12.3 FINAL PRINT

THE TEMPLE NEWS

COMMUNITY ON

CAMPUS

Temple’s international student population combats holiday loneliness by embracing clubs and organizations.

Read more on Page 21.

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VOL 103 // ISSUE 8 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2024

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SPORTS, Pages 28-29 Temple Football is looking toward the future after hiring a new head coach.

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WHAT’S INSIDE NEWS, Page 3 Temple is preparing to break ground on a new media arts building.

temple-news.com @thetemplenews

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The Temple News

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

Samuel O’Neal Editor-in-Chief Sidney Rochnik Managing Editor Claire Zeffer Managing Editor Anna Augustine Co-Chief Copy Editor Valeria Uribe Co-Chief Copy Editor Evelyn Blower News Editor Nurbanu Sahin Assistant News Editor McCaillaigh Rouse Opinion Editor Bradley McEntee Assistant Opinion Editor Bayleh Alexander Features Editor Mike Nonnemaker Assistant Features Editor Jadon George Features Staff Writer Ryan Mack Sports Editor Colin Schofield Assistant Sports Editor Sienna Conaghan Assistant Sports Editor Jaison Nieves Sports Social Media Manager Allison Beck Investigations Editor Julia Anderson Director of Audience Engagement Oliver Economidis Public Engagement Coordinator Isabella Farrow Audience Engagement Editor Rai Ganesan Audience Engagement Editor Jack Larson Photo Editor Jared Tatz Assistant Photo Editor Noel Chacko Staff Photographer Kajsa Morse Multimedia Editor Ava Campbell Assistant Multimedia Editor Lyndsey Griswold Print Design Editor Juan Colon Graphic Design Editor Ava Fitzgerald Data Editor Pablo Rouco Podcast Editor Anna Rowland Newsletter Editor Ashley Gideon Web Editor Lolade Kola-Adewuyi Advertising Manager Matthew Eaton Advertising Manager Daivik Bewtra Business 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 Four international students at the Bell Tower on Main Campus.

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

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 Samuel O’Neal at editor@temple-news.com.

The Temple News

NEWS

PAGE 3

CAMPUS

Temple plans new facility for Klein College, CPCA The building will be 199,000 square feet and integrate the media and arts centers.

BY EVELYN BLOWER News Editor

T

emple’s Klein College of Media and Communication and the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts will share a new integrated building on Broad Street and Polett Walk as part of a comprehensive plan to modernize Main Campus with new buildings.

The university plans to break ground on the building this spring and complete construction before the Fall 2027 semester, wrote President John Fry in an announcement to the Temple community on Nov. 19.

“We’re extremely proud of the education we’re able to provide here, the research we’re able to conduct in spite of our facility,” said Klein Dean David Boardman. “[But] for the quality of education and research, the quality of student media that we support and for competitive reasons, we really needed a new facility.”

Klein, the Boyer College of Music and Dance, the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts and student media outlets on campus will be housed in the 199,000-square-foot building, which will be built overtop the current 15th Street parking lot and student pavilion.

Annenberg Hall, a 55-year-old building that houses Tomlinson and Randall theaters, has “makeshift teaching spaces” and “outdated and inaccessible” studio spaces, according to Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, who designed the new facility.

New technology in Klein’s media facilities will aim to imitate equipment in professional journalism, live entertainment, public relations and communications settings. They will also model a recording studio after the iconic Sigma Sound Studio, which has an extensive history with Philadelphia soul and recorded hundreds of gold and platinum hits, including songs from Aretha

Franklin, David Bowie and Billy Joel.

Klein also plans to create an “integrated” section for student media outlets, including The Temple News. Other outlets involved in the integrated space will include TUTV programs, WHIP Radio and the Templar Yearbook, as well as space for the Claire Smith Center for Sports Media.

The university looked for input through conversations with the Civic Design Review committee of Philadelphia and a local Registered Community Organization, which addresses neighborhood concerns with development in their area. The university held the most recent meeting in October.

Klein hopes to give back to the community with their public relations students working pro-bono for nonprofits in North Philadelphia. They also started news sites in Kensington and Germantown, which Boardman described as “urban news deserts,” to help spread community news.

“We are dedicated both on the Klein side and the CPCA side to continue and grow the many programs we have in which we work closely with the community,” Boardman said. “There will certainly be opportunities for community members to get training, for instance, in video and audio production.”

The facilities for CPCA include a new 375-seat theater to replace the 425seat Tomlinson Theater, which would be geared toward the smaller productions that CPCA plans to produce. The building will also house a cinema venue, a 140-seat flex theater and a 63-seat screening room. Randall Theater, which TFMA currently uses for small productions and shows “in the round,” holds 80.

“Only the film media arts and theater are really moving over to the new facility, but with that said, those facilities are getting expanded,” said James Templeton, the assistant vice president and university architect. “[There will] be more robust practice and support areas for those facilities, for more studios, classrooms and rehearsal spaces that are, I would argue, compromised currently.”

On any new construction projects,

COURTESY / KLEIN COLLEGE OF MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION

Temple hopes to achieve silver, gold or platinum certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a verification system for environmentally-conscious buildings. Charles Library is one of the main examples of a “gold” Green Building Education project on Main Campus.

The new building aims to offset energy draws from large mechanisms associated with high consumption and use.

The architects plan to install insulation and exterior materials that help with solar and heat gain.

“This particular building, the program is equipment-heavy, so that makes it a little bit more challenging than a typical academic building to meet some of the sustainability requirements,” said Martin Droz, the associate vice president for planning, design and construction.

With the site situated on Broad Street, architects and planners for the building wanted to draw attention to the west side of campus that they believe has been academically underutilized.

“It’ll really draw the campus academically, at least across Broad Street,” Templeton said. “We always already have recreation facilities on the other side. It was important that this be a signature piece of architecture, something that will be a showpiece, not just for the university but for anyone driving up and down Broad Street to experience and really understand its impact.”

Aubren Villasenor contributed reporting. evelyn.blower@temple.edu @evelyn_blower

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NEWS

The Temple News

CITY

SEPTA in crisis, permanent funding in discussion Temple previously reported about 40% of the university relies on public transportation.

BY NURBANU SAHIN Assistant News Editor SEPTA has initiated multiple changes to its policies, fare prices and the government funding it will receive this year after ridership decreases stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic caused the Pennsylvania state legislature to deny funding boosts.

As a result, SEPTA is looking to other government officials and transit users to make up for the gap in their finances.

About 40% percent of Temple students, faculty and staff use public transportation to get to campus, according to Temple’s 2022-23 Sustainability Annual Report. About 50% of students surveyed stated they would use public transit if a pass was included in their tuition, while around 35% said they would if fares were cheaper.

Local governments, including Philadelphia City Council, have made attempts to prevent a fallout by finding other opportunities to get the money SEPTA needs to keep all services, with no further increases.

“This is something that our office specifically is going to stay in tune with, and as we work with regional and local partners to try and fund SEPTA, it’s going to be something that we don’t want to fall out of the frame,” a spokesperson for Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke told The Temple News. “There’s obviously a wider regional conversation that the governor has pointed towards, that the mayor has pointed towards, everyone has referenced that we’re going to have to find long term solutions.”

One of SEPTA’s two proposed fare increases went into effect on Dec. 1. The second round of increases would include an almost 25% increase to all fares and service cuts in January 2025. Further

discussion of fare increases, including the 25% raise, was postponed until July 1, 2025 after Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro flexed $153 million from the Federal Highway fund to the Transportation Authority.

“I just don’t think that [fare increases] is a great option,” said Nathaniel Thrush, a senior geography, environment and urban studies major. “I’m originally from Maryland, where we have the Metro. They have some really high fares in general, and that’s something that really kind of puts strain on a lot of people, like students, working people. It kind of puts budget deficits on the onus of like the riders, as opposed to the state.”

Temple participates in the SEPTA Semester Pass program, which provides a 10% discount for all SEPTA transit depending on the zone they purchase. Each semester, students can purchase the key for their transit needs. For the Fall 2024 semester, the pass cost between $346.56 and $736.44.

As of Dec. 3, the prices of the pass have not been adjusted to reflect the Dec. 1 SEPTA fare increases.

In a Nov. 12 news conference, SEPTA’s Chief Operating Officer Scott Sauer said the company is beginning to experience a “transit death spiral.”

“What [the death spiral] is, is you continue to decline to the point where a large portion of your services are not usable for a lot of people,” said Andrew Busch, director of media relations of SEPTA. “It becomes more expensive, significantly less reliable and less available.”

If SEPTA is not funded in more permanent solutions, the agency is looking

OLIVER LOIS ECONOMIDIS / THE TEMPLE NEWS SEPTA continues to face hurdles with funding and low ridership as 2024 comes to a close.

at serious cuts that could affect how SEPTA runs and implement heavy increases in fares, according to the agency.

This is not the first time SEPTA has needed additional help from the commonwealth and local governments.

Many officials, including Philadelphia’s City Council, referenced the success of averting the 2005 SEPTA rate hikes after then-Gov. Ed Rendell announced a $412 million bailout fund for public transit.

While Harrisburg looks for more permanent solutions, other cities pitched in their help. In 2024, Philadelphia City Council approved a $20 million increase of their yearly budget to SEPTA. Counties around the Philadelphia area are looking to increase their contribution to the agency. Montgomery County officials stated they would give SEPTA an additional $1.10 million for the 2025 fis-

cal year.

Currently, SEPTA gets about 50% of its funding from the state budget. In comparison to surrounding cities, New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority receives around 10% of their funding from New York state.

“I think it’s frustrating to hear every few years that SEPTA is under existential threat when it’s just such a clear backbone of this region,” Thrush said. “If [SEPTA] didn’t exist, I don’t know how Philly would operate. So it’s a really scary prospect that falls in the hands of these politicians who then try to throw the burden to working people in the region.”

Jadon George contributed reporting. nurbanu@temple.edu @nurbanusahinn

The Temple News

NEWS

PAGE 5

COMMUNITY

Gateway connects community to social programs The Gateway centralizes accessible resources for North Central residents.

BY AUBREN VILLASENOR For The Temple News As students and community members voice their concerns surrounding new Temple President John Fry’s history with community relations and alleged gentrification, the university is continuing to familiarize local residents about its “Community Gateway.”

The Temple Community Gateway, opened last semester, is a physical hub on Cecil B. Moore Avenue near 15th Street geared toward helping local North Central community members access education, youth programs and health resources. The university also hopes it can help consolidate community programming and investment.

While at Drexel in 2014, Fry introduced the Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships in University City, but developed a large part of the area for university housing and businesses, overtaking spaces in which community members went to school or worked.

With the Gateway in its infancy, the leaders of the program hope to bridge that resource gap for North Central residents. Antonio Romero, director of Temple Community Gateway, called the program a “dream come true.”

“It’s a place where we can cultivate a level of community cohesion, both internally within the university and externally throughout the neighborhoods,” Romero said. “[Where we can] erode away some of the real and perceived barriers that may have been a deterrent to our connection to humanity.”

Shelbie Ulysse, violence prevention and community engagement coordinator, said the Gateway is also part of a longstanding mission of the university to reduce gun violence in the community.

At the beginning of the semester, Romero and a group of “navigators,” who go to tabling events and community

meetings, canvassed around the Cecil B. Moore Avenue strip to businesses and homes telling people about the Gateway.

Through the Gateway’s website, users can fill out a form to indicate interest in different services, like mental health resources, youth and summer programs, art and music programs and adult education.

There are at least 400 programs in the Gateway database, Ulysse said.

Valerie Harrison, Temple’s vice president for diversity, equity, inclusion and community impact, said that lack of education and economic opportunities is the root of many social issues, from poverty to crime.

Social disorganization, a popular criminology theory developed in the early 1900s, states that the environment itself is what decides the crime rate, rather than the people and the demographics of the area. The theory states that in order to address crime, the area must be changed with social integration and improving education.

“Social disconnection hinders economic mobility and therefore connections across income levels, across educational levels is important for greater economic mobility,” Harrison said. “So fundamental to an effective community is opportunity creation, and access.”

With the Gateway still in its first year, Ulysse hopes that the entire North Central community will learn about the resources Temple offers. For a child interested in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics field, the Community Gateway could connect the parents to someone who knows more about different programs or education centers, Harrison said.

The leaders of the Gateway also want to provide residents with resources after they’re incarcerated, like helping them with transportation, transitional housing or any kind of financial resources for food and personal items, Harrison said.

Ulysse also emphasized the role of community, education and financial literacy in congruence with violence

JACK LARSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple’s Community Gateway aims to lessen the disconnect between students and the community.

prevention efforts. With community engagement coordinators at Temple’s 17 different colleges and schools, the Gateway hopes to centralize all of the violence prevention resources for the coordinators to utilize if a community member asks.

The 19121 and 19122 zip codes, where Main Campus is located, saw 64 shootings this year as of Dec. 2, according to the Office of the Controller. “[It was created] to address what is needed for a community to feel empowered and also be autonomous,” Ulysse said. “Receiving resources not only addresses a lot of social determinants of health, but it also can really reduce the amount of violence.”

In a time when diversity, equity and inclusion programs have become a hot-button issue in American politics, Harrison encourages people to remem-

ber the North Central residents and their stories. She wants the Gateway to be used as a support system for residents and their families from a child’s birth to when they receive education and beyond.

“Temple has enjoyed a really long and significant history of care and concern for its neighbors, but it has not always been easy to access all of these programs because they haven’t been coordinated,” Harrison said. “You can go on the website and try to figure it out.

We have everything from preschool programs to youth engagement, middle school, academic enrichment programs to high school dual enrollment programs to job and workforce training.”

Evelyn Blower contributed reporting. aubren.villasenor@temple.edu

PAGE 6

NEWS

The Temple News

JAPAN

TUJ sees enrollment boom amid campus updates TUJ Kyoto, a new campus opening this spring, will allow for more students to explore Japan.

BY EVELYN BLOWER News Editor Alongside Temple’s Main Campus surpassing its enrollment goal for 202425, its satellite campus in Tokyo enrolled its highest student count in its 42-year history during the Fall 2024 semester.

Without an enrollment decline from the COVID-19 pandemic or prominent financial concerns, TUJ was also able to expand its reach to Kyoto and improve its full-time and study away programs.

“People are seeing quality, excitement, the dynamic environment, the low costs, the flexibility and the desire to be here in Japan,” said Temple Japan Dean Matthew Wilson. “I think the internships and different opportunities have come together to help, and it’s exciting to be able to open a new location [so] everybody that comes to Japan, now you can do Kyoto and Tokyo with us now.”

Temple Japan enrolled almost 2,600 students this fall semester — doubling in size during the last four years, and tripling across the last 10. Temple Rome, the university’s other abroad campus, had around 720 students attend in 2023.

TUJ also expanded its bachelor’s degree offerings to increase full-time enrollment for both Japan admittances and study abroad students. It has 12 full time bachelor’s programs, where students can study and graduate completely in Tokyo, or study at other campuses like the new TUJ campus in Kyoto in the future.

During the last few years, TUJ has specifically invested in improving its computer science and hospitality management programs.

“The Temple community is so blessed by those who walked before who had the foresight to not only get this campus off the ground but keep it going while other American universities were pulling out of Japan,” Wilson said.

With the growth, TUJ has tried to

COURTESY / TEMPLE JAPAN

accommodate more students with more facilities. It opened a new three-story facility at the beginning of the semester with a fitness center, classroom, laboratory and faculty offices.

“I think TUJ is growing slowly, I just think we have a lot of students for the space,” said Sonja Stevens, a sophomore communications major from Sweden studying at TUJ. “We don’t have enough space, and I know we bought some new buildings around the area. We got a little fitness center, for example. That’s new, but it’s still pretty small.”

Enrollment has been on a steady increase without being brought down by the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects in Japan, Wilson said. Since the country closed its borders for the majority of the early 2020s, TUJ was able to mitigate the effects of lockdowns or shuttering their doors. Instead, they saw a distinct rise in enrollment with their online class offerings and less required safety protocols due to less COVID cases, Wilson said.

Out of the nearly 2,600 students enrolled this fall, about 150 of those are short-term study abroad, meaning they

will complete either a semester or a full year at TUJ. Forty percent of those students are from Main Campus while the other 60% are from other U.S. institutions.

“Being a part of the Emerging Leaders program, it definitely stood out to me when I joined and luckily I got in,” said Y’Jazzmin Christopher, a freshman psychology major completing all four years at TUJ. “It just created a whole different family and also a lot more opportunities for me.”

Some students joined Temple Japan because of the international connection opportunities offered with Main Campus and Temple Rome.

“I was looking into both campuses [in Europe and Asia] and I was like, this is a perfect time to go abroad,” said Jasmine Mehta, a junior philosophy and political science major studying abroad at TUJ. “They offer my major, a lot of classes and it also just gives me an awesome experience to just try out new cultural things, explore, visit places I’ve always wanted to go.”

Social media was another large en-

rollment campaign for the university — the TUJ TikTok account has almost 160,000 followers and 4.8 million likes on its platform, largely outpacing Main Campus’ 8,800 followers.

Wilson said that some students were introduced to TUJ just because of social media outreach, remembering one student from London who visited and wanted to attend TUJ just because of its online presence.

While Main Campus was able to start bouncing back from its enrollment decline during COVID, Temple Japan hopes to continue growing. Wilson plans to work with more prefectures to get internships for TUJ students and bring a more international perspective in his tenure as dean.

“When you think about studying overseas, people gravitate to Europe,” Wilson said. “I think out of the United States it’s about two-thirds of students.

It’s because it’s familiar, easy and doable.

[But] Japan is also incredibly doable and life-changing.” evelyn.blower@temple.edu @evelyn_blower

The Temple News

PAGE 7

EDITORIAL

Athletics needs support On Nov. 25, Temple President John Fry said the university is “re-assessing” its football program after firing former head coach Stan Drayton on Nov. 17. Debates arose about whether the program was worth salvaging after another underwhelming season in 2024.

In response to heightened speculation, Fry clarified that university officials understand the impact football can have on the university and it is here to stay. The department hired former Sam Houston State head coach K.C. Keeler as its next head coach on Dec. 1.

Temple Football had some of its worst seasons since Name, Image and Likeness was legalized in college athletics in July 2021. After the policy went into effect, players were allowed to profit off their personal brand.

To keep Temple’s sports teams competitive in this new age of college athletics, the Editorial Board urges alumni and fans of Temple sports teams to donate to The TUFF Fund or the Temple Owl Club. The TUFF Fund is an NIL collective not affiliated with the university but provides student-athletes with financial opportunities. The Owl Club is the athletic department’s main avenue for fundraising.

The Owl Club has around 2,000 members who raised roughly $2 million in 2022. The University of Central Florida, which left the American Athletic Conference for the Big 12 in July, raised more than $43 million through 10,000 donors. Charlotte, who joined the AAC during the summer and whose recent athletic success is comparable to Temple’s, had about 500 fewer donors but still raised $4.16 million.

Temple’s current NIL and fundraising results do not put them in a position to seriously compete against top-tier competition in football and men’s and women’s basketball. In this current age of college athletics,

Temple needs financial support to bring in top local recruits.

Successful athletic programs can also remedy some of the university’s broader issues, like declining enrollment. A November poll conducted

by The Temple News found that improving enrollment is the fourth most important issue for Fry to focus on for students and faculty.

When Temple’s football team won the American Athletic Conference and its men’s basketball team made the NCAA Tournament in 2016, Temple had some of its best enrollment classes in recent history in the years to follow.

In the current landscape of college athletics, Temple has no choice but to adapt. By donating to NIL collectives or to the athletic department directly, Temple sports fans and alumni can play a major part in improving the struggling programs.

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The Temple News

THE ESSAYIST

From the Editors

Power of a pinky promise A student acknowledges the power of pinky promises and the part they played in building trust.

This year’s Essayist issue is a meditation on the power of seemingly insignificant items, actions or gestures that have proven consequential in our student writer’s life.

The Essayist is an annual tradition at The Temple News for students to express themselves by writing about the people and moments that make up their complex mosaic of life.

Small items can bring back memories of a loved one or resurface emotions once thought to have been repressed.

Brief actions or gestures can reaffirm love in the most unexpected of ways.

The transformation of something ordinary into the extraordinary happens to everyone. It’s part of what makes the human experience so fulfilling and we hope readers from all backgrounds can find their experiences and feelings reflected in at least one of the stories presented.

One student writes about the chocolate chip cookie recipe on the back of the Nestle Toll House package and how it opens up the floodgates of grief from her grandmother’s passing. Another writes about her makeup routine and how its an exercise of self-love, not an act of insecurity.

One student writes about the expression of love through making coffee as a barista and how it helped her get to know her regulars. Another reflects on a simple meal crafted by his mother and how it served as a glint of hope during his parents’ divorce.

These minuscule items, moments and actions are seldom cherished to the extent they should be. Oftentimes, relics from childhood tend to be thrown away before being given a second thought, or the broken umbrella sitting on the shelf would be loathed for its ineffectiveness. Instead of being appreciated for the labor of love, the bakery items from a relative may sit on the mantle until they grow stale.

What seems inconsequential may turn out to be life-changing, but only if you search deep enough to find it.

Sincerely,

McCaillaigh Rouse & Bradley McEntee Opinion Editor, Assistant Opinion Editor

BY WANIA IRFAN For The Temple News I always knew a promise was a serious thing. I’ve always made and accepted promises sincerely, just by word.

A childhood best friend introduced me to the concept of a pinky promise when I was about 10. She asked me to pinky promise her I’d never walk home from the bus stop without her. I kept my promise every day for the rest of the year until we both moved schools. After that, I never forgot the power of a pinky promise and used it every time I had to make a deal.

I didn’t initially understand the importance of a pinky promise because I found it to be a meaningless gesture. But when I saw other kids my age repeat the same motion, I began to understand that it wasn’t just some meaningless action, but a universal concept.

The innocence of pinky promises was something that stuck with me. At the time, those promises felt like they were used on such serious things. Having crushes and keeping secrets in elementary school was a big deal to everyone.

I started hearing more stories about pinky promises in other cultures from my friends. They told me if a pinky promise was broken in Japan, the one who broke it would have their finger cut off. Typically when pinky promising someone, I always acknowledged that breaking it would hurt me.

Having a pinky promise broken has caused me a great amount of sadness before.

If it’s acknowledged that something small might mean something special to me, the idea of someone breaking it hurts me.

Making a pinky promise became the most sincere way of commitment in my eyes, and if someone were to break it, it was like being betrayed. I can count the number of times someone has broken a pinky promise on one hand.

I always made someone pinky promise me if I had a hard time believing they were genuine. A pinky promise is how I can tell the difference between whether someone is being truthful or just joking around.

Even though I learned the concept when I was just a child, the pinky promise has stayed with me as I’ve aged. My family began associating the concept of a pinky promise with me. Even my mom, who doesn’t see the point in pinky promises, began using them because she knows how much I value them.

When I was around 13, I pinky-promised my mom that I would work as hard as possible in college to have a stable future. I promised her I would maintain a good work ethic and always put in the effort regardless of how I might feel. That singular pinky promise has largely influenced my decisions and will be the driving factor in my ongoing journey.

There have been instances where I wanted to indulge in behaviors that may not have been beneficial for my education.

There have been days where I’ve been burnt out from overcommitting, not seeking help when needed and overindulging in distractions. I’ve wanted to pick the easy route and be lazy but remembering the pinky promise helped me maintain my academic path academically.

It might sound silly, but a mere pinky promise is a decent portion of why I push myself further. I see it as a way to dedicate myself to something and fulfill what I’ve promised. When I’m struggling to find motivation or get things done, I often think about the pinky promise. My mom is incredibly special to me, so breaking a pinky promise to her is an unfathomable concept.

When I think back to that moment, I get a surge of motivation that forces me to keep pushing.

A pinky promise is a small action but it has become something incredibly meaningful over time. Although pinky promises may seem trivial to many, they hold profound significance in my life and within my family. This simple gesture carries immense weight, shaping the decisions I make and the values I live by. wania.irfan@temple.edu

The Temple News

PAGE 11

THE ESSAYIST

The love language of making coffee for strangers A student reflects on her time as a barista and how serving coffee made her bond with customers.

BY RACHEL KEALEY For The Temple News For two years, I worked as a barista at my local cafe. Coffee meant nothing special to me when I first applied for the job. I pursued the position mostly because I liked the smell of espresso and pastries in the morning and the cozy, wooden interior of the cafe seemed like a lovely place to spend my weekends.

A cup of coffee is usually seen as a mundanity of life — a simple and routine beverage — but nothing special. To me, coffee was just a drink. It was warm, comforting and provided an energy rush when needed. I drank it often and enjoyed both the taste and effects of it, but until I began working at the cafe, I never realized the significance it held in the lives and routines of those around me.

I was one of the only baristas at the cafe when I first started, so I had to learn how to make coffee drinks quickly. On the slow evenings after school, I would practice steaming milk and making mediocre latte art until my fingers were red from the heat that emanated from the mugs.

My skills began to progress and the blobs of foam in the mugs eventually vaguely resembled hearts or swans. I started working in January when people almost exclusively ordered hot drinks and soup. It was the middle of winter, and the tiny, wooden counter I stood behind was always cold to the touch.

I started noticing the regulars that would come in every day. As I began to observe their daily rituals, I realized that coffee meant more to people than just warmth, taste or energy. It was a vital part of their everyday life.

Three older ladies ordered cortados and always asked for the newspaper. A rosy-cheeked old couple always ordered two medium cappuccinos, one with two percent and one with whole milk. Two old friends, Charlie and Alicia, sat on the porch every morning regardless of cold or rainy weather, one with a chai tea and

JUAN COLON / THE TEMPLE NEWS

the other with an almond milk latte.

People are seldom constant, which is what makes routine so significant.

Though I couldn’t count on much in life, I knew every Saturday I would see Charlie and Alicia waving through the window as I unlocked the door, waiting for the warm beverage they knew was coming.

The longer I worked at the cafe, the more coffee began to lose its subtle mundanity in my own life, too. Instead of a job, my work became an art form and even a form of communication. When the three older ladies came in with sad eyes and a drag in their steps, I made their three cortados extra warm and sweet.

I saw relationships form and fall apart. I watched as older regulars slowly stopped coming as often. I watched a little boy stop requesting the crust to be cut off his sandwiches and begin ordering by himself at the register instead of having his father do it for him.

Working at the cafe was like walking into a tiny window of people’s lives

and bringing them a little bit of joy in a mug.

It wasn’t just the customers that were worth watching. I formed some of the most tender, lifelong relationships through my love for coffee by meeting others who shared that passion. Three of the women I worked with became my best friends, and my boyfriend worked in the kitchen while I ran the espresso machine.

He’d make me a breakfast sandwich in the mornings, and we’d split it after the morning rush. Throughout the day, I would leave little coffee drinks by his workstation. These little gestures were not just to satisfy a need for caffeine or hunger. They were wordless exchanges of love and ways to say “I am thinking of you,” even in the busiest of environments.

Coffee is very customizable, which is what makes it so appealing to so many.

The same beverage can taste differently when it belongs to two different people.

This is why there is a certain intimacy in knowing someone’s coffee order; it’s

almost like the exchange of a secret.

Coffee is a wordless language and an exchange of love and appreciation in our own little ways. It is a language in which, “I’ll get you a cup with two sugars and a splash of cream” really means “I know you.” rachel.kealey@temple.edu

PAGE 12

The Temple News

THE ESSAYIST

How macaroni and beef got me through hardship A student reflects on how his mother’s cooking helped him in a hard time of his life.

BY SAMUEL O’NEAL Editor in Chief I was seven years old when my life was turned completely upside down. My parents broke the news to my siblings and me that they were getting a divorce — something my little mind could barely process at the time.

My mom moved in with my grandparents about two minutes down the road from where we previously lived. It was a three-bedroom home that temporarily housed the six of us. I never saw my mom cry, show emotion or break down in front of her children despite going through what can only be considered the worst of times.

Instead, she kept pushing.

One of the most memorable parts of an otherwise brutal time for my family was the opportunity to live with my grandmother. She had my mom when she was young and my mom had me around the same age, so my grandmother was always considered the “cool and young” grandparent.

I remember watching the 2008 presidential election with her. She even participated in it herself by running for a seat in the Delaware House of Representatives as a Democrat in our deep red district.

I still think back on how dire those times really were and how much has changed. I remember sharing a room with my siblings and the creative ways we would keep ourselves entertained — usually the Wii Fit balance board.

My favorite part about living with my grandparents was how it allowed us to eat dinner with them every night. In my family, everyone was expected to eat at the dinner table, talk about their day and remain seated until they were excused.

My mom was a seventh-grade English teacher, so my grandmother cooked dinner most nights. Other than going through an emotionally draining divorce that required her to serve as a

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single parent, my mom was often spending the evening hours grading papers or unwinding from the chaos of teaching pre-teens.

When my mom was able to cook, she made dishes that didn’t take much preparation. One meal always stood out — a simple one that I can only remember as macaroni beef. It included thin macaroni noodles with white cheese sauce and little bits of beef, served in a white ceramic bowl with a blue trim around the outside.

For whatever reason, I remember asking my mom to make macaroni beef multiple times a week, whether it was 6 p.m. after school on a weekday or for lunch during the weekend. I probably ate that silly, simple meal close to 100 times in the two years we lived with my grandparents. It gave me something to look forward to while my world, as I knew it, was crumbling.

Macaroni and cheese has been my favorite food my entire life, but something about my mom’s macaroni beef is more memorable than usual. It could

simply be because it was made by my mom, or that it was the only consistency during a time when my world was full of inconsistencies.

After about two years of living with my grandparents, my mom, my siblings and I moved into a newly built house not even a 90 second drive away. I never remember having macaroni beef after moving out. Probably because my mom had more time on her hands to cook my siblings and me more planned-out dinners after her life calmed down.

A few years ago, I asked my mom if she remembered making that meal for me and what exactly it was, but she couldn’t fully recall. It was such a mundane and unmemorable dish that she made during one of the worst periods of her life, but to me, it was something to look forward to.

Macaroni beef excited me and always brought a smile to my face during arguably the most confusing thing a clueless seven-year-old can go through.

Out of all the things that come to mind during those whirlwind two years, that

bowl of macaroni beef tops the list every single time.

It’s often the little things that get family through tragedy or hard times.

For me, it was white cheese noodles and clumps of beef in a white ceramic bowl with a blue trim around the outside. samuel.oneal@temple.edu @samueloneal43

The Temple News

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THE ESSAYIST

Uncovering the true meaning of birthday parties A student reflects on how her view on birthday parties changed after moving away from home.

BY JENNIELEE HILARIO RIVERA For The Temple News Growing up, my birthday parties always had a theme. I barely remember the details of the earliest celebrations, but I can still vividly recall the happiness and excitement of those days.

Each year, my mom ensured I was celebrated and felt good about my parties. A cake, a few decorations and family there to make me feel special were fundamental to a good birthday, as were the presents which kept evolving as I aged — starting with dolls and ending with books.

It all looked superficial, but my birthdays reflected the person I was becoming. Each present and party theme mirrored my views of the world and how they evolved into a wider perspective. Becoming one year older doesn’t substantially alter the world, but it was still meaningful to have input on my parties and share what my birthday should be like.

Birthday parties might seem like an inconsequential tradition, but they reinforce the connection we all need. In this era of social media and digital lives, it’s hard to deny the power of face-to-face celebration and time spent with family and friends.

I’ll never forget my 13th birthday in Puerto Rico because it marked the end of an era in my life. It was the transition from my childhood to my teenage years and the last birthday I had before I had to face more mature problems.

I had a Wonder Woman-themed party with a group of family members at Applebee’s. It felt like just another celebration, but little did I know it would be the last time I celebrated my birthday with my great-grandparents, who had been a central part of my life.

I grew up in Puerto Rico surrounded by the love and affection of my extended family. Most of my relatives have been present in my life since I was a kid — so leaving them behind to move to Phila-

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delphia after I turned 13 was difficult.

Within a year, my aunts, grandparents, cousins and great-grandparents disappeared as I sought opportunities in Philadelphia. It took me a while to process that my parents would be the only guests at my future birthday parties.

I celebrated my 14th birthday without the warmth of my family back in Puerto Rico. It was hard because it was the first time I felt the absence of those I loved during a birthday, and I struggled to get used to not being around them during such an important day.

While it was still a celebration, it felt different because the company had changed. The party was a lot quieter and uncrowded. I missed the energy and the laughter of my whole family surrounding me and couldn’t stop thinking about the advice my great-grandparents would’ve given me.

We never know when the last time we will see or spend time with someone.

I never thought there would be a birthday without my great-grandpa, or the rest of my family. This made me realize

birthday parties are meant to dictate the meaning of life, not only our growth.

The theme of my 14th birthday party was unicorns and mermaids, which is the opposite of mature and didn’t quite match the complicated time I was navigating. However, what truly mattered was my mom’s effort to make the celebration fun for me, regardless of the number of guests.

I now see birthday parties as more than just a celebration of age — they’re a reminder to value the time we have with the people who matter most.

Every year brings growth and marks another meaningful moment in our lives. My 14th birthday taught me that life is short and that birthdays are about more than presents or cake — they’re about creating memories and cherishing time with the people we hold dear.

The beauty of birthday parties lies in their uncertainness. They exist on the edge of meaning, and yet they hold so much. It’s the one time a year when we are permitted to be a little selfish, a little silly and to be surrounded by people we

love. The candles on the cake, the laughter — these are the moments that help us pause and say, “We are here. We are together. And for today, that is enough.” jennielee.hilario@temple.edu

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The Temple News

THE ESSAYIST

Thanks! My grandmother gave me this necklace A student reflects on a necklace her grandmother gave her and the connection it brings.

BY BAYLEH ALEXANDER Features Editor As a child, monthly visits to my grandparents’ house felt like being wrapped in warm laundry.

The air was filled with the sound of my grandpa’s contagious laughter and wine glasses clinking while red droplets leaped for the tablecloth. My grandma always pulled me into her labyrinth of a closet where I was surrounded by endless fabrics, textiles and charms. Her closet was a tangible representation of my deepest fashion fantasies.

The monthly visits became annual and evolved into an even more special experience as I got older. My grandma would hand-pick specific items she had outgrown and pass them on to me, accompanied by tales of her wisdom and travels. The items were placed with trust into my hands, assuring the stories embedded in her belongings would be carried forward by the next generation.

The summer before I left for college, she pulled a silver chain from the safe where she kept her jewels. The necklace, a tangle of silver animals and looped chains, sat cold and dense in my hand.

It was kismet and I was instantly entranced. Adorned with two replaceable charms — a frog and a turtle — the necklace evoked a celestial connection. If inanimate objects could speak, I was attuned to their whispers.

The necklace has occupied my neck ever since, shielding me in the way garlic repels vampires or evil eyes protect from negative energy.

I’ve always believed in spirituality, even after incessant teasing from non-believing friends and my logical side screaming at me to remain grounded in reality. The necklace felt like a cosmic link between me and my grandma from the moment it was first placed in my hands.

To know my grandma is to love her, but not in the typical grandmotherly way where she bakes cookies and pours

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warm tea. When she enters a room, the air shifts and the aura transforms into a cabernet, warm wine shade.

Her effervescence seeps into those around her, drawing them in to absorb her wealth of knowledge and grace. Her presence is unmistakable, permeating even inanimate objects with her energy’s touch and former possession.

Wearing her jewelry allows me to feel closer to achieving her effortless poise. My constant awareness of my unruly blonde hair and the snort that escapes my nose when I laugh feels genetically baffling when I think about the graceful woman who came before me.

Life tends to get in the way of our formerly frequent visits, so we live our separate lives while I hop around Philadelphia’s nightlife with the token of my grandma’s love resting on my collarbones.

On a recent weekend rendezvous with my friends, a man approached me and asked for a lighter — not an uncommon request at 2 a.m. outside our favorite watering hole.

As I reached into my purse, he gasped and grabbed one of my shoulders. The stranger grabbed my necklace, telling me he was a psychic and that my necklace’s energy was calling out to him.

He urged me to let him read me. I was skeptical about being robbed but simultaneously believed my beloved jewels were sorcerous, so I hesitantly agreed.

When he told me he could feel my mother and grandma’s energy through the necklace, my skin broke out in goosebumps. It seemed there was a blood-bonded tie between me, this inanimate object and the women in my life.

He grabbed the necklace, closed his eyes and told me I had the same higher power within me — then he disappeared.

I’ll never see him again, but I don’t need to. Whether he was merely baiting me to get a hit of his cigarette or if he truly heard the necklace’s aura calling out to him doesn’t change anything.

“It’s just a necklace,” I tell myself, trying to cope with the potential loss of it falling off unnoticed or breaking.

I remind myself fashion is frivolous

and I’m putting my grandmother’s love into an unliving, ungiving item. A necklace can’t possibly be sorcerous or protect me from the world’s cruelty.

I could spend the rest of my life questioning whether there is a deeper meaning to inanimate objects once possessed by my grandma, or I could put my faith in myself and the universe, trusting there is a transcendent energy within all of us that’s only discovered when you believe in it.

This necklace has been my first choice for interviews, dates and nights out throughout my nearly four years of college. I’ve watched strangers duck their eyes below my chin, their gaze landing on the shining pendant. My typical response to their compliments is a big grin, followed by, “Thanks! It’s from my grandma.” bayleh.alexander@temple.edu

The Temple News

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THE ESSAYIST

Remembering my grandma through an umbrella A student reminisces on a broken umbrella and how it reminds her of her grandmother.

BY MCCAILLAIGH ROUSE Opinion Editor I have a broken umbrella on the third shelf of a built-in bookcase in my room. It’s small and black with rainbow polka dots. One of the metal ribs snapped during a huge storm in the summer of 2023, and it’s been sitting there ever since collecting dust on the rusted bars.

The warm storm winds were so strong it turned the umbrella inside-out and yanked its screws out of place, making it unusable. When it rains, water falls down the broken side of the umbrella and pours onto my back since the plastic cover can’t be held. I no longer look to the umbrella for help when it rains, as it’s not an option for protection.

The umbrella has no function in my life and there’s no tangible purpose to keeping it. It’s tarnished and was probably bought at a drugstore, yet I still can’t bring myself to discard such a useless item. So, I leave it sitting in the corner of my room.

The umbrella was my grandmother’s. She kept it on a key hook next to her garage door. I recall seeing it there, sitting idly each time I visited her house. On a couple of occasions, I used the umbrella when walking to the park across the street or while getting ice cream with her at the local creamery.

I received the umbrella the week after my grandmother passed away during my sophomore year of college. My parents were cleaning out my grandmother’s house and sifting through her closets, basement and sewing room, all packed to the brim with collections of objects.

My parents went through the 40 years of her life under one roof designating what was to be kept, passed on or given away.

I was there to help my mom decide which clothing items might be best suited for Goodwill or thrown out. While going through her items, we would occasionally find things she sewed together or clothes from my late grandfather she

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never gave away.

After multiple days of collecting clothes and sewing fabrics and compartmentalizing my dad’s childhood memorabilia in the basement, the house was empty. Forty years of holidays, Fourth of July parties and gatherings on the back deck all amounted to the bags packed next to the house’s front door.

There was no longer a display case of porcelain bells next to the front door I could secretly ring when no one was home. I could never sit on the dusted carpet of my grandma’s living room in my too-small pajamas watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I couldn’t lean against my cousins and listen to laughter from the other room waiting for Christmas Eve dinner.

While standing in the foyer of an empty house, I breathed in, taking in the only remaining memory — its scent.

The house’s smell ran through my brain, recalling all the memories I made in that house and with my grandmother.

After the house was completely cleaned, my parents were going to drive

me back to college, but it started to rain.

So my mom gave me the umbrella covered in rainbow polka dots.

It only lasted me around three months before it broke, but I’ve kept it far past its expiration date. I never plan on fixing the umbrella or even trashing it because when I see it on my shelf I can almost smell that foyer and hear the laughter from the other room. When I see the umbrella I can feel my grandmother, short and warm, hugging me after coming in from the cold.

Losing my grandmother left me with waves of grief. Some days I forget that she has passed but when the realization hits so does the pain of no longer finding comfort in her arms or home.

So, I keep the umbrella to subtly hold on to her loving and protective nature.

I also have a hard time buying a new umbrella. Every time the opportunity arises, I remind myself I already have one at home, sitting on my shelf. Purchasing a new umbrella would feel like a betrayal to all it represents and the inklings of life it holds.

I know it’s pointless to keep such an ineffective item, but when I see it next to my bedroom door I remember all the moments I spent with my grandmother.

Even though the umbrella is impractical, it’s a little thing that connects me with some of my favorite parts of childhood. mccaiilaigh.rouse@temple.edu

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THE ESSAYIST

Learning love and positivity with Pokémon cards A student ruminates on how Pokémon cards helped them connect to childhood memories.

BY BRADLEY MCENTEE Assistant Opinion Editor Every year during summer break, I deep clean my room to prepare my space for the school year ahead. I open every drawer, take out the piles of accumulated junk and go through my clothes to make room for an inevitable shopping spree of thrifted sweaters and corduroy pants.

Each time I cull through my belongings, I rediscover a binder buried deep in a random drawer by my closet. The binder is navy and busting at the seams with the Pokémon cards I accumulated between third and fifth grade.

I don’t look at the cards often and usually forget about their presence entirely, but I’ve never been able to throw them away.

Whenever I think of the binder, an image flashes in my head of the childhood version of me, playing with the cards in the rundown cafeteria of my Philadelphia elementary school. I see a little kid, swimming in an oversized school uniform of navy polos and khaki pants.

I never had friends in elementary school. Learning to be social was the only lesson in school I could never seem to pass. I was always bullied or teased for nearly everything I did, getting malicious notes passed to me in class almost every day.

My only semblance of friendship was with a boy named Kobe, who sat by my side in the corner of the lunchroom.

Together we flipped through the pages of Pokémon cards and lived in our own fantasy world where Squirtle and Eevee were friends we could rely on.

Pokémon cards felt like a nerdy interest, as most boys my age had graduated to playing video games with blood spurts and bullet wounds. As my peers got older, I stayed stagnant, flipping through a mountain of vibrant cards with the only kid who had similar interests to me.

In recent years, I’ve often judged the

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childhood version of myself that found joy in those cards. When I was a kid, it was enough to scroll through a binder of mythological creatures with a boy my age and call it friendship. Now, it’s unfathomable to me that relationships can be that simple. I used to be unconcerned with how my peers viewed me, as long as I had Kobe and Pokémon by my side.

The share of bullying I experienced throughout elementary and middle school resulted in a damaged self-perception I still haven’t been able to heal.

My insecurities unfairly manifest in how I perceive past versions of myself, specifically the childhood version of me who closed myself off from social interactions in favor of trading cards.

Despite the bullying, I always tried to remain naive and hopeful and find solace in my existing relationships. I was oblivious to how intensely everyone hated me and I wish I wasn’t incessantly positive amidst the onslaughts of hurtful comments.

Flickers of memories come to me every so often of how I interacted with my

classmates during that time and I cringe.

I remember snippets of conversations with teachers or classmates and I can’t help but find myself annoying. Looking back on my younger self, I dread I would hate them if we met.

I am embarrassed to have been so bright-eyed, but as I mature, I realize that there are important lessons to learn from the young me that I hope to extract in time. How they viewed the world with unabashed hope and optimism is something I can only aspire to have and something I hope makes its way back into my adult life.

At the age of 20, I often find it ridiculous that I hold on to the binder so tightly. But when I think about the contents of the binder, I realize it’s the only connection I have to my childhood. Everything else from that era of my life is long gone, likely incinerated in a pile of ash in a landfill.

The binder is more than a mediocre collection. It is the beacon I use to remember my childhood and connect to the version of me I’m trying desperately

to fall back in love with. I want to see the world with whimsy again and get back in touch with the innocence that got washed away in the weather of time.

Holding on to that binder, no matter how trivial it may seem, is the only way for me to do it.

The Pokémon cards are a relic of my past interests, loves and friendships and it feels like my mission to hold on to them as hard as possible. Childhood me has a lot of wounds that went unhealed, and keeping the one thing around that gave them comfort is the least I can do. bradley.mcentee@temple.edu

The Temple News

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THE ESSAYIST

Kicking it with Conchudín for more than 20 years A student reflects on how a teddy bear became one of the most important items in her life.

BY VALERIA URIBE Co-Chief Copy Editor At my first birthday party, a family friend, whose name I don’t remember, gifted me a little teddy bear made out of brown fabric and three patches. Nearly 21 years later, that same teddy bear is still lying on my bed in my apartment.

When I got the teddy bear, I was immediately attached to him. Even though I had other toys, my precious bear was my favorite. He was my source of comfort — I dragged him to school, playdates and doctor appointments. He served as a little crutch and a constant companion, and there was not a place where I wouldn’t take him or a destination that was off-limits.

Because my teddy bear followed me everywhere, my dad decided the stuffed animal deserved a name as he essentially became a member of our family. He landed on the name “Conchudín,” which means “little cheeky” in Spanish.

Everything I recall from the first years of my life involves Conchudín and the overwhelming amount of love I felt for him. When I go home and look through old photo books, almost every picture of me features Conchudín held tightly in my arms.

When I was two years old, my family briefly moved from Colombia to Miami for my dad’s job. I hated flying because I was scared of plane turbulence, so my mom made sure I had my teddy bear with me to calm me down during the flight.

While we were going through security, the guards took my teddy bear to run it through the baggage scanner. I was too young to remember what happened, but my parents have told me multiple times that I screamed like I never had before until l got Conchudín back.

The security guards were horrified by my blood-curdling cries and the other travelers quickly noticed what was going on, demanding security to quickly return my teddy bear.

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I was only two, but even then I knew Conchudín was my most prized possession and I needed him to feel safe. He was the one thing that brought me comfort and no other toy could ever compare.

As I got older, my attachment to my teddy bear only became stronger. It felt as if Conchudín protected me from all evil, so from a young age I vowed to do anything to protect him, too.

I took that task seriously and cared for Conchudín every day. I would freak out even when my mom washed him because I was scared the washing machine would hurt him, so I always waited in front of the washer watching it spin to make sure Conchudín was okay.

Conchudín had three little patches I used to scratch to calm me down when I was nervous and helped me fall asleep faster. I didn’t only play with the patches when I was anxious, but it was a constant mindless habit I would do when I was bored at home, reading a book or watching a movie. My parents didn’t think anything of it until I was around eight years old and the pediatri-

cian recommended I stop fidgeting with the patches because the constant friction was damaging my fingerprints.

My parents did what they could to take my precious teddy bear away, but I put up an outstanding fight and they gave up pretty quickly. Just thinking about not having Conchudín with me made me feel sick. I needed that teddy bear because he was the only thing that helped me cope with life.

Conchudín helped me feel better when I was scared before the first day of school. He comforted me when my grandpa had a stroke and was hospitalized for months. When I couldn’t sleep because of my racing thoughts about his condition, I would simply hug Conchudín at night and feel like everything would be okay. He helped me overcome my first panic attack and all the ones that followed.

My teddy bear is sacred to me.

Currently, Conchudín’s all torn up, the patches are falling apart and the seam in the middle of his belly desperately needs stitches. But regardless of his current

state, Conchudín was the first thing I packed when I moved to college. Even though I don’t sleep with him anymore, I think Conchudín is the most important thing I own.

I don’t need Conchudín to get through life nowadays, but I still keep my promise to protect him. Conchudín has always brought me peace and comfort no matter how old I am or what stage of life I find myself in. valeria.uribe@temple.edu

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THE ESSAYIST

Discovering my makeup is more than skin-deep A student reflects on her use of makeup and how it has become a routine to express self-love.

BY CLAIRE ZEFFER Managing Editor Each day begins with primer.

Then foundation, two different concealers, bronzer, contour, blush number one — then another concealer. I quickly powder my under eyes so they don’t crease, then spritz some finishing spray — even though it’s far from finished.

Next is eyebrow gel, eyelid primer, then a medley of neutral eyeshadows from three palettes.

I carefully curl my eyelashes, then hold my breath and steady my hand for winged eyeliner. The finish line is in sight. Mascara, eyebrow pencil, waterline eyeliner, lipstick, then powder the whole face. Finally a powder blush, then a cream blush to bring back a natural skin-like finish and one more sparkly luminescent blush for good measure.

And, in a quintessential act of irony that doesn’t escape me, my makeup look is never complete until I take a Q-tip and wipe off the product concealing the six distinct beauty marks on my face. One on my right eyelid, one below my left eye, one on each cheek and two by my chin.

If I were invited to tea with the King of England, I would have on this face of makeup; if I needed to run to 7/11 for a Big Gulp, it’d look exactly the same. My makeup is as routine for me as putting on my shoes or grabbing my keys before heading out the door. It’s impractical and excessive, but it’s non-negotiable and most importantly, it’s me.

The first time I wore makeup was in 4th grade — not of my own volition, but because I was performing in a local musical theater production of “A Christmas Carol.” Stage makeup is unmistakably heavy and dramatic but equally necessary to prevent performers from getting washed out by the intensely bright theater lights.

So, to avoid looking like an amorphous blob of skin on stage, clown-like blush, dense eyeshadow and bright lip-

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stick were a must. Although it was only meant to look good from 20 feet away, every time I sat in front of the mirror backstage, I was infatuated with how the makeup made me look and feel.

It felt like a costume, and a warm blanket shielding me from the cold reality of what I actually looked like. As most young girls are, I was deathly insecure and desperate for any physical manifestation that made me feel pretty, even for just a moment. The makeup did just that.

Each time I got home from a performance, I avoided washing my face for as long as possible, dying to soak in every second I had where I looked like a “better” version of myself.

After the show ended, the makeup disappeared. But the confidence it gave me was always in the back of my mind, waiting until the next show or dress rehearsal when I could paint my self-doubt with a heavy hand of creams and powders. Annually or bi-annually, when the next musical came around, I could temporarily reignite that self-assurance and contentment with my physical appearance.

By seventh grade, I decided I was finally old enough to wear makeup regularly. I gathered what minimal products I had — some runoff from musicals and some products I snagged from my mom’s collection — and began exploring an art form on my face.

It began subtly with light layers of mascara and minimal concealer, but each morning I did my makeup I slowly delved into more extensive and dramatic applications. Though my makeup use initially stemmed from a place of self-consciousness, I soon found the process transformative, and not because of the ways it changed or “improved” my physical appearance.

I cherish the opportunity to be solitary and focus on something I enjoy, even for an hour a day. Amidst the chaos of school, work and a social life, sitting at my desk doing my makeup is the one moment of peace where I can slow down and tune out all expectations, distractions and to-dos.

Experimenting with makeup taught me that it wasn’t about covering up my insecurities, it was about practicing self-

love. The end result was inconsequential — it didn’t matter if I had perfect skin or symmetrical eyebrows — what was important was that I took the time every day to do a little something for myself.

So, every morning, I’ll sit in front of my mirror, pick up my brushes and methodically blend and create. To many people, I’m synonymous with that cakedon face. Whether it’s for a night out or a regular day of work and classes, I’ll never be seen without my winged eyeliner or mascara-clumped eyelashes. I don’t wear makeup because I don’t love myself as I am; I wear it because I love myself enough to practice the ritual that makes me feel my best. claire.zeffer@temple.edu

The Temple News

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THE ESSAYIST

Turning envy into gratitude with a cookie recipe A student reflects on how her grandma’s cookie recipe reminds her of their memories together.

BY MOLLY CAUFIELD For The Temple News Recently my dad mentioned he’d been craving my Nanny’s chocolate chip cookies.

My Nanny passed away when I was 11, so I didn’t get as many years as I wished with her. I couldn’t recall the cookies instantly, so I asked if my dad had the recipe to replicate them. He said he didn’t need it.

He explained that her recipe was simply the one on the back of a Nestle Toll House bag, just with the addition of one secret ingredient to make them special.

My Nanny added a tablespoon of water which surprisingly made all the difference. It was a small and seemingly unimportant addition, but it transformed the cookies into something uniquely hers. They were flat and crunchy, like a burnt cookie without the char and chalky taste.

The second my Dad reminded me of the ingredient, my mind flooded with memories of my Nanny, her cookies and the grief I thought I had left behind seven years ago.

I recalled playing hide-and-seek with my cousins in her home during Christmas Eve celebrations. My favorite hiding spot was always the pantry in her iconic green kitchen because I loved looking around at all of her spices, ingredients and the many cookie tins on the side shelves.

What might have seemed like an excessive amount of tins to most was completely reasonable for my Nanny, who used them to package her cookies up as gifts. My family left Christmas Eve each year with one or more of those tins, filled with the chocolate chip and butter cookies I loved.

I feared those warm memories would stop when my Nanny passed — like an essential part of my childhood would go with her. Grappling with those thoughts at such a young age was confusing, and I

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frequently compared my experiences with my Nanny to the ones other family members had with her. I was trying to make sense of my grief and struggling to accept some people had more time with her than I did.

After more thought, I wasn’t even sure my memories of “Nanny’s cookies” directly involved my Nanny. Instead, I remember my aunts replicating them for Christmas Eve and other holidays. I began to wonder how many memories I associate with my Nanny are from after she passed.

Much of my recollection of my Nanny was built on the celebrations and moments in her honor, like how our family continued to exchange gifts on Christmas Eve by her mini tree. Knowing that most of my memories of her occurred after her death disappointed me, but also caused me to do more introspection on how I could make up for lost time.

Although I didn’t get to make many memories with my Nanny while she was alive, I continued a relationship with her through my family’s efforts to keep her spirit present.

A reminder of my Nanny like the cookies typically made me spiral because it made me feel like I missed out on truly knowing her. With more reflection, I realized my relationship with her wasn’t limited by her lifetime and I can continue to embody her and appreciate her in the same way the rest of my family does.

My parents, aunts, uncles and cousins personify Nanny’s graciousness and attitude. My dad carries on her dry sense of humor, and my aunt maintains her feistiness. She was witty, tenacious, generous and so funny. Being told I remind someone of my Nanny is my favorite compliment.

I’ve learned to define unconditional love as a face, and it’s hers. Her legacy remains in the family photos around my house and the faces of my loved ones.

Family members still recreate her special chocolate cookies, giving them a taste of nostalgia and myself a reminder of the love my family has withheld through grief.

My Nanny’s “secret” ingredient– a tablespoon of water– was underwhelming and easily overlooked. Surprisingly

that small touch made all the difference, changing how my family and I viewed simple chocolate cookies.

Every time we miss her, we make a batch of cookies. With a slight change to a traditional recipe, older family members can feel comforted, and younger ones experience the care my Nanny embodied daily.

Her simple recipe continues to connect us all, as my Nanny’s humor and love did in years past. molly.caufield@temple.edu

PAGE 20

The Temple News

THE ESSAYIST

Two cupcakes and the importance of showing up A student remembers his weekly Sunday dinners and the memory of his grandfather and cupcakes.

BY NICK GANGEWERE For The Temple News From the time I was born until I was seven, every Sunday consisted of morning soccer games, watching afternoon sports with my dad and an authentic spaghetti and meatballs pasta dinner. Without fail, my grandpa would walk into our house in the late afternoon with a white box and place it on a mantle next to our dining room table.

The box featured two Sesame Street-themed cupcakes, almost always showing the faces of Elmo and Big Bird.

The cupcakes had a vanilla base, white icing, red or yellow jimmies and little pieces of chocolate for the eyes and nose.

The cupcakes could only be eaten once dinner was finished, and it became the highlight of every weekend.

My mom’s dad, or as we called him, Pop Pop, was a man of few words. He dropped out of Southern High School during his sophomore year to take care of his grandmother, who raised him in South Philadelphia. His morals were predicated upon loyalty and kindness, and after he left the U.S. Navy he became a suit tailor in the city.

No matter the conditions, road closures or any other plans he was offered, Pop Pop made sure to stop at the former Orlando’s Bakery in Collingdale, Pennsylvania, to ensure that the big white box was on the mantle before dinner.

His wife passed before I was born, so Pop Pop’s sole family was in that room every Sunday evening.

His presence on its own could command a room, but he was always the one doing the listening. He had more stories than anybody else I had ever met, but he made sure everyone else was done sharing theirs before he would speak. As a kid, I never paid any mind to these details, but as I grew older, I became aware he was as observant as they come.

Pop Pop wasn’t an overly affectionate person, often waiting for others to approach him or offering smiles and

JUAN COLON / THE TEMPLE NEWS

handshakes instead of overt love. His grandparents raised him this way, but he always remained active in our lives no matter what.

My little brother and I cherished those moments every Sunday, rushing up to peek inside the box and play rock-paper-scissors to decide who got what cupcake. As the years went on, Pop Pop would walk slower and arrive later, but he would always show up with that same white box.

Eventually, my Pop Pop missed a few Sunday dinners, and when I was 7 years old he passed away. I remember the following week my mom took us to Orlando’s Bakery and picked out two cupcakes. Our fingers immediately pointed to the vanilla Sesame Street cupcakes behind the glass counter, and for the first time, we watched as the baker placed them into the white box.

Even during his final few weeks when he could barely walk, Pop Pop made it a point to try to make it to our house on Sundays. He simply wanted to show up for those he loved.

Whenever I think about who my

grandpa was, my mind quickly jumps to memories of his Windsor glasses or leather jackets, but I ultimately picture the cupcakes. At the time, the cupcakes were simply a dessert synonymous with spaghetti and meatballs every week.

Now, they represent a token of my grandfather’s parting lesson — always be there for your family.

When I decided to go to Temple in November 2020, the ability to consistently make the same trip my Pop Pop did every Sunday was at the forefront of my decision. I didn’t enjoy being far from home, and while I could have gone to a number of schools in the South, I wanted to be a bridge away from my house, just like my grandfather was.

At least once a month, I start my car at around noon on Sunday and drive across the Ben Franklin Bridge and into Cherry Hill, New Jersey. I walk into the house with the aroma of tomato gravy in the pot and Frank Sinatra playing from the radio my Pop Pop once owned.

As we sit down to eat, I sometimes glance at the mantle next to our dining room table, which features a plant, plates

and cookies. But no white box.

This doesn’t make me sad anymore, because my grandpa’s presence was never just about the cupcakes. It was about showing up no matter what. His way of showing our family he loved us has stuck with me, and it is a tradition I always intend to keep. nicholas.gangewere@temple.edu @nick_gang16

The Temple News

FEATURES

PAGE 21

AROUND CAMPUS

Clubs offer international students a holiday home International students combat holiday loneliness by embracing clubs and organizations.

BY BAYLEH ALEXANDER Features Editor

M

ario Coppola spent his childhood exploring Naples, a lively metropolis on Italy’s west coast. While his family and heritage were deeply rooted in the city, Coppola couldn’t shake the dream of life as an American college student. With his bags packed and an adventurous spirit, he boarded an eight-hour flight to the United States the moment he graduated high school, eager to embrace new possibilities.

“The [United States] back home is portrayed as a realm of opportunity,” said Coppola, a junior marketing major.

“So that’s also why I came here. I thought the opportunities here, the job market, also the people were completely different from back home.”

Coppola’s vision of the American dream quickly shifted to less-than-glamorous as he grew homesick, longing for familiarity. He found community in Temple’s chapter of the American Marketing Association, where he honed his passion for marketing and built lasting friendships.

Many international students on Temple’s campus share a similar experience as Coppola’s. With their families thousands of miles away and the financial burden of traveling, visiting their home countries during holiday breaks can be difficult for students from abroad. While local students gather with their families nearby, international students turn to campus clubs and organizations as a way to connect with American culture and find a sense of community when campus turns empty.

Flavia Astete-Garcia visits her home of Lima, Peru, just once a year. Leaving Lima and primarily speaking English proved more difficult than she anticipated, so she sought the Latino representation and community she desired in the

NOEL CHACKO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Four international students at the Bell Tower on Main Campus.

Association of Latino Professionals in America.

As ALPFA’s marketing director, Astete-Garcia and other executive board members held a “Friendsgiving” for the organization, gathering all its members to put a Latin twist on the American holiday.

“Everyone brought Latino food and it was really nice to learn their own culture,” said Astete-Garcia, a senior advertising major. “Latinos, it’s a culture, but Latinos are Dominicans, Peruvians like me, Colombian. So we are all different.

So getting to share that, their own culture and ethnicity with everyone else is really nice.”

Many campus clubs and organizations host similar Friendsgiving events to foster connections among members before the holiday break. The informal gathering mimics the traditional holiday, giving peers an opportunity to come together, celebrate before the nine-day break and express gratitude for one another.

For Jessy Xu, her Chinese her-

itage became both a source of pride and a learning opportunity during her Friendsgiving celebration at AMA. Xu attended an international high school in Japan that included a Thanksgiving break, though she never fully understood the meaning of the holiday.

It wasn’t until she came to college in the U.S. that she gained a deeper understanding of Thanksgiving. Inspired by her cultural background, she decided to bring egg tarts, a traditional Hong Kong-style pastry dessert.

“It was really interesting,” said Xu, a sophomore media studies and production and marketing double major. “I found it amazing how some people actually don’t know about my culture or something that maybe I grew up with, but other people weren’t aware of so that was really interesting when I was explaining what the dish was and telling them what it was made of.”

Although Xu spends her summers in Japan with her family, she primarily resides in Philadelphia. Opportunities to share her cultural food and educate oth-

ers about specific ingredients are rare, but campus holiday gatherings provide a welcome outlet for the exchange.

Coppola also finds that the casual gatherings offer a unique opportunity to connect with others beyond the usual confines of work or routine.

For Coppola, a culturally rich meal became a bonding experience, with Friendsgiving serving as a chance to connect with coworkers outside of the usual work setting.

“It was really nice to see [my bosses] outside the hours,” Coppola said.

“Because I got to know them even better, and I got to even build a stronger relationship like that, because you have a dinner together, you share some food, you have a fun time.” bayleh.alexander@temple.edu

PAGE 22

FEATURES

The Temple News

AROUND CAMPUS

Tyler’s environmental approach to glassmaking Temple’s glass program uses eco-friendly techniques to teach students about glassmaking.

BY MIKE NONNEMAKER Assistant Features Editor Jessica Jane Julius believes teaching glassmaking isn’t just about technical skills — it’s about preparing students to carry sustainable practices into their professional futures.

“It’s a very intensive use of energy and materials, and in order for students to continue, they need to be able to make a sustainable practice,” said Julius, associate professor and head of the Tyler School of Art and Architecture’s glass program. “We really think of the outcomes of our students when they graduate — how do they continue [glass] making if energy prices go up, if material prices go up, how can they become more conscious makers and realize their impact?”

Julius has spearheaded an initiative to eliminate glass waste since becoming the head of Temple’s program in 2019.

She received a Green Grant in 2022 from the university’s Office of Sustainability, which was used for equipment like a glass crusher. The program now remelts glass waste and gives students access to recycled material, keeping thousands of pounds of glass out of landfills, Julius said.

Tyler recently earned a $25,000 Scoping Grant from the 2024 Frankenthaler Climate Initiative which will aim to support energy audits and assessments to guide the transition to clean energy, with a focus on the glass department’s energy-intensive kiln systems.

The funds will help Tyler assess energy use to prepare for a full conversion of its facilities to sustainable energy.

The grants also help the glass program incorporate sustainable art practices, with the goal of preparing students for the challenges of an evolving field.

Amber Cowan teaches students how to create art mindfully while reusing materials. Second-life glass, often repur-

JARED TATZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS The Tyler School of Art and Architecture glass blowing program continues to aid Temple’s sustainability practice.

posed from scraps and other materials, is an essential part of the effort, ensuring that students learn technical skills and gain a deeper understanding of sustainability in their craft.

“I use sustainable materials as much as I can — the glass that I use for my work is second-life material, so I teach that in my classes,” said Cowan, an adjunct professor in Tyler’s glass department. “And as artists, as sculptors, there is a lot of unseen energy and consumption that goes into making a piece that we need to be aware of. I think it’s good to have [students] think about that at an early age, when they’re just beginning their art careers.”

Cowan’s approach mirrors Tyler’s broader commitment to minimizing waste and environmental impact within the glass program.

The addition of a color tank to Tyler’s glass facilities is part of the program’s innovative approach to resource management. Unlike most studios,

which only provide clear glass, Tyler’s color tank offers students creative freedom while reinforcing sustainable practices.

“I barely ever go into another glass studio that has a color tank ready and available at all times,” Cowan said.

The color tank itself is the result of a recycling process. Students’ discarded scraps of clear and colored glass are collected and remelted, with added oxides creating a distinctive dark gray to black color. This process reduces waste and allows students to work with colored glass more frequently, a medium that is often expensive and tricky to use.

While reused material may not be the easiest to work with, Kristen Neville Taylor believes it provides students with a unique opportunity to step outside of their comfort zones.

“The glass doesn’t have to be perfect,” said Taylor, an adjunct assistant professor. “It’s a learning environment, so it makes sense for the students. As

long as it’s usable material and they’re able to work with it, it doesn’t have to be clear of any imperfections. So, it’s actually the perfect environment to pilot something like this.”

Through these practices, the faculty hopes to inspire students to reflect on their role as artists in a world grappling with limited resources. By learning to work with constraints, students can prepare for the challenges they may face in their professional careers.

For Julius, these efforts symbolize a shared commitment to creating art that respects the world it inhabits.

“I feel really privileged to be working with the students that we have, the grads, the undergrads and the faculty,” Julius said. “I’m surrounded by very like-minded people and every day I can see how the change in curriculum impacts the students, and how that can help shape the world that I want to be in.” mike.nonnemaker@temple.edu

The Temple News

FEATURES

PAGE 23

AROUND CAMPUS

SEPTA Forward emerges from existential crises Officials are pressing on with modernization after staving off a “fiscal cliff” and “death spiral.”

BY JADON GEORGE Features Staff Writer For the longtime Philly rider, the 56page document on SEPTA’s website may look for all the world like a WALL-E sequel.

In February 2021, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority approved a plan to review and refresh Philadelphia’s public transit for the first time since its inception in the mid-1960s.

Sleek light-rail machines would bring the nation’s most extensive streetcar system into the 21st century, giving it a facelift dramatic enough to turn a Florida bodybuilder green with envy.

Regional Rail — SEPTA’s sprawling, white-collar commuter rail system — would become a DMV-style Metro system. And a team of urban planners got the directive to redraw Greater Philadelphia’s entire bus network in a program dubbed, astonishingly, the Bus Revolution.

That was very nearly four years ago.

SEPTA has, according to spokesman Andrew Busch, moved ahead with a plan to at last bring its subway stations into line with the Americans with Disabilities Act. A $317 million federal grant kickstarted the push to modernize the Market-Frankford Line’s cars, with the trolleys due to follow in 2027 or 2028.

And the city’s modes of public transportation are breaking in new names — coded not according to where they go or what they are, but by a signature letter and color. The Norristown High-Speed Line is the purple “M,” for example. The Frankford subway, colloquially known as the El, is now a powder-blue “L.” But WALL-E never got a sequel: Parts of what’s known as SEPTA Forward now lie between the proverbial refrigerator and the cutting-room floor.

A direct metro line to King of Prussia, initially the marquee item on Regional Rail’s transformation, fizzled after

OLIVER LOIS ECONOMIDIS / THE TEMPLE NEWS As SEPTA funding and price hikes continue to be a hot topic, the concerns of how these will affect Temple increase.

federal benefactors questioned its ability to weather cost overruns.

“There weren’t any projects in our capital budget that we could look at and say, ‘If we have a cost overrun on KOP Rail, we’ll cut from here,’” said SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch. “Everything is pretty tight.”

Much of the remaining funding for streetcar modernizations has yet to arrive, though SEPTA has put some of its historic, green-and-cream trolleys back on the streets.

Bus Revolution was never a hit with the public, anyway. In the years since its announcement, officials have repeatedly pushed back a start date. But the Revolution has neither been televised nor implemented. Instead, it’s been indefinitely

suspended. Busch believes the moniker “Revolution” might have been a little upsetting to longtime passengers.

“I think we’re gonna call it something more like ‘the new bus network,’” he quipped.

Delays and cancellations, demons never fully cast from a transit system’s timetable, have now come to haunt SEPTA’s administrative calendar. But darker devilry awaits.

Regional Rail’s vast reach — from the exurbs of Swarthmore and Pottstown, Pennsylvania to the neighboring metropolises of Wilmington, Delaware and Trenton, New Jersey — has long quenched SEPTA’s operational thirst with streams of laptop-class cash.

When the COVID-19 pandemic sparked the Zoom-i-fication of office work, the commuters stayed home.

When the plague lifted, they didn’t return.

Students at Temple still use SEPTA a great deal: Main Campus covers three stops on the Broad Street Line — Cecil B. Moore, Girard and Susquehanna-Dauphin.

Story continued on Page 26. jadon@temple.edu @jgeorgescribe

LIVE Philly in

JARED TATZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS The Miracle on South 13th street had their opening night block party for the start of the christmas season.

A night of Christmas cheer and joy on 13th Street The neighborhood celebrated East Passyunk neighborhood and their thing, and then every year it got bigger the opening night of its annual friends organized the annual Miracle and bigger and bigger, and now it’s a naChristmas block party. on 13th Street event. People came with tional holiday,” Caldwell said.

BY JARED TATZ Assistant Photo Editor

T

he 1600 block of South 13th Street was filled with lights and activities on Saturday night as children and adults alike gathered for the opening night of The Miracle on South 13th Street, a month-long display of festive decorations.

Children had their faces painted and rode around the block on a miniature train. They got to meet Santa and other Christmas mascots like the Grinch and Abominable Snowman. Members of the

their families and pets, one even lugging along a cat in a stroller.

Each house is intricately decorated with a unique array of Christmas lights and decorations. They served hot chocolate, candy canes and other holiday snacks for the attendees. People danced to festive music, which could be heard throughout the block.

Former resident and event DJ Desiree Caldwell helped organize the event with her grandmother, who still lives on the block. She recalled what it was like when it first started.

“It was just a street party, and everybody used to make food and bring food out, and it was just a neighborhood

One group of attendees came all the way from New York City for the event and waited eagerly to see the Grinch.

“It’s cool to see a neighborhood come together for something like this,” said Kamri Alexander, one of the visiting attendees.

Sam Linguist, another New Yorker, attends the party every year because his brother lives on the block. He loves to sit inside in the warmth of his brother’s house with hot chocolate and watch the festivities.

The people on the block used to just decorate their houses with lights for the holidays. But now the decorations have become more elaborate. Many of the

houses have unique decorations like one house with a fake person hanging out the window in reference to the Christmas movie “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” Another resident set up a bubble machine for kids to enjoy.

The block party that once only brought neighbors together has now expanded into an iconic festive Philadelphia event, for children to sit on Santa’s lap and residents to come together to spread Christmas cheer.

Alex Du, the event’s main organizer, grew up on the street and moved back to the area with his family a few years ago.

“I’m just glad that it’s grown every year,” Du said. “You know we can bring some Christmas spirit to the city.” jared.tatz@temple.edu

From top to bottom:

From top to bottom:

The block party had Christmas candy and hot chocolate for all who attended.

The block party was a great place for people of all ages including little kids.

Every house on the 1600 block of 13th street was intricately decorated with colorful lights.

There were plenty of spots for pictures such as this decorated jeep where elves and reindeer were in front of taking photos with attendees.

One of the many activities was a miniature train for children and their parents to ride around the block.

There were plenty of winter mascots such as the abominable snowman.

JARED TATZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS

FEATURES

PAGE 26

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 Some ride Regional Rail to get to class. And many use buses and subways to grocery shop the Fresh Grocer, to get to off-campus jobs or just wander around downtown. And aspiring doctors on the Health Sciences Campus have easy access to the sub, too, via Allegheny Station across the street from the Kornberg dentistry school Not all Temple students have to use SEPTA. But Bryce Forys would prefer they did.

“Using SEPTA versus a single occupancy vehicle is way more environmentally friendly; it’s better for the environment,” said Forys, Temple’s sustainability coordinator. “From a health perspective in the city, it helps prevent car strikes, congestion, things like that.”

Yet the pandemic’s aftermath opened a $240 million hole in SEPTA’s operating budget. Talk of an apocalyptic “fiscal cliff,” of steep price hikes and circulation-slicing cutbacks, became a staple of the state legislature’s year-end conversations.

And the pandemic took more than SEPTA’s money: When the laptop class moved out, the housing crisis’ victims

V

moved in — often fighting losing battles against drug addiction, mental illness or both while their governments razored the plague-era safety net.

Very, very public antisocial episodes became bog-standard parts of city shuttling. Public transit became a political football, a symbol of Democratic governance’s shortcomings in the eyes of voters. And “the loss of a peaceful commons,” as Elizabeth Bruenig put it in The Atlantic, spurred SEPTA workers to threaten a strike if the Authority didn’t deliver stronger protections against violence.

Officials averted a stoppage by committing more resources to safety. But Busch said those funds leave the authority less financial wiggle room.

For junior information science and technology student Marcus Sides, the Authority’s financial woes have already brought one unwelcome change: Charges resumed for parking at Regional Rail stations earlier this year. The change didn’t go unnoticed, Sides said.

But it wasn’t enough to move him off the rails. Yet. “I would say they’re small inconveniences,” Sides said. “If I were to drive out, that’s, like, 40 minutes to drive up and that’d be really expensive.”

S E I O C

What is a little thing in your life that’s special to you?

PHOTOS BY JADON GEORGE / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Small inconveniences, piling up, would be a hallmark of SEPTA’s “death spiral”: The phrase wormed its way into the local lexicon and now routinely falls from the lips of the Authority’s own officials. And it doesn’t refer to something quick and painless.

In what Busch and other SEPTA officials call the “worst-case scenario,” rides become more expensive as service becomes less reliable. Unable to afford the new, higher rates, riders simply stop using public transit unless absolutely necessary.

Local transit, in this nightmare, begins bleeding public confidence: The school district, for example, stops buying SEPTA passes for its students and instead hires its own fleet of buses.

“To put it bluntly, people can’t count on you,” Busch said.

Last year, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and a divided state legislature united to keep SEPTA as-is for much of 2024. Lawmakers again dodged the dawn of the “death spiral” this November after the Authority raised rates by 21%.

Transit officials now back a Shapiro proposal to send larger shares of the state’s tax revenues to transit, Busch said — and anyway, SEPTA finances improvement projects like the Forward

The Temple News

initiatives separately from its day-to-day workings; a single dip in revenue isn’t supposed to impact the Authority’s future projects. But a prolonged era of fiscal crisis, he warned, could doom efforts to modernize public transit.

The Sustainability Office, among other groups, plans to do its part for SEPTA — educating students on how to make use of its services and press state lawmakers for more funds.

“It feels like it’s on a level of state government,” Forys said. “And, yes, that is where the funding exists. But there’s a lot that you can do as students to really advocate for it.” jadon@temple.edu @jgeorgescribe

MARIA HESS

AUDREY DORN

Junior graphic and interactive design major | She/Her

Sophomore art education major | She/Her

“ My cats. They’re just my little babies, my little sweethearts. They make me laugh when I’m sad.”

“ I like naps. After a tough day at school, I gotta go home and take a nap, maybe for a couple hours, maybe for one hour, maybe for the rest of the night.”

JOHN HYAMS

GIULIANO TOSTI

Freshman undeclared major | He/Him

Freshman engineering major | He/Him

“ Getting Bagel Hut

“ Playing basketball

once a week. I always look forward to it. I love it.”

my whole life. Throughout the whole time, I think I’ve made so many friends. ”

The Temple News

ALL IN GOOD FUN

Holiday Music Word Search

Michael Bublé Winter Wonderland The Jackson Five Silver Bells Silent Night Bing Crosby

Nat King Cole Let it Snow Charlie Brown Mariah Carey Dean Martin Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel

PAGE 27

Holiday Movies Crossword

ACROSS 1. The name of the Grinch’s dog who wears a signature antler.

3. In Love Actually (2003), Mark uses ____ to profess his love to Juliet.

6. The four main food groups of an elf are candy, candy canes, candy corn, and ____.

8. The name of the doctor who created Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).

9. The book George Bailey finds inscribed from his guardian angel Clarence.

11. The gift The Boy finds under his Christmas tree after his trip on the Polar Express.

12. The name of the boy who is left at home in Home Alone (1990).

DOWN 2. What does Ralphie want for Christmas in A Christmas Story (1983)?

4. The Family ____ (2005) stars Dermot Mulrone and Sarah Jessica Parker.

5. The last name of the family from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

7. When a group of terrorists crash a holiday party, a New York City policeman on the inside is the hostages’ only hope.

10. What does Hermey the Misfit Elf aspire to be when he grows up?

SPORTS

PAGE 28

The Temple News

FOOTBALL

Temple looking toward future after rough season The Owls finished the season with a 3-9 record and fired head coach Stan Drayton.

BY RYAN MACK Sports Editor

A

fter Temple routed Utah State 45-29 on Sept. 21, it seemed like the team had turned a corner. They held an underwhelming 1-3 record but hung tough against Coastal Carolina a week prior and showed positive signs in their season opener against Oklahoma.

The Owls overcame a 14-point deficit against the Aggies and found its starting quarterback for the remainder of the season in Rutgers transfer Evan Simon.

Temple endured its fair share of bumps and struggles during the first two seasons of head coach Stan Drayton’s tenure, so the win against Utah State was a breath of fresh air. Before the season started, Drayton spoke at length about how his team wasn’t focused on proving the doubters wrong but instead wanted to prove themselves right.

“You can’t claim to be ‘Temple TUFF’ if you can’t take a hit in the mouth and turn around the next day and get up and get back in the fight,” Drayton said.

“You’re fake if you don’t.”

Two months later, Temple’s week four win feels like a distant memory. The Owls won just two more games the rest of the season and eliminated any hope the team had to build off the early success. Temple gave up at least 50 points in two straight games capped off by an underwhelming 52-6 loss to Tulane on Nov. 9.

Temple beat Florida Atlantic the following week, but Drayton was fired less than 24 hours later, ending his nearly three-year tenure with a record of 9-25.

The Owls’ fortunes were the same when defensive coordinator Everett Withers took Drayton’s place. They closed the year out with a 3-9 record for a fourth consecutive year after a loss to North Texas to end the season. On Dec. 1, Temple hired former Sam Houston State coach K.C. Keeler to be its new

LILLIAN PRIETO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple’s quarterback, Evan Simon, throws the ball during the Owls’ matchup with the UTSA Roadrunners in San Antonio.

head coach.

“I am beyond thrilled to be named Temple University’s next head football coach,” Keeler wrote in a statement after he was hired. “I would like to thank [Athletic Director] Arthur Johnson and President John Fry for this incredible opportunity. Their shared vision and enthusiasm for returning this program to greatness has been contagious. I’m eager to get to work to bring that vision to fruition for the Cherry and the White. It’s a perfect fit and it feels great to be coming back home!”

Expectations weren’t high for the program in 2024, but there is still much to dissect as the Owls prepare for Keeler’s first season. Here is where things stand entering another important offseason.

THE GOOD Most of the positives on the offensive side of the ball came from Simon.

He battled with fellow quarterback Forrest Brock for the starting quarter-

back job throughout training camp but Brock came out on top. Simon eventually stepped into the starting role against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 14 and never looked back.

Simon nearly brought the Owls back from a 14-point hole against the Chanticleers but a misplaced pass on the final drive of the game spoiled the comeback effort. However, the offense looked smoother and he took better control of the unit than Brock did in his two starts to open the season. Simon led the Owls to their first win of the season the following week against Utah State and things were looking up.

Simon remained the starter the rest of the season and finished with 15 touchdown passes and 2,032 yards through the air. “[Simon is] exactly what we need right now,” Drayton said following the Owls’ win against Utah State.

Simon’s success came from his connection with his pass catchers, most notably wide receiver Dante Wright. After

dealing with injuries in 2023, Wright put together a career year in his second season on North Broad. He had four straight games with 90 yards receiving or more and finished with 61 receptions and 792 yards.

Wright got injured against Tulsa on Oct. 18, but players like wide receiver Ashton Allen and tight end Landon Morris stepped up.

Morris, who missed all of last season due to the two-time transfer rule, showed flashes before Wright returned against FAU on Nov. 16. Wright recorded 14 catches, the second-most in a game in program history, and 147 receiving yards with a touchdown.

“Really just practice,” Wright said. “I just had a really good week in practice.

Having Evan trust me the way he does, and just expecting the ball.”

On the defensive end, the linebacker core was able to take the reins as the heart of the defense. D.J. Woodbury Sr. seamlessly filled the hole left by culture builders Jordan Magee and Yvandy Rig-

The Temple News

by, who graduated and left for the NFL. Woodbury, a single-digit captain, became a leader on defense and a player his teammates leaned on. Woodbury started the year on a roll and formed a tandem with ECU transfer linebacker Tyquan King. After being inserted into the starting lineup in week four, King transformed into one of the best linebackers in the AAC. King became a tackling machine for the Owls, and finished the year with an AAC-leading 111 tackles. He became the first player since current NFL player Tyler Matakevich to reach 100 tackles, and Woodbury followed him with 103.

“When I first got here in the spring, I was put through three different spots,” King said. “Coach Woods just wanted to get a feel for me and see how I get acclimated into the system. Once I was able to hone in on one spot it allowed me to flourish, because I could focus on my job description.”

Defensive end Diwun Black missed the first four games of the season for undisclosed reasons but made an instant impact upon his return. He finished with four sacks on the year and was a force by constantly hurrying the quarterback.

Against Tulsa, he forced a crucial fourth down stop in just his third game back.

THE BAD Temple was constantly beaten up on both sides of the line, causing the offense to frequently depend on Simon to make plays. Running back Terrez Worthy became a fixture later in the year but finished with just 425 total yards on the ground.

Running backs Antwain Littleton and Joquez Smith were expected to be the main contributors in the backfield, but Littleton got hurt and Smith never produced. The Owls averaged 93 rushing yards per game, last in the AAC and 127th in the country.

The lack of rushing limited the offense, as Temple averaged just 306 total yards per game, ranking at the bottom of the conference again. It also led to Temple being unable to sustain drives, converting only 32% of its third downs.

“The most important thing for us is to keep their offense on the sideline,” Wither said. “How do you do that? Gotta keep drives alive. You can’t be second

SPORTS and 15. We got to be second to five, second and sevens and then third and twos.”

While they struggled to run the ball, Temple also struggled to stop the rush on defense. They were overmatched at the line of scrimmage and let up an average of 227 rushing yards per game, last in the AAC. The Owls let seven teams rush for 200 yards or more and had three teams run for at least 300 yards on them.

The front-line struggles took the heat off the secondary, but the back line had its fair share of issues as well. After looking like a strong point during the middle of the season, including a stretch of four interceptions in a four-week span, the defensive backs fell off of a cliff.

It first started with a five-touchdown performance from ECU quarterback Katin Houser on Oct. 26 and continued throughout the remainder of the season.

The secondary was constantly tested in the back half of the season and regularly came out on the wrong side of the battle. Cornerbacks Ben Osueke and Torey Richardson were targeted and flagged multiple times against Tulsa and ECU. Safety Andreas Keaton, known for his plus tackling ability, was a liability in coverage and let up multiple big plays throughout the season.

“We play really well at times on defense and at times our offense kind of struggled,” Drayton said following the loss to Tulane. “In this last game, our offense kind of showed up. The last couple games, they showed up in spots and our defense has had a rough go.”

Temple was also hit with the injury bug in the middle of the season and some of its best players had to miss time.

Just like last season, the offensive line was a revolving door with starters Wisdom Quarshie and Kevin Terry missing multiple weeks. Center Grayson Mains injured his leg against Tulsa and also missed the back half of the year.

Wright and Simon both spent time rehabbing injuries of their own, with Wright missing two games and Simon missing one. The offense took steps back when they were out.

WHAT’S NEXT? It took just two weeks after Drayton’s dismissal for Johnson to find his replacement. Keeler, who previously coached at Sam Houston State, the Uni-

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LANDON STAFFORD / THE TEMPLE NEWS Tyquan King, a linebacker for Temple, makes a charge for the ball against the Florida Atlantic Owls.

versity of Delaware and Rowan University, is the second-winningest active head coach in college football with 271 career wins.

“Coach Keeler has a track record of evaluating, recruiting, and developing student-athletes into championship-level young men,” Johnson wrote in the statement. “His leadership, experience, and the culture he establishes within programs are exactly what Temple football needs as we look to return to prominence in the competitive college football landscape. We are ecstatic to welcome K.C., his wife, Janice, and his entire family to Temple.”

Keeler has won two FCS national championships, one with Sam Houston State in 2020 and another in 2003 while he was coaching the University of Delaware. He has 17 FCS playoff appearances and coached Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco with the Blue Hens after Flacco transferred from the University of Pittsburgh.

“Coach Keeler took a chance on me 20 years ago and I’ll never forget that.”

Flacco wrote in the statement. “I couldn’t be more excited for him and his family. If you’re an Owls fan, I’d be excited. He has been a winner everywhere he’s been.”

Keeler helped the Bearkats during their transition to the FBS level in 2023.

In just their second season in the Conference USA, Sam Houston State posted a 9-3 record. The Emmaus, Pennsylvania, native could give the Owls an edge in the local recruiting field.

Now that Temple has tapped their next head coach, his first order of business is to reel in players from last year’s roster to return in 2025.

Team captains Wright, Woodbury and defensive tackle Latrell Jean will graduate and leave the program. Simon, who was a solid replacement for former quarterback E.J. Warner after he transferred to Rice, gave a cryptic response when asked about whether or not he would return to Temple next season.

“Someone just asked me ‘Are you staying? Are you going?’” Simon said. “I said, ‘People have asked me before. I try and push that away like not even worry about it.’ So that’s something that’s a family conversation, but that’s for another day.” ryan.mack0001@temple.edu @Ryan_mack18

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SPORTS

The Temple News

VOLLEYBALL

Jones providing positive light for Owls’ future Outside hitter Sydney Jones had a historic year, becoming a building block for the Owls.

BY NATHAN PRENDERGAST Volleyball Beat Reporter When Sidney Jones came to Temple during the Spring semester, the program was searching for players who could emerge as potential replacements for its departing seniors. With important contributors set to leave the program at season’s end, the Owls hoped an underclassman would step up.

Fast forward three months and Jones made it crystal clear that she was exactly what the Owls were looking for. The freshman came to North Broad Street and immediately established herself as a budding star for Temple.

Jones finished the year with the second-most kills on the team and the eighth-most in the American Athletic Conference with 324. She also led the Owls in aces with 35. Her efforts were rewarded by being named the AAC Freshman of the Year.

“When I was getting recruited, I was kind of shown a list of hopes that they have for me coming in and there was that I could possibly be the Freshman of the Year,” Jones said. “I felt like I could have a big impact on the program right away, but I just had to put in the work and show that I could do it.”

Despite how quickly Jones burst onto the scene, it wasn’t a surprise for her and her teammates. Jones and fellow freshman Christiana Greene decided to graduate high school early and join the team in the spring to get a head start prior to the fall season.

Jones impressed head coach Linda Hampton-Keith in the spring and carried that success into her freshman year this fall. Enrolling in college early played a huge role in Jones getting reps and becoming familiar with her new teammates, she said.

“She came in the spring and you could tell as soon as she stopped in the gym she was gonna be a great athlete and a great asset to our team,” said outside hitter Taylor Davenport. “I really love how she bought into the team really ear-

LILLIAN PRIETO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Sydney Jones returns a pass during the Nov. 3rd game against North Texas.

ly. Whatever we needed from her, she was working hard to make it happen.”

Jones finished with 11 kills in her first collegiate match, the second most on the team, as Temple marched to victory against Rider. Jones’ impressive debut was only a sign of positive things to come. She held her starting spot for the rest of the season and became a crucial piece for a team fighting for a postseason spot.

Jones continued to improve as the season progressed and had a standout performance against Binghamton on Oct. 9. She finished the match with a season-high 25 kills off an impressive .327 hitting percentage, along with 10 digs. The Owls needed five sets to pick up the win and Jones helped spearhead the victory, collecting six kills in the decisive fifth set.

At season’s end, Jones finished with double-digit kills in 22 of the Owls’ 30 matches. Temple went just 1-7 in the games she recorded less than 10 kills, showing how crucial Jones was to the team’s success. She also recorded more

than 20 kills in three matches.

Despite Jones’ historic freshman season, the Owls took a step back in the win-loss column compared to last year. Temple finished with a 14-16 record, three fewer wins than last season, and missed the conference tournament again.

“There’s going to be ups and downs, but I feel like as a team we always pick each other up,” Jones said. “We knew what we had to work on everybody and always helped me out in areas that I needed. And I feel like it never felt like a downward moment.”

Temple will now have to face next season without Davenport, who finished her career with the sixth most kills in program history. Replacing a player like Davenport is never an easy task, but the Owls think they have the player to help soften the transition.

Expectations remain high for Jones going into next season as she prepares to fill Davenport’s shoes. It may seem like a steep request, but Hampton-Keith has prepared for this moment and remains

confident in Jones’ ability to take over as the lead offensive threat.

“She was one of the first recruits we identified right when we got here [in 2022],” Hampton-Keith said. “The intention when we first recruited her was this is who we want to invest in and this is who we see as the future of Temple Volleyball being around.” nathan.prendergast@temple.edu @nate_prendy

The Temple News

SPORTS

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MEN’S SOCCER

Owls built for the future after making postseason Temple has taken strides after since 2020. stead, the team was just growing the enfirst postseason appereance in “We didn’t just get opinions from the tire time, he said. four seasons. older guys, we got opinions from youngThe Owls’ 1-0 victory against Akron

BY ANTONIO PEREZ Men’s Soccer Beat Reporter After the first 11 games of the 2024 season, Temple was just 2-6-3 and in the midst of a three-game winless streak.

The Owls missed the postseason by one point in 2023, but it seemed unlikely that head coach Bryan Green’s squad would be in that position again.

Temple’s winless streak was extended to four games in a 2-0 loss to South Florida on Oct. 5 and the team was desperate to turn things around.

A team meeting was held shortly after the loss to discuss why they weren’t meeting expectations and what needed to change. The talk unlocked something in the Owls and they ran the table the rest of the regular season. Temple shut out its final five opponents to finish 3-02 to reach the American Athletic Conference tournament for the first time

CONTINUED FROM 32 MEN’S BASKETBALL Durodola and Battie have contributed on both sides of the floor at a high level. Durodola is averaging 17 minutes per game and has only two turnovers all season while Battie has also seen the court in every game and hasn’t recorded a single turnover. They have used their size to improve the team’s rebounding — an area that Temple struggled in last season.

Temple had one of the worst rebounding margins in the AAC last season at -2.7 and head coach Adam Fisher knew it needed to improve for the team to succeed this season. Temple brought in transfer big men Elijah Gray and Mohamed Keita to join returning forward Steve Settle III to help on the glass.

However, Gray missed the first three games after suffering a concussion before the season started and Keita has

er guys as well,” said goalkeeper Flannan Riley. “To see what everybody wanted out of the season and for everyone to share their feelings was a turnaround for us and built a camaraderie that I haven’t seen since I’ve been here.”

Temple’s hot streak at the end of the regular season was capped off by a 1-0 win against Tulsa on Nov. 1, clinching the sixth and final spot in the AAC tournament. While the Owls ultimately fell to Charlotte 3-1 in the first round, they found success and growth that leaves hope for the future.

“I can see ourselves pushing to win the regular season conference and even going to the NCAA tournament [in the future],” said defender Nikolai Zapolskikh.

The end of the season wasn’t how Green envisioned it, but he saw growth in his team regardless of the record and final scores. Green doesn’t believe his team had a midseason turnaround. In-

on Sept. 14 was when the squad hit their stride. While a five-game winless streak wasn’t in the cards, Green stayed confident that his group would play better down the stretch.

The Owls lacked a true identity for much of last season and it was something that needed to change to succeed in 2024. Temple quickly built its team around being a pesky, defensive-minded team that opponents struggled to beat.

The Owls’ defense became their calling card and the goalkeeper duo of Riley and Andrew Kempe spearheaded the efforts. The pair helped Temple finish 72nd out of 250 teams in goals allowed per game.

Despite the Owls’ defense performances, the offense was on the opposite end of the spectrum. Temple finished with just 11 goals all season, ranking it 204 out of 205 Division I teams. Only defender Aaron Markowitz and forward Xavier Rimpel scored more than one

rarely been on the floor due to an injury.

The injuries thrust both freshmen into major roles in the lineup and they fit in seamlessly.

“Both guys have come in and done a really nice job,” Fisher said. “You have Dillon [Battie] who gets AAC Rookie of the Week in the first week and he comes off the bench. Babatunde [Durodola] has been very impressive for me. His ability to rebound, high IQ, he’s earned where he’s at.”

Durodola feels his greatest impact is on the defensive end. He prides himself on his rebounding abilities and stepping in to help on defense. The Toronto native is second on the team in rebounds with 43, trailing only Settle, a redshirt senior who has 50. “[Rebounding is] a main message,” Fisher said. “You’re only gonna get one leading score every night. But how do you impact the game? For us, it’s defending and rebounding. Go defend and re-

bound. That’s what we’re looking for.”

Durodola and Battie’s skills don’t end on defense. Battie, the son of former Owl Derrick Battie, had a career-high 16 points in Temple’s thumping against Monmouth on Nov. 8 and is shooting 70% from the field. He was also named the AAC Rookie of the Week on Nov. 11. Durodola has scored in every game while averaging 5.7 points per game.

The duo, alongside fellow freshman guard Aiden Tobiason, have helped each other adjust to college and have also looked up to the older guys on the roster for guidance. The veterans took them under their wing to show them where they need to improve.

“All of [the older athletes have been role models],” Battie said. “But especially Steve [Settle], Jamal Mashburn, even Matteo [Picarelli]. They just encourage us. Also, Shane [Dezonie]. Those are some of the guys who have the biggest influence on me.”

goal on the year, both finishing with two.

The 2024 season went as well as the Owls could have imagined for the second year of a head coaches’ tenure. They returned to the postseason and their young players took steps forward. The potential Temple showed down the stretch is a mark of where it can be, but it has to put that play together for a full season, Bryan Green said.

“Ideally, we are hitting our stride earlier than Akron, that’s where we fell short this year,” Bryan Green said. ”As we try to build the other side of the game and become an attacking team, we are going to make sure the defense doesn’t slip.”

Antonio.perez@temple.edu @Toneperez17

The freshmen have learned how they can elevate their game and become better basketball players by watching their more experienced teammates play.

Battie and Durodola have taken advantage of their example to get off to their impressive starts and hope to carry their success through the rest of the season.

“From then till now, a lot has happened,” Durodola said. “It’s been moving fast but I feel like all the guys on the team kind of take me under their wing in different aspects and help me to be better and put me in situations for me to be better. So I gotta think better. It’s just giving me the confidence to go out there and play.” sienna.conaghan@temple.edu @Sienna_Paige2

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SPORTS

FUELED BY YOUTH Temple Men’s Basketball freshmen forwards Dillon Battie and Babatunde Durodola have given Temple a spark this season.

BY SIENNA CONAGHAN Assistant Sports Editor

A

fter falling short in the American Athletic Conference title game last season, Temple immediately hit the transfer portal to retool its roster.

Veteran players like guards Jamal Mashburn Jr. and Jameel Brown have made a much-expected impact in the backcourt, but it’s been the freshman class that has fueled the Owls’ frontcourt through their first seven games.

Temple reeled in the top 2024 high school recruiting class in the AAC, according to Rivals, a high school recruiting network. Each of the three freshmen Temple landed were ranked as three-star recruits but there were questions about whether the trio would be ready to play meaningful minutes right away.

Forwards Babatunde Durodola and Dillon Battie answered those questions immediately and have been two of the most important pieces of the team early in the season.

Durodola has started each of the Owls’ first seven games while Battie has made a thunderous impact off the bench.

“I wasn’t even sure I was going to start,” Durodola said.

“There’s other talented guys on the court and our team is versatile, so we can slide guys to different positions. So finding out I was going to start was a surprise to me. I feel like coaches trust me in those situations.”

MEN’S BASKETBALL | 31 JACK LARSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple’s rebounding has improved with the addition of freshmen Dillon Battie and Babatunde Durodola.

The Temple News