11.4.2025 PRINT

THE TEMPLE NEWS

THE TEMPLE NEWS

Sidney Rochnik Editor-in-Chief

Valeria Uribe Managing Editor

Anna Augustine Managing Editor

Ryan Mack Co-Chief Copy Editor

Bradley McEntee Co-Chief Copy Editor

Nathan Horwitz Co-News Editor

Connor Pugh Co-News Editor

Wania Irfan Assistant Opinion Editor

Madelynne Ferro Features Editor

Benjamin Dipalma Assistant Features Editor

Sienna Conaghan Co-Sports Editor

Colin Schofeld Co-Sports Editor

Jacob Moreno Assistant Sports Editor

Leah Duffy Investigations Editor

Tellicia Walker Investigative Reporter

Julia Anderson Director of Audience Engagement

Nathaniel Thrush Co-Community Engagement Coordinator

Kayla McMonagle Co-Community Engagement Coordinator

Isabella Farrow Audience Engagement Editor

Nalani Chiles Audience Engagement Editor

Xavier Johnson Sports Engagement Editor

Brian Nelson Photo Editor

Lillian Prieto Assistant Photo Editor

Aidan Gallo Assistant Photo Editor

Ava Campbell Multimedia Editor

Jeremy Shover Assistant Multimedia Editor

Jack Larson Print Design Editor

Daniya Eggleston Graphic Design Editor

Chili Ramgolam Data Editor

Ariana Droz Podcast Editor

Sage Spohn Newsletter Editor

Nadia Bodnari Web Editor

Maria Lombana Advertising Manager

Aaliyah Abdur-Rashid Advertising Manager

Calista Aguinaldo Business Manager

ON THE COVER

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 refective 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 refect those of the Board, and not of the entire Temple News staff.

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: Student Center, Room 243 1755 N. 13th St. Philadelphia, PA 19122

CORRECTIONS

In the print issue on Oct. 21, an article about the center city campus misspelled a staf worker’s name and incorrectly stated their title.

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 Sidney Rochnik at editor@temple-news.com.

JEREMY SHOVER AND LILLIAN PRIETO / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Government shutdown freezes federal benefts

POLITICS Numerous programs, including SNAP, have run out of funding for November.

BY CONNOR PUGH Co-News Editor

The United States government shut down after a comprehensive federal budget failed to pass Oct. 1, leaving many federal agencies and services frozen until a new budget is signed into law.

The shutdown has left important benefts programs with dwindling revenue, forced to operate with only existing funds until a new budget is approved. Many programs hit crucial deadlines Nov. 1, left with no new funds to cover support for the month.

One program that ran out of primary funding Nov. 1 was the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which allows users to use its funds for groceries at specifc retailers.

The Trump Administration allowed a partial release of emergency funds to pay for some SNAP benefts Nov. 3. Prior to this decision, the United States Department of Agriculture initially announced it would not be using emergency funds to pay for SNAP benefts.

Ofcials estimate that the released funds will only cover roughly half of the usual dispersed benefts, according to USDA.

This is the frst time that SNAP benefts have not been entirely dispersed using emergency funds during a government shutdown, said Bryce McKibben, senior director of policy and advocacy at the Temple Hope Center for Student Basic Needs.

“This is really the frst time we’re seeing a really major lapse in a federal beneft directly to individuals with this SNAP lapse,” McKibben said.

Around 41% of Temple students face food insecurity, according to the 20232024 Student Basic Needs Survey report by the Temple Hope Center for Student Basic Needs. The survey also reported that 27% of Temple students facing food insecurity use SNAP or WIC benefts.

Temple operates the Barnett Irvine Cherry Pantry, a food pantry available for use by Temple students in the Student Center. The Cherry Pantry is part of the Essential Needs Hub, which provides counseling and support for student needs through a variety of services.

The Essential Needs Hub launched the frst phase of its opening Oct. 10, the university wrote in an announcement Oct. 28.

With reduced access to SNAP benefts, people will have to turn towards food banks or other public services to get the proper food they need. This may lead to exacerbated challenges with other basic needs, like housing and mental health, which students with food insecurity may struggle with as they look for replacements to the SNAP benefts they may have relied upon, McKibben said.

The Hope Center Student Basic Needs Survey reported that 73% of respondents who faced food or housing insecurities also dealt with basic needs insecurity for another factor, including mental health.

Gabriella Mcloughlin, assistant professor in the department of social behavioral sciences, believes that there is a stigma associated with getting SNAP benefts and attending food pantries, which has a psychological efect on users.

“I think we want to really encourage students to see it as their right to food rather than a handout or anything else beyond just what we’re going through right now in this bigger, complicated fscal and political climate,” Mcloughlin said.

Before the shutdown, changes and cuts were already made to the SNAP program on Sept. 1, restricting the exemptions to SNAP’s work requirements and taking many Americans of the program.

Multiple states, including Pennsylvania and Delaware, declared state of emergencies because of the SNAP beneft freeze. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is directing $5 million to Feeding Pennsylvania, a food bank access and advocacy network, and launching a pri-

vate emergency fund to help mitigate the efects of the beneft freeze.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker authorized the allocation of $14 million to a “One Philly SNAP Support Plan” on Nov. 1 to provide aid to Philadelphia residents left without SNAP benefts. The money was gathered from city and state funds and philanthropic partners to support food banks, small grocery retailers and the Philadelphia Department of Human Services.

More than 472,000 Philadelphia residents receive SNAP benefts, according to September 2025 data by Pennsylvania DHS. Around 16 million children rely on the program nationwide.

Other programs without funding following the Nov. 1 deadline include the Head Start child development and early education programs to low-income households, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.

The WIC program received an infu-

sion from the Trump Administration to continue operating in October, but the program does not have enough funding to sustain it into November.

The shutdown’s impact on operations and federally-funded research at Temple are minimal, the university wrote in a statement to The Temple News.

“As it relates to research at the university, the majority of federally funded projects are grants, and work on those will continue,” the university wrote. “Rest assured that the university is closely monitoring this situation, and we will share appropriate guidance with our community as needed.”

connor.pugh@temple.edu

JUSTIN ALEX / THE TEMPLE NEWS Law enforcement in front of the Liberty Bell Center.

Philly launches task force to fght illegal dumping

CITY The task force is comprised of 40 employees assigned to combat citywide illegal dumping.

BY NATHAN HORWITZ Co-News Editor

Mayor Cherelle Parker and the Ofce of Clean and Green Initiatives launched One Philly, A United City Illegal Dumping Task Force on Nov. 3, to prevent, investigate and penalize illegal dumping across the city.

This increased efort to clean up the streets will address illegal dumping throughout the city, including areas in and around Temple’s campus. The city hopes that cleaner streets will improve morale and reduce crime in Philadelphia communities.

“When you clean these places up, people have a sense of pride in their community,” said Carlton Williams, director of the OCGI. “The kids have a place to play, and it changes overall morale in the community.”

The task force includes the Streets and Walkways Education and Enforcement Program ofcers from the Sanitation Department and Philadelphia Park Rangers newly trained to issue Notices of Violation by the city’s Licensing and Inspection ofce.

The new training allows them to distribute higher fnes and enforce a wider range of violations. The NOV guidelines now place the burden of proof on the alleged dumper when previous prosecution’s burden of proof fell on the state.

The unit will partner with agencies like the Philadelphia Law Department, the Philadelphia Parking Authority and the Streets Department to investigate illegal dumping and penalize ofenders.

OCGI worked with the Law Department and the City Council to extend the defnition of short dumping to cover a wider range of violations. This legislation allows the city to hold ofenders accountable for the cost of cleanup and holds individuals who hire others to do

their dumping liable.

The fnes have also been adjusted per item dumped. Violators who dump without a vehicle can be forced to pay $2,000 per item, and violators who dump with a vehicle can be forced to pay $5,000 per item.

More than 400 surveillance cameras have been installed by the Streets Department to monitor hotspots. The task force can also access footage from several thousand cameras from the Philadelphia Police Department.

Some of these cameras were placed on and around Temple’s Main and Health Sciences campus.

Temple has contributed to the cleanup eforts in areas near Main Campus by distributing dumpsters, ofering curbside pickups and providing students with resources to dispose of their materials in a more sustainable manner.

Mark Gottlieb, associate director of operations and logistics, has helped Temple combat its own trash dumping issues. In 2023, He came up with the idea for TUmove, an online service that

allows students to schedule pickups for their large trash items before moving out in the summer.

“The west side of Broad Street is the prime focus,” Gottlieb said. “There are people moving in with new leases on August 1, and there may be material left behind, furniture, couches, chairs,” Gottlieb said. “They don’t like that furniture, and so then they put that outside the building.”

TUmove picked up more than 300 tons of material that had been dumped on the streets or improperly disposed of in 2023.

Williams advises students to utilize available trash pickup and donation services and to make plans prior to moveout week. Students who put large items outside at their own convenience encourage more dumping.

“If they’re intentionally dumping in spite of the rules and regulations and the programs in place to assist them, they will be subject to penalty,” Williams said. “And unfortunately, it’s usually the landlord or property owner that’s going

to have to pay.”

The Streets Department spends about $1.5 million a year cleaning up trash and debris, and the Sanitation Department spends about $1.6 million annually cleaning up illegally dumped material.

Rebecca Collins, director of sustainability at Temple, recognizes that fnances play a role in illegal dumping. When institutions like Temple engage in large construction projects, the waste is brought to a local construction demolition recycler, where it is then reused or discarded.

Smaller construction projects are more likely to result in illegal dumping, due to the amount of coordination, effort and money that goes into properly disposing of waste, Collins said.

“It’s not economical for them to get a dumpster,” Collins said. “It’s a lot of coordination and work. They have to get a permit. They have to haul the dumpster. There are a lot of moving parts.”

nathan.horwitz@temple.edu

JACK LARSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS Trash near off-campus student housing on April 28.

ELECTION

Students raise awareness ahead of Election Day

On the day of the municipal election, voter awareness at Temple appears low.

BY CLARISSA JETT Assistant News Editor

Philadelphia holds its municipal election today, Nov. 4. Voters in the city will choose their district attorney, city controller and retention for local and state judges.

The district attorney serves more than 1.5 million residents of the county and determines what crime cases are prosecuted. The city controller is the chief auditor for the city and the school district and produces audits of city operations, including programs that impact neighborhood development around Temple’s campus. The state courts infuence laws that can afect everything from voting rights to tuition-related disputes.

Voter turnout in municipal elections is typically lower than in statewide or federal contests, according to OpenDataPhilly, a catalog that provides public data about the Philadelphia region.

In the 2021 municipal election, wards 32 and 20, the wards which encompass Main Campus, had an average of about 13% voter turnout. Philadelphia had a voter turnout of more than 18%, the second lowest turnout in the state.

Comparatively, wards 32 and 20 had an average of more than 53% in the 2024 presidential election; Philadelphia County has a whole had a 65% voter turnout.

Some students, like Michaela Hoernig, were unaware of who is on the ballot this election.

“I honestly had no idea there was an election until someone mentioned it the other day,” said Hoernig, a freshman psychology major. “None of my professors or friends have mentioned this election at all.”

Groups like Vote for Equality, a stu-

dent organization that promotes voter education, have pushed to increase student turnout in municipal elections.

Olivia Benjamin, the campus organizer for Vote for Equality, has tabled for the past month to educate students and ask them to register to vote.

“My group has probably talked to about 300 people this month, and I would say only four of the people we talked to knew who was on the ballot this election,” Benjamin said. “The problem is that professors are not talking about the election and aren’t even cancelling classes for it.”

Jared Goldberg, a 2023 political science alumnus, organized a petition to cancel classes for Election Day in 2022. Nearly 5,000 students signed the petition, but ultimately Temple did not modify its schedule.

Temple students and faculty were asked to complete a survey in January 2024 to determine the Fall semester’s academic schedule with the choice to have

Election Day of at the cost of a shortened Fall Break. Only 17% responded they wanted the day of.

“I still have classes on Tuesday which does not make sense to me,” said freshman Sofa Ghani. “Additionally, none of my professors have mentioned this election in class.”

Ghani is from New Jersey and is going home to vote in her town’s election.

Steve Newman, an English professor who assisted with Goldberg’s 2022 petition, is a poll worker and canceled his classes on Tuesday.

“Even though this election may not appear to have much at stake, voting is a habit that one either gets into or doesn’t,” Newman said. “Getting habituated to casting your ballot right is extremely important.”

Vote for Equality is not the only group that has been tabling and educating students. Project 26, a student organization that provides voting information, has been tabling on campus reg-

ularly. Temple University Democrats has also been tabling to help students register to vote, apply for a mail-in-ballot and fnd their polling place.

“Many students I talk to do not know anything about this election,” said Chris Birkenstamm, a senior political science major and member of both Temple Democrats and Project 26. “They are, however, willing to know more about it, but do not know where to start. So, that’s our job to get students to care about the election.”

Birkenstamm has been tabling for both organizations ahead of the election.

“Even if students don’t feel connected to these specifc races, voting helps you understand your community and your own voice in it,” Benjamin said. “We’re trying to remind people that democracy only works when everyone participates.”

clarissa.jett@temple.edu

CLARISSA JETT / THE TEMPLE NEWS Organizers with Vote for Equality canvasing at the Bell Tower.

CAMPUS

Temple’s arts programs to receive $3 million gift

Joslyn Ewart’s gift establishes an endowed deanship for Robert Stroker and CPCA.

BY NATHAN HORWITZ Co-News Editor

Joslyn Ewart will gift $3 million to Temple’s Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts to create an endowed deanship for Robert Stroker, vice provost of the arts and dean of Boyer College of Music and Dance and the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts, the university announced Oct. 7.

Stroker now holds the position of the Joslyn G. Ewart Dean of the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts. Through this gift, CPCA becomes Temple’s frst undergraduate division with an endowed deanship. The funds will be utilized for academic programs, developing faculty, student support and research.

Endowed positions are one of the highest academic honors that Temple gives to faculty members. An endowed faculty position is fnanced by an endowed fund, rather than the university’s budget. Endowment funds are unlike other gifts because they are invested, and the annual value they earn is tacked onto the principal for growth. The holder of the deanship then uses the payout to fund programs within the college.

As part of the gift, Ewart will be named a distinguished visiting professor. In this role, she hopes to do research on the economic benefts of the arts and potentially return to the classroom.

“This gift, provided by the generosity of Ms. Joslyn Ewart, provides fexible endowment income to strengthen academic innovation across Boyer College as well as the school of Theater, Film and Media Arts,” Stroker wrote in a statement to The Temple News.

In the short term, Stroker believes this gift recognizes Temple’s commitment to the arts, energizes students and faculty and shines a spotlight on the work already taking place at CPCA. He

also sees the gift having a long-term impact on the Center.

“Looking more broadly toward the future, the endowment of a deanship ensures lasting leadership support, allowing the Center to sustain excellence, access and innovation across artistic disciplines,” Stroker wrote.

Stroker expects that this gift will provide students and faculty with more resources to make Terra Hall and the Caroline Kimmel Pavilion for Arts and Communication, where the school will soon have strong presence, into “vibrant arts centers.”

The gift will support the Arts and Quality of Life Research Center, which Stroker founded in 2004. The Center promotes research, programming and training focused on art’s impact on human development. Funding from Ewart’s gift will support research on how the arts impact health and community.

CPCA will also use the funds to support collaborative programs between flm, music, dance and theater students.

Stroker expects the funding will

help CPCA recruit artists and guests to visit Temple’s campus and promote BCM&D Records, Boyer’s in-house record label.

Ewart, a 1980 education alumna, has been the chair of CPCA’s Board of Visitors since 2013. She believes the arts have been treated like an afterthought by some American universities, but that President John Fry and Stroker share her view of arts’ importance.

“In my experience, the quality of any programming starts at the top,” Ewart said. “If you have quality at the top, you’ve got a much better chance at quality down through the organization.”

She saw the Caroline Kimmel Pavilion for Arts and Communication and the recent acquisition of Terra Hall as a sign of Temple’s commitment to the arts both on and of campus.

Temple also announced Tyler School of Art and Architecture’s partnership with Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in September.

“Not only is Temple University, thanks to the leadership of Robert Stro-

ker and President Fry, afrming the value of the arts internally to the university, but they also are making a very purposeful efort to recognize and the arts externally,” Ewart said.

Al Checcio, senior vice president of the institutional advancement, gave credit to Ewart’s generosity, involvement with Temple and commitment to the arts.

“Our goal is to maximize our private support from alumni, friends, parents, corporations, and foundations,” Checcio wrote in an email to The Temple News.

Stroker believes Ewart’s gift will serve as an example to other donors and inspire future gift-giving.

“The work we’ll be able to do through this gift will position Temple as a cultural and academic leader in Philadelphia and beyond,” Stroker wrote. “We also anticipate that this level of generosity and pride in the university’s vision and leadership inspires other Temple donors and alumni to support arts education, excellence and access for years to come.”

nathan.horwitz@temple.edu

COURTESY / CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING AND CINEMATIC ARTS

OPINION

EDITORIAL

Say more, bury less

The Temple community consistently receives emails from President John Fry with the intent to inform them about what’s happening at Temple. The messages have tackled timely, pressing topics since Fry’s inauguration, like the university’s navigation of federal law changes, sudden visa revocations and new initiatives.

But lately, they’ve started to read like public relations newsletters, celebrating Temple’s accomplishments instead of providing vital information regarding the issues afecting the university.

One of Fry’s most recent emails highlighted some of the university’s achievements. The email was full of updates ranging from PAFA partnerships to rebranding initiatives. But the most important update regarding the federal government’s recent compact initiative was under the vague header “Federal and Commonwealth Updates.”

Crucial updates should be highlighted with direct language, so the Temple community is aware of important information in a timely manner. Transparent communication builds trust between university leadership and the community it serves. When major announcements are buried, it can create confusion.

The Editorial Board argues that John Fry should be more purposeful in his email announcements to faculty and students. Temple students and faculty deserve emphasis on issues that directly shape our institution’s future. Achievements matter, but they shouldn’t overshadow the updates that require attention or input.

Higher education is facing increased political scrutiny and

universities are being asked to defend their missions as debates around diversity initiatives, free speech and academic freedom intensify nationwide. Lawmakers are questioning how universities spend public funds, while parents and students demand greater transparency about tuition costs and campus safety.

In times of uncertainty, Temple students, faculty members and staf need clear answers and to know they can count on the administration to be more straightforward.

There should be a balance between communication and self-promotion. The administration needs to make sure the quantity of messages it sends doesn’t overshadow their quality.

Fry’s emails should serve as a reliable source of university news, not as a curated highlight reel. Emails should be straight to the point in providing useful information and blunt when addressing pressing concerns.

As the face of Temple, Fry has the platform and responsibility to communicate clearly, directly and purposefully. A simple change in structure leading with what’s most important, distinguishing announcements from celebrations, and linking to more detailed information could make a signifcant diference. Transparency isn’t just good for PR; it’s good leadership.

Temple doesn’t need another newsletter. It needs the administration to speak clearly and directly with the community. President Fry’s emails have the potential to unify and inform, and have succeeded in doing so before, but only when they stop trying so hard to impress.

STUDENT

LIFE

Relaxation as resistence

A

student refects on the pressures of hustle culture and Black students pressure to succeed.

BY LOGAN THOMPSON For The Temple News

The only sound is typing; the Drake playlist that was put on hours ago is just white noise in the background. It’s 2:30 a.m. and the fnal article of the week is fnally done. Instead of feeling pride, there is only tiredness.

Becoming an academic weapon, but at the cost of eyebags burnout and an 8 a.m. alarm that will defnitely be slept through. Upon waking, Instagram will be full of classmates humble-bragging about their all-nighters like exhaustion is something to be proud of.

For many Black students, that pressure hits even harder. Hustle culture isn’t just about ambition, it’s survival. The rule to “work twice as hard to get half as far” has been passed down for generations. It’s a constant thought, leaving many believing that rest is something that needs to be earned.

Students of color report higher levels of stress and burnout than their white peers, while also being less likely to seek mental-health support due to stigma and limited access to culturally competent care, according to a June 2023 study by The Steve Fund, a non-proft working to improve mental health among young people.

Grind culture has become a kind of religion across college campuses and social media. The all-nighter tweets, the “no days of” captions, the glorifed burnout all of it sends the message that rest equals failure.

For Black students, that message collides with the generational expectations to constantly overperform and produce, to prove that we belong in spaces that weren’t always made for us.

It shows up in small ways: skipping meals to study, feeling guilty for taking a day of, wearing exhaustion like a badge of honor. There are endless highlight reels online showing people “in their bag” — making rest look lazy. But the toll is real.

The combination of being overworked

and under-rested becomes a cycle that feels impossible to escape from. For many of us, slowing down isn’t just hard; it feels dangerous, like we’re letting ourselves or our families down. Historically, rest for Black people has never been simple. From slavery to segregation to today’s grind-obsessed culture, our worth has always been measured by how much we can produce or simply how long we can endure without breaking.

This mindset didn’t disappear but has not disguised itself in hustle quotes and rise and grind playlists. Even now with how we glorify exhaustion as evidence of ambition, not realizing how detrimental this way of thinking costs us.

For Black students, that truth might feel both freeing and terrifying. We’ve been taught that to slow down is to risk everything, our opportunities, our stability and our validation. But choosing rest doesn’t mean giving up but opting out of a system that was never designed for our well-being in the frst place. It is within us to reclaim our place in the world as humans, not machines.

I used to think rest meant I was falling behind, like I was giving up. But now I realize it’s the only way I can keep showing up. Not only for myself and for completing my goals, but for my family, my community and my future.

Rest isn’t something we have to earn it’s something we deserve. For Black students, it’s not about slowing down out of laziness, but slowing down to live fully. To rest is to resist a system that tells us we’re only valuable when we’re exhausted. And maybe the most revolutionary thing we can do for ourselves is to fnally breathe, take up space, and rest without apology.

logan.thompson.thompson@temple.edu

COMMENTARY

Temple’s fashion speaks a lot louder than words

A student argues that a sense of fashion is a good way to express individuality.

BY WANIA IRFAN Assistant Opinion Editor

Nate Delacruz fnds Temple’s fashion encapsulates an entire spectrum of style that has little to no limits. During his sophomore year of high school, he took a risk with style and decided to begin dressing more in line with his aesthetic vision instead of chasing trends.

“You will never know who could be living in a city as deep as Philadelphia, so expect diversity and full expression,” said Delacruz, a junior advertising major.

“That’s probably the biggest diferences towards suburban colleges that have weaker diversity, where it feels like you must stick with the base trends.”

On Temple’s diverse campus, clothes are an expression of identity and way to establish a sense of belonging. From thrifted streetwear to cultural clothing, the student body creates a sense of style that challenges uniformity. Temple was even named America’s second most fashionable campus in an October 2023 study by Style Seat.

Fashion goes beyond looks; it can show who a student is and what they stand for. In an era plagued by clean aesthetics and minimalist looks, students should embrace diverse and creative fashion as a form of self-expression. Embracing this sense of fashion can signal rebellion against minimalism and belonging.

Feather Chiaverini, the residency director of the Queer Materials Lab, believes that self-expression is for everyone and taking some time to put efort into appearance is always worthwhile.

“I just think it’s nothing cooler than wearing what you want to wear. I think of video games, and I think customizing your avatar,” Chiaverini said. “And I think when you’re in control of what you like, what you’re interested in, and you put it on, like, that’s you actively living your life how you want to live it.”

Philadelphia is a diverse city. Black residents make up more than 40% of

Philadelphia’s population, 15% of people are Hispanic and 7.2% are Asian, according to the 2023 census.

Clothes can also help people connect with their community and embrace their own culture. There are traditional and ethnic clothing that express identity like kimonos from Japan, saris from India and kente cloth from Ghana.

Temple students refect the city’s vast spectrum of identity through their clothing. They tend to blend practicality, sustainability, culture and individuality. Recognizing student fashion as more than surface-level helps to see the depth of expression and variety that characterizes the city.

Fashion might be often dismissed as a frivolous hobby but ignoring what students wear is ignoring who they are. Seventy-one percent of students say clothing is a primary they express their identity, according to a May 2024 study by the International Journal of Scientifc Research.

Throughout history, fashion has been used as a tool for resistance and identity. Fashion activism is a powerful

tool and a mechanism for students to refect on what they stand for. During the Sufragette Movement in the early 1900s, women wore white to symbolize purity and to protest for their right to vote.

Minimizing the importance of clothing overlooks the personal and cultural signifcance; clothing has always carried meaning far beyond materialism because people have given it meaning and turned it into a form of expression.

Students can signal rebellion against minimalism and puritan culture by embracing certain fashion trends like the Y2K revival with the low-rise jeans, chunky boots and bold accessories. These trends don’t only bring nostalgia but convey messages of self-expression and individuality.

It’s important to pay more attention to remember that what people wear is a way to embrace individuality and represent possible values or creativity.

Students can showcase their priorities through fashion. Thrifting is an effective way for people to be sustainable and showcase opposition to fast fashion

and overconsumption.

Many students at Temple are turning to thrift stores, secondhand apps like Depop or Posh mark and clothing swaps as alternatives to fast fashion.

Lucas Garcia often thrifts his clothes as a way to avoid fast fashion and to express himself through better quality, one-of-a-kind pieces.

“I guess it’s sustainable if you’re buying something that’s already created, rather than buying something that needs to be created like fast fashion, I think fashion should be sustainable and good for the planet,” said Garcia, a junior global studies major.

Fashion isn’t superfcial; it’s one of the clearest ways students communicate when words might fall short. It is important to remember that clothing is one of the frst things people may notice when looking at others, students have the freedom to be able to express themselves how they choose through their sense of fashion.

wania.irfan@temple.edu

SOFIA LYDECKER / THE TEMPLE NEWS

THE ESSAYIST

My adoration for trains and how it set me on track

A student refects on his love for trains and where his passion for them stemmed from.

BY MAX MATTHEWS For The Temple News

I have always had a deep fascination with rail transportation.

I went on a family trip to Seattle when I was four years old. While I was there, I saw numerous trains moving in my peripheral vision. They caught my attention; I intently watched them as they passed.

At such a young age, I was fascinated with trains: the combination of monstrous size, consistent movement and rumbly noise were enough to get me hooked.

Throughout elementary school, I took frequent trips to the Philadelphia Zoo. I loved going to see animals. However, I most enjoyed watching passenger trains passing over the Pennsylvania Railroad, Connecting Railway Bridge because they made me feel like I was in Seattle again.

It became clear to people at school that I loved trains when in second grade, I had a phase where I would rent out train books from the school library.

My interest in trains translated to technological devices as I started to use computers at home to watch train videos on YouTube and use search engines to expand my knowledge. Through my extensive research, I learned the diference between freight and passenger trains, diferent types of rolling stock freight cars, names of rail companies and more.

I took a little break from trains in fourth grade to explore new hobbies. I phased out of the train hobby because I felt drawn to other things like baseball,

football and sharks. I did not think much about trains during this hiatus because I was a kid living freely and enjoying my new activities.

The next year I went on a vacation to Berkeley, California for spring break to see relatives. One clear sunny afternoon, we went to a music studio and as we were about to park, I saw the railroad crossing. I was excited because it reminded me of the train videos I used to watch on YouTube.

It turned out the railroad crossing was on a highly active line. Whenever the railroad crossing bells started ringing and the gates went down, I pulled out my phone and started flming. My fascination with trains had ofcially returned, with the aid of my phone camera.

Later that year, I was able to flm trains in diferent states like West Virginia and Georgia. Then, spring break California trips became a yearly tradition. With this tradition came more fond train memories, including a ride on an Amtrak train to Sacramento and visiting the California State Railroad Museum. These train memories weren’t just

for me; they were shared moments with my family.

A few years later in my sophomore year of high school, the California trip tradition came to an end. Despite this, I still liked trains, but I was hiding my fascination from other people because I did not want to be mocked.

I mainly invested my time in following professional sports because that was a popular hobby and I wanted to ft in. If I wanted to watch train videos, I would watch them at home and avoid talking about it in public to save myself from possible ridicule.

Near the end of my sophomore year came the pandemic and quarantine. I started to get bored out of my mind until I opened YouTube to watch train videos. Watching these train videos felt like a happy getaway paradise vacation from all of the sad news happening around the country. It also felt nostalgic, as watching train videos reminded me of the good pre-pandemic times.

Even after I started college, I kept this railroad fascination secret from people. I still liked trains, but I never both-

ered sharing because I never heard others talk about trains.

That was until I found my core friend group in my sophomore year. Someone in that group had a similar fascination of railroads like me, and this shared hobby created a unique bond between us. Once I found that person, I could talk about my unique interest for hours; it felt like magic.

Things have changed in the past couple years as I have become more inclined to share my fascination with a variety of people around me. I feel like I am my true self because I am openly discussing a hobby I discovered on my own and truly love.

I realized I should never be embarrassed by my hobbies just because they are not popular. As long as the hobby is harmless and brings joyful memories, that’s all that matters. The healthiest way to live is sharing my harmless hobbies among people.

max.matthews@temple.edu

MARIA JONES / THE TEMPLE NEWS

COMMENTARY

The renewal of physical media throughout Gen Z

A student argues that physical media has had a justifed revival with younger audiences.

BY RACHEL KEALEY For The Temple News

Physical media has taken a backseat to streaming services and online news platforms since the onset of the digital age. However, recent trends show young adults are turning away from the world of screens and taking a more analog approach, something that was previously thought to be left in the past.

DVD sales have steadily declined since 2008, nearly a year after Netfix launched its streaming platform. Physical disc sales in the United States dipped below one-billion dollars last year, which represents a more than 94% decrease in disc sales since the industry’s height in 2006, Variety reported.

However, owning a physical DVD or Vinyl record can feel less fckle and more autonomous than paying for streaming services. Students should turn to physical media to experience a more authentic and long-lasting connection with music, books, movies and other forms of content.

Short-form, fabricated digital content or AI-generated art and writing are contributing to an increasingly uncreative digital landscape, and has younger generations facing a phenomenon of “Digital Fatigue,” a feeling of burnout that can bubble up during screen time.

Chris Cagle, a flm studies professor, believes younger generations value physical ownership because of its permanence.

“I think the big thing is actually having ownership of the title,” Cagle said. “I know that sounds like an obvious thing to say, but I think with streaming services, often their rights are negotiated on a very temporary basis.”

Movies come and go from streaming platforms like Netfix, just as music does from Spotify or Apple Music. Owning physical copies may bring people a sense of ownership that they will never get from online content — the existence

of which may be at the whims of either the creator or streaming service at any given time.

At the height of her career in 2014, Taylor Swift pulled her catalog from Spotify streaming in protest of their unfair compensation for artists. It took three years for her music to return to the platform.

More recently, Joni Mitchell reinstated her music onto the platform in March 2024 following a two-year Spotify hiatus in protest of the platform’s support of Joe Rogan’s podcast.

Oftentimes, movies are only available on streaming services for limited periods. Streaming allows companies to drop programs from their services without explanation. HBO came under fre in 2022 after their merger with Warner Bros. Discovery as they slashed an immense number of titles to consolidate the two platforms, Variety reported.

Since digital media and information can vanish or change instantaneously, the permanence that comes with physical media is increasingly important.

Through using DVDs in lieu of streaming, students would combat the paradox of ownership that is caused by using streaming platforms.

William Wisniewski believes that physical media, particularly books, allows for a better connection between media and consumers.

“I think that having a book that’s got bent pages, that has scratches in it, that has writing in it, dog eared, I think it just makes it feel more loved,” said Wisniewski, an English and flm and media arts double major.

About 1 in 5 American adults use vinyl to listen to music, and just under half reported they use CDs on a regular basis, according to a May 2024 survey by Consumers Report, a non-proft organization focused on transparency for consumers.

For older adults, turning to physical media may represent nostalgia. Younger audiences could use this type of media to escape from the digital tools they grew up using.

“With the physical media model, you

own the copy as long as the thing still plays, right?” Cagle said. “You still get access to it. You could go to it anytime you want. No one can take that away.”

Younger generations seem also to prefer reading print books compared to ebooks, despite having virtually every title available to them at their fngertips and at a lesser cost, according to a January 2022 study by the Pew Research Center.

Young people might be attracted to physical books because they allow a more immersive experience that purely digital content cannot. The act of consuming every piece of media through a screen takes the element of touch away from the artistic process.

Becoming less dependent on digital media in daily life is essential to imagination. It is important for young adults to pivot towards a more analog way of living, even if others might think it’s obsolete.

rachel.kealey@temple.edu

GEORGIA BOND / THE TEMPLE NEWS

ALL IN GOOD FUN

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2. The 2025 WNBA rookie of the year

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9. The fruit that the original baskets were used for

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1. The player who holds the record for most career points (42,184)

3. The college with the most women’s NCAA championship titles

5. This sport’s ball was originally used to play basketball

7. The color that NBA basketball shoes had to at least partially be until Jordans changed the game

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WOMEN: Mead Turner Molina Jacobs Curry Taylor Craig

LIVE in Philly

Community shines at Día de los Muertos festival

ebration on Saturday, Nov. 1. The event honors the Mexican holiday dedicated to remembrance and featured live performances by Latino musicians and dancers, artisan crafts from local vendors, mouth-watering food, and a community ofrenda, or altar, for attendees to walk through and enjoy.

The smells of fowers, food and incense during Día de los Muertos bring Adniel Avendano back to his childhood in Oaxaca, Mexico. Avendano, a performer with Philadelphia-based dance group Huey Xolotl, came to the United States when he was just 18 years old and continues to celebrate the holiday today.

“It lives in my head all the time,” Avendano said.

The Fleisher Art Memorial hosted their 13th annual Día de los Muertos cel-

Although the ofrenda was set up the day before, attendees could leave notes for their loved ones on the wall as they exited the building.

The atmosphere was jovial as families danced together, some dressed in traditional costumes and others wearing skull makeup in spirit of the holiday festivities. Layla Ehsan, manager of community partnerships in the arts at Fleisher, is happy to see families participating in the holiday spirit.

“I hope that [families] take away a

bigger understanding of the beauty and traditions in Mexican, Central American culture, and the reasons why those traditions need to be protected and why those people need to be protected,” Ehsan said.

Performers took the celebration to the streets outside of the Fleisher building at 4:30 p.m., leading the procession in music and dance. Large sugar skulls foated down the streets of South Philadelphia as sounds of drums and smells of copal incense flled the air.

The procession was led by a large calaca, a colorful skeleton fgure used for decoration, and is normally wheeled by a low rider bike, featuring another staple of cultural expression. Tomas Flores, who has wheeled the calaca for the last three years, fnds great joy seeing people come together to celebrate the holiday.

“Everybody gets so excited because it

feels like a member of your family comes to you and hugs you,” Flores said. “We’re so excited, so happy.”

As the procession came to a close, attendees were invited to pay respects at the ofrenda, a community altar glowing with candles, marigolds and framed photos of departed loved ones inside the Fleisher Sanctuary. This year’s ofrenda, created by Latino artist María De Los Angeles Hernández Del Prado, was also adorned with the deceased’s favorite items like drinks, cigarettes and desserts.

“It brings a little piece of home,” said Melquiades Perez, who brought his children to the event for the second year in a row. “My dad passed away last year, and this specifc holiday really hits diferently now.”

gallo@temple.edu

AIDAN GALLO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Philadelphia dance group Huey Xolotl performs during the event’s procession at Fleisher Art Memorial on Nov. 1

Families and friends celebrated life at Saturday’s event at Fleisher Art Memorial.

AIDAN GALLO Assistant Photo Editor

AIDAN GALLO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Tomas Flores prepares to wheel the calaca with his lowrider on Nov. 1

AIDAN GALLO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Framed photos rest on top of an ofrenda.

AIDAN GALLO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Vega Unkel, 7, gets a sugar skill painted onto her face.

AIDAN GALLO / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Attendees of the event walk through la ofrenda inside the Fleisher building.

AIDAN GALLO / THE TEMPLE NEWS A woman sits by the community ofrenda.

INVESTIGATION

INVESTIGATION

Scarce resources lead youth to gather on campus

Middle and high schoolers congregating on Main Campus point to systemic barriers.

BY LEAH DUFFY, VALERIA URIBE & BRADLEY MCENTEE

For The Temple News

Temple’s Main Campus has been a refuge for young people as public spaces in Philadelphia dwindle. Many children in the city use social media to plan meet ups, and many end up on Broad Street near Cecil B. Moore Avenue, easily accessible outside the Broad Street Line station.

Children spend about 80% of their days outside of school; with the reduced availability of places for them to go after classes are done, they often gather on streets near Temple looking for activities or somewhere to relax.

Several local high school students who frequent Temple’s campus after school told The Temple News they do so because it feels safer than their own neighborhoods. There are few places in the city where they feel they can gather safely, said some students, who were granted anonymity due to their ages.

A high school junior from North Philadelphia said they have very few options of where to spend time after school, after their neighborhood’s recreation center has been closed for months.

“We’re not doing anything wrong,” the student said. “We just hang out, but it always feels like people are watching us, waiting for something to happen.”

Even though younger people have always convened around Temple, the way they are organizing has changed. Social media has a large infuence in these gatherings, as many use online groups to plan the meetups, said Vice President for Public Safety Jennifer Grifn.

“Temple has always been a safe space where juveniles come to hang out,” Griffn said. “We’re not seeing more kids than before. What’s diferent now is

how they organize. Social media gives them a wider reach.”

Some public recreation centers and public libraries across the city have closed in recent years. Fifty-four branches of the Philadelphia Free Library were closed in the past year due to ventilation issues.

Additionally, several recreation centers were shut down to conduct renovations as part of the Rebuild Program, an initiative funded by the Philadelphia Beverage Tax.

The Philadelphia soda tax, launched in 2017, applies a 1.5 cent per ounce tax on sweetened beverages. This tax helps fund improvements on city schools, libraries, community centers and other public spaces.

The Rebuild Program had completed only 23 of 72 planned projects, just 32% of its proposed plan. Many of the completed projects are in North Philadelphia and other high-need areas, ac-

cording to a December 2024 report by the Ofce of The City Controller. Parks and playgrounds around the city are also in poor conditions due to a lack of available funds. The city’s Parks and Recreation department is underfunded, as Philadelphia spends around $112 per resident on parks. This is below the $133-per-resident national average, according to a 2024 report by The Trust for Public Land.

There aren’t many spaces around the city for children to go after school or during their free time, which leads them to fnd somewhere clean, safe and accessible to hang out.

“There’s a vacuum of places for children to go,” said Inella Ray, the Director of Parent Advocacy and Engagement at Children First, a Philadelphia child advocacy group. “So what you’re seeing at Temple, or in malls or train stations, is kids making something out of nothing. Rec centers and libraries are underfund-

ed or closed, so the streets become their hangout spots.”

The city’s Ofce of Children and Families oversees Philadelphia’s Out-ofSchool Time network and is the main agency charged with coordinating after-school programming across neighborhoods. The ofce gets approximately $23 million in funding to operate 211 school programs.

The programs are often free or lowcost and they are open for children between pre-K to 12 grade. Parents can access an online locator to fnd the most suitable program that fts their needs.

However, OST claims space is limited and recommends families to sign up during early registration to secure a spot in the program.

The Philadelphia Youth Network also partners with schools and community organizations to manage youth employment and enrichment programs, while departments like Parks and Recre-

AIDAN GALLO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Students head down Polett Walk, a street away from the typical areas where kids gather.

INVESTIGATION

ation and the Free Library of Philadelphia provide many of the city’s sports, arts and learning opportunities.

“It helped fund universal pre-K, community schools and library renovations,” Ray said. “But that’s just the start. We need to expand those resources and protect them from being cut.”

The most recent gatherings have taken place on Broad Street near Cecil B. Moore Avenue, a busy transportation hub surrounded by fast-food restaurants, like Wendy’s, and open public spaces, like the Cecil B. Moore Plaza-turned skate park, that attract young people after school.

Jaiden Dash has interacted with several of the high schoolers at the skate park, most of them being seniors. In their experience, the interactions have been nothing but friendly.

“They’re pretty cool,” said Dash, a sophomore mechanical engineering major. “Honestly, I follow them on Instagram. They just come to the skate park, chill, skate, talk. It’s really cool. You know, you just hang out.”

Some of these on-campus meet ups in the past year have resulted in arrests and required police intervention. Police responded to a call a few weeks ago

when around 100 teenagers gathered on Cecil B Moore near Broad Street, which a Citizen report alleged was a multi-person fght. Earlier this year in April, four Temple students were assaulted during another gathering and ended in multiple arrests.

TUPD increases police presence to deal with the recurrent groups of unsupervised children and to ensure safety for both students and visitors on campus. At the same time, their goal is not to criminalize young people, but to keep situations from spiraling out of control, Grifn said.

However, the gatherings don’t only have ramifcations for Temple students. Parents also fear for their children’s safety, especially when there is police presence involved.

Ray explained the fear of over-policing among teens mirrors what many parents across Philadelphia are expressing especially in Black and brown communities, as they worry about how law enforcement perceives their children.

“Parents tell us they want their kids to have freedom, to hang out with friends, to just be kids, but they’re scared that any small mistake could turn into something bigger because of how their

children are viewed,” Ray said.

After school spaces are an alternative place for students to spend their free time while under supervision; access to adequate after school programs has a positive impact on students. They promote student success, increase social and emotional skills and provide a supervised safe space. They also help to reduce negative behaviors and increase college readiness in older students, according to a September 2023 report by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Ray believes the responsibility must also fall on city leadership and local institutions and they need to have consistent funding and stronger coordination to meet families’ needs.

“If we don’t invest in children on the front end, we’ll pay for it on the back end,” Ray said. “We need more investment in recreation centers, after-school programs and inclusive spaces, especially for children with special needs or diferent learning styles.”

Ray has heard that same plea countless times.

“Parents and youth aren’t asking for much: they’re asking for stability, safety, and belonging,” she said. “Schools should be community hubs, and universities like

Temple should invest in their surrounding neighborhoods. If the community thrives, the university thrives.”

Madelynne Ferro and Tellicia Walker contributed reporting.

leah.duffy@temple.edu valeria.uribe@temple.edu bradley.mcentee@temple.edu

AIDAN GALLO / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Children play basketball at Amos Playground on Oct. 31.

FEATURES

ALUMNI

Alumna dedicates career to Black communities

Liza Meiris works with the next generation of learners in and outside of the classroom.

BY GREGORY JACKSON

For The Temple News

When Liza Meiris was 10 years old, she scored the SAT score of a high school senior. By middle school, she was skipping class and had a 1.4 GPA. She loved learning but hated the education system, and noticed similar fates in the predominantly Black and brown students she grew up with in Germantown.

When she was pushed into dual enrollment in her junior year of high school, Meiris saw the opportunity to bring excitement back into secondary education.

“I want to build a school for kids like me, who were intelligent and failing,” said Meiris, a 2010 bachelor of secondary education and 2015 master’s in educational leadership and administration alumna. “Because obviously they need something else and nobody is handling this.”

Meiris began teaching at Olney High School in 2011 and switched to Tech Freire Charter High School in 2020. Most recently, she left formal teaching to join PA Youth Vote, a nonpartisan organization that brings youth and educators together for policy changes in Pennsylvania, and Community Action Hero Group Pennsylvania, a nonproft that helps African American women with civic life, building fnancial stability and achieving equitable health outcomes.

“A lot of the Black people in Pennsylvania are in Philadelphia, so I think it’s right that we start here,” Meiris said. “We need to give more resources to the Black community, but we are spending a lot of time talking [instead of acting] about other stuf.”

Meiris gradually learned students benefted from one-on-one time and autonomy. In the classroom, her teaching methods difer from traditional education because she lets her students de-

cide what they specifcally want to write about.

“Because not every student is good at a standardized test, I want literally the opposite of that,” Meiris said. “I want every kid to have an individualized plan for what they want to do.”

Meiris wanted to participate directly activism for Black communities and joined the Cheltenham branch of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People in 2020. After George Floyd’s murder in May of that year, Meiris was a primary organizer for a memorial that gathered more than 500 people.

Edward Graham, former president of the Cheltenham branch of the NAACP recognized Meiris’ work and asked if she would be the organization’s secretary. Meiris accepted the nomination and was ofcially elected in 2022.

“I wish we had more Liza’s,” Graham said. “We need educators who care, people who are a walking encyclopedia of facts.”

Meiris left the NAACP in 2025, because of political and internal conficts. She then joined Community Action Hero Group Pennsylvania.

There she met Nicole Keels-McGruder, who welcomed any hard worker with open arms regard.

“We are pushing for diversity,” said Keels-McGruder, executive director and CEO of Community Action Hero Group Pennsylvania. “We can’t be hypocritical. We want the diferent perspectives, which is why Liza is so important to our organization”

Meiris believes civic engagement is not only a responsibility for adults, but encourages her students to learn by actively participating in the causes they believe in.

Meiris grapples with the poverty and underfunding within the Philadelphia area — the reason she fnds for the lack of education put out into schools in Black and brown neighborhoods.

With more than a decade of teaching under her belt, Meiris believes that the student is not at fault for the poor education schools may ofer.

“We should be careful and mindful and intentional about who is doing what,” Meiris said. “Be aware that race is always a factor.”

gregorycjackson@temple.edu @RealJacksGreg

MARIA MAZA RION / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple alumna Liza Meiris outside Ritter Hall.

ALUMNI

Former 76ers mascot hip-hops back to the court

Bill Roth is returning on Nov. 8 as a tribute to the 2001 Eastern Conference Championship.

BY MADELYNNE FERRO Features Editor

To Bill Roth, being a great gymnast is all about discipline. It’s what earned him three Eastern Intercollegiate Gymnastics League championships and international success with the United States National team for seven seasons.

It’s also what landed him the role of Hip-Hop, the 76ers rabbit mascot who would appear in a durag, sunglasses and spiked collar to do back fips of mini trampolines and dunk in front of 20,000 people.

“I was grateful the organization allowed me to run [Hip-Hop],” said Roth, a 1993 real estate alumnus. “I think a lot of it goes back to the discipline that I learned in my competitive days.”

Hip-Hop will return to the court on Nov. 8, during the Sixers-Raptors game, as a 25-year anniversary tribute to the 2001 Eastern Conference Championship. More than 14 years after Roth parted with the Sixers, he’ll perform for a new generation of fans and his entire family, including his wife Christina and their three children.

While competing for Temple, Roth also participated in the USA Gymnastics National championships, making history in 1990 when he scored the frst 10.00 with his high barroutine and developing his signature gymnastic move, the “Roth” that same year.

“It was a pleasure to coach him,” Turof said. “He’s a good guy and has an outgoing personality. I remember thinking, ‘Should I control it?’ but then I thought it would come out in his work, and it did.”

Roth joined the Atlanta Hawks in 1996 as a halftime acrobatics performer for a year before he was scouted by former Sixers president Pat Croce and ofcially made mascot in 1997. Roth married his wife Christina, a 1994 exercise physiology alumna, in September

of 1997 and began training as Hip-Hop after the honeymoon.

Croce thought a rabbit best mirrored star guard Allen Iverson: small and agile, with quick hops. Roth took some convincing to reach the same conclusions.

“They said, ‘We want a rabbit,’” Roth said. “I went, ‘Oh, okay… in Philly?”

Roth’s frst ofcial game was trial by fre midway through the 1997-1998 season, in a sold-out arena when the Sixers played the defending champions in the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.

“Talk about nervous,” Roth said. “It was the most frightening thing I’ve ever done, and it was a quick hit and get of.”

Hip-Hop performed aerobatic slamdunks, often over cars, motorcycles or people. Roth worked like a dog while donning the rabbit costume, performing

in 42 home games and about 350 outside appearances each year in the tri-state area.

Each of Roth’s three children were trained in gymnastics from a young age and performed on the court with their father as children. Madison ofcially sported Lil Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop’s smaller counterpart who would occasionally appear to perform her own dunks.

“Dad really loved the people in Philly,” Madison said. “It wasn’t just about the performances for him, it was about building up and caring for and pouring into the community.”

The beloved mascot was suddenly retired in 2011 due to the NBA lockout and Sixers’ sale from Comcast-Spectator to Josh Harris. After two decades of nonstop performing, Roth took a rest.

But he couldn’t stay away from

gymnastics for long, and in 2014 he and Christina poured their time and savings into renovating a 21,000 square foot warehouse space in Boothwyn, Pennsylvania. The duo now employs more than 20 teachers, including their three children and a few Temple alumni, and teaches around 900 students who range from 15 months old to high school.

“I felt compelled to get back into gymnastics, but I didn’t know to what extent,” Roth said. “I didn’t think of being a young kid from Temple, to being on the world stage, to being a rabbit in Philadelphia. Talk about steps of faith.”

madelynne.ferro@temple.edu

AIDAN GALLO / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Bill Roth and his wife Christina Roth at Crosspoint Gymnastics in Boothwyn, PA on Oct. 30.

STUDENT LIFE

Students’ struggles with AI in 2025’s job market

Students share perspectives on the current job market and AI in the workplace.

BY BEN DIPALMA Assistant Features Editor

As junior Angelina Manzella comes closer to the end of her college career, she’s voraciously applying for jobs and internships and attending career fairs. Despite her eforts, she still worries about fnding a job in the current market for post-graduation.

“I just hear a lot that it’s completely network based, and If you don’t have a network, or if you don’t know someone, you’re probably not gonna get a job too quickly,” said Manzella, a marketing major. “I have a couple friends who’ve graduated. They might have had a job for maybe a month and got fred really quickly for almost no reason because they’re at the bottom of the company.”

The New York Federal Reserve set the unemployment rate for recent college graduates aged 22-27 at 4.8% in June 2025 — a higher percentage than the overall population at 4%, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Additionally, only 30% of 2025 graduates have been able to fnd jobs out of college, according to

Cengage Group, a company focused on “edtech” and career skills.

This discrepancy in the job market has led students to question the value of attending a university at a time when a degree seemingly provides less of an advantage for young adults in the job market.

Seventy-six percent of employers are hiring the same or fewer entry-level workers, a seven-percent increase from last year. Forty-six percent claim this is due to artifcial intelligence taking the spots of human positions, according to a September 2025 report by Cengage Group. Cengage analysts warned that the growing demand for AI-related skills has widened the “career readiness gap.”

AI’s prominence in the hiring process and its efect on the job market has raised debate about how Temple should handle AI in its curriculum.

“I think the most positive way to deal with this is to try to avoid [AI] as much as possible.” said Alex Aharon, an undeclared freshman. “The school should not be teaching people to use AI. They should be teaching people to recognize AI and do work without AI.”

However, some students feel that AI should be taught in curriculum to keep up with the changing industry.

Adnan Shaikh is a grad student pursuing a

master’s in business analytics. After undergrad, he saw how AI was used in his role as a customer service and business development executive. He feels it’s important for students to have a grasp on the tool, especially when it comes to fnding a job.

“I defnitely think the school should teach students how to use AI in a professional setting, because that’s what the future looks like,” Shaikh said. “AI helps you make decisions and can even help you if someone is confused what to do with their career, they just go to AI and it makes them really clear to them.”

Temple ofers job search resources like the Career Center, which helps students get started with career-fnding websites, ofers workshops to teach students interview skills and hosts career fairs.

Kelly Hart, the director of student and employer engagement at the Career Center, has worked at Temple for 10 years, earning her master’s from the university in higher education in 2021. She is a former recruiter in the market, which familiarized her with the employer side of the job market.

Hart feels students should feel more comfortable utilizing the Career Center, job fairs, and networking sites like LinkedIn and Handshake to make connections with employers as soon as possible.

“Being in this Philadelphia community is such a leg up and being able to network and connect with folks, whether it be for alumni or the employers,” Hart said. “We have over 900 unique employers that come every year that are aggressively recruiting Temple Owls, and are really proactive about hiring Owls.”

ben.dipalma@temple.edu

“ I would love a job that involves negotiating between different companies and traveling to different countries. ”

“ I’ve always been interested in building bridges and dams but lately I’ve been looking into water treatment. ”

“ I’m interested in athlete healthcare for FIFA and being a translator. ”

“ I would love to direct or produce anything, or work with high schools in student broadcasting. ”

SPORTS

BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Owls ready for fresh season with revamped roster

Temple is an almost entirely new team, but built chemistry and are ready to take on the season.

BY SIENNA CONAGHAN Co-Sports Editor

Temple had a heartbreaking end to the 2024-25 season.

The Owls came crashing down in March after soaring to a top four record in the American Conference. They lost seven of their fnal 10 games and a blown 12-point lead to Tulsa ended their season in the second round of the American tournament.

The season ended, but the Temple’s problems lingered. Five players entered the transfer portal, six others graduated and guard Cam Miles, a three-star recruit, announced his de-commitment from the team, leaving the roster depleted. The players weren’t the only ones to depart the program as they lost three coaches in the summer.

Head coach Adam Fisher worked during the ofseason to reassemble his staf and revamp the roster for his third season at Temple. He hired two new coaches and added 11 new players.

The Owls’ 2025-26 season tips of against Delaware State at The Liacouras Center on Nov. 5. This season, their sights are set on returning to the NCAA Tournament for the frst time since the 2018-19 season.

“This group is pretty tough,” Fisher said. “They come in every day. We have an expectation for them and if they aren’t meeting it, they kind of stop things themselves in practice, ‘Hey, we got to do this better.’ So, it’s been a lot of fun to be around this new group and eager to get going for November 5.”

Guard Aiden Tobiason and forward Babatunde Durodola were the only returning starters from last season and Fisher expects them to step into bigger roles this year. The duo became vital pieces to the team as freshman, with Durodola being the only Owl to start all 32 games.

Tobiason was a reserve before a fvesteal performance against Villanova on Dec. 7, 2024 earned him a starting role.

“[Aiden and I] kind of talked about it. It made no sense to leave after one year,” Durodola said. “There’s no way after a game with a new team, you’re gonna leave. So, it was kind of like, ‘Why are you gonna leave based on the frst year, based on the frst year’s performance?’ You always have a next year and years to come.”

During the ofseason, Fisher reeled in players from the transfer portal to right some of last season’s wrongs. One of the main issues that plagued Temple was its defense, as it was the worst in the American and ranked 314 in the entire country, allowing 77.7 points per game.

Tobiason is expected to continue his defensive intensity from last year alongside Arkansas State transfer guard Derrian Ford, who Fisher said is one of the team’s best defenders. Guards CJ Hines and Jordan Mason have also displayed

their defensive abilities.

Temple hopes to use defensive stops to push the ball down the foor for easy transition opportunities, Fisher said.

The Owls ranked third in the American last season in points per game with 78.8, but they want to increase their pace and put more points on the board. Temple’s lack of facilitators last season hindered its ofense for spurts.

Temple has more players who can take the ball down the court this time around, which will diversify the ofense and give the team more options. Mason is projected to be the main point guard, while Hines, Ford and Tobiason will provide relief.

“I think we got a lot of depth,” Fisher said. “We’ve realized that, if we look at last few years, whether it be limited number of guys on your team, injuries: the more depth you have in this tough conference, I think the better you’re going to be. So, we really tried to make sure we were deep in all the positions.”

The Owls made sure to establish chemistry with the new roster before the season started. It began with the coaching staf setting up team-bonding activities during the summer, like attending a Philles game and an Eagles training camp practice.

Once the players got more familiar with each other, they began hanging out without the coaches present. Most of the team began going to dinner together, where they talked, shared jokes and sent selfes to their coaches. The team is now working together to step toward their postseason aspirations.

“The goal I am focused on for the team is defnitely win the conference championship, for sure,” Tobiason said. “I feel like we can defnitely do it this year with our chemistry and our bond and then furthermore, get to the NCAA Tournament.”

sienna.conaghan@temple.edu @Sienna_Paige2

LILLIAN PRIETO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple Men’s Basketball huddles together before the start of practice on Oct. 27.

BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Temple brings size and experience to its roster

Temple reloads its roster with exciting new transfers and freshmen for the new season.

BY FAIYAAD KAMAL Women’s Basketball Beat Reporter

Temple had a successful 2024-25 campaign with a 13-5 record in the American Conference play and its second straight 20-win season. However, six members of last year’s team departed at the end of the season, leaving holes on the team that needed to be flled.

Guards Tiarra East and Tarriyonna Gary graduated in the spring, headlining the Owls’ departures. They were cornerstones to Temple’s ofense, starting all 31 games to lead Temple in scoring.

The Owls needed to revamp their roster to continue their sustained success, so head coach Diane Richardson went into the ofseason planning to improve the Owls’ guard room and deepen their frontcourt. With a mix of transfers and freshmen, Temple’s refurbished roster aligns with Richardson’s tight-knit culture and are motivated to reach the American tournament.

“It’s been great,” Richardson said. “[The returning players] have welcomed them in with open arms and they do well on the court and of the court. So, that culture piece has given us such an advantage.”

Here’s a look at Temple’s new players as they strive for a championship push this season.

SANIYAH CRAIG

Adding more options to the frontcourt and rebounding were Temple’s top priorities, as four of the fve leading rebounders departed from the program. Richardson focused on Craig, a Jacksonville transfer, who earned a reputation as one of the most prolifc rebounders in the country.

Craig led the Atlantic Sun Conference in rebounds per game with 11.4 and total rebounds with 326. Her presence will boost the front court after the departure of forwards Amaya Oliver and Anissa Rivera and give Temple the re-

bounding help it lacked.

“That’s something we needed; we needed rebounders,” Richardson said. “[Craig] knows where the ball is coming of and that’s something we needed last year.”

Craig can also make an impact offensively. She averaged 11.3 points per game last season on 43% shooting from the feld. Craig’s skill set aligns with Richardson’s vision for the team’s offense.

“Everybody on this team has a role,” Craig said. “My role is rebounding, scoring when needed. I just play my role really well. When we need a bucket, I’m gonna get it.”

BRIANNA MEAD

Even though guards Tristen Taylor and Kaylah Turner returned for the 2025-26 season, Richardson wanted another ball-handler to space the foor and complement their skill set. Mead’s skills made her the perfect candidate for the role.

“I’m pretty poised on the court,” Mead said. “I like to handle the ball, push the tempo, but I also like to slow it down, get everything set up.”

Mead joined the Owls after playing her freshman year at Long Island University, averaging 8.8 points and 1.4 steals per game. She scored in double fgures in six of LIU’s fnal 10 games, including a 22-point explosion against Wagner on Feb. 6. Mead shot 34% from three last year, which would have ranked second among the Owls.

THE FRESHMEN

Forward Anastasia Bulanova was Temple’s most notable freshman addition. She averaged 14.4 points and 9.1 rebounds per game through three seasons with BC Enisey, a Premier League team in Russia. She received the Most Valuable Player award twice during her tenure.

“[Bulanova’s] basketball IQ is really advanced,” Richardson said. “She’s played at a really high level in Russia and

I think she’s getting used to our pace and our physicality in the states.”

Temple further increased its frontcourt depth with forwards Khloe Miller and Ariana Meriedy.

Richardson initially recruited Miller out of Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina. During her senior year, she led her high school in scoring, rebounding and blocks. Meriedy was the Owls’ lone high school recruit in the 2025 class. She averaged 13.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game as a senior at Riverdale Baptist

“We have a lot more post players than we’ve had in the past, but we’ve got some post players that can run,” Richardson said. “So, you’ll see that speed, you’ll see their length and defense. We’re putting that all together and hopefully that’ll get us through to the tournament.”

faiyaad.kamal@temple.edu

LILLIAN PRIETO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Guard Brianna Meade prepares to pass the ball at the Temple vs. George Mason University game on Nov. 3.

BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Transfers to strengthen Owls’ past weaknesses

Temple added 11 new players after losing its six leading scorers from last season.

BY JACOB MORENO Assistant Sports Editor

Temple lost 12 players to either the transfer portal or graduation at the end of last season. Just two starters returned and head coach Adam Fisher used the portal to revamp the roster.

The Owls welcomed 11 new players for the 2025-26 season, including eight transfers and three freshmen. They have established chemistry during the ofseason and built a unit designed to force more turnovers to create transition opportunities.

“We [built the team] the same way [as last season.] We try to do it like a puzzle,” Fisher said. “‘Here’s what we’re trying to look for, how do these pieces come together?’ So, we’re really excited about the guys we brought in from the transfer portal, excited about our freshmen that are here and then was really excited to retain the four guys that came back.”

Here’s a look into the Owls’ new additions as they enter Fisher’s third season at the helm.

JORDAN MASON

Mason is fresh of a season where he averaged 9.6 points, 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals. He spent two seasons at Texas State before spending last year at University of Illinois-Chicago.

Mason is expected to serve as the Owls’ point guard and provide ball-handling and playmaking, two areas of weakness. Temple ranked second-tolast in the American in assists per game with 10.8 and point guard Quante Berry transferred to Memphis.

“I think just as I’ve gotten older, the game has slowed down a little bit,” Mason said. “Just watching flm, trusting my coaches and trusting what my teammates are telling me. It’s easy to make plays, especially when I have good guys around me.”

CJ HINES

The Owls recruited Hines from Alabama State to add a scoring threat in the backcourt. He posted 14.1 points per game on 41.8% shooting from the feld for a Hornets team that made the NCAA Tournament last season.

Hines’ perimeter shot-making shined as he shot 37.8% from deep on 5.4 attempts last year. He also comes to Temple with fve seasons of college basketball experience under his belt.

“[A goal for this season is] just to show that I’ve experienced more being a point guard, leading a team, being a leader,” Hines said. “Being more vocal, just helping guys in that area, especially younger guys like freshmen that’s new here.”

JAMAI FELT

Felt was the frst player to commit to Temple this ofseason. He missed his frst two seasons at Bowling Green due to a torn ACL before playing last year. He put up 6.3 rebounds and 5.7 points

per game and led the Mid-American Conference in blocks.

Felt will aid the Owls’ rebounding eforts, an area they struggled with last season as they placed seventh in the American with 36.4 boards per contest.

“[Felt] is a lob threat, he does some great things, can really move his feet, really runs in transition,” Fisher said. “He’s been back basically the last two weeks. He’s looked really good.”

GUARDS

AJ Smith transferred in June from Charleston as Temple’s last commitment, where he averaged 11.5 points and added 3.1 rebounds per game for the Cougars. His perimeter defense abilities should provide an advantage to a team with the worst statistical defense in the American.

Derrian Ford gives Temple another defensive threat. He joins Temple from Arkansas State where he played two seasons after playing one season at Arkansas. Ford hauled in 3.4 rebounds while

posting eight points per game on 37.8% shooting from the feld last season.

Temple added Masiah Gilyard from Manhattan to double down on its rebounding presence from positions one through fve. He led college basketball in ofensive rebounds by a guard with 109, produced 11.2 points per game and added 7.3 rebounds in each contest last season.

WINGS

Gavin Grifths joins Temple’s backcourt after spending a season at Rutgers and one at Nebraska. Injuries plagued both of Grifths’ seasons, but his foor-spacing abilities can give Temple a threat from three-point range.

Spencer Mahoney is another frontcourt transfer alongside Felt. He posted 1.5 points on 28.3% shooting from the foor and one rebound per game during his freshman season at California.

jacob.moreno0001@temple.edu @jmoreno76ers

LILLIAN PRIETO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Guard Jordan Mason runs drills in practice on Oct. 27.

BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Craig to provide frontcourt boost in new season

Saniyah Craig is expected to be a pivotal addition in its NCAA tournament quest.

BY JACOB MORENO Assistant Sports Editor

Saniyah Craig is emphatic: she sends a weekly text to head coach Diane Richardson, thanking her for the opportunity to play at Temple.

Craig received the initial call from Richardson and her coaching staf when the transfer portal opened on March 24. She instantly felt their energy through the phone and agreed to visit Temple, where a campus tour and the opportunities at Temple motivated her decision. Craig committed to the Owls on April 16 for the 2025-26 season and her love for the program grew in the following months.

Craig was Temple’s frst ofseason transfer, headlining the Owls’ additions. She joins the team after two seasons at Jacksonville, with a chip on her shoulder to showcase herself on a bigger stage. Temple remains determined to win the American Conference tournament for the frst time in program history and Craig’s presence has a chance to get them over the hump.

“We just want to win games, have fun, win the conference and make it to the [NCAA Tournament,]” Craig said. “For me, [I’ll] just keep doing my role, being a leader, being a rebounder, scoring when I need to score.”

Craig’s mission since she joined the team has been clear: bolster the rebounding eforts. Richardson knew her squad needed more of an interior presence and set her sights on Craig, who was looking for a new home.

The junior made crashing the glass her calling card while at Jacksonville, but it goes even deeper than that for her. She models her game after Hall-of-Fame forward Dennis Rodman, one of the greatest rebounders in NBA history. She mimicked the way Rodman played the game, even donning the number 91 this season on her jersey to honor him.

“I feel like rebounding gives the

team a spark,” Craig said. “When you get a rebound, it just makes everything feel better.”

That spark motivated her to become one of the Atlantic Sun Conference best rebounders during her time with the Dolphins. She led the conference in total rebounds and ofensive rebounds last season with 332 and 142, respectively.

Temple ranked sixth in the American in rebounds last season with 38.8 per game, but the lack of production hindered its chances at winning. She instantly became a priority for Richardson, who wanted to add size to her roster for when Temple plays against larger frontcourts.

“[Craig is] a great rebounder,” Richardson said. “I mean, number nine rebounder in the country. So, when we had the opportunity to talk to her and get her on the phone and bring her out for a visit, it was a good ft for us. She loves Temple. She came on a visit, she was like, ‘Oh, I’m coming.’”

Even though rebounding is her

strong suit, Craig is positioned to get involved ofensively as well. She averaged 11.3 points per game last season on 43% shooting from the feld. Her ofensive production is expected to fll the void left by the departure of forward Anissa’s Rivera, who was fourth on the team in scoring last year.

Craig grew tired of defenses not taking her seriously as a scoring threat when she had shooting chances. She spent the summer working on her shooting ability by improving her outside jumper. She shot 26.7% from three-point range last season, a 14.7% increase from the 202324 season, and Richardson believes her confdence will help her further improve.

Tristen Taylor and Kaylah Turner lead Temple’s backcourt and both can create ofensive opportunities for themselves and others. Richardson envisions Taylor and Craig working together in pick-and-rolls for Craig to have easy scoring chances.

“It’s already been a sight to see in

practice with me and [Craig] playing,” Taylor said. “She’s always telling me things like, ‘Come on, we can get the ball faster.’ I’m like ‘Yeah, you go rebound, I shouldn’t have more rebounds.’ We always doing them playful things just to be leaders to each other.”

Richardson has cultivated a family-oriented culture since she became head coach in 2022. Richardson and her staf showed Craig immense levels of love during her recruitment, helping Craig integrate herself within the team. That support has not wavered since she committed and has eased her transition to Temple.

“[Having Craig on the team] has been great,” Taylor said. “She was a great teammate to just learn from. She just wants to learn a lot of things. She asked a lot of questions so she can learn. Then, she stepped up, once she got comfortable being that vocal leader to the team.”

jacobmoreno0001@temple.edu @jacobmoreno76ers

LILLIAN PRIETO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Forward, Saniyah Craig defends against Geroge Mason’s offence on Nov. 3.

BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Felt uses injury journey as confdence at Temple

Jamai Felt aims to bring his defensive prowess to Temple after suffering two ACL tears.

BY RYAN MACK Copy Editor

Jamai Felt was scrimmaging at practice the summer before his freshman year at Bowling Green in 2022. He missed some time rehabbing after contracting jumper’s knee in high school, but he was fnally cleared to rejoin the team.

The drills were nothing out of the ordinary; he was just guarding his man trying to force a turnover.

He quickly fell back into the rhythm and stole a pass, but then a teammate accidentally dove into Felt’s left knee. Instantly, both Felt and his chances of stepping onto the court that season came crashing down. The forward tore his ACL and had to miss his entire freshman season. After returning the following year, he tore the same ACL, which put him back on the shelf.

He fnally got the chance to play during the 2024-25 season, where he became one of the best defenders for the Falcons. Instead of staying, Felt entered the transfer portal and committed to Temple in April. He now has an entire staf backing and the confdence to continue the path he started last season.

“It was very hard getting through that time,” Felt said. “Just sitting down, watching and knowing what you can do on the foor for two years is very hard. It almost puts you in a spot where you have to still stay a part of the team and do other things for the team.”

Felt spent his youth looking up to his older brother, Jordan, wanting to mirror everything he did. His admiration for his brother led him to pick up the sport after playing near-daily games against him. In his sophomore year, Felt joined his high school basketball team at Our Savior Lutheran in New York. By the following year, he was ranked in the state, but still under the radar as a recruit.

Felt’s fate changed when then-Bowling Green head coach Michael Huger saw Felt on the court and instantly pulled out all of the stops to get him to the Falcons.

“When I came and saw Jamai for the frst time, I’m like, ‘Whoa. Like, goodness gracious. Who? Why is he not being recruited and what’s going on with him?’” Huger said. “I recruited him myself as a head coach, personally recruited him. It wasn’t like one of my assistants recruited him, or any of that stuf. It was like recruiting my own son again.”

Felt committed to Bowling Green for the 2022-23 season and their relationship grew, despite Felt never playing a game. Felt saw Huger as a role model, someone who he wanted to emulate. Huger was fred after the 2022-23 season, while Felt was injured.

He had to watch the following season from the sidelines due to his ACL tears, which nearly afected his mental health, but he put his mindset into recovery.

Felt made up for lost time, leading the Mid-American Conference in blocks and being named to the MAC All-Freshman team. The performance took a weight of his shoulders, giving him the

same confdence he used to have playing with his brother.

“It meant everything for me, honestly, because it goes into so many diferent things,” Felt said. “My family has been expecting me to play for the past two years. It was hard being in the dark, trying to get healthy. But once I came back, I felt like a kid again. I felt happy. I love this game so much and I would never take it for granted.”

Despite his success, Felt tested the waters in the transfer portal in the spring. There, he bumped into an old friend in Huger, who was now Temple’s associate head coach. The two kept in contact following Huger’s fring and when the recruitment started, it was like they never parted ways.

“He was out a lot of the summer, which we knew when we recruited him,” said head coach Adam Fisher. “I always tell him, he still wants to come back from zero to 100 so it’s a process for him. We think he’s doing some great things.”

The new season brings change for

Temple. Felt is one of 11 new players on the roster and he is expected to give the Owls’ frontcourt a boost. Regardless, he wants to use his college journey to show other players in the same situation that things can get better.

“I can translate it and show other kids and people that’ve been through the same things: they can get out of that,” Felt said. “You can get out of that dark place you were in. It’s a very hard mental battle, like you go into a depressive state and it’s hard to get out of it honestly. You have to get your confdence back. You have to try to become the same player you were before or better.”

ryan.mack0001@temple.edu @Ryan_mack18

LILLIAN PRIETO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Forward Jamai Felt practicing drills on Oct. 27.

Colin Schofeld

Co-Sports Editor

@ColinSchofeld9

Sienna Conaghan

Co-Sports Editor

@Sienna_Paige2

Jacob Moreno

Assistant Sports Editor

@Jmoreno76ers

Xavier Johnson

Sports Engagement Editor

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STAFF PREDICTIONS WOMEN

MEN

Starters: Tobiason, Mason, Hines, Felt, Duradola

MVP: Tobiason Lead Scorer: Hines

Breakout: Felt Record: 16-15

Starters: Taylor, Turner, Curry, Craig, Molina

MVP: Turner Lead Scorer: Turner

Breakout: Craig Record: 22-9

Starters: Tobiason, Mason, Hines, Felt, Duradola

MVP: Tobiason

Lead Scorer: Tobiason

Breakout: Felt Record: 18-13

Starters: Taylor, Turner, Curry, Craig, Molina

MVP: Taylor Lead Scorer: Turner Breakout: Mead Record: 20-11

Starters: Tobiason, Mason, Smith, Felt, Duradola

MVP: Tobiason

Lead Scorer: Tobiason

Breakout: Duradola Record: 17-14

Starters: Taylor, Turner, Curry, Craig, Molina

MVP: Craig Lead Scorer: Turner Breakout: Craig Record: 21-10

Starters: Tobiason, Mason, Hines, Felt, Duradola

MVP: Tobiason

Lead Scorer: Tobiason

Breakout: Duradola Record: 20-11

Starters: Taylor, Turner, Curry, Craig, Molina

MVP: Turner

Lead Scorer: Turner

Breakout: Craig Record: 25-6