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TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
Recalling an old stadium Temple’s football team used to have a stadium before it shared its home field with the Philadelphia Eagles. By STEVE BOHNEL News Editor
F
or the past few months, university trustees and officials have discussed whether a $100 million, 35,000-seat stadium on Main Campus would be beneficial to Temple’s football program and campus life. During much of the Owls football team’s history, however, a stadium that was roughly the same size stood a little more than seven miles north, at Chelten-
OCTOBER: Temple Stadium dedicated before 7-0 win against Western Maryland
Trustees approve demolition of Temple Stadium
1924
1928
1996
$
FOLLOWING UNREST, A NEW APPROACH
SEPTEMBER: Stadium opens, Temple beats St. Thomas 12-0
SEPTEMBER: University buys 12 acres for $75,000 on Cheltenham Avenue near Vernon Road
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Coach Umme Salim-Beasley watches during a recent practice in McGonigle Hall.
STADIUM | PAGE 3
FEBRUARY: Ground broken at stadium site
DECEMBER: Charles Erny, a university trustee from 1928-51, donates $100,000 toward construction of new stadium
GYMNASTICS
ham Avenue near Vernon Road. Temple Stadium, with a maximum capacity of more than 30,000—actual counts vary depending on numerous newspaper articles, press releases and history books—was completed in time for the 1928 season, according to the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. Temple opened the stadium Sept. 29 with a 12-0 win against the University of St. Thomas, and dedicated the stadium before a 7-0 victory against Western Maryland Oct. 13, the Bulletin reported. Then-university president Charles Beury and Mayor Harry Mackey addressed a crowd of more than 25,000 at the dedication, explaining the stadium’s importance to Temple and Philadelphia. Nearly seven decades later in 1996, university trustees approved the demolition of the stadium, ac-
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1927
VOL. 94 ISS. 15
1935
2001
APRIL: More than 75,000 students attend Easter sunrise service led by Rev. Ross Stover
APRIL: Stadium sold to Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church for $4.5 million
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Caroline O’Brien produced a dance performance focusing on the loneliness surrounding homelessness.
Finding a home on stage
After the mid-season suspension and later firing of former coach Aaron Murphy, the department sought out a new staff, headed by Umme Salim-Beasley. By MICHAEL GUISE Sports Editor When not hanging upside down from the brown metal monkey bars on her backyard swing set, Umme SalimBeasley was jumping on the couches and beds inside her Silver Spring, Maryland home. As a child, Salim-Beasley was energetic, jumping from trees or running on the grass outside her childhood residence. This active nature did not escape her mother, Salma Salim, who wanted to find an outlet for her daughter. “Even before I was introduced to gymnastics, I would be jumping around and flipping around,” SalimBeasley said. “I didn’t have any training at all. … My parents finally realized they needed to channel this before I ended up hurting myself.”
Caroline O’Brien feels a connection to the homeless individuals who often sit just outside the dance studio she cleans each week in exchange for a place to rehearse. Her struggle to maintain a rehearsal space as a dancer helps her relate to those deprived of a space to call home, she said. “I can’t afford space to rehearse, like I don’t have the funds or the capacity to do that, to follow through with my art and what I want to do in life,” said O’Brien, a professional dancer who studied dance at Temple from 2005 to
NEWS PAGES 2-3, 6
University seeks CLA dean
going “toIt’sfeelreally like this enclosing feeling of loneliness for the dancers and the other artists.
Officials said the process of selecting a new dean is still in the preliminary stages. PAGE 3
OPINION PAGES 4-5
In defense of Millennials
”
Caroline O’Brien | producer
2007. O’Brien realized there must be even more similarities between the homeless and non-homeless. “I’m going out of my way and doing what I need to do to find happiness in life,” O’Brien said. “And what did this person do? Where are they from? What passions did they have?” O’Brien said she realized all people—homeless or not—experience loneliness, so she decided to organize a production of performance art to explore loneliness through dance, music and spokenword poetry. The production, titled
GYMNASTICS | PAGE 18
Representatives discuss deadlock
Local legislators explain why the state is still trying to end the longest budget impasse in its history.
A former student’s new dance production about loneliness features homeless patrons from the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. By JENNY ROBERTS The Temple News
While taking classes at the University of Maryland, Salma Salim met Chiquita Favali, who was a member of Maryland’s Gymkana—a gymnastic and acrobatic performance troupe at the university—and a gymnastic coach at Fairland Sports and Aquatics Center in Laurel, Maryland. Seven-year-old Salim-Beasley was soon enrolled at the center and began practicing regularly. After five years at Fairland, Salim-Beasley enrolled at Hills Gymnastics in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where she was coached by Kelli Hill, a USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame member and head coach of the United States’ women’s Olympic Gymnastic team in 2000 and 2004. “For me to be fortunate to live in an area where I could go to a club that
By LIAN PARSONS Assistant News Editor Funding for Pennsylvania’s four state-related universities, including Temple, was tabled after a House session Monday afternoon. The six-month deadlock concerning the state budget, the longest budgetless period in the state’s history, had several representatives looking for the necessary two-thirds vote. Pennsylvania has been without a budget since the fiscal year began July 1, with Republicans and Democrats debating everything from pension reform to a potential increase in taxes, Democratic state Rep. Curtis Thomas said. Thomas’ 181st district includes most of Temple’s Main Campus; he is also a 1975 alumnus and received an additional 70 credits in education administration in 1977. There was a budget agreement between both parties in the House and the Senate, and the House was prepared to vote, Thomas said. He added Tea Party representatives of the House objected to the $30.8 billion budget proposal because it would result in higher taxes. Democratic state Rep. Jason Dawkins, a Democrat serving the 179th district which covers Frankford and parts of Juniata Park and Olney, said there was a lack of bipartisan support, but not enough members were present during the most
LONELINESS | PAGE 11
BUDGET | PAGE 6
LIFESTYLE PAGES 7-8, 14-16
Alumni expand newspaper
Former student opens distillery
Matthew Albasi and Max Pulcini are starting a newspaper that will cover neighborhoods close to Temple. PAGE 7
Brian Forrest opened a distillery in Kensington with Zachary Cohen, promising patrons a transparent approach and fresh, local ingredients. PAGE 9
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PAGES 9-13
SPORTS PAGES 17-20
NEWS
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
Alumnus sworn into PA Supreme Court Kevin Dougherty graduated from Temple in 1985. By GILLIAN McGOLDRICK The Temple News As the light began to fade on a cold January night over Independence Hall, a Temple alumnus was sworn in as a new justice on Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court in the nearby National Constitution Center. Kevin Dougherty, a South Philadelphia native who served as a judge for the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia from 2001-15, took the oath on Jan. 5 during a crowded ceremony on the center’s second floor. Dougherty was inducted by Chief Justice Thomas G. Saylor one day after Dougherty swore in Mayor Jim Kenney. Dougherty received his undergraduate degree from Temple in the College of Liberal Arts in 1985, and said his time at the university was influential in his career. “It’s the comprehensive urban environment in which you are invited into the multicultural, multiracial melting pot of education, so it absolutely broadens the horizons for any individual who’s entering that level of education,” Dougherty told The Temple News after the ceremony. While on the bench, Dougherty said the main value
he wants to adhere to is fairness. He also said the challenges he will soon face are all yet to be seen. “You know I’ll be just, you know I’ll be fair,” Dougherty said during the ceremony. Ryan Boyer, business manager of the Laborers’ District Council of the Metropolitan Area of Philadelphia and Vicinity, said Dougherty’s hard work ethic during his childhood helped contribute to his success today. Dougherty received a significant portion of his campaign contributions from labor unions, including his brother’s, in the most expensive state Supreme Court elections in history; the court will handle legislative redistricting during his 10-year term. “Kevin grew up in a rowhome,” Boyer said. “He will be a beacon of hope for all of the children growing up in rowhomes sharing rooms that they one day could ascend to them highest court in Pennsylvania.” Dougherty was also influential in building the Family Court at 15th and Arch streets, serving as the administrative judge for nearly a decade. The Family Court currently houses 25 judges and more than 800 employees. Mayor Jim Kenney, former governor Ed Rendell and representatives from the Pennsylvania Bar Association all spoke on behalf of Dougherty during the investiture ceremony, sharing anecdotes of Dougherty’s leadership and influence over his time as a
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Kevin Dougherty dons his robes after being inducted into Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court at the Constitution Center Jan. 5.
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Hundreds of spectators gathered to watch the ceremony, including Mayor Jim Kenney.
common pleas judge. Dougherty is prepared for serving on Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court said Jane Golden, the founder and executive director of the Philadelphia Mural Arts program. Golden said she has worked closely with Dough-
erty for several years of the Mural Arts program’s existence in Philadelphia via a partnership between the Court of Common Pleas and the program. This partnership gave juveniles who were charged with nonviolent crimes access to the ability to work with the
Mural Arts program, which Dougherty played a crucial part in implementing. Dougherty will take the bench after a historic change in Pa. Supreme Court with three seats that were up in the November general election. The two other judges that were
recently sworn in were justices Christine Donohue and David Wecht. “I know I achieved my dream,” Dougherty said. * gillian.mcgoldrick@temple.edu T @gill_mcgoldrick
Students to use Main Campus as DNC housing DNC interns will stay at Morgan Hall in July. By JONATHAN GILBERT The Temple News Temple will serve as a hub for more than 200 students interns who will work at the Democratic National Convention later this year. From July 25-28, those who will work at the convention will be housed in Morgan Hall, said Michelle Atherton, the associate director of Temple’s Institute for Public Affairs. Atherton said the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars chose Temple to house the interns. With many of the convention events occurring at the Convention Center and Wells Fargo Center, the interns will be able to travel on SEPTA’s Broad Street Subway Line. Interns will take classes, attend seminars and informational discussions with experts in politics and work with the party in the afternoon.
the Democratic National Convention, and five to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio on scholarships. The scholarships were awarded through the IPA and pay for all expenses related to the internship. The cost of the program is $4,700, but interns can still serve in the program without the scholarship. The students are being placed with different aspects of the convention like news media, national party officials and committees, state party delegations and host committees, according to the IPA’s website. There is noticeable excitement on campus due to the convention being hosted in Philadelphia, said Damien Bower, a senior political science major and president of Temple College Democrats. “It’s been a long time since a convention was held in Philly and an even longer time since that convention was Democratic,” he said. The last time Philadelphia hosted a Democratic National Convention was nearly 70 years ago. In July 1948, the Democratic candidate who emerged victorious was incumbent Harry Truman, who
This program provides a front-and“ center view of the largest event that the Democratic Party hosts.” Damien Bower | president, Temple College Democrats
The city is anticipating an influx of up to $350 million in economic impact from the convention, according to BillyPenn.com. Temple is sending ten students to
then won the general election and went on to serve as President until 1953. In 2000, Philadelphia hosted the Republican National Convention
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when George Bush won the nomination. The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars— which has been running programs since its conception in 1975—is the largest program of its kind, with more than 70 full-time staff members and 50,000 internship alumni. “Students will be able to get involved in a number of different ways such as logistics, fundraising and community outreach,” Bower said. “This program provides a front-andcenter view of the largest event that the Democratic Party hosts.” The internship will introduce students to the political process, Atherton added. Bower said the convention will be invaluable to those who participate. “I truly believe that anyone who
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More than 200 student interns will work at events at the Convention Center in July.
was lucky enough to get accepted will have a wonderful experience that will certainly be rewarding,” he said.
NEWS@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
* jonathan.irwin.gilbert@temple.edu T @jonnygilbs96
NEWS
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
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Officials: search for CLA dean in early stages William Stull has been interim dean since February. By JULIE CHRISTIE The Temple News The selection process for a Dean of the College of Liberal Arts is still ongoing, a university official told The Temple News. Last year College of Liberal Arts Dean Teresa Soufas announced her resignation after seven years of service, but was scheduled to return after a year as a foreign language professor. Temple later announced William Stull, the former chair of the economics department, would serve as interim dean until the position is filled. A new dean was said to be announced in 2016. “The search is well underway, and we’re building a pool of candidates,” said Jodi Levine Laufgraben, vice provost for academic affairs at Temple. “The search takes a full academic year.” Laufgraben said the position has been advertised in several academic periodicals and online recruiting plat-
forms. Temple has hired search consulting company Isaacson, Miller to build a candidate pool. The firm is based in Boston and works as a recruitment service for colleges, universities, foundations and other organizations, according to its website. The company will meet with faculty, administrators and select students from CLA and throughout the university to review the candidates
need to shape “theWerole of liberal
arts in the current academic climate, and this dean needs to be able to connect students’ majors to careers.
”
Jodi Levine Laufgraben | vice provost for academic affairs
throughout the semester. “There will be off-campus semifinals for the candidates in March, and then the finals on campus at the end of the spring semester,” Laufgraben said. “We can’t nail the dates down at the moment.” Laufgraben also said the search is a “confidential” process, so the names will not be released until later this year. The advertisement Temple released says it “seeks a visionary leader” who is able to “support the faculty in their research and teaching” and “cultivate innovation within the college.” The ad also describes Temple’s position as a research institution and the advantages of working in the heart of Philadelphia. “We’re looking for a dean that will have a strong relationship with the staff,” Laufgraben said. “We need to shape the role of liberal arts in the current academic climate, and this dean needs to be able to connect students’ majors to careers.” Laufgraben also said Temple is looking for a dean who can also build a relationship between the campus and the community. When asked about tensions between students, faculty and the
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university after the resignation of Soufas, the dismissal of Anthony Monteiro and the search for a new dean for CLA, Laufgraben said the candidates will be fully informed of the challenges they may face. “We can’t only focus on certain
areas,” she said. “We have to focus on positives and opportunities as well as how to face challenges.” * julie.christie@temple.edu T @ChristieJules
Old football stadium used by Owls for nearly half a century
COURTESY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS RESEARCH CENTER, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
(LEFT): Construction crews completed building Temple Stadium in eight months. (RIGHT): The stadium during a football game in 1929. The Owls finished 6-3-1 that season.
Continued from page 1
STADIUM
cording to university historian James Hilty’s book, “Temple University: 125 years of Service to Philadelphia, the Nation, and the World.” In 1997, the structure was torn down, and in April 2001, the university sold the 32-acre site for $4.5 million. Before construction even started on the stadium, the university bought 12 acres for $75,000 at the eventual site, The Temple News—then named Temple University Weekly—reported Sept. 18, 1924. Then-dean Laura Carnell told the newspaper the location would primarily be used for physical education classes, but would also be utilized for the university’s athletic programs. Soon enough, however, plans for a football stadium at the site started. The Bulletin reported in December 1927 that Charles Erny—a prominent contractor in the city and a university trustee from 1928-51—donated $100,000 to the program at the team’s football dinner at the Ben Franklin Hotel. Ground broke at the site in mid-February, and construction workers, with the help of more than a dozen Temple football players, completed the stadium in September, in time for the opener against the University of St. Thomas. Hilty said Erny’s expertise in contracting was instrumental in Temple Stadium being built. “[Erny] was involved in virtually every real estate deal that Temple got involved with from the early 1930s to the 1940s and early 1950s,” Hilty said. “He would’ve like to see the whole campus move up there to the Cedarbrook
area, where the football stadium was, and tried to arrange to buy Cedarbrook Country Club, which was on the other side of the street from the stadium.” Along with Erny’s influence in real estate, he continued to help fund the stadium past his initial donation. According to the Bulletin’s obituary of Erny in January 1963, the former trustee loaned the university an additional $300,000 during the 21 years following Temple Stadium’s opening. The final total cost of the stadium was $350,000, which equates to more than $4.8 million in 2015. Erny’s vision for Temple Stadium mirrored
front of 40,000 people. A year later, however, nearly twice as many people would fill the stadium for a different type of event. At dawn of April 21, 1935, more than 75,000 people met at the stadium for an Easter sunrise service, led by Rev. Ross Stover, according to multiple reports. Another 20,000 were not allowed in due to overcrowding. “A lot goes on in this town besides athletic events,” Hilty said of the service with a laugh. Following the 1930s—which featured prominent coach Glenn “Pop” Warner from 1933-38—popularity in the program declined and stadium attendance for football dropped as
“A lot goes on in this town besides athletic events.” James Hilty | university historian
that of Beury, who was “caught up” in bigtime college football in the 1920s, Hilty said. Temple’s football team went 12-4 in the 1926 and 1927 seasons under coach Harry “Heinie” Miller, according to team records. Beury’s ambition to constantly add structures to Temple’s campuses earned him the nickname “Beury the Builder,” Hilty added. “Beury not only built a football stadium, he built a Health Sciences Campus, too,” he said. “He was a guy who had good connections with bankers and contractors, and knew how to get things done and how to get them financed.” Not long after Temple Stadium was completed, the facility was frequently filling up for games. According to Hilty’s book, the largest crowd at a football game was in November 1934, when the Owls beat Villanova 22-0 in
Temple tried to focus more on academics, Hilty said. In February 1953, The Bulletin reported the Eagles were interested in purchasing the stadium, which was valued at $1 million. According to Hilty’s book, Temple was renting out the stadium to the Eagles to help defray costs. Temple never sold the stadium, and popularity in football continued to plummet. In August 1972, the Bulletin reported a Cheltenham Township committee rejected Temple’s request to build directional signs to the stadium in its township. The decision proved costly eight years later. By then, the Owls had been playing most of their games at Veterans Stadium, which had opened in 1971. The Bulletin reported in a game against the University of Akron Nov. 7,
1980, that 2,872 people showed up to the Vet, drawing complaints by then-coach Wayne Hardin, who said he believed the reason Temple Stadium wasn’t being used was because people couldn’t find it. Hilty said because of vandalism and failure to maintain and rebuild deteriorating parts of the stadium, the university stopped using it on a regular basis by the late 1970s. The Owls continued to play at the Vet until 2002, and then signed a lease with the Eagles to play at Lincoln Financial Field when it opened in August 2003. The team continues to play at the Linc, where it finished 5-1 in 2015. Currently, Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church’s “East” church lies on part of the former site of the stadium. The church bought the 32-acre site in 2001, and opened its doors in 2006. The church also has a location on West Coulter Street near Newhall in Germantown. While talks about building a similarlysized stadium are ongoing, Hilty said differences between the location of the old and newly proposed structure could ultimately make the seating capacity much different. “In some respects, the number 35,000 is kind of ahead of the game,” he said of the current proposed capacity. “They may find they may be restricted by the land and access to much less. If the City Streets [Department] want support of the traffic … I don’t know how 15th Street, 16th Street, Norris and Montgomery are going to support that traffic.” * steve.bohnel@temple.edu T @Steve_Bohnel
EDITORIAL/OP-ED
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
column | refugee crisis A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921. Emily Rolen, Editor-in-Chief EJ Smith, Managing Editor Joe Brandt, Chief Copy Editor Steve Bohnel, News Editor Paige Gross, Opinion Editor Albert Hong, Lifestyle Editor Ryan Deming, Web Manager Victoria Mier, Arts & Entertainment Editor Julie Christie, Web Editor Michael Guise, Sports Editor Jenny Kerrigan, Photography Editor Lian Parsons, Asst. News Editor Margo Reed, Asst. Photography Editor Owen McCue, Asst. Sports Editor Donna Fanelle, Design Editor Michaela Winberg, Asst. Lifestyle Editor Finnian Saylor, Asst. Designer Eamon Dreisbach, Asst. Arts & Entertainment Ian Berman, Advertising Manager Editor Grayson Holladay, Business Manager Harrison Brink, Multimedia Editor Jeanie Davey, Marketing Manager Aaron Windhorst, Asst. Multimedia 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 temple-news.com. Send submissions to letters@temple-news.com. The Temple News is located at: Student Center, Room 243 1755 N. 13th St. Philadelphia, PA 19122
EDITORIALS
Consider community It’s safe to say Jim Ken- with its surrounding neighney has been busy since he borhoods, and that he would was elected as mayor of like to see them address Philadelphia some of New Mayor Jim Kenney in early Nothose is right to consider the vember. longSo far community in stadium talks. standing in 2016, he’s issues had to address a Philadelphia before he would reconsider Police officer being shot by his position on the project,” a man pledging allegiance Hitt told the Inquirer. to the Islamic state and conWe’ve urged the unitroversial happenings at the versity to make a considerMummers Parade involving ate decision, so it’s nice to racial and anti-transgender hear the same from the 99th protests. mayor of this city. Last month, he also Talks about an onvoiced his opinions about campus stadium have been one of the most important ongoing, and we commend news stories involving Tem- university trustees and offiple: whether the Board of cials for not rushing such an Trustees should approve the important decision. construction of a 35,000-seat “We all take our roles stadium on Main Campus. very seriously and take a lot Kenney told multiple of time to look at this stuff,” news outlets he wants uni- trustee Joseph W. “Chip” versity officials to discuss Marshall III told The Temple stadium plans with the sur- News in late October. “We rounding community. His sweat the details.” spokeswoman, Lauren Hitt, We ask, however, that told the Inquirer in Decem- President Theobald—who ber Kenney had a produc- has stated multiple times he tive meeting with university supports a stadium—and officials about the possible other officials heed the adstadium. vice of Kenney, and continu“He told the representa- ously reach out to the North tives at the conclusion of the Philadelphia community meeting that he had concerns before choosing whether to about Temple’s relationship build a stadium on campus.
A tough transition As shown in our news dean who can gracefully arsection this week, the search ticulate and emphasize how for a dean to oversee the liberal arts education can College of help a caThe new CLA dean will Liberal Arts reer with is still under- take on a large reponsibilty tuition risway. Head- in the second largest school. ing and a hunting firm national Isaacson, Miller will present media narrative that says a a group of candidates to ad- liberal arts education may ministrators. A final decision not be “worth it.” is expected by the end of this “We need to shape the semester. role of liberal arts in the curWe’re a bunch of stu- rent academic climate, and dents from the School of this dean needs to be able Media and Communication to connect students’ majors speculating about what we to careers,” said Jodi Levine want to see in a dean for an- Laufgraben, the vice provost other school, and the irony for academic affairs. isn’t lost on us, but we wantStudents are here pried to weigh in on what we’d marily to learn, but there’s expect. depth in the college experiPerhaps most impor- ence when the academic oftantly, this dean will take ficials running the show are the reins at one of the larg- accessible. Fox Dean Moshe est schools in Temple as the Porat does Twitter Q&As, union for full-time faculty SMC Dean David Boardman swells with the inclusion is just a tweet away and sevof adjunct instructors in its eral other deans have been ranks. It’ll take iron resolve frequent sources for The and a knack for negotiation Temple News. We hope the to direct the departments as chosen candidate is willing they deal with the change. and ready to hear from us For our fellow students and the rest of the student in CLA, we’d also hope for a body.
CORRECTIONS
The Temple News strives to be a newspaper of record by printing factually correct and balanced articles. Accuracy is our business, so when a mistake is made, we’ll correct it as soon as possible. Anyone with inquiries about content in this newspaper can contact Editor-in-Chief Emily Rolen at editor@temple-news.com or 215.204.6737.
Philadelphians should help welcome refugees to U.S. In order to uphold American ideals, we should aid refugees.
I
spent my winter break following the stories of a handful of Syrian refugees who had been featured on the Humans of New York Facebook
page. Many spoke about the violent deaths of family members and the bombs that had destroyed their schools and homes during the ongoing civil war in Syria. The only hope spoke of by any of these refugees rested JENNY ROBERTS LEAD COLUMNIST on the chance they might find peace here in the United States, a concept some in the university community have begun to embrace. The U.S. needs to offer Syrian refugees this chance. And to do so, we must accept refugees in greater numbers, while also working to put a stop to any xenophobic intolerance held by U.S. citizens, so that life is peaceful for these refugees once they arrive. President Barack Obama has already committed to taking in 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next fiscal year, which began in October. This is a good place to start, especially when considering the U.S. has only taken in about 1,800 Syrian refugees in the span of the four years since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011. Eric Rosario, the education chair of UNICEF X Temple, which raised awareness about the Syrian refugee crisis at an October event, agrees that the U.S. should be taking an active role in aiding refugees, especially because of our position as a global power and economic leader, he said. “I’m very happy Obama did bump the number up to 10,000,” said Rosario, a junior political science major. “We are in a position to help and we should do so.” “I do believe we should be taking in more,” he added. Like Rosario, I too believe the number of refugees taken into the U.S. needs to increase in the next few years—a deci-
sion that will largely depend on the winner of the next presidential election. Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Martin O’Malley have both said the U.S. should accept 65,000 Syrian refugees in the coming years, while Republican presidential candidates are nowhere near as gracious. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has suggested only those Syrian refugees who are Christian be allowed into the U.S., though the vast majority of Syrian refugees are Muslim. Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump has proposed barring Muslims from entering the U.S. altogether. For a country with a rich immigrant history, whose founding principles include religious freedom and tolerance, we have a moral obligation to accept all the refugees we can securely admit, regardless of their religious beliefs.
ily gain sponsorship with a church, which quickened the process. Although Chogo’s application process took less time to complete than it usually does for most refugees she said the application was still rigorous. Chogo’s mother told her there was a lot of paperwork and traveling. At one point, her family had to travel to Benin, an African country thousands of miles to the northwest. “[My mother] said that there’s a lot of interviews to make sure that the right people are coming,” Chogo said. “And if [officials are] wary about your situation, they do ask around and are really strict about what your history was in the country.” In the case of Syrian refugees, Chogo said she doesn’t fear members of ISIS entering the U.S. in disguise, because she believes other refugees would alert U.S.
I don’t think fears of ISIS are unfounded, “I While do believe Americans should have more faith in the vetting processes and security practices of our own government .
”
I understand though, much of the fear surrounding this plan does not come from providing asylum to refugees who may be Muslim, but in unknowingly admitting terrorists linked to ISIS into the U.S. While I don’t think fears of ISIS are unfounded, I do believe Americans should have more faith in the vetting processes and security practices of our own government. The average processing time for refugee applications is about two years, but can be longer when security risks are a factor. Diane Chogo, a freshman political science major, can attest to the difficulty of this application process from her family’s own experience. Chogo came to the U.S. as a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo when she was 3 years old with her mother and sister. The application process to resettle in the U.S. took Chogo’s family only one year to complete, she said, because the Red Cross was able to help her fam-
officials of their presence. President Obama has stated the U.S. is accepting refugees most in need, like women and children. And with the Atlantic Ocean serving as a barrier, the U.S. has more control over who is making their way into the country, unlike European nations. We need to trust the U.S. government to do its job. In the meantime, we need to do our job—upholding American principles. My hope going forward is that the U.S. government continues offering aid to relief organizations, as well as asylum to refugees throughout this crisis. Also that U.S. citizens make sure Syrian refugees, who have suffered unimaginable tragedy over the past several years, feel at home when they finally arrive here in the U.S. After all, it’s the American thing to do. * jennifer.roberts@temple.edu
column | courses
Writing basics essential for all students Without a solid foundation, students will struggle in classes and in their careers.
When I realized I’d have to take the course Elements of Writing as a journalism major, I wondered why I had to sit through the same lectures students learn in elementary school. “This course focuses on the fundamentals of style and language usage necessary for effective writing,” the course is explained in the official guide. Sounds simple enough, if not too simple, I thought. It quickly became clear, however, for most of us just how little of the material covered throughout the course was remembered or was even taught while in grade school. Fundamental writing basics like sentence structure, word choice and even spelling are JENSEN TOUSSAINT major themes in the course, yet my collegeaged peers and I were re-learning the concepts from grade school—and finding it necessary. Laurence Stains, a professor in the journalism department, has taught Elements of Writing for three years. He said when he was a student at The University of Rochester in the early 1970s, this course wasn’t taught because it was assumed students should have already learned and understood the bulk of the material by then. “I wish they had,” he said. “I could have really used it.” Stains said the department made the course mandatory with the intention of fixing the most common grammar and punctuation mistakes students were making in journalism writing. The material taught in this course is important in brushing up on important writing rules that will come in handy throughout a college student’s career and beyond—especially a student aspiring for a career in journalism. Given the number of papers most students will have to write throughout their time in college, all students can benefit from the curriculum. While Elements of Writing is specific to journalism majors—it includes lessons on AP style and news writing—parts of the course could be included in other required courses like
Intellectual Heritage or Analytical Reading & Writing, both of which are required for all students. “If we taught grammar and punctuation rules to first year writing students they’d be disinterested,” said Eli Goldblatt, the former director of the first year English department. Goldblatt believes it would be more effective to help students individually rather than taking up the bulk of a whole semester. More importantly, Stains said people often stop reading after the smallest mistakes. In regards to usage, punctuation and grammar mistakes. “All can bring your readers to a dead stop,” he said, stressing the importance of a strong grammar foundation in writing.
college-aged peers and I “wereMyre-learning the concepts
from grade school—and finding it necessary.
”
Any writing produced in a college setting is meant to be read, and should be on par with college expectations. It’s unfortunate that these skills need to be re-learned by much of the student population, but this one class can eliminate the need for students to struggle with future writing assignments. Throughout a four-year college career and as a graduate, students will write dozens of papers, assignments, projects and simple emails. Taking this course early in your academic career will go a long way in helping improve the quality writing for all courses, no matter the subject. * jensen.toussaint@temple.edu
OPINION
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
PAGE 5
column | Millennials
In defense of the hard-working Millennial We’ve been told we’re lazy and entitled—and we’re sick of it.
A
n article from one of my favorite publications caught my eye this weekend both for its brazenness and because it pissed off a lot of my friends on social media. “How Millennials Are Ruining The Workforce,” it read, “and everything else.” I’ve been reading Philadelphia Magazine for years, since I knew PAIGE GROSS I’d be attending OPINION EDITOR Temple and planting roots here in the city. Usually I can’t put it down, but after seeing this headline, I couldn’t roll my eyes hard enough. Here’s how it goes: Millennials, a group loosely defined as those born between the mid-1980s and late 90s—essentially those who are just now legal adults to those in their mid-30s—are labeled as being lazy, impatient and unwilling to put in any real effort. They are self-serving creatures who want big things and they want them, like, right now. Sandy Hingston, the article’s author and longtime writer at Philly Mag, mirrored this thinking, saying young people want, “‘hardwood floors, greenery and sunlight,’ gourmet staff breakfasts, ‘nap rooms,’ pingpong tables, slides, rooftop lounges FINNIAN SAYLOR TTN
and beer on tap,” in the workplace. “Another plus in millennials’ favor,” she said with obvious sarcasm: “They’re unafraid to publicly challenge their elders, even when it makes them look deeply foolish.” So here I am, Hingston, challenging you—willing to look foolish in the hopes that you may be able to open up your view of people “my age.” See, this article is nothing new. I’ve read several other articles dismissing up-and-comers in an industry for being inexperienced and unwilling to work from the ground up. We’ve been told time and time again that we’re all the same in who we are and how we act. We hear the discontent from Boomers like yourself, but I’m not sure what you’re proposing for us. Here’s what it’s like being on the other side. You mention Millennials wanting to be heard in the workplace, saying, “You know what’s awkward from an elder’s standpoint? Being expected to listen to and appreciate people who haven’t earned that right.” While I know some young people who exhibit traits Hingston describes—I can name too many people with Snapchat and Instagram addictions that border on unhealthy obsessions—I believe wanting to be an integral part of your work is a timeless trait that shouldn’t be relegated to only those at the top of the food chain.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
What perplexes me about many people who make this argument— that newcomers in an industry ought to bide their time, stay silent and suck up any and all information from their superiors—is that it leaves no room for actual learning. “People who know more get to say more,” she wrote. “People who don’t know squat are supposed to watch and learn.” There is so much to learn in any industry from those who have been doing it for years. But there is a certain point, especially in our industry, where watching has to become doing in order to really learn. Since we’re talking about generalizations, as a self-identified “Boomer,” you’ve been down this road yourself. The Boomer generation is said to have secured jobs and comfy places in the suburbs with ease. They’ve been known to have economic advantages because of the strong job market that followed the end of World War II. They’ve even been blamed for the destruction of the American economy, as Washington Post writer Jim Tankersley said in a November article. “If anyone deserves to pay more to shore up the federal safety net, either through higher taxes or lower benefits, it’s Boomers—the generation that was born into some of the strongest job growth in the history of Amer-
ica, gobbled up the best parts, and left its children and grandchildren with some bones to pick through and a big bill to pay,” Tankersley wrote. It’s a strange time to be 20 years
Visit temple-news.com/polls to take our online poll, or send your comments to letters@temple-news.com. Letters to the editor may regard any current issue but must include your full name, position and location. Students can give year and major. Submissions should be between 200600 words.
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* paige.gross1@temple.edu T @By_paigegross
Cut ties with Mummers to save face
T
GOT SOMETHING TO SAY?
lifeguard each summer to cover expenses. I, like many of my peers, work year-round to help chip away at the growing debt I’m acquiring here at Temple. Last semester, I worked 40 hours between two jobs and made the Dean’s List
for the fourth consecutive semester. These words are inherent bragging, yes, but I find myself saying them on repeat to adults who tell me over and over again how easy “us kids” have it. What we want out of life may differ from your generation, and I’m sure what my kids will yearn for will be vastly different from the “hardwood floors and sunlight” my generation supposedly wants. You are right, Hingston. We want work-life balance. We want to wear jeans to work and enjoy the time we spend there. We want to study things and have jobs that make us happy. But what that tells me about my generation, a concept that doesn’t seem to resonate with many of the nine-to-five adults who tell me I’ll never make any money as a journalist, is that we want to enjoy the life that we have—even if it doesn’t fit the conventions that were given to us by those who blindly followed. The good thing about all this noise about Millennials from those who say we’ll end the world, is that it is just that—noise. The Millennial population surpassed the Baby Boomers in 2015, the Pew Research Center reported, but they’ve made up the largest portion of Philadelphia for a while now. In December 2013, Philadelphia Magazine published the issue “The Millennial Revolution” to talk about the group’s growing impact on the city. The young people the article profiled valued the diversity, equality and lifestyle available to them here. While some call them “self-starters” and “entrepreneurs,” others, like Hingston, call them entitled. Whatever you want to call it, young people are changing the way people work in Philadelphia and across the world. And like it or not, we’re here to stay.
column | Mummers
Philly’s beloved Mummers have become an embarassment to the city.
FIFTY YEARS AGO TODAY... Jan. 12, 1966: The Temple News featured the last days of the Sullivan Library as students and faculty prepared for the opening of Paley Library. Today, we look forward to a new library to be completed in 2018.
old. Never has a population carried so much collective education and subsequent debt while searching in a job market still full of adults who were born and grew up in a successful economy. When it comes to affording the education we need to compete for the limited jobs available, we have to keep up with staggering inflation. In 1986, average college tuition was about $10,000. If tuition rose with the rate of inflation since then, we would owe $21,500 today, according to Forbes.com This is not the case. Tuition and other college expenses have risen at a rate of about 500 percent, meaning someone who used to pay $10,000 on average will now have to come up with nearly $60,000, surpassing the inflation rate by two and a half times. I’d say the students who are able to accept unpaid internships are more likely to fit into this category of “cotton-swathed” youngsters who are (disrespectfully?) “too polite” to their superiors that Hingston wrote about. From my experience, this level of comfort and entitlement comes only from a life of privilege that would enable those to work for free. My dad attended Temple too, thirty years ago. When we sent in my first tuition payments, he amused himself by finding the documents for his first semester here, telling me he worked as a
his year, Mummers across the city and its surrounding areas celebrated for the 116th time with an annual parade, looking forward to a new year and a new way to celebrate cultural differences. More than 10,000 Philadelphians participated in this month’s parade, and after years-long criticism for lack of diversity and racial insensitivity, organizers added a new category—the GRACE SHALLOW DiviLEAD COLUMNIST Philadelphia sion—in which two Hispanic performance groups and an African American drill team participated. The most recent United States Census reported 54 percent of Philadelphians are non-white. Why then are only three groups out of the 40 participating in the parade representative of the city’s population? Even after the decision to become more diverse, the parade can hardly be deemed so in a city with such a large population of racial minorities. Seeing the city’s population so misrepresented in a Philadelphia tradition made me consider the way city officials handle controversial issues, like the Black Lives Matter movement—this year activists tried to walk a portion of the parade route and were turned away by police—or integral civil rights issues. This past year was a year of heightened awareness and progress for under-
represented communities, especially those in Philadelphia. Events at the Mummers Parade this year made it seem like a lot of that progress was forgotten. Last year Caitlyn Jenner sparked a nationwide conversation about struggles the transgender community face. At the 2016 Mummers Parade, a group representing Finnegan’s Wake Pub on Third Street near Spring Garden carried a poster mocking the famous Bruce Jenner Wheaties box. A member of the same group shouted “F--k the gays!” while walking. New Mayor Jim Kenney called the act “hurtful,” saying the Philadelphia trans community was not deserving of the satirical insult. The Black Lives Matter movement was also dissed with signs reading, “Mummers Wives Matter,” “Wench Lives Matter” and “Pirates Lives Matter.” Joe Schwartz, a political science professor at Temple who teaches classes about the democratic theory and the history of race, class and gender in US politics and policy, thinks America has progressed socially in the last few years, but there is still change to be effected. “People are much more socially liberal,” Schwartz said. “When it comes to really redistributing power along the lines of race, class and gender, we still have a long way to go.” The instances at this year’s Mummers Parade make that an obvious statement, and according to an article in the Inquirer, this year is not the first time Mummers are guilty of demeaning acts. “Criticism of similar signs last year led organizers to accept the new brigades, hoping the parade would better reflect the city’s diverse population,” the article said. The fact that the parade has never censored the groups that walk down the streets of Center City shows that the
masses as a whole have unfortunately still remained intolerant citizens. I find it unfortunate that disparaging communities made vulnerable by lack of protection socially and federally is a tradition as common for the Mummers Parade as their extravagant costumes. Schwartz also mentioned the city’s struggle with poverty related to race. “Philadelphia is an example of ‘A Tale of Two Cities.’ There’s a lot of celebration but there’s also gentrification,” he said. “Younger educated people, predominantly white but not exclusively, are coming to the city. That’s driving up rents and housing costs.” “What’s often forgotten in political discussion in the city is 30 percent of Philadelphia lives below the poverty line. Philadelphia is twice as poor than the country as a whole,” Schwartz added. The lack of people of color in the Mummers Parade is an example of the organization’s lack of economic diversity. The largely-white Mummers represent a class of people who the finances and time to spend on rehearsing for the parade and constructing their costumes. The Mummers Parade is a symbol of Philadelphia pride; it’s also the symbol of the new year. It’s 2016. America is a modern, industrialized country boasting of democracy and equality. Looking at what we must work on, the inclusion of the Philadelphia Division is undeniably a step in the right direction. A New Year’s resolution for the city of Philadelphia and America is to ensure it’s not the last in a movement striving for equality for all, despite sex, race, gender or sexual orientation. * grace.shallow@temple.edu
NEWS
PAGE 6
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
NEWS BRIEFS
Two homicide cases scheduled to continue CRIME
MEMO: HOVERBOARDS NOW BANNED ON MAIN CAMPUS
MURDER CASES NEAR MAIN CAMPUS TO CONTINUE TODAY
Two homicide cases involving incidents around Main Campus are scheduled to continue today. Randolph Sanders, 37, was arrested February 1, 2015 for the January 2015 murder of Kim Jones. Jones was waiting at a bus stop when she was shot in the back of the head at 9:15 a.m. Sanders was identified less than a month later in surveillance tapes and confessed to the murder. After a formal arraignment March 11 where Sanders was informed of the full charges against him—which include murder, carrying a firearm in public without a license and a possession of an instrument of crime with intent—Sanders moved to the pre-trial phase of the case. The pre-trial conference, where evidence can be reviewed before the trial, has lasted more than ten months, and has been rescheduled nine times. Michael Coard, Sanders’ defense attorney, has filed a request for further investigation 6 times during the pretrial conference meetings. Sanders’ pre-trial conference is scheduled for 9 a.m. today. Coard could not be reached for comment on the case. Assistant District Attorneys also declined to comment on the case. Brandon Meade, 29, is charged with the Aug. 31 murder of Agatha Hall, a Temple student and Meade’s girlfriend. Investigators say he staged the murder to look like a suicide. He was arrested Sept. 17. Meade faces charges for murder, possession of an instrument of crime with intent, false reports that incriminated another and tampering and fabricating evidence. After a Dec. 2 request for further investigation from defense attorney Evan Hughes, Meade’s case will move on to the pre-trial conference, scheduled for today. Since then, Hughes has declined to comment. Law professors at Temple were also asked to comment on both cases, but declined. -Julie Christie
MICHAEL SOTTILE TTN
Construction crews will work on Norris Street until early February, a spokesman said.
SEXUAL ASSAULT REPORTED IN UNIVERSITY VILLAGE A sexual assault that occurred in early December was reported last Wednesday, Jan. 6. A female freshman was assaulted in University Village between 11:50 p.m. Dec. 4 and 2 a.m. Dec. 5, said Charlie Leone, executive director of Campus Safety Services. Leone added the victim did not want any police involvement. “We assume it was a student, but she was very vague and didn’t tell us what happened or who did it,” Leone said. He added the student reported the assault after initially talking to the officials involved in the Title IX investigation of Temple. Leone said the student was informed of counseling resources. “I’m hoping with more time and support she’ll be willing to give us more information,” Leone said. -Julie Christie
UNIVERSITY NEWS
CONSTRUCTION TO AFFECT TRAFFIC AND FOOD TRUCKS Students are returning to limited walking space on Norris Street between Broad and 12th streets. Philadelphia Gas Works construction crews are working to fix a broken power line, a university spokesman said. Pedestrians should walk east or west around the affected areas and exercise caution while construction continues, the spokesman added. 13th Street has also been closed between Montgomery Avenue and Norris Street and several food trucks like Burger Tank and Footlong Truck have been relocated. The crews will be working on an intermittent basis until Feb. 1, the spokesman said. Work started Dec. 15. A PGW spokesman could not be reached for comment. -Lila Gordon
Hoverboards are now prohibited on all university campuses, according to a memo from Jim Creedon, vice president of construction, facilities and operations. Safety concerns like hoverboard-related fires and potential injuries to pedestrians and riders contributed to the decision, according to the memo. Hoverboards are not permitted to be used, charged or stored on all campuses, in all residence halls and all academic buildings “unless or until the university determines that appropriate standards can be implemented to reduce associated safety and fire risks,” the email said. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission also released a statement addressing the potential safety hazards of hoverboards. About 20 universities have also placed a ban on hoverboards including George Washington University, Emerson College and the University of South Carolina. -Lian Parsons
CITY NEWS
MONTEIRO ORGANIZES ACTIVISM CONFERENCE
On Saturday, a two-day conference for African-American activists highlighted support for the Black Lives Matter movement and called for pushback against police brutality. The lineup of speakers included 1960s activist Angela Davis, who addressed the conference about police and prisons. “The entire history of police and prisons is of reform and look where we are today,” Davis said during the conference. “We want an end to policing as we know it.” Anthony Monteiro, former African American studies professor, organized the event. About 1,500 people registered for the event, the Inquirer reported. -Lian Parsons
Fox Online MBA claims top U.S. News and World Report spot The Online BBA also jumped 25 spots in this year’s rankings. By STEVE BOHNEL News Editor The Fox School of Business’ Online MBA now stands alone as the best program of its kind in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report’s Online MBA rankings released Monday. Fox earned the top spot for its Online MBA program in this year’s rankings; last year, the program tied for first with the University of North Carolina and Indiana University.
Continued from page 1
BUDGET
recent attempt at a vote Nov. 24. “The Speaker never brought the vote … to the floor and [Republican] members were leaving before the vote,” he said. “We [Democratic members] weren’t in love with the Senate version but we were content with passing the budget. Is it perfect? No, absolutely not, but it serves its purpose.” Dawkins is also currently studying international business through a dual-admission program with Temple and the Community College of Philadelphia. The budget is comprised of multiple pieces of legislation, each covering a different component of the state’s economy, like public education, taxes and social services. The General Fund Appropria-
Its online BBA program also rose 25 spots from last year, landing at No. 6—the highest ranking in the program’s history. Darin Kapanjie, who serves as the academic director of both programs, told The Temple News in a phone interview Monday he was “relieved” when he found out the Online MBA had retained the top spot. “Being ranked number one [last year] is exciting, but you never want to drop from that spot,” he said. According to a university press release, the rankings score the MBA and BBA programs based on student engagement, admissions selectivity, peer reputation, faculty credentials and training and student services and technology. Even though both programs have risen quickly in the rankings during a short period
tions bill of $30.3 billion was passed June 27, said Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, a Republican representing the 171st district in Centre County. Gov. Tom Wolf line-item vetoed the House Republicans’ first budget proposal in June, and was presented with three additional proposals, all of which Gov. Wolf line-item vetoed as well, Benninghoff said. “People talk about compromise, but it’s a two-way street,” he added. The General Appropriations bill is the biggest piece of legislation in the budget and determines how much money is allowed to be spent. The $30.8 billion budget is 3.5 percent more than last year’s budget, Benninghoff said. “The reality is that in the governor’s original budget address, he was asking for more money than [some legislators] were willing to spend,” he said. “This is a time when the economy is very sluggish. … At the
NEWS DESK 215-204-7419
of time—the Online MBA launched in 2009 and BBA in 2012—Kapanjie said the rankings don’t drive how they are structured. “We build the program off what’s good for Fox, the faculty and students,” he said. He added both are also gaining popularity because of their convenience. “These courses fill up,” Kapanjie said. “Students want this type of educational setting because it fits today’s type of student. You don’t have to show up to a certain class at a certain time, because it operates on a 24/7 basis.” According to the release, a vital resource for the program is Fox’s Video Vault, which contains more than 1,800 videos made by the school’s faculty. Kapanjie said focusing on student services and technologies like this is important for the online programs’ success. Fox Dean M. Moshe Porat said the new
end of the day, you can’t spend money you don’t have.” Pension reform has also been a topic of debate between parties. The
If we don’t “ address [pension
reform], it has the ability to collapse our [state’s] economy.
”
Jason Dawkins | Rep., 179th district
House rejected a pension reform bill on Dec. 19, which was considered a key part of the budget package. “If we don’t address [pension reform], it has the ability to collapse
rankings illustrate the quality of the programs. “These recognitions speak to the work of our Online and Digital Learning team, which delivers the best advancements in technology to a quality, online-format education,” Porat said in the release. Multiple scholarships for the Online MBA and BBA are available, from merit-based awards to incentive programs for university alumni and corporate partners that enroll two or more employees in the Online MBA at the same time. Additional resources like financial aid counseling, professional development and career counseling are also offered to students. * steve.bohnel@temple.edu T @Steve_Bohnel
our economy in the state of Pennsylvania,” Dawkins said, citing the state’s structural deficit of $1.2 billion. “The budget began to address some of these problems.” The budget deadlock has impacted many different parts of the state’s economy, like education and private businesses. Services have been restored to schools, Dawkins said, but the funding will not be enough for the longrun. “They only have enough funding for a few months, which is why we have to get back to work and pass the budget,” he said. Thomas said universities like Temple, the University of Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania State University are awaiting support as well. “Holding the general assembly accountable for funding public education is real important,” he said. Thomas added “jobs and eco-
NEWS@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
nomic development … suffers the most because of this quagmire.” Benninghoff said while some of the charter schools are awaiting funding, most schools have stayed open, but “some of the nonprofits have been hurt more.” “Private organizations struggled and had to borrow money to keep their payroll funded and keep their doors open,” he said. The vote in Harrisburg will seek to resolve some of these issues. “This has never existed in the history of the legislature,” Dawkins said. “It’s not necessarily something you’re pleased to be a part of. We desperately need to put aside our partisan politics and pass a budget that addresses the needs of the most vulnerable in the state.” * lian.parsons@temple.edu T @Lian_Parsons
lifestyle
The Owlery The features blog of The Temple News
FINDING A PLACE FOR ART
A COLOR TO CALL HER OWN
Miles Christenson is an artist who uses his marketing education to aid the efforts of the KIND Institute. PAGE 14
Neha Raman, a sophomore international business major, created a system for people to make their own colors of nail polish. PAGE 14
CIVIL RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY
Temple alumna Joan Sadoff’s documentary, “Standing On My Sisters’ Shoulders,” will be screened Monday at 12:30 p.m. in Mitten Hall. PAGE 16
TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
PAGE 7
COMMUNITY
A FOCUS ON
COMMUNITY REPORTING Two Temple journalism alumni hope to keep the newspaper relevant in the Penn’s Garden area.
F
By ALBERT HONG Lifestyle Editor
or local journalists Matthew Albasi and Max Pulcini, seeing their work on a newspaper means something. The reaction from a comic artist is one the motivators that pushes the two Temple journalism alumni to keep print media alive. After successfully buying and rebranding The Spirit of the Riverwards, the newspaper covering the Riverwards area, they, along with CEO Ashley O’Connor, are expanding to start another newspaper of the same nature, covering
Brewerytown, Fairmount, Francisville, Spring Garden, Strawberry Mansion, North Central, Ludlow and Poplar. “Despite being published hundreds of times online, it wasn’t until he saw it on paper on somebody else’s desk that he realized it was real,” Albasi said of their comic artist. A Kickstarter for The Spirit of Penn’s Garden, which releases its first issue Thursday, surpassed its goal of $15,000 last month. While some may consider the team’s expansion after about a year of work a surprise, Albasi said it’s always been a part of the plan. “When we started pitching this idea, it was never just one paper,” Albasi said.
The Kickstarter’s success, the pace at which Riverwards has grown and the recent local media attention all seem to paint a different picture for the notion of print media ‘dying.’ Albasi said it “might not be as true as everyone said that it was.” The Spirit’s approach to ‘hyperlocal’ reporting is a big factor of what the newspaper stands for, Albasi said. With their motto, “Hyperlocal, Done Differently,” featured on the front of each rebranded paper and their redesigned website, it’s the community engagement and reporting that matter to the team.
SPIRIT | PAGE 16
PATRICK CLARK TTN
Matthew Albasi (left) and Thomas Howley work at the The Spirit News office at 1428 E. Susquehanna Ave. Jan. 6. Max Pulcini and Albasi are creating a second newspaper, The Spirit of Penn’s Garden.
HEALTH
Nursing students fight cold and flu season Six senior nursing majors are giving out free flu shots to TUH staff. By NOAH WEISS The Temple News Cold and flu season is in full swing, and the Flu Crew is here to combat its effects. Made up of six nursing seniors, in-
LIFESTYLE@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
cludinh Molly Kmetz, Yanna Savkova, Brianna Reed, Jamie Fitzgerald, Kelly Weniger and Shane McParland, the Crew’s mission is to keep as many people from getting sick as possible. These students teamed up with the Infection Prevention and Control Department at Temple University Hospital in November. Since then, they’ve made an effort to ensure flu vaccines are given to all members of the TUH staff who may be too busy during the hectic season to protect themselves. The Flu Crew is a fully equipped mobile unit, and it moves around the hospital
giving free flu shots to the staff members working on the hospital floor, Kmetz said. Before they began assisting the staff at TUH in November, they made several plans to increase the crew’s effectiveness, like designing a T-shirt to raise awareness. “That was a huge part of it,” Savkova said of their bright green shirts. “It kind of brought people in and attracted them. They would go, ‘What’s the Flu Crew? And what’s that all about?’ We kind of got them interested.” This idea of designing special T-shirts
FLU CREW | PAGE 15
“They would go,
‘What’s the Flu Crew? And what’s that all about?’ We kind of got them interested.
”
Yanna Savkova| Member of the Flu Crew
LIFESTYLE
PAGE 8
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
AROUND CAMPUS
Drone filming offers: ‘different kind of perspective’ A recent video showing the city skyline above Morgan Hall was filmed by a drone. By ALBERT HONG Lifestyle Editor A recent video posted on Temple’s Facebook page showed what it looks like to rise up the side of Morgan Hall, featuring a wide view of the city skyline. The 20-second clip was filmed by a drone quadcopter and was featured by Philadelphia Magazine in midDecember and has been viewed more than 14,000 times—but the aerial footage of Temple is not the first to be shown publicly. Those who tuned into last year’s Philadelphia Eagles preseason games in August may have caught glimpses of similar footage in a 30-second Temple commercial titled “What Makes a Temple Owl.”
When that ad aired, it was the first time Matt Satell saw his footage featured on national television. “It was a pretty funny moment to see it there live pretty unexpectedly—it was a lot of fun,” said Satell, a drone pilot and founder of Philly by Air, a local provider of aerial photography and videography using drones. Satell spent about five hours filming around Main Campus in July 2015, gathering footage of Temple football players doing sprints on the practice field and sweeping shots of the Bell Tower. Gina Benigno, a Temple alumna and video producer for Temple’s Department of Strategic Marketing & Communications, said the video reflects the university’s recent accomplishments. “So many great things have been happening at Temple, from rankings to the bowl game that we went to, that it seemed like a really good time to post that on Facebook,” Benigno said. A self-described “tech junkie,” Satell first tried the fairly new technology for the fun of it, but once he was in the air, he realized its poten-
tial. He started the Philly by Air website in 2014. Now, Satell, other pilots and his “fleet” of three drones have offered their eye-in-the-sky services for establishments like Temple, small businesses and even Fortune 500 companies. A drone flyover can help get a wide view of a large construction project. “With an aerial view, it really gives them a whole different kind of perspective and a view they would never be able to have,” Satell said. “It gives them such a unique vantage point that they’re able to better see exactly what’s going on with their project.” Satell faces heavy regulation on his commercial drone use by the Federal Aviation Administration. Drone pilots making a profit are required to have an official pilot’s license, and Satell needs a million-dollar liability insurance policy for his jobs and projects. Rules a drone pilot must follow include only being allowed to fly up to 400 feet, only being allowed to fly when it’s daylight out and needing to maintain a direct line of sight with the
drone. Rocco Avallone, part of the local Out Of Town Films collective,
“It seemed like a
cool tool to capture video in a new way that has never been possible for the average person.
”
Rocco Avallone | Freelance photographer and videographer
is a freelance photographer and videographer who has been filming and posting personal drone projects since as early as October 2014. With his first aerial video on YouTube exploring the Divine Lorraine Hotel, he has since taken his DJI Phantom 2 quad-
copter around the country and across the world. “It seemed like a cool tool to capture video in a new way that has never been possible for the average person,” Avallone said. “I found it a pretty inspiring, new art form.” As drones become more popular, Satell can see the potential of drones beyond entertainment. Drones could be flown in mountains to aid in search-and-rescue missions or used by firefighters to determine how hot a building is using an infrared camera. For the many new ways Temple students have seen their campus, Satell believes he has been able to give a new appreciation for the school as a whole. “It gives people the ability to understand the scope of the campus,” he said. “When you’re on the ground, you can only see one or a couple of buildings at a time. … I think it absolutely opens people’s eyes.” * albert.hong@temple.edu
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT TEMPLE PROFESSOR PUBLISHES BOOK
BEING AFRO-LATINO IN PHILADELPHIA
Sociology professor Tom Waidzunas’ book, “The Straight Line,” examines how science conceptualizes sexuality through the lens of conversion therapies. PAGE 10
Alumna and photographer Sandra Andino addressed what it means to be Afro-Latino through photos and audio in a new exhibit at Taller Puertorriqueño, a community arts organization. PAGE 11
TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
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MUSIC
MARGO REED TTN
Brian Forrest, co-owner of Red Brick Craft Distillery, said he uses pickle jars at the distillery to measure and divide the distilled spirits. Forrest and Zachary Cohen opened the distillery in Kensington October 2015. They craft rum, whiskey and birch beer from local ingredients, catering to neighborhood patrons.
A CLEAR-CUT T APPROACH Kensington’s Red Brick Craft Distillery opens the distilling process to patrons and stresses the use of locally-grown ingredients.
I like the relationships and knowing “ who we are working with. We just kind of
naturally gravitated towards the things that we like and are passionate about.
”
Zachary Cohen | co-owner of Red Brick Craft Distillery
By MARGO REED The Temple News
he clear glass bottles and pickle jars used to bottle spirits are not the only transparent aspect of the distillation process at the Red Brick Craft Distillery in Kensington. Brian Forrest and Zachary Cohen craft rum, whiskey and birch beer at the new distillery at 2628 Martha St.—and let patrons observe the whole process. Visitors on Saturdays and Sundays can watch through a wall of windows in the tasting room. “The most interesting thing about coming here is to see this place,” Forrest said. “We have nothing to hide.” Three years ago, Forrest, who attended the Tyler School of Art from 1998-2003, and Cohen decided to turn their creative interests into a distillation business focused around quality products and local patrons. Forrest focuses his co-ownership role on creating, distilling and maintaining the building, while Cohen deals with partnerships, marketing and brand development. “I like the relationships and knowing who we are working with,” Cohen said. “We just kind of naturally gravitated towards the things that we like and are passionate about.” Mark Brault, one of three owners of Deer Creek Malthouse in Glen Mills, supplies malt to Red Brick Distillery. Brault said they have distributed products to Maine and California, but focusing on local productivity is better for
DISTILLERY | PAGE 13
New stomping grounds for jazz Jim Hamilton’s new Germantown studio is at the forefront of a movement in jazz. By EMILY THOMAS The Temple News Philadelphia native and musician Jim Hamilton had no way of knowing the car repair shop down the street from his Germantown home would later become his stateof-the-art recording studio and performing arts space. The studio, Rittenhouse Soundworks Arts Complex, opened early this fall and has hosted a number of jazz performances since October that will continue into the new year. The small, intimate shows include performances by renown musicians like trombonist Jeff Bradshaw and percussionist David Friedman. After looking for a suitable studio space for nearly two years, the car repair shop went up for sale. Hamilton described the spacious, two-story building as his “dream space.” It became the new home for Rittenhouse Soundworks, which Hamilton wants to function not only as a recording studio and performance space, but also as an educational tool for students and the community.
Jazz is the best “ form of democracy
that we’ve ever created here in the United States.
”
Jim Hamilton | jazz musician
“More and more people know absolutely nothing about our history of our music that we’ve developed here, and I'm talking about jazz,” Hamilton said. “Jazz is the best form of democracy that we’ve ever created here in the United States. It balances the individual means against the group means and you have to listen as much as you speak. It has all the essentiality of what it is to be an American.” Hamilton said the location of the studio is important because he believes Rittenhouse Soundworks is a key component to an arts movement happening in the Northwest Philadelphia area. “There are hundreds of musicians that come out of this neighborhood. It breeds creativity of all art forms, not just music,” Hamilton said. “All these arts are related and what we're trying to show you is that art is a normal function of life MARGO REED TTN
Brian Forrest watches over a barrel of brewing whiskey Jan. 3. Forrest must regulate sugar and temperature levels.
ARTSandENTERTAINMENT@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
JAZZ | PAGE 13
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
Alumna opens comic-coffeehouse hybrid Ariell Johnson is the first black female comic shop owner in Philadelphia. By EMILY SCOTT The Temple News Like a comic book protagonist, Ariell Johnson has a mission—to create a “community geek space” for those underrepresented in the comic book industry. Inside an unmarked building at Frankford Avenue and Huntingdon Street in Kensington, Johnson wears a denim jacket with the yellow logo of the superheroine Rachel Summers from X-Men. The walls are lined with popular comics from DC and Marvel alongside lesser-known names like Paper Girls, an indie comic series with women of color as some of the main characters. “You can get a comic, take a seat and talk about it,” Johnson said. “I hope people will get in conversations with people that are different than you and meeting people on a personal level, and I hope it will work to break prejudices that we all hold.” Johnson, 33, and a 2005 accounting alumna, opened Amalgam Comics and Coffeehouse in Kensington last month and became the first black female comic shop owner on the East Coast. While growing up in Baltimore, Johnson admired several comic and cartoon series like ThunderCats, SheRa, He-Man and Transformers. When she was 9, Fox aired its early-1990s X-Men cartoon series and Johnson fell in love with the character Storm, who was portrayed as a black female character. “It was the first time I saw someone who looked like me in a superhero role,” Johnson said. A friend introduced Johnson to comics in high school; once she started college, she began buying her own on eBay. “Mainly because the idea of going into a comic store scared me a little bit, since it was traditionally elitist and I thought that if anybody didn’t fit into a comic book store, it was me,” Johnson said. The idea for opening her own
KHANYA BRANN TTN
Ariell Johnson looks at her poster of Storm, hanging in her store Amalgam Comics and Coffeehouse on Frankford Ave.
industry as a whole is responding to the fact there are “I thinkathediverse group of people reading these books.” Ariell Johnson | owner of Amalgam Comics and Coffeehouse
KHANYA BRANN TTN
Ariell Johnson holds Saga, one of the comics in her recently-opened store, Amalgam Comics and Coffeehouse.
comic shop has been a ten year-long thought that began during her college career, when she discovered Fat Jack’s Comicrypt at 2006 Sansom St. “I would go to Fat Jack’s and across this street was this cafe called
Crimson Moon,” Johnson said, adding the coffee shop was owned by a young black woman. Johnson said she would always go into the shop after purchasing her comic to buy a hot chocolate and
lemon poppyseed cake. When Crimson Moon closed in 2005, Johnson no longer had a space to continue her tradition. The idea was “back burnered” after graduating in 2005 she said, but
after working jobs that didn’t feel right, Johnson got to a point where she was “really unhappy and just aimless.” “There are hundreds of coffee shops, but just finding one where you are like ‘Man, I really like this place,’ that is when I got the idea,” Johnson said. “I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if there was a place that you could buy your comic, but also hang out, read them and talk to people?’” With some encouragement from her family, the Amalgam idea was back on the table. Construction for the shop began in June 2015 and officially opened Dec. 14. Johnson said the comics industry has long had an issue with diversity, but there has been recent progress. “I think the industry as a whole is responding to the fact there are a diverse group of people reading these books,” Johnson said. “Thor is a woman now, the new Power Girl is now a black woman, the new Miss Marvel is Muslim.” But Johnson doesn’t want to just focus on diverse characters—she also wants to spotlight authors and members of the community. Johnson added that along with selling more popular DC and Marvel comics, she will sell works that highlight characters of color or are written by people of color. She has found several comic book writers through the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention, which is held annually in West Philadelphia. “I am black and a woman all the time, so I am very aware that I am in a space that people aren’t used to seeing me in, and it’s not just like, ‘Oh, I work here,’” Johnson said. “It’s also my shop. I think because of that the store is innately welcoming.” Issa James, an employee at Amalgam, first heard about the shop’s opening on the website Black Girl Nerds. James said she thinks the comic shop brings to light the lack of diversity in the comic book world. “We have a lot of female customers come in that have admitted to me that they’re intimidated,” said James, who is in her final semester at the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College. “But then they see that it is female-owned, females work here and are well-versed in comics.” * emily.ivy.scott@temple.edu
Exploring science, understanding sexuality Professor Tom Waidzunas’ new book chronicles the history of reorientation therapy. By VICTORIA MIER A&E Editor During 2007 in San Diego, California, the thought of talking to people pursuing reparative therapy—or the attempt to eliminate homosexuality through therapy and ministry—seemed “bizarre” and a little insane to associate professor of sociology Tom Waidzunas. “It didn’t seem like a reasonable project,” Waidzunas said of his proposed dissertation to address how scientists measure and conceptualize sexuality through the lens of reparative, or ex-gay, therapies. At the time, Waidzunas was a graduate student at the University of California, San Diego, inspired by discussions about the pursuit in the early 2000s to measure race which caused scientists to create “racial divisions rather than, in some sense, discovering them,” he said. Waidzunas had seen similar work done within the confines of gender, but never with sexuality. The dissertation that would eventually become the full-length work “The Straight Line: How the Fringe Science of Ex-Gay Therapy Reorientated Sexuality” was born. The research behind “The Straight Line,” published in November 2015, put Waidzunas in the middle of a fierce debate on ex-gay therapies in the United States and beyond. “It was quite a time to follow this story,” Waidzunas said. “At first it was nonexistent,
and then it was everywhere.” In 2009, the American Psychological Association released a report condemning conversion therapies. In 2012, Robert Spitzer, a widely-respected psychiatrist, apologized for his 2003 investigation that ultimately supported the idea homosexuality could be “cured.” In 2015, only a few months before the book was released, President Barack Obama joined the movement against conversion therapies. “It became an incredibly news-central topic while I was researching it,” Waidzunas said. “Now that the book is out, it’s kind of faded away.” “But these conversion therapies are not completely gone,” he added. “They’re just going underground. The Texas Republican Party still maintains a pro-conversion therapy stance in its platform and the state of Oklahoma has a ‘right to reparative therapy’ bill.” “The Straight Line” is also still relevant, Waidzunas added, because Western ideals of rights and our categorization of people is not the only way of thinking. “So I think it’s an important read … for understanding global flows of knowledge and conflict,” he said. “This is different than anything else,” said Julia Ericksen, the retired professor emeritus of the sociology department. “It’s a fantastic project. No one has thought before to write about this movement.” Ericksen, who volunteered to help Waidzunas turn his dissertation into a book upon his arrival at Temple in 2012, said “The Straight Line” was unconventional in the field due to Waidzunas’ expertise in science. The topic of conversion therapies is interesting, she said, but Ericksen particularly enjoys the way the book shows “how science is used and the way it’s
DANIEL RAINVILLE TTN
Sociology professor Tom Waidzunas wrote “The Straight Line” about conversion therapy.
used.” “We think of science as this objective thing,” Ericksen said. “Nothing controversial. It’s correct. But science is political like anything else.” Though Waidzunas was first interested in the topic due to his fascination of how scientists conceptualize sexual orientation, he said, there was an element of personal interest as well. Waidzunas came out as gay at age 19. As a Texas native, he saw—though was not a part of—ex-gay ministries and its effects. He’s personally grappled with the issue of sexuality and how it becomes a political position for many people, who sometimes don’t realize it’s not simply a debate for everyone involved. “People’s lives become a battlefield,” Waidzunas said. “That’s not just gay people. That’s women’s lives, too.” Waidzunas wanted to create a historical chronicle of the evidence for both sides, progay and ex-gay. By documenting the scientific research on both sides, Waidzunas wanted read-
ers to understand the claims made in order to move forward and “create a more human world around sexuality.” What both pro-gay and anti-gay share— and what Waidzunas challenges in “The Straight Line”—is the idea of gay essentialism, or the theory that an underlying nature dictates an individual’s sexuality. In the book, Waidzunas adopted a queer theory perspective, which rejects the idea that people are born with an existing sexuality. He hopes “The Straight Line” can promote discussions about sexuality “without appealing to nature or some absolute morality.” Appealing to a purely natural basis of sexuality, Waidzunas warned, can lead to ideas of a “gay gene” that might mean genetic screening and other challenges to gay rights. “There’s no guarantee of gay rights just because we hold up flags that say, ‘Born this way,’” he added. * victoria.mier@temple.edu
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
PAGE 11
ART
Redefining the racial in-between An alumna and photographer sheds light on being Afro-Latino. By ERIN BLEWETT The Temple News
Sandra Andino prefers to let the subjects of her photographs tell their own stories. Her new exhibit, “AfroLatino in Philadelphia: Stories from El Barrio,” is no exception. A handful of unframed black and white portraits hangs on the walls of an entirely white room. Each face, along with accompanying audio, gives a different perspective on what it means to be Afro-Latino in Philadelphia. “One aspect of identifying as Afro-Latino is the idea that you have to be one or the other,” Andino said. “You can’t be both. So, either you’re Latino or you’re black. The whole concept of being Afro-Latino is that it is not one or the other. We are both.” Andino, a 2001 alumna, works as a cultural anthropologist, photographer and educator. Her exhibit, “Stories from El Barrio,” is on display at Taller Puertorriqueño, a communitybased arts organization that fosters diversity. Located at 2721 N. 5th St., the exhibit is running until Jan. 9. Andino wishes to dispel the idea that Black and Latino cultures are not capable of being connected. “What I was trying to accomplish was really to increase awareness of
the issues involved with being AfroLatino,” said Andino, who received her cultural anthropology doctorate in 2001 from Temple. “I wanted to make the whole audience aware that there is such a thing as Afro-Latino, and to physically see it. I wanted to make the Philadelphia community aware that we have Afro-Latinos contributing greatly to our communities, neighborhoods and society.” “There are still a lot of negative stereotypes attached to people of color,” she added. “With my exhibit, I want the audience to see and experience the challenges that they have gone through as Afro-Latinos.” One individual featured is Maria E. Mills-Torres, a multicultural educator, curriculum and language specialist. “It is important for us to speak out because, like I said, the discrimination and racism is done in such a way that the individual whose doing it sometimes doesn’t realize it,” Mills-Torres said. “It is not just affecting the individual that is receiving it but also the person doing it.” In the exhibit, Mills-Torres shared “a very difficult moment” in her life—when she struggled in high school with bias against African Americans. Confessions like these were not uncommon in the exhibit; Andino shared many personal conversations with those featured and found similar experiences. The exhibit is designed with unmarked white space to allow the individuals featured to represent themselves free of outside distractions. It is the second reincarnation of An-
KHANYA BRANNTTN
Sandra Andino’s exhibit, “Afro-Latino in Philadelphia: Stories from El Barrio,” displayed photographs and audio.
my exhibit, I want the audience to see and experience the “With challenges that they have gone through as Afro-Latinos.” Sandra Andino | alumna and photographer
dino’s project—she also did a showing in 2011, but without audio of her subjects telling their stories. “I always had in mind that I wanted the show to have an audio component,” Andino said. “I wanted the audience to have an opportunity to be able to listen to the conversations and interviews I conducted with these individuals. I just had so much that I wanted to share. That was the reason for me re-launching this whole experience, but this time around including an audio tour. That is what this show
is all about.” “Sandra is someone who is very personal,” said Rafael Damast, the curator and visual arts program manager at Taller Puertorriqueño. “She is very connected to her work. This idea of exploring the complexity of what it is to be Afro-Latino, and how that fits into the Latino community leads to a broader conversation of black identity. I think the exhibit is humanizing the perspective.” Andino wants to continue educating Philadelphians about those
who identify as Afro-Latino. “I just hope that through this show I am also contributing something positive to the discussion around race and racial identity,” said Andino. “Racism is still very much alive, and it is very important for people within our own community and outside to learn more about the importance of developing a connection with what you experience through the show.” * erin.clare.blewett@temple.edu
MARGO REED TTN
Caroline O’Brien produced “SOLOnely Together” a dance performance focusing on the loneliness surrounding homelessness, featuring dancers invited from Trenton Area Soup Kitchen and professionals.
Former student portrays loneliness in dance Continued from page 1
LONELINESS
“SOLOnely Together,” consists of solo performances by professional artists and patrons of the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen’s performing arts program, the Share Project. The show will take place Jan. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Headlong Studios on 1170 S. Broad St. Entry to the show is a suggested $15 donation to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, abbreviated as TASK. Additional donations of school supplies, canned goods and clothing will also be accepted. O’Brien’s inspiration for the production, she said, came from experiencing a “weird plateau” in her “dance life” this past year. “I just don’t really know what else I want to do, like I could perform and I can choreograph, but there has to be
something more that I can do with this art,” O’Brien said. That “something more” was inviting members of TASK’s program, the Share Project, to inspire her audience with poetic accounts of their personal experiences with loneliness. Jaime Parker, the Share Project Coordinator at TASK, said performance art provides patrons with “a little bit of peace in an otherwise chaotic life.” The goal of TASK’s performing arts program, Parker said, is to build the self-esteem of patrons, who are all currently homeless, formerly homeless or from low-income homes. Through the Share Project, patrons participate in musical “jam sessions,” hone their creative writing skills and practice performing their own spoken-word poetry. Parker said about 10 pa-
trons from the Share Project will perform spoken-word poetry. Parker can only estimate the number of performers, she said, because the patrons of TASK have “a lot of variables in their lives.”
The difficulties of being low-income or homeless also make it harder to combat loneliness, Parker said. “If you don’t have a car, sometimes it’s very difficult to travel to meet up with people
Loneliness is something that “affects every person, but it’s
interesting to see how being lowincome and lonely may have a slightly different flavor. Jaime Parker | project coordinator at TASK
“If the weather’s bad and they’ve got to walk two miles in the pouring rain, it’s less likely they’ll be able to come,” she said.
”
who may share a hobby,” she said. “If you want to try a new hobby, but it requires you to purchase equipment, you may not be able to.”
“Loneliness is something that affects every person, but it’s interesting to see how being low-income and lonely may have a slightly different flavor,” Parker added. O’Brien has also commissioned professional artists to share interpretations of loneliness from a non-homeless perspective. Marcie Mamura, an adjunct assistant professor of dance at Drexel University, has prepared a modern and jazz fusion routine that evokes a sense of loneliness inspired by “city life,” which she describes as “feeling a part of something, but also feeling lonely surrounded in a large space.” “One of the things that I’m playing with is the idea of loneliness and togetherness in relationship to space,” Mamura said. “I’m trying to intentionally limit the amount of physical space that I take up
and see how that translates. The relationship of the artist to space, O’Brien said, is something that will affect all performers, because the audience will be seated in a circle surrounding the soloist on all sides. “It’s really going to feel like this enclosing feeling of loneliness for the dancers and the other artists,” she said. O’Brien said from her experience, it’s not common for art and community to come together this way in such an “intimate setting.” “We all experience the same things in life just different styles, different times,” O’Brien said. “I think we need to remember that, because it’s so easy to kind of pity somebody, but yet you’re experiencing the same thing.” * jennifer.roberts@temple.edu
PAGE 12
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
THOMAS JOYCE TTN
The annual Mummers Parade, a long-standing New Year’s Day tradition, featured the city’s citizens dressed in costume and dancing through Philadelphia’s streets. Participants belong to a specific troupe, or club, and are judged based on their troupe’s category. The annual categories for the Mummers Parade are the String Bands, the Fancy Brigade, the Wench Brigade, the Comic Division and the Fancy Division. After parading from South Philadelphia to City Hall and The Pennsylvania Convention Center, each troupe is judged in its individual category. The parade is broadcasted at City Hall and from there, troupes march to one of two locations. The Fancy Brigade marches to the Pennsylvania Convention Center and performs, which is televised for live audiences. All other troupes are routed down 2nd Street toward Washington Avenue past their clubhouses for a smaller audience. A few troupes were criticized for controversial costumes and signs this year, despite the addition of the Philadelphia Division, which aimed to bring more diversity to the parade.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
PAGE 13
OUT & ABOUT
Distillery thrives on transparency
METZ TO PLAY AT THE FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH TONIGHT
Continued from page 9
DISTILLERY
sustainability, freshness and creating a sense of community. “Being able to interact and see who your suppliers and who your customers are and really collaborate with them is a really nice benefit,” Brault said about working as a local supplier and consumer. The distillery opened Oct. 24, 2015 after an online Kickstarter campaign raised $27,641 to fund the initial ingredient expenses. “We realized that we were both passionate about it and both were willing to take the risk that starting a small business entails,” Cohen said. Forrest works in construction during the day and spends his time at the distillery on evenings and weekends. Cohen is currently studying at University of Pennsylvania to earn a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Intern Casey Newman plans on moving to California to open his own distillery after graduating from Drexel University with a bachelor’s degree in engineering. Newman was attracted to working at Red Brick because the small business atmosphere allowed him to get first-hand experience with distilling. “It’s just a couple of guys, so we’re getting better at doing it,” he said. “You’re getting a
R5 Productions will be hosting Toronto-based band Metz at First Unitarian Church at 8 p.m. this evening. The threepiece punk group received praise for its latest album, “II,” which was released May 2015 through Sub Pop Records. Artists Bully and So Pitted will open the performance. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $14-15. -Emily Scott
STARGAZING EVENT TO BE HELD AT THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE JAN. 14 MARGO REED TTN
Brian Forrest reaches into a barrel of brewing whiskey at the distillery in Kensington.
better and better product instead of the same thing every time.” “The most appealing part is that there’s a face behind the whiskey,” he added. Forrest said he hopes to see the business expand and attract even more patrons from Kensington because neighborly service and patronage is a primary goal for the distillery. With a limited-distillery license, Red Brick Craft Distillery is allowed to sell drinks to patrons in the tasting room until 11 p.m. Forrest and Cohen have partnered with two bar-
tenders and will open to serve mixed drinks and samples on Saturdays from 12-11 p.m. in the near future. “We are excited to expand because that means more people can try our whiskey, but we want to make sure to do it responsibly,” Cohen said. “We’re trying to keep everything on a small enough scale so we know a lot about what we use to get our whiskey, and that’s important to us.” * margo.reed@temple.edu
Night Skies in the Observatory, a monthly event hosted by the Franklin Institute’s chief astronomer Derrick Pitts, will take place in the Joel N. Bloom Observatory Thursday. Rooftop observatories are open to view the nebulae, planets and stars, weather permitting. Dillon Brout, a Ph.D. candidate in cosmology and astrophysics at the University of Pennsylvania, will speak on current knowledge of the universe and its future in a lecture called “The 40-Minute Universe: Everything You Need to Know from the Big Bang to the End of the Ride”. The event runs from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are $5. -Margo Reed
NEW EXHIBIT AT THE WOODMERE MUSEUM PLAYS WITH DIMENSION
The Woodmere Art Museum at 9201 Germantown Ave. will debut its exhibit “Big and Little” Saturday. The exhibition will feature a collection of paintings and drawings that showcase all of the techniques through which artists capture the essence of subjects of all shapes and sizes. Contrast is one of the display’s key elements; attendees can expect to see anything from paintings on enormous canvases to miniscule drawings that pay painstaking attention to detail. The exhibit will run until March 13. -Erin Blewett ANGELA GERVASI TTN
A percussionist and Rittenhouse Soundworks owner, Jim Hamilton, works in the studio in Rittenhouse.
New studio bolsters jazz community Continued from page 9
JAZZ
that’s been marginalized in my view, when in fact it’s as important as eating.” According to Hamilton, the history of the area contributes to such a powerful arts community. “This is the breadbasket of freedom in United States,” Hamilton said. “It’s the oldest integrated neighborhood in the country, there are three stops from the underground railroad here. This is the most forward-thinking, independent-minded community in the United States.” “There’s only a couple places you can learn jazz in its original nature,” he added. “One of them is La Rose’s on Germantown Avenue. It happens to be in Germantown and I don’t think it’s an
accident … I think it’s because of our place here in Germantown ... historically relating to independence, independent thought and individualism.” For sophomore jazz stud-
who went to school in Philadelphia in the early 2000s, and he recently came back to visit Philadelphia and he said it was completely different,” Lewis said. “There’s so many more opportunities to play
The community is going to build the “track. We’re going to do this together, just like a jazz ensemble.” Jim Hamilton | jazz musician
ies major Chris Lewis, “the jazz community is definitely growing” in the city as a whole. Lewis has been playing jazz since the age of eight—when his uncle introduced him to saxophonist Charlie Parker. “I played with a bass player
and more people are coming out to hear the music.” Lewis said the community is especially helpful to him as a student, describing the musicians and educators in the area as “very welcoming and very eager to share
their knowledge with you.” Hamilton said from the outside, Rittenhouse Soundworks may look like something he’s doing by himself—but the building is about “what the community wants it to be.” “I’m just holding the reins,” he said. “I didn’t build the track. The community is going to build the track. We’re going to do this together, just like a jazz ensemble.” “I think this is jazz’s most perfect home,” Hamilton added. “I think it’s extremely important that jazz does come here and sees itself as having Germantown as a home, because this is where we’re going to grow it. This is where we're going to nurture it, hold it, feed it and bring it and serve it as food to this community, because we need it.”
CANADIAN BALLET COMPANY COMING TO PRINCE THEATER
The Canadian dance company Les Ballet Jazz de Montréal will perform as part of NextMove at the Prince Theater at 1412 Chestnut St. Les Ballet’s contemporary ballet production features three routines from the company’s repertoire: “Rouge,” a tribute to native peoples that explores themes like confrontation, power and struggle, “Mono Lisa,” a creation of dance scenes reminiscent of factory plant life and “Kosmos,” a routine inspired by the energy and movement of city life. Tickets range from $37-57. Performances will run Jan. 13-17. -Jenny Roberts
BASIA BULAT TO PERFORM AT WORLD CAFE LIVE FRIDAY
The Canadian folk singer-songwriter will perform at the World Cafe Live to support the release of her upcomig album “Good Advice,” produced by Jim James of My Morning Jacket. Tickets are free, but RSVP via WXPN’s website is required. The show will begin at noon. Bulat will return to Philadelphia to perform at Boot & Saddle March 30. -Eamon Dreisbach
* emily.ralsten.thomas@temple.edu
MURAL ARTS’ MOST POPULAR MURAL
FASHION WRITER MODERATING EVENT
@muralarts tweeted Power’s mural at 20th and Tasker took the top spot in the program’s countdown of murals completed in 2015. The mural was part of a series in Ralph Brooks Park.
@EWellingtonPHL, the fashion columnist at the Inquirer, tweeted she’ll be moderating a panel about creative design and business Jan. 28 at 6 p.m. during a Fashion Incubator event.
NEW RESTAURANT OPENS IN CENTER CITY
THE BEST DOUGNUTS IN PHILLY
STEVE POWER’S SOUTH PHILLY PIECE
PHILADELPHIA FASHION INCUBATOR
TRENDING IN PHILLY The best of Philadelphia’s food, music, nightlife and arts. For breaking news and daily updates, follow The Temple News on Twitter and Instagram @TheTempleNews.
THE LITTLE LION AT 3RD AND CHESTNUT STREETS
VISIT PHILLY’S LIST
@phillyinside tweeted the Little Lion opened Jan. 7. The restaurant’s title comes from Alexander Hamilton’s nickname. Chef Sean Ciccarone is planning a Southern-style comfort menu.
@VisitPhilly tweeted a list of the best doughnuts in Philly, including the well-known Federal Donuts, Beiler’s Pennsylvania Dutch doughnuts, Undrgrnd’s concotions and Dottie’s Donuts’ vegan recipes.
LIFESTYLE
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Student’s business brings out colors Rungh Cosmetics specializes in customizable nail polish colors. By ALBERT HONG Lifestyle Editor Neha Raman believes in having a say in what her product looks like. Ever since she was young, her interest in nail polish and nail art prompted her to consider why there weren’t enough specific color shades of polish she wanted. Thinking there would be a product to help mix different colors and shades, Raman searched online for a more customizable approach. “It turns out nothing actually existed,” said Raman, a sophomore international business major. “So I thought about it like, ‘This might actually be a really cool product to come out with.” It inspired Raman to create the “Rungh System,”—‘rungh’ meaning ‘colors’ in Hindi—a way to create your own nail polish. It is the centerpiece product of Rungh Cosmetics, a company she started last year. A Rungh set is a kit with six nail polish bottles full of colorless and chemically-safe nail polish base, 18 color pigment capsules with three of each shade, a battery-operated mixer and mixing wands. By mixing two or more colors with the mixer in the nail
polish base, consumers can create their own color nail polish in just 60 seconds. Raman thought of this idea during high school, but it wasn’t until last year when she began taking the premise of starting her own business seriously. Being a little less than a year into her classes, Raman had to tackle entrepreneurship blind. Most of what she developed and learned about her business came from experience. “I kind of had to learn the ropes and teach myself different things that haven’t really come with class but just kind of been me learning how to do things on the spot,” Raman said. She had to research what goes into nail polish, how to make it and to determine the specifics of her mixer, which was custommade to work with her product. “We had to work with a lot of different details and make sure everything was safe and tested, make sure nothing would catch on fire or freeze,” she said. “It was very much testing, calling different people, trying out different samples.” Raman received support from her parents, and she credits them for how far she has come with the company. She said the reaction to Rungh has been great so far and is ecstatic to see her nail polish being used by friends and family. She’s even caught the attention of her professors, who have complimented Raman on how much she has already learned from starting her own business. In terms of balancing classes
with Rungh, Raman said it hasn’t been too hectic yet. Her business does remain the top priority for her whenever something urgent comes up, but she is preparing herself for when things do ramp up. Now more than ever though, it’s been key for Raman to keep consistent in communicating with her audience and establishing her own brand. It’s why Raman is constantly updating her social media accounts for Rungh and making videos on YouTube explaining how to make a specific color nail polish or showing off behind the scenes of a photo shoot. “I really want to establish a good brand name with Rungh,” Raman said. “I want people to know that when they buy the nail polish, they’re getting a good quality nail polish. … I always wanted it to be a company, I didn’t want it to just be like a one-hit wonder kind of product.” Raman’s next big plans include entering the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute’s Be Your Own Boss Bowl 2016 and working toward getting Rungh Cosmetics on store shelves. In much the same way she felt starting her own potential future, Raman feels Rungh can instill people with a feeling of creative strength. “I think it just creates pride in yourself—it makes you feel good knowing, ‘I created this,’” she said. * albert.hong@temple.edu
COURTESY NEHA RAMAN
Neha Raman started her own company, Rungh Cosmetics, last year. The company allows customers to create new nail polish colors.
PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Fox student paints a better future for South Philly Miles Christenson earned a job at the KIND Institute. By TATYANA TURNER The Temple News Miles Christenson may be a junior marketing major, but he considers himself an artist at heart, whether it be with painting or music. “My motto is, ‘Paint music, hear color,’” said Christenson, who occasionally spends time selling his paintings in Center City. Maria Pandolfi and Ron Kustrup, founders of the KIND Institute, a new after-school arts program and gallery space in Point Breeze, were among the visitors who saw his work firsthand during an art festival in September. Immediately recognizing Christenson’s potential, they offered him a job as marketing consultant and he started the next month. Christenson’s painting—which depicted Pope Francis a few days prior to his visit to Philadelphia— caught their attention. “Pope Art” depicted the pontiff eating a Philly cheesesteak, and “Smells like Pope” was another painting of him emerging out of a toilet. “He was a character,” Pandolfi said. “ I was really surprised that a business major could do such great art.” Christenson’s diverse skill set
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led Pandolfi and Kustrup to believe that he would be a great fit to work at the KIND Institute. “He has the motivation, he’s extremely intelligent and he has a passion to help others,” Pandolfi said. “Everyone here has to be self-motivated and care for others.” Pandolfi and Kustrup, both high school art teachers in Philadelphia, founded KIND in 2013 in hopes to bring arts education to local children. “Some kids do not get the opportunity to have art at their school,” Kustrup said. “After doing research on how many kids weren’t being exposed to art, we decided to open KIND in Point Breeze.” Starting this month, the KIND Institute will have after school programs offering classes in art, language and nutrition for children from first to eighth grade, Monday through Friday. KIND stands for Knowledge Inspring Nonviolent Decisions, according to Kustrup. “It’s called the KIND Institute because we teach kindness and use art as a catalyst to be more humane,” Pandolfi added. “We want the kids to be imaginative, analytical and motivated to be leaders.” So far, Christenson has written content for KIND’s website, created press releases and promoted events to local elementary schools, art institutions and donors. But his role goes beyond marketing, as the KIND Institute also serves as an art gallery that welcomes artists in the community to
ANGELA GERVASI TTN
Miles Christenson, a marketing major, stands next to his artwork at the KIND Institute in Point Breeze. The KIND Institute is aiming to change arts education in Philadelphia.
display their work and “connect with each other,” Christenson said. “A typical day is not very typical,” he added. “We each have different roles such as teachers, curators, social media and marketing. We have meetings down at the paint gallery and talk about strategies.” “I love working with them [Maria Pandolfi and Ron Kustrup]—they are positive and determined to make a difference,” Christenson said.
Outside of school and working at the KIND Institute, Christenson also manages three bands, including his own, The Millennials. “Within the last year, I was part of four different plays and two live shows”, Christenson said. “I have also sold 200 pieces of art and my work has been featured in the Philly Magazine and the Metro paper.” Christenson plans to embrace his skills in both business and art to
go into independent marketing and contribute to institutions like KIND, which is currently asking for donations through its Indiegogo page to remain open. “He’s a great kid,” Pandoli said of Christenson. “He’s going to make big changes in the world.” * tatyana.turner@temple.edu
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
LIFESTYLE
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COURTESY BETSY MANNING
The Flu Crew, made up of six nursing seniors, hopes to reach a vaccine compliance rate of 90 percent with staff members in Temple University Hospital.
Continued from page 7
FLU CREW
enabled the crew to be easily spotted and approached by the staff in the busy hospital, whether they needed a shot or wanted to show their bandage, indicating they already received one. But in addition to administering the vaccines, which ADVERTISEMENT
will continue through March 31, the Flu Crew has another goal in mind. They want to “educate why it is a good idea to get the vaccine and what kind of positive effects it can have,” said Savkova, who is also a member of Temple University Emergency Medical Services. The seniors’ efforts initially began in a combination of two classes they took this past
fall: Senior Leadership Theory and Community Home, where all nursing students must volunteer for an organization outside the classroom. While this is the Flu Crew’s first year in service, they have been making headway. TUH hires thousands of employees and a major portion of them, approximately 75 percent to 85 percent, have
already been vaccinated by the crew. With a compliance goal of 90 percent, the Flu Crew is confident they will reach their goal by the end of flu season in April. The crew has also distributed surveys among the staff asking for their opinions on vaccines. They then plan to collect and review this data to improve and facilitate future Flu Crews and educational
events in the future. The students decided to submit the vaccine surveys to different journals and newspapers to share and publicize their findings. The remaining couple of months of their service have the crew already planning for the next flu season. “We are going to be planning for the next year, specifically when to implement the
mobile unit, when to actually start educating, when to have the kickoff day for next year [and how to] design the protocol for next year,” Savkova said. * noah.weiss@temple.edu
LIFESTYLE
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
AROUND CAMPUS OWLCHELLA CONCERT WELCOMES BACK STUDENTS
Originally planned for last semester, the Homecoming Concert, featuring Fetty Wap alongside French Montana, Logic and Wale, had been rescheduled for the beginning of this spring semester. The Main Campus Program Board and Student Activities will host the concert Thursday at the Liacouras Center. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the concert starts at 8 p.m. Students can buy tickets at the Liacouras Center for $20 with a OWLCard and $30 for the general public. -Albert Hong
SEMINAR EVENT FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP
PATRICK CLARK TTN
The Spirit News staff works at its office at 1428 E. Susquehanna Ave. Jan. 6. Max Pulcini and Matthew Albasi bought The Spirit News and are working on a new newspaper, The Spirit of Penn’s Garden, to cover areas surrounding Temple.
“It’s one thing just to put out a newspaper, but it’s another thing to really be in a position to actually be able to make a difference.” Ashley O’Connor | CEO of The Spirit News
The Office of Leadership Development and Collegiate Empowerment is bringing the Student Leadership Challenge Experience to the Owl Cove in Mitten Hall Saturday 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The seminar will teach students how to be a leader on campus and in the community. Activities and small and large group conversations will make up the event. The event is free and open to Temple students, who can earn four leadership hours for attending. Lunch will be provided for all students. Pre-registration is required and can be done online. -Albert Hong
TEMPLE THEATERS FEATURES MAINSTREET MUSICALS
Saturday and Sunday in the Randall Theater, Temple Theaters welcomes back MainStreet Musicals and its staged readings of new musicals. The annual festival, now in its second year, is a national initiative that showcases the year’s three MainStreet Award-winning musicals for the public in concert reading-form. Featuring local performers, the Philadelphia festival for 2015 will spotlight “How Green Was My Valley” at 1 p.m., “The Gig” at 4 p.m. and “A Good Man” at 7 p.m. Students can purchase tickets online for $15 for each musical. -Albert Hong
ALUMNA’S CIVIL RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY SCREENED
PATRICK CLARK TTN
Kelly Derrig, 25, works at The Spirit News office Jan. 6.
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SPIRIT
The Spirit only covers its specified neighborhoods, which in the Riverwards includes Fishtown, Bridesburg, Harrowgate, Kensington, Northern Liberties and Port Richmond. The paper also makes it a habit to recruit reporters who are actually living in these areas, in order to have the most effect locally. As long as they are transparent about that objectivity with each reporter, Albasi and Pulcini are satisfied with the results. “If you get the best journalists in the world and you plop them down in the middle of a block that he doesn’t know, he can probably make something happen but he’s not going to do it nearly as well or with as much passion as the dude who actually lives on the block and has to deal with that situation every day,” Albasi said. O’Connor, who was brought on to the
team full time in January 2015 to handle bookkeeping, doesn’t have a journalism background, but she understands the impact a locally focused newspaper can have. Even without journalism experience, her time with the Spirit has taught her to keep her eyes and ears open for any potential stories to cover. “It’s not necessarily the most difficult thing to find a news story but to understand the people that are reading it … it’s one thing just to put out a newspaper but it’s another thing to really be in a position to actually be able to make a difference,” O’Connor said. Albasi’s time starting up a newspaper and doing hyperlocal reporting has given him new insight into what a “nose for news” essentially means. It was his time with Philadelphia Neighborhoods at Temple, which at the time was taught by professors Chris Harper and Linn Washington, where he learned how to sniff out a story. “I really learned it through Philadelphia Neighborhoods which was, ‘Hey there’s a story if you walk out your front door and
you look left and right, and you just have to ask the right questions,’” he said. “The idea of hyperlocal then shaped to mean sort of finding those stories that are your next door neighbor’s.” As they now bring this approach to cover Temple’s neighborhood along with others, Albasi and O’Connor hope to have that same impact and effectiveness in interacting with the community and having a conversation about what they are doing. They also plan to get students and professors involved with Penn’s Garden in any way possible, so they can change people’s perceptions about print media and news in general. “For those who do want to be involved, who do want to be able to have some effect on their surroundings, I think that the news gives them the education that they need to discuss it and I think it gives them the platform,” Albasi said.
AMBLER MAKES BLANKETS FOR CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Ambler Owlreach, a student organization at Ambler Campus providing service to the community, welcomes any students, faculty and staff to help make “no-sew” blankets for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia at Ambler’s Bright Hall. The event is held in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service, and doesn’t require any experience. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday. Anyone who can’t stay for the event can make donations of fleece to make the blankets or just donate a blanket. -Albert Hong
* albert.hong@temple.edu
Voice of the People | SHANA HERRON
Alumni Relations is hosting a special film screening of “Standing On My Sisters’ Shoulders,” a documentary that features three women fighting for civil rights in Mississippi, Monday at 12:30 p.m. in Mitten Hall. The exclusive screening is being held in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and welcomes back Temple alumna and director of the documentary Joan Sadoff. She will be onhand after the screening for a Q&A session. -Albert Hong
SYDNEY MILLS
“What are your New Year’s resolutions for the new semester?” JENA MEENAN
FRESHMAN | PSYCHOLOGY
JUNIOR | PUBLIC HEALTH
JUNIOR | MARKETING
“In general, try to be more patient and maybe a bit more kind, and study more.”
“My school resolution is to get better grades and just improve as a person mentally.”
“I just want to get a good internship, not one that I’m settling for just to put on my resume, actually one that I’m happy with and enjoy.”
SPORTS
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
PAGE 17
SPORTS BRIEFS
Former Owl had surgery Wednesday Christmas hasn’t played in the NBA since 2013-14, when he appeared in 31 games with the Phoenix Suns. The Philadelphia native averaged 2.3 points per game on 35.5 percent shooting with the Suns. While at Temple, Christmas totaled 2,043 points, the fourth player in Temple history to score 2,000 points. He is also the only Owl to score 600 or more points in three straight seasons. Since his time on North Broad, Christmas has played professionally in Israel, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Greece, Russia, and Italy. -Michael Guise
TRACK AND FIELD
OWLS COMPETE IN SECOND MEET
JENNY KERRIGAN TTN
Junior sprinter/jumper Bionca St. Fleur warms up during a recent practice at the Student Pavilion.
WILKERSON HAS SURGERY ON LEG
to the first-team Mid-American Conference in 2010. -Michael Guise
Former Owl and current New York Jet Muhammad Wilkerson had surgery Wednesday to repair a broken right leg suffered in the team’s 22-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills Jan. 3. In the third quarter of the season-finale loss, Wilkerson’s right leg was twisted in a pileup, and he was helped off the field following the play. The defensive end led the Jets in sacks with 12 and was named to the AP NFL All-Pro second team. Wilkerson has totaled 184 tackles and 36 sacks in his career. As an Owl, Wilkerson collected 17 sacks, including 9.5 sacks in 2010, his final year on campus. He was also named
MEN’S BASKETBALL CHRISTMAS SIGNS WITH GREEK SQUAD
Former basketball player Dionte Christmas signed with AEK Athens of Greece Jan. 7. Back in December, the guard signed with Hapoel Holon, an Israeli club, but only appeared in two games before he was released.
Temple finished third out of 11 teams Friday at the Villanova Open in Staten Island, New York. The Owls totaled 82.5 points, 3.5 points behind the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore. Junior sprinter Bionca St. Fleur claimed fourth place in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25 seconds, 7 milliseconds. Junior Kenya Gaston also scored ten points for the Owls with a third-place finish in the 400-meter race. Gaston ran a time of 56.82 to take home the bronze. Freshmen Ashton Dunkley and Alexis O’Shea scored in the mile and 800-meter race, respectively. The Owls claimed three of the top eight spots in the 60-meter hurdles, with junior Simone Brownlee winning the bronze medal. Freshman Crystal Jones also scored for the Owl, finishing fourth in the high jump with a 1.65 meter jump. Junior Jimmia McCluskey finished third overall in the long jump, earning ten points for Temple after her 5.66m jump. Scoring for the Owls in the triple jump were senior Jamila Janneh, juniors Sydnee Jacques and Simone Chapman. -Maura Razanauskaus
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CONSISTENCY
with the couple wins we have in conference that if we come into the game with the right mindset and play the right way, we can be a pretty good team. We have to work on the consistency of our team.” In the Owls’ eight wins, opponents have shot better than 40 percent from the field five times. The Owls also forced double-digit turnovers in six of their eight victories. “When we watch film, they always say we have stretches where we struggle to score,” Coleman said. “But we also have stretches where we struggle to stop the other team … when we are able to put together a full game of
It’s the most important “thing that we do. We have to defend and keep teams below 40 percent shooting.
”
Fran Dunphy | coach
defense, then we give ourselves a better chance at a victory.” Dunphy said defense is essential to his team’s success. “It’s the most important thing that we do,” Dunphy said. “We have to defend and keep teams below 40 percent shooting. … It’s the key to what every team does.” Dunphy also praised Coleman for accept-
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OFFENSE
has been DeCosey. The Union, New Jersey native leads the team in scoring at 15.6 PPG. “I think there’s always room for improvement,” DeCosey said. “Like [Coleman] said, we watch film every day, so I can always see what I can improve at.” DeCosey has reached double-digit scoring totals in 12 of Temple’s 14 games. He led the Owls in scoring in their past five contests, including a 24-point outing in Saturday’s win
DANIEL RAINVILLE TTN
Senior forward/center Devontae Watson (center) cheers during the Owls’ 78-60 win against East Carolina at the Liacouras Center Saturday.
ing a new role over the last two games. Following the home loss to Houston, Dunphy removed Coleman from the starting lineup, so the senior guard could try coming into the game off the bench. In the last two games, Coleman has scored
31 total points on 48 percent shooting. The Owls are 3-0 the last three times Coleman reached double-digit points. Dunphy compared Coleman’s ability to Vinnie Johnson, who was runner-up for the NBA’s Sixth Man Award in the 1986-87 season
after averaging 15.7 points per game for the Detroit Pistons. “He gives you a little bit of a spark,” Dunphy said. “He is an instant-offense kind of guy.”
against East Carolina. Last season, DeCosey was second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.3 PPG. His field goal percentage has increased from 37.7 percent last season to 45.7 percent in 2015-16. DeCosey’s success on 3-point attempts has improved 35.9 percent to 43.8 percent. He made 8-of-13 shots Saturday and netted 5-of-8 3-point attempts. “[It’s] mostly just staying focused,” DeCosey said of the difference between 2014-15 and 2015-16. “Going into every game in attack mode being aggressive.” Dunphy said there are still areas he would like his senior guard to work on. DeCosey leads
the Owls with 33 turnovers—12 more than junior guard Josh Brown, who is second on the team in turnovers. “I think he’s improved,” Dunphy said. “I think he’s getting better every game, but I still think there’s some room to grow for him and the focus piece he’s still working on.” Besides DeCosey, no other player is averaging double figures in scoring for Temple. Senior forward Jaylen Bond, Brown and sophomore forward Obi Enechionyia, who are all averaging more than eight points per game, have been the primary offensive contributors other than DeCosey. In Saturday’s victory, Coleman filled the
role, scoring 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting. He closed the first half with two 3-point buckets, which he said started from the defensive end. “That’s where things start,” Coleman said. “Defensively, like you could see when we started to get stops we got out and ran, and that’s when we were able to go on that run.”
* michael.guise@temple.edu
* owen.mccue@temple.edu T @Owen_McCue
SPORTS
PAGE 18
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
golf
Matthews: ‘We need to put in a lot more work’ The Owls finished inside the Top 10 in two of the team’s events last semester.
“
I don’t think they realize the preparation needed to play Division-I-level golf.
By GREG FRANK The Temple News Senior Brandon Matthews was unhappy with his team’s effort following the Owls’ fall season. At the end of the fall, Temple was ranked No. 255 out of 301 teams in Golfweek’s Division I men’s team collegiate rankings. Matthews pointed to the work ethic of his teammates as the reason. “I think we learned as a golf team we need to put in a lot more work,” Matthews said. “We need to become the [Top 200] team that we know we can be, but it’s going to come with a lot of work.” In the 2014-15 season, Matthews and the Owls finished in the Top 5 six times, including two first-place finishes. Temple has two Top 10 finishes, including one Top 5 finish, halfway through the 2015-16 season. To help his squad try to regain last season’s success, coach Brian Quinn has pointed to an individual who spent a total of 683 weeks as No. 1 of the Official World Golf Rankings. “Tiger Woods was the greatest player in the world for 15 years,” Quinn said. “And he was also the hardest worker.” Nine of the 12 golfers on the Owls’ roster are underclassmen, including six freshmen. Last season, the team had three seniors; two of them were in the team’s starting lineup. “I don’t think they realize the preparation needed to play Division-I-level golf,” Matthews said.
Brandon Matthews | senior
”
BY THE NUMBERS FINAL STATS
6
2014-15 TOP 5 FINISHES
1 FALL 2015 TOP 5 FINISHES
255 FALL 2015 GOLFWEEK’S COLLEGIATE RANKING
Freshman Trey Wren, who was in the starting lineup for all six fall events, said the schedule took a toll on him. “You just need to focus in as much as possible,” Wren said. “The 36-hole days are mentally draining.” Matthews, who had two Top 10 finishes in the fall, started and finished four of the team’s six fall events. The senior was unable to finish the team’s first event of the year in Hartford, Connecticut due to a back injury. He also missed the Wolfpack Intercollegiate Oct. 5-6, 2015 because he was competing for a professional card on the first stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School, a common name for a series of preliminary tournaments, which ended after Matthews could not advance past the second stage. “I was thinking of the future when I was in my fall season of golf because I was potentially building my future,” Matthews said. “That was a tough thing to grasp for me, and maybe I didn’t handle it the best I could, but I’m really motivated for the spring.” With the spring season two months away, the Owls are refining their mechanics at Quinn’s golf academy, BQ Academy, in Conshohocken. Wren said he wants to focus on his course management, which was Quinn’s biggest concern for the team following the last semester. “I need to manage my game a little bit better and not make as many big numbers,” Wren said. “Doubles into bogeys and bogeys into pars. It’s about turning those 77s and 78s into 74s and 75s.” * greg.frank@temple.edu T @g_frank6
Salim-Beasley takes academic approach Continued from page 1
GYMNASTICS
had amazing coaches benefited me a lot, and it really helped me understand the true mechanics of the sport,” Salim-Beasley said. “I had a wonderful mentor as a coach that not only told us what to do, but showed us the mechanics and why it worked.” The athletic department hired Salim-Beasley as the gymnastics coach April 30, 2015 after former coach Aaron Murphy was fired in March 2015 after an investigation into what the university described as “violations of athletic department policy.” While an assistant coach at Rutgers University, SalimBeasley received a phone call from Sherryta Freeman, the University of Pennsylvania’s senior associate athletic director for student development and former senior associate athletic director at Temple, about the position. Salim-Beasley inquired about the opening and from the time she interviewed to the time she was hired, it was “four-to-five days.” “The most important thing that stood out was the university and administration was really behind this program,” Salim-Beasley said. “A few years ago, a lot of sports were cut at Temple, and that was a big question on my mind coming into the interview, was whether that was potential for the women’s program to not be around in a few years.” Salim-Beasley’s hiring also marks the first time a woman is head coach of the program since Evelyn Hurley coached from 1976-79. This change has not gone unnoticed by the team. “I think she gets the small things that come along with women’s gymnastics,” junior all-around Briana Odom said. “She’s been through it, so she can tell us things she did in her day. She can relate more.” Since taking over the program, Salim-Beasley, who was a gymnast at West Virginia University, has modeled her
practice philosophy around her time as teacher at Eagle Cove School in Pasadena, Maryland—where she taught first, second and fifth grade. At the beginning of the week, each gymnast receives her assignments, which are to be completed at the end of the day’s practice or by the end of the week. Assignments are graded and returned, so each gymnast can see their routine hit percentage. “We are an organized staff,” Salim-Beasley said. “Our girls have their assignments as far as what they are supposed to do … We don’t come into practice the day of and say, ‘This is what you have to do.’ We give them assignments for a week, so they have time to look at the expectations.” Salim-Beasley also gives her gymnasts feedback in a
way the resembles her days at Eagle Cove School. “She will find a way to tell you what she means but not necessarily just throw it at you,” Odom said. “Even the word changes, ‘Oh that was horrible’ compared to, ‘That wasn’t your best.’ It makes you want to work harder.” Senior all-around Michaela Lapent said this coaching style is different than Murphy’s approach. “She helps you get through tough times with positive coaching,” Lapent said. “It helps me keep a positive frame of mind, so if I do mess up, I know the next turn I can get up and do even better.” * michael.guise@temple.edu T @Michael_Guise
JENNY KERRIGAN TTN
(TOP): The gymnastics team members watched their teammate perform on the balance beam during a recent practice in their new facility at McGonigle Hall. (BOTTOM): A member of the gymnastics team practices on the balance beam.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
SPORTS
PAGE 19
Small-ball lineup sparks offense for Owls Sophomore guard Tanya Atkinson has played in the post due to coach Tonya Cardoza’s recent lineup change. By CONNOR NORTHRUP The Temple News Tanaya Atkinson sat to the left of coach Tonya Cardoza inside Conference Room A of McGonigle Hall at the postgame press conference following a loss to Saint Joseph’s 70-67 Nov. 29, 2015, and knew she needed to contribute more. Despite scoring 12 points, Atkinson turned the ball over two times without managing an assist. “I am supposed to be taking the pressure off [sophomore guard] Alliya [Butts] and [junior guard Feyonda
by totaling 18 points and 11 rebounds in a 92-62 win against Sacred Heart University. “I like playing the floor, going into the paint a little more,” Atkinson said. “Usually when the other player is taller than you, you are a lot quicker, so I just use my speed to take advantage of the other people.” With Atkinson spending more time in the paint against larger opponents, she said her body is feeling the pressure of her new position.
hurts my body a lot “withIt definitely playing down against bigger
PATRICK CLARK TTN
Coach Tonya Cardoza instructs her team during a timeout in the Owls’ 66-46 win Saturday against Tulsa at McGonigle Hall.
The Owls are averaging 72.1 points per game after coach Tonya Cardoza began using five guards in her starting lineup during the team’s last 10 games.
By MARK McCORMICK The Temple News To start each of the Owls’ last 10 games, 6-foot sophomore guard Donnaizha Fountain has stood inside the circle at the center of the floor ready to tip the ball in the direction of a teammate. Coach Tonya Cardoza implemented a five-guard lineup for the past 10 games, starting three players shorter than 6 feet tall. The Owls' shortest player, 5-foot-4inch sophomore guard Alliya Butts, is averaging 16 points per game through the last 10 contests. “We’re going to keep riding it until we can’t,” Cardoza said of her lineup. “[Teams] know that we’re undersized, so we’re going to keep working even harder now. But right now, I like how we’re starting basketball games.” After a 70-67 loss to Saint Joseph’s Nov. 29, 2015, Cardoza experimented with five guards Dec. 2, 2015 against Villanova, replacing junior center Safiya Martin with Fountain. Since the loss to the Hawks, Cardoza’s squad has won eight of its past 10 games. Martin has averaged 7.4 minutes per game since being removed from the lineup and has scored eight total points in the Owls’ last 10 games. Martin started the Owls’ first five games and averaged 19.8 minutes per game, scoring 14 total points. The squad averaged 69.6 points per game in its first five games and allowed opponents to score 65.6 PPG. Since Cardoza’s switch to the five-guard lineup, the Owls are averaging 72.1 PPG and giving up 58.5 PPG. “We’re not that big, but we can make up with our heart and hustle,” Cardoza said. “We’re being really aggressive and we’re taking pride in it and helping each other out. We’ve had balanced scoring, a lot of people sharing the ball and a lot of energy.”
PATRICK CLARK TTN
Senior guard Erica Covile walks to the bench Saturday during the Owls’ 66-46 win against Tulsa.
We have multiple players that can play multiple “positions. Sometimes we have an advantage, and sometimes we have a disadvantage.” Donnaizha Fountain | sophomore guard
Fountain has increased her season averages to 9.3 PPG and 22.7 MPG. The 6-foot guard has scored double digits seven times this season and six times as a starter. “We have a team where we can do so much,” Fountain said. “We have multiple players that can play multiple positions. Sometimes we have an advantage, and sometimes we have a disadvantage.” With the new lineup, the Owls have also emphasized defense. In the first half against Fordham University Dec. 12, 2015, Temple forced 17 turnovers. As a team, the Owls have totaled 10 steals in six of their last eight games, including 18 against Memphis Dec. 30, 2015. In the squad’s first five games, the Owls did not total double-digit steals in any matchup. “Whatever gets us go-
ing, like the five guards, is really contagious when one of us goes off,” sophomore guard Tanaya Atkinson said. “We just feed off of their energy.” Under her new system, Cardoza said her team has become more comfortable sharing the scoring responsibility. In the beginning of the season, Butts and junior guard Feyonda Fitzgerald were the two scoring options when the Owls found themselves in deficits. The two guards scored 53.4 percent of the team’s total points in the first five games of the season. Before conference play started, six Owls scored in double digits in a 100-59 win against Delaware State University Dec. 19, 2015. Since the win, the Owls have had three-or-more doubledigit scorers in their last four games. Senior guard Erica Co-
vile scored a season-high 17 points against Houston Jan. 2, and Fountain netted a career-high 16 points in a win against Memphis. “It’s always a bright spot when you have six guys in double figures,” Cardoza said. “It’s just showing the unselfishness that we’re sharing the basketball now.” With Butts, Fountain, Atkinson, Covile and Fitzgerald on the floor, Cardoza said Temple’s depth around the perimeter has helped her team exploit mismatches against larger players. “Obviously it’s tough for us trying to defend post players, but at the same time they have to worry about defending five guards,” Cardoza said. “This lineup is our best offensive option.” * mark.mccormick@temple.edu T @MarkJMcCormick
people. I just had to get off the court.
”
Tanaya Atkinson | sophomore guard
Fitzgerald] because they were the only ones scoring in the beginning,” Atkinson said. “Since all the guards are more involved, we all have an equal share.” In the team’s last 10 games, Cardoza adjusted her lineup, starting five guards. Before the change, Atkinson started with Butts and Fitzgerald at the guard position, with junior Ruth Sherrill at forward and junior Safiya Martin at center. Atkinson is third on the team in scoring, averaging 12.3 points per game—compared to 10.6 last season. Since Cardoza switched to the five-guard lineup during the last 10 games, Atkinson is averaging 12.8 PPG. “I needed to play more fearless and hungry,” Atkinson said. “Now I have the mindset that my teammates have my back whether I make mistakes or not.” With five starting guards all standing 6-foot-1 inch or shorter, Atkinson is adapting to playing a post position. Atkinson is averaging 6.1 rebounds per game this season, second best on the team. Against Villanova Dec. 2, 2015, the New Haven, Connecticut native pulled down 12 rebounds to help Temple to a 61-55 victory. The following home game, Atkinson—who averaged 6.8 rebounds per game last season while starting in all 37 games—earned her sixth career double-double
“It definitely hurts my body a lot with playing down against bigger people,” Atkinson said. “I just had to get off the court.” Cardoza was frustrated after seeing Atkinson struggle early this season, but Atkinson responded with an improved defensive showing. She has totaled 15 steals this season. “I told her, ‘It is going to be hard for us to win basketball games if she is not doing her part,’ and I think she took that to heart,” Cardoza said. “She has definitely grown from her freshman season to her sophomore year so far.” Atkinson continues to struggle from the free throw line this season, shooting 50 percent from the line on a team that makes 67.3 percent of its free throws. Last season, Atkinson made 58.5 percent of her attempts. Atkinson reached her season-high six free throws in Temple’s 69-67 loss to Southern Methodist Jan. 5. “That is something that last year was an Achilles’ heel for her,” Cardoza said. “I told her that when she drives to the basket she needs to focus on the and-ones and don’t settle for getting the foul and going to the free throw line.” * connor.northrup@temple.edu
PATRICK CLARK TTN
Tanaya Atkinson stands in the Owls’ huddle during the team’s 6646 win against Tulsa at McGonigle Hall Saturday.
SPORTS PLAYING SMALL BALL
thecherry.temple-news.com
CALLING THEM OUT
FORMER OWL GOES UNDER THE KNIFE
Muhammad Wilkerson underwent surgery Wednesday, Dionte Christmas signed with a Greek basketball club, other news and notes. PAGE 17
Coach Tonya Cardoza has implemented a five- Senior Brandon Matthews expressed his guard lineup during the women’s basketball disappointment in his teammates’ work team’s last seven games. PAGE 19 ethic last semester. PAGE 19
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
men’s basketball
DANIEL RAINVILLE TTN
Coach Fran Dunphy stands on the sideline during the second half of his team’s 78-60 win Saturday against East Carolina at the Liacouras Center.
Film session sparks streak The men’s basketball team has won three of its first four conference games, including two wins against ranked opponents.
I
By MICHAEL GUISE Sports Editor
n practice the next day, Fran Dunphy did not let his team forget about its 27-point loss to Houston Jan. 2. To start 2016, Dunphy’s squad suffered its worst loss of the season following the team’s 77-70 win against Cincinnati, the then-No. 22 team in the AP Top 25 Poll. “We watched the film, and he got at us pretty good,” senior guard Devin Coleman said. “It was a tough game, but there was a lot for us to learn from. We went in and put the work in. We work a little harder and focus a little more, so things like that don’t happen.”
I think we are in a pretty good position. We “came off the great win against UConn with a game win against ECU.” Quenton DeCosey | senior guard
The loss to Houston dropped the Owls to 1-1 in the American Athletic Conference and was the second time the Owls lost at the Liacouras Center. In 19 games at the Liacouras Center last season, Temple lost twice. “We watched a lot of film that next day,” Dunphy said. “We looked at every bounce, every pass, every defensive
assignment … It was just one of those games. Everything they did was great.” Following Saturday’s 78-60 victory against East Carolina, the Owls are 3-1 in The American and 8-6 overall. The team sits behind Southern Methodist and Houston, which are both undefeated in conference play. “I think we are in a pretty good po-
sition,” senior guard Quenton DeCosey said. “We came off the great win against UConn with a home win against ECU. I think we have to keep the positive energy and keep it going moving forward.” Through 14 games in 2015-16, the Owls have faced five ranked teams. In the team’s first three games against Top 25 opponents, the Owls were 0-3, losing by single digits in two of the three games. In the team’s last two games against ranked opponents, the Owls are 2-0, with both victories coming away from the Liacouras Center. “We still have a lot of work to do,” Coleman said. “But I think we showed
CONSISTENCY | PAGE 17
DeCosey steadies inconsistent offense Senior guard Quenton DeCosey has increased his scoring average to 15.6 points per game in his final year with the Owls. By OWEN McCUE Assistant Sports Editor Starting at the 16:43 mark in the first half, Temple’s offense shut down. Fran Dunphy’s squad went scoreless for nearly four minutes of the Owls’ 78-60 win against East Carolina Saturday. After five Temple misses, senior guard Quenton DeCosey took it upon himself to end the drought. The senior guard spotted up from the left side of the 3-point arc and knocked down the shot. When the Owls’ offense stalled again later in the half, and the Pirates built a double-digit lead, DeCosey responded by scoring or assisting on 10 of the Owls’ next 13 points to cut Temple’s deficit to five going into halftime. “I think it’s very important,” DeCosey
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said of giving his team an offensive boost. “At times when we’re struggling, myself and [senior guard Devin Coleman] also, we gotta put some points on the board and help our squad get a victory.” The Owls’ offense in 2015-16 has been plagued by inconsistency. In a 77-70 win on Dec. 29, 2015 against Cincinnati, then-ranked No. 22 in the AP Top 25 poll, the Owls shot 50 percent from the field. Coach Fran Dunphy’s squad followed with a 34.5-percent-shooting performance against Houston in a 77-50 loss Jan. 2. In the team’s past two games—wins against then-No. 23 Connecticut and East Carolina— the Owls have totaled 55 points and 78 points, respectively. An exception to the inconsistency DANIEL RAINVILLE TTN
Quenton DeCosey dribbles during the Owls’ 78-60 win against East Carolina Saturday.
OFFENSE | PAGE 17