Vol. 98 Iss. 11

THE TEMPLE NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2019

PAGE 1

ELECTION DAY 2019

Before heading to the polls today, read our guide to Philly’s general election races.

Read more on Pages 4 & 5

WHAT’S INSIDE FEATURES, PAGE 11 The Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection is developing a graphic novel.

INTERSECTION, PAGE 17 Local high school students react to new laws that enhance protections for transgender and nonbinary children.

BASKETBALL PREVIEW Pages B1-B8

VOL 98 // ISSUE 11 NOV. 5, 2019@TheTempleNews

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NEWS PAGE 2

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

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

Kelly Brennan Editor in Chief Pavlína Černá Managing Editor Francesca Furey Chief Copy Editor Colin Evans News Editor Hal Conte Assistant News Editor Gabrielle Houck Assistant News Editor Tyler Perez Opinion Editor Madison Karas Features Editor Bibiana Correa Assistant Features Editor Ayooluwa Ariyo Assistant Features Editor Jay Neemeyer Sports Editor Dante Collinelli Assistant Sports Editor Alex McGinley Assistant Sports Editor Alesia Bani Intersection Co-Editor Gionna Kinchen Intersection Co-Editor

The Temple News is an editorially independent weekly publication serving the Temple University community.

Unsigned editorial content represents the opinion of The Temple News.

Adjacent commentary is reflective of their authors, not The Temple News.

Visit us online at Michael Moscarelli Dir. of Engagement temple-news.com.

Alexis Ensley Gregg Asst. Dir. of Engagement Send submissions to MacKenzie Sendro Web Editor letters@temple-news.com.

Colleen Claggett Photography Editor The Temple News is located at: Jeremy Elvas Asst. Photography Editor Student Center, Room 243 1755 N. 13th St. Madison Seitchik Co-Multimedia Editor Philadelphia, PA 19122 Jared Giovan Co-Multimedia Editor Ingrid Slater Design Editor Nicole Hwang Designer Phuong Tran Advertising Manager ON THE COVER Kelsey McGill Advertising Manager JEREMY ELVAS / THE TEMPLE NEWS Lubin Park Business Manager

CORRECTIONS

Accuracy is our business, so when a mistake is made, we’ll correct it as soon as possible.

Anyone with inquiries about content in this newspaper can contact Editor in Chief Kelly Brennan at editor@temple-news.com or 215-204-6736.

The cover photo that ran on Oct. 29 incorrectly credited Colleen Claggett as the photographer. Isaac Shein was the photographer.

An article that ran on Oct. 29, titled “TA charged with med school threat” on Page 2, incorrectly attributed a statement confirming the identity of the person who was charged to University Spokesperson Ray Betzner. The statement came from Charlie Leone, director of Campus Safety Services.

In an article that ran on Oct. 29, titled “Small grocer to replace shuttered Crisp Kitchen” on Page 5, “that” in the cutline was misspelled.

An article that ran on Oct. 29, titled “Brewing company creates Cherry and White beer” on Page 13, incorrectly listed the name of the professor who helped the brewing company with ale recipe. The professor is Michael McCloskey.

In Live in Philly that ran on Oct. 29 on Page 16, “Pennsylvania” was misspelled.

In an article that ran on Oct. 29, titled “International students experience first Halloween” on Page 18, Sonali Udaybubu’s graduate degree was incorrect. She is a film and media arts MFA student.

News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com

TSG

Director to reexamine community outreach Tajnia Hussain assumed her role on Oct. 11 after the previous director for local and community affairs resigned.

BY LAKOTA MATSON TSG Beat Reporter Working with refugee youth in an after-school program offered

by Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society Pennsylvania, a nonprofit offering legal services to immigrants and refugees, inspired Tajnia Hussain to study political science, she said.

“That was one of the deepest connections I’ve had with the community,” Hussain said.

It also inspired her to apply to be Temple Student Government’s director of local and community affairs this academic year.

Hussain, a sophomore political science major, was made director on Oct. 11 after Taylar Enlow, a junior global studies major, stepped down in September.

Hussain wants to create an open space for students and community members to talk about issues in the community, she said.

While TSG was able to attract five or six residents to its monthly community forums last year, none came to their first forum of the 201920 academic year on Sept. 24, said Kaya Jones, TSG’s vice president of external affairs.

TSG will host another forum on Thursday at Treehouse Books on Susquehanna Avenue near 15th Street. Depending on resident turnout, TSG will consider whether to send its directors to community meetings as opposed to hosting forums of their own, Jones said.

“If a lot of community members

don’t show up, I think it’s best that we focus our efforts on coming into their space...where an audience is already at,” Jones said.

TSG helped organize off-campus block cleanups with other student organizations on Sept. 28 and Oct. 19, said Student Body President Francesca Capozzi. Directors also handed out candy to kids on Halloween, and TSG will host a community fitness day at Pearson and McGonigle halls on Nov. 16, Jones said.

Hussain is working with Quinn Litsinger, TSG’s director of government affairs, to increase voter turnout in the 2020 primary elections, along with helping Temple students, community members and local high school students understand the voting process, she said.

“I’m trying to send the message that this position isn’t just me,” Hussain said. “It’s a reflection of the community.”

Hussain is the secretary of the Temple branch of United Muslim Relief and UNICEF x Temple. Along with her volunteer work at HIAS Pennsylvania, she has taught Sunday school Arabic classes, she said.

Hussain knows how to effectively get involved and make the most out of an event, said Elizabeth Mignano, the co-president of UNICEF x Temple.

“She’s really strategic about what to do and how to go about it, and that’s why I think every event she’s been a part of has been so successful,” Mignano said. lakota.matson@temple.edu @lakotamatson

Colin Evans contributed reporting.

temple-news.com

NEWS PAGE 3

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

COMMUNITY

Services district expands trash, safety programs The district partnered with several organizations to reduce trash during “move-in” and “move-out.”

BY EMMA PADNER For The Temple News The North Central Special Services District, a joint community-university board created to improve the quality of life for residents near Main Campus, has expanded its trash and security services in the area, officials said, but has yet to add any new programs.

The district, which was founded in April, is composed of five community members and four university employees. It received $500,000 from Temple to fund its first year of operation.

Since its formation, the district’s board, which is bounded by Broad, 18th, Dauphin and Oxford streets, has focused on increasing off-campus patrols of Allied Universal and improving the efforts of One Day at a Time, a local substance abuse recovery organization, said Tara Miller, the district’s executive director.

Community residents and activists criticized the project after its announcement, alleging the university was using the district to bolster support for its proposed on-campus football stadium.

Since its announcement, the district has not held a public meeting, Miller said.

“I think it would be safe to say we are still learning,” Miller said.

ODAAT cleans streets four days a week. The nonprofit began working with Temple in fall 2018 before expanding its patrol to the district’s boundaries in April.

Temple, the special services district, Philadelphia’s streets department and JDog Junk Removal and Hauling, a veteran-owned trash removal organization, partnered to clean trash during the “move-out” and “move-in” periods at the end of the spring semester and the beginning of the fall semester, the district’s largest project so far, Miller added.

“This was the first time you had this many people working together to try to @TheTempleNews

COLLEEN CLAGGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS Malik Williams, team leader of One Day At A Time, oversees his team members as they clean the sidewalks on 18th Street between Dauphin and Susquehanna Streets on Nov. 1.

mitigate the trash problems,” she said.

Though the Special Services District is funded by Temple now, the board is working with landlords in the area to fundraise, Miller said.

“I can’t give you a dollar amount or a percentage amount, but we have begun having those conversations with the landlords trying to figure out a good fundraising strategy so that this Special Services District will eventually be fully independent,” she added.

The board has not created subcommittees that can be joined by community members who are not a part of the board, Miller said. They are planning a meeting between the Dean of Students Office, residents and student block captains, who are fellows paid by Temple to organize block cleanups in their area, in November.

Joan Briley, the district’s president, has seen some improvement in the community’s trash issue, like students getting involved with the community and the

block they live on, she said.

“It’s a work in progress, it’s gonna take time, you can’t do it overnight,” said Briley, who lives on Norris Street near 15th. “If we could do it overnight it would be great. There’s gonna be some kinks, there’s gonna be some ups and downs, but we all just have to work together to get it done.”

“We are trying to keep the neighborhood intact, trying to keep the neighborhood clean, not just for students but for elderly neighbors,” Briley added.

The board would like to broaden the district’s mission to neighborhood beautification in general, Miller said, “so it’s not just cleaning up trash.”

Addressing vacant lots, providing information to residents about local workforce development and education programs as well as community events are all initiatives Miller could foresee the district undertaking, she said.

Cassandra Knight, who lives on Carlisle Street near Norris, said she has

not noticed a measurable decrease in the amount of trash in the neighborhood.

“What I would like to see is a better handle on the trash ... Our block has a lot of rats on the block because of all the trash that’s there now,” Knight added.

“What I want to see them do is monitor this trash, monitor the parties.”

Debbie Roe, who lives on Diamond Street near 17th, said that she has seen ODAAT workers out cleaning the block, but wishes they would come more often, or that there was another day for trash pickup in the area.

“We used to have trash pickup twice a week, and then we also used to have the trucks come in every so often with the water and the big bristles and stuff, come down and sweep and wash out the whole street,” said Roe, who has lived in the area for over 20 years. “Maybe that’s something Temple can’t capitalize on.” emma.padner@temple.edu

News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com

NEWS PAGE 4

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

ELECTION DAY

A guide to Philadelphia’s 2019 municipal election Candidates, ballot questions and polling locations: What you need to know before you vote today.

BY COLIN EVANS & HAL CONTE For The Temple News Today marks the general election for hundreds of local government officials across Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia voters will have access to new voting machines that use paper ballots, WHYY reported. It’s part of an estimated $150 million upgrade of machines across the state that is expected to be finalized before April 2020.

City Council President Darrell Clarke is running unopposed. The Democrat, who was first elected in 2000, represents the 5th District, which encompasses much of Main Campus.

Here’s what voters in the Temple area need to know on Election Day: HOW DO I VOTE? Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m., according to the Office of the Philadelphia City Commissioners. If you are in line before polls close, you can still vote.

To find out where to vote, visit philadelphiavotes.com/wheretovote or call 215-686-1590.

If you are unsure whether you are registered to vote, visit pavoterservices. pa.gov. There is no same-day registration.

Voters will not need to show any form of identification unless they are voting in a new polling place or for the News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com

first time, Billy Penn reported.

MAYOR’S RACE Here is a list of the mayoral candidates.

Jim Kenney (Incumbent, Democrat) Kenney won 2015’s mayoral primary in a landslide, championing LGBTQ rights, immigration reform and marijuana decriminalization, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Soon after taking office, City Council passed his signature “soda tax,” which taxes sugary drinks at 1.5 cents an ounce and has raised $191.7 million in revenue in two-and-a-half years, the Inquirer reported. The tax is controversial and is facing legislative challenges in Council and the state legislature.

Billy Ciancaglini (Republican) The 2003 Beasley School of Law alumnus grew up in Philadelphia and has worked as a criminal defense lawyer for 16 years, Philly Voice reported. He is in favor of repealing the soda tax, ending Philadelphia’s status as a “sanctuary city,” which is defined by local law enforcement’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, and opposes the construction of supervised injection sites, which are facilities where people can consume recreational drugs under medical supervision, according to his campaign website.

CITY COUNCIL AT-LARGE RACE At-large seats are those that are elected by a citywide popular vote, ac-

cording to the Committee of Seventy, a nonpartisan government advocacy organization. Because no more than five of the seven at-large seats in City Council can be controlled by one party, at least two are guaranteed to the minority party.

Here’s a list of the at-large candidates.

Kendra Brooks (Working Families Party) Brooks has worked as a school activist for five years, and is part of Parents United for Public Education and Our City Our Schools, according to her campaign website. Brooks supports an end to the 10-year tax abatement, rent controls, and stricter enforcement of minimum wage laws. She has outraised every Republican candidate in the race, the Inquirer reported, but has been accused of receiving most of her campaign funds from groups outside the city.

Steve Cherniavsky (Term Limits Philadelphia) Cherniavsky’s platform emphasizes setting enacting term limits for City Council members. He opposes the soda tax, backs a $15 minimum hourly wage and thinks Temple’s proposed football stadium in the planned location would be “inappropriate,” he said. Cherniavsky is “the only candidate running as a true independent, not in line with the progressive or Democratic agenda,” he added.

Sherrie Cohen (A Better Council)

Cohen is making her third run for Council after dropping out before the Democratic primary in April. She wants an immediate end to the tax abatement, opposes the proposed Temple football stadium and said she is “for the soda tax, even though it’s a regressive tax.”

Some LGBTQ groups withdrew their endorsements after her campaign manager publicly questioned the ethnicity of competing candidate Deja Lynn Alvarez in March, the Inquirer reported.

Joe Cox (Progressive Independent) A bike messenger by day, Cox is known for founding PMA, a nonprofit that gives pizza to people experiencing homelessness. Cox decided to run for office after a stranger encouraged him to at a protest against a local Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, he said. His top priorities are to make roads safer for cyclists and install more public bathrooms in the city, he said.

Allan Domb (Incumbent, Democrat) A real estate magnate and 1978 business and management alumnus, Domb was first elected to City Council in 2015.

He came in second with 9.7 percent of the votes in May’s primaries. Domb has suggested that college students should be compelled to perform 100 hours of community service, the Philadelphia Citizen reported. Activists have criticized Domb’s support of the 10-year tax abatement because of his vested interest in the city buildings and tax policies, WHYY reported. temple-news.com

NEWS

PAGE 5

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

Derek Green (Incumbent, Democrat) A 1998 Beasley School of Law alumnus, Green was elected to City Council in 2015 with 15.8 percent of the general election vote after topping the list of primary candidates. Green previously served as an assistant district attorney in Philadelphia. He has supported bills that increase penalties for illegal dumping and provide public funding for political campaigns, according to his campaign website. Green voted for the soda tax but now wants to modify it along with the 10-year tax abatement, WHYY reported Helen Gym (Incumbent, Democrat) Gym, who was elected to City Council in 2015, won 15.8 percent of the votes in May’s primary. The founder of Parents United for Public Education has made modernizing public schools the top issue of her campaign. Gym also wants to repeal the 10-year tax abatement and subsidize SEPTA fares for young people, according to her website. She voted in favor of the soda tax.

Clarc King (Independent) King is in favor of repealing the soda tax and preventing a supervised safe injection site in the city, according to his Facebook profile. He has been campaigning “for the economic value and rights of the overworked, underpaid, and taxed worker in need of a raise, affordable housing and a tax rebate.”

Bill Heeney (Republican)

A board member of the United Republican Club in Philadelphia, Heeney won 18.6 percent of the vote in the Republican primaries. He opposes the soda tax and Philadelphia’s status as a sanctuary city, according to his website.

Heeney shared bigoted memes on his Facebook profile before running, Billy Penn reported.

David Oh (Incumbent, Republican) Oh, the first Asian-American elected to office in Philadelphia, served in the military and worked as a lawyer before joining City Council in 2011, according to his website. He hopes to make Philadelphia more attractive to outside businesses by improving local infrastructure, he told The Temple News. His proposed student debt tax credit, which would provide $1,500 a year to recent college graduates, who live in the city, with more than $35,000 in debt, stalled in committee earlier this year.

Nicolas O’Rourke (Working Families Party) A pastor at the Living Water United Church of Christ in Oxford Circle and a community organizer, O’Rourke is in favor of rent controls and free tuition for college students, he said. Despite having worked with the Stadium Stompers, he has not taken a stance on whether Temple should build its proposed football stadium. O’Rourke said he considers his campaign to be part of an “organizing strategy” for change beyond City Council.

Katherine Gilmore Richardson (Democrat) Richardson is vice president of Philadelphia Young Democrats and an ex-staffer for Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, according to her website. She favors increasing funds for the Community College of Philadelphia, continuing the soda tax and reforming the 10-year tax abatement. Richardson also wants to create a program that would give students who participate in trash cleaning efforts credit toward graduation.

Al Taubenberger (Incumbent, Republican) Taubenberger was president of Philadelphia’s Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce for 23 years. He secured a City Council seat in 2015 by a margin of less than 400 votes.

He wants to reduce SEPTA fares and reform the 10-year tax abatement, according to his website. He also opposes the soda tax.

Dan Tinney (Republican) A 2005 business logistics and international business alumnus of Pennsylvania State University, Tinney grew up in Philadelphia and is a member of the Steamfitters Local 420, which represents 10 counties in southeastern Pennsylvania. After topping both incumbents in the Republican primary, Tinney is headed into the general election on a platform that includes support for the 10-year tax

abatement, trade schools and spending cuts, according to his website.

Isaiah Thomas (Incumbent, Democrat) Thomas first ran for City Council when he was 26. Now, 34, winning a seat would make him the youngest City Council member. Thomas wants to implement a $15 minimum hourly wage, amend the 10-year tax abatement and repeal or alter the soda tax.

Maj Toure (Libertarian) The founder of Black Guns Matter and a rapper, Maj Toure is proud of having grown up in Philadelphia, he said.

Toure wants to revise the 10-year tax abatement and repeal gun control legislation. He also opposes the proposed Temple football stadium, he said.

Matt Wolfe (Republican) Wolfe, a former deputy attorney general under ex-Governor Tom Ridge, is a member of West Philadelphia’s Chamber of Commerce among other community organizations, according to his website. He opposes Temple’s proposed football stadium and the soda tax and also wants to see a reform of the tax abatement, he told The Temple News.

Wolfe’s son is president of Philadelphia Young Republicans. news@temple-news.com @TheTempleNews

2019 GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT QUESTIONS “Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended to grant certain rights to crime victims, including to be treated with fairness, respect and dignity; considering their safety in bail proceedings; timely notice and opportunity to take part in public proceedings; reasonable protection from the accused; right to refuse discovery requests made by the accused; restitution and return of property; proceedings free from delay; and to be informed of these rights, so they can enforce them?”

“Shall The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to revise City procurement procedures by increasing the sealed bidding threshold; by providing for procurement from local businesses; and by providing for Procurement Department regulations?”

“Should the City of Philadelphia borrow ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-FIVE MILLION DOLLARS ($185,000,000.00) to be spent for and toward capital purposes as follows: Transit; Streets and Sanitation; Municipal Buildings; Parks, Recreation and Museums; and Economic and Community Development?”

@TheTempleNews

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NEWS PAGE 6

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

FACULTY

Physics professor to receive prize for activism Xi, who is now suing the FBI for After being wrongfully accused by the FBI of spying, Xiaoxing Xi the raid, is waiting for the judge to rule if the case can go forward. His lawsuit is now speaks up for researchers.

BY HAL CONTE Assistant News Editor Most people who receive prizes from the American Physical Society, the world’s second-largest association of physicists, earn them as a result of something they did in a lab, Shelly Lesher said.

But Xiaoxing Xi, the Laura H. Carnell professor of physics at Temple, will receive one as a result of what happened in his home, said Lesher, chair of the APS’s Andrei Sakharov Prize committee.

In 2015, the Federal Bureau Investigation accused Xi of sharing sensitive technology research with Chinese scientists. Agents went to his home, held his family at gunpoint and interrogated and strip-searched him while in police custody.

Two years later, they dropped the charges against him. Since then, he has advocated for other Chinese-American researchers targeted by the government.

Xi, who will receive the prize for what the APS described as “important work in highlighting human rights abuses,” said he had mixed emotions when he was notified of the award.

“It’s complicated,” he said. “It’s bittersweet. Of course, I was very deeply moved. This is my professional community.”

“This is a very prestigious prize, it’s a tremendous honor to get it,” Xi added.

“But it was not what I had in mind when I devoted myself to physics. I aspired to be recognized for the great discovery I would make in my research.”

The Sakharov Prize, which is awarded annually, is worth $10,000. A 10-person panel of fellow scientists decides the winner.

News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com

backed by the American Civil Liberties Union.

In recent years, Xi helped form End National Security Scapegoating, an advocacy organization for researchers targeted by the government, and has also appeared on panels to discuss his personal experience of what he considers a dangerous national trend: alleged racial profiling of Chinese-American academics.

“They call all the Chinese professors and students ‘non-traditional collectors‘ for China,” Xi said. “That’s the term.

They say they never target a people based on their race, their ethnicity, but on the other hand, they accuse the Chinese government of using these people as ‘non-traditional collectors.’”

“This is very troubling,” he added.

“Why are Chinese scientists being singled out? That is racial profiling.”

The FBI used a FISA surveillance warrant to investigate Xi and dropped the case once they had received new information, the New York Times reported.

Federal officials based their case against Xi on a misinterpretation of a set of blueprints, the New York Times reported, and dropped charges soon after discovering their mistake.

The FBI declined to comment on the pending lawsuit.

Xi hopes the lawsuit will clear his own name, he said.

“When I was arrested, I had nine federal contracts, now I have two,” he said. “My research is not as large as it used to be.”

Since 2015, Xi has been careful when applying for grants because making even the slightest mistake on a form

JEREMY ELVAS / THE TEMPLE NEWS Xiaoxing Xi, professor of physics and 2020 Andrei Sakharov Prize recipient, teaches an introductory physics class in Wachman Hall on Oct. 31.

is a federal crime, he added.

“After I have seen how the federal government can change an innocent person without basis, it made me very scared.” Xi said. “I’m constantly worried that could be a reason for trouble.”

Xi was chosen for the prize because of his advocacy for others in similar positions, Lesher said.

“You would understand if, after what ADVERTISEMENT

happened, he’d try to put it all behind him,” she said. “That’s not what he did … He got this award because something horrible happened to him that he turned into activism.”

“I felt like I had to speak up,” Xi said.

“I don’t want to see other people’s careers destroyed.” hal.conte@temple.edu conte_hal

temple-news.com

OPINION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

PAGE 7

EDITORIAL

SSD: Seek community input The North Central Special Services District, a joint Temple-community board created in April to address quality of life issues off campus, has improved trash cleanup services from One Day At A Time, a local substance abuse recovery organization, and worked to expand Allied Universal’s security guard bike patrols in the district since its inception.

But in its seven months of operation, the district board has yet to host a public meeting or create subcommittees that involve residents who are not on the board.

This seems to confirm some residents’ suspicions about the district when it was first announced: its

structure might leave community members out of the decision-making process.

Having a majority-resident board that is dedicated to addressing trash, crime and other community issues off campus is a good idea. But it can’t take place without the input of everyday residents who represent the full, diverse experiences of the community.

The Editorial Board urges the SSD to begin hosting regular public meetings with community stakeholders, to hasten the formation of subcommittees that residents can join and continue to seek feedback and ideas from those who live in the area.

EDITORIAL

TSG: Ramp up outreach Temple Student Government hired a new director of local and community affairs for the academic year after the former one stepped down in September.

Tanjnia Hussain wants to revisit some ways TSG engages with the community, like creating panels that involve residents, experts and student organizations. She is working to increase voter turnout in the 2020 primary elections among Temple students, high school students and residents, she said.

TSG also hosted a community forum earlier this semester, but no residents attended, said Kaya Jones, TSG’s vice president of external affairs. TSG has not discussed Hussain’s plans to add panels to its community outreach, but it is considering sending its directors to community meetings to engage with residents, Jones added.

TSG held two block cleanups and handed out candy to children @TheTempleNews

on Halloween, too. They will also host another community forum on Thursday at Treehouse Books on Susquehanna Avenue near 15th Street.

The Editorial Board commends TSG for hosting some events this semester, but community outreach coordination seems disjointed. Its members have a lot of ideas, but TSG has yet to implement new, meaningful ways to engage with the community this year.

We hope TSG sends its directors into the community, whether it be to attend community meetings or to knock on doors to speak with residents directly.

Residents’ voices need to be heard, and TSG can be an effective liaison between them and the university. But this won’t happen until TSG comes up with a comprehensive community engagement plan and implements it because the usual methods don’t seem to be working.

THE ESSAYIST

At the pulpit, my mom shines My mom was ordained in 1989, at a time A student reflects on his mom, who when some still were reluctant to the idea of a works as an Episcopal minister, dewoman delivering a sermon or serving comspite discrimination against women.

T

BY COLIN EVANS News Editor

his past summer, I watched from my seat while my mother performed the rites of service at my home church.

Since both of my parents worked as Episcopal ministers during my childhood, it was not unusual for me to sit in the front pew on a Sunday morning and watch them speak to a crowd of dozens from the pulpit.

I always thought I was my mom’s worst critic. Jokingly, I nitpicked her word choice, mannerisms and expressions at the end of each service.

I didn’t realize until I became an adult that there is a deeper, more serious criticism of my mom that some congregants expressed when they watched her preach: she shouldn’t be up there at all.

Women were not permitted to serve as ministers in the Episcopal church until the General Convention, a governing body for the entire denomination, approved the ordination process for them in 1976.

But that did not stop 11 women, now remembered as “The Philadelphia Eleven,” from being ordained at the Church of the Advocate on Diamond Street near 18th in 1974, creating a crack in the glass ceiling of the church’s bureaucracy.

In the Catholic Church, which bears similarities to the Episcopal tradition, women are still formally barred from being ordained as priests, though several women have conducted “illicit” ordinations in defiance of the patriarchal establishment, according to the National Church Reporter.

munion.

To this day, some in the Christian faith continue to make disjointed, theological arguments as to why women should not serve: Christ was a man himself, they say, and only chose male apostles to start his church for a reason.

Others have gone as far as to say that women do not think of God in the same logical manner that men do and therefore cannot teach others lessons in theology and the Bible.

But I don’t buy it.

When she puts on the white collar, my mom is a force of nature. She can make assertive, compelling arguments at the pulpit while also being a gentle, attentive listener to her congregants. She can use an animated, energetic voice during the Eucharist while also being a warm, kind friend to those in the church who are in pain or need.

Having stepped aside from serving as a full-time pastor, my mom now works as a freelance religion reporter and columnist.

It’s no coincidence that I aspire to work as a journalist as well, as I have been motivated by reading her fascinating stories.

My mom continues to fill in as a parttime pastor when the local diocese needs her.

Whenever she steps up to the altar, I can’t help but smile.

When I see her delivering a sermon or wrapping her arms around a congregant, it’s hard for me to believe that God would have thought my mom unfit for the vestments. It warms my heart to see her up there, brave against the odds, standing in a long tradition of women trailblazers in the faith. colin.evans@temple.edu @colinpaulevans

letters@temple-news.com

OPINION PAGE 8

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

POLITICS

Stay involved in local politics after Election Day After today’s election, students should note the role local government plays in their lives.

My time working at Pennsylvania state Sen. Katie Muth’s office was life-changing.

I always saw government as this huge, intangible institution that never really had MEAGHAN BURKE For The Temple a direct effect on me.

News But here was a group of hardworking people helping the senator represent the 44th district of Pennsylvania, or Allegheny County, and create real change.

In my time at the office, I watched Muth’s team interact with residents, get out to local marches and rallies for equal rights and write up or cosign legislation that would directly affect the lives of the members of our district. It included abolishing the statute of limitations for sexual assault victims, ensuring paid sick leave for employees an d setting health and safety standards for a pipeline being built through the district.

This experience introduced me to the world of local government and how it operates. It opened my eyes to the reality about how change is made, and the majority of the time it is not at the federal level.

That’s why not only voting in local elections is important, but why it is critical to keep up with local government after Election Day. Local governments play a more direct role in our everyday lives, determining local laws, budgets and citywide policies.

“Even if you’re not from Philadelphia, you’re living here for four years, and what’s going on in the city has a direct impact on your quality of life for those four years,” said Barbara Ferman, a political science professor with expertise in urban policy, social justice activism and youth leadership development. “It letters@temple-news.com

VY LE / THE TEMPLE NEWS

has more of a direct impact on our everyday lives.”

For students, this is especially important, with local officials determining everything from student debt policies to funding for community colleges, according to the Campus Vote Project, an organization working to promote college student voter participation.

“When the government shutdown happened, I kept asking my students to tell me how it affected them, and the reality is, and it’s hard for people to wrap their heads around it, but most Americans have very little interaction with the federal government,” said Robin Kolodny, chair of Temple University’s political science department.

The Constitution was designed to allow state and local governments to decide on matters affecting citizens’ everyday lives, rather than the federal government, which is why it is so critical to engage with local government officials and politics.

“Know who your representatives are and look them up,” Ferman added. “Look up what issues they’ve voted on and how they voted. That’ll tell you more information than talking to them.”

One simple way to get involved is to show up for town halls and city council meetings, where decisions affecting our daily lives are decided. These town hall meetings are the primary way that constituents can communicate with their representatives. This gives us an opportunity to voice our opinions on local issues that affect us, like rent policy and off-campus housing conditions.

“There’s a lot of slimy landlords around Temple, around [the University of Pennsylvania] and around all universities, and so city government is really important in whether they’re regulating landlords or not,” Ferman added.

It is important to get in touch with the people who represent you if you have any opinions on how the district could be improved.

“Whether a student is planning to relocate to Philadelphia or is just choosing to stay here while he or she is studying, it definitely helps to have a positive presence in terms of interacting with their local government,” said Andrea Swan, director of community and neighborhood affairs at Temple’s Office of Community Relations.

As a student, I understand how hard it might seem to get involved in politics and government with busy schedules, classes and work. But by voting and getting involved in local politics throughout the year, we can improve our community and advocate for the causes most important to us.

Complaints without action are just complaints, but if you are being an active member of the community and reaching out to local representatives, your voice can facilitate real change. meaghan.burke@temple.edu @meaghanburke61

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OPINION PAGE 10

THE ESSAYIST

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

Never too late to find happiness

A student explains her process in declaring a double major in English during her senior year.

BY MYKEL GREENE For The Temple News In third grade, my band teacher presented my class with different instruments. When he demonstrated how to play the flute, I knew right then and there I had to start playing.

Brad Schoener, my late elementary band teacher, ignited my passion for music. His dedication to teaching us to love music inspired me to become a composer.

The following year, my fifth-grade teacher, Jennifer Schneider, thought a short story I wrote was exceptional and allowed me the opportunity to read it to the school.

I was met with applause when I returned to my classroom.

Not only did it make me feel like a million bucks, but it inspired me to become a novelist.

When the time came to apply to colleges, my family and friends made me feel like I had to choose between music and writing because, in their eyes, I couldn’t do both.

Now, less than a month away from graduating, I know that the one I first chose was not my path in life.

When I came to Temple, I decided that I wanted to be a cello performance major because it was the instrument I felt most connected to, but my private teacher at the time wasn’t confident in my abilities. Soon after, neither was I. I lost my passion for music, but maybe it was never actually there.

It would’ve made perfect sense to just switch to English when I realized that music wasn’t where my heart was, but I had already finished all the core requirements for my major by the end of my sophomore year. I had invested

letters@temple-news.com

GRACE DIMEO / THE TEMPLE NEWS

more than $60,000 in the Boyer College of Music and Dance, so I decided to keep studying music and settled on declaring an English minor, thinking it would be enough.

By my junior year of college, it had quickly gotten to a point where I was miserable. I wasn’t studying what I loved.

I stopped caring. I was late to class more than I was on time. My assignments were always overdue. My professors were disappointed in me because I had the potential, but I lacked the enthusiasm to access it.

I could have graduated in Fall 2018 if I continued majoring in music, but the

summer prior, I had done a lot of self-reflection. I came to the conclusion that I didn’t want to graduate with regrets.

I wanted to graduate with a degree in something I’d be proud of ⁠— a degree in English.

At the end of that summer, I declared a second major in English. It was liberating to finally take that step to do something I wanted, regardless of the extra time and money I would devote to it. Those things no longer mattered to me.

As a senior, I can say that after everything I have endured, between the strains on my mental health and finan-

cial concerns, it has all been worth it.

This January, I will walk across the stage at Temple’s Performing Arts Center, accept my diploma, and smile out into the crowd, feeling proud of myself.

My advice is to make college worth your while. People will tell you that your passion can’t be your career, but stressing out about money and time shouldn’t come at the expense of your happiness.

It’s never too late to change your major and your life. mykel@temple.edu

temple-news.com

FEATURES TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

PAGE 11

ART

Graphic novel will highlight Black Philadelphians The project will highlight signifi- nated the collection to Temple in 1984 cant African Americans through because he felt Temple had a diverse environment, according to the collection’s photos and illustrations.

BY RENATA BUSCHER KAMINSKI For The Temple News

In education, a picture is worth a 1000 words, said Aslaku Berhanu, a librarian at Temple.

“When they see the images and illustrations, they want to know who is this person, what did he do?” she added.

Berhanu is working on Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection’s new project to develop a graphic novel called “Black Lives Have Always Mattered: Hidden African American Philadelphia of the Twentieth Century.” The project aims to educate people and eradicate stereotypes of the Black community. It will include illustrations and photographs of significant Black individuals, said Diane Turner, curator at Temple University Libraries.

“Oftentimes there is this idea that African Americans aren’t achieving or contributing to society because what is covered in the larger media is often has to do with crime or poverty,” Turner said.

The graphic novel is expected to be completed in April 2021, and will be printed and distributed to Philadelphia school district’s high schools and in the collection. The Charles Library will host a preview exhibition of the project in March 2020, Turner added.

The Blockson Collection in Sullivan Hall owns more than 500,000 materials, like books and sheet music, relating to the history and culture of people of African descent. Charles Blockson, a historian from Norristown, Pennsylvania, do-

@TheTempleNews

website.

The project will highlight the lives of different African-American individuals, like opera singer Marian Anderson and activist Cecil B. Moore, Berhanu said.

“Philadelphia was one of the cities where there was a large well-educated, well to do, free African American societies that hugged this achievements that they made in regards to churches, schools, hospitals,” she added.

Not everything included in the graphic novel will be sourced from the collection, but readers can visit the collection to find out more information on the individuals, Turner said.

“We just want to bring out the history, the culture and the accomplishments that Africans Americans have made to the development of this city,” Berhanu said.

Sheena Howard, the novel’s lead writer, and Eric Battle, the project’s curator and art director, were selected by Turner and Berhanu to work on the project.

Battle is collaborating with Philadelphia artists to bring African-American stories to life in the novel, he said.

“Some of them are comic-book artists, some of them are not necessarily, but the artistic talents will bring some of these stories,” Battle said.

Berhanu and Turner started collecting materials and planning the novel in 2016 but received a grant from the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage to begin working on it last year.

This is the only graphic novel to profile African-American Philadel-

AMBER RITSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS Sheena Howard works on a graphic novel “Black Lives Have Always Mattered: Hidden African American Philadelphia of the Twentieth Century” in the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection on Nov. 4.

phians, Turner said.

Turner hopes the images and illustrations in the novels will prompt people to ask more questions about the individuals.

Jayla Williams, a junior global studies major, said she thought the project will be good for younger generations, like high school students.

“It’s a really unique way of getting out the information about African-American history and representatives,” she added.

It is important to show younger people the individuals who were able to make success against great odds, Turner said.

“If they see what has been done in the past, oftentimes you don’t have to

reinvent the wheel, and you don’t get discouraged,” she added. “It should be a source of inspiration.”

Turner wants people to connect with history and by doing so, the collection may receive another grant to be able to expand to a second volume.

“The African-American community has always been very diverse, and despite institutional racism and lack of opportunities based on race, there have always been African Americans who had been able to achieve,” Turner said. “As American citizens, they have the same American dreams but we don’t hear about these individuals as much as we would like to.” renata.kaminski@temple.edu

features@temple-news.com

FEATURES PAGE 12

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

CITY

Alumnus’ business will move to Fashion District

REC Philly, a creative resource provision company, will open in the Fashion District next month.

BY LAWRENCE UKENYE For The Temple News While David Silver was an undergraduate at Temple University, many local artists approached him to perform in his basement concert venue he ran with his friend William Toms.

“That was kind of an awakening moment because I realized that people really need this stuff and we weren’t the only ones struggling,” said Silver, a 2013 advertising alumnus.

They realized local artists were spending absurd amounts of money on studio and venue time, and wanted to solve the problem.

Now, they run Resources for Every Creator, a company that connects creative entrepreneurs with studio time, green screens and creative coaching. The company is now moving into the city’s newly-opened Fashion District Philadelphia on Market and 9th streets, where their store will open in December.

The new facility will not only target musical artists but also offer resources and features catered to other creative entrepreneurs, like videographers, photographers and dancers, Silver said. The site features green screens, a dance studio, a podcasting studio sponsored by WXPN, a public radio station, and a 200-seat event space from Live Nation, an entertainment company.

Their North Philadelphia facility, located on 9th Street near Dauphin, is shutting down as they transition to their new space.

“We wanted to intentionally design a space that would serve the creative economy in a more holistic fashion,” Toms said.

After running their basement music venue, Silver and Toms realized artists would rather pursue careers in cities like

features@temple-news.com

Los Angeles or New York due to the lack of resources in Philadelphia, they said.

“We knew Philadelphia was rich in opportunity,” Silver said. “We knew we could help these artists connect with their communities. We just thought there could be a better structure in place to help these creators.”

The company currently works with around 500 creatives and has a waitlist for an additional 500 clients once their Fashion District facility opens. They will offer a $49 basic membership fee each month for access to various parts of the facility.

They also have a partnership with Temple Alumni Association to provide students and alumni 10 percent off a REC membership. The university will plan events at the downtown facility, Silver said.

Riley Polis, a videographer, has used REC for the past three years to grow his independent music label Highest Basement Collective.

“They really opened up the door for us and gave us the ability to get anything we really wanted done,” Polis said. “If you have any type of idea in your head and you walk out of that building without accomplishing it, it’s on you because all the resources are available for you in that building.”

In the coming months, the company plans to fundraise to open sites in Austin, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. Toms is confident that the new Philadelphia site will benefit creators in a way that allows them to grow in resources and the quality of their work.

“Our space will breed confidence among creators,” he added. “Our space will be a symbol and a flag to show that it is possible for anyone to pursue their creative endeavors.” lawrence.ukenye@temple.edu @lawrencee_u

COLLEEN CLAGGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS

David Silver, co-founder and CEO of Resources for Every Creator, talks about plans for the company’s new location in the Fashion District on Oct. 28.

COLLEEN CLAGGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS Posters hang outside of the new location of Resources for Every Creator, which will open in the Fashion District in December.

temple-news.com

BASKETBALL PREVIEW PAGE B2

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Forward learns from national team play

Graduate student Lena Niang played for Senegal’s national Crockett said.

The graduate forward’s improved team over the summer. defense will be a “welcomed asset” this

BY CAYDEN STEELE season, Crockett added.

Field Hockey Beat Reporter As a child, graduate forward Lena Niang dreamed of playing for the Senegal national basketball team.

Niang was born in Senegal and lived there until 2012. This summer, she played for the team in the International Basketball Federation Women’s Afrobasket.

“Overall it was a great experience,” Niang said. “It’s something I have wanted to do since I was little. I wish my parents were there to experience it with me.”

In four games, Niang recorded eight points and was one-for-three on threepoint shots.

Niang believes playing on the national team helped her improve during the offseason, specifically her three-point shot, she said.

In the 2018-19 season, Niang averaged five points per game. She ranked third on the team with 36 converted threes and finished with a 33.6 percent conversion rate from three-point range, ranking second on the team.

“Shooting three-pointers is definitely the strongest part of my game, but I plan on getting even better this year,” Niang said.

This offseason, Coach Tonya Cardoza has been “harping” on Niang’s defense, which Niang has been working on, she said.

Niang finished fourth on the team last year with 12 blocks and recorded 11 total steals.

“Her hard work in the offseason is paying off and that is due to the amount of effort she puts in, she always works to be better,” assistant coach Willnett

Niang hopes to finish her collegiate career with an NCAA Tournament appearance, and she is focused on her role as a shooter and defender, she said.

The Owls were unable to reach the NCAA Tournament last season after losing in the first round of The American Athletic Conference Tournament to Memphis 59-58.

Niang recorded eight points, two steals and one block in the game.

“This year being my last year, I hope we make the postseason,” Niang said.

“I’m going to focus on bringing energy and playing good defense.”

The players respect Niang, and they will miss her presence after she graduates, junior forward Mia Davis said.

“Lena owns up to it when she makes mistakes and she’s not in denial about it,” Davis said. “In the next possession, she makes sure she doesn’t make the same mistake.”

When she graduates, Niang plans to continue playing for the Senegal national team. She will try to earn a spot on the roster if the team reaches the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, she said.

Niang also wants to open up her own restaurant and continue to play basketball overseas, she said.

“I would like to open my own business, whether it’s me having my own restaurant or running my own business international,” Niang said. “For now, I want to play basketball overseas, but hopefully I can manage to do both in the future.”

12

TOTAL BLOCKS

2.9

REBOUNDS PER GAME

33.6

5.0

POINTS PER GAME

cayden.steele@temple.edu @caydensports SOURCE: owlsports.com

sports@temple-news.com

THREE-POINT PERCENTAGE

COLLEEN CLAGGETT / PHOTO INGRID SLATER / DESIGN

temple-news.com

BASKETBALL PREVIEW PAGE B3

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

MEN’S BASKETBALL

THE AARON ERA Aaron McKie will make his coaching debut tonight at Temple men’s basketball’s game against Drexel.

BY JAY NEEMEYER Sports Editor

COLLEEN CLAGGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple men’s basketball coach Aaron McKie instructs his players during practice at the Liacouras Center on Oct. 29.

Aaron McKie studied Temple University men’s basketball since he was a kid, going to games at the Palestra at the University of Pennsylvania, which hosted the city’s Big Five matches.

McKie was fascinated by Temple’s program and wanted to be like former coach John Chaney, who coached the Owls from 1982-2006. McKie played under Chaney from 1991-94, and now has taken on Chaney’s role as head coach of the Owls.

“It was destiny,” McKie said, spreading his arms out in the Al Shrier Media Room in the Liacouras Center.

McKie became Temple’s 18th head basketball coach on April 2. He rejoined Temple in 2014 as an assistant coach under former coach Fran Dunphy, and served as the associate head coach in the 2018-19 season.

@TheTempleNews

McKie had “long conversations about basketball” with Chaney, and received advice from him about being head coach.

“He said to me, ‘Love your players, love your guys, be supportive,’” McKie said. “And that was pretty much it ... And really at the end of the day, they loved their players and they cared about their players, and that’s how I want to be.”

McKie shows his care by making sure his team is “prepared” on and off the court.

“He really helps us, you know, with the things off the court,” said junior forward J.P. Moorman II. “With internships and helping us get prepared for life after basketball.”

In preparation for his first season, McKie has been testing different lineups and worked on playing against a zone

defense in practice on Oct. 29.

“We’ve been preparing since McKie got the job,” senior guard Quinton Rose said.

McKie named Rose one of three captains along with Moorman and junior guard Nate Pierre-Louis on Oct. 16.

McKie wants to put Rose in a position to score often and for Moorman to shoot well. He added that Pierre-Louis will “create his own offense.”

“We’ll find ways in our offense to put them in situations where they can be successful,” McKie said.

McKie intends to rely on multiple players to support the captains.

“I anticipate playing a lot of guys, and mixing guys in and out,” McKie said.

“I don’t anticipate a guy playing 35-plus minutes, but I want them to play at a high level for as long as they can.”

Pierre-Louis said McKie might be nervous before his first game tonight against Drexel at 8 p.m. at the Liacouras Center.

“We’re going to try our best to tell him to relax a little bit because we got it, we’re a team, so we’re family, we’ve got each other’s backs,” Pierre-Louis said.

“So we’re going to have his back.”

Pierre-Louis said that despite the change in role, McKie’s attitude stayed the same.

“He’s the same person,” Pierre-Louis said. “He never switched up. Ever since my sophomore year, the first day I met him, I’ll never forget it. He’s been the same person ever since.” jay.neemeyer@temple.edu @neemeyer_j

sports@temple-news.com

BASKETBALL PREVIEW PAGE B4

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Owls hope health, depth support junior forward

Temple’s will return sophomore “This year will be different because Last season, the Owls had a 0-3 starting mix” and provide her team with stretch in which they only had “lots of different scoring options,” she guard Marissa Mackins, who averaged we’ll be surrounding [Davis] with added.

8.7 points per game and shot 31.8 percent different teams and different looks,” seven healthy players.

With more healthy players, the Owls will give junior forward Mia Davis, the team’s captain, more opportunities to rest during games, assistant coach Willnett Crockett said.

Davis was one of two unanimous selections to The American Athletic Conference’s All-Conference First team, and keeping her healthy and taking more pressure off her to contribute points is key to the Owls’ success, Cardoza said.

Davis led the Owls last season with 18.9 points per game and 9.2 rebounds per game. Davis thinks she has room for improvement. she said.

“I need to communicate more with my teammates on defense and during practice so that we can be better,” she added. “I am trying to be a better and more vocal leader on defense with communication.”

The coaching staff believes the team will have healthier players this season, making for a better season, they said.

BY ADAM SLOATE Women’s Basketball Beat Reporter Good health will be the determining factor in close games for Temple University women’s basketball this season.

Last season, in a three-game stretch from Feb. 20-27, the Owls played with just an eight-player rotation for each of their three games, despite having 14 on the team’s roster. Six players were unable to play during that time due to injuries.

The Owls lost all three games by eight points or fewer.

“Last year, we had to start seven players because we only had seven healthy bodies,” coach Tonya Cardoza said. “We couldn’t afford to have injuries.”

Cardoza wants to “find the right

from three-point range last season.

The Owls will add redshirtsophomore guard Ashley Jones to the rotation this season. Jones sat out last season after transferring from West Virginia University due to NCAA transfer rules. While with the Mountaineers, Jones averaged 2.8 points per game.

“We have a lot more weapons this year,” Crockett said. “[Davis is] going to be our go-to, but because we have [Jones] coming in and we have [Mackins] who can knock down shots … we have a variety of people who can score, which makes us that much more exciting this year.”

Last year’s offense allowed Davis to play in isolated positions. This season, the team will focus less on shooting jump shots, Cardoza said. The Owls only shot 38.8 percent from the floor and 30.4 percent from three-point range last season.

Cardoza said. “We’re going to have more post presence and won’t rely as much on shooting jump shots.”

Temple must also replace guard Alliya Butts, who graduated last season.

Butts led the team with 185 three-point shot attempts and was the Owls’ secondleading scorer averaging 15.2 points per game.

Mackins finished second on the team with 179 three-point attempts.

Graduate forward Lena Niang was third on the team with 107 attempts, which she converted at a 33.6 percent rate.

“We want to have people playing multiple positions,” Cardoza said. “We like to have versatile players and shoot threes, but we want to shoot highpercentage shots.”

Temple will open up the season at home tonight at 6 p.m. against Fairfield University. adam.sloate@temple.edu

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5.0 points per game 2.9 rebounds per game 21 total assists

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JUSTIN OAKES / THE TEMPLE NEWS

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18.9 points per game 9.2 rebounds per game 37 total assists

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PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS SEASON

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BASKETBALL PREVIEW PAGE B5

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

MEN’S BASKETBALL

COLLEEN CLAGGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS Junior forward Justyn Hamilton attempts to block a shot from redshirt-junior guard Monty Scott during practice at the Liacouras Center on Oct. 29.

Owls style uses defensive intensity, offensive spacing Temple will add defensive pressure and more ball and player movements on offense.

Temple University men’s basketball has not advanced past the first round of the NCAA Tournament since the 201213 season.

If the Owls want to advance in the tournament, the team must focus on defensive intensity and a new offensive scheme, coach Aaron McKie said.

The Owls will focus on defensive intensity, while on offense, they will focus on spacing and shooting.

“In order to get to where you wanna go, be at the top of The American, get to the NCAA Tournament, you’re gonna have to defend,” he said. “All of the teams that are in the tournament one of two things, they are really good offensively or they are really good defensively.”

Last season, senior guard Quinton Rose led the team with 71 steals and Junior guard Nate Pierre-Louis finished second on the team with 53. PierreLouis was second on the team with 5.8 rebounds per game and third on the team with 10 blocks.

“Defense, I love that,” Pierre-Louis said. “It comes from my father and my @TheTempleNews

Rose averaged 16.3 points per game last season and is the Owls’ leading returning scorer.

He only shot 27.5 percent from three-point range last season, which ranked eighth on the team.

“Just shot-making,” Rose said about what he has improved in the offseason.

“Just getting them up before and after practice and getting here on my own time. Taking care of the ball, I think that is just mental and watching film.”

Rose is not the only player expecting an increased role on offense. Moorman II believes his offensive skills have improved during the summer.

His role includes playing the “stretch four” position which focuses more on three-pointers and ball handling.

The junior forward shot 41.0 percent from behind the arc last season, which was first on the team. “[My role] will be a lot different just because our primary ball-handler last year was [Alston],” Moorman II said.

“I’ll be involved a lot, facilitating and shooting the ball obviously.”

The Owls will have their first opportunity to implement their new schemes when they open the season at home tonight against Drexel at 8 p.m. dante.collinelli@temple.edu @DanteCollinelli

2012-13 Lost third round

2013-14

Did not make tournament

2014-15 Did not make tournament

2015-16 Lost first round

2016-17 Did not make tournament

2017-18 Did not make tournament

2018-19

POST SEASON TIMELINE

BY DANTE COLLINELLI Assistant Sports Editor

[Amateur Athletic Union] coach. When I was younger, the AAU team would practice two or three times a day. If you didn’t play defense, then you were not really getting on the court on the AAU team.”

Temple will improve its defensive rebounding this season, McKie said.

The Owls’ leading rebounder from last season, center Ernest Aflakpui, graduated in the spring. Aflakpui averaged 7.1 rebounds per game and compiled 212 total rebounds.

Junior forward J.P. Moorman II was third on the team last year with an averaged 4.2 rebounds per game.

“As a team though, we need to rebound collectively. It can’t just be the big guys,” Moorman II said. “As long as our guards rebound and our fours and fives rebound, I think we will be fine.”

Offensively, the Owls will have more player and ball movement this season, Moorman II added. Last season, Temple relied heavily on guard Shizz Alston, Jr. who led the team in scoring with 19.7 points per game.

This season, the Owls will play a different style of offense and “keep the middle of the court open” and force their players to “read and react,” McKie said.

Temple will also use Rose in an expanded offensive role this season, McKie added.

Lost first four sports@temple-news.com

BASKETBALL PREVIEW PAGE B6

Owls add six new players Last season, no new players played significant minutes for the Temple men’s basketball team. This season, the Owls have six incoming players in coach Aaron McKie’s inaugural campaign.

Here is an overview of the newcomers.

Jake Forrester Year: Sophomore Position: Forward Previous School: Indiana University Forrester played in 13 games, averaging 2.1 points on 4.3 minutes per game.

He is waiting on an NCAA waiver request that would allow him to forgo a redshirt year.

Arashma Parks Year: Redshirt-freshman Position: Forward Previous School: The Phelps School, Malvern, Pennsylvania Parks averaged 11.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game during his senior year He took a redshirt year after he was sidelined with a right shoulder injury in Fall 2018. sports@temple-news.com

Monty Scott Year: Redshirt-junior Position: Guard Previous School: Kennesaw State University Scott transferred from Kennesaw State University after the 2017-18 season, where he started 29 games and averaged 17.3 points per game.

Josh Pierre-Louis Year: Freshman Position: Guard Previous School: Roselle Catholic High School, Roselle New Jersey Pierre-Louis averaged 14.2 points and 3.4 assists at Roselle Catholic High School. The team was ranked No. 17 in the country

by USA Today.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

BY ARI GLAZIER Volleyball Beat Reporter PHOTOS BY COLLEEN CLAGGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Damian Dunn Year: Freshman Position: Guard Previous School: Meadowcreek High School, Norcross, Georgia The 6-foot-4inch guard averaged 12.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals in his senior year at Meadowcreek High School.

He broke his foot over the summer in a pickup game, Owl Scoop reported. He has been ruled out of the Owls’ opener tonight against Drexel.

Tai Strickland Year: Sophomore Position: Guard Previous School: University of Wisconsin Like Forrester, sophomore guard Strickland is waiting to hear from the NCAA after transferring from Wisconsin.

He played one year, averaged 1.8 points per game and played only 50 total minutes. temple-news.com

BASKETBALL PREVIEW PAGE B7

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Pierre-Louis brothers bring defensive presence Nate and Josh Pierre-Louis are provements in his brother’s game since the first brothers to play togeth- he arrived at Temple, like his brother’s er for Temple men’s basketball. jump shot.

BY ALEX McGINLEY Assistant Sports Editor Junior guard Nate Pierre-Louis remembers beating his brother freshman guard Josh Pierre-Louis in pickup basketball games.

Now, the brothers will play together on Temple University men’s basketball team.

The brothers played for Roselle Catholic High School in Roselle, New Jersey and were teammates there for a year.

They are the first two brothers in the program’s history to play together.

“Playing with my brother is ridiculous,” Josh Pierre-Louis said. “That’s my best friend. We grew up together. Ever since I was six years old, I wanted to be just like him. He’s great to have.”

Josh Pierre-Louis led Roselle Catholic to a 28-4 record during his senior year. He averaged 14.2 points and 3.4 assists per game and led the school to the New Jersey state championship last season.

He originally committed to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in September 2018 but decided to open up his recruitment after UNLV’s former coach Marvin Menzies was fired in March. He committed to Temple two weeks later.

Having his brother on the team was a factor in Josh Pierre-Louis’ decision, but he still would have chosen Temple even if his brother played somewhere else, he said. ““Coming here with Coach [Aaron McKie], that was another coach that I felt had my better being and would allow me to blossom into a person that he believed I could be,” Josh Pierre-Louis said.

Nate Pierre-Louis has noticed im-

@TheTempleNews

“He got a lot better,” Nate Pierre-Louis said. “It’s gonna get a lot [more] competitive now. He’s really fast.

Sometimes, he’ll get the best of me a couple of times.”

McKie has noticed the brothers’ aggressiveness during practice.

“What I really like is how they compete against one another in practice,” McKie said. “It’s really highly competitive when they play against each other, and I want them to take that into the games.”

Last season, Nate Pierre-Louis ranked fifth in The American Athletic Conference with 1.6 steals per game and 19th in rebounds with 5.7 per game. He has 78 steals during his two-year career at Temple, including 53 last season.

Like his brother, Josh Pierre-Louis is also known as a defensive player, McKie said. He had 69 steals with Roselle Catholic last season.

“I think Josh is a little better with the ball,” McKie said. “I would lean more toward him being a lead guard than Nate.

Nate’s a guy you can advance the ball with and advance the ball to and make plays from that wing position. Both of those guys have footspeed. Both of those guys are incredible athletes, and I think they can be outstanding defenders.”

Nate Pierre-Louis said having his brother on the same team allows him to act as a role model.

“It’s awesome,” Nate Pierre-Louis said. “You always wanna have your little baby brother with you. My parents always told me I’m my brother’s keeper, so I try my best to do that job every single day.” alex.mcginley@temple.edu @mcginley_alex

COLLEEN CLAGGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple men’s basketball players break from a huddle during practice at the Liacouras Center on Oct. 29.

JUSTIN OAKES / THE TEMPLE NEWS Junior guard Nate Pierre-Louis (left) wraps his arm around his brother, freshman guard Josh Pierre-Louis, during practice at the Liacouras Center on Oct. 29.

sports@temple-news.com

BASKETBALL PREVIEW PAGE B8

MIA DAVIS:

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

LEADING THE PACK

Last season, junior forward Mia Davis led Temple women’s basketball in most major statistical categories, including points per game and rebounding. Coach Tonya Cardoza made her one of this year’s team captains.

Here’s how she stacks up against her teammates.

18.9

AVERAGE POINTS PER GAME

8.7 sophomore guard Marissa Mackins 5.4 senior forward Shantay Taylor 5 graduate forward Lena Niang

34.5

AVERAGE MINUTES PER GAME 28.8 Marissa Mackins 25.9 Emani Mayo 19.4 Shantay Taylor

36.7

THREE-POINT PERCENTAGE

33.6 Lena Niang 31.8 Marissa Mackins 25.3 junior guard Emani Mayo

9.2

REBOUNDS PER GAME

5.7 Shantay Taylor 4.6 senior center Shannen Atkinson 3.8 sophomore forward Alexa Williamson JUSTIN OAKES / PHOTO INGRID SLATER / DESIGN

sports@temple-news.com

temple-news.com

FEATURES TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

PAGE 13

ON CAMPUS

Alumnus works to revive Gen-Ed discount program

Donnell Powell is a local artist bringing a new approach to the PEX Passport Program.

BY MARYAM SIDDIQUI For The Temple News Donnell Powell was a freshman at Temple University when the General Education Program was created in 2008.

He remembers visiting the Wagner Free Institute of Science of Philadelphia and The Philadelphia Orchestra on discount through Temple’s Philadelphia Experience Passport.

Now, Powell, a 2012 media studies and production alumnus, is the new coordinator of the PEX Passport, a program that gives students free or discounted access to city attractions through partnerships with various city arts organizations. He took over the position last month and is working to revamp the program among the Temple community by connecting with city arts initiatives, increasing event engagement on campus and connecting with university organizations.

“When I saw the PEX Passport coordinator position, it was like ‘Wow,’ it was very nostalgic,” Powell said.

The program started in 2009 as a part of the Gen-Ed program to encourage incoming students to engage with Philadelphia.

“There would be [Gen-Ed] classes that would send students out into the community that use Philadelphia specific topics as case studies,” said Dana Dawson, associate director of the Gen-Ed Program. “Part of that would be the PEX Passport … it’s part of this broader effort to make the city part of the curriculum.”

The PEX Passport formerly was a physical coupon book and offers to city arts organizations, like Wilma Theater and The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. Now, offers are listed on a PEX Passport page on Gen-Ed’s website, but many students are unaware of its existence, Dawson said.

This is partially because of the GenEd Program’s decreased emphasis on @TheTempleNews

CLAUDIA SALVATO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Donnell Powell, Temple University PEX Passport program coordinator, hands out flyers for the program around campus on Nov. 1. The program allows students to experience art exhibits and performances throughout the city for free or at a reduced cost.

PEX Passport and the size of the university, which has many activities for students to be involved in, she added.

“As any program matures, you get into the weeds of maintaining it,” Dawson said. “We’re trying to get back to some of those things that were maybe deprioritized as the program matured.”

Powell is an art collector and teaching artist, and educates students through organizations, like Philadelphia Young Playwrights and Mural Arts Philadelphia. He would like to partner with these organizations with the PEX Passport program.

In addition, he hopes to shift some focus away from larger museums and cultural institutions toward lesser-known ones, like the Colored Girls Museum, Powell said.

At the Gen-Ed Course Fair on Oct. 28, Powell talked to attendees who had

never heard about the program, he said.

He hopes students will use the program more after he increases its presence.

“It’s a very nice thing to go around in the city and explore new museums and everything, and they should advertise it more, especially for international students who are just coming to the city,” said Dariia Dragunova, a freshman computer science major and international student from Ukraine.

Powell wants to see how the PEX Passport program can support student organizations, faculty members and University Housing and Residential Life’s missions.

“The most successful thing in trying to achieve anything is partnering,” Powell said. “Why do we all have to do our own thing, why can’t we join forces?”

The program could be advertised better by people speaking to classes about

it and having pop-up tables on campus, said Blaine Yohannes, a senior early childhood education major. She added that out of her four years at Temple, she did not know the program existed.

“I would love discounted access to museums and attractions,” she said.

“Like the art museum and the institute, things that I took advantage of as a kid that I would want to see now.”

Dawson said that Powell’s passion and knowledge for the arts make him perfect for the position.

“He has so much enthusiasm for the arts, and we hope that will be infectious.

He has a really broad awareness of different arts and cultural organizations in the city,” Dawson said. “That’s what PEX is, it’s meant to be broadly inclusive of the arts and cultural community.” maryam.siddiqui@temple.edu

features@temple-news.com

FEATURES PAGE 14

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

CAREER WORD SEARCH DENTIST DOCTOR TEACHER ACCOUNTANT LAWYER WEB DEVELOPER ARCHITECT HAIRDRESSER

TRANSLATOR NURSE DIRECTOR ACTRESS DESIGNER MATHEMATICIAN CARTOGRAPHER

BASKETBALL CROSSWORD DOWN

ACROSS

2. A shot that completely misses the net

1. Throwing the ball from one teammate to another

3. Scoring the ball by throwing it down through the basket

5. Advancing the ball across the court by bouncing it continuously

4. Occurs when a player deflects an offensive player’s attempt to score 6. The board behind the net 7. An attempt to score by throwing the ball while jumping

8. The player who holds the ball for most of the time during the game 10. A chance to attempt a score after the player retrieves the ball from a free throw

9. The playing surface which has two baskets at each end

features@temple-news.com

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FEATURES TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

PAGE 15

TRENDS

Professor promotes mindfulness in workplaces Kudesia published an article, “Mind“Self-awareness is something we can secondary education major, said she imRavi Kudesia studies the effectiveness of self-awareness relat- fulness as a Metacognitive Practice” in cultivate with mindfulness,” Egan said. plements mindfulness practices with her the Academy of Management Review in “By being aware of ourselves, we can preschool students at Children of Amered practices in a work place.

BY MEGHAN KIERNAN For The Temple News During his childhood, Ravi Kudesia’s uncle exposed him to mindfulness practices through meditation when visiting from India.

“He had learned a bunch of these practices and passed them on to me,” said Kudesia, an assistant professor of human resource management.

Now in his career, Kudesia studies mindfulness, or the practice of achieving awareness of thoughts, emotions and experiences, and how it can be effective in the workplace. The practice is becoming popular among individuals in the workplace as a means of fostering stress-relief and overall positive well-being, according to HelpGuide, a nonprofit mental health and wellness website.

June, which focuses on practicing workplace mindfulness as a context-based practice.

His theory is rooted in metacognition, or the awareness of one’s own learning or thinking processes.

“If I can notice what I’m doing in my own mind, then I can adjust it,” he said.

“If you don’t notice what’s happening in your own mind, how are you ever going to change it?”

Metacognition-related self-awareness, like mindfulness, is valuable because of its potential to positively impact mental health, said Janie Egan, the mental well-being program coordinator at the Wellness Resource Center.

The Wellness Resource Center started offering once-a-month “Mindfulness Basics” sessions for the first time this semester. The sessions offer different kinds of guided meditation, like body scans and breathing exercises.

give ourselves what we need so it can support our mental health in that way.”

Kudesia began work-focused mindfulness and meditation practices when he realized the difficulty of balancing work and self-needs after graduating from Boston University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration program in 2008.

“I realized it’s extremely hard to detach self from work, and things like stress and those sorts of pressures were really intense,” he said.

Kudesia then became increasingly interested in practicing mindfulness, participating in exercises like a meditation retreat that required him to focus on breathing for roughly 14 hours straight.

“If all you’re doing is paying attention to the sensation of breathing at the tip of your nose, you can go deep — incredibly deep — with that,” he said.

Maria Danielle Williams, a junior

TRACY NGUYEN Senior music performance major

VOICES

Do you plan on voting today?

Why or why not?

I am gonna vote Tuesday. I am registered to vote and I plan to just because it’s basically the only thing young people can do that’s gonna result in a solid result of any sort, like tangible, recorded statistical result.

CINDY ZERN Sophomore bioengineering major I was planning on it, but I forgot to get an absentee ballot.

@TheTempleNews

ica, a daycare in Southampton, Pennsylvania. She uses exercises, like deep breathing sessions and kiddie yoga, to help them begin developing self-regulation skills.

“Emotions fuel all of our behavior as human beings,” Williams said. “But, we tend to forget that they begin and end with the person that is feeling them.”

Kudesia encourages students to explore their curiosities and consider the voices of others.

“One of the most courageous things you can do is to be a little bit more willing to step back, notice your thoughts and feelings and realize that [your] thoughts and feelings are not necessarily reality, they’re not the final truth on any matter,” he said. meghan@temple.edu

ANNALISE KIRK Sophomore health professions major I did not get an absentee ballot, and I’m not sure I can vote in this election because I’m not a resident of Pennsylvania.

ANNON MERRITT Senior graphic design major I will be voting. I didn’t vote back in 2016, not that I regret it but I’m smarter. I was like 18. I’m like 21, it’s what you do. I realize you start from the bottom, you just have to focus on the local stuff, and then it trickles up.

features@temple-news.com

FEATURES PAGE 16

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

LIVE IN PHILLY

JEREMY ELVAS / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Parade brings military veterans together

On Sunday, hundreds gathered along Market Street in Center City for the Philadelphia Veterans Parade, a non-profit march honoring those who have served in the United States military.

At noon, the parade began at Philadelphia City Hall near Juniper and Market streets and included several biker groups, like American Legion Riders, and performances from Philadelphia Police & Fire Pipes & Drums band.

Maylea Lamborn, 44, from Medford, New Jersey, is a veteran who attended the parade.

“It’s important for us to always remember that without those people supporting our nation, we won’t have the freedoms that we have,” Lamborn said.

Leonard Gryn, 79, a U.S. Marines veteran from Manayunk, Pennsylvania, who was a jet engine mechanic who served in the Vietnam War, attended the event.

“Parades have always been part of the United States of America. It brings out the best in people — brings people together.,” Gryn said.

Afterward, the Philadelphia Veterans Parade hosted a festival at Independence Mall. features@temple-news.com

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INTERSECTION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

PAGE 17

LGBTQ

High school students, teachers react to new laws Mayor Jim Kenney signed three bills into law that expand and enforce protections for trans and nonbinary children

BY NICO CISNEROS For The Temple News

P

hiladelphia Mayor Jim Kenney signed into law three bills that protect transgender and nonbinary children on Oct. 31.

Passed by Philadelphia City Council on Oct. 3, the three bills, known as the “inclusivity package” introduced by Councilmember Helen Gym, include required training on non-discrimination policies for any staff working with children, Philadelphia Gay News reported.

One of the three bills enforces policies already established through School District Policy 252, which provides protections, like using inclusive language, keeping trans identities confidential, referring to students by their correct pronouns, among others, Philadelphia Gay News reported.

Another bill revised the definitions of “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” in The Philadelphia Code, and requires gender-inclusive bathrooms on each floor of City Hall, Philadelphia Gay News reported.

Kieran McIntire, a sophomore at George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science on 16th Street near Norris, reported on Policy 252 for the school’s student newspaper, the Carver Times, when it was introduced. She and her fellow members of the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance started a campaign to bring awareness to the policy like its gender-inclusive language.

GSA member and a Carver High School junior Zach Jackson, who worked on the awareness campaign, said the new bills make life easier for someone like themself, who is nonbinary.

“When it was brought to my attention, immediately, I was extremely happy because I don’t have to go to every @TheTempleNews

JEREMY ELVAS / THE TEMPLE NEWS Ted Domers, principal of George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science, and Carver High School journalism teacher Kit Bradley discuss the new laws that protect trans and nonbinary students with Carver High School students at 16th Street near Norris streets on Oct. 25.

teacher and say my name is Zach anymore,” Jackson said. “Yay, simplicity. No more anxiety.”

With this kind of legislation, Jackson feels respected by the school district because, in other districts, there are no policies like this.

“There, trans people and people that are gender non-conforming are just out of the question entirely,” Jackson added.

“With the bills that the school district and our school has, it shows that we’re very inclusive, that we do care and that you’re not alone.”

Jackson Burke, a freshman fine arts major at Temple, said that laws like these would have helped him growing up. He attended a Catholic school for his freshman and sophomore years of high school, where he faced discrimination.

The community Burke has found in his journey as a trans individual is what helped him through these challenges.

“In this community, a lot of us really

see each other as a family, and being able to help each other and empower each other, it’s really been my favorite part of the journey so far,” he said.

Burke was happy to hear about the passage of the new bills, both for himself and for future generations, he said.

“It’s really nice to be able to see protections for people like me in the city that we live [in] that makes us safer,” he added.

Carver High School’s GSA adviser and journalism teacher Kit Bradley said creating inclusive spaces in schools is the job of teachers and administrators.

“Historically, within places like schools, trans and gender non-conforming students have been left out of conversations,” Bradley said. “They’re left out of curriculums and often discouraged to express who they really are.

Carver High School Principal Ted Domers said it is a priority for his students to feel comfortable at school.

“It’s essential,” he said. “If students don’t feel safe and welcome and can’t learn, they can’t grow.”

Only 26 percent of LGBTQ children have reported they feel safe in school, and only five percent reported that all of their school staff supported their identities, according to a 2018 LGBTQ Children Report by the Human Rights Campaign.

Buck Baker, a sophomore public health major and president of Students for Trans Awareness and Rights, said he hopes the new laws will give trans and gender non-conforming children a sense of “freedom,” like he felt when discovering his family at STAR. “We want this to be normalized, so we don’t feel like outsiders,” he added.

“We are here, and we are not going anywhere.” nicole.cisneros@temple.edu Bryanna Santos contributed reporting.

intersection@temple-news.com

INTERSECTION PAGE 18

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

EDUCATION

Some students find gap years beneficial to growth Before coming to Temple, some from the stress of high school, Goldenstudents took a break after high thal added.

“Now I’m just ready to go into freshschool to travel and work.

BY ZILLAH ELÇIN For The Temple News For some Temple University students, a part of their journey to higher education involves a year off after high school.

The “gap year” was popularized most recently by Malia Obama, who took a year off before going to Harvard University, utilizing her time off to take a trip to Bolivia and Peru, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Ninety-two percent of students said they took a gap year to gain life experiences and grow personally. About 85 percent said it was to travel and experience other cultures, and 81 percent said it was to take a break from the academic track, according to a national alumni survey conducted by the American Gap Association and Temple University’s Institute for Survey Research in 2015.

For Neil Goldenthal, a freshman jazz performance and media studies and production major, his gap year was about taking time for himself to travel to Asia.

“I had never really been out of the country,” Goldenthal said. “I’d never been to Europe or Asia or Africa or South America. My family has a summer business, so we never really went on big vacations or anything like that. So, I started thinking about traveling, and at first, it was kind of like, ‘This would be really cool to do on breaks when I’m older.’ And then it was like, ‘What if I just spent a year and did it?’”

He also used his gap year to recover

intersection@temple-news.com

man year and ready to tackle the double major,” he said. “The relativity of all the things you can do in your gap year makes college seem a lot more manageable.”

Lizy Pierson, a junior public health major, said she took a gap year to travel the world after transferring out of the University of Miami.

“I was really stressed at my first school, and I always wanted to do a trip to Europe,” Pierson said. “I was like, ‘What better time to go travel than now?’ So I just took a semester off and backpacked through Europe.”

About 69 percent of students moved on to a two to four-year college immediately after graduating high school in 2016, leaving students who take a gap year in the minority, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

At some universities, once a student has been accepted, they can request a year-long delay, but at Temple, new students who wish to defer enrolling in their first semester are not eligible for a Leave of Absence. Instead, they must arrange through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to defer the semester they begin their studies, according to the Temple University Policies and Procedures Manual.

Michael Mancini, a freshman sociology major, said the two-year break he took after high school for personal reasons increased his confidence and readiness for college.

“I feel like I’m a little bit more grounded,” he said. “It might have thrown me a little bit off my foundation if I just came right to Temple. So, I guess

MUSTABIN HOUSSAIN / THE TEMPLE NEWS

it gave me a little bit more confidence.”

Nonetheless, upon arriving at Temple, Mancini said he experienced some insecurity because of his nontraditional path to college.

“Most of it was just stuff I told myself, like, ‘Oh, you’re behind everybody now.’ I sort of just had to be like, ‘Hey,

just because I’m behind doesn’t mean I can’t do the best that I can at this,’” he said. “Just because I ran my race a year or two after someone else doesn’t mean that my time can’t be better.” zillahelcin@temple.edu @zill.elcin

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INTERSECTION PAGE 19

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

CULTURE

Students orgs team up for Diwali, Gaye Holud event

Kaafila and the Bangladeshi Students Association celebrated the two cultural events on Nov. 1.

BY NICO CISNEROS For The Temple News Morgan Residence Hall was buzzing on Nov. 1 with sounds of celebration.

Smells of savory and sweet food filled the air, leading guests down an aisle strewn with tea lights and rose petals toward a night of music and games.

Kaafila: The Indian Students’ Organization at Temple University and the Bangladeshi Students Association came together to host Holud x Diwali, an event that combined and celebrated important aspects of Bengali and Indian cultures.

BSA organized a mock wedding for the Gaye Holud, also known as Haldi, which is a part of an elaborate series of celebrations making up a Bengali wedding. Kaafila organized events for Diwali, the five-day Hindu festival of lights, which followed the mock wedding.

Entering the event, guests received a traditional Bengali wedding welcome — a tika, or dot of gold on the forehead, a bag of candy, a piece of mithai, or a traditional sweet, and a freshly cut flower, all before being showered in rose petals.

BSA Secretary and junior human resources major Tasmiah Kamal played the bride, walking down the aisle adorned in a yellow sari, bangles, necklaces and chains of flowers. The henna on her hand symbolized good luck for the couple, Kamal said.

The event was an important way to help students reconnect with their heritage, Kamal said.

“Many people aren’t in touch with the culture here, especially first-generation American kids who are very into American culture,” she said. “So just to bring this celebration here, to give them a taste of how life is back home, for them to enjoy, that’s why we did this.”

@TheTempleNews

Kamal’s “groom” Rithik Gangwani, a senior sports recreation and management major and Kaafila member, said he hopes international students enjoyed the celebration.

“I’m an international student from India, so for me coming here and doing an event like this makes me feel at home,” he added. “It’s exactly like how it is at home, just in a different location, so you don’t feel the difference.”

Guests went up to Kamal and Gangwani and put the turmeric paste on their faces, another part of a Haldi ceremony.

Sarina Ahmed, the BSA vice president and graduate pharmacy student, said the purpose of this part of the ceremony is to make the bride and groom “feel brighter” on their wedding day.

“That is actually my favorite part because it’s a little quirky, and it’s interactive,” Ahmed added.

To kick off the Diwali festivities of the evening, Ahmed, Gangwani and others performed to Bollywood Hits including “Desi Girl” and “First Class.”

Anmol Gupta, a senior risk management and insurance major and president of Kaafila, said Diwali is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil.

Guests enjoyed dishes, like chicken tikka masala, naan bread, chole, and desserts, like gulab jamun, before they flocked to the dance floor to dance to favorites like “Aankh Marey” and “Kar Gayi Chull.”

Ahmed taught dance moves to those unfamiliar with the music. She loved the opportunity to share her culture, she said.

“It’s so important to have this at Temple, not only for Bengali or Indian people to join together and celebrate together, but to expose it to quote-unquote outsiders because it’s bright, it’s fun, and it’s for everyone,” Ahmed said.

Another part of Diwali is playing games of chance. Guests played a game known as Tambola, or housie, a game similar to bingo.

JEREMY ELVAS / THE TEMPLE NEWS Tasmiah Kamal, the Bangladeshi Students Association secretary, walks down the aisle as the bride of the mock wedding at the Holud x Diwali celebration in Morgan Residence Hall on Oct. 31.

JEREMY ELVAS / THE TEMPLE NEWS Rithik Gangwani, a Kaafila member, is painted with turmeric paste as part of a mock wedding at the Holud x Diwali celebration in Morgan Residence Hall on Oct. 31.

Senior neuroscience and psychology major Aaswari Laxmikat Gharat said the games are played because Diwali is also the time people pray to the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi.

“I really loved the smiles everyone had,” Gupta added. “I saw so many people of all different races coming together and celebrating the Haldi and celebrating

Diwali,” Gharat also hopes people see more out of the culture than just festivals.

“The Indian culture is much more,” Gharat said. “It’s getting together and sharing the love and compassion we have for each other.” nicole.cisneros@temple.edu

intersection@temple-news.com

INTERSECTION PAGE 20

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

THE ESSAYIST

Taking a gap year and learning the power of love After high school, a student volunteered in Uganda, where she learned what it means to love.

BY THEODORA VERONIS For The Temple News From two months old, I was exposed to mission work and community service as the daughter of missionaries serving in Albania. My parents lived there for 10 years from 1995-2005, during the country’s post-communist era, where they encountered poverty and hardship among Albanian citizens.

I remember stories about children buying guns and grenades on the streets for barely any money. At one point, my mom had to be evacuated by a helicopter while pregnant with my brother because a riot broke out.

During these early years in Albania, we often didn’t have electricity in our home. One year, an electrical fire destroyed my entire room, taking all my clothes and toys with it. Word got out, and the impoverished people who used to visit our home seeking help now came to our home to help by giving bags of clothes to me and my brother.

My dad always said to me that the greatest lesson he learned is that love and freedom are critical in our lives.

As I grew and began to understand this concept, he explained that the secret to life is to love and be loved.

These early years in my life paved the way for a future filled with volunteer work in local and international communities.

When I was 14, I volunteered for Project Mexico and St. Innocent Orphanage, an organization that builds homes for families experiencing poverty and for boys who are orphans around the area. This incredible week-long experience made me want more, leading me to take a gap year after high school.

I spent the year after graduation serving in Mexico, Albania, Greece and

NICOLE HWANG / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Uganda, doing various volunteer projects, like teaching English in schools, working in a soup kitchen and building homes for families experiencing poverty.

But my time in Uganda stands out in my memory like no other experience has.

In the fall of 2018, I was teaching English and art at Alund’entono Primary School in Kasubi Parish. Each day, I taught lessons, interacted with the students and experienced the Ugandan spirit of love.

One day, I was speaking with my friend Agnes. I noticed children constantly calling out to her and running up to her throughout our conversation.

I told her what was so apparent: “These kids really do love you, Agnes.”

She had this perplexed look on her face, a sort of surprise as if what she said next was so obvious: “Well, it’s because I love them.”

Agnes is an incredible woman, who has dedicated her life to kids — ­­ taking in several children from surrounding areas and working for the St. Nicholas Ugandan Children’s Fund, a non-profit that helps pay school fees for students in Uganda.

This organization, and specifically Agnes, inspired me in my own journey for my future. She is so passionate about her work, and at times sacrificed her own time or money for those she was helping.

When I’ve questioned what I want to do in my future career, the advice I

have been given is to find something I love and then make a job out of it. Agnes is the definition of someone who has done exactly this.

These experiences of traveling and serving others gave me more than I ever thought it could. I remember pausing for a minute and looking around to soak it all in. The world was my classroom, and the power of love and solidarity took over.

Loving people and offering them the space to be heard is so important.

These experiences recontextualized and instilled more deeply what my dad has been repeating to me since our life in Albania: the secret of life is to love and be loved. theodora.veronis@temple.edu

temple-news.com

SPORTS PAGE 21

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

MEN’S SOCCER

Late-season scoring helps Owls seal postseason spot Temple has scored one goal or more in four of their last five regular season games.

BY SEAN McMENAMIN Men’s Soccer Beat Reporter Temple University men’s soccer (7-6-2, 3-1-2 The American Athletic Conference) clinched a spot in The American tournament after winning four-straight games.

The Owls went 2-0-0 last week as they defeated the University of Louisville (8-6-2, 3-4-1 The Atlantic Coast Conference) 2-1 on Oct. 22, and Connecticut (4-11-1, 1-5-0 The AAC) 2-1 on Oct. 26. Temple tied Tulsa (4-82, 0-4-1 The AAC) on Nov. 1.

“We show everything that top teams show in the nation, competitiveness and skill and ability to work for one another,” said senior forward Lukas Fernandes.

“I think we definitely have potential to do something big with this Temple program.”

The Owls only scored five goals in their first 10 games of the season but tallied nine goals in their last five games.

“I think we’ve put together more complete team performances,” coach Brian Rowland said. “You’ve seen guys step up and score on set pieces from the back, you’ve seen everyone just contribute on both sides of the ball.”

The Owls are fourth in the conference. With their win against UConn, Temple will have a chance to earn a high seed in The American Tournament.

“We knew that things would come and click together, but that hasn’t been for lack of hard work from the group,” Rowland said.

Fernandes is tied for the most goals scored and leads the team in assists this season, with three in each category. He scored the game-winning goal in the Owls’ road victory over Louisville.

“I feel as if this squad is probably one

@TTN_Sports

JEREMY ELVAS / THE TEMPLE NEWS Freshman forward Sean Karani fends off sophomore defender Diego Aguilera Cubero during the Owls’ game against Old Dominion University at the Temple Sports Complex on Oct. 1.

of the most connected squads on and off the field that we’ve had in a while,” Fernandes said. “We definitely push one another to be each other’s best versions of ourselves each day, on and off the field.”

Fernandes was named to the American Athletic Conference men’s soccer weekly honor roll for his accomplishments in the week ending on Oct. 28.

“I just do whatever I can to help my team succeed in that column, but obviously the goals and assists are nice,” Fernandes said. “I’m more focused on

doing whatever I can to get a win.”

The Owls had a slow start as they dropped their first three games of the season and were shut out in each match.

“From the beginning of the season, we knew we had a good team, but we also knew we were also a very new team,” freshman forward Sean Karani said. “We knew that once we clicked that we’d start playing like you see now.”

Karani has scored three goals this season. He recorded the game-winning goal at home against South Florida (9-51, 3-3 The AAC).

“I honestly think we can win it all,

with the team that we have,” Karani said. “It’s hard work and family and just love for each other. Just fight for your brother right next to you.”

Temple will finish the regular season at home against Southern Methodist (13-1-1, 4-1-1 The AAC) tonight at 7 p.m.

“I think if we can stay focused and tuned in to the effort that we’ve put in and just trusting the process and really being focused on getting better everyday, we got a lot ahead of us,” Rowland said. sean.mcmenamin@temple.edu @sean102400

sports@temple-news.com

SPORTS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

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WOMEN’S SOCCER

Coach resigns following missed postseason spot Coach Seamus O’Connor be- said Patrick Kraft Temple University’s lieves his team is better than the director of athletics, in the same press release on Monday. record indicates.

BY DONOVAN HUGEL Women’s Soccer Beat Reporter Temple University women’s soccer coach Seamus O’Connor resigned, he announced in a statement on Monday.

O’Connor served as head coach for seven years. His resignation comes after the team posted a 5-9-5 record and a 2-52 American Athletic Conference record.

The team’s season ended when it missed a spot in the AAC Tournament after 1-1 draw against UConn (6-8-3, 2-5-2 The AAC) on Oct. 31.

Temple needed to beat the Huskies to claim one of the last two spots in the AAC Tournament. The Owls finished eighth place in the conference.

“I have had the pleasure of working with some fine coaches and exceptional young women. I have watched our players grow, both on the field and in life,” O’Connor said in a press release on Monday.

Temple will begin a national search for its next head coach immediately,

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 FENCING productive and has been successful.”

Last season, Temple finished 25-8 overall, compiling the fourth-most wins in program history. The Owls placed 11th at the NCAA Championships and claimed the National Intercollegiate Women’s Fencing Association Championship for the 24th year in a row.

Temple graduated two sabres, two epees and one foil, which included captain Blessing Olaode and epee squad leaders Fiona Fong and Ally Micek.

This season, Temple is led by captain redshirt-senior epee Quinn Duwelius,

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“I want to thank Seamus for his dedication and service to our university and to the young women who came through his program,” Kraft added. “We wish him all of the best in his future endeavors.”

This season, the Owls finished last in The American in total shots, total points, total goals, goals per game, total assists and assists per game.

Temple failed to score at least one goal in nine of their 19 total games this season, including two 0-0 doubleovertime ties against Central Florida (11-3-4, 5-5-2 The AAC) on Oct. 17 and on Sept. 5 against Lehigh University (58-5, 3-5-1 The Patriot League).

“I’m extremely proud of how we played this year,” O’Connor said after Temple’s game against the Huskies on Oct. 31. “Over the course of the year from the preseason to now, we’ve lost seven players to injury, and that’s way too much for any team, but I’m extremely proud of the way we played this year.”

O’Connor took over as head coach in 2013 after spending the 2011 and

who was sidelined most of last season with an ACL tear.

Duwelius placed 33rd of 81 fencers in epee at the Temple Open last week.

“I definitely think we hold ourselves to a very high standard,” Duwelius said.

“The senior class is made up of a lot of very talented ladies. I know they’re striving to absolutely knock it out of the park this year.”

The sabre squad will return three upperclassmen — senior Malia Hee, junior Eva Hinds and senior Kerry Plunkett. Plunkett earned 13 wins at the 2019 NCAA Championships, finishing ninth and earning an All-American Honorable Mention.

Hee won the sabre event at the

NICK DAVIS / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple women’s soccer players strategize in a huddle during a game against Villanova on Sept 8.

2012 seasons as an assistant. The Owls had a record of 50-73-11 during his seven seasons at the helm and made the conference tournament four times.

The Owls’ most recently made the conference tournament last season.

They lost 3-0 to Central Florida in the first round.

In 2014 the Owls posted a school

record with 11 wins, before breaking that mark one year later in 2015 by finishing with 12 wins.

In total, the Owls finished 0-4 in The American Tournament while O’Connor was a coach.

Temple Open, and Plunkett took seventh place.

“I’m excited to finish it out,” Plunkett said. “This is the most mature I’ll be in a fencing career. I’m excited to take this new year with a new level of maturity.”

The Owls added four freshmen to the roster this offseason: epees Margherita Calderaro and Sarah Park and sabres Emma Pincus and Zoe Turner.

All four competed in the Temple Open. Calderaro tied for 11th in epee, and Park took 15th. In sabre, Turner placed 13th, and Pincus finished 25th.

The seniors have been trying to lead the freshmen in the right direction and remind them to “keep it simple” during competition, Duwelius said.

“Upperclassmen, I don’t view them as scary,” Park said. “I view them more as a teammate, so we connect very well, and I am learning that they know what they’re doing.”

Franke is pleased with how the incoming freshmen have responded to the challenge of becoming college athletes, she said.

“A third of our team is new, so they don’t know what this is all about in terms of college fencing,” Franke said.

“It’s been an adjustment period for them, but I’ve been very pleased with how hard they’ve worked and how committed they are.”

donovan.hugel@temple.edu @donohugel

taylor.snyder@temple.edu @Taylor_Snyder23

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SPORTS PAGE 23

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

CLUB SPORTS

Sixth-year student instructs former teammates Temple club paintball has not had a coach for two years, so a former player stepped up.

BY MICHAEL ZINGRONE For The Temple News Brady Chin didn’t want Temple club paintball to go without a coach any longer than it already had.

The Owls have not had an official coach for the past two years. While it didn’t hinder the club in the regular season, Chin said the lack of “consistency and stability” limited Temple’s performances at the National Collegiate Paintball Association Tournament.

Chin, a sixth-year information science and technology major, is not eligible to play for a sixth season. He still wanted to be involved with the club, so he became the club’s coach.

“There are sentimental reasons I came back,” Chin said. “More of the reason is just like, yeah, not having a coach sucks. So I definitely know like how it feels to have a structured schedule and like regimen during practice.”

The past two seasons, the coaching responsibilities were on the players, Chin said, like making starting lineups, leading practices and dictating strategies.

Chin also creates a weekly report on what the club needs to improve on.

It is difficult to compete against teams that have coaches, like Liberty University and the University of Central Florida, said club Vice President Jason Spencer, a junior English major.

Temple, which competes in the Class A division of the National Collegiate Paintball Association, took home two third-place finishes in the past four years at the national tournament.

Chin was part of three Temple teams that finished third at the National Tournament. When the opportunity to coach his former teammates arose, he couldn’t turn down another chance to be part of the competition, he said.

@TTN_Sports @TheTempleNews

MICHAEL ZINGRONE / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple club paintball coach Brady Chin (right) instructs his players during the Owls’ scrimmage against Drexel University at Playground Paintball Park in Mantua Township, New Jersey on Nov 2.

Alumni coached the Owls during the national tournaments, but not having a formal coach during the regular season made it harder for the club to reach its potential, Chin said.

“You can’t just make small tweaks here and there during the tournament, you got to be prepared for it right,” Chin added.

Robbie Farnsworth, the club’s treasurer, feels Chin’s stability and support.

“No one’s teaching you anything,” said Farnsworth, a senior risk management and insurance major. “You just go out there and get shot. And now

we finally have [Chin] breaking it down and showing us why we got shot from here and things like that.”

At the Owls’ scrimmage in Mantua Township, New Jersey on Nov. 2, Chin yelled instructions to his players as he paced along the sideline while Temple scrimmaged Drexel University.

“When you commit to this sport as you commit to every Sunday, it’s kind of like church,” Chin said. “This is our church pretty much every Sunday. We come out and pay $35-45 for a case of pain, and that’s every Sunday. That’s like $160 [per month]. So, if you want to play this sport you got to be passionate

about it.”

The Owls next tournament has not been confirmed, but they expect to play in a regional tournament later this month. Temple will compete in a total of three regional tournaments before the national tournament in Kissimmee, Florida in April.

“We always see [the National Tournament] as a challenge,” Chin added. “It’s like a good challenge to play those teams but obviously you want to beat them, you want to show that you’re better.” michael.zingrone@temple.edu @mjzingrone

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SPORTS PAGE 24

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

FENCING

‘A VERY HIGH STANDARD’ Coach Nikki Franke believes the team performed well in 2018-19, her consistency leads the pro- she said.

To open the 2019-20 season, six gram to success.

BY TAYLOR SNYDER Fencing Beat Reporter

T

emple University fencing hopes the four freshmen, who make up more than a quarter of the roster, can fill the void left by the departure of five seniors.

Coach Nikki Franke is taking the same approach she always has after

Owls placed in the Top 10 of their events at the Temple Open on Nov. 2 at the Liacouras Center.

“Our coaching is the same,” Franke said. “What we expect, what we demand and holding each other accountable is consistent. What’s consistent about us is not who’s here but we have a program that is very FENCING | PAGE 22

JUSTIN OAKES / THE TEMPLE NEWS Freshman sabre Zoe Turner lunges toward Chloe Chen, a sophomore sabre at New York University, during the Temple Open at the Liacouras Center on Nov. 2.

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