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VOL. 96 ISSUE 27
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TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2018
TRUSTEES
O’Connor wants to meet Feminist Alliance The organization has put its O’Connor Step Down campaign on hold because it is meeting with university officials. BY LINDSAY BOWEN
On-Campus Beat Reporter
B
oard of Trustees Chairman Patrick O’Connor said he is interested in meeting with Temple’s Feminist Alliance, months after the student organization first began calling for him to step down. Because of this, the “rallying and action-
based portion” of its O’Connor Step Down campaign is on hold, a statement from the organization reads, because organization leaders feel administrators are listening to their requests for “centralized and improved” sexual assault resources on campus. The Feminist Alliance, formerly named the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, made this decision after Elizabeth Olson, the Feminist Alliance member leading the O’Connor Step Down campaign, and Martha Sherman, the president of the organization, met with the Senior Adviser for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Valerie Harrison,
Dean of Students Stephanie Ives and Title IX Coordinator Andrea Seiss last month. During this meeting, Harrison told Sherman and Olson that O’Connor is interested in meeting with the organization soon. O’Connor confirmed his interest in meeting with the Alliance in an email to The Temple News. The Feminist Alliance has been protesting the dedication of O’Connor Plaza since it was established in September 2017. O’Connor, a partner at international law firm Cozen O’Connor and the namesake of the plaza, defended comedian and former
university trustee Bill Cosby in a 2005 civil suit against former university employee Andrea Constand. Cosby is being tried for three counts of aggravated indecent assault for allegedly sexually assaulting Constand in his Montgomery County home in January 2004. Although there is no definitive date set, the Alliance will spend “a lot of time” planning what members will say to O’Connor, Olson said. University response occurred after Sherman and other alliance members dis-
FEMINIST ALLIANCE | PAGE 2
MEN’S BASKETBALL
ON CAMPUS
Transition slows Owls’ progress The assistant sports editor argues that Aaron McKie shouldn’t have to wait to take over the program.
said. “You can stick with the stuff you know, stay safe and kind of just go from there, or you can try to dive into the stuff you don’t know.” “Fortunately [and] unfortunately, that’s what we’ve been doing,” he added. In order to build a drone that can fly on its own, McHugh said the team needed to utilize two different types of machine learning, a computer science field that uses statistical techniques to train computers to perform actions without human programming. One form of machine learning, a con-
Last week, the university announced associate head coach Aaron McKie will succeed coach Fran Dunphy at the end of the 2018-19 season. But before that happens, it’ll be “business as usual” for Temple, Dunphy said. And in recent history, that’s meant underperforming and missing out on the NCAA Tournament. So, why bring Dunphy back for a lame duck year? TOM IGNUDO ASST. Why not let McKie get accusSPORTS EDITOR tomed to his new role on the bench and allow him to immediately shape his program? “We just felt that this was the right time and the best course of action for where we are right now as a program,” Athletic Director Pat Kraft said. “We’re dialed into what we have,” he added. “We got a great coach in waiting, and we got a great coach right now.” But handing the keys to McKie for the upcoming season would speed up the process of getting the program back on track. It would also allow him to get his coaching staff and assistants in the building, which is one of many things Temple didn’t fully consider when laying out its plan to succeed Dunphy. Dwayne Killings, a former Temple assistant coach, is someone McKie could’ve added to his staff if Temple made an immediate transition. But Killings recently accepted an assistant coach position at Marquette University. If the
DRONES | PAGE 8
McKIE | PAGE 15
COLLEEN CLAGGETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS Students test a drone built from K’Nex pieces in an Introduction to Engineering & Engineering Technology class in the College of Engineering on Friday.
Students make drone for campus tours Four senior engineering students are building a self-flying drone they hope will give tours to prospective students. BY IAN WALKER
Assistant Features Editor Before he sends $1,000 worth of equipment into the sky, James McHugh wants to ensure it will come down safely. McHugh, a senior electrical engineering major, is constructing an autonomous, or self-flying, drone for his senior design project. Working alongside senior electrical engineering majors David Arnott, Jess Co-
hen and Jon Szynal, McHugh hopes to implement the technology to give self-guided campus tours for prospective students. The plan was inspired by a similar drone project, “SkyCall,” that was conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Senseable City Lab in 2013. Researchers at MIT built an autonomous drone for guiding students around campus. At Temple, the team had to dive into unfamiliar fields, like robotic operating systems and machine learning, that Arnott said aren’t heavily covered in the engineering curriculum. “When you start your senior design project, you can take it two ways,” McHugh
COSBY
Constand, mother questioned at Bill Cosby retrial Gianna Constand was questioned about her daughter’s credibility by the defense. BY GILLIAN McGOLDRICK News Editor
NORRISTOWN, Pa. — Former Temple employee Andrea Constand left the witness stand, and her mother took over as the next witness on Monday at Bill Cosby’s sexual assault retrial. The defense attempted to poke holes in Constand’s allegations by questioning her about the nearly 70 phone calls she made to Cosby after the alleged assault, her involvement in a “pyramid scheme”
at Temple and her sexual assault and conflict-of-interest training as a university employee, among other things. Constand, the former director of operations for women’s basketball, alleged she was drugged and sexually assaulted by Cosby, a former member of the Board of Trustees, at his Montgomery County home in 2004. Constand took the stand Friday morning when Cosby’s lead defense attorney Tom Mesereau set the foundation for his team’s attack on Constand’s credibility — the strategy the defense has employed since before the trial started. Mesereau accused Constand of violating her non-disclosure agreement to
the court for discussing her allegations with law enforcement. Constand filed a civil suit against Cosby in 2005 that resulted in a payout of nearly $3.4 million. Cosby was represented by Board of Trustees Chairman Patrick O’Connor during the suit. “You never talked to anyone about this case after he paid you all of those millions of dollars?” Mesereau asked Constand. Constand said she hadn’t, and Mesereau shot back, “Then what are we doing here?” The non-disclosure agreement allowed Constand to discuss her accusations when involved in a federal or state investigation, the prosecution said.
CONSTAND | PAGE 6
SYDNEY SCHAEFER / THE TEMPLE NEWS Bill Cosby is escorted into the Montgomery County Courthouse on April 13.
NEWS | PAGES 2-3, 6
OPINION | PAGES 4-5
FEATURES | PAGES 7-14
SPORTS | PAGES 15-18
Community organizations had differing opinions on Temple’s proposed Alpha Center, which would house an early education center. Read more on Page 2.
Two columnists sounded off on both medical and recreational marijuana use. Read more on Pages 4 and 5.
The DMAX Foundation helped create a student organization on Main Campus for students to discuss mental health. Read more on Page 7.
The men’s and women’s tennis teams will travel to Dallas for the American Athletic Conference tournament this week. Read more on Page 18.
NEWS TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2018
PAGE 2 COMMUNITY
Alpha Center project ‘continued’ due to concerns Temple administrators presented their plans to city officials, but no decision was made due to community disapproval. BY WILL BLEIER Copy Editor
After differing reviews from registered community organizations, plans for Temple’s proposed Alpha Center were presented in front of the Civic Design Review on April 3 and the City Council Rules Committee on April 9. The plans for the Alpha Center — a 70,000-square-foot facility proposed to be built on Diamond Street near 13th on a universityowned vacant lot — were not ruled on by the Civic Design Review and City Council Rules committees at their April meetings, city officials confirmed. During the April 3 Civic Design Review meeting, city officials said the matter was “continued,” meaning the university was instructed to continue developing the plan for the center, and appear again in front of the board for further evaluation. Similarly, at the April 9 City Council Rules Committee hearing, the bill was placed back in committee in the hopes that discussion on the matter can continue between the university and the community. The center will house a day care facility for 130 children, where College of Education students will gain experience in early childhood development, and also have a dental clinic and counseling services for the North Philadelphia community. Children of university employees will also be able to take advantage of the center’s services. To operate the facility Temple
would partner with Montgomery Early Learning Centers, a childcare provider that has partnered with area school districts like the School District of Philadelphia and Lower Merion School District. Temple is also seeking an amendment from city council to add space for the Alpha Center in its Master Plan for the project. Registered community organizations, which provide input on construction projects whenever developers have to present plans to the City Planning Commission or seek changes to current zoning laws, have differing views on the center. The Uptown Entertainment and Development Corporation RCO disapproved of the Alpha Center. Residents said they believe the center is a bargaining piece for residents to embrace Temple’s proposed on-campus football stadium. Residents also argued that by adding more services, it could hurt independent, existing services in the North Philadelphia community. UEDC determined it would not support the project last month. “Everybody who was here from the neighborhood and from the community were not in favor of it,” said Yumy Odom, the Uptown Entertainment and Development Corporation RCO chair. “UEDC RCO participants were also concerned about the competition for day-care centers in the neighborhood, owned and operated by local businesses,” the UEDC said in its March 20 letter to City Council, citing the findings of their meeting. But College of Education Dean Gregory Anderson said this claim about hurting local day cares is not valid, and sees the Alpha Center
functioning complementary to existing facilities. “The idea that we would create a glutton, and therefore actually inhibit early childhood centers from bringing in children is completely against the research and the data that indicates there are not enough early childhood spots available for children in Philadelphia,” Anderson said. “It’s unfortunate that an interpretation of us undermining the existing early childhood centers has emerged as one of the themes in the letter,” he added. The March 20 letter from UEDC also expressed the community’s concern that the facility would house drug rehabilitation programs. Anderson said the university currently has no plans to use the building for that purpose. Community residents have grown resistant to new developments by the university following the announcement of an impending proposal to the City Planning Commission for a 35,000-seat, on-campus stadium. University officials have said they plan to have all needed approvals for a stadium by June. Many residents at the April 3 and April 9 presentations at City Hall said they want to block the Alpha Center because of the proposed stadium. Anderson has been trying to distinguish the two projects. “The Alpha Center is perfectly aligned with both the history of the university and the social justice mission of the college,” Anderson said. “Whether the stadium happens or not has nothing to do with the fact that we should be meeting this critical need.” The center will provide the
VIA / CITY OF PHILADELPHIA The university hopes to gain city approvals for the 70,000-square-foot Alpha Center. The project would be built on Diamond Street near 13th.
opportunity for early childhood teaching internships for education students, while also meeting the necessary childhood, dental and medical needs of the community, Anderson said. Community residents also provided input about the Alpha Center during a Temple Area Property Association RCO meeting. In its March 30 letter to City Council, Nicholas Pizzola, the RCO’s vice president, said the organization will support the project. “These services will add to the well-being of the community, and we believe they will supplement, not compete, with the services provided by local day care centers,” Pizzola wrote in the letter. “Due to the benefits...that the Alpha Center will provide to the community, the TAPA RCO, supports the project.” Blondell Reynolds Brown, a city councilwoman at-large who heard Temple administrators and community residents at the April 9 meeting, said she hopes a partnership can grow from this debate.
“If there is sincere authenticity on behalf of all partners, then there is light at the end of the tunnel,” Reynolds Brown told The Temple News. “It’s not going to happen overnight, but there has to be a real level of commitment and a building of trust...which quite frankly does not exist now.” The university will reappear to propose its alterations to the project, but does not have an estimated time for completion if the project is approved. “I understand the historical tension, between the university and the community, but a lot of times when community members talk about that tension they don’t recognize that we have to start somewhere to improve it,” Anderson said. “We have to hit the reset button, we have to improve our historical relationship.” william.bleier@temple.edu @will_bleier
TSG
TSG helps create student government at Dunbar Students from Paul L. Dunbar School were elected to its new student government. BY ALYSSA BIEDERMAN TSG Beat Reporter
Temple Student Government is helping Paul L. Dunbar School create and run its own student government. The government, which is the first of its kind at the K-8 school on 12th Street near Cecil B. Moore Avenue, is open for sixth, seventh and eighth graders. TSG members meet with the student government every Friday to talk about the responsibilities of a student government and why it’s important to be civically engaged. About 20 Dunbar students were interested in running for positions after TSG first introduced the idea. Students could hold one
of four positions: president, vice president, treasurer or secretary. The students who were elected to this year’s student government said they want to start a mentorship program where middle school students mentor elementary school students and make art classes available at Dunbar. “I am a leader, and I like helping people,” said Moniyah Harvey, an eighth-grade student and Dunbar’s student body president. “I am interested in doing fun things for me and my peers.” “I believe I can make an impact in this school,” said William Barriner, an eighth-grader and student government secretary. “I want to make a change. I believe I can improve academics [at Dunbar].” Kayla Martin, TSG’s vice president of services, said she was interested in bringing student government to Dunbar because young
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 FEMINIST ALLIANCE rupted the Board of Trustees meeting on March 13. “What do you think of your colleague Patrick O’Connor?” Sherman shouted during the meeting. “How do you feel about his defense of Bill Cosby?” Sherman was escorted out of the meeting by Temple Police after she disrupted the meeting multiple times. Administrators are “pleased” with the ongoing conversation with the Feminist Alliance, Harrison wrote in an email. “The Title IX Coordinator, Dean of Students and I have begun what we hope will be regular meetings to share ideas and collaborate on prevention strategies to eliminate sexual violence,” Harrison wrote. “Chairman O’Connor could certainly be a part of that ongoing dialogue.” During the meeting, Harrison, Ives and Seiss also told Sherman and Olson that upon
News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com
people are often unaware of the change they can create through the democratic process. “Students don’t really understand the power they have in their own voices,” Martin said. “A lot of students think the world works a certain way, and they just have to submit to that. However, students have a lot of power to make changes that will affect their lives.” The faculty adviser for Dunbar’s student government is Anna Johnson, a middle school language arts and social studies teacher and a 2003 African American studies alumna. She said civic engagement is especially important in today’s political climate. “Because of the Black Lives Matter Movement, #MeToo, our current president, even our last president, children have an awareness of politics that the generation before them didn’t have,” Johnson
the completion of Charles Library in May 2019 and the subsequent relocation of the College of Public Health to the Paley Library building, the university plans to reallocate space in the Student Center for more student services related to sexual misconduct, like the Wellness Resource Center. “The university seriously considered the recommendation of [the Feminist Alliance] and [Temple Student Government] that, in absence of a stand-alone sexual assault center, the university attempt to provide a greater number of resources in one location,” Harrison wrote. However, it is too early to confirm how offices will shift around. But “options are being considered with this goal in mind,” Ives wrote in an email. This came as “a bit of a shock” to the Alliance because they haven’t heard much from the administration regarding their requests for improved on-campus sexual assault resources, Olson said.
added. “Being a part of that dialogue in middle school is a great way to prepare them for later in life.” Dunbar students said they wish Temple would get more involved at the elementary school. “Temple should interact with us more,” said Nastasja McGill, a seventh-grader involved in the student government. “You can come over here in your free time and help us with our work, because sometimes we don’t get that.” Johnson said more engagement with Temple would make students more willing to prepare for higher education. “It would really be cool if that university experience was extended to children in the area,” Johnson said. “It’s boring if your teachers and parents are saying you have to do well in school to go to a good high school and do well in college,
“For them to come out and say that they’re actually going to do what we want is really great,” Olson said. “If we hadn’t made a big scene and disrupted the Board meeting, I don’t think this would’ve happened.” As a part of its O’Connor Step Down campaign, the alliance has collected anonymous stories from students about their experiences with mental health and sexual assault resources on campus since November. Olson and Sherman presented about 40 stories that they gathered to Ives, Seiss and Harrison at their last meeting. The next meeting between the Alliance and university administrators will focus on these reports, Olson said. The Feminist Alliance was previously the student chapter of the national organization the Feminist Majority Foundation and named the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance. It formed in 2013. The Alliance changed its name and decided to become an independent student or-
but if someone who is 19 or 20 says it, it’s so much more influential.” The incoming TSG administration, IgniteTU, said it would continue collaborating with Dunbar, as well as create additional scholarships for North Philadelphia students to subsidize the cost of Temple’s tuition. “We want to talk to donors about starting scholarships for youth in the area,” said Student Body President-elect Gadi Zimmerman. “They’ve grown up around Temple their entire lives and if they want to come here, we want to give them that opportunity.” alyssa.biederman@temple.edu @BiedermanAlyssa
ganization because its views no longer align with the Feminist Majority Foundation, and the national organization never funded the alliance, Olson said. The student organization will continue to advocate for mental health resources, since many students frequently complain to the Alliance about three-week wait times at Tuttleman Counseling Services and staff members at Tuttleman not being traumainformed. “So far we’ve been talking a lot about location of the resources, but we haven’t really been talking about the quality of the resources,” Olson said. “We might try to push for the university conducting its own survey, because they can reach a larger audience by emailing it out to all students.” lindsay.bowen@temple.edu @lindsay_bow
temple-news.com @thetemplenews
NEWS TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2018
PAGE 3
ON CAMPUS
University receives second ‘It’s On Us’ grant State Gov. Tom Wolf allocated more than $25,000 to fund Temple’s It’s On Us initiative. BY LINDSAY BOWEN
On-Campus Beat Reporter
Temple received a second state grant of more than $25,000 last month to improve the university’s It’s On Us initiatives, which were initially funded by last year’s grant. The funds will be used to improve Temple’s sexual assault education programs, online sexual misconduct reporting system and other ways to increase awareness of on-campus sexual assault. It’s On Us, which launched in September 2014 under former President Barack Obama’s administration, is a national movement to end sexual assault on college campuses. The university and Temple Athletics joined more than 250 colleges and universities around the country in implementing the It’s On Us campaign in 2014. The state first gave Temple a grant of more than $25,000 in January 2017. The university is one of 39 colleges in the state to receive the grant as a part of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s 2017-18 state budget, in which $1 million is allocated for It’s On Us PA, a statewide version of the national campaign.
THE GRANTS The first grant funded a variety of projects to increase awareness of sexual assault on campus, Dean of Students Stephanie Ives wrote in an email. Ives played a large part in securing the first grant. The grant went toward creating focus groups with underrepresented student populations, like students with disabilities, international students, students of color and LGBTQ students, to understand their experiences with sexual assault resources on Main Campus. The money also supported the collection of data about students’ awareness of sexual misconduct
and support services like Tuttleman Counseling Services, Women Organized Against Rape and Andrea Seiss, Temple’s Title IX Coordinator. Additionally, dozens of educational materials like posters, flyers and bathroom signs “to educate students about the scope of sexual misconduct and the resources available for support and reporting” were covered by the grant, Ives wrote. The university was also able to conduct police training to improve officer response to people who report crimes of sexual violence with Women Organized Against Rape, an organization that offers a 24/7 hotline for survivors of sexual assault. Lastly, the 2017 grant money funded an online sexual assault reporting system, where survivors can name their attacker, comment on the nature of an assault and provide their name and contact information if they wish. Seiss is currently running the website and responds to reports. After the report is filed, Seiss reaches out to the survivor and offers them access to on-campus resources like Tuttleman Counseling Services and offers a time to meet to discuss their situation. If the report is anonymous, Seiss reviews the report and assigns it to a university or private investigator. Seiss, who recently returned from a trip to Temple University Japan to talk about Title IX and sexual assault resources, wrote in an email that she is excited about the second grant. The Temple News reported in November 2017 that TUJ had no on-campus sexual assault resources and doesn’t mention sexual assault in its student handbook. “We have spent a substantial amount of time focusing on breaking down the barriers to reporting, and this grant will allow us to assess the needs of our students abroad to see what we can best implement to encourage student reporting, and enhance all of our education and prevention
SYDNEY SCHAEFER / FILE PHOTO It’s On Us buttons are displayed in Founder’s Garden on Sept. 11 for the kickoff event for Temple’s chapter of the national initiative.
efforts,” Seiss wrote. The second grant of more than $25,000 will expand the projects that the first grant facilitated on all of Temple’s domestic and international campuses. “With these funds, we’ll work with each campus to create specific educational materials for their student populations and to improve students’ reporting options and experiences,” Ives wrote.
THE STUDENT ORGANIZATION Temple has a student chapter of It’s On Us which works to raise awareness about sexual assault and consent around campus. However, it does not see any of the grant money and was established independently from the university’s efforts, said Shira Freiman, the president of the chapter and a sophomore psychology major. Temple’s chapter of It’s On Us was established in September 2017 after Freiman sent in an application last summer. “This past year has been a lot of trial and error, just seeing what
works for our campus because it’s easy for national organizations to say what every campus should be doing,” Freiman said. “It will not necessarily work for every campus.” “It is so important to have students take initiative in leading conversations about sexual violence,” wrote Seiss, who is also the adviser for the It’s On Us student organization chapter. “The more we talk about these sensitive issues, the more survivors of sexual violence will realize they are not alone, hopefully leading more to come forward and get the support that they need.” Next semester, the It’s On Us student organization is working to bring in speakers and host workshops with the Wellness Resource Center, which offers discounted sexual protection supplies, free HIV testing and educational programming on campus. The student organization also hopes to build relationships with services on campus like Tuttleman Counseling Services, Freiman said.
The Interfraternity Council, along with several sororities, hosted a bake sale fundraiser for Temple’s chapter of It’s On Us on April 4 as a part of Greek Week. IFC decided to host the fundraiser for It’s On Us in light of “recent events within our community,” said Dominic Amalfitano, a junior criminal justice major and its vice president. Earlier this month, the university suspended social privileges for the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity because of “potential violations.” The university is not able to comment on the nature of the violations because the investigation is ongoing. “We figured it would be the perfect opportunity to bring several of our Greek chapters together to support an organization that we should all be advocates for as we strive to have positive influences on our surrounding community,” Amalfitano said. lindsay.bowen@temple.edu @lindsay_bow
ON CAMPUS
Some concerned about conditions on Ambler shuttles Some students said the buses that commute to and from Ambler and Main campuses were unreliable. BY MADISON SEITCHIK For The Temple News
Some students are concerned about the reliability of shuttle buses that transport students each day to and from Main Campus, the Health Sciences Campus and Ambler
Campus. There are seven buses that run from 6:50 a.m. to 11:50 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with shortened hours on Friday. There is a drop-off and pick-up location on 12th Street near Polett Walk. The shuttles are scheduled to depart from Main Campus 11 times per day, and more departure times were added in Fall 2017. Senior psychology major Charlotte Wells said that although the buses are usually
JAMIE COTTRELL / THE TEMPLE NEWS Shuttle buses pick up students, faculty and staff on 12th Street near Polett Walk before heading to Ambler Campus on March 26.
on time, she and “many of the people that ride the shuttle regularly have experienced the bus breaking down or the engine having problems during the ride.” Wells takes the shuttles every Monday and Wednesday to Ambler Campus for an internship. Wells said she on one trip in February, the bus was shaking and could not go faster than 30 miles per hour. “We continued driving and after about 30 minutes of alternating between driving slowly and pulling over,” she added. “The driver finally pulled over permanently, and we had to wait for the next scheduled bus to pick us up while our bus waited to be towed.” Wells said the driver told her there is one large school bus that is more reliable compared to most of the “nice” shuttles decorated in Temple’s logo. Wells said, however, the school bus had broken down the day before. Wells said these have been consistent issues this school year. “The university places a high value in the maintenance and the inspection of the fleet on a continual basis,” Assistant Vice President of Service Operations John Johnson said. “Any issues encountered are repaired immediately to ensure the safe conveyance of students.” Rafi Naseer, now a first-year graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in scientific writing, said he experienced the bus breaking down several times as an undergraduate. “My first semester at Temple, the bus
broke down on my first day...but ever since then I think it’s only broke down only one more time after that,” Naseer said. “Just a few times, d it’s been a few minutes late and then I’ll be late to class but for the most part it’s been pretty smooth.” Naseer added that many students have been inconvenienced by the recent change to the schedule and commuters who take early morning classes would be late unless they take the train. “A lot of my friends actually started to live on campus just to avoid that problem,” he said. Other students, like sophomore English major Rachel Stover said she has been “traveling on the shuttles since last summer and has never experienced any issues.” Johnson said Service Operations is working on a plan to update the shuttle buses. “We are always looking for opportunities to enhance service and satisfaction,” he said “This is a problem because I feel that the shuttle is otherwise a very helpful and reliable service,” Wells said. “However, the engine problems cause many students to be late to class and the unreliability of the buses poses a possible safety concern to the people on board considering that the drive is mostly on a highway.” madison.seitchik@temple.edu
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OPINION TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2018
PAGE 4 HEALTH
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EDITORIALS
Breaking the silence We are pleased with Patrick O’Connor’s responsiveness and hope he sets a date to meet with the Feminist Alliance. Board of Trustees Chairman Patrick O’Connor confirmed to The Temple News that he is interested in meeting with members of Temple’s Feminist Alliance, formerly known as the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance. The Feminist Alliance has been critical of O’Connor for representing former trustee Bill Cosby in a 2005 civil suit against former university employee Andrea Constand, who accused Cosby of sexual assault. Judge Steven O’Neill said during a pretrial hearing that O’Connor could be called to the stand as a witness due to his past involvement with Cosby. The student organization has been protesting the naming of O’Connor Plaza since its dedication to the Board of Trustees chairman in September 2017. O’Connor has been mum on protests by alliance members, and when The Temple News approached him for an interview on the matter on
Nov. 6, he declined. It’s always concerning when a person of power at our university refuses to speak with students. However, The Temple News is encouraged by O’Connor’s recent interest in speaking with Feminist Alliance members about important issues like sexual assault and his connection to Cosby. We’re glad O’Connor is finally responding to the unease of an organization of concerned students at our university. We will surely be watching and waiting to see if the proposed meeting comes to fruition, as no meeting date has yet been set. But O’Connor’s willingness to even consider a conversation must be viewed as progress. The Temple News is also thankful for the administrators who have met with Feminist Alliance members and heard them out long before O’Connor even considered doing so. We hope this willingness to communicate continues, so students’ concerns can be heard.
Support Alpha Center
Students need a policy about on-campus medical marijuana Students with a medical need for marijuana should be able to access it on Main Campus.
COURTNEY REDMON / THE TEMPLE NEWS
A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921.
I
n 2016, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf signed a law that legalized the use of medical marijuana in the state. In June 2017, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Pennsylvania Department of Health awarded 27 companies licenses to open up dispensaries around the state. According to a report from MONICA MELLON CNN, medical LEAD COLUMNIST marijuana is used to reduce pain, as well as the symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease. Cannabidiol, an active chemical in marijuana, offers numerous health benefits, according to The Washington Post. With the evidence supporting medical marijuana, along with the legalization across Pennsylvania, Temple needs to enact a policy that allows students with a stateissued medical marijuana card to safely use the substance on Main Campus. A student with a medical marijuana card who wishes to remain anonymous has reached out to Temple administrators inquiring about their rights to access and use medical marijuana on campus, but has been left without answers. “The City of Philadelphia effectively decriminalized possession of marijuana by reducing penalties and consequences for personal-use quantities of marijuana,” university spokesman Brandon Lausch wrote in an email. “As a result, Temple is monitoring regulatory guidance on how best to synchronize its policies with all current laws.” Since the university is eager
to be up to date with Philadelphia laws, it should take the same approach when creating an oncampus medical marijuana policy. “The city of Philadelphia is doing the same, and there’s an active discussion with all businesses,” said Chris Goldstein, a journalism instructor who teaches the class Marijuana in the News. “How do we accommodate patients in the workplace?” Enacting an on-campus medical marijuana policy should be obvious. This is a health need that should be addressed immediately. Massachusetts also legalized the use of medical marijuana in 2012. To accommodate students with a medical need for marijuana, Tufts University enacted a policy that offers students a way to fulfill their medicinal needs. Tufts doesn’t allow the use of marijuana on campus, but students with a medical marijuana card are permitted to submit a letter to the dean of student affairs to end their on-campus housing leases and relocate to an area off campus to use their medical marijuana. Arizona also made the distinction between medical marijuana use and recreational use by decriminalizing medical use and allowing it on college campuses. Temple should follow the lead set forth by these universities
and allow students to safely use medical marijuana. “I think they should [create a policy],” said Goldstein, who also writes a regular column on marijuana use for the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It’s something I’ve been bringing up with members of the administration and student government. It affects anyone, whether you’re a tuition-paying student or a staff or faculty member.” As of 2014, recreational marijuana use has been more accepted in Philadelphia. If students will not always be legally disciplined for having recreational marijuana off campus, they should not be disciplined for having or using their medical marijuana on or off campus. With Philadelphia’s acceptance of recreational marijuana, as well as the state of Pennsylvania’s acceptance of medical marijuana use, students should not have to fear being reprimanded by Temple. Temple needs to initiate a policy that invites students to safely use their medical marijuana throughout the school day if need be. It is unfair to make students wonder about their medical rights, especially in a city where marijuana use is widely accepted and understood. monica.mellon@temple.edu
Despite RCO concerns, The Temple News believes the proposed center would benefit North Philadelphians. Members of the Uptown Entertainment and Development Corporation, a registered community organization headquartered on Broad Street near Dauphin, unanimously opposed the university’s Alpha Center project in a letter to City Council on March 20. Another RCO, the Temple Area Property Association, in the jurisdiction approved the project. The Alpha Center is an initiative led by the College of Education to add services to the North Philadelphia community to meet a “critical need,” Dean Gregory Anderson told The Temple News. The plans for the proposed 70,000-square-foot facility on Diamond Street near 13th include an early childhood center for 130 children, a dental clinic and counseling services. The Uptown Entertainment and Development Corporation RCO opposed the project, citing concerns that the Alpha Center will only be used to negotiate with North Philadelphia residents to get them to approve the proposed on-campus football stadium. The group also argued the new center would negatively impact existing early childhood centers in the neighborhood by drawing children away from their
enrollment. We disagree with residents in the Uptown Entertainment and Development Corporation RCO who oppose the creation of services for Philadelphia’s children. The benefits of the proposed facility could be two-fold: our peers at the College of Education could receive meaningful, hands-on training by working there, and North Philadelphia residents could utilize the Alpha Center for childcare, as well as dental and counseling services. Contrary to the beliefs of the RCO members, the Alpha Center and on-campus stadium are unrelated. The Alpha Center was thought up by the College of Education specifically, while high-level university administrators are behind the stadium proposal. We hope city officials, along with members of the RCO, can separate this project from other ongoing proposals at the university. With the proposed Alpha Center, North Philadelphia residents could receive important services, and students could give back to the neighborhood where they live and learn. We’d hate to see this opportunity go to waste.
THE UNIVERSITY WILL NOT LEASE THE SPACE THAT CURRENTLY HOUSES TEMPLE UNIVERSITY FITNESS IN 2020. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?
56%
I’M UPSET, I LIKE WORKING OUT THERE.
44%
THAT’S OK, I PREFER IBC OR STAR.
Out of 356 votes since March 13
CORRECTIONS Accuracy is our business, so when a mistake is made, we’ll correct it as soon as possible. Anyone with inquiries about content in this newspaper can contact Editor-in-Chief Michaela Winberg at editor@temple-news.com or 215-204-6737.
letters@temple-news.com
May 4, 2009: Along the sidewalks of South Street, several hundred demonstrators marched and chanted with signs for the fifth annual Global Cannabis March. Smokers and non-smokers rallied to push for marijuana law reform. This week, two students wrote columns about marijuana-related issues. Lead Columnist Monica Mellon argued that the university needs to create a policy about on-campus medical marijuana use. Columnist Diana Cristancho expressed her concerns with the gentrification of marijuana and the discrimination against people of color who use it.
temple-news.com @thetemplenews
OPINION TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2018
PAGE 5
CLASSROOM
The SAT shouldn’t stifle divergent thinkers The SAT should be adjusted to acknowledge unconventional forms of intellect.
T
he Scholastic Assessment Test, widely known as the SAT, has been a controversial measure of intelligence since it was used for the first time in 1926. SAT supporters argue that the test is a good calculation of future success in college. Even though many colleges, including Temple, allow SAT score submissions to be optional, the test RACHEL BERSON is still a prevalent measure of academic performance. But it doesn’t measure the skills that are becoming increasingly necessary for college and modern society: critical thinking and problem-solving, also referred to as divergent thinking.
For applicants, Temple offers the Temple Option, an opportunity for people who do not wish to submit their SAT scores. The students who choose this path answer a few open-ended questions instead of submitting the scores. But many colleges still require applicants to submit SAT scores. I respect Temple’s approach, but there should be an effort to alter the SAT itself to be more responsive to other types of intelligence, instead of leaving it up to colleges to decide how important scores are. Saul Axelrod, a retired education professor who co-wrote “Psychology of classroom learning: An Encyclopedia,” said people working in education tend to look to tests as a way to predict how students will do in life. “They’ve turned out to be fairly good predictors of school and life success,” Axelrod added. Of course, I understand why
it’s necessary to estimate levels of intelligence. I simply don’t think this particular test is the most accurate way of doing so. Frank Farley, an educational psychology professor and former president of the American Psychological Association, said the SAT fails to measure divergent thought, which is a method of creative, nonlinear thinking to find possible solutions. Instead of testing based on prior knowledge, tests should measure a student’s ability to think divergently. “The survival skill of this century is going to be dealing with change, with uncertainty, with risk,” Farley said. “And those are the kind of qualities that we need to emphasize much more.” “You don’t measure those things with a multiple choice test,” Farley added. Farley said the SAT is no longer a viable indicator of the important aspects of intelligence that are relevant today. He explained
that the test measures a student’s knowledge, rather than their ability to think creatively. “And that’s a serious flaw,” he said. Farley said testing students on their divergent thinking is more important than testing students on convergent thinking, which is the practical process of thinking that helps with standardized tests. “The SAT is yesterday’s test,” Farley said. “We have to reconsider how we define higher education in the face of all these dramatic changes that are taking place.” According to Scientific American, divergent and convergent thinking both rely on things like concentration and mental flexibility. If that’s true, I don’t see why we can’t find a way to incorporate both skill sets into one test. While divergent thinking seems like a more unconventional form of intelligence, it’s not impossible to measure on paper. The Torrance Tests of Creative Think-
ing, a test to find gifted students, is the most widely known example of testing divergent thinking. This test requires students to generate answers and possibilities on their own, rather than responding to multiple choice questions. It includes verbal and figural tests. I don’t see why these kinds of tests aren’t used as college admissions tools, especially because they are proven to be better quantifiers of the skills necessary to operate in today’s world. Divergent thinking is a valuable form of intelligence, and the SAT disregards it completely. I commend Temple for instituting one alternative to the problematic standardized test, but we should take it one step further. Nationwide, we must utilize the tests that measure creative thinking. rachel.berson@temple.edu
When an offbeat venue turns out to be a home run A student remembers a lively concert experience at an unconventional venue. BY CHRISTINA MITCHELL
A
s a concert enthusiast, I have lost track of the number of musicians I have seen perform and the venues I’ve attended, especially since moving to Main Campus. My favorite bands and solo artists never miss Philadelphia when they go on tour. Every venue is a short subway or Uber ride away from my room in 1300 Residence Hall. I’ve been to concerts in smaller spaces like the Foundry in Fishtown, the Trocadero Theatre in Chinatown and even in church basements. I’ve also been a part of the seas of fans that show up to huge venues, like the Wells Fargo Center, the Electric Factory and even Temple’s own Liacouras Center. But a couple weeks ago, I was confused when I saw a venue listed
on my concert ticket that I’d never been to before. The concert for the bands Hot Flash Heat Wave, Surf Rock is Dead and No Vacation was at a venue called Everybody Hits. So I took to Instagram to find some pictures of the venue, and I was surprised to find that I’d be seeing these bands shred on their guitars inside batting cages on Girard Avenue. I guess that explained the name. “How are they going to pull this off?” I thought. I was wondering how the space could compensate for the lack of a stage and where the lights and speakers would fit in. I knew the three bands I was seeing weren’t mainstream or very well-known yet, but I still felt they could’ve booked a proper venue. Regardless of my concerns with Everybody Hits, I was actually excited to see what it would look like on the inside. I anticipated it would be on the smaller side, meaning the audience would feel closer to the bands.
On the night of the concert, I arrived at the venue with my friends when the doors were just opening. In keeping with the unconventionality of the experience, we had our hands stamped at the door and were immediately sent in with no wait. In the common area outside the actual batting cages, instruments, speakers and microphones were being set up for the show. We were a few of the only people in the building, even though the show was scheduled to start in an hour. As my eyes wandered around the room, I was drawn to the walls plastered with baseball cards, the arcade games tucked away in the corner, the string lights wrapped around support beams and, of course, the batting cages. We claimed our spots in the front as more people began to enter, just feet from the microphone — much closer than I have ever been to a band before. Surf Rock is Dead was the first band to come out on stage and per-
form its beachy, yet indie rock-influenced music. My favorite part of its set was the energy it delivered to the crowd and the laughs the members shared while performing together. During the show, each band cheered on the others that performed on stage, almost as if they were teammates on the same baseball team. The second band to hit the stage was Hot Flash Heat Wave, which was admittedly my favorite act. I prefer its music most out of the three. It’s similar to Surf Rock is Dead, with some ’60s classic rock-inspired tunes, mixed with modern, upbeat melodies. The crowd was caught off guard when one of the lead singers pulled out an accordion. I had never seen anyone play an accordion live until that moment — yet another thing I could add to the list of ways this concert stood out. Last was No Vacation. The band’s mellow, alternative sound contrasted its predecessors. In
spite of its more laid-back tunes, the group was equally lively. This concert stood out to me most of all because of the nonchalant attitude of the bands. People shouted song suggestions from the crowd, and band members responded conversationally. The lead singer of No Vacation had to take a bathroom break mid-set, and a guitarist drank a beer on stage and then passed it to a spectator in the first row. My friends and I danced and swayed to the rhythm of the songs without fear of embarrassing ourselves, and unlike at most concerts, I had my own personal space, despite the small venue. I can honestly say this was one of my all-time favorite concerts, and I think this is in part because of the relaxed vibe of Everybody Hits. I’m glad I can add the batting cage to the list of concert spaces I’ve been to, and I’m eager to find more offbeat Philly venues in the future. christina.mitchell@temple.edu
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Marijuana: criminal for some, celebrated for others We need to stop putting people of color in jail for using marijuana.
A
s I hear about more and more people being prescribed medical marijuana and read about cannabisinfused moisturizers becoming a trend, I can’t help but feel frustrated. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that people with anxiety are legally able to treat it with marijuana, and these glamorous lotions are definitely lessening the stigma of marijuana use by widening the demographic of consumers. But we can’t forget about the people who are facing lengthy jail time because of using or carrying the same substance. DIANA According to CityLab, CRISTANCHO in 2015, African Americans made up 30 percent of the United States’ population, while accounting for 77 percent of marijuana arrests. Meanwhile, white people only accounted for 4 percent of marijuana arrests that same year.
In May 2017, Vogue ran a story with the headline, “How Cannabis Is Fueling a New Fitness Movement” — displaying two slim white women in yoga poses as the featured image. The article described a yoga class in California, where recreational marijuana use is legal. During the class, the instructor directed participants to “take a puff” from their tetrahydrocannabinol vape pens before getting into their next pose. And after the class, the participants enjoyed cannabidiolinfused cocktails. These chemicals, also known as THC and CBD, are extracted from marijuana plants. The unfortunate truth is that people of color get thrown in prison for possession of the same substance that’s being glamorized by white people. “There is absolutely a double standard there,” said Max Weinberg, a sophomore criminal justice major. “People of color are getting mass incarcerated for the same [substance]. It sends the message that white people can get away with [using marijuana].” And the most devastating part is that
COURTNEY REDMON / THE TEMPLE NEWS
most drug arrests are for possessing only small amounts of marijuana, according to data collected by the American Civil Liberties Union from 2001 to 2010. The Drug Policy Alliance found that of the more than 600,000 people arrested in 2016 for marijuana law violation, 87 percent were arrested for possession only. Chmara-Huff said U.S. law enforcement has always targeted people of color. “If you look at the history of prohibition, alcohol was seen as the white man’s drug, and marijuana was seen as the Black man’s drug,” Chmara-Huff said. “And while we repealed
the prohibition against alcohol, we never repealed the prohibition against marijuana.” The celebration of consumption of marijuana is simply not fair when people of color are penalized for having or using the drug. Our justice system is flawed. And while change may not happen overnight, recognizing the gentrification of marijuana use is an important way to stop enabling unfair treatment and to call for legal reform that stops targeting people of color. diana.cristancho@temple.edu
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NEWS TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2018
PAGE 6 POLITICS
College Democrats host convention Mayor Jim Kenney and others involved in state and local politics spoke to students at the event.
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Saxbys begins new scholarship endowment Saxbys Coffee created the Saxbys Fellows Endowed Scholarships totaling in $60,000 for students, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported. Students must meet specific criteria to win the scholarships, which focus on strong community involvement. In January, Saxbys opened an experientiallearning cafe in Speakman Hall that is entirely operated by students in the School of Sports, Tourism and Hospitality Management. Students can earn academic credit and complete their senior and junior internship requirement by working at the cafe. The cafe hosted a pay-as-you-wish event in February, when people could pay any amount for their drinks to fund the scholarship endowment. The event raised $14,000 and the Maguire Foundation — a non-profit that provides scholarships to high school and college students — donated $10,000 to the endowment. Saxbys also started a fellowship program at the Community College of Philadelphia. The company donated $25,000 to the program. -Kelly Brennan
TSG
TSG applications open through Wednesday Temple Student Government is accepting applications for the 2018-19 academic year until 5 p.m. on Wednesday. Students have to fill out the application via Google Forms and submit a one-page resume. Students can apply to be a director in addition to positions on the ethics board and administrative team. IgniteTU won the 2018-19 executive elections and will be inducted on April 30 at the last General Assembly meeting of this academic year. The Temple News reported that IgniteTU wants dedicated and passionate students, with or without prior experience, to apply to be a part of next year’s administration. IgniteTU is led by President-elect Gadi Zimmerman, Vice President-elect of Services Trent Reardon and Vice President-elect of External Affairs Cameron Kaczor. -Kelly Brennan
ON CAMPUS
Former mayor John Street to speak at library event Temple Libraries and the Faculty Senate Committee on the Status of Faculty of Color will co-host their annual Chat in the Stacks program with former Mayor John Street, who is also a political science professor. The program honors faculty "who engage in compelling research and exemplary leadership,” according to the library’s website. This is the 10th annual Chat in the Stacks, which has featured faculty from across the country. The event is on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in the Ground Floor Lecture Hall of Paley Library. -Kelly Brennan
News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com
BY WILL BLEIER Copy Editor
Temple’s chapter of the Pennsylvania College Democrats Association hosted the PCDA state convention at Main Campus on Friday through Sunday. Sixty students from PACD chapters across the state attended panels centered around the convention’s theme: “We Are The Now.” PADC is an affiliate of the College Democrats of America, which is the student branch of the Democratic Party. Its purpose is to educate students on the ideals of the party and work to advance its platform. The convention is an opportunity for college Democrats across Pennsylvania to share ideas and learn more about the party. The event — which consisted of a banquet Friday evening, nine panel sessions on Saturday and elections for PACD state leadership on Sunday — hosted prominent speakers including Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and state Sen. Sharif Street. Three Temple students were elected to PACD state leadership positions: Junior political science major Jordan Laslett is the president, sophomore political science major Benjamin Aitoumeziane is the eastern vice president and Temple College Democrats president and junior strategic communication and political science major Christina Borst is the state council chair. Kenney spoke at the opening of the convention Saturday morning.
“I’m 59 years old so I know I’m like a relic as far as you’re concerned, but you really need to step up, and you are stepping up by being involved in this type of organization,” Kenney said to the crowd. Borst said she was excited for the opportunity to meet other young political leaders. She and Ronald Joseph, who is the PACD chairman and a senior political science major, wanted the event to showcase how young people can be a part of politics now, instead of the future. “It really goes back to the importance of mobilizing young people, connecting young people to each other… and really just to convene us all here and to focus on the importance of not only being the future of our country but being the now,” Borst said. “It’s never too early to be involved,” Kenney told The Temple News. “It’s never too early to register to vote, or to be involved in volunteer efforts to change your country, change your city, change your state, and I’m very proud of them that they are agreeing to do that.” Sammie Konecki, a junior history major at West Chester University, attended this weekend’s event. She said she enjoyed seeing people she met at last year’s convention. She added that the outcome of the 2016 presidential election was upsetting, but helped motivate her. “I was devastated when [President Donald Trump] was elected, and now I finally feel like I’m doing something about it,” Konecki said. “It feels really good and, better yet, I’m doing it with... absolutely amazing people that share
my values, share a common vision for our country and the world.” One panel at the convention, which was moderated by Borst, called “Governing Today” focused on how young people and the rest of the public can become better at navigating government. Panelists at that discussion included students like senior political science major George Basile, who is also an advocate for on-campus recovery housing, and Madeline Clapier, who is a senior history major and scheduler for state Rep. Donna Bullock. Frank Iannuzzi, who is the legislative director for Philadelphia City Councilman At-Large Derek Green, Andre Del Valle, a legislative aide for Philadelphia City Councilwoman Maria D. Quiñones-Sánchez and Numa St. Louis, a political and policy advisor for U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, also sat on the panel. They answered questions about what their days are like and how they handle accomplishing things despite opposition. Kenney said young people must be ready to get involved in politics, as older members of government look to retire. “Older people tend to push younger people aside and say they’re not ready, they’re not mature, they’re not experienced, I don’t believe that,” Kenney said to The Temple News. “I think they are experienced as anyone, have great ideas and need to bring those ideas forward.” william.bleier@temple.edu @will_bleier
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONSTAND Mesereau also brought up the defense’s key witness Marguerite Jackson, an academic adviser in the Boyer College of Music and Dance. Jackson alleges that she while working as an academic coordinator for the women’s basketball team, Constand told her she could monetarily profit from accusing a celebrity of sexual assault. Constand testified she remembers hearing Jackson’s name but does not remember having a conversation with her. Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Steve T. O’Neill has not yet ruled whether he would allow Jackson to testify. His ruling will depend on whether Constand testified that she knew Jackson. But sparks flew between her mother, Gianna Constand, and Cosby’s defense attorney, Kathleen Bliss, Monday afternoon. Bliss questioned Gianna Constand about her relationship with her daughter. Gianna Constand testified that she is very close with her daughter and spoke to Andrea Constand frequently during her 18 months employed by Temple. Bliss then attempted to show that Gianna Constand did not know everything going on in her daughter’s life, and therefore wouldn’t know if she was “having an affair” with Cosby. Bliss listed several jobs and career opportunities that Gianna Constand was unaware of at NBC and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, that Andrea Constand interviewed for because of her connection to Cosby. She also alleged that Andrea Constand was close to losing her job at Temple due to poor performance and that the university was pursuing collections for money owed by her, which Gianna Constand said she didn’t know about either. At one point, Gianna Constand said “Don’t talk to me like that” to Bliss during questions about how much she
POOL PHOTO VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS / MARK MAKELA Andrea Constand testified at the Montgomery County Courthouse for Bill Cosby’s sexual assault retrial. She has accused Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 2004.
knew about her daughter. In another instance, Gianna Constand asked Bliss if she was trying to “trick” her. The court also heard a 2005 audio recording between Gianna Constand and Cosby, in which Cosby offers to pay for Andrea Constand’s schooling. In this call, Gianna Constand tried to ask when Cosby would send her the name of the drug he gave to her daughter when she was allegedly assaulted. “Just because I’m concerned, I don’t know how it affected her and I wanna know,” Gianna Constand told Cosby in the 2005 call. “I don’t think so, duh I wouldn’t even worry about it if I were you,” Cosby replied. “I’m serious about this.” The District Attorney’s office continued with its strategy to draw parallels between the allegations of Cosby’s other accusers, who testified last week, and Constand’s. All five women who were allowed to testify told the court that Cosby tried to mentor them in some way — wheth-
er it was in acting or modeling — and when the women met with Cosby, he gave them alcohol, small blue pills or both. The women said their memory of the alleged assaults are hazy, but recall Cosby assaulting them in some way after taking the pills or accepting drinks. Andrea Constand described her relationship with Cosby as a mentorship because Cosby wanted to help her break into the broadcasting industry. Andrea Constand alleges that Cosby gave her small, blue pills and a glass of wine, which rendered her immobile and unable to speak. She woke up to Cosby assaulting her, and she was limp and unable to speak, she testified on Friday. Cosby is charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault. gillian@temple.edu @gill_mcgoldrick
temple-news.com @thetemplenews
TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2018
PAGE 7
ON CAMPUS
Club fosters ‘honest’ dialogue on mental health Parents who lost their son to suicide helped create a club that promotes open discussion of mental health. BY EMMA PADNER
For The Temple News
D ERIN BLEWETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS Lee Maxwell (left) and Laurie Burstein-Maxwell hold a photo of their late son, Dan, in their Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania home on Friday. The parents created the DMAX Foundation in Dan’s memory to help end the stigma surrounding mental health.
ERIN BLEWETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS Left: Sports trophies and photos of Dan Maxwell decorate the family’s living room. Right: Maxwell and Burstein-Maxwell created a poster with print-outs of Facebook posts from friends and family about Dan after he died in 2013.
ON CAMPUS
an Maxwell seemed to have everything going for him. He was a three-sport athlete, playing lacrosse, football and basketball, and was a member of the National Honors Society. But simultaneously, he struggled with his mental health, and he felt like he couldn’t talk about it with his peers. “The extent that talking could have made his life easier and he could still be here today, would make our lives easier,” said Lee Maxwell, Dan’s father. “No talking happened, and so that is something we want to change.” In 2013, Laurie Burstein-Maxwell and Lee Maxwell lost their son Dan to suicide. He was 18 years old and had just graduated from Radnor High School in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Following Dan’s death, the Maxwells were open about his mental health struggles. They wanted to turn their tragedy into hope by helping other young people have safe spaces to talk about their emotional pain. “Dan did not have that audience at Radnor High School,” his father said. “He didn’t feel like he could talk to his athlete buddies. Even we, as adults because of the stigma, didn’t feel comfortable with sharing our issue with our friends.” The family founded the DMAX Foundation, which they named after Dan, in
MENTAL HEALTH | PAGE 11
ON CAMPUS
In Fortnite, fighting for virtual survival Many students have started playing the survival video game Fortnite. BY CLAIRE WOLTERS For The Temple News
In their off-campus apartment earlier this month, Ryan Michener and Tommaso Stalletti had just started another round of the survival video game Fortnite — the popular video game that has taken over the free time and weekend plans of many students. Michener, a junior finance major and four-time Fortnite winner, plays first. In the game, a storm is coming, which, in Fortnite terms, means all players must run toward a circle, the location of which is pointed to by a white arrow on a small map. The purpose of the storm is to draw players together and to force them to kill each other. Failure to make it to the circle will cause Michener to lose “health,” a measurement dictated by a green meter at the bottom of the screen. Health, when depleted, will end his life in the game. Michener has yet to see other players on the screen and is waiting for another player to pop on the screen at any moment. “I hear somebody!” Michener said. “F---!” For Michener and all but one of the 99 other players in the round, death is their shared ending. That’s because winning requires one task: to outlive everyone else. Fortnite was released on July 25, 2017, and, as of
FORTNITE | PAGE 13
MATT ALTEA / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple’s chapter of United Muslim Relief and the Organization of African Students auctioned student art in Mitten Hall on Sunday as part of an event about Nigerian maternal health care.
Students fundraise for Nigeria Two student organizations hosted a gala to raise awareness about Nigeria’s maternal health crisis. BY LAURA SMYTHE & CLAIRE WOLTERS For The Temple News
While helping Temple’s United Muslim Relief chapter plan this year’s fundraising event, Jide Soyinka, the Organization of African Students’
fundraising chair, brought up an idea that hits home for him. “Multiple times my mom has told me that I almost died and she almost died while giving birth to me,” said Soyinka, a junior biology major who was born in Nigeria. “The health care, the supplies, the doctors, they aren’t as well-informed and the supplies aren’t the top-notch supplies you would get here in the U.S.” Every year UMR collaborates with a different student organization to hold a
fundraising event, highlighting a specific area in the world less fortunate than the United States. This year, they reached out to OAS to focus on Nigeria’s maternal health care crisis. The groups have been working on “Ekaabo: A Night in Nigeria” since the end of Fall 2017. The organizations hosted “Ekaabo” in Mitten Hall on Sunday. The student groups aimed to raise awareness about
MATERNAL HEALTH | PAGE 14
CHEMISTRY | PAGE 8
LIVE IN PHILLY | PAGE 10
MILITARY | PAGE 11
HONORS | PAGE 13
A 2000 chemistry alumna created an organization to help get young people in Philadelphia interested in forensic science.
The Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation hosted a spring block cleanup on Saturday.
Sally Stenton, a 2017 master’s of law alumna, will speak at a women veterans forum on Wednesday in the Student Center.
The Honors Program is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month with a gala event on Saturday.
FEATURES TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2018
PAGE 8 PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Offering a ‘starting point’ for forensics career Antoinette Campbell, a 2000 chemistry alumna, founded a nonprofit to educate people about forensic science. BY MICHAELA ALTHOUSE For The Temple News
Antoinette Campbell never knew her childhood love of puzzles and crosswords combined with her passion for science would lead her to become a forensic scientist. As a child, the Philadelphia native did not even know the job existed. “I did not have any plans on becoming a scientist because that wasn’t a field that was introduced to me at a young age,” said Campbell, a 2000 chemistry alumna. While at Temple, Campbell was a pre-pharmacy major and had an interview with the Philadelphia Water Department. That’s when she learned there were openings in forensics. Now 42 years old, Campbell wants to get young Philadelphians interested in the forensics field. Forensics is the application of science to the detection of crime. After spending a decade working as a forensic scientist and in quality assurance with the Philadelphia Police Department, she founded the Association of Women in Forensic Science in 2010 to provide networking opportunities and programs for female forensic professionals, college students and teenagers. Campbell said she was inspired to create AWIFS after she received a large number of emails from college students, parents and professionals who wanted to learn more about forensics. She first developed a website with information about
college forensics programs and tips on how to prepare for a career. She said she wants people to know that forensics is a STEM career and it requires a degree. Most people assume it is related more to investigation and criminal justice, she said. “It’s an organization that serves a population of people who are just interested in getting resources about forensic science,” Campbell said. “It gives them a starting point as to where they can find information.” Campbell has hosted networking events to connect people working in forensics with college students pursuing a career. AWIFS also conducts a youth workshop series, Club Philly Forensics, for students ages 12 to 18. The workshops, which are held once or twice per week, teach students about forensic chemistry and biology, as well as topics related to criminal justice, like violence, crime, drug use and addiction. Her friend and fellow AWIFS colleague, Neisha Rose, said the organization’s work is important to show students the realities of forensics. “You’re dealing with investigations involving people who were murdered or sexually assaulted,” Rose said. “And you, as a forensic scientist, need to be completely detached from that.” Campbell said she wants her students to learn about all aspects of the criminal justice system, and how forensic science plays a role. “I just wanted to help kids learn about forensic science,” Campbell said. “I wanted to guide them and give them more direction and give them the information they need to
JAMIE COTTRELL / THE TEMPLE NEWS Antoinette Campbell, a 2000 chemistry alumna, works as a civilian chemist with the Philadelphia Police Department’s Office of Forensic Science and runs her own nonprofit, the Association of Women in Forensic Science.
get in the field.” Many people, Campbell said, run into the obstacle of not realizing the various careers in forensics, like crime scene technician, forensic biologist and psychologist, and they get lost deciding which to pursue. She helps by providing information on each job and figuring out where her students thrive. Her workshops and website look at various crime-solving techniques, and what future forensic scientists should know about psychology and testifying on trial. In addition to AWIFS, Campbell performs community outreach with local health and
science institutions. Recently, she led a field trip for students to attend the Cradle2Grave program at Temple University Hospital to learn about gun violence. “Hopefully I will be able to expand so I can help those kids and parents who live in other cities who cannot attend the workshops,” Campbell said. “That’s the goal, to be able to help as many youths and families as I can.” Although the primary focus of AWIFS is to encourage women to join the forensics field, Campbell said she also wants to promote racial diversity. One of the reasons she started her project was because she didn’t see anyone in forensics
and science who looked like her. Campbell has dreams of expanding her small organization globally, but right now she works to provide workshops to as many people interested in the Philadelphia area and New Jersey. “I’m just a one-woman show,” Campbell said. “I do a bit of everything.” “The world we live in is diverse,” she added. “Obviously from my experience I wanted to bring those opportunities to a lot of African-American youth, but, as well, it’s for all youth, all colors.” michaela.althouse@temple.edu @michaela_kla
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DRONES volutional neural network, is used to gather and store visual information from the two cameras attached to the front of the drone. The other method is called imitation learning, which refers to how the drone is trained through a series of tests to avoid colliding with obstacles like buildings and light posts. Without flying the actual drone, McHugh said the group has performed tests using a simulator that reproduces a threedimensional city environment. Through each test, McHugh said the drone improves its flying behavior based on the imitation-learning algorithm that he programmed. On March 22, Arnott, McHugh and their project adviser, electrical and computer engineering professor John Helferty, attended a conference at Drexel University, “Philly in Flight,” which focused on the future use of drones in the city. Helferty said the Federal Aviation Administration is looking to establish “test bench” cities for incorporating drones in urban environments. Currently, FAA regulations mandate that small drones always remain in the sight of the pilot or visual observer. They also cannot fly above people uninvolved in the operation of the drone, ruling out most practical applications in cities. If these restrictions are lifted, Helferty said, it will spur innovation in both commercial and municipal projects. In Philadelphia, he said the Streets Department and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation may be able to employ drones to assist in bridge inspections. “Usually you got a guy out there with a pair of binoculars trying to
look and see if the structure’s OK, or he’s got to strap on some gear and go climb that bridge,” Helferty said. “You’re getting a bird’s eye view [by using drones.]” Before the senior design group can stage a drone flight on Main Campus, Arnott said they need to receive permission from the university’s Office of Risk Management and Treasury, which handles Temple’s insurance coverage and risk management procedures. Arnott and McHugh added they won’t have a drone ready to give campus tours by the end of the semester. Having documented every step of their design process, they hope a new senior design group can take over the project next year. Because the group focused this year on the more fundamental problems of building algorithms to train the drone, Arnott said the next group of students can tackle smaller problems, like programming the drone to obey traffic signals. “Right now we’re just trying to get this thing in the air, but there’s a lot of things to take in account,” Arnott said. “Like if a person gets too far away from the drone, it should wait. We had a solution to that, but we didn’t have time to implement it.” After graduation, McHugh said he’s excited to continue working on projects related to machine learning. Though neither he nor Arnott plan to work directly with drones, the pair said they’re excited to see new applications that go beyond basic package delivery. “Once you have this creative option open, you’re going to find people doing crazy stuff with it,” Arnott said. ian.walker@temple.edu @ian_walker12
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Chinatown neighborhood hosts block cleanup Each year, the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation hosts its annual Chinatown Spring Cleanup event. More than 200 attended this year’s event on Saturday, bringing with them brooms and shovels to clean both residential and commercial streets in the neighborhood. During the early morning registration, Our Brothers Place volunteer Calvin Helton reminded the participants to be mindful of the homeless population in Chinatown. Our Brothers Place is a men’s day shelter on Hamilton Street near 9th. “We always do this to give back,” Helton said. “We want to show that we’re part of this community.” A majority of the volunteers were Asian-American students from local high schools. The Independence Blue Cross Blue Crew, led by Joel Catindig, also helped clean the neighborhood. The Blue Crew is IBX’s volunteer program for its associates. “We’re here to help out the community and promote a sense of racial diversity and inclusion for the AsianAmerican community,” said Catindig, IBX’s associate communications and engagement manager. The Blue Crew was joined by Chinatown resident John Comiskey to assist in the cleanup. “I walk by this place every day, and I was about to come out here with my own bags and clean up the place because this is my home and I hate to see it like this,” said Comiskey, a 2015 risk management and insurance alumnus.
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PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Advocate for women in military to speak at forum Sally Stenton, a 2017 master’s of law alumna, is a retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force. BY SYLVAIN BATUT For The Temple News
While serving in the United States Air Force, Retired Lt. Col. Sally Stenton said she felt her opinions were often devalued by other officers because she was a woman. At the time, she was in charge of enforcing the rules of engagement, or ensuring the military abides by the rules decided by its leaders. She also handled complaints of criminal law within the Air Force under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including discrimination complaints. But Stenton said she often felt disregarded when regulatory decisions were made. “There’s always a fear, because people who discriminate against you are usually more powerful than you and can be very pervert in their actions,” Stenton said. “I tried to adjust, but [it] unfortunately never got me very far. Some women were very successful when they brought [discrimination] up, some others weren’t.” Six years later, Stenton, a 2017 master’s of law alumna in trial advocacy, advocates for other women in the military and is a member of the National Organization for Women, a U.S. feminist organization with more than 500 chapters. Stenton will speak at the Military and Veteran Services Center’s Women Veterans Forum on Wednesday in Student Center Room 200. This year’s theme is “Her Story: She Wore Her Boots With Pride — Rising Above Adversity.” Before her service in the military, Stenton worked in law enforcement. “I ended up suing my employer for harassment, and won the lawsuit,” Stenton said. “I was #MeToo before it was a thing.” Stenton views this feat as a defining moment in her career as the first time she stood up for herself within a male-dominated field. Stenton added that she wants to continue to use her story to advocate for women. “At the age I am now, and position that I’m in, I have a lot more freedom to address these issues without fear of retribution or losing my livelihood,” Stenton said. Stenton, who received her law degree from Rutgers University in 1990, served in the Air Force for 21 years, and was deployed to Kuwait in 1999. She was stationed in Germany in 2005 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the effort on behalf of the U.S. to combat global, radical extremism. She also served in Afghanistan in 2010. While there, she served as a legal adviser on human rights law and internal rules for the Afghan Air Force. She was responsible for training lawyers and paralegals who would become part of the newly built Afghan Air Force, developed from the former Afghan National Army Air Corps. Stenton retired from the Air Force in 2012 and became an adjunct law professor at Rutgers University. But she yearned to practice law again. “I wanted to do the best I could for my clients, and that meant getting more education in the area of litigation,” Stenton said.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 MENTAL HEALTH September 2013, just a few months after he died. The foundation works to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health issues and create spaces where young people can talk about the emotional pain they face. To organize these discussions, the foundation established several student-led organizations at Penn State University, Drexel University, Elon University and, most recently, at Temple earlier this semester. “It’s to create an environment so students can have honest, everyday conversations about mental health and...help each other,” said Burstein-Maxwell, a 1981 Ph.D. psychology alumna. “So the clubs are about talking about topics related to mental health on a personal level.” In Fall 2017, Tuttleman Counseling Services relocated to a larger space at 1700 N. Broad Street. Since then, wait times to see a specialist have decreased, but some students are unable to receive services during walkin hours once the office reaches capacity at 35 students, The Temple News reported in
She attended the Beasley School of Law to update her skills and learn more about technology’s role in modern litigation. She now works for a firm in Runnemede, New Jersey. Stenton said her experience has also helped her advocate for women’s rights. In her career, she has seen women not earn the same military decorations as their male peers despite doing the same work. “Very often, I was the only female in whatever I was engaged in,” Stenton said. According to the Pew Research Center, women make up 19 percent of the U.S. Air Force. Stenton’s experience in Afghanistan was a defining part of her career as a woman in the military, she said. “When I was in Afghanistan, everybody that I advised, all the Afghans, I was the only female,” Stenton said. “It was a very interesting experience, because they have a very different view of women, but I was always treated with great respect.” Laura Reddick, the associate director for adult and veteran student recruitment at Temple, selected Stenton to be this year’s speaker at the Women Veterans Forum. Reddick said as a woman veteran who stood up for herself in both civilian and military life, Stenton had the perfect profile to be a speaker. “We tried to look at possible speakers a year in advance, and Sally’s story was amazing,” Reddick said. “The theme is rising above adversity. We
“HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE 76ERS MAKING THE PLAYOFFS?
RASHID DAVIS Freshman Civil engineering
In [my hometown Washington, D.C.], we haven’t been winning that much, so coming here it’s like a really good excitement. I’m just really happy to be a part of it. … I just hope that they win the title...unless if they face the [Washington] Wizards in the [Eastern Conference] Finals, then I gotta go with them.
At the age I am now...I have a lot more freedom to address these issues without fear of retribution or losing my livelihood.
CIARAN MALLEY Freshman Biochemistry
SALLY STENTON
2017 MASTER’S OF LAW ALUMNA
have this event so women like her could tell about their challenges and their successes.” Joy Parker, a 2017 master’s of law alumna in trial advocacy, had classes with Stenton at Beasley. They became close friends during their time together in the program. Parker said she was inspired by meeting and befriending Stenton, whom she described as a strong feminist who helps other women. “She takes action in her fight for equality and justice,” said Parker, now a public defender in Phoenix. Parker added that Stenton’s experience and performance at Beasley make her a great role model for women. “I can’t even do justice for the story of her experience,” Parker said. Stenton said she was excited, honored and humbled to be chosen as the guest speaker at the event. “I hope I can have an impact with what I say,” Stenton said. “This theme is my story, and I will tell it.” sylvain.batut@temple.edu @sylvain31000
October 2017. Heather DeSalvo, a sophomore neuroscience major and the vice president of Temple’s DMAX club, said she tried to make an appointment at Tuttleman once and was told she had to wait a month. “That’s a big problem especially for students who are just trying to deal with this stuff when they have other stuff to do,” DeSalvo said. Before establishing a college club, the DMAX Foundation reaches out to the university’s counseling center and then the student affairs department. “The DMAX Club at Temple’s mission is an important one and I’m sure they’ll benefit the Temple community for years to come,” Dean of Students Stephanie Ives wrote in an email. The foundation uses the counseling center to train student leaders on how to talk, listen and handle emergencies with members, Burstein-Maxwell said. They need to make sure that the student leaders aren’t trying to act as therapists, but instead are holding a conversation for the students. The club leaders are also trained to recognize when
Huge, huge, huge. It just brings the city alive. … Especially seeing Markelle [Fultz] come back was just amazing, watching him grow throughout the season. … Everywhere you go, everyone is just so excited about everything. … Philly has the best fans in the world.
KATHLEEN MECCA
Sophomore Management information systems
I’m a huge Eagles fan, and people doubted the Eagles all year and they said that, ‘No, they could never beat Baltimore, they could never beat New England,’ and they did. And people are saying the same thing about the Sixers, but I am really hoping that [they’ll win] especially after their great season and comeback.
they cannot handle a situation and the student should talk to a counselor. DeSalvo helped found Temple’s chapter with sophomore engineering major Michael Nghe, who is now the club’s president. The two got involved when the Maxwells attended a Health and Wellness Fair on Main Campus in October 2017. In high school, DeSalvo was involved with mental wellness projects. She hosted an anti-stress paint event her senior year and blogged for a suicide prevention hotline website. Once at Temple, she said she wanted to continue her efforts by helping found the DMAX chapter. “With the number of students going to college and the workplace, stress is a big problem, and that’s probably the main source of a lot of mental health problems,” DeSalvo said. “It’s something that affects everybody.” The DMAX Club at Temple plans to host events next semester that promote mental wellness and help normalize conversations about mental health. The club will host its next meeting on April 30 at 6 p.m. in Room 223 of the Student Center. The group also plans to have a
table at Temple Fest, an event hosted during Welcome Week each August to introduce students to clubs on Main Campus. “A lot of the time people feel like they can’t talk to anyone...when in reality all you need is to talk to somebody about it and have somebody listening,” DeSalvo said. “And that’s what we want to do.” The Maxwells hope through the expansion of the foundation and college chapters that people will be able to talk more comfortably about mental health. They also hope that the DMAX Foundation can become a national organization. “We felt that the things that [Dan] suffered...in terms of silence when he was here and not being able to talk to people is something we could do something about,” his father said. “The world needs to know that you can be dealing with some issues and you can be high-functioning, nice people.” emma.padner@temple.edu @emmapadner
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After 30 years, Honors celebrates its past, future The Honors Program will recognize its 30th anniversary on Saturday with a birthday gala fundraiser. BY EMMA KULICZKOWSKI For The Temple News
When the Honors Program was housed in Ritter Annex, Senior Director Ruth Ost said its space there was only “as big as a closet.” In 1999, the office relocated to the second floor of Tuttleman Learning Center. The program grew into the new office and a student lounge big enough to fit the increasing number of Honors students. Since its inception, the program has grown from about 250 students to more than 2,000 today. On Friday and Saturday, faculty, staff, alumni and donors will celebrate and raise funds for the Honors Program in recognition of its 30th anniversary. The celebration will begin on Friday at 7 p.m. with a Distinguished Alumni Talk, held on the first floor of Tuttleman. Mena Mark Hanna, a 2006 music composition alumnus will be given the new Distinguished Alumni Award, created by the Honors Alumni Council. Hanna is the founding dean of the musicology and composition program at the Barenboim– Said Academy, a music conservatory in Berlin. The second day of celebration will be a birthday gala at the Ruba Club in Northern Liberties at 6 p.m. This weekend’s events mark the first time the Honors Program has celebrated an anniversary since its inception, said Ost, who has worked in Honors for the last 23 years. She said this anniversary represents a landmark moment in the history of the program. “You’re on the cusp when you’re 30,” Ost said. “You’ve got the whole future ahead of you, and we’re at that place right now. We’ve crossed that big divide, and so now we will see what the future holds.” In addition to celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Honors Program is also fundraising. Zach Martin, the program’s senior academic adviser who organized the celebratory weekend, said the Honors Program will use the money from Saturday’s gala to start a new microgrant program. “Because it’s the 30th anniversary, we’ve been thinking about our alumni and the past of Honors and thinking about the future of where Honors is going,” Martin said. Students can use these microgrants for anything from funding a monthly SEPTA pass to commute to an internship or putting on a small art show. “We are thinking very broadly about it,” Ost said. “It’s to acknowledge the creativity of our students and to say, ‘Here’s a little
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 FORTNITE this March, has climbed to the top of the iTunes charts in 13 countries. It’s free of charge and accessible on almost all gaming devices, including on an Xbox, PlayStation, PC, Mac and iPhone. As a result, Fortnite can be played practically anywhere, anytime. Michener and Stalletti
bit of money we might be able to share with you to create a project that you can’t otherwise do.’” Previously, the program never had the budget to do something like this. “We are hoping that the alumni will appreciate the value of the Honors Program and contribute to help be the life support for [current students],” Ost said. The Honors Program has changed extensively during its 30 years of existence. The program originally only lasted for two years, but in 2004, it grew to become a full, four-year program, Ost said. In the two-year program, students were allotted eight upper-level classes to complete during the span of two years. Now as a four-year program, students must take a minimum of 10 Honors classes. As for the future of the program, Ost wants to see Temple add more space for Honors students than what is currently available in Tuttleman. Nadira Goffe, a senior English major, has been in the program for all her four years at Temple. She originally studied biochemistry, but decided to switch her major. “The [Honors Program was] really supportive and encouraging and informative throughout that whole process,” Goffe said. Goffe said she became more involved with the program by hanging out in the Honors Lounge. “I made most of my friends by hanging out there and inserting myself into other people’s conversations,” Goffe said. “[Honors] opened my eyes to being able to prepare and shoot for things that I wouldn’t necessarily think that I would be a fit for or could accomplish.” Ost said some faculty members went through the Honors Program. People like human resources management professor Crystal Harold, psychology professor Jason Chein and Spanish professor Joshua Pongan were all once Honors students. Harold, a 2000 psychology alumna, said she thinks the growth of the Honors Program attracts students to the university. “The presence on campus was a lot different when I was a student,” Harold said. “Now the resources available Templewide and also in the Honors Program are what really attracts students to Temple,” Harold added. “Things like the study abroad programs and student immersion program are being more taken advantage of now with Honors students.” Ost said the Honors Program is a small community of “nerds” who are passionate about academics and being successful. “If in any way we can help them to fulfill their dreams, we totally will come down at their side and say, ‘Maybe you should dream more wildly than you have,’” Ost said. emma.kuliczkowski@temple.edu
play the game in their apartment or before parties on the weekends. Because the game is virtual, gamers do not need to be physically in the same location to play each other in the game. “It’s like ‘The Hunger Games,’” said Stalletti, a junior risk management and insurance major. “Be the last person alive. You’ve got a one percent chance [of winning] basically.”
KATHY CHAN / THE TEMPLE NEWS Laura Hutson, a junior media studies and production major, plays Fortnite in the Student Center’s Game Room on Saturday.
MAGGIE LOESCH / THE TEMPLE NEWS Ruth Ost discusses the Honors Program and its future in her office in Tuttleman Learning Center on April 9. Ost has been the program’s senior director for more than 20 years.
MAGGIE LOESCH / THE TEMPLE NEWS Jackie Everette, the Honors Program’s administrative assistant, has worked in Honors for 28 years.
MAGGIE LOESCH / THE TEMPLE NEWS Amanda Neuber, the associate director of the Honors Program, sits in her office in Tuttleman Learning Center on April 9.
The game starts in a lobby, where players wait for opponents to sign up. Due to the popularity of the game, this can take a few minutes, or just seconds. Once all have joined, each player is lifted up into the air in a flying bus and flown over a map of the playing field. Using controllers to steer, players choose where they want to land on the map. Because the goal is to stay alive, some players opt for discreet areas — where they suspect fewer players will land. Others drop in more populated areas and go straight for the kill. “Some people [consider it] bloodthirsty when you just go for kills,” Michener said. “My little brothers say that.” Laura Hutson, a junior media studies and production major, plays Fortnite on her Apple computer. Hutson said Fortnite attracts a wide range of ages, partially because of its cartoonish design. Her 9-year-old niece is an avid gamer. “She’s actually very good at it,” Hutson said. “I don’t necessarily think it’s a children’s game. But, with kids, it’s so bright and colorful
[similar to how] Minecraft is bright and colorful.” Those who dislike Fortnite’s colorful design, Hutson said, often opt instead for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, an online multiplayer battle royale game. “PUBG is very, very similar to Fortnite,” Hutson said. “It’s just less colorful [and] in the desert. But PUBG costs money.” Fortnite’s affordability is another factor that sets it apart from other games of its kind. “There’s plenty of other games that cover different kinds of platforms,” Hutson said. “But [they’re] not free. ... That’s the dynamic of Fortnite, that you can come together with all your friends on all these different platforms and play a free game.” While the game is free, players have the potential to make money while playing if they’re talented enough. Some players live-stream their games on apps like Discord or Twitch, where users can log-on to watch and comment. For the best players, users will donate money during the stream or pay for emoticons to use in the
chat bar. Because the best players get so many views, advertisers will pay for screen time during streams. “That’s how they make their money,” Hutson said. “The better that they play, the more subscribers they get, the more money [they make].” The most well-known Fortnite player is Tyler “Ninja” Blevin. Last month, the 26-year-old gamer from Chicago played the game with hip-hop artist Drake, who awarded him $5,000 for winning the game. Hutson said the game takes a lot of skill, and the gaming industry is changing rapidly because of it. “You don’t see a lot of people saying, ‘Oh why are you gaming?’” Hutson said. “That’s not really a thing anymore. In the 1980s, movies depict any kid with a computer as an automatic loser. Now, if you’re not using a computer or a phone, what are you doing? I think gaming is going to go through a sort of revolution. Fortnite is just the beginning of stuff like this.” claire.wolters@temple.edu
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 MATERNAL HEALTH Nigeria’s maternal health crisis with a black-tie event that included an authentic Nigerian dinner, an art auction and dance performances. Georgia Owusu, the president of OAS, said she hopes the event gets people thinking about these issues and encourages action. “We would like to bring more awareness to the maternal care facilities and the lack thereof in parts of Nigeria,” Owusu said. “Infertility rates are really high in Nigeria and it’s all just because of a lack of resources and lack of infrastructure. So, the purpose of this event was to...bring more awareness, healthy babies into society, healthy motherhood, [and] healthy life into Nigeria.” Nigeria is the second-largest contributor to maternal mortality rates and child deaths taking place under 5 years old. Additionally, the majority of newborn deaths in Nigeria occur within the first week after a baby is born. The money raised at the event will go first to UMR’s national headquarters and then be donated to the Wudil Zone, a local government area in Kano State in northern Nigeria. The proceeds will fund, equip and stock delivery rooms in multiple maternal health care facilities across the Wudil Zone. “There’s a lot of strife in northern Nigeria and...that’s where the majority-Muslim population is,” Soyinka said. “We are collaborating with a Muslim organization, so we felt it was appropriate to be send-
ing it to a majority Muslim population.” Soyinka added that OAS chose to highlight the Nigerian maternal health care crisis because Philadelphia has a large Nigerian population. “I’m sure a bunch of Nigerians here in Philly from there, whether they know it or not, were somehow affected, their parents were affected or people they know were affected by this,” Soyinka said. “Ekaabo” featured performances by members of the Uzuri Dance Company, a student group that strives to empower women of color. The art sold in the auction was displayed throughout the evening and included sculpture, painting and photography pieces donated by Philadelphia artists. Josh Lacerna, a junior finance major, also performed a duet with Aaron X. Smith, an Africology and African American studies professor, known for rapping during his classes. Lacerna and Smith’s performance was titled “Temple Love,” and Lacerna sang and played guitar while Smith rapped. In the lyrics, the two discussed the importance of uniting different cultures and religions at Temple. “I’m hoping that they listen, whether Muslim or Christian,” Smith rapped. “This university is blessed just because of the diversity.” The authentic Nigerian dinner consisted of jollof rice, a traditional West African stew, chili peppers and meat, fish or fried plantains. Molefi Asante, the Africology and African American Studies department chair, was the keynote
MATT ALTEA / THE TEMPLE NEWS Iman Soliman, the president of Temple’s chapter of United Muslim Relief, speaks at the club’s fundraising gala in Mitten Hall on Sunday night.
speaker of the event. He focused on the historical background of Nigeria and future projections related to the country’s population growth in his speech. Asante said the average age of the Nigerian population is about 19, while Europe’s is about 49. He added within 30 to 40 years, Nigeria will be one of the most populous nations in the world. The Nigerian city of Lagos alone is home to 21 million people, according to the Lagos State government. “The challenges on the health care system are going to be enormous, and only with the diversifi-
cation of the economy will Nigeria be able to support such a situation where they will have so many different people,” Asante told The Temple News. Soyinka said he hopes the event taught people about Nigerian health care systems and connected native Nigerians with their home country. “A lot of people coming into the banquet...won’t know what’s going on, because a lot of the stuff we’re talking about isn’t the type of stuff you’ll read in newspapers here in America or watch on TV,” he said. “We try to make sure people
here on campus know about stuff that’s going on back at home and have an understanding of what’s happening back in Africa.” “We take this as our chance to help support and uplift our homes and help the people at home suffering even from here,” Soyinka added. “At the end of the day, this is helping bring up children. Children are the future, so by us highlighting maternal health care, it’s highlighting the well-being of our future.” features@temple-news.com @TheTempleNews
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PAGE 15
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 McKIE university immediately promoted McKie, he could’ve added other assistants like Killings to help sell the program. With a quick coaching transition, McKie would also be able to get players adjusted to his system. Allowing Dunphy to coach another season puts the program on pause. This isn’t to say Dunphy isn’t an accomplished coach. There’s a reason why he’s the winningest coach in Big 5 History and has an overall record of 557-315. But the university seemed hesitant and displayed incompetence by making a decision on Dunphy’s job at the end of the season. Kraft said he stepped away for personal reasons that stalled the process. Still, changes should’ve been made before Temple traveled to University Park, Pennsylvania, to play Penn State and eventually lose in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament. Instead, it took roughly two weeks for the news to be leaked by Seth Davis of The Athletic on March 30, and another 12 days for an official university announcement. Many, including myself, thought Temple might pursue a national search to hire a coach and replace Dunphy. But Kraft said that option wasn’t brought up. Meanwhile, basketball programs around the country showed initiative in making coaching changes, including Big 5 rival La Salle.
La Salle fired John Giannini, held a national search and came away with a slam-dunk hire in former Villanova assistant coach Ashley Howard. Temple’s former athletic director, Bill Bradshaw, spearheaded the coaching search. La Salle and Temple’s coaching situations were handled like night and day. In other words, the optics surrounding Temple’s didn’t look pretty because of how long it took the university to come to a final decision. Temple also may not have fully evaluated how the coaching transition will affect recruiting. The live recruiting period, a time during the NCAA recruiting calendar that allows coaches to have face-to-face contact with college-bound players and their parents and watch them play, began last week. As expected, McKie will be at the forefront of recruiting. McKie said Dunphy and assistant coaches Shawn Trice and Chris Clark will help him recruit during the live period. McKie will sell his vision to the recruits in the 2019 class and beyond because he’ll be calling the shots after next season. But Temple runs into a problem recruiting during the transition year from Dunphy to McKie, as recruits meet with a coaching staff in flux. Trice, Clark, assistant to the head coach Dave Duke and director of basketball operations Raheem Mapp aren’t guaranteed to return to McKie’s staff in the 201920 season. Recruiting isn’t only about
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18 TAILBACKS ning back Jager Gardner] and [redshirtsophomore running back Tyliek Raynor], they stepped up, they ran the ball well. They hit their tracks, and that’s all it’s about, just taking your coaching and doing what you gotta do.” Even though he only had three carries, Armstead led the Owls in rushing with 33 yards for two touchdowns on Saturday. Bradley, who played running back at Rancocas Valley Regional High School in New Jersey, followed with two carries for 24 yards, while Raynor rushed for 15 yards on four carries. Gardner also chipped in seven yards on five rushes. Raynor has yet to see game action since he enrolled at Temple because he redshirted in 2016 and tore his meniscus in 2017. He said he suffered the meniscus injury during the first day of training camp in a tug-of-war drill last season. Raynor ended his career at Imhotep In-
finding the right talent, it’s also about connecting with players on a personal level off the court. As of right now, Temple’s potential recruits will build relationships with a staff that might not be around for most of their college careers. Sure, coaches leave schools where they recruited players regularly in college sports. But the university would have prevented the clumsy scenario by allowing McKie to assemble his staff and push his vision of the program. For those who decide to play at Temple, they will at least get the chance to work with McKie as he spends the next year molding his
stitute Charter High School in East Germantown as a three-star recruit, according to 247sports.com. He had offers from schools like the University of Miami, West Virginia University and Purdue University, but chose Temple because it’s close to home, he said. Raynor, who is from Philadelphia’s East Oak Lane neighborhood, said having his family nearby kept him confident after his injury. “I always knew if I stayed healthy, what I was capable of, so I never really got down,” he said. “I just knew when my time would come.” Offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude said on March 13 that each running back adds his own style to the backfield. Raynor has an up-tempo style that Patenaude called a “totally different thing.” Gardner, who only played in four games last season before he suffered a season-ending knee injury, is “physically gifted” at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, redshirt-freshman quarterback Todd Centeio said. Jennings, who rushed for negative two
PHOTOS: ALYSSA BIEDERMAN, EVAN EASTERLING AND SYDNEY SCHAEFER / THE TEMPLE NEWS DESIGN: COURTNEY REDMON / THE TEMPLE NEWS
program. McKie added it’s too early to tell what his vision for the team will be, because it’ll depend on who is on the roster. But McKie said he knows his team will “defend our butt off on every possession.” McKie had a large role in recruiting freshman guard Nate Pierre-Louis, who earned American Athletic Conference All-Rookie team honors. And if you don’t consider Pierre-Louis in the “defend our butt off” category, I’ll question your basketball intelligence. McKie said he plans to recruit
yards on two carries and hauled in two receptions for five yards during the Cherry and White Game, is as “fast as anyone” in the American Athletic Conference, Patenaude said. Jennings was a four-time letterwinner in track and field at Downingtown East High School in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. He also won a Pennsylvania track and field championship in the 4x100 during his sophomore year and took second place as a junior. “Jeremy is one of the fastest backs on our team,” Armstead said earlier this month. “The good thing about him is that he listens. If I tell him something, he listens and he corrects it. That’s why he’s progressing and becoming a great running back.” Ritrovato carried the ball five times for 12 yards on Saturday in the Cherry and White Game. Patenaude said Ritrovato offers a “changeup” style because he is a physical runner. Temple has two more running backs in its recruiting class who will join the roster
players with a similar skillset to Pierre-Louis, or as he said, “athletes with high motors.” “If you watch the game, it’s played at a high pace, big-time athletes running and jumping all over the place, so that’s the plan,” McKie added. But that plan will have to wait for now, because the university decided to put the men’s basketball program on hold for a year. It’s business as usual. thomas.ignudo@temple.edu @TomIgnudo
this summer. Onasis Neely and Kyle Dobbins — a two-star tailback and three-star running back according to Rivals.com — will have a chance to contribute when training camp starts in August. Patenaude said he isn’t opposed to using more than one running back on the field at a time. Last season, the Owls showed glimpses of split back sets. During their 29-21 victory against UMass on Sept. 15, Hood and Gardner lined up split next to Centeio in his lone series. “We got healthy [Armstead],” Centeio said. “We got Jager, who’s coming back. … We got [redshirt-sophomore running back Jonny] Forrest, who’s Mr. Reliable. We got [Ritrovato], who’s Mr. Reliable and Tyliek, who’s a game changer, Jeremy Jennings, game-changer, all speed. So I feel like we have a lot of change of pace in our backfield.” thomas.ignudo@temple.edu @TomIgnudo
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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Atkinson signs with WNBA squad
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Former guard Tanaya Atkinson signed a free agent contract last week with the Washington Mystics. She also won the Big 5 Player of the Year award last week. Atkinson became the second former Temple player to join the WNBA in as many seasons. The Indiana Fever drafted former guard Feyonda Fitzgerald 20th overall in the 2017 WNBA Draft. But Fitzgerald didn’t make the Fever’s final roster. She then signed with the Connecticut Sun for a second chance in the WNBA before she was waived after playing two games. Atkinson averaged a team-high 21.1 points per game during her senior season. She ended her career with 1,890 points and 1,053 rebounds, which each rank second in program history. Atkinson also became the second player in Temple history to score more than 1,000 points and collect more than 1,000 rebounds. -Tom Ignudo sports@temple-news.com @TTN_Sports
SPORTS TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2018
PAGE 16 FOOTBALL
Senior earns single digit, achieves high school goal Defensive lineman Michael Dogbe received the No. 9 jersey on Friday. BY EVAN EASTERLING Sports Editor
When Michael Dogbe committed to Temple as a high school senior in 2014, he received congratulations from NFL player Muhammad Wilkerson, who played on Temple’s defensive line from 2008-10. Wilkerson, who was selected by the New York Jets as the 30th pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, direct-messaged Dogbe on Twitter. In 2010, Wilkerson wore No. 9, a singledigit number to signify his status as one of the Owls’ toughest players — a team tradition. He challenged Dogbe to earn the number during his career. “Welcome to the family bro and I hope
you dominate on the field,” Wilkerson wrote to Dogbe. “Yea u gotta wear that #9 with pride and rep it hard.” Dogbe saved his exchange with Wilkerson and looked to it for motivation. The redshirt-senior defensive lineman earned the No. 9 jersey during Temple’s annual Champions Dinner on Friday and debuted it during Saturday’s Cherry and White Game at the Temple Sports Complex. Jacob Martin, a former defensive end who had eight sacks and wore No. 9 as a senior in 2017, presented Dogbe with his new jersey. “This was just one of my biggest accomplishments here,” Dogbe said. “It was one of my goals I set coming out of high school. They were telling me about the whole tradition on my recruiting trip, and I made it my mission to make sure before I leave Temple that I get a single digit.”
EVAN EASTERLING / THE TEMPLE NEWS Redshirt-senior defensive lineman Michael Dogbe (right) battles at the line of scrimmage with redshirtsophomore offensive lineman Vincent Picozzi during practice on March 17 at Chodoff Field.
Dogbe became the second player to earn a single-digit number during the spring practice season. Redshirt-senior quarterback Frank Nutile switched from No. 18 to No. 8 before the Owls’ first practice on March 13. The No. 3, 4, 5 and 6 jerseys are still available because graduating seniors safety Sean Chandler, fullback Nick Sharga, wideout Keith Kirkwood and defensive end Sharif Finch wore them last year. Dogbe had a chance to wear a single-digit number last season. Redshirt-junior wideout Ventell Bryant had the No. 1 through the Owls’ season-opening loss to the University of Notre Dame on Sept. 2. For the rest of the season, the number rotated to a player who had a notable performance in the previous week’s game. After coach Geoff Collins started the No. 1’s weekly rotation, Dogbe became the first player to wear it during Temple’s 16-13 victory on Sept. 9 against Villanova. He wasn’t slotted to play against Notre Dame because of an injury, but he ended up playing more than 40 snaps after redshirtsenior defensive lineman Freddie BoothLloyd sustained an injury in warmups before the game. Dogbe played in 12 of Temple’s 13 games last season and made six starts. In Saturday’s spring game, he made one tackle for a 5-yard loss. “He’s physical, he works hard, he’s got a great attitude and on top of that, he just so happens to be a great player and a great leader for us,” Collins said. In addition to earning a single-digit number, Dogbe also learned he’ll be taking a trip to Tokyo with some members of the football program from May 11-19. In 2016, officials began considering the introduction of a governing body for college sports in Japan similar to the NCAA, The Japan Times reported in June. In Japan, most
college teams rely on donations from former players and most coaches are volunteers, The Japan Times reported. Collins said Temple is “going to be part of the forefront of starting intercollegiate athletics” in Japan. He and the players will go to Temple’s Japan Campus to run coaching clinics and go on a speaking tour, Collins said. The players will receive college credit. Nutile, junior cornerback Linwood Crump, junior wide receiver Isaiah Wright, junior linebacker Shaun Bradley, redshirtsophomore offensive lineman Matt Hennessy, redshirt-senior offensive lineman Jaelin Robinson and redshirt-sophomore defensive lineman Dan Archibong will also attend. Dogbe called the trip a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” “Coach Collins asked who would like to go and he said he was going to select about eight to 10 guys, and I just told him, ‘Hey, coach, this is an opportunity I can’t miss out on,’” Dogbe said. Dogbe came to Temple as a defensive end before former coach Matt Rhule moved him to the interior and told him to increase his weight. He said he learned the speed of college football and how to play the position from former Owls Hershey Walton and Matt Ioannidis in 2015. He said he “blossomed” as a redshirt sophomore in the following season when he recorded 43 tackles. “Unfortunately last year, I had a couple of injuries that set me back,” Dogbe said. “But, you know, I learned from them and hopefully just have a good senior year, taking it one day at a time.” evan.easterling@temple.edu @Evan_Easterling
TRACK AND FIELD
Forde thinks freshman can break personal bests Lucy Jones set the school’s 3,000-meter steeplechase record last month. BY DONOVAN HUGEL
Track and Field Beat Reporter
Lucy Jones always wanted to run. When the freshman distance runner was growing up in Leicester, England, she looked up to her older brother and sister as they’d compete in meets. “I was going about and saying, ‘When can I run? When can I run?’” Jones said. “Around when I turned 12 or 13, I started to train seriously, and then the competitions came quickly after that. And the rest is history.” At the Ole Miss Classic on March 31 in Oxford, Mississippi, Jones broke Temple’s school record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10 minutes, 40.43 seconds. Jones broke the mark set by sophomore distance runner Grace Moore last season. On Friday, Jones finished seventh out of 25 runners in the 1,500 during the Temple Owls Invite at the Temple Sports Complex. “She’s done an excellent job this year,” coach Elvis Forde said. “When our coaching staff first
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18 TOURNAMENT conference tournament. “It’s one of the top five conferences in the country for tennis,” Mauro said. “It’s going to be a good test for us, but the guys are playing pretty well. We feel confident going into it.” The tournament will feature 10 teams with the addition of Wichita State. The Shockers will add more depth to the tournament, having won 24 Missouri Valley
sports@temple-news.com @TTN_Sports
came here, the records that were in place were not that difficult to break. In that sense, it didn’t surprise me that she broke it, but it’s still an excellent accomplishment that she currently has. We want to put some tough records on the board, and as we do that, our program will get much better.” Temple started recruiting Jones in December 2016 when cross country coach and assistant track and field coach James Snyder attended the European Cross Country Championships to see her compete. Jones did some research on the program and had a conversation with Snyder about it. Jones also spoke to sophomore distance runner Millie Howard, another England native, about the program. Philadelphia and Temple “just had everything” she wanted, Jones said. Forde said Jones had to adjust to how the culture, academics and athletic systems in the United States differ from those in England. From a young age, athletes in England compete more often for athletic clubs than they do for their schools, Jones said. She added that they’re treated like professionals because of the amount of training that goes into competitions.
“In countries other than the U.S., you train a lot more, and you compete a lot less,” Forde said. “Since she’s been here, she’s probably competed much more than she did in two or three years in England.” Jones agrees that she has competed more this season than in past years, but she doesn’t think this has greatly affected her. “I feel that I have an advantage though because athletics back home is very serious from a very young age, I came in already having competed at a high level,” Jones said. “So it didn’t faze me as much as the coaches maybe thought it would.” Forde still expects more from Jones this year as the Penn Relays, American Athletic Conference championships and NCAA regional championships remain on the schedule. “We believe that she can lower her personal best again, but she’ll be in competition with some of the other girls on the team as well,” Forde said. “She still has to fight with Grace Moore and [senior distance runner] Katie Pinson in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, because we expect good competition from those girls in that event. If she really wants to be the record-holder,
Conference tournament titles before leaving for The American. Temple lost to East Carolina, 5-2, in its first conference match on Feb. 16. The Owls were without senior Thomas Sevel and sophomore Eric Biscoveanu in the match. The Owls beat Connecticut, 4-1, for their only conference win on March 31. Sevel and junior Uladzimir Dorash missed the match. Sevel missed four matches with an arm injury before returning against Memphis. Sevel lost to Peniston 6-1, 6-2.
Mauro said Sevel did not look his best, but he will progress with time.
It’s going to be a good test for us, but the guys are playing pretty well. We feel confident going into it. STEVE MAURO TENNIS COACH
“It was nice to get him back,” Mauro said. “I thought he played OK. I thought he played a little
MIKE NGUYEN / THE TEMPLE NEWS Freshman distance runner Lucy Jones runs the 1,500-meter race on Friday at the Temple Sports Complex during the first Temple Owls Invite.
she’s got to compete for it.” Jones has several goals she wants to achieve before the end of the season, she said. “A good performance at conferences with a medal would be great,” she added. “I have all my
sights set on being able to run at the regional meet. I haven’t yet run a good enough time, but I’m not panicking about it.”
rusty, but it’s going to take him some time to get back to his old form.” The Owls will enter the conference tournament short-handed. Dorash will miss the rest of the season with a pectoral injury. Dorash hasn’t played since March 17. The conference tournament will be a new experience for a few players, like freshmen Mark Wallner and Michael Haelen. Junior Alberto Caceres Casas will also play in the postseason conference tournament for the first
time. Before joining Temple in Fall 2017, he played two years at Armstrong State University, a Division II school in Savannah, Georgia. “I’m really excited for the conference tournament,” Caceres Casas said. “I want to see the level of our conference. I want to fight until the last point.”
donovan.hugel@temple.edu
alex.mcginley@temple.edu @mcginley_alex
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SPORTS TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2018
PAGE 17
LACROSSE
Senior disrupts opponents, causes turnovers Nicole Latgis is tied for 18th in Division I in caused turnovers per game. BY JAY NEEMEYER
Lacrosse Beat Reporter
When senior defender Nicole Latgis started her career at Temple, she didn’t know how much she’d play during her four years. During her freshman season in 2015, she had three appearances. She played in eight games as a sophomore. As a junior in 2017, she started all 18 games. Latgis led the Owls with 26 caused turnovers and finished second behind former midfielder Morgan Glassford in ground balls. “I just let myself break out of my shell and just like go wild on the field,” Latgis said. After the 2017 season, Latgis earned selection to the All-Big East Conference Second Team. Prior to this season, she was unanimously voted to the Preseason All-Big East team in the coaches poll. “It gave me motivation also to keep pushing myself this year as a senior to end on a really high note,” Latgis said. Through 14 games this season, Latgis leads Temple (8-6, 3-3 Big East) in ground balls and caused turnovers. With 41 ground balls and 29 caused turnovers, she has already surpassed last year’s totals. She is tied for 18th in Division I with 2.07 caused turnovers per game, as of Monday. Latgis, whose teammates sometimes call her “Cole,” has also won 37 draw controls. Eight of her draw controls came in Temple’s 18-5 win against Butler University on Saturday. She ranks second on the team behind sophomore defender Kara Nakrasius, who has 52 draw controls. “Cole is like my right-hand man on defense, and she taught me a lot last year com-
ing into this,” said Nakrasius, who shares captaincy with Latgis and senior attacker Kira Gensler. “Cole has taught me so much about just holding body position, looking for those checks.” “What makes Cole successful as a defender is totally just like her willingness to go hard all the time and never give up,” Nakrasius added. But Latgis didn’t start her career as a defender. When she played for North Harford High School in Pylesville, Maryland, she was a defensive midfielder. After arriving in Philadelphia as a freshman in the 2014-15 academic year, she found out she was going to be playing exclusively on defense. “It took me a long time to adjust, a lot of meetings and talking and film work,” Latgis said. “It was hard, but I eventually got it down.” “I’m sure at the time we had a lot of midfielders that her ability to learn and really grow as a defender was more important to our team,” coach Bonnie Rosen said. “And I think it’s been a great decision. She’s really been able to hone her craft as a defender and make an impact for us there.” Rosen added that Latgis’ stick skills from high school provide her with an extra edge. Latgis was already comfortable with handling the ball, which gave her an advantage under pressure. “She comes up with great ground balls and can transition the ball because those midfield skills allow her to have the stick skills to go all the way to goal if we need it,” Rosen said. Latgis recorded an assist to former attacker Nicole Barretta in the first game of the 2018 season, a 12-8 win against Rutgers University on Feb. 10 at Howarth Field.
SYDNEY SCHAEFER / THE TEMPLE NEWS Senior defender Nicole Latgis carries the ball upfield during the Owls’ 8-4 win against La Salle on March 12 at Howarth Field.
The Rutgers game was Latgis’ first as a captain. She said her approach to playing the game hasn’t changed since taking the role, but her interactions with her teammates have. “I’ve been working on my voice more,” Latgis said. “It’s made me a lot more comfortable to be able to step out of my shell. I used to not talk in huddles that much, not give my insight, but now I’m forced to. Now I give my insight to people and tell them what I think they should be doing, which can
GOLF
help the team.” Rosen said players voted Latgis as a captain because they could count on her to play well during games. “She has really taken it upon herself this year to learn how to do a lot more off-field stuff and the leadership stuff that requires vocal leadership,” Rosen said. jay.neemeyer@temple.edu @neemeyer_j
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18
Quinn purchases nearby country club Brian Quinn hopes to host a college golf event at The 1912 Club in Montgomery County. BY ANDREW MASTERSON Golf Beat Reporter
Coach Brian Quinn and another principal partner purchased a 127-acre country club in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, on March 24. Quinn declined to disclose the price of purchase. The country club, formerly known as Plymouth Country Club, has been renamed to The 1912 Club. Improvements to the grounds and facilities will be made under the new ownership. The members unanimously voted to approve the sale to Quinn, The Times Herald reported. Quinn formed a corporation called 1912 Club LLC to formally buy the club. “I’ve done a lot of work over the years with my playing lessons and other things, and it was time for a change there,” Quinn said. “A few members approached me about it, and we went from there.” “This has honestly probably been about
a year in the making,” Quinn added. “We are really excited to do a lot of changes on the clubhouse and the golf course. We are spending a lot of money to enhance all facets of the facility.” Quinn’s Temple teams have practiced at the facility for about seven years, The Times Herald reported. He said “it will be a great setup for the kids.” “What I hope to utilize the golf course for outside of this is to have a top-notch college golf tournament here,” Quinn said. “Once we get all of the stuff done, I think that will be very exciting.” Although having a course to call home could be a recruiting tool, Quinn said he won’t talk about it with future prospects. “I don’t want to be the guy who’s like, ‘Oh, I own this golf course,’ or, ‘This is my place,’” Quinn said. “That’s not my style. But it is Temple’s home and has been our home.” There were several reasons Quinn thought purchasing the club was ideal. He said a huge advantage is that it’s only about a 10-minute drive from BQ Golf Academy, his school in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. “BQ will still be open for the present
COURTESY / TEMPLE ATHLETICS Redshirt junior John Barone (left) and coach Brian Quinn talk at the Wolfpack Fall Intercollegiate in October 2016 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
time,” Quinn said. “We are going to be building a state-of-the-art practice facility at The 1912 Club coming in October as well.” One of the most important priorities for Quinn at The 1912 Club is to restore the 6,608-yard, 18-hole championship course designed by William Flynn, who also designed prominent courses like New York’s Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, which will host the U.S. Open Championship in June. Quinn has chosen golf course architect Ron Prichard to head the project. Prichard has restored hundreds of courses, Quinn said, including some designed by Donald Ross, who created Georgia’s East Lake Golf Club that will host the PGA Tour Championship in September. Prichard has famously redone other prominent courses in the Philadelphia area. In 2003, he was responsible for the restoration of Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. The Rossdesigned course is set to host the BMW Championship, the penultimate event of the PGA Tour’s FedExCup Playoffs, in September. Aronimink will also host the 2027 PGA Championship, one of the four PGA tour majors. Quinn’s uncle is a member of Worcester Country Club in Worcester, Massachusetts, which was the first host of the Ryder Cup Tournament in 1927. Prichard also redesigned the course. “Ron went up there and did magical work,” Quinn said. “Seeing it firsthand, I knew that he would be the guy for us. We are really excited about his vision, and I have some vision too of what I want to see.” Quinn, now a coach, instructor and country club owner, ultimately strives to increase access to the game, he said. One of the biggest flaws of country club golf is that young golfers don’t get onto a course until 2 or 3 p.m, Quinn said. This is because there are many restrictions on juniors at private clubs. Quinn hopes to make his club have a much more family-oriented atmosphere. “Golf is a great sport but I want it to grow, and you have to do that from very young kids, giving them the opportunity to play,” Quinn said. andrew.masterson@temple.edu @AndyJMasterson
AAC recovering from a shoulder injury, she said. It wasn’t serious enough to keep her out of the past three matches, but it sidelined her for two others. Another challenge for Temple is that the conference tournament will be held outside. The Owls competed indoors nearly all season and only recently have been able to practice and compete outside. The team closed out the regular season with three matches in five days. Two of the matches were played outdoors. “It is just a different game outside,” Mauro said. “I think right now it is more important to play matches than it is practice, just to get used to playing outside.” Temperatures in Dallas are expected to reach 80 degrees on the first day of the tournament, according to the National Weather Service. Heat isn’t something the team is used to, but it is working to adapt. “You just have to stay hydrated, because the heat will probably be your biggest competitor,” said Stuckey-Willis, who has competed in Dallas before. “Playing against the heat is just something we are not used to.” The tournament is especially important to the team’s seniors, who are looking to make their final mark on the program. The Owls held a senior day celebration on Sunday at the Penn Tennis Center before their match against Fairleigh Dickinson University to recognize StuckeyWillis, Alina Abdurakhimova, Rimpledeep Kaur and Yana Khon. Even with the challenges that the tournament will bring, the team is still eager to get out and compete for a conference title. “I am so excited,” Stuckey-Willis said. “I just want to hurry up and play because I know we always bring our highest intensity into the tournament, so I am really excited for that.” sean.patrick.mcgeehan@temple.edu
sports@temple-news.com @TTN_Sports
TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2018
PAGE 18
FOOTBALL
More personnel available in the backfield Seven players carried the ball during Saturday’s Cherry and White Game. BY TOM IGNUDO
Assistant Sports Editor
T
emple’s annual Cherry and White Game on Saturday featured seven different tailbacks who carried the ball. Senior running back Ryquell Armstead, who spent most of last season dealing with toe and hamstring injuries, looked healthy despite only having three carries. Redshirtsenior fullback Rob Ritrovato had several of his signature bruiser runs up the gut. Even junior linebacker Shaun Bradley broke loose to the outside a couple of times. But Temple’s leading rusher from last season, redshirt-senior running back David Hood, didn’t participate in the spring game, when the Cherry team beat the White squad, 28-24, at the Temple Sports Complex. OwlScoop.com reported on Saturday that Hood might not return for the 2018 season because of several concussions he has suffered during his football career. Hood is still on the Owls’ online roster, and coach Geoff Collins said Hood’s injury is “nothing really bad.” Even if Hood doesn’t return, the Owls think they’ll have more depth at the running back position this season than in 2017. “I thought they ran well,” Armstead said. “[Redshirt-freshman running back Jeremy Jennings], [Ritrovato], [redshirt-junior run-
TAILBACKS | PAGE 15
HOJUN YU / THE TEMPLE NEWS Redshirt-sophomore running back Tyliek Raynor carries the ball at the Cherry and White Game on Saturday at the Temple Sports Complex.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
MEN’S TENNIS
‘Confident’ teams to compete in AAC tournament Temple will be a No. 8 seed in the American Athletic Conference tournament in Dallas.
Temple enters the American Athletic Conference tournament on a four-match winning streak.
BY ALEX McGINLEY
BY SEAN McGEEHAN
The men’s tennis team will be a No. 8 seed in the American Athletic Conference tournament, which starts on Thursday in Dallas. The Owls (12-9, 1-2 The American) will face No. 9 Southern Methodist (9-17, 0-5 The American) in the first round at 10 a.m. Southern Methodist will face the Owls on its home court, where the Mustangs eight of their nine wins. Freshmen Jan-Simon Vrbsky and Tomas Vaise each won 11 dual matches to lead Southern Methodist in singles. The two also led the Mustangs with 11 doubles wins. The winner of Thursday’s match will play No. 1 Memphis. Temple concluded its regular-season conference schedule on Saturday with a match against Memphis, the No. 17 team in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll. The Tigers (17-4, 5-0 The American) beat Temple, 7-0, to claim their 12th consecutive victory. The team’s win streak ties the secondlongest stretch in program history. Memphis, Tulane and Central Florida are the only teams from The American that are in the ITA poll. The American has seven players ranked in the ITA’s top 125 singles players, including Memphis seniors Ryan Peniston and Andrew Watson. The American also has four doubles combinations that are ranked in the ITA’s top 90. Peniston and Watson are one of the four combinations. Temple held the No. 7 seed in last season’s conference tournament and lost to No. 2 seeded Tulane, 4-0, in the quarterfinals. No. 1 South Florida won the 2017 conference championship, 4-1, against No. 3 Central Florida. The top five seeds from the tournament — South Florida, Tulane, Central Florida, Southern Methodist and Memphis — represented The American in the 2017 NCAA tournament. Coach Steve Mauro said the strength of The American will challenge Temple in the
The Owls will leave for Dallas on Tuesday for the 2018 American Athletic Conference tournament from Wednesday to Saturday. The opening round starts on Wednesday at 10 a.m. The top four seeds earn first-round byes and will not play until the quarterfinal round on Thursday. The Owls will be a No. 12 seed in the conference tournament and face No. 5 Southern Methodist in the first round on the Mustangs’ home court at 1 p.m. Southern Methodist (14-8, 3-4 The American) enters the tournament on a six-match winning streak. The streak includes victories against Tulane (12-10, 1-3 The American), East Carolina (17-8, 3-5 The American) and Houston (19-3, 2-2 The American). Temple (10-7, 2-1 The American) closed the regular season with back-to-back wins this weekend. The Owls beat Binghamton University, 7-0, on Saturday. Then they won their fourth straight match on Sunday by beating Fairleigh Dickinson University, 7-0, at the Penn Tennis Center. This season is the first that the team will have had an above .500 in conference play since 2012. “I feel really confident,” senior Monet Stuckey-Willis said. “We have a really good team, and we have a lot of potential. It is just about everyone bringing their A-game.” Temple hasn’t won the American Athletic Conference tournament since joining the conference in the 2013-14 season. The Owls only advanced past the first round in 2015 when they beat Cincinnati, 4-3, in Oklahoma. The Owls dealt with injuries in Spring 2018 and may still face them during the tournament. Freshman Oyku Boz was kept out of Temple’s matchup against Rider University on Wednesday with a knee injury. Boz also didn’t play this weekend. She underwent an MRI on Thursday, but the coaches are unsure of her status heading into the tournament, coach Steve Mauro said. Plus, sophomore Kristina Titova is still
Men’s Tennis Beat Reporter
For The Temple News
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ALEX ST. CLAIR / THE TEMPLE NEWS Senior Monet Stuckey-Willis will face Southern Methodist in the first round of the 2018 American Athletic Conference tournament on Wednesday in Dallas.
ALEX ST. CLAIR / THE TEMPLE NEWS Junior Alberto Caceres Casas will play in his first American Athletic Conference tournament on Thursday after spending his first two seasons at Division II Armstong State University.
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Senior defender Nicole Latgis ranks in the top 20 of Division I in caused turnovers per game and leads Temple in ground balls.
Coach Brian Quinn bought a golf club in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, earlier this semester. He hopes to host college tournaments there in the future.
Redshirt-senior defensive lineman Michael Dogbe earned the No. 9 jersey during a team dinner on Friday, achieving a goal he set for himself in high school.
Freshman Lucy Jones broke the Owls’ 3,000-meter steeplechase record last month by beating the mark set by sophomore Grace Moore last season.