A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921.
TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016
VOL. 94 ISS. 25
‘Unified in suffering’ after attacks in Belgium A few individuals from Belgium were on Main Campus when Brussels was bombed. By MICHAELA WINBERG Lifestyle Editor
W
hen she woke up last Tuesday, Liz Diloh was worried about her father. The Belgium native—born and raised about 30 minutes outside Brussels— woke up to an anxious text from a friend back home, alerting her of the bombings at the Brus-
sels airport and metro station, which the Islamic state has claimed responsibility for, which left 31 dead and 330 wounded. Diloh’s father commutes to work from that same metro station every day. He’s OK, she said, which is lucky—it was just a coincidence that he hadn’t gone to work the morning of the attacks. “I was devastated,” said Diloh, a sophomore bioengineering major. “I was shocked. Things like that don’t happen in Belgium.” During times like these, Diloh said living across the world from her family is especially challenging. “I can’t comfort them in any type of way
devastated. I “wasI was shocked. Things
like that don’t happen in Belgium.
”
Liz Diloh | Sophomore bioengineering major
MARGO REED TTN
Liz Diloh was born and raised in Boom, Belgium.
TSG
BELGIUM | PAGE 8
Candidates at odds over TU Alerts, TSG structure Four tickets are running to become next year’s executive team in TSG. By JOE BRANDT PAIGE GROSS The Temple News
Yesterday, in one last campaign effort before Temple Student Government elections began, all four tickets—Take TU, Empower TU, Believe in Temple, and Owl Opportunity—participated in a heated debate in Room 200C of the Student Center. Students had the opportunity to write and submit questions to specific tickets before the debate, which touched on topics of TSG’s role and structure at the university, community relations, student resources, the possibility of an on-campus stadium, inclusiveness and safety. It was a marked difference from the previous debate on March 15. Yesterday, candidates were allowed rebuttals if another team mentioned them or their platforms, which produced more lively and critical responses.
Issues which caused particular disagreement among candidates included gender-neutral housing, alumni engagement and the role of TU Alerts. At the previous debate on March 15, Believe in TU presidential candidate John Jasionowicz mentioned the idea for an LGBTQIA Living Learning Community when asked how to make housing more gender-inclusive. Gaelen McCartney, the debate moderator and TSG’s elections commissioner, asked Owl Opportunity and Take TU about what further steps they would take on inclusivity. Titus Knox, the candidate for vice president of services for Owl Opportunity, said creating an LLC was not the answer, instead suggesting genderinclusive apartment-style housing that would allow students to interact with
JENNY KERRIGAN TTN
TAKE TU
JENNY KERRIGAN TTN
EMPOWER TU
TSG | PAGE 3
VOTING
Vote online at uvote.temple.edu until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. Information about the candidates and tickets are also at this link.
CRIME
EVAN EASTERLING TTN
BELIEVE IN TU
RESEARCH
Police probing possible assault By JULIE CHRISTIE The Temple News
JENNY KERRIGAN TTN
OWL OPPORTUNITY
STADIUM
Searching for a cure to HIV
47th ward mixed on stadium By STEVE BOHNEL News Editor
By TOM IGNUDO The Temple News
Temple Police are still investigating the alleged assault of a Drexel University student that happened west of Main Campus around midnight on Saturday, March 12. Gabrielle Richardson, a junior design and merchandising major at Drexel, said partygoers physically and verbally assaulted her at a backyard party on Bouvier Street near Oxford. A group of male students at a party in the yard next door began shouting at her through a hole in the fence separating the two properties. “I asked them if one could bum me a cigarette and they said, ‘only if you suck our d--ks,’” Richardson said. Then, she said, one of the men threw his drink at her. Richardson, who is African-American, said she confronted the men, who continued to yell racially charged insults at her, including calling her a “B---h-a-- Harriet Tubman” and the N-word. “We made contact with owners of both properties, either side because there were simultaneous parties going on,” said Temple Police Capt. Edward Woltemate in the Investigations Unit. “And at that point it seemed the individuals we spoke to had knowledge that an incident took place but I think a lot of
Approximately two miles north of Main Campus on North Broad Street, researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine took another step in the fight against HIV. The research team, led by Dr. Kamel Khalili—who chairs the neuroscience department—uses a gene-editing technology it developed to snip the virus out of cells. This month, the technique successfully stopped HIV-1 virus replication in the T-cells of blood from HIV-positive patients. “I think it’s a very [big] first step toward the strategy which can be developed toward [the] cure,” Khalili said. Dr. Wenhui Hu, an associate professor in neuroscience, said because HIV has “been integrated into the host cell,” the gene-editing technology is the best way to eliminate any further spread of the virus. “Once the virus infects, the viral genome integrates into the host gene and becomes part of the chromosome and part of the DNA,” Khalili said. “The only way you can cure that is to eliminate the viral DNA by excision.” In 2014, Khalili and his team of researchers eradicated the virus from cells through a DNA-snipping enzyme and guide RNA. There are many differences, however, between
George Brooks has lived on the same street for more than six decades. He resides on the 1600 block of North 17th Street, located near the middle of Philadelphia’s 47th political ward— where he has served as its Democratic leader for more than 20 years. Now, he wants to make sure his constituents are informed about Temple’s proposed on-campus stadium, Read more on recent which would be built at Geasey Field updates concerning in the city’s 32nd political ward, which the proposed plans lies directly north. for an on-campus “It seems to me that Temple has stadium. PAGE 6 not really talked to the people that they need to talk to,” Brooks, 65, said. “The homeowners maybe, the people who have been [here] for a while as opposed to someone who just got [here], and find out what their needs are and find out what their fears are.” Brooks said he hasn’t decided whether he supports the proposal. He added, however, that discussions between the
ASSAULT | PAGE 6
HIV | PAGE 6
STADIUM | PAGE 6
NEWS PAGES 2-3, 6
EMS bikes stolen
Two bikes and emergency equipment were stolen outside 7-Eleven in the past few weeks. PAGE 3
OPINION PAGES 4-5
Four TSG tickets, more inclusion
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PAGES 9-13
LIFESTYLE PAGES 7-8, 14, 16
Empowering Muslim women
Renowned scientist visits Wagner
The Muslimah Project creates a safe space for discussion and education for Muslim women on Main Campus. PAGE 7
Krisofter Helgen, who explores existing natural history collections for overlooked species, lectured at the Wagner Free Institute of Science. PAGE 9
INSIDE
SPORTS PAGES 17-20
NEWS
PAGE 2
TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016
Two businesses utilize storefront program The city gives grants to businesses for improvements. By GILLIAN McGOLDRICK The Temple News The Storefront Improvement Program offered by the Department of Commerce to improve façades of businesses has only been used by two businesses along the Cecil B. Moore Avenue commercial corridor. Giana Lawrence, the Storefront Improvement Program manager, said Mayor Kenney pitched an allocation of $600,000 to this program in his budget last month, meaning the money will mainly come from the city instead of varying vendors. The SIP is a way for businesses to improve their storefronts and increase visibility. The city will reimburse up to 50 percent of the cost of eligible improvements, up to $10,000 for a single-property owner and $15,000 for a corner business property. The services for the SIP include painting exteriors, installation of lighting outside stores and handicap ramps to store entrances, Lawrence said. Other available improvements include signage, exterior doors, security grills and windows, according to the Department of Commerce’s SIP guidelines. All commercially occupied properties and operating tenant businesses located in the City of Philadelphia are
eligible, excluding industrial and office businesses. The two businesses that have used the SIP are Federal Distilling at 1700 N. Hancock St. and Triangle Coin Wash Laundromat located at 1927 Ridge Ave. The Cecil B. Moore corridor stretches from the 1400 block of Cecil B. Moore to the 2300 block, Lawrence said. Matt Quigley, owner of Federal Distilling—which has been open since fall 2014— said he applied to increase visibility of his store. “Who doesn’t like free money?” Quigley said. “We were anticipating doing these renovations anyway so when we found out about this, it was great. I’ve never gotten money from the city for anything so it was like a no-brainer.” Federal Distilling’s facelift included the addition of a 12-foot-by-12-foot window, exterior light fixtures and painting of the façade. The whole project cost $17,000 and the city reimbursed Quigley more than $12,000 for the work his business had done. The whole application and renovation process from start to finish took Quigley 6 months and more than 40 hours of paperwork to complete, he said. “For anyone who’s trying to obtain a grant, you’ve got to push a lot of paper,” he added. Both Quigley and Walker Gilmore, owner of Triangle Coin Wash, said they learned about the program through contractors and not city government. Gilmore is currently working on his second application for a handicap ramp for his company. His first ap-
plication earned him a grant to pay for the entire cost of an awning and painting of the façade of the building. “I think it’s a great program for the city,” Gilmore said. “It’s just that I don’t know how well they’re doing getting the money out there on the streets.” Gilmore added he could understand why the program hasn’t been used more throughout Philadelphia. “A lot of times small businesses are reluctant to spend money on capital improvements that aren’t directly related to the business,” Gilmore said. “So installing exterior lighting and an awning might not necessarily drum up more business. If you have a slightly tired old pizza joint and people keep coming there because you’re the best deal on the block, then you may not want to spend $3,000 on an awning because it may not seem mission critical.” The SIP is meant to help improve the exterior of individual businesses, which can attract more customers, Lawrence said. Gilmore said he is a fan of programs like SIP. “I think that it’s really important particularly to support existing businesses in corridors that are either distressed or are changing,” he said. “Rather than having the private market drive it all, supporting existing folks to stay in place and succeed in a changing marketplace is important.” * gillian.mcgoldrick@temple. edu T @gill_mcgoldrick
JENNY KERRIGAN TTN
Federal Distilling is located on 1700 N. Hancock St., east of Main Campus and is applying for a grant.
JENNY KERRIGAN TTN
Triangle Coin Wash is applying for a second grant through the Storefront Improvement Program.
Data shows uptick in car and bike thefts Police data shows the number of stolen vehicles has increased since this point last year, but bike thefts are much more common. By JULIE CHRISTIE The Temple News Temple Police saw five stolen vehicles in the first two months of 2016—the same number of cars stolen during 2015, according to data the department provided. More focus, however, isn’t on stolen vehicles, but on stolen bikes, a crime that, on average, 12 times more prevalent. Thefts of both modes of transportation have seen an uptick from 2015 to 2016. Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said cars are being stolen because people leave them unattended and they are easy targets for thieves. “This year especially, we got a few where people just left with their keys in and running, believe it or not,” Leone said. “One was a delivery person ... [he] left his keys in his car on Cecil B. Moore [Avenue] and somebody jumped in. One guy left his car on Broad and Cecil B. and went down to the subway to pick up his friend. When he got back, someone had taken it for a ride.” Leone said the two cases were not connected. Something similar is happening with bikes, said Temple Police Investigations Unit Capt. Edward Woltemate, because people are too confident in how they secure their bikes. “The owners of the bikes will secure their bikes thinking they’re safe for days and weeks at a time and then when they return to that location, the bike’s not there,” he said. “We’ve re-
BY THE NUMBERS CAR AND BIKE THEFT DATA PROVIDED BY TEMPLE POLICE
5
STOLEN VEHICLES IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2016
5
STOLEN VEHICLES IN 2015
79 STOLEN BIKES IN 2015
PATRICK CLARK TTN
Police reported that a car was stolen from around this area at 17th Street near Diamond on March 18.
ceived reports where the timeframe is several days if not a week.” Leone added the majority of bikes stolen are usually secured with a cable, which thieves can easily cut. “The [thief] comes over and they look like they’re unlocking their bike and they take a little snip [at the thin cables] and it looks like they unlock it,” he said. “Use the U-lock, and if you’re going to use the cable, use it in conjunction with the U-lock.”
NEWS DESK 215-204-7419
In 2013, there were 104 bike thefts, then the number plummeted to 38 total bike thefts in 2014. Thefts rose to 79 thefts in 2015 because there are “simply more bikes,” Leone said. In 2014, Temple Police started a free online bike registration program that handed out a free lock to each person who registered. Car thefts remained at a steady total of five in 2014 and 2015 before a spike when in January and Febru-
ary alone, five cars were stolen in 2016. Temple Police just added new technology to its “Bait Bike” program to help officers catch bike thieves in the act by adding a tracking device that notifies police when the bike is stolen. Leone said before the new technology, officers dressed in plain clothes would leave a bike to bait thieves while they observed.
NEWS@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
Woltemate said there is a “wide dynamic” of offenders, from juveniles to people feeding a drug habit that “steal for a quick dollar” to people in their 40s and 50s. There was one couple in their 60s, Leone said, that Temple Police had caught stealing bikes. “The perception is a lot of kids steal bikes on campus,” Woltemate said. “We can’t necessarily say that’s true. It’s all different age groups, all different races.”
* julie.christie@temple.edu T @ChristieJules
NEWS
TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016
PAGE 3
TSG wants increased voter turnout online The organization wants to see 25 percent of the student body vote Tuesday and Wednesday, as the race includes four tickets looking to replace them next year. By JONATHAN GILBERT The Temple News
VIA FACEBOOK
Two Temple EMS bikes were stolen outside 7-Eleven on Liacouras Walk.
Temple Police investigating stolen bikes One of the bikes included equipment used by Temple University Emergency Medical Services. By JULIE CHRISTIE The Temple News During the past few weeks, Temple University Emergency Medical Services had two bikes stolen in as many days outside the 7-Eleven located at 1912 Liacouras Walk. One of the bikes held expensive equipment, including an Automated External Defibrillator, an oxygen tank and regulator. On March 19 around 9 p.m. one thief stole the first bike, and a second bike with medical equipment was stolen on March 21 around 1:06 a.m., according to Temple Police. “We haven’t connected the two incidents, we don’t know if they’re the same individual,” said Charlie Leone, executive director of Campus Safety Services.
and grab a coffee or whatever’ and they come out and somebody took their bike. You wouldn’t think that somebody would take a bike from [TUEMS]. It’s definitely marked up, but to a bike thief, it’s like, ‘Oh, that’s a nice bike and it’s not locked.’” The incidents of theft have dropped the total number of bikes TUEMS uses from eight to six bikes, causing a reduction in how often volunteers are paired up to ride together but will not affect the overall services provided, Leone said. He explained newer members and members in training are paired with senior members to go on calls and the loss of two bikes will mean fewer people will be
Most colleges across the country deal with a problem of getting students out to vote in student government elections. According to a 2005 University of Iowa study that examined 94 schools, the vast majority received less than 25 percent of voter turnout. USA Today reported in 2012 that low student voter turnout is a “a common problem” throughout the country. Two years ago, 6 percent of the student body voted for former Student Body President Ray Smeriglio and his campaign ticket TU Believe. Last year, 17 percent of the student body voted for current Student Body President Ryan Rinaldi and Future TU. Rinaldi and his Future TU running mates were aiming for a 10 percent voter turnout. Temple Student Government’s power lies in the number of students who vote, Rinaldi said. If more students vote, then TSG is able to leverage and negotiate with the Board of Trustees and administration more effectively. “I think the turnout you get in a student government election gives that team a different level of a mandate,” Rinaldi said. “Student government's power really lies within the mandate that you receive when you’re elected.” Rinaldi and TSG Elections Commissioner Gaelen McCartney are hoping for a quarter of the student body to vote in this election. Nearly 10,000 students would have to vote based on 2014 enrollment statistics, and McCartney thinks it’s an attainable goal. “I think that 25 percent is a really nice goal because
that’s a quarter of the students who participated and wanted their voice heard,” McCartney said. “With four tickets it’s definitely a reachable percentage.” Both McCartney and Rinaldi are hopeful that the four teams running will yield higher numbers of voters than past years. Three tickets ran in 2010, which was the last time more than two tickets entered the election. “The positive side of having four tickets is the fact that these four tickets are going to reach more students than two tickets could,” McCartney said. Rinaldi said “grassroots campaigning” gives the candidates the opportunity to hear from different kinds of organizations throughout the university. “Regardless of where these campaigns started, campaigning gives them the opportunity to go and meet so many diverse groups and talk to them about their issues and their problems, but also talk about their successes and what they do,” Rinaldi said. The amount of outreach done by the campaigns is evident in the number of endorsements from student organizations the groups have collectively garnered, which totals more than 40, McCartney said. At uvote.temple.edu, prospective voters can review the platforms and candidates to be as up-to-date and as educated as possible on their policies. “We want you to vote, but we want you to read the platforms and understand the teams and differences between the teams,” Rinaldi said. * jonathan.irwin.gilbert@temple.edu T @jonnygilbs96
You wouldn’t think somebody would “want to take a bike with 60 pounds of stuff.” Charlie Leone | executive director of Campus Safety Services
JENNY KERRIGAN TTN
Students and administration listen to candidates at the final TSG debate Monday in Room 200C of the Student Center.
Temple Police Investigations Unit Capt. Edward Woltemate said the video footage from security cameras of the second incident showed the thief, due to better video quality. They took steps, however, to conceal their face. The second bike held thousands of dollars worth of equipment, making it almost three times more valuable than the first bike that was stolen. Each mountain bike—made by Trek Bicycle Corporation—can be valued between $700 and more than $1,200. The equipment stolen from the first incident totaled $1,800 because the bike was outfitted with a standard EMS Bag, emergency lights and gear rack. The second bike, worth $1,260, also held a $1,950 AED, a $225 oxygen tank and regulator and other miscellaneous supplies, totaling $1,765. The equipment totaled a $5,200 loss for TUEMS and together the two bikes were a $7,000 loss. Woltemate said Temple Police, who provides the bikes to TUEMS, are filing an insurance claim for the stolen equipment. The department will have new bikes within the next couple of weeks, Leone said. “They’re volunteers, they’re students, they do a great job,” Leone said. “They park their bike and figure, ‘I’m just going to run in
less frequently exposed. “It’s a better chance of those getting recovered than any other bike only because they are very unique,” Leone said. “Depending on how this person decides they’re going to get rid of the bike … I would hope that somewhere along the line somebody notices them and gives a call and says, ‘Hey, there’s a bike out here with medical stuff on it.’” Leone said the target was most likely the bike and not the medical supplies. “[The thief] probably didn’t even know they were in there,” he said. “You wouldn’t think somebody would want to take a bike with 60 pounds of stuff. I doubt it was their intention to get an AED.” Leone said Temple Police will sometimes check with pawn shops to find stolen items, and once they’ve made contact, a pawn shop will notify them if the item comes in. However, “they may have just discarded it,” he said. “Getting the bikes back really depends on what’s been done with them,” Leone added. Volunteers from TUEMS declined to comment. * julie.christie@temple.edu T @ChristieJules
Candidates discuss university issues before voting begins Continued from page 1
TSG
each other. “It’s important that safe spaces are built for marginalized groups,” Knox said. “But at what point does building safe spaces like an LLC limit the educational process that comes with coming to college and people interacting with people not like them?” Jared Dobkin, Take TU’s candidate for vice president of services, said the ticket would push for an LGBTQIA resource center, if elected. “Right now, everything is kind of shoved into the Wellness Resource Center and Tuttleman Counseling [Services],” he said, adding that these resources are already understaffed. When answering a question on a perceived lack of TU Alerts, several candidates envisioned expanding on their current role. Some said alerts should address on-campus, studenton-student crime and make sure community members are not specifically targeted in suspect descriptors. “Students shouldn’t be pick-
ing and choosing what is or isn’t an alert,” Jasionowicz said in a rebuttal to the question. Administrators in charge of campus safety have stressed that the alerts are only sent out if there is an imminent threat to the student body, Empower TU presidential candidate Aron Cowen said, and contended that alerts are not meant to function as a news service. Knox proposed allowing the community to sign up for TU Alerts and double-checking with international students to make sure they’re signed up with the phone number they use in the U.S. Take TU expressed that TU Alerts cause tension with the community and “don’t address student predators,” presidential candidate Tina Ngo said. On the idea of restructuring TSG, Empower TU and Believe in TU disagreed on whether involving more students in TSG would allow for better student representation, like in Empower TU’s 40-member parliament plan. While it will take about four weeks to organize and induct 40 new members, Cowen said, it will get ev-
eryone on the same page and involve more of the student body. “Optimally, we’d have everyone in the room, but that’s not feasible,” he said. Jasionowicz contended that even with the added members, there’s no way the new structure would be completely representative of the student body and the adjustment period “isn’t worth it.” McCartney closed the debate, asking each ticket what they hoped to have accomplished after a year in office. Believe in TU, Empower TU, Owl Opportunity and Take TU each answered in respective order: representing students, student engagement, accomplishing small wins and stopping progression on the proposed on-campus stadium. Following the debate, all tickets expressed their desire for higher voter turnout—hoping for around 30 percent of the student body. Each candidate expressed hope that students will not just vote, but review the platforms and make an informed decision. * news@temple-news.com T @TheTempleNews
EDITORIAL/OP-ED
PAGE 4
TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016
column | race 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 Michaela Winberg, 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 Jenny Roberts, 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
Stop insolent conduct Earlier this month, a Neighbor Policy. Drexel student alleged that In this more recent inseveral male students from cident, the university said it surround“unequiving schools Off campus and at parties, ocally conshouted dis- students ought to be respectful. d e m n s ” paraging disparagcomments about her race— ing language. On social media, and a Temple student threw a several students denounced drink at her—after she asked their classmate’s conduct. for a cigarette at a party on the While one’s safety is a 1600 block of Bouvier Street. priority, and not engaging diTemple Police are still rectly with a group of people investigating the incident, exhibiting violent behavior which included taking state- seems obvious, there should ments from several students be some precedent to protect present, but no arrest has yet others from violent, racist bebeen made. Still, the incident havior like what emerged at has renewed long-standing this particular party. concerns about student conBars have bouncers for duct late on weekend nights, just this reason: to throw when alcohol flows and police people out on the street for struggle to curtail the noise exhibiting such conduct, and violations from blaring music. to protect the safety and wellIn October 2014, student being of the patrons. Any givpartying came under stricter en weekend will have dozens administrative scrutiny when if not hundreds of makeshift a student shouted “F--k you” student-run bars, with guests and used the N-word at his intermingling outside as the elderly African-American weather warms up. It’s likely neighbors who called police there will be more uncomfortabout his loud party hosted on able or even dangerous enthe 1700 block of Gratz Street, counters, and not all will be according to the Daily News. as publicized as the March 12 Temple said it would incident. consider charging that stuAnd if there are to be no dent through a Student Con- bouncers at the weekly parduct Code hearing, and The ties, students must take extra Temple News later reported care to look out for others, that police visited student whether it’s by comforting houses on that block to remind them, calling the police, or them of the university’s Good simply speaking up.
Fund vital operations Last week, two bikes to ensure these things don’t owned by Temple’s Emer- happen. The fault for losgency Mediing these cal Services Temple’s EMS team should bikes falls were stolen be a higher priority both for s q u a r e l y from on-duty administration and students. on the crew memthieves, bers. Because of this, one of but the university should also Temple’s EMS teams will not have a pre-existing continbe operating. gency plan in the event a bike The bikes, called “minia- goes in for service or, like in ture ambulances” by Temple this case, is stolen. EMS in a Facebook post, are It may be expensive for extremely valuable, as is the the department to maintain service provided by the work- and own extra bikes, but not ers. doing so puts residents and The service the bikes and students’ well-being in jeopthe crew members operating ardy, and may be the differthem can provide is vital to ence between life and death. the well-being of the univerWhile sponsored by Temsity’s students and commu- ple Police, the department’s nity members, especially in a employees are all working on heavily trafficked city where a volunteer basis. actual ambulances struggle to We hope that students maneuver during busy times will remember the life-saving of the day. service Temple EMS provides The EMS team should next time they see an opportureceive more support in the nity to contribute. form of funding and resources
CORRECTIONS In “Stop condoning Trump’s campaign” that ran March 22, Donald Trump was quoted calling immigrants “racists and criminals.” The quote, from his campaign announcement in June 2015, was actually “rapists and criminals.” 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.
Sitcoms: more than laughs “Black-ish” does a great job of showing the impact TV shows can have on viewers.
W
hen I first heard ABC would be airing a new show, “Black-ish”, I was excited because I love black sitcoms. I was also a bit skeptical, however, because many black sitcoms tend not to last very long. As a black person, I believe it’s important to have modern black shows on TV because it gives black people something to relate to. “Black-ish” is relatable and is more repJENSEN TOUSSAINT resentative of black audiences because it discusses the topic of race openly and in ways not often seen on TV. After two seasons, it’s safe to say it’s one of the best sitcoms on air. Since the networks UPN and WB were replaced with the CW in September 2006, the number of black sitcoms on primetime network TV has decreased considerably. The very few that have premiered since that time, for the most part, have gotten canceled rather quickly. Black sitcoms today are very different from those of the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s or even the early 2000s. Dr. Aaron Smith, a professor in the African American studies department, credits the influx of more black writers and producers included in the making of these shows over the decades as the main catalyst for this change. Television and black shows have evolved quite a bit since the Norman
Lear-produced era that dominated the ‘70s and ‘80s. “Black-ish” is representative of this evolution. Black sitcoms have long been a platform to express what it means to be black and people with that experience are best equipped to tell that story. One particular episode from the current season of the show, titled “Hope,” did so in a way not commonly seen on television, especially today. The way the episode managed to fit much of the “Black Lives Matter” movement into one 30-minute program without blatantly saying it was brilliant. It did a really good job of tackling the issues of racial inequality in our justice system and police brutality
erful, extremely relevant and down-toearth. “It was humorous, but more message-driven,” he said. “Which I wouldn’t expect from a primetime TV show, so I applaud the writers for that.” “Black-ish” has a tendency to generally poke fun at black stereotypes, but this episode was serious, a tone that has been missing from primetime television. While many sitcoms may have the sole purpose of gaining laughs, it does not and should not stop there. TV sitcoms have the power to do so much more. They can get viewers to cry, think, reflect, educate, motivate. Social media has led by giving people a platform to talk about
against black people in the United States using recent real-life incidents. Much of the episode takes place in the living room where the family sits in front of the TV waiting on the verdict of a police officer who unprovokingly tased a 17-year-old boy. It was revealed later that the officer would not be charged or indicted for the crime. This plays into the real verdicts of the murders of Freddie Gray, Tamir Rice and Sandra Bland—all of whom are mentioned in the episode. It is not common, especially today, for sitcoms to bring in such real components into their episodes. While the plot of the episode itself may have been fictional, it was easy to think of real examples of this actually happening. The bottom line is these issues clearly exist and should be addressed. Smith said the episode was so pow-
these issues, and TV sitcoms have followed. Adding content diversity and substance to plotlines can help increase viewership. I, like most Americans, enjoy sitcoms with episodes that tell a story. This episode, “Hope” did just that. A black show with black actors telling a story about the honest and harsh realities of what being black means is something we need to see more of. “Black people should be subjects of their history, not objects,” an idea Smith said, from African American studies professor, Molefi Kete Asante. Similar to the way the episode tried to ignite hope to its viewers, I hope to see more sitcoms follow the example “Blackish” has set.
Adding content diversity and substance to TV “show plotlines can help increase viewership.”
* jensen.toussaint@temple.edu
column | culture
Hold disappointing alumnus accountable Diplo’s behavior does not represent the Temple community.
T
homas Pentz—better known as Diplo—is, without question, one of Temple’s most distinguished alumni. Before the big game against Notre Dame in October, Temple’s Facebook page posted a video of him wishing the team good luck. My fellow Owls loved the recognition, but their praise of Diplo is misplaced. The 37-year-old EDM artist and 2003 film grad has been making music—good music—for as long as I’ve been alive. People my age around the globe are swept up in the EDM phenomenon brought on by him and his peers. Diplo’s behavior—obnoxious, racist and dangerous in its nature—doesn’t deserve any kind of approval or encouragement from the Temple administration. After arriving in Pakistan for a recent tour, he published many of tweets with racHUMZA ISMAIL ist undertones. One included a picture of him wearing a shalwar kameez (a sacred outfit common in South Asia) with the caption “Dropping bombs.” The images in some of his posts looked like they could have been on CNN, making him look like he was going to a war-torn part of the world to play a concert, bringing color to gray lives. In another tweet he said, “Quatar (sic) lounge feels like a refugee camp for rich people. 100K square feet w people lined up for butter and sugar and no wifi.” The flashes of personality Diplo shows through his social media are ugly and self-serving. Even though the comments he made were obviously out of line, the important—and primarily Desi-driven—feedback was never echoed by the public. He was never held accountable, and his public perception wasn’t even scratched. Sherri Grasmuck, a sociology professor, agrees. “I don’t think [black and white celebrities] are treated the same,” she said. “I think in general, black entertainers are expected to be skilled at what they do, because stereotypically it’s the only thing they’re expected to be good at. … If someone in a group works in a field they’re stereotypically skilled in, then they don’t get any credit for being good, even if they’re great.” Grasmuck said a student studied the transition between players on a sports team with their management position after the initial career and it showed similarities to what we see with celebrities. Players of color went on to take less management or professional positions that are held at high regards than their white counterparts, just like we see with other people in public spotlight. “I think there’s a lot of evidence to show that black entertainers are much more likely to be criticized if [they do] something unpopular, and pay a bigger price [for it],” she said. “Those stories circulate more, they’re talked about more.” Diplo’s lack of public accountability grows much more apparent in the case of his abusive relationship with prominent
Desi artist and activist, Mathangi Arulpragasam, better known as M.I.A. By blending electronic music with political rap, she works to be a bridge between the people in South Asia and the West. She recently released the single “Borders” which focuses on the current refugee crisis in Syria and Yemen. The lyrics are rooted in part by her family’s background—they were uprooted from their homeland of Sri Lanka, and eventually settling in England, where Arulpragasam was born and raised. M.I.A. is the most important voice in the music industry today. On her Twitter account in May 2015, she asked her 676,000 followers whether they felt her using footage of a village in her music video would be considered cultural appropriation. She consistently uses her fame to spark conversation and send messages about important issues, while maintaining a healthy sense of humility and respect for the people she talks about. Identity politics and geopolitics are the rapper’s forte, showcasing an intelligence and wit that Diplo—or even his more empathetic peers—will never match. In an interview with Rolling Stone, M.I.A. recounted the abuse she underwent from Diplo during their five years together, specifically during her rise in popularity: “When I got signed by Interscope, [Diplo] literally smashed my hotel room and broke all the furniture because he was so angry I got picked up by a major label,” she said. “I had this person on my shoulder the whole time saying, “you shouldn’t be in the magazines and you should not be going to interviews. … You should be an underground artist.” When confronted about the alleged behavior in a Billboard interview, Diplo confirmed everything. As an explanation, he offered that he was jealous and sad; the couple fought, but they always made good music after. His actions barely caused a ripple on social media, and M.I.A. had to discredit false claims Diplo made during the same interview. After that, however, she just had to lift her chin up and move forward. That is how the court of public opinion operates today. We must start raising white celebrities to a higher standard, and refuse to be silent in the face of mediocre apologies. Temple, as a former home to this celebrity, needs to lead the way here and stop celebrating Diplo. * humza.ismail@temple.edu
GOT SOMETHING TO SAY? 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 200-
OPINION
TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016
column | TSG
Four tickets, better inclusion for students
PAGE 5
FROM THE ARCHIVES
This year, students have more options for leadership in student government.
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ore than two tickets are running in Temple Student Government’s election, which takes place today and tomorrow, for the first time since 2010. This year, four tickets—Empower TU, Take TU, Believe in TU, and Owl Opportunity—are vying for control of TSG. According to Temple’s “About” page, there are currently 37,788 students enrolled at Temple. With such a large student body, it is guaranteed students hold a wide variety of ideas and passions on campus, and it is very possible all students’ interests are not recognized by TSG. For those whose voices and ideas are usually overlooked by the masses, this election could be different. Aron Cowen, the presidential candidate for Empower TU and TSG’s current director of government affairs, agreed the task of representing such a large student body is a challenge. “TSG is an executive body, so at the end of the GRACE SHALLOW LEAD COLUMNIST day it is one person, the president, trying to represent almost 40,000 students and it’s really difficult,” Cowen said. “I’ve seen firsthand how difficult it is to accurately represent the diversity of opinions Temple has.” All four TSG platforms running this year have been consistent in advocating for groups whose issues need more visibility on Temple’s campus, including sexual assault survivors, students with disabilities and veterans. Samantha Rogers is a junior psychology major and president of Active Minds, a club dedicated to eliminating the stigma surrounding mental illnesses. To her, it is comforting future TSG representatives are advocating for students with mental illness, like her.
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Despite similar ideas on their platforms, all 12 candidates running for TSG positions have followed very different paths during their time at Temple so far.
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“I’m really excited about it,” she said. “It’s really nice to know we aren’t the only group on campus interested in this.” Kelly Dawson, vice presidential candidate of internal affairs for Empower TU, recognized the similarities amongst the platforms and thinks it is a positive thing. “I think [the similarities in our platforms] just bring awareness to the situation,” Dawson said. “We are not just saying, ‘We are all running for TSG so you should get involved.’ There are particular strong points in everyone’s campaign that I do think are bringing attention to the issues.” Despite similar ideas on their platforms, all 12 candidates running for TSG positions have followed very different paths during their time at Temple so far. Tina Ngo, presidential candidate for Take TU, said she thinks the differing experiences amongst this year’s candidates affect the election. “We have a very diverse group of students running for TSG,” Ngo said. “I think that’s a way to show students want to be involved. You look at Take TU and you see faces you don’t normally see running for TSG.” While Ngo and several other candidates have never served in TSG, others like Cowen and Michael Horwath, presidential candidate for Owl Opportunity and TSG’s director of student affairs, are currently involved in student government. “If you want to see change, elect a non-TSG oriented ticket,” John P. Jasionowicz, presidential candidate for Believe in TU, said at the TSG debate on March 15. “These tickets right here are composed of the same TSG organization that have been there this current year.” Some candidates on the ballots have been involved with ROTC, Greek life and activism. These experiences can lead to different concerns of the candidates and different policies they feel need enforcing if elected. Owl Opportunity’s Lady Carmela Robinson, vice presidential candidate of external affairs, currently serves as the vice president of external affairs for the Epsilon Chapter of the Alpha Sigma Rho Sorority, Inc. and is the event coordinator for the Multicultural Greek Council. Her experience and appreciation for Greek life is evident in Owl Opportunity’s goals for the future. Owl Opportunity’s platform reads: “We will reduce the negative stigma that is associated with Greek Life on campus and in the media. We will also provide education of Greek Life during student orientation.” The breadth of diversity in experience amongst only 12 Temple students is telling of how personal each student’s time at Temple is. “There was a phrase that was thrown, I remember, at the last debate and it was ‘the regular Temple student.’ What made me grasp that is there’s no such thing,” said Jai Singletary, Empower TU’s vice presidential candidate of external affairs. “That doesn’t exist at Temple. … What brings us together again is having a passion and we all have a stake in this school.” I agree with Singletary. There is no standardized expectation for what a Temple student’s college career will entail. Your time here is what you make it. As we all do have a stake in the school, we also all have a stake in who will be governing Temple’s student body for the 2016-17 school year. I encourage all to vote in this year’s TSG election so your voice can be heard too. * grace.shallow@temple.edu
LETTERS@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
PAUL KLEIN TTN
Nov. 18, 2014: A Temple EMS student presents to a class, explaining most calls are for patients suffering from overintoxication. EMS is also dispatched for allergic reactions and injuries from falls, sports or car accidents. Last weekend two bikes belonging to Temple EMS were stolen, one with emergency equipment. Until their return, Temple EMS is operating with one less crew.
THE ESSAYIST
The stories we tell ourselves
I
A memoir-writing class prompts a student to contemplate preserving memory.
take another swig of cider. It’s dry, but slightly sweet and fizzy. It’s Valentine’s Day. My friend and I have spent the day working, and now we’re treating ourselves to drinks. We’re sitting across from each other in Silk City on Spring Garden Street, in a room modeled after an old-train-car turned bar. The space is intimate, illuminated in red and blue lighting. Two other groups of people about our age occupy the bar to our left, talking in hushed voices. There’s
By Claire Sasko selves. Later, at her house, we lie next to each other on her bed. There’s a thin string of gold holiday lights surrounding a tapestry hanging on the wall to our left. She reads me entries from a journal she kept as a teenager, and we giggle at their juicy naiveté. My bare feet dangle over the edge of the bed, and I swing them when she makes me laugh. I’m not sure why these
writing memories when they come to me, maybe during class, on the train, at night, lying in bed. And then, a week or two later, I’m sitting with a friend in my mother’s house. He asks a question that many of my friends and I have recently considered but haven’t much talked about or even known how to answer: what will happen when we graduate? Will we separate? I tell him I’m not sure. But I become aware of the weight and the significance of that moment in particular. I
think about how i t compares to all these other junctures, both recent and long past, that my mind has chosen to bookmark. I look at my friend and realize this will be one of those instances I remember. It’s an odd feeling, knowing I’ll refer to it at various points throughout my life while being so very in it right now. I feel
a bulb casting an iridescent golden glow in a halo on the metal table between us. My friend drinks a PBR. I look at her while she talks and think about how beautiful she is. Big brown eyes, caramel hair gently cascading over her shoulders, small pout of a smile. We cover a lot of ground in our
It’s an odd feeling, knowing I’ll refer to it at various points “throughout my life while being so very in it right now.” conversation. She tells me what it’s like to lose a mother at the ripe, unknowing age of 14. It must’ve been around the time, I think, that my parents tried to tell me they wanted to separate. I say “tried” because the knowledge of this was something I refused to digest. During bouts of disruption in my house, I walked on our floors lightly with my hands clasped over my ears. Certain memories from this time stick out to me—just like certain memories of her mother stand out to her. I notice how she tells me about her mother in stories: stories about their relationship with her, stories about her father, stories her mother and father told about them-
simple occasions stand out to me. But months ago, a memoir-writing class prompted me to think about the relationship between memory and moments. If memory is a long roll of film, stretched over our lives, then moments are certain scenes or stills we, consciously or unconsciously, choose to develop. Over time, we might underexpose or overexpose them—the graininess of the film, the decay, is inevitable. But why do we choose to preserve what we do? I’m asked to turn in a 10-page memoir for my class. I’m surprised by how simple it is to write, how little narratives tumble from my mind onto the page with ease. As a result, I buy a small, gray journal. I start
it slipping all the while, even while I’m there, staring at him. I think of that moment as a sort of emulsion, a link between the present and what’s to come. And I think about how little snapshots like these, little narratives we tell ourselves about ourselves and find ourselves visiting, serve as bridges, which, in ways, defy time. I write this moment down in my little gray journal. Now it’s over, but I can hold on to it. Fifteen years from now, whether or not we’ll be friends, I can come back to it. It’ll be there, in my head, vacuumedsealed, preserved and kept as fresh as memory allows. * claire.sasko@temple.edu
NEWS
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TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016
NEWS BRIEFS UNIVERSITY NEWS
KATZ FAMILY FILES LAWSUIT
Drew Katz and Melissa Silver filed a wrongful-death lawsuit over the May 31, 2014 plane crash that killed their father, the former Inquirer owner and Temple trustee Lewis Katz, and six others in Bedford, Massachusetts. The case was filed in Suffolk County Court March 16. Eight defendants are listed, including Gulfstream Aerospace Corp, the aircraft manufacturer. The Inquirer reported the family is seeking damages of more than $250 million, but stated that the exact amount will be determined at trial. The suit claims that negligence and “manufacturing and/or designing a defective product” are at fault for the fatal crash, the Inquirer reported. The Boston Globe reported the complaint stated that the two pilots, James McDowell and Bauke “Mike” de Vries, failed to disengage the gust lock before takeoff. The gust lock keeps the controls in place while the plane is parked, but can cause issues when the plane takes off. The McDowell and DeVries estates are also listed as defendants in the case. Additionally, the Boston Globe reported that the complaint stated a Rockwell Collins Inc. pin that secured the gust lock handle was found to be “substandard.” -Lian Parsons
CITY NEWS
COMMUNITY HOSTS ANTI-VIOLENCE RALLY
Activists organized by Cambria Advisory Group marched through North Philadelphia on Saturday to combat the recent spike in violence in the neighborhood. In the area around Broad and Somerset streets, there were two deaths and two shootings in three days. During the past month alone, the neighborhood near the intersection of Broad and Somerset streets has experienced 54 violent crimes. Last Wednesday, there were 10 people shot throughout Philadelphia, mutiple news outlets reported. There have been 62 homicides in the city as of Monday night, the highest total at this point of the year since 2012, police statistics show. -Jonathan Gilbert
COURTESY PHILADELPHIA CITY PLANNING COMMISSION
The city’s 47th ward lies southwest of Main Campus, bounded by Montgomery Avenue to the north and Poplar Street to the south.
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STADIUM
university and community are vital. “There’s so many things [Temple] can do,” he said about improving conditions in his ward. “But they have to talk, and they have to talk to the people that are really affected.” The 47th ward stretches from Poplar Street to the south to Montgomery Avenue to the north. It’s bordered by Broad Street to the east and mostly Ridge Avenue to the west. Residents who live in the ward had mixed reactions last week when asked about Temple’s proposed stadium. Reitha Broaddus, 70, lives on the 1600 block of North Bouvier Street and strongly opposes the stadium. “Temple’s been trying to do this for a long time,” she said of the university’s growth into the community. “The thing is they have no respect for the community … if they did, they would be going around door-to-door.” Donald Pryor believes Temple has Continued from page 1
University picks architect for possible stadium Moody Nolan is currently meeting with residents. By STEVE BOHNEL News Editor A main architect has been selected to design the university’s proposed on-campus football stadium. According to a university press release, Moody Nolan—the country’s largest African-American owned and managed architecture firm— has been picked to lead design the 35,000-seat stadium, estimated to cost $126 million. “Moody Nolan is regarded as a national leader in designing beautiful sports and recreation facilities that not only fit their purpose but also fit the communities in which they exist,” President Theobald said in the release. “We are excited to partner with such an outstanding architectural firm.” The firm is partnering with AECOM, an engineering design firm with a location in Center City, and Langan, a civil engineering and landscape design firm also with an office in Center City. Curtis J. Moody, president and CEO of Moody Nolan, said he is happy to be
working with the university in the stadium design. Moody Nolan is also designing the indoor athletic recreation facility that was approved at a Board of Trustees meeting earlier this month. Moody told The Temple News his firm is examining the issues surrounding the potential stadium, especially considering nearby community members. “Anytime you have an urban campus, and have a lot of students that are now spread throughout the neighborhood not just on campus but off campus … the university continues to attempt to address the density issues that comes with an urban campus, where students and neighbors that have lived there a while are trying to learn to live together,” he said. He added Moody Nolan is attempting to work through these challenges, and that the design is still in the preliminary stages. “This is going be an ongoing [process],” Moody said. “We’re going to be out meeting with community members for the next couple of months and try to see what we can do to help the university address concerns that are addressable.” * steve.bohnel@temple.edu T @Steve_Bohnel
NEWS DESK 215-204-7419
ASSAULT
them knew about it based on the social media post that they had read. We didn’t come across any eye-witnesses that heard or saw what occurred.” After reporting the incident to Temple and Philadelphia police, Richardson said she went home and posted her story on Facebook. Richardson said she posted the story online because she is an “activist by trade.” “Who am I if I can’t stand up for myself?” she said. “I’m very for the protection and safety of women and people of color.” The post has been shared 466 times as of Monday night, including on the Temple University Class of 2017 page. Gabrielle Vinogradov, a junior journalism major, posted the story to the class of 2017 page, and said it was her “natural instinct.” “When I saw she wrote that status, and because I’m big on feminism and wanted to spread awareness, it was my natural instinct to get her justice,” Vinogradov said. She added that she messaged Richardson and made sure the events had been reported to Temple Police. “My initial thought was, ‘S--t, that could have been me,” Vinogradov said. “This isn’t rare. It happens all the time.” Richardson’s Facebook post did not include the details of what was said to her, but she included the address of the party the men were attending. “[Posting the address] made it more real,” Richardson said. “I didn’t think anything of it. It was creating an environment where they felt okay calling me a b---h-a-- Harriet Tubman. That’s a dangerous
improved the surrounding neighborhoods. He understands the possible problems of trash, loitering and traffic that could arise, but also knows the impact an on-campus stadium could have on the university’s football team, including attracting recruits from the immediate area. “When you have a good season, a light is shone on you,” said Pryor, who lives with his sister on the 1700 block of Oxford Street. Derrick Broaddus, 42, of the 1700 block of North 16th Street believes the stadium would create more traffic in the area. “You think traffic is bad with the Liacouras Center, imagine when they build that stadium,” he said. “You see the Liacouras traffic? Imagine that stadium traffic in a residential neighborhood.” University officials have told The Temple News they are in the process of reaching out to community residents. Chairman of the Board Patrick O’Connor said earlier this month there could be a public forum between trustees and community members in the future.
thought process, and I want people to be warned.” A Temple student who lives at the address that was hosting the party said the assault was not from his housemates. He declined to give his name or other identifying information. “This person put my address on blast,” he said. “Now people have a preconception of the house and the people who live here. I wasn’t even at the party, and [my housemates], they’re decent people.” Richardson said the men who yelled at her told her they were from La Salle University, University of Pennsylvania and Widener University. The one who threw his drink at Richardson was a Temple student, she said. “The challenge mainly was trying to identify who actually did what,” Woltemate said. “The victim even said that at this point it would be tough for her to identify anyone. So, we were trying to get the identification of these individuals from other people at the party and we haven’t been too successful yet with that, trying to find who said these remarks, who threw the alcohol.” Richardson said about a dozen Temple students have since reached out to her saying they have had similar experiences. “These are areas where it’s zero tolerance, there’s no latitude here,” said Charlie Leone, executive director of Campus Safety Services. “This shouldn’t happen. There’s no reason for someone to go to a party, enjoy themselves and have to deal with this.” * julie.christie@temple.edu T @ChristieJules
NEWS@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
Brooks said he supports the idea, but added that the meeting must be organized and constructive. “What you don’t want to have is a big meeting of anybody coming in,” he said. “Because what happens is you don’t know who’s sincere and who’s not. Some people just like to talk, some people come with all negative [input], some people are not willing to compromise at all.” Brooks added working with other ward leaders is important, along with knowing when to stay in your territory. Concerning stadium discussion, continuous communication between Temple and its surrounding neighborhoods is imperative, he said. “I want to see what Temple is willing to offer the community … long-term,” he said. “It is going to be a monumental decision for Temple … Temple probably needs to reach out more and do more and find out what they need to do … they have to be the big brother.” * steve.bohnel@temple.edu T @Steve_Bohnel
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HIV
the gene-editing research and the research published in 2014. “One really important thing is that the experiment was done in the patient samples—a proof of concept it can get into the clinic,” Khalili said. “The second one is the offtarget and ensuring that there is no off-target effect, means the system is safe and it is not introducing any abnormality to the host. And then the third one is … that it significantly suppresses viral replication.” Dr. Jeffrey Jacobson, a nationally and internationally known clinical researcher on HIV, has recently been appointed to professor of Medicine, professor of Neuroscience and professor in the center of Neurovirology in order to further the research on HIV. “It couldn’t be better for our team, [and] it couldn’t be better for Temple,” Khalili said of hiring Jacobson. By adding Jacobson to their team, Khalili added the next step is moving toward clinical trial. “First we have to make sure that our systems are efficient and safe,” said Dr. Rafal Kaminski, a research scientist at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine. Khalili added their systems would also have to be FDA-approved in order to begin clinical trials. Currently, however, he said they are seeking funds in order to perform experiments on larger and smaller animals. “To start a clinical trial?” Khalili said. “It’s hard to say. But my hope is within two years, but it can be three years, it can be one-and-a-half years. … So many parameters are involved in taking this one to clinic. But what I can tell you is, that right now we have the right people here, we have a good infrastructure and a process to build. And it should take us to that clinic. We will do the clinical trial right over here in Temple.” For this research, they were funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Comprehensive NeuroAIDS Center and even some doctors chipped in, Khalili said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 1.2 million people living in the United States with HIV, including 156,300 who are unaware of their infection. In addition, about 658,507 people have died overall from AIDS in the United States. Khalili said their discovery is another reason for those infected with HIV to remain optimistic about their future. “It’s a hope for the patients who never saw any light [at] the end of the tunnel,” Khalili said. “So it seems that at least the technology is in place to eradicate the virus. We just have to find the system and take it to the clinic. I think that would be the ultimate goal of our laboratory here as a whole.” * thomas.ignudo@temple.edu T @Ignudo5
lifestyle
The Owlery The features blog of The Temple News
ACTIVISTS VISITING PHILLY
WORKING WITH CAMPAIGNS
Temple Contemporary will bring Joaquin and Pedro Noguera to speak about education and inequality at City Hall today. PAGE 8
Professor David Nickerson works as a consultant for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. PAGE 14
“STEP OR DIE” PERFORMANCE
The Ladies of Elegance dance group will host its annual step competition on Friday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $7 with an OWLcard. PAGE 16
TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016
PAGE 7
PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Advocating through religion, love Bienvenido Rosario works as a patient representative at Temple University Hospital.
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By JENNY STEIN The Temple News
ienvenido Rosario used to spend his Saturday nights on the streets of North Philadelphia. At 4 a.m., he often found himself walking the
neighborhood, looking for anyone else who was still awake. “I just needed to go and hug on some people,” said Rosario, a patient representative at Temple University Hospital and a pastor at Calvary Vision Church in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. “I needed to give them the human touch.” Every week, a homeless man named Tony waited for him at the corner of Orkney and Cumberland streets. Tony often smelled, Rosario said, and he lived in old, abandoned houses. “I would always hug him,” Rosario said. “At first he would push me away and say, ‘I smell,’ but I would say, ‘No, give me some love.’”
Years later, he encountered Tony again, now clean-shaven and well-dressed, conducting a “Worship in the Park” ceremony. At first, Rosario didn’t recognize him. “[Tony] was clean,” Rosario said. “He was no longer living in an abandoned house, he was transformed. Tony was forever changed.” Senior Nicole Bonghi, an intern with the patient relations department, said Rosario has impacted many lives other than Tony’s. She said through his work as a patient advocate and as a pastor, Rosario—who goes by the nickname “Ben”—is an asset to the North Philadel-
ROSARIO | PAGE 14
STUDENT ORGANIZATION
“He embodies
Temple’s whole mission to be engaged with the community.
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Nicole Bonghi | Patient Relations Department intern
At Duckrey, new nets Nick Aninsman started a GoFundMe page to fix local basketball courts. By PAULA DAVIS The Temple News
limah Project, an organization created last year, that advocates for female empowerment for Muslim women, while raising awareness about stereotypes toward them. Robina Begum, a sophomore finance major and treasurer of TMP, said she felt like there wasn’t a space for Muslim women to speak
The basketball courts at Tanner G. Duckrey Elementary School have bent or hanging rims, and the nets are torn or missing altogether. Nick Aninsman realized children trying to improve their skills on these courts couldn’t do so without the right equipment. “They’re not playing to their ability when they see this stuff,” he said. So the junior special education and elementary education major started a GoFundMe campaign called “The Net Project” to provide the school’s basketball court on Diamond Street near 15th with new rims and nets. His initial fundraising goal was $125. In six days, he raised more than $1,400. “Seeing the comments, the shares and the likes, everyone is saying what I’ve been thinking,” he said. Basketball has always been a big part of Aninsman’s life, he said. He officiates basketball games for 10- to 16-year-olds for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, and he coaches students in grades nine through 12 in the city’s Police Athletic League. Aninsman said he knows how im-
MUSLIMAH | PAGE 16
BASKETBALL | PAGE 14
MARGO REED TTN
Members of The Muslimah Project run discussions and meetings to create a support system for Muslim women.
Empowerment for Muslim women The Muslimah Project was created last year to raise awareness about Muslim women’s issues. By TSIPORA HACKER The Temple News While walking on Main Campus one night, Jannatul Naima was caught off guard when a few men approached her to ask if she was recruiting for ISIS. “I was so shocked, because growing up in
Philly, it’s such a diverse place,” Naima said. “I’m not used to that, because Philly has such a big Muslim population.” The sophomore international business major and former president of The Muslimah Project said when people discriminate against her based on her religion, she doesn’t get angry—she just tries to educate them. Education is one of the goals of The Mus-
STUDENT ORGANIZATION
Fundraising for Haiti Project Haiti is hosting an event in Old City on April 1. By GRACE SHALLOW The Temple News Richardson Metis wears two black bracelets on his wrist every day—one is beaded, and the other is a band with the word “Haiti” stamped into the leather. He says they are daily reminders of the promise he made to the kids at St. Francis Xavier Haitian Orphanage to come back to see them again.
Metis, a senior civil engineering major, was born and raised in Haiti. He is now the president of Temple Project Haiti, a student organization in which members travel each Spring Break to visit the orphanage in Petite Rivière de l'Artibonite in Haiti and make lasting improvements for children living there, like installing running water and building a latrine. “[Children from Haiti] don’t have the platform to allow them to showcase their skills,” Metis said. “In order for them to succeed, somebody has to say, ‘You can do it.’ Me, being from Haiti, I feel like I can be that.” The orphanage, which opened in 2011, re-
LIFESTYLE@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
HAITI | PAGE 14
LINH THAN TTN
Richardson Metis, a senior civil engineering major, tells his team stories and memories from his time in Haiti during Spring Break.
LIFESTYLE
PAGE 8
TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016
Tyler to bring education activists to Philly Joaquin and Pedro Noguera will speak at City Hall today. By ERIN BLEWETT The Temple News Joaquin Noguera believes that making education into a “social justice issue” is something that affects everyone. “In the United States, education is the main factor in both social mobility and the reproduction of status from generation to generation,” said Noguera, a social activist. “The long history of separate and unequal education for poor children and people of color in this country persists today.” Temple Contemporary invited Noguera and his father, Pedro, a professor of education at the University of California, Los Angeles. The speakers will touch on the national crises regarding the discrepancies in funding for public school systems, especially in communities of color. Robert Blackson, director of exhibitions for Temple Contemporary, reached out to Noguera and his father to share their expertise on education reform. “They’ll share strategies for schools and communities to increase agency and close the opportunity gap for historically oppressed groups,” Blackson said. “Robert Blackson got in touch with me and explained their interest in organizing a public ‘father-son’ conversation about current trends in education,” Noguera said. “I appreciated their creative approach to contributing to a narrative about education in Philadelphia.” The speech aims to shed light on the nation’s education
system, which in recent years has become especially relevant to Philadelphians—24 public schools were shuttered in Philadelphia in 2013 alone. Last summer, Temple Contemporary commissioned the “reForm” exhibit, created by Tyler School of Art professor Pepón Osorio. The exhibit is located in the basement of Tyler and showcases objects donated from Fairhill Elementary School, which closed in 2013. “While working at Fairhill, I saw the direct effects of the school funding crisis on
the students, on local community,” said Tim Gibbon, a 2015 Temple master’s in education alumnus in community arts practices and the project manager for the “reForm” exhibit. “Resources, such as arts and
athletics programming, the school library and critical support staff, such as counselors, nurses, [the] assistant principal and security were cut year after year until the school was eventually closed in 2013.”
“Significant demographic
”
changes are reshaping communities our schools serve. Joaquin Noguera | Social activist
Gibbon added that the incident at Fairhill was not “an isolated incident.” Rather, it was part of a national trend that disproportionately affected communities of color. Noguera said “our schools are more segregated today” than ever before. “Inequity is greater than we’ve seen in 100 years, and significant demographic changes are reshaping communities our schools serve,” he said. The Nogueras’ speech at City Hall is part of a series of events linked with the
“reForm” exhibit, meant to educate Philadelphians about the current issues with public schooling. Although Noguera will speak in Philadelphia, he said improving public education should be a national effort. “Everyone in this country should be concerned about our education system,” Noguera said. “What is required for schools to meet the needs of the communities they serve, and what happens when they don’t meet those needs.” * erin.clare.blewett@temple.edu
KATHRYN STELLATO TTN
Temple Contemporary’s reForm exhibit, which memorialized the closed Fairhill Elementary School, is located in the Tyler School of Art.
Belgian student felt ‘disconnected from the pain’ Continued from page 1
BELGIUM
because I’m all the way over here,” she said. “When my family goes through something, I feel kind of disconnected because I can’t feel their pain, what they’re feeling. I feel pain on my side, but it’s not compared to what they’re feeling because they’re actually there.” A university spokesman said that no Temple students are studying abroad in Belgium this semester. Paul Crowe, a professor of instruction in the department of philosophy at Temple, studied in Belgium at the Catholic University of Louvain, earning his Ph.D. in phenomenology in 2000. While he lived in the country, he saw firsthand a lack in national unity. There’s a common joke among many Belgians today, Crowe said, and it dates all the way back to the Korean War era. It goes something like this: during the war, a few Belgians were lost on the other side of the front line. When they tried to get back into their country, a Belgian commandant quizzed them, asking them to sing the country’s national anthem to prove their citizenship. Not one of the Belgians could do it. “Oh yeah,” the fictitious commandant would respond. “They’re Belgians.” “In other words, Belgians don’t even know their own national anthem,” Crowe said. “Belgians would tell that story. They joke about their own lack of national identity.” Joseph Alkus, an instructor in the criminal justice department, teaches a course on transatlantic terrorism and global security. He said national unity might have been the key to stopping Tuesday’s attacks. “Part of the problem here is that you have a government in Belgium and in Brussels that is highly fragmented, which makes it very difficult for the kinds of intelligence information and threat analysis to occur in a proper man-
ner,” Alkus said. This isolation within a country’s government is called stovepiping, Alkus said, and it’s a big problem in Belgium. Better national intelligence coordination is the first step toward preventing future terrorist attacks like what happened last Tuesday. Another problem for Belgium, Alkus said, is a result of immigration. Belgium hosts a number of African, Middle Eastern and Muslim immigrants, but they’re often treated unfairly in society. There are whole “neighborhoods” of isolated minorities in Belgium, Alkus said. Diloh said as a black woman in Belgium, she experienced discrimination and racism regularly. It got so bad in high school that she left during her junior year, immigrating to America by herself to finish her education. “There’s not a lot of opportunities when it comes to minorities,” Diloh said. “The school system isn’t bad, but they put minorities down there, in a way. It’s really hard to excel.” That isolation of races can create “targets for radicalization,” Alkus said, which is exactly what extremist terrorist groups look for, he added. “The fact is it’s a complex problem that requires complex solutions,” Alkus said. “My heart goes out to the victims,” he added. “There really is no justification for terrorism.” As the country begins to recover from last Tuesday’s attacks, Crowe said perhaps Belgians might finally unite and develop a renewed sense of patriotism. “They’re unified in suffering,” Crowe said. “Maybe this is bringing them all together.” * michaela.winberg@temple.edu T @mwinberg_
MARGO REED TTN
Liz Diloh lived in Belgium until her junior year of high school. She was on Main Campus when Brussels was bombed last Tuesday.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ALUMNA TO PERFORM IN BALLET
ACTOR LOOKS TO DEFY GENDER STEREOTYPES
Erin Brooke Grothouse is part of Ballet 180’s production of “Tales from the Brothers Grimm,” in which she’ll take on the feline character Puss in Boots. PAGE 10
David Reece Hutchison, who grew up in Connecticut, moved to Philadelphia to study theater at the University of the Arts despite financial obstacles. PAGE 11
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TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016
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Documenting a ‘local hero’ Alumnus John Hutelmyer is working on a new documentary about musician Kenn Kweder. By TSIPORA HACKER The Temple News The first time John Hutelmyer saw musician Kenn Kweder live, Kweder ran into the audience and stole Hutelmyer’s chair. “He ran back on stage and yelled, ‘I don’t remember where I got this!’” Hutelmyer said.
Hutelmyer, a 2011 film and media arts alumnus, learned of Kweder’s music from his father, and began to follow the musician’s performances at the Draught Horse at 1431 Cecil B. Moore Ave. “Me and my buddies went to see him every Thursday, and we really got to know him,” Hutelmyer said. “My senior year, I had a final documentary project, and I did it on him.” The result was “Adventures of a Secret Kidd: The Mass Hallucination of Kenn Kweder.” The documentary acts as a biography of Kweder, chronicling his early music success to his current work. Kweder, a 64-year-old punk musician, has created 12 albums in his music career—but would never consider retiring.
New venue a ‘melting pot’
“It’s about being a working entertainer,” Hutelmyer said. “Just going out there and making people happy.” Rob Nicolaides, who is in charge of camera, editing and graphic design for the film, wanted to “tell the story of someone who does what he loves no matter what,” he said. It’s something that “everyone experiences,” because you either “do what you love, or sacrifice what you love in order to support yourself,” Nicolaides said. “Doing art as a living is an incredible feat,” he added. Kweder has been broke, and even homeless.
KWEDER | PAGE 11
After fundraising, a group of artists plan to open a multi-use space. By EMILY THOMAS The Temple News What started as a need for a recording studio and practice space for Dante Scaglione’s Philly-based record label, Third Floor Tapes, soon turned into a vision for a multi-purpose arts space completely new to the city. Scaglione, along with several of his friends involved in Philly’s music and art community, started a GoFundMe campaign last month to help pay for a new arts location, which will serve as a recording studio, practice space, art gallery, darkroom and screen printing space. Between the GoFundMe campaign and money raised from benefit house shows happening around the city, the group has raised nearly half of its $3,000 goal to be used toward rent and utilities for the 2,000-square-foot space. The group hoped to open its doors by late May with a kick-off show. “We all noticed this deficit in the Philly music scene,” said Emmy Liu, one of the venue’s organizers. “There are only a couple mediumsized venues … and there’s a lack of integration between art and the music scene … [and] a space where they can be integrated together.” Liu, Scaglione and the others involved hope to bring together the music and art community into one, all-purpose space that is both easy to use and accessible to all. “The fact that this is integrative is really important to us, we want to foster a space that’s inclusive to individual artists,” Scaglione said. “This is going to operate like a lot of house shows, the DIY community is a really strong one so a large part of this space is being community run.”
VENUE | PAGE 13
EVAN EASTERLING TTN
Kristofer Helgen gave a lecture about mammal research at the Wagner Free Institute of Science last Saturday.
A practical approach Power House Ink provides financial literacy workshops. By ANGELA GERVASI The Temple News North Philadelphia native Laquanda McCoullum tried to picture a world without art. “From the designs on the books, to the color scheme in the room,” McCoullum said. “It affects so much that we take for granted.” McCoullum not only values art, but the people who create it. Last fall, she established Power House Ink, a nonprofit organization. With several other board members, McCoullum aims to promote independent artists. “Philadelphia has a lot of wonderful actors, dancers, singers, musicians and a lot of people don't know,” said Lakesha Godwin, another one of Power House Ink’s board members. Godwin, a social worker who was a singer, actress and dancer when she was young, got to know
We want to give “ people the resources that they need to produce their art.
”
Laquanda McCoullum | Power House Ink founder
history museums to find mislabeled or overlooked species. He also applies his extensive scientific knowledge—which includes a bachelor’s degree in biology from Harvard University—to uncover previously unidentified species. He has identified nearly 100 new mammal species, like a member of the raccoon family called the olinguito—the first carnivore species discovered in the Western hemisphere in nearly four decades. Last Saturday, Helgen came to the Wagner Free Institute of Science at the corner of Montgomery Avenue and 17th Street to deliver a public presentation on his work. The visit was part of
McCoullum after the two organized several local community arts events together. Power House Ink, Godwin said, will not only strive to help independent artists reach their full potential, but will work to keep them financially afloat as well. Power House Ink intends to provide financial literacy workshops for independent artists in Philadelphia. “We want to give people the resources that they need to produce their art, ” McCoullum said. McCoullum’s adoration for artistry began in kindergarten, when she walked offstage after a performance and was promptly congratulated by her teacher. “I don’t remember what I did. But I remember her telling me I did a good job,” McCoullum said. From there, she immersed herself in theater, studying under thespians like Zuhaira McGill, a Barrymore award nominee, and John Graves, who founded a selfnamed company in Philadelphia. Beyond acting, she explored stage management and directing. Despite her passion for performance, she took classes in accounting and communications at Temple and the Community Col-
HELGEN | PAGE 13
MCCOULLUM | PAGE 13
EVAN EASTERLING TTN
Kristofer Helgen discusses the primates on display at the Wagner Free Institute of Science.
REDISCOVERING THE PAST Kristofer Helgen explores museum collections for overlooked species.
A
By EAMON DREISBACH | Assistant A&E Editor
s a child, Kristofer Helgen developed an interest in wildlife beyond juvenile infatuation—at 12 years old, he had already memorized the Latin name of almost every known mammal. “For me, it was more than just an interest in animals or something like that, it was especially a fascination with variety and this concept of, ‘How many kinds of animals are there?’” Helgen said. “I almost learned mammalogy like a kid would learn a second or an additional language. I learned it at such a young age that it’s just part of my brain.” Today, Helgen works as curator of the division of mammals at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Helgen examines archived specimens in natural
ARTSandENTERTAINMENT@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016
Blending art and security With fashion, raising awareness for nonprofits in new SEPTA installation Two artists will add some color to the 40th Street Station. By ERIN BLEWETT The Temple News Marianne Lovink believes a good piece of public art can help define a city. “[Public art] reflects a creative spirit and can evoke a sense of pride and ownership in the community,” Lovink, a Philadelphia resident and artist, said. “Public art can also beautify and enliven a site. It encourages viewers to look at the city with a fresh perspective and, over time, serve as a memorable landmark.” Lovink and her partner, Scott Eunson, will create multiple pieces for an installation in SEPTA’s 40th Street Station. Entitled “Nexus,” the four installations will be centered at separate corners of the station and function as stair screens. Besides their aesthetic appeal, the screens also have a security purpose. Eunson said the screens prevent trespassers when the stations are closed. SEPTA’s Art in Transit program, established in 1998, is sponsoring the installation. The program commissions artists to create permanent works of art in public facilities. SEPTA public information manager Kristin Geiger said the program grew out of a belief that artistic contributions in SEPTA stations “can be an integral component of broader community outreach.” Eunson said the pair applied for the program during
a public call in mid-2015. Although he primarily works as an architect, Eunson also said he and Lovink have worked on large-scale publicly commissioned work in his current home, Toronto, Canada. “The chosen artist was required to create a work that would serve a double duty,” Lovink said. “Not only an engaging artwork, but also as a security and safety screen. The artwork replaces the need for security grills and bars where it is installed.” Eunson and Lovink began to formulate ideas for the installation by looking at city grids and satellite photos of Philadelphia. Eunson said they wanted to capture the everyday “flows and energies” present in Philadelphia. The title, “Nexus,” can be defined as “the central and most important point or place,” a nod to the fact that 40th Street Station acts as a transportation hub for West Philadelphia. Each piece of the installation is meant to represent different aspects of the city based on the four colors used: red, blue, green and orange. “The red corner is about the tendency of people gathering,” Eunson said. “The green corner is about nature and natural form throughout the city. The orange one is about communication and technology and the blue is related to the waterways.” “We had a lot of freedom in this project,” he added. “We decided to make it an inclusive project.” To do so, Eunson said he and Lovink attended “a few community meetings” with Philadelphia residents to get an idea of what would fit best within the area. In addition, Geiger said
SEPTA projects are approved from multiple perspectives. Before choosing the artists to complete a project, a jury of five people is formed to discuss the top five proposals. Geiger said the Art in Transit program manager is “the only permanent member on the panel,” and the other four members are selected to include “a community representative, an artist who lives and works in or near the area surrounding the station, an arts professional and an architect or engineer.” “When you’re living in a city, everyone is working as a community and collaboratively,” Eunson added, an idea that coincides with the pieces’ goal of representing multiple facets of Philadelphia. “It’s the greatest thing when you make a work and talk to someone new and they say, ‘Oh yeah I’ve seen that, I walk by it every day,’” Eunson said. “It just becomes a landmark, I think. Rather than some sort of sign of corporate power, or even a grand gesture about the city it’s just a grassroots level addition to the city. Something that is colorful, and just brightens our days as they go by.” Lovink said the introduction of art “in any form” into a community is solely to “support and celebrate” the community that the piece is installed in. “The idea is that we are all a part of the city,” Eunson said. “Rich people, poor people, taxi drivers, bicyclists, walkers and everyone else. Everyone adds their own little energies and patterns to the city.” * erin.clare.blewett@temple. edu
Local designer Gabrielle Mandel wants to make a positive impact with her work. By ERIN MORAN The Temple News
Gabrielle Mandel worked for brands like J.Crew and Rebecca Minkoff for several years in New York—but she felt guilty about the practices of the fashion industry. So she moved back home to Philadelphia to create her own line. “There were a lot of negative things that go on in the fashion industry, so I wanted to start a clothing brand that had positive implications,” Mandel said. “Things were getting made at really cheap labor costs and we live in such a throw-away culture for fashion. I wanted to do something where I could create better quality products but also raise some awareness.” Mandel, designer of local brand Supra Endura, chooses nonprofit organizations as her inspiration each season. She then creates patterns and garments inspired by the organizations and donates a portion of the proceeds to the groups. Supra Endura is currently supporting The Wistar Institute and Urban Tree Connection, two Philadelphia-based nonprofits. Mandel said $2 from each purchase from her online store goes to the nonprofits, but recently she has worked more closely with the organizations by getting involved with fundraising events. She sells her scarves wholesale to the organizations so they can resell them to donors at full price and earn more for each scarf sold. Supra Endura’s relationship with Wistar, a biomedical research facility in University City, began in 2014 when Mandel met Lynsie Solomon, the institute’s chair of the ambassadors. Solomon said she bought a garment from another local designer in The Philadelphia Fashion Incubator, a program for up-andcoming designers, who in turn introduced her to a colleague: Mandel. “[Mandel] makes [science] fashionable— like literally fashionable—and brings it front and center,” said Darien Sutton, the senior media relations associate at Wistar. Sutton said The Wistar Institute was in the forefront of the medical field after Wistar researchers developed the first vaccine for ru-
bella in 1969 and improved the rabies vaccine during the next decade. Sutton said Mandel took images of cells from the microscopes that Wistar researchers used and made them into artwork for her designs. “It’s just a really great story and amazing how she can take something that happened in the ‘80s and make it artistic,” Sutton said. “Each season I design a print that is effectively a storyteller, but a woman will also see in a store and want to buy,” Mandel said. “[I try to make it] artistic but sellable, [it] will tell a story but is not so gimmicky that a person won’t actually want to wear it.” Mandel had a similar creative process when she designed pieces inspired by Urban Tree Connection, a nonprofit that revitalizes urban neighborhoods by building usable spaces like gardens, parks and urban farms in abandoned lots. Eliav Decter, development director of Urban Tree, said Mandel came out to visit the revitalized lots after reading about the organization. After taking pictures and talking to community members about the impact of the new green spaces, Mandel designed a series of scarves inspired by the landscapes. “What I think she really loved was that we’ve taken these kind of gritty urban spaces and turned them into these lush, green, flower-filled spaces, some even with vegetables coming up,” Decter said. “[She designed] floral, green prints inspired by natural growing plants, and so in that sense she’s representing that green that we do in these neighborhoods.” Now one of Mandel’s Urban Tree Connection-inspired scarves is on sale as an Urban Outfitters exclusive. A portion of the proceeds still go to Urban Tree Collection, and the Urban Outfitters tag includes Urban Tree’s mission statement and information. Mandel said the Urban Outfitters scarf has a similar natural pattern to her other Urban Tree Connection-inspired garments, but with a more vintage feel to suit Urban Outfitters’ brand. Mandel produced the scarf herself and it will be sold in select Urban Outfitters stores. “[Mandel is] helping to bring in some much needed funding for us and helping spread the word,” Decter said. “The work we do isn’t that expensive so even a relatively small contribution can make a huge difference. I love that this is a fun way of getting out the word of our organization that we would have never been able to pull off on our own.” * erin.moran@temple.edu
Storybook ballet with a contemporary twist An alumna dances in Ballet 180’s latest production. By JENNY ROBERTS The Temple News For the past two winters, Erin Brooke Grothouse has played Snoopy in her contemporary ballet company’s rendition of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” “I keep getting typecasted as animals and like, the weird things,” Grothouse said. “But it works for me because I would be one of the more jazzy, contemporary, modern dancers in the company.” “I’m the least like a ballerina,” she added. The 2014 BFA dance alumna will take on another animal-themed role this April, starring as the clever feline Puss from the fairy tale “Puss in Boots,” one of four short stories told through dance in the show “Tales From Brothers Grimm.” “Puss is actually pretty cunning, very manipulative of situations, but smart, cool, calm, collected,” Grothouse said of her character. Grothouse, along with five other company members from Ballet 180, will perform in the company’s mainstage show at Rosemont College’s Rotwitt Theater of McShain Performing Arts Center on
April 30 at 3 p.m. To prepare for their performances in “Tales From Brothers Grimm,” Grothouse and her fellow dancers began teaching the children’s book versions of each of their stories to children at Paoli Library in Paoli, Pennsylvania as part of Ballet 180’s outreach program, Move 360. “It definitely gave me a good background for what my character was doing,” Grothouse said. Between the main four performances of the production, children from Move 360 will also perform mini-versions of other Brothers Grimm fairy tales, like “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Hansel and Gretel.” “It’s a great way to connect literacy to dance,” said Kelly Murray Farrell, Ballet 180’s director and founder. Farrell, who studied in the master of landscape architecture program at Temple’s Ambler Campus from 2009 to 2012, hopes to reconceptualize story ballet through her production. “You see the story ballet of like, ‘Cinderella,’ ‘Sleeping Beauty,’ ‘Swan Lake,’ and I love them, they’re great, but as a contemporary ballet company, I wanted to make sure we were doing storybook ballet, but in a different way,” Farrell said. To differentiate her performance, Farrell decided to focus on condensing the
COURTESY SARAHKIM VENNARD
Dancers rehearse the upcoming piece on the Brothers Grimm.
show’s four tales and only highlighting chosen parts from each story. In addition to “Puss in Boots,” the show will also include performances of “The Fisherman and His Wife,” “Rumpelstiltskin” and “The Frog Prince.” Each of these tales has a different style of choreogra-
phy, Farrell said. “Rumpelstiltskin” is edgier, while “The Fisherman and His Wife” relies on contemporary movements and fluidity. “The Frog Prince,” Farrell said, has the most traditional choreography of the four tales. “The Frog Prince is a little more classical. It’s on pointe,” Farrell said. “It’s very much
what you picture as a fairytale ballet.” Grothouse said the choreography from “Puss in Boots” is contemporary with a “Spanish flare.” “It definitely has some extra sass,” she said. One of the challenges Farrell has faced in choreographing these “Tales From Brothers Grimm,” is incorporating the miming used in ballet, she said. “There are standard movements that mean standard things, like ‘Let’s dance’ or ‘Will you marry me?’” Farrell said. “But because we had such specific things that we were trying to say, like ‘Rumpelstiltskin,’ I created a specific phrase of movements that for us means ‘Rumpelstiltskin,’” Farrell added. “So whenever they do that phrase of movement, it’s like they’re spelling out the name.” Costuming for the production also presented some challenges. Jo-Anne Frazier, the production’s head costume designer, said making the costumes “danceable” required special considerations. “I have to design a costume differently if there’s going to be partnering,” Frazier said. “I can’t put them in some kind of a slinky dress if they’ve got to be lifted because the dress would go up to their chin.” Frazier also designed the
production’s costumes with each individual narrative in mind. “We did some of what I would consider period pieces from the era and what you might traditionally think of,” Frazier said. “Then you look at some things like throwbacks in Disney, Disney princesses as they’ve been through the ages.” “When you think of ‘Puss in Boots,’ half the people go to ‘Shrek,’” she added. “You kind of want to play with people’s expectations that way because then you have character recognition.” Some of the production may be up for interpretation, though. Grothouse said she hasn’t decided whether she will portray her character as male or female. “As a female there is a level of difficulty to … try to decide if I even want to portray being a male or if I want to do a portrayal of a strong female,” Grothouse said. Grothouse said she would like it if she is interpreted as a male dancer, but also doesn’t want to part with any of her personal feminine touches. “I probably will lean more toward trying to be a strong female,” Grothouse said. “Then if someone wants to see me as a male character that’s fine. If someone wants to see me as a female Puss in Boots, that’s fine, too.” * jennifer.roberts@temple.edu
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Local actor finds his niche in theater community David Reece Hutchison speaks up about acting and coming out. By KATELYN EVANS The Temple News David Reece Hutchison has been cast in multiple traditionally female roles—but he doesn’t mind. “Being able to speak words that were meant for a female is really great,” he said. “I find it liberating. I have no restrictions in my mind. It’s why I love theater.” Hutchison has previously played Juliet in Mauckingbird Theatre’s 2013 production of Joe Calarco’s “Shakespeare’s R&J.” This past January, Hutchison, 24, was cast as Henriette in Ranjit Bolt’s “The Sisterhood,” a modern
adaptation of Moliere’s “The Learned Ladies.” Though he said directors embrace his diverse features and abilities, it was a long time before he was able to accept himself. In grade school, Hutchison was bullied for his feminine features. Looking back on his classmate’s comments, Hutchison realized how confusing it was to be made fun of for who he was, because he wasn’t even sure who that person was yet, he said. “When I came out, I was 23,” he said. “I had had two decades of my life to figure out my interests and hobbies. What was important to me as a human being. When it came to coming out, it wasn’t like being gay dictated everything. I felt like I just knew more about myself, so being gay just added to the list of ‘Who is David?’” Born and raised in Shelton, Connecticut, Hutchison
knew he wanted to be an actor since high school. During the week, he spent half of his school day at ACES Educational Center of the Arts, feeding his love for theater and developing his skills. “I remember falling in love with the poetry of Tennessee Williams in ‘The Glass Menagerie,’” he said. “It was one of the first really wellmade plays that I was introduced to and read as a young adult. I just gravitated towards it and loved it.” Hutchison’s dream of being a professional actor was almost lost with the cost of tuition at University of the Arts, and his father’s disapproval, despite the support of his mother and sister. “For a while, I felt like I had to prove myself to him that I could do this,” Hutchison said. “When I came to UArts, he would refuse to cosign loans for me to go to college. I didn’t know how I was
going to go to school. It was silly that I had to prove myself to my dad because he was a [retired graphic] artist himself and I didn’t get that support from him.” Hutchison was determined to achieve his goals and follow his heart, despite his father’s reservations. “I honestly quite frankly didn’t give a f--k,” he added. “I just wanted to do theater. That’s where my passion is. And I believed in myself enough that I could do it and I am doing it.” “Working with David is fantastic,” said Kevin Murray, a 2015 musical theater alumnus. “He brings such a high level of integrity, professionalism and passion to his work that it is contagious and raises the level of everyone in the room. He gives 110 percent at every rehearsal and it is a pleasure to perform with him.” After graduating college in 2013, Hutchison’s positive
attitude and ambition kept him optimistic about finding work in the city—and he’s been holding himself at a “much higher standard,” he said. “I refuse to take unpaid work, I refuse to audition for unpaid work,” he said. “As a 24-year-old, I hold myself to that high standard. And, knock on wood, I am doing OK so far.” “He is a very talented, versatile actor, disciplined and truthful, with a distinctive elegance and wonderful sense of comic timing,” said associate theater professor Donna Snow, who worked on “The Sisterhood” with Hutchison. Despite his success, Hutchison has reservations— he fears he’ll never be cast for the stereotypical male lead that many theater companies look for. “Sometimes I honestly feel like I’m not masculine enough,” Hutchison said. “And I feel like that works
against me in some ways. I think it’s just something that I have to work harder on as an actor. I feel people sometimes don’t see more than just me playing a gay character.” Today, Hutchison’s main goal is to stay true to himself. By this time next year, he hopes to apply for graduate programs at theater schools like New York University or Yale University. He hopes to obtain an MFA from a top program. “And I want to be the working actor that you open the playbill and you see their bio, and you look at their resume and it’s very impressive,” he said. “It is a lot of trial and error,” Hutchison added. “’What do you really want? Who are you as a person?” * katelyn.evans@temple.edu
For Fishtown, ‘something a little nicer’ Fishtown Social, a wine bar, opened on March 10. By MADISON HALL The Temple News The kitchen has always been a comfortable place for Vanessa Wong—she grew up working in her family diner to help pay for law school. Wong, a 2008 Widener University alumna, always dreamed of starting her own restaurant. In the summer of 2014, she decided to invest in Fishtown’s growing food industry with her husband, Ryan Slaven. Fishtown Social, a casual-cozy wine bar, opened March 10. One of the biggest challenges was getting a liquor license for the new venture, Wong said. “We went at seven in the morning, the only time before work and before the kids were up,” Wong said. “The guy had a license waiting for us, so we had to decide right there. We committed to the license before we even had an idea of what the concept was going to be.” They took inspiration from Tria Cafe, a wine-and-cheese bar in Washington Square. Wong saw a wine market in Fishtown that was underserved. Continued from page 9
KWEDER
But he was always focused on “offering something to the world,” he said. The musician, who was only two credits short of a radio, TV and film degree from Temple in 1969, has been on board with the documentary since day one. He describes himself as a “huge Kenn Kweder fan.” The first half of the title, “Adventures of a Secret Kidd,” is what Kweder would title his book if he were to ever write one. “Mass Hallucinations” is a topic Kweder brings up quite often, Hutelmyer said. “Kenn’s fans and people in Philly experienced this mass hysteria,” Nicolaides said. “Everyone feels enthralled or taken in by Kenn’s music. People call it anarchy or insanity.” Kweder didn’t want to control the film, and told Hutelmyer to “let the movie come to you.” “I was scared to watch it at first,” Kweder said. “I drank an enormous amount of booze.” Kweder said “seeing yourself on stage is a bit jarring” because “you’re always waiting for something to happen that you have no control over.” “It’s almost creepy to watch yourself,” Kweder said. “It’s like I’m watching my clone or something.” For Nicolaides, one of the most interesting parts of the movie is that everyone has different stories about Kweder. “A lot of crazy, illegal, unethical and inadvisable things have happened surrounding Kenn’s life,” Nicolaides said. “It was interesting to hear different versions of every story.” One thing the filmmakers tried to do
“Everything here is beer and dive bars,” she said. “We wanted to stay away from that because the neighborhood is more sophisticated than you think. There’s a good group of young professionals moving in that appreciate something a little nicer.” Wong and Slaven spent time in Tria to refine the concept for their own place. The decor at Fishtown Social strays away from the dark wood and industrial feel of other local bars, creating more of a laid-back, clean and modern look. “We wanted something casual, not a production,” Wong said. “When it starts getting warmer, we’ll open up the outside so people can have a glass of wine and enjoy a book.” They also plan on making the cafe childfriendly, with high chairs and changing tables. “When you think of bar, you think of college kids, and we wanted to provide a place for parents to feel comfortable bringing their children,” Wong said Nick Brydels, a 2011 alumnus, serves as the cafe’s sommelier and noticed the same demand for the neighborhood. “I love drinking wine, but there was nowhere in the neighborhood to go,” Brydels said. Brydels has been in the service industry since age 18, working in restaurants like Fork and Isabel BYOB before joining the team at Fishtown Social. “It turned out to be what I needed, and they was to “capture Kenn in his natural environment,” Nicolaides said. “We tried to pick up the theme of how people identify with Kenn even though he’s not a national hit, he’s a local hero,” he added. Hutelmyer said Temple was incredibly helpful with learning film techniques, particularly during his summer film internships in Los Angeles. Hutelmyer worked on a feature documentary for the band Thirty Seconds to Mars during his internship, and learned how to edit and shoot a documentary. “I realized it was something I could do on my own,” Hutelmyer said. “It never would’ve happened to me if I wasn’t on that specific internship through Temple.” He also credits his success to taking professor David Perry’s documentary class, where each week students had to prepare segments of their own documentaries. “That’s where I first started doing a separate project on Kenn,” Hutelmyer said. “I took a lot away from that class and from him.” The documentary has been very challenging for Hutelmyer and Nicolaides, as both filmmakers have full-time jobs. “We would show up to shows, and have to go to work the next morning,” Nicolaides said. The filmmakers also had to set up an Indiegogo in order to pay for the expensive film equipment, but there was never a financial incentive for Hutelmyer or Nicolaides. It was simply important to be able to tell the Kweder’s story. “It’s really unique that we are trying to show a side of Kenn that people see, but tell a story that not everybody knows,” Nicolaides said. * tsipora.hacker@temple.edu
BRIANNA SPAUSE TTN
Vanessa Wong wanted to create a casual gathering space in her neighborhood.
BRIANNA SPAUSE TTN
Sommelier Mackenzie Khosla pours a glass of Cabernet.
needed someone with an enthusiasm and passion for wine,” he said. Fishtown Social plans to keep its wine menu organic and locally sourced to make connections to the community. Brydel plays a vital role in the selection of wine, creating a variety of flavors from floral and fruity to spicy and dark. Wine ranges from $8-12. The menu of cheese and meat was a proADVERTISEMENT
cess of trial and error. “I have a general understanding of food pairings, but sometimes it just relied on how yummy it tasted together,” Brydel said. Small plates range from $7-18, with the choice of triple-cream brie, espresso and lavender-rubbed cheese and serrano ham. So far, the bar has received positive feedback and sizable crowds. “The first few nights we were so busy my mom was in the kitchen and my dad was bussing tables,” Wong said. Fishtown Social opens at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 12 p.m. Friday through Sunday. * madison.hall@temple.edu
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016
EVAN EASTERLING TTN
David Pianka, of Making Time RADio with Dave P. on WXPN 88.5, has been trying to get Canadian electronic artist Dan Snaith to DJ in Philadelphia for five years. Snaith, performing under the name Daphni, came to the Dolphin Tavern, located at 1539 S. Broad St. on Thursday. Snaith is most well known for performing under the name Caribou, however Daphni is his side project. Alexis Petridis, a music critic for The Guardian, called Snaith’s work “spellbindingly ambiguous, endlessly fascinating electronica.” “I think a lot of Philly is missing out on this show,” said Max Hogan of Wilmington, Delaware. “I think not a lot of people know Daphni is Caribou, so it’s a real treat to be here.” “I saw him at Union Transfer and it was big and not as chill as here,” Eliora Henzler, of Germany, said. “The Dolphin is down-to-earth,” Alice Gerow, of France, added. “You’re a foot away from the artist.”
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016 Continued from page 9
MCCOULLUM
lege of Philadelphia. It had never occurred to McCoullum that art could serve as a career for her. “Then, on top of that, most times you see actors and actresses or artists,” she said. “They have a certain look about them and I am not that—I’m not tall, I’m not thin, you know what I mean.” “And that also became a barrier,” she added. But life—as is its tendency—got in the way. She was 21 when her mother died. She married a Philadelphia police officer and the couple had a daughter; gradually, the arts began to fade from McCoullum’s everyday life. “Life events pushed me to a place where I wanted to be happy for me and not so much everyone else,” McCoullum said. “And one thing that resonated with me was art.” McCoullum was in her early 30s and working at an international banking corporation when she realized she needed to implement art into her life once again. She remembered an improvisational piece she performed as a 16-year-old in a community arts center. It was the only performance McCoullum’s mother ever got to see.
“She was very proud. And I remembered that feeling also, it was euphoric,” McCoullum said. “And later when I realized that art is what I was passionate about, that moment, you know, came back to me.” This time around, however, McCoullum added a new twist to her artistic presence: the gift of financial literacy. “It became a passion in me for people to just have the basic life insurance,” McCoullum said. “Because growing up in the heart of the city, a lot of people don’t have it.” Power House Ink has a number of additional missions to help artists. Currently, McCoullum is continuing to raise money for a performance and gallery space that the organization can call home. Meanwhile, she plans to open Power House Ink to the public this fall with what she calls “4 the Love of Art.” The competition series in September will dole out financial prizes to theater artists, filmmakers and singers. For the sake of the artists who wish to participate, Power House Ink does not plan to charge submission fees. “It's going to be an exciting kick off for the Power House theater,” Godwin said. * angela.gervasi@temple.edu
Continued from page 9
VENUE
In addition to initial funding to get the venue up and running, the multi-purpose space will run on a donation and volunteer basis, with rent and utilities paid for by entrance fees at shows and revenue from rented studio space. “We’re not profiting off of this at all,” Scaglione said. “This is definitely for the community and run by the community. The space pays for itself. The community pitches in time and energy to keep the space running.” “There’s really not anything else like this right now, especially one that’s this accessible to everyone,” he added. “We all have a similar vision and we all want to make these resources available to people.” Liu said inclusivity is a main priority. The venue will serve as a melting pot of artists and musicians for an arts community currently lacking in diversity. “This is important for me especially because I’m female and non-white,” she said. “I’ve encountered a lot things that just aren’t really OK … especially coming from a community that preaches inclusivity, and I think there could be a lot more effort in diversifying the music scene and making people feel really welcome and safe.” Liu said the lack of representation in the arts community makes many “feel like they don’t have room.” “It’s really a shame, because
PAGE 13
it’s silencing a large demographic of people,” she added. The space also provides hard to come by opportunities for artists and musicians in Philadelphia, as well as affordable services. “It’s a trademark, almost, for some basement venues that they don’t exactly have good recording equipment,” said Henry Crane, a Philly musician and organizer of the new space. “If we get the money to get a good recording studio, it could be a big deal for a lot of bands who want to record but don’t have the space.” In addition to equipping smaller bands with much needed practice space and affordable studio time, the space will also bring together the different social groups of artists in the city. “A lot of people make art but they just don’t know each other,” Crane said. “We’re a varied group of individuals, we all have roots in different circles and the fact that we’re bringing this together is something that’s not being done,” Scaglione said. “We’re offering a unique resource in the sense that we have a variety of resources, some of which are already rare to come by, they’re all going to be in one place.” “The fact of having a recording studio, a practice space, a gallery, each of those individually are valuable to the community,” he added. “We’re bridging that gap, we’re bringing them together and it’s all going to be accessible.” * emily.ralsten.thomas@temple.edu
‘A CELEBRATION OF COLOR’ AT DA VINCI ART ALLIANCE
In conjunction with Jed Williams Gallery and Dupree Gallery, Da Vinci Art Alliance will be hosting its exhibition, “A Celebration of Color.” The exhibit, will feature the work of 17 selected artists all revolving around the singular and broad theme of color. The work will be on display until the last day of March. Da Vinci Art Alliance is located at 704 Catharine St. -Erin Blewett
FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS CELEBRATION TO RETURN
The citywide Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts will take place from April 8-23. The event will feature more than 60 performances of dance, theater and visual arts. The 16-day festival will start with a free fire and sand installation, “Article 13,” at Penn’s Landing, and will end with a free day-long party on Broad Street. Prices range from limited free access to $140 for an all-access pass. -Tsipora Hacker
AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH CELEBRATES FOUNDING
From April 7-10, the African Methodist Episcopal Church will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the founding of its keystone church, Mother Bethel. The celebration will kick off with a gospel concert and include a luncheon and social justice forum. The event will end with a church service at Mother Bethel. -Tsipora Hacker
BASIA BULAT TO PERFORM AT BOOT & SADDLE TOMORROW
Basia Bulat returns to Philadelphia tomorrow night at a sold-out show at Boot & Saddle. The Canadian singer-songwriter is on tour for her fourth studio album, “Good Advice,” which was released this February. The album, produced by My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, brings out the pop and soul influences in Bulat’s style. Known for her pleasant, almost mournful sound, the indie-folk singer takes a more lively turn with her latest album. Twin Limb, the Kentucky based dream pop group, will open the show. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show begins at 8:30 p.m. -Emily Thomas
Continued from page 9
HELGEN
the institute’s annual Westbrook lecture series, which focuses on different scientific themes each year. Helgen said preserving natural life through collections like the Wagner’s is as essential as it is fascinating. “It’s a little bit like a coin that’s taken out of circulation 100 years ago, just put in a safe place and looked after, and in 2016 you go and look at it and it’s shiny, and it’s wonderful and it’s this thing from a bygone era,” he said. “These specimens are like that, too, except they’re not coins. They’re physical specimens. That’s remarkable because the chemistry and the biology that made up that creature 100 years ago is still there to be had.” “Every specimen in a museum is a little time machine that takes us back to the time and place where it was collected,” he added. Wagner director Susan Glassman, who has been with the institute since 1992, reached out to Helgen because she believes his research matches this year’s Westbrook series’ theme of historical zoological collections. “He’s so articulate about why the nature of collecting is important and why keeping older collections is important and what we can learn from them,” Glassman said. “I think a lot of times people don’t realize that even things collected in the past still can inform contemporary scientific research.” Although the lecture was Helgen’s first time at the Wagner, he is no stranger to Philadelphia’s biology collections. In 2006, Helgen visited the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel to explore its archives. Within his first hour at the academy, he identified an undiscovered extinct species of flying fox by examining a mislabeled 160-year-old Samoan bat specimen. “There’s a particular tragedy to a story like that because that’s an animal that, 150 years ago, was there,” Helgen said. “We’d be
OUT & ABOUT
PHILLY SMALL BUSINESS FASHION WEEK KICKS OFF NEXT WEEK
EVAN EASTERLING TTN
John Hollister, an intellectual heritage professor, explores the Wagner Free Institute of Science.
blind to the fact that it ever existed if someone hadn’t taken the remarkable effort to collect that specimen, save its skull, put its skin in a jar and not just that, but look after it for more than 150 years.” 2013 geology alumnus Aaron Lawson, a children’s educator at the Wagner, sees value in natural historical archives as well as early science education. “It’s science, and science is always changing,” Lawson said. “I don’t ever view something as ‘the one correct answer’ because everything is changing. Every species is kind of a transitional species, so you never know what people can miss, especially if you’re looking into historic collections like at the Wagner of even at the Academy [of Natural Sciences]— institutions that have been in place since the 1800s.” “I think the younger the people we can impact, the better,” he added. When Helgen isn’t sifting through archives, he’s out on field research expeditions—which do not come without their dangers. During his first expedition in Botswana,
when he was only 19, he failed to notice the sun setting behind him. “It got quite dark, and I heard something behind me … and I turned around and there was a lioness there,” he said. “She was no more than maybe 15 feet away from me.” Helgen worries the biggest threats facing biology collections are low funding for museums and public attitudes that view natural history collections as “things of the past.” He also believes these collections are an “untapped resource” for assessing modern environmental issues like climate change. Despite his achievements, Helgen emphasizes that the natural world still leaves much for researchers to discover. “The fact that this still happens in groups like mammals as well as things like trees and birds, these kinds of groups that we think should be so well known, that really illuminates, I think for all of us, how little we know about our planet still, and how much there still is to learn,” he said. * eamon.noah.dreisbach@temple.edu
The third annual Philly Small Business Fashion Week begins on April 5. The event, designed to support small businesses and entrepreneurs, link up-and-coming fashion talents with consumers and collaborate with charitable organizations, will take place at Ivben Studio 3. This year, Philly Small Business Fashion Week is partnering with Mercedes Benz, former sponsor of New York Fashion Week. The event will donate a portion of proceeds to The Darby Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to instill core values like education, recreation, health and fitness and community service in young people. -Erin Moran
PHILADELPHIA ART BOOK FAIR TO INCLUDE LECTURES, FREE EVENTS
On Friday and Saturday, The Print Center and the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center will host the Philadelphia Art Book Fair. The two-day event is free and will take place at The Annex on Filbert at 830 Filbert St. Artists and publishers will exhibit their work for art and book enthusiasts to enjoy and several keynote lectures will take place as well. -Katelyn Evans
A MANO AWARDED THREE BELLS
THE CHURCH’S PLACE IN BLACK LIVES MATTER
@CraigLaBan tweeted a link to his review of Italian restaurant A Mano, praising its house-made pasta and awarding it three bells out of four, despite noise complaints and a cash-only policy.
@TheAtlantic tweeted a link to a story on the place of the Black church within the social justice movement, featuring interviews with young and old activists within the church.
A LITTLE BIT OF FRANCE ON CHESTNUT STREET
SPRUCE STREET HARBOR PARK TO RETURN
CRAIG LABAN’S REVIEW
LONGFORM PIECE IN THE ATLANTIC
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.
INGA SAFFRON’S ‘GOOD EYE’ COLUMN
OPENING MAY 6
@IngaSaffron tweeted about the Crozer Building, a “vertical château.” The building was designed in the late 1890s and is located on Chestnut Street near Broad and 15th streets.
@uwishunu tweeted the park will officially return for the season and open about a month earlier than last year. The park drew more than 750,000 visitors last year.
LIFESTYLE
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TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016
people you should know
Professor works with political campaigns David Nickerson is a consultant for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. By BROOKE WILLIAMS The Temple News David Nickerson decided to get involved in political science while he was teaching middle and high school math in North Carolina. “I was spending all day discussing how to graph a line,” said Nickerson, an associate professor of political science. “I wanted to go and do research more in-depth. I didn’t have a good idea of what that meant, but I knew I liked the interaction between government and society.” He found there were few job opportunities in philosophy and sociology, and he said the economics dissertations he looked into were narrow. Political science, he realized, could be a happy medium. “I have a very quantitative focus in political science, so now I teach college and graduate students how to graph slightly more complicat-
ed lines,” he added. This past fall, Nickerson began teaching in Temple’s political science department, bringing his expertise in the areas of political behavior, political psychology and experimental methodology. “He’s a really great professor,” said Jackie O’Leary, a senior psychology and political science major. “I think he has specific expertise in what he’s teaching us, which is really nice. He’s just insanely knowledgable.” “His class ties into what I’ll be doing in the real world,” said Courtney Eubanks, a senior political science major. Nickerson has firsthand experience with political campaigns. He served as the director of experiments for the analytics department of President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign. “I had three basic aspects of my job,” he said. “One was to look for places in the campaign where experiments could make what we did more effective or efficient. The second was to use estimates we had from prior experiments to try to inform our strategy in targeting new estimates. The third was use the lessons from social psychology to try to inform our voter outreach—so how we could reword our phone
scripts or mailers to make them resonate with the audience more.” Next fall, Nickerson will teach Seminar in Campaign Politics and Internship in Campaign Politics, where students will be required to work for a political campaign of their choice. The class will be taught alongside Robin Kolodny, a professor of political science, who sees Nickerson’s set of expertise as an asset. “I’m thrilled to pieces for many reasons,” Kolodny said. “His work in field experiments is fantastic and important because it’s a very important area in political science that has reemerged in the past 15 years or so.” Nickerson enjoyed his time with the election because he liked working with people who were hardworking, smart and all working toward a shared purpose, he said. He is currently a consultant for the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, but took on a less demanding position in this election to invest more time into his teaching career. It’s been an exciting year for presidential campaigns, Nickerson said. He said it’s unusual for two nontraditional candidates like Donald Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders to become so legitimized, and that he can’t remember another
candidate like Trump in United States electoral history. Besides his work with presidential campaigns, Nickerson is noted for his research on youth voting. In his article “Hunting the Elusive Young Voter,” Nickerson found that young voters are generally interested in politics, but still three times harder to contact about political opinion than older voters. Regardless of which party or candidates they support, Nickerson is pleased to see younger people becoming so actively involved in the presidential race this year. “It’s a good thing for democracy to see young people getting involved,” he said. “Younger voters vote at lower rates than older voters, and it’s good to see that they have a lot of energy in getting involved. There’s a lot of research that suggests voting is habit-forming, so if we could get people to vote once, they’ll be far more likely to vote the second time around.” “You can see a lot of the fingerprints from [Nickerson’s] work,” Kolodny said. “With the people who trained him ... a lot of his ideas have perforated up to the presidential level.” * brooke.shelby.williams@temple.edu
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ROSARIO
LINH THAN TTN
Richardson Metis, a senior civil engineering major, brought back children’s drawings from St. Francis Xavier Haitian Orphanage.
Continued from page 7
HAITI
cently purchased an improved plot of land in Haiti to better raise the children. The facility currently houses, feeds and bathes 18 children. Metis has been a member of Temple Project Haiti since his sophomore year. “In college, you have four years,” he said. “You want to be able to say, ‘I learned things.’ You want to be able to say, ‘I used my college organizations to learn so many lessons.’ We don’t learn our lessons in class. Project Haiti will allow you to see the world from a different standpoint.” During the school year, members of Temple Project Haiti hold several fundraising events for St. Francis Xavier Haitian Orphanage, like selling grilled cheese sandwiches around Main Campus. Temple Project Haiti’s biggest fundraising event of
and Caribbean focus at the event to create a cultural atmosphere. “It’s not just about going down there and building bathrooms and kitchens,” said Peter Mastrogiacomo, CEO and principal of Grayson Sky, a marketing firm used to promote Artists for Haiti. “It’s actually the part of giving the kids hope and a smile of this creativity that actually could help. It can give them that dream and vision that it doesn’t have to be serious. You can fantasize and be whimsical.” Brooke Storms, a junior communication studies major, worked as an intern with Grayson Sky to help organize Artist for Haiti. She said she’s inspired by the work Temple Project Haiti does. “To actually have the organization raise the funds and to really be so dedicated to something so far away, it’s interesting to me,” Storms said. “A lot of people do student organizations to add something to their resume and this just so isn’t like that. It’s more real life than some of the other Temple
phia community as a whole. “[Rosario] really advocates for people and their needs,” Bonghi said. “He embodies Temple’s whole mission to be engaged with the community, be really hard working and just give of yourself to others.” As a member of the patient experience department, Rosario ensures proper treatment and a positive experience for patients at TUH. Rosario often works with victims of trauma or those dealing with difficulties in their family life. “I believe that it’s actually heavensent, and it was really meant for me,” Rosario said. “I believe that some of the feedback that they have sent me from the family is positive, and not that you look for that, but it reinforces that.” “You give them that seed, and eventually that seed will give birth, and they will blossom,” he added. Rosario, who considers himself a planter of sorts, has sowed many seeds in a variety of soils. From prisoners to church-goers, Rosario is willing to share his testimony with anyone willing to listen. In his teens, Rosario underwent a 30day rehabilitation program for substance abuse, and afterward he said he made many life changes, like his conversion to Christianity. Rosario began preaching when he was asked to translate a sermon into Spanish for inmates at Graterford prison. Rosario’s listeners grew as he began to travel and preach. One Sunday, chaplain Paul of the Dallas State Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania informed Rosario there would likely be no more than 10 attendees, due to a popular local football game. Hundreds of people came to hear Rosario’s sermon that day—so many that the church had to employ a few extra security guards. As Rosario’s work in preaching gained momentum, he also enrolled in
a teaching program through St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, where he trained in ambulatory pediatrics in preparation for his current position at TUH. “When people think of Temple Hospital, I think that Ben’s name is synonymous to it,” Bonghi said. “That’s how well known he is in the community, which is amazing.” Bonghi said she met Rosario when he led a tour of TUH as part of the volunteer orientation. She has volunteered for two years now, and said Rosario is “a champion of social justice” in the Temple and Philadelphia community. “It seems to be a calling, especially in this area, for this community that I dearly love,” Rosario said. “‘Nightline’ called this area ‘the Badlands,’ but there’s great people in this community. The same people that go to church are the same people that come into this hospital, and that go to the grocery stores. I feel a connection.” Rosario’s work with the community extends beyond the church and hospital walls. Rosario recently stepped down as the commissioner of the Paulo K.O.H.L. football team, and he has managed four teams within the past four years that have worked with young men who can no longer utilize federal programs intended for those under 18 years of age. “They’re my kids,” Rosario said. “They’re my boys.” Although Rosario doesn’t like the title of ‘pastor,’ out of fear that he “might lose one” by sounding too authoritative, he believes that religion plays a large role in the many life changes he has facilitated. “My church is the field,” he said. “My church is the community.” “I’m not a police officer, I’m not a doctor,” Rosario added. “Each has a great responsibility, which I highly respect, but what’s needed is god. … As humbly as I can, without throwing religion down their throat, but in the name of love, let’s make a difference.” * jenny.stein@temple.edu
“In order for them to succeed, somebody has to say, ‘You can do it.’” Richardson Metis | Senior civil engineering major
the year, “Artists for Haiti,” will be held this Friday at East End Salon in Old City. To raise money, Temple Project Haiti will auction off donated pieces of artwork, many of which are donated by Tyler School of Art students. Children’s drawings from Haiti collected this past spring break will also be on display, but not for sale. Ben Arsenal, a co-founder of the music label Worldtown and the professional recording studio Elevate Sound Studios on 9th Street near Dauphin, will donate his time and play music with an African
student organizations.” After graduation, Metis plans to continue visiting and helping the children of Haiti. His ultimate goal, he said, is to build a school there. Meanwhile, he wants to be of assistance to the community using his skills as an engineer. “I want the kids to understand they are going to be great,” Metis said. “You can’t help a whole country but you can help little by little.” * grace.shallow@temple.edu
DANIEL RAINVILLE TTN
Ben Rosario has been working as a patient representative at Temple University Hospital for the past 17 years, and he has a pastor at Calvary Vision Church in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.
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LIFESTYLE
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TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016
Accepting their identities: women in Islam Continued from page 7
MUSLIMAH
specifically about their issues, even within the Muslim Student Association already formed on Main Campus. “MSA is more about Islam and Muslims in general,” Naima said. “They do a great job, but they’re an umbrella organization.” “Girls in our religion don’t feel comfortable talking around men because of how society portrays them to be inferior,” Begum added. The group wants to help women feel more comfortable being Muslim, and Begum said the members have inspired some students already. “People think we’re stifled on leadership, that we have no skills and we’re inferior to men,” Begum said. “But that’s not the case. I mean, look at us, we’re a female organization, a lot of us are choosing different majors, we have our own desires and we will become successful leaders.” Non-Muslims are welcome to join in discussions too, in order to “better represent Islam and Muslim women to non-Muslims on campus,” said Madiha Faruqi, sophomore chemistry major and secretary of TMP. The reason so many people believe misconceptions about Muslim women, Begum said, is because the portrayal of Islam in popular culture often overpowers the religion itself. “But that’s not Islam,” Naima said. “The media never mentions what good Muslims are doing around the world.” A common misconception is that women who wear the hi-
MARGO REED TTN
Robina Begum (left), and Madiha Faruqi work with other women in the group to empower Muslim women at Temple.
jab, a garment that many Muslim women wear on their heads, are oppressed and wear it because they are forced to. The hijab is obligatory, but “you wear it when you’re comfortably ready to wear it,” Faruqi said. “I just want to be sure that I’m not going to ever take it off and make sure I’m a good
practicing Muslim at the time I wear it,” Faruqi said. “I want to be able to present Muslims in a positive light.” Naima sees wearing the hijab can represent having a relationship with god. “People have come up to me and said, ‘Oh wow, you wear the hijab, you must be so devoted,’”
Naima said. “I’m like, ‘I am, but there are people who don’t wear the hijab who have a connection to god that you don’t see. Just because I’m visibly doing it, doesn’t mean that someone else isn’t internally doing it.” The group’s meetings are not exclusive to women, Naima said. The group often invites male students to gain their perspectives as well. “It’s a very friendly discussion,” Naima said. “It helps a lot for girls to understand where they’re coming from.” The organization recently had a guest speaker come in to talk about the Muslim-American identity crisis. “One girl broke down because she’s coming back to school and has a three-year-old son,” Naima said. “She asked, ‘How do I tell him to accept his identity?’” “I thought, ‘That’s how we all feel, in the back of our minds.’” Three Muslim students were shot in Chapel Hill, North Carolina last year, leaving Naima and her family in shock. “My mom was terrified to let me leave the house for a month,” Naima said. “But that’s the reality we have to face.” The members hope that more people join TMP in the future so the group can change more people’s “perspectives of what they initially thought about women in Islam,” Faruqi said. “Please don’t blindly follow what the media say—don’t listen to them,” Faruqi said. “If you want to learn, learn from other Muslims.” * tsipora.hacker@temple.edu
Student fundraises for local school Continued from page 7
BASKETBALL
portant having quality equipment is to playing the game of basketball. The absence of nets on basketball hoops, for example, can really affect how a player performs and improves, he said. “When shooting, I didn’t know if I made or airballed [the shot], because it went right through,” Aninsman said. “When you make that shot, and you hear that noise, it gives the shooter that feeling.” “The kids are used to playing on these kinds of nets already,”Aninsman said. “They don’t know what they’re missing.” The children at Duckrey “don’t have what the regular kid should be given,” Aninsman added. “I wasn’t asking for new courts, concrete or backboards. Just simple things they don’t have.” Basil Brown, an eighth-grader at Duckrey, said he plays on the courts every day. “We got to work with what we got,” Brown said. “Without the rim and net, you can’t really play basketball.” “You can’t shoot on these rims,” added Wahkil Hunter, a seventh-grader at Duckrey. “Some of them aren’t even playable.” After speaking with some neighborhood residents, Aninsman said most of the people who played on the courts at Duckrey “hadn’t seen new nets in two years.”
DAVE KAGAN
“I didn’t even know about [the election].”
SCREENING “THE ACT OF KILLING”
The Intellectual Heritage Program will sponsor a screening of the documentary “The Act of Killing” today at 5:15 p.m. in the Women’s Studies Lounge in Room 821 of Anderson Hall. Documentarians Joshua Oppenheimer and Christine Cynn explore humans’ capacity for violence by examining the mass killings of communists in Indonesia in the 1960s. “The Act of Killing” was a 2014 Academy Award nominee for best documentary feature. -Jenny Roberts
PREVENTING GENDER VIOLENCE
Tomorrow the Wellness Resource Center will host “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes,” a nationwide initiative in which men walk a mile in women’s high-heeled shoes. The event aims to educate people about sexualized violence and create discussion about sexual assault and gender violence with the goal of providing attendees with prevention and remediation strategies. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., starting at the Founder’s Garden, along Liacouras and Polett walks. -Erin Blewett
DEAN’S DISTINGUISHED LECTURE: DR. WILLIAM EATON
The College of Science and Technology will sponsor the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture, featuring Dr. William Eaton on Thursday at 4 p.m in the Science Education and Research Center. Eaton is chief of the Laboratory of Chemical Physics at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. Eaton’s research focuses on the physics of protein folding and developing a drug to cure sickle cell disease. He will discuss the molecular basis and treatment of sickle cell disease in his lecture, which is open to the public. -Jenny Roberts
“SISTERS” PLAYING AT THE REEL
Starting Thursday night, students can see the movie “Sisters” at The Reel, located in the lower level of the Student Center. The movie is $2 with an OWLcard or $4 without one. The movie will play at 7 and 10 p.m. until Sunday. “Sisters,” which was released in 2015, is a comedy starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Fey and Poehler play two sisters who decide to throw one last house party before their parents sell their childhood home. -Grace Shallow
LAST FIRST FRIDAY
On Friday, the Tyler School of Art will provide a free bus ride to Old City for the First Friday Art Crawl. The bus will depart from the corner of 13th and Diamond streets at 6 p.m. to take students to the Betsy Ross House on Arch Street. Each rider will be given a gallery map and a listing of the neighborhood’s art openings. The bus will leave to return to campus at 8:45 p.m. outisde the Betsy Ross House. Availability is on a first-come, first-served basis. This will be the last First Friday event of the semester. -Brooke Williams
JENNY KERRIGAN TTN
Nick Aninsman, a junior special education major, stands on the basketball court on 16th Street near Susquehanna, which was the inspiration for his GoFundMe campaign, the Net Project.
Aninsman’s initial plan was to fix one rim and a few nets. Now, because he’s received far more donations than he expected, he plans to fix at least 10 courts, including those adjacent to Duckrey, owned by the city’s Parks and Recreation department. “The little things really do matter,” Aninsman added. “When my goal was $125, that was my little thing.” Although he’s still working independently, Aninsman has been contacted by fra-
ternities, residents of North Philadelphia and other students looking to help with his next project. Once the courts at Duckrey are fixed, Aninsman already has plans to take his efforts to another local basketball court on 17th Street near Cecil B. Moore Avenue. “It’s very possible that these things can get fixed really quick,” he said.
LADIES OF ELEGANCE PERFORMING
On Friday, the Ladies of Elegance Step Organization will be hosting its annual step competition, “Step or Die.” The show features step teams from various other universities, like Howard University, Delaware State University and St. John’s University. The show will be held in the Temple Performing Arts Center from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $7 with an OWLcard or $10 without. Tickets can be purchased at the Liacouras Center box office. -Jenny Roberts
* paula.davis@temple.edu
Voice of the People | JUNIOR | ACCOUNTING
AROUND CAMPUS
TONY PHAM
JUNIOR | CRIMINAL JUSTICE
“Yes. A few of my friends participate and I want to support them and issues that affect students.”
“Are you going to vote in the Temple Student Government election?” SASHA AVANOV SOPHOMORE | JAZZ COMPOSITION
“I kind of forgot about it. I will make an effort to go vote.”
SPORTS
TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016
PAGE 17
SPORTS BRIEFS
DeCosey named to NABC first team sistant athletics director for major gifts, the university announced on Thursday. Adee, who has been with the Athletic Development office for a year and a half, will help lead the major gifts team and guide the direction of major gifts for the department. This includes managing a portfolio of 150-200 donors and prospects while engaging current and prospective donors. She will also head the request for major gifts of $50,000 or more from donors and will manage and oversee the development budget for the Athletic Development office. Before returning to Temple a year and a half ago, Adee—who graduated from the university in 2008—was the director of annual giving and the assistant director of development at New Mexico State University and the University of New Mexico, respectively. -Michael Guise
GOLF OWLS FINISH 6TH AT FURMAN
HOJUN YU TTN
Senior guard Quenton DeCosey defends the University of Iowa’s Jared Uthoff in the team’s 72-70 ovetime loss in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
DECOSEY RECEIVES HONORS
Senior guard Quenton DeCosey and coach Fran Dunphy earned National Association of Basketball Coaches honors. Dunphy was named NABC District 25 Coach of the Year while DeCosey was selected to the NABC All-District First Team. Dunphy led the Owls to their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2013 after a 21-12 record this season when the team claimed the American Athletic Conference regular season champions with a 14-4 record in conference play. The Owls, who lost 72-70 in overtime to the University of Iowa in the tournament,
claimed their eighth 20-win season under Dunphy. The team’s regular season championship was also its third since Dunphy took over in 2006. Dunphy’s 21-win season also helped him pass former coach John Chaney to become the all-time winningest coach in Big 5 history with 523 wins. He is also one of eight coaches in the last 20 years to win regular season championships from three different conferences. This season, DeCosy earned First Team All-American Athletic Conference honors after totaling a team-high 15.9 points per game and finished his career with 1,513
points, which ranks No. 16 on the program’s all-time scoring list. The senior also totaled a team-high 41 steals and ranked second on the Owls with six rebounds per game and 2.6 assists per game. DeCosey was also the only player to start all 33 games for the team this season. -Michael Guise
ATHLETICS LAUREN ADEE PROMOTED
Lauren Adee has been promoted to as-
On Sunday, the golf team finished sixth at the Furman Intercollegiate at the Furman University Golf Course in Greenville, South Carolina. Senior Brandon Matthews led the Owls. He finished tied for 10th place. Matthews shot a four-under 68 in the second and third round after a three-over 75 in round one. Sophomore Mark Farley finished four strokes behind Matthews, carding a tie for 19th place while Freshman Trey Wren finished tied for 21. At the Kingsmill Intercollegiate on March 20-22, the Owls finished 16th out of 24 teams at the event. which was the squad’s first tournament of the spring season. The Owls will compete the Cornell Spring South Florida Invitational next Saturday and Sunday at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. -Michael Guise
Stuckey-Willis hopes to return to freshman form Continued from page 20
TENNIS
lineup. “We talk to the trainer, we get weekly reports about how much she can do or how much she can’t do. And we kind of leave it up to the training staff and the medical staff to let us know how much she’s able to hit.” Stuckey-Willis said she still has pain in her lower back but she’s “learned how to push through it,” during the spring season. She added she’s at about 85 percent now and hopes to finish the year strong after coming off an injury. “I think [Stuckey-Willis] is doing a good job, honestly,” junior
will always give me a really nice opportunity to just finish at the net.” Mauro said the sophomore’s power is the strongest aspect of her game. “[Stuckey-Willis] is a very powerful hitter,” Mauro said. “She can hit winners from any spot on the court. … She plays a very powerful game, she’s a very attacking player.” Since returning during the spring season, Stuckey-Willis is 2-3 in singles and is 1-3 in doubles with two different partners. “Compared to my freshmen year you can see the difference,” StuckeyWillis said. “I’m not really satisfied.” At this time in 2015, StuckeyWillis was 15-6 in singles and 12-5 in doubles as a freshmen with the Owls.
We kind of leave it up to the training “ staff and the medical staff to let us know how much she’s able to hit.” Steve Mauro | coach
KAIT MOORE TTN
Sophomore Monet Stuckey-Willis prepares to return a shot during a recent practice.
Anais Nussaume said. “I’ve stopped [playing] tennis for three months and getting back is tough. You see everybody playing well and you have to double the effort and she’s been doing that a lot, and that’s because she really loves tennis and that’s great.” Nussaume, who posted a 7-3 record as Stuckey-Willis’s doubles partner her freshman year, said Stuckey-Willis’ powerful stroke led to their success as a tandem. “How we played is she would always be at the baseline, and I would always play at the net,” Nussaume said. “So since she hits really hard, the girls will always struggle at one point to hit their clear shot and that
Even though Stuckey-Willis hasn’t performed up to her full potential, Mauro said the sophomore will overcome this back injury and return to her dominant self this season. “I think it’s coming back,” Mauro said about Stuckey-Willis’ progress on the court since returning from her back injury. “Every once in awhile [Stuckey-Willis] plays unbelievable tennis but I think she’s still rusty, especially the style of game that she plays. She really needs to be on. I’m very optimistic that she’ll finish with a strong season.” * thomas.ignudo@temple.edu
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TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016
FENCING
Fencing wraps up season at NCAA championships The Owls finished 16th out of 25 teams at the NCAA championships. By OWEN McCUE Assistant Sports Editor Petra Khan had an idea she was headed to her first NCAA Fencing Championships, but she wasn’t sure. When the senior sabre saw her name on the list of participants as she scrolled down the NCAA’s website March 15, she knew her four years of hard work had paid off. “I’ve been so close the last couple of years,” Khan said. “It was frustrating. I really put a lot of energy and time to ensure that I would qualify this year.”
Khan, senior foil Demi Antipas and senior epee Jessica Hall all competed at their first NCAA championships on Thursday and Friday at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. The trio was joined by sophomore epee Safa Ibrahim, who finished 17th in her second time competing in the event. Khan finished 19th in sabre, while Antipas and Hall finished 23rd and 21st in their events, respectively. Each weapon had 24 competitors. “It was very relieving because it’s a really good way to go out,” Khan said. “That’s the end goal for anybody on this team, to make it to nationals. If that can be your last collegiate tournament, then that’s the best way to go out.” “I had an image of what it would be like, and it pretty much fit that im-
age,” she added. “It was just a lot of fun.” As a team the Owls finished 16th out of 25 schools with 30 points at their last event of the season. Last year, Temple had two fencers at the event—Ibrahim and senior foil Fatima Largaespada, who missed out on the tournament this year. The two combined to place Temple 22nd in points in 2015, six spots lower than the Owls’ finish this year. “We were very happy to have four girls qualify,” coach Nikki Franke said. “Especially since three of them were seniors and it was their first time qualifying for NCAAs. It was very exciting and very rewarding.” Ibrahim made her second trip to the NCAA championships in as many years with the program. She finished 16th in epee last year.
“For her age, her level of being able to deal with pressure and compete on such a high standard consistently, that’s such a huge accomplishment,” Khan said. “Everybody in the NCAA and the fencing world knows that she’s a great fencer and that she works so hard on and off the strip to get what she needs done.” Franke said the sophomore, who placed ninth at the NCAA MidAtlantic/South Regional on March 12, has the potential to improve next year. “She has to keep working hard, she has to keep going to competitions and she has to become a little bit more confident in her own field and her own capabilities,” Franke said. “She’s a very unassuming person and sometimes that works against you in competition. She has to gain that confidence and trust in her own
instinct.” Temple finished its regular season with a 24-14 record in open tournaments. The team faced a number of top team finishers at the NCAA championships throughout the season like Columbia University, Penn State and the University of Notre Dame, who finished first, second and third, respectively. Franke said the scheduling was intentional to get her fencers ready for the NCAA championships. “We had a very tough schedule and I think that prepared them,” Franke said. “We faced probably the strongest schedule or one of the strongest schedules of any team in the country. One of the nice things was everyone there we had seen.” * owen.mccue@temple.edu T @Owen_McCue
GENEVA HEFFERNAN TTN
Junior guard Feyonda Fitzgerald (left), dribbles up the court en route to a 75-61 win against Ohio University last week.
Final loss in WNIT ‘hurts’ for Covile, Owls Continued from page 20
WNIT
son when Temple lost to Syracuse University 82-68 in McGonigle Hall. Exactly a year ago today, Temple defeated Middle Tennessee State University 69-57 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in the WNIT quarterfinals. Temple advanced to the semifinals where it fell on the road to West Virginia University 66-58 in overtime three days later. “It is the similar sense that we are on the road again in the WNIT,” Cardoza said comparing last night’s loss to the loss to West Virginia. “It is a different mindset definitely, being aggressive. We weren’t the underdogs this year, and we just fell a little short.” “I felt like we have grown a lot, but this is almost like déjà vu where we lost the game at the last minute,” sophomore guard Donnaizha Fountain said following yesterday’s loss about the 2015 defeat. In the opening round of this year’s WNIT, Temple defeated Drexel 74-66 inside the Daskalakis Athletic Center.
After losing to Quinnipiac University 58-56 in the regular season, Temple defeated the Bobcats 64-62 in the second round while on the road. In Temple’s final victory of the season, the Owls topped Ohio University 75-61 on Thursday in McGonigle Hall. The team finished the year with a 23-12 record following last night’s loss. Once the squad settled in the locker room in the Crisler Center following the game, Cardoza made sure to treat her speech like any other locker-room remarks. “It is just another game,” Cardoza said. “I didn’t want to treat it differently than other post-game talk.” “I am definitely proud of my guys,” she added. “I felt like we were fighters and no matter what the situation, we continued to fight. We just came up short.” * connor.norhtrup@temple.edu
Continued from page 20
SENIORS
game situations. It’s only going to help them and benefit us in the long run.” Senior guard Erica Covile, who eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in a 78-64 home win against Central Florida on senior night, will be the team’s only departing starter. Ugo Nwaigwe, a transfer from Wagner College this season, will join her as the other departure. Those losses opened spots for two recruits taller than 6-foot-3 inches—Shannen Atkinson and Shantay Taylor. But since losing to Florida State University on Dec. 6, 2015, Cardoza has started five guards, electing to play without a starting forward. Despite only scoring two points in the WNIT and averaging 3.3 PPG this season, Cardoza thinks sophomore guard Khadijah Berger may be the fifth starting option for the Owls in the upcoming season. “She is someone I think deserves more playing time,” Cardoza said. “She sees the bigger picture and she is someone I said from day one that probably has the highest basketball IQ on our team.” Butts and Fitzgerald have led the five-guard attack. Both were both honored by the American Athletic Conference for their efforts. Butts was a first team all-conference selection, while Fitzgerald
received second team all-conference honors. Three of the four returning starters have had multiple double-doubles this season. Fountain has had four, Atkinson has three and Fitzgerald has two. The four returning starters have also averaged more than 10 points per game this season, with Butts leading the pack at 15.1 points per game. “We have so much chemistry off the court. … Our skilled point guards, Feyonda and Alliya have helped us all learn,” Fountain said. In the Owls’ WNIT third round victory against Ohio University, Butts, Fitzgerald, Fountain and Atkinson all scored in double-digits. In the first three WNIT rounds, Fitzgerald led the Owls in scoring with 21 points per game. Fitzgerald was held to eight points in the Owls’ loss last night, while Butts tallied 11. The pair combined to go 8-of-23 from the field. Fountain had 25 points and seven rebounds in the losing effort. “When Alliya or [Feyonda] are scoring for us, it pumps us up and helps us create steals,” Atkinson said. “But whoever has the hot hand, we’re usually going to give it to them.” * mark.mccormick@temple.edu T @MarkJMcCormick
SPORTS
TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016
Lacrose
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FOOTBALL
Owls to rely on running game in 2016 The team returns four running backs, including leading rusher Jahad Thomas.
GENEVA HEFFERNAN TTN
Senior midfiedler Nicole Tiernan cradles the ball during the team’s 18-3 win against the University of California, Berkeley.
Rosen, Owls open conference schedule against No. 2 team The Owls will travel to Gainesville, Floirda on Saturday to face Florida. By EVAN EASTERLING The Temple News Before games, the lacrosse team’s 13 seniors often come into the locker room and say, “This is the last time we’re going to play this team.” In four days, the seniors will start their last stretch of conference play. The Owls open up Big East play Saturday against the University of Florida, the No. 2 team in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association poll. Players watched video from Florida’s March 19 matchup with No. 1 University of Maryland in preparation for their trip to Gainesville, Florida. The Terrapins outscored the Gators 10-2 in the second half to earn a 14-4 victory against a Gators squad that was 6-0 against ranked teams and undefeated overall. “We kind of picked up on some things that Maryland did to break down Florida,” senior defender Summer Jaros said. “We can always learn from the top team, obviously. Just pushing our offense a little fast-
er, moving the ball a little quicker to get their defense to move and slide around, I think we’ll see shots from that.” After Saturday’s 18-3 win against University of California, Berkeley, Temple has compiled a 8-2 record in nonconference play. Before a March 16 loss against the University of Delaware, the Owls won seven consecutive games, outscoring opponents 110-41. The Owls had a season-low 12 shots in the defeat. “Our nonconference schedule, I think, has done a good job of prepping us to this point,” coach Bonnie Rosen said. “The loss against Delaware was a pretty good stumble for us, in terms of our psyche ... I didn’t like the loss and I didn’t like how we played, but I’m hoping that down the stretch it’s going to be a game we look to and say, ‘That one made us ready for the game we end up winning.’” The Owls were in a similar position last season, entering Big East play with an 8-1 nonconference record. The team started conference play with three consecutive losses to then-No. 8 Florida, Connecticut and Vanderbilt University. A loss to Villanova on the Owls’ senior day eliminated the team from postseason play on the way to a 2-5 finish in Temple’s second year in the Big East.
Senior midfielder Megan Tiernan said movement on offense was a problem for the Owls last season, and the team has been focusing on improving the area this season. “That was a goal that a couple of us have been enforcing kind of, is to try and keep the ball moving as fast as you can,” Tiernan said. “So if you drive and it’s not there, don’t hold on to it for too long. Pass it, move, let someone else do something. Just try to keep it moving. And I think that some of the plays that we’ve incorporated have that ingrained.” Rosen said the Owls are trying to use the days off in their schedule to implement new offensive and defensive schemes. The team had eight days between its games against Delaware and California, and it will have a week from its game against Florida to the April 9 matchup against Vanderbilt. “I believe that we match up well with everyone in our conference,” Rosen said. “Florida might have a little edge on us in terms of some of the matchup, but not in any way that we can’t compete with them. … As conference play becomes more scoutable, players have to be ready that the teams know them. They’ve watched them. They know their individual moves.” * evan.easterling@temple.edu T @Evan_Easterling
By EVAN EASTERLING The Temple News Sophomores Ryquell Armstead and Jager Gardner contributed to the Owls’ offense immediately out of the backfield as freshmen last season. Armstead carried the ball 51 times for 191 yards to finish as the team’s third-leading rusher in 2015, while Gardner ran for 184 total yards including a 94-yard touchdown run in the team’s 60-40 win against Southern Methodist. After appearing in 13 games last season, Armstead expects his role to increase in his sophomore campaign. “It definitely shows you that you’re capable of playing at a college level,” Armstead said. “So, basically to come out here and do you, because your team is actually counting on you now. You’re not a freshman anymore. That’s one thing they really put on you. Your freshman season is done and basically it’s [time to] start over [a] new year.” Along with redshirt-sophomore running back David Hood, who has been limited in spring practice due to offseason groin surgery, the duo is competing for the backup role behind senior Jahad Thomas. Thomas set career highs in rushing attempts, yards and touchdowns on the way to earning firstteam American Athletic Conference honors. Thomas battled injury in the second half of the season, sustaining a rib injury against the University of Notre Dame. He sprained his knee in the Boca Raton Bowl, forcing him to leave the game in the first half with five yards on eight carries. The Elizabeth, New Jersey native finished last year with 1,262
yards rushing on 276 attempts and 17 rushing touchdowns. He also added 216 yards receiving, the fourth-highest on the team. “We already feel better about our depth where we feel like we have three or four guys who we can just put in there,” coach Matt Rhule said. “One guy doesn’t have to take too many carries. You don’t get to the middle of the year and you’re trying to break in a new tailback, so we feel good about all those guys.” Rhule said he also is pleased with his team’s depth at fullback in 2016. After splitting time between fullback and linebacker last season, redshirt-junior Nick Sharga will line up as a fullback in 2016 while redshirt-sophomore Rob Ritrovato will join Sharga at the position next season. “We really wanted to teach him how to play fullback,” Rhule said about Sharga’s position change. “We think he has a future at it and last year we kind of just threw him in. This is our first chance to go back, and I think [senior offensive assistance/running backs coach] Chris [Wiesehan] has done a great job with him.” Ritrovato, who players and coaches call “Nitro,” missed the final 13 games of 2015 after sustaining an injury in the team’s season opener against Penn State. One of the focuses in spring practice is working on incorporating the running backs into the passing game. Last season Hood, Thomas and Armstead combined for 33 receptions for 296 yards receiving. Armstead did not record a catch in 2015. “Catching the ball and protecting the quarterback just makes [me] more versatile,” Thomas said. “You can hand anyone a ball and they can run north and south, but not too many people can catch balls in traffic as a running back. ... We all had some drops here and there last year. So we’ve definitely been working on it.” * evan.easterling@temple.edu T @Evan_Easterling
Track & Field
Jones uses gymnastics background on track Crystal Jones has competed in eight events for the team this season. By MAURA RAZANAUSKAS The Temple News For an eight-year stretch, Crystal Jones began grooming herself for a track & field career by competing in gymnastics. After moving on from gymnastics, Jones found she could transfer the flexibility she gained from the sport onto the track, which helped her compete in the high jump. The Virginia native has used the experience to her advantage at Temple, competing in eight different events for the Owls this season. Jones, who has competed in both track and field events, was the lone Owl at the Feb. 28 American Athletic Conference Championships in Birmingham, Alabama to compete in the pentathlon, claiming fifth place. “Indoor season-wise, the pen-
tathlon was the hardest because you’re doing all those events in one day,” Jones said. “For me, the biggest challenge was the 800 because it’s a lot longer.” Jones’ best finish in the pentathlon was on the high jump, tying for the top spot with a height of five feet, 8.5 inches. She competed later in the meet in the open high jump, where she finished fourth. “Anytime you can get a freshman to come in and score points for you in the conference meet, you’re doing very well,” coach Elvis Forde said. “She scored nine points and that is fantastic because I think that sets her up to believe she can score points as a freshman.” Despite her high finish in the high jump, Forde said he sees potential for the freshman in many events. “That is one of her strengths, but she can do so many other things that I don’t want to pin her down to any one event yet and say, ‘That’s her strong suit,’” Forde said. “She has also demonstrated an excellent set of skills in the 400-meter hurdles. She’s just multi-talented.” Throughout the indoor season, Forde said Jones exceeded his ex-
pectations as a freshman, tallying 12 top ten performances, including her top places at conferences. Her nine points counted as nearly a fourth of the team’s total at championships. With her first college track & field season behind her, Jones looks forward to improving for the outdoor season. “I feel that indoor season went good for my first season, but now that I am getting used to college track and everything, I feel like outdoor season will be so much better,” Jones said. Though Jones’ specialty is competing in the multis events, which is the pentathlon in indoor and the heptathlon in outdoor, she is going to focus on individual events this outdoor season. In the first outdoor meet of the season, the March 19 Philadelphia College Classic at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field, Jones participated in the long jump, the 4x400 relay and the 400 hurdles, in which she took first place. Jones admits the high jump isn’t the only event she does well in, but it’s her favorite. “I just like how it is different from all the other events,” Jones said.
EVAN EASTERLING TTN
Freshman Crystal Jones ties her shoes in preperation for a recent practice.
“You’re like jumping backwards, basically. It’s a challenging event because you have to be flexible.” While in Colonial Forge High School in Virginia, Jones won five state titles in indoor and outdoor high jump. Her first title came her freshman year. Jones hopes to repeat her success by improving for the outdoor
conference championships and reaching her goals. “I’m excited for conferences because people usually do better during outdoor season and I feel like more people will come to outdoor conferences,” Jones said. * maura.lyn.razanauskas@temple.edu
SPORTS RECALLING THE PAST
thecherry.temple-news.com
COMING TO AN END
DECOSEY, DUNPHY HONORED
Quenton DeCosey and coach Fran Dunphy were honored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, Lauren Adee was promoted, other news and notes. PAGE 17
Crystal Jones has used her gymnastics backThe fencing team competed at the ground to help her compete in her first season NCAA championships, the final meet of as an Owl. PAGE 19 the season. PAGE 18
TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
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TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016
women’s basketball
GENEVA HEFFERNAN TTN
Tonya Cardoza (center), breaks the huddle during the Owls’ 75-61 win against Ohio University on Thursday, the team lost at Michigan the folowing game, 77-76.
IN WANING MOMENTS, LOSING GRIP The women’s basketball team’s season ended after a 77-76 lastsecond loss to the University of Michigan last night.
By CONNOR NORTHRUP The Temple News
I
n the fleeting moments of the game, the women’s basketball team’s season hung in the balance. A last-second heave from sophomore guard Alliya Butts took an unfavorable bounce off the rim in Ann Arbor, Michigan last night, and the final buzzer sounded before the Owls could manage another look. Butts’ miss was preceded by five persistent shots and four offensive rebounds from the University of Michigan in one possession, which resulted in the game-winning basket en route to a 77-76 win for the Wolverines against the Owls in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament quarterfinals. For the second straight season, Temple was eliminated from the WNIT. For one of the two departing seniors, the missed shot signified the end of a career. “It hurts, obviously,” senior guard Erica Covile said. “You never expect it to end like that, but it has to come to an end at some point.” Michigan freshman center Hallie Thome scored the eventual game-winning basket with eight seconds left after grabbing an offensive rebound and scoring a layup.The Wolverines
grabbed 26 offensive rebounds in the game. “All season we have been competing and fighting, changing our style, but to be honest I thought we lost on 50-50 balls,” coach Tonya Cardoza said.
It hurts, obviously. “ You never expect it to
end like that, but it has to come to an end at some point.
”
Erica Covile | senior guard
This year’s tournament marked the third time in Cardoza’s eight seasons she went to the WNIT. The first time came in the 2011-12 sea-
women’s tennis
WNIT | PAGE 18
GENEVA HEFFERNAN TTN
Senior guard Erica Covile shoots during the Owls’ 75-61 win against Ohio University. The game would be her second-to-last with the team, as the Owls fell to Michigan 77-76
The women’s basketball team will lose two seniors, but will bring in two high-level recruits to supplement the departures. By MARK McCORMICK The Temple News Temple’s season ended with a 77-76 loss to the University of Michigan at Crisler Center last night, ending the Owls’ Women’s National
Invitation Tournament run at the quarterfinals. While Temple missed the NCAA tournament for the fifth straight season, four starters—sophomore guard Alliya Butts, sophomore guard Donnaizha Fountain, sophomore guard Tanaya Atkinson and junior guard Feyonda Fitzgerald—will all return as a veteran core for the 2016-17 season. “Last year, it gave us a lot of experience playing in the postseason,” coach Tonya Cardoza said of last season’s WNIT Final-Four run. “They’re still learning and being in close
SENIORS | PAGE 18
After injury, Stuckey-Willis aims to return to court Monet Stuckey-Willis missed the fall season due to a lower back injury, which she suffered last May. By TOM IGNUDO The Temple News In May of her freshman season, Monet Stuckey-Willis started to have pains in the lower right side of her back. One month later, the now-sophomore was diagnosed with a stress fracture, sidelining her for the Owls’ fall season.
SPORTS@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
“It was really frustrating that I couldn’t play,” Stuckey-Willis said. “And watching everybody, it felt like a setback.” During Stuckey-Willis’ freshman season as an Owl, she posted a 19-7 singles record, which tied for the third-best by a freshman in school history with teammate Alina Abdurakhimova. Her 16-6 record in doubles also ranked fourth-best by a Temple freshman. From the summer until the second week of February, Stuckey-Willis visited with trainers Kendall Stewart and Ricker Adkins every day and did rehab three times a week. “We’ve been going easy right now,” coach Steve Mauro said about how they have worked Stuckey-Willis back into the
TENNIS | PAGE 17
KAIT MOORE TTN
Monet-Stuckey Willis practices at the Student Pavilion.