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THE NEW DICTIONARY Students, faculty discuss diversity in the Census

The United States’ Census only had two options for ethnicity this year, Latino and Spanish.

BY SAMANTHA ROEHL For The Temple News

As her mom filled out the 2020 United States Census, Micaela Canelo-Martinez noticed she was faced with a difficult question.

Canelo-Martinez, a senior marketing major and co-director for event programming for Temple’s Asociación de Estudiantes Latinos, found that none of the racial options fit her perception of herself and her family. Her ethnicity, however, was its own question.

“I always put ‘refuse to answer’ or ‘not specified’ or ‘other’ [for race] because being Latino is a separate question,” Canelo-Martinez said. “Because I don’t want to put white and I can’t put anything else. It just feels weird having to have a separate section for that.”

Oct. 15 marked the end of data collection for the 2020 Census, which measures population sizes in all U.S. states and five territories to determine distribution of federal funding, congressional representation and more, The Temple News reported.

Despite the constant fluctuating levels of diversity within the U.S., the census, which had more than a dozen options for racial identification, had only the two ethnicities of Latino and Spanish.

Sociology professor Rebbeca Tesfai explained that the reason for this census question is that Hispanic origin is more accurately considered an “ethnicity.”

“While the ideas of race can vary from place to place, ethnicity is usually much more static because it’s based on something that’s actually a lived experience,” said Tesfai, who teaches Ethnicity and the Immigrant Experience in the United States.

In sociology, race is considered a social construct that depends on where a person is born and raised and ethnicity is based on culture, Tesfai said.

While some find the categories constraining, others find it allows them to connect with multiple parts of their identity.

“Being Latina to me means that the most important thing in my life is my family,” Canelo-Martinez said. “And that’s a very big value in the Latino community.”

Gaby Duran, a junior global studies major and vice president of AdEL, identifies as Hispanic because her parents are from the Dominican Republic, and emphasizes the importance of community in Hispanic culture.

“I think [being Hispanic] is just understanding that your community is a big part of your life,” Duran said.

Throughout time, however, the census’ definitions have changed drastically.

In 1980, a question asking if someone was of Spanish or Hispanic “origin or descent” was added, and some variation of that question has been on every census since.

In 2020, the only ethnicity option is Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin. This may be more political than logical, said Pablo Vila, a sociology professor who teaches Race and Ethnicity.

“There’s no science behind the categories,” Vila said. “You don’t accept differences within the white category, for instance. How many ethnicities do you have within the white category? Hundreds. But you have only one racial category without ethnicity differences [on the census].”

Tesfai said a reason Latino is kept separately on the census is that the population is less homogenous than most ethnic groups.

“Among the Latinx population, you have people who consider themselves white or Black or mixed race or other or Indigenous,” Tesfai said.

For Duran, not having an ethnicity option would erase part of her identity. While she is white, being Hispanic is an integral part of her heritage and selfhood, she said.

“I am white but I’m also Hispanic, so having that distinction is nice,” Duran said. “And it feels good to be like I’m seen here and this is who I identify as.”

The current definitions of Hispanic and Latino are not perfect, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget defines Hispanic or Latino as “a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.”

This definition equates Spaniards and groups that Spain colonized, Vila said. For this reason, he said many people of Latin American descent would mark “yes” for Hispanic and then fill in the “any other race” category with their nationality.

“My way to answer the census and to resist it?” Vila said. “Put ‘Hispanic, yes’ and ‘other,’ and I put ‘human being.’”

samantha.roehl@temple.edu @SamanthaRoehl

The Temple News

THE ESSAYIST A toast to the culinary diversity of my two homes

A student discusses the differences she’s seen in food culture between the U.S. and Brazil.

BY RENATA KAMINSKI For The Temple News

If someone had told six-year-old me that she would one day live in the United States, I would have been the happiest child on earth because I would’ve thought I was going to eat McDonald’s every day.

Before moving to the U.S. in 2018, whenever I thought about American food, three things instantly came to my mind: burgers, french fries and hot dogs.

When I arrived in Philadelphia, I noticed different restaurants always had these three items on their menu. But the number of food options from around the world took me by surprise.

From Arabic to Chinese to Jamaican food, there are numerous local places serving food from all over the world.

In Brazil, the variety of foods from other countries is much smaller. Sushi is probably the most common foreign food in Brazil, but it is usually very expensive.

Reflecting on the differences between these two culinary cultures is surprising because I can see how the simple things I used to do back home are different in the U.S.

From dinner time, which in Brazil is around 9 p.m. and in the U.S. around 7 p.m. or earlier, to the size of portions served in restaurants, which are much larger in the U.S., I had to change and adjust my mentality to my new environment.

On campus, I see people walking around with their iced coffees all the time. I feel like Americans are always drinking it, regardless of the time or weather. In Brazil, it is practically impossible to drink iced coffee. In both freezing cold or boiling hot weather, coffee is hot and that is the end of discussion. Free water in restaurants? Forget it. It will never happen. You will pay for each glass or bottle of water you drink.

If we talk about hot dogs, the name may have the same meaning in both Portuguese and English, but the Brazilian version has way more garnishes than the American one. Anything you can think of is inside: mashed potatoes, corn, peas or tomatoes, you name it. If you’re going to serve a hot dog with only bread, sausage and some sauce to a Brazilian, it’s better not to serve it.

As someone who comes from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, where the traditional food is barbecue, American meat is almost funny to me. I wouldn’t say it’s bad, it’s just completely different. Grilling burgers, for example, would never be considered barbecue back at home. In addition to the variety of preparation and meat options in Brazil, I think barbecue in Rio Grande do Sul is almost institutional. Whether you’re watching the soccer game or gathering with family, any celebration comes with a barbecue. I feel that the preparation and quality of barbecue in Brazil is more valued than in the U.S.

On Sundays, if I walk around my hometown, I always smell the roasting meat. The smell of the spices and smoke from the barbecue grills mix together with the sound of classic barbecue music — like pagode, samba or traditional southern music — creating the perfect atmosphere for a classic Sunday barbecue. No matter where I am, if I listen to

any of these styles of music, I swear I can smell a barbecue being made.

While I do really like being able to choose from many options, nothing is better than the food from my home. It is not that I don’t like American food, but my comfort food will always be the one that reminds me of my origins.

My mom makes the best rice and beans. No Sunday barbecue can compete with Dad’s. And no party candy is better than the Brazilian ones: extra condensed milk and powdered chocolate.

These foods are special to me not only because they represent my home, but also because they represent happy moments. Barbecues are always celebratory moments with friends or families, watching soccer and partying. Eating an açaí bowl reminds me of the beach in Brazil and relaxing moments. Pão de queijo reminds me of middle and high school, when I used to eat it every day during breaks while I was having fun with my best friends. The important thing is not where these foods are from, but the sweet moments and feelings they have given me.

Despite the fact the food doesn’t

OLIVIA SCHROEDER / THE TEMPLE NEWS

taste exactly like what’s served in Brazil, Philadelphia offers many options of Brazilian restaurants, like Picanha Brazilian Steakhouse and Chima Steakhouse, that help solve any moments of homesickness. It is nice to go there with my other Brazilian friends and eat a pão de queijo while drinking guaraná. For at least a few hours, I am back in Brazil again.

Precisely because of their differences, I think that these two cuisines complement each other in my life. I am very grateful to the U.S. for making me taste food from all over the world, but I am also extremely happy to have been born Brazilian and to have eaten the world’s best Sunday barbecue.

For me, the representation of American cuisine is the union of different culinary cultures, like the variety of food trucks with international food that we have on campus. Meanwhile, Brazilian cuisine gives me special moments and memories, regardless if I am there or in Philadelphia.

renata.kaminski@temple.edu @renatabkaminski

PAGE 22 The Temple News

THE ESSAYIST

Reflecting on the lost language of my childhood

A student shares how her relationship with her native language grew from dread to appreciation. BY DANIELA DUKLESKI For The Temple News

When people ask me how many languages I speak, I hesitate.

My family hails from Macedonia, a tiny country above Greece, and for centuries, my ancestors have used the Macedonian language to communicate with one another. My mother was the first in our family to be born in America, but she didn’t learn English until elementary school.

When I was born, my mother wanted me to follow the same path she did growing up. As a baby, I was learning how to define the world around me in Macedonian, the same way my family had for centuries before.

But as a child, I was ignorant to how interesting and valuable being bilingual is. Later in life I learned to appreciate it, but by then, it was too late. My first language, Macedonian, is just a phantom limb to me now. When I think about how I let such a significant part of my identity slip away, I feel a wave of regret.

My mother’s environment forced her to use Macedonian every day. As an only child with immigrant parents, it was her responsibility to help translate between English and Macedonian during everything from doctors’ visits to parent-teacher conferences.

My Macedonian began to fade away as soon as I started picking up English from “Barney and Friends” on television. When I was old enough to go to school, my teachers and peers were saying “hello” and “good morning,” not “zdravo” or “dobro utro.” I remember feeling at odds with my mom’s expectation that I speak Macedonian at home. It felt extraneous for me to keep using this language that I thought had no use in my life since all

my friends spoke English.

It’s not that I hated speaking Macedonian, but living in a separate culture at home as a kid made me feel different from my friends. I associated speaking Macedonian with some of the other things my family did differently, like how we never celebrated Easter around spring break like my peers did, or how we held hands and danced in circles at weddings. It all made me feel out of place.

To try and fit in with my friends, I distanced myself from my language and my culture. When I came home from school, I insisted on speaking English. I even begged my mom to pack me peanut butter and jelly sandwiches instead of my grandma’s leftover mandza, a Macedonian stew.

My turning point came in eighth grade when I visited my extended family in Macedonia. The country was so dif-

HANNA LIPSKI / THE TEMPLE NEWS

ferent from home, but it was so beautiful. For the first time, I was in a community that reflected my family’s culture. I relished the delicious food, fun dancing and lively music of my heritage. I was excited and proud to be related to such unique people in my extended family.

I soon realized what I had missed out on by neglecting my cultural language.

When I met my cousins for the first time, I struggled to communicate with them. Searching for the right words to say felt like I was scrambling through a box of puzzle pieces. One of my uncles made me feel guilty whenever I had to stall mid-conversation and search for the right word.

I realized then that the language I had neglected was what connected me to my family’s culture.

My slow, choppy ability to converse in my heritage language made me feel like a phony. If I couldn’t speak the tongue, could I still call myself Macedonian?

Recognizing the error in my ways was the first step in a long journey of reconnecting with my heritage. I now see the value of being bilingual and try to improve my fluency by practicing with my grandparents. The longer I wait between our calls, the more anxious I feel in my use of the language. I still choke on words, and often find myself stalling, racking my brain for the right phrases.

If only I could go back in time and tell my younger self not to worry about wanting to assimilate and behave like every other kid in the United States.

Seeing diverse representation in cartoons, comics and other children’s media today excites me. I want kids who feel like they don’t fit in with their friends because of their culture to see themselves represented in the media. It is important for them to know that their culture is valuable.

I still feel a sense of guilt when my friends overhear me on the phone with my grandparents. As soon as I’m done speaking to them, they turn to me wideeyed and full of questions. I can’t help but feel like I’m deceiving them into believing I’m more competent than I am. In actuality, I have such a fuzzy grasp on speaking Macedonian. Part of me feels ashamed, like I should shield my identity from others to avoid their attention.

But I have learned my lesson. I won’t let myself hide or neglect my culture again. My mother gave me an amazing lifelong gift by teaching me my heritage language. Even though I didn’t recognize the value of it as a child and only retained some of the language, she’s given me the foundation to keep learning it and appreciate my culture. Hopefully, I can pass the same onto my children someday.

daniela.dukleski@temple.edu

PAGE 24 The Temple News

HEALTH Students navigate mental health between cultures

Students in Middle Eastern communities discuss varying perceptions of mental health.

BY JENNIFER PENNISE For The Temple News

When Tarek Yahya moved to Philadelphia from Lebanon two years ago, he noted many cultural differences between Eastern and Western countries, specifically when it came to mental health.

“Here within the U.S., mental health appears to be regarded as essential,” said Yahya, a junior biology major. “When in comparison to back home, it is not even considered as an aspect of you.”

The transition to college life can hold a heavy weight on students’ mental health as they are exposed to new topics, attempt to balance a demanding schedule and integrate themselves in a new culture with drastically different social settings.

Sixty-six percent of people suffering from a mental disorder in a 2019 survey of youth living in the Middle East never sought professional help due to stigma, Arab News reported.

For Yahya, the open dialogue about mental health in the U.S. has helped him become more aware of his emotions, he said.

Searching for acceptance of mental illness has not always been easy, Yahya said. The topic is often disregarded in health discussions and viewed as a non-influential factor in a person’s everyday experiences, he added.

For people of Middle Eastern background, mental health can be seen as a weakness of faith which may prevent them from seeking help, according to a 2019 study published in the research journal Mental Health, Religion, and Culture.

Kareem Johnson, a psychology professor, feels the stigma around mental health is harmful to people.

“If you have never seen [mental illness], it is invisible to you because struggling with emotions isn’t ‘medical enough’ for some,” Johnson said.

In his classroom, Johnson tries to ease tensions felt among most college students by being understanding when one may ask for extensions on assignments because of their mental health.

It’s difficult maintaining mental health through 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, the crisis in Yemen, the explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, and other global issues, he said.

“Life has always been stressful, but we used to have these ways of recovering, things we would do to heal our wounds,” Johnson added. “With social distancing now, there is so much that

we’re losing access to.”

Zakaria Alyan, a junior biology major who was raised in Jerusalem, Palestine, has been dealing with the stresses of working on a pre-med track.

Alyan says his academic workload, extracurricular activities and career planning are his main sources of stress, and they tend to stand in the way of his mental well-being.

“It’s often difficult to discover what I truly want, instead of what others want me to do,” he said. “Among peers, mental illness was a struggle that was hidden at times back home.”

Yahya found that friends and relationships helped him realize the necessity of addressing stress concerns. Through

HANNA LIPSKI / THE TEMPLE NEWS

this support, last semester Yahya contacted Tuttleman Counseling Services and he’s grateful to receive mental health care while living in the U.S, he said.

“Mental health should be the number one priority because everything else is a testimony that stems from your mental performance,” Alyan said. “It is easy to get caught up in superficial activities, but if you avoid putting time into work on what is bothering you in your head, it will keep building up to a point where you feel as if all control has been lost completely.”

jennifer.pennise@temple.edu @jenpennise8

The Temple News PAGE 25

FOOTBALL Owls’ training staff emphasizes NFL preparation

Temple’s strength program is the same for each player, no matter what position they start at.

BY ISABELLA DIAMORE Assistant Sports Editor

Temple University football players went from lifting three times a week to just twice a week, said Temple football head strength and conditioning coach Brad Ohrt.

But, Ohrt doesn’t feel the team is behind, as they had an extra month of training before their first game on Oct. 10.

“There’s been schools and places I’ve been in the past where all we had to work with was two lifts a week, but in our situation, you can make it work in a seven week window,” Ohrt said. “Normally you’re talking about 12 to 14 weeks a season and two lifts per week, that’s not gonna cut it.”

The team will have a shortened season this fall and accordingly less time for training. Even during the pandemic, Temple’s strength and conditioning program is focused on preparing players for the professional level and helping them perform at their peak during the season.

With the strength and conditioning program Ohrt has designed for each player, he thinks they should be able to clean, press and squat on Tuesdays and Thursdays until the end of season.

“If we can get a stronger squat, a stronger more forceful push in the ground to create power on the clean,” Ohrt added. “All of those things are going to carry in each position onto the field.”

Ohrt is a firm believer in creating a single work program for all positions, he said.

At the beginning of the season, Ohrt determines a five-pound weight range for the players to stay within while playing based on how they perform in the beginning of preseason, he said.

Ohrt’s program is meant to prepare players for the NFL, he said, but his strength and conditioning program dif-

COLLEEN CLAGGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Brad Ohrt, head strength and conditioning coach for Temple University football, conducts warm ups during the team’s practice at Geasey Field on Aug. 12, 2019.

fers from the program the Philadelphia Eagles uses for their players.

The Eagles lift heavy during the offseason, but in-season training is focused on preparing players for their specific positions, said Mike Minnis, Eagles coordinator of performance nutrition and assistant strength and conditioning coach.

Minnis and the Eagles set body weight goals six times a year, taking into consideration the players’ frame, how tall they are, their wingspan, their body composition and body fat, he added.

Ohrt and Minnis are both involved in planning their teams’ diet plans and meals which is an important factor in how a player performs on the field, Ohrt said.

When Minnis plans the Eagles players’ diets, he wants players to have options to build a healthy plate or splurge and intake high calories, he said.

“It’s up to us to educate the guys what they eat will determine the kind of body they want to have,” Minnis added.

Lori Lorditch, Temple’s dietitian, has worked with Ohrt and the team to educate them on a “sustainable diet,” Lorditch said.

“Getting good amounts of dietary fat from nuts, seeds, olive oil and avocados, these healthy fats can decrease muscle sources and inflammation in the body,” she added.

Temple Athletics provides catering through Aramark and Ohrt works closely with the company on instilling healthier options for the team, he said.

“They usually come up with three to four protein options,” Ohrt said. “We do have some comfort foods on there because we do need some of the calories for these guys.”

Although it can be difficult to keep players motivated at times, they understand following Ohrt’s plan will benefit them in the long run, Ohrt said.

“The team knows we have the best interest in heart, some days they don’t want to do the workout,” Ohrt added. “But we can’t afford to miss those workouts because this is how they become a better player and protect themselves from injury.”

isabella.diamore@temple.edu @belladiamore

PAGE 26 The Temple News

COLLEEN CLAGGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Graduate student quarterback Anthony Russo looks downfield to throw a pass during the Owls’ game against the University of Southern Florida at Lincoln Financial Field on Oct. 17.

FOOTBALL Owls’ offense secure first win despite turnovers

Quarterback Anthony Russo threw for four touchdowns and two interceptions on Saturday.

BY ISABELLA DIAMORE

Assistant Sports Editor

Despite sloppy play on special teams, on Saturday, Temple University Football (1-1, 1-1 The American Athletic Conference) beat South Florida (1-4, 0-3 The American) 39-37 on the back of an offense that scored four touchdowns and recorded 416 total yards at Lincoln Financial Field for the Owls’ first home opener.

Temple’s offense is off to a good start, averaging 34 points per game this season, and should continue their success against their next opponent Memphis (2-1, 1-1 The American), who are allowing 34.33 points per game this season.

Graduate student quarterback Anthony Russo entered the game after a poor showing against Navy in which he threw for just 206 yards and one touchdown. Russo threw for 270 yards and four touchdowns against the Bulls but also threw two interceptions.

“I thought our pass game was good,” Russo said. “The two [interceptions] were the right reads, it’s a matter of getting the ball into the right spot. But that’s better than me forcing, like last week against Navy.”

Russo’s first interception came with three minutes and 55 seconds left in the first half at the 38 yard line by South Florida defensive back Mekhi LaPointe. The pass was intended for graduate student wide receiver Branden Mack, who failed to corral the ball with both hands, instead only using one hand and deflecting the ball right to LaPointe.

“Mack reached back and tipped it,” said head football coach Rod Carey. “That’s a rough one because it’s not the best throw, and Mack needs to go up with two hands.”

In the second half, Russo threw a second interception intended for redshirt-junior wide receiver Jadan Blue that was picked off by South Florida sophomore defensive back Daquan Evans, who after the interception returned the ball 56 yards. Evans was extremely physical with Blue, which upset Carey, who believed the contact should have constituted a penalty.

“The other interception should have never happened,” Carey said. “They tackled Blue and they did not call it. That’s amazing they missed that call.”

Russo and the Owls found a new gear and were able to mount an 11-point comeback during the last quarter and a half of action.

The comeback began near the end of the third quarter when Russo drove the Owls down the field and into the end zone in a seven-play, 57-yard drive that lasted just more than two minutes. The drive ended with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Russo to Mack.

After a defensive touchdown gave the Owls the lead in the fourth quarter, Russo and the offense gained possession with about eight minutes left and a onepoint lead. They led an 11-play, 81-yard drive, capped off by a 13-yard touchdown pass from Russo to graduate student wide receiver Randle Jones, giving the Owls an eight-point lead the Bulls never recovered from.

“[Jones] is a stud,” Carey said. “He’s a flat-out stud. The way he practices, the way he plays and the way he attacks his life in general on and off the field, he is a stud.”

Jones finished the game with eight catches, 81 yards and one touchdown.

Carey was happy with the way the Owls’ offensive responded to adversity on Saturday, he said.

“This team hangs in there and they don’t flinch,” Carey added. “They hung in there and found a way.”

isabella.diamore@temple.edu @belladiamore

The Temple News PAGE 27

FOOTBALL Owls must improve in red zone against Memphis

Temple scored eight red zone touchdowns this season but still needs to be more efficient.

After losing its first game on a two-point conversion, Temple University football won their second game of the season 39-37 after stopping South Florida on a two-point DANTE COLLINELLI conversion attempt to

Sports Editor tie the game late in the fourth quarter.

It shouldn’t have been that close.

“Games come down to four or five plays,” said head coach Rod Carey. “We were on the wrong end of that last weekend. This week we were certainly on the right end of that.”

If Temple (1-1, 1-1 The American Athletic Conference) wants to defeat Memphis (2-1, 1-1 The American) on Oct. 24, they will need to improve red zone scoring.

The Owls scored on 11-of-13 red zone attempts this season, which seems good, but they have only scored eight touchdowns in the red zone and are consistently missing key chances to score more touchdowns.

On their opening drive of the second half on Saturday, Temple’s offense drove 66 yards down the field and found themselves in the red zone. Their next three plays were an overthrow of a wide open receiver, a dropped snap and an CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28 FIELD HOCKEY

Novakova competed in 12 games and scored two goals for the Czech Republic national team.

“I started crying, I felt really honored and every athlete dreams to wear a jersey of their national flag,” Novakova said.

After playing for the Czech national team, Novakova was uniquely recruited to Temple when the Czech Republic Field Hockey Federation posted an article on Facebook that included information about playing collegiately in the U.S.

Novakova then posted her highlight overthrow of a covered receiver. This led to a converted field goal attempt.

Although graduate student quarterback Anthony Russo is responsible for the sequence against the Bulls, the Owls’ red zone play-calling needs to improve.

“This year, Anthony is way more composed,” said redshirt-junior wide receiver Jadan Blue.

Calling more slant routes or rub routes near the goal line should be a point of emphasis during practice this week for the coaching staff.

The offensive coaching staff will frequently call a goal line fade to graduate student wide receiver Branden Mack, which hasn’t yielded good results this season.

In fact, the route only had a 13.5 percent success rate during the 2019 NFL season, ESPN reported.

If NFL players are having trouble executing the goal line fade, then Temple shouldn’t do it either.

Temple would also benefit from running the football more efficiently in the red zone. Starting sophomore running back Re’Mahn Davis is only averaging 3.8 yards per carry this season and has just one touchdown.

The Owls’ offensive line isn’t creating enough holes for Davis to run through. He’s getting contacted too early during plays, forcing him to do a lot of running for minimal gain.

Temple should consider giving more carries to redshirt-senior running back Tayvon Ruley, who’s averaging 7.7 videos for U.S. coaches to see. Shortly after, multiple schools attempted to recruit her, she said.

Temple reached out to Novakova via Instagram direct message and invited her to play for Temple.

“I felt so comfortable talking to them and they were so excited,” Novakova said. “When I finished the call, I went to the living room to talk with my parents and I was smiling, I was so excited.”

Head coach Susan Ciufo believes Novakova will add more energy to the team because of how quickly she moves on the field, she said.

“I was super impressed with her speed, tenacity and I think she’s a phe-

COLLEEN CLAGGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Sophomore running back Re’Mahn Davis is tackled during the Owls’ game against the University of Southern Florida at Lincoln Financial Field on Oct. 17.

yards per carry this season, despite only receiving 11 carries.

Ruley recorded the longest run on the team this season, and he looks like the most dynamic runner on the team through two weeks.

Carey was unhappy with the way Davis tried to create big plays on his own instead of taking the “tough yards,” he said.

“Ruley did a nice job of getting those tough yards and being explosive, so we will look to get him in there too,” he added.

The Owls squeaked out a two-point nomenal player,” Ciufo added. “When we saw her film, we knew that she would be a really good addition to our program. She’s extremely gritty, quite talented and reads the game really well.”

Conditioning is one of the largest differences between playing field hockey in America and Europe. European field hockey training focuses more on the fundamental skills while American field hockey training focuses on being fit, Novakova said.

Her teammates notice she’s working hard on the adjustment because she gives high effort when the team is running during practice.

“She’s been really into her running, win against the Bulls, who averaged 14.5 points per game before playing Temple. But Memphis, who averages 38 points per game, poses a much bigger challenge.

Kicking field goals, inefficient play-calling and poor execution from Russo in the red zone will lose them the game.

“I think there have been key moments where we would like to be better,” Carey said. “But certainly in that game it was better than it was in the first game.”

dante.collinelli@temple.edu

@DanteCollinelli and she’s improved a lot in her conditioning,” said redshirt-sophomore midfielder Kerrie Lorenz.

The team has also been impressed with Novakova’s play on the back end of the defense, said junior back Nienke Oerlemans.

“I can predict the movements of the opponents, that’s my biggest strength,” Novakova said. “I have a lot of experience, thanks to my age, and I played a lot of games with my club and the national team. I hope I can lead.”

cayden.steele@temple.edu @cayden_steele19