The Temple News

THE TEMPLE NEWS

A GUIDING LIGHT Friends and colleagues of President JoAnne Epps remember her influence, mentorship and advocacy at the university and beyond.

Read more on Page 16.

WHAT’S INSIDE NEWS, PAGE 4 Epps’ tenure improved campus morale after a year of university turmoil.

OPINION, PAGE 10 Two students argue as to whether Temple should go textbook free.

VOL 102 // ISSUE 1 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

temple-news.com @thetemplenews

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The Temple News

THE TEMPLE NEWS A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921.

Fallon Roth Editor-in-Chief Julia Merola Managing Editor Sarah Frasca Managing Editor Samuel O’Neal Chief Copy Editor Brianna Hill Deputy Copy Editor Oliver Sabo News Editor Sidney Rochnik Assistant News Editor Claire Zeffer Opinion Editor Valeria Uribe Assistant Opinion Editor Molly Fiske Features Editor Duay Augustine Assistant Features Editor Declan Landis Sports Editor Ryan Mack Assistant Sports Editor Johnny Zawislak Assistant Sports Editor Jaison Nieves Sports Social Media Manager Maggie Fitzgerald Director of Audience Engagement Emily Lewis Public Engagement Coordinator Julia Anderson Audience Engagement Editor Rocio Guzman Audience Engagement Editor Robert Cruz Photo Editor Fernando Gaxiola Assistant Photo Editor Noel Chacko Staff Photographer Nate Pullano Multimedia Editor Kajsa Morse Assistant Multimedia Editor Nadiyah Timmons Print Design Editor Allyson Tharp Graphic Design Editor Zanett Davila-Gutierrez Web Manager John Branyan Data Editor Pablo Rouco Podcast Editor Justin Sorrell Newsletter Editor Lolade Kola-Adewuyi Advertising Manager Matthew Eaton Advertising Manager

Follow us @TheTempleNews

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.

The Editorial Board is made up of The Temple News’ Editor-inChief, Managing Editors, Chief Copy Editor, Deputy Copy Editor, News Editor and Opinion Editors.

The views expressed in editorials only reflect those of the Board, and not of the entire Temple News staff.

ON THE COVER Former president JoAnne Epps meets with The Temple News earlier this semester.

NOEL CHACKO / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Contacts Visit us online at temple-news.com Email section staff news@temple-news.com letters@temple-news.com features@temple-news.com sports@temple-news.com The Temple News is located at:

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CORRECTIONS Accuracy is our business, so when a mistake is made, we’ll correct it as soon as possible.

Anyone with inquiries about content in this newspaper can contact Editor-in-Chief Fallon Roth at editor@temple-news.com.

The Temple News

NEWS

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RESEARCH

Temple cannabis research continues as laws ease Temple hopes to expand their studies as it becomes more federally accepted.

BY OLIVER SABO News Editor

A

s a new academic year begins, Temple remains among the top four-year universities in the highest research activity category, hitting a milestone of $300 million in research expenditures, the university wrote in a message to the Temple community on the first day of classes.

Central to Temple’s research efforts is the study of medicinal cannabis which, since 1998, the university studied for treating health complications including chronic pain and food allergies.

“Temple has been one of the universities in the country at the forefront of cannabinoid research for well over a decade now,” said Sarah Jane Ward, a neural sciences professor in the Center for Substance Abuse Research at Lewis Katz School of Medicine.

Temple’s cannabis research coincides with federal moves to potentially regulate the substance in a less restrictive manner. Just last week, the United States Department of Health and Human Services recommended to the Drug Enforcement Agency that marijuana be moved from the Schedule I category of drugs to the Schedule III category, The Washington Post reported.

Schedule I drugs are classified as substances with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, according to the DEA’s website.

The classification includes heroin and LSD. A move to the Schedule III category would place marijuana with drugs, like ketamine and other prescription medications, that have a moderate-to-low potential for physical and psychological dependence.

“I do think things are going to change by regulation and otherwise, and so it’s quite an interesting opportunity, for taking something that’s been perceived as somehow bad and changing the perception,” said J. Todd Abrams, senior director of new ventures and business development in the Office of the Vice President for Research. “And we do need to use it safely and understand it thoroughly and treat it like a medicine and not as a recreational tool.”

In 2017, Temple partnered with Laurel Harvest Labs, a Pennsylvania grower and dispensary, to research the substance. In 2021, the dispensary was bought by Cresco Labs, a publicly traded, multi-state medical marijuana company, which now funds some of Temple’s cannabis-related research.

The Cresco partnership has supported a number of research endeavors, including cancer and cellular biology professor Kelly Whelan’s lab. Whelan focuses on using cannabis to help patients who are impacted by esophageal diseases, including inflammation of the esophagus and esophageal cancer.

Whelan, who is also a professor at the Temple-based Fels Cancer Institute for Personalized Medicine, has been studying how the drug can help with eosinophilic esophagitis, an immune condition that is an emerging food allergy.

Typically, EoE is treated with steroids or dietary elimination, which refers to finding the food trigger and removing it from a person’s diet, Whelan said. Both forms of treatment do come with challenges. Steroids have long-term side effects, and it can often be difficult to determine the food that is causing the allergy for dietary elimination.

Securing funding for research, which can sometimes feel daunting, has gotten much easier, said Ward, whose research focuses on the effectiveness of the cannabis plant or synthetic-derived alternatives to treat chronic pain.

“With the collaboration with Cres-

ERIKA MONN / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple’s research on marijuana coincides with the increase of laws permitting the use of the agent.

co and the availability of this new source of funding, it’s a much more feasible approach for an investigator who might have been interested in cannabinoids but doesn’t have a lot of preliminary data already,” Ward said.

It wasn’t always possible to collaborate with a business that grows marijuana. Before the passing of the Medical Marijuana Act of 2016, federal funding was required for cannabis research, Abrams said.

Still, there are limitations to what Temple can do with research involving THC. To obtain the agent, the university has to purchase it through federal sources. Additionally, Cresco cannot fund the project with any money made through medical marijuana sales. The university also has a special license to work with the substance in its labs, Abrams said.

Whelan believes that even though cannabis is being legalized around the

country, there is still a stigma around using it in therapy, even though it can be very effective for pain management and other uses.

“We have to start to really drill down on the mechanisms through which cannabis can help with either therapy or prevention of diseases, and maybe that will help to alleviate some of that stigma, but I think it’s a really important area of research using natural agents,” Whelan said. oliver.sabo@temple.edu @oliversabo20

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The Temple News

ADMINISTRATION

JoAnne Epps leaves impact on university morale

The president believed there was there, and it is one of my additional pri- Communication. orities to continue to make people reAfter Epps stepped into the role, increased positivity following member what’s so great about this place there was a much greater presence from university turmoil.

BY OLIVER SABO News Editor Though she was considering retiring, JoAnne Epps stepped up as Temple’s acting president on April 11 until a permanent hire was made. She took over at a time when the university and its administration faced increasing public scrutiny for its handling of safety concerns and a labor strike.

Epps served in the role for just more than five months before suddenly passing away on Sept. 19. Since her death, students, faculty and staff have agreed that Epps positively impacted morale at the university following the university’s turmoil.

“I think that we have come a long way from some of the hard parts of last spring but I think there’s more to do

and make it the place they want to stay,” Epps said in a one-on-one interview with The Temple News on Aug. 31.

At her introductory press conference on April 11, Epps said she would prioritize listening and engaging with students, faculty, staff, administrators and the surrounding community to focus on two central university issues: safety and enrollment. Answers have varied in terms of what people think are most important between the two issues.

“One of the themes that I hear is for Temple to continue to realize its importance to this city and its region, so when we think about the challenges that face the city, some of those are things that we can share in the solutions,” Epps said.

Part of the increased sense of optimism could be attributed to Epps’ messaging to the community, said Scott Gratson, director of communication studies at the Klein College of Media and

the president’s office on campus. Messages coming from Epps were also more frequent, and had a more optimistic tone, something Gratson didn’t notice at all seven months ago, he said.

“She gets this place.” Gratson said.

“She understands it. She’s been here for some time and has moved through the ranks and she understands the ethos of Temple University. I don’t think President Wingard ever got it together, ever understood truly what we are.”

Epps stepped into the role shortly after former President Jason Wingard resigned on March 28, amid pressure regarding the fatal shooting of Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald, a 42-day TUGSA strike and a no-confidence vote including Wingard and several other senior university officials.

As the university faced these issues, The Temple News surveyed slightly more than 1,000 students about their

ROBERT JOSEPH CRUZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS In April, Epps said she would use her platform to listen to students, faculty, staff, administrators and the surrounding community.

thoughts on Wingard and the direction of the university. Roughly 92 percent of students generally disapproved of Wingard’s performance, and 75 percent of students identified safety as the biggest issue at Temple.

From Jan. 1, 2020 to Feb. 18, 2023, 129 people were shot, 14 of those fatally, within a quarter-mile of Temple’s Main Campus, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

AJ Monahan, a junior supply chain management major, is feeling comfortable going into a new academic year, especially after Temple was ranked 89th in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual “Best Colleges” ranking of National Universities on Sept. 18, its highest ranking to date.

“I don’t know how they got that with the whole president thing going on, but that’s good to hear,” Monahan said.

The moment that struck Monahan the most last year was the death of Fitzgerald and the vigil that took place for the fallen officer. Fitzgerald was the first Temple Police officer to die in the line of duty.

While Monahan feels better starting a new year, he thinks the university can still improve in many areas. One thing he frequently heard about is Temple’s decline in enrollment, but he is confident Temple is trying to get better and combat it, especially in the wake of Epps’ tenure.

Temple is projected to face continued declines in enrollment. In the 202223 fiscal year, the university planned for an enrollment decline of 1,500 students in its proposed budget. On May 1, Jose Aviles began as vice provost for enrollment management.

“I think that we have come a long way from some of the hard parts of last spring, but I think there’s more to do there,” Epps said. “And it is one of my additional priorities to continue to make people remember what’s so great about this place and make it the place they want to stay.”

In the nearly six months that have

The Temple News

NEWS

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NOEL CHACKO / THE TEMPLE NEWS JoAnne Epps interviewing with The Temple News earlier this fall semester.

passed since The Temple News’ poll, the university has worked to address a number of students’ most important issues.

On March 13, the TUGSA strike came to an end after the union ratified an agreement with the university for an initial raise increase and expansions to healthcare and paid leave.

Temple has also made a number of safety improvements, partly as a result of two reports advising Temple on violence reduction and safety efforts. The first, Temple’s Violence Reduction Task Force Report, included recommendations from a team of students, community members, faculty, staff and parents.

The task force provided recommendations on communication, community engagement and an evaluation of funding to address hiring and other safety efforts.

The university has also implemented recommendations from an audit of Campus Safety Services’ operations and procedures conducted by former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, who partnered with 21CP Solutions, an organization that advises law

enforcement agencies.

The 131-page audit contained 68 recommendations in areas like guidance on crime and physical safety, support for and organization of the Temple University Police Department and TUPD’s engagement with other entities.

Following the release of the audit, Vice President for Public Safety Jennifer Griffin created a strategic plan that includes five pillars: personnel, training and professional development, equipment and technology, strategy and collaboration and communication. On Sept.

6, the Department of Public Safety created a dashboard to track the recommendations as they are implemented.

As the university begins the early stages of the search for the next permanent president, students hope for someone who shares the positive traits Epps exhibited during her tenure. “[I’m looking for] someone who’s more active in the community,” said Hope Bassett, a sophomore psychology major. “Someone who really actually genuinely cares about the students and our well-being and our academic suc-

cess.”

Gratson believes communicating with faculty, something that Epps did frequently, is also an essential responsibility of the new president.

“I hope that when candidates come in, we have a chance to talk on behalf of the faculty because I think that’s essential,” Gratson said. “We’re the ones that talk to the students wherever we go daily, and I think having those voices at the table is incredibly essential.”

Epps, a Cheltenham, Pennsylvania native who served in various roles at Temple for nearly 40 years, spent as much time out of the office as possible during her tenure, talking to university stakeholders about what the university should prioritize.

As the semester began and Epps found herself walking around campus, there were many students and faculty who walked up and introduced themselves. She found an increased sense of happiness and excitement in these conversations, Epps said.

“That gives me a real basis for optimism, and then sort of the other end of

the spectrum, I think about our faculty and all that they bring to this institution, just in terms of the breadth of what they do, the commitment they have to our students,” Epps said. “So I feel like that didn’t get lost. It might have taken a hit, but it didn’t get lost. And so that’s why I’m optimistic.” oliver.sabo@temple.edu @oliversabo20

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The Temple News

ADMINISTRATION

CBS3 reporter steps into communications role Matt Petrillo will collaborate with Jennifer Griffin to further develop safety communications.

BY OLIVER SABO News Editor Matt Petrillo, a 2012 journalism alumnus and former CBS3 reporter, joined Temple’s Department of Public Safety on Aug. 28 as the new director of communications, a position the department had been planning to fill since the beginning of 2023.

“To be able to shed a lot of light on the positive work of the police here and Campus Safety, that’s really exciting to me,” Petrillo said. “You have the police officers, you have those working in the communication center, the dispatchers, the private security guards and everyone else. Just being able to effectively show what they do is what I’m looking forward to.”

Petrillo will collaborate daily with Vice President for Public Safety Jennifer Griffin and the rest of DPS to develop safety communications for Temple’s stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff and parents, Griffin said. He will also evaluate and measure how Temple community members engage with the department’s updates and promotions of certain initiatives.

“He’s completely ingrained himself already into the team and is already increasing our communications through social media, which is really important,” Griffin said.

While Griffin understands what good messaging and communication look like, she admits it is not her specialty to create social media-based messaging for the community.

Griffin and Petrillo also meet multiple times a day to review any updates that

ROBERT JOSEPH CRUZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS Petrillo will collaborate daily with the DPS team to develop safety communications.

the community needs to know about, like a K-9 Officer joining TUPD, or DPS giving away steering wheel locks.

Strategic Marketing and Communications has benefited from Petrillo’s return to campus. A dedicated person handling messaging in DPS can be more connected to daily operations in the department, said Stephen Orbanek, director of communications on the Strategic Marketing and Communications team.

Griffin and Orbanek both pointed to an incident on Cecil. B Moore Avenue near Broad Street that occurred on Petrillo’s second day in the position. Police were called to the area in response to a report that someone had sustained a gunshot wound.

An arrest was made less than an hour after the initial report with help from the Code Blue Emergency Phones, which were updated with 360-degree cameras during the summer. Petrillo

highlighted the technology in a message to the community, and the story was featured on 6ABC, Orbanek said.

“I’m not there every day, I’m not going to hear [about the Code Blue story] necessarily,” Orbanek said. “But Matt’s there, he’s able to say, ‘Hey, this might be a potential news story, let’s share this out.’ And that’s immensely valuable to get that story out there for so many stakeholders.”

Petrillo’s connection to Temple and background as a reporter in the Philadelphia media market made him an attractive candidate for the position, Griffin said. Last semester, Petrillo often reported on Temple’s Main Campus, covering crime and safety. “[Director of Communications is] very similar to being a reporter because there are stories that should be shared, and it’s just my job really trying to find those stories, uncover them, and let the

community know about the good police work that’s happening in Campus Safety,” Petrillo said.

Petrillo’s hiring is part of a larger effort to revamp DPS dating back to August 2022, when Griffin arrived at Temple. The department has had ongoing discussions about reorganizing to increase effectiveness and efficiency.

“One of the things that we wanted to do from the start was to increase our communications, our messaging and transparency,” Griffin said. “To do that effectively, we really need to have somebody who that’s all they do, so this was one of the first positions we created.”

When DPS originally posted the position and conducted interviews, the department found they weren’t getting candidates filling their desired requirements, Griffin said. The department restructured and rewrote the position, emphasizing the use of social media and relationships with news outlets.

Petrillo heard about the position when it was announced and was backand-forth about applying, talking to a lot of people about the possibility of leaving broadcast news. Ultimately, his love for Temple brought him back.

Petrillo spent his first weeks introducing himself to TUPD officers, asking what they think could be done to improve communication. In this new position, he is looking forward to finding out the other responsibilities he may have.

“This offers just a lot of opportunity to learn the other side, to learn new skills, to help Temple, which I have a love for, for everything it’s done for me,” Petrillo said. “It allowed me to really live out my dream and now I’m just living out another dream here.” oliver.sabo@temple.edu @oliversabo20

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The Temple News

CAMPUS

Uber to provide free rides for Temple students Uber’s funding will allow students to use the rides if they are in unsafe situations this semester.

BY OLIVER SABO News Editor Temple has been selected to receive up to $200,000 in free Uber rides for students trying to leave unsafe situations, thanks to a partnership between Uber and Student Activists Against Sexual Assault, a student organization that aims to combat sexual violence.

SAASA’s program is a part of a larger collaboration between It’s On Us, the club’s parent organization, and Uber to promote safety on college campuses.

“It could really drastically decrease the amount of sexual violence happening on our campus, to have that option and not be worried about the financial vulnerabilities of it,” Ray Epstein, founder and president of SAASA, told The Temple News.

Through Dec. 31, students can log in to an Uber account using their Temple email and enter the code “TempleRideHome” to redeem their vouchers. The program will compensate students for up to four $20 rides around Temple and Philadelphia, said Epstein, a junior English and communication and social influence major.

The free rides will be available in a nine-and-a-half-mile radius of Main Campus, which encompasses most of Philadelphia, parts of New Jersey and Chester County, Epstein added.

The partnership highlights three Uber safety features, including PIN verification, which gives the user a PIN when they are matched with their ride.

Drivers will ask the user for the number upon arrival and if it’s correct, the ride can begin.

The rideshare app is also promoting its emergency assistance button, which appears as a blue safety shield on the app and will connect the user electronically with an emergency dispatch agent. Additionally, the “Share Your Trip” feature

FERNANDO GAXIOLA / THE TEMPLE NEWS Student Activists Against Sexual Assault’s parent organization It’s On Us has secured funding for $200,000 of free Uber rides for Temple students.

allows users to select five people to share their trip status with.

IOU Executive Director Tracey Vitchers believes although many students use rideshares to travel safely, there can be financial obstacles, especially because college students often spend a lot of money pursuing higher education, she said.

“By lowering the economic barrier to entry into using Uber to get home safe at night, we’re really hoping that we’re able to help our Temple students feel safe moving in and around their campus community, while also getting to learn more about how to use rideshare safely and the in-app tools that Uber provides,” Vitchers said.

The free rides are meant to be used on an honor code basis by students who need to navigate unsafe situations, like walking home alone or leaving a location where a lot of alcohol may be involved, Epstein said.

“It’s tempting to want to use a free Uber, but we do have SEPTA, we do have buddies to walk with us if we’re

walking throughout Temple,” Epstein said. “If you’re with a group of people and you’re feeling safe, that’s obviously more ideal so that when someone is in an unsafe situation, they have that free ride available for them.”

Last year, Uber and IOU piloted a similar program at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, a public state university with an enrollment of 7,469 students.

Uber and IOU chose to collaborate with a larger school this year, so they decided on Temple.

“Our partnership with It’s on Us National and the Temple University It’s on Us Chapter will provide students in need with an option for a way to get to and from campus and will act as a model as we explore bringing this program to other campuses around the country,” wrote Julia Paige, head of Global Social Impact at Uber, in a statement to The Temple News.

While IOU and Uber have partnered to promote rideshare safety since 2022, this is the first year Uber is partnering directly with IOU student chapters to

further promote safety tips, Paige wrote.

IOU opted to partner with universities that have very active chapters with strong student leadership and engagement in order to reach the most students with this program, Vitchers said.

“Temple is one of our most active chapters in the US right now,” Vitchers said. “Ray and the rest of the chapter members have done a really great job working with It’s On Us to develop previous campaigns.”

SAASA, which was revived by Epstein during the Fall 2022 semester, won Student Organization of the Year and Best Collaboration at the Student Activities Awards on May 7.

“We’re really excited that we’re able to bring this to Temple and to do it more on a large scale than we did last year with one university and really get to see the impact throughout the course of the fall with this partnership,” Vitchers said. oliver.sabo@temple.edu @oliversabo20

The Temple News

OPINION

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HEALTH

Students, utilize SNAP

A student encourages her peers to utilize SNAP benefits to keep themselves fed.

BY CLAIRE ZEFFER Opinion Editor

G

ov. Josh Shapiro expanded eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program last month, aiming to help Pennsylvania college students who traditionally didn’t qualify due to their student status.

Thirty-nine percent of students at twoyear schools and 29 percent at four-year schools experienced food insecurity, according to a March 2021 study by the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice.

College students are responsible for various expenses while working toward a degree, and worrying about a basic need shouldn’t be an additional concern. Students who qualify for SNAP benefits should utilize the program to its fullest extent to nourish their bodies at a lesser cost.

Students can apply for SNAP benefits online, on the phone or in person. The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services website provides a guide for students to check their eligibility and begin the application process.

The application requires significant preliminary information, but Temple provides numerous resources to assist students in the procedure.

The Cherry Pantry, located on the second floor of the Howard Gittis Student Center, offers private SNAP services and one-on-one appointments with SNAP counselors to help ease the burden of the application process.

“We provide case management, so we can help you from the moment you begin to apply all the way through until you receive benefits,” said Annette Ditolvo, program director for the Cherry Pantry.

In addition to the Cherry Pantry, the Social Service Annex, located in the Ritter Annex basement, provides assistance and guidance with community resources.

When Olivia Dedman applied for food stamps her freshman year, she said the Social Services Annex was an incredibly helpful resource.

“It’s just definitely something you have to know how to do and I think that the Social Service Annex can be a helpful spot for that,” said Dedman, a sophomore public relations major.

Without easy access to fresh and healthy food, a student’s long-term health can be at risk, leading to negative consequences like depression, anxiety, obesity and increased risk of other chronic diseases, according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

“They may be developing the early stages of diseases like diabetes and hypertension, which we used to think about as being diseases that only impacted adults in the middle of their lives, but we’re seeing many more 20-somethings and adolescents who are being affected by those diseases as well,” said David Sarwer, director of Temple’s Center for Obesity Research and Education.

Temple students have these resources available to assist with food insecurity, and shouldn’t feel guilty about asking for help because all qualifying individuals are deserving of their assistance.

Linh Nguyen has applied for SNAP benefits and occasionally utilizes the Cherry Pantry for short-term support when purchasing groceries is not in her budget.

“I think it’s just a good thing, as a community as a whole, you help somebody else and then maybe in the future, they will have a chance to help you out,” said Nguyen, a junior data science major.

Resources, like SNAP, exist as a form of payment to be used without judgment, and any person who qualifies can take advantage of the benefits available to them. Students struggling with food insecurity should look into their SNAP eligibility and reach out to trusted resources to protect their health, well-being and comfort on campus. claire.zeffer@temple.edu clairezeffer

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OPINION

The Temple News

STUDENT LIFE

Should Temple’s professors go textbook free?

Two students argue the benefits and consequences of Temple going textbook free.

BY CLAIRE ZEFFER VALERIA URIBE For The Temple News The fall semester has officially begun, and with that comes the frustration that students face when purchasing required class materials and textbooks. On average, students spend between $628 and $1,471 on school textbooks and other class materials each year, according to the Education Data Initiative.

As students struggle financially, universities across the country are debating if going textbook free is a smart solution to relieve some financial burden and improve accessibility. However, there are also concerns that switching to free online materials may compromise the quality of education students receive.

Opinion Editor Claire Zeffer, a junior journalism major, and Assistant Opinion Editor Valeria Uribe, a sophomore journalism major, argue for and against universities going textbook free.

Going textbook free is an easy solution to an expensive problem Claire Zeffer, Opinion Editor Most college students have been plagued by the high cost of course materials that increase the financial burden of attending college. Once tuition is paid, college students can expect their class syllabi to require the purchasing of expensive textbooks or online access codes.

Students often have no choice but to budget additional money for these materials that can only be used for a specific course during one semester. The average four-year college student budgets $1,240 for textbooks and supplies, according to an October 2022 report by The College Board.

Temple’s tuition varies based on the chosen school, college or program; the annual rate for in-state students begins at $17,136 and $30,864 for out-of-state students. The costs don’t stop there as most students pay additional money to

cover housing, food and university fees.

Next fall, West Texas A&M University will no longer require students to purchase textbooks in an effort to reduce the cost of earning a bachelor’s degree.

The school encourages faculty to prioritize free Open Educational Resources, which are virtual publicly available teaching materials. The school will also provide free printing for students who prefer physical copies.

Temple should also make the effort to go textbook free to keep up with the digital age, diversify learning and ease a massive financial burden for students.

As society moves closer to a fully digital academic culture, going textbook free is a way for the Temple community to take full advantage of online resources and technological innovations, rather than being constricted by a one-dimensional textbook.

Technology can help affirm and advance relationships between educators and students, reinvent approaches to learning and collaboration, shrink accessibility gaps and adapt learning experiences to meet the needs of all learners, according to the Office of Educational Technology.

Professors can curate multimedia resources to accompany their course, which diversifies learning and limits the reliance on a single textbook. With the use of Open Educational Resources, class materials can stay up to date and be tailored to specific needs, which isn’t always possible with traditional textbooks.

Elizabeth Diamond, an education professor, recently limited textbook use in her courses to keep material up to date and ease the financial burden for students.

Instead, Diamond uses Open Education Resources she put together using the Textbook Affordability Project — a program that provides funds to faculty who replace expensive materials with Open Educational Resources — from the Charles Library.

“There’s so much material out there that’s current, that’s research based, that is accessible to professors and to students to use,” Diamond said. “I just don’t see

the need for college textbooks.”

The university would also help ease the financial burden of textbooks by utilizing free online resources. Twenty-five percent of students reported working extra hours to pay for books and other materials, and 11 percent skipped meals in order to afford books and course materials, according to the Education Data Initiative.

“It’s hard to be a student, and to spend that much on textbooks every semester, particularly when you’re not going to use them,” Diamond said. “The resale value is not high. And so there’s better ways you would be spending your money.”

Students shouldn’t have to sacrifice their hard-earned money to pay for class materials that won’t serve them long term. Most students pay thousands in tuition, and the additional cost of textbooks can cause stress and influence what courses students can afford to take.

Max Bash felt minor revisions to textbooks from year-to-year forced him to buy new materials rather than used, wasting his money, he said.

“The world could be saving all the paper that’s just being burnt on just new books,” said Bash, a freshman biology major. “I think it’s a very predatory and bad system. I would happily go textbook free.”

Going textbook free enhances the quality and relevance of course materials and also improves learning accessibility and alleviates financial stressors. Temple should embrace the digital age and ensure they are providing their students with an easily accessible and affordable educational experience.

Textbooks are pivotal to a good college education Valeria Uribe, Assistant Opinion Editor Textbooks and class materials have always been an important part of college students’ learning process. Although they might be expensive, they are not a surprise expense sprung upon students.

Paying For College is a website where students can see how much money they would need for a semester at

Temple, and books and class materials are included on the list. The website also offers a calculator tool, which gives students an estimation of how much money they could spend on textbooks.

One out-of-state student spends approximately $1,494 on class materials.

However, there are other costs that also burden students more than textbooks and colleges should be trying to reduce those expenses instead. Students spend $14,778 in room and board and $30,602 in tuition and fees, according to Temple’s tuition calculator.

Some professors are skeptical about going textbook free because it could limit their teaching resources to only open access materials, giving them more work to do extensive research and find them, the Texas Tribune reported.

Finding open access materials is not easy, and if professors can’t find a free resource for their classes they would have to create one themselves gathering information from different open access sources.

“I think it’s definitely going to require more time and effort from professors to track down those materials,” said Jason Travers, a special education and applied behavior analysis professor.

Open access materials are not part of a major database, which is why their credibility is questioned and some authors are skeptical about sharing their valuable materials in open access, according to Marshall University.

Although professors can download and save free content after they find it, it would not be a long term resource.

Information is constantly being updated and if new data comes up in a field professors would be teaching with outdated class materials. Scanning a PDF or relying on saved free content could impact the quality of education and limit professors ability to teach.

“In some fields, the knowledge advances much more rapidly and content may change and new information may be available,” Travers said. “If the original author doesn’t regularly update their materials, then you quickly have obsolete information and they’ll need to find

The Temple News

supplements which would require more time by the professor.”

New information in textbooks are guaranteed as the latest information will always be available in the book’s latest edition. However, it’s not promised that the author of an open access book is going to go back and edit. Even though they might be expensive, textbooks are reliable sources of information.

Taking a textbook free approach might cause more inconvenience and make the teaching process more complicated for professors because it would limit their resources, causing them to use open access material for all their lectures.

Textbooks keep accurate and relevant information in one place, making it easier for students to learn and professors to teach.

“There’s a convenience factor associated with textbooks where relevant content and information is organized in a coherent way conducive to teaching the content to students who may or may not have any fundamental knowledge about the topics being examined,” Travers said.

There are a lot of expenses college students face.

However, textbooks are not their biggest expense and getting rid of them could compromise the quality of education they receive. claire.zeffer@temple.edu clairezeffer valeria.uribe@temple.edu @valeriauribea

OPINION

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OPINION

The Temple News

STUDENT LIFE

Students can’t wait until noon to eat breakfast A student argues there should be more breakfast options on campus.

BY VALERIA URIBE Assistant Opinion Editor It’s a well-known difficulty that college students have trouble maintaining a healthy diet, and with the recent closure of Morgan Dining Hall, students with meal plans have limited nutritious breakfast options on campus.

Temple students now have to resort to the Esposito Dining Center or campus food courts if they want to use their meal plans.

The Howard Gittis Student Center currently doesn’t offer breakfast and their dining options are closed until 11 a.m. Restaurants and food trucks around cam- pus don’t accept meal

swipes, so students’ only option for eating breakfast before 8 a.m. classes is the Esposito Dining Center.

Temple’s Office of Business Services and other campus offices have yet to make a decision on what will happen with the empty space at Morgan, but Temple should consider using the space to add more restaurants that supplement the lack of nutritious breakfast options on campus. The university should also ensure these places open at 7 a.m. so students with 8 a.m. classes have the energy they need to get through the morning.

“No decision has been made on how the 2nd floor dining hall space in Morgan Hall will be used,” the Office of Business Services told the Temple News in an emailed statement.“That decision will be a collaborative effort with other campus partners and university leadership.”

In addition, Temple should guarantee meal swipe friendly breakfast locations on campus during the weekend as the Morgan Hall Food Court is closed and the food court at the Student Center doesn’t open until 11:30 a.m.

The Student Center’s Star-

bucks also doesn’t accept meal equivalencies.

If students want to eat breakfast before class, they could make something at home, go to the Esposito Dining Center, which opens at 7 a.m., wait until restaurants on campus open for lunch or spend extra money in places that don’t take meal equivalencies, all of which defeat the purpose of having a meal plan.

Although Freshëns at the Morgan Hall Food Court opens at 8 a.m., it’s not early enough for all students to eat before classes. One restaurant that takes meal equivalencies alongside Esposito are not enough to satisfy all Temple students.

This year, Temple has added new restaurants around campus, like Panera Bread and Juiced by B. However, Juiced

by B is only at the TECH Center during the fall semester and these additions don’t make it easier for all students to get breakfast before classes, because none of them open before 8 a.m. and only Panera takes meal swipes.

Almost 23 percent of undergraduate students struggle with food insecurity, according to a March 2020 study by the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice.

Students experiencing food insecurity might depend on Temple’s dining services, making it essential that Temple offers a wide variety of breakfast options. If the university actively works to make sure students can eat before 8 a.m., then students will be able to maintain a healthy lifestyle with their nutritious options.

Breakfast has a great influence on energy levels, and it’s essential to prevent future health problems, Better Health reported.

“Making sure that students actually have access to food before they begin their day is really for a healthy lifestyle,” said Gina Tripicchio, a social and behavioral sciences professor and research scientist at the Center for Obesity, Research and Education.

NADIYAH TIMMONS / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Breakfast is especially important for college students because it can have an impact on their academic performance, BBC reported. Additionally, students who eat breakfast before an exam tend to perform better because nutritious, high-quality food can contribute to improved academic performance.

The typical college students’ diet consists of sugar, caffeine and high-calorie meals and it’s up to universities to provide healthy and nutritious options on their campuses, according to StudyFinds, an organization that compiles studies and data.

“Food gives you energy and food gives you nutrients, which are very important for things like focusing, functioning, thinking and getting from class to class,” Tripicchio said.

Students should be fueling their bodies with nutritious food so they are able to tackle the day. It’s also important for students to have a variety of breakfast options available to them so they don’t have to wait until lunch to eat.

Bailey Pincus, a junior health professions major, regularly skips breakfast because of the lack of breakfast options around campus.

“I think the food trucks give us breakfast options, but if you have meal swipes and don’t want to pay physical money or you don’t have cash, then I don’t think the university itself gives us breakfast options,” Pincus said.

Temple needs to ensure breakfast options are available at 7 a.m so students don’t go for prolonged periods of time without any nutritious food, which can lead to intermittent fasting.

Long term fasting is extremely dangerous because it can cause low blood sugar and sleeping problems, CNN reported.

In addition to health issues, a poor diet can have long-term consequences that will impact other aspects of students’ lives, like developing harmful eating habits.

OPINION

The Temple News

“The things you pick up in college are the routines or the types of foods that you eat are the rituals you acquire and they set the stage for a lot of habits that will continue through adulthood,” Tripicchino said. “[College] is a really important time to promote healthy food intake and learning good dietary habits and routines because it can really set the stage for all adulthood.”

Meal plans cost between $596 and $2,485 and if students are investing their money on a meal plan, they should have easy access to breakfast before going to class.

Pincus often feels frustrated because of the lack of places on campus where she can use her meal plan to get breakfast.

“The only food I really have in my kitchen right now is breakfast food because I know that’s the thing I’m not going to get through the day,” Pincus said. “I feel like now I’m only using [meal

swipes] for lunch, I think I’ll have extra by the end of the semester because of that.”

Temple should use the empty space on the second floor of Morgan to ensure there is a variety of nutritious breakfast options open at 7 a.m. that can accommodate students’ dietary needs, while ensuring they can use their meal plans. valeria.uribe@temple.edu @valeriauribea

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OPINION

The Temple News

ESSAY

Sexual assault defines me, and I’ve embraced it A student describes how Temple’s anti-sexual violence organization gave clarity to her survivor identity.

BY RAY EPSTEIN For The Temple News Content Warning: This essay contains mention of rape and sexual asssault.

I’ve always been “rape girl.” Since middle school, chatter spread like a contagious disease.

I don’t know how the word rape became involved, I never called it that.

I was sexually assaulted and abused for months by my first boyfriend when I was in the seventh grade.

When I reported my assault to my school, my guidance counselor asked if I ever held my boyfriend’s hand without obtaining consent from him first. I told her yes. She told me that meant he could easily turn around and state that I, in fact, was the one who assaulted him, and I should be careful what I accuse people of.

I faced the deep-seeded institutional blame and wrath — which most victims do — at an early age. I was disbelieved by peers, teachers and administrators to the point where I was forced to finish eighth grade from home and was banned from our graduation ceremony.

When I started college in August 2021, I was positive I would never be “rape girl” again. I looked in the mirror the night before I moved into my dorm and I told myself out loud, “Don’t you dare tell a soul, not even if it feels like you have to.” I recited that quote to myself incessantly in my head, like a mantra.

Despite the pact I’d made with myself, I still felt I needed some form of emotional release to help subside the symptoms of my PTSD. I decided to allow myself the chance to sit in the background of club meeting for Student Activists Against Sexual Assault, an anti-sexual violence club listed as active on OwlConnect.

Still silent, but present.

I scanned the countless tables for

SAASA at TempleFest in 2021, but it wasn’t there. I emailed the listed advisor and learned the club had been inactive for five years. That was unacceptable.

In the spring of 2021, I threw myself back into advocacy, spending late nights both by myself and with a few friends planning the logistics for the official kickoff of SAASA at the start of my sophomore year that fall.

I knew I was risking becoming “rape girl” again, but I had to take that chance.

I would have given anything to have a group of people who understood what it meant to be victimized.

Temple desperately needed a group of peer advocates, and I knew from my previous work that college-aged women were among the most vulnerable to sexual violence. The need for a safe space with allies on our campus crushed any fears of isolation that I harbored.

We desperately needed institutional and cultural reform. I owed it to the innocence of my younger self and to everyone who has both since then, and prior to, been victimized in a similar way. Free time disappeared at the moment of my revelation, and I immersed myself in research.

I discovered It’s On Us, Take Back the Night Foundation and Callisto, all of which have become incredible survivor-centered resources and assets to Temple’s campus. I began volunteering at Take Back the Night Foundation on the side, and I am enter-

ing my second year as It’s On Us’ LGBTQ+ Caucus Chair.

The expansive network of students I have encountered since the start of SAASA is an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything. I see and interact with people on campus that I recognize from meetings, information tables or events.

Restarting SAASA did not invite my peers to ostracize me the way I had expected. Instead, it embedded me in campus life.

I felt like a stranger in my body before SAASA, like I was lying to everyone around me. The more I got to know people, the less I was willing to share about myself out of fear that I might let the secrets of my past slip.

In the survivor advocacy community, it is often said that survivors do not wish to be defined by the violence they suffered. I’ve come to learn in this past year that no survivor’s experience is the same, and none of us can speak on behalf of one another’s journey.

I have reclaimed and redefined “rape girl” in my time at Temple. I no longer feel the constraints of the unofficial survivor manual. I can be “rape girl” and if advocacy is what keeps me sane, then so be it. rachel.epstein-shuman@temple.edu rayaes_

ALLYSON THARP / THE TEMPLE NEWS

The Temple News

OPINION

PAGE 15

MENTAL HEALTH

Men struggle with mental health and suicide, too A student urges their male peers the conversation comes up about therato open up about mental health py or other forms of help, they kind of and to seek the help they need. seem a little scared or anxious to

BY CLAIRE ZEFFER Opinion Editor Content Warning: This column contains mention of suicide and self harm.

Globally, an estimated 703,000 people die from suicide each year, according to the International Association for Suicide Prevention. Mental illness doesn’t discriminate based on gender, but there’s currently a significant disparity in suicide rates among men and women.

Men are diagnosed with depression at half the rate as women and are far less likely to seek mental health treatment, according to Mayo Clinic. However, men are four times more likely to commit suicide compared to women, making up nearly 80 percent of suicide deaths, according to a 2021 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

All students, especially men, should be conscious of their mental health, familiarize themselves with available resources and check in on their friends and family.

Harmful stereotypes can portray those with mental illness as weak or cowardly, leading to internalized shame.

Stigmas surrounding mental health and masculinity contribute to men being less willing to ask for assistance.

Struggling with mental health should not be taken as a sign of weakness or a determination of character for men.

Asking for help in spite of stigmas is an indication of strength and a potentially life-saving measure.

Michael Galfano has struggled with anxiety and depression since his senior year of high school and sought treatment that same year. While Galfano had a strong support system to make that possible, he acknowledged not all men have the same comfort.

“I know a lot of people who are close guy friends of mine who talk about the problems and things like that, and when

or thinking about killing yourself, that means that you’re in some way weak,” McCloskey said. even consider it as an idea,” said There is no shame in asking Galfano, a junior media studfor assistance, and there are a ies and production major. variety of resources available to Students struggling students who need support. with their mental health A resource specifically for should utilize social support men, the Men’s Center for or reach out to a primary Growth and Change, locatcare doctor, psychologist or ed at 16th and Walnut Streets, psychiatrist. provides individual counMental health proseling and specialty men’s fessionals can assess groups for domestic viofor psychological disorlence, anger management ders and provide different and healthy relationforms of effective treatships. ments, said Michael AdditionalMcCloskey, the ly, there are lodirector of clinical and national cal science trainlifelines that can ing in the Debe reached via partment of phone call Psychology in times of and Neurocrisis. science.

The M e n 988 Suimay feel incide and hibited by Crisis traditional Lifeline gender steis a 24/7, reotypes, confimaking it dential difficult for crisis line them to exstudents press emocan reach tions or ask by texting for help out of or calling fear of appear988.

The ing unmasculine connects line, according callers to a to a 2022 study trained proin the National fessional who Library of Medican provide cine. counseling, “I think [men guidance or a are] probably a listening ear little more resitant during a mental ALLYSON THARP / THE TEMPLE NEWS to talk about [menhealth crisis. tal health] because The City of there’s social norms of men not showing Philadephia’s Department of Behavioral weakness, and the idea that if you’re hav- Health and Intellectual Disability Sering emotional psychological problems vices also provides a 24/7 suicide pre-

vention and crisis services line, which can be reached by calling 215-686-4420.

In addition to these resources, checking in on friends and family is a simple yet effective way to normalize the conversation surrounding mental health for men and to make people feel heard and cared for.

Matt O’Connor believes that men are open to talking about mental health, but don’t because there isn’t always someone willing to lend an ear.

“People talk about how much men or guys have to talk about their feelings, and they do. But a lot of the time I feel like there really just isn’t anyone around to listen, and that’s kind of the big disconnect,” said O’Connor, a senior sport and recreation management major.

Strong social support can make it easier for individuals to cope with problems alone by improving their self-esteem and sense of autonomy, according to the American Psychological Association.

Mental health is undoubtedly a vast and non-gendered issue that needs to be addressed. Male students should know help is available, and being treated for these concerns is not a call for judgment, but an opportunity to improve their well-being and quality of life. claire.zeffer@temple.edu clairezeffer

PAGE 16

FEATURES

The Temple News

COMMUNITY

Mentor, educator, friend: honoring JoAnne Epps

The Temple community reflects aura of competence.”

On Sept. 19, Epps passed away after on the life and legacy of Presicollapsing on stage during a university dent JoAnne Epps.

BY MOLLY FISKE AND DUAY AUGUSTINE For The Temple News

B

ill Clements, an attorney and 2001 Beasley School of Law alumnus, took JoAnne Epps’ classes as a student. Twenty-two years later, Clements reflects on the loss of Epps, not just as an alumnus, but as a Temple parent.

“When I heard that she was appointed, I was ecstatic because I knew she was a professional who was going to care about the details and do her best to address what needed to be addressed,” Clements said. “It’s just, she gave off that

ROBERT JOSEPH CRUZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS

event. She was devoted to the Temple community and is remembered as a mentor and friend to many. Epps was also a distinguished legal scholar and educator who dedicated her life to the pursuit of justice, legal education and community service.

Epps ensured there was a spot at the table for everyone, said Jennifer Ibrahim, dean of the College of Public Health.

“I knew she was so busy, but she always made time and made you feel valued and heard regardless of students or staff,” Ibrahim said. “I saw her stop and talk to facilities folks the same way she would talk to an esteemed professor.”

Although Epps did not attend Temple, the university played a large role in

her life. Her mother worked as a secretary for the university, and Epps’ first job as a teenager was working at the university bookstore.

Epps, a Cheltenham, Pennsylvania native, was a 1973 graduate of Trinity College and a 1976 graduate of Yale Law School.

Epps was a student tour guide at Trinity. She was so personable in her role that she almost persuaded Karen Turner, a Temple journalism professor, to attend Trinity instead of Dartmouth.

When Turner chose the latter, she wrote Epps a letter explaining her decision because they had bonded during the tour.

After Turner had forgotten about the visit to Trinity many years later, she ran into Epps at a Temple event and was reminded of the interaction.

“I happened to be standing next to

her, and she turned to me and she said, ‘You’re the student we lost to Dartmouth,’” Turner said. “And I looked at her and I was like ‘Oh my goodness, that’s incredible, she remembers!’”

Before becoming a Temple professor, Epps worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in Philadelphia and deputy city attorney in Los Angeles.

She was recognized as one of the 100 most influential Black lawyers in the country by Lawyers of Color Magazine on three occasions and won numerous prestigious awards from the American Bar Association, the National Association of Women Lawyers and the Philadelphia Bar Association. She was also on President Barack Obama’s 2009 shortlist for possible Supreme Court nominations, WHYY reported.

Epps came back to Temple in 1985 as a professor at Beasley, where she started a prolific career in education. Whether it was sharing career-advancing opportunities or taking the time to get to know someone, she made everyone feel valued and important.

Epps was Beasley’s dean from 200816. During this time, Epps advocated for a responsive and innovative approach to legal education. She moved the school away from a one-size-fits-all curriculum and, instead, encouraged first-year experiential courses and nationally recognized clinical opportunities.

Epps was very successful in using the socratic method, a form of dialogue between individuals based on asking and answering questions, in her classes, Clements said.

“She was by far, I thought, the most effective, she really got everyone involved and when someone threatened to veer, to derail the conversation off into something else, she was very good at bringing it back on topic and getting everyone into it and getting their say,” Clements said.

Epps’ passion for teaching and the law extended globally. She taught advocacy skills and promoted the rule of law — meaning no one is above the law — in international settings, including the United Nations’ International Residu-

The Temple News

al Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in Tanzania, China, Japan and Sudan, which worked to uphold criminal courts in unstable countries.

“She really invested in mentoring the next generation of lawyers,” said Rachel Rebouché, the dean of Beasley. “And I think the outpouring of love for her now is a testament to her mentorship and to how many lives that she touched throughout the legal profession.”

Her leadership earned her recognition as one of the 25 most influential people in legal education by National Jurist Magazine from 2013-16.

In 2016, Epps assumed the role of provost under former President Richard Englert. The pair worked closely together during Englert’s five-year tenure. Englert delivered a speech at the Sept. 20 vigil held in Epps’ memory.

“She was short of stature, but she had very broad shoulders, and an even bigger heart,” Englert said. “And it’s our job to stand on her shoulders and take her vision, her caring for and about Temple University to the next level.”

In August 2021, Epps was removed as provost and instead placed in a senior advisor position as a result of former President Jason Wingard’s reorganization of administration.

Epps was unanimously voted acting president in April after Wingard’s resignation amid the Temple University Graduate Students’ Association strike and the fatal shooting of Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald.

Prior to becoming interim president, Epps planned to retire, but took it upon herself to do what she felt was best for the university. Her appointment served as a pillar of hope for the Temple community.

“When JoAnne took over as president, there was just this exhalation on campus,” said Ken Kaiser, senior vice president and chief operating officer.

“And just a sense of peace, quite honestly, it was almost like the sun was shining on the Temple ‘T’ for the first time in two years.”

Epps was Temple’s first Black female president, she broke glass ceilings and championed all aspects of her different careers, inspiring many to do the same.

“Being a Black woman leading in higher education is not easy, so the way that she led with such grace and such kindness, like I want to be that kind of

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NOEL CHACKO / THE TEMPLE NEWS A community viewing for JoAnne Epps will be on Sept. 28 and the funeral service will be on Sept. 29

leader,” said Monika Shealey, dean of the College of Education and Human Development.

Epps was involved in various organizations, including the Defender Association of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Judicial Independence Commission and the Pennsylvania Prison Society.

Her mentorship continued steadily throughout her career. Shealey met with Epps during her first month at Temple.

During their conversation, she expressed her desire for a mentor and Epps immediately offered to fill that role.

“She didn’t know me well, but clearly, from that gesture and what I’m hearing from others who’ve known her for years, they said that is who she is, always extending herself to anyone,” Shealey said.

In 2013, David Boardman was the Executive Editor of The Seattle Times and was offered a position at Temple as dean of the Klein College of Media and Communication. Although Boardman loved the university, his wife wasn’t sold on moving.

“[Then-Provost Hai-Lung Dai] took us out to dinner, and also invited JoAnne who was the dean of the law school, and by the end of that dinner, my wife was enthusiastic about moving to Philadelphia. JoAnne was just so delightful and charming,” said Boardman, dean of the Klein College. “She just really was the best ambassador for Temple University that you can imagine.”

Although Epps’ professional career was extraordinary, her personality, ability to be a mentor and outlook on life are what truly set her apart from others.

Epps took the time to meet and learn about the people around her.

“I think it’s important to understand that, as remarkable as she was, I would not say she was larger than life,” Boardman said. “I would say that she was very much of life and very accessible and lovable as a human being.”

Epps leaves behind L. Harrison Jay, her husband of 37 years, and an indelible mark on legal education, diversity, social justice and Temple.

Epps’ funeral will be held at The Li-

acouras Center on Sept. 29, the university announced in a social media post Friday. There will be a public viewing for the community on Sept. 28 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Sept. 29 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., at which point the funeral service will begin.

Oliver Sabo contributed reporting duay.augustine@temple.edu molly.fiske@temple.edu

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FEATURES

The Temple News

MUSIC

Bell Tower Music alum to release R&B-pop EP Rubber, which was signed to Bell Tower Music, will drop their EP “Bag” on Oct. 6.

BY DUAY AUGUSTINE Assistant Features Editor For Andrew Loper, songwriting is an instinctive way to process the world around them. When writing the upcoming EP “Bag” for their R&B-pop project Rubber, they were working through one-sided love.

“The story is about me falling in love with a ‘straight’ man — and you can put straight in quotes,” said Loper, a 2018 economics alum. “It’s about self-worth and self-discovery through that process of falling in love with someone who doesn’t love you back but will continue to string you along for any host of reasons.”

Rubber, Loper’s stage name, has released four singles from their EP, including title track “Bag,” steeped in the influences of artists ranging from SZA to Amy Winehouse. Other singles include the piano-backed “My Stomach,” synth-poppy “Mosaic” and “Options,” a dance-pop track.

“Bag,” which will be released on Oct. 6, features production from John Della Franco, a 2020 media studies and production alumnus.

Ahead of the EP’s release, Rubber is touring four cities, and they started with their Sept. 20 show in Philadelphia, where the project originally started. The show, hosted at MilkBoy, a live music venue at 11th and Chestnut Street, also featured performances from local R&Bpop artists, Matte and Béya.

At the intimate show Wednesday night, family, friends and fans decked in Rubber merchandise packed to the front.

A hush fell over the venue once Loper’s powerful vocals filled the room.

Rubber opened their set with singles from “Bag,” with Loper explaining the inspiration, motivation and thoughts behind each track. The crowd sang and danced along to Rubber’s hour-long set, excited to hear their favorite songs.

“They just got a sound that’s so

MOLLY FISKE / THE TEMPLE NEWS Rubber got its start performing in Philadelphia coffee shops and DIY venues.

unique and obviously identifiable when you hear them,” said Eoin Halpin, 25, a long-time fan of Rubber who attended the show. “Their lyrics are incredible, everything behind it is such a vibe. I blast in the car all the time.”

Loper began writing music in high school, influenced by a love for storytelling and pop music. While at Temple, they met Della Franco, and the pair hit it off and began making music together.

“We got to writing very quickly,” Loper said. “John’s super creative when it comes to chords, and I’m pretty quick when it comes to lyrics and melodies.”

They started performing in Philadelphia coffee shops and DIY venues for fun, never expecting their project to turn into a music career.

However, during one of their coffee shop sets, a student working in the artist and repertoire department at Bell Tower Music, Temple’s record label, noticed their set and pitched Rubber as a potential artist.

When Jack Klotz, a media studies

and production professor who advises Bell Tower Music, heard Rubber’s demo, he was struck by Loper’s powerful vocals, Della Franco’s unique production and the lyrical storytelling.

Loper’s lyrics were the first sign of a distinct attitude among Gen Z songwriters, a kind of “therapy rock” that parallels the styles of artists like Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, Klotz said.

“I’ve noticed a bunch of artists since, but Rubber really was the first one I noticed — being an old fart, I’m not tuned into the fresh new things — where there was this very interesting perspective on the age in which we live and mental health,” Klotz said.

The pair soon signed a deal at Bell Tower Music and released two EPs. Their first single, “Control,” put their genre-blending sound on full display, attracting the attention of WXPN, a Philadelphia radio station.

“It was sick,” Della Franco said.

“Through a connection, our first single ended up on the desk of someone that

worked at WXPN and ended up getting played on the radio.”

Last year, Loper moved to Los Angeles alongside Della Franco and Drew Taffe, Loper’s manager and a 2018 media studies and production alumnus, to cultivate stronger ties to the music industry.

Despite developing connections with other artists and music industry professionals since moving to L.A., Loper still faces challenges as a small artist.

Their love of the job and support from their team keep them motivated to continue to pursue a career in music, Loper said.

“This is plan A, B, C and D,” Loper said. “And it’s because I love it. It’s because I love to write songs, I love to perform. Even if I’m a waiter at a restaurant, even if I’m delivering weed, even if I am working some silly day job, I will always be making music and I will always be sharing it and performing it.”

Molly Fiske contributed reporting. duay.augustine@temple.edu

The Temple News

FEATURES

PAGE 19

FILM

Decades-old class project wins Best Short Film Alumnus Bill Blaney’s ”Three Phases of Fern” was shown at New York Long Island Film Expo.

BY MOLLY FISKE Features Editor During film major Bill Blaney’s senior year at Temple in 1986, his final project was creating a short film. There was no length requirement, yet Blaney decided to shoot and submit a 45-minute film: “Three Phases of Fern.”

Nearly four decades after filming, “Three Phases of Fern” was shown at the Long Island International Film Expo in July and went on to win Best Short Film. Blaney has since been accepted to the New York Long Island Film Festival which begins in October.

“It was just so interesting because it was done so long ago, and then he re-edited it during COVID,” said Debra Markowitz, president of the Long Island Film-TV Foundation. “A lot of really cool stuff came out during COVID-19 including things like this — older films.”

The film, which taps into late-1970s and early-1980s nostalgia, follows Jim Fern and his friends in high school.

Fern navigates lust and teenage angst as the people around him progress deeper into the drug culture of Manhasset, New York.

Inspired by his high school days as a member of the Bleacher Creatures, a notorious social group known for their drug habits, disruptive behavior and all-denim and band-tee style, Blaney created a narrative about their dynamic.

Teenage Blaney was too ambitious to adapt to their lifestyle long-term, but he always thought they were an interesting crowd.

“It’s a lot of fun at first to meet a lot of new people, but there was always just kind of this dark cloud for me over that whole crowd,” Blaney said. “I just think it was just a lot of drugs going around, and it probably was not gonna work out well for some of those folks, and I was always very goal-oriented.”

In “Three Phases of Fern,” Manhasset locals identify the Bleacher Creatures

COURTESY / BILL BLANEY

as students who hassle the teachers and don’t do their homework. As Fern begins to fall in with them, the film’s color palette turns to black and white.

Toward the end of the film, Fern is devastated to learn one of their friends is in trouble, but the rest of the group is more concerned about their cocaine supply. Fern then has to decide whether to remain a Bleacher Creature or to leave the group.

Blaney’s younger brother Rich Blaney, now a screenwriter, acted in the film as a Bleacher Creature and remembers the local excitement surrounding the film.

“This was a situation where my brother was able to not only coerce me and some close friends to be in this, but a lot of other people in the neighborhood,” Rich Blaney said. “I talked to people that I knew because he needed extras in certain scenes and everybody was willing to participate in this project.”

During the course of nine 15-hour days, Bill Blaney shot in Manhasset and

other nearby spots, Manhasset Press reported. One night, while Blaney was shooting a basement party scene, peers showed up anticipating a real party.

“They were swarming our garage, so we had to find drinks for everybody and keep them happy so they wouldn’t start tearing the place apart when they realized it wasn’t really a party,” Rich Blaney said.

Once he finished filming, Bill Blaney had spent more than three months cutting, splicing and joining film pieces back together to create the final product.

However, after submitting the film for grading, he noticed some obvious mistakes that were too time-consuming and costly to address post-graduation.

The film went untouched and was seemingly lost for nearly four decades.

Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bill Blaney rediscovered the film while cleaning out a closet and let loved ones view it for the first time in 37 years.

After receiving positive feedback, he decided to send it to various film festi-

vals in hopes it would be picked up. He didn’t submit to win any awards; he just wanted to see his film on the big screen.

“I was looking for ways to get it in some place where, for the first time, I can actually see it on a big screen because that’s how we shot it,” Blaney said. “We shot this to be as cinematic as we could make it, so that was honestly my goal.”

While initially watching the film, he was disappointed with some of the errors and discarded it as a failure, but with the power of digital editing, Blaney created a new narrative and path for the film.

“I finally looked at it and said, ‘Okay, well, there you are, that’s the film I originally intended to make,’” Blaney said. molly.fiske@temple.edu

ALL IN GOOD FUN

PAGE 20

Hispanic Heritage Month Word Search

The Temple News

“What Happened This Summer?” Crossword

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PAGE 22

FEATURES

The Temple News

STUDENT LIFE

Borrowers grapple with increased student loans The rising cost of higher education has led to increased financial burdens.

BY MOLLY FISKE Features Editor For many students, it’s essential to utilize student loans to pursue higher education. The average Pennsylvania resident owes more than $39,000 in student loans, the third highest amount owed nationwide, according to a November 2021 report from The Institute for College Access and Success.

“I think that everyone should get their loans forgiven because college is way too expensive, it’s ridiculous,” said Eliza Madden, a junior health professions major. “It shouldn’t be unattainable to want to continue your education.”

In July, Temple’s Board of Trustees approved a 4.2 percent tuition increase for in-state students and a 4.4 percent increase for out-of-state tuition. The increase came after Temple projected a decrease of 2,200 undergraduate and 500 graduate students.

After increases in tuition this fall and an overall higher cost of living, some students will be forced to take out more in student loans. For anyone taking out loans this semester, depending on the type, they could pay between 4.99 and 7.54 percent in interest if they fail to repay on time after graduation, according to Federal Student Aid. Due to long lasting loans, borrowers have to sacrifice their income on payments instead of other personal endeavors or financial milestones.

For Avnish Saini, a senior management information systems major, Temple landed last on his list of colleges he wanted to attend because of personal reasons, he said.

“Tuition obviously affects everyone and it did affect my decision to come to Temple, it was actually my last choice

of school, but they offered me a decent scholarship,” Saini said. “So then that heavily influenced my decision to come here, and I think [tuition] should definitely be less.”

IMPACT ON STUDENTS Federal student loan borrowers will resume their payments on Oct. 1 for the first time in three years after a COVID-19-related pause froze accounts, CNN reported.

While many thought their loans would be forgiven, President Joe Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness program was blocked by the Supreme Court in June, and qualified students will no longer benefit from loan forgiveness.

“I know I will be in a lot of student debt, so [Student Loan Forgiveness] was something to kind of look forward to, maybe that I would get some extra help,” said Zoë Tucker, a senior public relations major. “And just seeing that some people don’t view it as a real issue is very disappointing.”

Typically, when tuition goes up, students consequently take out more in student loans to cover the increase.

Federal student loans are specifically designed to help individuals pay for their education expenses like tuition, fees and living costs. However, the rising cost of higher education and interest rates has led to the increased burden of debt for many borrowers.

“I know, before college, my plans were to move into the city or something depending on my job, but as of right now, I’m moving back home with my family just to save money and to start paying off my student loans,” Tucker said.

Student loans also have an impact on the overall health of all levels of the economy. When people have student loan debt, they have less money to spend on buying homes, starting businesses or investing in the stock market. Instead, a significant portion of their income goes towards repaying their loans.

“Having to pay back student debt interferes with sometimes the ability to just buy a house, so they don’t qualify for it, or certainly constrains the value of the house they can buy,” said Donald Wargo, an economics professor. “And we’re finding that to be a serious problem for millennials right now.”

INCREASED INFLATION AND COST OF EDUCATION The reduced spending on other goods and services can slow down economic growth because businesses aren’t selling as much, leading to fewer jobs and money circulating in the economy.

Americans currently owe 1.75 trillion in total in student loans, according to the Federal Reserve.

The amount Americans owe in total will grow with the current increase in student loan interest rates for 2023, thus preventing billions of dollars from flowing into the economy yearly, Wargo said.

When loans are forgiven, it can boost the economy because people suddenly have extra money to spend and invest, stimulating economic activity.

Student loans impact the economy by influencing how much money people can put into it, either constraining it when people owe a lot or boosting it when debts are forgiven.

Before the Supreme Court struck down Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Program in July, 1 in 3 borrowers increased their spending assuming their debts would be relieved, others got ahead of their loans by putting down payments during the pause, CNBC reported.

The demand for an increase in available funds to operate Temple was not solely placed on tuition and the students, Temple also cut their operating budget by $60 million, wrote Ken Kaiser, senior vice president and chief operating officer, in an email to The Temple News.

“Unfortunately; high inflation, flat Commonwealth support for a fifth year and increasing demand for certain ser-

vices – mental health and counseling – required we have an increase this year,” Kaiser wrote.

Temple’s state-issued funding has remained flat for half a decade at $158.2 million. In May, Temple students lobbied Pennsylvania legislators to increase funding from the commonwealth to $169.4 million, according to the university.

Pennsylvania isn’t willing to raise their funding and the value of the annual amount decreases due to inflation, Wargo said.

“If we look at a state like Pennsylvania, it has had a pretty abysmal track record in terms of funding towards higher education,” said Wayne Williams, an accounting professor. “So now Temple has to fundraise and get scholarship dollars in order to fill the gap in the funding that has not come from Harrisburg.”

In July, the Pennsylvania House rejected the proposed increase in commonwealth funding for state-related universities and it is unclear when the third round of voting will occur, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS To combat the student loan crisis, the Biden administration launched the Saving on a Valuable Education program in August, a new income-driven repayment plan, marketed as the most affordable student loan payment plan ever, according to the White House.

The SAVE plan calculates payments based on a borrower’s income and family size rather than loan balance and forgives remaining balances after a certain number of years.

Many have changed their spending habits due to the pause in student loan repayment, and the introduction of SAVE will hopefully alleviate some of the burden of student loans for future generations, Williams said.

“I think for future graduates the new programs that reduce the amount

FEATURES

The Temple News

of payment is going to be good for your generation of graduates,” Williams said.

The plan is estimated to benefit more than 20 million borrowers, particularly low and middle-income individuals and those in public service.

In the meantime, students should utilize StudentAid.gov to update their information, review their repayment plans and use the loan calculator to determine how much they’ll owe monthly, said Karen Thompson, Temple’s financial wellness coordinator. Students must do their homework to determine which repayment plan to use.

“The SAVE payment plan, students will have to apply for that, but this is a generous program and it will take into consideration their income,” Thompson said. “The payments definitely will be less with this payment plan and the period of repayment is still between 20 and 25 years.”

The increasing student loan debt burden in Pennsylvania and the U.S. remains a significant concern affecting many individuals. Factors, like rising educa-

NADIYAH TIMMONS / THE TEMPLE NEWS

tion costs and higher interest rates, have created substantial financial challenges.

This situation not only impacts personal financial stability but also has potential implications for economic growth.

“I feel like it’s just upsetting that [Student Loans] really are everyone’s main concern after graduating,” Tucker said. “Instead of like, ‘Oh, I wonder where I’m going to get a job, where I’m going to move and things like that’, and it definitely hinders people in that sense.” molly.fiske@temple.edu

PAGE 23

PAGE 24

SPORTS

The Temple News

FOOTBALL

Camden Price finds purpose kicking field goals “The fact that I got the second junior year, kept kicking on the side and Temple kicker launched his Kick for a Cause initiative to support chance, that’s really what means a lot started getting pretty darn good.”

Price earned invitations to prestito me,” Price said. “I am one of the last ALS patients and their families.

I

BY DECLAN LANDIS Sports Editor

f you ask former Temple Football center Adam Klein, kicker Camden Price was born with the natural ability to play football. Now, Price wants to use that innate ability to make a difference.

“He was blessed with the opportunity to kick a football and kick it really well,” Klein said. “He got the opportunity to use his platform and make a difference in other people’s lives.”

In April, Klein introduced Price to the ALS Hope Foundation in Philadelphia, which helps people affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurological disease that affects voluntary movement. This summer, Price started a fundraiser where people can pledge to donate toward the foundation’s patient care for every point he scores this season.

Price, a graduate transfer from Miami, came to Temple in December 2021 with what he saw as a second chance at the game he loved. After hitting 6-7 field goals in six games in 2019, he sat on the bench while Miami recruited other high-level kickers on scholarship. Price took a gamble by entering the transfer portal and found a new opportunity to kick at Temple.

[2018 recruiting class] in college football, so it means a lot when other people look up to me in the room and follow me around and do what I do.”

As the football season progresses, Price is kicking with more purpose than ever before, and he wants to use his second chance at football to improve someone else’s quality of life.

FINDING PASSION

Price grew up as the son of two military parents. He started playing soccer at 11 years old, but felt the sport wasn’t physical enough for his liking. The competition around the Washington D.C. area was one of the best in the country, which made his decision to focus on football easier.

Price needed a more physical outlet and joined the football team at Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn, Maryland, playing receiver and cornerback. Kicking was just a side talent, especially because extra-point kicks were worth two points at the youth level.

With extra training, he then became accustomed to kicking footballs rather than soccer balls, and he started to develop his skill outside of practice.

“I wanted to be good at it if I was going to be kicking extra points and playing receiver,” Price said. “I’m going to take all my jobs seriously. Then, I went to high school and still played receiver and corner and all the way through my

gious kicking camps, including Kohl’s and Kornblue Kicking. He was competing against kickers, like current San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody, who was drafted out of Michigan last spring and has yet to miss a kick in the NFL. When he realized he could use his leg to play Division I football, Price became a full-time kicker. He joined the Hurricanes on June 1, 2018 using the money from his parents’ G.I. Bill benefits.

A SECOND CHANCE

When Price first arrived in Miami, he was a member of the practice squad.

The Hurricanes had five kickers on the roster, so he chose to redshirt, preserving a year of eligibility while remaining with the team.

In 2019, Price had his moment to shine after then-starter Bubba Baxa struggled to begin the season. Price stepped into the starting role and was nearly perfect on field goals and made all 18 extra point attempts, which earned him a full scholarship for the 2020 season.

In 2020, Price’s career took a turn after Miami brought in Florida International transfer Jose Borregales. Borregales went on to win the Lou Groza award, given to the best kicker in the country, and was named an All-American. With Borregales’ success, Price was left on the bench and struggled to adapt

to the role after such a successful run.

“Going from backup to starter, it does take it out of you,” Price said. “You have to go in every day and do the workouts and stay motivated when you know that only one kicker plays. I don’t think anybody goes on a team to just wear a jersey. When you’re at a Division I program and you know the work that needs to be put in for it, you have to learn how to self motivate.”

When his undergraduate career was finished, Price had a choice to make: enter the business world or continue to pursue football. When he saw options existed in the transfer portal, Price said he decided to use his final two years of eligibility to take a leap.

“I really feel like I’ve had an amazing college career,” Price said. “Coming to Temple though, I feel like I had unfinished business.”

FINDING PURPOSE

Price joined Temple Football in the summer of 2022. Entering the program, he was backing up former Owls’ kicker Rory Bell, who struggled during the first four games of the season.

Price got an opportunity to kick a field goal for the first time in Cherry and White against Memphis on Oct. 1, nailing a 47-yarder, the longest of the season in the American Athletic Conference at the time.

From there, Price was off and running as the reliable leg from anywhere on the field. He finished the 2022 season ranked 10th in the FBS in field goal percentage, missing just one kick all season.

Price got out of his own head and was grateful for the opportunity to play college football once again, he said.

Eventually, Price wanted more than just the starting kicker job or the opportunity to play for a winning team.

This past offseason, he started thinking about ways to give back to the community that has done so much for him. As a kid in a military family, Price was more than aware of the sacrifices his parents, and so many other people, made for him to be playing college football.

“I really like to think back to all the

The Temple News

SPORTS

PAGE 25

ROBERT JOSEPH CRUZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple Football kicker Camden Price is using this season to make a difference after launching his Kick for a Cause campaign.

workouts I’ve done, all the camps I’ve been to, all the things my parents drove me to to support me like what is it all for?” Price said. “It’s for this, so like why not give it my all?”

While finding initiatives to support, Price went with Klein, his roommate at the time, to a gala hosted by the ALS Hope Foundation. There, Price met Jamey Piggott, the executive director, and struck up a conversation. After hearing Dr. Stacy Lewin-Farber speak about her experience with ALS, Price knew he wanted to help.

“That idea for every point he kicks to go to the ALS Foundation, it was all him,” Klein said. “He had the works of it that night. It kind of just popped into his head. And then, really happy for him that he made it happen.”

Price started a Kick for a Cause ini-

tiative, similar to one started by Moody during his time at Michigan. Where Moody supported cancer research, Price decided to fundraise for ALS Hope, with all donations helping patient care.

“I was blown away,” Piggott said.

“I mean, here are these guys that didn’t even need to stay, and they stayed and were part of it. I was really proud of who they were and the questions that they asked, and they took it seriously.”

Price has raised $4,295 so far this season, and 31 donors have pledged to donate for every point he scores. Several one-time donations have been made through his website as well.

Price has grown since being the backup at Miami. Rather than riding out his days on the bench, Price wanted to make a difference. Now, he’s using his final days in college football doing what

he can to give back.

“I didn’t want this to be like a cute little project that I’m working on,” Price said. “I was putting time, energy and effort into it. I was putting my all into it. So to see that other people were helping me out and actually taking it seriously as well reminded me that I really am reaching people.” declan.landis@temple.edu @declanlandis

PAGE 26

SPORTS

The Temple News

FIELD HOCKEY

Volleyball made a statement against Penn State Temple’s Sept. 8 loss to Penn State was a statement of the program’s future.

BY DECLAN LANDIS Sports Editor Temple Volleyball (10-4, 1-2 American Athletic Conference) lost to No. 12 Penn State (8-3, 2-0 Big Ten) in three sets earlier this month, but the score was not nearly the full story of the game.

The Owls, who also had one of the hottest starts to a season, became the first team in program history to play at The Liacouras Center. For a young team rebuilding after recent lackluster years, the game served as a benchmark.

Tickets for the game against the nationally-ranked Nittany Lions were in high demand. Temple Athletics announced on Aug. 16 they were moving the game to The Liacouras Center.

“To sit here and to see almost 2,500 people in the stands is such, I try not to get emotional about it because it’s so awesome to see,” said Temple head coach Linda Hampton-Keith. “We have a really unique and amazing volleyball community here in Philadelphia. I’ve never been anywhere that has that.”

This game followed last month’s match between Nebraska and Omaha on Aug. 30, which broke the record for the highest attended women’s sporting event ever at slightly more than 92,000 people. The Owls drew more than 2,400 people to Liacouras, which filled half of the lower bowl and made for a loud environment.

“I think I was proud more than anything,” said outside hitter Olivia Vance, who transferred to Temple from Toledo in the spring. “We have the capability to bring out a crowd like that in this venue. What we have here at Temple that we’re constantly building on every day and what the future holds is just really exciting.”

This game meant a little extra to the players on the floor because of underwhelming play in recent seasons.

Hampton-Keith is in her second year as head coach, and the Owls had just one winning season in the four years before

LILLIAN PRIETO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Though the scoreboard may not reflect it, Temple Volleyball’s loss against Penn State was a victory for the future of the program.

she got the job. Last season, Temple won just 10 games, including only four in conference play.

The players had a confidence problem and focused on proving others wrong instead of proving themselves right, Hampton-Keith said. The game against Penn State seemed to prove the opposite for the future of the team.

“What I saw was them coming into their own and getting comfortable in their spacing in getting and owning themselves, our team and our performance,” Hampton-Keith said. “What you saw was what we get to see every single day: our team just fighting and fighting like they always do.”

Two years into Hampton-Keith’s tenure, the Owls have broken multiple records. Temple won 13 straight sets to open the year, the team’s best start in more than 45 years. Their 6-2 record to

start the season was also the best since 2020-21, which was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Led by outside hitter Taylor Davenport, who has already won AAC Offensive Player of the Week this season, the Owls have improved all around.

Temple has made significant strides in a short period of time, and that game was the showcase of growth.

“We can step on the floor with anyone and compete,” Hampton-Keith said.

“You learn a lot about yourself when you just let it roll, let it rip, and you learn that we’re right there and we can compete with anyone on any given night.”

The Owls showed fight in the third set. After losing the first two sets 25-9 and 25-15, Temple started off set three by taking its first lead of the game. Penn State took back control, leading by as much as 20-14, but Temple rattled off

seven straight points to take a 21-20 lead and get the crowd to its feet. The score went back-and-forth before Penn State closed the game out to win 27-25.

In its six games since the loss to Penn State, Temple went 4-2, tying its total wins from 2022. The Owls have a lot to build on, and Davenport feels this is the team to make an impact in the AAC this season.

“We’re still very young,” Davenport said. “It’s been a great season, but it’s still just beginning. We have to continue to learn from every game that we’re playing in wins or losses. We’re still learning, we’re getting back into the gym, working hard, figuring out what we can do next just to be better.” declan.landis@temple.edu @declanlandis

The Temple News

SPORTS

PAGE 27

FIELD HOCKEY

Tess Muller has found success across the world Since moving from the just in field hockey.

Netherlands, Muller has become “After high school, I wanted to do a key player. something that would broaden my horiBY COLIN SCHOFIELD For The Temple News Field hockey midfielder Tess Muller lived in the United States for a year when she was three years old. That has become a distant memory to the now-20 year old.

For most of her life, all Muller knew was Naarden, a town in the Netherlands with fewer people than Temple has students.

“It was crazy coming over and seeing the amount of people in one place,” Muller said. “Everything in America feels bigger, and the schools and cities were no exception.”

Muller joined Temple Field Hockey as a freshman in 2021 and made an immediate impression. She played in 19 games, starting in 16, and registered two goals and three assists.

Field hockey is one of the most popular sports in the Netherlands, and Muller began playing at five years old.

By her senior year of high school, she was ready for a new challenge, and not

CONTINUED FROM 28 FOOTBALL That trust hasn’t always been present. In 2021, during former head coach Rod Carey’s last season, several players left the team. Former running back Iverson Clement also alleged that members of the staff mistreated him in a series of tweets.

The AAC’s champions from 2016 hadn’t had a winning season since 2019.

When Drayton took over the program in 2021, Temple football seemed to be in disarray. Drayton, who won national championships as an assistant coach, earned his first shot as head coach. Despite the challenge, he had a clear image of Temple’s identity.

“It was still a school that has a chip on its shoulder,” Drayton said. “We’ve taken this underdog mentality, and we’ve done

zons,” Muller said. “I wanted to come to the United States for the experience, and it’s an amazing opportunity here to be able to be in college and play sports at the same time.”

For Muller, that meant signing with Temple. Although her life completely changed, the first team all-conference midfielder and multiple-time AAC Player of the Week has kept her hometown roots and grown in her new role.

Coming to the U.S. meant completely changing her lifestyle. She left behind her home, all of her childhood friends, the job she loved and her favorite foods.

However, she did not leave behind arguably the best talent she has: her voice. Muller began singing when she was just two years old and has loved to sing ever since.

At 12, Muller was featured on “The Voice Kids,” a singing competition for children and spinoff of “The Voice.” In recent years, she’s showcased her voice at Temple by performing the national anthem at The Liacouras Center before a men’s basketball game.

“I really hope that one day I can be

a singer or songwriter,” Muller said.

“There is nothing else really that I have this passion for, so I hope it can take me somewhere.”

Singing helped Muller feel better about moving to America because it reminded her of home. It gave her a sense of security in her new environment by connecting her to teammates and coaches. As she got more comfortable, she continued to develop confidence away from home.

She also had two role models helping her get adjusted. Fellow Dutch natives Nienke Oerlemans and Myrthe Schuilenburg were already on Temple’s roster when she joined the team. Both players assisted Muller by providing her examples of what worked for them.

“I definitely helped her a good amount,” Schuilenburg said. “I was just there if she had any questions or needed help getting adjusted to the culture.”

The style of play in America is different compared to what Muller was used to in the Netherlands, and her preparation in between games has changed quite a bit as a result.

“The biggest difference that I noticed was definitely the physical aspect,” Muller said. “The weight room seems to

be way more of a focus here compared to back home, and I am still not the biggest fan.”

Temple did not know what to expect from Muller either. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, head coach Michelle Vittese had to rely on watching film to assess Muller’s potential.

Despite the initial adjustment, Muller has established herself as one of the best players in the Big East Conference. In 2022, she was second on the team in both goals and assists. Her performance earned her a spot on the Big East’s first-team all conference. Now in her junior year, Muller is expected to be an all-conference player and continue to be an important voice in the locker room.

In her journey, Muller has made herself comfortable in Philadelphia and has become an integral part of the field hockey program.

“I think she has found a lot of success because of the way she has been able to connect with her teammates,” Vittese said. “Her and the girls are deeply rooted in community.”

a lot of great things in the past because of that mindset.”

Rebuilding the program was always going to be an uphill battle. Drayton brought on Danny Langsdorf as his offensive coordinator and D.J. Eliot as his defensive coordinator. The Owls had some star players, but much of the roster was made of lower-profile recruits who needed to be coached up.

One of those players was then-freshman quarterback E.J. Warner, who had offers from 11 schools, but didn’t get a single Power 5 offer. His love for the city and his relationship with Langsdorf, dating back to his brother Kade’s time at Nebraska, drew him to Temple.

But, Temple’s familial culture made him stay this year.

“I fell in love with the people here at Temple,” Warner said. “I wanted to come back because I think we can do some-

thing special and I think we showed that at the end of last season.”

Warner won the starting job after replacing then-quarterback D’Wan Mathis in week two against Lafayette.

The team rallied around the new-look offense and put together strong showings toward the latter half of the year.

Drayton has since changed his leadership style. The Owls added 50 new players, and Drayton challenged his players to take control of the locker room.

“A year ago, [the players] were like puppies following the adult dogs to the dance every day,” Drayton said. “And now it’s time for those guys to take ownership of it. When they put their stamp on and make up their minds, that’s when we’re going to have success in this sport.”

Temple has already come a long way since the days of the Rod Carey era. Retaining players, like Jordan and tight end

David Martin-Robinson, have allowed the new players to assimilate into the “Temple TUFF” culture. In doing so, Drayton hopes the Owls can build on the success they had last season and translate that into a higher total in the win column.

“Last year, there was a whole lot of not knowing how to go about business,” Drayton said. “This year, all the guys that have returned to the program have picked up where we left off. Now, it’s about being intentional.”

colin.schofield@temple.edu @colinschofield9

declan.landis@temple.edu @declanlandis

SPORTS

PAGE 28

The Temple News

“BUILDING THAT TRUST” Temple Football head coach Stan Drayton is passing down a lesson he learned this offseason: Make sure you’re at your best to help your team be better.

BY DECLAN LANDIS Sports Editor

A

t the end of his first season as a Division I head coach, Stan Drayton took a vacation to Jamaica. Drayton wanted the trip to be a hard reset after Temple Football’s 3-9 season.

On that trip, he realized something was wrong. Rather than enjoying his vacation with his family, Drayton found himself worn out, sleeping through the first few days of his break.

“I was burning out,” Drayton said. “I was mentally and physically exhausted.

The first few days, I was dead asleep. I figured that if I continued on that track, I’m not going to be what I need to be for this football team.”

Drayton got to work after that moment of realization. He started working out regularly, eating better to get in shape and focused on controlling his emotions when life felt out of control. He found these steps pushed him to be the coach he felt his players deserved.

His desire to adapt for his team has been passed down. Players have noticed how the level of competition in the locker room has risen this offseason and how each player is pushing others to get

better. Drayton’s style of leadership has shifted Temple football’s identity, and his team hopes it can lead to success this season.

“It’s not easy to just build trust,” said safety Tywan Francis, who joined the team this spring after transferring from Colorado State. “You don’t just come up to a guy and y’all have trust. You’re not gonna plant that foundation. It’s been a journey for us building that trust.

FOOTBALL | 28

NOEL CHACKO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Head coach Stan Drayton reset the culture of Temple Football and hopes it translates to the field.