TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017 VOL. 95 ISS. 27
temple-news.com @thetemplenews
A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921.
Students crowd housing off-campus ONLINE
PART I OF A SERIES The growing number of students living near Main Campus can have “competing interests” with the community, an administrator said.
Experience this piece at longform.temple-news. com. EVAN EASTERLING/THE TEMPLE NEWS Sophomore defensive back Linwood Crump (left), breaks up a pass intended for senior wide receiver Adonis Jennings on April 1.
By PAIGE GROSS, OWEN MCCUE & JOE BRANDT
F
Jennings ready to break out
or much of its history, Temple was known as a “commuter campus” — most of its students hailed from Main Campus’ surrounding neighborhoods and the city’s suburbs. Temple students earned the nickname “Night Owls” as working adults who took classes after their day jobs. As time went on and Temple’s student population grew, the university’s footprint did, too. In 1957, Temple had 17,842 students, half of which were full time, according to university historian James Hilty’s book, “Temple University: 125 Years of Service to Philadelphia, the Nation, and the World.” But Peabody, Johnson and Hardwick halls, along with the townhouses that now stand at 1810 Liacouras walk, were the few sources of on-campus living and only accommodated a few hundred students in the 1960s and ’70s. In the last few decades, Sean Killion, an associate director in the Office of Residential Life, said there’s been “a real shift” in the student population. Across the country, students sought a different college experience: one that included on-campus living, student clubs and organizations and an investment in the neighborhoods they lived in. In 1991, Temple founded its Student Affairs office, which fulfilled many of the amenities new students were looking for. The university began competing against other institutions to provide an ever-improving “campus experience” with a residential population,
The senior wideout caught four touchdowns in 2016. By OWEN MCCUE Sports Editor Adonis Jennings’ earliest memory at Lincoln Financial Field is of the University of Miami’s Devin Hester running back a kick against the Owls in 2005. The game ended in 34-3 loss for Temple. It is the only game Jennings remembers going to growing up. Two years after he transferred from the University of Pittsburgh, Jennings is happy to be back in Philadelphia, playing for a school close to home. “It’s definitely good to be home and play for a team that you saw growing up, you went to the games,” the senior wide receiver said. “I’m just glad I’m a Temple Owl.” As a senior at Timber Creek High School in Sicklerville, New Jersey, Jennings was rated a four-star recruit by Rivals.com. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound wide receiver had reached a coveted size, and he had the speed to go with it. NICK SEAGREAVES FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS Rental signs adorn many of the houses on Diamond Street between 16th and 17th streets.
HOUSING | PAGE 14
JENNINGS | PAGE 15
University looks ‘I like to think of myself as not quitting’ into food insecurity Despite a troubled past, The university is trying to address some students’ lack of access to food.
Ryan Rivera applied to the city’s police department.
By IAN WALKER For The Temple News
By CARR HENRY For The Temple News
It’s a popular stereotype among many college students: cheap living often includes subsisting on a diet exclusively of instant ramen noodles. But Sarah Levine said this stereotype masks the real struggles some students have to feed themselves. “That’s not to say everyone goes through it,” said Levine, a junior neuroscience major and Parliament’s junior class representative. “But there are things that people do go through that aren’t being acknowledged and the resources aren’t entirely there to help them because no one knows that [food insecurity] is an actual thing.” Food insecurity, or the lack of access to affordable, nutritious food, is an increasingly recognized issue on college campuses. Last spring, four campus-based advocacy groups — the College and University Food Bank Alliance, the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, the Student Government Resource Center and Student Public Interest Research Groups — conducted the broadest study to date on food
At 16 years old, Ryan Rivera dropped out of high school, taking a paper trail of pink detention slips and a rap sheet with him. Last May, at 20 years old, he received his high school diploma from El Centro de Estudiantes High School in North Philadelphia. Rivera, a North Philadelphia resident and former Allied Universal security guard on Main Campus, said graduating was the “best feeling ever.” During his teenage years, he was in and out of school due to behavioral problems and financial challenges. “I like to think of myself as not quitting,” Rivera said. “I took some breaks, but I didn’t quit and I fought hard to get my high school diploma.” On Feb. 17, Rivera officially applied
INSECURITY | PAGE 12
MARGO REED FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS Ryan Rivera, a former Allied Universal security guard, applied to work as a Philadelphia Police officer in February.
for a chance to serve in the Philadelphia Police Department. Now, all he can do is wait for a call back. Rivera said he always wanted to be a police officer while growing up in North Philadelphia, but lost sight of his goal in the face of personal difficulties, including the death of his father when he was 6 years old.
After that, he ended up in handcuffs twice — once at 13 years old for starting a fire in a trash can and again at 18 for selling drugs. Rivera said he takes full responsibility for the “stupid” decisions he made as a teenager, but he worries they will prevent
GUARD | PAGE 13
NEWS | PAGES 2-3, 6
OPINION | PAGES 4-5
FEATURES | PAGES 7-13
SPORTS | PAGES 15-18
A meeting planned between the University and the community to discuss the stadium in March was postponed. Read more on Page 2.
Our columnist writes about the importance of discussing the wage gap and encourages wage equity legislation. Read more on Page 4.
Repair U opened a truck on 13th Street near Norris on Wednesday to help repair students’ phones. Read more on Page 7.
The lacrosse team has clinched a berth in the Big East Conference tournament with two games left. Read more on Page 18.
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NEWS
PAGE 2
TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017
COMMUNITY
University, community meeting to discuss stadium delayed A meeting that took weeks to set was canceled “last minute,” Stadium Stompers said. By KELLY BRENNAN Community Beat Reporter Conversation between Temple and the Stadium Stompers remain inactive after a meeting in late March between state Rep. Curtis Thomas, University President Richard Englert and the Stadium Stompers was postponed at the “last minute,” Stadium Stompers members said. The Stadium Stompers — a group of North Philadelphia residents and Temple students and faculty protesting the proposed on-campus football stadium — spent several weeks planning the meeting through Rep. Thomas’ office to speak with Englert about plans for the stadium. Mary Palmer, Thomas’ executive assistant, relayed a message from Thomas that the meeting was postponed due to scheduling conflicts and is currently being rescheduled for a later date. She added that the “primary persons” involved were not available to meet on March 24. Jackie Wiggins, a Stadium Stompers leader who lives on Page Street near 19th, said the community outreach specialist for Thomas’ office, Charlotte Greer-Brown, attended a Stadium Stompers meeting in March “excited” because there was an established time and date for the proposed meeting, which was March 24 at
Thomas’ office. The night before the meeting, Wiggins said she received a call from Thomas that the meeting was no longer confirmed for that date and time. Anna Barnett, a Stadium Stompers organizer, said the group was told “there was some kind of scheduling miscommunication” between Thomas’ office and the university. Brandon Lausch, a university spokesper-
son, told The Temple News that the university is “not aware” of any past or upcoming meetings between Thomas, Englert and community organizations. Lausch later wrote in an email that he “was not aware of any” attempts from the Stadium Stompers to meet with the university. A representative from Moody Nolan, the Ohio-based architecture firm that was hired to conduct a $1.25 million feasibility study and
design of the on-campus stadium, told The Temple News in February that the study was “on hold.” At the time, a university spokesperson said Temple was still continuing community outreach. Since the Stadium Stompers formed, Barnett said members have been trying to meet with university officials, but the university has yet to agree to an official meeting with the organization. “We’ve consistently been trying to schedule these meetings and it hasn’t been a priority, clearly, for Temple, city council or for other politicians,” she added. “We just think this should be a priority, but I can’t really speculate as to why the meeting was canceled.” “There has been no dialogue,” Wiggins said, between the university and the organization. “We’re just going to keep moving forward.” Prior to the canceled meeting, university representatives proposed a meeting with four members of the Stadium Stompers on Main Campus, Wiggins said. Wiggins said Stadium Stompers agreed to the meeting, but they wanted to bring more than four members. The meeting location was then changed to Thomas’ office. Barnett said the organization’s main goal is still to meet with university officials. “We just want to let [Englert] know that the community and students are opposed to it, and we’re going to do anything to stop it,” she said.
MICHELLE GOLDSBOROUGH FILE PHOTO After the Stadium Stompers staged a protest in March, The Temple News learned that the university’s feasibility study was put on hold, but administrators said Temple was continuing community outreach.
kelly.brennan@temple.edu @_kellybrennan
CRIME
TSG
Robbery suspect posed as victim in home invasion
Activate TU’s spending allowed by code
Two students went unharmed after the incident, but had several valuables stolen last week. By GILLIAN MCGOLDRICK & KELLY BRENNAN For The Temple News Temple Police made one arrest Monday in the armed robbery of two Temple students on Bouvier Street near Montgomery Avenue that occurred early Wednesday morning, said university spokesperson Brandon Lausch. A man unaffiliated with the university who initially called 911 at the crime scene and acted as a victim of the robbery has been arrested for his involvement in planning the robbery, said Charlie Leone, executive director of Campus Safety Services. Some of the information from the complainant who was arrested sounded “suspicious” to the detectives, Leone said. The robbery took place around 2 a.m. on Wednesday, when three males with a gun wearing all black clothing and masks entered a basement apartment through an unlocked door, Lausch said. The suspects entered the home, asking the residents “Where’s the money?” They ordered all of the complainants to get on the floor, according to a spokesperson for Philadelphia Police. “At one point the kid had a gun to my head,” one of the victims, who is a Temple senior, told 6ABC. “I don’t even feel safe sleeping in my own house.” There are arrest warrants out for the other two suspects, Lausch said. A TU Alert was sent to students around 2 a.m. instructing them to “avoid the area” and informing them that TUPD was responding to the incident. A witness said that the three men approached the home and looked to have “walked in,” he added. Lausch said TUPD is reviewing surveillance footage and increasing patrols in the area where the robbery happened. “It does not appear to be a random event,” Lausch added. The suspects stole smartphones, a PlayStation 4 and cash from the students, according to the police report. None of the residents were injured during the robbery, said Joe Garcia, the deputy director of Campus Safety. news@temple-news.com @TheTempleNews
News Desk 215-204-7419 news@temple-news.com
Members of the Elections Committee had different views about what constituted a “gift.” By JULIE CHRISTIE News Editor Temple Student Government Elections Commissioner Noah Goff wrote a letter of dissent to TSG leaders about the Elections Committee’s decision to lift Activate TU’s suspension on the last day of elections. In the letter, sent anonymously to The Temple News, Goff wrote that the decision set a precedent that allowed campaigns to overspend and “completely ignore the rules.” The letter pinpoints several instances that “bothered” Goff about how Activate TU reported its finances, however none of those instances were violations of the elections code. Those instances, he argued in the letter, would have put Activate TU over the $1000 maximum spending limit. According to the letter, TSG Faculty Adviser Chris Carey and the Elections Committee — made up of Goff and three members of Parliament — met to discuss potentially disqualifying Activate TU for that overspending. The committee decided in a 3 to 1 vote to not count those instances. Goff disputed the decision, writing that a coupon used to pay for an Instagram Poster from the Graphics Media Center, a Facebook advertisement posted by Student Activists Against Sexual Assault and flyers printed by students using their free printing allocations should have been counted as gifts, and thus a part of the campaign’s spending. The elections code limits campaign spending to $1000, and without these disclosures, Activate TU spent about $999, Connecting TU spent close to $950, Goff said. The elections code does not define what counts as a gift toward a campaign — only that tangible gifts be counted toward the spending limit and that the Elections Commissioner is responsible for determining the value of those gifts. There is also nothing in the Elections Code that outlines whether coupons or printing allocations would change the value of a gift. The TSG Campaign Finance Guidelines only states that all spending by a campaign or “on behalf of a campaign” would be included in the $1000 limit. The guidelines do not specify when something would be considered spending on behalf of a campaign.
The requirement that gifts be counted toward campaign spending was a new rule after an incident last year, Goff told The Temple News on Sunday. The family of a campaign member had created water bottles with the campaign’s logo which were distributed to students, but not counted in the campaign’s logged spending. Activate TU was suspended for an hour on April 6, just hours before voting for the Executive Branch and Parliament elections closed. The Elections Committee then delayed announcing the winner of the election for a day while it further investigated the campaign’s spending beyond the standard scrutiny both campaigns underwent. TSG announced on April 8 that Activate TU won the election by 56 votes. The letter from Goff was addressed to TSG’s Senior Leadership Team, Speaker of the Parliament and Carey. “I’m not in a position to give details on the conversation that took place between members of the committee,” Carey wrote in an email to The Temple News. “I can say
BRIANNA SPAUSE/THE TEMPLE NEWS TSG Elections Commissioner Noah Goff will stand by the Elections Committee’s final vote on Activate TU’s campaign spending.
GENEVA HEFFERNAN/THE TEMPLE NEWS The Activate TU campaign recieved help toward printing costs and promotions on social media, which were not counted as gifts by the Elections Committee.
that each year, student leaders and I review processes and experiences to adjust based on what we learned during the course of the year. Accordingly, we will review the code and committee procedures to be the best they can be in the future.” “With the revelation of how close the election was, Connecting TU has a compelling (and in my opinion, correct) complaint that the Elections Commission’s unfair decisions directly cost them the election,” Goff wrote in the letter. “Had Activate TU won by a large margin, then this simply would
be a personal concern about the precedent regarding overspending. Now it must also serve as a warning about the intensity and potential validity of any Connecting TU complaints in the coming weeks.” Goff said on Sunday that despite his personal views outlined in the letter, he will continue to represent the committee’s final decision. julie.christie@temple.edu @ChristieJules
temple-news.com @thetemplenews
NEWS
TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017
PAGE 3
TSG
Parliament: shorten wait time for sexual assault hearings The resolution would require Temple to hold a hearing within 60 days. By AMANDA LIEN TSG Beat Reporter Parliament passed a binding resolution that would encourage the university to shorten the mandatory waiting time to hear sexual assault cases on Monday. Olivia Farkas, an at-large representative, introduced the legisla-
tion two weeks ago, but it was tabled because other representatives didn’t think the language was clear enough. The revised resolution calls upon Dean of Students Stephanie Ives to “hire sufficient more administrators in the Office of Student Conduct to allow for this resolution to be fully realized.” The United States Department of Education set a guideline that recommends universities hold a hearing no more than 60 days after receiving a sexual assault complaint. During that time, universities should have conducted a complete investigation of
the incident. “I am beyond happy that this resolution has been passed today,” Farkas said after the resolution passed. “I hope that through this bill, survivors can begin to get the justice they deserve and rape culture can begin to end.” Based on testimony from students she has spoken to, Farkas said it takes Temple four to six months to hear a case. Parliament’s resolution would make the 60-day guideline a mandatory practice for Temple. Temple’s current policy, titled “Preventing and Addressing Sexual
COURTNEY SUMMERS FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS At-large Parliament representatives Olivia Farkas introduced and later passed a bill that would encourage the university to shorten the mandatory waiting times to hear sexual assault cases.
Law professors discuss U.S. Supreme Court appointee Neil Gorsuch served his first day on the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday. By LAURA SMYTHE For The Temple News Professors in the Beasley School of Law said the appointment of Neil Gorsuch as the next Supreme Court justice could set important precedents for future nominations and plagiarism in academics — but it’s all still up in the air. Gorsuch, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Supreme Court justice, was confirmed by the United States Senate two weeks ago after Senate Democrats filibustered the confirmation vote and Republican Senators responded with the “nuclear option,” which changed the longstanding confirmation procedure so Gorsuch could be confirmed with 51 votes instead of the usual 60. His first day was Monday, according to the New York Times. Mark Anderson, a law professor, said he hasn’t discussed Gorsuch in his classes, but the Democrats’ filibuster didn’t come as a surprise to him. “From my perspective, the filibuster hadn’t really been in effect since 2005,” he said. “In order to save it, there was a sort of gentlemen’s agreement not to use it except for in the case of an extreme nominee.” Law professor Mark Rahdert, who specializes in constitutional law, said the level of normalcy of Gorsuch’s confirmation depends on how it’s analyzed. He said the confirmation process is one of the areas in which cooperation between major political parties is crucial to the federal court’s welfare. He said parties must try to put aside their partisan differences and confirm candidates based on their qualifications, not their ideologies, in order to avoid political revenge. Gorsuch’s confirmation was controversial because Senate Republicans refused to recognize former President Barack Obama’s nominee for Supreme Court, Merrick Garland, in 2016, before Trump took office. “I think that the Republican major-
ity’s refusal to consider President Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland was deplorable and clearly purely partisan in orientation, and the Democrats felt they were obliged to respond by attempting to thwart President Trump’s nomination of Judge Gorsuch,” Rahdert said. “We’re in a really bad place with really bad leaders who are willing to sacrifice the judiciary to their own partisanship views,” Rahdert added. “Both parties are complicit in this.” Gorsuch’s confirmation establishes a conservative leaning in the Supreme Court and comes at a time when the Republican party also holds the presidency and Congress majority. Corey McMonagle, a first-year law student, said one of his professors suggested the Supreme Court’s political composition will likely look similar to the way it did when Republican Justice Antonin Scalia presided. Still, the professor said it’s impossible to predict how Gorsuch will behave until he participates in the decision-making on this level. Gorsuch has also been criticized in news media outlets like Politico, Bloomberg and the Washington Post for potentially plagiarizing parts of his 2009 book, “The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia.” Anderson said he thinks Gorsuch probably did plagiarize, but he’s unsure of the repercussions for academic plagiarism outside the collegiate community. Rahdert said what constitutes plagiarism and the specific circumstances of Gorsuch’s case would have to be investigated before a judgment could be made on his honesty. “At the same time, talking about someone who will hold that position for a long time, a position where honesty and personal integrity are paramount, we need to be careful,” Rahdert added. laura.smythe@temple.edu
Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking,” was last changed in 2015 when the Presidential Committee on Campus Sexual Misconduct and does not have a standard amount of time the university will take when processing a complaint. “I’m not trying to change an entire policy,” Farkas told The Temple News last week. “The 60-days rule … isn’t currently being done. That’s what I’m trying to reform.” According to a Title IX Questions and Answers document published in 2014 by the DOE, the 60-day guideline for the resolution of Title IX violations “is based on [the Office of Civil Rights’] experience in typical cases.” Andrea Seiss, Temple’s Title IX coordinator, said the DOE gives extensions during investigations as long as the university is documenting why extensions have been requested. Seiss is responsible for ensuring the university complies with Title IX’s stipulations and requirements, which prohibit federally funded education programs from sexual discrimination. She also leads investigations of Title IX complaints. “I think that’s because [the DOE] understand there may be reasons why the case would be extended beyond 60 days,” Seiss said. Cases can take longer to get to a hearing because of the process for interviewing the complainant, the accused and the witnesses, she added. “The biggest issue is definitely the availability of all the people involved and making sure you get all the information, because you can’t re-
hear a case,” Seiss said. “And besides just trying to get that information, the university calendar has to be considered. When the students are not here but the university is open, we can still move forward with conduct cases, but if it’s summer break and one or more say they can’t come back for the hearing, we could have to postpone.” Farkas said she was “nervous” about presenting the resolution because she was concerned other representatives wouldn’t find it feasible. She said Parliament’s Committee of Student Life spent “a long time coming up with ideas” for the resolution. “It’s very hard to change an entire culture and an entire process within the administration,” Farkas said. “We wanted to think small in this case, because we wanted to make sure that we weren’t over-complicating it.” After the resolution was tabled on April 4, Tyler School of Art representative Jacob Kurtz suggested circulating a petition to gain support for the legislation and increase student awareness. Kurts and several other representatives shared the petition on social media. The petition has 210 signatures. Several are from students at the University of Pittsburgh, Farkas said. “That was really cool that they had even heard about it and wanted to support this,” she said. amanda.lien@temple.edu @amandajlien
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OPINION
PAGE 4
TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017
LEGISLATION A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921. Joe Brandt Editor-in-Chief Paige Gross Managing Editor Michaela Winberg Supervising Editor Julie Christie News Editor Jenny Roberts Opinion Editor
The Temple News is an editorially independent weekly publication serving the Temple University community.
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Adjacent commentary is reflective of their authors, not The Temple News.
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Unsigned editorial content represents the opinion of The Temple News.
EDITORIALS
Engage with community We want to hear your thoughts about community relations at Temple. Every year for the past few years, The Temple News staff has met to discuss a topic that could be turned into a months-long explanatory reporting project. In the past, we have tackled issues like crime, sexual assault and the university administration’s cut of five NCAA programs. This semester, we set out to report and present our next project: a three-part series on the state of community relations here in North Philadelphia. It’s been a long-contested issue at Temple — we’ve heard frustration from both sides about understanding the other. We dedicated a semester to answering the question, “What is Temple’s relationship with the surrounding communities like?” This week, in Part I of our series, we look at how the student body has changed in the last few decades from a commuter and part-time population to one that desires the “full college experience.” This shift came with a surge in new construction, and in many cases,
students who made the move from Main Campus to the neighborhoods surrounding it. Next Tuesday, look for Part II, where we ask for perspectives from community leaders, block captains and neighbors who will share stories about how their neighborhoods have changed and how Temple has impacted their lives. And on May 9, in our final issue of the school year, we talk to administrators about how they see Temple’s relationship with the surrounding community. Each piece will be available at longform.temple-news. com. Though it’s usually our job to inform you, this time we want to change things a bit. We want to hear from you, the readers. Do you have an experience that’s related to this story? Have an opinion you would like to share? Let us know what you think, in no more than 100 words, at editor@temple-news. com. We will publish relevant commentary along with Part II next week.
Change elections code TSG’s Elections Code should be clarified in order to avoid conflict. Last week, it was brought to the attention of The Temple News that Temple Student Government Elections Commissioner Noah Goff penned a letter to the rest of the Elections Committee about overspending in this year’s TSG election. Goff claimed that Activate TU overspent its TSG campaign budget by 7 percent, by receiving donations from student organizations and using student printing money instead of campaign funds to create promotional posters. Goff also expressed frustration that Activate TU submitted a “woefully incomplete” account of the team’s spending. The Temple News investigated these claims, and we’ve found the potential overspending might not be the fault of Activate TU; perhaps the vague Temple Student Government Elections Code is to blame. The code, which was updated in February and sets the rules for TSG campaigns, explicitly states that any tangible gift must be counted in a campaign’s spending limit. But the code never explicitly defines a gift to a campaign. Instead, it states that the Elections Com-
missioner will determine how to count gifts to campaigns on a case-by-case basis. We’re aware the Elections Committee looked into Activate TU’s campaign the night before voting closed — and suspended the team’s campaign for an hour — but we’re concerned that the TSG Elections Commissioner still feels unresolved about the issue. The Temple News is a nonpartisan student news outlet, and we favor neither Activate TU nor its former competitor, Connecting TU. But we support without question the right to fair election processes within our student government. A fair election is important for both TSG tickets, as well as the entire student body and Temple faculty. TSG ought to define exactly what constitutes a gift in campaigns, and it ought to set specific punishments for breaking those rules — instead of leaving that responsibility to the Elections Commissioner on a “case-by-case” basis. To prevent instances of uncertainty like this in the future, a revision to the elections code is in order.
CORRECTIONS Accuracy is our business, so when a mistake is made, we’ll correct it as soon as possible. Anyone with inquiries about content in this newspaper can contact Editor-in-Chief Joe Brandt at editor@ temple-news.com or 215-204-6737. letters@temple-news.com
Legislators: close the wage gap Politicians must discuss the wage gap and create legislation to help combat wage inequity.
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lack womanhood shapes my identity in many ways. It affects the way I style my hair and the choices I make at the bookstore to pick up works by feminist writer Roxane Gay or African-American novelist Toni Morrison. But it shouldn’t have any effect on determining my paycheck. It’s hard to feel hopeful about entering the workforce after graduation knowing that, statistically, I might earn less money than my white male counterparts due to the wage gap. According to the National PartnerBASIA WILSON ship for Women & Families, American women working full-time lose a combined total of more than $840 billion every year due to income inequity. Today, women earn about 80 cents on the dollar compared to men — but women of color fall even further behind. Compared to white men, Black women make 63 cents on the dollar, and Latina women make 54 cents. At this rate, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research predicts women won’t receive equal pay for another 42 years. Americans should have in-depth discussions about the wage gap and the unfair consequences it has on women, especially women of color. And legislators need to institute policies like paycheck transparency to ensure fair pay by law. This requires companies with federal contracts to share information on employee earnings and salaries with the government. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 “did increase equality for certain groups of women, but obviously not all women,” said Alexandra Guisinger, a political science professor. “Actually, we’ve increased inequality among women.” Racist stereotypes have further contributed to the wage gap for some women. “Women of color are not taken se-
riously because of the stereotypes that come with women of color, that their ideas are not as great as white men’s ideas,” said Rujuta Chincholkar-Mandelia, a gender, sexuality and women’s studies professor. Chincholkar-Mandelia, who moved to the United States from India, said she has heard stereotypes about immigrant women being inarticulate and submissive. These stereotypes must be challenged. People can work to counteract them by acknowledging they exist, discussing them with others and working to change the narrative they perpetuate. Another way these stereotypes can be challenged is by noting positive representations of women of color and celebrating their successes in their respective fields.
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“Just seeing examples that go against your bias is really helpful,” said junior political science and public health major Martha Sherman, the public relations officer of the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance. We must recognize that the wage gap has been a long-standing issue for women, and for some even more than others. Women of various backgrounds must be included in the conversation about income inequity. Solidarity across racial and gender lines is also crucial in bridging the gap. “There is that awareness and understanding that we need to come together within the feminist movement itself,” Chincholkar-Mandelia said. “President [Barack] Obama was very conscious of that wage gap.”
Obama signed the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces order in 2014, which included paycheck transparency. This was meant to reveal any discrepancies between the incomes of men and women, prompting businesses to correct any gap. But President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order revoking Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces, removing the paycheck transparency requirement. Working women are already susceptible to injustice in the workplace, and Trump’s order only exacerbates the issue. Leaders like Trump cannot continually dismiss this problem. Their negligence as people in power encourages others to ignore this important civil rights issue. Political leaders must first acknowledge the existence of the wage gap, and then work to correct it through legislation so women can progress economically. In January, Mayor Jim Kenney signed a wage equity law prohibiting employers from asking applicants their previous salary history. The law, which some have opposed for the added regulations it places on business, is set to take effect on May 23. This law is essential because employers use salary history to gauge how much employees should be paid, and since women historically make less than men, their salary history reflects that. This cycle complicates economic mobility for women. Philadelphia’s wage equity law is a positive step toward working to level the playing field between men and women. If we value women’s labor in society, we must be willing to pay for it. Our laws must ensure no woman is paid less simply because of her gender or race. “I just think that in order for people to be liberated from oppressive systems, they need to make equal pay for equal work,” Sherman said. “It’s a form of equality we need to fight for.” We need to continually engage in discussions about the wage gap to make others aware of its potential impact on women in the workforce. Only when citizens and policymakers are continually confronted with this issue can we hope to spur action and legislation for women in the workforce. basia.serafina.wilson@temple.edu
CONSTRUCTION
Skywalk proposal signals exclusivity The Fox School of Business should work to maintain inclusivity in expansion plans.
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s an actuarial science and management information systems major in the Fox School of Business, most of my time on Main Campus is spent inside one building: Alter Hall. On rare occasions, I venture to Gladfelter Hall for my Spanish class, which my advisers highly discouraged me from taking in the first place. I was told that Spanish would not be necessary for my studies, and I should instead consider taking electives ALISA SARASARN recommended by my ISLAM majors — all within Fox. The business school has a strong identity, which can sometimes feel isolating. In my three years at Fox, I’ve found that business students tend to keep to themselves — even most of our extracurricular activities are nestled within our homestead at the corner of 13th Street and Montgomery Avenue. And recently, the school proposed an architectural expansion plan that
threatened to further isolate Fox from the rest of the university. As part of the plan, school officials proposed the creation of a skywalk that would connect Alter Hall to the neighboring townhouses at 1810 Liacouras Walk, which will become a part of the business school next fall. Luckily, Philadelphia’s Architectural Committee voted against the proposed skywalk 4 to 1, citing concern for the historical integrity if the townhouses. School officials should respect this decision, abandoning any hope for a skywalk. And when making future expansion plans, Fox should remain inclusive and welcoming of all students. “Of all the elements, I agree that the bridge is the most problematic,” Dan McCoubrey, a member of Philadelphia’s Architectural Committee, told PlanPhilly. He also said the skywalk would not be conducive to “mingling and community building.” A willingness to spend money just so Fox students don’t have to walk outside and potentially mingle with students from other schools seems elitist, even if this isn’t the intention. “I think the skywalk would add flair to the campus, but it would isolate Fox students more,” said Douglas Meloche, a senior accounting and finance major. “I don’t really see the point of it. It’s not a building that other people go to often. Aesthetically, it would look really good, but I don’t see the practicality of it.”
“Only Fox students would be using it,” said Alyssa O’Dea, a sophomore environmental studies and Spanish major. “You would know it would just be Fox students walking.” Students should not be encouraged to remain sheltered together within their respective fields and spaces. While creating a tight-knit community can foster comfort and familiarity among students, it cannot come at the cost of being exclusive. A welcoming attitude is essential among all schools and colleges at the university to better align with Temple’s mission of maintaining diversity. “When it comes to majors and schools sticking in one place, I think that exclusivity does tend to damage the culture of Temple as a university,” said Nick Blom, a senior media studies and production major. “The whole greatness of a university is that you’re meeting different kinds of people and different minds.” In building up Main Campus, school officials need to avoid creating physical barriers that could isolate students from interacting and learning from each other. Moving forward, I hope school officials keep Temple’s mission in mind as the university continues to expand. I hope students feel at home in their school or college, but also on Main Campus as a whole. alisa.sarasarn@temple.edu
temple-news.com @thetemplenews
OPINION
TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017
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THE ESSAYIST
Rediscovering an old love: finding myself between the lines
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A student reflects on the impact reading has had in her life and the ways it brings her joy.
eading has always been a major part of my life. My mother and father love to read, and when I was young, they passed that gift down to me. Even before I could read, I had picture books that taught me to tie my shoes and audiobooks that taught me about phonics. I can’t remember a time I wasn’t immersed in books. In elementary school, I was in a remedial program which required we read one book per week. On Fridays, we would take tests on what we read. Unlike my peers, I didn’t feel forced to read — I enjoyed it. I loved the time I spent in the library. I consumed books like I was starving, and they were my only form of nourishment. Every book I read, I felt like I gained something new — an experience, an emotion, a way of thinking. In middle school and high school, I began learning new things through the classics. When I read the romance novel “Jane Eyre,” I experienced heartache and loss. The dystopian tale “Fahrenheit 451” taught me to think critically and question those in authority. I loved getting lost
in these words, being transported to other worlds that were much different than my own. And I enjoyed the new feelings I experienced from reading — longing, heartache, wanderlust. A book, no matter how good, allowed me to experience a life separate from my own. As I got older, however, reading became something I did less for pleasure and more for retention. Suddenly, I couldn’t justify getting lost in texts that weren’t for school. It wasn’t a conscious decision to stop reading. It happened slowly. One day I put down a book I was reading, and I didn’t pick it back up. At the beginning of
By CHELSEA WILLIAMS 2017, I decided a change was in order. In a year that I’m calling my “year of growth,” I’ve set forth to challenge myself, both academically and personally. My number one resolution is to read 12 books by the end of the year. I don’t have any rules, except that I have to read each book cover to
cover. Class readings don’t count unless I finish the whole book. My hope is that I can once more get lost between pages. From Jane Austen to Karl Marx, I’m not limiting myself in my reading selections. With each book I consume, I hope to gain knowledge about the world around me and find new depths to who I am and what I think. Twelve books doesn’t seem that hard to read in a year. Theoretically, I should be able to do a book a
month. But reading and understanding are two different concepts. I won’t allow myself to rush through these books, no matter how long it takes me to finish. I want to make sure I understand fully. And through this experiment, I hope to not only rediscover my love for reading, but also to practice self-care. When I read, I’m making time for myself. I’m taking a break from my hectic college and work life. I’m allowing myself to breathe. Even if it’s only for a few minutes a day on the subway, before bed or in between classes, I’m giving myself time to rest before I rush off to my next activity. This year, reading is more than just finishing a book. It’s about finding pieces of myself I didn’t even know existed. It’s about taking the time to discover different perspectives of the world around me. It’s about becoming a better person and returning to the first love I found in my childhood. chelseawilliams@temple.edu
SASHA LASAKOW | THE TEMPLE NEWS
FROM THE ARCHIVE
TSG
Students would benefit from recovery housing Students struggling with addiction need a safe haven from the party atmosphere that exists at college.
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t the beginning of the month, Parliament passed a resolution to explore an option for recovery housing on Main Campus. The bill, which passed unanimously, was proposed by George Basile, Parliament’s junior class representative. I hope exploration of this subject by next year’s Parliament ultimately leads to action. Substance use disorder is a serious health issue, and it needs to be treated that way. A recovery housing option on Main Campus would allow JAYNA SCHAFFER students to maintain their sobriety while still feeling included in the college experience. “The campus recovery movement has really exploded in the last several years,” said Cathy Fiorello, the psychology department chair. “An increasing number of colleges are realizing that they need to do something to meet the needs of their students that are in recovery.” Temple lags behind other Pennsylvania schools in offering a housing option specifically for students with substance use disorder. Drexel University and Pennsylvania State University already offer sober living options for students in recovery. The university would not have to dedicate an extensive amount of resources to recovery housing. For example, Drexel and Penn State allot only a handful of bedrooms to their students in recovery. However, these small programs make an impact on students struggling with substance use disorder with community activities, weekly meetings and drug tests. Now, Temple needs to create an option of its own. “Everybody jokes about how college life is a lot of partying and a lot of drinking and drugging, but it’s really not funny,” said Daniel Canney, chair of pharmaceutical science in the School of Pharmacy and adviser of the Committee on Addiction and Substance Abuse, an organization of pharmacy students who aim to assist students with substance use disorder. “And for
people that are struggling with addiction, they’re surrounded by it constantly.” According to the most recent data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, about 60 percent of full-time college students ages 18 to 22 said they drank alcohol in the past month, as reported in the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. “I’ve always thought it was a problem on campus,” Canney added. “Not just here at Temple, but in general.” That is why it is essential students recovering from addiction have a safe haven on Main Campus to avoid a lapse in their recovery. Since April 4, there have been 22 incidents involving alcohol or drugs listed in Temple Police’s crime logs, with more than half of these incidents occurring at student dorms. A Healthy Lifestyles Living Learning Community already exists at Temple, but it is dedicated to holistic health, not recovery from substance use disorder. The programming for students in the LLC is offered in partnership with the Wellness Resource Center and covers topics ranging from nutrition to time management to healthy sleep. “It doesn’t provide mandated group therapy,” Basile said. “It doesn’t provide some of the very key aspects to recovery. Recovery housing is a very intense initiative.” Because of the LLC’s broad nature, this space cannot be considered a substitute for recovery housing. An approach catered specifically to those dealing with substance use disorder is necessary. “One of the best predictors of recovery from anything is how robust your support system is,” Fiorello said. “But especially for late adolescents and young adults, the peer group is incredibly important in determining your outcomes.” In a college environment, when alcohol and drugs are regularly being used by peers, recovery housing needs to be an option for those struggling with substance use. Next year’s Parliament will be tasked with figuring out how this housing option would take shape. But it is essential that Parliament’s eagerness to pursue the creation of recovery housing continues. jayna.alexandra.schaffer@temple.edu
October 13, 1975: The Temple News profiled head football coach Wayne Hardin, who came to Temple in 1970 after coaching at Navy. He led Navy to beat Army for five consecutive years. He also coached two Heisman Trophy winners there. Hardin came to Temple in the hopes of building up the program. “Wayne takes on a challenge pretty strongly,” said John Drew, Temple’s pass offense coach. “He felt Temple could be rebuilt, that the program could be redone. I think he’s good for Temple University.” Hardin died April 12 at the age of 91. He is the coach with the most wins in Temple’s program history. He stopped coaching in 1982, ending his career at Temple with a record of 8052-2 during his 13 seasons.
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TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017
RESEARCH
NEWS BRIEFS UNIVERSITY NEWS
Dentistry dean receives international award Alpha Omega International Dental Fraternity will award Amid Ismail, dean of the Kornberg School of Dentistry, with the organization’s Achievement Medal Award, reported the Jewish Exponent, a Philadelphia newspaper that focuses on Jewish life. AO is the oldest international dental organization and the oldest Jewish medical organization. Ismail, the first Muslim recipient of the award, will join the ranks of Albert Einstein, virologist Jonas Salk and the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem, the Jewish Exponent reported. Ismail won the award for his achievements in dental research and his contributions to Jewish and Israeli communities. He ran a free dental clinic for Holocaust survivors and worked with the Alliance for Oral Health Across Borders, which brings students from The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine in Israel and students from the Palestinian Al-Quds University School of Dentistry together. Ismail will receive the award at an annual fraternity dinner on Thursday at the National Museum of American Jewish History. - Noah Tanen
U.S. to pay $4 million toward birth injury case A federal judge ruled on Friday the United States government has to pay half of an $8 million settlement for a 2009 birth injury at Temple University Hospital, court records show. U.S. District Judge Mark Kearney ruled in favor of TUH for their suit of indemnity, claiming the labor and delivery doctor was equally liable for birth injuries of spasticity and quadriplegic cerebral palsy, among other permanent neurological disabilites. The judge ruled that Dr. Clinton Turner, an attending physician at Delaware Valley Community Health Center and the attending physician for the infant’s birth, is a federal employee because DVCHC receives federal funding. Kearney found that Turner broke the standard of care and that TUH nurses and staff also shared in the negligence that led to the brain injuries, Kearney wrote in his ruling. This shared negligence is why TUH and the federal government will split the $8 million settlement that is awaiting a jury in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. - Gillian McGoldrick
Alumnus to lead West Chester University Temple alumnus Christopher Fiorentino will be inaugurated as West Chester University’s president on Friday. He will be the state university’s 15th president, the Daily Local News reported. Fiorentino earned his bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D degrees in economics at Temple. He worked at WCU for 34 years, serving as WCU’s College of Business and Public Affairs’ dean for 20 years and interim president of the university since 2016, along with several other positions. The official inauguration ceremony will have representatives from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and more than 1,000 faculty, students, trustees and alumni attending. Fiorentino was named president of the university on Jan. 5 by the PASSHE’s Board of Governors.
COURTESY LAUREN OUZIEL Law professor Lauren Ouziel researches the criminal justice system at the Beasley School of Law. Her paper will be published in September.
Professor’s research examines intention, effectiveness of drug laws, enforcement One professor is studying the disconnect between what laws are meant to do and what they actually do. By NOAH TANEN Research Beat Reporter A professor in the Beasley School of Law is researching the difference between what laws are intended to do and how they are actually carried out in the criminal justice system. In the study, law professor Lauren Ouziel said the disconnect is especially clear in drug enforcement, which is the focus of her study. She spent eight years as a federal prosecutor in New York and Pennsylvania before entering academia. “In the last few years … there was a lot of focus on the fact that we had enacted these drug laws,” Ouziel said. “We see in our federal prisons large numbers of lower-level, non-violent, first-time drug offenders, and these were never the people that anyone intended for the federal system to prioritize.” Ouziel said drug enforcement is an important “window” to look at the politics of the criminal justice system, because it affects a large number of people. According to data from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a little more than 46 percent of prisoners are drug offenders. The Department of Justice reported in 2015 that 76 percent of drug offenders are Black, Hispanic or Latino. The study explains three reasons why
drug enforcement misses its mark in lowering the frequency of drug sales. First, the structure of drug trafficking organizations makes it difficult to convict the people leading the operation because the structure takes advantage of how drug enforcement works. “You have this tremendously hierarchical system,” Ouziel said. “The higher you go up the chain, the more far away the people are from the actual product.” That structure makes it easier for law enforcement to build cases against people at the bottom of the hierarchy because they are closer to the drugs than those who run the operations, she said. Second-year law student Rita Burns said the arrest of lower-level drug offenders is a waste of resources. “That’s not really who we’re trying to go after,” Burns said. “By putting these people in jail, you’re removing any chance that they’re going to be able to function well within society … Using our dollars to put these people in jail doesn’t make sense.” The second reason is that law enforcement organizations are under pressure to meet quotas and to show success in order to receive funding. Many law enforcement organizations are judged for success by number of arrests, rather than how their efforts have actually lessened the local drug trades, Ouziel said. Therefore, to demonstrate competence, a large number of low-level drug dealers are arrested, Ouziel said. Finally, the relationship between federal and local law enforcement agencies doesn’t combine the resources of the federal government with the knowledge
of local agencies. Though the drug trade is a mainly local issue, local politicians and enforcers look to the federal government “to do something, to respond to the problem,” Ouziel said. This puts pressure on the federal government, which doesn’t have the local knowledge to make the right arrests, she added. Ouziel said many legal scholars say changing federal drug laws and shortening jail sentences is a solution, but she sees a more complicated problem: pressures within law enforcement organizations. “You first have to answer the question of, ‘Why?’” Ouziel said. “Why are our results so different from what the law intended?” In her research, Ouziel looked back at the original objectives of federal drug enforcement law which aimed to go after, “the worst of the worst.” “When you’re spending time on prosecuting lower-level dealers that are not using violence, and these are first-time offenders, that’s money and time you’re spending that you’re not on other cases,” Ouziel said. Ouziel said she drew on older research from the 1970s and ‘80s on how criminal justice systems operated, and tried to compare it to today’s criminal justice climate. The completed research paper will be published in the Virginia Law Review in September, and Ouziel said she already started on another research paper that examines the politics of police reform. noah.tanen@temple.edu
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TUH nurse to be president of trauma nurses society Cindy Blank-Reid, a trauma clinical nurse specialist at Temple University Hospital, was named the president of the Society of Trauma Nurses, an international organization of nurses with more than 3,200 members, according to a release from TUH. Blank-Reid, who specializes in surgical critical care and trauma in the neurosciences, has been a registered nurse for more than 30 years, the release read. She has worked at TUH for nearly the past 14 years, while traveling to lecture nationally and internationally on various topics including trauma. STN has several initiatives that Blank-Reid will now spearhead, including expanding its programs and services internationally. Another push by STN is their advocacy for the National Academy of Sciences, Education and Medicine to create a national trauma system. The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, the Eastern Association for Surgery of Trauma and the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma will all work with Blank-Reid, as she will be a key liaison between the organizations. Blank-Reid has been a member of STN for several years and served as the organization’s treasurer and director at large. Blank-Reid will serve a one-year term as president of STN.
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features
F E AT U R E S
TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017
PAGE 7
Senior’s film up for student Emmy Eli LaBan is a finalist for his project about endangered languages in Nicaragua. By TAYLOR HORN Online Beat Reporter
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ne day last semester, Eli LaBan set up his camera in a village on the Southern Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. Soon, dozens of Garifuna-speaking people lined up behind it to be featured in LaBan’s video series — “Learn to Count in an Endangered Language.” “People were really excited,” said LaBan, a senior media studies and production major. “Even if they didn’t know how to count, they were lining up. There were all these
little kids around.” The video series featured Nicaraguan people counting to 10 in their native languages of Garifuna, Rama and Miskito. LaBan said the languages are close to going extinct because of the people’s remote location in a predominantly Spanishspeaking country. LaBan filmed the series while he was on an independent study abroad program in Nicaragua during Fall 2016. The series was nominated for a College Television Emmy Award in the “Series-Unscripted” category. LaBan is attending a ceremony on May 24 where the results will be announced. Last year, he interned at NBC10 and won a professional Emmy from the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television, Art & Sciences for his work on “Generation Addicted,” a documentary about Philadelphia’s opioid epidemic.
LaBan was also named as the 2017 Alice Rowan Swanson fellow for the School for International Training — the company that organized LaBan’s first trip to Nicaragua. The fellowship will support LaBan during another trip to Nicaragua this summer so he can create more videos about the Rama language and the area’s indigenous, sustainable farming methods. LaBan first thought of the idea for the series during one of his trips to the Caribbean coast. “The contrast is huge between the Caribbean and the rest of the country because there’s all these languages going on in the street,” LaBan said. “There’s this real mixture of totally unique cultures and stuff that doesn’t really exist anywhere else in the country. So immediately I was struck by it … and
LANGUAGE | PAGE 9
KYLE THOMAS FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS Senior neuroscience major Ori Roe aspires to be a medical illustrator. She draws inspiration from science and nature in her artwork.
Student combines interests in art, science The neuroscience major’s artwork was most recently displayed at Saxbys. By MEGHAN COSTA For The Temple News
KIERAN LYONS FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS “Learn to Count in an Endangered Language” is a documentary series produced by senior media studies and production major Eli LaBan. The series looks at languages that are near extinction in Nicaragua.
Ori Roe took a break from school in 2012 because she couldn’t decide whether to pursue science or her interests in drawing and painting. “I was a reluctant art major,” the current senior neuroscience major said. “While I was [at Temple University Japan] studying art, I realized that it felt really empty, and I felt like I wanted something concrete.” When Roe returned to Main Campus in Fall 2013, she decided to try studying neuroscience with a minor in art, but she found it unsustainable due to the large work-
loads of both fields of study. Recently, Roe realized she wanted to learn about science through art — rather than trying to study both at the same time. Roe will pursue a master’s degree in medical or scientific illustration to combine her two passions. In Spring 2016, Roe took foundations professor Buy Shaver’s Introduction to Visual Language class. Roe said the course taught her “how to speak with art.” “She seemed to be searching,” Shaver said. “She was trying to figure out how to make art a part of her life and what she wanted to do.” Shaver said he never met another student interested in scientific illustration. The Tyler School of Art doesn’t even offer courses in the subject, which is the art of drawing body parts or diagrams for scientific texts, medical professionals or researchers. “I think Ori’s one of those spe-
ILLUSTRATION | PAGE 13
Repair U brings vendor truck to Main Campus An alumnus had a grand opening for his phonerepair business last week. By PATRICK BILOW Classroom Beat Reporter When Jesse DiLaura breaks his phone, he isn’t happy. He knows firsthand that college students don’t enjoy cracking their phone screens. “Our phones are a 10-minute source of joy at lunch or whenever,” said DiLaura, a 2016 entrepreneurism alumnus. “And when [phones] are broken, we can’t check Facebook or FaceTime our parents.” DiLaura owns Repair U, a truck at 13th and Norris streets where he runs a phone repair service for college students. There was a grand opening ceremony on Wednesday. Inside the small silver truck with the green Repair U logo, DiLaura and his eight employees, all Temple students, said they can fix the screen of any smartphone. DiLaura said his business offers
a cheaper, quicker and more convenient alternative to phone repair. “To be honest, I don’t even like fixing phones,” DiLaura said. “But what I like is fixing problems for students.” For DiLaura, Repair U was a distant goal he slowly worked toward while he studied at Temple. He always wanted to run his own business, so he switched his major from risk management and insurance to entrepreneurship his junior year. He said he found out quickly that he was meant to be an entrepreneur, and the courses he took allowed him to work on Repair U through projects and assignments geared toward starting and growing a business. But when graduation came around, he found himself unsure whether he should go for it. “It was hard to step away from the possibility of having a certain job as a risk management major,” DiLaura said. “But I bought the truck after graduation and here I am.” One of DiLaura’s friends, Beau Rosario, owns Philamedia, a startup media production company. Rosario, DiLaura and two other students were roommates
TECH | PAGE 10
BILIN LIN FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS Sarah Levine, a 2010 marketing alumna, offers traditional American cuisine with vegetarian and vegan options at Luna Café.
Cafe a ‘homey’ spot in Old City An alumna offers vegan and vegetarian options at Luna Café. By AYOOLUWA ARIYO For The Temple News As a small business owner, Sarah Levine is always thinking about sustainability and how to support the local economy. Levine, a 2010 marketing
alumna, opened Luna Café in February 2015 on Market Street near 3rd. The cafe serves American-style breakfast and lunch items along with vegan and vegetarian options. Levine aims to support the Philadelphia economy by using fresh and locally sourced products. Levine, who is originally from the Poconos, came to Philadelphia to study at Temple in 2006. She has always worked in restaurants and has been pas-
sionate about owning a restaurant that uses local resources and sustainability, which made her interested in marketing and business. Levine said she wanted to incorporate sustainability into her career. “I love food, and I think Philadelphia is a great food city, and I wanted to open a business that contributed to all these different aspects of the city and life
CAFE | PAGE 11
ARTIST | PAGE 8
CONGRESS | PAGE 8
OVERNIGHT | PAGE 9
LIVE IN PHILLY | PAGE 10
Eric Okdeh is currently working on a mural at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children with help from patients and their families.
An alumnus created a service to help constituents get in contact with their representative through a mailed letter.
Some students balance working overnight shifts at their jobs and taking classes in mornings and afternoons.
Philadelphia funk band MINKA took over The Foundry on Saturday for a dance party with burlesque dancers and visual art.
F E AT U R E S
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TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017
In mural making, alumnus connects with subjects A 2001 painting alumnus has been making murals in the city for 20 years. By BILIN LIN For The Temple News Eric Okdeh thinks it’s important for mural-making to be inclusive. The 2001 painting alumnus spent one year creating a large-scale painting project called “Contemplation, Clarity, Resilience” on Chestnut Street near 56th with help from an estimated 80 to 100 people from the Kirkbride Center, a behavioral health inpatient rehabilitation center. This painting has several patients’ portraits on it, and it symbolizes the process of acknowledging, accepting and overcoming hardship. The mural was completed in September 2016. Okdeh has designed and participated in the making of more than 100 walls of mural art and mosaic in Pennsylvania, California, Hawaii, Arizona, Jordan and Spain. He originally studied to be a studio painter, but said he has enjoyed working in communities more. “I found working in communities and helping tell their stories is much more fulfilling for me,” Okdeh said. Okdeh is currently working on a mural and mosaic project for St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in North Philadelphia with help from patients and their families. The mural will feature children riding in two hot air balloons. He plans to have this done by the end of May, and it will be inside the hospital’s parking garage. “With this, the hospital is the community we’ll be working in,” Okdeh said. “So we are connecting with their kids to develop this mural.” Okdeh, who was born in Southwest Philadelphia, was first introduced to art in the seventh grade through figure painting. When he was a freshman at Temple in 1997, he met Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Founder and Executive Director Jane Gold-
en, through his friend Jason Slowik, a 2003 art education alumnus. That’s when Okdeh began his career. “I’m picking up residencies and commissions in the different parts of world,” Okdeh said. “My experience with Mural Arts has allowed me to create this work and grow in the city and establish myself as a mural artist. And now I’ve been able to take that skill set and travel the world and paint murals and work with communities.” The first mural he made was a series of designs at the Dell East Music Center in Fairmount Park near Strawberry Mansion in 1997, but the artwork has since been removed. He has another ongoing mural project at 4th and Jefferson streets with North Philadelphia Health System, a local healthcare provider. The mural will express themes of trauma, life and recovery. Okdeh started this mural the beginning of April, and he plans to finish by the end of July. He is currently
hosting workshops with North Philadelphia residents in rehabilitation or recovery or those who have mental health needs. These meetings will help Okdeh design a wall that tells their stories, he said. “People can be part of the process, but at the same time, the themes of these murals can be very personal stories,” Okdeh said. “In order to tell those stories, we need to connect with people, and give them a voice. ... I really enjoyed the ability to tell those stories.” Slowik said Okdeh has “unrivaled ambition” as a muralist. “[His ambition] gives all efforts a very solid foundation, ensuring success … in order to not only create great art, but more importantly to create a lasting and meaningful impact on the lives of the people and communities he encounters,” Slowik wrote in an email. Okdeh recently started focusing more on his glass career. He creates stained-glass windows, and he plans
to sell them on his website within the next couple of years to people who want to decorate their homes. “That’s what kind of interests me right now, but I always see muralmaking in my life,” Okdeh said. “You start to think about wanting to work with other materials. A lot of artists
are looking for three-dimensional works, so you start to think about your design aesthetic and how that translate to other materials.” “As long as there’s a program in Philly, I’d love to be part of it.” bilin.lin@temple.edu
BILIN LIN FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS Eric Okdeh, a 2001 painting alumnus, works in his Kensington art studio on Thursday to cut stained glass that will be a part of his newest mosaic mural project with St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. The mural, which will feature children riding in hot air balloons, will be installed inside the hospital’s parking garage in May.
Former student creates website for contacting representatives Ryan Epp is using the old-fashioned lobbying method of strongly worded letters. By MEGAN PLATT For The Temple News One day in January, Ryan Epp called Sen. Pat Toomey’s office more than 20 times, trying to voice his opinion about Betsy DeVos’s nomination as the United States Secretary of Education. When no one answered, he wrote his thoughts out in a letter. Then he realized he had no stamps. “I figured there would be some website I could go to that would send a letter for me, but there wasn’t,” said Epp, a former computer science student. That was when Epp said he got one of his “wacky ideas,” and he decided to create Snail Mail Congress — a service that sends a physical letter to representatives. A week later, the site was live. For $1.28, people can upload a short, personal message addressed to their representative on the website, and Epp will format, hand-seal, stamp and mail the letter. The cost goes to supplies like envelopes and stamps. According to Epp’s website, he does not profit from the service. Snail Mail Congress was created in January, about a month before Toomey faced public criticism for features@temple-news.com
not answering constituents’ phone calls. In February, Toomey hosted a telephone town hall to answer questions, which was accidentally broadcasted from a Temple Police Code Blue Emergency Phone on 15th and Jefferson streets. The project is based out of Lititz, Pennsylvania, but Epp said he has mailed letters to senators across the country like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.
Epp chose “snail mail” because representatives are more likely to read a handwritten letter than something sent virtually, he said. He added that he has a third-party service to help him mail letters if too many requests come in, and he recently bought a bigger mailbox because of increasing demand. Steven Kelly, Toomey’s press secretary, wrote in an email that he believes that phone calls, emails and letters are all equally effective when
constituents try to contact their representatives. “For the convenience purposes for a constituent, using the website to send a email (sic) is my recommendation,” Kelly wrote. Mitchell Sellers, a political science professor who teaches the class American State and Local Politics, said constituents should focus on key points that are important to them when they write letters to their representatives.
COURTESY RYAN EPP Ryan Epp, a former computer science student, created Snail Mail Congress, a website that is bringing letter writing into the 21st century by allowing users to upload messages to their elected officials, which Epp will personally print, seal and send for a small fee.
He said a representative’s staff members will often explain the major points in their constituents’ letters. “Staffers will get the initial look at your letter,” he said. “Your representative might look at it, but it’s more likely that they won’t.” Jon Geeting is the director of engagement for Philadelphia 3.0, an organization that backs candidates running for City Hall to “lead efforts to reform and modernize” city government, according to its website. He agreed that using a personal message is best when reaching out to representatives. Geeting said civic engagement is the reason the American Health Care Act — the piece of legislation proposed to replace the Affordable Care Act — wasn’t passed. “I know Pat Toomey hasn’t been that responsive to constituents calling him, so if you take town halls or phone calls off the table, the next most effective way is sending a physical letter,” Geeting said. Epp said he created the bipartisan service to get more people involved in politics. For the 2016 general election, 64 percent of Philadelphia’s registered voters participated — a percentage lower than the turnout for the 2012 and 2008 election. “People consider politics to be just voting and that’s your only duty,” Epp said. “I think it should be a yearlong engagement, not just stopping at the elections.” megan.platt@temple.edu
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Students juggle overnight shifts with their morning classes Some students work overnight for increased pay rates at on-campus jobs. By QUANG DO For The Temple News Amelia Smith’s friends will often gather at her off-campus apartment on Sunday afternoons to hang out. She has to kick them out early, though — Smith has to go to sleep at 5:30 p.m. to prepare for her eighthour overnight shift. After a year of working as a student consultant at the TECH Center, Smith, a sophomore financial planning major, asked her manager if she could work the overnight shift: 11:30
p.m. to 8 a.m. Student workers are allowed to work one overnight shift per week, she said. Many student workers take the overnight shifts to make more money and catch up on their schoolwork during slower hours at work. “My managers don’t want to make it difficult for students, and it’s also unfair to other students who want to work overnight shifts,” she said. During overnight shifts, student workers make substantially more per hour than during day shifts. Because Smith can only work a maximum of 25 hours per week, she said working one overnight shift helps her cover her rent. This semester, Smith enrolled in afternoon classes on Monday so she could get more sleep after her overnight shift.
Last semester, she had to take a 9 a.m. class — just one hour after her shift ended. Smith said she’s not usually a “caffeine person,” but under those circumstances, she brought coffee to work to keep her going through the morning. “By the time maybe 3 [p.m.], I crashed from the caffeine,” she said. “Then I would walk to 7-Eleven to buy energy drinks so I could be up again. It was just a mess. It just made me sick.” Smith’s main responsibilities at the TECH Center are managing break-out rooms and helping students with computer programs. Not many students study at night, she said, so she often spends her overnight shifts doing schoolwork, making it easier to balance her job and her academics. In addition to work and school,
Smith is involved with student organizations. She is one of the founders of Temple’s Student Alumni Association. As a business student, she often wants to attend student professional organization meetings and events, but she said most are held on Monday, when she has to work until 8 a.m. Smith said working overnight affects her studies sometimes, but she still prefers it to working during the day. She doesn’t usually tell professors about her overnight work. “I talk to the professors, but never blame it on the work,” she said. “I just say that I need extra help, because I don’t think [working overnight is] something that completely impairs you from focusing on school.” Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a psychology professor, agrees that college students don’t have to discuss their personal lives with professors. But to be a
good professor is to understand why students have trouble finishing their schoolwork and to help them succeed, she said. “Recognize that [working overnight] is a limitation, and do your best to always be at your prime,” Hirsh-Pasek said. “You should look for jobs that do not impact your sleep. If you have no choice, do what you have to do.” Despite the challenges that come with working overnight, Smith said she still wants to keep up with the job next year. “I’m a strong college student,” she said. “I can do anything.” quang.duc.do@temple.edu
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by CARYL CHURCHILL directed by Liz Carlson & Noah Herman
KIERAN LYONS FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS Senior media studies and production major Eli LaBan was nominated for a College Television Emmy Award in the “Series-Unscripted” category for his documentary work in Nicaragua.
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LANGUAGE I knew I wanted to do my project there.” After he visited the Caribbean coast, LaBan had a month to figure out how he could create a final project that incorporated the region. While staying with a family in Bluefields, Nicaragua, he realized that their languages could be lost within his lifetime. “Through talking to the people I met and learning more about the region, I learned that everything that had struck me that was so unique is disappearing,” he said. “So through the process it felt like a perfect thing to make use of my video skills in a very constructive way that could actually have a potential impact on the way that people view this kind of issue.” When he posted his videos on Facebook, LaBan said he was amazed by the reaction they received. Spanish-speaking Nicaraguans commented saying that they had no idea these different languages existed, and Nicaraguans who lived on the Caribbean coast said they were excited to see their languages and culture highlighted. LaBan created his first documentary about four local artists in Spring 2015, while enrolled in Kristine Weatherston’s Genres of Media Production class. Weatherston, a media studies and production instructor, said LaBan represents all the things she loves and values in a student.
“He’s a visually skilled artist with a deep commitment to storytelling ... someone who starts and finishes a project no matter how difficult and, most importantly, he’s someone who willingly shares his work with the world,” she said. Paul Gluck, the general manager of TUTV — where LaBan has had some content broadcasted — wrote in an email that he hopes that LaBan will win the student Emmy. “Eli’s rich sense of empathy is what, in my opinion, offers a personal connection between the people we meet in his films and the audience members who are watching,” Gluck wrote. “His respect for the intelligence of the viewer is uncommon in modern media, but is quite welcome from my perspective.” After seeing the success of his project, LaBan said he wants to bring more attention to Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast. He said he hopes to create a template so other students can continue making content for the project once he leaves. “I feel like that was such a great way to discover something that no one else around here knows about and it’s easier to make work that will have a potential impact in a place that gets less exposure,” LaBan said.
April 19 - 30, 2017 Randall Theater
2020 N. 13th Street, Phila. PA 19122 Tickets $10 TU Students $20 TU Employees
Temple Theaters Plus Half-Price Previews Box Office 215.204.1122 tfma.temple.edu/events
taylor.suzanne.horn@temple.edu Editor’s Note: Eli LaBan formerly shot multimedia for The Temple News. He had no involvement in the editing or reporting of this story.
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BRIANNA SPAUSE/THE TEMPLE NEWS
Philly funk band hosts dance party at The Fillmore The Fillmore Philadelphia in Fishtown hosted a dance party on Saturday. On the first floor, electronic dance music act Flux Pavilion headlined the mainstage. Philadelphia funk band MINKA put on its biggest show yet when the four-piece band headlined The Foundry, the second-floor venue of The Fillmore. The performance wasn’t just a concert, but a collaboration of burlesque dancers, sideshow acts and visual artists with what the band deemed “The MINKA Carnival.” Local acts The Mysteries, Attic Tapes and Leisure Muffin performed while juggling, contortion and hooping performances unfolded before MINKA hit the stage. MINKA’s lead singer Ari “Dick” Rubin was inspired to put together the elaborate performance because he feels that the band’s audience cares less about the music and more about the party. “The whole idea is to encourage people to tap into sort of a basic instinct to abandon whatever fears they have about looking silly or embarrassed or anything like that,” Rubin said. “The only way to do that is to bombard them.” Face painting and props for a polaroid photobooth were also available at the event. For the one-night-only event, MINKA distributed free copies of its new album, “Born in the Viper Room,” which will be released in full on May 26.
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TECH at Temple and took entrepreneurship classes together. “We all bounced ideas off of one another and we certainly offered Jesse a lot of constructive criticism when he was working to start Repair U,” said Rosario, a 2014 film and media arts alumnus. “He took it really well though.” Rosario said when DiLaura mentioned the idea of starting a business after graduation, Rosario and their other roommates were concerned it would be a difficult market to enter. “We told him to do his homework and if features@temple-news.com
We told him to do his homework and if he thought he could swing a profit, go for it. Beau Rosario 2014 film and media arts alumnus
he thought he could swing a profit, go for it,” Rosario said. “I am glad to see that his business is growing rapidly.” DiLaura said Repair U’s truck location is the reason his services are cheaper and more convenient. He said if he did business in an ac-
tual building, he would have to pay an expensive monthly lease. But based out of a truck, he has fewer expenses and a yearly lease. He added that he’s had 15 customers since opening, as of Saturday. “It allows us to charge roughly $20 less to customers and allows me to hire more employees so that there is always someone at the truck,” DiLaura said. He added that having a truck means he can do business right on Main Campus, which makes it more convenient for students. He said he and his employees can almost always fix a phone right on site, but if not, students can drop off their phones and get them fixed while they
are in class. “We are always trying to improve,” DiLaura said. “We try to interact with students through social media platforms and through our website to find out what students want out of a phonerepair business.” “We have to make sure we are doing things right here,” DiLaura said. “But I think once we figure it out, we are going to open more trucks at different campuses.” patrick.bilow@temple.edu
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Alumna’s cafe focuses on sustainability, vegan cuisine Continued from Page 7
CAFE and everything that I’m passionate about,” Levine said. While finishing her master’s in entrepreneurship at Drexel University in 2014, Levine came across the Old City shop — which was then for sale — and it seemed perfect for a cafe. “I chose this location because it’s small, intimate, has the cozy cafe feel and it is perfect for what we do,” Levine said. In Old City, Levine said she encounters a variety of customers: tourists, residents, local business owners, first-timers and regulars. The shop currently serves breakfast and lunch with options like cinnamon apple french toast and quinoa bowls. Levine added that she plans to modify her menu to include gluten-free options. All of the cafe’s meat, dairy and vegetable products come from farms less than a hundred miles from Philadelphia. Levine also tries to recycle and uses a wind-powered compost to recycle organic, decayable material. “I think that society is set up backwards in that we don’t make efforts to progress forward in a sustainable way,” she said. “Sourcing from local farms means that I’m
cutting down on fossil fuels and I’m cutting down on pesticides.” She admits that although it costs more to be a sustainable business, she thinks it’s the right thing to do, because it helps cut down on waste. Dina Adan, who came to the cafe with her husband, Charlie, and their two children, was a first-time customer at Luna. She said the restaurant felt “homey.” “We like that they use locally grown food,” said Adan, who owns a restaurant in Florida with her husband. “We like that they boost the economy here. It’s important for us.” Frank and Helen Rachubinski have lived in Old City for more than two years and have eaten at Luna regularly since then. “It does help the local economy and I feel like more of it should stay in the area,” Frank said. “This cafe is exactly what I envisioned and I brought it to life,” Levine said. “I think that if you’re young and you want to do something, just go for it.” ayooluwa.ariyo@temple.edu
BILIN LIN FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS Sarah Levine, a 2010 marketing alumna, opened Luna Café in February 2015 in Old City. The shop offers vegan and vegetarian options, as well as breakfast items like cinnamon apple french toast and quinoa bowls for lunch.
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INSECURITY
What do you think of the food options on campus?
DAUD EL-BAKARA Senior Jazz Performance
I know there’s not enough healthy options. I’m a vegan, so I look for specific things. It’s vegetarianfriendly, but not vegan in dining halls. That’s why I pack my lunch every day. … The effect is your mental state could be compromised due to malnutrition and deficiencies in certain things that you need. … As far as access and getting food, that’s a real problem. It might be easier for people to plan out what to eat and spend $20 at the grocery store for the whole week. Access is OK, not great.
insecurity among college students. The groups surveyed 3,765 students at eight community colleges and 26 four-year colleges. In their subsequent report, “Hunger on Campus,” the researchers found 48 percent of surveyed students reported experiencing food insecurity. Levine counts herself as one of them. When she came to Temple as a financially independent, first-generation college student, Levine said she never had a “safety net” to fall back on. When it came time for her to pay for expenses, she tried to minimize the cost of food by buying cheap food and forgoing snacks. Temple does not currently operate a food pantry, or a place students could go to receive free non-perishable foods like bread, cereal or canned vegetables. Provost JoAnne Epps told The Temple News in a statement that a group of administrators has been meeting recently to explore potential ways of addressing food insecurity on Main Campus. Levine said she and other foodinsecure students often seek free food provided at events around Main Campus to supplement their own purchases. Without a reliable supply of food, Levine said students can lose focus and suffer academically. Although some of her professors have been empathetic to her struggles, she said it can be difficult to know when — and how —to speak up. A common suggestion she hears is to take out additional loans, which isn’t an option for students like Levine, who lack a cosigner. Levine said Sara Goldrick-Rab helped her to better understand her situation. Goldrick-Rab, a higher edu-
cation professor, researches college affordability issues like food insecurity. She is currently developing the HOPE Center for College, Community and Justice, a research laboratory aimed at developing policy solutions for inequities in higher education. The Center will be housed in the College of Education and will open in September 2018. Goldrick-Rab told Levine that food insecurity is a national problem among college students. Levine said she began to recognize her own struggles within a much larger context. “It was finally like this ‘aha’ moment, like, ‘This isn’t right. This isn’t normal,’” Levine said. The HOPE Center will also partner with the College and University Food Bank Alliance, an organization of nearly 500 campus-based food pantries. On April 6, CUFBA’s co-founder Clare Cady moderated a panel about food insecurity in Walk Auditorium for Campus Sustainability Week. Representatives from food pantries at West Chester University, Rutgers University, Stockton University and Montclair State University spoke on the panel. Tori Nuccio, the assistant director of financial aid at West Chester University and founder of the school’s resource pantry — which offers free nonperishable food, business attire, winter clothes, school supplies and toiletries to students — said food insecurity often stems from a sudden break in support programs between high school and college. “Our students might have free or reduced lunch or food stamps that they could easily use in high school or in their home community that do not translate once you get to college,” Nuccio said. Jonathan Latko, a marketing in-
structor and director of the Computer Recycling Center, is also working on relieving food insecurity. Every spring semester, Latko teaches Marketing for Sustainable Enterprises, a course about developing marketing strategies for sustainability issues. He chose food insecurity as this semester’s subject. Following the food insecurity panel, his students presented their class projects to event attendees. While some of the projects focused on general food insecurity awareness, others outlined more specific marketing plans, like a proposal to advertise healthy and affordable food options from campus food trucks. Nuccio later said she is interested in compiling a similar list for the food trucks at West Chester University. To make the greatest impact, Levine said Temple should educate students about food insecurity as early as freshman orientation. She said many students don’t immediately comprehend the realities of debt and high costs when they leave high school. “College has been portrayed as this opportunity to find yourself, but there’s no bearings,” Levine said. “It’s kind of like, ‘Here’s a highway right on the edge of a cliff, there’s no speed limit and there’s a lot of sharp turns, so like, have fun.’” Levine said it’s difficult for foodinsecure students to ask for help. It’s crucial for professors, she said, to perceive the problems their students face and be as receptive as they can. “Having that ability to offer them something, offer them emotional support in whatever way and acknowledging that they might be going through something, is a huge relief,” Levine said. ian.walker@temple.edu @ian_walker12
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T H E U N I V E RS I TY O F S C R A N TO N
JENNIFER LOJANGO Freshman Biology
I’ve definitely heard of kids only being able to eat once or twice a day because of time. Maybe if the dining halls opened earlier and stayed open later it could help. Like, it’s almost 2 p.m. and I haven’t eaten breakfast yet. … I think not eating properly makes it harder for students to focus in class. We already have so much going on in school that I don’t think that eating right every day should be people’s main focus. That’s distracting.
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ISAIAH SPICER Sophomore Computer Science
I would say it is. There’s only two major dining halls, J&H and Morgan, on campus. And neither are that good. Plus, I think college students are just naturally unhealthy. We’ve got to stay up really late and I think there’s lots of stress-eating late at night that happens with food that’s not good to eat. It just makes us unhealthy and those aren’t good habits to start.
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ILLUSTRATION cial people that seems to be on a different wavelength than most of the students,” Shaver said. “We have a tendency to live our lives just trying to get by, but she’s really pushing herself to figure out where she wants to be in all of this and how she can make it work.” One of Roe’s most recent artistic achievements is an installment in the “Saxbys Stories” campaign — which features creative work from members of each location’s community — at Saxbys on Liacouras Walk. One of Roe’s paintings was printed onto large cards which customers at the shop can take. Last summer, while working as a computer programmer for the Neural Instrumentation Lab in the Engineering Building, Roe realized she was conflicted about which career path to follow. She decided to search for “science and art” on Google to explore options. The first result was a two-week summer science illustration program at California State University, Monterey Bay. Coincidentally, when Roe went to
California for the course, the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators held its annual conference in Santa Cruz, about a 45-minute drive from her temporary home in Monterey Bay. Roe attended the seven-day conference, including workshops about invasive plant species, dinosaurs and infographics. “It was there that I realized science and medical illustration is an actual career path,” Roe said. “That’s something that people don’t really talk about, but you can do it.” Last year, Roe took Organic Chemistry with professor Steven Fleming, and said she found it fascinating. Roe’s new interest in chemistry led her to decide to work in a chemistry research lab this summer at the University of Texas at El Paso. Fleming worked to create visual models of chemical reactions to help students who struggle to understand chemistry. “There are many people who struggle with 3-D perception, depth perception for example, and it helps to have model sets to show people how the atoms are arranged and how bonds can rotate,” Fleming said. “If you try to represent that on
chalkboard or paper or in a book, it’s pretty tough to get it.” While working, Roe plans to continue updating her academic art portfolio, which she will eventually use when she reapplies to the medical and biological illustration master’s program at Johns Hopkins University. Roe applied to the program this year, but she was not admitted. “I only found out about them six months ago,” Roe said. “They’re like the top medical association, so I wouldn’t have expected to get in for only having worked on my portfolio for six months.” Although she still plans to continue to work on her portfolio as she prepares to enter the medical illustration field, Roe said she’s satisfied with the way she has chosen to merge her interests, instead of having to choose between them. “There’s always a third option,” Roe added. “Even if it’s not a better option, even if it takes a long time to figure out what that third option is, there is always a third option.” meghan.caroline.costa@temple.edu @Meg_costa19
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EVENTS
New York Times film critic to visit Main Campus On Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m., the New York Times’ film critic A.O. Scott will discuss film, aesthetics and plunder in Hollywood in Anderson Hall Room 14. It is part of the history department’s ongoing Plunder Series. The event will feature film clips, discussion and a Q&A session. Scott will also be signing copies of his book “Better Living Through Criticism: How to Think About Art, Pleasure, Beauty and Truth.” The book was published in February and conveys what Scott learned during his career as a critic and his opinions on films like Pixar’s “Ratatouille,” which tells the story of a Parisian rat who loves to cook. Registration is encouraged for this event. -Grace Shallow
Women veterans will meet in Student Center on Friday
MARGO REED FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS Ryan Rivera, a North Philadelphia native, aspires to become a Philadelphia Police officer. Rivera formerly worked as an Allied Universal security guard at Temple.
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GUARD him from achieving his goals in law enforcement. Rivera interned for Temple Police during Summer 2015. He went on ridealongs with police officers and learned about the department firsthand. Then, he worked as an Allied Universal security guard on Main Campus for about eight
months after he graduated from high school. He currently volunteers as an assistant to Common Pleas Judge Rayford Means. He also works full-time as a peer recovery specialist at Philadelphia Drug Treatment Court, an alternative to traditional case proceedings that provides non-violent drug offenders with treatment instead of incarceration. “I have quite a few great mentors in my life to this day, and they all have
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helped me see the light and see the right way of living,” Rivera said. “The fire went out, but they lit it back up for me.” Rivera said he looks up to Joe Garcia, Temple’s deputy chief of administration, whom he met during his internship with TUPD. Garcia said Rivera reminds him of himself 30 years ago, since they come from the same community and grew up with similar circumstances. He convinced Rivera to enroll in night classes at El Centro de Estudiantes High School and earn his diploma after he finished his internship with TUPD. “High school, for us, was like graduating from Harvard,” Garcia said. “It’s not easy, you know, when you’re taught that you’re crap from a very young age.” Garcia said the obstacles faced by young people like Rivera require perseverance, courage and discipline to overcome. He added that he believes Rivera has the potential to achieve his dreams in law enforcement as long as he’s willing to keep working for it and stays focused. “Folks like Ryan, who can look past himself and say, ‘I want to be over there,’ and then chase it and get it, that’s magical,” he added. “My message to Ryan is make magic today, focus, finish what you say you’re going to do. Be a doer, not a talker.” Gene Cummings, Allied Universal’s district manager, oversaw Rivera when he worked at Temple. Cummings also spent three decades with the Philadelphia Police Department. “He was a good employee, and those employees who leave here and use what they’ve learned here and go elsewhere, they tend to be very successful,” Cummings said. Rivera said seeing “great” police officers serving in his community has been a major source of inspiration. “If I can touch one life and make a difference in their life by sharing my story, that’s enough for me,” Rivera said. “I want to be a police officer for that reason.”
There will be a women veterans forum on Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Student Center. Temple’s Military and Veterans Services Center organized the event, called “She Wore Her Boots With Pride-Breaking the Silence-Can We Talk?” It is meant to encourage discussion among women veterans about the challenges and issues they experienced while serving and returning to civilian life. It will also feature a health fair and speakers like Carol Eggert. Eggert is the vice president of military and veteran affairs at Comcast and previously served in several positions in the Army, the Army Reserve and the National Guard. Filmmaker Jillian Bullock and actress Tamara Woods, both veterans, will also speak. The event is free, and registration is required.
-Grace Shallow
‘Forgotten North Broad Street’ tour on Saturday Hidden City Philadelphia — an online publication that focuses on planning, preservation and architecture in the city — will host a “Forgotten North Broad Street” tour on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. It starts on the northwest corner of Broad and Vine streets and will end at Broad and Poplar streets. The tour will focus on the history of the buildings along the strip and is led by GroJLart, the author of the development-focused blog Philaphilia. The tour is $14 for students. Pete Woodall, Hidden City’s tour director, can be reached at pwoodall@hiddencityphila. org or 267-259-7112 with questions. -Grace Shallow
Alumnus performs at forum on immigration The Philadelphia History Museum on 7th Street near Ranstead will host (DIS)PLACED, a public forum that focuses on how Philadelphians arrived in the city from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday. There will be discussion, music, food and poetry at the event. Hanna Khoury, a master’s of music alumnus, is one of the musicians who will perform at the event. Khoury is also the director of Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture’s music program. The organization is dedicated to presenting and teaching Arabic arts in the city, organized the public forum in partnership with the museum.
carr.henry@temple.edu
-Grace Shallow
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S P E C I A L R E P O RT
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A shift in student population, desired housing Continued from Page 1
HOUSING Killion said. “Temple definitely experienced a lot of that [change], in that time frame,” he said. “Over a 25-year period, you see the growth in buildings like 1300, 1940, Morgan Hall, White Hall. They were all added in that span.” These additions were part of the “university’s strategy” to cement Temple’s status as a place for students to get the full college experience, Killion said. Morgan Hall, which opened in 2013, was another answer to the call for more housing and upscale amenities. It was also a push to keep students on campus. Still, the university only has about 5,700 beds on Main Campus through Residential Life for students. Killion estimates that at least 7,000 students seek off-campus housing in the surrounding blocks of North Philadelphia. It’s possible there’s more, he added, since it’s difficult to measure
On-campus housing is on a first-come, firstserve basis. Sean Killion
Associate Director, Office of Residential Life
til this year, many residents were not students. During the 2017-18 year, every bed at Beech will be filled by a Temple student, Killion said. “On-campus housing is on a first-come, first-serve basis,” Killion said. “You are not guaranteed it.” Killion called the process a “lottery,” where it’s likely students who commit to Temple late — either incoming freshmen or transfer students — could be out of luck in late spring. The beds available at Beech and the Edge were obtained through a contract with the university and are priced to students at a rate “comparable” to residence halls, Killion added. A standard suite in the Edge costs a student $3,350 per semester, while Beech costs $5,400. These rates are comparable to Johnson and Hardwick Halls, or Morgan Hall, respectively. “I don’t know if it is much different from living in a dorm,” Nice said of her experience in the Edge. “I have a roommate, I know some people on my floor, we still have RAs.” “There’s a few people that are definitely older,” Nice said. “But there’s definitely a lot of students.” OFF-CAMPUS APARTMENTS There are at least 7,000 Temple students living off-campus on the blocks surrounding Main Campus,
MICHELLE GOLDSBOROUGH FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS Associate Director of Residential Like Sean Killion said while some students seek on-campus arrangements, many opt for off-campus housing.
once students make the move, usually after their freshman years. As interest in on-campus living increases for underclassmen, how does Temple keep up? And how do the surrounding neighborhoods make room for a growing student population that wants to live off campus? ON-CAMPUS ALTERNATIVES When Emily Nice finally decided to come to Temple last spring, she logged on to the university’s MyHousing portal to book herself a room. But the now-freshman bioengineering major found out she was too late — the university was out of spaces. A few weeks later, Temple began accepting reservations for rooms in The Edge, an apartment complex just off Main Campus on Cecil B. Moore Avenue near 15th Street. Nice quickly secured a spot. “I was kind of nervous about it, and I didn’t want to wait, so I just signed up to live here,” she said. Nice’s experience isn’t unique. This school year, to compensate for a lack of housing in residence halls, Temple is leasing about 300 beds from the Edge to house students who are seeking the on-campus option. Each floor has a resident assistant who follows on-campus programing and services. Each resident signs a housing contract, like any on-campus dweller. But, technically, they are living off campus. Beech International Village, on Cecil B. Moore Avenue near Sydenham Street, has also been transformed into an option for those seeking on-campus living, or something close to it. In past years, Temple has filled many of Beech’s apartments with first-year students or transfers looking for a dorm experience. Unfeatures@temple-news.com
and thousands more in a three-to-five mile radius, Killion said. While many new and transfer students seek on-campus housing, upperclassmen often rent spaces off campus through apartment complexes, realty companies or private landlords. These options allow students more freedom, are often less expensive than residence halls and don’t require a meal plan. It’s also likely students are signing year-long leases, compared to residence halls, which allow students to live in their accommodations only during the academic
year. Though it can be difficult to quantify how many students are renting houses close to campus, The Temple News examined records from the city’s Office of Property Assessment to learn more. Of the top 10 private property owners in the 19121 and 19122 ZIP codes, four have “Temple” in their names. Templetown Realty, which caters to students who want to live near Main Campus, owns more properties than any other private entity in the two ZIP codes, according to the records. The city’s log of building permits from the last 10 years shows nearly as much construction around Temple as other property-booming areas like Northern Liberties, Fishtown. And the census tracts — which the U.S. Census Bureau draws to roughly represent neighborhoods — encompassing and bordering Main Campus have disproportionately more multifamily housing than other areas of the city. Besides areas in University City and West Philadelphia, no other census tract in the city has as much multi-family housing as the tracts around Main Campus. The city dataset shows that private developers in the area are mostly building apartments for students. The highest volume of property ownership and construction in the area overall, though, is from city agencies like the Philadelphia Housing Authority and the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority. The city’s Licenses and Inspections department is currently looking to build an office near Temple to better monitor the influx of building license applications in the area, spokesperson for the Mayor’s office Ajeenah Amir said. “The City is putting lots of resources into monitoring construction and building safety in that area. In fact [the] City is actively looking for space for a new L&I field office for the Temple area because there is so much development in that area,” Amir told The Temple News. If he felt comfortable, Harry Lepore would have found a place to live off-campus during his freshman year at Temple. He instead lived in Johnson Hall. “I wouldn’t have even lived on campus freshman year,” said Lepore, now a senior legal studies major, living off-campus on Norris Street near 15th. “But how are you going to make friends if you don’t?” Senior entrepreneurship major Zach Bandurick lives in a sevenbedroom house on Norris Street with Lepore. They are renting from Templetown Realty. Bandurick said he wanted to live away from campus for social reasons. “I have a lot of friends,” Bandurick said. “I like to have them over. It met my needs. Large house, large
HUA ZONG FILE PHOTO Temple often leases rooms at the Edge Avenue North when more students want on-campus housing than available.
backyard, large basement.” Megan Casey had her housing deposit down as soon as she was accepted to Temple this spring. Her parents wanted to make sure she lived on campus during her first year in Philadelphia after transferring from James Madison University. “If it’s your first year on Temple’s campus, it does have a reputation as being unsafe,” the freshman neuroscience major said. “They were really pushing me to live on campus.” The only available Temple housing for Casey was in the Edge, so she decided to explore other options. When she visited Temple, she walked around the outskirts of campus to find alternative housing. She will live in Kardon/Atlantic Apartments on 10th Street near Montgomery Avenue. After choosing Temple in Spring 2015, Patricio Medina found himself in a situation similar to Nice’s. He was interested in residence halls like Johnson & Hardwick and Morgan Hall South, but by the time he found out how to book a room, they were all filled. “I had to figure it out on my own,” said Medina, now a sophomore international business major. “They were offering student housing at [Beech International], but I didn’t like that place. It wasn’t for me.” Medina and a friend he met on Facebook decided to live in Oxford Village, a group of off-campus apartments on 15th Street listed on the Off-Campus Services website. The two were enticed by the lower price and the increased “freedoms” the apartments presented. Oxford Village is one of the four off-campus living spaces the university has vetted and endorses to students as a similar option to a residence hall. University Village on 10th Street near Montgomery Avenue, Kardon/Atlantic and Beech are suggested because of the front-door security guards and building managers. “I didn’t get that freshman dorm experience,” Medina said. “I didn’t get
to meet my neighbors.” The Office of Off-Campus Services exists alongside the Office of Residential Life to teach students about their leases, rights and responsibilities and being a “good neighbor.” The Good Neighbor Initiative was started by Student Affairs in 2011 and encourages students to be aware of their neighbors who live in the neighborhoods near Main Campus. It works to “engage students in the Temple University and North Philadelphia community through the implementation of the Good Neighbor Initiative, develop student ownership of the Good Neighbor Initiative while fostering positive and productive relationships with community residents and retain the spirit of the Good Neighbor Initiative as a legacy to be passed down from current Owls to future Owls,” according to its website. Killion acknowledged that students don’t always follow these instructions, and partying and other behavior can be disruptive. “There is that competing interest there,” Killion said of students living next to long-time residents in North Philadelphia. “As a homeowner, I would certainly understand,” he added. “I live next to Holy Family University, and God forbid, a bunch of college students moved in next to me, buying up property in our area and partying and then I saw all this stuff start happening. I might feel and respond the same way maybe our neighbors feel.” But, at the end of the day, he said, it’s not the university’s responsibility to make students behave. “What’s the university’s responsibility?” Killion said. “What is the students’ responsibility?” news@temple-news.com
Next week: PART II explores the perspectives of community leaders and residents.
PercentAGE of properties that are multifamily housing Census tracts in North Philadelphia and Fishtown/Kensington. 0-5%
5-11%
11-21%
21-40%
JOE BRANDT | THE TEMPLE NEWS
temple-news.com @thetemplenews
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JENNINGS Jennings placed fifth in the 100-meter at the New Jersey Meet of Champions as a senior. He also won two titles in the 4x100-meter relay with redshirt-sophomore defensive back Kareem Ali.
He’s an animal. He’s a freak. He has crazy hands. He’s confident in himself. He looks so fluid. Kareem Ali Redshirt-sophomore defensive back
“He’s an animal,” Ali said. “He’s a freak. He has crazy hands. He’s confident in himself. He looks so fluid.” Jennings had six catches for 55 yards for the Panthers in 2014. He transferred to Temple in July 2015 and was granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA.
When he arrived, Jennings got a bit lost in the mix. During his first season, he caught 14 passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games. “Just keep on stacking days and keep on working hard, no matter what the circumstances are,” Jennings said he told himself back then. “You can’t get down on yourself or anything. You just keep plugging away and good things will eventually happen.” Jennings finished the 2016 season with 27 catches for 474 yards and four touchdowns. Toward the end of last season, he showed flashes of his ability that made him a coveted recruit coming out of Timber Creek. Jennings recorded his first career 100-yard game against East Carolina on Nov. 26, the team’s regular season finale. He had seven catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns in the Owls’ bowl game loss to Wake Forest University. He has continued the momentum this spring, using his size and speed to catch passes.
“Adonis looked like he was Calvin Johnson today,” junior running back Ryquell Armstead said after a practice this spring, referring to the former Detroit Lions All-Pro wide receiver. “He was up top on everybody. He looked crazy today.” “I’ve seen his leadership kind of take control,” junior running back Jager Gardner said. “I think he’s really coming into his own.” Ali and Jennings won two South Jersey football championships together at Timber Creek. As a high school senior in 2014, Jennings caught 83 passes for 1,434 yards and 15 touchdowns. Ali said he expects “Adonis Jennings 2014 edition” this season at Temple. Ali is excited he gets to witness it again firsthand. “That’s one thing we always wanted to do,” Ali said. “He ended up at Pitt first, but he came home and we’re setting the standard for everyone back home.” owen.mccue@temple.edu @Owen_McCue
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SPORTS BRIEFS LACROSSE
Big East teams clinch conference tourney spots The four teams are set for the Big East Conference tournament, which will be hosted by Villanova on May 4 and 6. The University of Florida, ranked No. 2 in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Poll, No. 13 University of Denver, Temple and Georgetown University have clinched spots. The winner of the conference tournament earns an automatic bid to the 26-school NCAA tournament. Florida has won back-to-back Big East titles and three straight conference titles dating back to its 2014 American Lacrosse Conference championship. The Gators (13-2, 7-0 Big East) beat the Owls in last year’s Big East final. Denver (12-2, 6-1 Big East), a new addition to the conference, has won five straight games and suffered its only Big East loss against Florida. Georgetown (8-7, 6-1 Big East) qualifies for the 11th year in a row. Two regular-season conference games remain, so seeding hasn’t been determined. -Evan Easterling
EVAN EASTERLING/THE TEMPLE NEWS Junior attacker Kira Gensler scoops a ground ball in the Owls’ win against Villanova on April 8.
GYMNASTICS
Salim-Beasley adds 7th recruit for 2017 class
BRIANNA SPAUSE/THE TEMPLE NEWS Assistant track & field coach Tramaine Ellison graduated from Temple in 2004. The former Owl now coaches the jumpers and multis.
The Owls have signed Tori Edwards to the class of incoming recruits who will join the team in Fall 2017, the team announced on Wednesday. Edwards, who is from Manassas, Virginia and competed at GMS Gymnastics, placed second in the allaround at the Virginia state championships. She earned a silver medal on beam and placed third on floor. Edwards finished fourth on vault and bars with a 9.5 and 9.2, respectively. Temple broke its program all-around score several times in the 2017 season and achieved its first score above the 194-point mark. -Evan Easterling
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ELLISON uated from Temple. She spent six years coaching at Piedmont, Ardrey Kell, Independence and Western Guilford high schools, and credited that experience for honing her passion for coaching. “Coaching middle school helped me with my ability to teach athletes the fundamentals,” Ellison said. “When I started coaching at the high school level, a lot of those kids I had in middle school ended up on my high school team, so I felt like
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LINEBACKERS Neither has seen action this spring, but Thacker said they are expected to return in the fall. “You add those guys that have a little bit of experience to a younger group that’s had all of the reps in the spring,” Thacker said. “Now we’re really excited about the mix of players we have to put out the best possible three of every rep out there.” He added that redshirt sophomore Shaun Bradley, who has just six career tackles, has led the group on the field in Folks and Russell’s absences. “He’s actually one of the older guys in the group as a redshirt sophomore,” Thacker said. “He’s really done a good job of taking control of the group and being a
I must have had enough of an impact on them for them to continue the sport.” Ellison’s coaching experience is now focused on helping the Owls progress as a program. She holds a Level V Elite Coach status by the International Association of Athletics Federation, which is the association’s highest status. Ellison was selected to serve as a delegate for the National Association for College Admission Counseling Conference twice, and has traveled to the Dominican Republic and El Salvador. She is excited to see how the Owls
progress for the remainder of this year and into next season. “We’re bringing in very talented recruits next year,” Ellison said. “It’s very encouraging because when you actually get to hand-pick the athletes you want, it gives you a lot more hope of what the program can accomplish.” “I want to make sure our athletes understand what it takes to not only be a successful athlete, but to be successful at Temple,” she added.
great communicator out there.” The defining quality of the linebacker corps is the unit’s speed. Bradley was a running back in high school. Franklin was a wide receiver and defensive back. Redshirt sophomore Jeremiah Atoki also played wideout and defensive back in high school. Bradley said he and his teammates often argue about who is the fastest of the bunch. “We all can really move really well,” he said. “There are certain areas that we really excel at. Some people might be quicker laterally. Some might be quicker sprinting-wise. Together, it just all gels.” Thacker hopes the group can combine its athleticism with physicality next year. “I wouldn’t say gone are the days of the old-school linebacker,” Thacker said.
“We still want those guys to have some weight to them, to have some strength to them, get downhill, press gaps and finish. But [speed] is critical. It is one of the dominant traits of the linebackers, their ability to run.” The season starts at the University of Notre Dame in September. Franklin said Williams, Alwan and Marshall helped prepare the group for the moment during practices last year. “They always tested us,” Franklin said. “They always wanted us to improve every day because they knew once they left, we’d be the next ones up.”
addison.hunsicker@temple.edu
owen.mccue@temple.edu @Owen_McCue
JENNY KERRIGAN FILE PHOTO Coach Umme Salim-Beasley added a seventh member to the 2017 recruiting class last week.
ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT
Temple hosts National Girls & Women in Sports Day The athletic department will host students from nearby schools on Tuesday from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m for a National Girls & Women in Sports Day event. It is the fifth straight year Temple is holding the event. The event is free and open for students up to eighth grade. Student-athletes will run clinics and local businesses have donated items for giveaways. National Girls & Women in Sports Day began in 1987 in Washington D.C. to recognize women’s sports. It is celebrated in all 50 states and “recognizes the extraordinary progress sparked by Title IX and the ongoing effort to ensure access to sports for girls and women,” according to its website. -Evan Easterling
sports@temple-news.com
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TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017
ROWING
Injury forces Hill out of lineup and into coxswain role The sophomore walk-on has quickly picked up the new position to steer the Owls’ Novice 4 boat. By TOM IGNUDO For The Temple News About 10 strides — that’s all it took for Lauren Hill to feel the nagging pain in her right knee on a run to the Philadelphia Museum of the Art from the East Park Canoe House during practice. But Hill, who is also suffering from back spasms due to poor erging form, continued to practice and battled through the throbbing and swelling. “You suck it up and get used to it,” the sophomore walk-on said. Hill’s injury forced her out of the lineup about a month ago. The coaches moved her away from the oars and put her in the stern of the boat as the Novice 4’s coxswain. The coxswain doesn’t row, but is a member of the team who steers the boat and provides motivation for her crew. “From being a rower, she really understood everything, like, technically and knew what to say,” freshman Allie Rainey said. “Since she has been in our position in the fall and throughout all of winter training, you know what you want to hear, and that’s pretty much what everyone else is going to want to hear. She picked it up real fast. She’s killing it.” Last weekend at the Knecht Cup in West Windsor, New Jersey, Hill took full advantage of a competitor’s boat falling victim to the challenges of Lake Mercer. In the last 250 meters of the race, Fordham University’s second-place boat “caught a bad crab,” meaning its oar got stuck underwater. Hill started yelling, screaming and banging on the boat as her teammates rowed themselves past Fordham, which ended up finishing fourth as Temple placed second with a time of eight minutes, 22.67 seconds. “They were saying all of the sudden Satan came out,” graduate assistant Julia Rorer said. Rorer needed another coxswain and recently started to practice with Hill in the role. Hill, who is more of a quiet person, was hesitant about tran-
MAX SIMONS FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS The rowing team competes in the Kerr Cup on Saturday on the Schuylkill.
sitioning to the position. In Hill’s first practice as the novice boat’s coxswain, she was only in charge of steering the boat. Rorer followed the novice boat in a motorpowered boat, shouting commands with a megaphone to motivate her team. Hill took her notes and observed during that practice. During her next time on the water, she had no problems multi-tasking in the stern. Rorer wasn’t there because she had class, but assistant coach Taylor Wasserleben told her you couldn’t even tell it was Hill’s second day as a coxswain. Rorer noticed the paint Hill usually has on her hands when she arrives to practice. Hill, who started playing with sculpting clay when she
was a kid, is an art major at the Tyler School of Art with a concentration in printmaking. She also takes a glassblowing class.
She really understood everything, like, technically and knew what to say. ... She picked it up real fast. She’s killing it. Allie Rainey Freshman rower
Right after practice, Hill heads to the studio at Tyler for a few hours, but
she has also dabbed her paint brush around other parts of Main Campus. Hill helped her friend, sophomore media studies and production major Jaclyn Silvestri, who is on TUTV’s comedy show, “Temple Smash,” paint sets for the show. Hill painted the background of an Italian restaurant for a show. Hill wishes she could keep helping with the show, but it interfered with her rowing schedule. She also was on the stage crew back at Downingtown West High School. She painted a set for “Cinderella.” During Welcome Week, Hill noticed the rowing team had a booth, and she grabbed a flyer. She decided to try out for the team, and she was one of 15 people to make the roster.
In high school, Hill was the saxophone section leader in the band. She didn’t play any sports. The transition to Division I athlete has been challenging, but rewarding for Hill. She guided the Novice 4 to a second-place finish at Saturday’s Kerr Cup on the Schuylkill. “It’s kind of like a blessing in disguise,” Hill said. “It just all worked out in the end because I’ve really taken a liking to being a coxswain. I’ve picked it up really well.” thomas.ignudo@temple.edu @Ignudo5
GOLF
Struggles persist in spring as Quinn looks for leadership The team has not found a replacement for former star Brandon Matthews. By GREG FRANK Golf Beat Reporter It has been a long spring filled with finishes toward the bottom of several team leaderboards for Temple. Now, with just one event left on the spring schedule, Temple will try to salvage its season at the American Athletic Conference championship on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. “Coach always says everything is a practice round for our conference championship, and if we can play well in our conference championship that kind of makes up for everything,” redshirt sophomore John Barone said. “It’s what we work toward all year long.” In their first event of the spring, the Owls finished 17th in an 18-team field in South Carolina at the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Invitational, a tournament unfamiliar to many of the golfers. Temple’s next two events were more familiar, but the Owls continued to struggle. Despite being in the middle of the 22-team field at the Kingsmill Intercollegiate with a 13th-place finish, Temple finished 19th in its next tournasports@temple-news.com
ment, the 21-team Furman Intercollegiate from March 24 to 26. Earlier this month, Temple participated in an event much closer to home at the Princeton Invitational — but the results were more of the same. Temple finished 12th in a 14-team event. The Owls have just one senior on their roster, and the bulk of 10-year coach Brian Quinn’s lineups this spring have been made up of freshmen and sophomores. Two of the younger players Quinn expects to play better are Barone and sophomore Trey Wren. Barone tied 51st overall and first among Temple’s golfers at the Wolfpack Spring Open on Friday and Saturday in Raleigh, North Carolina. Temple placed 15th in a 16-team field. “John Barone really needs to step up,” Quinn said. “I’ve been saying that all year. He just hasn’t done it. … John works hard, but he just gets so down on himself. If we can get him to get out of that funk, he’ll be fine. He’s the best ball-striker I’ve ever had at Temple University.” The team had to find new leadership in the 2016-17 season. The Owls are wrapping up their first season without 2016 alumnus Brandon Matthews, who is competing on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica circuit in hopes of qualifying for the PGA Tour. Quinn wants to see Wren or Barone take over Matthews’s role. “We’re kind of on the edge,” Quinn said. “We do need something to happen here. We just need some clear leadership on this team.”
“I think Trey is the guy,” Quinn added. “Trey’s our hardest worker on the team, and John works really hard too.” While Wren has finished in the top 20 of four events this season, only one of those finishes came this spring. He finished at five-over in the three-round Princeton Invitational to tie for 16th on the individual leaderboard. But in those three rounds, Wren was wildly
We’re kind of on the edge. We do need something to happen here. We just need some clear leadership on this team. Brian Quinn Golf coach
inconsistent. He shot a three-over 74 in round one, two-under 69 in the second round and four-over 75 in the final round. In many ways, the Princeton Invitational was a microcosm of the Owls’ spring. Barone was Temple’s second-lowest scorer at the event but was still 13-over, which placed him in a tie for 48th. “Nothing’s clicking right now,” Barone said. “Trey and I should be shooting between 68 and
73 every time we tee it up, but we’re not and that hurts the rest of the team.” “We all have a job on the team, and it’s up to John and I to shoot around even par for the week and I didn’t do that,” Wren said. After Wren and Barone, Quinn has been forced to shuffle the bottom three golfers in his lineup on a regular basis. At Princeton, Quinn removed junior Mark Farley and sophomore Sam Soeth from the lineup in favor of sophomore Gary McCabe and junior Bobby Firth. The Princeton Invitational was Firth’s second-career start in his three years as an Owl and was McCabe’s first start since returning from a back injury. Redshirt freshman Erik Reisner also made a start at Princeton. Prior to the Princeton Invitational, Farley shot a final-round 77 at the Furman Intercollegiate to finish 105th on the individual leaderboard. At the Kingsmill Intercollegiate, Farley and Reisner were the highest scorers for Temple. Soeth was Temple’s highest scorer in its spring opener in the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate finishing 32 strokes over par and shooting rounds of 79, 82 and 81 respectively. “I’m probably the most competitive person, but that’s the first time I’ve ever done that with my team,” Quinn said. greg.frank@temple.edu @g_frank6
temple-news.com @TTN_sports
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TENNIS
Mauro’s teams prepare for conference championships The Owls hope to reach their full potential with key players returning from injury. By GRAHAM FOLEY Women’s Tennis Beat Reporter In Temple’s final strength-training session before the American Athletic Conference tournament, the team lifted weights in unison. All except junior Monet Stuckey-Willis, who walked in from the hallway as the team finished up and began stretching. The Owls’ second-flight singles player suffered a shoulder injury in practice and couldn’t join the team. She didn’t play on Friday against Binghamton University or on Saturday against George Washington University, but she should be ready for the conference tournament, coach Steve Mauro said. Her injury is one of several the Owls (1112, 1-3 The American) have dealt with this year. Now, as the team prepares to travel to Orlando, Florida for the conference tournament starting Wednesday against South Florida, having everyone healthy is vital for Temple to have a shot at winning. “I think if we’re all healthy we can do great things in the tournament,” Mauro said. “It’s just a matter of being healthy for the first match.” Temple needs to win The American’s tournament in order to advance to the NCAA tournament. Last year, the Owls fell in the first round to Cincinnati. “Our conference is pretty tough,” Mauro said. “But I feel regardless of who we play, we have a good shot of winning. If our girls play well and really want it, we’ll get the wins.” Temple has endured a back-and-forth season marred by injuries. The team is 5-1 at home and 6-2 in neutral site matches. The Owls, however, are winless on the road, finishing with an 0-9 regular-season away record. Thirteen matches into the season, the Owls held an 8-5 record with key wins against Iowa State University and conference rival Connecticut. Temple lost six of its next seven matches, including road losses to conference rivals Tulsa, South Florida and Cincinnati. “This is actually one of the most talented teams that we’ve had at Temple,” said Mauro,
who is in his eighth year coaching at Temple. “But the problem that we’ve had this year is a lot of little injuries.” Graduate student Galina Chernykh missed more than two months after she injured her left Achilles tendon in the team’s first match against Old Dominion University on Jan. 14. She returned to the lineup on March 16 against the University of Delaware but had trouble getting back to her usual level of play. Two starters suffered injuries recently. Stuckey-Willis, who missed all fall tournaments with an injury, hurt her shoulder in practice last week. Senior Dina Karina, who has a 6-2 record in the fourth flight, suffered an undisclosed injury in practice last week. She played in both of the team’s final two regular-season matches after a week of lightly practicing. “I think Dina will be back,” senior Anais Nussaume said. “Hopefully Monet will be as well. We really need Monet.” Junior Alina Abdurakhimova has led the Owls all season with an 11-5 singles record in the top flight. Mauro said the team will “depend” on her in the tournament. She said constant changes in the lineup and doubles combinations have made the season difficult. “Everybody’s got to be ready and everybody has to play their games,” Abdurakhimova said. “Everyone needs to know their strengths and weaknesses and get ready.” The Owls lost 6-1 to South Florida (10-10, 3-2 The American) on March 26. Temple believes the result may be different on Wednesday if Karina, Stuckey-Willis and Chernykh are all at full health. In addition, Mauro said this year’s team has the best chemistry of any he has previously coached. He said the road trip to Ohio, when the Owls played Miami University on March 31 and Cincinnati on April 1, brought the team together. He said his players rallied for each other in the two tight losses. “I think it’s been a good season,” Mauro said. “You just don’t know what will happen with injuries, but the spirits are high, girls are getting along and I think this year’s group of girls has gotten along better with each other than any of my previous teams. In that respect, it’s been very successful.” graham.foley@temple.edu @graham_foley3
GENEVA HEFFERNAN/THE TEMPLE NEWS Graduate student Galina Chernykh returns a volley during the Owls’ 4-3 loss to George Washington University on Saturday at the Student Pavilion.
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TOURNAMENT Field. The Gators, No. 13 Denver and Georgetown will join the Owls in the Big East tournament. What was seen as Temple’s biggest weakness coming into the season is now one of their greatest strengths. Players who saw limited minutes in 2016 are now some of the team’s primary contributors. “We are a lot of hard workers,” Latgis said. “A lot of players on this team haven’t had a chance to prove that before because we had such an
older team. This year, everyone has secretly worked their butts off behind the scenes compared to previous years and they are coming out even stronger.” Latgis played in eight games in 2016, finishing the season with no ground balls and no caused turnovers. This season, she has played in all 15 games, typically marking the opposing team’s best offensive player. Latgis has collected 30 ground balls and leads the team with 25 caused turnovers. Senior attacker Carly Demato and junior attacker Nicole Barretta both scored six goals and had one assist last year. This season, Demato is
HOJUN YU FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS Sophomore Florian Mayer volleys during Wednesday’s 7-0 win against Rider University at the Student Pavilion.
The team is on a fourmatch win streak heading into the American Athletic Conference tournament. By DAN WILSON Men’s Tennis Beat Reporter Practice on the day before a match was often all-business for the Owls this season. At the Friday morning practice before the last regular season match against Lehigh University, the team was having some fun, finishing practice with an intrasquad singles and doubles tournament. “Sometimes practice can get pretty heated,” freshman Eric Biscoveanu said. “We just like to keep a competitive mindset the day before a match, and we all really enjoy playing against each other.” The Owls (17-9, 1-3 American Athletic Conference) have grown to embrace a loose mindset as the season has progressed. Despite having four additions to the 2016-17 roster, Temple’s chemistry feels like the group has been together for years. As the team briefly reflects on its season and looks forward to match-ups against some of the toughest teams they’ll face all year in the postseason, the Owls’ win at Penn State on April 9 stands out as the reason they’re a legitimate contender. The win marked the first time the Owls defeated the Nittany Lions. It also came just hours after Penn State beat the University of Indiana at Bloomington, then 45th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division I rankings. The win in State College started a four-match winning streak that the Owls will ride into American Athletic Conference tournament play. “I’m from Pennsylvania, so I grew up hearing that Penn State is the best at everything,” Biscoveanu said. “It was a very
the Owls’ second-leading scorer with 29 goals, and Barretta is tied for fifth with 20 goals. Graduate attacker Brenda McDermott earned Big East first-team honors last season and is on pace to do it again in 2017. She has already surpassed her goals and assists totals from last season, leading Temple in both categories. McDermott’s 65 points is tied for 17th-most in Division I. She also has hat tricks in six straight games. “No one looks to do it all by themselves on the field,” Rosen said. “Everyone looks to do it together at times, and that makes for a more mature team down the stretch because
sweet taste to beat them.” A nine-man roster with just three juniors and seniors has won 17 matches, the third-highest win total in coach Steve Mauro’s 11-year tenure. Temple’s 17 wins did not come free of obstacles. On-and-off injuries to both Biscoveanu and freshman Francisco Bohorquez have kept the pair sidelined for a combined seven matches. “This team could have won even more matches if we stayed fully healthy all year,” Mauro said. “Fortunately, everyone is ready to go for the conference tournament.” The American’s postseason tournament will get underway on Thursday with a play-in match between the eight and nine seeds. Mauro expects Temple to get the seventh seed and play its first match against No. 2 Tulsa on Friday. Playing the role of underdog in the conference tournament is familiar territory. Since joining the American Athletic Conference prior to the 2013-14 season, the Owls have been seeded sixth, seventh and eighth in the tournament, and have won just one match in postseason play. “We know we’re the underdog, we know no one else thinks we can win it,” junior Thomas Sevel said. “With the way we’re closing the season and the way we beat Penn State, we all now believe in ourselves even more.” Sevel, who joined the Owls in January after playing the past two seasons at Augusta University in Georgia, won a much-needed singles match 6-4, 6-4 in the match against Penn State, helping the Owls squeeze out the 4-3 victory. “There isn’t any unbeatable team in this year’s tournament,” Mauro said. “This team has only gotten better as the season has gone on and that’s the mindset that all the guys have right now.”
we aren’t relying on one or two people to do it.” The Owls have 16 different players with goals this season, 14 with assists and 20 who have recorded draw controls. Redshirt-freshman goalkeeper Kelsea Hershey and freshman Maryn Lowell have both seen time in net, giving up a combined 169 goals with a combined 122 saves. Temple is in the top half of the conference in goals against average. Eight of Temple’s 13 wins have been decided by a margin of two goals or fewer, including an overtime win against Marquette University on March 25 and comeback wins against Cincinnati and Villanova on April 5
danielwilson20@temple.edu @dan_wilson4
and 8. “We do the extra everything,” Glassford said. “We are out before practice, we stay after practice, we have film sessions, we meet with the coaches, we just do everything extra and there is so much commitment from everyone.” “They come every day happy to play and happy to practice,” Rosen said. “Their positive attitude every day with the energy to practice the way they do every day has been the key to our success this year.” teresa.sayers@temple.edu @SayersTessa
sports@temple-news.com
SPORTS
S P O RT S
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TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017
LACROSSE
New-look group earns Big East tournament berth After only two starters, returned, the Owls have qualified for back-to-back conference tournaments.
team,” coach Bonnie Rosen said. “It’s a tremendous accomplishment.” Before the season started, the team knew it could accomplish its goal. But after losing all but two starters, including their goalkeeper and leading scorer, the Owls also knew they would have to convince everyone else that they were capable. “In the beginning of the year, we knew we were going to be a good team,” junior defender Nicole Latgis said after Wednesday’s game. “Now, we are 12-2 and no one saw that coming. To surprise everyone and build on that record would be amazing.” With two regular-season games left, Temple is tied for second with the University of Denver and Georgetown University in the Big East standings. The Owls are tied with the University of Florida, the reigning champion, for the best overall record in the conference. The Owls received votes in Monday’s Inside Lacrosse poll. The Owls were ranked No. 14 in the Ratings Percentage Index as of April 9. Florida, ranked No. 2 in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Poll, is the only Big East team ranked higher. Temple plays Florida on Saturday at Howarth
By TESSA SAYERS Lacrosse Beat Reporter
T
he lacrosse team stood in the locker room after its 19-7 win against Butler University on Wednesday chanting, “I believe that we have won.” “It’s like a huge dance party,” senior midfielder Morgan Glassford said. “It’s so fun. It’s amazing. It’s a great feeling after games.” It was the 12th time this season Temple (13-2, 6-1 Big East Conference) could celebrate with the chant after a game, and it moved the Owls one step closer to their ultimate goal: making it back to the Big East championship. The Owls took another step when they beat Vanderbilt University 11-10 on Saturday in Tennessee to clinch a spot in the four-team Big East tournament. “It is just an amazing feeling and a remarkable accomplishment for this
TOURNAMENT | PAGE 17
JAMIE COTTRELL FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS Senior attacker Carly Demato shoots the ball in the Owls’ 19-7 win against Butler University on Wednesday.
TRACK & FIELD
FOOTBALL
Ellison’s journey comes full circle on coaching staff
Linebackers lack experience, have potential
Tramaine Ellison, a track & field assistant coach, used to compete on the team in the early 2000s. By ADDISON HUNSICKER For The Temple News Ask assistant coach Tramaine Ellison what her number one asset as a coach is, and she’ll tell you it’s her knowledge of what it takes to be a Temple Owl. Ellison is a 2004 kinesiology and exercise science alumna and former member of the track & field team and Air Force Reserves. She returned to her alma mater in August to help coach Elvis Forde build the program. Ellison said she assists in every element on the track but focuses on jumps or multis. She also plays a pivotal role in the recruiting process. “The biggest part of my recruiting package is that I am a product of Temple,” Ellison said. “It also makes me very selective because I take a lot of pride in my university, and I don’t think anyone should put on the cherry and white if they are not ready.” Ellison got the assistant coaching position because of her continued interest in the program, even after she graduated 13 years ago. “I found out that the assistant who was here was leaving,” Ellison said. “Next thing I know, I got a call from coach Forde asking why I hadn’t applied for the position yet.” Prior to accepting the assistant coaching position at Temple, Ellison spent three seasons at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina. She also served as an assistant coach and massage therapist at Winston-Salem State University in the same state. Ellison got a job coaching middle and high school students in North Carolina after she grad-
ELLISON | PAGE 15
EVAN EASTERLING/THE TEMPLE NEWS Redshirt-sophomore linebacker Shaun Bradley (center), tackles junior running back Ryquell Armstead during practice on April 4 at Chodoff Field.
The team lost three starters at the position who all had 50 or more tackles last season. By OWEN MCCUE Sports Editor Avery Williams preached constantly to reporters last season that they should watch out for the young group of linebackers behind him on the depth chart. Williams and fellow senior linebackers Jarred Alwan and Stephaun Marshall had three starting spots locked down, but there was an even better group coming next year. “You probably don’t even know who
those guys are,” Williams said after a practice last fall when he reeled off a list of young players to watch out for. Now that Williams, Alwan and Marshall have left the team, the young group is ready to emerge. “The spotlight’s on you now,” sophomore linebacker Sam Franklin said. “You’re just not one of those guys in the background.” Last season, Williams led the Owls with 66 tackles. Marshall and Alwan each totaled 50 or more tackles. Williams, Alwan and Marshall combined for 148 games and 500 tackles during their Temple careers. “There’s no way to replace that experience,” first-year linebackers coach Andrew Thacker said. “We’re learning. The other part of it is, we’ve got young guys that are hungry. They’ve never been in real-life situations
outside of special teams. … They’re learning being put through the fire.”
The spotlight’s on you now. You’re just not one of those guys in the background. Sam Franklin Sophomore linebacker
Redshirt-sophomore linebacker Chapelle Russell and redshirt-junior linebacker Jared Folks are the only returning Owls to see significant action at linebacker last season. Folks made 32 tackles in 13 games, and Russell made 25 stops in 10 contests.
LINEBACKERS | PAGE 15
GOLF | PAGE 16
ROWING | PAGE 16
TENNIS | PAGE 17
BRIEFS | PAGE 15
The Owls are hoping a strong showing in the conference tournament can erase their struggles so far this spring.
Sophomore walk-on Lauren Hill has quickly picked up the necessary skills as the Novice 4 boat’s new coxswain.
The men’s and women’s tennis teams are set to compete in the American Athletic Conference championships.
The athletic department is set to host an event, Big East lacrosse tournament teams are set, other news and notes.