a part of the contact team. As the first group on the scene pursues the shooter, the department establishes a perimeter around the building and assigns individuals to direct traffic, pedestrian flow and other logistical assignments. Once the contact team fulfills its task of
stopping the shooter and deems the area safe, another group of officers—the “secondary responders”—lead the effort of rescuing individuals inside and focus solely on facilitating people out of the area, giving priority to those injured. From there, Leone and his colleagues call necessary assistance like Philadelphia Police, Philadelphia Fire Department and tactical groups. The department trains in these scenarios multiple times a year, and expects to conduct a drill during the winter break, giving opportunities for adjustment. Its last active-shooter drill occurred in Barton Hall in June, which Leone said showed the strengths of the plan and also where police and administration could improve. Leone and his colleagues had the chance to test their preparedness Oct. 5, when a post on a social media site threatened “a university near Philadelphia” days after the Umpqua shooting. Security was heightened on Main Campus, as Temple Police posted a higher volume of police officers to monitor the situation. “It was good because we can learn along the way,” Creedon said. “We can now make a note of what we need to adjust for next time, God forbid there would be an actual situation.” “The threat scenario was so broad, however, we have a lot in place that we were able to do,” Leone added. “We were able to get the resources that we needed in order to not only make people feel safe but also be safe.”
PUBLIC COMPARED TO PRIVATE BUILDINGS
Despite the constant preparation conducted by Powell, Creedon and Leone, they still acknowledge the vulnerability of a public area like Main Campus. “Trying to guarantee with 100 percent anywhere that you’re going to be safe is something that is next to impossible,” Leone said. “But we try to get as close to that as we can.” Leone added one of the factors that helps university police prevent an active-shooter situation is more than 600 cameras scattered across campus, which are constantly monitored. Powell said there are also emergency building managers designated to each building: key administrators dedicated to training staff on how to protect those inside a building during a dangerous situation.
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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
PAGE 3
plan for active-shooter situations
JENNY KERRIGAN TTN
The Science and Education Research Center, which opened in 2013, is one of dozens of restricted-access buildings monitored by AlliedBarton security on Main Campus.
THE TEAM
Charlie Leone Executive Director of Campus Safety Services
“They know the facility and they know what to do, so we’re creating teams of basically floor marshals who know all of our procedures,” she said. Jason Levy, senior director of Student Center operations, serves as one of these “floor marshals.” Levy said he and his staff train twice a year for emergencies like an active shooter. Levy said three million people visit the Student Center annually, and 70 percent enter the main entrance on 13th Street near Montgomery Avenue. “We know our building better than anyone else,” he said of his staff. “So we can respond to those emergencies quickly, efficiently, effectively, without panicking, in a way that really helps the process for Campus Safety.” The Student Center is one of the only buildings on campus that does not require identification upon entry. Levy said the most difficult aspect of preparing for emergencies in a public space is not knowing who is present, and he and his staff rely heavily on AlliedBarton security to monitor the facility. Restricted-access buildings on campus are also guarded by AlliedBarton officers, who are required to ask for identification from those entering. Leone said his department has hired 20 students to try and enter these buildings without identification. This “Quality Control Representatives” team, which started in Fall 2012, sends its findings to Temple Police, who then can examine problem areas and adjust accordingly. “They’re the front line, so we’re going to need those folks to pay attention to what’s happening,” he said of AlliedBarton officers stationed in buildings. “If they’re not [checking identification], that leaves us vulnerable.” Senior Vice Dean Diana Breslin-Knudsen and Managing Director of Faculty Affairs and Business Operations Rachel Tomlinson both consider themselves emergency building managers of Alter Hall, home to the Fox School of Business. Both said Temple is ahead of the curve when it comes to preparing for activeshooting situations, especially given recent incidents. Breslin-Knudsen added that although Alter Hall is an academic building with restricted-access, there are many similarities to public buildings in how to prepare for an active shooter. “The reality is that if you’ve got an active-
NEWS DESK 215-204-7419
Jim Creedon Senior Vice President of Construction, Facilities and Operations
shooter situation, it’s not going to vary that much,” she said. “You need to make sure people are trained, and what we’re working on now is how to best do the training with the students.” No matter which building on campus, Powell said there are three methods to dealing with an active shooter. “At the end of the day, you’re only doing a couple different things: you’re either evacuating, you’re sheltering in place because you can’t go outside because something is happening in the environment or you’re locking down,” she said. “No matter what your situation in any of
potentially escalate. “Charlie’s part of a team of people who really do look at, ‘How do we identify people who are troubled?’” Powell said. “[He looks for students] who may be talking about things, who might be showing some behavior that’s problematic to their professors or peers. … They have an incredibly robust system in place for identifying and valuing and getting people help if they need it.” In addition to meeting with Student Affairs and Tuttleman Counseling Services every week to review potential issues, Leone has a team of
know our building better than anyone else. So we “canWerespond to those emergencies quickly, efficiently,
effectively, without panicking, in a way that really helps the process for Campus Safety.
”
Jason Levy | senior director of Student Center operations
these large-scale emergencies, you’re doing one of those basic things most of the time.”
IDENTIFYING TROUBLED INDIVIDUALS
When the university’s attention was drawn to a threat from a social media post, Jim Creedon and his team organized a call in the middle of the night in October. Several staff members were woken to participate in the communication between university officials. Creedon said the volume of people on these emergency calls is often exhaustive but necessary to ensure no available information goes unshared. “There’s no silos in our system that you often hear about,” Creedon said. “We have the late-night calls, and I feel bad sometimes about the people we’re waking up because they’re really not necessary for that particular call. But we’d rather err on the side of having everybody we need at that one moment on that call, so there isn’t that problem.” The exhaustive inclusion of individuals aligns with Leone’s philosophy of extensively keeping an eye on situations before they could
detectives capable of looking through social media for potential threats. “We want to make sure we connect as many dots as possible, we all work together,” Leone said. “I have a group of folks who do a lot of the social media searching as well. So if we get wind of anything or if just by looking through some things that may pop up.”
RUN, HIDE, FIGHT
Even as policies and procedures surrounding preparation for active-shooter scenarios have evolved during the past few years, Leone still wants the training to be straightforward. “You don’t want to be bogged down with a book this big of policies and procedures of one specific event,” he said. “What we want to do is get enough training, and when you think about the ‘Run, Hide, Fight’ from the Department of Homeland Security, it’s very simple.” “Run, Hide, Fight,” penned in 2012, tells individuals in active-shooter situations to keep those three words in mind: “Run,” to escape or evacuate the area, “Hide” to seek a safe location and lock yourself from the shooter and “Fight” as the last-resort option—disarm the shooter by
NEWS@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
Sarah Powell Director of Emergency Management
any means necessary. Powell said the purpose of the phrase is to be simple enough that it becomes a second instinct for those involved in active-shooter scenarios, likening it to a similar phrase most students learn in elementary school. “We all know what ‘Stop, Drop and Roll’ is,” Powell said. “If we’re on fire, which is sort of a scary thought, we know you drop on the floor and roll. … We would be able to react to that event, and just know what to do.” Because the next few incoming classes will have become acclimated with the phrase “Run, Hide, Fight” in their middle-school years, Creedon said it will be easier to enforce as a safety policy. In October, Temple Police uploaded a YouTube video detailing what to do if there was an active shooter in a building on campus, highlighting the “Run, Hide, Fight” method. Breslin-Knudsen said the video teaches minor pointers, which could be the difference between life and death. “It was interesting watching the video,” she said. “Because I never thought about turning off your cell phone, or putting it on silence. Because obviously, if someone’s walking around the building, and you’re hiding … an active shooter would know you’re in that space.” Ultimately, no matter where an active shooter could be on campus, following the first step of “Run, Hide, Fight” is imperative for survival, Powell said. “If you’re in a building where an active shooter incident is taking place, you need to get out,” she said. “Really, it’s about you at that point. It’s not about anyone ushering you out. It’s get out of the building, and get to a secure location.” * news@temple-news.com T @TheTempleNews If you know anyone who may be troubled on Main Campus, contact Temple’s Wellness Resource Center at 215-204-7578. If you wish to report any suspicious activity on campus, please contact Temple Police at 215-204-1234.
EDITORIAL/OP-ED
PAGE 4
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
column | community
A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921. Emily Rolen, Editor-in-Chief EJ Smith, Managing Editor Joe Brandt, Chief Copy Editor Steve Bohnel, News Editor Paige Gross, Opinion Editor Albert Hong, Lifestyle Editor Ryan Deming, Web Manager Victoria Mier, Arts & Entertainment Editor Tom Dougherty, Web Editor Michael Guise, Sports Editor Jenny Kerrigan, Photography Editor Lian Parsons, Asst. News Editor Margo Reed, Asst. Photography Editor Owen McCue, Asst. Sports Editor Donna Fanelle, Design Editor Michaela Winberg, Asst. Lifestyle Editor Finnian Saylor, Asst. Designer Eamon Dreisbach, Asst. Arts & Entertainment Justin Discigil, Advertising Manager Editor Grayson Holladay, Business Manager Sean Brown, Multimedia Editor Jeanie Davey, Marketing Manager Harrison Brink, Asst. Multimedia Editor
The Temple News is an editorially independent weekly publication serving the Temple University community. Unsigned editorial content represents the opinion of The Temple News. Adjacent commentary is reflective of their authors, not The Temple News. Visit us online at temple-news.com. Send submissions to letters@temple-news.com. The Temple News is located at: Student Center, Room 243 1755 N. 13th St. Philadelphia, PA 19122
EDITORIALS
Keep giving back In the past few weeks, the university community, Philadelphia has experienced we are fortunate to have the a flurry of holiday spirit with resources to help during the the annual holiday The Temple community Thanksgiving season, should use its resources to and also Day parade, the opening through volunteer all year. of Christmas the rest of Village in LOVE Park and the year. light shows across the city. Temple’s office of comSome Temple students munity relations is available and other Philadelphians will to all students and staff and partake in holiday traditions will assist groups and indithis season and for many, viduals in finding an organithat means volunteering their zation or event to give their time or resources to those in time. need. Philadelphia also has According to Philabun- ample resources to aid people dance, a hunger relief organi- looking to volunteer and who zation in South Philadelphia, need help year-round. Ac750,000 people in the city cording to Philabundance’s and its surrounding areas will website, giving back can be experience hunger this year. more than physically helpPhilabundance’s Execu- ing out—organizations can tive Director Glenn Bergman benefit from financial or food told philly.com, November donations or from simply and December are the biggest spreading information via somonths for volunteering and cial media. are the months where famiThe Temple News urges lies start to feel the effects of its community to think of dowinter the most. nating time or resources this Temple was founded holiday season and through on principles of service and the rest of the year. community. As members of
Students, stay prepared On a Monday in late Au- of the existence or meaning gust members of our staff, of emergency notification having read reports on mul- systems and contingency tiple massplans at s h o o t i n g Be responsible about safety on the start a t t e m p t s campus, in light of increased of our reon college porting. active-shooter situations. campuses, M a s s decided to seek the answers shootings, terrorist attacks on what our university had and other dangers have bein place for such a horrific come more prevalent on possibility. college campuses. In 2015, We sat down with ad- there have been 22 shooting ministrators, spoke to build- incidents on college campusing staff members and tested es, including the Oct. 1 incithe harrowing active-shooter dent at Umpqua Community simulations at Temple Po- College, which claimed 10 lice’s Headquarters. This lives and left nine injured. issue, we’re able to present The fear of these situathe information to our stu- tions reverberated through dent body. We’re proud of the University of Chicago our reporting, but we have yesterday, as they canceled learned through the process class in response to a threat. that the most important part As these incidents beof this enterprise is to ensure come more common, awarethat students are prepared for ness and foresight can be whatever dangerous incident the difference between life could unfold on Main Cam- and death. We encourage pus. you to take the time to heed As a student body, the advice of the universiwe’re in great hands. But we ty’s Director of Emergency still need to do our part and Management, Sarah Powell, be prepared. when she says it’s vital to We were very impressed think ahead for these situawith the plans laid out by tions. university administrators, Read “Watching for ‘the but several of them are all unthinkable,’” and take note for naught without student of administrative advice on preparedness and compre- what a student on Main hension. Even members of Campus can do in an activeour own staff weren’t aware shooter situation.
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 Emily Rolen at editor@temple-news.com or 215.204.6737.
Saying ‘locals’ should leave a bad taste in your mouth Using the term erases good relations between the university and the Cecil B. Moore community.
A
recent post on Yik Yak, an anonymous, location-based app that presents a forum for students to discuss happenings around campus, read: “Use one word to describe the locals.” The responses varied but had a primarily negative tone with words like “dirt,” “crackhead,” “trash” and “dangerous.” As I scrolled through these responses, I wondered what it really means when Temple students use the word “locals” and what the term implies GRACE SHALLOW about the university’s relationship with surrounding community members. Andrea Swan is an alumna and the current community and neighborhood affairs director under Temple’s Office of Community Relations. She feels Temple students using the word “locals” is a negative thing. “I always attribute it [to be an] extremely negative term. It really bothers me to hear that some of our students have picked that up,” Swan said. Karen Asper Jordan, head of the Cecil B. Moore Philadelphia Freedom Fighters, agreed that a negative connotation is implied by students’ use of the word. “When people use those kind of words, they don’t know the people in the neighborhood,” Jordan said. “They don’t know anything about the neighborhood. A
lot of information that people get may not always be true.” I agree with both Swan and Jordan. Students’ use of the word is reflective of tense issues the university has had with community relations. Those tensions have grown as Temple has spread further through the North Philadelphia area by talks of an on-campus football stadium, Temple-centric ads covering the Cecil B. Moore station and an increase in Temple students living offcampus. “Saying, ‘This is Temple Town,’ or ‘This is Temple area.’ What are you talk-
Philadelphia “North has history that unaware students demean when they say ‘locals.’
”
ing about? This town has a name. This is Cecil B. Moore community,” Kenneth Scott, President of Beech Interplex Inc.— a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting community services located on Cecil B. Moore Avenue—told The Temple News in 2014. “Because people are low income or uneducated, people say, ‘Oh, we can just walk all over them.’” These factors make sense as to why surrounding community members would be wary of Temple. But I still wonder where all of the negative feelings toward community members stem from. The reputation of North Philadelphia as an area of crime is bound to impact stu-
dents’ perception of the people who live here permanently, however, stigmatization does not deny the positive qualities of the area. North Philadelphia has history that unaware students demean when they say “locals.” Cecil B. Moore, who studied law at Temple, became a prominent civil rights figure in the 1950s. According to Temple’s library site, Moore worked to involve black Americans in politics by encouraging them to vote and running independent black political campaigns. North Philadelphia also has deep roots in faith and religion. North Penn Baptist Church on 27th Street near York is almost 120 years old and was called “the first Philadelphia Baptist house of worship that built its sanctuary from the ground up during the 19th century” in a Philadelphia Tribune article. Jordan also points out that whether you are a Temple student or a longtime resident of North Philadelphia, we all share things in common. “North Philadelphia is a vibrant community,” Jordan said. “[There are] people with families, with children. They have loving relationships. They’re no different from anybody else… It doesn’t matter how much money you make or how beautiful your house is. People are people.” People are people and, as the university grows, so will the influx of students. It is essential students realize that we must co-exist with surrounding community members of North Philadelphia. The use of the word “locals” will only decrease the potential of positive relationships between the university, its students and the residents of the surrounding area who have been here the longest. * grace.shallow@temple.edu
column | stadium
Take note of South Philly stadiums If the university moves forward with plans for an on-campus stadium, it should learn from the sports complex.
W
hen someone asks me where I grew up, I respond, “South Philly.” Then, to specify exactly where, I point out the most prominent landmark near my home—
the stadiums. Living near the South Philadelphia Sports Complex provided an interesting backdrop to my childhood. Sometimes, it was exciting. When Billy Joel and Elton John performed at Citizens Bank Park in 2009, I sat on my front step and listened for free as their voices floated through the summer evening. And as the World Series came to a close in 2008, my brother and I stood in my living room and ecstatically listened to the stadium’s invigorating roar—which reached our ears well before Harry Kalas announced the ANGELA GERVASI Phillies’ victory on television. But when a sporting event caused excitement, disarray often followed in the forms of post-tailgate litter and parking lot fist fights. Usually it was fueled by poor sportsmanship and an excess of overpriced beer. There are times when chaos starts in a stadium and extends past its boundaries. Across the street from Lincoln Financial Field sits Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park, a 101-year-old sprawling space that holds hilly bike trails and rickety picnic tables. I grew up frequenting FDR Park, but as a child, I was never allowed to ride my bike there if the Eagles were playing football across the street. It was a park that held a world of historical wonder—and a lot of litter. Leo Sheng, a 2014 Temple alumnus, noticed that litter too. Sheng runs a fishing blog that explores several local bodies of water, like Meadow Lake, which sits in FDR Park under a film of blue algae. Eagles fans often use the area around the lake for tailgating. That didn’t bother Sheng, until he realized nobody cleaned up after game day. Sheng said when the Eagles played home games, the park became filthy—like the time a group of visitors in Eagles jerseys approached the lake and began tossing beer bottles into the water. “I kind of gave them a hard time about that. They became very aggressive that day,” Sheng said. “I see so much going on there. It’s truly a shame.” Joe Myers, the managing editor of the South Philly Review,
said residents have voiced their dissatisfaction with the stadium’s presence before. The Review has received calls from people complaining about the parking lot at FDR, which becomes vastly overcrowded on game days, making the park inaccessible for the rest of the public. There are systems in place to quell the stadium sloppiness. In 2002, the Sports Complex Special Services District was established to meet what its website refers to as the “unique needs of South Philadelphia residents living in close proximity to an active, world-class Sports Complex.” Because, as South Philadelphia has shown us, a stadium can have an impact on its surrounding community. Sound familiar? The Linc may not seem comparable to Temple’s potential on-campus stadium. Surely, I assume, a stadium for a college football team won’t have as big of a presence as a stadium that
When a sporting event “ caused excitement, disarray
often followed in the forms of post-tailgate litter and parking lot fist fights.
”
hosts the Eagles. Peter Crawford, a member of Temple Area Property Association’s executive board, compared the potential stadium merely to the Liacouras Center “on a larger scale.” “I don’t think the addition of a stadium is going to have as great an impact, you know either positive or negative, as people say,” Crawford said. But according to ESPN, Eagles’ games have drawn an average of 69,371 spectators to South Philadelphia in 2015. The Temple-Notre Dame game on Halloween drew almost as many people—clocking in at a whopping 69,280. As the stadium discussion continues and develops, it’s important for us to look toward the other side of Philadelphia and see what effect stadiums have created in the past. Bringing an Eagles game-sized crowd to North Philadelphia may very likely produce the same results I saw growing up in South Philadelphia—a disturbance. I hope if the university decides to move forward with its plans, it does so with consideration of the community. * angela.gervasi@temple.edu
OPINION
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
column | education
PAGE 5
column | crime
School demolition warrants Crime might rely on community collaborations perception of area Residents deserve a voice in the demolition of William Penn.
M
iriam H. Evans, the former president of the William Penn Development Coalition and the school's alumni association, said William Penn High School was the “life support system” of North Philadelphia. It kept alive a sense of community in Yorktown, and it staked African-American heritage firmly along the Avenue of the Arts. In 2009, that life support system was unplugged. In what was called a temporary move by the Philadelphia School District, the closure of William Penn High School on Broad Street near Master MICHAELA WINBERG wasn’t supposed to last long. In a few years, then-Superintendent Arlene C. Ackerman said, the school would reopen, perhaps with a new vocational focus and a math program. According to a November 2013 report from philly.com, “district officials are saying they simply cannot afford to reopen the school.” In 2014, Temple bought the property for $15 million. “We thought it was something to be saved,” Evans said. “It was an architectural masterpiece. The design of this school, the five different buildings, was unheard of for a high school campus.” Evans said the school was equipped with courses in agriculture, a health care unit that teamed up with Hahnemann University Hospital and an Olympicsized swimming pool inside the school. Jim Creedon, senior vice president for construction, facilities and operations, told The Temple News in March of last year the building was decaying and “looked like it closed in 1970.” But Evans said the building had several attributes worth saving. “The whole idea of the school being gone means there’s a lot of dreams that are lost,” Evans added. Temple is actively demolishing the east side of the school, which should be complete by February 2016. This site will be the location for new athletic fields, a small locker room facility and bleachers. The west side of the site is set to be demolished by summer 2016. Temple plans to partner with the Laborers District Council Education and Training Apprenticeship Fund to develop the west side of the property, training its members in “the principles of construction, equipment knowledge and operation, materials, site preparation, maintenance and safety,” according to the LDC’s website. The demolition is taking its toll on North Philadelphia residents. “You can see [the demolition] straight through Girard,” said Inez Henderson-Purnell, president of the William Penn Development Coalition. “It’s so heartbreaking. It’s terrible for the alumni, and it’s terrible for the community.” It’s admirable that Temple decid-
ed to partner with the community and build a job training facility at the site of closed William Penn High School. Of course, residents of Yorktown will benefit from receiving job training from the university on site, but it seems Temple has not considered the emotional loss a community experiences when a school is closed. “They’re tearing our history apart,” Evans said. “It’s just hurtful to try to erase.” Evans said she’s worried that certain items like a time capsule and photographs have been displaced. In August 2015 The Temple News reported some of these historical objects have been “stored,” but it’s problematic that Evans hasn’t been notified about the whereabouts of these items. “We want to be able to sustain our own heritage,” Evans said. “That’s what it’s about.” If the university wants to show respect to the community, helping grieve the loss of a valued school would be a good start. If Temple takes away some-
munity the same as Fairhill’s intimate exhibit did. Henderson-Purnell said she hopes an education facility can be built on site for the people most impacted by William Penn’s closure: students. She envisions a facility where 200-300 eighth grade students can receive a comprehensive STEM education. “The only way our children are going to be able to compete globally is to have a STEM education,” she said. “That’s fine that they want to have a training facility at Broad and Master to make plumbers and electricians, but we want to train physicians and rocket scientists and Internet developers or programmers. … We need a better representation in the scientific field, and we want STEM at [William] Penn.” Evans said she has ideas for collaboration with Temple, too. Before the closure and demolition of William Penn, the Olympic-sized swimming pool inside was open to residents of the community. Perhaps to compensate for that loss, she said, Temple could open
Certain factors can make a neighborhood feel more or less safe to its inhabitants.
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fter revealing where I go to school, I’m often warned by family members and friends to be extra careful when going about my daily life. Temple is covered by 22nd District of the Philadelphia Police Department—the boundaries of the district extend from 10th to 33rd streets and Lehigh Avenue to Poplar Street and Fairmount Park. This area is called North Central Philly and is often associated with high crime rates. These associations are not necessarily unfounded; when looking at data compiled by the Inquirer based off its crime reports during the last 30 days, North Philadelphia West and East come in ninth and seventh for violent crime rates respectively on the list of 57 neighborhoods and eighth and sixth respectively for property crime rates. The 22nd District deploys patrols in a variety of ways like bike officers, radio patrols, foot beats and plain clothes officers, the 22nd district’s Lieutenant Dennis Gallagher told me. But in examining what makes an area feel safe or unsafe, it’s important to look beyond the LIAN PARSONS single factor of police presence. “Any time you have a crime problem, it’s important to conduct an environmental analysis,” Gallagher said. Lighting, abandoned properties, abandoned vehicles and the presence of video cameras are examined in these analyses. The “broken windows theory” is a criminological theory that “deteriorating conditions provide a breeding ground for the crimes,” Gallagher explained. A lack of lighting or many vacant areas with no video cameras are more likely to encourage crime or shady behavior. All of these problems are more visible in North Philly, which could contribute to the perception the area is more dangerous than
It’s important to look beyond the “single factor of police presence.” DON OTTO TTN FILE PHOTO
If Temple takes away something “ important to the community, it should offer support in return.” thing important to the community, it should offer support in return. Communication between the university and residents of North Philadelphia has yielded positive results before. Led by artist Pepón Osorio, students at the Tyler School of Art teamed up with students and teachers from the closed Fairhill Elementary last year to create a memorial for the school. This collaboration helped students and teachers mourn. Housed in the basement of Tyler, reForm is a safe haven for students who lost their school and a sign of Temple’s remorse for the School District of Philadelphia. “This feels like Fairhill,” said Chelsey Velez, a Fairhill alumni. “When I used to go to Fairhill, I had some friends, and they made it feel like home, like family. When I come here, it feels like home, like family. I’m myself in this room.” The demolition of William Penn cries out for similar communication and collaboration. Though it’s great that Temple wants to build a job training facility, it might not comfort the com-
the pools in Pearson and McGonigle halls to the public. Evans would also love to see an Alumni Office built onsite to help preserve the African-American heritage once held by William Penn. “We have a right to continue the legacies that have already been started, and some of which date back to the beginning of the school in 1909 and 15th and Wallace,” she said. “We want to do what’s right, and we want the community to be involved with Temple.” “Temple is not the enemy,” Henderson-Purnell said. “We have to work with Temple. That will be better for everybody.” Right now, the university has a unique opportunity for collaboration with Yorktown residents. Although a job training facility could benefit the community, it won’t lessen the pain of losing a school, and it won’t educate the students displaced by the William Penn’s closure. If Temple really wants to power the city, it’s got to plug back in North Philadelphia’s life support. * michaela.winberg@temple.edu
FROM THE ARCHIVES January 29, 1982: The Temple News reported on the university’s growing police force and its role in making Main Campus safe. In this issue, The Temple News reported on how the university would handle the event of an active shooter or other emergency situation.
other parts of the city. The 22nd District has an abandoned vehicles unit and neighborhood services to “facilitate eradication of those problems,” Gallagher said. The city’s department of Licenses and Inspections seal abandoned properties and abandoned vehicles are towed to limit potential crimes. A few courses I’m taking this semester use the text “The Death and Life of Great American Cities” by Jane Jacobs to study many factors of crime and its relevance to Philadelphia. Jacobs argues that urban safety relies on factors like foot traffic, mutual trust within a community, “eyes on the street”—strangers and acquaintances looking out for one another—and shared public spaces like parks. In the community surrounding Temple, many of the pedestrians are students. “It changes the environment here,” Gallagher said of the presence of students. “I believe it’s improved the neighborhood and the area.” Unfortunately, there are not many public spaces in North Philadelphia for students and community members alike to mingle together. While many students may not be involved in getting to know their neighbors, there is a value in doing so that goes beyond the Good Neighbor Initiative. According to Jacobs, fostering a sense of mutual commonwealth is important in maintaining a sense of safety. “Working with the community has been a big part of reduction in crime,” Gallagher said. “Captain [Robert] Glenn is committed to improving relations with the community. He’s relentless in meeting with North Philadelphia leadership.” Being aware of crime can also contribute to how safe an area feels. Temple increased its patrol border in Fall 2014 from 16th to 18th streets as well as extending the eastern boundary to 9th Street, the northern boundary to Susquehanna Avenue and the southern boundary to Jefferson Street. This extension contributed to the increase in crime reports and TU Alerts. “We’ve made more of an effort to put out more information,” Executive Director of Campus Safety Charlie Leone previously told The Temple News. “The good side is it gives people the information we want them to have, but on the other side, it makes people very fearful, thinking that crime is going out of control. … In reality, we’re just making you more aware of what’s happening.” The 22nd District also has a community relations officer who publishes tweets to inform people of when crimes occur in the neighborhood. Statistically, certain crimes in North Philadelphia have actually decreased during the past year. There have been a decrease in robberies, burglaries and theft from autos, Gallagher said. The Temple News previously reported that robberies on Main Campus have decreased 12 percent since last academic year. Reported sexual assaults decreased 60 percent in the new patrol zone and bike thefts decreased 43 percent in 2014. As crime rates hopefully continue to decline in North Philadelphia, it’s important to take into account the things that make an area feel safer. Get to know your neighbors, report abandoned buildings and vehicles and take notice of streets with sparse lighting or video cameras. They might make a real difference. * lian.parsons@temple.edu
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NEWS
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NEWS BRIEFS CRIME UPDATE ON SEVERAL COURT CASES
Multiple cases The Temple News has previously reported on are currently in the pre-trial stages of the judicial system. The preliminary hearing for 19-year-old Dimitrius Brown is set for Dec. 16 after it was previously scheduled for Nov. 25. Brown was arrested Oct. 16 for the murder of 14-year-old Duval DeShields. Brown also faces drug charges from August, and a pre-trial conference is set for Dec. 5. Shakree Bennett’s preliminary hearing was scheduled for Jan. 7, after it was initially set for Oct. 29 and Nov. 19. Bennett, charged with the September rape and robbery of a 20-year-old female Temple student, also faces charges for an assault and robbery that occurred two days before the alleged sexual assault. The pre-trial conference for Randolph Sanders has been set for Dec. 22. The first scheduled date for it was April 1, and most recent was Nov. 18. Sanders is charged for the murder of Kim Jones in January. Sanders is also accused of attempting to steal $40,000 from Turning Points for Children and is reported to have killed Jones because she intended to report him for trying to misallocate the money. Brandon Meade was scheduled to appear in court for a formal arraignment Nov. 24 to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. Meade is charged with the murder of Temple student Agatha Hall in August, which was originally thought to be a suicide. His case’s scheduling conference is set for Dec. 2. No lawyers for the defendants or the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office could be reached for comment. -Julie Christie
UNIVERSITY NEWS ‘FLU CREW’ HELPS WITH FLU VACCINES
Senior nursing students Molly Kmetz, Yanna Savkova, Brianna Reed, Jamie Fitzgerald, Kelly Weniger and Shane McParland have called themselves “The Flu Crew” at Temple Hospital, according to a university press release. The six students distribute surveys on vaccine opinion and administer vaccines to staff. Out of more than 4,100 TUH employees, 3,649 have received vaccines as of Nov. 23. The goal is to reach 90 percent flu vaccine compliance. The team travels around the hospital with a cart of vaccine equipment to make the process more convenient for staff. Free flu vaccination services have been extended to March 31. The Flu Crew plans to submit the information from the distributed surveys to medical publications. -Lian Parsons
CITY NEWS SEPTA TO SPLIT BUSIEST BUS ROUTE day.
SEPTA bus route 23 will be split into two starting Sun-
The route runs for about 14 miles from Broad and Oregon streets through Center City, extending into North Philadelphia and Germantown, ending in Chestnut Hill. It is SEPTA’s most frequently used bus route and typically carries 21,600 passengers every weekday. The new route 23 will run from Chestnut Hill to Walnut Street and an additional route 45 bus will transport passengers from Noble to Oregon streets. This split aims to increase reliability and punctuality for the route, as the current 23 bus is late more than 60 percent of the time. SEPTA spent about $42,000 on advertisements to inform passengers of the change. The estimated cost of the split is about $460,00 per year. -Lian Parsons
OVERCROWDING REPORTED AT HIGH SCHOOL IN NORTHEAST
Overcrowding has become an issue at Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Northeast Philadelphia after 350 students moved in from another school, the Daily News reported. Teachers at the school, located on Cottman Avenue near Loretto in Castor said the influx of fifth- and sixthgrade students from Solis-Cohen School has endangered the safety of those at Woodrow Wilson. “There are so many kids in the hallway at the same time, it’s unbelievable,” a teacher told the Daily News on condition of anonymity. Philadelphia School District spokesman Fernando Gallard, however, told the Daily News there is no safety hazard because everyone is still able to exit the middle school during evacuations. He added that teachers should contact district officials with any concerns. “If we have staff that have concerns regarding the fire drill and whether they can exit the building, we need to hear that,” he told the Daily News. “We will absolutely work with them on that. That’s absolutely a priority for us.” The Daily News reported Wilson has undergone several recent changes to accommodate the overcrowding, from using its library as a classroom to having students share lockers. -Steve Bohnel
NEWS DESK 215-204-7419
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
TSG discusses ideas for next semester The team talked about its progress during this semester and future plans. By LILA GORDON The Temple News Temple Student Government is launching several new campaigns this year and maintaining many of its previous programs, with a particular emphasis on community relations, diversity and sexual assault prevention. Binh Nguyen, junior public relations major and vice president of external affairs, said her job description focuses on community relations. TSG is considering a new project to bring the community and student body together, she added. “We are thinking about doing a newsletter written by Temple students so students and local residents know what’s going on,” Nguyen said. “People want to get involved but don’t always know how so it’s us saying, ‘Come out with us, get to know us.’” Nguyen said TSG is collaborating with the Presbyterian Church on Diamond and Broad streets to create a soup kitchen for the holidays. There are also potential plans for a holiday party with the rest of the community, she said. Brittany Boston, senior broadcast journalism major and vice president of services, said she focused on improving diversity this term. She organized OwlBuddies, a program designed to connect students from the Academy of Adult Learning to undergraduate students from Temple. “We came together and had a training workshop for student [organizations] that
want to work with Academy for Adult Learners,” Boston said. “We matched them up with student organizations, like Black Student Union, Student Government and Gospel Ministries, and then people to go to football games with.” Boston emphasized the Burrow, at 2026 N. Broad St., as a safe place for people to speak who face diversity issues on campus. She said she and other TSG members often attend the meetings.
People want to get “involved but don’t always know how.” Binh Nguyen | vice president of external affairs
TSG is also focusing on preventing sexual assault. The Temple News reported two on-campus sexual assaults Nov. 17. Nguyen and Student Body President Ryan Rinaldi, a senior finance major, have collaborated to form Think About It, a campaign aiming create an atmosphere where sexual assault is unacceptable. “Think About It is a way of raising awareness and making sure people have bystander intervention training,” Nguyen said. “There is a difference between compliance and commitment.” Nguyen said in a school of 25,000 undergraduates, it is difficult to control every aspect of campus life. Think About It, an online training program for sophomores, juniors and seniors, is an attempt for TSG to influence whomever they can. Freshmen are exempt from the program because they go through similar training during orientation. TSG has worked on other preventa-
tive measures as well, including OwlWatch, a task force that collaborates with Temple Police. OwlWatch works to make sure students are visible in crossing streets. “We created a Director of Campus Safety, Brett Ennis, a sophomore, who does great work with Campus Safety,” Rinaldi said. “This group created a task force called OwlWatch where students walk around campus and look at physical fixtures.” Rinaldi cited alcohol as a major contributor to crime on campus. “One of the largest factors in sexual misconduct is alcohol,” Rinaldi said. “Dr. Theobald put together a task force in which we sat down and discussed the alcohol issue. Out of this meeting came Define the Line.” Define the Line is a marketing campaign backed by programming geared toward helping students find their alcohol limits. Rinaldi said it is not about stopping kids from drinking, but helping them figure out when to stop once they start. Rinaldi said finances are a concern among students. He added Temple prides itself on being an affordable university as well as continuing to try to increase the value of its degrees. “Marketing itself costs money,” Rinaldi said. “Everyone was so excited about the Super Bowl commercial last year. Millions of people saw. That cost money.” Rinaldi said building research facilities, creating an attractive campus and fixing utilities are additional expenses. Rinaldi, Nguyen and Boston noted the open door policy the TSG office employs and added all questions and concerns are welcome. * lila.gordon@temple.edu
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PROGRAM
“It’s hard to retain teachers in general,” Lee said. “Especially middle school teachers in STEM.” According to a recent segment on NPR’s “All Things Considered,” the most effective practice in teacher retention is providing them with a mentor. The teaching residents are each provided with one who will allow them to teach, work with students and critique their performance in the classroom to help them become better teachers throughout the year. “We try to place them in host schools where there is at least a group of residents and a group of mentors so there is a community that’s there,” Lee said. Teachers earn certification in all courses for grades four through six, and a certification in science or math for grades four through eight in the program. Kurt Barkley, 57, is going for his third degree and working toward his certificate in teaching as a teaching resident at AMY Northwest. Barkley, a Philadelphia native, said he wanted to earn his degree in teaching to create positive change in the lives of city kids. “I’ve got memories of great mentors that I had and how they made a difference in my life so I’m just hoping that I can do the same thing,” he said. All of the residents at AMY Northwest agreed they learn from both their mentor and their students. “There are a lot of masters programs that get you a teaching certificate, but this one is a concentrated program where you can do it all in one year and I thought that was a really good thing,” said 54-year-old Michael Shumaker, who is approaching
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ADJUNCTS
objections from Temple and certainly not from the adjuncts.” “Before this all happened we settled an agreement with administration in 2014, and it’s a four-year agreement,” Hochner added. “We’re going to have to go to the bargaining table.” The union surveyed adjuncts about what they wanted before the vote, Hochner said. “[The accretion] gives adjuncts a
PATRICK CLARK TTN
John Sender stands in his classroom at AMY Northwest Middle School in Roxborough.
his third career and fourth degree. “Also they place you in a classroom for a whole year—we get a lot more extensive exposure to students over the course of a year and we get to work with a mentor teacher for a whole year. I think part of it is that as my third career I get to be able to work with students in an urban setting where there is definitely a need for science and math teachers.” “It was too good of an opportunity to pass up,” said Aashita Batra, Temple undergraduate alumna and current graduate student in the teacher residency program at AMY Northwest. Dean Gregory Anderson of the College of Education believes the program is worth the federal government’s investment, in addition to the school’s contributions. The program will be evaluated
by an outside source to ensure the effectiveness of the program, as well as ensuring the program is producing the highest quality teachers. “The proof has to be in the pudding,” he said. “We want to validate that we’re preparing quality teachers and the only way to do that is through evaluation so I think that it’s going to make a difference.” “We have a great team at the College of Education, and I’m really proud of what has been done,” Anderson added. “I think it’s the beginning of something really important for Temple and specifically for the College of Education.”
voice in their employment, and we want to show that and make sure they are heard,” he said. “The first job is for the union to listen to them and present it to Temple. ... We do that with the full-time faculty as well.” TAUP is looking to change its leadership structure as well as its constitution to include adjuncts. “I’m glad we’re going to have a united voice, and I’m looking forward to meeting with [Temple] and discussing things,” Hochner said. “A lot of time and money was spent on this, and I’m glad it’s over.”
Provost Hai-Lung Dai sent an email to university adjuncts informing them of the ballot results Nov. 25, and added the university will begin working with TAUP to create a collective bargaining agreement that includes adjuncts. Ray Betzner, a university spokesman, said Temple will negotiate with TAUP after its constitution is amended. “We have to wait on the union,” Betzner said. “The next steps are theirs.”
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* gillian.mcgoldrick@temple.edu T @gill_mcgoldrick
* lian.parsons@temple.edu T @Lian_Parsons
lifestyle
The Owlery The features blog of The Temple News
FOR DRIVERS AND RIDERS
A BALANCING ACT
The Motor Vehicle Association of Temple University is a student organization for motor vehicle enthusiasts. PAGE 18
Kathryn Unterberger, a Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts student, finds the time to be a model, actress and mother.
PROFESSOR DISCUSSES HAIR POLITICS Lori Tharps, an assistant professor of journalism, will host a lecture titled “Hair’s The Thing,” which will discuss the politics and pop culture regarding Black hair. PAGE 18
TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
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ON-CAMPUS EVENT
WOMEN FIND THEIR VOICES TOGETHER Students discussed the portrayal of women in popular culture at the sixth Global Women’s Dialogue. By JENNY ROBERTS The Temple News
D
uring her 15 years of teaching, Dr. Donna Marie Peters, a professor in the sociology department, noticed many of the Muslim women in her classes were not speaking up. She wanted to find a way to encourage them to share their voices. “I realized that they come from gender segregated environments,” Peters said. “So I thought, ‘Well why don’t I try to make it a space only for women, because they’re comfortable with that?’” Peters created the Global Women’s Dialogue in 2013 aimed specifically at helping women in her classes and on Main Campus find their voices. She has held this event every semester since then, focusing the dialogues on topics like “Microaggressions” and “Women and Activism.” The most recent Global Women’s Dialogue was held Nov. 13 in the Women’s Studies Lounge of Anderson Hall, where about 50 people gathered to discuss this year’s theme of the ways women are portrayed in pop culture. “If [the dialogue] got them thinking about the influence of popular culture in their lives, they have more control over their lives and the images that they buy into,” Peters said. “They have power over what influences them.”
The dialogue began with spoken word performances by the poetry duo Yellow Rage, composed of Catzie Vilayphonh and Michelle Myers, an adjunct assistant professor in the Asian studies department. The two performed poems like “I’m a Woman, Not a Flava” and “Listen A------” which addressed stereotypes about Asian Americans, specifically Asian women. Myers told the crowd the duo confronts stereotypes about the passivity of Asian women by using profanity in their poems, which she said often bothers some audience members. “People just don’t seem to get it,” Myers said. “If you make me
ELIZABETH MAVER TTN
Michelle Myers, part of Yellow Rage poetry group, performs at the sixth biannual Global Women’s Dialogue Nov. 13.
that angry, that’s how I’m going to sound.” Following these performances, representatives from the seven student organizations and sororities that helped Peters organize the event gave presentations related to women in pop culture. Robyn Moore, a senior sociology major from the Sociology Undergraduate Majors and Minors Association, helped lead a presentation about the sociological theory behind popular culture.
WOMEN | PAGE 17
Researcher talks about problems of financial aid
PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Not the end for graduating student
A discussion on college financial inequality took place Nov. 19.
Ray Smeriglio, former TSG student body president, is graduating this month.
By JENNY STEIN The Temple News
By LIAN PARSONS Assistant News Editor Temple football and basketball games have one feature no teams from other schools have: Ray Smeriglio’s voice encouraging fans and keeping score over the speakers. Smeriglio, a senior strategic communications major, was contacted in 2012 by then-Associate Director of Marketing and Promotions Scott Walcoff to start announcing a few football and basketball games throughout the season. Ever since, Smeriglio’s distinct voice could be heard booming across the stands at basketball, football and field hockey games. “I’ve always been a basketball guy my whole life,” he said. “It’s been really fun … being a part of the action.” Smeriglio, also the former student body president of Temple Student Government, is graduating this month after four-and-ahalf years at Temple. He has been active in TSG since his sophomore year, where his involvement began as an Owl Ambassador which helped him “hone in on [his] public speaking skills, Temple knowledge and Temple pride,” Smeriglio said. In 2012, he became the director of university pride and traditions for TSG and was elected student body president for the 2014-15 academic year. Smeriglio said the experience helped him become “truly conscious of other people’s experiences.” “It’s easy to minimize people’s issues because you don’t understand what they’re going through,” he said. “I thought I could be the one to take [TSG] to the next level and make sure the student voice is heard over and over again in a multiplicity of issues.” Ryan Rinaldi, TSG’s current student body president, became
LIFESTYLE@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
MARGO REED TTN FILE PHOTO
Ray Smeriglio was TSG’s student body president for the 2014-15 academic year.
friends with Smeriglio in the transition process between the two administrations. “We’re different people and run TSG differently,” Rinaldi said. “It’s very professional but we have a great amount of mutual respect for each other. … I appreciate his friendship.” “I learned early on in that transition process what kind of role I play,” Rinaldi added. “I saw that role when I saw him disagree with administration in putting students first. It’s easy in those meetings to be a ‘yes man,’ but when you’ve earned the respect of a room and you can agree, that’s an amazing thing. While it’s easy to say your first job and priority is representing the students,
SMERIGLIO | PAGE 17
At Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab’s presentation for the Dean’s Symposium event, she told a group of college students what they already know: the financial aid system does not work. “We have to understand that it’s broken in 100 ways, and then we can start rebuilding it,” Goldrick-Rab said Nov. 19 in Morgan Hall. “But I don’t think most people realize it’s that broken. I think most people just think it’s cracked—this thing is broken into shards, and it’s hurting people.” Goldrick-Rab, the 2014 recipient of the Early Career Award from the American Educational Research Association, has researched the detrimental effects of the current financial aid system in the United States, as well as ways to make college more affordable. She also co-edited a book titled “Reinventing Financial Aid: Charting a New Course to College Affordability,” and will soon release a book, “Paying the Price: College Costs and the Betrayal of the American Dream.” She currently works as a professor of educational policy studies and sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is also the founding director of the Wisconsin HOPE Lab, a team of about 30 professionals researching college affordability. “We have spent over $3 trillion on financial aid problems, and income inequality has grown,” Goldrick-Rab said. “It’s not the fault of financial aid, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying it’s clearly not getting the job
COLLEGE | PAGE 18
LIFESTYLE
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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
Student spotlight
A balancing act for student, mother Kathryn Unterberger is a model, actress, mother and student. By JACQUELYN FRICKE The Temple News Some of the “special skills” mentioned on Kathryn Unterberger’s resume are typical of an actress: improv, runway modeling and singing. Not so typical, but certainly in her repertoire of special skills, is her ability to juggle being a mother, a model, an actress and a student. Unterberger, a film and media arts major, is a model, actress, aspiring filmmaker and mother. She started her career as a model and has walked the runway at Fashion Week in New York City. “It’s all networking,” Unterberger said. “I started off with an individual photographer in the Poconos, and then I had a good friend from high school who did castings for smaller runway productions. From there I just met people—if they gave me their card, I followed up.” It was tough balancing modeling gigs while taking care of her son Issac. “I was doing all of these auditions in New York and I was working in the club industry at night,” Unterberger said. “I would work from 9 p.m. until 4 a.m. I would then make it
for my 8 a.m. lecture, or take my son to daycare in the morning, and sleep during the day.” She recently enrolled Issac, soon to be five years old, in a private school in Chestnut Hill. “Isaac is a very interesting child because he articulates what he is saying,” she said. “He is like a little old man, because he will sit there and have a conversation with you. I have never shied away from big words
with him.” Unterberger is also a model for Natalya Koval, a Fashion Institute of Technology student who designed a dress for Michelle Obama last year. Koval said she enjoyed working with Unterberger. “Not only is she talented, but she is also smart,” Koval said. “She is a great improviser and takes direction well.” Even though she started with
modeling, Unterberger sees her future in the film industry. With experience from modeling, she has been cast in a number of films, most recently as a waitress in “Back in the Day,” a film directed by Paul Borghese which releases next year, in which she has a few lines. “Modeling was what pushed me to get into the professional film world,” Unterberger said. Unterberger is studying film and
media arts to round out her understanding of the film industry in hopes of directing her own movie. She said Temple has helped her foster her talents and satiate her curiosity for learning. “I love being here because I love the diversity of the students,” Unterberger said. “I also like the professors because they seem to have an overwhelming abundance of information to give you. I want to learn facts and conversation pieces, so that I can finagle my way into conversations later on.” At the moment, school has taken precedence over work for Unterberger, as she has only been taking weekend trips to New York. She said her motivation comes not only from wanting to constantly improve, but also from her friends who have seen success. “When I see that, I get up every day and I’m fine—you take it one day at a time,” she added. Her boyfriend Timothy Davis sees Unterberger’s success so far as a result of the culmination of her past and present experiences. “She was always very driven but the motherhood aspect ignited a personal self-confidence where she really felt like she had to be more for her son,” Davis said. * jacquelyn.taylor.fricke@temple.edu
MATT McGRAW TTN
Kathryn Unterberger holds her four-year-old son, Isaac Nov. 18. Unterberger is a model, actress, writer, mother and student at Temple’s Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts.
TEMPLE THEATERS
staff spotlight
Play uses history to address racial issues “A Free Man of Color” is the last production of Temple Theaters’ season. By IMAN SULTAN The Temple News Jacques Cornet, a black man from 19th-century Louisiana, speaks to Thomas Jefferson about his hypocrisy of being a slave owner and yet proclaiming, “All men are created equal” in the Declaration of Independence. Overwhelmed with passion, he yells, “I can’t breathe,” several times, and the stage of Temple Theaters’ production of “A Free Man of Color” becomes a Black Lives Matter protest. It was the final moment of the play, which used humor and history to illustrate modern racial injustices. “The first act is so funny, comical, you’re just loving it,” said Kalen Allen, a sophomore theater and film double major with a concentration in acting, who played Cornet, the main character. “And the second act you take this awkward turn you really weren’t prepared for. What used to be funny, it makes very ironic.” Temple Theaters’ final production of the fall season, “A Free Man of Color,” played from Nov. 11-21 at Randall Theater. The play, written by playwright John Guare, tells the satirical story of a wealthy black heir from Louisiana. Freed from slavery, Cornet is a partier, womanizer and slaveowner, obsessed with wealth and women. But his fabulous lifestyle takes a turn for the worst when the United States purchases Louisiana from France. Allen said the plot twist served to critique his character’s hypocrisy. “In the beginning, he’s talking about how equality is a myth, how it’s not a real thing,” he said. “But he expects to be treated like an equal, but he doesn’t treat other people like that.” The play takes place amid the history of the Haitian revolution, Napoleon’s worldwide empire and the settler
colonial enterprise that is the U.S. “People kind of look at history as this dream that we’ve woken up from and don’t have to think about,” said James Reilly, a sophomore double major in English and theater with a concentration in acting, who played Cornet’s jealous white half-brother, Zeus-Marie Pincepousse. “The way the play ends is a fresh reminder that our history is still being written, and our history is not something that we can just throw away or run away from.” Allen agreed on the play’s relevance to the present day. “Slavery has affected the African American community, still to this day,” Allen said. “We live off the scars of our ancestors. Those people were me. And my blood runs through them.” The show’s diversity also helped represent racial minorities in the theater world. Doug Wager, artistic director of Temple Theaters and director of “A Free Man of Color,” said one of the department’s goals is to have proper representation. “We have a diverse student population—it’s a reflection of the world that they live in,” Wager said. For Allen, the role was significant because he said it’s rare for black men to play lead roles in stage performances. “When I got this role, I was kind of taken aback,” he said. “I get my last curtain bow. I get that last bow this time. And that was something I thought I’d never be able to experience, just because it wasn’t available.” “I’m very thankful [Temple Theaters] have given me this opportunity, because this could be my only opportunity, because there aren’t a lot of shows that are written like ‘A Free Man of Color,’” he added. Wager said the play doesn’t necessarily solve social justice problems, but it helps expose audiences to the historical context of racial inequality. “It’s understanding what went wrong,” he said. “By doing that, it empowers you to have more ideas how to fix it.” * iman.sultan@temple.edu
PATRICK CLARK TTN
Brian Dressler (left), and his wife Olga Dressler are developing a cider company Dressler Cider.
A new taste for local start-up Olga Dressler has been working with her husband to start their own cider company. By JENNY STEIN The Temple News A Temple web developer, along with her husband, are starting up their own line of craft beverages: hard cider. Olga Dressler, an alumna and current web developer in the strategic marketing and communications department, plans to officially launch her company Dressler Cider in Spring 2016. To make her cider, Dressler uses only natural flavorings and locally-sourced apples from Pennsylvania. Hoping to finalize a location this December, the couple has been producing the cider under home-brew regulations, and has even conducted organized tastings. They plan to initially produce on a small scale and then refine the cider based on consumer feedback. In addition to the fact that Pennsylvania is the fourth largest apple-growing state in the country,
according to usapple.org, Dressler finds several other reasons to use locally-sourced apples. “My husband and I are both from right outside Philadelphia,” she said. “It was really important for us to build relationships from places we know and places we’ve known in our past. That gives us the ability to have connection to our raw materials really quickly.” She also finds it important to be mindful of the impact their product has on the environment. Currently, Dressler Cider has three flavors: Classic, Farmhouse and English. The flavors are tailored not only from the different types of yeast they use, but also from different kinds of apples. “There’s a lot of different components to it, and it’s really cool to see,” Dressler said. “The process is fairly simple, but then you can change a lot of the variables and make something really complex at the same time.” With her husband’s engineering background and her marketing perspective, the couple has been able to craft and develop the product successfully. Dressler was a student in the graphic and interactive design department, and also worked as support to the senior web developer of the information technology depart-
ment at the time. It was when she realized the crossover of design and development that she began working for the strategic marketing and communications department. Because of her affiliation with Temple, the couple was able to attend the Blackstone LaunchPad entrepreneurship program and receive a scholarship that would give them business venture opportunities. They also attended the Forbes Under 30 Summit and have now been working with Blackstone LaunchPad for more than a year. “Blackstone LaunchPad helped us figure out the first iteration of how we wanted to present ourselves as a company,” Dressler said. “With Blackstone LaunchPad, we’ve had a lot of networking opportunities and we’ve been able to get our questions answered.” Dressler said she is eager to further apply her knowledge of the cider industry into her company, as well as evolve her ciders’ flavors. “We would try some new products that we haven’t tried before, and expand the product line further in the future,” she said. “Slowly but surely, of course.” * jenny.stein@temple.edu
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ARTISTS TACKLE SOCIAL ISSUES
TYLER STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE AT EVENT
A new exhibit at the African American Museum in Philadelphia displayed the work of several local artists responding to police brutality. PAGE 10
Craft NOW’s inaugural craft fair at the Kimmel Center provided a hands-on experience with different kinds of handmade arts, including demonstrations by Tyler students and professors. PAGE 11
TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
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ART
FOCUSING ON THE UNSEEN
Remembering the work of artist, alumnus Aaron Shikler, known for his paintings of American politicians like John F. Kennedy, passed away Nov. 12 at 93. By GRACE MAIORANO The Temple News
Walking into a corner store on Diamond near 16th, Theodore stopped a resident, complimented his salmon-colored sneakers, and casually began shooting. “So yeah, I’m a photographer. I don’t mean to just come at you, bro,” Theodore told the man. Plastered onto the pages of Ebony and Complex, and cast as a featured photographer by Instagram and The New Yorker, Theodore’s photography of urban black neighborhoods has gained recognition within the past year. Recently, Theodore photographed Philadelphia Orchestra's assistant principal bassist Joseph Conyers against the backdrop of a graffitied building on American Street for JUMP magazine. JUMP’s photo editor, Mike Bucher, said he immediately noticed Theodore’s friendly interaction with his subjects. “He immediately gets [Conyers] real comfortable and has a few things already planned, where he wants to go,” Bucher said. “Just like little, little corners or nooks of the building.” This month at the Painted Bride Art Center, Theodore’s solo show “The Avenues” will display photographs taken on iconic
A Temple influence lies in the shadings and shadows of paintings on the White House’s walls. Aaron Shikler, a Tyler School of Art alumnus and the artist behind works depicting presidents like John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, passed away Nov. 12 in Manhattan at the age of 93 due to kidney failure, according to the Washington Post. The Brooklyn-born painter enrolled at Tyler in 1940 when it stood at its original location in Elkins Park, just five years after its founding by sculptors Stella Elkins Tyler and Boris Blai. “Coming from the High School of Music and Art in New York, this is a man who probably could have gone anywhere, but he came to Tyler,” said Dr. Jo-Anna Moore, a retired associate professor emeritus of art education at Tyler. “There was enough of a community, a pull, a place, a philosophy, that attracted him.” During the height of World War II, Shikler was drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1943, pausing the pursuit of his artistic training. After returning to Tyler in 1947, he received his bachelor’s degree in art and education as well as a master’s degree in fine art. In an era before digital technology, Tyler accented lessons on still life, landscape and portraits. Shikler experienced a classical curriculum, with training that stressed technicality through material, Moore said, who is currently writing a book on the history of Tyler. In the first 15 years of the school, students received an intensive background in material and processes of painting. These methods were of European influence, like grinding lint seed for oil paints. “Although he would have evolved out of those methods, he would always use that foundation of materials,” Moore said. “These methods were embedded into him at a very important stage of his development as an artist and all
THEODORE | PAGE 11
SHIKLER | PAGE 14
KHANYA BRANN TTN
Shawn Theodore photographs Tim Howard at T&Y Deli on Diamond near 16th. His work is currently at the Painted Bride Art Center.
Alumnus Shawn Theodore specializes in photographing urban neighborhoods. By ANGELA GERVASI The Temple News
“T
he sun is going to set in 15 minutes,” said alumnus and street photographer Shawn Theodore. “Too soon.” He sped down Girard Avenue, a camera in his BMW—his latest effort to salvage the fading rays of sunlight he uses to illuminate his photographs. “I love natural light, I love shadow and color,” Theodore said. “Those are my things. And, you know, people, too. You’ve got to have people.” He shoots his subjects discreetly at first, an attempt to preserve the candidness of the image. Then, he starts a conversation.
Film examines Temple-community relations After proposed plans for an on-campus stadium, the student-producers of “We All Live Here” feel their work is not done. By VICTORIA MIER A&E Editor Last November, three students had the same idea. “All three of us had the same sense of, ‘Something is off-balance about the relationship between the university and the community of North Philadelphia,’” said 2015 media studies and production alumnus Tyler Horst. Horst was taking the “Genres in Media Production” class with Vanessa Edwards and Blake Morgan-Gamber. All three were asked to create an idea for a documentary—and Horst, Edwards and Morgan-Gamber pitched the same thing. “We wanted to really get to know the actual history and stories of people in this community and seeing … What can be done better about hav-
ing an actual dialogue?” Horst said. Classmate Jessica Pacheco joined the team and the beginnings of what would come to be, “We All Live Here” were formed. The documentary set out to examine the relationship between North Philadelphia and Temple. The students focused on issues like gentrification, the closure of William Penn High School and the expansion of Temple’s boundaries into the existing neighborhoods. Though the documentary officially premiered last December, it’s “still relevant,” Edwards said, because of “the cycle of redevelopment and reconstruction and real estate” going on not only in Philadelphia, but “in every city across America.” For Horst, the reports of the new on-campus football
DOCUMENTARY | PAGE 14
We wanted to “ really get to know
the actual history and stories of people in this community.
”
Tyler Horst | alumnus and co-producer of film
EVAN EASTERLING TTN
Tyler Horst, a 2015 media studies and production alumnus, produced “We All Live Here,” a documentary focusing on the relationship between Temple and the North Philadelphia community.
ARTSandENTERTAINMENT@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
Exploring racial, social issues with art A new exhibit asked local artists to tackle the issue of police brutality. By GILLIAN MCGOLDRICK The Temple News
EVAN EASTERLING TTN
West Philadelphia resident Ali Roseberry-Polier viewed the “OUTCRY!” art exhibition.
On a length of brown construction paper spanning a table, eight lines scribbled in Sharpie questioned progress throughout history. “50 years ago / I protested for / The same things – / For black lives – / For equal rights – / For pride & power. / Why are we doing it again? / Didn’t anyone hear us?” This piece is just one of the elements in the “OUTCRY!” exhibit at the Christ Church Meetinghouse at 20 N. American St. In the open room of old brick walls and creaky floors, several local artists expressed their frustration with the issues of police brutality through various mediums. The exhibit, produced by the African American Museum in Philadelphia and First Person Arts, featured 25 different pieces of art, ranging from woodwork to collage, created by artists like Raphael Tiberino, Michael Wiley and Leroy Johnson. Brittany Webb, a curatorial and research assistant at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, said choosing a favorite medium in the show was difficult, but she enjoyed the exhibit’s photography pieces of protest and portraiture. “I’m really moved by faces of people in the community,” Webb said. “I think it’s really important for people to see themselves reflected in this kind of visual imagery. These conversations about the Black Lives Matter movement and about police brutality don’t often get the nuances of the political moment and community responses and photography for me is all really beautiful.” Senior printmaking major Jademan Baker was one of the artists featured in this exhibit.
She used a thermofax technique to create a wearable print to illustrate the stares she has faced because of her race. “This was pretty much about my experience with racism at a previous institution that I was at and how I would get these stares from other students,” Baker said. “My idea was to give this ‘stare’ a physicality like, ‘How does it feel [to experience racism] physically, mentally,’ and the toll that this stare is having in my life, which was really strange because I have never felt anything like that before.” “It kind of seems it may be pessimistic, but not from my point of view,” she added. “It’s optimistic and encouraging people to share their experiences about racism if they have ever gone through something like that.” Another painting featured in “OUTCRY!” was Brian Gaither’s “Accountability.” The Penn State student’s monochromatic piece depicted two officers arresting a fellow police officer. “What I wanted to convey was that police need to be held accountable for brutality in African American communities,” Gaither said. “The only way that they can be held accountable is that the law enforcement institutions that employ these officers must hold them accountable when they make decisions that are unethical.” Gaither wanted to make his painting a positive one, looking to the future to end police brutality. “I was trying to close the dilemma for police officer brutality,” he said. The exhibit featured other local artists and photographers including American Queen TJD, Marco Hill and Tyler alumna Jennifer Young. Baker believes conversations about police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement need to be had in Philadelphia and across the country. “Racism still exists,” she said. * gillian.mcgoldrick@temple.edu
THEATER
Classical music, activism: not a ‘traditional narrative’ Kaleid Theatre’s production examines why modern society throws people and things away. By EMILY THOMAS The Temple News Theater ensemble Kaleid Theatre believes there are islands of trash in the oceans and cities worth of people in prisons—and the group wants to examine why. The Philadelphia theater group’s latest production, “Undiscarded,” tackles issues like pollution and prison reform. The show, which ran Nov. 20-22 at the Luna Theater on 620 S. 8th St., asks its audience: Why is society so quick to throw away both people and things?
Kaleid Theatre started an Indiegogo fundraiser earlier this month to help fund the show and pay the participating artists. The group raised $748 of its $900 goal. Kaleid Theatre combined music and activism to create the show and tackle issues concerning the environment, prison reform and homelessness advocacy. “The piece is a combination of scenes with specific characters who experience and do certain things, interwoven with statistics about the issues, quotations about the issues, dances and video interviews with activists who work on these issues, and who themselves have varying personal experiences with the issues at the focus of the piece,” said artistic director Sarah Mitteldorf. “To me, it feels a bit like a mosaic.” The show blends statistics, interviews and personal experiences with music to put a new perspective on prominent issues in the community. Mitteldorf said she hopes viewers can re-
examine topics relevant to their lives and think about them in a new way. “We feel that the things we want to talk about most in our community tend to be more challenging to talk about, and a lot of times that’s because these experiences can be multifaceted,” she added. “We want to explore these multi-faceted and occasionally conflicting experiences in ways that sometimes language by itself can’t accomplish, because these stories don’t always fit into a traditional narrative.” Graduate student and classical composer Benjamin Safran, who will write his Ph.D. dissertation on the connection between music and activism, took on the challenge of combining classical music with facts and statistics. “The statistics pieces actually came out really well because the statistics themselves have so much power in what they’re saying, but the power isn’t always clear by just reading them through," Safran said. “It’s a lot of numbers so
the music, in that case, can really bring out that power that’s already in them.” Safran noted more often than not, classical music and activism do not go hand in hand. He pointed out sometimes the corporations funding classical concerts are the same ones promoting oppressive environments. “In a lot of cases in my world as a classical composer, I feel disconnected from activism," Safran said. “This project is trying to connect those things and to me that’s really exciting.” “One of the best parts of working on this project was meeting so many passionate, intelligent people,” Mitteldorf said. “People who are so dedicated to working on these problems, to making people’s lives better and to making the world more open to itself.” * emily.ralsten.thomas@temple.edu
MUSIC
From mausoleum to recording studio, an alternative venue PhilaMOCA hosts events like concerts and screenings in its multi-use space. By EMILY SCOTT The Temple News
When PhilaMOCA isn’t running more than 250 shows per week, the space is quiet. The half-dozen volunteers relax and watch a film on the large screen in the space, including Sean Coleman, an eighth grader who lives a few blocks away. Coleman is PhilaMOCA’s “mascot,” as described by the venue’s director and curator, Eric Bresler. Coleman’s smiling face can be seen on a mural near the front of the building. Bresler said he considers most of the work at the Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art “unclassifiable.” The multi-purpose art space hosts concerts, film screenings and other art-related events he said goes against the mainstream arts. “My interest’s all over the place so my immediate goal was to make this multi-disciplinary and just invite all sorts of art in,” Bresler said.
Music producer Diplo purchased the nineteenth-century mausoleum in the mid-2000s to use as a recording studio and the home base of his label, Mad Decent. When Diplo left Philadelphia, he rented the building out to Gavin Hecker, who founded PhilaMOCA as a recording space for musicians. In 2012, Bresler took over after Hecker’s relocation to New York. Bresler said there are a lot of multi-disciplinary spaces like Cha-Cha’razzi, Goldilocks Gallery and Little Berlin, but the large size and low rental prices of PhilaMOCA sets it apart. “It is important to have a space where the arts can thrive and where you don’t have to jump through hoops to book something,” Bresler said. “If I get pitched for an event by an artist I have never heard of and I’m just wowed by their work, than they are more than welcome.” Bresler graduated from Drexel in 2001 with a degree in film and video production. Prior to his time at PhilaMOCA, Bresler was working for the Philadelphia Film Society. “I was very disillusioned with the state of film in the city,” Bresler said. “I wanted a venue where I could program films that I was both interested in and felt like the city should be exposed to.” Right off the bat, Bresler began hosting burlesque shows and installed a screen that would be paramount to the films shown
at PhilaMOCA. The Drexel graduate wanted to showcase films that would otherwise never make their way to Philly. “Last week, we showed an Ethiopian film called ‘Crumbs’ and we had 140 people and turned away another 40,” Bresler said.
My interest’s all “ over the place, so my
immediate goal was to make this multidisciplinary and just invite all sorts of art in.
”
Eric Bresler | PhilaMOCA director and curator
Bresler established the “Eraserhood Forever” night honoring filmmaker David Lynch, who lived just a few blocks away from PhilaMOCA in the 1960s. Bresler added PhilaMOCA is different than most other arts organizations in Philadelphia because it is not considered a nonprofit.
“We don’t take corporate sponsorships, there are no membership fees,” Bresler said. “We completely rely on our own creativity to hopefully draw in enough people to make it work and we do.” One of the volunteers and curators, Jay Bilinsky, a 2012 studio art alumnus, said he enjoys how each arts event is different. “Since we do such a wide range of events from movie screenings to burlesque shows, it is nice getting out to see all these different things that I wouldn’t otherwise see,” Bilinsky said. “It has opened my eyes to what is going on in Philly.” PhilaMOCA is also host to public access shows like “Mausoleum Party,” which includes all of the disciplines of comedy, music and performance art. The organizers filmed seven episodes this year to be featured on Philadelphia Community Access Media. Bresler said he hopes people will follow in his example of hosting alternative events. “It was always about providing the city of Philadelphia with an alternative to what has always been here and that is what it is still about,” Bresler said. “Hopefully people will say 'We don’t need to start a nonprofit. We can find a place and just be creative and survive.’” * emily.ivy.scott@temple.edu
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Showcasing Philly as a ‘capital of craft’ Craft NOW hosted its first craft fair, featuring work from the Tyler School of Art. By ERIN BLEWETT The Temple News Clara Hollander believes Philadelphia is the world’s “capital of craft.” Hollander, a 1963 secondary education alumna, is a co-chair of nonprofit organization Craft NOW Philadelphia. The consortium promotes arts based in wood, clay, fiber, metal and glass, and hosted its first craft fair, CraftNOWCreate, at the Kimmel Center Nov. 14. The fair is an initiative to showcase Philadelphia's strength as a craft city, said Maria Möller, the organization’s project manager. “I was at an awards show for The American Craft Council, and I realized that a third of the recipients were from Philadelphia,” Hollander said. “Traditionally, artists and art communities are understaffed, underfunded and overworked. What this is meant to do is it to unify the best that Philadelphia has to offer, and to make this an international capital for craft because we can do that.” The fair featured work from students and professors of Tyler’s fiber and ceramics departments, including a student-built 3D printer. “I love working with kids,” senior ceramics major Patrick Hargraves said. “I think that
DANIEL RAINVILLE TTN
Sybil Bullock and her granddaughter, Godiva Bullock, 8, look at 3D printed ceramics.
when I was a kid, I just had some really profound experiences working with mosaics and murals. I think back on those times where someone showed me something really cool with art, and I always try to facilitate those experiences rather than squash them.” Ceramics professor Nicholas Kripal said exposing children to art at a young age is important. He said he believes exposure can help children perform better in higher education courses, which coincided with Hollander's hopes for the event.
“Our target was children so that they could be introduced to this so that art isn't foreign to them,” Hollander said. “What we are really trying to do is draw a broad spectrum of family, kids, collectors and people that just enjoy buying crafts.” Kripal also appreciated the opportunity to put Tyler back into the public eye. “I think that the real thing that distinguishes Tyler is that we are very selective on the undergraduate level,” Kripal said. “The whole philosophy at Tyler is that you need to know ev-
erything about art before you specialize in any one area. I remember when [the Kimmel Center] was being built, and how it was going to be a center that people could come to for events like this. I think that it’s only recently that it is really starting to happen. It’s good to see. This whole Craft NOW thing has been excellent because it has brought a lot of organizations in the city together.” April Hennessey, a 1992 graphic design alumna, attended the event with her young son and was particularly attracted to the giant loom set up by the fibers department. “This is a great piece for kids to work with,” Hennessey said. “We come to the free concerts at the Kimmel Center and it’s really cool,” she added. “I think it’s nice to come back and have the opportunity to explore all of those different crafts.” Senior fibers and material studies major Marina Caprara volunteered to work the event at the Kimmel Center with two of her professors, and a fellow crafts major. “It’s fun to see how well they are able to do these things,” Caprara said. “I think it is really important to expose kids to art at young ages.” Hollander is pleased with the debut of CraftNOWCreate. “We are trying to make sure there is a real appreciation for art, crafts and well crafted objects,” Hollander said. “We are trying to display the vitality of the city.” * erin.clare.blewett@temple.edu
FOOD
EVAN EASTERLING TTN
Anney Thomas, co-owner of Chaat and Chai, prepares one of two teas she makes every day.
Bringing Indian street fare, teas to South Philly tables Chaat and Chai opened in South Philadelphia Nov. 10. By MADELINE PRESLAND The Temple News Bright parasols, a wall of mirrors and the tinge of spice in the air greet patrons who walk through the doors of alumna Anney Thomas’ new Indian restaurant. Chaat and Chai opened at 1532 Snyder Ave. Nov. 10. Thomas’ original vision for her business was a natural food store with spices and tea, but when she moved into the neighborhood, she realized it was missing something else. Thomas and business partner Margie Felton decided to bring casual South Indian cuisine to South Philly after seeing the small space on Snyder Avenue. Their first night was a full house. “We got bombarded,” Thomas said of the restaurant's first week. “We would be here until 2 a.m., go home and come back at 7 a.m.” “We ran out of everything every day,” Felton said. Chaat, part of the restaurant's namesake, is a dish made of fried dough with meat or vegetables and chutney. Some of Chaat and Chai’s menu puts a spin on the traditional street food. Traditional Indian chai is not the kind of chai ordered in most coffee shops; the black tea is brewed with milk or cream, sugar and plenty of spices. Thomas currently sells two varieties—one with ginger and one with black pepper. She plans to have a third variety of chai available as a rotating special to compliment the cuisine. “We decided that chaats are fun to eat and they are delicious,” Thomas said. “So why not do ours a little bit differently and change the flavors? Street fare is lowbrow in India. It’s like getting a hot dog here. Although it is delicious, you go because it is a necessity. My mom doesn’t get why I’m doing street food.” The art and decor in the restaurant further
Thomas' image of serving Indian street food. In the dining room, bright parasols hang from the ceiling above tables surrounded by vibrantly painted mismatched chairs. A perfect painted depiction of Rosie from the 1965 film “Guide” stares from the rear wall. The main wall represents a colorfully painted Indian truck with “Horn Okay Please” jutting out from bright stars and other geometrical shapes—in addition to a white cow. “What’s better than doing street art with street food?” Thomas said. The menu includes shareable small plates and elements of fusion cooking, including Indian BBQ chicken wings. Thomas went to several Indian restaurants around Philly to see what they serve and how they serve it. “We don’t have anything on the menu right now that is served in the traditional way,” Thomas said. “I think that a lot of people don’t know much about Indian food. They don’t really know what they’re ordering. They’re ordering it because they recognize shrimp, or whatever. I want to make it more fun.” Thomas’ family is from the Kerala region of India, which is located on the southern coast. South Indian cuisine differs from North Indian in a few different ways. It substitutes coconut for cream and has more spice. Being on the coast, fish is more commonly served. The other major difference in the cuisine is beef. In 24 out of the 29 states in India, cow slaughter is heavily restricted or outlawed. But Kerala has a large Christian population, so beef dishes are very popular. Thomas pays homage by serving Kerala beef short ribs, which are served like a plate of tacos. “It’s a way to introduce Indian food to people who are scared or unsure about how it is,” Thomas said. “Like if you present it to them in a taco form, they’ll be like ‘Oh a taco, I get it. But it’s Indian!’” Dinner is served at Chaat and Chai from 4-9 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday and 4-10 p.m on Fridays. The restaurant is open on Saturdays 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. * madeline.presland@temple.edu
KHANYA BRANN TTN
Alumnus Shawn Theodore’s work is featured in a new exhibit at the Painted Bride Art Center.
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THEODORE
Philadelphia roads, like Diamond Street and Ridge Avenue. “You find yourself wondering, ‘Oh man, what was this like when it was in the ‘70s or whatever,’” Theodore said. “That kind of thing is what got me shooting.” His work often includes shots of pedestrians who clash against luminous backgrounds—a pale lavender brick wall or a shadowy earth-colored garage door. Theodore observes neighborhoods,
al—he began his photography career snapping photos in Brooklyn, and has explored cities like Camden, New Jersey and Baltimore, Maryland— but his Olney roots and familiarity with Philadelphia shine in his local work. After graduating from Parkway Program High School, Theodore enrolled at the Tyler School of Art. Craving a business savvy profession and guided by a love of writing, he switched to study a major Temple used to offer: a combination of journalism, public relations and advertising. The day his classmates walked at graduation, the alumnus walked into an interview that landed him his first job out of college.
You know, if you find a 90-year-old woman “ walking by a modern Lego-house, there’s some juxtaposition there that you can express visually.” Shawn Theodore | alumnus and photographer
sometimes for months, before beginning to shoot. Recently, he studied the Frankford section of Northeast Philadelphia. “It’s not as friendly as the rest of Philadelphia,” he said. “As I say, it’s true Philadelphia … and I love it.” Theodore rarely shoots a setting that has been engulfed by what he refers to as “hipster life”—unless gentrification is part of the story. Often, it is. “You know, if you find a 90-year-old woman walking by a modern Lego-house, there’s some juxtaposition there that you can express visually,” Theodore said. Although a proud Temple alumnus, he doesn’t hesitate to rebuke the university’s interaction with the community that surrounds it. Theodore said North Philadelphia has become almost extinct. “If you don’t have a school to send your kids to, why live in the neighborhood?" Theodore said. “It’s a really weird cycle. And that’s the thing that I’m trying to capture. This mood of the cycle.” The scope of Theodore’s lens is nation-
“That was part of my pitch,” Theodore said. “I was like, ‘I could be at my graduation, walking, but I’m here’, and that actually got people’s attention.” Photojournalism wasn’t part of Theodore’s career until long after he graduated; he worked instead in public relations, crafting companies with colleagues. Lacking a single photography class, he rode a bike through North Philadelphia, shooting and uploading images of “chop shops”—spaces where vendors sell stolen cars and car parts. The first of Theodore’s Philadelphian photos were met with shock, fear and confusion from family members. But he viewed his early work as pure journalism. “There was no intent of malice on my part,” Theodore said. “I just wanted to show, this is the side of Philly you’re never going to really see. Or come in contact with these people. Let’s look at their lives, and see what they do.” * angela.gervasi@temple.edu
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PATRICK CLARK TTN
Alternative rock band My Morning Jacket played a sold-out show at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby Nov. 19. The band is currently touring to support its seventh studio album, “The Waterfall,” which was released in May. Strand of Oaks, a rock project headed by singer-songwriter Timothy Showalter, opened the show. My Morning Jacket’s lead singer Jim James opened his set with an electronic sampler strapped to his chest, and played with a guitar for the rest of the night. The band performed songs like “Evil Urges,” and “I’m Amazed,” and closed with an encore featuring the hit, “One Big Holiday.”
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
OUT & ABOUT
Alumnus remembered for portraits Continued from page 9
SHIKLER that he did.”
John F. Kennedy's wife Jacqueline Kennedy noticed Shikler because of his portrait of the children of actor Peter Lawford and Patricia Kennedy Lawford, one of JFK’s sisters. His romantic and idealistic portrayal of individuals gave him recognition among high-ranking American politicians and celebrities, allowing him to complete portraits of individuals like former senate majority leader Mike Mansfield and R&B singer Diana Ross.
It is easy to see “ why he was such a
“It is easy to see why he was such a successful portrait artist because of his talent, keen observational eye and his way of putting people at ease so that they felt comfortable while he was capturing their likeness,” said Hester Stinnett, Tyler’s interim dean, who saw Shikler at his one-person exhibition at the Davis and Langdale Company gallery a few years ago. Shikler composed the official portrait of JFK in 1970— seven years after the president was assassinated. Shikler’s work was inspired by dozens of photographs of Kennedy, according to The New York Times. This photographic tech-
successful portrait artist because of his talent, keen observational eye and his way of putting people at ease.
”
Hester Stinnett | Tyler School of Art interim dean
nique was not an approach introduced to Shikler at Tyler. It was not until well into the 1960s and ‘70s that photos were frequently used as first source for portrait painting, Moore said, making it a skill he developed on his own out of necessity. Shikler received a Certificate of Honor at Tyler School of Art in 1976, followed by his election as a centennial fellow of Temple in 1985. Shikler is survived by the Temple community. “We at Tyler are always proud of all that he accomplished,” Stinnett said. * grace.maiorano@temple.edu
Student filmmakers strive to create dialogue Continued from page 9
DOCUMENTARY stadium made him feel like the team hasn’t done their work just yet. “The movie’s been made, but people still need to be in dialogue about this kind of thing,” he said. The students tried to fashion the documentary like a conversation—weaving the interviews of community members and administration together without a voice over. The documentary was meant to be objective, but the group did “inherently have an argument,” said 2015 media studies and production alumna Morgan-Gamber. “We were trying to give a voice to people whose voices couldn’t or hadn’t been heard before, so I think within that, there’s inherently an argument, but I don’t think we were biased one way or another,” Morgan-Gamber said. Finding individuals who wanted to speak with the students was one of the documentary’s biggest challenges, Horst said. Community members and administration representatives seemed reluctant to speak with the film crew. They tried visiting local businesses and telling people about their project. Though many individuals were initially excited, “some people were really afraid or nervous about being on camera saying something bad about Temple,” Horst said, which was a “wakeup call” for the team. “If you feel like … You might not be able to afford to live here, what else can you lose?” he added. “That sense of powerlessness and not really knowing how you could put yourself at risk ...” “I’m an eternal optimist,” Morgan-Gamber said. “I was hoping to give Temple the benefit of the doubt, but I was really more and more disappointed by what we uncovered.” Horst walked away with a sense the university’s community outreach was “not genuine.” Instead, he said, it seemed more like “Temple wants to do what they’re
GREENSGROW FARMS TO HOST HOLIDAY BAZAAR SERIES
This Saturday kicks off the series of Holiday Bazaars at Greensgrow Farms at 2501 E. Cumberland St. in Kensington. Participants can shop from 30 local artists and artisans in addition to exploring the urban farm. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m Saturday and Sunday. The bazaar will be open on the same days and times next weekend as well. -Madeline Presland
NONPROFIT CELEBRATES PHILLY’S AFRO-LATINO HERITAGE
Taller Puertorriqueño, a nonprofit Latino arts organization headquartered in Fairhill, will be hosting a photography exhibit featuring the works of Sandra Andino. Andino is a cultural anthropology alumna and an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania. In “Afro-Latino in Philadelphia: Stories from El Barrio,” Andino’s works explore the connection between African and Latino heritage. Her photographs in the exhibition are accompanied by recorded interviews with subjects related to their ethnicities. The exhibit includes an opening reception Dec. 4 near 5th and Lehigh streets. -Angela Gervasi
A WORLD OF MASKS EXHIBIT AT INDIGO ART GALLERY
Throughout December, the Indigo Art Gallery will continue to showcase a variety of masks from many countries. The Indigo Art Gallery, located at the Crane Arts Building on 1400 N. American St., often displays folk art from around the world. “A World of Masks: Masks from Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Pacific” includes colorful, bold pieces from countries ranging from Nepal and Nigeria to Guatemala and New Guinea. The exhibit opened Oct. 8 to celebrate costumecentered holidays like Halloween and Día de los Muertos, and will continue until Jan. 2. -Angela Gervasi
DEERHUNTER AND ATLAS SOUND TO PLAY UNION TRANSFER SUNDAY
EVAN EASTERLING TTN
Tyler Horst co-produced a documentary during a class at Temple on the university’s community outreach.
going to do and try the best they can to get that.” “There was a lot of going through the motions on Temple’s end,” Morgan-Gamber said. “There are initiatives made by Temple that were well-intentioned, but didn’t seem to follow through.” Representatives from the university’s Office of Community Relations were unable to speak with The Temple News, citing not having seen the documentary, therefore not being able to offer comment. For Tyrone Reed, a featured interviewee in “We All Live Here,” the documentary was important because both students and administrators might see it. “We felt that it might have even gotten to the high echelons, maybe the board and maybe the president or the provost,” said Reed, the president of the Committee for a Better North Philadelphia. “So we kind of felt that it may filter through the ranks of the institution.”
The documentary is still “very, very timely,” Reed said, because many of the issues have not changed, and he is still left wondering why the community can’t benefit from the university’s ongoing developments. A university spokesman said Temple makes important contributions to the city every day. “Temple offers millions of dollars in scholarships to local residents, delivers important healthcare services across the region and engages in dozens of collaborations with the School District of Philadelphia,” the spokesman wrote in an email. “As Philadelphia’s public university, we take great pride in being a vital part of our city and contributing to its success.” With the 2014 acquistion of William Penn High School, Temple also plans to offer a job training center for the community affected by the school’s closure. Even with all that, the community still feels left out, North Philadelphia resident Priscilla
Woods said. “It’s offensive that this university will do their planning, decide what they’re going to do, and not engage the community at all,” Woods said. “[They won’t] come to the community to say, ‘This is what we’re planning to do, what do you think? How do you think this will impact you? And while we’re doing this, are there some tangible needs that we can provide for the community?’” “I feel like universities should be one of those institutions that are trying to set a standard for social progress,” Horst said. “I want that.” “It could be different,” Woods said. “It could just be different.” * victoria.mier@temple.edu
Editor’s note: Tyler Horst was previously a freelance reporter and photographer for The Temple News. He did not contribute to the editing process of this article.
WINTER GIFT AT GRINDCORE HOUSE
South Philadelphia coffee shop Grindcore House at 1515 S. 4th St. will host its second annual Winter Gift Fair on Friday. More than ten vendors will be selling handmade vegan goods in the shop. Ten percent of all sales will go to the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society. The event runs from 6-9 p.m. -Emily Scott
SHERLOCK HOLMES INSPIRED PLAY AT SUZANNE ROBERTS THEATRE
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic novel sets for the stage in “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery.” The comedic thriller transforms Doyle’s classic mysteries into a theatrical production. The play will run through Dec. 27th at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre on 480 S. Broad St. Tickets range from $20-25. -Grace Maiorano
NEW OBSERVATION DECK OPENED
NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR PENNSLYVANIA BALLET
@uwishunu tweeted One Liberty Observation Deck officially opened Nov. 28. The attraction offers 360 degree views from 883 feet above street level. Admission is $19 for adults.
@phillymag tweeted the Pennsylvania Ballet will invite adults living with mental illness and HIV/AIDS to join in its production of “The Nutcracker” as part of a partnership with the Comhar Community Living Room. The Comhar clients will take classes to prepare.
BAR OPENING IN KENSINGTON
‘CREED’ IS A BOX OFFICE SUCCESS
@phillyinsider tweeted developers from Marathon Grill and Khyber Pass Pub will open Martha at 2113 E. York Street Dec. 11. The bar will offer 24-line draft system, including beer, wine and kombucha.
@phillydotcom tweeted “Creed,” a film about Rocky Balboa coaching a young boxer, is over-indexing in Philadelphia by 72 percent. Two of the best performing theatres showing the film are in the area.
SKY HIGH VIEWS AT ONE LIBERTY
TRENDING IN PHILLY The best of Philadelphia’s food, music, nightlife and arts. For breaking news and daily updates, follow The Temple News on Twitter and Instagram @TheTempleNews.
Ambient punk band Deerhunter will be headlining Union Transfer Sunday. The Atlanta natives released their latest LP, “Fading Frontier,” Oct. 16. It is their second album since undergoing a lineup change. Opening act Atlas Sound is the solo project of Deerhunter’s frontman Bradford Cox. The show starts at 8:30 p.m. and tickets are $20. -Emily Scott
A “NEIGHBORHOOD BAR”
THE COMPANY ENGAGES IN COMMUNITY OUTREACH
TWO OF THE HIGHEST GROSSING THEATERS IN STATE
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
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LIFESTYLE
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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
Conference gives international perspectives For its 10th consecutive year, the Global Temple Conference was held Nov. 18. By ASH CALDWELL The Temple News According to Temple’s Faculty Senate for International Programs Committee, globalization is one of the university’s core values. That’s why the FSIPC created the Global Temple Conference in 2006. The annual day-long event celebrated its 10th year Nov. 18 and was developed to showcase the programs, activities and events on campus that promote the university’s international involvement. “There was no single way to showcase all of that activity,” said Denise Connerty, assistant vice president for the Office of International Affairs, director of the Education Abroad office and committee member for the FSIPC. “So the [FSIPC] decided to do a one-day conference to showcase all of the activity students and faculty were doing.” Connerty said about 500 to 600 students, faculty and staff participate in the conference annually, some who recently completed research, studied abroad or have done other types of work internationally. “Our presenters were international students,” said Mary Conran, professor of marketing and supply chain management at the Fox School of Business and this year’s conference chair. The conference featured a discussion on “Europe’s Migration Challenge,” from speakers R. Daniel Kelemen, professor of political science, Jean Monnet, Chair in European Union Politics at Rutgers University and Michael Scullin, honorary consul of France in Philadelphia and an adjunct faculty member who teaches international law and cyberlaw. One of the main points of Kelemen’s presentation was the fact that migration has always been prevalent in Europe. “This issue isn’t new to Europe,” Kelemen said. “Asylum seekers have always taken place in Europe.” One purpose of the conference is to show students the importance of international experience. Students, faculty and staff who have done international work or study presented a paper or poster of their experience at different panels. The conference ADVERTISEMENT
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DANIEL SEBASTIAN TTN
R. Daniel Kelemen, political science professor and Jean Monnet Chair in European Union Politics at Rutgers University, speaks about “Europe’s Migration Challenge” at the Global Temple Conference Nov. 18.
also includes film presentations from students. “We get session proposals from students, faculty and staff,” said Srimati Mukherjee, professor of instruction in English. “After we receive the proposals and review them, we determine what papers go with what panels.” New to this year’s event was the Global Information Fair, which gave exposure to the international opportunities from Temple departments and programs. Erika Clemons, director of Global Programs at the Office of
International Affairs, said she loves to see all the different educational projects and opportunities for students to travel. Connerty believes this event is very important for students and hopes the conference will allow students to take advantage of international opportunities. “I think the students who present at the conference inspire their peers to want to study abroad,” Connerty said. * ashley.caldwell@temple.edu
LIFESTYLE
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
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Sex education for a modern audience Laura Chanoski started an Indiegogo campaign to produce a web series on sex education. By AYAH ALKHARS The Temple News Laura Chanoski, coming from a Catholic background, said sex wasn’t talked about sufficiently in her schools. It’s why she started an Indiegogo campaign to create a web series that teaches medically accurate and gender inclusive sex education. Chanoski, a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in media studies and production, wants to fulfill people’s right to be educated about their reproductive organs—a right which is not guaranteed in every state in the United States, according to the Guttmacher Institute. “I didn’t get anything from high school and most of what I got was online,” Chanoski said.
Continued from page 7
WOMEN
Moore and her presentation partner used statistics to explain “how the population of the U.S. isn’t really represented in pop culture.” Women are more likely to be portrayed sexually or submissively in pop culture, Moore said. African American women are often not portrayed at all, she added, and when they are, it’s usually in stereotypical roles. “Our main point was to talk about, like ‘Why are things this way?’ and like, ‘Who’s creating pop culture?’” Moore said. “The majority of pop culture is created by white men and … that’s why white men are overrepresented.”
“It’s not what I was told—it’s much more what I wasn’t told. ... A big part of getting misconceptions is not being told things.” Titled “The Young Adult’s Guide to Sex Ed,” the campaign has raised $341 of its $5,000 goal as of Monday. Chanoski said proper sex education is needed in Philadelphia and all over the United States. According to sexetc.org, Pennsylvania state law does not require sex education and local school boards decide whether to provide it. Only with the passing of the Healthy Youth Act in 2010 was the state required to teach it in public schools. Also, according to Pennsylvania’s Academic Standards for Health, Safety, and Physical Education, schools are not required to go deeper into teaching about subjects like STI prevention and abstinence. Chanoski said it should be the responsibility of secondary education institutions to take sex education more seriously. “It’d be useful to have sex ed courses at Temple for the incoming freshman, or put the option out there to be taken as an elective,” she said. “But it shouldn’t be Temple’s responsibility to prepare students for their sexual experi-
Saovleak Khim, a freshman neuroscience major, said her group discussed whether or not rapper Nikki Minaj is a good role model for women. “She shows more nakedness on stage and in her music videos, and some people thought it was inappropriate for her to be like that,” Khim said. “In my perspective, I believe in choice.” Jeremy Taitano, a senior political science major, said his group discussed how pop culture also affects men. “I think probably the most important thing said was that male masculinity has become very fragile,” Taitano said. “Men have become kind of afraid of feeling anything.” This was the first year in which the men who came to the event did not form
ences. It should be stuff that is taught early.” On her Indiegogo page, Chanoski said she didn't realize the sex education she received didn't teach her “what the clitoris is, how to put on a condom and that your genitals do not define your gender.” Chanoski identifies as bisexual, and another important goal for her web series is to educate teens and young adults about sexuality. “What I think is really important about [the project] is LGBT inclusiveness,” Chanoski said. “When you identify as bisexual going through the sex ed that I had, it was pretty heterosexual ... and that doesn’t really help me. What if I’m in a relationship with a woman?” “They don’t tell you that two people with vulvas can pass STIs between each other—if you go to Planned Parenthood, they’ll tell you if you share toys, you can get it,” she added. Chanoski mentioned cissexism, the norms favoring the gender binary and oppressing trans and non-binary, as being one of the main challenges to creating the web series, where information enforced from gender binary sources might get past the non-binary filter of her series. She said she is determined to correct any cis-
all-male discussion groups, Peters said. It was also important that the women still had the opportunity to join all-female discussion groups if they wanted to do so. Peters said she hopes all the students who attended the dialogue came away from the event with new friendships and a better understanding of the images constantly presented to them in popular culture. “Popular culture has a major influence on our lives,” Peters said. “And I think we were able to convince them that it does.” * jennifer.roberts@temple.edu T @jennyroberts511
sexist information she puts out as fast as possible with an apology. “Encouraging binary-only sex education leaves a lot of people out, and it narrows down the way people think because right now in western medicine, we only recognize two sexes,” Chanoski said. “With intersex people, you could say they’re a different sex, but we don’t say that. When they’re born, we try to force them into one sex or the other.” Chanoski’s web series will also cover consent, an issue actively debated on college campuses around the nation and about which she said many people still have “warped ideas.” The series is something Chanoski wants to be successful not just for herself, but for others and how they learn something that will follow them the rest of their lives. “I care very deeply about this project, it’s my baby,” she said. “I want it to be as successful as possible and help as many people as it can.” * ayah.alkhars@temple.edu
Forensic geology, a way for justice A seminar on forensic geology was held Nov. 12. By TATYANA TURNER The Temple News Associate professor Dr. Ilya Buynevich explained how a criminal can be caught red-handed, just by analyzing sedimentary rocks. The Temple University Forensics Organization held an hour-long seminar Nov. 12 with the associate professor of earth and environmental science, who discussed the field of forensic geology. Forensic geology combines geological science with forensic investigations. The presentation featured topics including archaeology, sedimentary rock types in different geographic locations and case studies. Buynevich explained how forensic geology is a growing field of study and
would still be present in these layers,“ Bunevich said. “A suspect would have a lot of explaining to do if the residue on their shoe matched the murder scene.” To further emphasize his point, Buynevich passed around a container filled with sand from Florida, which he said is heavier than the sand found locally. He ended his presentation with hopes he convinced students about how important and relatable forensic geology is. A majority of the students who attended the seminar were studying all kinds of sciences like chemistry, physics and natural science. Though Temple does not offer classes specific to forensic geology, the Forensics Organization aims to expose students to the field. “We have meetings where we talk about forensics, and projects where members can analyze their hair samples and case studies,” said Desiree Lara, junior public health major and president of the Forensics Organization.
“A suspect would have a lot of
ELIZABETH MAVER TTN
Dr. Donnalyn Pompper (left), and Jeremey Taitano discuss women’s issues at the Global Women’s Dialogue Nov. 13.
Continued from page 7
SMERIGLIO
it’s not as easy to do that.” Having switched his major three times, Smeriglio said a challenging part of his college career was “finding the right major in Temple in the midst of giving back to Temple.” From athletics training to international business to marketing, Smeriglio said he finally found the course of study best suited to his career goals and skills with strategic communications. Smeriglio said giving back to Temple is high on his list of priorities: he donates $100 a month to elements of the university like club sports or Temple’s emergency fund. “It’s very easy to go through your time at Temple and take it for granted,” he said. “The more you give back, the better environment you create for students and the value of your degree goes up, too.” “I’m not a blind follower of Temple,” he added. “Some of the best people who give back to Temple are the people
who can walk around the city and talk about how great it is, but can [also] walk back to Temple and tell the president, the student body president, what we can change at Temple to make it an even bet-
“It’s very easy to go
through your time at Temple and take it for granted.
”
Ray Smeriglio | former TSG president
ter place.” Outside of Temple, Smeriglio is a certified cycling instructor and enjoys swimming and participating in triathlons. He’s also the squad leader for Popup Pride events on campus, and the engagement coordinator in the Office of Alumni Relations.
Even though he appears to always be in motion, Smeriglio emphasized the importance of taking breaks. “Even if you’re an extrovert, you need time for yourself to recharge your own battery,” Smeriglio said. “I love waking up on Saturday mornings when all my friends are asleep and having coffee in Rittenhouse Square alone.” Post-graduation, Smeriglio said he will probably work in alumni relations and continue his work with athletics. Rinaldi said Smeriglio “is the best thing about Temple.” “If every student government and administration was like Ray’s or if every TSG president was like Ray, that student government would never falter and Temple students would be in the right hands,” Rinaldi said. “Ray has given this university his blood, sweat and tears. … People like Ray make Temple better.” * lian.parsons@temple.edu T @Lian_Parsons
explaining to do if the residue on their shoe matched the murder scene.
”
Dr. Ilya Buynevich | associate professor in earth and environmental science department
showed how the field goes beyond science in helping with other careers involving law. An example of how an investigator would use geology to find out if a person was guilty of a murder involved the examining of different types of sedimentary rock. Buynevich projected a map of Pennsylvania where each section of the state had a different color representing the various types of sedimentary rock. The following slide showed a picture of the sole of a shoe labeled with different layers. The first and second layers, which he explained come into contact with the ground first, are tested when a suspect is in question. “If a suspect does not wash their shoes for one or two weeks, the evidence
The Forensic Geology organization has been operational for a year, with 35 students currently part of the group. The group hopes to gain 100 more members. Chris Zhou, co-founder and vice president of the group, said they also go on field trips to NMS Labs in Willow Grove, which the group is affiliated with, so students can gain hands-on experience with forensic geology. “We had a vision to help introduce something that relates to all sciences,” said Zhou, a senior natural science major. “A forensic scientist is one of the coolest careers out there.” * tatyana.turner@temple.edu
LIFESTYLE
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
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STUDENT ORGANIZATION
New group for automotive lovers
BLACKSTONE LAUNCHPAD HOSTS FOUNDER WORKSHOP
Today from 4 to 5 p.m., the Blackstone LaunchPad is hosting a workshop with Priya Bhutani, founder and CEO of RegDesk.co, a local crowdsourcing hub for healthcare experts. In 2013, Bhutani took her idea for RegDesk to Startup Weekend until she eventually turned the idea into a venture backed by IBC, Penn Medicine and DreamIt Ventures. Attendees can hear her insight on starting a company at the Student Center in Blackstone LaunchPad’s office. -Albert Hong
The Motor Vehicle Association started Nov. 18. By GABRIELLA LOBITZ The Temple News Douglas Pratt was interested in cars from a very young age, so when he learned Temple would be getting a Motor Vehicle Association this semester, he wanted to get in on the action. “I thought it was really cool they were starting up a club, so I decided to join,” said Pratt, a senior criminal justice major who now serves as the association’s secretary. The Motor Vehicle Association of Temple University, or MVATU, is a new student organization for automotive and motorcycle enthusiasts. Headed by Thomas Joyce, a junior psychology major, the group’s first meeting was held Nov. 18 with about a dozen interested members in attendance. Adam Wojcik, a junior mechanical engineering major, said a flyer connected him to Joyce and the organization, of which he is now the vice president. “We’re [a club] interested in cars, bikes, anything with motors,” Wojcik said. The meeting opened with new members introducing themselves and discussing their own personal interests in motor vehicles, what they currently drive and their dream cars. Although the organization is only a few months in the works, MVATU’s officers have some big ideas for marketing their organization. The group is planning a few possible charity events, like a remote control car race tournament. The organization also hopes to plan a trip to the Philadelphia Auto Show this
AROUND CAMPUS
PROFESSOR DISCUSSES HAIR POLITICS IN LECTURE WEDNESDAY
PATRICK CLARK TTN
Adam Wojcik, vice president of the Motor Vehicle Association of Temple University, meets with other members of the organization in the Student Center Nov. 18.
February and organize a Temple auto show at the beginning of next semester. “[We hope to see] a few hundred members, hopefully more,” Wojcik said. “We’re going to try to do good for the community as well, to give back.” The organization also hopes to raise environmental awareness through panel discussions on topics like carbon offsetting. “A lot of times the sustainability efforts get overlooked in car clubs,” Pratt said. Another panel on road trip readiness is also in the works. The organization anticipates this will promote road safety and an educated student population. These panels, as well as the organization’s other events, will be open to all Temple students, in an effort to raise campus awareness and attract new
members. Currently, membership for MVATU is free for the rest of this academic year. But beginning next fall, the organization plans to collect fees to support more club activities like a park-and-meet event at theme park Six Flags. The organization’s next meeting will be Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. in the Student Center Room 367A. * gabriella.lobitz@temple.edu Editor’s Note: Thomas Joyce, founder of the Motor Vehicle Association of Temple University, is also a photographer for The Temple News. He did not contribute in the editing process of this article.
Lori Tharps, an assistant professor of journalism, will host a conversation with the School of Media and Communication and the Alumni Association. Tharps’ lecture, “Hair’s The Thing,” will discuss the politics and pop culture regarding Black hair. Tharps wrote a book about Black hair called “Hair Story.” The lecture will be held Wednesday at noon. Attendees can register for the event at events.temple.edu by clicking “Hair’s The Thing.” -Michaela Winberg
COLORING BOOKS AT TYLER
On Thursday, students can visit the lobby of the Tyler School of Art to color in coloring books. The event will provide colored pencils, crayons, markers and coloring book pages to help students relax during their last week of classes this semester. The event will begin at 10 a.m. and last until 3 p.m. Around lunchtime, Boyer students will join the event and perform in the lobby. -Michaela Winberg
THE REEL SCREENS HOLIDAY MARATHON
To help students and faculty get ready for the holidays, The Reel Cinema will screen holiday episodes of old TV shows Thursday. Beginning at 7 p.m., the event will feature episodes from shows like “Lizzie McGuire,” “Kim Possible” and “Boy Meets World.” The screening will also offer free hot chocolate and cookies and an ugly sweater contest with prizes. Tickets are $2 with an OWLCard and $4 without, and they will be available in The Reel Box Office Thursday at 6:30 p.m. -Michaela Winberg
THEATER STUDENTS PRESENT SELF-WRITTEN PLAYS
On Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Randall Theater, seven plays will be showcased for “Short Stuff,” a festival of 10-minute plays written by Temple Theaters students, presented by the department of theater and Temple Theaters Sidestage. The rehearsal process involved undergraduate directors collaborating with playwrights to workshop and stage each work. A second showing of the plays, which includes titles like “Sugar Cubes” and “Puppeteers,” will also be Friday at 7:30 p.m. Registration for a ticket is free. -Albert Hong
HOLIDAY CONCERT FEATURED FOR FAMILIES
DANIEL RAINVILLE TTN
Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, a professor of educational policy studies and sociology at the University of Wischonsin-Madison, speaks at her lecture entitled “Paying the Price: College Costs and the Betryal of the American Dream” in Morgan Hall Nov. 19.
Continued from page 7
COLLEGE
done.” While earning her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2004, Goldrick-Rab worked with Kathleen Shaw, a former assistant professor of education at Temple. Now, Shaw is the executive director of Research for Action, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit education research organization. While other Penn mentors focused on research and writing articles, Shaw was dedicated to being more active with her efforts, Goldrick-Rab said. “[Shaw] was like, ‘Let’s go to a community college and let’s fix something,’” she said. Goldrick-Rab said she admires Temple for programs like Fly in 4, an initiative that helps students graduate in four academic years.
“This is an innovative place,” she said. “Temple is doing things, and it’s harder to pick on this place than a lot of other
and you don’t get in trouble because your class schedule changes,” Goldrick-Rab said. “They pay you terribly, and it’s ridicu-
“I think most people just think it’s cracked—this thing is broken into shards, and it’s hurting people.” Sara Goldrick-Rab | professor of educational policy studies and sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
places.” But she recognizes the faults in colleges across the nation— one major problem is the difficulty of getting a good job as a college student. “When I say, ‘a good job,’ it means it has enough hours, they don’t lay you off all of a sudden
lous.” Through research GoldrickRab has conducted about workstudy programs, she has had the opportunity to connect with many student workers. Now, she feels like she has a much better understanding of the struggles student workers face, like work-
ing late hours because of the increased pay. Goldrick-Rab feels there is not enough work-study funding and it is nearly impossible for students to support themselves while attending college full-time. She said one in five students qualify as suffering from hunger or malnutrition, and 13 percent qualify as homeless. “If we aren’t covering living costs, then we are not covering students,” she said. “Students have to live to be able to attend college.” She explained an array of problems surrounding the financial aid system, but the central message was simple. “The financial aid model that we built way back then does not work.” Goldrick-Rab said. “I’m frankly tired of waiting—we have to do something else.” * jenny.stein@temple.edu
A Family Holiday Concert featuring seasonal selections performed by the TU Jazz Band, Symphony Orchestra and Choirs will be Friday at 7 p.m. in Lew Klein Hall of the Temple Performing Arts Center. The concert is free and open to the public. Tim Warfield, an adjunct faculty member in the jazz studies department, will be playing alto saxophone in the TPAC lobby. -Albert Hong
PALEY OFFERS FINALS ACTIVITIES
Study Days for final exams will be hosted next Tuesday and Wednesday, and regular classes will be cancelled. Finals will begin next Thursday. Paley Library will host activities for students to de-stress during exams. Next Tuesday between 7 a.m. and noon, students can grab breakfast treats and coffee in the ground floor of the library. The following day from 5 to 10 p.m., the library will host a crafting event for students titled “Crafts n’ Games.” “Destress with Dogs,” an event that will offer students the opportunity to play with therapy dogs, will start next week. Dec. 10, 11, 14 and 15, students can visit the ground floor of the library to pet the dogs from 1 to 3 p.m. -Michaela Winberg
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SPORTS BRIEFS
Report: Missouri interested in Rhule FOOTBALL TEAM EARNS HIGHEST POLL RANK
The Owls ranked No. 20 in the AP Top 25 Poll, released Sunday. Temple (10-2, 7-1 American Athletic Conference) received 269 points after defeating Connecticut 27-3 Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field. The Owls, who have been ranked for six of the poll’s 14 weeks, were ranked No. 25 last week after receiving 107 points. After a 44-23 loss Nov. 14 to South Florida knocked the squad out of the poll, the team rejoined the rankings after a 31-12 win against Memphis Nov. 21. Houston, No. 17, and Navy, No. 22, were the other two team’s in The American to be ranked in the poll. Houston defeated Navy 52-31 Nov. 27 to claim The American’s West Division and will face Temple, the East Division champions, in the conference’s inaugural championship game Dec. 5 at John O’Quinn Field at TDECU Stadium in Houston. -Michael Guise
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ALLIYA BUTTS INJURED SUNDAY IN LOSS
DANIEL RAINVILLE TTN
Senior linebacker Michael Felton runs after a reception in the third quarter of the Owls’ 27-3 victory Saturday against Connecticut.
RHULE LINKED TO COACHING VACANCY
FootballScoop.com reported Matt Rhule was expected to meet with University of Missouri Athletic Director Mack Rhoades Sunday about the school’s open coaching position. Current Missouri coach Gary Pinkel is stepping down after the season because of a recent non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis. “You guys know me,” Rhule said following the team’s win Saturday against Connecticut when asked to comment on the report. “I’m not going to talk about anything. This program is about these kids. Anybody that throws my name in things, it’s a credit to the players and administration. I won’t talk about much else.”
Rhule has been the coach at Temple for three seasons and has compiled an 18-18 record. The State College, Pennsylvania native has been at the university for nine of the last 10 seasons. His lone year away from the program was when he was an assistant offensive line coach for the New York Giants in 2012. In October, Sports Illustrated listed Rhule as a potential coaching candidate at the University of Maryland, Virginia Tech University and the University of Virginia. “At some point, people may offer too much money and, I’ll be like, ‘Go for it,’” Athletic Director Pat Kraft told The Temple News Oct. 14. “We still have to be fiscally responsible.” -Michael Guise
Sophomore guard Alliya Butts left the Owls’ 70-67 loss Sunday to Saint Joseph’s game after apparently injuring her right leg in the final 30 seconds of the game. Butts was injured after going up for a shot on the Owls’ final possession while the team trailed, 68-67. After leaving the game, freshman guard Deja Reynolds replaced Butts, who finished the game with 10 points and four assists. There was no immediate word from coach Tonya Cardoza on the nature of her injury or whether or not she will play Wednesday against Villanova. “I don’t know what happened,” Cardoza said. “I just know that maybe she stepped on someone’s foot. I didn’t see what happened, I just saw her driving and throwing up a shot that she wasn’t trying to take. She just threw it up because she was falling and we didn’t have any timeouts at the end, so she was just trying to get a shot up so she wouldn’t travel.” -Mark McCormick
points and eight rebounds in Temple’s 60-57 season-ending loss to the University of Miami at Madison Square Garden in the National Invi“When he shoots a jumper, I feel tation Tournament semifinal. very confident that it’s going to go “We did that late in the year last in,” coach Fran Dunphy said. “He’s year,” Dunphy said of relying on worked very hard at that part of it. Enechionyia’s scoring. “And when Now the next step is the rest of it.” he was healthy this year, when he’s The Springfield, Virginia na- been healthy, he’s a guy that if he can tive, who is second on the team with step away from the basket and get 12 points per game, three-point looks, Owls vs. Fairleigh has reached double that’s a big part of Dickinson figures in scoring what we do.” Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. in three of the four The sophomore games he’s appeared forward left the game briefly at the in, shooting 47.2 percent from the end of the first half after rolling his field. ankle as he came down with a defenLast season in his freshman sive rebound. campaign, Enechionyia averaged 5.2 He came back three minutes points per game, reaching double- later and played the majority of the digit scoring totals in four of the 34 second half, scoring 11 points. He games he played. missed the Owls’ 91-67 loss to the “He’s a player that I think is re- University of North Carolina at Chaally coming into his own this sea- pel Hill Nov. 13 after injuring the son,” Delaware coach Monte Ross same ankle. said. “I’ve seen him really raise up “I was almost at 100 percent bewith a lot of confidence in the games fore I twisted it again, but right now that I’ve studied them.” I’m not really too sure,” Enechionyia Enechionyia began to develop said. “I’m going to get some treatas an offensive threat for the Owls ment, ice and just see how it is [Mondown the stretch last season. Starting day] and go from there.” with a 14-point performance against Cincinnati Jan. 17, he scored eight or more points in eight of the team’s * owen.mccue@temple.edu T @Owen_McCue last sixteen games. He finished the season with 17 Continued from page 22
OBI
DANIEL SEBASTIAN TTN
The volleyball team celebrates during its 3-0 win against Tulsa Nov. 20 at McGonigle Hall.
Continued from page 22
ENDING
said. “But this is definitely not where we wanted to finish the season.” Some inconsistent play during the middle of the season was a rough stretch for the Owls. In October, the Owls did not win more than two games in a row at any point and also lost to Tulane, who finished last in the conference standings. Once the calendar flipped to November, things changed. A combination of playing on a lengthy homestand, and using a rotation that allowed individuals to focus on certain parts of their game helped Temple finish the season on a seven-game win streak. “It was really important having a good finish after a tough [Ratings Percentage Index] loss to Tulane,” coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam said. “But we were able to beat some of the best teams in our conference to end the year. Connecticut, Central Florida and Southern Methodist, were all great wins for us.”
loss we “hadEvery this season
was because we didn’t play our best.
”
Alyssa Drachslin | senior libero
Other than playing six of the last seven games of the season at home, the use of the new rotation was integral for the players to turn the year around and end on a high note. “It helped us a lot being able to focus on one part of my game,” Davis said. “Knowing myself, I know I have some weaknesses, but we have enough talent on our team that we have someone who strength is my weakness, and vice versa.” The loss to Tulane also opened the eyes for the team. The Green
Wave’s victory exposed some flaws in the Owls’ play. “Once we got home, I think we started to get into our groove,” senior libero Alyssa Drachslin said. “Every loss we had this season was because we didn’t play our best, and I think the winning streak shows how good we were when we all played on the same page.” The Owls’ late season surge was not enough to get them into the NCAA tournament. Even though the Owls notched a win against a Top 30 RPI team when they beat Southern Methodist Nov. 22, the mid-season losses came back to haunt them as they finished the year ranked No. 72 in RPI. “We controlled what we could control and won the games we could win,” Ganesharatnam said. “Now we have four really good seniors to replace, but I think we’ll come back next year strong.” * kevin.schaeffer@temple.edu T @_kevinschaeffer
JENNY KERRIGAN TTN
Sophomore Obi Enechionyia holds his follow through Sunday in the Owls’ win.
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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
Shippen: ‘We knew something special was about to come’ Continued from page 22
SHIPPEN
Shippen caught a careerhigh four catches for 45 yards in Saturday’s win against the Huskies. The performance followed the Owls’ 31-12 win against Memphis when Shippen separated his shoulder on a 49-yard catch in the second quarter and went back into the game. Two years after switching from defensive back to wide receiver, he has 14 catches for 190 yards and a touchdown along with five carries for 28 yards. Shippen has added nine tackles on special teams. “He’s been unselfish, he’s blocked, he’s done so many things,” Rhule said. “So to separate his shoulder last week, go back in the game and play this week, it’s a real credit to who Brandon is.” The wideout and the rest of the senior class have played a vital role in Temple’s improvement throughout Rhule’s three years with the Owls. In 2013, Rhule’s first year as coach, the team went 2-10. Last year, the Owls improved to 6-6. This year, Shippen and Temple have already tied the program record of 10 wins with a matchup with Houston in the conference championship Saturday and a potential bowl game looming. “We worked our butts off,” Shippen said. “Going 2-10, 6-6, we just saw our team progression, what we could be. One play, another play, last-second losses, you just knew something special was about to come.” During the 2015 season, the Owls have achieved several historic milestones. They beat Penn State for
MARGO REED TTN
Senior wide receiver Brandon Shippen runs during a 49-yard catch in the Owls’ 31-12 win Nov. 21 against Memphis at Lincoln Financial Field.
the first time in 74 years. They started 7-0 for the first time in program history. They were ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll for the first time since 1979. This success has come two years after Shippen and the rest of the senior class went 2-10 as sophomores. “I don’t think too many programs in the country can do that,” senior linebacker Tyler Matakevich said. “You have to give credit to us. All these
seniors just stuck it out. Times were tough and [we] just really fought through it and just kept buying in and buying in and here’s our reward.” Throughout his Temple career, Shippen has 26 receptions for 355 yards and two touchdowns. On defense and special teams, he has 28 career tackles and a forced fumble. For Thanksgiving, Shippen traveled home to Norristown, where he saw the impact
been unselfish, he’s blocked, “He’s he’s done so many things.” Matt Rhule | coach
Owls at Houston Dec. 5 at noon
he has had. “I went home with my grandmom and my mother and we were just talking about the game and my career and stuff like that,” Shippen said. “I got little high schoolers that look up to me, and I talk to them on Twitter and stuff like that. So it’s a definitely fun to talk to people from back home.” * owen.mccue@temple.edu
Owls travel to Houston for conference title game Continued from page 22
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Matt Rhule said. “[UConn] beat Houston [Nov. 21], and I thought our guys came out after an emotional win last week and played like champions.” Temple, which claimed The American’s East Division with a 7-1 conference record, was in a must-win scenario Saturday. If the squad lost to the Huskies, South Florida would have represented the East Division by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker. “I was proud of our guys that we won this game,” Rhule said. “It was a championship game. Winning the East is a big deal to us. To have a chance to be in the first ever [championship] game is a big deal.” For the second consecutive game, the Owls’ defense held its opponent without an offensive touchdown. Temple also held the Huskies to 138 yards of total offense, the Huskies’ lowest total yards of the season. In the team’s last two games, the Owls’ defense allowed 15 combined points and 370 yards of total offense after allowing a combined 108 points and 1,420 yards of total offense in games against Notre Dame, Southern Methodist and South Florida. “It was doing your 1/11th,” senior defensive lineman Matt Ioannidis said. “Defenses let up big plays when guys jump out of their gap to make a play.” Saturday’s win also gave the Owls their first 10-win regular season in program history. If the Owls win Saturday, Rhule—who joined Wayne Hardin as the only Temple coaches to win double-digit games—will be the first coach in school history to win 11 games. Rhule is also looking to secure the program’s first conference title since claiming the Mid-American Conference title in 1967.
If the Owls win Saturday, they are eligible to be selected by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee for the ChickFil-A Peach Bowl or the Vizio Fiesta Bowl, two of the six featured games for Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, known as the “New Year’s Six.” “We’ve been through a lot of ups and downs,” junior running back Jahad Thomas said. “We’ve been through a 2-10 season. We are playing for something that is real special and just knowing we want more than this. This was a great season, but this is not the end.” Houston (11-1, 7-1 The American) comes into Saturday’s title game averaging 42 points per game, No. 8 out of 128 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, and 499.3 yards of total offense per game, No. 15 in the FBS. In the Cougars’ 12 regular season games, junior quarterback Greg Ward Jr. averaged 208.5 yards passing per game and 74.4 yards rushing per game. He also scored 33 total touchdowns. “They have a great defense and a great offense,” junior quarterback P.J. Walker said. “We have to go out there and compete at a high level. We know they have a lot of great talent out there.” In the 11 games that Ward started this season, Houston averaged 44 points per game and did not score fewer than 33 points. Last season, Ward and the Cougars defeated Temple 31-10 at TDECU Stadium Oct. 17, 2014. Houston totaled 439 yards of total offense and 23 first downs, compared to the Owls’ 11. Temple also turned the ball over four times. “They got us last year,” Matakevich said. “They were a more physical team, and we will see what happens this year.” * michael.guise@temple.edu T @Michael_Guise
DONALD OTTO TTN
Romond Deloatch (center), celebrates a score with Colin Thompson during the Owls’ 27-3 win Saturday.
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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
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women’s basketball
Martin seeks growth as junior Center Safiya Martin’s 23 rebounds lead the team after the first five games of 2015. By CONNOR NORTHRUP The Temple News
DANIEL RAINVILLE TTN
Sophomore guard Alliya Butts shoots a jump shot during the Owls’ 70-67 loss Sunday to Saint Joseph’s at McGonigle Hall.
After hot start, Owls on three-game skid The Owls lost three straight games after winning their first two contests in 2015. By MARK McCORMICK The Temple News
When the Owls boarded the team bus Nov. 22 for their first game of Thanksgiving Break against Rutgers University, they felt ready to notch their third win of the season. After a 2-0 start, Temple has dropped three straight games by a combined 19 points to fall to 2-3 on the season. “Right now, we need to figure something out,” coach Tonya Cardoza said. “Because the way we’re going, this is not it.” Temple’s latest falter, a 70-67 loss Sunday to Saint Joseph’s, showed similarities of its previous two losses. The Owls limited Quinnipiac University to 34.5 percent from the field in the team’s 58-56 loss Nov. 24. Rutgers and St. Joe’s both shot better than 40 percent from the field. “If you want to win the basketball game, and if you’re passionate and hungry about it, you find a way to do it,” Cardoza said. “You don’t just let it slip through your fingers, and I think that’s what we’ve been allowing to happen.” Cardoza noted her squad loses focus toward the end of each practice, which showed toward the end of its loss to St. Joe’s, where the team blew a 14-point lead and was outscored 24-13 in the
fourth quarter. “A lot of times during practice, after an hour and a half, they start to tune out,” Cardoza said. “We’re not paying attention and not starving to get a win.” The most notable issue for the Owls is the contribution for players outside sophomore guard Alliya Butts and junior guard Feyonda Fitzgerald. The duo has scored 53.4 percent of the team’s total points this season. “When Alliya and [Feyonda] are the only ones getting the ball, everybody needs to step up,” sophomore guard Tana-
Once everyone plays “their role, things will
look up, but that has to start in practice.
”
Tanaya Atkinson | sophomore guard
Owls vs. Villanova Dec. 2 at 5 p.m.
ya Atkinson said. “Once everyone plays their role, things will look up, but that has to start in practice. We just need things to carry over and be disciplined.” Junior center Taylor Robinson, who scored three of the teams six points outside of Butts and Fitzgerald against Rutgers, also thinks she and her teammates have to play with confidence and not rely on Butts or Fitzgerald to carry the offensive load. “We have to win and be more dis-
ciplined,” Robinson said after the loss to Quinnipiac. “Because we’re not more disciplined is the reason we lost.” Junior center Safiya Martin has started all five games this season and has accumulated 14 points, but during the Owls games against St. Joe’s, Martin was benched in favor of graduate center Ugo Nwaigwe, who played 21 minutes compared to Martin’s 18. Cardoza said she was impressed with Nwaigwe’s effort in practice and defensive contribution in games. But Cardoza is still undecided whether she will bench Martin in favor of the 6-foot-3-inch Valley Stream, New York native for Wednesday’s game against Villanova. “Safiya just needs to rebound the basketball and be a presence,” Cardoza said. “If Ugo continues to improve, she will continue to play. She is paying attention and doing all the little things we are asking of her. I am hoping she continues to do that because then you have someone else to depend on.” Fitzgerald understands the struggles surrounding her teammates, especially for senior guard Erica Covile, who played 11 minutes and fouled out against St. Joe’s. After being second on the team in scoring last season with 11.4 points per game and totaling a team-high 8.3 rebounds per game, Covile is averaging 8.4 points per game an 4.8 rebounds per game this season. “We’re just focusing on trying to turn around right now,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re in a bad place.” * mark.mccormick@temple.edu T @MarkJMcCormick
Every time junior center Safiya Martin puts on her Temple jersey before a game, she calls home to Fayetteville, Georgia after warm-ups to hear a pep talk from her mother, Charmaine Heard. Since coming to Temple in August 2013, Martin has not traveled back to Georgia. Instead of going back home, Martin works closely with coach Willnett Crockett, who won two national championships playing for Connecticut, everyday to work on her game. “I’ve always kind of been a hard worker, especially in the classroom because my mom always really hashed on stuff like that,” Martin said. “She always tells me to have confidence in myself, and it gives you that little boost of energy.” Martin saw 741 minutes on the court in her sophomore campaign last year, leading the team with 50 blocks while collecting 161 rebounds. The 6-foot-4-inch center said she saw more time than expected, but Martin scored a team-low 85 points in 2014-15. “In the offseason, it was everyday being in the gym, just working on the little things and doing drills to become another option,” Martin said. “Granted, you have guards, but I don’t want to put all the pressure on them. Even know they can take it 100 percent, I want to contribute as well and be consistent.” Martin, who averaged 2.8 points per game last season, said her goal this year is to become more of an offensive threat to help her team reach the Division I Women’s NCAA Tournament in March 2016. In Temple’s season-opening 97-91 win against the University of Florida Nov. 13, Martin fouled out after playing 13 minutes totaling two rebounds, one block and no points. When Temple traveled to La Salle Nov. 18, Martin went 3-of-5 from the field, totaling six points in Temple’s 77-48 victory. Martin scored four total points in Temple’s two loses to Rutgers University Nov. 22 and Quinnipiac University Nov. 24. “I have seen a difference in style of play, especially in the La Salle game,” Martin said. “But I want to continue that and be consistent with it, not just little spurts.” Because Martin is an upperclassmen and a captain, coach Tonya Cardoza expects more assertiveness in her offensive presence. “For Safiya, a lot of it is about being confident,” Cardoza said. “A lot of times last year she was just out there on the offensive side, and the man didn’t have to guard her.” Martin, who totaled two double-figure scoring games in 2014-15, shot 42.4 percent from the field last year. “She has put in the time and the effort,” Cardoza said. “She works at it all the time. It is just about being confident in game situations.” Junior center Taylor Robinson scored 98 points last season, averaging 3.9 points per game. Robinson and Martin were the only two centers last season. Robinson, who goes head to head with Martin at practice, said Martin’s summer preparation with Crockett is paying off. “She’s definitely been more of a threat on the floor, and she can play a whole game,” Robinson said. “She can rebound, she is way better at scoring and got a ton better from freshman year till now.” This season, Martin is averaging 2.8 points per game this season in 99 minutes of action. She is second on the team with 26 rebounds and has a team-high eight blocks. “I am not the player I want to be,” Martin said. “I am not the player I could be.” * connor.northrup@temple.edu
FENCING
Largaespada’s family ties motivate her through college fencing career After a sudden end to 2014, Fatima Largaespada is chasing another NCAA Championships.
By EVAN EASTERLING The Temple News At 3 a.m., only a few hours before the start of the 2014 NCAA Fencing Championships March 21, Fatima Largaespada woke up feeling sick. The then-junior foil tried to ignore the discomfort, but to no avail. In the minutes leading up to the competition at Ohio State University, she could barely warm up. “I was feeling like really, really bad, and throughout the tournament, I was like, ‘Just forget about it. Just forget about it,’” Largaespada said. “Every bout I was reminding myself, ‘You can do this. You can do this,’ even though I was feeling really sick. But I couldn’t push through that because the sickness was like killing me.”
In her third consecutive appearance at the NCAA Tournament, Largaespada finished 23rd out of 24 competitors after placing 19th and 20th in 2013 and 2014, respectively. With her eyes set on improving on last season’s finish, the senior spent the summer training at her grandfather’s fencing club in Mexico and her family’s club in San Antonio, Texas. Fencing runs in the Puebla, Mexico native’s family, as both her mother and brother help train her. “I kind of owe my family what I’m doing right now at Temple,” Largaespada said. “So that’s why my family is the most important part of my life. It helps me because I’m with people that love the sport, so I’m kind of surrounded by fencing all the time. And it’s kind of like if I’m not fencing, I don’t know what I’d be doing right now. It’s on my head all the time, so it’s kind of like the reason I wake up every morning.” Largaespada started the 2015-16 season with Top 3 finishes in the Owls’ first two competitions, winning the Temple Open Oct. 31 and tying for third at the Penn State Garret Open Nov. 7.
“
I kind of owe my family what I’m doing right now at Temple, so that’s why my family is the most important part of my life.
”
Fatima Largeaspada | senior foil
She also finished 3-6 at the Elite Invitational, where she faced fencers from the Air Force Academy, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Ohio State University and Columbia University Nov. 21. “I think now she’s actually understanding the game more and is not depending as much on her physical ability, as opposed to a more tactical game,” coach Nikki Franke said. “So, that’s going to go in her favor.” In last year’s Temple Open and Penn State
Garret Open, Largaespada finished 16th and 6th respectively. She finished the season with a 53-30 record, a seven-win improvement from her 46-28 record in 2013-14. “There are fencers that may not be the best athletes, but they have great tactics,” Franke said. “And she has the advantage of being a very good athlete as well as learning and gaining in that technical area.” Senior Olivia Wynn, who practiced alongside Largaespada at foil squad before switching to sabre last season, knows Largaespada’s potential. “When she’s at her best, she’s unstoppable,” Wynn said. “Like touch after touch ... she’s so focused, it almost looks like she’s not even trying. That’s how confident she is in every plan, in every attack that she’s going to do. She looks unstoppable, and she really is. She’s invincible.” * evan.easterling@temple.edu T @Evan_Easterling
SPORTS A FAMILY TRADITION
After a sickness affected her fencing at the NCAA Championships, senior foil Fatima Largaespada finds motivation from her family. PAGE 21
thecherry.temple-news.com
A MISSION FOR SUCCESS
Junior center Safiya Martin spent the summer in Philadelphia after scoring a team-low 85 total points last season. PAGE 21
PAGE 22
REPORT: RHULE MEETS WITH SEC SCHOOL
Coach Matt Rhule reportedly met with Missouri Sunday, sophomore Alliya Butts was injured in the team’s loss Sunday, other news and notes. PAGE 19
TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015
volleyball
A disappointing end The volleyball team was not selected for the NCAA tournament. By KEVIN SCHAEFFER The Temple News
S
outhern Methodist’s celebration of its conference championship will reverberate through
Temple’s locker room through the offseason. It wasn’t the content of the video, but the timing of the release; before the end of the regular season when the Owls could still claim a share of the title. “We definitely felt a little disrespected, as a conference not just us as a team, after we saw the video knowing it was still possible to be cochamps,” junior outside hitter Tyler Davis said. “Not getting first place gives us plenty of motivation for next
Temple 27 | Connecticut 3
year.” Temple (24-8, 15-5 American Athletic Conference) finished the season with the same record as last season, which was good enough for second place in The American but not good enough to earn a spot in the Division I Women’s Volleyball Tournament. “We’re happy that we were able to have some success this year,” sophomore outside hitter Izzy Rapacz DANIEL SEBASTIAN TTN
ENDING | PAGE 19
Kirsten Overton jumps to hit the ball in the Owls’ 3-0 win Nov. 20 against Tulsa.
A CHANCE TO CLAIM THEIR SPOT IN HISTORY
The Owls eye their second conference title in program history.
Brandon Shippen had a career-high four catches in Saturday’s victory.
By MICHAEL GUISE Sports Editor
By OWEN McCUE Assistant Sports Editor
Before walking onto Chodoff Field for Friday’s practice, the Owls sat inside the locker room at EdbergOlson Hall with the televisions tuned to ABC. As the players prepared for their game Saturday against Connecticut, Navy and Houston were playing for the chance to represent the American Athletic Conference’s West Division and host the inaugural conference championship game. After the Cougars’ win against the Midshipmen and the Owls’ 27-3 victory Saturday against UConn at Lincoln Financial Field, the two programs will meet Dec. 5 at John O’Quinn Field at TDECU Stadium for The American’s conference championship. “I want to see us play big in big moments and answer the call in big moments, and I thought we did that,” coach
Laying in a hotel bed Friday night before the Owls’ game against Connecticut, Brandon Shippen’s Temple career replayed through his head. The night before walking through the tunnel at Lincoln Financial Field one last time, the former running back at Norristown Area High School remembered his time at defensive back during his freshman and sophomore seasons, his switch to wide receiver in 2014 and all the games he played for the Owls at their home field. In the senior wide receiver’s final home game of his college career, Shippen and the Owls beat the Huskies 27-3 to advance to the American Athletic Conference’s inaugural conference championship game Dec. 5 against Houston. “Coach [Matt] Rhule has tested me since I got here because he saw the potential,” Shippen said. “Every year, I just took a step. One more step, one more step and that’s where we’re at today. … My sophomore year at defensive back, special teams, corner. Moving to receiver I did OK last year. Then now, this year, 10-2 going to a conference championship game.”
TITLE | PAGE 20
I want to see “ us play big in big moments.” Matt Rhule | coach
DONALD OTTO TTN
(TOP): The football team celebrates with the American Athletic Conference’s East Division trophy after defeating Connecticut 27-3 Saturday. (BOTTOM): Senior linebacker Tyler Matakevich makes a tackle during the Owls’ 27-3 win Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field.
men’s basketball
SHIPPEN | PAGE 20
Enechionyia finding stroke during sophomore season Forward Obi Enechionyia has scored in double figures three times in the team’s five games. By OWEN McCUE Assistant Sports Editor When guards Will Cummings and Jesse Morgan graduated last spring, they took 35 per-
SPORTS@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
cent of the Owls’ scoring from last year with them. Without Cummings and Morgan, two of their top three scorers from a year ago, the Owls have had four different players lead the team in scoring in their 2-3 start. Before Sunday’s 69-50 win against the University of Delaware, seniors Jaylen Bond, Quenton DeCosey and Devin Coleman had all led the team in scoring. In Sunday’s win, sophomore forward Obi Enechionyia took his turn, scoring a team-high 16 points.
“Last year, we let [Cummings] drive and kick,” Enechionyia said. “This year, I think the ball moves a lot more. ... We don’t have that player that drives as efficiently and effectively as he did, but I think if we move the ball more we can be a better team offensively than we were last year.” Enechionyia scored 12 of his 16 points from behind the three-point line. He went 4-of6 on three-point attempts in the game as the rest of the team shot 5-of-23 from three-point range. This offseason, improving his outside shooting was a priority for the sophomore. He
worked on his perimeter game to help fill the void of an outside threat left by Morgan. “I wanted to be the shooter,” Enechionyia said. “Jesse Morgan was a shooter last year, and this year I planned on trying to be the best shooter on the team. That’s really what I was focused on in the offseason, just becoming more of a stretch from outside.” Through five games, Enechionyia is shooting 47.4 percent from behind the arc, which is first on the team.
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