THE TEMPLE NEWS
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VOL 97 // ISSUE 2 SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 temple-news.com @thetemplenews
NEWS, PAGE 6 Student organizations host the second Sexual Assault Prevention Week.
OPINION , PAGES 9 & 10 FEATURES, PAGE 11 Columnists argue the Alumni created Whatever, value of online courses. a party card game of crazy truth or dares.
SPORTS, PAGE 16 After a loss to Villanova, how should fans feel about the season?
THE TEMPLE NEWS
CONTENTS
A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921. Gillian McGoldrick Editor in Chief Kelly Brennan Managing Editor Julie Christie Digital Managing Editor Evan Easterling Chief Copy Editor Lindsay Bowen News Editor Greta Anderson Deputy Investigations Editor Alyssa Bierderman Deputy Campus Editor Will Bleier Deputy City Editor Jayna Schaffer Opinion Editor Laura Smythe Features Editor Zari Tarazona Deputy Features Editor Khanya Brann Deputy Features Editor Michael Zingrone Co-Sports Editor Sam Neumann Co-Sports Editor Anaya Carter-Duckett Instersection Editor Claire Wolters Asst. Intersection Editor Shefa Ahsan Multimedia Editor Siani Colon Asst. Director of Engagement Hannah Burns Photography Editor Luke Smith Deputy Photography Editor Madison Seitchik Web Editor Ian Walker Visuals Editor Myra Zubair Visuals Specialist Claire Halloran Design Editor Jeremiah Reardon Designer
NEWS The Temple News is an editorially independent weekly publication serving the Temple University community. Unsigned editorial content represents the opinion of The Temple News. Adjacent commentary is reflective of their authors, not The Temple News. Visit us online at temple-news.com. Send submissions to letters@temple-news.com. The Temple News is located at: Student Center, Room 243 1755 N. 13th St. Philadelphia, PA 19122
Phuong Tran Advertising Manager Kelsey McGill Advertising Manager
At least 300 people were evacuated from The View Monday night after police received a false active shooter tip. Read more on Page 7.
OPINION Student Body President Gadi Zimmerman wrote a Letter to the Editor, in which he tells the university about upcoming TSG-sponsored events . Read more on Page 8.
FEATURES #VoteThatJawn campaign encourages students to hit the polls on Nov. 6. Read more on Page 14.
INTERSECTION A Black, female student discusses how she learned to care for herself. Read more on Page 15.
SPORTS
CORRECTIONS In a story that ran on Page 15 titled “Podcast features Philadelphia doers, Innovators,” it was stated Chemidlin and Goorich interned together. Chemidlin interned for Goodrich. It also incorrectly stated that Chemidlin met Temple men’s basketball coach Fran Dunphy and 2006 entrepreneurship alumna Yasmine Mustafa at SXSW. He did not meet them there. Accuracy is our business, so when a mistake is made, we’ll correct it as soon as possible. Anyone with inquirues about content in this newspaper can contact Editor in Chief Gillian McGoldrick at editor@temple-news.com or 215-204-6736.
Under the guidance of coach James Snyder, men’s and women’s cross country look to build on their historic seasons. Read more on Page 19.
ON THE COVER PHOTO ILLUSTRATION CLAIRE HALLORAN /THE TEMPLE NEWS
Cover image source: a photo illustration of a composite of the 1990 Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at the University of Maryland.
NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
PAGE 3
COMMUNITY
Philly Department of Revenue offers tax relief The initiative focuses on three Main Campus, as a “vulnerable popula- their current real estate tax rate regard- more affordable plan. The three programs included in the programs for homeowners and tion” that stands to be a major benefi- less of the fluctuation of taxes and propciary of the program. erty values. initiative stand to benefit homeowners. senior citizens. BY WILL BLEIER Deputy City Editor The Philadelphia Department of Revenue is deploying street teams of volunteers throughout North Philadelphia as part of a city-wide initiative to help save residents money on their real estate taxes. Frank Breslin, the department’s revenue commissioner, identified North Philadelphia, specifically the area near
“It’s always hard to get people to come into a tax office,” Breslin said. “We really wanted to get out into the community, knock on doors and try to reach the people where they are.” The street teams are focusing on three major programs sponsored by the city’s Department of Revenue: a Senior Tax Freeze, the Homestead Exemption and the Owner-Occupied Payment Agreement. The Senior Tax Freeze targets low-income, elderly homeowners. The program locks qualified seniors in at
To qualify for the Homestead Exemption, property owners must use their Philadelphia residence as their “primary residence.” It includes an analysis of individual property assessments and attempts to reduce the taxable portion. The average homeowner saves $550 per year, Breslin said. The Owner-Occupied Payment Agreement allows those with outstanding property tax balances to enter a path to affordable payments. With income-based monthly payment options, homeowners have the chance to select a
Community residents and Temple students who rent will not be able to participate. “We know that we have some of our most vulnerable residents missing out,” Breslin said. “This is an attempt to reach out and try to let people know that there are programs here to help.” The street teams’ initiative has received the support of numerous members of City Council, including Council President Darrell Clarke, who represents the district that emcompasses most of Main Campus. “Over the past year, City Council worked closely with Revenue to expand the safety net for homeowners who need help with their Real Estate taxes,” Clarke said in a release in August. “Now is the time to connect folks to that assistance. Our collaborative effort on outreach is the first step in making sure no one is left out.” Breslin said his office hopes to measure the number of applications for assistance and overall program participation to determine if the initiative is effective. The current progress is encouraging, he added. Applications for the Homestead Exemption and Senior Tax Freeze are due Sept. 13. Registration for OOPAs are ongoing. The street teams will continue door-knocking throughout the month of September. william.bleier@temple.edu @will_bleier
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News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com
NEWS PAGE 4
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
COVER STORY
PRESIDENTIAL DUTIES: EXPLAINED
The Temple News examined the institutional oversight of some Greek organizations on campus. BY GRETA ANDERSON Deputy Investigations Editor
W
hen there are issues in a Greek life organization, the first person the university and international headquarters turn to is the chapter president. The president of a fraternity or sorority “may be the main point of contact,” if criminal charges are brought against the entire chapter, said Chris Carey, the senior associate dean of students. Otherwise, individuals who are involved in misconduct are held responsible for their own actions. There are three main institutions that oversee Temple’s fraternity and sorority chapters’ activity and decision-making: the university, which oversees Greek life through the Division of Student Affairs, the chapter’s headquarters and the chapter’s executive board of elected leaders. As Temple and Philadelphia Police continue to investigate Temple’s chapter of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, its former president, Ari Goldstein, 21, faces more than a dozen sexual assault-related charges in two separate cases. Goldstein is the only AEPi member to face criminal charges and is awaiting a preliminary hearing for a second round of sexual assault-related charges on Sept.
27. Two female victims, at least one of them a Temple student, alleged Goldstein sexually assaulted them in separate incidents at the chapter’s house at Broad and Norris streets. He denied that he committed crimes against either of these women, his defense attorney previously told The Temple News. The chapter remains inactive this semester and the Temple and Philadelphia police’s investigation into credible reports of sexual assault, underage drinking, excessive alcohol use and possible drug use during social activities at the fraternity has yet to reveal whether others in the organization are responsible for wrongdoing. But what are a president’s responsibilities, and what checks are in place and how are they held accountable? INTERNAL CHAPTER OVERSIGHT Most of Temple’s fraternities and sororities select their own executive board members through internal elections, and the board is the first to handle any issues that may arise within the organization. The Temple News found that in the constitutions of several Greek life chapters on Main Campus, the executive board is the primary governing body which institutes a chapter’s individual rules and regulations. These students become leaders in their chapters, which can contain two to more than 200 members each. The president, oftentimes, takes on most of the responsibilities for appointing vacant
Source: AEPi Spring 2017 Constitution JULIE CHRISTIE / THE TEMPLE NEWS News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com
positions and ensuring the safety of the group. “The president is a leader, and they are the first one people contact when something happens that represents the whole entire organization,” said Alex Tran, former Multicultural Greek Council president at Temple. Tran graduated in 2017 with an information science and technology degree. He also served as chapter president of Delta Chi Psi, Temple’s Asian-American fraternity. “I definitely felt like I was a really big face as president [of Delta Chi Psi] when I was active here on campus,” Tran added. The Temple AEPi chapter’s most recently updated constitution from Spring 2017 states the “Master” — the term used by the international organization to describe the chapter’s highest-ranking executive board member, or president — runs brotherhood meetings, may appoint and remove committees and has the “final say of all chapter policies except those that are voted on under this constitution.” “All decisions that are not mentioned in this Constitution will be made by the Master,” the Spring 2017 constitution states. “The Master’s decision is final.” This indicates that the AEPi chapter president has ultimate decision-making power within the organization. While the constitution provides details about the impeachment of executive board members, motions of impeachment are to be submitted to the president himself. If an executive board member is impeached, his interim replacement is appointed by the president. There is no section in the AEPi chapter constitution that details the procedure when the president is the individual being impeached. There is, however, a Judicial Committee within the chapter that is meant to “rule as an objective court on all cases of misconduct inside of the fraternity.” It is also the AEPi president’s responsibility, as laid out in the constitution,
to act as “chief delegate to the Supreme Council at the National Convention” and “act as chairman of the delegation.” The chapter president also receives funds allocated to the chapter by headquarters. Other fraternities, like Pi Lambda Phi, which has a chapter at Temple, also delegate this responsibility to their chapter presidents. A president is expected to
We would hope that our leaders are our most responsible individuals. It doesn’t always happen. JONATHAN PIERCE Spokesman for AEPi headquarters
keep his chapter compliant with “institutional guidelines and regulations.” Most of the internal decision-making is left to the discretion of the executive board of the AEPi chapter, a recent former president of Temple’s AEPi chapter said under the condition of anonymity to protect his standing as an alumnus of the fraternity. “Too many times in these organizations, because it’s meant to be a secret organization where we would keep so many things internal, people are afraid to report certain things [to authorities] and I think that’s so wrong,” the former president said. “There has to come a point where life takes over and you say,‘We’re dealing with human beings. We’re dealing with human life.’” HEADQUARTERS OVERSIGHT Temple’s sororities and fraternities are typically individual chapters of larger, national or international Greek organizations, like the AEPi fraternity, which has nearly 200 chapters worldwide. Jonathan Pierce, a spokesman for AEPi’s headquarters, said that the fraternity does “everything [it] possibly can” to teach values and health and safety policies, including risk management, to all of its undergraduate members. As of temple-news.com
NEWS PAGE 5
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
2017, new members are required to go through an online training module, he added. “We would hope that our leaders are our most responsible individuals,” Pierce said. “It doesn’t always happen.” AEPi headquarters communicates to members through materials sent over email, and it directs members to its mission and health and safety guidelines found on its website. AEPi headquarters hosts regional conclaves, and at least one representative from each chapter is “supposed to be present” at the AEPi international convention hosted each year, Pierce said. Normally, he said, the chapter president attends. Pierce said that all presidents are expected to communicate with the educational leadership consultant for the Mid-Atlantic region, who educates regional chapters on AEPi headquarters’ policies and procedures. “All that said, every undergraduate should know what our policies and procedures are,” Pierce said. “They do not have an excuse not to know. We communicate it to them in a number of different ways. Certainly as you get older and as new members and become chapter leaders, I’m pretty sure you’ve seen this.” The former, anonymous Temple AEPi president said he did not recall communicating directly with a staff member from the international organization. He was critical of AEPi headquarters’ involvement with the Temple chapter during his presidency. The former president said the international organization only appeared to reach out to the chapter when it owed dues, and was otherwise “very hands-off.” “If you paid your dues, you were seen as this golden chapter… if you didn’t, you were seen as a bad chapter,” the former president said. “There were some years where we were kicking butt, and we were doing great things out in the community, but a couple of our members struggled to pay their dues and it felt like the [inter]national headquarters wasn’t happy with us.” “We probably had enough things going on where they should have sent someone our way to check in on us and
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make sure everything was good, and they didn’t,” the former president added. Pierce said those claims are “just not true.” “Our only concern is developing future leaders in the Jewish community,” he added. He also said the headquarters has a tip line for members to anonymously report concerns. Goldstein’s defense attorney Perry de Marco did not respond to multiple requests for comment about Goldstein’s involvement in AEPi or his training from the international fraternity or university. The international headquarters of AEPi will not be making any decisions about the fate of the Temple chapter until the investigation into its conduct has concluded and Goldstein is given due process in his own cases, Pierce said. “We’re still waiting to work with the university and local authorities to determine their findings on how or if this was, in their opinion, what the chapter was involved with versus what this individual has been accused of,” Pierce said. “Obviously if we’re able to determine if the abhorrent behavior was something that was condoned by the chapter, that others in the chapter were aware of and allowed to continue, those [are the] kinds of things we would look at,” he added. UNIVERSITY OVERSIGHT Presidents are responsible for meeting with university Greek life officials in Student Activities to communicate university policies with the rest of their chapters. The Temple AEPi chapter’s Spring 2017 constitution states that the president acts as a “liaison to all outsiders of the fraternity. (E.g. the university, [headquarters], police, etc.).” Similarly in its own constitution, the Temple chapter of Pi Lam delegates the “Rex” — Pi Lam’s term for the chapter’s highest-ranking executive board member — as the “main representative for the chapter to the [Interfraternity Council] and to the Office of Greek Life.” Greek life presidents are required to attend monthly presidents’ roundtables and meet one-on-one with Student Ac-
JULIE CHRISTIE / THE TEMPLE NEWS
tivities throughout the semester. However, over the past year, the office has experienced changes in staff, and Carey said those one-on-one meetings were less frequent. Presidents also attend a retreat the beginning of each semester, said Mat Greer, the program coordinator for fraternity and sorority life, who was hired by Temple in May. Greer described the retreat as a “check-in point” following winter and summer breaks for chapter leadership to be updated on university policies and requirements for the organization’s Diamond Accreditation. Presidents are educated on safety, reporting, risk, social events and travel policies and topics from the Student Code of Conduct. Greek life organizations usually transition into new leadership at the beginning of the fall or spring semesters, and Greer said the retreats often serve as an introduction to the university’s ex-
pectations for new chapter presidents. Presidents are then expected to share this information with the rest of the chapter. The university evaluates whether the president reviewed policies with the rest of their chapter at the chapter’s Diamond Accreditation meeting, which takes place at the end of each academic year. Diamond Accreditation ranks student organizations on a numerical scale of zero to four based on categories like academic achievement and civic involvement. Greer said when a Greek organization is at One-Diamond status, Student Affairs will have a “very strong conversation with the national headquarters” about the value of the chapter on campus. The other tiers, two through four, illustrate that the organization is meeting or excelling expectations. Student Activities also holds risk
AEPI | PAGE 6 News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com
NEWS PAGE 6
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 | AEPI management trainings at the beginning of the semester for organizations’ respective risk management and social chairs, Carey said. This training reviews safety issues relating to alcohol and drugs, sexual misconduct and consent, home safety and “good neighbor policies.” Based on its Spring 2017 constitution, Temple AEPi had two risk chairmen on its executive board who were responsible for sharing the duties of “preparing the chapter in the party risk
If you paid your dues, you were seen as this golden chapter… if you didn’t, you were seen as a bad chapter. FORMER AEPI PRESIDENT
management procedures” and to “remain sober at all social events/mixers.” According to the constitution, the president is also required to remain sober “at all house functions that carry risk besides brother only events.” The affidavit of probable cause for the second round of charges against Goldstein states that he texted the victim the day after the alleged sexual assault occurred.
Source: AEPi Spring 2017 Constitution JULIE CHRISTIE / THE TEMPLE NEWS
“I was really blacked out, but that’s not an excuse for what happened,” Goldstein wrote in a text to the victim. Presidents and risk management chairs are not the only Greek life members responsible for educating new members; representatives from every chapter are also trained. Greer said this training helps “new member educators” within a fraternity or sorority understand what they should communicate to
new members. “All of the things we then go over, we ensure that they are also reflected back to the chapters and it’s not just something that the presidents hear from one person, it is then reflected back to the individual organizations,” Greer said. The former Temple AEPi president said that during his administration, there was a representative from the university to advise him on internal decisions. He compared the one-on-one meetings with Student Activities to a patient being seen by a therapist. “It was like I was supposed to go there and kind of let out all of my feelings,” he said. “It didn’t happen that there were ever any takeaways or big results.” greta.anderson@temple.edu @gretanderson
TSG
Second Sexual Assault Prevention Week begins Five events will be held this week to educate students on preventing sexual assault. BY ALYSSA BIEDERMAN Deputy Campus Editor Sexual Assault Prevention week began Monday as a collaboration between Temple’s It’s On Us chapter, Temple Student Government and Student Activists Against Sexual Assault. The second annual week, which was started by the 2017-18 TSG administration, will feature five events related to sexual assault prevention. On Tuesday, the Title IX office will host a workshop from 5-7 p.m. in Tuttleman Learning Center Room 103. During this workshop, Shira Freiman, president of Temple’s It’s On Us chapter, will discuss the basics of Title IX, including resources the office provides and the rights the law upholds.
News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com
A sexual assault prevention panel will be hosted in the Kiva Auditorium in Ritter Annex from 5-6 p.m. on Wednesday. Representatives from SAASA, Men Against Rape and Sexual Assault, It’s On Us and TSG will speak. Shawn Aleong, a disability rights activist, and an international student who has yet to be determined, will speak about how experiences with sexual assault differ from international students and students who have disabilities. On Thursday, TSG’s Vice President of Services Trent Reardon, Freiman, and Liz Zadnik, the assistant director of the Wellness Resource Center, will speak about the importance and rules of consent. The consent workshop will be in Student Center room 200C from 4-5:30 p.m. “Consent is something that everyone should know and understand,” said Hailey McCormack, communications director for TSG. “Teaching people how important consent is will hopefully cre-
ate a healthier environment to talk about sexual assault.” “Write Off Sexual Violence” will take place on Friday at the corner of Montgomery Avenue and 13th Street from noon to 3 p.m. At this event, students will have the opportunity to write encouraging messages to survivors of sexual assault. The notes will be saved and hung up in the formation of a Temple “T” for students to see. “We want it to show that Temple can come together to support survivors and address the issue of sexual assault,” McCormack said. The week ends with a halftime speech from Reardon and Freiman at Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. football game against the University at Buffalo at Lincoln Financial Field. “The football game is a place where we can reach as many Temple University students as possible,” McCormack said. “It gives us an opportunity to spread the word of how important having these
conversations can be and get people talking.” Since the inaugural Sexual Assault Prevention Week, sexual assault has been highly publicized in relation to the university, including the conviction of former university trustee Bill Cosby for sexually assaulting former Temple employee Andrea Constand, and the arrest of the former president of Temple’s chapter of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity on sexual assault-related charges. “By raising awareness, people can start integrating the information we’re giving them into different parts of their lives and spreading it to others,” McCormack said. alyssa.biederman@temple.edu @BiedermanAlyssa
temple-news.com
NEWS PAGE 7
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 CRIME
Police receive false active shooter tip at The View
People at The View at Montgomery were evacuated Monday after police were alerted of a fake active shooter situation. BY ALYSSA BIEDERMAN Deputy Campus Editor
At least 300 people were evacuated from The View at Montgomery, an off-campus apartment building on Montgomery Avenue near 12th Street, on Monday following reports of an active shooter that were later deemed false. Philadelphia Police Lieutenant Larry Tankelewicz told The Temple News that an alleged active shooter on the 14th Floor of the building was reported to police. After an investigation, it was determined to be a prank phone call. Residents were allowed back into the building about 30 minutes after they were evacuated. “No threat or any incidents were found,” Temple University Police tweeted. Tankelewicz said the phone of the person who placed the false threat could not be tracked, therefore no legal action could be taken. Temple and Philadelphia police units and the Philadelphia Fire Department investigated and cleared the building after the threat.
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Jackson Neill, a freshman media studies and production major, said he was instructed to evacuate by an intercom message that stated there was an “emergency situation” in the building. As he was exiting, he passed several police officers in the lobby, one of whom was holding a large gun. “You don’t understand what it’s like to see someone with a giant gun,” he said. “I ran. That made me think, ‘Wow, it’s one of those serious situations.’” Neill said he feels unprepared in a real active shooter situation because he has never been educated on emergency exits near his first-floor apartment. Alyssa Herman, a sophomore undeclared student in the College of Liberal Arts who lives on the 13th Floor, said she thought it was a fire alarm. “I didn’t feel stressed until a cop asked if I had heard gunshots,” Herman said. “I was scared.” Herman said it took her at least 10 minutes to get to the first floor. “We don’t have [resident assistants] or anything so no one told me what to do in case of an emergency,” she said. “I didn’t feel totally unprepared, but all I could do was take the fire escape.” alyssa.biederman@temple.edu @BiedermanAlyssa
ALYSSA BIEDERMAN / THE TEMPLE NEWS Police evacuated nearly 300 people from The View on Monday.. @TheTempleNews
News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com
OPINION TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
PAGE 8 EDITORIAL
All eyes off you, Greek Life An analysis of several Greek life orga- enced this culture firsthand. nizations on Main Campus by The Temple “Too many times in these organizaNews found that the student-run chapters tions,...we would keep so many things inhold most of the oversight on their orga- ternal, people are afraid to report certain nizations. things [to authorities] and I think that’s Temple is looking to serve this com- so wrong,” the former president told The munity by adding an assistant director for Temple News. “There has to come a point fraternity and sorority life, but still only where life takes over and you say, ‘We’re has one coordinator to oversee more than dealing with human beings. We’re dealing 1,500 members campuswide. Internation- with human life.’” al headquarters must oversee hundreds Members of Greek life are more than of chapters and hundreds of thousands of just human beings, and the bond you have members, so their oversight is, too, mini- with your brothers and sisters shouldn’t be mal. more important than someone else’s safety. This both concerns us and makes us We recognize that the Greek life comproud. We’re glad so many fraternity and munity on Main Campus does significant sorority presidents take their positions se- philanthropic and community service riously to foster learning and growth with- work, more than many other student orgain their communities; that they don’t need nizations. Presidents of Greek life are recclose oversight. But we fear that there may ognized and lauded by others, no matter if be a culture within Greek life to take ad- students have a Greek life affiliation or not. vantage of the self-governance and avoid Presidents should step into these roles reporting misconduct to the university or ready to lead and foster conversation and their headquarters. learning. And members should not feel disOne former president of Temple’s couraged to report when they see wrongchapter of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, doing in their organizations, because that’s which is suspended from Main Campus the mark of a good leader. while under investigation, said he’s experiEDITORIAL
Bring street teams to Temple
Philadelphia’s Department of Revenue has street teams made up of volunteers who knock on doors in North Philadelphia as part of a city-wide initiative to help residents save money on their real estate taxes and educate the community about the department’s services. We are glad the city is making an effort to save community residents money and knows to target the area around Main Campus where gentrification and displacement are not only hot-button issues, but a reality to many nearby. The different programs the Department of Revenue is promoting will help residents freeze or possibly lower their property taxes — which can skyrocket as development around Temple continues. Residents shouldn’t be priced out of their letters@temple-news.com
homes simply because the area around where they live is changing. While this is a good step forward, the city should look into using Temple, a large resource in North Philadelphia, in its efforts to educate North Philadelphia residents about tax programs. And we hope Temple would be eager to help spread the word about these programs. Temple already hosts monthly job readiness workshops for community residents, adult education courses and preparatory programs for youth. The university also backs programs like the free tax preparation program in Ambler. Temple has the resources, and it could be extremely beneficial to educate the community about programs that benefit our neighbors.
A LETTER TO THE EDITOR Student Body President Gadi Zimmerman wrote a Letter to the Editor inviting students to participate in upcoming programs.
T
o all of the returning students, it’s wonderful to have you back on campus! To freshman and transfer students, welcome to Temple University, and I hope it has been an easy transition so far. This summer was a busy time for Temple Student Government. We met with students and administrators to discuss parts of our platform and started planning specific events that we will host throughout the year. We began building a relationship with Aramark to make sure that students’ concerns about the environment and food waste are being addressed. This week, we are kicking off Sexual Assault Prevention Week, which was created by last year’s Temple Student Government administration. I, and the rest of the TSG team, truly hope you take advantage of some of the events during the week. On Tuesday, we will host a Title IX Workshop where you’ll learn the basics about the Title IX reporting process from Andrea Seiss, the Title IX coordinator. On Thursday, we will have a Consent Workshop, which will be an informative and open discussion about the stigmas and biases surrounding consent, including the nature of safe sex and ways to ensure you are fully informed. Check out our social media @TempleTSG to learn about more events during the week. In two weeks, we will kick off our first ever Wellness Week. This week, in partnership with the Wellness Resource Center, will be devoted to sparking the conversation around mental wellness and beginning to destigmatize the topic. I anticipate that this year will bring
success and growth to you, through exploring the different clubs and organizations on campus to venturing into the greater city of Philadelphia. Get involved and engage in difficult conversations around campus. The university is not defined by the rankings it has, but by the students that we have and everything we have accomplished. If there is anything that I have learned in the last three years at Temple, it is to always question the status quo. Make sure you question things that are said in your classes, ideas around you and decisions that are being made. It is our job as Temple Student Government to represent the entire student body, and we can only do that with your help. We strive to continue to set ourselves apart from other universities, while also holding ourselves accountable for mistakes we make. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns. As we run different programs throughout the year and discuss different policies with administrators, student voices are at the core of our values and we intend to include any and all opinions. Good luck, and we look forward to seeing the groundbreaking things you will continue to do throughout the 2018-19 school year. Gadi Zimmerman is a senior financial planning major and the student body president. He is also the vice president of Challah for Hunger, an organization that sells challah to raise money for social justice causes. He can be reached at tsg.president@ temple.edu and @Gadi_Zimmerman on Twitter. temple-news.com
OPINION PAGE 9
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 ACADEMICS
Online class limits learning for students, teachers Online classes bring people more stress than convenience. During my senior year of high school, I took an online Advanced Placement Economics class that I still consider one of my least favorite classes I’ve ever taken. Communication with my classmates and teacher was incredibly minimal. In fact, I only ever heard my teacher’s voice in the pre-recorded audio lectures. This class resulted in my worst final grade of my high school caTYLER PEREZ reer. I swore to myself I’d never take another online class. But because of the way the education system is evolving, with more and more classes being offered online, it seems I’ll likely have to take another sometime during my undergraduate or graduate studies. And as a future teacher, I may even have to teach an online class one day. As I start another semester on Main Campus, I hear lots of my classmates talking excitedly about the freedom of taking online classes. They mention listening to lectures in bed and that online classes promote a flexible schedule. Some even say they wish every course were offered online.
But still, the push for more online classes is damaging. Online learning is not for everyone. And students filling their schedules with online courses should reconsider, simply because it strips the important social aspect of college classes and hinders education in the long run. A 2015 survey conducted by the Babson Survey Research Group at Babson College found that more than one in four students were enrolled in an online course. I find that disappointing. The progression of technology is a good thing, but not when it demotes human interaction and promotes a lax approach to education. While the online class I took was in high school, Temple University students in online classes have experienced some of the same issues. These flaws seem to be universal across the idea of online learning. Online classes usually don’t include face-to-face interaction. The economics course I took in high school was limited to discussion boards and “office hours” that students with crowded schedules could rarely attend. Jenna Tieu, a junior accounting major, said she experienced a lack of communication in an online math course. “My professor wasn’t there in an online presence most of the time,” Tieu said. “In an in-person class, you can stop the teacher whenever and just ask a
question right then and there, but in an online class you’ll be emailing and waiting all day, or sometimes not even get a response at all.” We’ve all been there: confused about an assignment, frustrated with Canvas or concerned about whether a topic will be on the exam. But what happens when you can’t get an answer to a burning question the moment you need it? A guessing game — or worse, a failing grade — is what happens. The Brookings Institution, a public policy nonprofit, found that college students in online courses were more likely to do worse in future courses than their peers learning in traditional classrooms. I worry this could lead to higher dropout rates. Online classes might appeal to many students, and virtually anyone can enroll. But this can be problematic because students who are bad at being prepared for class simply don’t do well in online classes, according to research conducted by professors at Harvard and Stanford universities. These classes are truly not made for everyone. And students aren’t the only ones who are realizing the downside to online classes. Some professors are even trying to reform the system on their own. Melissa Toomey, an English professor, teaches Analytical Reading and Writing online at Temple. She said while she’s optimistic about the bene-
fits that online learning can provide to students who prefer it, she also sees the inconveniences that online classes can create for both students and professors. “The challenge is finding that multimodality, trying to figure out how to integrate audio and video and thinking about what students are interested in, like music in the background while I’m explaining a lecture,” Toomey said. “Finding ways to connect to students in this way is a lot more preparation. … It requires at least 20 extra hours of prep work.” The convenience of online classes doesn’t outweigh the frustration students and teachers face when taking or teaching them. My advice to students would be to look past the earlier alarm clocks and the burden of getting out of your pajamas. Physically showing up to class is worth it in the long run. tyler.perez@temple.edu @perezodent
READ THE OPPOSING STANCE ON PAGE 10
JAYNA SCHAFFER / THE TEMPLE NEWS
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OPINION PAGE 10
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
ACADEMICS
Online classes accommodate busy schedules Students with hectic lives should consider taking an online class. During my four years at Temple University, I have taken at least one online class during every summer, which has allowed me to have a lighter course load and more freedom to pick in-person classes and sections during the fall and spring semesters. Online classes are beneficial not only for students wishing to work full-time, ALISA ISLAM but also to those who have the opportunity to travel abroad while keeping up with their class requirements. Taking online classes has allowed me to add a minor to my degree, work a full-time internship and travel to countries like France, Italy, Sweden, Thailand and the United Kingdom. Without the ability to take online classes, I would have been required to come to Main
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Campus during the summer and would not have been able to travel the world. Temple provides online classes during the summer, split up into two six-week terms, Summer I and Summer II, providing many students with an opportunity to continue their education without the need to be present on campus, so they can pursue other opportunities or activities during summer. And online classes aren’t only convenient during the summer. Intellectual Heritage and General Education Program classes are required by the university for all undergraduate students, which are also available to take online during the academic year. Many of them allow students to set up their own schedules to complete the required work. Generally, online classes benefit those who might not always be able to make it to a class. “Online courses benefit students who have busy working schedules, have longer commutes or traveling at that time or for some reason require customization of their learning environment,”
April 21, 2009: The Fox School of Business announced the launch of its Online MBA program, with the hopes of offering students a virtual way to earn a Fox degree through WebEx, a web-conferencing tool that uses headphones and webcams for its weekly lecture. This week: Two columnists argued the value — or lack thereof — of an online education. Alisa Islam argued online education is convenient for those who like to travel and stay busy. Tyler Perez argued online classes don’t bring the same level of communication and interaction that traditional classes offer. offer.
said Iryna Halaway, a senior marketing major. “They do save time.” J.P. Fleming, a junior sports and recreation major, said he is a “big fan” of online classes. “[My online class] had a very relaxed schedule,” Fleming said. “It was during the summer, so I was working obviously a ton, and my teacher was able to accommodate that by rearranging the schedule to the days where I wasn’t working.” Although the summer online classes I took were quick, six-week sessions instead of the semester-long ones, they both allow working students to keep their full-time positions without sacrificing a good schedule for the upcoming fall semester. Temple has many non-credit, certificate, undergraduate and graduate classes available online. Right now, the only fully online undergraduate program available at Temple is the Fox School of Business Online BBA program. But our university is continually growing and adapting, so I hope to see more degrees becoming available
online as the demand for online education grows. “Temple should add more online classes if there’s specific need, whether it’s to speed up graduation times or help working students with their busy schedules,” Halaway said. I hope Temple continues to provide online class offerings for people who want to maximize their summers and add ease to their fall and spring schedules. alisa.islam@temple.edu
READ THE OPPOSING STANCE ON PAGE 9
JULIE CHRISTIE / THE TEMPLE NEWS
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FEATURES TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
PAGE 11
MAGGIE LOESCH / THE TEMPLE NEWS A fan dances to Louis the Child, an electronic dance music DJ, on the Freedom Stage at the Made in America Festival on Saturday (from left to right). The Made in America Festival lights up the Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Saturday. Pusha T, a rapper, performs on the Rocky Stage at the Made in America Festival on Sunday afternoon. LIVE IN PHILLY
Made in America festival a key Philly experience After the Made in America festival was in danger of leaving Philadelphia, students share what the event means to them. BY HAYLEY ALLISON For The Temple News The air was thick with humidity and bass as thousands of Made in America festivalgoers sang their favorite songs
while Philadelphia’s skyline twinkled behind them. Made in America is a two-day music festival, curated by hip-hop artist Jay-Z, that has been held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway every Labor Day weekend since 2012. In July, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney announced the festival would no longer be allowed at its Parkway location next year. Philadelphians started questioning whether the festival would
move to another location in Philadelphia, or leave Philadelphia entirely. The festival has long been criticized for its cost and negative effects on Philly residents. When Philadelphia media outlet Billy Penn broke the story, annual Made in America attendees, like college students and young adults, expressed their concerns with moving the event out of the city. “Moving [the festival] to anywhere
POLITICS
#VoteThatJawn promotes college voter registration The city-wide collaboration helps young people register to vote and attend the polls on Nov. 6. BY KYRA MILLER For The Temple News This midterm election season, sophomore biology major Cyé Jacobs is deter-
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mined to use her platform as a college student for political change. “I’m a queer, Black woman living in America,” Jacobs said. “My rights matter just as your rights matter.” Jacobs is part of the youth steering committee of #VoteThatJawn, a city-wide effort to get college students and young people to register to vote for Election Day, VOTE | PAGE 12
outside of Philly would cause it to lose its essence,” said Julie Poliner, a sophomore kinesiology major who attended Made in America the last two years. “The festival was made to be down on the Parkway and nowhere else.” She added she is a fan of the festival because it is “something big that only Philly has.” In a column for the Inquirer, Jay-Z expressed his disappointment in KenPARKWAY | PAGE 13
FACULTY
Journalism professor jumps to TUJ Campus George Miller started his new position as an associate dean this fall. BY MILLY MCKINNISH For The Temple News When George Miller learned he’d be moving to Japan, his immedi-
ate reaction was, “Wow, that’s a long way to go.” With family living a 90-minute flight away from Tokyo in Kyushu, Japan, working at Temple University Japan was Miller’s dream job. Still, it’s a more than 16-hour flight to Tokyo from Philadelphia, where he’s called home for more than a decade. MILLER | PAGE 13 features@temple-news.com
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 VOTE Nov. 6. The project began as an effort to involve people who didn’t know they were eligible to vote, didn’t have the resources to register or weren’t engaged in the political process. More than 10 partners are collaborating on #VoteThatJawn, including The Philadelphia Citizen, University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy & Practice, the Klein College of Media and Communication, the Community College of Philadelphia and WURD Radio. Public relations professor David Brown, who is helping carry out the project, said #VoteThatJawn is a twopart process. The first step is getting people to register to vote in time for the November election by the registration deadline on Oct. 9. The second step is encouraging everyone to turn out to the polls on Election Day. Brown and Jacobs were introduced to the project by Lorene Cary, a senior lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania. Cary started Safe Kids Stories, an online crowdsourcing project for college students to share personal stories which hosts the #VoteThatJawn campaign. To reach as many students and young people as possible, Brown said social media engagement is key. “Most people will be able to [vote] if they know other people that do it,” Brown added. On Twitter and its website, the #VoteThatJawn account is providing fun facts about voting and promoting its events, which Jacobs said are when the real magic will happen. On Sept. 22, the group will host a two-hour-long workshop at media organization WHYY’s Public Media Commons on 7th Street near Race. Teams from Philadelphia colleges and high schools will discuss how to get people to register to vote and go to the polls on Election Day. Brown said opening up communication between seniors in high school, college students and other Philadelphia youth is key to #VoteThatJawn’s strategy for increasing voter turnout. The campaign aims to change the narrative features@temple-news.com
LUKE SMITH / THE TEMPLE NEWS Sophmore biology major Cyé Jacobs holds a #VoteThatJawn flyer on Polett Walk on Sept. 3 to advertise the upcoming voter registration event, scheduled for Sept. 22 at WHYY’s Public Media Commons.
that one person’s vote doesn’t make a difference. “Every voice counts,” Brown said. “A voice doesn’t matter until it’s heard. … I’ve [known] people who have lived and died for the right to vote.” “If you get into the habit of voting and paying attention to elections, that’s where the rubber meets the road,” he added. “To say, ‘I’m a participating member of this community,’ that matters.” According to an analysis by Democratic polling firm TargetSmart, registration rates among voters ages 18-29 have surged since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in February. The number of young voters nationwide has increased by more than two percent, while Pennsylvania saw a 16 percent
increase – a larger spike than anywhere else in the country. At the Sept 22. event, Jacobs and the rest of the team plan to register people to vote. The free event will have DJs and is open to the public. Jacobs said she is a firm believer in starting political conversations among young people. “It’s better when youth are telling other youth like, ‘Hey, listen, this is actually important,’ instead of some old, white man on TV telling us,” she added. Carly Reilly, a senior political science major, agreed. “[Young people] need to get represented within the government,” Reilly said. “Not a lot of people our age are aware and vote often, so it’s important to get our government officials to repre-
sent our ideals, not just the people who are older than us.” Brown and Jacobs acknowledge there is a long road ahead and said #VoteThatJawn won’t be slowing down anytime soon. The two are confident this movement will continue after the midterm elections. “Every election is a big election,” Brown said. “If you don’t vote, you don’t count. … You get the elected leadership you deserve if you don’t vote.” kyramariemiller@temple.edu @kyramariemiller
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 MILLER Miller, a former journalism professor and assistant chair of the journalism department on Main Campus, started his new role as the associate dean for academic affairs at TUJ this fall after teaching on Main Campus for more than 11 years. Miller was a fixture at the Klein College of Media and Communication. He taught introductory journalism course Journalism and Society and journalism capstone course Philadelphianeighborhoods.com, in which students write stories and create videos about a neighborhood in the city. Miller will now oversee all 10 undergraduate majors at TUJ, including Asian studies, international affairs and Japanese language. By the spring, he’ll likely expand his responsibilities to include graduate programs. Miller said the transition comes with a learning curve, and there’s a lot he still needs to understand about the new gig. “I come into this as a person with a very specific skill set,” Miller added. “Now I have to slow down and appreciate what other people teach and what they are experts in.” As a Journalism and Society professor, Miller was many students’ introduction to the journalism world. Miller said he enjoyed teaching both the introductory and capstone courses. “I’ve got to teach people when they first arrived on campus, and I’ve got to get to know them a little bit and stay in touch with them, and I saw them right CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 PARKWAY ney’s decision and the city’s lack of communication with performing artists. Almost a week after the announcement, Kenney and Desiree Perez, the chief operating officer of Jay-Z’s entertainment company Roc Nation, agreed to keep Made in America on the Parkway in coming years, according to a City press release. It stated both parties will work on “addressing operational and community challenges” resulting from the festival. Mike Reynolds, a senior criminal @TheTempleNews
before they exited college,” Miller said. Miller’s students knew him for his witty lectures, friendly nature and bringing his Shih Tzu named Mookie – who Miller said is a “regular at Klein” – to class. Junior journalism major Kee Min said his favorite memory of Miller is when he helped him and his friends work on a paper during an all-nighter at Paley Library. “We were messaging him questions regarding the paper [and] he was helping us via Facebook Messenger at 3 a.m. in the library,” Min said. “Klein will miss him a lot. He is definitely a big figure in the college.” Chris Malo, Klein College’s community liaison and the editor of Philadelphianeighborhoods.com, worked closely with Miller on the capstone course. For him, Miller’s departure is bittersweet. “We’re going to miss George, and we’re going to miss Mookie running around the halls of Annenberg,” Malo said. “[Miller] describes it to me as the opportunity of a lifetime and a dream come true. If you have to see somebody go, you’re glad it’s going to be for something good.” Malo and Miller also worked together on JUMP, a magazine dedicated to Philadelphia’s music scene, which Miller launched. Despite covering local musicians, JUMP was created in London in Summer 2010. During a six-week study abroad program, Miller and his students covered various music shows, festivals and DJ parties. “We made a magazine there, and we
printed it and started showing people in Philly,” Miller said. “And everybody in Philly was like, ‘This is great, but I don’t know any of these guys in London. I wish we had something like this in Philly.’” The majority of JUMP reporters are Miller’s former students, and the magazine will continue without him. Alex Mulcahy, the publisher of Red Flag Media Group, which publishes multiple niche print publications, is taking over Miller’s position as publisher and editor in chief. “It’s going to be tough to see him go because he is the glue that held certain things together,” Malo said. “[But] the department will find a way to soldier on, and there’s a lot of capable and talented faculty to pick up the slack.”
Miller said the food trucks on Main Campus are what he’ll miss most from his time here, but he appreciates how his time teaching influenced his career. When he worked as a journalist for the Philadelphia Daily News, he said the focus of his job was putting out a story that could impact people’s lives. As a professor, he multiplied the impact by teaching thousands of students and alumni how to create their own content. “Now, as the associate dean, I get to work with faculty and they work with students who are then out there doing amazing things,” Miller said. “I have an ability to multiply the impact [even more].”
justice major, attended Made in America the last two years. He thinks the festival has become a pop culture icon in the city. “I like that it is just a fun weekend with a bunch of people my age getting together and listening to cool music,” Reynolds said. “They have some good acts this year.” This year’s 71-artist lineup included performers like Post Malone, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar and Meek Mill, a North Philadelphia native. “This place is going to light up when Meek comes out, and I can’t wait,” said freshman psychology major Jelani Isom, who waited two hours on Saturday at
the Rocky Stage near the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s steps for the rapper to perform. Sophomore education major Madi Vaupel was also excited to see Meek Mill go on stage Saturday night. “He is the definition of Philadelphia,” Vaupel said. “This festival is so cool and this is my first time here, so I’m excited.” Some students, like sophomore speech pathology major Megan Flatley, rank Made in America as one of the best experiences of their college careers. Flatley went to the festival for the first time during her freshman year. She met her roommate Delilah Hallowell, a
sophomore education major, when their groups of friends attended the event together. She said she’s glad the festival will be staying in Philadelphia. “I wouldn’t trade my Made [in America] experience for anything else,” Flatley said. “I encourage all Temple students to go at least once during their time here. It’s something they’ll remember for the rest of their [lives] and hopefully make new friends along the way.”
COURTESY / COLIN KERRIGAN George Miller, associate dean of academic affairs at Temple University Japan, poses in Sankaku Chitai, a nighttime fun district in Sangenjaya district of Toyko near TUJ, on Saturday.
melissamckinnish@temple.edu
hayley.allison@temple.edu
features@temple-news.com
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
ENTERTAINMENT
Party game created by alumni for sale on Amazon The game was designed for millenThe game is described as a hybrid play it with different groups of friends.” cards and pieces of paper to set it up. Whatever, which the creators best “We made a prototype and started nials and college students, and its creof Cards Against Humanity and described as a cross between truth or to send it around the country to differ- ators have a strong presence on Facetruth or dare.
BY TIM SHERMER For The Temple News Wax a patch of hair off your body. Show the group the last thing you Googled. Take the socks from the sweatiest player and wear them on your hands until your next turn. These are all cards that can be found in the box of the newly released card game Whatever, described on a fundraising page as “a party game of awkward situations and embarrassing confessions,” created by Temple University alumni Bret and Ali Ludlow and their business partner, Brittany Jones. The game originated during their college days before they decided to market and sell it. “There wasn’t a lot of new creativity in the games that we would get off the shelves,” said Bret Ludlow, a 2011 marketing alumnus. “So we found ourselves making up our own game, and we would
VOICES Are you registered to vote? Why or why not?
dare and the crude fill-in-the-blank card game Cards Against Humanity, was entertaining enough that the trio continued to play it regularly after they graduated. “The dares kept getting more crazy and weird,” said Ali Ludlow, a 2012 nursing alumna who married Bret in October 2013. With prompting from friends and Jones’ mom, the Ludlows and Jones decided early last year to transform one of their favorite college pastimes into a physical tabletop game. They launched a Kickstarter campaign in November 2017 that raised nearly $13,000. Bret Ludlow said much of the success he had navigating the marketing side of the project is due to his Temple education, which he found extremely helpful throughout his career. But as with any major project, there were obstacles. When the Ludlows and Jones initially played Whatever, they didn’t have a physical product and needed a deck of
ent groups of people, different ages, different backgrounds,” Bret Ludlow said. “We would get them to take surveys after they played. We had to make tweaks and changes all the way up to the end.” The team did the testing without the help of an organization, while the playtesters were unpaid volunteers. Though the game has evolved significantly since its original days being played in the creators’ apartments near Main Campus, some of the first players still have fond and slightly embarrassing memories from playing. “If you have a group of people who are in the right mindset and not afraid to make fun of themselves, you’ll end up crying from laughing so hard,” said Torey Felton, a 2012 nursing alumna who has a long history of playing Whatever. She added the secret to winning the game is being willing to look like a complete idiot. “A few drinks usually helps too,” Felton said.
tim.shermer@temple.edu
RUSSELL DAVIS Senior music technology major
MOLLY McDONALD Senior ceramics major
Yes, it’s kind of what you do when you turn 18. But I also care about the political process and what I can do.
I’m registered to vote because I feel like I can’t complain about the current political situation if I’m not voting.
JESSICA UNDERKOFFLER Sophomore biology major I’m not, just because I didn’t turn 18 until later in the year. I will register...but since I already missed some of the bigger elections I just didn’t get to it yet.
features@temple-news.com
book and Instagram to connect with their target demographic. On their social media, users can find funny videos of people playing the game, which is available exclusively on Amazon. “Do not play this game with children,” the game’s Amazon description reads. “Only with your friends who still act like children.” Ali Ludlow said plans to sell Whatever at walk-in stores are in the works, but they won’t come to fruition until next spring. In the meantime, the game is still played on campus today. Freshman psychology major Nathan Olski played Whatever at the beginning of the semester and said he had nothing but positive impressions. “You have to be up for anything,” Olski said. “I didn’t do what one of the cards said, so I had to stuff tissues up my nose for the entire round.”
BEN MASCIOLI Freshman music technology major I am. I believe my voice should be heard. ... Being registered is necessary because if you’re wasting your vote, then what’s the point?
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INTERSECTION TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
PAGE 15 SEXUAL ASSAULT
The self-care and self-love of TELL YOUR STORY a strong Black woman A sophomore discusses how she found ways to care for herself as a Black woman. BY TAYLAR ENLOW For The Temple News
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rom a young age, my mother taught me that my experience in society would be marked by struggle. Because my skin was not a shade of alabaster or ivory, my hair could not be tamed by bristles or elastic or taught to stop reaching skyward and my hips would be carved by nature to carry life, I would be treated differently. I would be objectified and unvalued. My Black, female life would be regarded as though it mattered less than those of my non-Black and male peers. I, in all spaces that I entered, would be considered and cared for last. So, I had to consistently ensure that despite the actions or opinions of other people, I was putting myself first. Despite having my mother’s words as a reminder, self-love did not come easy. I spent years basing my worth on the opinions of my white peers, and gradually unlearned all of the self-love my mother had so desperately tried to teach me. I straightened my hair, changed my behavior and ignored my roots for so long, be-
lieving that if I did, I would finally be valuable. It took me ages to learn that finding my own community was the key to healing from trauma inflicted on me by the white community in the unsafe spaces I entered. I found that the source of that healing could only be found among those who had also endured my struggles and shared my experiences: Black women. Upon coming to Temple University, I began to seek solace in the spaces created by people like me. I attended yoga classes and guided meditations taught and led by Black women. I cleansed my social media feeds of the white influencers that I had for so long compared myself to and began freeing myself of the pressure to achieve what was unrealistic and unnecessary. I filled those gaps with the voices and works of Black women: artists, teachers, mothers, lovers. I began to realize that just as they had the capacity to be infinite, so did I. Their identities, like mine, were not defined by a single thing, but instead by what loved. I began to understand Black womanhood through poetry, photography or podcasts. In women like Lauren Ash and Alex Elle, the respective founders of the podcasts “Black Girl in Om” and “hey, girl,” I found voices that echoed and sang my own
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stories. I began doing work to help build a community of my own and joined The Side by Side Collective, a self-care oriented organization for women of color at Temple created by two Afro-Latina women. The co-founders, Doriana Diaz, a sophomore women studies major, and Mayannah Beauvoir, a junior English and Africology and African American Studies major, have inspired me through their devotion to community and sisterhood every day since I have known them. Gradually, I began to acknowledge that I had begun a life-long journey toward attaining true acceptance and love of self. Self-love is a daily struggle. Because true healing is rooted in the acknowledgement and honoring of emotions and pain, it is not an experience that will be completely defined by joyful moments. There are moments when it will be easy to feel lost in the deepest of abysses, but it is important to remember that we are not crying out alone. There are voices echoing alongside our own and many people waiting to help lift us to our highest of apexes.
The Intersection Editor offers survivors of sexual assault a space to share their stories during Sexual Assault Prevention Week.
Sexual assault is ingrained in the culture of many college campuses, Temple University being no exception. In college, one in five women and one in 16 men are sexual assaulted, and 90 percent go unreported, according to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. With recent developments in the #MeToo movement, there has been a push for all individuals to end the widespread culture of sexual assault and misconduct. This week, Temple Student Government is hosting Sexual Assault Prevention Week to further educate the student body about sexual assault prevention. To the survivors of sexual assault and their loved ones, we know this is a hard topic to cover, but The Temple News wants to ensure you we recognize your strength, courage and bravery. If you feel comfortable sharing your story, feel free to reach out to the Intersection team, so we can ensure your voices are heard. Whether it be an interview, an essay or a letter, do not hesitate to get in contact with us. In the interim, please be sure to read the content coming out next week specifically unpacking #MeToo and issues about sexual assault. Love, Anaya Carter-Duckett
taylar.enlow@temple.edu
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INTERSECTION PAGE 16
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
GENDER
Debunking the gender binary
Some experts at Temple discuss the complexities of gender identity and expression. BY RUTH HUNGER For The Temple News “Throw Fives” can be seen written on whiteboards on the doors of freshman dorm rooms. It refers to how at some college parties, men have to pay $5 to get in, while women get in for free. Throwing fives makes two assumptions. One, that gender is limited to male and female. And two, that gender is identifiable by one’s appearance. In reality, gender is much more complicated. What exactly is gender? It is still being unpacked by some experts, and students, at Temple today. Nu’Rodney Prad, the director of student engagement at the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, Advocacy and Leadership, defines gender as “one’s sense of self.” “That sense of self may align with the sex assigned at birth or it may not align, whether you believe in the binary system or not,” he added. Fabienne Darling-Wolf, a professor in the journalism department who researches gender in Japan, said gender “has little to do with the biology they were born with,” and defines gender as one’s social expression of femininity and masculinity. Sex, gender and sexual orientation are often considered synonymous or near-synonymous terms, but they have important distinctions. According to the American Psychological Association, gender identity refers to an internal sense of one’s being and expression, like for some, masculinity and femininity. Sex defines the biology of a person and which organs they possess.
Sexual orientation is “more so the attraction of these things,” Prad said. “‘Who am I attached to? Am I attracted to people who identify as man or woman or neither nor?’” Recognizing that there is a spectrum of masculinity to femininity and that people fall into different places along that spectrum, or even outside that spectrum is a good first step in understanding the variety of gender identities, Fab said. According to Gender Spectrum, an organization that seeks to foster gender-inclusive environments for youth, the gender binary is the concept that only two genders exist, but this idea has been challenged. Gender identity can encompass a variety of identities, like non-binary, demigender, agender and gender fluid. University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Stonewall Center for LGBTQ+ resources defines non-binary, demigender, agender and gender fluid as the following: non-binary is rejecting the notion that there are only two genders known as male and female; demigender is when an individual partially identifies as male or female; agender is a lack of gender; and gender fluidity is when someone’s gender identity is not stationary. Gender can change over time, Prad said, adding that, “just because I identify this way one day doesn’t mean that I’m always going to identify that way because there is this fluid system. “I’m not being contained in this one chained box,” he said. The IDEAL office will offer several educational programs during National Coming Out Week on Oct. 2 through Oct. 6. The programs will educate the Temple community about gender and sexual identities. ruth.hunger@temple.edu
ZEKE RIGGINS Senior English major Pronouns: He/Him/His/They/Them
My take on gender is that it’s fake. You can be whatever gender you want to be and if anyone else is like, ‘Hey, you’re not that gender you say you are,’ that’s ridiculous. I am too old and too tired to be constantly arguing with people who are like, ‘Oh, but you have breasts and a vagina,’ and I’m like, ‘That doesn’t matter even a little bit.’
IAN GATES Freshman English and entrepreneurship major Pronouns: He/Him/His/They/Them
I often felt if I was born a girl, my life would’ve made more sense. I never wanted a sex change, yet I also never fit the standard ‘guy’ mold. I just existed in this strange gray area between boy and girl but never knew how to label it.
CAMERON FARTHING Junior undeclared major in the Tyler School of Art Pronouns: She/Her/Hers/They/Them My gender is that I don’t identify. ...I can dress like a boy and feel like a boy at my leisure and am [supported] or never even asked what or why I’m behaving in any way. Same with feeling girly, they’re different things that I feel at different times. It makes me feel more comfortable.
CLAIRE WOLTERS / THE TEMPLE NEWS intersection@temple-news.com
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SPORTS PAGE 17
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
Experienced coach joins women’s soccer staff WOMEN’S SOCCER
David Hodgson became the assisant coach of the Temple Women’s soccer team in July. BY ALEX MCGINLEY Woman’s Soccer Beat Reporter
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oach Seamus O’Connor remembers David Hodgson as an all-around player. In 2003, O’Connor coached Hodgson with the Reading United A.C., formerly Reading Rage, of the United Soccer League’s Premier Development League. O’Connor hired Hodgson as an assistant coach of Temple University’s women’s soccer team in July. “He’s just very organized, has high energy and commitment,” O’Connor said. “He would do any job you asked him to do. Not much has changed. It’s interesting that he’s the exact same as he was as a player.” Hodgson said being reunited with O’Connor was one of the factors that in-
fluenced his decision to come to Temple. “We’re a similar age, so it was always good having Seamus as my head coach,” Hodgson said. “We always had that mutual respect before he signed me.” In the past two seasons, Hodgson served as head sports scientist, assistant coach and interim head coach of Sky Blue FC, a National Women’s Soccer League team based in New Jersey. He coached two prominent international players, Carli Lloyd and Sam Kerr, at Sky Blue FC. Despite enjoying coaching professional players, Hodgson said he dreamed of coaching a Division I program, like Temple. He said he wants to help lead the team to the Final Four of the Women’s College Cup. Hodgson started his coaching career as an assistant coach for the women’s soccer team at Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City, New Jersey in 2003. He later gained experience as a head coach at Division III schools Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA and Rutgers Universi-
LUKE SMITH / THE TEMPLE NEWS Assistant coach David Hodgson instructs players from the sideline during the Owls’ 2-1 loss to Saint Joseph’s University on Aug. 17 at the Temple Sports Complex. @TTN_Sports
ty-Camden. O’Connor said Hodgson’s years of coaching soccer have helped him fit in at Temple. “[The players] have done a really good job of buying into it and learning from him,” O’Connor said. “U.S. Soccer works a lot with the pro teams and makes sure the athletes are as prepared and organized as possible. A lot of the stuff he’s bringing to us is coming straight from U.S. Soccer.” Sophomore forward Emma Wilkins said Hodgson’s expertise will help the team move in the right direction. “He has helped significantly,” Wilkins said. “He’s an amazing coach, and he’s brought lots of new elements
and different ideas to the team. I think with the team we have now and plus his skills, I think we’re on a really good track this year.” Hodgson doesn’t work with a specific group of players at practice, but prefers to work with each member. “Whether you’re the star player, whether you’re the goalkeeper, whether you’re last off the bench, I truly believe everyone matters and everyone has value toward a successful team,” he said. “I picked Temple to win,” he said. “I want this program to succeed. I want to take it to another level.” alex.mcginley@temple.edu @mcginley_alex
JEREMIAH REARDON / THE TEMPLE NEWS sports@temple-news.com
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20 | RELAX
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20 | PANIC
than two minutes left in the fourth quarter and the potential for an ending similar to last year’s existed, Villanova felt more confident than in 2017. “Last year ...we weren’t starstruck, but I feel like, it was like kind of our first game going against Temple in a long time, so we weren’t used to them,” Wildcats’ senior left tackle Ethan Greenidge said. “But this year, it felt like they were kind of in our league and we just had to show them like a little rivalry kind of, in a way.” Although the two teams were on a series hiatus from 2013-16, the Wildcats have played Temple tough in the past. In 2010, the Owls needed a 43-yard field goal from Brandon McManus to beat Villanova. Last year, senior quarterback Zach Bednarczyk threw for a career-high 382 yards and the Wildcats had a chance to make a last-minute comeback in a 16-13 loss. Bednarczyk and the Wildcats’ offense had a strong encore performance on Saturday, which warrants healthy concern. The Owls got outplayed on offense and defense, particularly at the line of scrimmage. Temple couldn’t establish a running game. Senior feature back Ryquell Armstead totaled 31 yards on 14 carries. Villanova averaged more than five yards per play and recorded 151 yards rushing. The Wildcats also converted on second-and-17, first-and-20 and fourth-and-9 situations. On the fourthand-9 play, Bednarczyk completed a 30-yard touchdown pass for the go-ahead score. The Wildcats went 8-for16 on third downs and 3-for-3 on fourth-down attempts. “You guys know how important money down is,” coach Geoff Collins said. “You know
University of Texas in its first game of the season on Saturday. Even Temple’s match up later this month against Tulsa, which finished 2-10 last season, may not be a foregone conclusion. Certain games on Temple’s schedule could have been viewed as potential wins, but after a loss to an FCS school, the Owls no longer have that luxury. Temple struggled to get anything going offensively. Senior running back Ryquell Armstead ran 14 times for 31 yards. The run game failed to set up the passing attack for graduate student Frank Nutile, who was limited to short passes instead of testing his arm down the field. “A big part of it was myself, just missing the throws in the short game for sure,” Nutile said. “If I make those throws, we might extend a little bit more drives and the third-and-longs and everything like that. ...Last year we were one of the best teams on third-and-short in the country. If opposing teams can take away the run and deep passing game from Temple, its offense is one-dimensional and will not be able to score many points. On Saturday, offensive drives led to 10 points, while the Owls’ other seven points came from a blocked field goal returned 74 yards for a touchdown by redshirt sophomore Kimere Brown. “A bunch of guys are hurting and upset obviously after nine months of really hard work,” Collins said. “And as the head football coach, I did not get it done today and I’m hurting for those guys in there, hurting for our program. [Villanova] played a great game and beat us on the opening weekend of college football.” The Owls worked day in and day out for nine months to be contenders, but for the third season in a row, they failed to win their season opener. In 2016, under Matt Rhule, Temple lost, 28-13, to Army in its season opener. In Collins’ first game last year, the Owls dropped the season opener, 49-16, to the University of Notre Dame. Temple does not need to make a four-win jump, like it did from 2013 to 2014 to be bowl eligible. It’s perfectly OK for the Owls to stay the course of finding their rhythm under Collins. Saturday may have been a wake-up call to let this team know that its chance to be at the top of The American isn’t here yet. Plus, they have a Week 3 showdown against the University of Maryland on the horizon. Maryland upset nationally ranked University of Texas in its first game of the season on Saturday. Even Temple’s Thursday night game against Tulsa, which finished 2-10 last season, may not
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how important third down is to us as an organization, and obviously we could not get that done today.” Villanova squandered an opportunity to score before the half by failing to spike the ball to stop the clock in time after Bednarczyk took a sack at the Owls’ 21-yard line. The Wildcats also missed a chance to score when redshirt-sophomore defensive lineman Quincy Roche blocked a field goal in the second quarter. Redshirt sophomore Kimere Brown’s 74-yard return was one of Temple’s two touchdowns. “Statistically, when you look at yards gained and time of possession and those types of things, it probably should have been more than a twopoint game,” Villanova coach Mark Ferrante said. Yet, Temple was still in the game. It took two fourth-quarter interceptions thrown by graduate student quarterback Frank Nutile to cement the Wildcats’ victory. Moments after the cheering in the locker room ended, Wildcats’ senior linebacker Jeff Steeb, who made one of the two interceptions, was more subdued during a postgame press conference. “It was a big win, but then again, it’s just the first game,” he said. “So we’re looking forward to Lehigh [University].” It was just the first game for Temple, too. The Owls have time to correct their mistakes. Surely, they’re looking forward to moving on and facing the University at Buffalo at home on Saturday. evan.easterling@temple.edu @Evan_Easterling
be a foregone conclusion. Certain games on Temple’s schedule could have been viewed as potential wins, but after a loss to an FCS school, the Owls no longer have that luxury. Temple struggled to get anything going offensively. Senior running back Ryquell Armstead ran 14 times for 31 yards. The run game failed to set up the passing attack for graduate student Frank Nutile, who was limited to short passes instead of testing his arm down the field. “I think a big part of it was myself, just missing the throws in the short game for sure,” Nutile said. “If I make those throws, we might extend a little bit more drives and the third-andlongs and everything like that. ...Last year we were one of the best teams on third-and-short in the country, so if I make those completions on first and second down, we’re in a lot better chance, which is easier on [offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude], a lot easier on the O-line and everyone else.” If opposing teams can take away the run and deep passing game from Temple, its offense is one-dimensional and will not be able to score a lot of points. The Owls scored 10 points offensively, while their other seven came on a 74-yard blocked field goal returned for a touchdown by redshirt sophomore Kimere Brown. “A bunch of guys are hurting and upset obviously after nine months of really hard work,” Collins said. “And as the head football coach, I did not get it done today and I’m hurting for those guys in there, hurting for our program. But I got to give all the credit to the Villanova coaching staff, the Villanova team. They played a great game and beat us on the opening weekend of college football.” Nine months of hard work. The Owls worked day in and day out to be contenders, but for the third season in a row, they failed to win their season opener. In 2016, under Matt Rhule, Temple lost 2813 to Army in their season opener. In 2017, in Collins’ first game, the Owls dropped the season opener, 49-16, to the University of Notre Dame. Temple does not need to make a four-win jump, like it did from 2013 to 2014 to be bowl eligible. It’s perfectly OK for the Owls to stay the course of finding their rhythm under Collins. Saturday may have been a wake-up call to let this team know that its time to be at the top of The American isn’t here yet. sam.neumann@temple.edu @SamNeu_
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
Cross country sweeps home meet to start season CROSS COUNTRY
Cross country looks to build off all-time high finish at last season’s conference championship. BY DONOVAN HUGEL Cross Country Beat Reporter
Coach James Snyder and the rest of his staff know last season was the best season both the men’s and women’s cross country programs have ever had. The men’s team finished third at the American Athletic Conference championship, seventh at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional meet and won the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America cross country title. The women’s team finished third at The American’s meet, 10th at regionals and third at the Eastern College Athletic Conference meet last season. Both teams start this season ranked in the top 10 of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Mid-Atlantic Region poll and have higher expectations for themselves than they did last season. “Third place in the conference on the men’s side was something that we were honestly disappointed in,” Snyder said. “Before the season, finishing in the
top three seemed like a really reasonable goal, but as the year went on and as we continued to build success, I really believed that we had a shot to win the title.” Both teams started their seasons Friday at the Temple Invitational at Belmont Plateau in West Philadelphia. Junior Millie Howard and sophomore Helene Gottlieb led the way for the women, who won their race. Howard finished first with a time of 23 minutes, 30 seconds, and Gottlieb placed right behind her with a time of 23:30.4. The Owls claimed the first five spots. The men’s team also won its race. Louis Corgliano, a graduate transfer from the University of Maryland, won the event with a time of 26:56.9. Nine of the top 10 runners were on Temple’s squad. Corgliano, who finished his undergraduate eligibility at the University of Maryland in the spring, received all-Big 10 Conference honors in the steeplechase last season. “Over the years, [Corgliano] has continued to follow our progress and with one season of eligibility left, he decided to spend his fifth year with us to try and take our team to the next level,” Snyder said. “He’s definitely going to be
GENEVA HEFFERNAN / THE TEMPLE NEWS Katie Leisher, Helene Gottlieb, Michelle Joyce, Lucy Jones and Millie Howard (left to right) lead the pack at the Temple Invitational on Friday at Belmont Plateau in West Philadelphia. @TTN_Sports
a guy who we’ll rely on to be at the front of the pack during meets.” Along with Corgliano, the Owls have strong runners returning on both teams. For the women’s team, senior Katie Leisher, sophomores Michelle Joyce and Lucy Jones and junior Grace Moore are all returning after strong seasons. Jones set the school’s steeplechase record, and Leisher earned all-conference honors for the second consecutive year. Leisher, who was top seven last year, said she is aiming to be top four for the team during conferences. “Talent-wise, we have the girls to take the title this year, and we’re all dedicated and just going to continue the momentum from last year,” she added. Sophomore Anton Harrsen and junior Kevin Lapsansky are two runners Snyder believes can be strong contributors this year. Lapsansky, who was an all-conference runner in 2017, is going into this season excited after seeing how the team has worked together so far. “Our team dynamic right now is really good,” Lapsansky said. “We all have the right mindset to go and get what we want at the end of the season. If we continue the track that we’re on right now,
we’re aiming to make the national meet somewhere within the next two years.” The Owls relied heavily on former runners Katie Pinson and Marc Steinsberger last season to be at the front of the pack. Pinson, a 2017 co-captain, earned two top-10 finishes last season and helped lead them to back-to-back wins at the Temple Invitational and the Rider Invite, the first two meets of the 2017-18 season. Also, Steinsberger, a 2017 co-captain, was an all-conference runner after finishing 10th at The American’s championships. He also earned all-region honors for placing in the top 25. “I honestly believe that [Steinsberger] turned this program around,” Lapsansky said. “When I was coming in as a freshman, we would’ve been even worse than we were if we didn’t have him. His talent alone gave us something to work toward and something to work with.” Temple will continue its season on Sept. 14 in New York at the Army Invitational. donovan.hugel@temple.edu @donohugel
GENEVA HEFFERNAN / THE TEMPLE NEWS Sophomore Anton Harrsen competes in the Temple Invitational 8,000-meter race at Belmont Plateau on Friday. sports@temple-news.com
SPORTS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
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TEMPLE’S LOSS TO NOVA: TIME TO PANIC?
Don’t panic after Saturday’s loss to Villanova. The Owls lost their past two season openers and still played in bowl games.
After a tough loss to Villanova, Temple showed it isn’t ready to make the jump to conference title contention.
Yes, the Owls lost to a lower-division team on Saturday for the first time since its 2013 game against Fordham University. Yes, Temple University didn’t take its first lead until the third quarter against a team it was favored to beat by at least two touchdowns. And yes, in two weeks Temple will face EVAN EASTERLING CHIEF COPY EDITOR the University of Maryland that opened its season by upsetting the University of Texas, the No. 23 team in the LUKE SMITH / THE TEMPLE NEWS Associated Press Top 25 Poll. Junior linebacker Sam Franklin pursues Villanova senior running back But fans shouldn’t panic after the Owls’ 19-17 loss to Football Championship Sub- Aaron Forbes during the Owls’ 19-17 loss to the Wildcats on Saturday at division school Villanova at Lincoln Finan- Lincoln Financial Field. cial Field Saturday. A bad beginning doesn’t damn a season from the start. Junior cornerback Linwood Crump and other players have said their goal is to win the American Athletic Conference. A non-conference FCS loss, though disappointing, doesn’t affect that goal. Let’s take a trip back to Sept. 3, 2009. Temple started its season by committing five turnovers, blowing a 10-point fourth-quarter lead and watching a game-winning field goal sail through the uprights as time expired at Lincoln Financial Field in a 27-24 loss to Villanova. The Owls ended the season with a 9-4 record and their first bowl appearance since the 1979 Garden State Bowl. Plus, Villanova beating Temple isn’t equivalent to when 45-point underdog Howard University beat University of Nevada, Las Vegas last year. Villanova was a more respectable 15.5-point underdog and is ranked No. 19 in GENEVA HEFFERNAN / THE TEMPLE NEWS the FCS Coaches Poll. When Temple had a Coach Geoff Collins directs players from the sideline during the team’s chance for a game-winning drive with less loss to Villanova on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field.
In Geoff Collins’ second season as coach, the expectations for Temple University’s football team have been raised after last season’s first bowl game since 2011. Collins’ Owls finished 6-6 in the 201718 regular season after going through rough patches in the first half of the schedule. Still, the Owls defeated Florida SAM NEUMANN International University CO-SPORTS EDITOR in the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl, winning handily, 28-3. The Owls were expected by those in college football to improve this season and compete with the likes of Central Florida and South Florida for the top spot in the American Athletic Conference’s East Division. In Saturday’s 19-17 loss to Villanova at Lincoln Financial Field, Temple showed it is still far away from making that jump. Temple lost to an inferior opponent. Villanova is one of the top Football Championship Subdivision schools, but it came to Philadelphia as 15.5-point underdogs and still left victorious. The Owls did not take Villanova for granted. They took themselves for granted. Blown opportunities, including a missed 29-yard field goal, throws at the feet of wide receivers, poor clock management and the inability to get the defense off the field, showed that a season where the Owls were presumed to have a higher level of play has quickly turned into one where no win is guaranteed. Six games remain on the Owls’ schedule against teams that were bowl eligible in 2017. Plus, they have a Week 3 showdown against the University of Maryland on the horizon. Maryland upset nationally ranked
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