Vol. 100 Iss. 9

THE TEMPLE NEWS

ALL-TIME

LEADING

SCORER

Mia Davis now holds Temple University women’s basketball’s all-time scoring record, after breaking the record in a victory against Wichita State University.

Read more on Page 17.

WHAT’S INSIDE NEWS, PAGE 6

Temple’s Muslim Students Association finally secured a new prayer space in the Paley Building.

SPORTS, PAGE 22

Arthur Johnson reflects on his journey to becoming Temple’s director of athletics.

VOL 100 // ISSUE 9 FEB 8, 2022

temple-news.com @thetemplenews

The Temple News

PAGE 2

THE TEMPLE NEWS A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921.

Lawrence Ukenye Editor-in-Chief Amelia Winger Digital Managing Editor Jack Danz Print Managing Editor Dante Collinelli Chief Digital Copy Editor Natalie Kerr Chief Print Copy Editor Haajrah Gilani Assignments Editor Fallon Roth News Editor Monica Constable Assistant News Editor Emerson Marchese Assistant News Editor Julia Merola Co-Opinion Editor Wendy Garcia Co-Opinion Editor Rosie Leonard Features Editor Eden MacDougall Assistant Features Editor Samantha Sullivan Assistant Features Editor Isabella DiAmore Sports Editor Nick Gangewere Assistant Sports Editor Victoria Ayala Assistant Sports Editor Maggie Fitzgerald Audience Engagement Editor Emily Lewis Assistant Engagement Editor Noel Chacko Co-Photography Editor Amber Ritson Co-Photography Editor Erik Coombs Multimedia Editor Allison Silibovsky Assistant Multimedia Editor Ingrid Slater Design Editor Ethan Carroll Assistant Design Editor Olivia Hall Podcast Editor Gracie Heim Web Editor Scarlett Catalfamo Advertising Manager Rose Mastrangelo Advertising 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.

The Editorial Board is made up of The Temple News’ Editor-inChief, Managing Editor, Digital Managing Editor, Chief Copy Editor, Assignments Editor, News Editor and Opinion Editor. The views expressed in editorials only reflect those of the Board, and not of the entire Temple News staff.

ON THE COVER Mia Davis, a graduate student forward, surveys the court during an Owls’ game against Wichita State at McGonigle Hall on Feb. 2.

NOEL CHACKO / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Contacts

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

CORRECTIONS A story that ran on January 25 misstated which type of mask epidemiology professor Abby Rudolph said provides the best protection against COVID-19. N95 masks provide the best protection.

Follow us @TheTempleNews

Accuracy is our business, so when a mistake is made, we’ll correct it as soon as possible. Anyone with inquiries about content in this newspaper can contact Editor-in-Chief Lawrence Ukenye at editor@temple-news.com.

The Temple News

NEWS

PAGE 3

CITY

City fellowship named after late Temple student Commissioner Omar Sabir hopes Samuel Collington’s legacy as an intern for his office lives on.

BY EMERSON MARCHESE Assistant News Editor

C

ity Commissioner Omar Sabir renamed the office’s democracy fellowship program as the Samuel S Collington Democracy Fellowship to honor Collington, a senior political science major who was fatally shot on Nov. 28, 2021, on Park Avenue near Susquehanna.

Prior to his death, Collington worked as an intern in Sabir’s office, where he wrote letters to constituents, worked in research and analytics and helped with project management.

The fellowship positions are six months long and educate students on election procedures, voter education and outreach initiatives while working directly with community leaders and elected officials, Sabir said.

Fellows are assigned to an area of focus during the program which include administration and office management, communications, constituent services, government relations and project management and event support.

“It’s not your typical internship or fellowship, where you’re going to be basically just behind a desk typing on a computer,” Sabir said. “You’re actually engaged in the community and you’re talking to constituents and doing everything that a worker that works in elections would do.”

The fellowship has a rolling start date, so students can still apply. Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited college or university at the start of their fellowship or graduated college or high school within two years of the start date, Sabir said.

The program is unpaid and requires at least 10 hours of in-person work per week, and students may be able to get college credits for their fellowship, Sabir said.

Sabir encourages college students who have an interest in government work to apply and hopes to add remote fellowship

THERESA COLLINGTON / COURTESY A six-month-long fellowship for Philadelphia City Commissioner Omar Sabir is dedicated to former intern and Temple student Samuel Collington.

opportunities to accommodate conditions caused by the pandemic, which will allow more students to be accepted.

Students can apply for the fellowship through City Commissioner Sabir’s Facebook page and the Temple political science newsletter and Facebook page.

After Collington’s death in November, friends, family and community members came together to celebrate his life at a candlelight vigil in Delaware County, on Dec. 2, 2021.

“We knew 100 percent after the vigil in Delaware County that we wanted to honor his legacy in this way,” Sabir said.

“After the vigil I mean, meeting the family, seeing the impact he had on the community, it was finalized after the vigil for sure.”

Collington’s friends and family feel that this fellowship is an ideal way to hon-

or his life as someone who was dedicated to creating change in his community.

“This is probably the best thing you could do for Sam,’’ said Daniel Previti, a senior risk management and economics major and a friend of Collington. “This fellowship is literally the embodiment of everything he stood for.”

Previti recalls how Collington made him register to vote and taught him that activism is not just performative and that the government can be used as a tool to fix society. He remembers Collington as someone who taught others how to believe in something and defend it tirelessly.

Interning at Sabir’s office was a perfect fit for Collington because he was extremely passionate about politics and voter turnout, said Dennis Collington, Sam Collington’s father.

“Sam was president of his graduating class from high school,” said Molly Collington, Sam Collington’s mother. “In his speech, he recommended that his fellow classmates go out and find something that you’re fanatical about, and Sam’s was politics, that was his passion, that was his fever.”

Sabir and the City Commissioner’s office hope to see students who are just as passionate as Collington was about making a difference apply for this fellowship to carry on Collington’s legacy.

“It’s important that Sam’s life is not taken for granted,” Sabir said. “He had a contribution and an amazing life that needs to be lived on and pushed on.” emerson.marchese@temple.edu

NEWS

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The Temple News

PUBLIC SAFETY

Campus Safety Services to start external audit soon The evaluation comes amid a surge of gun violence near Temple University’s Main Campus.

BY FALLON ROTH News Editor Amid the surge of gun violence near Main Campus, Temple University recruited former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey to audit Campus Safety Services’ procedures beginning potentially in the coming weeks, marking the department’s first external audit in more than a decade.

The audit is being conducted to increase the transparency of Campus Safety Services because they have not had an external audit recently. Once underway, the audit could take several months to complete, said Charles Leone, director of Campus Safety Services.

Ramsey will evaluate Campus Safety Services’ operations – including student and community engagement – and identify areas for potential improvement.

Throughout the process, Ramsey may reach out to community stakeholders, including North Central residents, Leone said. More details will be determined in the coming weeks.

“A big key here is to see how we’re using our resources,” Leone said. “Are we using them effectively? And how are we partnering with everyone in the community?”

The audit comes as violence reaches historic levels citywide, with Philadelphia reporting a record 559 homicides in 2021 and 44 homicides already reported in 2022. Samuel Collington, a senior political science major, was fatally shot on Park Avenue near Susquehanna on Nov. 28, 2021.

Ramsey previously co-chaired the 21st Century Task Force on Policing, a task force created by a 2014 executive order by former President Barack Obama to mediate issues between law enforcement and the community. Campus Safety Services considered the task force the “gold standard” of modern policing when conducting its self-evaluation in

NOEL CHACKO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple University has recruited Charles Ramsey, former Philadelphia Police Commissioner, to audit Campus Safety Services’ procedures.

October 2020.

Beyond Ramsey’s reputation and career, Leone asked him to conduct the audit after hearing him discuss gun violence on various news outlets, including the podcast “Reducing Crime,” which is hosted by Jerry Ratcliffe, a criminal justice professor.

“He understands the importance of including a sense of the community needs, including a sense of working with the community and crime prevention strategies,” Ratcliffe said.

Before becoming Philadelphia’s police commissioner, Ramsey became deputy superintendent in the Chicago Police Department from 1994 until 1998 and served as the chief of the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington D.C. from 1998 until 2007, according to the Center for Evidence-Based crime policy.

When Ramsey’s evaluation is com-

plete, Campus Safety Services will post the audit’s results on its website. The department wants Temple Student Government and student media outlets to share the results with the student body to spread awareness of the audit’s findings.

Campus Safety Services did not inform TSG about the audit before announcing it in a university-wide release on Jan. 27. TSG wishes students were involved with formulating the idea for the audit, said Cory Staples, TSG’s director of campus safety.

“What’s the point in changing those things if students aren’t involved, because changes might be made that students might not necessarily like, and then that could run into more problems in the future,” said Staples, a junior health professions major.

Despite Staples’ concerns, he is glad the evaluation is happening and hopes

Ramsey will involve students’ voices more throughout the auditing process.

Leone meets with Staples weekly and wants TSG involved in new campus safety initiatives.

Campus Safety Services is still discussing if it will make external evaluations a regular occurrence, Leone said.

“I’m not opposed to it, so I think it really depends on, as we’ve gone through the process, is it going to be beneficial to do that?” Leone said.

Ratcliffe doesn’t think there are hard guidelines for when Campus Safety Services should conduct external evaluations, but is glad it’s happening as violence increases in the city. fallon.roth@temple.edu @fallonroth_

The Temple News

NEWS

PAGE 5

CAMPUS

Temple misses benchmark for renewable energy goal

The university is facing challenges in creating opportunities for renewable energy on campus.

BY FALLON ROTH AND ASHLEY ORTEGA For The Temple News Temple University did not achieve its goal of having at least 100 kilowatts of renewable energy, a zero-carbon emission energy source, in university facilities by 2022.

The university faced several challenges to meeting this goal, including the cost of renewable energy, lack of space for solar panels, the prioritization of other sustainability projects, like green roofs, and the instability of the market for power-purchase agreement. In a power-purchase agreement, a developer arranges the installation and maintenance of a renewable energy source for a customer at a lesser cost in exchange for a flat rate from the customer and tax incentives.

The university originally viewed power-purchase agreements as a potential solution to the cost, space and priority challenges that could surface from the university installing renewable energy sources themselves, said Rebecca Collins, director of sustainability. However, a proposal with a potential developer fell through after the developer was unsure if they would have the labor and supplies needed to fulfill the project due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since then, Temple has not sent out any requests for power-purchase agreements because the project has become increasingly more expensive, Collins said.

However, Collins and Kurt Bresser, Temple’s utilities and energy manager,

RJ FRANCESCHINI / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple University’s Edberg-Olson Hall, on Diamond Street near 10th, has 4,500 square feet of solar panels on its roof. The array is the first solar power installation on a Philadelphia campus.

meet weekly to assess cost, availability and practicality of particular projects, Bresser said.

“It’s most likely not going to happen in 2022, and I don’t know, because of the volatility of the market, it’s hard to project when it’s going to happen in the future,” Collins said.

The cost of Temple independently installing solar panels is not always worth the low amount of energy it generates, Collins said. The 63 kilowatt solar panels installed on the roof of Edberg-Olson Hall in 2013 generate less than 10 percent of the energy at the facility, she added.

“The offsets for when we’re thinking about it from a financial perspective of how much does it cost versus how much generation is going to happen?,” Collins said. “It’s

not a lot, there’s not a lot of savings there.”

Finding space for solar panels on roofs is also difficult because heating and cooling infrastructure often takes up space on a roof, and buildings on Main Campus were not built to accommodate the additional weight of solar panels, Collins said.

Natalie Flynn, an earth and environmental science professor, hopes new buildings that are built on Temple’s campus will be able to adapt to more environmentally-friendly structures.

Temple also must determine whether they want to prioritize roof space for other sustainability projects, including green roofs like the one on Charles Library, which can aid stormwater management in Philadelphia, Collins said.

“There has to be a project that we can integrate renewable energy into, and

then if that opportunity presents itself, then we make a determination of whether or not integration of renewables is feasible and what would the cost of that be,” Collins said.

While Temple’s renewable energy initiative is temporarily on hold, the university is supporting research projects on solar energy, Collins said.

Sujith Ravi, director of the environmental science department and an earth and environmental science professor, is conducting research on how renewable energy integrates with agriculture. Temple’s College of Science and Technology and the Ambler Campus’ Field Station are providing access to resources needed to build a site for planting crops under solar panels.

Collins believes Temple will be held accountable to eventually reaching their minimum 100 kilowatts of renewable energy goal because they want to be carbon neutral by 2050. This will push the university to investigate different ways to reduce carbon emissions, Collins said.

Both Temple and the City of Philadelphia have committed to carbon neutrality by 2050 with Temple on track to reach their goal by 2050, according to the Office of Sustainability’s 2020-21 sustainability report. “​​Gotta keep it in the news, keep it as a priority, so that when financial decisions are made or building decisions are made, that there’s enough of a loud enough voice and a strong enough voice that they go, we need to listen to the consideration, so that it’s not just pushed aside,” Flynn said. fallon.roth@temple.edu @fallonroth_ ashley.ortega@temple.edu

PAGE 6

NEWS

The Temple News

INTERSECTION

Muslim Students Association gets space in Paley The organization can use the space until construction on Paley starts later this semester.

BY JOCELYN HOCKADAY For The Temple News After reigniting their years-long campaign for a new and permanent prayer space in the Paley Building in November 2021, Temple University’s Muslim Students Association can start using a room in Paley as a temporary prayer space within the next two weeks.

The organization can use Paley for prayer until construction begins on the building later this semester, said Chris Carey, senior associate dean of students.

MSA will continue campaigning for a permanent space, but is grateful for this new development, said MSA Islamic Education Chair Syed Waseem, a senior neuroscience and mathematics and computer science major.

“Even if the permanent prayer space isn’t achieved in one to two more years, what we did achieve was showing all people have a voice, that their voice can be heard and found,” Waseem said.

MSA’s campaign for a convenient and clean prayer space has been gaining momentum, largely on social media, with the introduction of their new Coalition Against Religious Exclusivity in a January Instagram post. The coalition invited organizations to sign a letter addressed to Temple’s administration detailing their concerns. MSA also developed the hashtag “#tufighttopray” for their campaign.

Almost 20 Temple student organizations, local mosques and other university’s Muslim Student Associations, including Harvard University, Princeton University and Brown University, have signed MSA’s letter, wrote MSA events coordinator Kubarah Ghias, a junior neuroscience and psychology major in an email to The Temple News.

Temple Student Government and Temple’s Pakistani Students Association have shown support for the campaign on social media.

TSG President Bradley Smutek has met with MSA periodically since last De-

AMBER RITSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS Members of the Muslim Student Association gather for chai after praying Maghrib in the Village, located in the Howard Gittis Student Center, on Feb. 7.

cember to offer support for the organization’s initiatives by connecting them with members of university administration.

TSG also contributed to the social media campaign by encouraging MSA to post videos and photos of them praying on social media, Smutek said.

“It’s bringing to light the sort of conditions on which they pray and students have no idea that that’s even happening,” said Smutek, a senior history major.

PSA is showing their support by reposting MSA’s Instagram campaign videos, said PSA President Zainab Khan, a junior architecture major. MSA’s videos often feature members praying under stairwells.

PSA, which shares a lot of members with MSA, has been commenting on MSA’s Instagram posts, using #tufighttopray and plans to sign MSA’s letter by Feb. 9 at the latest, Khan said.

“The support isn’t going to come to a stop, so I don’t think this would be the only thing we’re going to do,” Khan said. “A

good discussion definitely needs to continue, too, if that’s what it takes to bring more light into the situation.”

Richie’s, which is a Muslim-run business, has also shown their support for the campaign by reposting the letter to their Instagram, tagging Temple, TSG and President Jason Wingard’s Instagram, as recently as Jan. 28, said Tarik Dzemaili, operations manager at Richie’s.

“We have a lot of Muslim students as regulars here, and as I mentioned on our Instagram posts, not many people know that we’re Muslims, Richie and his family,” Dzemaili said.

A combination of social media and in-person organizing can enact social change, said Jason Del Gandio, a communication and social influence professor and the faculty advisor for the communication and activism minor.

“One of the ways to maximize your effectiveness on social media is to create a broad-based coalition of different groups, different business interests, entrepreneurs,

and different influencers,” Del Gandio said.

Social media is a useful tool to educate and mobilize users and hold those in power accountable, he added.

Prior to MSA’s social media campaign, the dean of students office and other departments within the university have met with MSA about their campaign, Carey said.

Currently, MSA holds prayer sessions in the Howard Gittis Student Center and the Tuttleman Learning Center.

The organization met with Student Activities before winter break to discuss concerns including fixing their broken wudu station, used to perform a pre-prayer ritual. MSA also suggested adding hooks in the bathrooms for women to hang their hijabs on while they perform wudu, and re-stocking the paper towels, Ghias said.

“MSA has our support because we want students, staff and faculty within the Muslim community on campus to feel like they belong and are supported,” Carey said. jocelyn.hockaday@temple.edu

OPINION

The Temple News

EDITORIAL

Celebrate Black history This year, the theme for Black History Month is Black Health and Wellness, focusing on Black scholars’ and medical practitioners’ legacies, and the Black community’s efforts to foster good health and wellness through initiatives like mutual aid and social support, according to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

In relation to this month’s theme, The Editorial Board would like to remind Temple students that Black History Month is a period of celebration.

While it’s important to remain informed on racial injustice, this month is a time set aside for commemorating Black history and amplifying Black voices.

In Philadelphia, there is a wealth of Black history to celebrate. On Broad Street near Oxford stands Sullivan Progress Plaza, the first Black-owned and managed shopping center in the United States.

The Church of the Advocate, on Diamond Street near 18th, hosted the National Conference of Black Power in 1968, the Black Panther Conference in 1970 and was the first Episcopal church to ordain women, according to the Church.

After Father Major Jealous

Divine acquired what is today known as the Divine Lorraine Hotel, it became a center for international religious, civil rights and social welfare activities, according to the hotel’s website.

The Editorial Board believes that when Temple students study the Black history around them, they’re learning important Philadelphia history and strengthening their understanding of their community.

In addition to developing their relationship with the history around them, the Editorial Board reminds students to celebrate and learn Black history past the month of February. This extends beyond reading books or using social media as a space for advocacy, and includes donating, volunteering and attending events.

Eight days into Black History Month, The Editorial Board reminds students that they are responsible for curating their experience and observing this month in a manner that is both desirable to them and mindful of the importance of Black history. There are numerous ways to celebrate Black history and no shortage of opportunities to do so during February and in the coming months.

PAGE 7

EDUCATION

Move college exams online Sixty-eight percent of students said they are A student argues that because able to access their course content but their instandardized tests are online, taking it ternet access can be slow or unreliable, according in a classroom should be optional too.

O

n Jan. 25, the College Board announced that the SAT will be fully virtual starting in 2024, as 80 percent of students who responded to a November 2021 survey said they found it to be less stressJULIA MEROLA ful and educators reported Co-Opinion Editor having a positive experience, according to its website.

Once they’ve moved online, students will take the SAT in a proctored setting, like a testing center, USA Today reported. However, there are many online proctoring sites, like ProctorU and Honorlock, that are capable of preventing cheating while allowing students to test from home.

The SAT is not the only standardized test that has been moved online; the LSAT, MCAT and GMAT are all fully virtual standardized tests.

With the SAT and other major standardized exams becoming fully virtual, college students should have the option to access all their exams online from home, because of advantages like convenience and consistency. Students should have the option of being in-person if they would rather be inside a classroom.

Remote exams are necessary when students cannot come in person, like when a student is ill or experiencing personal family matters.

Online testing allows for students to control their environment, said Lori Bailey, the assistant dean of Digital Transformation and Innovation.

“Because they can be very high stakes exams, they can control the environment in which they take the exam a little bit more,” Bailey said. “If you find [the] ticking of a clock in an exam room annoying or distracting, you could be in a quiet space.”

Unfortunately, not all students may have a comfortable place to take their exams as some struggle with weak Wi-Fi. “Suddenly your Wi-Fi drops, and you don’t know if you’re losing time on the exam, you don’t know if it’ll remember what you did,” Bailey said.

“You’re just sort of in this high anxiety moment of ‘What am I going to do?’ and ‘Who do I contact?’”

to a May 2021 report by the Institute for Higher Education Policy.

If a student is taking an online exam and runs into this issue, professors are flexible, Bailey said.

While the ability to take an exam online is essential for those with extenuating circumstances, it’s important to have the option of coming in-person as well in case a student’s computer crashes or loses Wi-Fi. For example, flexibility could include giving students extended due dates if they’re struggling with their internet or allowing them to come to Temple’s Main Campus to use a computer.

While feeling anxious before tests is normal for college students, extreme feelings of anxiety and stress can give students physical and emotional symptoms that affect their test performance. Approximately 20 to 45 percent of college students suffer from test anxiety, according to a November 2020 study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Online exams provide convenience because students are able to take tests at home, and immunocompromised students don’t have to worry about risking exposure to illnesses like COVID-19, said Nikhil Stride, a senior journalism major.

When students are facing personal matters, it is essential that they are able to test in an area that is convenient for them, without forcing them to come to the classroom.

While test anxiety can be caused by poor test history, other students, like Hanna Lee, experience anxiety from taking tests with others in the room.

With prior exams, much of Lee’s anxiety came from seeing peers jump to sections ahead of her during exams, she said.

“When I was taking the SAT, for example, I remember being super overwhelmed when I saw people jumping over to different sections, and I was still stuck on the same page for a few minutes,” said Lee, a sophomore political science major.

An online exam option ensures students can reach their full potential and receive scores that accurately reflect the work they put in. julia.merola@temple.edu @juliaamerola

PAGE 8

OPINION

The Temple News

POLITICS

All women deserve the right to abortion funding

A student argues that voters must take action now against the most recent abortion threat.

On Jan. 25, Pennsylvania senate Republicans introduced a constitutional amendment which would establish that there is no constitutional right to abortion or taxpayer funding of JULIA MEROLA abortion in the state.

Co-Opinion Editor While Gov. Tom Wolf vowed to veto proposed anti-abortion legislation, any proposed constitutional amendment in Pennsylvania would be presented as a separate ballot question in an upcoming election, Eyewitness News reported. This means Wolf cannot veto the proposed constitutional amendment, because it’s voters’ decision.

If approved by Pennsylvanian voters, state courts would be prevented from protecting abortion care in the absence of federal protections, according to Pennsylvania ACLU. This would prohibit the state from funding healthcare entities, like Medicaid, if they provide access to abortions.

The bill’s passage would drastically reduce the ability for Pennsylvanian women to receive safe abortions as they’d have to pay out of pocket for the procedure due to insurance no longer covering it.

While the proposed legislation won’t be on the ballot in the near future, Pennsylvanian voters must prepare to fight against this constitutional amendment. They can do so by registering to vote as soon as possible, donating to and protesting with groups like Planned Parenthood and voting for a governor who will protect abortions in this year’s gubenatorial election.

“It could affect every woman if it bans state funding,” said Bernie Newman, a sociology professor. “Particularly for those of us who have fewer choices, fewer resources, less likelihood to be able to travel to another state or to arrange for private funding.”

This amendment specifically affects

ALLYSON THARP / THE TEMPLE NEWS

lower-income women because higher-income women can typically afford to pay out of pocket, said Prachi Gupta, an economics professor.

While the loss of state funding and the rising costs of abortions increase the financial burden on all women, this bill will effectively make abortions unobtainable for women experiencing poverty.

Surgical abortions in the first trimester can cost up to $1,500, but the cost increases as the pregnancy progresses, according to North Care Women’s Clinic, a non-profit medical clinic licensed by Pennsylvania.

In 2020, 12.9 percent of working-age women in Pennsylvania had incomes below the poverty line, according to Talk Poverty, a project of the Center for American Progress that covers poverty in America.

“There has been increase in financial hardships for women who are turned away or cannot access abortion,” said Lauren Barbato, a third-year Ph.D. religion student and a Religion and Human Sexuality teacher’s assisstant. “There’s massive financial impacts.”

Removing the right to an abortion can also push financially-vulnerable women into poverty.

Women who want an abortion but are denied one are more likely to spend years experiencing poverty than women who are able to end their pregnancies, CBS News reported. Oftentimes, this is because the woman seeking an abortion aren’t financially able to cover the costs of food, housing or other basic living expenses.

The average cost of having a baby in

Pennsylvania is $6,850, but can increase to $10,266 if a Cesarean section is needed.

In addition, the weekly cost of childcare in Pennsylvania is $290 per child, according to an August 2020 study by the Institute of State and Regional Affairs.

Therefore, if a Pennsylvanian woman’s income is less than $13,590, which is the poverty income for a household of one, they would barely afford a birth by Cesarean section, and would only be able to afford care for two months after having the child.

If the bill is approved by voters, women experiencing poverty will be set up to fail because they do not have the means to properly support a child and pay for childcare.

Voters have the power to help fight for Pennsylvania women’s rights through protests, advocacy and donations.

People must take advantage of the time available while the bill is in the Pennsylvania General Assembly to promote the right to abortion funding from the state to protect women’s physical and financial health.

The consequences of abortion restrictions can be lifelong and devastating, Newman said.

“She may be forced to seek means to have more unsafe processes to try to terminate the pregnancy out of desperation when we don’t provide the access,” Newman said.

Women who are denied an abortion are more likely to experience higher levels of anxiety, lower life satisfaction and lower self-esteem compared to women who received an abortion, according to American Psychological Association.

With ample time ahead, voters cannot wait until the election to make their decision. They must take advantage of the time they currently have by registering to vote early, advocating for leaders who will support abortion rights and donating and protesting with groups like Planned Parenthood or the National Network of Abortion funds. julia.merola@temple.edu @juliaamerola

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PAGE 10

OPINION

The Temple News

THE ESSAYIST

Biden, put a Black woman on U.S. Supreme Court A student explains the importance of seeing a Black woman on the Supreme Court.

BY JETTA HOLIDAY For The Temple News I remember telling my music teacher in second grade that I wanted to become the first Black female president right after President Barack Obama took office. I told him that if President Obama could do it, then so could I. Watching former President Obama get elected to office was a moment I’ll never forget. Although I was in second grade and didn’t fully comprehend the concept of politics, seeing the joy and excitement on my parents’ faces when they found out that he won made me happy.

The next day at school, all the other Black students were excited and it was all we could talk about because it was something historic and special to us. While some saw this election just like the rest, for Black Americans, it was a remarkable victory.

When news of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement came out, I hoped that this would be a historic victory for the Black community, especially Black women.

During his 2020 presidential campaign, President Joe Biden promised that, if he had the chance, he would nominate the first Black woman to the United States Supreme Court. With Breyer’s retirement looming, Biden can uphold his pledge, allowing Black women and girls to see someone like them serving in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Despite the lack of trust I have in our government and how it constantly fails the Black community, if I saw someone like me on the Supreme Court, it would give me hope that Black women will finally receive the respect we deserve.

This change in our Supreme Court would pave the way for much needed representation and diversity in politics and other important careers where Black women like me are disproportionately underrepresented.

Black women make up about 7.8 percent of the U.S. population, however they account for less than 5 percent of U.S. executive offices, Congress and state legislatures, according

SOFIA GONZALEZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS

to an October 2021 report by Higher Heights Leadership Fund, an organization that invests in and helps increase leadership among Black women.

I often assume that Black women don’t have a place in Congress or any political position because I only see older white men discussing U.S. politics. Although I felt discouraged from wanting to work in positions of power because it made me feel as if I’m not wanted in those positions, I know that seeing a Black woman succeed, would encourage me to do the same.

It’s harder for me to express problems concerning our country, especially when most politicians are white men who don’t understand the struggles, like racial inequality, that Black Americans experience.

Despite the U.S. being a cultural, ethnically and racially diverse country, our government does not reflect its population. Since the assembly of the Supreme Court in 1790,

only two out of 113 Justices have been Black men, CNN reported.

If it weren’t for Black women voting in the 2020 Presidential Election, Biden wouldn’t have been elected, as 90 percent of Black women voted for Biden in the election, according to a NBC live Exit Poll.

In addition, more than one-third of Black voters live in battleground states like Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania and the number of Black Americans eligible to vote in presidential elections reached a record high in 2020, according to the Pew Research Center.

Black voters made up 11 percent of the national electorate, and 90 percent of Black voters voted for Biden, AP News reported.

I’ve grown tired of watching the Black community put their time and effort into voting for white politicians, only for politicians to give us the shorter end of the stick.

Black women supported Biden, and it’s

time for him to do the same. The first step would be officially nominating a Black woman to the Supreme Court.

Representation for Black women allows their voices to be heard, and would help break down racial and gender barriers. With more African Americans in politics, young Black children will be able to see themselves in positions of power.

Seeing a Black person in the spotlight, like how I saw former President Obama, gives Black children endless possibilities for a career they would want to pursue in their future.

If President Biden fulfills his promise by officially nominating a Black woman to the Supreme Court, it would be an historic moment and a reminder for young Black girls and women that anything is possible, despite how hard it may be to get there. jetta.holiday@temple.edu

The Temple News

OPINION

PAGE 11

STUDENT LIFE

Students, use career resources for a better future A student argues that using career services will prepare students to enter the job market.

With the anxiety I experience in job interviews and the uncertainty about my professional future, I fear I won’t be prepared for any career I go into or know what profession WENDY GARCIA to pursue.

Co-Opinion Editor Fewer than 20 percent of college students reach out to their school’s career centers for advice on finding jobs, The Atlantic reported. With many students missing out on their school’s career resources, they may not be equipped with the skills needed to attain jobs after graduation.

Temple University offers many resources for students to explore career paths and strengthen their skill sets, like career coaching, interview preparation, resume and cover letter review and job search platforms.

To prepare for the job market after college, students must take advantage of the career resources offered through Temple’s Career Center or their school’s career services, like interview preparation and career fairs.

Some of the career services in individual schools include The Center for Professional Development in the Fox School of Business, The Joyce K. Salzburg Center for Professional Development in the College of Liberal Arts and the Career Center in the Lew Klein College of Media and Communication.

Students can schedule an appointment with employers and professional staff for a mock interview through Handshake, a university-wide internship and professional job database.

Proper preparation for job interviews increases the chances of students obtaining jobs by making them more confident in their abilities and prepared for potential interview questions.

Many schools and colleges within Temple also have their own career resources, like career counselors and required career development classes.

KRISTINE CHIN / THE TEMPLE NEWS

For example, The Center for Student Professional Development in Fox helps students find business-related jobs and works with Student Professional Organizations to develop students’ leadership skills.

Brighid Scanlon, the assistant director for undergraduate professional development in Fox, wants every student to leave Temple with the same level of professional development.

“Our aim is to try to close the gap between the students that come in without a lot of professional experience, or without those legacy family connections within the business community to create programming that can address the needs of our diverse student body,” Scanlon said.

To close the gap between students with experience or connections and students without them, Fox helps every student through a required one-credit

career development course to develop students’ career goals, resumes and interview skills, she added.

Many people attain jobs through connections with people in their desired field. Between 70 to 80 percent of jobs aren’t advertised, but obtained through networks, TechJury reported. By meeting with career counselors, students can be connected with them to improve their job searches and are more likely to obtain jobs in their fields.

Jessica Lin, a senior marketing major, found the resources in CSPD to be helpful in job searching and getting her resume and cover letter reviewed.

“I feel like if I didn’t use them, I would rely solely on myself or on my friends, so it was nice to get help professionally,” Lin said.

Career coaches can play a key role in improving the quality of resumes and cover letters so students are able to stand

out to recruiters during the job application process.

Taking advantage of the resources at the Career Center and CLA helps students gain professional experience, said Stacy Li, a career counselor at The Joyce K. Salzburg Center for Professional Development in CLA. “Throughout all these experiences, it really just prepares students to be successful in whatever they do after they leave Temple,” Li said.

Temple’s career services can help students decide what career paths are suitable for them and prepare them to enter the workforce after graduating.

Through career coaching, interview preparation and career fairs, students can walk out of college with the skills to succeed in their professions. wendy.garcia@temple.edu

LIVE

YEAR

in

Philly

OF THE

TIGER

AMBER RITSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS Jimmy Rivera, a senior at The Academy at Palumbo, lifts the head of the lion during the lion dance to celebrate the Lunar New Year at the Rail Park Lunar New Year event on Feb. 6.

Members of the Central Philadelphia community celebrate the Lunar New Year.

BY AMBER RITSON Co-Photo Editor City residents gathered at the Rail Park, located on Nobel Street near Broad, for a Lunar New Year event to celebrate the Year of the Tiger on Saturday, Feb. 5.

Lunar New Year begins in late January and lasts for 15 days. It signifies leaving the past year behind and embracing the future, and each year is represented by a Chinese zodiac, with 2022 being the Year of the Tiger.

From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., event-goers

braved frigid temperatures to watch traditional lion dances performed by the Philadelphia Suns, a local organization for Asian youth in the Philadelphia area.

Event-goers also had the opportunity to connect with local Asian Americans and Pacific Island organizations such as the Asian Arts Initiative, Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance, and the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation.

Rebecca Chan, 34, the executive director of the Rail Park, organized this year’s event after postponing the last two Lunar New Year celebrations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chan wanted to hold the event this year to celebrate the community and return to normal.

“We want to celebrate the cultures

in the neighborhoods that we’re a part of,” Chan said. “Lunar New Year is a big part of the Chinatown community. It’s part of all of Philadelphia really.”

For some attendees, this year’s Lunar New Year event was their first celebration. But, Maria Pino, 57, a retired resident of West Philadelphia, visited in past years and felt that this year wasn’t the same as pre-pandemic events.

“They had lots of vendors and food trucks, and it seemed it was a lot bigger event,” Pino said. “This was nice, except it was just a little crowded when they were doing the dance.”

Although the event is a celebration of new beginnings and adventure, there were somber moments for Abby Koziol, a junior social work major at Temple

University, who celebrated Lunar New Year without their family for the first time this year.

It is important to have a community celebration like the one at Rail Park because it allows the Asian community to celebrate a yearly tradition in a public environment, especially this year with the increase in hate crimes committed against Asian Americans since the start of COVID-19, Koziol said.

“In order for the Asian communities to feel like they’re a part of society, having these events makes them feel more included.” Koziol said. “That’s really important as well to recognize the community and what they do.” amberskyritson@temple.edu

MOVING CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOP AMBER RITSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS Event goers look down 12th Street as members of the Philadelphia Suns carry the dragon to the Lunar New Year event.

Jonathan Zhou, a sophomore at Community College of Philadelphia, looks out toward the crowd while performing in the lion dance.

The Philadelphia Suns lion performers interact with members of the crowd.

Members of the Philadelphia Suns carry the dragon through the crowd to ring in the Lunar New Year.

Chadford Jung, a junior business management major at Temple University, drums as other members of the Philadelphia Suns perform the lion dance.

PAGE 14

FEATURES

The Temple News

ART

Temple professor wins award for glassworking Madeline Rile Smith discovered her love for glassworking in high school and turned it into a career.

BY EDEN MacDOUGALL Assistant Features Editor

W

hen Madeline Rile Smith opened the email notifying her that she won the 2022 Saxe Emerging Artists Award, her day came to an abrupt pause.

“I took a moment of reflection to be like, ‘oh my gosh this happened,’ and just a moment to be thankful,” said Rile Smith, a 2014 glass major and adjunct professor at Temple University and Salem Community College.

Rile Smith was one of three winners to receive the 2022 Saxe Emerging Artists Award, an award for glassworkers meant to increase the winner’s exposure in the glass community. The award includes $200, the opportunity to present her work at the Glass Art Society conference in Tacoma, Washington, in May and have her work included in a separate digital exhibition.

Rile Smith wanted to be nominated and apply for the Saxe Award before but was ineligible because she was in graduate school at Rochester Institute of Technology, she said.

Current students and people who graduated more than 12 years ago are not eligible for the award, according to the GAS website.

For her application, Rile Smith submitted pictures of recent pieces she made, like a glass trumpet that needs multiple people to play it, and Take It All In, a face piece that amplifies the wearer’s senses while also exposing them to potential harm, she said.

Rile Smith admires several artists who won the award, like former Tyler student Kris Rumman, a 2018 alumna who won in 2019.

Rile Smith originally planned on becoming a violinist but changed her mind when she took glassworking as an elective during her junior year of high school at the Crefeld School in Chestnut Hill. While making beads, vases and

ADAM PYSHER / THE TEMPLE NEWS Madeline Rile Smith, a 2014 glass alumna and adjunct professor at Tyler School of Art, holds glass over a flame in the Irwin Borowsky Glass Studio on Feb. 3.

sculptures in class, she fell in love with glass because of its versatility and interactive nature, she said.

“When you’re melting glass it’s so immediate it starts to shape and move almost instantly and you have to respond to it so it’s this constant state of, like, being actively engaged with this medium,” Rile Smith said.

She spent most of her free time working in the Crefeld School’s glass studio or the personal studio she set up in her parent’s garage, Rile Smith added.

When Rile Smith discovered she could study glassworking in college, she leaped at the chance and applied to the Cleveland Institute of Art, which she attended for two years before transferring to Temple in 2011, she said.

“This changed the trajectory of my path, of my life,” Rile Smith said.

Rile Smith started working as an adjunct at Temple in 2021 teaching Introduc-

tion to Glass For Non-Tyler BFA Majors because she wanted to help students hone their skills, she said.

Jessica Jane Julius taught Rile Smith multiple times at Temple and was impressed by her willingness to work outside of her comfort zone and how well she handled criticism, she said.

Julius is glad to have Rile Smith back at Temple because she goes above and beyond to help students both in and out of her classes, said Julius, associate glass professor and head of the glass program at Tyler.

“To know that she got it, number one, it was a gift so deserving and then also just really exciting for her,” Julius added.

Brynn Hurlstone was a teaching assistant for Rile Smith’s Introduction to Glass For Non-Tyler BFA Majors class last year and admires her ability to stay relaxed while working on a project, she said.

Rile Smith has a dry and absurdist

sense of humor which she incorporates into her glasswork through projects like Take It All In, which amplifies the senses with large glass funnels wrapping around the wearer’s face, said Hurlstone, a first year glass master of fine arts student.

“She brought that concept to life through beautiful, clear and minimalist but ridiculous glass,” Hurlstone added.

Winning the Saxe Award and presenting at the conference will increase Rile Smith’s profile as well as validate her work, she said.

Rile Smith has attended conference lectures at GAS before and is looking forward to finally giving a lecture of her own, she said.

“You know, getting to give a lecture on my artwork in front of the entire Glass Art Society conference will be really great visibility and a really nice thing to have on my resume,” Rile Smith added. eden.macdougall@temple.edu

The Temple News

FEATURES

PAGE 15

COMMUNITY

Temple alumnus’ business helps inform renters Ofo Ezeugwu launched Whose Your Landlord, an online feedback platform, in 2015.

BY SAMANTHA SULLIVAN Assistant Features Editor After hearing horror stories from Temple University students about infestations, male landlords making female tenants uncomfortable and absentee landlords, Ofo Ezeugwu decided to launch a platform to save renters time and money.

“I just thought there had to be some way to review your landlord or property manager before signing your lease and that really resonated with students,” said Ezeugwu, a 2013 entrepreneurship and innovation management alumnus and founder of Whose Your Landlord.

Ezeugwu launched Whose Your Landlord, a site where renters can leave feedback about their landlords, in 2013 to improve transparency in the rental industry.

On Feb. 1, the first day of Black History Month, Ezeugwu announced that Black Operator Ventures, a venture capital fund managed and led by an all-Black team, invested $2.1 million in Whose Your Landlord. Ezeugwu will use the money to provide insights and analytics directly to landlords through an online dashboard, Ezeugwu said.

“If you can show there’s a financial reason why you should be nicer, people tend to listen,” Ezeugwu said. “What’s been really cool is watching how, by treating your residents like the human beings they are, you can actually improve the value of your properties.”

Renters can use the WYL website to post a rating or review of their experi-

OFO EZEUGWU / COURTESY Ofo Ezeugwu, a 2013 entrepreneurship and innovation management alumnus, founded Whose Your Landlord in 2013, a site where renters can leave feedback about their landlords.

ences with home providers for individuals to see and base their future rental decisions on.

Ezeugwu launched the first version of WYL while serving as vice president of external affairs for Temple Student Government as a tool for students to review their home providers. He wanted to give residents a platform to share their experience and increase transparency in the rental market, Ezeugwu said.

“We were endeavoring into territory that frankly I didn’t know too much about but I just knew from a human perspective, I knew how I’d want to feel in the place that I called home,” Ezeugwu said.

Seeing the success of WYL among Temple students inspired Ezeugwu to pursue the business seriously in 2015.

During the last seven years, WYL has expanded to include cities across the U.S., like New York City, Dallas, Cleveland and Las Vegas. The service has a blog with resources for renters that answer common questions about leasing and provide tips on how to be a good neighbor.

Layla Kasymov, a senior marketing major, interned at WYL from April 2020 to August 2020 and was drawn to the company following her own bad experience navigating off-campus housing at Temple. During her sophomore year, her landlord routinely neglected her apartment and sold the building without telling Kasymov or her roommates, she said.

Kasymov finds services like WYL to

be especially important for college students who may not know what they’re committing to before signing a lease, she said.

“College kids, we want to find a place to live, we want it to be in a secure area, we want it to be affordable, but sometimes we never consider other factors like how the landlord will actually treat us, like how they will actually maintain the request or the condition in general,” Kasymov said.

Emily Madara, a senior entrepreneurship and innovation management major who interned at WYL in 2020, was attracted to their mission to empower renters.

Madara appreciates how WYL helps tenants stay informed about who manages their property and the managers’ reputations.

“It’s really important for people to know who they’re renting their home from or working with a management company to know how they actually treat people and what it’s like,” Madara said. “I thought it was great for people to have safe living situations and not get taken advantage of.”

Ezeugwu wants home providers to look beyond the business side of renting and acknowledge that the space they are renting to residents is more than just a place to live, it is a home where memories are made.

“You might remember breaking up with a boyfriend or a boyfriend breaking up with you in that spot, laughing hysterically at your friends’ jokes, crying because you did poorly on a test,” Ezeugwu said.

“There’s just a natural, more emotional connection with the spaces that we call home than there is from home providers.” samantha.sullivan0002@temple.edu

FEATURES

PAGE 16

The Temple News

AROUND CAMPUS

Black History Month Community Resource Guide Black History Month honors Graduate Speaker Series: Black Feminist African Americans who helped Technoculture and the Virtual Beauty Shop Catherine Knight Steele, an assistant shape the United States.

BY ROSIE LEONARD AND SAMANTHA SULLIVAN From on-campus events at Temple University to volunteering and donation opportunities in the Philadelphia area, there are many ways people can honor Black History Month this February.

Black History Month, created in 1976, runs through the entire month of February.

It is an annual month of observance honoring African Americans who helped shape the United States. Throughout the month, individuals, groups and organizations gather to celebrate cultural heritage, triumphs and adversities.

Here are some ways for students, faculty, staff and community members to celebrate Black History Month near Temple’s Main Campus and throughout Philadelphia.

EVENTS Temple Student Government is lighting the Bell Tower green each night in February as a symbol of prosperity, growth and fertility.

Kariamu Welsh memorial celebration On Friday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m., Temple’s Dance Department and members of the umfundalai community, which is a form of contemporary African dance, will honor the late Kariamu Welsh, a former choreographer and Temple dance professor, at the Conwell Dance Theater with tributes and performances.

Students can register online or view the livestream on YouTube.

Black History Mural Tour From noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12, Historic Fair Hill on Germantown Avenue is hosting a Black History mural tour. Visitors will tour six murals in the neighborhood surrounding the Fair Hill Burial Ground. Each tour, led

by Carolyn Singleton, a tour guide and historian, is an hour long and will educate attendees on major historical events and prominent Black figures.

professor of communication at the University of Maryland, will lead a discussion in Room 1024 of Gladfelter Hall about Black women’s relationship with technology and culture. The event is part of Klein College of Media and Commuication’s Graduate Speaker Series, and will take place on Feb. 17 at 3:30 p.m.

A conversation with Stephany Coakley Stephany Coakley, senior associate athletic director for mental health, wellness and performance, will discuss her book, “Tye the Dreamer,” a celebration of African American family life during a virtual event on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 2 p.m.

DONATIONS

Colours Organization Colours provides LGBTQIA+ communities of color with free HIV and STI screenings, safer sex and hygiene kits, food and clothing services, work and school readiness training and support groups. Individuals can donate through PayPal, email inquiry or bring their donations to Suite 910 of 1211 Chestnut St. Institute for the Development of African American Youth IDAAY provides education, training, prevention, intervention and social service programs for underserved youth and families in Philadelphia. People can donate on their website to aid programs for at-risk youth.

Philadelphia Black Giving Circle PBGC supports local non-profit organizations that serve the Philadelphia community. Donations help support Black-led and Black-serving organizations and can be sent through their website or to the POISE Foundation, a public charity that provides funds to organizations that support leadership development and advocacy in the Black community.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES African American Museum in Philadelphia The African American Museum of Phil-

NOEL CHACKO / THE TEMPLE NEWS In honor of Black History Month, Temple Student Government will light the Bell Tower green every night in February.

adelphia works to educate the public about the achievements of African Americans including innovations in entertainment, sports, law, politics, religion and historical moments, like the Civil Rights Movement. Volunteers can assist with tours, exhibit openings and educational programs at the museum. The museum is located at 7​ 01 Arch Street.

The Equity Project EP is a program for youth in Kensington that works to heal trauma and promote a safer community through anti-violence prevention. Volunteers can come to speak or teach skills like cooking and cleaning to Black and Brown youth. The Equity Project is located at 426 E. Allegheny Ave. Urban Creators Urban Creators is a non-profit that uses food, art and education to foster equity and

collaboration in Philadelphia neighborhoods.

On the 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month, they have open volunteer hours to support their Neighborhood Beautification projects from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Urban Creators is located at 2316-50 N. 11th St. Urban League Philadelphia ULP is an advocacy organization that offers services relating to youth education, housing counseling, workforce development, entrepreneurship and health and wellness. Interested volunteers can get started by completing a form on their website. ULP is located on the sixth floor of 121 S. Broad Street. mary.rose.leonard@temple.edu samantha.sullivan0002@temple.edu

The Temple News

FEATURES

PAGE 17

ALUMNI

Temple alum releases introspective poetry book Sabriaya Shipley released the poetry book “Somewhere between God and Mammy” on Jan. 29.

BY ROSIE LEONARD Features Editor Growing up, Sabriaya Shipley’s mom would take them to local cafes and libraries across Baltimore, Maryland, to listen to West African storytellers. At age eight, Shipley joined their first poetry troupe and fell in love with the art of performative storytelling.

“It was my first time performing in public like that, and it was such an empowering feeling to do as a youth,” said Shipley, a program director at Tree House Books, an organization providing free books to children and families to increase literacy skills, and a 2018 theater alum. “It stuck with me in many ways.”

Nearly two decades later, Shipley published their first book, “Somewhere between God and Mammy,” on Jan. 29, which compiled seven years’ worth of poems they wrote independently and for class assignments. The same day, Shipley hosted a live Zoom reading of their poetry pieces to celebrate the book’s release and their 26th birthday.

The book is split into three sections: “God” explores how people find God in themselves, “Mammy” follows Shipley’s journey as a mother and teacher in their community and “Savage” focuses on self-advocacy. Together, the sections take readers through Shipley’s journey exploring their Black girlhood, womanhood and non-binariness.

It can be purchased as either hard-copy or ebook through Shipley’s website.

Since graduating in 2018, Shipley has dedicated most of their time to helping educate Black youth in Philadelphia, working as a teaching artist with organizations like Philadelphia Young Playwrights and Yes! And Collaborative Arts. They also co-founded Griot Girls, a Philly-based youth writing collective

AMBER RITSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS Sabriaya Shipley, a 2018 theater Temple alum, looks toward the children attending the after school program at Tree House Books, where they are the program director.

for Black girls.

Shipley decided to publish the book after receiving a $20,000 grant from the Philadelphia Foundation in July 2021.

They were one of four individual artists selected for the award.

“It was really great to see and to think about bringing that to fruition,” Shipley added.

Many of the poems featured in the book were written during Shipley’s time as a Temple University student when they took classes with Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon, an urban theater and community engagement professor.

Shipley’s work with Williams-Witherspoon reminded them that their career is always evolving and helped them find their poetic voice by writing, performing, creating and binding manuscripts of their pieces.

Shipley values hard work and feels having someone in life who exemplifies that type of work ethic is inspiring, they

said.

“Watching your professors or your teachers who actually are doing the other things that they’re teaching you changes your whole perspective as students,” Shipley added. “And I see that now in my own students who look at me like, ‘I believe Ms. Sabriaya when she tells me I can do things because she does the things she says she is going to do.’”

For Williams-Witherspoon, working with Shipley was a wonderful experience, and she’s enjoyed watching Shipley grow through the years. She attended Shipley’s Zoom reading to celebrate the book’s publication.

“There are some students who, no matter where they go in the world, we’re always connected,” Williams-Witherspoon said. “[Shipley] is one of those individuals.”

Williams-Witherspoon is proud of Shipley and feels they will leave an impact on the world that will encourage

others who come behind them to do the same.

Shipley also received encouragement to pursue their career goals from their mentor, Amina Robinson, an acting and musical theater professor. Shipley babysat Robinson’s son while at Temple, and are “like family” now, Robinson said.

Robinson never doubted Shipley would do amazing things in their career and admires how creative and determined they are, she said. “[Shipley] has just always been really open to exploring who they were as a person and trying to find ways to express that through their creativity,” Robinson said. “They are multi-hyphenate in terms of their artistry, and also very intellectual as well.”

Robinson feels the publication of “Somewhere between God and Mammy” is only the beginning of how far Shipley will go in their life, she said.

Mia Rocchio, a freelance theater maker and educator, has worked with Shipley since 2018 and helped coordinate the Zoom performance on Jan. 29.

Rocchio was eager to help out because she admires Shipley and their work, she said. She feels that, while Shipley’s book is full of personal experiences, many people can relate to the content.

“It requires just an incredible amount of bravery from [Shipley] because it is this personal part of them, but it also really is speaking to something incredibly global and relatable to a lot of people,” Rocchio said.

Shipley hopes the poems in their book will help readers understand it is okay to feel contradicted at times, and that it is not impossible to overcome obstacles.

“I’m not interested in how many books sell, I’m merely interested in this being a [milestone] in my journey,” Shipley said. .

mary.rose.leonard@temple.edu

PAGE 18

SPORTS

The Temple News

ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

Johnson plans to reconnect Temple sports fans Athletic Director Arthur Johnson will use his 25 years of experience to improve Temple Athletics.

BY ISABELLA DiAMORE Sports Editor Arthur Johnson’s family spent Friday nights under the lights at Thomasville High School, in Thomasville, Georgia, where he played quarterback.

Then in the winter, the neighborhood kids, including Johnson and his four siblings would head to the Thomasville YMCA to play pick up.

His upbringing created a long-term connection with sports beyond playing on the field.

On Oct. 6, 2021, Johnson was hired as Temple University vice president and director of athletics, after previously serving as senior associate athletics director for administration and operations at the University of Texas. Three months in, Johnson’s objective is reconnecting fan’s engagement with Temple sporting events.

Johnson rose through the ranks in college operations to athletic administration, which has allowed him to see different perspectives of internal and external affairs.

He’s dealt with budgets, provided resources for student-athletes to succeed and strengthened the bond between college athletics and the community. With 25 years of experience, Johnson plans to channel everything he’s learned from his previous experiences to rebuild Temple athletics.

RISING THROUGH THE RANKS Johnson attended the University of Georgia from 1988-1994 and majored in risk management.

During his freshman year, Johnson was roommates with Damon Evans, a former Georgia football player and current athletic director at the University of Maryland.

Evans spent most days at Sanford Stadium, and it wasn’t long until Johnson got involved with Georgia’s Athletics by becoming a manager on the football team.

NOEL CHACKO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Arthur Johnson, vice president and director of athletics at Temple University, previously served as senior associate athletics director for Administration and Operations at the University of Texas. Johnson wants to focus on recreating the fan engagement experience at Temple athletic events.

The former football players referred to Johnson as “Mr. Smooth”, because he was a great relationship builder and could interact with a variety of individuals, Evans said.

“He’s true to his word,” Evans added.

“He does what he says he’s going to do, and he really cares about people.”

Johnson graduated in 1994 and worked at Arizona State as a manager for football operations, where he became close with then defensive coordinator Phil Snow, who was a defensive coordinator at Temple under Matt Rhule.

Johnson also managed the football budget and participated in recruiting efforts, he said.

As a risk management major, Johnson had a business foundation in accounting and finances so those skills came in handy while working at Arizona State because of their zero-based budget-

ing approach, which involves developing a new budget from scratch each year.

“Financially, we ran out of money,” Johnson added. “In spring, we couldn’t send recruiting letters. That’ll remind you in a hurry to manage the budget to get through that fiscal year and to be able to do all the things that you want to do.”

Johnson was offered a job at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as an administrative assistant for football operations, after serving at Arizona State for three years,.

“I left Arizona, went to Chapel Hill, got married, moved and changed jobs all in the same week,” Johnson said.

“Life-changing at the time.”

After a brief one-year stint, Johnson was offered an opportunity to go to Texas as an assistant athletics director for football operations and special assistant to former head coach Mack Brown in 1999.

But once Evans was named Georgia’s athletic director in 2004, he wanted Johnson to join his staff and to serve on the senior leadership team, Evans said.

When he rejoined his alma mater, Johnson oversaw $150 million in construction projects and each project was in line with the budget plan, he said.

“To go back on the campus in a place where I grew up and see that you were involved in making some decisions on some key iconic spaces on campus, it’s humbling,” Johnson said.

In his six-year span in Athens, Georgia, Johnson helped organize the construction of a new basketball facility. He also managed to move the SEC basketball tournament in Atlanta to Georgia Tech University due to a tornado in the area, Evans said.

“We had a team that had only won eight games that year and had 20 losses,”

The Temple News

Evans added. “We ended up winning the SEC tournament and Arthur played a big role in just keeping that team together and working with that staff.”

Evans resigned from his position after seven years due to a personal incident, and shortly after Brown called Johnson about an opportunity to return to Austin, Texas, as the school’s senior associate athletics director for football operation.

“I got a call from Texas,” Johnson said. “There was just a better opportunity. There was a financial component to it that was really good. I’m not gonna downplay that at all, but I went back to a place where I knew people.”

In 2011, Johnson returned to Texas, where most of the coaches and administration have been there for decades. But once programs started losing and coaches were retiring, the department felt stagnant at times, Johnson added.

After three years working in football operations, Johnson was moved to senior associate athletics director for administration and operations in 2014. He had direct oversight of a $35 million athletics budget, roughly similar to Temple athletics’ current budget.

“It was a great learning experience,” Johnson said. “It was a great opportunity to learn new styles, new models and to adjust.”

Johnson was in charge of implementing the university’s athletics facilities plan, which encompassed capital projects valued at more than $750 million, like the $400 million Moody Center.

REBUILDING TEMPLE ATHLETICS Johnson knew he wanted to lead a college athletic program, particularly in Philadelphia, because of the city’s history and culture. Since his arrival, he’s noticed the disconnect between fan engagement and sporting events within the university.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic affecting fan attendance, the program had a smaller number of fans at games due to the program losing games even before March 2020.

Since assuming his role, Johnson has released certain coaches who produced losing seasons.

Former head football coach Rod Carey, who was hired on Jan. 11, 2019,

SPORTS

PAGE 19

NOEL CHACKO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Jason Wingard (left) Temple University president, and Arthur Johnson (right) the vice president and director of athletics at Temple, look up toward the video screen at the Liacouras Center as Temple Men’s Basketball honors the anniversaries of two of its five NCAA Elite Eight teams who played under Hall of Fame head coach John Chaney on Feb. 5.

was let go on Nov. 29, 2021, after finishing with a 3-9 overall record this season. Johnson also opted not to renew the contract of former volleyball coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam, who finished with a 7-24 record, after serving at Temple for 11 seasons.

“We have to come up with the right strategy,” Johnson added. “Now I know that winning plays a role in it, but we have to invest in the strategy and provide the resources.”

Johnson’s first focus is recreating the fan engagement experience, so more students and community members will want to spend their Saturday at the Liacouras Center, he said.

From a marketing standpoint, Johnson wants to push athletic events as an entertainment option for families. He

plans to market tickets at a reasonable price, so more local residents can afford to come to the games, Johnson said.

Right now, a single price ticket for a men’s basketball game at the Liacouras Center can range anywhere between $12 to $99.

Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Stephanie Ives spoke with Johnson about providing Temple Athletics with contact information for students who are living on campus, so they can market games to them. Johnson also wants to provide students with better seats at basketball or football games, he said. “[Fans] made a difference for our teams in the final four minutes of a close game,” Johnson said. “We need fans, we need their energy.”

Johnson looks for aspects at Temple

that can separate them from other institutions. He plans to use newly built buildings, like Charles Library, as a recruiting tool by showing potential athletes its use for academic support. He also is working on creating internship opportunities for student-athletes through the Resnick Academic Support Center.

“Those pieces are really helpful for us to go recruit and sell what we’re doing,” Johnson said. “Making sure we provide the resources for our students to be successful, for coaches to have the resources that they need to be successful and we need to win. We gotta win some championships.” isabella.diamore@temple.edu @belladiamore

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SPORTS

The Temple News

FOOTBALL

Temple adds 12 recruits on National Signing Day JACOB HOLLINS Hollins is a JUCO redshirt-junior also from Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas. The six-foot one-inch, 225-pound linebacker spent his freshman season at the University of Illinois, where he played in eight games, primarily on special teams. Last season, he transferred to Garden City and played in 11 games at linebacker, notching 56 tackles and two sacks.

Seven high schoolers and five transfers will join Temple football’s 2022 recruiting class.

BY ISABELLA DiAMORE, VICTORIA AYALA AND NICK GANGEWERE For The Temple News

T

emple University football head coach Stan Drayton emphasized he wanted to bring in recruits that would buy into his system when he was hired in December 2021.

On Feb. 2, seven high schoolers and five transfers signed their National Letter of Intent to join Drayton’s 2022 recruiting class. Temple signed three players before Drayton was hired on Dec. 15, 2021 — Sam Martin, Jackson Pruitt and Corey Yeoman – bringing the class to 15 signings.

“Being an area recruiter for 27 years, you have to have the skill set of identifying talent,” Drayton said. “That part of it wasn’t anything new, the tough part of it was trying to find a system that fits.”

Here is a breakdown of the 12 new players who committed to Temple.

ELIJAH WARNER Warner comes in at six feet, 200 pounds from Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona. The son of former NFL quarterback and Hall of Famer Kurt Warner is a three-star recruit and received a total of 11 offers, but committed to Temple on Jan. 21. He totaled 2,742 yards, 26 touchdown passes and eight interceptions this season, according to Max Preps.

DARVON HUBBARD Hubbard is a three-star running back transfer from Texas A&M University, where he played in three games and rushed for four yards in two seasons before entering the transfer portal on Jan. 19. He hails from Willow Canyon High School in Surprise, Arizona, where he averaged 6.9 yards per carry on 99 rushes and eight touchdowns.

DARRIEN LEWIS The six-foot two-inch, 230-pound linebacker is from St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Maryland. Lewis originally played at DeMatha Catholic High School in Maryland, before transferring to St. Francis for his senior year.

TEMPLE FOOTBALL / COURTESY Elijah Warner (left), a quarterback from Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona, committed to Temple on Jan. 21. Danny Langsdorf (right) was named offensive coordinator and quarterback coach for Temple Football in January.

REESE CLARK Clark, a Philadelphia native and threestar recruit, comes from St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Fairmount and received his only offer from Temple. He committed on Feb. 13, 2021, when former head coach Rod Carey still led the team.

The six-foot four-inch and 200-pound commit played wide receiver at St. Joseph’s but will play tight end for Temple.

AARON JONES Jones, a three-star recruit according to 247sports, attended Springfield Central High School in Springfield, Massachusetts. The defensive tackle received three non-Temple offers, and committed to the Owls on Dec. 29, 2021.

In 2019, Jones had 79 tackles and six sacks at Bloomfield High School in Bloomfield, Connecticut, before transferring to St. John Paul II High School in Corpus Christi, Texas.

ZAMAR GROVE Grove is a six-foot six-inch, 235-pound edge rusher out of Irvington

High School in Irvington, New Jersey.

He is an unranked recruit with no other Division I offers. Grove had 12.5 sacks and 71.5 total tackles in 13 games his senior season, and committed to the Owls on Jan. 31.

ELIJAH DERAVIL Deravil is a cornerback out of Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas. The unranked Junior College commit is from Miami, Florida, and had four other Division I offers, according to 247sports.

Deravil had 20 tackles and two interceptions in eight games played as a JUCO senior after transferring from Bethune-Cookman University.

DOMINICK HILL Hill is a three-star transfer from the University of South Carolina, which he signed with on Dec. 18, 2019. The former wide receiver turned cornerback appeared in four games for the Gamecocks and recorded six total tackles.

LONDON HALL The three-star recruit from Clearwater Central Catholic High School in Clearwater, Florida, is a six-foot-three, 210-pound linebacker. Hall spent his first three seasons as a cornerback at Calvary Christian High School before transferring his senior year. During his senior season, he had 61 tackles, three interceptions and three kick returns for touchdowns.

ANTWONE SANTIAGO Santiago is a six-foot three-inch, 210-pound linebacker from Platt High in Meriden, Connecticut. While at Platt High, Santiago played wide receiver and safety. During his senior year, he totaled 31 catches for 492 yards and five touchdowns.

TRA THOMAS Thomas is a JUCO sophomore transfer from Independence Community College in Independence, Kansas.

The six-foot four-inch, 224-pound outside linebacker competed in 10 games, recorded 39 tackles, two sacks and one interception with the Pirates. isabella.diamore@temple.edu nick.gangewere@temple.edu victoria@ayala@temple.edu

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PAGE 22

SPORTS

The Temple News

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Davis becomes Temple’s all-time leading scorer

Davis broke the previous record set by Marilyn Stephens-Franklyn, who scored 2,194 points.

BY SAMUEL O’NEAL Co-Women’s Basketball Beat Reporter When graduate student forward Mia Davis first arrived at Temple University in 2017, she never imagined becoming the women’s basketball team alltime scoring leader.

“I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and coaches putting me in this position,” Davis said. “All the coaches put me into position to be better every day and harp on me when I’m not doing things right.”

It took Davis a little longer than seven minutes in the first period to break the record on Feb. 2 against Wichita State University (11-10, 2-6 The American Athletic Conference). After catching a pass from freshman guard Jasha Clinton, Davis converted on a layup from underneath the basket.

Head coach Tonya Cardoza called a timeout following Davis scoring her 2,195th point and her teammates swarmed the court to celebrate the milestone. Besides the historic moment, Davis finished with 18 points and four rebounds in the Owls’ 70-49 victory against the Shockers.

Former women’s basketball forward Marilyn Stephens-Franklyn held the previous record with 2,194 points and played from 1981 until 1984. Stephens-Franklyn still holds the record as the all-time leading rebounder with 1,516 rebounds, while Davis is 401 rebounds away.

Davis is a dominant player from inside the paint, where she scores most of her points from underneath the basket.

Early in her career, driving to the rim did

RJ FRANCESCHINI / THE TEMPLE NEWS Mia Davis, a graduate student forward, became Temple’s new all-time leading scorer on Feb. 2., breaking the previous record of 2,194 points held by former forward Marilyn Stephens-Franklyn.

not come easy because of her size.

“Every year [Davis] has gotten a little better,” Cardoza said. “When you look at her, she’s about 5’10, but she is just relentless and she knows exactly what to work on to be more efficient.”

During her freshman season, the Owls were in the early stages of a rebuild after graduating four seniors the previous season. Immediately, Davis became a fixture in the Owls lineup, starting in all 31 games, while averaging 11.2 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game.

“Ever since [Davis] got here, she has done whatever was asked of her,” Cardoza said. “She does whatever the team needs for us to be successful and every year she has gotten better.”

Davis took an enormous leap in her sophomore season, averaging 18.9 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game, lead-

ing the team in both categories.

During her junior and senior seasons, Davis continued to be the top option on offense, leading the team in scoring by averaging more than 17 points per game in both seasons.

With an extra year of eligibility because of the NCAA COVID-19 rules, Davis stayed at Temple for a fifth year, because she wanted to finish her last season as an Owl, Davis said.

Davis has been named to the All-American Athletic Conference team three times, and was named the AAC preseason player of the year prior to the 2021-22 season.

She was also named the AAC player of the week on Dec. 6, 2021, after averaging 18.0 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game in a week that included wins over Georgetown University (7-12, 2-9 The Big

East) and Duquesne University (9-13, 4-6 The Atlantic-10 Conference). “[Davis] is just so deserving of it,” Cardoza said. “She could have easily not come back for her fifth year or like others, go someplace else, but it just shows the type of person she is.”

Davis has spent the most time on the court with junior forward Alexa Williamson, who has developed as a player through Davis’ leadership, she said. “[Davis] is a very good teammate and a great captain,” Williamson added.

“She pushes everyone to be better and is always telling us what we need to do and everyone listens to her because we understand that she knows what she’s talking about.”

Davis had the opportunity to break the record on the road against the University of Central Florida (16-3, 8-1 The American) on Jan. 31, but ultimately came up five points short, setting her up to solidify the all-time record on her home floor at McGonigle Hall.

“It was a great feeling to do it in front of the Owl fans and my family,” Davis said. “It meant everything for them to see me accomplish this in person.”

Cardoza’s next goal is for the Owls to get back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2016-17 season, and get Davis her first postseason berth, Cardoza said.

“She just wants to win,” Cardoza added. “She doesn’t care about the record as much as she cares about winning and she wants to get us to the postseason, so that’s her main focus now.”

The Owls postseason pursuit will continue when they return to McGonigle Hall to host the University of South Florida (16-6, 6-2 The American) on Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. samuel.oneal@temple.edu @samueloneal43

The Temple News

SPORTS

PAGE 23

FENCING

Franke looks to instill camaraderie in young team After a shortened 2020-21 season, sidelines and providing feedback at pracTemple fencing looks to qualify tice on footwork tactics and blade work, said assistant coach Tasia Ford. for the NCAA Championship.

BY VICTORIA AYALA Assistant Sports Editor No. 9 Temple University fencing is looking to find the same momentum they had in their 2019 season when they were ranked in the top. 5 in the U.S. Fencing Coaches Association, said head coach Nikki Franke.

“We have a very strong schedule, which is very challenging,” Franke said.

“I think if we’re in the top 10, that’s a really good position for us, especially with the youth that we have.”

The Owls were ranked No. 8 in preseason rankings following the start of their 2021-22 season on Oct. 23, 2021.

But Temple fell one spot in the rankings after going a couple of matches without a win.

Temple’s team has little experience under their belt, with 11 freshmen on the roster. However, they’ve supported each other at meets by cheering from the CONTINUED FROM 24 GYMNASTICS “The healthy level of competition was there this year,” Nilson said. “Right from the first day the freshmen walk in the gym. We didn’t really have a lot of that last year because we didn’t have the depth.”

Sitting with a 6-3 record just five meets into the season, the Owls have managed to come together and hit their stride earlier than in previous years, senior all-around competitor Ariana Castrence said.

Last season, the team struggled at the start of the season and did not record its first win until their eighth meet against Long Island University (3-7, 0-4, the East Atlantic), possibly because of the shortened preseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This year, we’ve actually been able to have a steady preseason,” Castrence said. “Everything was just so unknown

“That’s kind of part of the Temple fencing ways, bringing that lively energy to those meets,” Ford said.

After competing in three regular season matches, Temple’s primary focus is rebuilding the team culture that Franke has cultivated in the past, which has allowed the team to continue their success.

“We have a system and we have a culture on the team that is all about hard work,” Franke said. “Pushing forward, helping each other, uplifting each other and encouraging each other.”

After earning a No. 5 ranking in the nation in the 2019-20 season, their highest ranking in program history, the Owls have faced multiple challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March 2020, Temple had five fencers qualify for the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2009.

But due to the spike in COVID-19 cases across the country, the NCAA canceled the Championship meet, which was scheduled at the TCF Center in Detroit, Michigan, on March 19 to 22, 2020.

The Owls had to adapt around new restrictions like wearing additional face masks under their uniform and not shaking an opponent’s hand during the meet.

Because 15 of the team’s 19 athletes are underclassmen, a lot of the team is inexperienced compared to their opponents. Each match presented a completely new experience and environment for the Owls, Franke said.

Temple is playing tough Ivy League opponents for the first time since 2019, a challenge they did not have to face last year because those teams opted out of the 2020-21 season.

However, the Owls have not allowed their obstacles to hinder them. On Jan. 21, Temple went 2-1 against three of the top-15 teams in the country in its first home match of the regular season.

The Owls conquered then No. 15 New Jersey Institute of Technology and then No. 14 University of North Carolina, but fell to then No. 3 Princeton University, now ranked No. 1.

Temple also went 2-2 the following day, locking in wins against then No. 6 Northwestern University and then No. 10 The University of Pennsylvania.

“The work ethic and the culture of our team stay the same,” Franke said. “We’re just bringing new people into the fold.”

As the season progresses, each match has allowed upperclassmen, like junior epee fencer Naomi Ross and senior foil fencer Cassie Navalta, to step into leadership roles.

“Now I feel like the eyes, I know they’re on me,” Navalta said. “So just like stepping forward and taking initiative and also drawing upon that experience we already have.”

As upperclassmen, Ross and Navalta help coach their teammates rather than waiting for guidance as they did in previous years.

“If there’s something wrong, now we’re the ones that need to go and help deal with that for the rest of the team,” Ross said.

The team hopes their growth continues into the postseason by qualifying for the NIWFA and NCAA championships.

and inconsistent, it was just a lot of things going on at once that prevented us from getting together and being able to really feel strong and have our foundation set.”

Temple opened the season with a win against the University of Pennsylvania (4-4, 1-0, Gymnastics East Conference) and a loss against No. 29 Pennsylvania State University (1-3, 0-3, BIG 10 Conference) on Jan. 7.

Despite earning a victory, Temple’s final score of 193.450 was the team’s lowest overall score of the season so far.

“I was certainly quite nervous,” said freshman all-around competitor Hannah Stallings. “We worked through that, but I still was proud of what we did at the first meet, and I think we’ve, since the first meet even, improved on that so much.”

As a team, the gymnasts are adamant about not looking at scores, because they believe if they do what they’re supposed to do, it will show in the results, said senior all-around competitor Julianna Roland.

On vault, Temple tied a program record with a season-high score of 49.150.

Roland and Stallings have posted the highest scores on the event this season with 9.900.

Stallings has become a key competitor in her first season on North Broad.

She won the all-around in four consecutive meets and on Jan. 30. Her score of 39.250 against Long Island University tied the fifth-highest total in program history.

She was also named EAGL Co-Gymnast of the Week on Jan. 26, for setting a career-high score in the all-around with a 39.275. Stallings recorded her first 9.900 on vault, which tied a program record, while posting a 9.800 or higher on the other three events against New Hampshire and Penn.

“She’s been very consistent,” Nilson said. “Once I get [Castrence] back in the all-around, those two will battle it out which will be great.”

At the tri-meet at New Hampshire

on Jan. 23, the team took on the University of Pennsylvania for the second time and the University of New Hampshire (5-4, 2-2 EAGL), where they scored their season-high overall score of 195.835.

Temple also set their season high at the meet, scoring 49.050 on the beam.

Castrence and Roland recorded a teamhigh score of 9.875 on the event.

“My strongest event would be beam currently,” said senior all-around competitor Julianna Roland. “It comes a lot from like the numbers that I put in and also I feel like I’ve been reworking the mental aspect of it too, to be stronger in that, not just physically.”

Temple hopes to maintain their momentum as they travel to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to face the University of North Carolina (7-5, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) on Feb. 12 at 5:30 p.m.

victoria@ayala@temple.edu @ayalavictoria_

s.mcmenamin@temple.edu @sean102400

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SPORTS

The Temple News

GYMNASTICS

OWLS HIT STRIDE EARLY Temple University gymnastics has earned six wins and posted a season-high score of 195.825.

BY SEAN McMENAMIN Gymnastics Beat Reporter

W

ith a third-place ranking in the East Atlantic Gymnastics League and an average of 194.900 points per meet, Temple University women’s gymnastics (6-3, 2-2, the EAGL) has gotten off to a strong start in the 2022 season.

“They’re doing what I expected,” said head coach John Nilson. “I do think that they are going to surprise a lot of people, but I don’t think I’ll be one of the people that are surprised. I had really high expectations for this team, this is the best team that Temple’s ever had.”

With a full preseason and new depth added to this year’s roster, the Owls prioritized putting up higher numbers across every event, but more so on beam and vault, which has been the team’s biggest strength this season.

The roster is deep and competitive.

On the first day of practice the Owls put goals, like competing in nationals together, on a board in their practice facility. From that moment, everyone made it a priority to accomplish what they wrote, Nilson said.

The team is working on the little things, like improving their form on handstands and sticking their dismounts off the vault or beam. Nilson believes the Owls have been more consistent and energized in perfecting their form this season, he said.

GYMNASTICS | 23

NICK DAVIS / THE TEMPLE NEWS Tori Edwards, a graduate student all-around competitor, competes on the floor at the Keystone Classic at McGonigle Hall on Jan. 7.