Vol. 97, Iss. 3

PAGE 1

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

THE TEMPLE NEWS

READ MORE ON PAGES 15-19 NEWS, PAGES 4-5 VOL 97 // ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 Temple increased tuition temple-news.com as it still recovers from the @thetemplenews 2011 state cuts. @TheTempleNews

OPINION , PAGE 8 A Muslim student writes about her community on the anniversary of 9/11.

FEATURES, PAGE 11 Alumnus leads 18 artists in revamping trash ads in Center City.

SPORTS, PAGE 24 An 0-2 start to the season makes Temple football’s next game a must-win.

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 Biederman 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

The Nest, an off-campus student apartment building, will open to students in August 2019. Read more on Page 6.

OPINION A columnist argues more people should listen to more LGBTQ musicians. Read more on Page 10.

FEATURES A professor runs mentorship program for middle school students from North Philadelphia. Read more on Page 11.

INTERSECTION The Intersection Editor discusses their experience with the #MeToo movement. Read more on Page 17.

SPORTS

CORRECTIONS In a story that ran on Page 20 titled “Temple football not ready to make next jump,” it was stated that Temple’s last bowl game was in 2011. Temple’s last bowl win was in 2011.

Forward Jules Blank’s soccer career nearly ended due to illness, but after returning this year, the junior is tied for second on the team in goals.

Read more on Page 23.

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 Gillian McGoldrick at editor@temple-news.com or 215-204-6736.

ON THE COVER LAUREN REMY / THE TEMPLE NEWS

NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

PAGE 3

CAMPUS

Protesters raise questions about campus culture Experts discuss how students should react to demonstrators who protest marginalized groups.

many members of the Temple University community,” Del Gandio said. “I do support free speech, but on a college campus, I’m not sure what purpose this

BY ALYSSA BIEDERMAN speech is serving. It’s not intellectually Deputy Campus Editor stimulating, and it’s no type of safe space When a group of demonstrators other than a hate space.” sets up a protest at 13th Street and These conflicting mindsets Montgomery Avenue to promote materialize in the form of reactions from their hell-focused agenda, the Temple different campus groups.

University community takes notice.

Temple Police approaches these One particular group, led by Pastor groups with a “neutral mindset” Aden Rusfeldt, is known to travel around and focuses on protecting the First the Philadelphia region, including Amendment, said Charlie Leone, the Temple, protesting against LGBTQ executive director of Campus Safety people, members of other religions, Services. feminists and other groups. This often “The First Amendment protects elicits angry shouts from passersby everyone,” Leone said. “We don’t want to andvarious organized counterprotests infringe on anyone’s First Amendment from students. rights. ...Officers would intervene if it Rustfeldt wrote in an email to becomes a public safety issue.”

The Temple News that his group Leone added that while TUPD demonstrates at college campuses to help protects everyone’s rights and safety, it students “save themselves some pain.” does not condone hate speech. “[We want to get them] to see Tiffenia Archie, the assistant vice president of the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, Advocacy and Leadership, said her department understands the negative effects the groups can have and tries to organize peaceful counterprotests.

“We rarely get complaints from students because I think students recognize that we, as a campus community, don’t agree with [Rusfeldt’s] message,” Archie said. “That said, though we don’t get complaints does not mean students are not affected, so IDEAL is motivated to work even harder to build an inclusive campus.”

Students have responded to the group by engaging in conversation HANNAH BURNS / THE TEMPLE NEWS with them, ignoring them or creating Cailynn Chase, a junior global studies major, yells at protesters on the corner of humorous counterprotests, like standing 13th Street and Montgomery Avenue on Aug. 29. next to the groups holding signs that @TheTempleNews

outside their small [sic] self-imposed box, so they can clearly see the love of Jesus,” Rustfeldt wrote.

These outbursts can lead to questions about what environment a campus should provide for its faculty and students.

Matt Wray, an associate professor of sociology, said there are two schools of thought about the definition of campus culture.

“There’s a lot of focus on understanding the campus and the college experience as a place that should be a safe space where people who are taking risks with socially marginalized identities can work out their identities,” Wray said. “But there is a line of thinking that says democracies are not safe spaces.”

Jason Del Gandio, an associate professor of communication and social influence, said these protests can be categorized as “clear hate speech.”

“It makes an unsafe environment for

read “Legalize Ranch” and passing out pamphlets that read “10 out of 10 people die.”

“All responses are legitimate, but in my personal opinion, if you’re going to counterprotest them, it’s probably most effective to be humorous and upbeat,” Del Gandio said. “If you keep your protests humorous, it can help you handle your emotional response. When you do that, you’re dismissing their politics and saying, ‘It’s ludicrous.’”

Bella Zanoni, a sophomore public relations major, said she has had several encounters with these groups.

“I would challenge them on some of the things that they were saying about women, gay people, Muslims and Jewish people,” she said. “I felt angry in the moment. After that, I was able to brush it off.”

Zanoni said these groups on campus start a conversation about identity and made her feel more accepted by other students.

“When I walk past these protests and I see all of these Temple students standing up and saying that they don’t agree with them and...it makes me feel at home and welcomed,” she said.

Wray said that while there are several opinions of how a campus should react, the university should ultimately use these groups as a way to get the community thinking.

“Really, the job of the liberal arts campus is to pay attention to the political and emotional reactions, but we have an obligation to insist on an intellectual response,” Wray said. “Are they acting in good faith or bad faith? Are they really here to argue for recognition of their values or are they here just to be violent?” alyssa.biederman@temple.edu

News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com

NEWS PAGE 4

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

ANALYSIS

State funding: a piece of Temple’s tuition puzzle Temple has continually raised “There’s been a fundamental shift in tuition due to decreased support the way the state has viewed supporting for higher education and the public education,” Kaiser said. “In the university’s endowment. past, getting a college degree was viewed

BY LINDSAY BOWEN News Editor

W

hile configuring a budget, Temple University must consider multiple factors. But perhaps the most important pieces to this puzzle is state funding.

Temple and the other state-related universities received a massive cut in state funding from the Commonwealth in 2011 as a result of a lower amount of support for higher education and other financial struggles, said Ken Kaiser, the university’s chief financial officer and treasurer.

as everybody’s right. Now I think it’s viewed more as a privilege and the Commonwealth is saying, ‘That’s not really our responsibility to make sure that our citizens get a college degree. They can do plenty of other things without that.’”

In 2011, the state approved a 19 percent cut in higher education funding to Temple’s state allocation, from $172 million to $139 million. As a result of state funding cuts, Temple cut nearly $113 million out of its budget from 2009 to 2013, Kaiser said.

Eight years ago, state allocations made up nearly 65 percent of Temple’s budget. This year, state funding makes up only 10 percent of the budget, Kaiser said.

With a lower proportion of state funding, Temple hasn’t been able to

freeze tuition since 2012, and it couldn’t this year — like Pennsylvania State University and the University of Pittsburgh could for some students — because it has a much smaller endowment than the other state-related schools.

In July, Temple received a $155.1 million appropriation from the state, which was about $4.5 million more than last year. The university’s allocation has slowly increased, but is still tens of millions of dollars away from what it once was. Other state-related universities like Penn State and Pitt also received a 3 percent boost in funds from the state.

TUITION INCREASES AND STUDENT DEBT

Despite this boost in funding, however, Temple increased in-state undergraduate tuition by 2 percent and 2.4 percent for graduate students in July.

The state’s allocation pays for Temple’s in-state resident discount.

State-related university endowments 2013-17 Temple has the second-smallest endowment among Pennsylvania's state-related universities.

Endowment in billions of dollars

4

Lincoln University

Temple University

Penn State

University of Pittsburgh

4

4

4

3.5

3.5

3.5

3.5

3

3

3

3

2.5

2.5

2.5

2.5

2

2

2

2

1.5

1.5

1.5

1.5

1

1

1

1

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

0

2013

2015

2017

0

2013

2015

2017

0

2013

2015

2017

0

2013

2015

2017

Source: Temple University Fact Books 2013-17, Lincoln University Fact Book 2017-18, University of Pittsburgh Financial Reports 2013-17, Penn State At A Glance • MYRA MIRZA | THE TEMPLE NEWS

News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com

The additional $4.5 million from the state allowed the university to reduce the planned in-state tuition increase of 3.3 percent to 2 percent.

“The $4.5 million was, in effect, given back to students,” Kaiser said. “It directly reduced the amount in-state students were going to pay, and it should only provide a discount to in-state students because in-state residents are paying for it.”

With this increase, the new base rate for in-state tuition is $16,080, while out-of-state tuition is $28,176. Mandatory fees remained $890 per year.

“It’s hard to keep tuition increases zero when you’re losing a major funding source,” Kaiser said.

Universities in Pennsylvania and across the country typically increase tuition every year to keep up with the rise of inflation and labor costs, said Doug Webber, an economics professor.

“Costs for everything are going up, especially in higher education, and the single biggest cost driver is labor,” Webber said. “The incomes for people that have that much education in non-academic jobs are rising considerably, even faster than the rate of inflation.”

“A university is, in some respects, just like any other organization that has something that they are selling, and costs go up every year,” Kaiser said. “Just like at home, your utilities go up, and we also have to account for that.”

Webber said to keep professors working there, universities often have to raise their salaries every year.

As costs go up every year and universities increase tuition, students often bear the consequences.

Pennsylvania has the second-highest average student debt in the country, according to a September 2017 report from the Institute for College Access and temple-news.com

NEWS PAGE 5

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

Eleven years of tuition at Temple

Inflation-Adjusted Tuition and Fees, 2017 Dollars

From 2007-17, Temple's in-state tuition and fees increased by $3,902, or 31 percent, after adjusting for inflation. During that time, the average in-state tuition and fees of all public four-year colleges increased by 37 percent, according to the College Board.

18,000

Temple

16,000 14,000 12,000 10,000

National average

8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

2017-18

Source: Temple University Undergraduate Bulletins 2007-2011, Temple University Factbooks 2012-2017, College Board - Trends in College Pricing 2017• IAN WALKER | THE TEMPLE NEWS

Success. In 2016, 68 percent of Pennsylvania students graduated with loan debt, with an average debt of $35,759.

One of the primary reasons for student loan debt is the standard of living and a lack of state support in funding, Webber said. Large public and state-related universities like Temple, Penn State and Pitt are located in more expensive areas.

“There are a lot of public students in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh,” he said.

“Therefore, the cost of operating in those cities is going to be much, much higher.

You have to charge more tuition because you can’t pay professors and staff as if you are operating in a low cost-of-living area.”

COMPARING TEMPLE TO OTHER STATE SCHOOLS

Temple’s fiscal year 2017 endowment, which is an accumulation of gifts from benefactors, is $581.9 million — the highest it has ever been. But other state-related schools like Penn State’s system-wide endowment and Pitt’s are @TheTempleNews

both $3.9 billion.

Temple receives approximately 4.5 percent of the endowment’s annual return, which is typically invested in areas like student scholarships. For every $1 million, Temple receives $45,000 as a return, Kaiser said.

“If Bill Gates loved Temple and said, ‘Here’s $20 billion for a scholarship endowment,’ our tuition would be basically zero,” Kaiser said.

Penn State and Pitt were able to freeze their in-state tuitions this year because of the state’s 3 percent boost and its large endowments, Kaiser said.

Temple last froze its tuition in 2012.

“We simply don’t have the wealth and the resources that Pitt and Penn State have, and we’re unable to do the zero that they can,” Kaiser said. “If our tuition was at the same level as theirs, I can guarantee you we would do a zero.

We’ve worked super hard over the past 10 years to keep tuition increases as low as possible.”

For Temple to not increase tuition, the Commonwealth would have to

restore funding back to its highest levels, he said.

In an audit of Penn State in 2017, Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale found that the university’s tuition growth was “outrageous,” and had increased 535 percent in 30 years.

DePasquale announced an audit of Temple on Aug. 30. DePasquale plans to look into the accuracy of the university’s academic statistics, capital projects, the effectiveness of Temple’s sexual harassment policies, background checks for employees and recent tuition increases.

Temple was last audited in 2009, Kaiser said.

TEMPLE’S BUDGET MODEL

On July 1, 2014, the university implemented a new budget model called the Responsibility Centered Management. Discussions for a new budget began in 2010 before the 19 percent cut in allocations from the state went into effect.

This model allows each dean to have full autonomy of their budgets by deter-

mining how and where to spend their college’s money.

When the budget is initially calculated for the year, the university calculates how much revenue each school generates, which forms the basis for their budgets. “[RCM] has been awesome for the university,” Kaiser said. “It really gives them the autonomy to run their operations rather than folks like myself or the provost dictating to them how to run things.”

The new budget model has incentivized deans to create new programs, which in turn generates more revenue and pressures deans to keep their costs down, Kaiser said.

There have been mixed reviews of the new model from deans, including Richard Deeg, the dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

“It really does give more control and managerial autonomy to the deans of the colleges,” Deeg said. “In the previous model, the president and provost would decide year to year what the budget for each college would be. That depended more on how well you could negotiate with the provost and the president and which college they favored at the time.”

Deeg said RCM incentivizes colleges to fundraise, think about how they can grow their revenues and forces deans to think about “the cost side of the equation.”

The downside of the model, however, is that it creates more competition among colleges to get credit hours, as more credit hours generates more revenue for the college, Deeg said.

“In my perspective, you want to keep student needs first and foremost,” he added. “We’re not about making a profit in colleges. It’s delivering what students want and need and doing it efficiently.” lindsay.bowen@temple.edu @lindsay_bow

News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com

PAGE 6

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

CONSTRUCTION

Student apartment building to open August 2019 The 18-story building will offer 192 units for more than 500 students.

BY JACOB KURTZ For The Temple News The Nest, an 18-story apartment building on Broad Street near Master, is set to open this August, a representative from the project said.

The high-rise building will offer 192 housing units to more than 500 students, with studio apartments and two and three-bedroom options. Bock Development Group is building the project, which started in 2017.

The Nest is not Bock Development Group’s first student-targeted housing project, said Tom Bock, the president and founder of the company. Bock manages Temple Nest apartments around Main Campus. These row-house style apartments are located on both the west and east sides of campus, with a large number running along Carlisle Street between Jefferson and Oxford.

Bock said the motivation to con-

struct The Nest is partly from his experience managing those properties.

“I’ve been developing for the last nine years,” Bock said. “[The Nest] would really be for incoming freshmen and sophomores that want the security provided in a building like this.”

The new development will have a similar style used in his other properties with high, quartz countertops, pendant lighting and modern appliances. Philadelphia-based architectural company Cecil Baker and Partners designed the building.

The Temple News reported in October 2016 that the building would include a 13-car garage and a 77-bike storage room.

The building will have 24/7 security and innovative fingerprint access, in addition to using key fobs.

The fingerprint access is an amenity only offered by The Nest and is not available at other nearby student housing options, like The View at Montgomery on Montgomery Avenue near 12th Street or its under-construction neighbor The View II, said Leigh Minnier, vice president of Gregory FCA, the com-

pany part of the project’s public relations efforts.

The Nest will have fireplaces in lounge spaces throughout the building and outdoor spaces around the entrance of the building that Bock said will serve as “a place for students to hang out.” The building will also have a 24-hour fitness center.

The ground floor, which will be accessible to non-residents, will have 1,500 square feet of retail space, Bock said. The retailers have yet to be announced.

“We are trying to find something that is the latest and coolest concept and put it down in the retail space,” Bock said, adding that it should serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The Nest’s leasing rates start at $750 per month on a 12-month lease, or $9,000 a year at a minimum.

For comparison, Morgan Hall North, a 24-story on-campus residence hall on Broad Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue, costs a minimum of $11,434 for the academic year.

Bock said he plans to approach University Housing and Residential Life about the possibility of leasing space in The Nest to Temple for additional housing, like UHRL already done with other off-campus properties, like The Edge on

15th Street near Cecil B. Moore Avenue.

Kevin Williams, director of University Housing and Residential Life, could not be reached for comment.

Minnier said much like residence halls, The Nest will utilize roommate matching services, which will encourage new students to live there instead of other off-campus options selected by groups of friends.

Bock added that monthly events will be held to help build a sense of community among residents.

Josh Safran, a freshman media studies and production major and resident of Morgan Hall South, said he was interested as soon as he heard about the apartments.

“I was planning to stay on campus as a student, but The Nest is certainly an enticing alternative,” Safran said.

Leasing for apartments started in August, Minnier said. An on-site office will open in October. The leasing will take place on a first come, first served basis, as the maximum capacity of the building is 528 students. kurtz@temple.edu @jacobckurtz Editor’s Note: Jacob Kurtz is an employee of University Housing and Residential Life as a resident assistant.

MATTHEW ALTEA / THE TEMPLE NEWS The Nest remains under construction on Broad Street near Master and will open for students in August 2019. temple-news.com

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OPINION TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

PAGE 8 EDITORIAL

Thank you, survivors This week, The Temple News’ Intersection explored sexual misconduct amid the widespread #MeToo movement, which aims to end sexual violence by empowering people to speak up when they experience or see misconduct.

This week, several people who have survived sexual assault bravely shared their stories, and we thank them immensely for doing so. We’re glad you trusted us to provide a platform for you to be heard and we hope more people, if comfortable, share their stories with The Temple News.

We also want to thank Dean of Students Stephanie Ives and Title

IX Coordinator Andrea Seiss for writing a Letter to the Editor, outlining what the university can do for people who have experienced sexual misconduct. We encourage you to read their letter and know that there is a support system for you at Temple University.

This week’s Intersection is a difficult one, but we hope that it was one piece to the complicated puzzle of ending sexual misconduct. We commend the university for having vast resources for students and survivors. We hope that through continued education and empowerment there will come a day when no one has to say, “Me, too” anymore.

EDITORIAL

Allow all speech on campus People holding signs with disparaging remarks toward LGBTQ-identifying people and other groups appeared on campus on Montgomery Avenue near 13th Street last week, and a similar group stood outside Lot K at Lincoln Financial Field as fans arrived for Temple’s football game against Villanova on Sept. 1.

An overwhelming majority of the Temple University community – The Temple News’ editorial board included – disapproves of the hateful messages disseminated by these groups. But banning them from campus would violate their First Amendment rights and set a concerning precedent.

The Temple News values First Amendment protections, not only for our benefit as we print every letters@temple-news.com

Tuesday and daily online, but for others. If an opinion is broadcast peacefully and lawfully, it shouldn’t be suppressed, no matter how many people disagree with it. Who’s to say that more traditional groups, like environmental organizers or political campaigns, couldn’t be excluded if these hate groups were?

We hope students who disagree with on-campus protesters take the opportunity to appreciate that our campus environment does not condone hateful speech and find communities where they can express their identities without reservation.

Plus, if you don’t like what they have to say, you can ignore them and keep walking. Or, better yet, you can shout back and non-violently counterprotest. After all, it’s your First Amendment right, too.

THE ESSAYIST

Being Muslim on Sept. 11

A student who is Muslim writes about my religion and its true teachings. We strive her community’s attempt to redefine to make our label a source of pride and a itself since 9/11. symbol of justice.

BY KURAT ABAIDULLAH For The Temple News “Today, Our Nation Saw Evil,” “America’s Darkest Day” and “Terror” are some of the newspaper headlines that came out following the tragedy that happened on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists took down the World Trade Center’s twin towers, destroying a New York City landmark and nearly 3,000 people’s lives.

This is how the nation felt in the immediate aftermath and has felt every year since Sept.

11.

Unfortunately, our beloved nation took revenge on its own soil. Hijabs were pulled off Muslim women at work. Muslim men were beaten mercilessly in the streets. Muslim children were threatened, bullied and even forced to leave school. And it was all because of the label “Muslim.” New labels were invented, like “Islamic terrorism,” “Muslim terrorists,” “Jihadists,” “Holy War.” The list goes on.

The headlines are true. It was a devastating time for America, a country that experienced true evil. But some were blinded to see that we, Muslims, were hurting for the nation too. Our home, our city, our everything was attacked, but we were punished for having the wrong label.

It’s 2018 and I am a Muslim student at Temple University, living in the city I was born and raised. I still work hard with my community every day to show the world the true teachings of Islam: peace, tolerance and love. I still face the Islamophobia that ignited 17 years ago. But I do so with an understanding smile — humbly and patiently explaining

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, whose slogan is “Love for All, Hatred for None,” has several national campaigns that strive to spread the true meaning of the Muslim religion. One of them, Muslims for Life, was launched in 2011. Every year around the anniversary of 9/11, the campaign calls for hundreds of blood drives all over the country, demonstrating that the only blood we are willing to shed as Muslims is to save lives.

To date, the Muslims for Life blood drive campaign has saved more than 118,000 lives by the grace of Allah.

Another campaign, of many, is Muslims for Loyalty. Islam requires us to be loyal and faithful citizens to our country. For me, this is America. The political climate today demands that Muslims strive day in and out to preserve our label, despite the renaming it has been fighting for 17 years.

These campaigns are to defend our faith from Islamophobia, which is rooted in that dreadful day.

On this anniversary, I request we all remember the blessed lives lost without any bigotry; that we pray for our fellow brothers and sisters who we all loved. I hope and pray that all those who help us protect our label have success in every regard. May Allah protect us all. May He guide those in power and save the oppressed. May He give us understanding.

God, Bless America. kurat.abaidullah@temple.edu

temple-news.com

OPINION PAGE 9

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

THE ESSAYIST

Thrifting in the city: Fun, frugal and fashionable

A student describes her passion for buying secondhand outfits.

BY CHRISTINA MITCHELL For The Temple News I’ll never forget the day I let my friend come thrifting with me. As a long-time avid thrifter, I was excited to share something I love with someone who had never experienced it. I thought back to my first experience with my favorite hobby.

Someone I knew had shared her secret with me: her stylish wardrobe was comprised of pieces from the local Goodwill. I was hesitant at first, but I forced myself to give it a try; after all, she had such great outfits. I was blown away by the gigantic bins full of barely worn clothes.

Before I knew it, I was wearing suede shorts, vintage track jackets, lace bell-bottom pants and paisley patterned tops. Each piece, from my cat-eye sunglasses down to my platform shoes, was thrifted.

But my friend wasn’t so blown away. He was visibly disgusted as we sifted through the disheveled and unorganized clothing pile. And when his dad called and found out where we were, I overheard him say, “You know we can afford to buy clothes.”

I was upset, and not because we both went home empty-handed. It was because I felt like I had let my friend down.

It seemed like my favorite hobby was viewed as trashy and gross to someone from an upper-class, suburban family.

I enjoy shopping at thrift stores for several reasons. First and most obvi-

@TheTempleNews

CHRISTINA MITCHELL / THE TEMPLE NEWS

ous, it’s inexpensive. I can buy a pound of clothing at my favorite hometown Goodwill for just a few cents more than a dollar. I have never spent more than $30 during one day of thrifting, and most times, I leave with three garbage bags of clothing. On the other hand, I can walk into a retail store and spend $30 on one shirt.

The clothing I find at thrift stores is unique: I can’t imagine finding some of my favorite items anywhere else. When people ask where I bought my outfit, I proudly say I got it at a thrift store. I’m never ashamed because I know a lot of my stuff is one of a kind.

Many articles of clothing I own are authentic pieces from the 80s and 90s — my two favorite eras of fashion. I love finding bright colors, interesting patterns and strange designs that not many people would be bold enough to wear.

I love thrifting for outlandish sweaters, and I don’t feel guilty about my overabundance of them because I know I

spent significantly less than retail value.

Thrifting is like a scavenger hunt.

Some thrift stores have organized racks, but most of them leave me fending for myself. My level of persistence determines how successful the haul will be.

Some of the best clothing may be at the bottom of the bins and in order to find it, I have to toss piles of clothing aside.

When I find a diamond in the rough, I know my tenacity paid off.

Not to mention, thrifting is a way anyone can help the environment. Every article of secondhand clothing you buy means less pollution. While I’m saving money, I’m also saving the world.

I’ve always loved fashion and creativity. Nothing gives me more joy than putting outfits together and conceptualizing new ones based on the inspiration I find all around me on campus, in magazines and on the streets. I have gotten so many compliments on my thrifted outfits from strangers. This always makes my day and encourages my experimen-

tation with the art of fashion.

Thrifting is a great way to socialize with friends, and anyone can do it.

A weekend outing to Center City almost always includes thrifting. Whether we’re shopping at Buffalo Exchange on Chestnut Street near 16th, Philly AIDS Thrift on 5th Street near Bainbridge or Urban Exchange Project on Frankford Avenue near Susquehanna, we always return to Main Campus with our hands full of plastic bags. We also try to support local small businesses like Thunderbird Salvage, which was a warehouse near Main Campus.

I met one of my closest friends here at Temple University through a mutual love of thrifting and funky clothes. We even share an Instagram account called @thrift_goals, where we post pictures modeling our outfits in various spots of Philly and reveal where we purchased everything in the captions, so our followers have some ideas of where to shop.

To the people who think thrift shopping is reserved for those experiencing poverty, and buying secondhand clothing is degrading, give it a try before being so quick to judge. And when you give it a try, be open-minded about the disarrayed piles, rather than looking at them with repulsion. Look at them with excitement and appreciation, instead.

Even when I have money to splurge, I will always choose the individuality of thrifted clothing over anything in retail. christina.mitchell@temple.edu

letters@temple-news.com

OPINION PAGE 10

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

LGBTQ

A few successful queer artists aren’t enough

It is up to music consumers to support queer artists, so the stories of LGBTQ identities are heard.

In last year’s Music Issue of The Temple News, I wrote a personal essay about bisexual singer-songwriter Frank Ocean and how he was both my biggest creative inspiration and role model.

As much as I still agree with this sentiment today, it’s not the big picture. Just one well-known bisexual artist isn’t enough to fill the massive scarcity of successful queer musicians topping charts today.

Patrick Crowley, the pride editor TYLER PEREZ LEAD COLUMNIST of Billboard Magazine, said in a June interview with Wired there is “an increase in visibility of [queer] artists like Troye Sivan, Hayley Kiyoko, Kehlani.” While I’m grateful for this rise in acceptance toward queer musicians, I’m still not content.

The truth is that we have a long way to go before queer musicians get adequately represented in popular music. When a queer musician becomes successful in the music industry, their sexuality or gender identity is rarely openly shown in their lyrics. Musicians like Taylor Swift make a living off the same heterosexual plotline for a decade, but

when rapper iLoveMakonnen came out as gay, he was ridiculed by his hip-hop contemporaries.

The blame doesn’t fall on the artists. The singer-songwriters today who identify as LGBTQ are some of the most innovative acts of our generation, but they never seem to get their due credit. Consumers of music need to support these artists fairly, even when their lyrics reflect their sexualities.

Colin Hammar, a gender, sexuality, and women’s studies instructor, said there’s a lack of representation in popular music because there’s a difference between queer music and queer musicians.

“Take, for example, Lady Gaga, someone who’s very popular,” Hammar said. “Her sexuality isn’t nearly as avant-garde as her personality is, and it doesn’t really play a role necessarily in how people perceive her. In terms of queer musicians being visible…[the industry] tends to pressure artists into not talking about their sexual orientation.”

There’s an all-too-familiar story of musicians hiding their sexualities until they make it big: Sam Smith, Frank Ocean, Brendon Urie, Lauren Jauregui and Tyler, the Creator, just to name a few.

When queer musicians make unapologetically queer music — related to LGBTQ identity and love — they’re chastised for it. Kevin Abstract, frontman of the hip-hop boy band Brockhampton, gets crit-

icized for repeatedly referencing his sexuality in his music. In response, Abstract continues to rap about his boyfriend and even raps in the band’s song “JUNKY,” “Why you always rap about bein’ gay? Because not enough [people] rap and be gay.”

Abstract’s couplet demonstrates a larger issue in music culture. Consumers, moreso those who don’t support LGBTQ rights, are only open to listening to queer musicians if their lyrics contain little to no references to their identity. But when Katy Perry released hit song “I Kissed a Girl” in 2008, using the LGBTQ community as an accessory, she received little criticism from straight people.

Kerri Norton, a sophomore psychology major who is bisexual, said she is a fan of queer musicians who are open about their sexualities in their music, but she disagrees with musicians who use the LGBTQ community for album sales.

“The problem with songs like ‘I Kissed A Girl’ is that they’re taking advantage of this acceptance toward sexuality and trying to use pride as a trend, when they have no right to,” Norton said. “There are plenty of allies, like Harry Styles, Macklemore and CupcakKe, who help the queer community without using them as a way to become more popular.”

There’s a way that we, as music consumers, can begin to more adequately support queer musicians and queer music. To begin, we should

actively search out lesser-known queer musicians.

“When studios see that these albums are being bought, they’re more likely to sign more queer artists,” Hammar said.

In the age of streaming, it’s as simple as opening the “Amplify: Pride” genre in Spotify or listening to “PRIDE Radio” on Apple Music.

Find your new favorite musician, and then support them consistently.

If music consumers have particular biases against the LGBTQ community, they ought to put those prejudices aside and enjoy the music for the pure talent. It would be a tragedy to miss out on such a beautiful piece of art.

Young people struggling to come to terms with their sexualities or gender identities deserve to hear their stories being told on the radio.

Imagine the beautiful music we could be introduced to in a society where queer people are free to discuss their identities openly, honestly and poetically.

And if you’re still struggling to find a favorite queer musician, some of my personal favorites are Taylor Bennett, Princess Nokia, Syd, Brockhampton and of course, Frank Ocean. tyler.perez@temple.edu @perezodent

JEREMIAH REARDON / THE TEMPLE NEWS letters@temple-news.com

temple-news.com

FEATURES TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

PAGE 11

EDUCATION

Program preps kids for high school, college A professor created the Urban Youth Leadership Academy for North Philadelphia middle school students.

BY KATHY CHAN For The Temple News

A

fter watching too many young students get caught up in the criminal justice system, the Rev. Juwan Bennett was determined to help.

“Working...with kids within the criminal justice system, I learned that we were losing a lot of talented and bright individuals,” said Bennett, a criminal justice professor working toward his Ph.D. “Not because they weren’t smart enough or didn’t possess innate great qualities, but because they just weren’t prepared.”

In September 2016, Bennett founded the Urban Youth Leadership Academy, a program that helps prepare seventh and eighth grade boys for high school and college. It only accepts students from Paul L. Dunbar School,

located on 12th Street near Montgomery Avenue, and Tanner G. Duckrey School, located on Diamond Street near 15th.

For nine months, students participating in UYLA are given assistance with both their high school and college admission processes, opportunities to interact with professors on Main Campus and exposure to college life.

“One of the big goals of the program is to be able to help these students in their preparation stages for high school, as well as empower them to think about their careers for the future,” said Bennett, who is also a 2013 criminal justice alumnus. “[UYLA] also encourages participants to make valuable contributions to their community.”

Each student received a grant from the College of Education to help fund an individual community service project, Bennett said. Takir Spain, 15, participated in the program from 2016-17. Spain used his funding to

DEVYN TRETHEWEY / THE TEMPLE NEWS “The Be-heading of Seshat,” a work by local visual artist Gianni Lee covers a trash can at 18th and Locust streets.

ART

Artists display work on Center City trash cans

Local artists and alumni took over Rittenhouse Square trash can advertisements this summer.

BY EMMA PADNER For The Temple News

Northeast Philadelphia car dealership Barbera Autoland covered 375 Center City trash cans this summer with advertiseLEADERSHIP | PAGE 12 ments reading, “Barbera on the Boulevard has 300 Jeeps cheap!”

Conrad Benner, the founder and editor of streetsdept.com, a blog documenting Philadelphia’s street art, wondered how this happened.

“Who are the public officials who are in charge of the public space [and] are allowing it to be sold for this purpose?” he said.

Eighteen local artists, including several university alumni, took over the trash cans this summer, replacing the dealership’s ads with artwork like paintings, photographs and digital art. The art went up on Aug. 19 and will be displayed until Sept. 18.

Benner first called attention to the HANNAH BURNS / THE TEMPLE NEWS advertisements on his blog in June, when Juwan Bennett (left to right), Urban Youth Leadership Academy founder, M. he wrote he couldn’t be the only person Meghan Raisch, UYLA education specialist and James Earl Davis, Bernard upset by the advertising in public spaces.

C. Watson endowed chair in urban education, oversee the academy that mentors local students. @TheTempleNews

As it turns out, he wasn’t.

Brendan Lowry, a 2011 public relations alumnus who founded the creative consulting agency Rory, contacted Benner with the idea to transform the advertisements into public artwork. He said getting the artists to participate was easy.

“All 18 said ‘yes’ immediately, because they themselves had experienced those Barbera ads,” Lowry said. “The concept was really clear to them, and it was something that they wanted to support.”

Lowry first got the idea for the collaboration when Tom Wingert, the vice president of marketing for local fitness brand City Fitness, approached him about taking over the advertising spaces.

Lowry and Wingert wanted to bring awareness to brands about how their advertisements affect the public, while providing a platform for local artists to showcase their work, Lowry said.

“Any project that inspires and... challenges the norm and gives artists a platform and gets their artwork in front of people who may never have seen their artwork before is always a good thing for the city,” he added.

City Fitness purchased the trash can

LOCAL ARTISTS | PAGE 14 features@temple-news.com

FEATURES PAGE 12

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

LIVE IN PHILLY

Laurel Hill Cemetery hosts spooky market

HANNAH BURNS / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Oddities, artwork, vintage clothing and unusual antiques were just some of the items sold at Saturday’s Gone But Not Forgotten: Market of the Macabre event at the 182-year-old Laurel Hill Cemetery in Northwest Philadelphia.

“The setting in the cemetery is just the perfect fit, it really draws in a great crowd,” said Neil Jones, co-owner of Mz. Jones’ Curiosities, an oddities and wearable taxidermy shop that sells cow eye globes, framed bats and a gumball machine that dispensed mini oddities like teeth, wings and bones.

The eerie setting and odd items attracted people from across the city.

“It’s a beautiful spot,” said Tala Cox, 33, as she shopped for vintage dresses.

Jessi Hardesty sold handmade wood carvings inspired by her love for grave-lore and cemetery history at the market. “It just seemed like the perfect place for my stuff to be,” she said.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 LEADERSHIP

school supplies for Duckrey’s second and third grade students.

While his original plans included going to high school, playing football and eventually trying to play the sport professionally, Spain was inspired by his UYLA peers and mentors to become a lawyer.

He said he plans to join the debate team at Northeast High School in Rhawnhurst to pursue his law school goals, after UYLA helped him navigate the high school admissions process.

“They helped me pick out my high school, they took us to orientations and interviews for the admissions process and they even gave us letters of recommendation if we needed,” Spain added.

Bennett said he hopes UYLA helps features@temple-news.com

fight the “school-to-prison pipeline,” a social system that often drives students of color who experience poverty into incarceration after high school because of a lack of educational and social resources, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

“If this is true, then the inverse can be true,” Bennett said. “We can build students the pipeline to success.”

Sixteen-year-old Jaquan Brown participated in UYLA from 2016-17 when he attended Duckrey. He worked on a community service project to create a painting of Duckrey, the first African-American to serve as the School District of Philadelphia’s superintendent, inside the building. In the painting, Duckrey is reading to his daughter.

“I felt like I was a part of something, like I was important in what I did,”

Brown said. “I felt like I played a major role in everything that I was a part of in the program.”

He added that participating in UYLA motivated him to set goals for himself in athletics, academics and extracurricular activities.

UYLA also recently partnered with the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra to help students learn leadership skills. The Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra developed the Orchestrating Youth Leadership program to teach middle school and high school students the art of conducting.

Students were able to learn skills like impulse and emotional control, thinking flexibly, planning and prioritizing, according to the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra’s website.

Bennett said he believes the partner-

ship will empower kids to view themselves as leaders and help them develop leadership skills through orchestral conducting.

UYLA is currently recruiting six female students and six male students from Dunbar and Duckrey. The program is now working to extend mentorship to the students throughout their entire high school careers.

Bennett said he wants participants to understand the importance of preparation.

“We’re not focused on the opportunity, we’re focused on the preparation, how well we prepare,” Bennett said. “Because when you’re prepared, the opportunity comes.” chankathy@temple.edu

temple-news.com

FEATURES PAGE 13

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 TECH

Alumnus fights student debt with online business LoanMajor helps students understand student loans, financial aid and future loan payments.

BY SYLVAIN BATUT For The Temple News Raza Naqvi didn’t realize how much his student loan debt from attending Temple University would affect him after graduation.

“When you’re applying to college, you don’t really think about that,” said Naqvi, a 2017 biology alumnus. “You just know you need to pay for school.”

To help students like Naqvi, 2017 finance and real estate alumnus Mason Gallik launched LoanMajor, an online company helping college students and graduates manage their student loans.

Gallik started the company in February with the help of Blackstone LaunchPad, an entrepreneurship program in the Student Center that supports and mentors students and alumni.

“I still see a lot of people who even by their third or fourth year of college don’t know what the different loans are,” Gallik said. “They don’t know what loans they should be taking [out].”

According to a Federal Reserve Bank of New York 2018 quarterly report for April through June, student loans make up 11 percent of total household

VOICES What efforts do you take to try to be sustainable?

debt, behind mortgages – the leading category which accounts for 68 percent of total debt.

Naqvi said he was concerned with how paying back his loans would change his financial situation. So, he turned to LoanMajor for help.

The free tool has two main calculation systems to help incoming college students understand the process of taking out loans. The College Search Calculator estimates the total loans the student will have to withdraw and the monthly payment that will be made to colleges based on average tuition prices calculated from family income and contributions from the student and family members. The College Selection Calculator compares the financial aid packages students can expect from colleges to which they’ve been accepted.

The company also has a College Price Search feature that calculates the average price of college based on the student’s family’s income.

Gallik said LoanMajor’s goal is to help students estimate what they are going to owe in loans and what their monthly payments and starting salaries will be based on data from the 2016 American Community Survey.

For college graduates, LoanMajor offers the Refinance Loan Calculator, which estimates how much students will save on interest rates and monthly payments by refinancing their highest-interest-rate loans.

Refinancing a loan means a business revises the interest rate, payment schedule and terms of a previous credit agreement. This can often result in better savings on loan payments.

After Naqvi used the software to figure out how he should refinance his student loans, he said his interest rate dropped from 8.9 percent to 6 percent.

This saved him $25,000 through debt consolidation, a process in which a new loan is paid off over a longer period of time at a lower interest rate.

While LoanMajor doesn’t refinance student loans, it refers people free of charge to lenders who can. Gallik said when students refinance a loan with those lenders, LoanMajor earns a referral fee, which is where all of its profits come from. The company collects user data, but does not sell it.

He added the loan refinancing process is a tradeoff, with students accumulating less student debt through a new loan.

“Your debt number is still going to be the same,” Gallik said. “[But] we want your monthly payments lower and your interest rate lower.”

Julie Stapleton Carroll, the program director at Blackstone LaunchPad, worked with Gallik on creating some of LoanMajor’s features. She said the staff met with Gallik three times to help him launch the business through one-on-one coaching. “[Gallik] came in having already de-

sylvain.batut@temple.edu

NAKHU KANNAMBAL Sophomore accounting major

ALEX KHALIL Freshman marketing major

I like to reuse papers, especially notebooks. A lot of people use half of one and then they toss it out.

I try to not throw away water bottles. I try and recycle them.

ANDIE CORNO Junior finance major I make an effort to carry my own bottle and use things that have less plastic wrapping on them.

@TheTempleNews

veloped the rough outline of the product, and wanted to know how to get it to the next stage,” Stapleton Carroll said.

“We worked with him on how to market the calculators, how to test it, how to get it in front of potential users and working with social media and marketing.”

In addition to its calculation tools, LoanMajor’s website provides information on in-state and out-of-state tuition, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, scholarships, types of college loans, interest rates and different ways to repay loans.

Gallik said LoanMajor’s calculators are designed to help students make sense of their college investments and help them avoid making two common mistakes: attending a college that’s too expensive and choosing a major that won’t be lucrative.

“Then you can try to pursue a career path that is sustainable,” he added. “So you’re not going in blind and borrowing $100,000 and coming out only making $30,000 a year.”

Naqvi, who lives paycheck to paycheck and estimates he spends half his monthly income on student loan payments, said the cultural norm is to go to college by any means necessary.

“But you should know what you’re getting yourself into,” Naqvi said. “I definitely learned a lot [from LoanMajor]. I wish I had started sooner.”

DANIEL HANNA Freshman marketing major I try to use both sides of every paper [and] turn off the faucet when I’m brushing my teeth. features@temple-news.com

FEATURES PAGE 14

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

Alumni’s documentary to screen in Amsterdam

FILM

“Unpacked” explores the harmful effects of chemicals, like BPA, found in everyday plastic items.

BY MILLY MCKINNISH For The Temple News

While working for the NBA in 2015, Jeff Goosley watched a sick co-worker make green tea from a Keurig to try to make herself feel better.

“That was the ‘a-ha moment’ for me,” said Goosley, a 2012 communications alumnus. “She’s drinking this to make herself feel better, when the BPA that is seeping out of the [Keurig pod] may be making her sick.”

The encounter inspired Goosley to produce “Unpacked,” a documentary about the negative effects plastic has on the environment and humans.

Tom Winter and Jack Nitz, both 2013 film and media arts alumni, directed the film, which will be screened in Amsterdam at Around International Film Festival, an independent film festival, in April 2019.

The team created the documentary to inform viewers of the potential dangers of the chemicals found in food packaging, like hormone disruption. It

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 LOCAL ARTISTS

advertising spaces, donated them to local artists and paid them for their work.

Through social media and Lowry’s agency Rory, Lowry encouraged artists to submit designs for various trash cans in Rittenhouse Square.

Aubrie Costello, a 33-year-old artist from the Dickinson Narrows neighborhood in South Philadelphia, participated in the project.

“What’s kind of interesting about those trash cans is that they are set up, kind of like a blank canvas, the shape of them, the vibe of them,” she said. “[They] hold an opportunity to showcase something more interesting than [the] ads.”

Costello’s art, a photograph of largescale silk fibers she cut and transformed into words and quotes, is featured on features@temple-news.com

also advises viewers of ways to reduce the amount of plastic they use by avoiding straws and plastic bags.

“There are ways to be conscious,” Winter said. “There are lifestyle choices that you can make now that benefit you in more ways than just affecting your hormones through packaging.”

“Unpacked” focuses on endocrine disruptors, which the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences classifies as chemicals that may interfere with the body’s endocrine system. Endocrine disruptors can create imbalances of thyroid hormones and estrogen, potentially causing abnormal tissue growth and infertility.

The most well-known endocrine disruptor is bisphenol A, or BPA, which is found in everyday items like water bottles, microwavable containers and canned goods.

Despite the prevalence of BPA, Winter said he hopes the documentary will make people more aware of other endocrine disruptors, too. Other endocrine disruptors include natural hormones and chemicals like fungi, synthetically produced pharmaceuticals like birth control, and pesticides, according to the European Commission.

“We try to get it across that BPA is the tip of the iceberg,” Winter said.

Prior to producing “Unpacked,”

Goosley said he wasn’t concerned with the chemicals in food packaging. He said he knew little about the topic – like many other people.

Nitz added there is little information available about the effects of food packaging on consumers’ bodies and the environment.

“It was surprising to us that it isn’t a known thing and there’s no content out there,” Nitz said. “We thought this would be a good opportunity to make that accessible.”

Goosley said he hopes to spread awareness about the issues discussed in “Unpacked,” make people feel like they are capable of reducing the amount of plastic used and invite viewers to research environmental issues.

“We are hoping ‘Unpacked’ will be that media catalyst to make people interested in reading the scholarly articles [about plastic] that have been coming out,” Goosley said.

The team is excited to have its documentary screened overseas in the spring and to see where the exposure will take the project, Nitz said.

“We found so far that Europeans that have been involved in the making of this are a lot more ready to accept it,” he added. “Most of the people we talked to here [in the United States] act like we’re crazy to even think about it.”

“Unpacked” features interviews with European sustainability leaders like Jane Muncke, the managing director of the Swiss charity Food Packaging Forum, Bea Johnson, the French author of Zero Waste Home, and Milena Glimbovski, the co-owner of a zero-waste grocery store called Original Unverpackt in Berlin.

But showing “Unpacked” at the festival is just the starting point. Nitz said he hopes the film will be shown around the United States where he thinks it will be even more impactful.

Winter has similar goals for the project. In addition to educating the public, he said he hopes the film will change public policy in a way that isn’t a Band-Aid solution to the plastic problem.

“We are trying to make sure that the legal system and politicians find the right way to regulate an industry that isn’t regulated at all,” he added. “It’s like the Wild West. As long as a product works and consumers don’t see it as dangerous, then it’s good to go.”

the trash can on the corner of 18th and Walnut streets. She said she thinks the project is important because it displays the work of Philadelphia artists in a popular neighborhood.

In her art, Costello added that she tries to reflect not only herself, but also the city and its residents.

“There’s always an opportunity to start a more thought-provoking, richer dialogue, even with advertisements,” Costello said. “It was a way for us to playfully start the conversation that these ad spaces can showcase something beautiful and something less obtrusive.”

Benner and Lowry also displayed their artwork on 17th Street near Walnut and 17th Street near Locust, respectively. Benner’s artwork is a photograph of a bridge, and Lowry’s is a

digital design of a computer icon.

Gianni Lee, a painter and 2009 broadcasting, telecommunications and mass media alumnus, was another one of the participating artists. His work is at 18th and Locust streets and celebrates the Black female body.

Lee said he believes Philadelphia is trying to be progressive by displaying public artwork.

“This is showing that Philly is moving toward the future, and I think other cities will adopt the program and will see the opportunity to do this around the world,” he added. “I never thought in a million years that I would have art on display in Rittenhouse.”

In Benner’s eyes, Philadelphia has managed to avoid having Center City overrun with public advertising, unlike

similar neighborhoods in other big cities like New York.

“I believe in the value of public space,” Benner said. “What we see in the public space affects the way we think, feel and behave.”

The project’s long-term goal is for large Philadelphia-based companies like Comcast and Independence Blue Cross to buy more trash cans and continue to collaborate with local artists to grow the initiative, making advertising space in Philadelphia more visually engaging.

“A lot of people feel similarly about the value of public space,” Benner said.

“It just felt like a big win for public art in Philadelphia and for artists in Philadelphia.”

melissa.mckinnish@temple.edu

emma.padner@temple.edu

temple-news.com

INTERSECTION PAGE 15

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

Content warning: Pages 15-19 include details of sexual assault that might be upsetting to some readers.

A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Metamorphoses

A junior english major shares a poem related to the #MeToo movement.

BY BRITTANY WHELAN For The Temple News Metamorphoses I crawl home to her, snake skin over whispers in the dark. Between folds of yellow, there’s a long smile, not quite a caress, a sharp arrow defining the unnatural arches she made and all tucked in beneath the moon — pellucid.

Too soon.

Too soon.

I have shed over his footprints, marked the earth in blood.

We hang on the edge, her eyes clouded from the heat of a baited breath; she strains for ironic silence on the sheets, still.

His humidity floats above. Listen.

I have come to tell you, I have come to tell you, from the gods, from the dove, from the lamb, I have come in a dying whisper to say, that the very rocks cra cked, in rage.

Dean of Students Stephanie Ives and Title IX Coordinator Andrea Seiss describe their commitment to survivors and to end sexual violence on campus.

As advocates and key campus resources for students who have experienced sexual misconduct, we appreciate the opportunity to offer some information and insights in relation to Temple’s efforts to eliminate sexual violence on our campus.

WE RECOGNIZE

We recognize that campuswide, nationwide and worldwide, incidents of sexual misconduct are among the most under-reported crimes and have a long-lasting and significant impact on survivors. Through Temple’s “It’s On Us PA” grant, we have put forth an intentional effort to better define behaviors that are included in sexual misconduct in order to help students identify when they or a friend may be in need of support.

The scope of sexual misconduct includes sexual assault (such as unwanted sexual touching, coerced sexual activity and rape), stalking, dating violence, domestic violence and sexual exploitation (such as distributing nude photos or videos against the will of the subject).

Unfortunately, a large proportion of college students has or will experience one of these behaviors. However, a cultural shift is occurring, and barriers that once stood in the way of survivors’ reporting are being eliminated by important social movements like #MeToo, the empowerment of voices against long-standing social tolerance of sexual transgressions and better enforcement of laws and policies.

OUR COMMITMENT CLAIRE WOLTERS / THE TEMPLE NEWS

@TheTempleNews

Temple does not and will not tolerate

sexual misconduct. Students who have been victimized must have access to inclusive, caring and accessible campus resources for support and adjudication. We are committed to ensuring that our campus can be a safe place and that acts of misconduct are addressed and resolved fairly, impartially and in a timely manner.

We are focused on ensuring that Temple’s campus is a welcoming environment in which the academic rights and privileges of both the survivor/complainant and the accused student/respondent are not compromised. In alignment with historical and current guidance provided by the United States Department of Education, we strive to balance the rights and needs of all students, offering equal privileges and support when we receive information about cases involving sexual misconduct.

This commitment extends throughout university services that support survivors as they confront the difficult and often overwhelming decisions involved in disclosing information about what occurred. We understand that each survivor will want to tell their story in their own way, in their own time, sometimes to those they trust and other times to a professional from whom they have sought support. Staff members across campus, including the Title IX office, Tuttleman Counseling Services, Wellness Resource Center, the victim advocate within Campus Safety Services, Student Health Services, the Dean of Students Office and more, are well-trained to help.

We want to help survivors understand the options that are available and provide access to the support needed for healing to begin. This

LETTER | PAGE 19

intersection@temple-news.com

INTERSECTION PAGE 16

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 #METOO ESSAY

To Grandma’s House We Go

A student details her journey to accept that a childhood experience was sexual assault.

BY EMMA GOLDHABER For The Temple News It didn’t start out the way that I’d heard. There was no creepy old man luring me into his van with candy or an adult male family friend. I wasn’t walking alone on some street in a dangerous part of a city. Of all the scenarios I’d been told to fear when I was young, this one never came up.

I was 12 years old when I was first sexually assaulted.

He lived next door to my grandma.

He was my age.

It was fall. The school year had just started, and my mom had decided that we’d go visit my grandma. During the winter, we’d visit Saturday nights for Scrabble and microwaveable nachos, but this was

something extra. Just a quick little visit.

I don’t remember him stopping by, only that mom and grandma were talking in the kitchen while he and I sat on the couch and watched TV. I was up against the corner, he was sitting a respectable distance away.

At some point he scooted closer.

I remember wanting to ask him to scoot away and give me some space, but I didn’t. I’d always been taught to be polite, and it would have been rude of me to ask him to move.

One second we’re watching TV and the next his hand is on my exposed thigh, resting on my inner leg. I regretted wearing shorts despite it being 90 degrees out.

He leaned in, his breath heavy on my face as he said, “You’ve got nice legs.”

As his hand drifted up, I couldn’t move. I looked toward the kitchen, but my voice was caught somewhere in my throat. My thoughts were foggy, the only thing registering

was the general panic that floated through my limbs. I felt like I was going to puke. All I could think was that I needed him to move, to get away from me, but I couldn’t speak.

I was scared.

Eventually, my grandma called for us from the kitchen and he pulled away, shooting her a grin as he replied to her — like it hadn’t even happened.

At first, I didn’t think much of it.

Sure, there was some general panic every time I saw him in the cafeteria at the school. I scrubbed at my skin harder in the shower. I started covering up more. I panicked when people I didn’t know touched me. I flinched when men would put their hands on my shoulders.

But I never thought that it was sexual assault.

That’s why the #MeToo movement is so important. That’s why we need to talk about sexual assault. It’s been 11 years, and I’m still questioning whether this counts. Google tells

me that it does count, but maybe it doesn’t. Just because I cried while thinking about this when I began writing this piece doesn’t mean anything.

Maybe I’m being over-dramatic.

Maybe I asked for it somehow.

The fact of the matter is that while I’ve mostly recovered from this and forgave him for what he did, there are others that aren’t as lucky as I am. They’re stuck thinking that they’re dirty and that somehow this is their fault or that they deserved it. They may have no idea that there are resources out there for them and people to talk to.

But maybe, if people start talking about this more and it becomes less taboo, survivors might realize that they’re not alone. They can get that help that they need.

Because it wasn’t their fault.

At all. emma.goldhaber@temple.edu

CLAIRE WOLTERS / THE TEMPLE NEWS

intersection@temple-news.com

temple-news.com

INTERSECTION PAGE 17

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

A workplace assault survivor finds justice

#METOO ESSAY

A student discusses their appreciation for people who believed her after she was sexually assaulted.

BY ELLEN TARASKIEWICZ For The Temple News

They always ask you what you were wearing when it happened. Not only the people who doubt the veracity of your story, though you can always hear the disbelief in their voice, but also the people who have been through it too.

The other survivors want to compare scars, they want to hear your story because then it’s not just them, they’re not alone in their pain, it’s bigger than them. It wasn’t their fault. Let’s get one thing straight: It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t my fault.

What was I wearing? My work uni-

form: khaki pants, a polo shirt and tennis shoes. Did it matter what I was wearing? No. My assailant didn’t choose me because of what I was or wasn’t wearing.

He didn’t choose me because he thought I was acting flirty that day or acting standoffish. In reality, he didn’t really choose me at all. He chose someone who was vulnerable, a person who wasn’t in a position of power, someone people may or may not believe.

He chose well.

He was my co-worker. Our supervisors chose to believe his story over mine and fired me when I refused to continue working with him. They promoted him a week after firing me. The police chose not to bring up charges against him because it was his word against mine, and maybe I had been flirting with him when I mentioned in passing that I’m part of

the LGBTQ+ community. According to the police report, my transparency was an invitation that I was now trying to take back.

He also chose poorly.

A worker’s compensation lawyer took my case and fought for the wages that I lost when I refused to work with my assailant. The lawyer listened to my story, believed me and fought for the money I owed in medical debt from years in therapy and a trip to the emergency room after a suicide attempt. My family believed me, gave me a safe place to stay and took care of me as I learned to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. Some of my friends didn’t believe me, but I gained friends from all around the world, people who shared my pain and stood in solidarity with me every step of the way. And

with the money I gained from my case settlements, I was able to move across the country to Philadelphia, a city I’m so proud to call my home.

It will be six years since I joined the #MeToo movement in September 2012.

My traumaversary doesn’t elicit the same feelings of fear, sadness and anxiety that it once did, though I carry the burden of what happened and the aftermath every single day.

Whether it just happened to you or it happened to you a long time ago, I will say again: It wasn’t your fault. I believe you and I will always believe you. I’m sorry we have to meet like this, but I hope that my story will be a light in the darkness, a dim spot on the horizon of your survival. ellen.taraskiewicz@temple.edu

#METOO ESSAY

Is the #MeToo movement for A Cute Ebony Doll?

The Intersection Editor, in solidarity with other survivors, reflects on their #MeToo experience.

BY ANAYA CARTER-DUCKETT Intersection Editor

This Black body has never been mine. This Black body has always been beaten, battered and bruised with its only saving grace being that it’s an object for the entertainment of others. This feminine-seeming Black body is like a doll: A Cute Ebony Doll.

I was trained and conditioned by the media, previous partners and peers to be used to being used for the sexual gratification of others. In sex it was, and still is sometimes, never about what I want but what they want. To them, I am just a hypersexualized creature for people to gander, grope and assault as they wish.

I have become desensitized whenever a @TheTempleNews

partner tells me what I am going to do and am shocked when someone asks me what I would like to during sex.

Sexual assault was not a term in my vocabulary until I was 16. Why? Because you can’t sexually assault a thing. This is why endless encounters of sexual violence ranging from partaking in activities I haven’t wanted to, being groped on public transportation, being gandered at and being called a “pretty charcoal thang” by nameless strangers has become nothing but a blur. When you are conditioned to think this is normal, you begin to notice it happening less and less until you don’t notice it happening at all.

I was 16 when I learned what sexual assault was. At first, I was horrified. And then, I felt nothing. I didn’t think it applied to this Black body because the only examples we talked about were white bodies. This Black body has and will always be thought of last.

I was 19 when the #MeToo movement became widespread on social media. I remember seeing it on Facebook as one of those copy-and-paste chain posts.

I surprised myself by doing this one. I

was indifferent when I saw more than a dozen white people copy and paste it onto their Facebook Walls. My mood shifted when I saw that my mother, the strongest woman who never takes anything from anyone, posted it on hers, too. The emotion I felt in that moment was a weird mixture of relief, sadness, shock, confusion and anger. Somehow, these emotions led to empowerment.

At 19, I decided that this Black body was no longer just a thing to be used by others. This Black body was not just another cute ebony doll. This Black body, this Black body right here, is my Black body. It belongs to no one but Anaya Lynne Carter-Duckett. No one gets to touch or do anything to it without the consent of Anaya Lynne Carter-Duckett.

At 21, I realized the #MeToo movement is more than a movement trying to end sexual assault. It is a movement trying to bring the power back to those who have had that power taken from them. The gender or race of your body means nothing. It is your damn body and no one else’s. anaya.carter-duckett@temple.edu

intersection@temple-news.com

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

Regaining power after surviving sexual assault The experiences one student faced can be common adversities for other survivors during college.

BY CLAIRE WOLTERS AND JULIE CHRISTIE For The Temple News He asked her to have sex several times before, and she shut him down — he was a good friend’s boyfriend.

But one October night, Arthi Selvan was inebriated and she couldn’t stop him.

“I remember waking up the next morning and just feeling so guilty because I slept with my best friend’s boyfriend,” said Selvan, a senior general science with teaching major.

She texted a friend from high school, telling him what happened.

“He was like, ‘Arthi, it sounds like he raped you. You didn’t want this.’”

Selvan said. “When he said that, I think I spent three days in bed, I just couldn’t do anything.”

Selvan later dealt with the fallout of sharing her story and coping with being sexually assaulted. She lost relationships with friends and family, became temporarily homeless and dropped out of school to avoid her attacker. Selvan did not attempt to use any of the resources for student survivors of sexual misconduct.

Andrea Seiss, Temple University’s Title IX coordinator, has a system to help survivors cope with some of the most common or complex struggles after an assault.

Selvan didn’t know whether to tell her friend what their boyfriend had done. She stopped doing dishes and cleaning her cat’s litter box. Her roommates pushed her to tell, saying intersection@temple-news.com

if she didn’t speak up, they would. So Selvan packed her things and left for an apartment her parents owned.

A few months later, Selvan saw her attacker’s friends at a house show, throwing her into a panic attack.

Seiss said survivors may be triggered, an experience with fear or a flashback relating to a traumatic event, at different times and in different ways after an assault.

“Sometimes people get themselves through the fear, but then seeing the person still triggers the memories,” Seiss said.

In addition to encounters with the attacker, Seiss said interactions with friends and family can determine whether a survivor will speak out or seek help.

Seiss tells students during orientation not to question how much a person drank or if they’re sure of what happened. Rather, ask what they need.

When Selvan’s parents discovered what happened, Selvan was cut off from social media and any communication with her friends.

“I wasn’t allowed to leave the house unless it was for school or a family function,” Selvan said. “I immediately told them why, what happened. And they just kept saying, ‘You were drunk, you were hanging out with these people.’ … They just kept saying things that made me feel like it was my fault.”

She managed to keep one Instagram account active, but when her parents discovered it, they told her either follow the rules, or leave. After they went to bed, Selvan again packed her things and left.

She couch-surfed until she found an apartment.

Seiss also helps survivors feel safe

wherever they live, whether it’s on or off campus. She can help survivors work with off-campus landlords to change locks or change apartments.

Even after Selvan found a new home, she struggled on campus. The Bell Tower was too crowded and men who looked similar to her attacker would cause panic attacks.

Then, a year after she was raped, Selvan ran into her friend, whose boyfriend was her attacker, while walking to class. The friend said she couldn’t believe Selvan would show her face on campus and called her a rapist.

Selvan immediately dropped out of her classes and left Temple for a year, not returning until after the attacker and his friends had graduated.

Now, Selvan’s on track to graduate in the spring and sees a counselor.

“I feel empowered knowing every day I’ve woken up and I’ve been me,” Selvan said.

If survivors fear seeing attackers or mutual friends around campus, Seiss can adjust schedules to minimize the chance of seeing them. Survivors don’t have to file a formal report, press charges or explain the situation to professors.

To best use Title IX and meet a survivor’s needs, Seiss said she’s learned to ask, “What are you having difficulty with?” and, “What are you struggling to do on a daily basis?”

When it comes to the timeframe of recovery and the healing process, “every case is so different,” Seiss said.

“Everybody has very different responses to what has happened to them and how they go through the process of healing.” intersection@temple-news.com @TheTempleNews

About 80 percent of female students don’t report sexual assault.

More than half of sexual assaults happened near or at the survivor’s homes.

Nearly 80 percent of people who are assaulted know the attacker.

About 34 percent of students who were sexually assaulted dropped out of college as a result.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics “Rape and Sexual Assault Victimization Among College-Age Females, 1995–2013,” Female Victims of Sexual Violence, 1994-2010,” Journal of College Student Retention Research “Violence Victimization on a College Campus: Impact on GPA and School Dropout” JULIE CHRISTIE / THE TEMPLE NEWS

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

Talking to survivors: How to empower your peers Students can use inclusive She added to give survivors power opportunity for people to be involved resources are also open to you.” language to speak to survivors, to, “tell their own story at their own pace but also provide opportunity to become To prevent sexual assault, help surexperts and student leaders said. and with who they’d like to talk about [it uninvolved.” vivors and to foster a safe environment

BY LAUREN REMY For The Temple News Temple Student Government’s second annual Sexual Assault Prevention Week concluded on Saturday, after sparking a conversation about sexual assault that continues to be at the forefront of students’ minds.

The observance was a collaboration of TSG, Student Activists Against Sexual Assault and Temple’s chapter of It’s on Us, a national campaign that works with more than 500 campuses to engage people in a conversation about ending sexual violence.

Shira Freiman, president of It’s On Us TU, stressed the importance of never pressuring survivors to share their stories and experiences with sexual assault.

“The biggest thing that I believe in is that no one should have to ‘out’ themselves as a survivor,” Freiman said.

with].”

The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, recommends using phrases like “I believe you,” and “It took a lot of courage to tell me about this,” when a survivor is ready to tell their story.

Freiman also said using gender-inclusive language, especially when talking to groups of people, can help all survivors feel validated.

“This is not only a female issue,” Freiman said. “It is essential to include men, trans people, gender-nonconforming people and other gender identities when discussing sexual assault.”

When speaking to survivors about sexual assault, Freiman said to be mindful of surroundings and pay special attention to signs of discomfort.

“Be understanding of people who might need an out from the conversation,” Freiman said. “Make sure there is

Freiman encouraged getting to know each survivor as an individual and never coddling a survivor.

“Find out exactly what might help them feel empowered,” Freiman added.

“Everyone’s experience and needs are different, so the best thing to do is to find out what the individual needs. Ensure them that everything is within their power. You can provide resources, but you can’t force anybody to utilize them.”

Ethan Levine, a gender, sexuality, and women’s studies instructor who advocates for sexual assault prevention, cautioned listeners to also look out for themselves when navigating this topic with a survivor.

“Sometimes on the listening end, we can experience vicarious trauma,” Levine said. “It is important to look out for the welfare of all parties in the discussion. If a close friend of yours discloses to you about sexual assault and you are having a difficult time knowing what to do, those

for everybody on campus, Freiman suggested getting involved in sexual assault prevention initiatives. These include on-campus organizations like Men Against Rape and Sexual Assault, SAASA, It’s On Us TU and TSG. Mike Eible, the bystander intervention captain for It’s On Us TU and former president of Temple’s Alpha Tau Omega chapter, said he would like to create a series of required workshops and lectures to involve Greek life in these discussions. Sessions would teach members how to be aware of their surroundings and respond to signs of danger in situations involving a potential assault.

“The big idea would be to hit every fraternity, to have everybody be held accountable and to teach proper action to prevent things from taking place that shouldn’t be taking place,” he added. “It comes down to doing the right thing in these situations.”

a survivor isn’t ready to take that step, and if that’s the case, leave the opportunity open for them to come back to you if they want your support in the future.

Sometimes supporters need comfort as well. If someone has disclosed such sensitive information to you and you are struggling to process it, you want help in guiding them or it is triggering for you, the same resources available to sexual assault survivors and those accused of sexual misconduct are available to you.

Please reach out. We care deeply and

want to help.

The principles of care and concern are what guide all of Temple’s campus resources that are here to help our students. Sexual violence is fundamentally unacceptable and needs to be confronted consistently and eliminated completely.

laremy@temple.edu

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 | LETTER support can be in the form of academic accommodations, the development of a safety plan, housing accommodations, no-contact orders and more.

HOW CAN YOU HELP

Quite often, the first person to whom a survivor of sexual violence will disclose information is a trusted friend or someone who is seen as a reliable resource (such as an RA, a team captain, an advisor or a faculty mentor). For those who find themselves in the trusted position of

having someone disclose such sensitive, and often painful, information, we have some thoughts and advice.

First, listening with an open heart and mind is the most important gift you can give at that moment. Please don’t question, judge, or doubt – it’s not anyone’s place to stand in that position when being asked for support and help.

Offering to walk a survivor to a campus resource for ‘options counseling,’ medical attention or support is a specific way that you can be helpful. Sometimes

More information about specific support services, reporting options and policies can be found at sexualmisconduct.temple.edu. Ives can be reached at stephanie.ives@temple. edu and Seiss can be reached at andrea.caporale@temple.edu.

See more of the Intersection’s #MeToo edition at temple-news.com. @TheTempleNews

intersection@temple-news.com

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

CROSS COUNTRY

Jones looks to build off all-conference season Lucy Jones wanted to be the program’s centerpiece prior to college. This year, she fits the role.

BY DONOVAN HUGEL Cross Country Beat Reporter Coming into her freshman year at Temple University in 2017, Lucy Jones was worn down.

Jones is from Leicester, England, where the cross country season typically ends around late July or early August.

“I wouldn’t say I was disappointed at all early on in the season with her, I was just aware that she was going to be a little bit behind,” coach James Snyder said. “But as the season started to move along, she got better and better and worked herself up the totem pole on the team. By the time we got into the championship season, she was starting to find her stride a lot more and was a top-three runner on our team.”

Coming off an all-conference 2017 season, Jones has started this year by placing third at the Temple Invitational on Aug. 31 at Belmont Plateau with a time of 23 minutes, 32 seconds.

Jones wants to build on her all-conference season after being a big part in the team’s third-place finishes at the American Athletic Conference championship and at the Eastern College Athletic Conference championship meets.

“I think the season went super well last year, but I definitely know that I should be placing higher this season,” Jones said. “I know that I could get all-Region recognition if I run to the best of my ability. And if at all possible, I want to get as close to NCAA qualifi-

sports@temple-news.com

ECAC championships, helping lead the team to another third-place finish with a time of 18:19.5.

“I just have to be a lot more patient than others in terms of just waiting for it all to click,” Jones said. “I got it in my head that I wanted all-conference recognition, but I didn’t really say it to anyone, I just kept it in the back of my head. And then once I accomplished that, I had a lot more confidence in myself.”

Snyder began recruiting Jones during her senior year at Our Lady’s Convent School in Loughborough, England. Snyder looked at her meet results online, then reached out to her via social media to recruit. He said that Jones never actually took an official visit to Temple, but through conversations over Skype, Jones was convinced that Temple was the place for her.

“One of the things that stood out in our recruiting process of Lucy was that she was someone who wanted to help build a program and be a centerpiece of a group. We both thought that was something she could do here at Temple.”

This season, Jones has higher expectations for herself and from her teammates and the coaching staff. But MIKE NGUYEN / THE TEMPLE NEWS that doesn’t intimidate her because she Sophomore Lucy Jones warms up for the Temple Owls Invite on April 13, 2018 at has been in that position in the past, she the Temple Sports Complex. said. cation as I can, or even make the NCAA Jones improved her results after that “I don’t mind at all that being at the meet.” meet, starting with a 20th-place finish at front is expected of me because even Jones didn’t compete at the team’s the Princeton Invitational with a time of though that’s added pressure, I feel like first event of last season, the Temple 22:09.4. She then earned all-conference that’s correct of them to think that way,” Invitational. In her first event with honors after finishing in the top 15 at the Jones said. “Hopefully I can encourage the team, the Rider Invite on Sept. 15, American Athletic Conference champi- others on the team to do as good or even 2017, Jones finished fifth with a time onships with a time of 22:04.4. better.” of 22:55.37. She then placed 55th with Jones helped lead the Owls to a a time of 18:22 at the Joe Piane Invita- third-place finish, their highest ever at donovan.hugel@temple.edu tional, a 5,000-meter race hosted by the The American’s championship. @donohugel University of Notre Dame.

She had another top-15 result at the

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 LEADER exhibition game against Lafayette, which probably no one really knows about. So I basically scored the first goal.”

Despite Doerner’s argument, Brown stands by his accomplishment. Now, the junior midfielder maintains undisputed ownership of the first goal of the 2018 regular season and has stepped up as a leader off the field, too.

Brown’s goal in the 64th minute against Old Dominion University on Sept. 2 was the game-winner in a match where the Owls were playing down a man against the then-No. 25 team in the United Soccer Coaches poll.

“In that game, a man down, he covered a lot of ground for the group and broke up a lot of plays,” assistant coach

Armante’ Marshall said. “As much as a player as he was defensively in that game, to see him get on the end of the goal was definitely exciting.”

But his post-goal celebration did not live up to his teammates’ standards.

In an effort to redeem himself, Brown rehearsed a celebration after scoring in a shooting drill at the end of practice on Friday. After the ball rolled in the net, Brown ran back to his place in line, arms spread wide. He then jumped in the air and pumped his fist as his teammates egged him on.

Brown’s energy and excitement for the game are part of what makes him an effective team leader both on and off the field, Doerner said.

“I’m a loud voice on the field, and I think when our team is amped up, that’s when we’re at our best,” Brown said. “I

like to get the players going, so I guess my energy is probably the biggest part about it.”

In the locker room, Brown is a member of the team’s leadership group, a collection of four to five players who lead the team in communication and decision-making.

“He has an important voice into the locker room,” Doerner said. “As a captain, I also come to him and ask him for his opinion and he helps leading the team.

While on the field, Brown standing at 6 feet, 3 inches tall, helps Temple earn and keep possession, which is an important aspect of coach Brian Rowland’s attack-heavy style of play. Brown’s technical skills and passing ability make him a valuable midfielder, Marshall said.

In addition to Brown’s soccer skills and experience as one of 12 returning players on the roster this season, Marshall also said the intangible elements of Brown’s game are part of the reason he has started all five games and remained on the field for every minute Temple has played this season.

“We talk about two things you can control, which is your attitude and your effort,” Marshall said. “Ultimately, you know that even if the passes aren’t going or connecting the way he wants them to, he’s going to give maximum effort and a great attitude every time. So he always has a place on the field around here.” maura.razanauskas@temple.edu @captainAMAURAca

BASEBALL

Baseball club eyes another playoff trip for 2019 The team was one game away from the National Club Baseball Association Division II World Series.

BY JONATHAN MICHALSKI For The Temple News Temple University’s club baseball team is back and ready to build off a historic 2017-18 season.

Last season, the Owls won the Chesapeake North Conference for the first time in its four-year history before they fell 12-6 to Saint Joseph’s in the National Club Baseball Association Division II Chesapeake Region final.

Temple finished the season as the No. 16 team in the NCBA Division II poll to record its highest end-of-season ranking in the club team’s short history since the Division I team was cut by the university in 2014. The Owls also had their first two All-American recipients: @TTN_Sports @TheTempleNews

former first baseman and club president Jordan Pocrass and junior relief pitcher Christian Dekker were named to the NCBA Division II Second Team.

Jack Daywalt, a senior center fielder and the director of player personnel, said making the playoffs should be a minimum standard for the team heading into future years.

“Making the playoffs was a very big step for the club,” Daywalt said. “We know how to go about our business to get back there this year. ...We did pretty well last year, but I’d like to make it further into the playoffs this year.”

With a balance of fun and competition in mind, the Owls look to head back to the regional finals this season.

The team has high hopes of coming out on top against Saint Joseph’s. Daywalt wants to get his revenge come this April. Saint Joseph’s is not currently listed on the team’s schedule as of Monday.

“I don’t think it’s a true rivalry yet,” Daywalt said. “We need to beat them a few more times to establish the rivalry.

But I think that beating them means a little more than beating anyone else.”

In order to make another run to the playoffs, the team needs to start the season well, club president Nick Delp said. The season starts with a doubleheader against Monmouth University on Sept. 29 at Skip Wilson Field at Temple’s Ambler Campus.

Delp, who looks to lead the team his senior year at catcher and first base, said he thinks another successful season begins with a competitive first game.

“It starts right away,” Delp said.

“The season starts in the fall and those games count. ...We’re trying to schedule a couple of out-of-conference games so that we can compete at a high level right away.”

As president, Delp has a few plans of his own for the season. After real-

izing alumni want to be a part of the baseball program after graduating, Delp hopes to host an alumni game this year to have a fun break from the serious competition.

“The alumni support is unbelievable,” Delp said. “It’s such a tight-knit group.”

Senior outfielder John Forsythe believes getting a group of dedicated new members will be a key part of building on the program’s success.

“We have to come out of the gates firing,” Forsythe said. “We know what’s expected of us and what it takes to get there. We know what it takes to win.” jonathan.michalski@temple.edu @JJMICHALSKI

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 MUST WIN me since I’ve been here, but we just got to overcome that adversity,” senior safety Delvon Randall said. “There’s ups and downs in football throughout the season. ...We can always come back and try to win one every week.”

In 2017, Temple finished the regular season with a 6-6 record, but it needed a win in the final week against Tulsa to become bowl eligible. If the Owls have an 0-3 start, they will need to go 6-3 in the final nine games of the season to reach that mark.

A 6-6 record, however, doesn’t guarantee Temple a bowl game. In 2014 under former coach Matt Rhule, the Owls finished 6-6 and earned bowl eligibility, but they didn’t receive an invitation to a postseason game. The 2014 team lost five of its final seven games, which won’t be the case if this year’s team is to qualify for a bowl.

In 2010, under former coach Al Golden, Temple went 8-4 and missed out on a bowl game. That season, the Owls

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

lost their only matchup against a Power Five school, a 22-13 loss to Penn State.

Plus, they lost their final two games.

After Saturday’s game against Maryland, the Owls will play eight conference games and Atlantic Coast Conference opponent, Boston College. If the Owls lose to Maryland, that means they cannot lose more than three games to become bowl eligible. Temple lost to conference opponents Houston, Central Florida and South Florida last season, and those three teams still await the Owls later in the season.

The American is much stronger than years past. Houston, South Florida, Cincinnati and East Carolina have beaten Power Five programs this year. Central Florida is No. 18 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, while South Florida and Houston received votes. Also, Tulsa and Tulane have one-possession losses to the University of Texas and Wake Forest University, respectively.

Last season, the American was 7-13 against Power Five schools and the University of Notre Dame, but it is 4-3 this year.

GENEVA HEFFERNAN / THE TEMPLE NEWS Graduate safety Rodney Williams tackles University at Buffalo junior wide receiver K.J. Osborn in Temple’s 36-29 loss on Saturday. sports@temple-news.com

Maryland is a Power Five opponent, and a win against the Terrapins won’t only give the Owls their first win, but confidence heading into their conference opener against Tulsa on Sept. 20.

If it loses to Maryland, Temple will be required to have a winning record in during its conference schedule, which has four teams that it lost to in 2017.

The ESPN broadcast crews for the Buffalo and Villanova games said the Owls were losing the line-of-scrimmage battle. Those two teams have rushed for a combined 303 yards on Temple, while the Owls were only able to gain 161.

Maryland rushed for 587 yards in its first two games.

In the offseason, defensive coordinator Andrew Thacker said Maryland is “one of the more physical teams” on the Owls’ schedule.

The Terrapins’ defense has seven sacks, three interceptions and one forced fumble to start the season.

The Owls’ offense has struggled to find its identity, and a good performance against a Big Ten defense could help them find it.

A win against Maryland would mean Temple stopped the run, protected its quarterback and minimized mistakes, which the Owls have struggled to do.

If Temple leaves College Park, Maryland, with a win, it will be 1-2 with a win against a good Power Five opponent. If they lose, the Owls may face the possibility of missing out on a bowl game for the first time since 2014.

It is still a long season, as Temple has 10 games left to play. But the Owls need a strong performance, preferably a win, against Maryland to get their 2018 season back on track.

To turn things around from an 0-2 start, graduate student quarterback Frank Nutile believes it starts in the film room.

“Just come in [Sunday], watch some tape, evaluate it, and make our corrections,” he said. “Stick together and cap the week we have with a great week of practice. Maryland is a really good team, and we can’t mope about it, we have to go in and ready to attack it.” michael.zingrone@temple.edu @mjzingrone

GENEVA HEFFERNAN / THE TEMPLE NEWS University at Buffalo senior cornerbacks Tatum Slack (left) and Cameron Lewis bring senior running back Ryquell Armstead to the ground during Saturday’s loss. temple-news.com

SPORTS PAGE 23

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 WOMEN’S SOCCER

After illness, soccer player is a leader in scoring Junior Jules Blank is second in goals, after missing her sophomore season due to illness.

BY ALEX MCGINLEY Women’s Soccer Beat Reporter Jules Blank woke up one morning in December 2016 with dozens of rashes.

Doctors initially didn’t know what ailed the junior forward. They thought Blank had a severe allergic reaction to an antibiotic and developed rheumatoid and inflammatory arthritis.

About six months after Blank developed the condition, doctors still hadn’t cleared her to return to play. Blank decided to take time off from soccer during her sophomore season in Fall 2017, receiving a redshirt year. Finally in October 2017, Blank was able to do basic activities, like running and kicking a ball. After completing basic drills, Blank could work on her conditioning and get back into the weight room.

Blank rejoined the team last spring, but her condition nearly ended career.

“I had to find out what hurt and what didn’t because it was day by day,” Blank said. “Since there wasn’t necessarily a specific illness, it was kind of how I felt. One day, I felt great. One day, I felt like crap.”

This season, Blank is tied for second on the team with two goals with senior forward Kerri McGinley – behind sophomore forward Emma Wilkins’s team-high of four. Blank scored her first collegiate goal during Temple’s 2-1 loss to Saint Joseph’s on Aug. 17.

During her freshman campaign in at the Temple Sports Complex in Fall 2016, @TheTempleNews @TTN_Sports

Blank played in 19 games and started four. She said getting a lot of playing time during her freshman year prepared her to take on a bigger role this season.

“Playing my freshman year, it just got me adjusted to the speed and tempo,” Blank said. “It definitely exposed me to what I was getting myself into and getting used to the style of playing and [coach] Seamus [O’Connor’s] coaching in comparison to old coaches I had.”

O’Connor said Blank has progressed a lot since her freshman year, adjusting to the speed and physicality of Division I soccer.

“Spending a year out just makes you very hungry because her career, at times we thought it was over,” O’Connor said.

“That year was so serious at times. I think coming back now, she just has a much better attitude in terms of not being as stressed out about making mistakes or not being as worried about this or that because she knows how close she came to her career being over.”

Blank’s second goal of the season came during Temple’s 2-0 win against Sacred Heart University on Aug. 24 at the TSC. Blank scored on a header assisted by McGinley. NCAA soccer ranked Blank’s goal as the second-best play of the week.

“I saw Kerri coming down the sideline, and we usually do a cut back,” Blank said. “I knew she was somehow going to get the ball across whether she took it or not. I saw it bounce off her cleat, and all I saw was the ball and the goal. There was nothing else. I was just thinking to put it in the back of the net.”

Blank has started in six of seven games this season. She earned her place in the starting lineup by giving all her effort before the season started. She

LUKE SMITH / THE TEMPLE NEWS Junior forward Jules Blank (right) attempts to keep the ball in play during the Owls’ 2-1 loss to Saint Joseph’s on Aug. 17 at the Temple Sports Complex.

worked on her conditioning, dribbling and knowledge of the team’s formations.

“I had to make sure I always knew what I was supposed to be doing,” Blank said. “I think the biggest thing was working off the ball and taking what [coach] told me freshman year and making sure I applied it to what we’re doing now.”

Despite not having scored a goal before this season, O’Connor expected her to become a scoring threat for the Owls this season because of her accolades in high school.

At Archbishop Ryan High School in Northeast Philadelphia, Blank was the second woman to have her jersey retired after setting the school’s all-time record with 83 goals. Her senior year, Blank was named Philadelphia Catholic League MVP.

“It’s just realization of potential,” O’Connor said. “The talent has always been there. She’s just an absolute deadly striker when you get her in the penalty box. When you get her a chance in the box, she’s just an absolutely tremendous finisher under pressure.” alex.mcginley@temple.edu @mcginley_alex

sports@temple-news.com

SPORTS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

PAGE 24

NEXT GAME A ‘MUST WIN’

FOOTBALL

After an 0-2 start, the football team needs to right the ship before conference play.

N

ot many teams face a mustwin situation heading into their third game.

But after a rough 0-2 start with losses to Villanova and the University at Buffalo, Temple University’s upcoming game MICHAEL ZINGRONE Co-Sports Editor against a Big Ten Conference

opponent is as close to as a must win as it can get.

If the Owls lose to the University of Maryland on Saturday, they won’t lose any ground in the conference standings. In fact, they will theoretically still have a chance to win the American Athletic Conference championship. But an 0-3 start would make the rest of the season an uphill climb for Temple to play in a bowl game.

“Being 0-2 never happened to

MUST WIN | PAGE 22 MEN’S SOCCER

GENEVA HEFFERNAN / THE TEMPLE NEWS Senior cornerback Rock Ya-Sin lays on the ground while University at Buffalo sophomore wide receiver Antonio Nunn celebrates a fourth-quarter touchdown in Buffalo’s 36-29 win against Temple on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field.

Midfielder steps into leadership role Junior Zach Brown has played every minute this season and scored a game-winning goal.

BY MAURA RAZANAUSKAS Men’s Soccer Beat Reporter The title of the first goal-scorer at the Temple Sports Complex, which opened in 2016, is still a topic of debate between men’s soccer teammates Zach Brown and Hermann Doerner. sports@temple-news.com

Brown said he deserves the recognition because he scored first during Temple University’s home exhibition against Lafayette College two seasons ago. Doerner, on the other hand, said the title should belong to him because he netted the first goal of the 2016 regular season against Manhattan College.

“When we had our first game of the season here ... everyone was hyped about it, and then I scored the first goal,” said Doerner, a senior midfielder. “He scored the goal in the

LEADER | PAGE 21

JUSTIN OAKES / THE TEMPLE NEWS Junior midfielder Zach Brown defends St. John’s University freshman defender and midfielder Tiago Teixeira during the Owls’ 1-0 overtime loss on Saturday at the Temple Sports Complex. temple-news.com