Volume 93 Issue 17

A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921.

2014 Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker Award Winner temple-news.com

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

CUT, DIVIDED, STILL HOLDING ON

VOL. 93 ISS. 17

Dorm contract to cease

Elmira Jeffries will become an apartment complex this summer.

MARIAM DEMBELE The Temple News

keep their heads up, seven months after their fight to reverse the cuts proved unsuccessful and Temple officially removed the team from its Division I roster.

“We want to keep this gymnastics program alive,” senior gymnast Michael Bittner said. “Even when I graduate this year, and the freshmen graduate in four, we want people coming here.”

“When we got back here [in Philadelphia] at the end of August, before we officially started training again, we looked at each other and said, ‘We’re not a club, we’re still D-I athletes’” Bittner added. “We have the club title, but we’re going to train like D-I athletes, and try and perform like D-I athletes to the best of our ability.”

Bittner serves as a co-captain of the club along

This summer, Elmira Jeffries will reopen its rooms to students, but no longer as a dormitory. After more than 10 years of serving as a residence hall, the 1500 N. 15th St. building will now transition into a non-Temple-affiliated apartment complex.

The change comes after a decision from Temple not to renew its lease with Philadelphia Management Corporation, the company which owns the complex.

“We decided that the relationship as it existed had matured,” said Michael Scales, associate vice president of student affairs. “We were ready to go in a different direction.”

Debate over the future of Elmira Jeffries first surfaced last year after a delay in the renewal of the lease for the 2014-15 school year. Scales said the decision was made at that time. “[Temple] deferred for a year to allow PMC time to market,” Scales said.

Kate Groshong, the director of marketing for PMC, said that Elmira Jeffries – which has traditionally held sophomores and upperclassmen – will continue to be marketed to Temple’s undergraduate and graduate students.

Along with the change in status, Groshong said that the building will get a new look.

“We’ll keep the bones in place,” Groshong said, referring to the apartment-style layout of the rooms. Changes will include hardwood floors, new washers and dryers and upgrades for the lobby and resident lounges.

Renovations began this year with the addition of a fitness center in the basement of the building.

Groshong said the anticipat-

CLUB PAGE 19

CONTRACT PAGE 6

KARA MILSTEIN TTN

Longtime men’s gymnastics coach Fred Turoff watches sophomore Casey Polizzotto practice on the rings in McGonigle Hall on Monday.

Seven months removed from being stripped of its Division I sponsorship, the men’s gymnastics program ends one era by starting a new one, as the remaining athletes from last year’s squad seek to form one of the premier club teams in the nation.

STEVE BOHNEL The Temple News In December 2013, hours after learning that their team was among the sports Temple would eliminate from its athletic department, members of the 88-yearold men’s gymnastics program didn’t dwell in their grief.

Instead, they headed over to McGonigle Hall for practice.

“We need to keep our heads up,” Evan Eigner, who later transferred to Ohio State, said that day.

On Monday evening, as what meteorologists were calling the worst storm of the winter season crept toward Philadelphia, an early Main Campus closure wouldn’t stop them either – the gymnasts were again

ADDY PETERSON TTN

in McGonigle, practicing as flurries progressed into a steady snowfall. The remaining athletes from the team – which now operates as a club sport overseen by legendary coach Fred Turoff – are still looking to

Coffee and movies, a perfect blend

Alumnus Dan Creskoff opened a coffee shop and movie rental store on Jan. 12.

PATRICIA MADEJ Managing Editor

Dan Creskoff’s favorite part of his new business is the bathroom.

It’s located near the back of the store, wallpapered in “painstakingly picked out” 8-by-11 movie posters from top to bottom.

Special-ordered and cut out, there’s everything from the 1922 silent German horror film “Nosferatu” to the 1971 cult classic, “Harold and Maude.”

Creskoff, a Temple alumnus who studied media-televisionfilm, opened CineMug, a combined coffee shop and movie rental

CINEMUG PAGE 10 NEWS - PAGES 2-3, 6

For Nigerians, disturbance at home

Attacks by terrorist group Boko Haram have affected Nigerian students.

JACK TOMCZUK The Temple News Oreoluwa and Iyanuoluwa Alonge noticed a change when they visited their home in Nigeria over Winter Break – a security guard accompaniment.

“Anywhere we go – we’re going to the mall, we’re going to watch a movie, we’re going out with friends – there’s a security guard with us all the time,” Oreoluwa, a junior majoring in biomedical engineering, said.

“It wasn’t fun,” Iyanuoluwa said. “You had to stay

LIFESTYLE - PAGES 7-8, 14-16

home most of the time.”

Nigeria, which is the most populous country in Africa with more than 174 million people, has been devastated by brutal attacks from the radical Islamic group Boko Haram. The terrorist organization was responsible for more than 10,340 deaths from November 2013 to November 2014 and has caused over a million Nigerians to flee the country, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

Oreoluwa and Iyanuoluwa belong to a student organization at Temple called the Soci-

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT - PAGES 9-13

JENNY KERRIGAN TTN

Iyanuoluwa and Oreoluwa Alonge said their favorite thing about Temple is the freedom; they are followed by security guards at home.

ety of Emerging African Leaders (SEAL), which empowers

Climate change tough for coral

Alumna finds success in scarves

Dim sum, with a modern twist

Temple ecologist Dr. Erik Cordes’ research tested Lophelia corals in conditions based off end-ofthe-century climate projections.

PAGE 2

2010 Temple graduate Avi Loren Fox created Wild Mantle, a hooded scarf business that manufactures solely in the United States.

PAGE 7

Alumni are opening Bing Bing Dim Sum, a modern take on a Chinese dim sum parlor.

PAGE 11

OPINION - PAGES 4-5 Mayoral candidates lack luster

African immigrants to aspire

ALONGE PAGE 6

SPORTS - PAGES 17-20

Transitioning on both ends

NEWS

PAGE 2

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

STAFF REPORTS | FACULTY RESEARCH

KARA MILSTEIN TTN

Dr. Erik Cordes is reflected in a case of coral in his office in the Bio-Life building. Cordes and a team of researchers collected coral samples for the tests during a month-long trip on a research ship in 2010.

Climate change tough for deep-sea coral Corals were subjected to harsh conditions deemed likely by century’s end.

LIORA ENGEL-SMITH The Temple News Could deep-sea coral survive climate change?

Perhaps, but with difficulty, according to a recent research paper

by Temple scientists. The scientists exposed Lophelia, a deep-sea coral from the Gulf of Mexico, to the “triple threat” of climate change – warm, acidic water, with little dissolved oxygen.

“We based some of our harshest conditions for predictions for the end of the century,” Dr. Erik Cordes, a Temple ecologist and an author of the study said.

Lophelia corals, the study found, either grow poorly or die when sub-

jected to temperature, acidity or oxygen fluctuations.

“We know that those things are going to happen in fairly short order, especially if we don't change what we’re doing as a species,” Cordes said.

Cordes and his team collected Lophelia samples from the Gulf of Mexico during a month-long cruise in 2010, using a borrowed research ship – the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's Ronald H. Brown – and a small, unmanned submarine.

The research vessel carried a team of 60, consisting of scientists, submarine operators and crewmembers. Dr. Cordes said life at sea can be exciting, but the 247-foot research ship sometimes feels small.

“There are bunk beds and shared bathrooms and it’s very tight,” he said.

“It’s like being a freshman again.”

To reach the Lophelia at the ocean floor, the team borrowed “Jason,” a remotely-operated submarine from

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts. Lophelia is brittle, so scientists equipped Jason’s mechanic arms with a shovel, said Dr. Jay Lunden, a Temple ecologist and another author of the study.

The team collected 41 coral samples from different areas of the ocean floor. Back at the lab, they tested the coral samples for genetic variations and divided them into three groups.

“We didn't know how Lophelia would respond to one individual stressor or if it would even affect Lophelia, so we had to start with individual tests,” Lunden said.

They exposed each group to gradual shifts in conditions for two weeks. At the end of two weeks, Lophelia corals exposed to warmer water or low-oxygen environments died. Some Lophelia corals exposed to high acidity grew more slowly, while others remained healthy. Some Lophelia corals, Lunden said, may have developed

genetic adaptation that allowed them to thrive even in acidic water.

“The study is very thorough and very timely,” said Mónica Medina, an associate professor of biology at Penn State. She was not involved in the study, but her research focuses heavily on corals. The study suggests carbon emissions may harm the ocean and deep-sea corals, she said.

Lophelia corals are home to various crabs and fishes, including sea bass, a commonly eaten fish.

“If you imagine a desert, they are like an oasis,” Lunden said.

“With those coral communities come all of the diverse ecosystems that we see,” he added. “But the corals are the foundation species, they’re really the core to that community, and if they’re not able to grow then that community would not exist.”

Cordes said the next step in the research is to understand why some Lophelia corals survived the harsh con-

ditions imposed on them while others perished. Understanding these variations could help scientists preserve coral communities, at least in the short term.

Responsible industrialization of the sea can help preserve Lophelia corals.

“The deep sea is a very large place, it’s the largest habitat on earth,” Cordes said. “There is room for us to continue to move into deeper waters and avoid these sensitive habitats.”

But long-term solutions are different.

“Ideally, we need to get off of our addiction to fossil fuels, but I don't think even the most optimistic of us think that's going to happen tomorrow,” Cordes said. *

liora.engel-smith@temple.edu

Obama community college plan could affect enrollment Administrators stressed the importance of lowering student debt.

LIAN PARSONS The Temple News On Jan. 8, President Barack Obama announced via a Facebook video that he wanted “the first two years of community college free for everybody who is willing to work for it.” While the details of the plan are still forthcoming, the proposal could cause more community college students to decide to transfer into Temple.

“Less than half of the transfer students come from community colleges,” said Michele O’Connor, associate vice provost for undergraduate admissions.

“It could increase enrollment if [transfer students] don’t have any debt.”

By assisting students to complete an undergraduate degree, Obama’s initiative aims to reduce imbalances in education status across varying socioeconomic levels. With this plan, students who maintain a 2.5 grade-point average can expect to receive the benefits of a reduced-cost education.

The White House said that the initiative has the potential to help up to 9 million students complete an undergraduate degree and graduate with reduced debt. The plan has an estimated

NEWS DESK 215-204-7419

cost of $60 billion over the span of 10 years.

David Glezerman, assistant vice president and bursar, said he thinks it’s important to make college accessible to more people.

“It opens opportunities not just for young people, but for adults who are going to be retrained for new types of jobs,” Glezerman said. “The fact that community college tuition would be free potentially reduces student debt levels for any Temple student who transfers in from a community college.”

As of July 2012, Temple has entered into Dual/Guaranteed Admissions, Core-to-Core or GenEd-toGenEd transfer agreements with 16 area community colleges including the Community College of Philadelphia, Bucks County Community College and Montgomery County Community College.

According to the Office of the Provost’s website, these agreements “provide accurate curricular information for prospective transfer students and their academic advisors by aligning associate degree requirements with baccalaureate requirements.”

“Community college transfers are an important part of Temple’s transfer enrollments, and we will closely monitor developments in Obama’s proposal,” William Black, senior vice provost

of enrollment management, said in a statement. “We will also continue to work with our community college partners to promote access to excellent, affordable higher education and on-time graduation.”

Critics of Obama’s plan say there is still not enough information about how the program will be implemented to be fully supportive. Critics also say that addressing structural problems and current graduation rates within the education system should take priority before a potentially large influx of new students enter community colleges.

O’Connor said community college transfer students would still have access to “Fly in 4,” Temple’s program to help students graduate in four years.

The financial aid process would also not be any different than from before, Glezerman said.

“If it meant more students, then there are some potential issues about what funding would be available,” he said. “It doesn’t mean there’s going to be less funding, but it just means that students have to take the necessary steps.”

O’Connor said she doesn’t foresee a major influx of community college transfers. Glezerman said he agrees, at least in the short-term.

“Likely from the time that it starts, we may not see any of the students from the community colleges for at

MARGO REED TTN

Bursar David Glezerman discusses how Obama’s plan could affect Temple financially.

least a year, if not longer,” he said. “So I think the implications directly for Temple, we may not begin to see those benefits two to three years out.”

The president’s proposal is preceded by two recent programs. One is the Tennessee Promise, a scholarship which will provide students in Tennessee with two years of tuition-free education at a Tennessee community college or technical school.

The other is the Chicago Star Scholarship, which will provide college tuition, fees and books for one of the City Colleges of Chicago’s “path-

NEWS@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM

way programs” to Chicago Public School graduates who achieved a minimum 3.0 GPA. Further development of the community college plan is forthcoming, as it may encounter resistance from the public and from partisan leadership in the Senate, the Washington Post reported. *

lian.parsons@temple.edu

T @Lian_Parsons

NEWS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

PAGE 3

STAFF REPORTS | BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Trustee and mayoral candidate to focus on schools Nelson Diaz said his top priorities are business growth and education.

CHRISTIAN MATOZZO The Temple News Temple trustee Nelson Diaz has made it his mission to fix the school system – or die trying.

Diaz, a Democrat and former aide to Vice President Walter Mondale, cited improving workforce development and fixing problems with the School District of Philadelphia as his main goals when he announced his candidacy for Mayor of Philadelphia on Jan. 15.

“The school system is in shambles,” Diaz said in an interview Friday at his Dilworth Paxson office. “And I think I can fix it, even if I have to die doing it.”

A late addition to the race, Diaz faces State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, former Mayor Nutter spokesman Doug Oliver and former District Attorney Lynne Abraham. Multiple outlets reported that Councilman James Kenney would also announce his candidacy this week.

Diaz, when explaining his views, criticized the attempts of the School Reform Commission, including its failed move to renege the contract with the teacher’s union.

“The SRC has been in reform mode for 13 years,” Diaz said. “And I’m not sure they’ve reformed anything.”

Diaz also noted the lack of funding to the district, and the discrepancy between funding of students in Philadelphia and that of nearby Lower Merion.

“Lower Merion gets $23,000 per child, the students in the Philadelphia

MARGO REED TTN

Nelson Diaz, a lawyer and former judge, discusses his Temple ties and platform for his mayoral candidacy.

school system get $6,300 per child,” Diaz said. “Who has greater need?”

Diaz added that cutting programs and low per-pupil spending hindered progress. “[Education] is the equalizer for everyone,” he said. “If you’ve got an education, [no one] can take it away from you.”

Diaz also said he would focus on workforce development and attracting small-business development to Philadelphia. “[Philadelphia is], next to Detroit, the lowest in attraction of small businesses,” Diaz said. “There’s something wrong, somebody’s not marketing

[Philadelphia] correctly.”

Diaz also talked about the importance of unions.

“Unions are not the enemy,” Diaz said. “Unions provide an opportunity for a person to lift themselves from working-class to middle-class.”

Diaz said he thinks that the race for mayor is only heating up, though.

“I don’t think the field is complete until the filing date [March 10],” Diaz said. “And you won’t know all of the candidates.”

“I always told everybody, the filing date is the date we become candidates,” he added. “But between now and March 10 I plan to do as much lis-

TSG amends constitution to alter spending process Approval from the general assembly is no longer required.

ROB DIRIENZO The Temple News

BRADLEY VASSALLO TTN

An online poll is available for general assembly members to vote.

needed to be addressed.

“All documents need to be updated yearly,” Bell said. “The constitution wasn’t touched in three years and was kind of left on the backburner.”

After reviewing the document and noting what needed to be changed and updated, Bell said she sat down with Smeriglio, both vice presidents, Chief of Staff Evan Feinstein, Carey, and other officers to discuss her proposed changes.

Originally to be introduced in the beginning of the semester, it was put on hold due to the first Monday of the semester being the first day of school, the second Monday being Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the cancellation of evening classes on Jan. 26.

All amendment changes must be approved by two-thirds of the general assembly consisting of 100 students.

Bell and James said they

don’t foresee any setbacks or potential backlash from the general assembly when the officers bring the new amendment in front of it.

“We haven’t had a lot of backlash, any really,” James said.

“Carey still has a lot of oversight with the finances. We use our money for the students, so I don’t know if it’s always in the interest of the GA to know. Do they really need to know or care that we buy things like scissors?”

Bell maintains that there will still be transparency with the TSG officers’ budget if the amendment passes.

“We still let everyone know what we are doing with our funds,” she said. “As an organization we still have our own budget, so it shouldn’t be an issue.” *david.glovach@temple.edu T @DavidGlovach

*

christian.matozzo@temple.edu

Posting kiosks taken down around campus

Administrators said the fixtures, installed in the 80s and 90s, had outlived their use.

DAVID GLOVACH The Temple News Temple Student Government is in the final process of amending Article 2, Section 3 of the current constitution. Under that provision, TSG officers need to receive approval from the general assembly to use funds.

Proposed in September and finalized in November, the new amendment will allow TSG officers to use funds without the approval of the general assembly.

“The main reason for the change is because of the summertime,” General Auditor Camille Bell said. “No one is here during that time of the year and when no one is here, there is no one to approve the funds.”

Such changes will allow TSG officers to pay for things that they deem necessary.

“This amendment gives the officers a little flexibility,” Tykee James, speaker of the general assembly, said. “It isn’t practical to have a GA over the summer. Before, we needed approval to buy things like office supplies. We need to be able to use the funds we need without the assembly signing off.”

“For example over the summer [Student Body President] Ray [Smeriglio] and [Vice President of Services] Blair [Alston] went to the White House for a committee on sexual harassment with the First Lady’s chief of staff,” James added. “We needed TSG to approve funding for the trip.”

Bell made the constitutional change after Director of Student Activities Chris Carey, who advises the organization, brought the document to her attention.

It was last amended on April 7, 2011, something Bell decided

tening as possible from the voters.”

Diaz, then a 28-year-old Harlem native, first came to Temple on an invite from Dean Peter Liacouras and became the first Puerto Rican student to be admitted to the Beasley School of Law. “When I entered the law program at Temple in 1971, only 78 African Americans had ever been admitted to the practice of law in Pennsylvania, and no Puerto Rican had ever passed the Bar,” Diaz said. “I don’t even know if a Puerto Rican had ever even taken it.”

After receiving his undergraduate degree at St. John’s University in 1969,

Diaz said he originally chose Temple’s law school because he thought it would be more accepting of minorities than the schools he was accepted to in New York.

“I figured I’ll go to Temple, Temple will be more progressive,” Diaz said. “When I came to Temple, I realized it was worse than it was in New York. It was a hostile environment.”

Diaz recalled the difficulties he had at the law school during his time there, commuting from Camden, New Jersey – “It was all I could afford,” he said. During his time as a student, he was a founding member of the Black Law Student Association, and led a picket of the Law School due to the rough relationship between former Dean Ralph Norvell and the students.

“Two-thirds of my class flunked out,” Diaz said. “There was a doctor who flunked out of the law school. It was a rough time.”

Amid the turmoil, then VicePresident of Academic Affairs Marvin Wachman – later the university president – proceeded to smooth relations with the students and named Liacouras new dean of the law school in 1972. In 1973, Diaz remembers leading a successful picket of the undergraduate school. That same year, Diaz would become the first Puerto Rican to be certified to practice law in Pennsylvania.

Diaz continued on in a large capacity with Temple after his graduation. From 1981 to 1988, he taught trial advocacy at the law school. He has served as a Temple trustee since his election in 1992.

“My first love is Temple, everybody knows it,” Diaz said.

University officials said the cherry and white kiosks around Main Campus – oftadorned with posters and advertisements for dance parties and bars, in addition to many staples – were removed late last fall because they were no longer viewed as assets.

The kiosks were not serving a clear purpose for the university and were taking up too many resources to maintain, Senior Vice President for Construction, Facilities and Operations Jim Creedon said in a phone interview.

“We’ve been struggling with what to do with them for the last year or so now,” Creedon said. “We were looking at what was being posted and determined they were no longer serving the purpose they once did when they were installed in the ‘80s or ‘90s.”

Student Center Director Jason Levy, who is in charge of posting spots throughout Main Campus, said the kiosks were on the chopping block for some time.

“We’ve been wanting to do this for a while,” Levy said. “Someone would post something in the morning, and by night it would be gone or covered up.”

Levy added that the kiosks were intended for posting university-related activities and information, but instead became over-populated with advertisements for off-campus housing developments and businesses.

“It was just layers and layers of information,” Levy said. “We decided that it was not necessary or appropriate to give that venue to places like bars or other non-Temple related materials.”

Creedon also pointed out that another problem was the number of copies of one flier that were often strewn across the post.

“They ended up stapling the same flier around the entire pole, much of which just became litter,” Creedon said.

This, paired with the personnel resources it took to pick out each of the thousands of staples with pliers and re-paint the kiosks made them more trouble than they were worth, Creedon said.

One student organization leader says connecting with the student body and recruiting

new members will be a bit harder now.

“We definitely did pull some members in through posting there,” said Julia Whitbeck, president of the Temple chapter of the Crosswalk student ministry, a Christian organization on Main Campus.

Both Creedon and Levy said an overall shift toward social media as a means of communication is lessening the need for such post-

Someone would “ post something in the

morning, and by night it would be gone or covered up.

”

Jason Levy | Student Center Director

ing spaces on campus.

“Most communication is done online,” Levy said. “While we have several posting locations still on campus, which can be found on our website, the need for these kiosks does not seem to be there.”

Whitbeck, a junior therapeutic recreation major, said that although she thinks the kiosks should have stayed, much of their information has indeed gone online.

“A lot our communication is digital,” Whitbeck said. “A lot of it is through Facebook, we have weekly emails, and we have a website.”

The removal of the kiosks occurred several weeks after details of the Visualize Temple master plan and the conjunctive Verdant Temple landscape master plan were released. Both plans seek to create a more modern, greener campus with more open space.

Creedon said that the street names on top of some of the cherry-colored roofs on some of the kiosks may be replaced with digital displays – similar to those in the newly opened Science Education and Research Center – in coming years as part of the plan. *

robd@temple.edu

T @RobDiRienzo

PAGE 4 A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921.

Avery Maehrer, Editor-in-Chief Patricia Madej, Managing Editor Erin Edinger-Turoff, Chief Copy Editor Joe Brandt, News Editor Paige Gross, Opinion Editor Claire Sasko, Lifestyle Editor Emily Rolen, Arts & Entertainment Editor EJ Smith, Sports Editor Steve Bohnel, Asst. News Editor Andrew Parent, Asst. Sports Editor Alexa Bricker, Asst. Lifestyle Editor Albert Hong, Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor Patrick McCarthy, Multimedia Editor Kate Reilly, Asst. Multimedia Editor

EDITORIAL/OP-ED

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

FROM THE ARCHIVES...

Harsh Patel, Web Manager Tom Dougherty Web Editor Kara Milstein, Photography Editor Jenny Kerrigan, Asst. Photography Editor Addy Peterson, Design Editor Donna Fanelle, Asst. Designer Justin Discigil, Advertising Manager Grayson Holladay, Business Manager Dustin Wingate, Marketing Manager

The Temple News is an editorially independent weekly publication serving the Temple University community. Unsigned editorial content represents the opinion of The Temple News. Adjacent commentary is reflective of their authors, not The Temple News.

Visit us online at temple-news.com.

Send submissions to letters@temple-news.com.

The Temple News is located at: Student Center, Room 243 1755 N. 13th St. Philadelphia, PA 19122

EDITORIALS

Students need ‘promise’

When the housing market The White House’s proposal crashed nearly a decade ago, fact sheet, providing comit was accompanied by one munity college students with of America’s two years free worst economic America’s College Promise could save the crises. If the will ease students’ use of an average learnhigher educa- unsustainable student loan er $3,800 per tion “bubble,” year. With insystem. as financial excreased grant perts and economists have tiavailability as well, the next tled educational market trends question of taxpayers, natulike increased loans and interrally, is: How will the federal est, also bursts, what sort of government pay for two free national disaster can we expect years of community college in 2015? Many Americans defor any American who wants bate this issue, but there is to pursue higher education? no one the question could be But a college student might more relevant to than college also, justly, ask: How can I students. even begin to consider more It is ingrained in most years of going deeper in debt? young students that a high It’s important to consider school diploma is not enough – the diversity of opportunity an undergraduate degree, at the that could arise from Amerivery least, is required for any ca’s College Promise. A subsort of successful career. But heading on The White House’s according to College Board, fact sheet, “Expanding Technifrom 1984-85 to 2014-15, the cal Training for Middle Class cost of public, four-year school Jobs,” demonstrates this in it’s tuition and fees has increased promise to increase “work225 percent. That’s 4 percent based learning opportunities.” every year for the last 30 years.

Instead of an epidemic of overWhereas decades ago, when qualified, under-paid workers, our parents attended college, more graduates would be qualmost students could make do if ified for entry into fields like they balanced a job and classes energy development, manu– not going into extraordinary facturing and other trade fields debt – it seems nearly impos– earning a living wage instead sible for the average student to of the burden of expensive colavoid taking out thousands of lege loan debt. dollars in loans.

Students need sustainThis system of perpetual able options. America needs borrowing and accruing into learn from its past mistakes. terest is not sustainable. The President Obama recognizes housing market crash certainly this need – to make America’s proved this.

College Promise a reality, stuThat’s why America’s dents should loudly express College Promise is a suggestheir need for an educational tion that must take hold and solution. become reality. According to

Decline in affordability

The university confirmed been eliminated. this week that it will not conBy cutting ties with the tinue its conresidence halls, tract with Elstudents who Eliminating Elmira mira Jeffries, a don’t want to Jeffries will put a strain pay the univerresidence hall on affordable university sity’s mountthat houses housing options. sophomores ing on-campus and upperclasshousing costs man, located on 15th and Jefare forced to find housing elseferson streets, for the 2015-16 where, likely off campus. academic school year.

Students will still be able Though the dorm only to lease rooms, which has accommodated about 140 stufloor plans available for one dents, it served as an importo four students with full bathtant and much more affordable rooms and kitchens, privately option to students even after through Philadelphia Managethe opening of Morgan Hall, ment Corporation. When it which houses more than 1,200 was an option through Temple students. housing, a student could seThe university released cure a room for slightly under a statement before Morgan $4,000 per semester, while a Hall opened for the 2013-14 room in Morgan Hall is more academic school year that than $5,000 a semester. said the newest hall was built Eliminating Elmira Jef“in response to rising student fries as a university-affiliated demand for on-campus living residence hall secludes stuoptions.” Since the university dents that are looking for afstopped its contract with The fordable living without going Edge – which accommodated through the hassle of finding 760 students – and now EJ, a landlord and having to pay a two on-campus options have monthly rent.

CORRECTIONS

On Jan. 20, The Temple News reported in a news story that Nelson Diaz was a federal judge. He was a judge in Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas.

On Jan. 20, The Temple News reported in a news story that Lu Ann Cahn was offered a job in August. She was offered a job in midDecember.

The Temple News strives to be a newspaper of record by printing factually correct and balanced articles. Accuracy is our business, so when a mistake is made, we’ll correct it as soon as possible. Anyone with inquiries about content in this newspaper can contact Editor-inChief Avery Maehrer at editor@temple-news.com or 215.204.6737.

February 9, 1989: A former Temple student started a petition to recall then-mayor Wilson Goode. Karl Jacobson, former publisher of Office Weekly, said Goode was “endangering public safety.” The petition was expected to generate 5,000-10,000 signatures from the Temple student body and show the city-wide discontent with his leadership. Currently, Philadelphia is looking ahead to the primary mayoral election in May to find a successor to current Mayor Michael Nutter, who faces a 39 percent approval rating, according to a Pew Charitable Trusts poll in January 2012.

commentary | local politics

‘Philadelphia can do better’

The current mayoral candidates for the November primary elections leave much to be desired for the city.

O

n Jan. 15, Temple Trustee, former Court of Common Pleas Judge and current Dilworth Paxson law partner Nelson Diaz entered the race for the Democratic nomination for Mayor.

With Diaz’s announcement to run, along with the somewhat surprising decision of City Council President Darrell Clarke to drop out and the very surprising exit of former City SoKEVIN TRAINER licitor Ken Trujillo, the Democratic field stands temporarily settled at five. And it is, in a word, underwhelming.

“At this point, it seems as though people are evaluating the candidates based on who they dislike the least,” said Curtis Blessing, a Temple graduate and veteran Democratic political consultant. “That’s a sad place to be when you’re talking about choosing the [United States’] fifth largest city’s chief executive.”

The four others joining Diaz on the campaign trail are State Senator and institutional favorite Anthony Hardy Williams, former District Attorney and unabashed straight-shooter Lynne Abraham, the former Nutter administration official and political flip-flopper Doug Oliver, and Milton Street – brother of former Mayor John Street, former State Senator and, as a convicted tax evader, the only current candidate to serve prison time.

It is not that the field is short on pedigree. Their collective credentials – Street’s imprisonment notwithstanding – argue otherwise. But no candidate seems to possess a vision for Philadelphia’s tomorrow.

If I were a restaurant critic, the field would be the Cheesecake Factory: you might get a good meal served on a white table cloth, but you wouldn’t bring a first date.

But is Philadelphia looking for a first date? As I wrote in this publication last semester, while Philadelphia is still behind the urbanist curve in many ways, it is beginning something like a natural renaissance: population is on the rise; young families are remaining; bike lanes are multiplying; housing is affordable; companies are starting and growing. Maybe Philadelphia needs not a Lindbergh, but a sea captain who can dutifully avoid the icebergs.

Unfortunately, the field as it stands contains neither.

Nevertheless, a good deal can change between now and May, when the Democratic primary – which, because of the sizable advantage of Philadelphia’s democratic voter base, serves as the de facto general election – will be held. And, as in all races, somebody has to win.

Conventional wisdom places Anthony Williams at the top of the heat. He has, according to Patrick Kerkstra of Philly Mag among others, “favorable racial math.” In other words, Williams is a Black man in a Black town, and Philadelphia often votes along racial lines – proof is in the past three mayoral elections.

not be added. “[Diaz’s] is very distinguished, but his campaign seems to be rely[ing] heavily on turning out the Latino vote in record numbers, which [historically] has yet to be done,” Blessing said.

The balance of the candidates are still running, but their candidacies should not be taken seriously.

Street plans to officially declare his candidacy in a funeral parlor – to symbolize death, of course – and Oliver has switched political parties three times in the past four years, each time seeking the inside lane.

Philadelphia can do better.

I think the real candidate is not officially a candidate at all: City Councilman

were a restaurant critic, the field would be “theIf ICheesecake Factory: you might get a good

”

meal served on a white table cloth, but you wouldn’t bring a first date.

Moreover, Williams has both a substantial political network in West Philadelphia and, as the only pro-charter and proschool voucher candidate, he has access to many big-money donors who share those views. And, as the presumed front-runner, Trujillo’s recent exit will only help.

But despite that access, Williams’ views on school reform will also be his largest liability. Philadelphians are certainly fed-up with the School District, but I’m not convinced they’re ready to embrace Williams’ views, which place him in direct opposition to the traditional public school system.

Lynne Abraham, who graduated from Temple’s law school, is a close second. But, as she has yet to speak much about issues.

Nevertheless, Abraham is, as former Mayor Frank Rizzo said, “one tough cookie.” And the self-proclaimed lions of city politics could use some extra courage.

Abraham’s weakest point is her age.

The 74-year-old, who has a spare social media presence, exudes old Philadelphia. Admittedly, a tweet does not equal influence, but Philadelphia is ever-changing. Does she have what it takes to lead the city forward?

And then there is Diaz. Trujillo’s exit was good news, but probably not enough.

Despite Diaz’s laundry-list of firsts – first in his family to attend college, first Puerto Rican to graduate from a Pennsylvania law school, first Latino Philadelphia judge – first Latino Mayor will most likely

Jim Kenney. After Trujillo’s surprise exit from the race, I was told by two sources, one of whom is a Council staffer, that Kenney will almost certainly join the race. The staffer told me that Trujillo called Kenney just before announcing his exit to discuss Kenney’s possible entrance.

Trujillo, who reportedly has already raised $400,000, will be looking for a candidate to support, and that candidate could be Kenney.

And how could Kenney not run? In the last 18 months alone, Kenney has been the progressive’s darling: he spearheaded the city’s marijuana decriminalization effort, sponsored the most sweeping LGBTQequality bill in the nation, and, on Twitter during a Cowboys playoff game, called Chris Christie a “fat ass.” Moreover, Kenney, if he enters, seems more likely than anyone to capture the labor vote. Unlike perhaps any other candidate in the race, Kenney has support in the row-homes and in Center City.

As last week progressed, Kenney’s entrance looked more and more likely. He is set to hold a fundraiser in early February, still ostensibly to kick-off his bid for Council reelection. Could he instead announce his candidacy for Mayor?

Conventional wisdom has Williams ahead, but if Kenney enters – which now most people think he will – he wins. * kevin.trainer@temple.edu

OPINION

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

commentary | Foreign Relations

PAGE 5

commentary | Temple in the news

Pointing fingers at acts of terrorism Celebrity influence: high status, high responsibility Education is key to understanding and combatting prejudice.

I

n the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attack, Muslims have been called upon once again to denounce all acts of terrorism committed in the name of Islam. The largely Christianized West has continually held moderate Muslims responsible for the actions of Islamic fundamentalists.

From 9/11 to ISIS, many right-wing conservatives have been calling for the Muslim population to combat extremists JENNY ROBERTS of their religion.

The pleas of these conservatives have grown stronger most recently, following the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris.

On Jan. 7, gunmen killed 12 people at the offices of Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical magazine. These assailants carried out their attack to avenge the Prophet Muhammad, who had recently been depicted on the magazine’s cover. In Islam any images or drawings of the Prophet are forbidden.

The magazine’s cover was offensive to many Muslims, but only those who acted out against this offense in violence should be held responsible. Following the Charlie Hebdo attack, many prominent politicians and public figures have renewed the fervor, with which they are urging all Muslims to put an end to Islamic extremism.

On Jan. 9, Rupert Murdoch, founder of News Corp., took to Twitter to comment on the recent terrorist attack in Paris.

In a tweet he said, “Maybe most Moslems [sic] peaceful, but until they recognize and destroy their growing jihadist cancer they must be held responsible.”

Comedian Aziz Ansari responded to this comment in a string of tweets countering Murdoch’s faulty logic.

In one of his tweets Ansari said, “.@rupertmurdoch You are Catholic, why are you not hunting pedophiles? #RupertsFault” Ansari has a valid point. A whole group of people should neither be punished, nor held responsible for the actions of one person somehow linked to their cause.

By this logic, if all Muslims should be held responsible for extremists, then all Christians should apologize for the Crusades, and anyone of German descent should be expected to eternally condemn Hitler’s actions, as if it weren’t already clear that his actions were blatantly wrong.

I think it’s fair to say that all people who are not extremists themselves know that terrorism is wrong; but Muslims are disproportionately asked to declare this belief.

On Jan. 10, Judge Jeanine Pirro took Murdoch’s position even farther on the Fox News show, “Justice.”

“There’s only one group that can stop this war: the Muslims themselves. Our job is to arm those Muslims to the teeth,” Pirro said. “Give them everything they need

fix. Terrorism is a global problem, and so is the prejudice that lumps all Muslims into the category of “terrorist.”

This prejudice only appears to hold any claim because many people mistakenly believe Muslims are inherently angry, because they also assume that Islam, itself, is inherently violent.

Salman Patel, a junior neuroscience major, serves as the vice president of Temple’s Muslim Student Association. He believes that many people unjustly characterize Islam based on the actions of extremists.

“One of the biggest misconceptions that the general public has about Islam … is that it is a violent religion,” Patel said.

“They form this [opinion] based on the acts of a very small percentage of people.”

The only way we can combat prejudice and ignorance concerning Islam is by educating ourselves on the religion.

I can admit that I have some learning to do also. I grew up in a Christian household and went to a Catholic school. I had never met a Muslim person until this year.

Fortunately, we all have the opportunity to educate ourselves here on Main Campus. The Muslim Student Association has several opportunities scheduled for the spring semester, which serve to educate the student body on the mission of Islam.

On Jan. 28 at 4:30 p.m. in the Student Center Room 200A, the MSA will be hosting an event called “Islam? The Untold Story.” This event will consist of an information session on the mission of Islam followed by a Q&A session.

Later in the spring, the MSA will also be holding Islamic Awareness Week (IAW), which is tentatively scheduled for sometime in mid-March. The goal of IAW is to educate students in order to spark dialogue, which will KASIA PLUTO TTN hopefully allow students a better to take out these Islamic fanatics. Let understanding of Islam. them do the job. Let them have at it.”

Hopefully, this semester we can all Muslims should not be held responsi- learn a little more about Islam, so we can ble for Islamic fundamentalists, with whom educate others. And if future terrorist atthey have no connection. Islam is a peaceful tacks occur, we’ll know where to justly religion that extremists distort to gain politi- point fingers. cal and economic power. Extremists, who commit acts of terrorism, do not represent * jenny.roberts@temple.edu Islam or the Muslims who practice it.

The overarching issue of terrorism should not solely be a Muslim problem to

commentary | Philly in the News

Philly deserves its spot on ‘places to visit’ list The city has the potential to live up to its praise from the New York Times.

T

he New York Times’ “52 Places to Go in 2015” ranked Philadelphia as the thirdbest travel destination in the entire world earlier this month. Not too surprisingly, the city’s new recognition was not reDIANA NGUYEN ceived rosily by some of the urban population, as negative comments are strewn all over public forums, like media outlets including Philadelphia Magazine. However, pride, not disbelief, should be expressed by all who reside in Philadelphia because of the positive direction the city is heading.

A collective disapproval of Philly’s ranking may be detrimental to the city’s image.

Those who claim that the title was undeserved are most likely just citing common issues like overpopulation, pollution and crime. Residents, temporary or not, who joined in on the negative commentary, are basically harnessing a derogatory perception of their own neighborhoods. Furthermore, they have overlooked the city’s efforts to

become a better place.

The Philadelphia Tribune reported in December that Philadelphia has spent $8.5 million on city projects since January 2013. These projects range from riverfront development, like the Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk, to the skyline, which will change with the construction of the 1,121-foot Comcast Innovation and Technology Center looking down on the 974-foot Comcast Center. Businesses will be able to flourish in University of Pennsylvania’s upcoming Pennovation Center and South Philly’s Navy Shipyard.

More importantly, initiatives on improving public tran-

delphia will only bring it down.

Somewhat of a social phenomenon, a city brand is based on the perceptions of its target audience: tourists and residents.

From slogans on mugs to recognizable stereotypes, cities all over the world compete with each other to have the most favorable and familiar identity.

For instance, the modern-day branding of New York City can be traced from its fiscal crisis of the late 1970s, a period known for soaring crime rates, civil dissent, local disintegration, and strikes.

This made the city an unattractive place to live and work in, therefore hitting its economy

sit have increased over the past few years, resulting in parklets, the bike share program, and Transit First. The city is making an effort to accommodate all who step foot within its boundaries. Philadelphia, described by The New York Times as an “urban outdoor oasis,” now seems more attractive because of its unremitting surge in various developments; but, the success of the city lies in its brand and the community who contributes the most to it. Consequently, a negative attitude toward Phila-

with a hard blow. New York City did not really pay any mind to its impression on potential visitors until the 1970s. When the city finally did, it attentively cultivated a public image of being hip, professional, and tourist-friendly, as compared to its previous one of being a working-class city. It is crucial that Philadelphia stays ahead of the game as civic pride and an increase in tourism can provide socio-economic rewards.

These goals are ultimately achieved when Philadelphia

The success of the city lies in “ its brand and the community who contributes to it. ”

OPINION DESK 215-204-7416

caters to its community. Local efforts bring small, positive changes that may improve people’s daily surroundings. Urban revitalization programs like the Mural Arts Program, which promotes artistic expression on an urban canvas, the Orchard Project, where volunteers gather to grow local produce and Shared Prosperity, whose aim is to combat poverty, along with many more programs encourage the community to give back to the city.

Those pursuing post-secondary education also benefit.

Colleges reach out to thousands of students every year for an invaluable experience in an extremely diverse setting. Internships exclusive to Philly, reliable public transportation to almost everywhere and opportunities for any interest have added to its appeal.

Through its city branding, Philadelphia sells itself not only as a worthy stop on travel to-do lists but as a great place to establish a home, in order to become the superior urban area. Since Philadelphia is now recognized as one of the best destinations in the world, it should be accepted by its own population as such.

Appreciate Philly for its eclectic mix of culture and attractions, and many will flock to the City of Brotherly Love with the hope to be intertwined in its magic, too. * diana.nguyen@temple.edu

LETTERS@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM

A student feels that icons should continue to be held to strong moral standards.

S

tarting with a civil lawsuit filed March 8, 2005 the names Bill Cosby and Jane Doe began to be seen together in print and in other mediums. Thirteen “Jane Does” who felt silenced and oppressed did not receive the support from the media to reveal themselves, others did not receive support to come forward.

At the time, I knew nothing of a name like Jane Doe, though I was very much cognizant of media and news as a young child.

However, I knew that at 2:30 p.m., immediately after I got out of elementary school, Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable and his family would be on the television until 5 p.m.

KEELAND BOWERS Growing up in Black America, Bill Cosby was the quintessential image of television that carried an iota of representation to the community of which I was a part. Bill Cosby appeared as a trailblazer for the Black community in the entertainment sector, a philanthropist in his vast support of education for the systematically disenfranchised urban Black poor, all the while appearing as a father figure to all.

The child inside, who had watched, loved, and even revered Bill Cosby, could do nothing but weep during the last few months, women stepped forward with allegations of sexual assault against him.

How else does one react to the terribly disgusting alleged transgressions of their father?

According to Slate.com, as of Nov. 26, 2014 there are 32 allegations of rape against Bill Cosby. There is a sordid past that has graced the history, a shadowed conglomeration of whispers that no one paid attention to. Victims have been met with silence until comedian Hannibal Buress opened the floodgates with an act on Oct. 16, 2014.

There is no way of proving allegations that transpired decades ago, however it is important to not dismiss and under-

Rape is an inexcusable act, yet “ our society defends the character

”

of those deemed worthy by their celebrity status.

stand the seriousness of each instance of accusation. It is also important to separate what Cosby has achieved and what he has done.

Cosby changed television for the better with the creation of The Cosby Show. It was a trailblazing success that no television show after has been able to come close to. However, this obviously does not excuse his actions.

Feb. 1 is the one-year anniversary of Dylan Farrow’s letter to the New York Times regarding the abuses her father, Woody Allen, allegedly inflicted on her throughout her childhood. It was also this same time last year that Woody Allen, who is married to a woman who was at one time his adopted daughter, received a lifetime achievement award from the Golden Globes.

Jessica Goldberg of thinkprogress.org poses the question, “What makes the public shrug off Allen’s alleged abuses but collectively shun Cosby?” Goldberg goes on to ask, “Is there some tipping point number of victims after which we all decide, ‘OK, not that many people can be lying’?”

Rape is an inexcusable act, yet our society defends the character of those deemed worthy by their celebrity status. Roman Polanski, who raped 13-year-old Samantha Gailey, fled the country in 1978 to escape formal sentencing. In 2009, Switzerland detained Polanski in relation to the 30-year outstanding warrant from the United States. Polanski’s arrest was met with complete outrage; Hollywood moguls from Woody Allen to Tilda Swinton signed a petition for Polanski’s release.

Do we find truth in Cosby’s accusers because we live in a culture that “assumes the worst about Black men and the revelation of Cosby’s lifetime of alleged sexual violence confirmed deep-rooted prejudices against men of color? …[Or] because we have made such exceptions before in similar cases for Roman Polanksi and Terry Richardson and Michael Jackson and too many others to list?” Goldberg said.

Temple is one of 55 colleges and universities currently under sexual violence investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. The department made Title IX, “available in an effort to bring more transparency to our enforcement work and to foster better public awareness of civil rights” said Catherine E. Lhamon, department’s assistant secretary for civil rights.

In the midst of this scrutiny, we must remain sure of what is right and what is wrong, even in the face of glamour and novelty. We must ensure the protection of all Jane and John Doe’s in a society where rape is taboo. There can no longer be a time where rape victims are afraid to reveal themselves due to the repercussions that they may face.

Whether or not the Cosby allegations ever come to resolution, it is important to preserve all that has been done for the advancement of people of color. We must also differentiate the success and progressiveness of all that Bill Cosby has achieved and that which he has done. There is nothing that can excuse the actions of celebrities, no matter how influential. They too must be held to the same laws and responsibilities. * keeland.bowers@temple.edu

NEWS

PAGE 6

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

UNIVERSITY NEWS

“He is still confident he can work with both parties and move forward to fix the budget and better fund education,” Sheridan said. “He made it clear he did not appreciate the process – the midnight appointment. He said he was going to review it, he did, and took action.”

Wolf said in a statement that he made the decision because his “top priority as governor of Pennsylvania is to restore public trust in government.”

The move has already upset Republicans including Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman.

“The honeymoon is over,” Corman told the Inquirer. “He is not off to a flying start, for someone who said he was going to do things differently.”

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

-Steve Bohnel

DIVERSITY CENTER SET TO OPEN “The Burrow” – a space that will be home to Temple Student Government’s TUnity statement and where students can learn more about diversity – is set to have a soft opening next month.

Located at 2024-2028 N. Broad St., the furnished multi-room facility will offer a kitchen space, equipped with a coffee maker and refrigerator. It will offer plenty of seating, conference tables, rooms to work in, and a security desk. The huge outdoor area features a gazebo and plenty of trees.

Rhonda Brown, Temple’s associate vice president of the office of institutional diversity, equality, advocacy and leadership, said the space was needed in order for students to openly talk about tough topics concerning diversity.

“There has to be a place where people can have hard conversations,” Brown said.

Brown added that “The Burrow” was chosen as the name for the location because of Temple’s mascot.

“A burrow officially is an underground owl’s nest. Because we service [Temple] Owls, [the name] made sense,” she said.

Carmen Phelps, director of student engagement, said she expects the space to bring the diverse student body together.

“I’d really like to see it used as a place where students can do coalition building, work together, and collaborate,” Phelps said. “The point is for it to be a multifunctional space. We want to be able to measure the impact that all the programming will have on student development.”

Brown and Phelps said they hope to see President Theobald and the Board of Trustees among others at the official opening of the space, which will take place sometime after Spring Break.

-Sequoia Hall

STUDENTS REELING FROM FIRE An electrical fire burned through 1534 N. 18th St., an off-campus apartment that housed several students, on the night of Jan. 16.

Evan Mallon, a senior visual art major with a concentration in illustration, found out via a voicemail from his roommate that his apartment sustained damage.

The three-floor building was drowned with smoke. The stairs were destroyed and windows were blown out.

Mallon and his roommate live on the second floor in the rear of the apartment. The fire has not affected his living space, unlike some of the other floors.

“You can’t really get in there as far as I can

CRIME KARA MILSTEIN TTN

Gov. Tom Wolf recently removed former Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley from Temple’s Board of Trustees.

tell,” Mallon said. “I called the landlord’s daughter and she’s letting me in to go get stuff because I didn’t know I was going to be out of my house and home for a while.”

“I guess mine is one of the only habitable ones so far,” he added.

Michael McKelvey, a sophomore political science and environmental studies double major, said he was home taking a nap when the fire alarm woke him around 5 p.m.

“When I woke up there was fire coming out of the electrical sockets near the washer and dryer,” McKelvey said. “There was a lot of smoke coming out of the basement in the boiler room. We opened the door and there were some boxes that were on fire.”

McKelvey added that the fire department arrived minutes later.

The apartment’s landlord, who is currently not living in the United States, has been unavailable for the tenants to communicate with since the fire.

Because McKelvey said he doesn’t know how safe the house is, he and his three roommates have been in the process of finding a new living space.

“It’s pretty unsettling. I just don’t know how safe the house was,” he said. “There wasn’t a fire escape for the people upstairs and the stairs burned down. That’s kind of terrifying.”

-Emily Rolen

BOT APPROVES NEW DEPARTMENT In public meetings on Thursday, Jan. 22, three committees of Temple’s Board of Trustees – Academic Affairs, Budget and Finance and Executive – announced and approved the creation of a new Department of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery in the School of

Medicine.

The new department will consolidate three pre-existing sections in the Temple Lung Center and create three new sections – one for Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, one for Thoracic Surgery, and one for Lung Transplants. Thirty doctors at Temple Hospital will be transferred to the new department, five of whom will also be receiving tenure.

The Board also approved a $25.8 million allocation to the creation of the new department.

“This will consolidate all of the doctors under one roof,” said Dr. Larry Kaiser, CEO of Temple’s Health System and dean of the Medical School. “It’s an advantage to have the [lung] surgeons and the transplant [doctors] all in one place.”

Dr. Kaiser cited the growth of the lung transplant program at Temple as the reason for the creation of the new department, and stated that the new department would also make treatment more efficient for patients.

“Patients just want to get their lung disease treated,” he said. “They don’t want to see multiple doctors in multiple places.”

-Christian Matozzo

CAWLEY REMOVED FROM BOARD In his second day in office, Gov. Tom Wolf recalled more than two dozen of former Gov. Tom Corbett’s eleventh-hour appointments, including Jim Cawley, the former Lt. Gov. who served on Temple’s Board of Trustees as an exofficio member during Corbett’s term.

Wolf spokesman Jeff Sheridan told the Inquirer that the action should not affect Wolf’s ability to govern, as he and the legislature face a $2.3 billion deficit.

SUSPECT NABBED FOR ROBBERIES Temple Police have apprehended a suspect in connection with two Thursday robberies.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said in an email Friday that 23-year-old Kareem Clancy of the 3200 block of Fox Street is being charged with two counts of robbery.

Leone said Clancy was armed with a pellet gun and approached a male student, taking his backpack which contained the student’s cell phone and wallet. There were no injuries.

Leone said the suspect was found with property from both complainants, and had attempted to discard the pellet gun, which he said was disguised to appear as a real pistol.

According to a TU Alert, the first robbery took place around 10:45 a.m. in the 1600 block of French Street, between Susquehanna Avenue and Diamond Street.

A Temple Police officer apprehended the suspect shortly after the second robbery of another student, which occurred at Carlisle and Jefferson streets shortly after the first, Leone said.

A TU Alert sent out around 2 p.m. indicated that the suspect had been apprehended.

Police are still searching for another suspect in connection with a robbery which took place around 7:40 p.m. Wednesday, when a male student was robbed near 18th and Arlington streets.

Leone said two men had approached a student in that robbery, and that one of them had a handgun.

The student in that incident surrendered his phone and wallet, but was not injured. The suspects then fled on foot east on Arlington Street, toward 17th Street.

-Lian Parsons

Continued from page 1

ALONGE

SASH SCHAEFFER TTN

Temple’s contract with Elmira Jeffries, on 15th and Jefferson streets, will cease effective this summer. The complex will be available to lease privately.

Continued from page 1

CONTRACT

ed completion for the building is July and will then operate similarly to Kardon Atlantic, another Temple-affiliated PMC property.

Scales said he doesn’t believe that discontinuing Elmira Jeffries’ contract will push many more students toward searching for housing within the local community, since the property only represents a small percentage of university housing. The building contains 140 spots.

“As a policy decision, this is going to have an iota as regards to negative effects on the community,” Scales said.

Scales said part of the decision was based on how Temple values having residence halls which are owned and operated by the university, which allows Temple to provide its own residential experience. With

Elmira Jeffries, PMC was responsible for upkeep of the building.

In 2013, Temple ended a similar contract with The Edge. Temple had previously leased approximately 750 beds from the building to serve as additional on-campus housing.

In a prior article for The Temple News, Scales had cited the opening of Morgan Hall, which provides space for more than 1,200 students, in addition to the demand for university-owned and operated residence halls as the main factors for ending The Edge’s lease.

However, several students who are currently living in Elmira Jeffries said they were disappointed about the decision. “[There’s] no option on campus like this,” said Zander Olson, a 20-year-old sophomore biology major.

“It’s a hidden gem,” added Victoria Samsel, a 19-year-old sophomore criminal

justice major.

Samsel said she discovered the oftenoverlooked dorm from a friend she planned on living with.

“It was awesome, I wasn’t expecting that,” said Samsel, referring to the spacious living areas and view from the windows.

Samsel added that she would have stayed at Elmira Jeffries again next year if it was still a residence hall. Unable to pay rent, Samsel said she’s now looking for other options to remain in student housing, like applying to be a Resident Assistant.

Samsel said she’s heard other students in Elmira Jeffries say they’re also sad that Elmira Jeffries will no longer be a residence hall.

“Staying off campus, there’s all these variables,” Olson said. “Staying on campus is simpler.” *

mariam.dembele@temple.edu

to business leadership. Senior public health major Sandra Buruzie, the president of SEAL, helps plan events that cater to African students.

“Our mission and our goal is to create a venue for Africans and people who are interested in helping Africans,” she said.

SEAL brings attention to issues in Africa and organizes conferences and galas that invite Africans who are succeeding in their field of work.

Buruzie, who left Nigeria at the age of nine, said that no one in her family really brings up Boko Haram and the terror it has caused in her home country.

“No one, not from my family … even my parents don’t really talk about it,” she said. “If they do, it’s probably something we just recently heard on CNN or something like that.”

Buruzie said her family is from southern Nigeria, so they are not as affected by the terrorist activities that have been perpetrated mainly in the North.

Despite the destruction and the mass killings by Boko Haram, the international media and the American public have been often silent about the tragedy in Nigeria since 276 girls were abducted from a school in the northeastern region of the country in April, sparking the social media hashtag “#BringBackOurGirls.”

“It is not as accessible to the media,” African American Studies Department chair Dr. Molefi Asante said. “You don’t have anybody who’s embedded with the Nigerian army.”

He visited Nigeria a year ago and spoke to government officials in the capital city of Abuja. The national government, led by President Goodluck Jonathan, has been criticized for its response to the violence.

“The government is paying attention to it [Boko Haram], but the government is not acting on it,” Asante said.

The death toll of a recent Boko Haram attack on the town of Baga was initially set at 2,000 by multiple news outlets; however, the Nigerian military claims that 150 people died in the attack.

“Somebody’s lying,” Asante said. “I don’t think the Nigerian government can be trusted on that.”

Though the Alonge brothers do not live in the North, where most of the terrorist attacks have occurred, they do feel at risk because their father, Tempitope Alonge, is the chief medical director of the University College Hospital in the city of Ibadan, a major hospital in the region.

“He’s in a position of power,” Oreoluwa said. “And people in a position of power are targeted more.”

The Alonge brothers said they noticed tension between Christians and Muslims during their stay in Nigeria. Despite this, they said they see a growing unity in the face of terrifying violence.

“It’s also brought Christians and Muslims closer,” Oreoluwa said. “Even though we have our two religions, we’re still Nigerians.” *

jack.tomczuk@temple.edu

T @JackTomczuk

lifestyle FINDING A TEAM

SNACKS ON A BUDGET

Sophomore Maria Papacostas started the Temple Health and Fitness Club in an effort to bring a team atmosphere to fitness.

PAGE 8

The Perch, a new concession stand in the Liacouras Center, offers discounted prices on food to students who present valid TUids.

PAGE 15

temple-news.com

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

owlery.temple-news.com BRIAN LINTON HOSTS FIRESIDE CHAT

Brian Linton, the founder and president of United By Blue, will speak in Alter Hall 503D tomorrow from noon to 1 p.m., other news and notes.

PAGE 16 PAGE 7

Students gather in remembrance A candlelit vigil was held to raise awareness and support for suicide prevention.

story on page 14

KARA MILSTEIN TTN

Kevin Donley, a graduate extern at the Wellness Resource Center, lights a candle as a part of the Suicide Prevention Vigil on Jan. 23rd in the Founder’s Garden.

Fighting anxiety in autistic children ticipating in as a graduate student.

According to a report compiled by researchers at the University of Amsterdam, almost 40 percent of children with autism have at least one anxiety disorJACK TOMCZUK der. Kendall and Mercado said The Temple News little research has been done to figure out the most effective Roger Mercado, the oldanxiety treatment for children est of five siblings, has always with autism. been fascinated by how people “The non-benign neglect change over time. of anxiety and autism has been “I kind of grew up watch[due to the fact] that it’s a small ing my siblings develop and part of a bigger and more severe seeing how they grow and how problem,” Kendall said. they learn to Kendall think and inbelieves speteract with the cialized treatworld,” Merment may help cado said. alleviate some Mercado’s of the anxiety curiosity in husymptoms faced man growth led by children with him to pursue a an autism speccareer in psytrum disorder chology. He is (ASD). Anxiety now working in children with alongside psyASD is different chology prothan anxiety in Dr. Philip Kendall | professor fessor Dr. Philother children. ip Kendall on a “[Chilcutting-edge study that aims to dren with ASD] have a similar determine what treatments help process – an inordinate fear of ease anxiety for children on the a situation that causes distress autism spectrum.

– but it’s not the typical ones,” “Research into the field of Kendall said. autism is relatively new,” Mercado said of the work he’s parANXIETY PAGE 8

Professor Dr. Philip Kendall designed an anxiety treatment for autistic children.

The non-benign “neglect of anxiety and autism has been ... a small part of a bigger and more severe problem,

”

LIFESTYLE DESK 215-204-7416

Alumnus finds new craft

Temple graduate Avi Loren Fox has created a sustainable line of hooded scarves made entirely in the United States.

ALEXA BRICKER Assistant Lifestyle Editor Avi Loren Fox was in the right place at the right time.

Five years after graduating from Temple, Fox found success in a most unusual way and in a business she never thought she would be involved in: hooded scarves.

“I think being a social entrepreneur is kind of like the new American dream,” Fox said. “I felt very encouraged by our time – I hit at the right time, being in a world that’s growing more and more environmentally conscious.”

The first “mantle” – the item Fox is now successfully selling – was crafted from one of Fox’s old sweaters. When people approached her and asked where the scarf came from, she seized the opportunity to turn her DIY project into a business called Wild Mantle.

Fox said she wanted to use the word mantle because – as a noun, the word means a sort of loose-fitting hood, but as a verb the word means to carry a sense of responsibility, a focus of the brand.

“My education at Temple definitely helped me to learn about all of the inequality in the world,” Fox said. “When you’re an environmental studies major you learn what we’re doing wrong, and when you graduate you think, ‘OK, how can I fix this?’”

Though Fox didn’t pursue a career in

environmental studies, she is conscious of what she has learned about the environment and incorporated her knowledge into her brand.

All of the mantles are made in the U.S., with the newest line manufactured from alpaca fibers in Colorado. However, she has also partnered with MADE Philadelphia, a class series that focuses on fine tailoring, fashion design and sewing skills.

Rachel Ford, owner and founder of MADE Studio, said it was not easy to find people interested in sewing the scarves.

Ford discovered another group of women that she thought would potentially want to get involved.

“When I first got in touch with the Women’s Refugee Initiative it was sort of a health care initiative, but [we] asked the women what they were interested in

and they said sewing – many of them are weavers by trade in their native countries,” Ford said. “I immediately saw this as the workforce [for the project].”

“So often these initiatives are like, ‘Oh, well we’re going to do this to save you,’ but this was very much what they wanted to do and focused on them,” she added.

Ford chose a group of seven NepaliBhutanese women to become the Women’s Refugee Textile Initiative, which is now an offshoot of MADE, and is continuing to work on Fox’s line of upcycled sweater mantles, called Janeys.

Each of the scarves is one-of-a-kind, making it difficult to produce on a largescale, Ford said. But because Fox request-

MANTLE PAGE 15

COURTESY AVI LOREN FOX

Linda Swain models an upcycled sweater mantle for Wild Mantle’s Janey line.

LIFESTYLE@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM

LIFESTYLE

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 Continued from page 7

ANXIETY

SCOTT SWIFT TTN

Students in the Temple Health and Fitness Club, started by sophomore economics major Maria Papacostas, learn about healthy eating at one of the club’s meetings.

HEALTH

In club, students find teammates

Sophomore Maria Papacostas wanted to share her love of fitness.

JANE BABIAN The Temple News

Former high school track & field runner Maria Papacostas thinks too many people view exercise as a chore.

The sophomore economics major, who has been running since a young age, wants to change that. So she’s starting her own club – the Temple Health and Fitness Club.

“I want to help people learn that living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to feel like a chore,” Papacostas said.

The club, approved in Fall 2014, officially became active during the first week of the spring semester.

The group’s first meeting was about “getting to know how we workout,” Papacostas said.

“It’s about getting to know each other and finding friends who you can take to the gym with you,” she added.

The Temple Health and Fitness Club is growing, Papacostas said, and ADVERTISEMENT

currently has about 30 active members. “[The first members] were beginners, which is great,” Papacostas said.

“We love to welcome all levels.”

Many of the members are former athletes, like Papacostas herself.

She said she started the club because she found that she and many others are looking for a “team aspect” that people find through playing sports.

“Being motivated doesn't always come naturally – it certainly didn't to me,” said Kasey Brown, a freshman legal studies major who ran cross country throughout high school. “But when I have others to encourage and inspire me, I remember how important fitness is.”

Brown is the vice president of the club.

“In [a running] context I became an ‘expert,’ but as far as other forms of exercise, I definitely have a lot to learn,” Brown said.

Papacostas and Brown discussed ideas for the club when they used to work out together. Brown said she “was all for it.”

“We create a supportive environ-

ment to recharge our fitness goals, and it becomes enjoyable,” Papacostas said.

Papacostas said the club is important in creating a support system.

“A huge part of staying fit is surrounding yourself with people with similar goals,” she said. “People can inspire each other so much.”

Evan Battallio, a senior kinesiology major with a focus in exercise science, is an active member of the club.

“I’ve participated in varsity track & field since high school all the way up until they cut the men’s program here at Temple,” Battallio said. “Being able to come together with a group once a week and discuss matters on the importance of nutrition and how it plays a key role in the quality of one’s life will reinforce my healthy choices.”

Battallio believes it’s also important to raise awareness around campus about smarter food choices, due to what he believes is a poor lack of “decent quality food” on Main Campus.

The club will have an on-hand

nutritionist, Papacostas said. She will also promote fitness and health within the club through group activities, workouts and dinner socials at healthconscious restaurants.

On top of staying healthy, Brown said exercising is also an important way for her to clear her head and improve her self-confidence.

“I used to think that feeling came from the trophy or the medal, but the truth is that feeling came from trying my best and encouraging others to do the same,” Brown said.

For Battallio, the club is allowing him to expand on his love for sports and performance in an effort to get a degree in exercise science.

“Who wants an overweight, unhealthy individual lecturing them about the importance of health?” Battallio said.

Papacostas said she runs almost everyday, no matter the weather.

“Taking care of myself makes me feel better about everything I do,” Papacostas said. “It’s not like a chore – it’s like, “When am I running [next]?” * jane.babian@temple.edu

Kendall explained that common phobias for ASD children include needles, blood, weather, sounds and jingles.

“Anxiety is one of the difficulties kids have that’s treatable,” Kendall said. “Kids with autism have some problems that are much harder to treat.

The anxiety that kids with autism have, especially social, seems to be potentially treatable.”

The researchers will split a pool of children with autism into three groups.

The first group will receive a cognitive behavioral treatment called Coping Cat. The Coping Cat program, designed

by Kendall, combines learning with experience.

“In the first half, you learn skills, and in the second half, you practice those skills,” Kendall said. “We go out in the real world and apply what we’ve learned.”

A second group will be given a treatment called Behavioral Interventions for Anxiety in Children with Autism, or BIACA, which was developed at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Mercado, who is one of many therapists involved in the study, described BIACA as “geared more toward kids who are on the [autism] spectrum” and “a little more intensive.”

The goal is to compare the results of the two treatments and evaluate which is more effective for children with ASD. A third group will receive no additional treatment and will be measured as a control group to determine the progress made by the first two groups.

The study plans to include around 200 children with autism spectrum disorders.

An independent evaluator will assess each child in the study before the treatment begins, halfway through the treatment, and after the treatment, Mercado said.

Kendall has written more than 30 books and, according to the American Psychological Association, is one of the most cited psychologists in the nation.

Graduate students fly in from all over the country to apply to study with Kendall.

“He’s a wonderful mentor,” said Mercado, who has worked with Kendall for two-and-a-half years. “He’s been in the field for quite some time. He’s an expert in child psychology.”

Mercado is looking forward to the study, which will be conducted over a three-year time period.

“It’s a pretty exciting study,” he said. “It’s groundbreaking. It’s a great opportunity, I think, both for myself and [Kendall], but also for the community.” * jack.tomczuk@temple.edu

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ORIGINAL BOOKBINDER’S REOPENS

ABC MEN EXPANDS ITS SERVICES

The Original Bookbinder’s has been reopened by Iron Chef Jose Garces as The Olde Bar in Old City.

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Jackie Wleh, Temple alumnus and founder of ‘Able Bodied Christian Men’ is expanding the organization’s service to different neighborhoods.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

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MUSIC

Challenging standards in Philly arts and music TIM MULHERN | The Temple News

Permanent Wave Philly is hosting a show Sat., Jan. 31 at PhilaMOCA. MARGO REED TTN

Bing Bing Dim Sum

Shawn Darragh (above) and his business partner Ben Puchowitz are opening a new bite-sized dim sum parlor on East Passyunk Avenue. | Page 11

In an Old City coffee shop, members of Permanent Wave Philly are warming up.

They spent the day marching through the city streets, alongside thousands of other activists, on the

MLK Day of Action, Resistance and Empowerment.

Permanent Wave is a nationwide collective of feminist artists and activists who work to eliminate inequality across gender, race, sexuality and gender identity lines. MLK Day wasn’t the first time the organization’s members stood up for a cause.

The Philadelphia branch, Perma-

nent Wave Philly, works with musicians, artists and activists in the city to make the music and arts scene a more inviting place for all people.

“Our concentration is mainly on finding what musical groups or people are women, trans folk, queer folk, or people of color,” Al San Valentin, member of Permanent Wave Philly,

PERMANENT PAGE 13

EXHIBIT

Exhibit showcases local talent The Wind Challenge Exhibition will last until Feb. 7 at The Fleisher Art Memorial in South Philly.

ANGELA GERVASI The Temple News The Fleisher Art Memorial resides in the Bella Vista section of South Philly on a quaint, tree-dotted street filled by row homes.

The Fleisher resembles a church more than an art gallery, but its oldfashioned appearance does not detract from its significant role in the community of contemporary artists in the area.

With its provision of free classes for both children and adults, programs with the School District of Philadelphia and community art festivals, the Fleisher Art Memorial has strived to make art accessible since it was started as a nonprofit organization in 1898.

Its ongoing exhibit also coincides with Fleisher’s mission statement: the Annual Wind Challenge Exhibition, the second portion of which will last until Feb. 7, serves primarily to promote aspiring artists in the Philadelphia area. Each year, local painters, sculptors, ceramicists and woodcutters apply to showcase their work in the three-part exhibit which will conclude in May, and a small handful of lucky, talented applicants are selected. “[The Wind Challenge Exhibition] is one of those Philadelphia things that if you get it, it’s sort of like, ‘You’re on your way,’” Alexis Nutini, a local artist, said, who participated in an event on Jan. 22 that complemented the exhibition.

Nutini used his fluency in Spanish to describe the artwork of Theresa Rose, a Temple alumna, in an entirely new light and language. In between periodical performances, Rose stated a line in English regarding her artwork, whether it was a personal anecdote or a Philadelphia-related fact, which Nutini translated to Spanish.

Nutini, native of Mexico and a Fulbright scholarship recipient, first began dabbling in art during his years as an undergraduate student at the St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

After he received a fellowship at the Tyler School of Art, Nutini earned an M.F.A. in printmaking.

For Nutini, attending graduate school at Temple taught him about the importance of creating solid and

WIND PAGE 12

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JENNY KERRIGAN TTN

After quitting his job on Wall Street, Mason Wartman opened a $1 pizza shop where customers started to “pay it forward” by buying a slice for the homeless.

Feeding the homeless, one slice at a time Rosa’s Fresh Pizza has been gaining acclaim for its customers who ‘pay it forward.’

KATE REILLY The Temple News

T

JENNY KERRIGAN TTN

The walls of Rosa’s Fresh Pizza are covered with Post-it notes of encouraging messages from customers who bought a dollar slice for the homeless.

he walls of Rosa’s Fresh Pizza on South 11th Street are covered with teal, bright pink, purple and orange Post-it notes that read “Eat well” and “Be creative, inspire the world and eat the pain away.”

One Post-it note reads, “I’ve been homeless in Philly for six years, and I am so happy to get to see people coming together and really making a difference in the community. Rosa’s is a great start to changing the way homeless people are treated.”

Those Post-it notes were written by customers who are “paying it forward” at the South Philly pizza shop.

At the end of March 2014, shop owner Mason Wartman had his first customer write an encouraging message. After the customer bought a dollar slice, they left a dollar for the next person in need at the counter.

The random act of kindness started a chain reaction.

In 11 months, the 27-year-old

ARTSandENTERTAINMENT@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM

Philly native changed his neighborhood by giving away more than 9,000 slices of pizza.

Wartman said he never expected for his business to get so much attention.

“I just saw the success of the dollar pizza stores in New York,” said Wartman. “I wanted to own my own business and I thought this would be a good one to own.”

The interaction with customers never gets old for Wartman and inspires him to keep doing what he does.

“It’s memorable when they say that they are really young,” Wartman said. “It’s depressing because I’m young – it’s like seeing myself in an alternate universe. That will never stop bothering me. But it’s cool when they come in and start paying for their pizza, because they got a job.”

Originally, Wartman worked on Wall Street managing money in stocks. Then, at the age of 25, he decided to quit his job to come back home and open Rosa’s. Wartman said the fast pace of his former New York City career doesn’t quite compare to pizza making.

“My job in New York was just numbers, and I realized now I am pretty good at that,” Wartman said.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

A fresh take on historic nightlife in Old City The historic Original Bookbinder’s bar has been reopened.

ALEXA ROSS The Temple News

ALLAN BARNES TTN

Chef Jhon presents an assembled oyster plate during happy hour service at newly opened The Olde Bar.

Erich Weiss’ proudest moment was bringing his 97-year-old grandmother to eat at the newly renovated restaurant The Olde Bar, once the Old Original Bookbinder’s, for the first time in decades.

Weiss, grandson of John M. Taxin – owner of Old Original Bookbinder’s on Walnut Street near 2nd Street – is now part of the creative team behind the reopened Old City venue. For Weiss, his connection with The Olde Bar is more than just a job – it is a part of the family. Bookbinder’s was a part of his family for three generations after Taxin bought the bar at an auction.

“It’s about as Philadelphian as it gets,” Weiss said.

After almost six years of being closed, Old Original Bookbinder’s opened its doors again as The Olde Bar by Iron Chef Jose Garces on Jan. 9.

Now, as part of WeHolden, a brand think tank, Weiss utilized the talents of mixologist Charlotte Voisey and helped to create new drinks to pair with the popular classics served at the modern take on a

classic oyster saloon.

Weiss said a lot of the interest in the bar exists because of the mysterious six-year delay between Bookbinder’s bankruptcy and the opening of The Olde Bar. He said that the reason for the long delay in opening the Olde Bar was their fear of not being true to the history of the establishment, as well as the huge space.

Weiss said he visited Bookbinder’s regularly as a child, and has warm childhood memories there. He said he hopes that more families and future generations will be able to enjoy The Olde Bar, like he was able to enjoy Bookbinder’s.

“The restaurant was in my family for three generations,” Weiss said. “I really hope it will be around in another hundred years.”

General manager Chris Mann said he is honored to work alongside Garces, who he has worked with for the past nine years. Mann, a supervisor for a staff of 50, said that the bar has been busy since its opening.

Many of Bookbinder’s former customers have come to the bar, as well as new, younger diners and bar-goers.

Mann said he loves hearing stories of old clientele who used to come to Bookbinder’s and are very happy to return to

125 Walnut St. Mann attributes much of the success so far to Garces’ celebrity status in the Philadelphia culinary scene. The Iron Chef and his company, Garces Group, have opened nine successful restaurants in Philadelphia, including Amada and Distrito.

Mann said he hopes The Olde Bar’s interpretation of an oyster saloon will eventually be a featured location for Philly Beer Week.

“The crowd is very representative of Philly as a whole,” Weiss said.

Before opening, Garces researched years of old menus from Bookbinder’s, as well as other oyster saloons in the area, to ensure that the menu remained true to its roots in seafood and its location on the waterfront.

The original Bookbinder’s could host more than 1,000 people. Later, after Weiss’ cousin re-opened Bookbinder’s in the early 2000s, it sat 350.

Garces’ creative team, however, intended to make the bar area small and intimate.

The staff has kept the extra space from Bookbinder’s era available for special events, which Mann said he has already begun scheduling. * alexa.ross@temple.edu

Alumnus honored for service in music industry Walt Reeder, Jr. was awarded for 15 years of musical service.

CHELSEY HAMILTON The Temple News Walt Reeder Jr. used to sit on the walls of Ritter Hall during his break during classes, dreaming about what he would do after he graduated.

“I always had a love for entrepreneurialism and enjoyed all those classes, at the time not knowing I would own my own business one day,” Reeder said.

Now the owner and CEO of Big Bloc Entertainment Inc., Reeder was born and raised in Philadelphia and graduated from Temple in 1991.

On Jan. 18, Reeder was honored at Platinum Production’s Annual All-Stars of Hip Hop Concert at Boardwalk

Hall in Atlantic City. The show featured famous hip-hop artists Public Enemy, Naughty By Nature, KRS-One, Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte and Special Ed. Big Bloc Entertainment is a full service talent-booking agency and management firm that books entertainers in hiphop, R&B, comedy, gospel, DJing and celebrity hosting.

Located in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, BBE is currently one of the largest African-American talent-booking agencies in the country.

Reeder graduated with a business management degree.

He said his goal was to work in pharmaceutical sales, but that didn’t go as planned.

“I graduated during the time of a recession,” Reeder said. “I still remember hearing Bill Cosby say to my graduating class at our graduation ceremony that there weren’t going to be

any jobs available due to the recession. Corporate America was on a freeze for hiring.”

Reeder decided to work for his father’s entertainment company for a few years instead. With his father’s blessing, Reeder started Big Bloc Entertainment in 1999. Although it wasn’t his original career plan, Reeder always had a love for the music industry.

“My family was always involved in music because of my father’s company, so I was around the business in some form or fashion pretty much all my life,” said Reeder, who was also part of the local street group, Sound Stage, in the late ‘80s. “Even though I thought I was going to use my degree in pharmaceutical sales, I believe God led me in a different direction to ultimately own my own business.”

Reeder has been in the mu-

family was always involved “inMymusic because of my father’s company, so I was around the business in some form or fashion pretty much all my life.

Walt Reeder Jr. | BBE founder

sic industry for more than 25 years. He’s also been the manager of famous rapper DJ Kool, who sings “Let Me Clear My Throat,” since 1995. Reeder said BBE is going strong, and like their slogan states, “building one day at a time.”

“On a daily basis we are in a sales environment, servicing the needs of national and international promoters that are looking to buy talent,” Reeder said. “We are the bridge between the promoters and the art-

”

ists. We bring the needs of both parties together to make a successful concert happen.”

Reeder credits his own success of the success of his company to his time as a Temple student.

Reeder also said that his classes at Temple prepared him for his career and gave him many tools to succeed in life and his business.

“All my classes were so enriched with great professors that really understood the business,”

Reeder said. “It gave me all the necessary theories to excel in business and the ability to meet some of the best students. It was a great social experience long before Facebook and Instagram existed.”

In the venue full of nearly 10,000 people, Reeder was given an award from the promoters for 15 years of service with BBE. Reeder also booked every legendary artist that performed at the show.

“I credit my staff for all their hard work and dedication to BBE,” Reeder said. “Any good owner is only as good as the team that plays for him, and I’ve been blessed to become a voice for the urban community in the music business.” * chelsey.hamilton@temple.edu

‘Hard-to-find’ movies and coffee in new shop Continued from page 1

CINEMUG

store on Broad Street near Tasker Street on Jan. 12 after a combined 18 years managing two nowdefunct TLA Video stores in Philadelphia.

“People used to come to TLA – and it takes five minutes to rent a movie – but they’d be there for like an hour talking to us about movies and music,” Creskoff said. “So I thought, ‘Let’s give people a place to sit and have a cup of coffee.’”

It’s $4.50 to rent an older title for three days and $5 for newer movies and memberships are available. And aside from the carefully curated bathroom decoration, the movie selection at Cinemug – which totals more than 1,600 titles, many of which come straight from Creskoff’s own collection – is given the same thought and care, offering only foreign, art, cult and other “hard-tofind” movies.

His employees, a staff of eight, were handpicked after taking a movie quiz to “weed out people who don’t know anything about movies,” Creskoff said. From directors to foreign movies, Creskoff said he required the test to assure a social atmosphere between employee and customer – a place to talk about movies and get recommendations from an actual human, not an automated list based on an algorithm of previously watched titles.

“I think that’s what’s lacking with the online

streaming and discs in the mail,” Creskoff said.

“You know, you see a movie, you sort of want to talk about it with someone afterwards. [CineMug] just sort of gives us a space for that.”

Employee Chad Gurdgiel, a 24-year-old local filmmaker, said this job perfectly blends his interests together.

“This was my dream job,” he said. “It’s like heaven.”

When coming to food and drink, Creskoff said he reached out only to Philly shops to feature their products because “it’s important to be a part of [the] local community.” CineMug serves ReAnimator Coffee, LeBus Bakery pastries, South Street Bagels and Cosmi’s Deli sandwiches, along with some in-house items.

In the same vein, Creskoff stays involved in the community by hosting weekly movie nights at 8 p.m. every Thursday. CineMug will have its own table set up at The Trocadero’s Night of Short Films XII – which will screen films from local to international – on Feb. 8.

But before he reached some success, Creskoff said he ran into naysayers who doubted his opening of a movie rental store in 2015.

“There was a big question mark in my head.

Are people going to rent movies?” he said. “Until I opened the doors and saw someone rent a movie, I still wasn’t positive that it was going to work.

But, I figured if I get movies that are sort of hard to find, if I get things that are interesting and cool, then hopefully other people feel the same.”

JENNY KERRIGAN TTN

CineMug acts as both a coffee shop and movie rental store, with more than 1,600 titles in stock.

His collection is in the back of the store, where titles like “Punch-Drunk Love” and “Boyhood” stick out from the racks. But even still, he’s not entirely satisfied with the selection. Not until he gets all the titles he wants, like “Trainspotting” and “Citizen Kane.”

“And I don’t ever will be,” he said. “There are about 300 more on a list that I feel like I need to have before I’m happy.” * patricia.madej@temple.edu T @Patricia Madej

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ROSA’S

dekdekdekdekdekde dekdekdekdekdekde dekdekdkekdekdek.

JENNY KERRIGAN TTN

Rosa’s Fresh Pizza has given away more than 9,000 slices of pizza throughout the past 11 months.

“This job has a lot more soft and qualitative skills, which I have had to learn on the job. It’s easier for me to pick something up involving more math than it is for me to manage people and organized schedules. I went from an employee to an employer.”

But there is no slowing down for Wartman and his business, seeing a double in sales since being on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show on Jan. 13. DeGeneres gave the Rosa’s Fresh Pizza owner a $10,000 check from Shutterfly, which Wartman said he would put toward more slices.

Long time customers of Rosa’s were excited to see Wartman gaining national attention.

Philadelphia resident Matt Pagnotti said he recognized Wartman and the pizza shop in a post his out-of-state friends shared on Facebook.

“I thought it was really cool, I think it’s good it’s getting more notoriety,” Pagnotti said. “There

definitely weren’t this many people before [being on the show], on a late Thursday night when we usually came here.”

For first time customer Jesica Sarmiento, the pizza experience was unlike others in the area.

“My husband and I were bored, and I said, ‘Let’s go eat some pizza,’” Sarmiento said. “I have seen this place many times before and noticed the many colorful papers on the walls. Now knowing they help the homeless, I would have come a lot sooner.”

Wartman said he hopes one day to have more than one location for Rosa’s Fresh Pizza, putting no limit on the number of slices of pizza given to people in need.

“When people ask, ‘Are you going to have a celebration for the 10,000 slice given away?’ I say, ‘No,’” Wartman said. “People will still be hungry. So I’m going to keep making pizza.” * kathryn.reilly@temple.edu

Group offers hand to those in need Graduate Jackie Wleh started ABC Men to help local neighborhoods.

EMILY SCOTT The Temple News A long table with different brands of bread and non-perishable cans of food sat inside Agape International Baptist Church. Jackie Wleh, founder of ABC Men, Inc., is preparing for the food pantry to be opened that day.

ABC Men began providing a food pantry in March 2014 at the Agape Church in Southwest Philadelphia on every third Saturday of the month.

Since its beginning in 2010 by the Temple alumnus, ABC Men, or Able Bodied Christian Men, has added new aspects to its community support.

Last year, by reaching out to various news networks, ABC Men was able to receive a major increase in senior and disabled requests and some volunteers.

“This year, I want to be more proactive about recruiting volunteers,” Wleh said.

The organization’s motto is “Deeds not words.” Although the organization was created around spirituality, Wleh said it allows participation for everyone regardless of race, religion or gender.

“As an able-bodied man, I’m happy to go out there and assist with anything,” said Larry Wesseh, a volunteer with ABC Men for the past three years.

Currently, ABC Men focuses on Southwest and West Philadelphia.

Wleh said the organization also sees a need in surrounding areas, including Delaware County.

The organization was conceived on the thought of helping senior citizens with snow removal and is still looking for volunteers for that need, or whatever need they see that needs to be met.

“Whether you are a good writer, reader or musician, whatever help you can provide, we will take it,” Wleh said.

While the group’s work began as a project to help with snow removal, Wleh and his wife transformed the organization into a multifaceted plan to aid the Philadelphia community as a whole, with the addition of a food pantry, youth programs and employment resources.

The Agape Church already provided a food pantry, but Wleh said he believed it would be a great place for ABC Men to get involved.

“The food pantry was a need in the community,” Wleh said.

Over the summer, Wleh said that every Thursday the line for the pantry would go down the block at 68th Street and Elmwood Avenue in Southwest Philly.

Since then, ABC Men has moved the pantry to every third Saturday of the month, so they can provide as

much for the pantry as possible.

Some companies like ShopRite provide ABC Men with the non-perishables and Pepperidge Farm allocates loaves of bread for the organization.

The organization also plans on adding an employment resource center for Philadelphia youth.

“We will be implementing a summer job program for the youth, senior citizens and the disabled to help sustain them,” Wleh said.

The youth program aids youth between 12-21. ABC Men offers youth members free back-to-school supplies and an array of volunteer opportunities.

Wleh stressed the importance of

“

MARGO REED TTN

Shawn Darragh (left) and Ben Puchowitz will open Bing Bing Dim Sum on East Passyunk Avenue in February.

Whether you are a good writer, reader or musician... we’ll take it.

”

Jackie Wleh | ABC Men founder

their youth programs, in which they mentor, educate and take the young adults on trips, like to Washington, D.C. “You can only imagine what it’s like taking the at-risk youth in our community to the White House; it’s an eye opener for a lot of [kids],” Wleh said.

The organization was also able to take the youth to the State Capitol building last year.

Louise Faith Boimah, an 8-yearold volunteer of ABC Men, assisted the organization during the MLK weekend food pantry. Boimah is one of ABC Men’s youngest volunteers.

“I don’t want to get paid to do this,” she said. “I just want to help.”

Wleh, a 2014 anthropology graduate, is currently pursuing his master’s in cultural anthropology at Eastern University.

“I would love to teach anthropology at the university level,” Wleh said.

Wleh said he hopes he is implementing his cultural anthropology education with the people he serves through ABC Men. ABC Men is looking to expand and find its own building, as the Agape Church currently lends them its space.

Wleh said the organization has reached out to Mayor Michael Nutter in hopes that he will donate to its cause; in particular, Wleh is seeking help to raise money for a 15-passenger van for volunteer transportation.

“There are such diverse people and all different walks of life,” Wleh said. “Our heart is service, so we are going to do it, in hopefully due time.” * emily.ivy.scott@temple.edu

FOOD

Alumni to bring bite-sized portions to Chinese dining 2006 Temple graduates will open Bing Bing Dim Sum in early February.

EAMON DREISBACH The Temple News Dim sum parlors, small restaurants native to China that serve small portions of food on carts, are one of the few culinary venues that have yet to grace the laundry list of dining experiences in South Philadelphia.

Ben Puchowitz and Shawn Darragh are looking to change that with the upcoming opening of Bing Bing Dim Sum. The new eatery, located on 1648 East Passyunk Ave., will feature the food and feel of a Chinese dim sum parlor with an American twist.

Bing Bing was named Zagat’s number one most anticipated restaurant opening of 2015 in early January.

Puchowitz and Darragh, both graduates of Temple’s Class of 2006, were inspired to create Bing Bing by Chinese culture within their circle of family and friends.

“My brother’s wife is from Hong Kong, and she kept saying ‘There’s no good dim sum here,’” Puchowitz said. “She and my brother brought me out and I ate [dim sum] in Chinatown, and I thought ‘Oh, this would be a cool thing to riff on.’”

Darragh’s eye for what the Philadelphia dining scene was lacking played a role in the idea as well. “[Dim sum] is already a big

thing in New York and L.A. – everybody loves dim sum,” Darragh said.

“In Philly, they’ll do it on the weekends but they don’t necessarily know what it is or do it a lot.”

As far as the cuisine itself, customers can expect to chow down on a sizeable selection of dumplings and filled dough at Bing. True to the spirit of traditional dim sum parlors, the portions will be small to moderately-sized to feed a large number of people a wide variety of food.

With Sichuan cucumber salad dumplings and soup-filled dough bites just a few of the restaurant’s tentative menu options, it’s clear that Bing Bing will offer much more for the palette than just the traditional Chinese joint.

“They’re all plays on classic dim sum dishes and, or traditional Chinese food,” Puchowitz said.

Similar to the Cheu Noodle Bar, Darragh and Puchowitz’ ramenthemed venue on South 10th St., menu options are low-priced to allow for a more group-friendly, laid back atmosphere.

Forever savants of restaurant décor – just check out the graffiti wall inside of Cheu Noodle – Darragh and Puchowitz have decked out the inside of Bing with a slew of traditional Chinese furnishings.

Authentic red and gold emperor beds encase booths with classic Chinese art etched into the back of the benches. Handmade stools and tables by a local Chinese furnituremaker create the seating arrangement within the restaurant. Even windows brought from the far-east sit near the

bar, surrounded by a mural of dueling dragons and a colorful city. A wall filled with stickers depicting hoards of cartoon dumplings with varying outlandish faces adds an American urban-art flavor to the space as well.

Puchowitz and Darragh said difficulties naturally arose in the process of building their culinary brainchild from the ground up.

“Trying to get everyone to get work done fast is not easy,” Darragh said. “When you try and build a restaurant, you think it’s going to go by fast but it ends up taking long just because you have to kind of piece everyone together. Not everyone works at the same time.”

As the eatery’s grand opening grows closer, both owners said they hope to keep swift dining, affordable food and happy regular customers a staple of their food philosophy.

“We want to make people have a good time here,” Puchowitz said.

“There’s a lot of hype around finedining food, but most often it does not meet your expectations, and the reason is the price. We try to do it where people can come in here and eat for under $25 and have a good time.”

“Atmosphere is big for us, I especially love atmosphere,” Darragh added. “We want to make people happy. Between [Bing Bing] and Cheu, it really sums up what me and Ben like as far as atmosphere, food and drink: cheap, affordable and quick.” * eamon.dreisbach@temple.edu

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 Continued from page 9

WIND

ALLAN BARNES TTN

People gather at the Pen & Pencil Club on Jan. 21 for the annual Year-End Spectacular for January’s CPIJ Photo Night, curated by photojournalist David Maialetti.

HEAR ALL ABOUT IT | open wide

Guitarist, bassoonist enter local scene Tyler Ransford and Dominic Panunto make up Open Wide.

TIM MULHERN The Temple News Prior to forming Open Wide, Tyler Ransford did not know what a bassoon was.

The media studies & production major, who has taken a year off from taking classes at Temple, and Dominic Panunto, a sophomore bassoon performance major, formed the acoustic duo after years of knowing one another through a string of mutual friends.

“We found out we both go to Temple, and we were going to go on a bike riding date to get ice cream, which we didn’t do,” Ransford said.

The duo connected after Panunto approached Ransford with a bassoon part to accompany one of Ransford’s originals.

“I had been writing folk songs for a long time, and playing under my name,” Ransford said. “Then Dom ADVERTISEMENT

found one of my songs called ‘Hemlock’ and was like, ‘Hey I wrote a bassoon part.’

We did it and it was really dope.”

After the first collaboration, Panunto continued to add bassoon melodies to Ransford’s folk tunes, and Open Wide was born.

Living in the Temple area has allowed Ransford and Panunto to connect with bands around the city. After filming a two song session with Rachel Cooper of Somewhere Sessions, and regularly performing at house venues like The Petting Zoo and The Nest, Open Wide has been slowly making a name for themselves both in Philadelphia and on the East Coast.

Open Wide wrapped its first tour this month alongside tourmates King Kid. The duo has collaborated with the members of King Kid outside of touring. Sean Mc, of King Kid, is in the process of putting the finishing touches on Open Wide’s new EP. “It started with me looking for people to record us,” Panunto said. “We started do-

ing that in September or October in Noah’s basement, but it took a long time.”

The EP, which was finished recording in December, will include the three tracks found on the band’s “Bathroom Demo” in addition to new material. Open Wide plans to work with Baltimorebased Pack Rat Records to release the EP on cassette.

Once the EP is released, Ransford and Panunto said they hope to tour more as the summer approaches.

“We talked about doing another tour with King Kid,” Ransford said. “Just a small weekend tour in May. Then we’ll do a bigger tour – maybe two weeks – in the summer.” * tim.mulhern@temple.edu

ONLINE

* angela.gervasi@temple.edu

LIVE PERFORMANCE A video compilation of several songs performed by Open Wide in the Student Center last week. temple-news.com/multimedia

meaningful relationships in the art community – something he teaches his students now as an adjunct professor at Tyler.

“The kind of advice I give them is to be mindful of the community – probably something I repeat a lot,” Nutini said.

He suggests to his students that they view the artistic world not as a rigid and hostile competition, but as a supportive coalition. Much of Nutini’s work focuses upon the identity of his materials – usually wooden panels with prints on them – as well as his own identity.

Nutini said Philadelphia is a supportive place for artists, due to its relatively affordable housing and copious assortment of artists’ coalitions.

Artist Cynthia Back, who will also be featured in the exhibition, saw a similarly supportive artistic space in Philadelphia when she moved here from Brooklyn more than 10 years ago.

“There’s a huge community of artists – I think that’s exciting,” Back said.

Growing up in the Midwest, Back said she remembers witnessing a tornado as a young child. Although this remarkable experience is not what influenced Back’s artwork, much of her artistic subject matter does coincidentally involve the frighteningly dangerous power of nature.

“I have an environmental focus,” Back said. “It’s also in a way personal; it’s about how one’s life can change at any second.”

She will be providing a new set of prints involving nature’s impact for the Fleisher Art Memorial.

Rose will be showcasing her artwork alongside Back and others. Much of Rose’s work involves local sights in the city with an abstract twist – the objects she paints often fade into a wash of blended, lucid colors.

“I just like that openended element when she might start with something that’s easily recognizable and then it sort of shifts into something else,” Nutini said of Rose’s art.

KARA MILSTEIN TTN

Tyler Ransford (left) and Dominic Panunto perform during a show last Friday evening in The Temple News’ newsroom.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

PAGE 13

OUT & ABOUT FREE CLASSES FOR “BIOCHEMISTRY OF THE SENSES”

The Wagner Free Institute of Science is currently offering free classes once a week covering the science of the senses, the first of three free courses. The other two courses will start on Feb. 2 and March 25. Having started last Wednesday, “Biochemistry of the Senses” continues with its second class Jan. 28 lectured

by Professor Joseph B. Rucker who will be talking about sight.

The class starts at 6:15 p.m. at the Independence Branch of the Free Library.

-Albert Hong

“TIBERINO” WORLD PREMIERE SCREENING

The Tiberinos are a family of artists who have had a long history in the Philadelphia arts community. Their legacy is now being translated onto the big screen with a feature length documentary, “Tiberino: The Art of Life.”

Directed by local filmmaker, Derrick Woodyard, the Jan. 31 film screening at 8 p.m. will be preceded by a red carpet cocktail hour with a following Q&A panel session with the director and members of the family.

Tickets are between $10 and $15.

-Albert Hong

MEGA-BAD MOVIE NIGHT: ON TOUR WITH “THEM!”

The Academy of Natural Sciences’ MegaBad Movie Night returns with a screening of the 1954 sci-fi horror flick “Them!” at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute on Jan. 29. In addition to live commentary on the film about giant, maneating ants, the Academy will be on hand with live bugs and some bug cuisine for the daring, with Yards Brewery giving free beer to 21-andolder patrons.

Tickets to the 7 p.m. event are $15.

-Albert Hong

PIZZA WEEK ENDS JAN. 30

KARA MILSTEIN TTN

Members of the Permanent Wave Philly, including (bottom right) Erica Rubin and Rebecca Katherine Hirsch, and Al San Valentin and Dot Goldberger (bottom right) meet at the Green Line Café at 45th and Locust streets to discuss their upcoming show and other initiatives.

Continued from page 9

PERMANENT

said. “We try to highlight them and give them opportunities to play shows. We also find spaces that support those kinds of musicians and that support audiences who are queer, trans, or of color, [so they] can feel safe enough to go to shows that we put together.”

Permanent Wave’s now-defunct original group formed in New York sometime between 2011-12.

Member Rebecca Katherine Hirsch said New York’s group served as the spark for the creation of Philadelphia’s own Permanent Wave.

“I think of it as being more of a catalyst, because of philosophical, mythological and actual differences between the idea and reality of New York and Philadelphia,” Hirsch said.

“I did a few things with Permanent Wave in New York, and I feel like it’s more art-based in Philadelphia.”

The group hosts shows, art events and collaborations with other organizations throughout the city, while fostering a sense of community and inclusion amongst musicians, artists and audience members.

On Jan. 31, the group will host a show featuring Hailey Wojcik, Dan Ex Machina, The Shondes and

No Other at PhilaMOCA. “We’ve worked with The Shondes before,” said Dot Goldbergerer, of Permanent Wave Philly. “We really like them. The Shondes are a really fantastic band with really great politics, in our opinion. They have queer members, and they have Jewish members and they speak out against the apartheid in Israel and Palestine.”

Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, The Shondes have toured with Against Me! which is fronted

by Laura Jane Grace, an activist for the transgender community in punk scenes across the country.

“We are always excited to connect with feminist communities everywhere we go on tour,” said Louisa Solomon, lead vocalist and bassist for The Shondes. “As someone who grew up with riot grrrl in the ‘90s, it's super heartening to see this ongoing commitment to anti-oppression work in music scenes and meaningful connections between activism and art. We are lucky to be welcomed by the Permanent Wave community in Philly.”

While Permanent Wave Philly’s work is a step in the right direction of equality in the arts and music of Philadelphia, members Goldberger and San Valentin said there is a lot of work to be done.

People are starting to talk. They are “ having discussions. I find more people

”

looking around them and saying, ‘Yeah this space isn’t inclusive.’

Al San Valentin | member of Permanent Wave Philly

“People are starting to talk,” San Valentin said. “They are having discussions. I find more people looking around them and saying, ‘Yeah this space isn’t inclusive. This band is not supportive of women.’”

“To us, that’s a good start,” San Valentin added. “We are trying to keep that dialogue going and create opportunities for discourse so we can talk about these problems that exist in the Philly scene. That by itself has also changed. The fact that people are choosing to not be silent and choosing not to ignore these problems.”

Permanent Wave Philly has worked with PhilaMOCA in the past due, in part, to their willingness to be an open, safe space for audience members.

“There are certain organizers who are more prolific in the scene who do ask these questions and that’s really great and important,

but it’s still not enough sometimes,” Goldberger said. “There are so many more bands that are incredible and so many more people that don’t get the space that they deserve.”

The members of Permanent Wave Philly said they hope to continue working with other like-minded organizations in the city and inspire change in the music and arts scene in the area.

“There are various networks of feminists who want to do the same thing – who are working to make their scenes and cities better,” Goldberger said. “We are just a small group here. If people are inspired, disgruntled, or pumped about our work we want people to come out and create with us. We want people to come out and join us and tell us what they want to see in their scene.”

Pizzeria Stella, the Stephen Starr restaurant on 2nd and Lombard streets, kicked off their version of Restaurant Week with Pizza Week last Sunday. Through Jan. 30, the restaurant will have a special deal for $35 that includes two salads or antipasti, any of the wood-fired pizzas on menu and any two gelati.

-Albert Hong

WISTAR INSTITUTE’S FREE PHOTO EXHIBIT

This year’s 20 winning entries for the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition are now on display at the Wistar Institute through March 6. Celebrating the achievements of photography through microscopes, this year’s contest took more than 1200 entries from 79 countries, all capturing things like microorganisms, cells, plants and minerals.

The free exhibit is at the Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce St. -Albert Hong

FREE LIBRARY TO HOST WINTER FOOD SWAP

The Free Library of Philadelphia’s Culinary Literacy Center will be holding its 2015 Winter Food Swap on Jan. 27. The event will allow participants to bring their own home-cooked dishes to exchange.

Food-swappers will place bids on each other’s homegrown culinary goods silentauction style, with tables and booths set up to display individual dishes. The event will also include a potluck table for attendees to sample other participants’ dishes. The swap is free to attend, but pre-registration is required.

Registration information can be accessed through the Philly Swapper’s Eventbrite page.

-Eamon Dreisbach

* tim.mulhern@temple.edu

TRENDING IN PHILLY What’s happening this week in Philly– from news and event coverage to shows and restaurant openings.

Based on Philly area: food, music, stores, etc. For breaking news and daily updates, follow The Temple News on Twitter @TheTempleNews.

HUNGER BURGER OPENING IN READING TERMINAL

@phillymag tweeted on Jan. 23 that George and Kim Mickel, the owners of By George! are opening up Hunger Burger on Feb. 2, their second stall at Reading Terminal Market.

The burger stand will serve Black Angus beef burgers, fries, breakfast burgers, milkshakes and more. With every burger sold, the Mickels will donate a portion of profits to feed a child.

BILLY JOEL SET TO BREAK ATTENDANCE RECORD AT CITIZENS BANK PARK @LiveNationPhila tweeted on Jan. 22 that Billy Joel is returning to perform at the Citizens Bank Park on Aug. 13, for the fourth time in his life, which breaks the venue’s record for the most live performances by an artist. Tickets for the concert will go on sale on Jan. 30, 10 a.m.

SYLVESTER STALLONE SPOTTED IN PHILADELPHIA

@CBSPhilly tweeted on Jan. 19 that Sylvester Stallone was seen roaming the city during his stay for filming the “Rocky” spinoff movie, “Creed.” He visited D’Angelo’s Ristorante Italiano on South 20th Street and even took a selfie with some fans on the very steps that he ran up in several of the Rocky films.

OBAMA AND BIDEN IN PHILLY NEXT WEEK

@PHLBizJournal tweeted on Jan. 23 that President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are reportedly scheduled to make an appearance at a gathering for the House Democrats’ policy retreat. According to the Inquirer, they are set to participate from Jan. 29-30 for the two-day retreat, where they will be speaking.

LIFESTYLE

PAGE 14

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

CAMPUS EVENTS

Vigil provides opportunity to discuss suicide President Neil Theobald spoke on the evening of Jan. 23 at a candlelit event organized in hope of spreading awareness of mental illnesses and suicide prevention.

VINCE BELLINO The Temple News

Students gathered in the Founder’s Garden on the evening of Jan. 23 at a candlelit vigil to honor those who have committed suicide and those who have lost loved ones to suicide.

The event was hosted by Temple’s chapter of the Minority Association of Pre-medical Students, part of the Student National Medical Association, and featured a speech from President Theobald.

Connor Magura, a sophomore biology major, member of SNMA-MAPS and the organizer of the vigil, believes that the vigil is in keeping with the organization’s national mission.

“Our goal is to help educate ... and serve our community,” he said.

The national chapter of SNMA-MAPS encourages its local chapters to design events about mental health.

“It’s something that is very important to everyone in the community,” Magura said.

During the event, information about depression, suicide and options available to students worried about themselves or loved ones was distributed by organizations like SNMA-MAPS and the Wellness Resource Center.

Theobald spoke to students as he also held a candle, telling a story of a family friend who had attempted suicide and the impact that it had on him. He chose not to use the podium or microphone provided.

“This was a woman who, as far as I knew, was living her dreams,” he said. “It made me think of all of you,” he told the crowd gathered in front of him.

Theobald said it was important to him and to the administration as a whole that students have a place to go if they are ever feeling depressed or suicidal.

“As things get more difficult throughout education ... the stresses that all of you face, it really brought home to me how we need to provide support services to all of you [students],” Theobald said.

He also asked students to reach out to him if they feel there is anything Temple could do or improve on to make students feel like they have a safe place to go in times of need.

“There are people to talk to and I am so thankful for that,” Theobald said.

Representatives from the WRC spoke next, including researchers for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Campus Suicide Prevention Grant.

According to the WRC’s website, SAMHSA “leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.”

Ashley LaSala, SAMHSA grant manager at Temple, spoke at the event, saying the number of students who have considered suicide and attempted it at Temple is higher than the national university average.

“All of our students and staff really care about students’ health and well-being,” she said.

SAMHSA undergraduate research assistant Michael Kovich was also at the vigil. Kovich provided examples of warning signs of depression, including hopelessness and thoughts of worthlessness,

KARA MILSTEIN TTN

(TOP): Students hold candles and gather in a circle to honor those who have committed suicide and spread awareness of suicide prevention.

(MIDDLE): President Neil Theobald stood among students and faculty Jan. 23 at the candlelit vigil. (BOTTOM): Tommy Sim, senior, stands with friends in the Founder’s Garden. The event was organized by Temple’s chapter of the Minority Association of Pre-medical Students.

As things get more difficult throughout education ... the stresses that all of “you face ... we need to provide support services to all of you [students]. ” President Neil Theobald

and reminded students that they are surrounded with resources to help.

He also stressed the importance of recognizing the signs of depression in others and when immediate attention is necessary.

“Only as a community ... can we help each other on this cam-

pus,” Kovich said.

SNMA-MAPS also collected money that will be donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. * vince.bellino@temple.edu

LIFESTYLE

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

PAGE 15

After recognition, plans to expand ‘The Rooms Project’ Professor Jillian Bauer was recently interviewed by WHYY for her website that features stories of recovering addicts.

FINNIAN SAYLOR The Temple News For Jillian Bauer, darkrooms carry a lot of meaning.

In a modern age of digital imaging, darkrooms are a thing of the past, but there was a time in Bauer’s life when the “darkroom” was a very real place – a metaphorical location of addiction and denial.

Her Internet blog, The Rooms Project, features photos and the accompanying stories of those recovering from addiction – and the entire idea behind the project, which she recently discussed on WHYY last Friday and Sunday mornings, stems from her own experience as an alcoholic.

“Being featured on WHYY was one of the many incredible experiences I’ve had thanks to this project,” Bauer said. “It gave me the opportunity to talk to a larger audience outside of the recovery community about what my recovery means to me and why I'm doing this project.”

The Rooms Project, which Bauer started in March 2014, is a way to empower recovering addicts by sharing stories and significant experiences. The website profiles individuals in stages of recovery and in rooms that have significant meaning to each person. “[The rooms] offer people living in long-term recovery, like me, a space to share their experience freely without the judgment that often comes along with the diseases of addiction and alcoholism,” Bauer said.

Bauer, a Temple graduate and a School of Media and Communication adjunct professor of eight years, is a professional photographer and owns her own photography company.

Now, Bauer wants The Rooms Project to reach beyond the limits of Philadelphia. She has planned three separate “recovery road trips” to Chicago, Portland and Miami and beyond, and plans to make stops in many different cities along the way, according to the kickstarter page.

The Rooms Project currently has about 30 posts. Hoping she can find participants across the country who are willing to share their experiences, Bauer wants to add to her collection of stories online by finding people through Facebook, Twitter and other digital means.

Continued from page 7

MANTLE

ed a batch of just 200, the initiative was able to take on the project.

“These women are rock stars,” Ford said. “What takes many people years they learned in about 16 weeks.

The hours most factory work require are difficult because many of the women also have families to care for at home.

Ford said MADE is able to take the women’s different experiences and situations into account, but it is still hard for some of the women to feel comfortable working full-time.

“They have children, they have elders living in their home that they have to take care of and their husbands are working,” Ford said. “Of course they’re grateful, but I think they’re nervous about how [a job] will impact their lives.”

Many of the women in the initiative lived in refugee camps in Bhutan for more than 20 years. Making the change from that life to living in a row home in Philadelphia is a challenge, Ford said. Though, she thinks it is an important step in helping the women feel more comfortable adjusting to a new country.

One of the women in the initiative worked as a lawyer before coming to the U.S., but when she arrived she found it difficult to find work anywhere, even being turned away at McDonald’s, Fox said.

Ford said though it is hard, the women are very grateful for the opportunity and learning quickly has instilled a sense of accomplishment in them.

The Janey line has sold so well that Fox has already dropped of another batch of sweaters to be turned into mantles, Ford said.

The line has also garnered attention from actress Kat Dennings who has taken to Twitter to show-off her own Janey.

“We grew up together,” Fox said.

“It’s been really cool and she’s been a huge inspiration to me – I sort of watched her career. She even started the hashtag, ‘mantleselfie’.”

As of right now, Bauer is planning to make her cross-country trip sometime between March and September of this year and hopes to have 100 entries by December.

Bauer is currently in the process of raising the necessary funds required to take the trips and has turned to Kickstarter for support, so far raising $1,000 of her $5,350-by-Feb. 21 goal.

“People are basically paying for my gas and hotel stays, and I’m putting in the service of running around to capture these stories,” Bauer said.

Bauer is a recovering alcoholic who struggled with addiction in her undergraduate years of college. She describes herself as “a person in long term recovery.”

The website explains Bauer’s story, intermingled among the others. The text overlay reads,

“Jill: March 24, 2013,” and the underlying photo, taken in her photography studio, her “room”, shows her perched on a metal chair, legs crossed, sporting a keen smirk and a side ponytail.

“I was your token hot mess drunk,” Bauer said, laughing. She said she didn’t identify her drinking as an addiction during her years of higher education, although a broken ankle and poor grades might have indicated otherwise.

Later in her professional career, Bauer found herself working three jobs, which she used as justification for, “why I’m not an alcoholic,” she said.

For Bauer, drinking had an underlying purpose: to suppress anxiety. As someone who was put at ease by drinking, the sips and gulps came easily, she said.

It wasn’t until she spent a night in jail for drunk driving, got drunk at a photography client’s wedding reception and was flagged by a nightclub bouncer that she realized something had to be done.

And she did. She contacted a sober Facebook friend of hers, who, having been aware of Bauer’s reputation for drinking, had “been waiting for this phone call for years,” Bauer said of her friend.

That was 22 months ago and she said she has been sober ever since.

As Bauer writes on The Rooms Project’s website, “There are more than 23 million Americans living in recovery, but people won’t expect us to succeed unless they hear about our success.” * finnian.saylor@temple.edu

FINNIAN SAYLOR TTN

Journalism professor Jillian Bauer plans to expand ‘The Rooms Project’ to feature stories of recovering addicts from all over the country, .

Though Fox has seen success thus far, she said she doesn’t want to stray too far from the roots of the brand in the future, even if she does continue to expand.

“I definitely want to explore and put my time in making the hooded scarves the best I can and being re-

ally thorough,” Fox said. “I’m already discovering things I want to add and discovering what our customers want.

But it’s important to me that whatever I make is functional.” * abricke1@temple.edu

New student-focused concession stand opens The Liacouras Center is now home to a discounted food stand.

LINDSAY VALLEN The Temple News A new concession stand in the Liacouras Center caters exclusively to students at a more affordable price.

The Perch, located directly outside of the student section, is open during every basketball game and student event.

The Perch only serves current Temple students with a valid student ID. Food and beverages are offered at a 25 percent discount compared to other stadium food, while some food items are offered at a 50 percent discount.

The Liacouras Center’s new general manager, Joseph Sheridan, came up with the idea for offering cheaper stadium food to students.

“I wanted to do more for the students,” Sheridan said. “I’ve been here for one year; when I started there was one concession stand that was closed right by the student entrance.”

In what Sheridan credits as a “collective effort,” the Perch was also established in hopes of attracting more

COURTESY AVI LOREN FOX

Avi Loren Fox wears the original mantle upcycled from an old sweater.

students to games and events.

“I wanted to provide something for the students that is more affordable, tailored to their budget and their needs.” Sheridan said. “We didn’t want to eliminate the students from the overall game experience if the [food] prices are too high.”

The Perch also specifically employs Temple students in an effort to make the entire operation 100-percent student-oriented. Sheridan said he was operating on a “by the students, for the students” theme.

Freshman nursing major Haley Cranch tried food at the Perch for the first time during the Sam Smith concert on Jan. 13.

“I really liked how cheap all of the food was and that I could use my Diamond Dollars,” she said. “I’ll definitely look for it at the next basketball game.”

Sheridan said the Perch is a way the Liacouras Center can show its gratitude and appreciation for its student fans. He said he’s noticed more student activity throughout the men’s basketball season and he hopes the new stand will gain even more momentum. * lindsay.vallen@temple.edu

BRIANNA SPAUSE TTN

The Perch offers food to students at a discounted price of 25 percent cheapter than other venue options.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

AROUND CAMPUS

CLIPPINGS

BRIAN LINTON LEADS FIRESIDE CHAT IN ALTER HALL

Brian Linton, the founder and president of United By Blue, will be in Alter Hall 503D tomorrow from noon to 1 p.m. The Temple alum will lead the fireside chat “How I Won BYOBB.” Linton’s plan for Legal Organics, a coffeehouse with on-site roasting capabilities that sells organic produce and flowers, won the 2008 “Be Your Own Boss Bowl” through the Fox School of Business.

In 2010, he came up with UBB – a Philadelphiabased outdoor apparel brand focused on environmental change. For every product sold, UBB removes one pound of trash from oceans and waterways through company organized cleanups. Light refreshments will be served.

This event is free and open to all.

-Jessica Smith

REFWORKS TO HOST WORKSHOP

BRIANNA SPAUSE TTN

The Perch, a new concession stand in the Liacouras Center, is only open to students who present valid TUids. | Page 15

Truck offers a taste of German authenticity The Flying Deutschman offers authentic German street food to students.

CHARLOTTE REESE The Temple News The Flying Deutschman just made a landing outside the Tyler School of Art. An authentic German street food truck, The Flying Deutschman has visited multiple counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and recently secured a spot on Main Campus.

Head chef and truck owner Stirling Sowerby, who was born and raised in Germany, worked as a DJ before deciding to move to America and immerse himself in the cuisine scene – but he said owning a food truck wasn’t part of his original plan.

While he thought the cost of a truck would be less expensive than a full-fledged restaurant, he figured

some technical issues might complicate things.

“Plus, most food trucks have the funny colors with silly sausages or hamburgers on them,” Sowerby said. “They have an appeal on the outside, but then when you come up to the trucks, the entertainment ends there.” “[The Flying Deutschman] isn’t just about the food, it is about the entertainment that comes with it,” he added. “I wanted to build a theme around the name and have something that catches people’s eyes with a strong theme.”

Sowerby said he wants to offer customers the chance to experience authentic German food in a “fun and entertaining” atmosphere.

Some German-American customers tell him food from The Flying Deutschman reminds them of the food in Germany, he said.

In fact, Sowerby said preparing the German street food allows him to recall memories of his own childhood. The chef’s personal favorites are the kartoffel salad, a house made

want people “to Ithink ‘mobile

”

restaurant’ – not just a food truck.

Stirling Sowerby | truck owner

potato salad, and the Currywurst, which consists of steamed and fried pork sausages seasoned with curry ketchup, he said.

His assistant chef, John Sekel, is a culinary student at Walnut Hill College.

“A restaurant forces you to be in the same place everyday,” Sekel said. “The food truck adds fun that a restaurant can’t.”

Sowerby is currently developing a website for The Flying Deutschman and wants to install a GPS tracking device so customers can see where the truck is located at all times.

“I want people to eat the food

and be shocked it was made on just this truck,” Sowerby said. “I want people to think ‘mobile restaurant’ – not just a food truck.”

The truck will make a return to Main Campus, more specifically in front of the Tyler, in February.

“I have been waiting for the Flying Deutschman to come back to campus ever since I saw the truck last week,” Erich Martin, a junior journalism major, said.

Sowerby said he owes thanks to Debbie Dasani, owner of Samosa Deb Gourmet Indian Cuisine, who began sharing her space in front of Tyler with The Flying Deutschman this semester.

“I love how the truck looked like something someone put a lot of time into,” said Bryn Conlan, a junior art history major. “I can’t wait to try the food.”

Sowerby said he thinks of the food truck as “an adventure with more adrenaline.” * charlotte.reese@temple.edu

There will be a RefWorks workshop titled “Citations & Bibliographies Made Easy” tomorrow from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 248 of the Ginsburg Health Sciences Library. RefWorks is a web-based citation manager designed to save time with writing assignments and ease the college workload.

The workshop will help attendees create accounts, learn how to import and save citations, find out how to automatically insert in-text citations and build bibliographies. The library is located in the Medical Education and Research Building at 3500 N. Broad St. This workshop is free and open to students, faculty and staff.

-Jessica Smith

WELLNESS WEDNESDAY CONTINUES

Campus Recreation will continue its Wellness Wednesday series tomorrow from noon to 2 p.m. in the Student Center atrium. On the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, Campus Rec will lead sessions geared toward promoting good health and teaching the best practices to lead a healthy life.

This month’s theme is nutrition, and tomorrow’s topic is meal prepping. The sessions are free and open to all.

-Jessica Smith

VIRTUAL NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY

Temple students and alumni will be available for a unique virtual networking opportunity tomorrow night from 5:30–8:30 p.m.

Students from the College of Science and Technology can benefit from career-related advice and discussions about the job market from current and former Owls.

This online event will pair multiple participants for several rounds of 10-minute, textbased chats that allow students to seek or receive advice. The goal is for attendees to build a personal and professional relationship with students and alumni from around the country who share the same interest in the fields of science and technology. Registration is free and can be completed online through the Temple alumni website.

-Jessica Smith

KEVIN KILLIAN VISITS TEMPLE CONTEMPORARY

COURTESY STIRLING SOWERBY

Stirling Sowerby leans out of his authentic German street food truck, The Flying Deutschman, which recently made its debut on Main Campus.

Kevin Killian will be present Thursday night from 6–8 p.m. in Temple Contemporary in the Tyler School of Art. Killian is the 2015 Rachel Blau DuPlessis Lecturer in Poetry and Poetics. He will read some of his writing and show photographs from his most recent project titled “Tagged.”

Killian is an original member of the New Narrative writers and has published three novels, a book of memoirs and three books of stories in addition to his three books of poetry Argento Series, Action Kylie and Tweaky Village. Killian has also written 45 plays for the San Francisco Poets Theater and compiled “The Kenning Anthology of Poets Theater 1945-1985” with David Brazil. Killian is a writing teacher for MFA students at California College of the Arts in San Francisco. His reading is free and open to all.

-Jessica Smith

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

“What would you do if

classes were cancelled for a snow day?

”

“I would probably spend the day in my room sleeping or at the library.”

“I would read and stay in my room and study.”

“I’m gonna go sledding on the art museum steps.”

CLAIRE SASKO TTN NICK RISTINE

SENIOR | ECONOMICS

IFEOLUWA FALEKE

FRESHMAN | NEUROSCIENCE

MATIA JONES

SOPHOMORE | SCULPTURE

SPORTS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

PAGE 17

SPORTS BRIEFS

Kastor to miss remainder of season KASTOR SITTING OUT SEASON

Coach Nikki Franke confirmed last Saturday that former fencing captain Tiki Kastor will not be competing this season for academic reasons.

Last season, Kastor helped lead the Owls to an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Fencing Championships. Individually, she finished seventh overall in the meet last season.

With a top finish in the NCAA Fencing Championships, Kastor was able to compete at the United States Fencing Association Division I National Championships last April, where she finished in fifth in the Division I women’s sabre competition at the senior national level, Kastor qualified for the 2014 Senior World Championships, in which she went as far as the round of eight in Direct Elimination. She finished in fifth place.

The sabre fencer will have one more year of eligibility, Franke said.

-Danielle Nelson

OWLS NO. 10 IN RECENT RANKINGS poll.

The fencing team dropped a spot in the CollegeFencing360

The first of three rankings was released last Wednesday, with Temple ranked No. 10 in the nation, one spot shy of its No. 9 ranking from last season.

Although the Owls dropped one spot since the last ranking, coach Nikki Franke said she was not surprised.

“That was the first poll that came out that season,” Franke said. “So based on who we fenced so far and who other teams had fenced, it was a reasonable ranking. I wasn’t upset about it.”

Before the rankings came out, the Owls faced nine teams in their two collegiate meets since the season started.

Now, Franke said the rankings will be used as motivation for the team.

“We talked as a team saying, ‘If we want to move up, we have to beat teams they ranked ahead of us,’” Franke said.

That is what the Owls did on Saturday when they beat No. 6 University of Pennsylvania and No. 9 Northwestern, going undefeated in the first meet they competed in since the release of the ranking.

Coach Franke said the next poll will be released in February.

-Danielle Nelson

MEN’S TENNIS MAURO NABS NEW TRANSFER

The men’s tennis team has added transfer student Ian Glessing to the 2014-15 roster, a university spokesperson said.

Glessing will join the team this semester.

Glessing, a junior, is a transfer from Arizona Christian University, where he recorded a 17-7 singles record in his sopho-

HUA ZONG TTN FILE PHOTO

Second-year coach Matt Rhule walks during the Owls’ 2014 training camp. Rhule has gone 8-16 in his first two seasons at the helm.

more season.

He is a Scottsdale, Arizona native.

for club members and $15 for the general public.

-Andrew Parent -Dalton Balthaser

FOOTBALL RHULE HOSTING SIGNING DAY CELEBRATION

In celebration of the NCAA football national signing day next Wednesday, Feb. 4, the Temple Owls Club will host three separate events celebrating the signing period in Philadelphia, Cherry Hill and Ambler next week.

Along with a 6 p.m. dinner, coach Matt Rhule will present a program highlighting the team’s class next Wednesday night at the Pyramid Club in Philadelphia. The club will show the second half of Temple’s men’s basketball game against Central Florida.

Rhule will stop at P.J. Whelihan’s in Cherry Hill for lunch next Thursday at 11:30 a.m., while the latter program will take place at Talamore Country Club in Ambler.

For both dinner events, Owl Club members will receive a discounted admission price of $20, while the general admission cost is $25.

Admission for the lunch event at P.J. Whelihan’s will be $10

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL BUTTS HONORED BY CONFERENCE

Freshman Alliya Butts has been named the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week. It was announced Monday.

In the Owls’ 83-50 victory against Cincinnati last Tuesday, Butts scored 17 points, grabbed four rebounds and tied a career-high with five assists. In conference play, the young point guard is averaging 14 points per game.

Since being inserted into the starting lineup on Dec. 28 against Memphis, Butts has averaged nearly 14 ppg and scored in double figures five times.

For the season, Butts is second on the team in scoring average – netting 11.3 ppg, good for No. 20 in the conference, the sixth highest freshman. She also has 42 steals, which leads the team and ranks No. 2 in The American.

-Michael Guise

ALLAN BARNES TTN

Junior gymnast Danielle Vahala performs during the team’s meet against Ursinus en route to the squad’s first win by way of a 189.9-189.575 victory against the Bears.

Continued from page 20

GYMANSTICS

believes the team’s early season struggles are not due to a lack of talent.

“I could probably attest the lower team score to the fact that I think the nerves are getting them a little bit,” Murphy said. “Some of the girls are brand new on these events.”

The nerves seem to have settled, though, as the squad all but reached the 190 mark in its most recent meet Saturday at Ursinus in a tight 189.9189.575 victory.

Another positive for a team that is still adjusting to its new events has been the balance beam.

The Owls scored a total of 48.225 on the beam against Eastern Michigan and Murphy acknowl-

edged the beam has been the Owls best event so floor events at Eastern Michigan and competed far in 2015. in the exhibition heats at Eastern Michigan while Senior Jasmine Johnson, who has competed competing in the vault, beam and floor in the GW for Temple in the vault, floor exercise and balance Invitational. While Postlethwait said she hopes beam events for four seasons, said this team just to compete in all four events someday, there are needs to lighten up somewhat and enjoy itself. other worthy gymnasts on the roster.

“We just need to have some fun,” Johnson “Personally I would like to make it in allsaid. “We haven’t really been jokaround but I know that there are girls UP NEXT ing around lately.” that have all the skills, so I know For others, the early- Owls at New Hampshire what I have to do to get there,” season struggles are merely a Postlethwait said.

Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. way of working out some of Scheduling four mock meets, the kinks before the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Murphy said, was his way of preparing his team Championships at Yale in late March. for a meet setting before the season, and the nerSophomore Mikaela Postlethwait has been vous tension that can come with competition. working on fine-tuning her status as an all- Seeing a more capable squad in the mock meets around. Postlethwait competed in the beam and and in practices is what Murphy said has pained

him the most through the early going.

“My heart more-or-less just breaks for them because I know they can do it,” Murphy said.

“They’re going through the motions necessary to be winners.”

Postlethwait acknowledged that while the team trained hard in the offseason, it’s almost impossible to simulate a real meet feeling until the season begins in earnest.

“I don’t think any of us as a team expected that many falls in the beginning but we’re using it as motivation because we know what we can do,” Postlethwait said. * greg.frank@temple.edu T @g_frank6

SPORTS

PAGE 18

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

Continued from page 20

MORGAN

this season in a victory against Delaware on Dec. 18, 2014.

After nine of his first 10 games, Morgan topped his group in shooting attempts. He ranks fourth among his teammates with 131 shooting attempts – 83 behind junior Quenton DeCosey for the team lead – having played in half as many games.

“When he’s good, he’s a pleasure to watch,” Dunphy said. “He has had some moments of inconsistency, and that’s what he has to work on every single day, every single game.”

It’s been nearly six weeks since Morgan hit the floor firing at Delaware’s Bob Carpenter Center, and he’s had his moments since.

Once he and junior Devin Coleman, a Clemson transfer and Philadelphia native, joined Temple’s rotation that day in Newark, the Owls pulled off a six-game winning streak that included defeats of then-No. 10 Kansas and defending nationalchampion Connecticut.

Morgan has totaled 14 points or more in eight of his 10 games thus far. The Owls are 1-1 in his single-digit outings – the loss to Tulsa and a win against Central Florida in which he netted five points on Jan. 4.

While having played a shorter slate of games compared to his teammates, Morgan’s 13.5 points per game tops the team’s scorers, just edging DeCosey’s 13.4 ppg.

Yet, records and numbers aside, the 6-foot-5 jump shooter who grew up four blocks away from the Liacouras Center has brought a new dynamic with him to his neighborhood team.

“He can knock down shots,” senior guard Will Cummings said. “That’s what we need him to do. Knock down shots and stretch defense. Just keep the defense honest … and he likes to defend, too. All of his different aspects help the team.”

While Morgan said he’s enjoying the ride in his last semester of college basketball, his journey here was long and, at times, tumultuous.

He spent his early childhood living on 19th and Montgomery streets watching his father play Sunday-morning pick-up ball at parks like the Amos Playground, which sits behind Geasey Field off 16th and Berks streets. He couldn’t join in, but he was learning from his dad at a young age.

“I always wanted to play, but I was too young,” Morgan said. “I used to watch him for a

DONALD OTTO TTN

Senior guard Jesse Morgan follows through on a jump shot over South Florida freshman guard Dinero Mercurius last Thursday.

little bit and then go and play on the swings.”

He started playing organized basketball at the Martin Luther King Center on 21st Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue by age 5, and played in numerous organized leagues

through his high-school career, Kent Prep in Connecticut before in which he spent three years moving on the collegiate level at Prep Charter in the winter UP NEXT High School of the 2009-10 Owls at Central Florida season. before spendJan. 28 at 7 p.m. ing his senior W h i l e year at Olney High School. He Morgan is a Philadelphian to spent a brief period with South the core, his ultimate college

decision – one that brought him to the University of Massachusetts, Temple’s former Atlantic-10 rival – hinged on a desire to move away for the time being.

“My college choice – it was different,” Morgan said. “I

wanted to stay home, but I also knew I wasn’t mature enough to stay home and deal with distractions, friends and things like that. I wanted to get away and I wanted to go to a big-name college.”

“I decided to go to UMass and I ended up back home anyway, so I probably should’ve just taken that chance and stayed home and matured.”

He declined to delve more into his three-year tenure at Massachusetts, one in which he averaged 9.7 ppg in 63 contests before suffering his ACL tear as a junior. He enrolled in classes at Temple that summer, and transferred to the university with one remaining semester of eligibility.

He was declared ineligible for the 2013-14 season in a July 2013 meeting with the NCAA, and was forced to sit out until that mid-December game at Delaware, as he chose this past November to play out his eligibility this spring.

Morgan and another Philadelphia transfer playing his first season with the Owls – junior and former University of Texas forward Jaylen Bond – have combined with the likes of DeCosey, Cummings and company to help bump Temple’s 9-22 showing last season to a 13-7 campaign through 20 games in 2014-15, including a 4-3 record to date in the American Athletic Conference.

“I honestly didn’t know Jaylen was coming until the second or third week I was in summer [classes],” Morgan said. “So then I was like, ‘Oh, OK. This might be fun.’ I had always heard about Jaylen. …

That Philly toughness and to have another guy push you like he does is a great feeling.”

Morgan’s collegiate journey is nearing its end.

He’ll celebrate his 24th birthday on March 14, the date of the conference tournament semifinal round in Hartford, Connecticut. Whether Morgan and the Owls will still be competing that day remains to be seen.

However, Morgan’s time as a student-athlete isn’t yet over, and he’s just fine with that.

“My journey, it was different, man,” he said. “Just the experiences that I faced and the adversity that I faced, I don’t think I’d change anything. I’ve grown, I’ve matured and I look at things differently. Those times helped me become who I am today, and I’m satisfied with that.” * andrew.parent@temple.edu ( 215.204. 9537 T @Andrew_Parent23

Continued from page 20

AGUILAR

artsy gymnastics usually played a part in her life starting at the age of six.

As Aguilar continued to grow and mature, so did her interest for the game of fencing. Aguilar began attending fencing clubs in Spain and started excelling in the game, accomplishing national and international accolades.

In 2010, Aguilar was named Spain’s Cadet (age 17 and younger) National Champion after being successful in the city tournament and advancing and later winning the national championship. Aguilar continued to excel in the junior (age 20 and younger) category as she finished third in 2012 on the national stage in Spain. A year later, in 2013, Aguilar won the national championship and advanced to the World Cup later that year.

Aguilar came in third in at the World Cup championship, which was held in Spain.

Now, Aguilar intends to continue her success on the US collegiate level, in which Aguilar is still adjusting to. Before Aguilar left Spain, she was in her sophomore year at university.

“I go to university, stay there with my friends,” Aguilar said. “I go home, then I go to practice that is not related to university at all.”

Although college students in Spain do not stay in school for months at a time, Aguilar does relate to university dorms.

“I always think this is like summer camp,” Aguilar said. “Not living with your parents and just being supported by yourself.”

Even though Aguilar had to make many adjustments since starting at Temple, she is aware of the opportunity that she was offered.

“This is a really different lifestyle that I have never lived before,” Aguilar said. “It is kind of challenging for me and sometimes I feel like I

MARGO REED TTN

Junior sabre Gloria Aguilar practices against teammate Victoria Super last Thursday.

can’t do this anymore and [I want to] go back to Spain and never think about this anymore, but this is an opportunity that not everyone has.

“To be a part of this, to be part of the student body, to be a part of Temple fencing – is great,” Aguilar added. “I’m really happy that I am here. I

am happy that coach Franke phoned me.” * danielle.nelson@temple.edu

SPORTS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

PAGE 19

women’s basketball

Owls use balance to set up points Coming off an 83-point victory, the Owls point to balance as the key.

With the squad aiming to produce from a variety of places, the Owls want to challenge defenses and make it hard MICHAEL GUISE for teams to focus on one single player. But for a team that OWEN MCCUE shoots 36 percent from the field The Temple News – this production from all playIn the lone game of their ers on the court is necessary.

“It makes everything way week, the Owls managed to easier because then it is just not score a season-high in points pressure on one person because with an 83-50 win against Cinwe are all producing,” freshman cinnati. The squad’s 49.3 shootTanaya Atkinson said. “It’s reing percentage from the floor ally a team effort … it’s way was also a season high. more fun.”

While the victory showed In games in which the Owls what the Temple offense can do score 70-plus points, they are when it is clicking on all cylin8-1.

In those eight games, the ders, it was not representative Owls have had four or more of the team’s production this double-digit scorers six times. season.

When the Owls share the ball, Inconsistent offensive play their offensive production inhas contributed to the Owls’ loscreases their chance to win.

In ing record (9-11, 5-2 American games where the Owls have 13 Athletic Conference). Using the game against the Bearcats as an or more assists, the team is 7-2.

“I think we are really unidea of what their potential can selfish and it’s not one person be, the Owls are trying to find really different ways to enUP NEXT hance their offensive Owls at Central Florida c a r i n g about production.

Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. burdenOffensively for ing the scoring load,” coach the Owls, equal distribution is Tonya Cardoza said.

“But, when crucial. This season, four playeveryone is involved and workers are averaging double figures ing the ball, it just makes us that in scoring. much more difficult to defend.”

Continued from page 1

CLUB

with junior Jon Rydzefski, and is one of the many returning athletes under Turoff, who now serves in more of an advising role after being at the helm of the program for 38 seasons.

Turoff said the club is now largely run by the team members themselves, which includes four main officers – Bittner acts as the president, Rydzefski as vice president, senior Blaise Cosenza as secretary and junior Grady Cooper as treasurer.

The club has enough money to continue for another four years thanks to a university subsidy, and an additional endowment of $192,000 in donations and fundraising, Turoff said.

“We’re on our way [with fundraising],” Turoff said.

“Fundraising is an ongoing thing. … I have to call alumni and let them realize that the survival of this program is very dependent upon them.”

One of the main fundraising events during last summer involved Bill Cosby, a Temple alumnus and former Board of Trustee who has been accused of sexual assault by more than 20 women in the last couple of months. Cosby resigned from the board on Dec. 1, 2014 in light of the allegations.

Turoff said that while Cosby’s case is “a sad situation,” he is happy with the longtime comedian and television actor’s commitment to his program.

“We had him at the right time,” Turoff said. “I don’t know the truth of any matter, and we’ll just have to wait and see if any lawsuits break through and if anything is proven … in the meantime, I know

the man helped my program greatly, and was and is a supporter of men’s gymnastics.”

The event raised $13,427 for the club endowment, which still competes in the ECAC, Turoff said. The main difference is that Temple now competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs, which has dozens of more teams than the 16 squads still remaining at the Division I level.

Turoff said the NAIGC nationals will be held in Philadelphia this year at the Pennsylvania Convention Center from April 8-11, with around 1,000 gymnasts competing from all around the country.

Temple’s “competitive” club – a new designation added because a co-ed gymnastics club had already existed before the Division I program was cut – will look to be competitive at that meet after scoring more than 400 points as a team at the West Point Open at the United States Military Academy on Jan. 16. Last year, the Owls posted a team score of 398.650 at the meet.

Even with the improvement, Turoff said there’s work to be done.

“We still counted 12 falls in the first meet, so that’s 12 points,” Turoff said. “So we can score in the 410s, and in doing so we’ll be competitive with most of the teams in the ECAC … and be competitive with the top clubs in the country.”

One of the events the Owls will have to improve on in particular is the pommel horse. The team failed to post a score of at least 68 on the apparatus at any point in the season, which was a mark they met in all of the other five events.

Turoff said the pommel

Continued from page 20

VASCONEZ

was what he wanted out of the college experience.

“In Ecuador, the athletes get in contact with a company who sends emails to many coaches,” Vasconez said. “I lived in Tampa, Florida for six months before I came to Temple … When I heard the reputation of Temple academically, with that being my main priority, I felt it was the best place for me to study.”

When Owls coach Steve Mauro viewed Vasconez’ video and discovered that “he was as strong of a student as an athlete,” it captured his attention.

Almost four years later, Mauro said his recruiting of Vasconez was the right decision.

His ability to adapt to the type of game the coaches wanted him to play, Mauro said, was key to his improvement.

JENNY KERRIGAN TTN

Senior guard Tyonna Williams drives to the basket during the Owls’ 83-50 victory against Cincinnati.

Despite the Owls’ shooting struggles, as they rank 309th out of 343 Division I teams in fieldgoal percentage since the most recently available statistics were released, the team has still been able to put points on the board. Temple’s average of 66.6

horse is tough for most gymnasts, and that only elite athletes in the sport tend to excel at it.

“Pommel horse is generally a problem until you have the top guys in the country on it who don’t fall off,” Turoff said. “[It’s] the toughest event for men, generally.”

Even with the team’s weaknesses, Eigner, who is Turoff’s son, said he has high expectations for his former teammates for this season.

“I think that as a club program, they can be the best in the country,” Eigner said. “I think they’re still in the hunt in the ECAC. … If they can work on some of the problems they had, including those falls [in the first meet], I think they’ll definitely be in a better position.”

Rydzefski cited the fact that many of the same athletes from last year’s squad returned for this season.

“We haven’t really lost anyone, [and] we’re still training as D-I [athletes],” Rydzefski said. “Everything’s pretty much the same ... club is just a lower [level of competition].”

Even with the team being demoted to the club level, Bittner said finding the motivation to improve from last season isn’t difficult.

“This year, because of the club status, we’ve come a lot closer and realize that we want to prove everybody wrong,” Bittner said. “We’re going to show people that we deserve to be here as a D-1 [program].” * steven.bohnel@temple.edu T @Steve_Bohnel Avery Maehrer contributed reporting.

“[Hernan] is a coachable athlete,” Mauro said. “He is intelligent on the court and was open to instruction. The [coaching staff] wanted him to play a more all-court game and finish more points at the net with his volleys, not necessarily with his power game, but taking advantage with his good hands … by putting his opponent away at the net.”

While Vasconez’ plans include attaining his degree in finance and international business from the Fox School of Business this spring, they will also continue to include the love he had once overlooked.

“It will be hard to get rid of tennis,” Vasconez said. “It has always been an important part of my life.” * dalton.balthaser@temple.edu T @DaltonBalthaser

points per game ranks 135th in Division I, a mark helped by the team’s fast-tempo style.

The Owls have forced 8.5 steals per game and have the 83rd-best turnover margin among Division I schools. As a result, they have attempted

1,358 shots this season, the fifth-most among D-I schools.

Making plays on the defensive end helps Temple’s quick guards get out in transition for easy buckets.

“We have to scramble around and try to get loose balls,

get in the passing lanes, try to trap and make things happen so that we can get out and run,” Cardoza said after a 72-57 defeat of Central Florida on Jan. 17. * sports@temple-news.com

Pennsylvania product Janneh rising to occasion in third year Junior triple jumper Jamila Janneh has already tallied two wins this season.

TYLER DEVICE The Temple News Jamila Janneh was happy when she finally got some real competition.

The junior high and triple jumper’s track & field career began with a chance meeting, a meeting that would start Janneh on her path to a collegiate career.

After her high school’s track & field coach, Eric Werner, urged her to start running during a school basketball game, Janneh put aside her own personal doubts and insecurities when she decided to take her coach’s word.

“He said I should try it out, and I tried it out in the seventh grade, and I’ve been running since,” Janneh said.

Janneh grew up in New Oxford, Pennsylvania, a place she describes as a “small, boring town.”

Once she reached high school, Janneh began practicing and performing in the triple jump, an event she said was not available to compete in while attending middle school.

As she practiced and began competing when she reached the high school ranks, Janneh found herself dominating the event.

“In high school, it wasn’t until [the PIAA district and state championship meets] that I really got some real competition,” Janneh said. “It was fun, but at the same time I had expectations for myself. … am I performing to what I expected to perform for that meet?”

Sometime during her sophomore year, Janneh began to consider her future in track & field, wondering where her athletic talents could take her.

As time progressed, she began to draw interest from the collegiate level, but never heard from Temple. In fact, Janneh said, her ultimate collegiate choice was nowhere near her initial list.

“I wasn’t looking into Temple at all,” Janneh said.

“Somebody who ran on the team, [former hurdler Maxine Bentzel], said ‘We need jumpers, you should look into us!’

She was from my area and so I was like, ‘Oh, I guess I’ll look into it and see what it is.’”

“I filled out the questionnaire and everything, and I came on a visit and I fell in love

stuff like that.”

Janneh’s jumping workouts in practice are typically overseen by assistant coach Shameka Marshall, who said she has been working with Janneh since she was a freshman.

“As a freshman, she was already talented, so we knew it was there but there [were] a lot of things we needed to get in place technique-wise,” Mar-

I fell in love with Temple. I called “ my mom while on the visit and told her I was going here. ” Jamila Janneh | junior triple jumper

with Temple,” Janneh added. shall said. “At the end of last “I called my mom while on the year, I think she was really convisit and told necting a lot with UP NEXT her I was gothe technique we Owls at Patriot Games had been doing. ing here.”

Jan. 30 N o w She understands a Division the events a lot I athlete and one of Temple’s better now and she herself, I standout performers, Janneh think, matured a lot over the has continued to assert her summer. That makes all the difdominance in the sport of track ference.” & field. Janneh holds the outCoach Elvis Forde praised door triple jump record of 40 Jamila’s dedication, but said feet, 9 inches, which she broke she underestimates herself at twice in her sophomore year. times.

In the first indoor meet of “Her work ethic is fantastic the year at Haverford, Janneh in regards to where she wants to took first place in the triple go,” Forde said. “She is one of jump with her mark of 39-4. those athletes on our team that After a four-week hiatus has all the potential to go furfrom competition during winter ther than what she has achieved break, Janneh returned strong, so far. One of the things I am bringing in another first-place trying to get her to understand is finish at the Terrapin Invitation- that she has to believe in herself al with a mark of 38-7. a whole lot more than anybody She qualified for the East- else. I think she is a much betern Collegiate Athletic Cham- ter athlete than she gives herself pionships with a seventh-place credit for.” finish in the triple jump last Despite her productive Saturday at the Princeton Tiger streak, Janneh said she is still Open. remaining humble and keeping Janneh said she was able to everything in perspective. maintain her level of fitness de“I feel really strong about spite being away from her team this season, especially just during the winter session. wanting to capitalize off of “I didn’t really have ac- what I did last year because I cess to a lot of facilities or any- ended on a good note,” Janthing like that,” Janneh said. neh said. “Although winning “My neighborhood at home is is awesome, I’m still thinking mountains and hills, so I would about the bigger picture and go run in my neighborhood. I what’s coming down the road would do my running workouts for me.” in the gym on the treadmill and try to see how I could switch * tyler.device@temple.edu it up, or do bike workouts and

SPORTS TAKING THE LEAP

Junior triple-jumper Jamila Janneh has gotten off to a promising start in the track & field team’s early season.

PAGE 19

Our sports blog

thecherry.temple-news.com

KEEPING THE BALANCE

KASTOR SET TO MISS SEASON

The women’s basketball team cites good ball movement as the operative difference between high and low offensive outputs.

PAGE 19

The junior fencing standout will miss the remainder of the season, football celebrates signing day, other news and notes.

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temple-news.com

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

MEN’S TENNIS

fencing

Vasconez loses final season of college career

A full-time adjustment Madrid native Gloria Aguilar has made adjustments both in the classroom and on the strip.

The lone senior on the men’s tennis team suffered a seasonending injury over winter break.

DANIELLE NELSON The Temple News

DALTON BALTHASER The Temple News Hernan Vasconez’ last day in Equador, his home country, replays regularly in his head.

The lone senior on the men’s tennis team had enjoyed his time with his family, preparing to return back to the United States for the spring semester, when his friends asked him to play one last match of doubles.

During the contest, an unexpected return caught him off guard. The counter to his forehand forced Vasconez to change direction suddenly, as he saw his collegiate tennis career disappear in way of a sharp pain in his left knee.

The recreational tennis match on a clay court with a few friends soon turned into a nightmare that would ensure Vasconez would never wear a Temple uniform on a tennis court again.

“Some of my friends that I practiced tennis with back home asked me to play doubles with them before I leave,” Vasconez said. “I remember that I hit a forehand and returned to the middle of the court thinking the ball was going to my backhand, and the ball came to my forehand. When I changed my direction in the clay court, that was when I felt excruciating pain … when you tear something, you feel it.”

He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the match, putting an end to Vasconez’ four-year Temple career before the start of his final season.

“It is weird,” Vasconez said. “I still feel like a freshman sometimes, I still feel like I just came to Temple. I still thought that I had so much more ahead of me. I can’t believe that this has happened. Sometimes I dream about it, and I say to myself that I must go to practice, but I can’t.”

His teammate, junior Nicolas Paulus, will have to help shoulder the load on the team. The loss of Vasconez will allow other players to be counted on more, Paulus said.

“It is sad to hear [Hernan] will be missing the rest of the season,” Paulus said. “Now the attitude is to involve the other players more and show them how to get better on the court and off of the court.”

The injury has given Vasconez a different perspective on tennis, which at times he took for granted.

“When you still play, sometimes you want it to be over,” Vasconez said. “But when you realize [playing collegiate tennis] is over, it is really hard.”

In his teenage years, Vasconez said he knew he needed to play tennis in the United States, as collegiate tennis isn’t as widely offered in his

I still thought “I had so much

more ahead of me. I can’t believe that this has happened.

”

Hernan Vasconez | senior

home country.

“I wanted to come to America since I was 16,” Vasconez said. “When you are 18 in South America, if you don’t come to the United States to play tennis, your career is over. It is either you [play professionally] or you are done. If you want to go pro, you must come to America and get a scholarship.”

International athletes do not have the luxury of competing in events with scouts, so they get noticed through agencies that reach out to collegiate coaches throughout the country.

Vasconez remembers the first time someone described Temple to him. The description

VASCONEZ PAGE 19

SPORTS DESK 215-204-9537

DONALD OTTO TTN

Senior guard Jesse Morgan handles the ball during the Owls’ 73-48 blowout against South Florida.

Into the spotlight

Jesse Morgan has settled in after moving back home.

ANDREW PARENT Assistant Sports Editor

W

ith Shaquille Harrison and his Tulsa teammates changing the game off the fastbreak and on the scoreboard, Jesse Morgan keeps plugging away.

His 3-point attempts in this contest nearly match those from the rest of his team combined, but Temple’s senior guard is only doing what he does best, and he’s doing it on the two-year anniversary of the anterior cruciate ligament tear in his right knee that set off his extended time away from regulation basketball.

Eighteen seconds and a four-point margin separate the Golden Hurricane from completing a double-digit comeback victory, though, but not

before the hometown kid representing the team for which he grew up cheering gave his longrange jump shot another chance, and then another. With the clock’s few remaining ticks running off it, junior guard Rashad Smith secured Morgan’s final heave with three seconds left to play and covered up as the buzzer announced Tulsa’s 63-56 victory on Jan. 10.

Morgan’s last two 3-point shots went the way of each of his previous attempts that afternoon.

Not much had been different in his approach – the very same that had helped him rip off four straight performances of 15 points or more in his first four games with the Owls, and he did it in his first regulation action in nearly two years.

After all, Morgan isn’t shy on the floor.

Coach Fran Dunphy said as much after his guard had netted 16 points in his first game of eligibility

MORGAN PAGE 18

More than 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean is not the only barrier that separates sabre fencer Gloria Aguilar from her homeland of Spain.

Along with the distance comes the language barrier that proved to be one of the many challenges Aguilar, a international transfer on the fencing team, has faced since she arrived on American soil six months ago.

“My English wasn’t that good,” Aguilar said. “I went to bed everyday with [a] headache focusing on trying to understand some things.”

“I had to record all of my classes because I didn’t understand anything,” she added. “So I had to record it, take notes and then re-listen to everything at home.”

With the help of her tutors, the coaching staff and her teammates including fellow sabre fencer and captain, Lauren Rangel-Friedman, who is a Spanish double major, the Madrid native has improved her English.

But the English language is not the only improvement Aguilar has made since being en garde for the No. 10 fencing collegiate program in the country.

On the strip, Aguilar has secured top wins against some of the nation’s top fencers. Her most recent came on Saturday when she faced off against sixth-ranked University of Pennsylvania and won 2-1 at the Philadelphia Invitational.

That was the same result that came forth in the dual between her and her Penn State opponent at the Penn State Invitational two Saturdays ago. After losing her first bout to then-No. 5 Penn State, Aguilar won the next two bouts to secure the win, knocking off one of the top teams in the country.

“My first bout with one of the Penn State girls was really bad and then I was like, ‘They don’t know me,” Aguilar said. “‘They will be afraid of me too.’ So I just started to fence, knowing that I worked hard for it and then I started thinking that this isn’t my first year fencing, I have my own skills, I am a smart person and that I need to be confident in my own fencing.”

It was that same self-motivation that attracted coach Nikki Franke and her staff to Aguilar when she was fencing in Spain.

“Gloria, she is a real fighter,” Franke said.

“She is very competitive.”

Aguilar got the attention of Temple’s fencing coaching staff through AGM Sports, a recruiting agency in Spain. After getting in contact with Temple, assistant coach Anastasia Ferdman said they received a video of her fencing and liked it.

But Aguilar’s relationship with the sport of fencing wasn’t always stable as swimming and

AGUILAR PAGE 18

women’s gymnastics

Murphy’s squad gains footing after slow start The squad has yet to reach its benchmarked score of 190 during its 1-2 start to the year.

GREG FRANK The Temple News For Temple women’s gymnastics coach Aaron Murphy, the magic number is 190.

That is the total score he’s been looking for his team to reach in its meet.

However, the team’s opening meet against Eastern Michigan and the George Washington Invitational, Temple scored 187.200 against Eastern Michigan and 187.275 in the GW Invitational.

The Owls embarked upon a rigorous offseason training regimen that began involved four mock meets leading up to the season opener. The team struggled in both meets on the bars, but Murphy

GYMNASTICS PAGE 17

ALLAN BARNES TTN

Senior gymnast Alexandra Forcucci performs against Ursinus last Saturday.

SPORTS@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM